bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards Improved Humidity Sensing Nanomaterials via Combined Electron and NH3 Treatment of Carbon-Rich FEBID Deposits
Authors: Boeckers Hannah , Swiderek Petra , Rohdenburg Markus
Published: December 2022

Focused Electron Beam Induced Deposition (FEBID) is a unique tool to produce nanoscale materials. The resulting deposits can be used, for instance, as humidity or strain sensors. The humidity sensing concept relies on the fact that FEBID using organometallic precursors often yields deposits which consist of metal nanoparticles embedded in a carbonaceous matrix. The electrical conductivity of such materials is altered in the presence of polar molecules such as water. Herein, we provide evidence that the interaction with water can be enhanced by incorporating nitrogen in the deposit through post-deposition electron irradiation in presence of ammonia (NH3). This opens the perspective to improve and tune the properties of humidity sensors fabricated by FEBID. As a proof-of-concept experiment, we have prepared carbonaceous deposits by electron irradiation of adsorbed layers of three different precursors, namely, the aliphatic hydrocarbon n-pentane, a simple alkene (2-methyl-2-butene), and the potential Ru FEBID precursor bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)ruthenium(II). In a subsequent processing step, we incorporated C-N bonds in the deposit by electron irradiation of adsorbed NH3. To test the resulting material with respect to its potential humidity sensing capabilities, we condensed sub-monolayer quantities of water (H2O) on the deposit and evaluated their thermal desorption behavior. The results confirm that the desorption temperature of H2O decisively depends on the degree of N incorporation into the carbonaceous residue which, in turn, depends on the chemical nature of the precursor used for deposition of the carbonaceous layer. We thus anticipate that the sensitivity of a FEBID-based humidity sensor can be tuned by a precisely timed post-deposition electron and NH3 processing step.
Statin-Induced Geranylgeranyl Pyrophosphate Depletion Promotes PCSK9–Dependent Adipose Insulin Resistance
Authors: Shu Xin , Wu Jiaqi , Zhang Tao , Ma Xiaoyu , Du Zuoqin , Xu Jin , You Jingcan , Wang Liqun , Chen Ni , Luo Mao , Wu Jianbo
Published: December 2022

Statin treatment is accepted to prevent adverse cardiovascular events. However, statin therapy has been reported to be dose-dependently associated with increased risk for new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is expressed in adipose tissue and is positively correlated with lipid metabolism. It is, however, unknown if PCSK9 participates in adipocyte insulin resistance occurring as a result of statin use. Our goal was to use an in vitro adipose tissue explant approach to support the hypothesis that PCSK9 regulates statin-induced new-onset T2DM. Studies were performed using Pcsk−/− and C57Bl/6J control mice. Pcsk9−/− and control mice were fed a high-fat diet to affect a state of chronically altered lipid metabolism and increased PCSK9. Epididymal fat was excised and incubated with atorvastatin (1 µmol/L) in the absence and presence of insulin or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). PCSK9 mRNA was evaluated using quantitative rtPCR. We further examined the effects of atorvastatin on insulin-mediated AKT signaling in adipose tissue explants by immunoblotting. Atorvastatin was found to upregulate PCSK9 gene expression in adipose tissue. The metabolic intermediate GGPP is required to downregulate PCSK9 expression. PCSK9 deficiency protects against statin-induced impairments in insulin signaling. Moreover, supplementation with GGPP reversed atorvastatin-induced suppression of insulin signaling. Furthermore, the basal and atorvastatin-stimulated release of free fatty acids was observed in adipose tissue from wild-type mice but not PCSK9 deficient mice. Collectively, we describe a novel mechanism for PCSK9 expression in adipose tissue that could mediate statin-impaired adipose insulin resistance.
Malnutrition and Erythropoietin Resistance among Patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease: Where Is the Perpetrator of Disaster?
Authors: Feret Wiktoria , Safranow Krzysztof , Kwiatkowska Ewa , Daniel Aleksandra , Ciechanowski Kazimierz
Published: December 2022

Background: Hemodialyzed patients with poor erythropoietin response tend to have low volume of visceral adipose tissue and score high on malnutrition-inflammation score. This study investigates in-depth the role of leptin and chosen cytokines in the development of malnutrition-inflammation syndrome (MIS) and erythropoietin resistance. Methods: Eighty-one hemodialyzed patients with erythropoietin-treated anemia were enrolled in the study. Their body composition was measured. Erythropoietin resistance index was calculated. Blood samples for leptin, IL-6, IL-18, TNF-alpha, and IL-1-alpha serum levels were drawn. Results: Leptin showed negative correlation with erythropoietin resistance index (ERI), whilst IL-6 showed the opposite. IL-6 seemed to be linked more to HD parameters and vintage, while TNF-alpha and leptin were more dependent on body composition. IL-18 and IL-1-alpha did not affect nutritional parameters nor ERI. Conclusion: Modulation of adipokine- and cytokine-related signaling is a promising target in tempering malnutrition in hemodialyzed, and thus achieving better outcomes in anemia treatment. Large clinical studies that target the inflammatory response in hemodialysis, especially regarding IL-6, TNF-alpha, and leptin, would be of great worth.
Phytocannabinoids Act Synergistically with Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Reducing Inflammation in 2D and 3D In Vitro Models
Authors: Vinayaka Ajjampura , Shalev Nurit , Anil Seegehalli , Tiwari Sudeep , Kumar Navin , Belausov Eduard , Mani Karthik , Mechrez Guy , Koltai Hinanit
Published: December 2022

