bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beta and Gamma Amino Acid-Substituted Benzenesulfonamides as Inhibitors of Human Carbonic Anhydrases
Authors: Balandis Benas , Šimkūnas Tomas , Paketurytė-Latvė Vaida , Michailovienė Vilma , Mickevičiūtė Aurelija , Manakova Elena , Gražulis Saulius , Belyakov Sergey , Kairys Visvaldas , Mickevičius Vytautas , Zubrienė Asta , Matulis Daumantas
Published: April 2022

A series of novel benzenesulfonamide derivatives were synthesized bearing para-N β,γ-amino acid or para-N β-amino acid and thiazole moieties and their binding to the human carbonic anhydrase (CA) isozymes determined. These enzymes are involved in various illnesses, such as glaucoma, altitude sickness, epilepsy, obesity, and even cancer. There are numerous compounds that are inhibitors of CA and used as pharmaceuticals. However, most of them bind to most CA isozymes with little selectivity. The design of high affinity and selectivity towards one CA isozyme remains a significant challenge. The beta and gamma amino acid-substituted compound affinities were determined by the fluorescent thermal shift assay and isothermal titration calorimetry for all 12 catalytically active human carbonic anhydrase isozymes, showing the full affinity and selectivity profile. The structures of several compounds were determined by X-ray crystallography, and the binding mode in the active site of CA enzyme was shown.
Hydrogels as Corneal Stroma Substitutes for In Vitro Evaluation of Drug Ocular Permeation
Authors: Burgalassi Susi , Zucchetti Erica , Ling Leonardo , Chetoni Patrizia , Tampucci Silvia , Monti Daniela
Published: April 2022

Hydrogels are complex hydrophilic structures, consisting of crosslinked homopolymers or copolymers insoluble in water. Due to their controllable bio-physicochemical properties mimicking the morphology of the native extracellular matrix, they are a key part of a lot of research fields, including medicine, pharmaceutics, and tissue engineering. This paper was focused on the preparation and characterization of hydrogels from different blends of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and gelatin (GEL) at various ratios, and from gelatin and chitosan alone to understand their feasibility of utilizing as corneal stroma substitutes in permeability tests for drug candidate molecules in early stages of their development. The characterization was carried out by differential scanning calorimetry, electron microscopy (SEM), water content, mass loss, water permeability, wettability, and tensile stress–strain tests. After the physicochemical characterization, PVA/MCC blend and chitosan proved to be the most promising constructs, showing negligible mass loss after immersion in aqueous medium for two weeks and low hydrodynamic permeability. They were then employed in drug molecules permeation studies and these data were compared to that obtained through excised tissues. The results obtained showed that PVA/MCC hydrogels have similar mechanical and permeability properties to corneal stroma.
Resveratrol Microencapsulation into Electrosprayed Polymeric Carriers for the Treatment of Chronic, Non-Healing Wounds
Authors: De Pieri Andrea , Ocorr Keegan , Jerreld Kyle , Lamoca Mikkael , Hitzl Wolfgang , Wuertz-Kozak Karin
Published: April 2022

Chronic, non-healing wounds represent a challenging socio-economic burden, demanding innovative approaches for successful wound management. Resveratrol (RSV) represents a promising therapeutic candidate, but its therapeutic efficacy and clinical applicability have been hampered by its rapid degradation and/or depletion. Herein, RSV was encapsulated into poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) microparticles by electrospraying with the aim to prolong and preserve RSV’s release/activity, without affecting its therapeutic properties. Electrospraying led to the fabrication of spherical (2 to 10 μm in size), negatively charged (<−1 mV), and quasi-monodisperse (PDI < 0.3) microparticles, with 60% RSV release after 28 days. Microencapsulation of RSV into PCL prevented its photochemical degradation and preserved its antioxidant properties over 72 h. The RSV-PCL microparticles did not exhibit any cytotoxicity on human dermal fibroblasts. RSV released from the microparticles was biologically functional and induced a significant increase in collagen type I deposition. Furthermore, the produced RSV-PCL microparticles reduced the expression of inflammatory (IL-6, IL-8, COX-2) and proteolytic (MMP-2, MMP-9) mediators. Collectively, our data clearly illustrate the potential of electrosprayed polymeric carriers for the sustained delivery of RSV to treat chronic wounds.
Trehalose-Based Nucleolipids as Nanocarriers for Autophagy Modulation: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Cunha Anthony , Gaubert Alexandra , Verget Julien , Thiolat Marie-Laure , Barthélémy Philippe , Latxague Laurent , Dehay Benjamin
Published: April 2022

