bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exposure to organophosphate insecticides, inappropriate personal protective equipment use, and cognitive performance among pesticide applicators
Authors: Chittrakul Jiraporn , Sapbamrer Ratana , Hongsibsong Surat
Published: November 2022

Inappropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) among pesticide applicators may increase urinary organophosphate (OP) metabolite levels and subsequently increase risks of cognitive performance. Therefore, this study aims to (1) compare urinary OP metabolite levels and cognitive performance between pre-and post-pesticide application seasons; (2) PPE use and factors associated with PPE use linked to increased urinary OP metabolite levels during pesticide application; and (3) the association between urinary OP metabolite levels and cognitive performance. This longitudinal follow-up study on 79 pesticide applicators was carried out between October 2021 and January 2022. The applicators were interviewed, collected urine samples, and tested for cognitive performance in pre-and post-pesticide application seasons. The results found that the levels of urinary OP metabolites in post-application season were significantly higher than those in pre-application season (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis found that increased total diethylphosphate (DEP) and total dialkylphosphate (DAP) levels were associated with not wearing gloves while mixing pesticides [beta (β) ± standard error (SE) = −43.74 ± 18.52, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = −80.84, −6.64 for total DEP and −50.84 ± 19.26, 95% CI = −89.41, −12.26 for total DAP] and also with not wearing a mask while spraying pesticides (β ± SE = −31.76 ± 12.24, 95% CI = −56.28, −7.24 for total DEP and −33.20 ± 12.63, 95% CI = −58.49, −7.92 for total DAP) after adjusting for covariates. The scores of Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Thai, Thai Mental State Examination, and Mini-Cognitive test in post-pesticide application were significantly lower than those in pre-pesticide application (p < 0.001). However, no association was found between urinary OP metabolite levels and cognitive decline. Our findings indicate that inappropriate PPE use during pesticide application was the major factor affecting urinary OP metabolite levels among pesticide applicators. Wearing gloves when mixing pesticides and a mask when spraying pesticides were key factors in reducing occupational exposure to OP. Exposure to OP at low levels and for short periods of exposure may not affect cognitive performance significantly. Therefore, long-term exposure and exposure to high levels of OP should be investigated further.
Anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody Cetuximab displays potential anti-cancer activities in feline oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines
Authors: Altamura Gennaro , Borzacchiello Giuseppe
Published: November 2022

Feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (FOSCC) is a malignant tumor characterized by an aggressive behavior and poor prognosis, for which no fully effective therapies are available. Studies of comparative oncology suggest that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) may be a therapeutic target in FOSCC, similarly to human head and neck SCC (HNSCC), where the use of anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody Cetuximab has entered the clinical practice. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of Cetuximab in three validated preclinical models of FOSCC (SCCF1, SCCF2, SCCF3). Sequencing of tyrosine kinase domain of EGFR in the cell lines revealed a wild-type genotype, excluding the presence of activating mutations. Western blotting experiments demonstrated that Cetuximab inhibited activation of EGFR and its downstream kinase Akt in SCCF1, SCCF2 and SCCF3 along with HNSCC cell line CAL 27 included as control. Importantly, CCK-8 and trypan blue exclusion assays revealed that treatment with Cetuximab caused a decrease in cell proliferation and cell viability in all cell lines, with a general dose- and time-dependent trend. Cell death induced by Cetuximab was associated with cleavage of PARP, indicating occurrence of apoptosis. Taken together, our data suggest that Cetuximab exerts potential anti-cancer activities in FOSCC, paving the way for future translational studies aimed at assessing its employment in the therapy of this lethal cancer of cats.
Randomized placebo-controlled trial of feline-origin Enterococcus hirae probiotic effects on preventative health and fecal microbiota composition of fostered shelter kittens
Authors: Gookin Jody L. , Strong Sandra J. , Bruno-Bárcena José M. , Stauffer Stephen H. , Williams Shelby , Wassack Erica , Azcarate-Peril M. Andrea , Estrada Marko , Seguin Alexis , Balzer Joerg , Davidson Gigi
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Diarrhea is the second most common cause of mortality in shelter kittens. Studies examining prevention strategies in this population are lacking. Probiotics are of particular interest but studies in cats are largely limited to healthy adults or those with induced disease. Only one study in domestic cats describes the use of host-derived bacteria as a probiotic. We previously identified Enterococcus hirae as a dominant species colonizing the small intestinal mucosa in healthy shelter kittens. Oral administration of a probiotic formulation of kitten-origin E. hirae (strain 1002-2) mitigated the increase in intestinal permeability and fecal water loss resulting from experimental enteropathogenic E. coli infection in purpose-bred kittens. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that administration of kitten-origin E. hirae to weaned fostered shelter kittens could provide a measurable preventative health benefit.

Methods

We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded clinical trial to determine the impact of a freeze-dried E. hirae probiotic on body weight gain, incidence of diarrhea, carriage of potential diarrheal pathogens, and composition of the intestinal microbiota in weaned fostered shelter kittens.