Lung inflammation is associated with elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Treatment with FCBD:std (standard mix of cannabidiol [CBD], cannabigerol [CBG] and tetrahydrocannabivarin [THCV]) leads to a marked reduction in the inflammation of alveolar epithelial cells, but not in macrophages. In the present study, the combined anti-inflammatory effect of FCBD:std with two corticosteroids (dexamethasone and budesonide) and two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID; ibuprofen and diclofenac), was examined. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine protein levels. Gene expression was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase (COX) activity was determined in vitro. FCBD:std and diclofenac act synergistically, reducing IL-8 levels in macrophages and lung epithelial cells. FCBD:std plus diclofenac also reduced IL-6, IL-8 and CCL2 expression levels in co-cultures of macrophages and lung epithelial cells, in 2D and 3D models. Treatment by FCBD:std and/or NSAID reduced COX-1 and COX-2 gene expression but not their enzymatic activity. FCBD:std and diclofenac exhibit synergistic anti-inflammatory effects on macrophages and lung epithelial cells, yet this combined activity needs to be examined in pre-clinical studies and clinical trials.
Human Lung Cancer (A549) Cell Line Cytotoxicity and Anti-Leishmania major Activity of Carissa macrocarpa Leaves: A Study Supported by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS Metabolites Profiling and Molecular Docking
Authors: Orabi Mohamed A. A. , Alqahtani Omaish Salman , Alyami Bandar A. , Al Awadh Ahmed Abdullah , Abdel-Sattar El-Shaymaa , Matsunami Katsuyoshi , Hamdan Dalia I. , Abouelela Mohamed E.
Published: December 2022

Lung cancer and cutaneous leishmaniasis are critical diseases with a relatively higher incidence in developing countries. In this research, the activity of Carissa macrocarpa leaf hydromethanolic extract and its solvent-fractions (n-hexane, EtOAc, n-butanol, and MeOH) against the lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549) and Leishmania major was investigated. The MeOH fraction exhibited higher cytotoxic activity (IC50 1.57 ± 0.04 μg/mL) than the standard drug, etoposide (IC50 50.8 ± 3.16 μg/mL). The anti-L. major results revealed strong growth inhibitory effects of the EtOAc fraction against L. major promastigotes (IC50 27.52 ± 0.7 μg/mL) and axenic amastigotes (29.33 ± 4.86% growth inhibition at 100 μg/mL), while the butanol fraction exerted moderate activity against promastigotes (IC50 73.17 ± 1.62), as compared with miltefosine against promastigotes (IC50 6.39 ± 0.29 μg/mL) and sodium stibogluconate against axenic amastigotes (IC50 22.45 ± 2.22 μg/mL). A total of 102 compounds were tentatively identified using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of the total extract and its fractions. The MeOH fraction was found to contain several flavonoids and flavan-3-ol derivatives with known cytotoxic properties, whereas the EtOAc fractions contained triterpene, hydroxycinnamoyl, sterol, and flavanol derivatives with known antileishmanial activity. Molecular docking of various polyphenolics of the MeOH fraction with HDAC6 and PDK3 enzymes demonstrates high binding affinity of the epicatechin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and catechin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside toward HDAC6, and procyanidin C2, procyanidin B5 toward PDK3. These results are promising and encourage the pursuit of preclinical research using C. macrocarpa’s MeOH fraction as anti-lung cancer and the EtOAc fraction as an anti-L. major drug candidates.
Single -and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Nanocarriers for the Delivery of 7-Hydroxyflavone
Authors: Espíndola Cecilia , Correa Alejandro Javier , López-López Manuel , López-Cornejo Pilar , Bernal Eva , Lebrón José Antonio , Ostos Francisco José , Benhnia Mohammed Rafii-El-Idrissi , Moyá María Luisa
Published: December 2022

The research on flavonoids has exponentially grown since their first therapeutic evidence, in 1937. They are effective in vitro in a wide range of human diseases, particularly those mediated by free radicals, such as cancer, atherosclerosis, AIDS, or neuronal diseases. However, their applications have been reduced due to their low solubility, poor absorption, and rapid metabolism. Flavonoid encapsulation in nanocarriers significantly improves their oral absorption, protects the drug against degradation, decreases the first-pass hepatic effect, and makes absorption through the lymphatic system easier. In this work, carbon nanotubes were used as nanocarriers of 7-hydroxyflavone, 7-HF. The encapsulation of 7-HF into pristine single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and into -COOH functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes has been investigated. The equilibrium association constants were estimated. The structural backbone of 7-HF, two benzene rings linked through three carbon atoms that form a pyran heterocyclic ring containing a keto group, seems to play a key role in the 7-HF/CNT interactions, although other types of interactions are also at work. The in vitro release of 7-HF was studied at three pHs, 2.0, 7.4, and 9.2, mimicking the different biological barriers of the human organism.
Pharmacokinetic Comparison of Ginsenosides between Fermented and Non-Fermented Red Ginseng in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Shin Myeong-Bae , Kim Sung-Ah , Lee Sooyoung , Shim Wang-Seob , Lee Kyung-Tae , Lee Seung-Kwon , Yim Sung-Vin , Kim Bo-Hyung
Published: December 2022