The Autophagy Lysosomal Pathway is one of the most important mechanisms for removing dysfunctional cellular components. Increasing evidence suggests that alterations in this pathway play a pathogenic role in Parkinson’s disease, making it a point of particular vulnerability. Numerous studies have proposed nanotechnologies as a promising approach for delivering active substances within the central nervous system to treat and diagnose neurodegenerative diseases. In this context, the aim was to propose the development of a new pharmaceutical technology for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. We designed a trehalose-based nanosystem by combining both a small natural autophagy enhancer molecule named trehalose and an amphiphilic nucleolipid conjugate. To improve nucleolipid protection and cellular uptake, these conjugates were formulated by rapid mixing in either solid lipid nanoparticles (Ø = 120.4 ± 1.4 nm) or incorporated into poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (Ø = 167.2 ± 2.4 nm). In vitro biological assays demonstrated a safe and an efficient cellular uptake associated with autophagy induction. Overall, these nucleolipid-based formulations represent a promising new pharmaceutical tool to deliver trehalose and restore the autophagy impaired function.
Dual Stimuli-Responsive Multifunctional Silicon Nanocarriers for Specifically Targeting Mitochondria in Human Cancer Cells
Authors: Tran Vy Anh , Vo Giau Van , Tan Mario A. , Park Joon-Seo , An Seong Soo A. , Lee Sang-Wha
Published: April 2022

Specific targeting, selective stimuli-responsiveness, and controlled release of anticancer agents are requested for high therapeutic efficiency with a minimal adverse effect. Herein, we report the sophisticated synthesis and functionalization of fluorescent mesoporous silicon (FMPSi) nanoparticles decorated with graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. GO-wrapped FMPSi (FMPSi@GO) was loaded with a cisplatin (Cis) anticancer agent, and Cis-loaded FMPSi@GO (FMPSi-Cis@GO) exhibited the dual stimuli (pH and NIR)-responsiveness of controlled drug release, i.e., the drug release rate was distinctly enhanced at acidic pH 5.5 than at neutral pH 7.0 and further enhanced under NIR irradiation at acidic pH condition. Notably, dequalinium-conjugated FMPSi-Cis@GO (FMPSi-Cis@GO@DQA) demonstrated an excellent specificity for mitochondrial targeting in cancer cells without noticeable toxicity to normal human cells. Our novel silicon nanocarriers demonstrated not only stimuli (pH and NIR)-responsive controlled drug release, but also selective accumulation in the mitochondria of cancer cells and destroying them.
Temperature/pH-Responsive Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) Interpenetrating Polymer Network Aerogels for Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Liu Zhongming , Zhang Sufeng , Gao Chao , Meng Xia , Wang Shoujuan , Kong Fangong
Published: April 2022

Temperature/pH-responsive carboxymethyl cellulose/poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) aerogels (CMC/Ca2+/PNIPAM aerogels) were developed as a novel drug delivery system. The aerogel has a highly open network structure with a porosity of more than 90%, which provides convenient conditions for drug release. The morphology and structure of the CMC/Ca2+/PNIPAM aerogels were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Micro-CT, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), pore size analysis, and cytotoxicity analysis. The analysis results demonstrate that the aerogel is non-toxic and has more active sites, temperatures, and pH response performances. The anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was successfully loaded into aerogels through physical entrapment and hydrogen bonding. The drug loading and sustained-release model of aerogels are used to fit the drug loading and sustained-release curve, revealing the drug loading and sustained-release mechanism, and providing a theoretical basis for the efficient drug loading and sustained release.
A New Computer-Aided Optimization-Based Method for the Design of Single Multi-Pass Plate Heat Exchangers
Authors: Xu Kexin , Qin Kang , Wu Hao , Smith Robin
Published: April 2022

Plate heat exchangers (PHEs) have significant potential to improve energy efficiency in the process industries. However, realizing their full potential to achieve such energy savings requires a systematic approach to screen the many options available. Thus, this work presents a generalized novel approach for the optimal design of both gasket and welded plate heat exchangers, with different plate geometries and flow configurations. A new design method coupled with an optimization framework is proposed to obtain the optimal solution with minimum total transfer area by setting up a series of relations between temperatures among each single-pass block with known inlet and outlet temperatures of process streams. An MINLP mathematical model is developed to select the best combination of the flow pass configuration and available commercial plate geometries within practical design constraints. The differences between the design methodology of gasket and welded PHEs are highlighted. Two case studies are used to demonstrate the proposed method for both gasket and welded PHEs. Results show that better design with reduced heat transfer area by 10.71% and design time by 83.3% is obtained compared with previously proposed approaches.
On the Joint Exploitation of Satellite DInSAR Measurements and DBSCAN-Based Techniques for Preliminary Identification and Ranking of Critical Constructions in a Built Environment
Authors: Mele Annalisa , Vitiello Autilia , Bonano Manuela , Miano Andrea , Lanari Riccardo , Acampora Giovanni , Prota Andrea
Published: April 2022

The need for widespread structural safety checks represents a stimulus for the research of advanced techniques for structural monitoring at the scale of single constructions or wide areas. In this work, a strategy to preliminarily identify and rank possible critical constructions in a built environment is presented, based on the joint exploitation of satellite radar remote sensing measurements and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The satellite measurements are represented by the displacement time series obtained through the Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) technique known as full resolution Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) approach, while the exploited AI technique is represented by the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) methodology. The DBSCAN technique is applied to the SBAS-DInSAR products relevant to the achieved Persistent Scatterers (PSs), to identify clusters of pixels corresponding to buildings within the investigated area. The analysis of the deformation evolution of each building cluster is performed in terms of velocity rates and statistics on the DInSAR measurements. Synthetic deformation maps of the areas are then retrieved to identify critical buildings. The proposed methodology is applied to three areas within the city of Rome (Italy), imaged by the COSMO-SkyMed SAR satellite constellation from ascending and descending orbits (in the time interval 2011–2019). Starting from the DInSAR measurements, the DBSCAN algorithm provides the automatic clustering of buildings within the three selected areas. Exploiting the derived deformation maps of each study area, a preliminary identification and ranking of critical buildings is achieved, thus confirming the validity of the proposed approach.
Earth Observation Mission of a 6U CubeSat with a 5-Meter Resolution for Wildfire Image Classification Using Convolution Neural Network Approach
Authors: Azami Muhammad , Orger Necmi , Schulz Victor , Oshiro Takashi , Cho Mengu
Published: April 2022