Results

One-hundred thirty kittens completed the study. Fifty-eight kittens received the probiotic and 72 received the placebo. There were no significant differences in age, weight upon initiation of the study, number of days in the study, average daily gain in body weight, or weight at completion of the study. Kittens treated with E. hirae were 3.4 times less likely to develop diarrhea compared to kittens treated with placebo (odds ratio = 0.294, 95% CI 0.109–0.792, p = 0.022). A significant impact of E. hirae was not observed on the presence or abundance of 30 different bacterial, viral, protozoal, fungal, algal, and parasitic agents in feces examined by qPCR. With exception to a decrease in Megamonas, administration of the E. hirae probiotic did not alter the predominant bacterial phyla present in feces based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.

Discussion

Decreased incidence of diarrhea associated with preventative administration of E. hirae to foster kittens supports a rationale for use of E. hirae for disease prevention in this young population at high risk for intestinal disease though additional studies are warranted.
Isolation, characterization, and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from foods of bovine origin in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia
Authors: Gugsa Getachew , Weldeselassie Million , Tsegaye Yisehak , Awol Nesibu , Kumar Ashwani , Ahmed Meselu , Abebe Nigus , Taddele Habtamu , Bsrat Abrha
Published: November 2022

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an emerging and major zoonotic foodborne pathogen. It has an increasing concern about the spread of antimicrobial-resistant strains. This study aimed to isolate and characterize Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 from raw milk, yogurt, and meat of bovine origin and determine their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2014 to June 2015, and a total of 284 milk and meat samples were collected from different sources in Mekelle. The collected samples were analyzed for the presence of E. coli and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 and the determination of their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern following the standard bacteriological and molecular techniques and procedures and antimicrobial sensitivity test. Out of the total 284 samples, 70 (24.6%) were bacteriologically positive for E. coli and 14.3% were found to be Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7. Of note, 100% of E. coli isolates carried the pal gene and 41.7% eaeA gene (EHEC). Of these EHEC isolates, 40% and 60% were positive for stx1 and stx2, respectively. E. coli isolates showed the highest level of susceptibility to gentamycin (91.7%) but the highest level of resistance to amoxicillin (95.8%). Of the tested isolates, 18 (75%) of E. coli showed multidrug-resistant. This study revealed the occurrence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 in foods of bovine origin in the study area. In conclusion, a nationwide phenotypic and molecular characterization, in-depth typing, and drug-resistant gene identification of E. coli O157:H7 should be undertaken.
Wound Healing and Antioxidant Properties of Launaea procumbens Supported by Metabolomic Profiling and Molecular Docking
Authors: Ahmed Shaimaa R. , Mostafa Ehab M. , Musa Arafa , Rateb Enas Ezzat , Al-Sanea Mohammad M. , Abu-Baih Dalia H. , Elrehany Mahmoud A. , Saber Entesar Ali , Rateb Mostafa E. , Abdelmohsen Usama Ramadan
Published: November 2022

Wounds adversely affect people’s quality of life and have psychological, social, and economic impacts. Herbal remedies of Launaea procumbens (LP) are used to treat wounds. In an excision wound model, topical application of LP significantly promoted wound closure (on day 14, LP-treated animals had the highest percentages of wound closure in comparison with the other groups, as the wound was entirely closed with a closure percentage of 100%, p < 0.05). Histological analysis revealed a considerable rise in the number of fibroblasts, the amount of collagen, and its cross-linking in LP-treated wounds. Gene expression patterns showed significant elevation of TGF-β levels (2.1-fold change after 7 days treatment and 2.7-fold change in 14 days treatment) and downregulation of the inflammatory TNF-α and IL-1β levels in LP-treated wounds. Regarding in vitro antioxidant activity, LP extract significantly diminished the formation of H2O2 radical (IC50 = 171.6 μg/mL) and scavenged the superoxide radical (IC50 of 286.7 µg/mL), indicating antioxidant potential in a dose-dependent manner. Dereplication of the secondary metabolites using LC-HRMS resulted in the annotation of 16 metabolites. The identified compounds were docked against important wound-healing targets, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), collagen α-1, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Among dereplicated compounds, luteolin 8-C-glucoside (orientin) demonstrated binding potential to four investigated targets (VEGF, interleukin 1β, TNF-α, and collagen α-1). To conclude, Launaea procumbens extract could be regarded as a promising topical therapy to promote wound healing in excisional wounds, and luteolin 8-C-glucoside (orientin), one of its constituents, is a potential wound-healing drug lead.
Concurrent Production of α- and β-Carotenes with Different Stoichiometries Displaying Diverse Antioxidative Activities via Lycopene Cyclases-Based Rational System
Authors: Luo Hao , He Weiwei , Dai Zhuqing , Zhang Zhongyuan , Bao Yihong , Li Dajing , Zhu Ping
Published: November 2022