Fermentation of red ginseng (RG) produces fermented red ginseng (FRG), thereby increasing the relative amount of downstream ginsenosides, including compound Y (CY), F2, Rh2, compound K (CK), compound O, protopanaxadiol (PPD), and protopanaxatriol (PPT). These downstream ginsenosides have beneficial pharmacological effects, and are easily absorbed by the human body. Based on these expectations, a randomized, single-dose, two-period, crossover clinical trial was planned to compare the pharmacokinetic characteristics of seven types (Rb1, CY, F2, CK, Rh2, PPD, and PPT) of ginsenoside components after FRG and RG administration. The safety and tolerability profiles were assessed in this clinical trial. Sixteen healthy Korean male subjects were administered 6 g of FRG or RG. All ginsenosides except Rb1 showed higher systemic exposure after FRG administration than after RG administration, based on comparisons of ginsenoside Cmax and area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) between FRG and RG. CK, the main ginsenoside component produced during the fermentation process, had 69.23/74.53-fold higher Cmax/AUClast after administration of FRG than RG, and Rh2 had 20.27/18.47-fold higher Cmax/AUClast after administration of FRG than RG. In addition, CY and F2 were detected in FRG; however, all plasma concentrations of CY and F2, except in one subject, were below the lower limit of quantification in RG. There were no clinically significant findings with respect to clinical laboratory tests, blood pressures, or adverse events. Therefore, regular administration of FRG may exert better pharmacological effects than RG.
Trends in Drug Delivery Systems for Natural Bioactive Molecules to Treat Health Disorders: The Importance of Nano-Liposomes
Authors: Cardoso Raiane Vieira , Pereira Patricia Ribeiro , Freitas Cyntia Silva , Paschoalin Vania Margaret Flosi
Published: December 2022

Drug delivery systems are believed to increase pharmaceutical efficacy and the therapeutic index by protecting and stabilizing bioactive molecules, such as protein and peptides, against body fluids’ enzymes and/or unsuitable physicochemical conditions while preserving the surrounding healthy tissues from toxicity. Liposomes are biocompatible and biodegradable and do not cause immunogenicity following intravenous or topical administration. Still, their most important characteristic is the ability to load any drug or complex molecule uncommitted to its hydrophobic or hydrophilic character. Selecting lipid components, ratios and thermo-sensitivity is critical to achieve a suitable nano-liposomal formulation. Nano-liposomal surfaces can be tailored to interact successfully with target cells, avoiding undesirable associations with plasma proteins and enhancing their half-life in the bloodstream. Macropinocytosis-dynamin-independent, cell-membrane-cholesterol-dependent processes, clathrin, and caveolae-independent mechanisms are involved in liposome internalization and trafficking within target cells to deliver the loaded drugs to modulate cell function. A successful translation from animal studies to clinical trials is still an important challenge surrounding the approval of new nano-liposomal drugs that have been the focus of investigations. Precision medicine based on the design of functionalized nano-delivery systems bearing highly specific molecules to drive therapies is a promising strategy to treat degenerative diseases.
Capacitors Based on Polypyrrole Nanowire Electrodeposits
Authors: Ramírez A. M. R. , del Valle M. A. , Ortega E. , Díaz F. R. , Gacitúa M. A.
Published: December 2022

The electrochemical polymerization of polypyrrole nanowires is carried out using potentiodynamic and galvanostatic methods in order to enhance the performance of the modified electrodes as capacitor devices. The electrochemical, spectroscopic, and morphological properties are determined through cyclic voltammetry, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively, corroborating the presence of PPy-nw in dimensions of 30 nm in diameter. Characterization as a capacitor revealed that the nanowire structure enhances key parameters such as specific capacitance with 60 times greater value than bulk polymer modification, in addition to a significant increase in stability. In this way, it is verified that electrodes modified with polypyrrole nanowires obtained in situ by electrochemical methods constitute an excellent candidate for the development of capacitors
Nanocellulose-Based Adsorbents for Heavy Metal Ion
Authors: Si Rongrong , Pu Junwen , Luo Honggang , Wu Chaojun , Duan Gaigai
Published: December 2022

Heavy metal ions in industrial sewage constitute a serious threat to human health. Nanocellulose-based adsorbents are emerging as an environmentally friendly material platform for heavy metal ion removal based on their unique properties, which include high specific surface area, excellent mechanical properties, and biocompatibility. In this review, we cover the most recent works on nanocellulose-based adsorbents for heavy metal ion removal and present an in-depth discussion of the modification technologies for nanocellulose in the process of assembling high-performance heavy ion adsorbents. By introducing functional groups, such as amino, carboxyl, aldehyde, and thiol, the assembled nanocellulose-based adsorbents both remove single heavy metal ions and can selectively adsorb multiple heavy ions in water. Finally, the remaining challenges of nanocellulose-based adsorbents are pointed out. We anticipate that this review will provide indispensable guidance on the application of nanocellulose-based adsorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions.
Tuning Properties of Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Associates in Two-Phase Microfluidic Flows
Authors: Bezrukov Artem , Galyametdinov Yury
Published: December 2022