The KITSUNE satellite is a 6-unit CubeSat platform with the main mission of 5-m-class Earth observation in low Earth orbit (LEO), and the payload is developed with a 31.4 MP commercial off-the-shelf sensor, customized optics, and a camera controller board. Even though the payload is designed for Earth observation and to capture man-made patterns on the ground as the main mission, a secondary mission is planned for the classification of wildfire images by the convolution neural network (CNN) approach. Therefore, KITSUNE will be the first CubeSat to employ CNN to classify wildfire images in LEO. In this study, a deep-learning approach is utilized onboard the satellite in order to reduce the downlink data by pre-processing instead of the traditional method of performing the image processing at the ground station. The pre-trained CNN models generated in Colab are saved in RPi CM3+, in which, an uplink command will execute the image classification algorithm and append the results on the captured image data. The on-ground testing indicated that it could achieve an overall accuracy of 98% and an F1 score of a 97% success rate in classifying the wildfire events running on the satellite system using the MiniVGGNet network. Meanwhile, the LeNet and ShallowNet models were also compared and implemented on the CubeSat with 95% and 92% F1 scores, respectively. Overall, this study demonstrated the capability of small satellites to perform CNN onboard in orbit. Finally, the KITSUNE satellite is deployed from ISS on March 2022.
Design of a Slab Tamm Plasmon Resonator Coupled to a Multistrip Array Waveguide for the Mid Infrared
Authors: Pühringer Gerald , Consani Cristina , Jannesari Reyhaneh , Fleury Clement , Dubois Florian , Spettel Jasmin , Dao Thang Duy , Stocker Gerald , Grille Thomas , Jakoby Bernhard
Published: April 2022

In this work, we present and analyze a design of an absorber–waveguide system combining a highly sensitive waveguide array concept with a resonant selective absorber. The waveguide part is composed of an array of coupled strip waveguides and is therefore called a coupled strip array (CSA). The CSA is then coupled to the end of a slab Tamm plasmon (STP-) resonator, which is composed of a quasicrystal-like reflector formed by the patterning of a silicon slab and an interfacing tungsten slab. The concept describes an emitter–waveguide or waveguide–detector system featuring selective plasmon-enhanced resonant absorption or emission. These are crucial properties for corresponding optical on-chip integrated devices in context with evanescent field absorption sensing in fluids or gases, for example. Thus, the concept comprises a valuable and more cost-effective alternative to quantum cascade lasers. We designed the lateral dimensions of the STP resonator via a simple quasi-crystal approach and achieved strong narrowband resonances (emittance and Q-factors up to 85% and 88, respectively) for different silicon thicknesses and substrate materials (air and silicon oxide). Moreover, we analyze and discuss the sensitivity of the complete emitter–waveguide system in dependence on the slab thickness. This reveals the crucial correlation between the expected sensitivity assigned to the absorber–waveguide system and field confinement within the silicon.
Performance of Deep Learning Models in Forecasting Gait Trajectories of Children with Neurological Disorders
Authors: Kolaghassi Rania , Al-Hares Mohamad Kenan , Marcelli Gianluca , Sirlantzis Konstantinos
Published: April 2022

Forecasted gait trajectories of children could be used as feedforward input to control lower limb robotic devices, such as exoskeletons and actuated orthotic devices (e.g., Powered Ankle Foot Orthosis—PAFO). Several studies have forecasted healthy gait trajectories, but, to the best of our knowledge, none have forecasted gait trajectories of children with pathological gait yet. These exhibit higher inter- and intra-subject variability compared to typically developing gait of healthy subjects. Pathological trajectories represent the typical gait patterns that rehabilitative exoskeletons and actuated orthoses would target. In this study, we implemented two deep learning models, a Long-Term Short Memory (LSTM) and a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), to forecast hip, knee, and ankle trajectories in terms of corresponding Euler angles in the pitch, roll, and yaw form for children with neurological disorders, up to 200 ms in the future. The deep learning models implemented in our study are trained on data (available online) from children with neurological disorders collected by Gillette Children’s Speciality Healthcare over the years 1994–2017. The children’s ages range from 4 to 19 years old and the majority of them had cerebral palsy (73%), while the rest were a combination of neurological, developmental, orthopaedic, and genetic disorders (27%). Data were recorded with a motion capture system (VICON) with a sampling frequency of 120 Hz while walking for 15 m. We investigated a total of 35 combinations of input and output time-frames, with window sizes for input vectors ranging from 50–1000 ms, and output vectors from 8.33–200 ms. Results show that LSTMs outperform CNNs, and the gap in performance becomes greater the larger the input and output window sizes are. The maximum difference between the Mean Absolute Errors (MAEs) of the CNN and LSTM networks was 0.91 degrees. Results also show that the input size has no significant influence on mean prediction errors when the output window is 50 ms or smaller. For output window sizes greater than 50 ms, the larger the input window, the lower the error. Overall, we obtained MAEs ranging from 0.095–2.531 degrees for the LSTM network, and from 0.129–2.840 degrees for the CNN. This study establishes the feasibility of forecasting pathological gait trajectories of children which could be integrated with exoskeleton control systems and experimentally explores the characteristics of such intelligent systems under varying input and output window time-frames.
Two-Way Communication Digital Power Controllers for Wireless Retinal Prosthesis Systems
Authors: Zawawi Ruhaifi Bin Abdullah , Kim Jungsuk
Published: April 2022