α- and β-carotenes belong to the most essential carotenoids in the human body and display remarkable pharmacological value for health due to their beneficial antioxidant activities. Distinct high α-/β-carotene stoichiometries have gained increasing attention for their effective preventions of Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. However, it is extremely difficult to obtain α-carotene in nature, impeding the accumulations of high α-/β-carotene stoichiometries and excavation of their antioxidant activities. Herein, we developed a dynamically operable strategy based on lycopene cyclases (LCYB and LCYE) for concurrently enriching α- and β-carotenes along with high stoichiometries in E. coli. Membrane-targeted and promoter-centered approaches were firstly implemented to spatially enhance catalytic efficiency and temporally boost expression of TeLCYE to address its low competitivity at the starting stage. Dynamically temperature-dependent regulation of TeLCYE and TeLCYB was then performed to finally achieve α-/β-carotene stoichiometries of 4.71 at 37 °C, 1.65 at 30 °C, and 1.06 at 25 °C, respectively. In the meantime, these α-/β-carotene ratios were confirmed to result in diverse antioxidative activities. According to our knowledge, this is the first time that both the widest range and antioxidant activities of high α/β-carotene stoichiometries were reported in any organism. Our work provides attractive potentials for obtaining natural products with competitivity and a new insight on the protective potentials of α-/β-carotenes with high ratios for health supply.
ANTIAGE-DB: A Database and Server for the Prediction of Anti-Aging Compounds Targeting Elastase, Hyaluronidase, and Tyrosinase
Authors: Papaemmanouil Christina D. , Peña-García Jorge , Banegas-Luna Antonio Jesús , Kostagianni Androniki D. , Gerothanassis Ioannis P. , Pérez-Sánchez Horacio , Tzakos Andreas G.
Published: November 2022

Natural products bear a multivariate biochemical profile with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antitumoral properties. Along with their natural sources, they have been widely used both as anti-aging and anti-melanogenic agents due to their effective contribution in the elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by oxidative stress. Their anti-aging activity is mainly related to their capacity of inhibiting enzymes like Human Neutrophil Elastase (HNE), Hyaluronidase (Hyal) and Tyrosinase (Tyr). Herein, we accumulated literature information (covering the period 1965–2020) on the inhibitory activity of natural products and their natural sources towards these enzymes. To navigate this information, we developed a database and server termed ANTIAGE-DB that allows the prediction of the anti-aging potential of target compounds. The server operates in two axes. First a comparison of compounds by shape similarity can be performed against our curated database of natural products whose inhibitory potential has been established in the literature. In addition, inverse virtual screening can be performed for a chosen molecule against the three targeted enzymes. The server is open access, and a detailed report with the prediction results is emailed to the user. ANTIAGE-DB could enable researchers to explore the chemical space of natural based products, but is not limited to, as anti-aging compounds and can predict their anti-aging potential. ANTIAGE-DB is accessed online.
The Clinch and the Crack: Rupture and Resolution in Third Theatre’s Laboratory Practices
Authors: Campbell Patrick , Turner Jane
Published: November 2022

This article maps out our critical engagement with the Third Theatre community pre- and post-COVID-19, with a focus on both performer training and the concrete material ways in which group theatres connected to this small tradition have responded to the challenges of the global pandemic. To illustrate our arguments, we draw on the Japanese craft of kintsugi—the transformative repair of ceramics—as a dispositif, employed to investigate the ways in which theatrical practice can comprise ‘an art of precious scars’, to paraphrase Stephano Carnazzi. This model allows for breaking with form and, importantly, re-modelling energy, which conversely becomes the most important aspect of the theatre laboratory, encompassing the relationships between body and form, individual and group, and artist and the wider society, importantly allowing for the creation of something that is more unique and authentic. Theatrical practice can thus be a clinch (bound like in a mother’s embrace) or jolted through disruption (like the cracks of kintsugi). Importantly, this disruption and its resolution takes place on both a level of form (as in the theatrical exercise) and on a broader, socio-political and economic plain. The article importantly focuses on both phenomena, and in so doing reflects on both the legacy and futurity of the transnational Third Theatre community.
The Allogenic Dental Pulp Transplantation from Son/Daughter to Mother/Father: A Follow-Up of Three Clinical Cases
Authors: Feitosa Victor Pinheiro , Mota Mara Natiere , Savoldi Roseane , Rifane Tainah , de Paula Diego , Borges Livia , Solheiro Luzia Kelly , Aguiar Neto Manoel , Vieira Lorena , Moreira Ana Carolina , Sauro Salvatore
Published: November 2022

The study investigated allogenic pulp transplantation as an innovative method of regenerative endodontic therapy. Three patients were selected for the endodontic treatment of single-root teeth, who also had a son/daughter with deciduous teeth or third molars scheduled for extraction. Receptor teeth were endodontically instrumented and irrigated using a tri-antibiotic solution. During the transplant procedures, the teeth from the son/daughter were extracted, sectioned, and the pulp was carefully removed. The harvested pulp from the donor was inserted into the root canal of the host tooth (father/mother), followed by direct pulp capping and resin composite restoration. The teeth were followed-up with for 2 years and were surveyed with computed tomography, the electric pulp vitality test, and Doppler ultrasound examination. At the 6-month follow-up, positive pulp vitality and the formation of periapical lesions were verified in cases 1 and 2. Case 3 showed remarkable periapical radiolucency before transplantation, but after 1 year, such lesions disappeared and there was positive vitality. All teeth were revascularized as determined by Doppler imaging after 2 years with no signs of endodontic/periodontal radiolucency. In conclusion, although this was a case series with only three patients and four teeth treated, it is possible to suppose that this allogenic pulp transplantation protocol could represent a potential strategy for pulp revitalization in specific endodontic cases.
Ovarian Cancer-Cell Pericellular Hyaluronan Deposition Negatively Impacts Prognosis of Ovarian Cancer Patients
Authors: Oliveira-Ferrer Leticia , Schmalfeldt Barbara , Dietl Johannes , Bartmann Catharina , Schumacher Udo , Stürken Christine
Published: November 2022