This work focuses on identifying and prioritizing factors that allow control of the properties of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes in two-phase microfluidic confinement and provide advantages over synthesis of such complexes in macroscopic conditions. We characterize the impact of polymer and surfactant aqueous flow conditions on the formation of microscale droplets and fluid threads in the presence of an immiscible organic solvent. We perform an experimental and selected numerical analysis of fast supramolecular reactions in droplets and threads. The work offers a quantitative control over properties of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes produced in two-phase confinement by varying capillary numbers and the ratio of aqueous and organic flowrates. We propose a combined thread-droplet mode to synthesize polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes. This mode allows the production of complexes in a broader size range of R ≈ 70–200 nm, as compared with synthesis in macroscopic conditions and the respective sizes R ≈ 100–120 nm. Due to a minimized impact of undesirable post-chip reactions and ordered microfluidic confinement conditions, the dispersity of microfluidic aggregates (PDI = 0.2–0.25) is lower than that of their analogs synthesized in bulk (PDI = 0.3–0.4). The proposed approach can be used for tailored synthesis of target drug delivery polyelectrolyte-surfactant systems in lab-on-chip devices for biomedical applications.
Influence of Alternating Multi-Layered Design on Damping Characteristics of Butyl Rubber Composites and a New Idea for Achieving Wide Temperature Range and High Damping Performance
Authors: Qin Chao , Feng Qiang , Zhang Jie , Li Jiang , Guo Shaoyun
Published: December 2022

This paper investigates the influence of an alternating multi-layered design on the material loss factor and effective temperature range of free/constrained-damping butyl rubber, and then proposes a new method of designing materials with high damping properties and a wide temperature range. First, the wide-temperature rubber IIR-0, the low-temperature rubber IIR-1, the medium-temperature rubber IIR-2, and the high-temperature rubber IIR-3 are prepared and characterized. Second, the influences of an alternating multi-layered design on the damping peak values and temperature range of free damping and micro-constrained damping of the rubber types are investigated. Finally, different methods for broadening the damping temperature range and improving the damping loss factor are discussed. The results show that the loss factor of the alternating multi-layered, constrained damping structure is increased to 0.488, while that of the free-damping structure is increased to 0.845. Their damping-temperature ranges are increased to 89.4 °C and 93.2 °C, respectively. A wide temperature range and high damping performance can be achieved by the alternating multi-layered design of rubber/plastic micro-constrained damping composites.
Red Disperse Azo Dye Side Chains Influence on Polyethylene Terephthalate Dyeing Performances in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Media
Authors: Cheng Yu-Wen , Benas Jean-Sebastien , Liang Fang-Cheng , Lin Shang-Ming , Huang Yu-Hang , Chen Wei-Wen , Chen Yu-Ting , Lee Chen-Hung , Yu Yang-Yen , Kuo Chi-Ching
Published: December 2022

Supercritical carbon dioxide dyeing (SDD) as a dyeing media not only provides a friendly dyeing environment but also significantly increases polymeric dyeing performances ascribed to strong azo dye affinity. Disperse azo dyes have shown to be highly efficient dyeing agents due to their facile coupling synthesis, side chains position, and length tunability to optimize absorption properties. Herein, we first synthesize two series of disperse red azo dyes via a coupling chemical route. Further, we investigate the position of the electron withdrawing group and alkyl chains length impact onto the absorption and color fastness properties. Upon synthesis, 1H NMR and mass spectroscopy were used to characterize our newly synthesized series dye structure. Also, according to spectroscopic characterization, the functional group positions as well as the alkyl chains length have a major impact on the dye series maximum light absorption wavelength and performance. We have performed SDD dyeing of polyethylene terephthalate woven and determined each dye color fastness, we find that a reduced electron withdrawing effect and alkyl chains increase reduce color-fastness performances. Overall, our dyes exhibited a good resistance against detergent water, perspiration, abrasion, and friction.
Use of Dynamic Shear Rheology to Understand Soy Protein Dispersion Properties
Authors: Frihart Charles R. , Gargulak Matthew
Published: December 2022

Soy flour dispersions are used as adhesives for bonding interior wood laminates, but the high viscosity of these dispersions requires low solids in the adhesive formulations; the greater water content causes excessive steam pressure during hot press manufacturing. This limits the utility of soy adhesives in replacing urea–formaldehyde adhesives; thus, understanding the cause of high soy viscosities is important. Lack of literature on aqueous soy flour dispersion rheology led to our dynamic rheology studies of these dispersions to understand high viscosity and the effect of various additives. Even at low soy solids, the elastic nature outweighs the viscous properties at low shear, although increasing the shear results in shear-thinning behavior after the yield point. At even higher shear, beyond the flow point where the storage and loss moduli cross, some of the dispersions show an additional shear thinning transition. The comparison of the rheological properties of aqueous dispersions of the soy flour and protein isolate, and another natural protein, ovalbumin from egg whites, led to a better understanding of different types of rheological behaviors. The experimental observations of two observed shear thinning events for soy are consistent with the model of dispersed particles, forming clusters that then form large scale flocculants.
Geosynthetics for Filtration and Stabilisation: A Review
Authors: Markiewicz Anna , Koda Eugeniusz , Kawalec Jacek
Published: December 2022