Power-efficient digital controllers are proposed for wireless retinal prosthetic systems. Power management plays an important role in reducing the power consumption and avoiding malfunctions in implantable medical devices. In the case of implantable devices with only one-way communication, the received power level is uncertain because there is no feedback on the power status. Accordingly, system breakdown due to inefficient power management should be avoided to prevent harm to patients. In this study, digital power controllers were developed for achieving two-way communication. Three controllers—a forward and back telemetry control unit, a power control unit, and a preamble control unit—operated simultaneously to control the class-E amplifier input power, provided command data to stimulators, monitored the power levels of the implanted devices, and generated back telemetry data. For performance verification, we implemented a digital power control system using a field-programmable gate array and then demonstrated it by employing a wireless telemetry system.
A Novel Stripe Noise Removal Model for Infrared Images
Authors: Li Mingxuan , Nong Shenkai , Nie Ting , Han Chengshan , Huang Liang , Qu Lixin
Published: April 2022

Infrared images often carry obvious streak noises due to the non-uniformity of the infrared detector and the readout circuit. These streak noises greatly affect the image quality, adding difficulty to subsequent image processing. Compared with current elimination algorithms for infrared stripe noises, our approach fully utilizes the difference between the stripe noise components and the actual information components, takes the gradient sparsity along the stripe direction and the global sparsity of the stripe noises as regular terms, and treats the sparsity of the components across the stripe direction as a fidelity term. On this basis, an adaptive edge-preserving operator (AEPO) based on edge contrast was proposed to protect the image edge and, thus, prevent the loss of edge details. The final solution was obtained by the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). To verify the effectiveness of our approach, many real experiments were carried out to compare it with state-of-the-art methods in two aspects: subjective judgment and objective indices. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our approach.
Development and Experimental Research of Different Mechanical Designs of an Optical Linear Encoder’s Reading Head
Authors: Gurauskis Donatas , Przystupa Krzysztof , Kilikevičius Artūras , Skowron Mikołaj , Matijošius Jonas , Caban Jacek , Kilikevičienė Kristina
Published: April 2022

Optical linear encoders are widely used in manufacturing. They are accurate and have a relatively high resolution and good repeatability. However, there are a lot of side effects, which have an inevitable impact on the performance of an encoder. In general, the majority of these effects could be minimized by the appropriate design of an encoder’s reading head. This paper discusses the working principle of and commonly occurring errors in optical linear encoders. Three different mechanical designs are developed and implemented in the experimental reading head of the linear encoder in order to evaluate how mechanical construction influences the displacement measurement accuracy and total performance of the encoder.
Simple and Robust Microfabrication of Polymeric Piezoelectric Resonating MEMS Mass Sensors
Authors: Ge Chang , Cretu Edmond
Published: April 2022

Resonating MEMS mass sensors are microdevices with broad applications in fields such as bioscience and biochemistry. Their advantageous surface-to-volume ratio makes their resonant frequency highly sensitive to variations in their mass induced by surface depositions. Recent global challenges, such as water quality monitoring or pandemic containment, have increased the need for low-cost (even disposable), rapidly fabricated microdevices as suitable detectors. Resonant MEMS mass sensors are among the best candidates. This paper introduces a simple and robust fabrication of polymeric piezoelectric resonating MEMS mass sensors. The microfabrication technology replaces the traditional layer-by-layer micromachining techniques with laser micromachining to gain extra simplicity. Membrane-based resonant sensors have been fabricated to test the technology. Their characterization results have proven that the technology is robust with good reproducibility (around 2% batch level variations in the resonant frequency). Initial tests for the MEMS mass sensors’ sensitivity have indicated a sensitivity of 340 Hz/ng. The concept could be a starting point for developing low-cost MEMS sensing solutions for pandemic control, health examination, and pollution monitoring.
Toward Carbon-Neutral Concrete through Biochar–Cement–Calcium Carbonate Composites: A Critical Review
Authors: Winters Dahl , Boakye Kwaku , Simske Steven
Published: April 2022