Background: Hyaluronan (HA), a component of the extracellular matrix, is frequently increased under pathological conditions including cancer. Not only stroma cells but also cancer cells themselves synthesize HA, and the interaction of HA with its cognate receptors promotes malignant progression and metastasis. Methods: In the present study, HA deposition in tissue sections was analyzed by hyaluronan-binding protein (HABP) ligand histochemistry in 17 borderline tumors and 102 primary and 20 recurrent ovarian cancer samples. The intensity and, particularly, localization of the HA deposition were recorded: for the localization, the pericellular deposition around the ovarian cancer cells was distinguished from the deposition within the stromal compartment. These histochemical data were correlated with clinical and pathological parameters. Additionally, within a reduced subgroup of ovarian cancer samples (n = 70), the RNA levels of several HA-associated genes were correlated with the HA localization and intensity. Results: Both stroma-localized and pericellular tumor-cell-associated HA deposition were observed. Cancer-cell pericellular HA deposition, irrespective of its staining intensity, was significantly associated with malignancy, and in the primary ovarian cancer cohort, it represents an independent unfavorable prognostic marker for overall survival. Furthermore, a significant association between high CD44, HAS2 and HAS3 mRNA levels and a cancer-cell pericellular HA-deposition pattern was noted. In contrast, stromal hyaluronan deposition had no impact on ovarian cancer prognosis. Conclusions: In conclusion, the site of HA deposition is of prognostic value, but the amount deposited is not. The significant association of only peritumoral cancer-cell HA deposition with high CD44 mRNA expression levels suggests a pivotal role of the CD44–HA signaling axis for malignant progression in ovarian cancer.
Astrocytes-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles Hinder Glioma Growth
Authors: Serpe Carmela , Michelucci Antonio , Monaco Lucia , Rinaldi Arianna , De Luca Mariassunta , Familiari Pietro , Relucenti Michela , Di Pietro Erika , Di Castro Maria Amalia , D’Agnano Igea , Catacuzzeno Luigi , Limatola Cristina , Catalano Myriam
Published: November 2022

All cells are capable of secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are not a means to eliminate unneeded cellular compounds but represent a process to exchange material (nucleic acids, lipids and proteins) between different cells. This also happens in the brain, where EVs permit the crosstalk between neuronal and non-neuronal cells, functional to homeostatic processes or cellular responses to pathological stimuli. In brain tumors, EVs are responsible for the bidirectional crosstalk between glioblastoma cells and healthy cells, and among them, astrocytes, that assume a pro-tumoral or antitumoral role depending on the stage of the tumor progression. In this work, we show that astrocyte-derived small EVs (sEVs) exert a defensive mechanism against tumor cell growth and invasion. The effect is mediated by astrocyte-derived EVs (ADEVs) through the transfer to tumor cells of factors that hinder glioma growth. We identified one of these factors, enriched in ADEVs, that is miR124. It reduced both the expression and function of the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC), that, in turn, decreased the cell migration and invasion of murine glioma GL261 cells.
Neonatal Hemodynamic Characteristics of the Recipient Twin of Twin-To-Twin Transfusion Syndrome Not Treated with Fetoscopic Laser Surgery
Authors: Chambon Edouard , Hachem Taymme , Salvador Elodie , Rigourd Virginie , Bellanger Claire , Stirnemann Julien , Kermorvant-Duchemin Elsa , Tissieres Pierre , Ville Yves , Lapillonne Alexandre
Published: November 2022

Background: This paper’s intent is to describe the neonatal hemodynamic characteristics of recipient twins of monochorionic pregnancies complicated with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), born without prenatal fetoscopic selective laser coagulation (FSLC). Methods: Retrospective analysis of hemodynamic characteristics was performed during the first five days of life of recipient twins from untreated TTTS. Results: Forty-two recipient twins were included and divided into three groups: no hemodynamic impairment (NoHI) (n = 15, 36%), isolated high blood pressure (HighBP) (n = 12, 28%), and cardiac failure group (CF) (n = 15, 36%). Patients of both CF and HighBP groups had high systolic blood pressure during the first 12 h of life and ventricular hypertrophy at early echocardiography. Cardiac failure occurred at a median age of 14 h (IQR = 6–24) and was followed by a drop in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Acute kidney injury was more frequent (93% vs. 25%, p < 0.001) and severe (p <0.001) in the CF group than in the HighBP group. The mortality rate in the CF group was 40%. Factors associated with CF were twin anemia-polycythemia sequence (p = 0.012), very preterm birth (p = 0.040), and polycythemia (p = 0.002). Conclusion: One-third of recipient twins born without prenatal FSLC developed life-threatening cardiac failure during the first 24 h of life.
Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Inflorescences as Novel Food: The Effect of Different Agronomical Practices on Chemical Profile
Authors: Spano Mattia , Di Matteo Giacomo , Ingallina Cinzia , Sobolev Anatoly Petrovich , Giusti Anna Maria , Vinci Giuliana , Cammarone Silvia , Tortora Carola , Lamelza Lara , Prencipe Sabrina Antonia , Gobbi Laura , Botta Bruno , Marini Federico , Campiglia Enio , Mannina Luisa
Published: November 2022