Geosynthetics have been commonly used for the construction of civil engineering structures such as retaining wall, road and railways, coastal protection, soft ground improvement work, and landfill systems since the 1960s. In the past 40 years, the development of polymer materials has helped to prolong the life of geosynthetics. In terms of the practical use of geosynthetics, engineers must understand their appropriate application. The first part of this paper provides a basic description of geosynthetics, including their types, components, and functions. The second part deals with the geosynthetics used as filters. This part briefly presents the mechanism of filtration, the factors affecting the durability of geotextile filters, design concepts, laboratory tests, and case studies. The third part of the study covers the use of geosynthetics for stabilisation. Its mechanism was explained separately for geogrids and for geocells. Several examples of applications with geosynthetics intended for the stabilisation function are described in the last part of this paper.
Efficient Adsorption of Tl(I) from Aqueous Solutions Using Al and Fe-Based Water Treatment Residuals
Authors: Xu Youze , Qing Yingjun , Gu Ruimin , Zhou Shuang , Fu Guangyi , Zhao Yuanyuan
Published: December 2022

Iron and aluminum water treatment residuals from a water supply plant were used as adsorbents for Tl(I) to treat thallium-containing Tl(I) wastewater and realize the resource utilization of water treatment residuals. The feasibility study results showed that Fe-WTR and Al-WTR reached adsorption equilibria within 120 min. The Langmuir model showed maximum adsorption capacities of Tl(I) on Fe-WTR and Al-WTR as 3.751 and 0.690 mg g−1 separately at an initial concentration of 5 mg L−1. The adsorption capacities of Fe-WTR and Al-WTR positively correlated with pH. The removal of Tl(I) using Fe-WTR exceeded Al-WTR; the adsorbed Tl(I) in Fe-WTR occurred primarily in the reduced state, while the Tl(I) adsorbed in Al-WTR was mainly in acid-extractable and reduced states. FTIR and XPS data showed that Tl(I) and Fe/Al-OH-functional groups formed stable surface complexes (Fe/Al-O-Tl) during adsorption, and there was no redox reaction. This confirmed that WTR is a highly efficient adsorbent for the stable removal of Tl(I), which provides a practical foundation for industrial application in Tl(I)-containing wastewater treatment.
Optimization of Grinding Process of Sunflower Meal for Obtaining Protein-Enriched Fractions
Authors: Vidosavljević Strahinja , Bojanić Nemanja , Ilić Petar , Rakić Dušan , Đuragić Olivera , Banjac Vojislav , Fišteš Aleksandar
Published: December 2022

In this study, dry fractionation process was proposed in order to obtain protein-enriched sunflower meal fractions. The process includes two-stage grinding using a hammer mill and a roll mill, and fractionation of sunflower meal by sieving. Central composite design (CCD) with four variables on three levels within response surface methodology was applied in order to estimate the influence of grinding parameters (sieve openings diameter of the hammer mill: 2, 4, and 6 mm, roll gap: 0.15, 0.2, and 0.25 mm, feed rate: 0.1, 0.175, and 0.25 kg/cm min, and roll speed: 400, 500, and 600 rpm) on responses (protein content, fraction yield and grinding energy consumption). Sieve openings diameter expressed the highest impact on fraction yield while roll gap expressed the most dominant influence on protein content in the fraction and grinding energy consumption. The highest protein content obtained was 48.06%(dm) with fraction yield of 77.22%. A multi-response optimization procedure was performed and optimal values were: sieve openings diameter of 2 mm, roll gap of 0.25 mm, feed rate of 0.2 kg/cm min, and roll speed of 400 rpm, while predicted values for a desired range of responses were: protein content 45.5%(dm), fraction yield 77.89%, and grinding energy consumption 8.31 Wh/kg.
A New Dimension of the Catholic Church’s Influence on the World: On the Novelty of the Social Teaching of St. John Paul II
Authors: Gierycz Michał
Published: December 2022

When reflecting on the relationship between the Catholic Church and the modern world in the second half of the 20th century, it is impossible to overlook the radical shift brought about by John Paul II. As Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde points out, the saintly Pope opened a “new dimension of the Church’s influence on the world”. The essence of this novelty was John Paul II’s perception of the Church’s task as being defined “centrally and exclusively from the perspective of its salvation mission”. The above thesis seems proven regarding Holy See diplomacy. The most prominent example of a “new approach” was the decision taken by John Paul II to put aside Ostpolitik, dominant since the t ime of John XXIII. Nonetheless, the question arises regarding a change in the social teaching of the Church under St. John Paul II, for ultimately, political praxis is always rooted in some theory. In the case of the Church, the theoretical foundation of the Church’s socio-political activity and its relation to modern world is Catholic social doctrine. The presented article examines the meaning of the teaching of St. John Paul II for the nature, method, and goals of the social teaching of the Church. If Böckenförde is right when writing about the political novelty of the Polish Pope’s pontificate, also in this field, despite numerous references to his predecessors, the position of John Paul II should be associated with a significant novum. The article is devoted to discussing this thesis.
Retrieval of Aerosol Single-Scattering Albedo from MODIS Data Using an Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Qi Lin , Liu Ronggao , Liu Yang
Published: December 2022