High-density, high-permanence forms of carbon storage are in demand to save storage space on land or at sea while allowing the world to reach its climate targets. Biochar and calcium carbonate are two such forms that have been considered largely separately in the literature for carbon storage. In this paper, we consider how biochar and calcium carbonate might interact when they are used together with cement as part of a carbon storage system, ideally to form a carbon-neutral concrete. The carbon storage system stores atmospherically absorbed CO2 within concrete, thereby reducing carbon in the atmosphere. In addition, such a system will help in reducing cement usage, thus reducing the need for clinker in cement manufacturing and directly reducing CO2 emissions that result from limestone calcination during clinker manufacturing. Another benefit of such a composite storage system is its use in building structures, a use that has positive environmental and social impact. Thus, further research on the properties of this composite material is warranted. This paper explores the literature on the use of biochar combined with calcium carbonate and cement as carbon storage material. The use of recycled carbon aggregates (RCAs) and LC3 concrete as part of this approach is reviewed. The paper also addresses the possible compressive strength range of the biochar–cement–calcium carbonate composite material, along with other performance expectations. Obstacles to scaling the use of carbon-neutral concrete are identified and an array of research directions are presented, with the goal of improving carbon-neutral concrete and its use.
Evaluation of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Wind Erosion Prevention Service Based on RWEQ Model
Authors: Wang Yangyang , Xiao Yu , Xie Gaodi , Xu Jie , Qin Keyu , Liu Jingya , Niu Yingnan , Gan Shuang , Huang Mengdong , Zhen Lin
Published: April 2022

Ecosystem service research is essential to identify the contribution of the ecosystem to human welfare. As an important ecological barrier zone, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) supports the use of a crucial wind erosion prevention service (WEPS) to improve the ecological environment quality. This study simulated the spatiotemporal patterns of the WEPS based on the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) and its driving factors. From 2000 to 2015, the total WEPS provided in the QTP ranged from 1.75 × 109 kg to 2.52 × 109 kg, showing an increasing and then decreasing trend. The average WEPS service per unit area was between 0.72 kg m−2 and 1.06 kg m−2. The high-value areas were concentrated in the northwest and north of the QTP, and the total WEPS in different areas varied significantly from year to year. The average retention rate of the WEPS in the QTP was estimated to be 57.24–62.10%, and high-value areas were mainly located in the southeast of the QTP. The total monetary value of the WEPS in the QTP was calculated to be between 223.56 × 109 CNY and 321.73 × 109 CNY, and the average WEPS per unit area was between 0.08 CNY m−2 and 0.13 CNY m−2, showing a declining–rising–declining trend. The high-value areas gradually expanded to the west and east of the QTP. The slope was the most important factor controlling the spatial differentiation of the WEPS, followed by the landform type, average annual precipitation, and average annual wind speed, and human activities such as land-use change could improve the WEPS by returning farmland to grassland and desertification control in the QTP.
Could a Retail-Less City Be Sustainable? The Digitalization of the Urban Economy against the City
Authors: Carreras Carles , Frago Lluís
Published: April 2022

This article tries to imagine the possible future retail-less city and its sustainability, combining some theoretical approaches with the initial data obtained from an analysis of Barcelona and Catalonia. The retail-less city is based on the idea of a city in which all the brick-and-mortar stores have closed as a consequence of the growing virtualization of retail. The hypothesis is based on the contemporary theory of planetary urbanization and its implications for the popular relationship between retail and the city. First, the study analyzes the relative weakness of the current retail theories and the spread of certain terms that have not succeeded in becoming real concepts. Second, the research attempt to find a possible definition of the retail-less city based on the increase of brick-and-mortar store and bank branch closures in Barcelona and Catalonia. Then, it explores some alternatives in urban policies and planning, using examples from Barcelona. Finally, the conclusion returns to the contemporary theories on globalization and planetary urbanization.
Tax Competition, Capital Flow, and the Innovation Efficiency of Industrial Enterprises
Authors: Shi Haixia , Shen Change
Published: April 2022

Many countries use tax competition tools to stimulate enterprises to improve innovation efficiency. Consequently, in China, does tax competition have an incentive effect on the improvement of enterprise innovation efficiency, and what is the existing mechanism? Considering the characteristics of industrial enterprises engaged in various innovative activities to achieve sustainable competitive advantage and taking the panel data of industrial enterprises in 31 provinces and regions of China from 2011–2018 as the research object, this paper empirically studies the influence of tax competition and its mechanism on the innovation efficiency of industrial enterprises. It is shown that excessive tax competition in China hinders the improvement of the innovation efficiency of industrial enterprises, in which capital flow plays a partially mediating role. Further research shows that after the implementation of an innovation-driven development strategy, the degree of tax competition in China was reduced, which alleviated the adverse impact of excessive tax competition on the innovation efficiency of industrial enterprises, and capital flow also reduced this negative effect. The results reflect the good effect of implementing an innovation-driven development strategy in China, and it also shows that excessive government intervention is not conducive to the effective allocation of market resources. Tax Competition is a double-edged sword; therefore, it is necessary to promote the innovation efficiency of industrial enterprises by combining promising government and an effective market. The conclusions are important for the appropriate shaping of fiscal policy.
Spatial and Temporal Differentiation of Mountain Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs and Synergies: A Case Study of Jieshi Mountain, China
Authors: Li Guangzi , Cai Jun
Published: April 2022