In this study, the effect of several agronomical practices on the chemical composition of hemp inflorescences, a potential novel food that needs to be further studied, was observed. Here, the case study of inflorescences from Ferimon cultivars is discussed and submitted to different agronomical practices (irrigation and fertilizers) in different years, and the inflorescences harvested in different periods were analyzed by a multimethodological approach. Targeted and untargeted methodologies allowed cannabinoids, total phenolic content, metabolite profile and antioxidant activity to be determined. The biomass and inflorescence yields were also reported. The whole data set was submitted to ANOVA-simultaneous component analysis. The statistic results allowed us to observe that irrigation was responsible for the (–)-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) increment. THC, cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), succinate, and fructose resulted as higher in full female flowering than in the period of seed maturity. On the other hand, nitrogen supplementation led to an increase of iso-leucine, valine, and threonine. The obtained results underlined both the potential food application of hemp inflorescences, due to the rich chemical profile, and the strong effect of agronomical practices, mainly irrigation and harvesting, on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of its metabolite profile.
Durum Wheat Products—Recent Advances
Authors: Sissons Mike
Published: November 2022

Durum wheat is widely used in various products, including long and short dried pasta, fresh and sheeted pasta, couscous, bulgur and baked bread [...]
Comparison of High Hydrostatic Pressure Processed Plus Sous-Vide Cooked Meat-Based, Plant-Based and Hybrid Patties According to Fat Replacement
Authors: Janardhanan Rasmi , González-Diez Mikel , Ibañez Francisco C. , Beriain Maria Jose
Published: November 2022

The impact of high-pressure processing (HPP) alone and combined with sous-vide cooking (SVCOOK) on the physicochemical and sensory traits of patties from different fat and protein matrices was evaluated. Hydro-gelled and soya emulsions were tested in meat (M), hybrid (H) and plant-based (P) patties (six formulations). M patties with pork backfat were used as reference formulation. All samples were pressurized (350 MPa, 10 min) and the HPP + SVCOOK patties were subsequently vacuum-cooked (55 °C). Significant changes (p < 0.05) in physicochemical parameters were detected in HPP and HPP + SVCOOK samples. Hardness reached the maximum value (11.0 N) in HPP treated P patties with soya emulsion. The HPP + SVCOOK M patties with backfat recorded the highest hardness (29.9 N). Irrespective of the fat formulations, the sensory characteristics of the HPP and HPP + SVCOOK M patties showed a well differentiated profile compared to H and P patties. The highest intensities for fatness, flavor, chewiness and the lowest for friability were recorded in HPP + SVCOOK M patties with backfat. The differences in physicochemical and sensory parameters of HPP + SVCOOK patties were minimal. Successful fat replacement using either one of the soya or hydro-gelled emulsion could be conducted in HPP + SVCOOK patties.
Flower Thinning Improves Fruit Quality and Oil Composition in Camellia oleifera Abel
Authors: Ye Tiantian , Liu Xue , Liang Xiaojie , Zhu Xueyan , Bai Qian , Su Shuchai
Published: November 2022

Camellia oleifera is a woody oil tree with overlapping flower bud differentiation and fruit maturation. Therefore, mechanical harvesting of fruits leads to flower abscission. The present study investigated the effects of flower number per tree on fruit growth, yield, nutrient accumulation, and oil fatty acid composition in C. oleifera. Here, we set different flower numbers per tree by thinning flowers. Heavy flower thinning (T2 and T3) significantly reduced fruit yield and the proportion of palmitic, palmitoleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid in fatty acids compared with other treatments. However, heavy thinning favored an increase in fruit size and weight, seed and dry kernel rate of fresh fruit, soluble protein and oil accumulation in seeds, and the proportion of oleic acid and stearic acid in fatty acids, and it had no significant effect on oil yield per tree compared with light thinning (T1) and control (T0). T2 and T3 decreased soluble sugar content in the kernels at the later stage of fruit development (260–320 days after full bloom (DAFB)) in contrast to the rapid fruit growth period (200–230 DAFB). As the crop load decreased, fruit ABA content increased continuously during 260–320 DAFB, while fruit IAA content increased during 260–300 DAFB and then decreased during 310–320 DAFB. These data suggest that the abscission of a few flowers during mechanical harvesting will not affect fruit production efficiency in C. oleifera.
Translocation and Utilization Mechanisms of Leaf Intracellular Water in Karst Plants Orychophragmus violaceus (L.) O. E. Schulz and Brassica napus L.
Authors: Xing Deke , Wang Weixu , Wu Yanyou , Qin Xiaojie , Li Meiqing , Chen Xiaole , Yu Rui
Published: November 2022