Aerosol single-scattering albedo (SSA) is one of the largest sources of uncertainty in the evaluation of the aerosol radiative forcing effect. The SSA signal, coupled with aerosol optical depth (AOD) and surface reflectance in satellite images, is difficult to retrieve by the look-up table approach. In this study, we proposed an artificial neural network- (ANN) based approach that retrieves SSA over land based on MODIS (moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer) visible (red band) reflectance variations among nearby pixels that have different surface reflectivities. Using the training dataset generated by the radiative transfer model, the ANN model was trained to establish the relationship among SSA, surface reflectance, and top of atmosphere (TOA) reflectance. Then, based on the trained ANN model, SSA can be retrieved using the surface and apparent reflectance of several heterogeneous pixels. According to sensitivity analysis, this method works well on nonuniform land surfaces with high AODs. The root mean square error (RMSE) of retrieved and measured SSA (from 28 sites of AErosol RObotic NETwork, AERONET) was 0.042, of which the results with an error less than 0.03 accounted for 51%. In addition, the SSA retrieval method was applied to several thick aerosol layer events over different areas (South Asia, South America, and North China Plain) and compared with the ozone monitoring instrument near-UV aerosol data product (OMAERUV). The comparison results of the images show that the retrieval method of visible wavelength proposed in this study has similar outcomes to those from the ultraviolet wavelengths in these regions. The retrieval algorithm we propose provides an effective way to produce an SSA product in visible wavelength and might help to better estimate the aerosol radiative and optical properties over high heterogeneous areas, which is important for the aerosol radiative impact estimate at a regional scale.
Measuring Sand Dune Dynamics in the Badain Jaran Desert, China, Using Multitemporal Landsat Imagery
Authors: Dong Yusen , Chang Hsing-Chung , Liu Jiangtao
Published: December 2022

The Badain Jaran Desert (BJD) and surrounding deserts are the main sources of sand and dust storms in Asia. However, for complex factors, the descriptions of the sand dune dynamics in the BJD and investigations on the contribution of the BJD to the formation of the Tengger Desert (TD) and the Ulan Buh Desert (UBD) are lacking. We evaluated the performance of the discrete Fourier transform method in achieving subpixel precision when measuring the displacements of sand dunes in the BJD and surrounding deserts. This method was applied to Landsat 5/8 and 7 scan-line-corrector (SLC)-off/8 image pairs, respectively. The results show that it is a robust method in desert conditions without ground control points. Nineteen scenes of Landsat 5/8 were tested for estimating the movements of the BJD and surrounding areas. We found that the sand dunes moved eastward during 2004–2016. However, the dunes’ movements showed different patterns in different parts of the desert. In the western BJD, the dunes moved at an average speed of 1–3 myr−1, while in the southern and middle parts of the BJD, the dunes’ speed was about 0.1–1 myr−1. The fastest displacements of dunes were located in the northeastern BJD, and the mean speed was about 12 myr−1. The sand fluxes in the two corridors between the BJD and the TD and UBD were estimated. The annual total amount of sand transported from the BJD to the TD through the main corridor was about 0.95 million tonnes, while that from the BJD to the UBD was about 2.24 million tonnes. The estimations of dune displacements and sand transport based on Landsat images in this study are important for understanding the dynamics of the BJD and surrounding areas.
Human Resource Professionals’ Responses to Workplace Bullying
Authors: Rae Kelly , Neall Annabelle M.
Published: December 2022

Workplace bullying manifests in significant costs to individuals and organisations. The obligation to resolve such cases largely falls on Human Resource Professionals (HRPs). Little is known, however, about the antecedents to HRPs’ helping behaviour in these scenarios. Using the attribution–emotion model of stigmatisation, this study explored how HRPs are influenced in their response to workplace bullying. Australian HRPs (n = 84) were assigned to one of four experimental vignette scenarios, differing in target (approach/avoidance coping) and perpetrator (effort vs. non-effortful response) behaviour. The results revealed that targets who fail to act to resolve situations of bullying were regarded as more responsible and less likely to receive help, but HRPs were more sympathetic and inclined to help non-responsive perpetrators when the targets also avoided the situation. The findings indicate two key areas for training and development that could improve HRPs evaluations and management of workplace bullying.
Inclusive Research: Is the Road More or Less Well Travelled?
Authors: O’Brien Patricia
Published: December 2022

The purpose of this Special Issue on inclusive research is to capture international insights into the following questions: “How far have we come [...]
The Two-Sided Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Apparel Renting
Authors: Park Hyejune , Lee Min-Young
Published: December 2022