There are complex interactions among various services in mountain ecosystems, and the optimization of ecosystem spatial patterns based on the trade-offs and synergies of mountain ecosystem services can effectively improve the comprehensive benefits of a multi-ecosystem service. Jieshi Mountain is a typical historical and cultural mountain in China, and its social and economic development is at the average level in China. It is of great significance to explore the ecosystem services and mountain environmental factors in the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services to promote the coordinated development of the man–land relationship. Based on an evaluation of ecosystem service value and comprehensive analysis of the spatial and temporal pattern of trade-offs and synergies in the Jieshi Mountain area from 1980 to 2020, the spatial differentiation of the trade-offs and synergies of four key ecosystem services—water yield, soil retention, carbon storage, and habitat quality—were identified. We found that carbon storage-soil retention and habitat quality-soil retention have a strong trade-off relationship, and the area accounts for a relatively high proportion. In terms of land-cover types, the frequency of the synergistic effect between woodland and cultivated land is higher. There are different correlations between ecosystem service trade-offs and synergies among mountain environmental factors, among which elevation has a higher influence on synergy. Identifying the trade-off and synergy relationship between ecosystem services helps in making decisions about different mountain landscape planning and management strategies.
Evolutionary Game Analysis of Medical Waste Disposal in China under Different Reward and Penalty Models
Authors: Lv Youqing , Ma Guojian , Ding Juan
Published: April 2022

Although local governments have issued relevant reward and penalty policies, there are still problems of medical waste disposal in China, particularly in light of the special situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, these problems are generated in the game between local governments and disposal enterprises. Accordingly, based on the evolutionary game theory, this paper establishes and analyzes the game system between local governments and disposal enterprises under four modes: static reward and static penalty, dynamic reward and static penalty, static reward and dynamic penalty, and dynamic reward and dynamic penalty. The theoretical analysis is verified through numerical simulation of a medical waste disposal case in China. The results showed that when local governments choose the static reward and static penalty mode, the game system hardly always has an evolutionary stable state, and the dynamic reward or dynamic penalty mode can make up for the shortcomings of the static reward and static penalty mode. The static reward and dynamic penalty mode is considerably better than the other two dynamic reward and penalty modes, which has the best effect on improving the quality of medical waste disposal. Additionally, if the reward or penalty increases dynamically, local governments tend to implement a “relaxed supervision” strategy, and disposal enterprises will still improve the disposal quality of medical waste. The suggestions proposed based on the research conclusions offer some enlightenment for policymakers to formulate reasonable reward and penalty measures.
The Promoting Effect of Green Technology Innovations on Sustainable Supply Chain Development: Evidence from China’s Transport Sector
Authors: Li Li , Li Weimin
Published: April 2022

This paper analyses direct and indirect mechanisms of the promoting effect of green technology innovation of transport companies on the SSC development. Based on China’s transport sector data, we conduct an empirical study using the LL-FE model. Theoretical and empirical studies have two key findings: (1) On the direct mechanism, green technology innovations of transport companies have a positive role of promoting SSC development. When the level of green technological innovation of transportation enterprises increases by 1% totally, the level of transportation carbon emissions decreases by about 0.23%. (2) As for indirect mechanisms, green technology innovations of transport companies will promote SSC development through technology spill over, market competition and social network. This paper enriches the understanding of green technological innovation and SSC both in theoretical and empirical aspects.
A Taxi Trajectory and Social Media Data Management Platform for Tourist Behavior Analysis
Authors: Krataithong Pattama , Anutariya Chutiporn , Buranarach Marut
Published: April 2022

Taxis are commonly used by tourists to travel around unfamiliar cities they visit. These taxis today have GPS devices, which can then be used to collect a significant amount of data on the movement of tourists. One problem with this idea, however, is the question of how to extract that movement data from the raw GPS data, which includes a lot of other data, such as vehicle IDs, timestamps, and speeds, etc. The purpose of this research is to propose a data management platform to process heterogeneous data including taxi data, social media data, and place data for tourist behavior analysis. We propose a data pipeline that can be scaled in order to process a significant amount of data regarding taxi trajectory and social media, with two objectives. The first objective is to extract the tourist trajectory data from the raw GPS data and produce a data integration module enriched with a knowledge base of tourist trajectories. This knowledge base is constructed through the extension of semantic trajectory ontology (STO) and mobility behavior ontology (MBO). The second objective is to extract tourist activities/point of interests (POIs) from geo-tagged Twitter data. The results of the data pipeline can readily be used for tourist behavior analysis, such as tourist descriptive analysis, popular tourist destinations/zones, and tourist movement patterns identification. We leverage the study’s results to demonstrate the real-life case study in Bangkok during the Songkran Festival in 2019. Thus, we could precisely identify tourist movement during various periods, determine popular destinations/zones, discover high density density of taxi destination points for a given trajectory type, and display the top ten tourist destinations, as well as prominent tourism keywords or trends at the time. This can provide insight to governments and businesses related to tourism regarding the trajectories and activities of tourists, and it will help predict future tourism trends.
The Toxicological Assessment of Content and Exposure of Heavy Metals (Pb and Cd) in Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products with Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinalis L., radix) from Polish Pharmacies
Authors: Jurowski Kamil , Krośniak Mirosław
Published: April 2022