Orychophragmus violaceus (L.) O. E. Schulz adapts to karst environments through a variety of adaptability mechanisms. However, the leaf intracellular water translocation and utilization mechanism is still unknown. This study hypothesizes that plants adapt to dehydration by synergistically adjusting the leaf anatomy, cell elasticity and intracellular water translocation. Leaf structure, elastic modulus (Em), physiological capacitance (CP), impedance (Z), water potential (ΨL), leaf tensity (LT) and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of the detached leaves in plants of O. violaceus and Brassica napus L. were measured at each water loss time (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 h). The uniform leaves were randomly selected from five different plants for each species. The cell vacuole volume and translocation resistance of intracellular water could be represented by the electrophysiological parameters, such as CP and Z. The results indicated that timely shrinkage of O. violaceus leaves and mesophyll cells together with the increased water translocation resistance retained the intracellular water and maintained the turgor pressure. Water within sponge parenchyma could also be translocated into palisade parenchyma. The PSII reaction center was kept stable, and the photosynthetic activity of O. violaceus was clearly inhibited at 3 h. Palisade parenchyma of B. napus leaves increased quickly to improve the intercellular water translocation due to the strong cell stiffness. Gradually increasing intracellular water translocation resistance and recovery of the cell elasticity slowed down the leaf water loss, which, however, could not timely stop the damage on the PSII reaction center and the photochemical efficiency. The photochemical efficiency was seriously inhibited at 4 h and 5 h. The response mechanism of intracellular water to dehydration can be investigated with the help of leaf electrophysiological traits. However, the direct determination of plant drought resistance using electrophysiological information can still not be realized at present and needs further research.
Extraction, Quantification and Characterization Techniques for Anthocyanin Compounds in Various Food Matrices—A Review
Authors: Constantin Oana Emilia , Istrati Daniela Ionela
Published: November 2022

Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments characterized by various intense colors found in fruits and vegetables. Scientific studies have shown growing evidence to support their health benefits. Therefore, estimating the anthocyanin content in food is essential to identify the ideal analytical method. Moreover, due to the instability of plant anthocyanins, it is important to select and optimize their extraction, separation and qualitative and quantitative analysis, steps that are indispensable and important in their study. The present article reviews the latest procedures for extracting anthocyanins from various food matrices and analytical methods for their quantification. Therefore, various forms of preliminary treatments of samples for anthocyanin extraction, extraction procedures for various fruits, vegetables and cereals, purification of samples and quantification of anthocyanins are highlighted and evaluated. Using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) might be effective for anthocyanin extraction and the Amberlite XAD-7HP method is the most effective for purifying anthocyanins. Combining the liquid chromatography (LC) method with electrospray ionization (ESI) and mass spectrometry (MS) or quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) with mass spectrometry (MS) better quantifies the anthocyanins in the food complex samples. Therefore, the extraction and separation of anthocyanins and their qualitative and quantitative analyses are essential steps in their research. As a result, the study concentrates on a detailed characterization of various qualitative and quantitative analytical methodologies, while briefly describing the main anthocyanin extraction processes.
B-YOLOX-S: A Lightweight Method for Underwater Object Detection Based on Data Augmentation and Multiscale Feature Fusion
Authors: Wang Jun , Qi Shuman , Wang Chao , Luo Jin , Wen Xin , Cao Rui
Published: November 2022

With the increasing maturity of underwater agents-related technologies, underwater object recognition algorithms based on underwater robots have become a current hotspot for academic and applied research. However, the existing underwater imaging conditions are poor, the images are blurry, and the underwater robot visual jitter and other factors lead to lower recognition precision and inaccurate positioning in underwater target detection. A YOLOX-based underwater object detection model, B-YOLOX-S, is proposed to detect marine organisms such as echinus, holothurians, starfish, and scallops. First, Poisson fusion is used for data amplification at the input to balance the number of detected targets. Then, wavelet transform is used to perform Style Transfer on the enhanced images to achieve image restoration. The clarity of the images and detection targets is further increased and the generalization of the model is enhanced. Second, a combination of BIFPN-S and FPN is proposed to fuse the effective feature layer obtained by the Backbone layer to enhance the detection precision and accelerate model detection. Finally, the localization loss function of the prediction layer in the network is replaced by EIoU_Loss to heighten the localization precision in detection. Experimental results comparing the B-YOLOX-S algorithm model with mainstream algorithms such as FasterRCNN, YOLOV3, YOLOV4, YOLOV5, and YOLOX on the URPC2020 dataset show that the detection precision and detection speed of the algorithm model have obvious advantages over other algorithm networks. The average detection accuracy mAP value is 82.69%, which is 5.05% higher than the benchmark model (YOLOX-s), and the recall rate is 8.03% higher. Thus, the validity of the algorithmic model proposed in this paper is demonstrated.
Flavonoids Modulate Aspergillus flavus Proliferation and Aflatoxin Production
Authors: Castano-Duque Lina , Lebar Matthew D. , Carter-Wientjes Carol , Ambrogio David , Rajasekaran Kanniah
Published: November 2022