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has been affecting consumer behavior in a significant way. The collaborative consumption businesses, such as online rental services, is one of those sectors that have been immensely disrupted by the pandemic because many ‘sharing’ services require high touch and human contact. The purpose of this study is to develop and test a comprehensive model of consumers’ acceptance of online apparel renting (OAR) that can also take account of the pandemic’s effect. To this end, a two-phase, mixed-method study was conducted to identify the specific determinants of OAR (Study 1) and to empirically test the model of OAR acceptance with the pandemic-related moderating variables (Study 2). This study identifies a series of consumer drivers of OAR including affordable access, shopping convenience, try before you buy, never wear same dress twice, and special occasion. It also demonstrates the significant moderating effects of two pandemic-related factors including perceived vulnerability to disease and desire for simplification. The findings provide practical managerial suggestions to OAR retailers and theoretical implications for future studies.
MODFLOW and HYDRUS Modeling of Groundwater Supply Prospect Assessment for Distant Pastures in the Aksu River Middle Reaches
Authors: Mirlas Vladimir , Kulagin Vitaly , Ismagulova Aida , Anker Yaakov
Published: December 2022

As in many regions across the world, southeastern Kazakhstan is subjected to ongoing water-resource depletion. The livestock sector is already a major natural water resource consumer, with groundwater use becoming its water supply strategy. Remote pasture infrastructure development requires new water resources to allow pasture area circulation. The distant pastures in the middle reach of the Aksu River consist of three pastures, with a total area of 32,450 ha and a permissible number of 3245 livestock heads. The HYDRUS-1D water transport model and MODFLOW groundwater-flow model simulated complex water infrastructure prospect hydrogeological scenarios to allow the consumption of 302.4 m3 per day for livestock keeping on pasturelands. During pumping for livestock watering, projected production well drawdowns were quantitatively evaluated. The findings show that the projected pumping flow rate equals 288 m3/day during the water consumption season and 95 m3/day outside the water consumption season. While the production wells on pastures No. 2 and No. 3 can be considered reliable, on pasture No. 1, an additional production well is needed. To maintain the production wells’ drawdowns to less than 6 m, a projected pumping flow rate reduction to 216 m3/day and 70 m3/day, respectively, is required.
The Effects of Network Structure Attributes on Growth Performance of Logistics Service Integrators in Logistics Service Supply Chain: Empirical Evidence
Authors: Xu Xu , He Chan
Published: December 2022

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between network structure attributes, sensing capability and growth performance of logistics service integrators for logistics service supply chain. Using survey research of logistics service integrators from China, through empirical analysis, this paper finds the following conclusions. Network structure attributes can affect logistics service integrators growth performance directly or indirectly through sensing capability: ① network size and centricity affect the growth performance by promoting sensing capability; ② heterogeneity can directly affect LSI growth performance; and ③ heterogeneity can affect growth performance indirectly. The network scope does not affect sensing capability and growth performance of logistics service integrators.
A Study on Cultural Context Perception in Huizhou Cultural and Ecological Reserve Based on Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
Authors: Guo Yanlong , Yu Jiaying , Zhang Han , Jiang Zuoqing
Published: December 2022

Tourists’ environmental perception is the decisive factor of cultural tourism experience. Although this topic research is relatively common, there are essential differences between different theme tourism areas. This study selects the national Huizhou Cultural and Ecological Reserve in China as the research object, which has a diverse cultural field, a wide range of researchable levels, and research theoretical support, and focuses on the evaluation of tourists’ environmental perceptions of cultural-themed tourism reserves. The research is in line with the basic consensus of the international community on the relationship between NRM conservation and sustainable development and has a positive significance for cultural conservation. In this study, nine indicators were constructed from the three dimensions of cultural perception, environmental perception, and emotional perception, including mental pleasure, experience comfort, audiovisual richness, cultural awareness, cultural diversity, cultural influence, facilities completeness, environment tidiness, and travel convenience. Questionnaires (283) were distributed, 260 of which were valid. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy method were used to study the cultural context perception of Huizhou Cultural Ecological Reserve. The Cronbach coefficient was 0.977, the KMO value was 0.953, and the validity was 91.87%. The research results show that, first, tourists’ perception level from high to low is cultural perception (0.351), environmental perception (0.349), and emotional perception (0.301). Secondly, the factors most strongly perceived by tourists are tourism convenience (0.129), cultural influence (0.126), cultural diversity (0.118), and facilities completeness (0.115). Thirdly, improving tourists’ spiritual pleasure, experience comfort, audiovisual richness, cultural recognition, and environmental cleanliness is conducive to promoting tourists’ perception and experience.
Group-Sparse Feature Extraction via Ensemble Generalized Minimax-Concave Penalty for Wind-Turbine-Fault Diagnosis
Authors: He Wangpeng , Zhang Peipei , Liu Xuan , Chen Binqiang , Guo Baolong
Published: December 2022