The level of potentially toxic elements (PTE) in phytopharmaceuticals can be a potential threat to human health through the food chain. The traditional herbal medicinal products (THMPs) with the marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis L., radix), which we can find in European pharmacies, are widely used among the European population. However, recently, voices have been heard in the public about alleged PTE occurrence. In this article, the levels of Pb and Cd impurities were measured in samples of THMPs with marshmallow root available in Polish pharmacies (n = 10). Our proposed toxicological approach was based on two important issues. The first was PTE levels (Pb: 1.60–6.80 μg/L and Cd: 0.80–3.81 μg/L presented as raw results) in comparison with the permissible limit set by FAO/WHO for medicinal herbs (10,000 µg/kg for Pb and 300 µg/kg for Cd) and also ICH Q3D guidelines (0.5 μg/g for Pb and also Cd). The second was the estimation of exposure of investigated PTE in a single dose and daily dose for each THMP. It should be noted that the content of analyzed heavy metals in a single dose of analyzed products was very low, and hence is not a threat for patients. The obtained daily intake of heavy metals impurities in comparison with PDE values confirms the safety of all analyzed phytopharmaceuticals (all of the samples meet the standards of the ICH Q3D guideline). It can be summarized that each of the analyzed THMP with marshmallow root available in Poland are safe for the patients. Based on literature review, this article is the first study about heavy metals impurities level in final THMPs with A. officinalis L., radix (marshmallow root) available in European pharmacies.
The Effect of Australian and Asian Commercial Antivenoms in Reversing the Post-Synaptic Neurotoxicity of O. hannah, N. naja and N. kaouthia Venoms In Vitro
Authors: Huynh Tam M. , Hodgson Wayne C. , Isbister Geoffrey K. , Silva Anjana
Published: April 2022

Despite antivenoms being the only established specific treatment for neuromuscular paralysis arising from snake envenoming, their ability to reverse the post-synaptic neurotoxicity in snake envenoming is poorly understood. We investigated the ability of five commercial antivenoms i.e., King cobra monovalent, Thai cobra monovalent, Thai neuro polyvalent, Indian polyvalent and Australian polyvalent antivenoms to reverse neurotoxicity induced by the venoms of King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah, 3 µg/mL), Indian cobra (Naja naja, 5 µg/mL) and Thai cobra (Naja kaouthia, 3 µg/mL) using the in vitro chick-biventer cervicis nerve–muscle preparation. All three venoms displayed post-synaptic neurotoxicity, which was prevented by all tested antivenoms (40 µL/mL) added to the bath prior to venom. All antivenoms partially reversed the established post-synaptic neuromuscular block after the addition of the three venoms during a 180 min observation period, but to varying degrees and at different rates. The neurotoxic effects of O. hannah venom recovered to a greater magnitude (based on twitch height restoration) and faster than the neurotoxicity of N. kaouthia venom, which recovered to a lower magnitude more slowly. The recovery of post-synaptic neurotoxicity by N. naja venom was hindered due to the likely presence of cytotoxins in the venom, which cause direct muscle damage. The observations made in this study provide further evidence that the commercial antivenoms are likely to actively reverse established α-neurotoxin-mediated neuromuscular paralysis in snake envenoming, and there is cross-neutralisation with different antivenoms.
Providing Biological Plausibility for Exposure–Health Relationships for the Mycotoxins Deoxynivalenol (DON) and Fumonisin B1 (FB1) in Humans Using the AOP Framework
Authors: van den Brand Annick D. , Bajard Lola , Steffensen Inger-Lise , Brantsæter Anne Lise , Dirven Hubert A. A. M. , Louisse Jochem , Peijnenburg Ad , Ndaw Sophie , Mantovani Alberto , De Santis Barbara , Mengelers Marcel J. B.
Published: April 2022

Humans are chronically exposed to the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin B1 (FB1), as indicated by their widespread presence in foods and occasional exposure in the workplace. This exposure is confirmed by human biomonitoring (HBM) studies on (metabolites of) these mycotoxins in human matrices. We evaluated the exposure–health relationship of the mycotoxins in humans by reviewing the available literature. Since human studies did not allow the identification of unequivocal chronic health effects upon exposure to DON and FB1, the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework was used to structure additional mechanistic evidence from in vitro and animal studies on the identified adverse effects. In addition to a preliminary AOP for DON resulting in the adverse outcome (AO) ‘reduced body weight gain’, we developed a more elaborated AOP for FB1, from the molecular initiating event (MIE) ‘inhibition of ceramide synthases’ leading to the AO ‘neural tube defects’. The mechanistic evidence from AOPs can be used to support the limited evidence from human studies, to focus FB1- and DON-related research in humans to identify related early biomarkers of effect. In order to establish additional human exposure–health relationships in the future, recommendations are given to maximize the information that can be obtained from HBM.
Human Papillomavirus L2 Capsid Protein Stabilizes γ-Secretase during Viral Infection
Authors: Crite Mac , DiMaio Daniel
Published: April 2022