Aflatoxins are carcinogenic mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus. They contaminate major food crops, particularly corn, and pose a worldwide health concern. Flavonoid production has been correlated to resistance to aflatoxin accumulation in corn. The effects of flavonoids on fungal proliferation and aflatoxin production are not well understood. In this study, we performed bioassays, fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy, and total antioxidant analysis to determine the effects of three flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin) on proliferation and aflatoxin production in A. flavus NRRL 3357. Results showed that concentrations of apigenin and luteolin modulated fungal proliferation and aflatoxin production in a dose-dependent manner, leading to inhibition or promotion of proliferation and toxin production. Microscopy studies of fungi exposed to flavonoids showed mycelial cell wall disruption, abnormal cell wall invaginations, and tears. Fluorescent enhancement of apigenin and luteolin using Naturstoff reagent A showed that these chemicals localized in sphere-like structures on the mycelia surface. Fungi exposed to low concentrations of apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin lowered the total antioxidant capacity in the environment compared to controls. Our results indicate that flavonoids disrupt cell wall integrity and may localize in vesicle-like structures. We hypothesize that flavonoids could act as potential signaling molecules at low concentrations and change the oxidative state of the microenvironment, either or both of which may lead to reduction of fungal proliferation and aflatoxin production.
The Rehabilitation of the Historic Barzan Traditional Market and Its Impact on Cultural Tourism in Hail City
Authors: Noaime Emad , Alnaim Mohammed Mashary , Bay Mohammed Abdulfattah , Albaqawy Ghazy Abdullah , Abdelhafez Mohamed Hssan Hassan , Elkhayat Khaled
Published: November 2022

Hail is regarded as one of the richest cities in Saudi Arabia in terms of heritage sites. The city center, where the Barzan marketplace is located, is regarded as critical to the city’s cultural tourism. The purpose of this study is to understand the traditional Barzan market rehabilitation project within the city center and its role in preserving Hail’s urban identity. According to the study, the rehabilitation of the city center presents an opportunity for urban development to boost tourism and connect various historic landmarks in a variety of ways, including the development of pedestrian routes. The study also presents and discusses several complexities and challenges that must be considered when implementing such an urban development. A multi-approach methodology is employed to investigate several urban factors and involved actors, including a social online survey and semi-structured interviews, as well as empirical data to support the study objectives. The study’s findings indicate that there is an issue with the urban solution implemented in the Barzan market on multiple levels, the most important of which is the ‘miso’ level of the city center, where several potential landmarks are neglected and isolated from the Barzan marketplace. A solution is proposed to create multiple urban spaces that can be used by the Hail community as a whole, not just those involved in the market. This would necessitate a different approach to space design, as well as changes in how the Barzan market is managed and maintained.
Contribution of Integrated Crop Livestock Systems to Climate Smart Agriculture in Argentina
Authors: Cruz Colazo Juan , de Dios Herrero Juan , Sager Ricardo , Guzmán Maria Laura , Zaman Mohammad
Published: November 2022

Integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS) is a useful practice to enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) compared to continuous cropping systems (CC). However, robust data from different regions around the world remain to be collected. So, our objectives were to (i) compare SOC and its physical fractions in ICLS and CC, and (ii) evaluate the use of δ13C to identify the source of C of SOC in these systems in the Pampas region of Argentina. For that, we compared two farms, an ICLS and a CC having the same soil type and landscape position. The ICLS farm produces alfalfa grazed alternatively with soybean and corn, and the CC farm produces the latter two crops in a continuous sequence. Soil samples (0–5, 5–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm) were collected and analyzed for SOC, its physical fractions, and their isotopic signature (δ13C). Soils under ICLS showed an increment of 50% of SOC stock compared to CC in the first 60 cm. This increase was related to 100–2000 µm fractions of SOC. The shift in δ13C signature is more in ICLS than in CC, suggesting that rotation with C3 legumes contributed to C sequestration and, therefore, climate-smart agriculture. The combination of on-farm research and isotopic technique can help to study deeply the effect of real farm practices on soil carbon derived from pasture.
Even Simultaneous Bilinguals Do Not Reach Monolingual Levels of Proficiency in Syntax
Authors: Li Wei , Hartshorne Joshua K.
Published: November 2022

While there is no doubt that children raised bilingual can become extremely proficient in both languages, theorists are divided on whether bilingualism is effectively monolingualism twice (the “Two Monolinguals in One Brain” hypothesis) or differs in some fundamental way from monolingualism. A strong version of the “Two Monolinguals” hypothesis predicts that bilinguals can achieve monolingual-level proficiency in either (or both) of their languages. Recently, Bylund and Abrahamsson argued that evidence of lower syntactic proficiency in simultaneous bilinguals was due to confounds of language dominance; when simultaneous bilinguals are tested in their primary language, any difference disappears. We find no evidence for this hypothesis. Meta-analysis and Monte Carlo simulation show that variation in published results is fully consistent with sampling error, with no evidence that method mattered. Meta-analytic estimates strongly indicate lower syntactic performance by simultaneous bilinguals relative to monolinguals. Re-analysis of a large dataset (N = 115,020) confirms this finding, even controlling for language dominance. Interestingly, the effect is relatively small, challenging current theories.
Study on the Changing Law of Cutting and Ultrasonic Strengthening Surface Integrity during Fatigue of Ti-17 Alloy
Authors: Zhou Zheng , Yao Changfeng , Tan Liang , Xin Hongmin , Zhang Ya , Zhao Yu
Published: November 2022