Extracting weak fault features from noisy measured signals is critical for the diagnosis of wind turbine faults. In this paper, a novel group-sparse feature extraction method via an ensemble generalized minimax-concave (GMC) penalty is proposed for machinery health monitoring. Specifically, the proposed method tackles the problem of formulating large useful magnitude values as isolated features in the original GMC-based sparse feature extraction method. To accurately estimate group-sparse fault features, the proposed method formulates an effective unconstrained optimization problem wherein the group-sparse structure is incorporated into non-convex regularization. Moreover, the convex condition is proved to maintain the convexity of the whole formulated cost function. In addition, the setting criteria of the regularization parameter are investigated. A simulated signal is presented to verify the performance of the proposed method for group-sparse feature extraction. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed group-sparse feature extraction method is further validated by experimental fault diagnosis cases.
The Antecedents of University Students’ E-Learning Outcome under the COVID-19 Pandemic: Multiple Mediation Structural Path Comparison
Authors: Kuo Yen-Ku , Kuo Tsung-Hsien , Wang Jiun-Hao , Ho Li-An
Published: December 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019 has severely affected the education sector. In order to avoid clustering, higher education has begun to implement a large number of e-learning courses. Although modern technologies are relatively mature, learning outcomes do not entirely depend on advanced technologies. The purpose of this study is to explore how self-directed learning and the information literacy of university students affect their e-learning attitude, and to understand the variables that mediate their effects on the learning effectiveness. This is a survey research and a survey questionnaire was used to collect data. A total of 714 valid samples were retrieved. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the reliability and validity of each variable, and the latent variable modeling was utilized to test the research hypotheses. The results showed that self-directed learning and information literacy had a significant positive impact on e-learning attitudes and learning effectiveness, and e-learning attitudes had a significant positive influence on the learning effectiveness. Through the structural model verification analysis, it was found that e-learning attitudes are the main intermediary mechanism among all of the variables. By comparing multiple intermediary variables, it was found that self-directed learning, as an independent variable, exerted indirect effects on the learning effectiveness through e-learning.
Cultivating Talents for Reporting Environmental News on China’s Carbon Neutrality Policy
Authors: Ji Feng , Zhao Guangyuan , Meng Lun , Tehseen Rana , Wang Fushuai
Published: December 2022

Reports on environmental news can guide public opinion and regulate stakeholders to take the initiative to save energy and reduce carbon emissions. With China’s declared target of “carbon peaking and carbon neutral”, specialized environmental journalism talents are needed, and a good environmental journalism curriculum reform evaluation system is essential. The Snowball sampling technique is adopted to survey respondents using a well-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included four dimensions: course content, assessment methods, development planning, and teaching research. The experts’ comments were quantified first, and then a three-level evaluation system was constructed using the Analytic Hierarchical Process. It was found that the content of the environmental journalism course on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality and the assessment methods for students were most valued by the experts and account for relatively large portions of the overall system. According to the scores of experts on the current situation of environmental journalism education with a double carbon theme in China, the course content and assessment methods need to be further improved compared with the career development planning of students and the teaching research of educators.
Behavioural Change as a Domestic Heat Pump Performance Driver: Insights on the Influence of Feedback Systems from Multiple Case Studies in the UK
Authors: Oikonomou Eleni , Zimmermann Nici , Davies Michael , Oreszczyn Tadj
Published: December 2022

Heat pumps (HPs) are seen as an increasingly important technology able to contribute significantly towards the decarbonisation of the domestic stock in the UK. However, there appears to be a performance gap between predicted and real-life HP performance, with several studies highlighting the need to include the HP’s interaction with users when examining their performance. This study examines the role of user behaviour in mitigating this performance gap from a systems perspective. A sample of 21 case studies was selected from 700 domestic HPs monitored across the UK via the government’s Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme for the collection of qualitative and quantitative socio-technical data. The application of systems thinking facilitated the identification of the underlying interactions between the HP system and its users. The systems analysis revealed that HP performance relies on complex socio-technical system interactions, including behavioural patterns, and that enabling feedback information processes can have a significant impact on user behaviour. The study enabled a deeper perspective on performance influencers relating to behavioural patterns and achieved new insights into the requirements for well-performing HPs. These findings have important implications for policy makers, installers and manufacturers of HP systems and their users.
Transparency and Leverage Points for Sustainable Resource Management
Authors: Gisladottir Johanna , Sigurgeirsdottir Sigurbjörg , Stjernquist Ingrid , Ragnarsdottir Kristin Vala
Published: December 2022

The phrase ‘sunshine is the best disinfectant’ is commonly used to suggest that transparency can counter corruption and ensure accountability. In the policy world, several analytical tools have been developed to obtain information on what policy decision would bring about the biggest positive effect for the least amount of effort. There is a tendency to view transparency as the silver bullet in that respect. This paper aimed to shed light on how measures of transparency can serve as a leverage point for sustainable resource management. We begin by analysing the concept of transparency and then draw from Donella Meadows’ work on leverage points to analyse the transformative potential of increasing transparency towards sustainable resource management. We then demonstrate the use of this analytical approach by applying it to three case studies on resource management systems in Ukraine, Romania, and Iceland. The results suggested that transparency in resource management needs to be accompanied by widely accepted standards and accountability mechanisms for it to serve as an effective leverage point. If these factors are neglected, the credibility of transparency can be undermined. Prioritising transparency as a policy intervention to alleviate corruption risks, in the absence of accountability mechanisms and clear rules, might be misplaced, and require deeper leverage points.