Intracellular trafficking of human papillomavirus (HPV) during virus entry requires γ-secretase, a cellular protease consisting of a complex of four cellular transmembrane (TM) proteins. γ-secretase typically cleaves substrate proteins but it plays a non-canonical role during HPV entry. γ-secretase binds to the HPV minor capsid protein L2 and facilitates its insertion into the endosomal membrane. After insertion, L2 protrudes into the cytoplasm, which allows HPV to bind other cellular factors required for proper virus trafficking into the retrograde transport pathway. Here, we further characterize the interaction between γ-secretase and HPV L2. We show that γ-secretase is required for cytoplasmic protrusion of L2 and that L2 associates strongly with the PS1 catalytic subunit of γ-secretase and stabilizes the γ-secretase complex. Mutational studies revealed that a putative TM domain in HPV16 L2 cannot be replaced by a foreign TM domain, that infectivity of HPV TM mutants is tightly correlated with γ-secretase binding and stabilization, and that the L2 TM domain is required for protrusion of the L2 protein into the cytoplasm. These results provide new insight into the interaction between γ-secretase and L2 and highlight the importance of the native HPV L2 TM domain for proper virus trafficking during entry.
ALV-miRNA-p19-01 Promotes Viral Replication via Targeting Dual Specificity Phosphatase 6
Authors: Yan Yiming , Chen Sheng , Liao Liqin , Gao Shuang , Pang Yanling , Zhang Xinheng , Zhang Huanmin , Xie Qingmei
Published: April 2022

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of regulatory noncoding RNAs, serving as major regulators with a sequence-specific manner in multifarious biological processes. Although a series of viral families have been proved to encode miRNAs, few reports were available regarding the function of ALV-J-encoded miRNA. Here, we reported a novel miRNA (designated ALV-miRNA-p19-01) in ALV-J-infected DF-1 cells. We found that ALV-miRNA-p19-01 is encoded by the genome of the ALV-J SCAU1903 strain (located at nucleotides site 779 to 801) in a classic miRNA biogenesis manner. The transfection of DF-1 cells with ALV-miRNA-p19-01 enhanced ALV-J replication, while the blockage of ALV-miRNA-p19-01 suppressed ALV-J replication. Furthermore, our data showed that ALV-miRNA-p19-01 promotes ALV-J replication by directly targeting the cellular gene dual specificity phosphatase 6 through regulating ERK2 activity.
Pipeline Leakage Detection and Localization Using a Reliable Pipeline-Mechanism Model Incorporating a Bayesian Model Updating Approach
Authors: Zhou Mengfei , Xu Yinze , Cui Baihui , Hu Yinchao , Guo Tian , Cai Yijun , Sun Xiaofang
Published: April 2022

Pipeline transportation is widely used in industrial production and daily life. In order to reduce the waste of resources and economic losses caused by pipeline leakage, effective pipeline leakage detection and localization technology is particularly important. Among the many leakage detection methods, the model-based method for pipeline leakage detection and localization is widely used. However, the key to the method is how to obtain an accurate and reliable pipeline model to ensure and improve the detection accuracy. This paper proposes a novel method to obtain a reliable pipeline-mechanism model that fused data and mechanism models based on Bayesian theory. Moreover, in the process of Bayesian fusion, the complexity and calculations in the mechanism models were greatly reduced by establishing a surrogate model. After that, the multidimensional posterior distribution was sampled by the Markov chain Monte Carlo-differential evolution adaptive metropolis (ZS) (MCMC-DREAM (ZS)) algorithm, and the uncertainty in the model was updated to obtain a reliable pipeline-mechanism model. Subsequently, the pipeline resistance coefficient, which could be calculated based on the reliable pipeline-mechanism model, was proposed as an indicator for detecting whether the pipeline leaked or not. Finally, the pipeline leak model was used to determine the location of the leak. The reliable pipeline-mechanism model was applied in an experimental device to validate its performance. The results showed that the proposed method improved the accuracy and reliability of the mechanism model, and, in addition, the leakage could be accurately located.
The Investigation of COD Treatment and Energy Consumption of Urban Wastewater by a Continuous Electrocoagulation System
Authors: DEDE SAĞSÖZ Yeşim , YILMAZ Alper Erdem , EKMEKYAPAR TORUN Fatma , KOCADAĞISTAN Beyhan , KUL Sinan
Published: April 2022

In this study, electrochemical treatment of urban wastewater with electrical conductivity of 1000 μS cm−1 and chemical oxygen demand of 250 mg L−1 was investigated using the variables of initial pH value, current density and flow rate. Electrocoagulation was used, in which aluminum and stainless steel were selected, as the electrochemical treatment process. The electrocoagulation process was operated in continuous mode. The data obtained in experimental studies show that the best COD removal efficiency occurred in experiments where the initial pH value was 6. The increase in current density from 5 A to 15 A decreased the removal efficiency from 79 to 67%. The increase in flow rate under constant current density also reduced the efficiency of removal as expected. In experiments in which current density and flow rate were examined together, the increase in flow rate allowed the application of higher current densities. This situation led to considerable reductions in energy consumption values, even if the COD removal efficiency did not significantly increase. The high COD removal obtained with the use of high flow rate and high current density indicates that the electrocoagulation process can be used for high flow rate municipal wastewater treatment.