The distribution of surface integrity features directly affects the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks. In this paper, the surface integrity characteristics changing law of turning and ultrasonic impacting specimens during high cycle fatigue loading has been studied, and the effect of surface modified layer on the fatigue properties of titanium alloy has been revealed. The results showed that the surface roughness increased with the increase of fatigue cycles. The compressive residual stress and its gradient distribution depth decreased continuously. The gradient distribution depth of residual stress in the ultrasonic-impacted surface rapidly decreased by about 50% near the fracture stage. Local cyclic hardening occurred at 20–50 μm from the surface of the specimen in the early stage of fatigue evolution, and then the microhardness continued to decrease. During this process, there were no significant changes in hardened layer depth. The fibrous microstructure of the ultrasonic-impacted surface undergoes a process from coarsening to gradual disintegration during the fatigue process. Its attenuation process needs a longer period of time. The fatigue source of the turned specimen was located at about 320 μm from the surface, and the fatigue source of ultrasonic impact was about 610 μm from the surface. The fatigue striation width of the ultrasonic impact specimen was about 20% narrower than that of the turned specimen. The fatigue life of the ultrasonic impact specimen was increased by 73.9% compared with the turned specimen. The research in this paper is of great significance for exploring the anti-fatigue mechanism and the ability of various surface integrity features.
Characterization of Date Seed Powder Derived Porous Graphene Oxide and Its Application as an Environmental Functional Material to Remove Dye from Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Al-Zahrani Fatimah A. M. , Al-Shehri Badria M. , El-Shishtawy Reda M. , Awwad Nasser S. , Khan Khalid Ali , Sayed M. A. , Siddeeg Saifeldin M.
Published: November 2022

This study aims to prepare graphene oxide (GO) from raw date seeds (RDSs), considered one of the available agricultural wastes in Saudi Arabia. The preparation method is done by the conversion of date seeds to lignin and then to graphite which is used in a modified Hummer’s method to obtain GO. The adsorption of insoluble phenothiazine-derived dye (PTZS) over raw date Seeds (RDSs) as a low-cost adsorbent was investigated in this study. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize (RDSs). According to the calculations, Freundlich isotherms and pseudo-second-order accurately predicted the kinetic rate of adsorption. The adsorption ability was 4.889 mg/g, and the removal rate was 93.98% GO-date Seeds mass, 11 mg/L starting dye concentration, at a temperature of 328 K, pH 9, and contact length of 30 min by boosting the PTZS solution’s ionic strength. In addition, the computed free energies revealed that the adsorption process was physical. Thermodynamic calculations revealed that dye adsorption onto GO-date seeds was exothermic and spontaneous.
Machining Quality Prediction of Marine Diesel Engine Block Based on Error Transmission Network
Authors: Sun Li , Ren Xiaodie , Zhou Honggen , Li Guochao , Yang Weibin , Zhao Junjie , Liu Yinfei
Published: November 2022

In view of the high precision requirement of the marine diesel engine body and the difficulty of quality control, a quality prediction method of the body, based on a process error transfer network, is proposed. First, according to the processing information of the body, the network nodes and edges are abstracted to establish the process error transfer network of the body. Then, the key quality control points and key quality features of the diesel engine body are determined by the PageRank and node degree. The key quality features obtained from the network analysis are taken as the output, and the corresponding process errors and process parameters are taken as the input. Finally, the quality prediction model of the body is established based on SVR algorithm, and the C, g parameters of SVR algorithm are optimized by the K-fold cross-validation method and grid search method to improve the prediction accuracy of the body processing quality.
Swin Transformer Combined with Convolution Neural Network for Surface Defect Detection
Authors: Li Yinghao , Xiang Yihao , Guo Haogong , Liu Panpan , Liu Chengming
Published: November 2022

Surface defect detection aims to classify and locate a certain defect that exists in the target surface area. It is an important part of industrial quality inspection. Most of the research on surface defect detection are currently based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs), which are more concerned with local information and lack global perception. Thus, CNNs are unable to effectively extract the defect features. In this paper, a defect detection method based on the Swin transformer is proposed. The structure of the Swin transformer has been fine-tuned so that it has five scales of output, making it more suitable for defect detection tasks with large variations in target size. A bi-directional feature pyramid network is used as the feature fusion part to efficiently fuse to the extracted features. The focal loss is used as a loss function to weight the hard- and easy-to-distinguish samples, potentially making the model fit the surface defect data better. To reduce the number of parameters in the model, a shared detection head was chosen for result prediction. Experiments were conducted on the flange surface defect dataset and the steel surface defect dataset, respectively. Compared with the classical CNNs target detection algorithm, our method improves the mean average precision (mAP) by about 15.4%, while the model volume and detection speed are essentially the same as those of the CNNs-based method. The experimental results show that our proposed method is more competitive compared with CNNs-based methods and has some generality for different types of defects.