bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-Invasive Raman Analysis of 18th Century Chinese Export/Armorial Overglazed Porcelain: Identification of the Different Enameling Techniques
Authors: Colomban Philippe , Ngo Anh-Tu , Fournery Nicolas
Published: January 2022

Six rare porcelains of the Qing Dynasty, in particular, dishes ordered respectively for Philibert Orry, the Duke of Penthièvre and a tureen from the service of Louis XV, with royal coat-of-arms, were analyzed non-invasively by Raman microspectrometry. A coffee pot with a rare decoration attributed to Cornelius Pronk was also analyzed as well as two plates, one decorated with an Imari-style pattern and the second post-decorated in the Low-Countries/Holland. The enamel types and coloring or opacifying agents were identified on the basis of combined Raman and SEM-EDXS analysis previously published as well as new section and surface analysis of five plate samples representative of different technologies (blue-and-white, Famille rose). The use of lead oxide for the preparation of overglaze is demonstrated. For the first time, the use of borax in the blue overglaze according to the recipe from the 1753 manuscripts of French chemist Jean Hellot is demonstrated on Chinese porcelain. This fact, like the use of cobalt free of manganese, demonstrates the use of European ingredients and/or recipes for ceramics exported from China to Europe. The highlighting of the use of different recipes or raw materials for porcelain from the same period can therefore be the signature of different workshops. For instance, three different Raman signatures of red decoration were identified from the hematite vibration modes: very narrow modes for Pronk’ coffee pot and Louis XV tureen, broad for Orry’ dish and intermediate for the others. Three workshops are thus expected. It is interesting to note that the use of arsenic for the realization of white enamels corresponds to the latest objects, made after 1738. China was therefore in the 18th century both an importer of European know-how, design and an exporter of enameled products made with imported technologies to Europe.
A Day in the Life: Secondary School Students’ Experiences of School-Based Physical Activity in Ireland, Finland, and the United States
Authors: McMullen Jaimie , Brooks Collin , Iannucci Cassandra , Fan Xiaoping
Published: January 2022

Internationally, there is an effort to have schools adopt a whole-school approach to physical activity promotion. Such a model includes physical activity opportunities throughout the whole school day, including physical education; before, during, and after school physical activity; and staff and community engagement. The purpose of this study was to describe the physical activity experiences of young people attending secondary schools in Finland, Ireland, and the United States where a whole-school approach to physical activity promotion was employed. One school in each country was identified based on its adoption of a national physical activity initiative (i.e., Finland—Finnish Schools on the Move; Ireland—Active School Flag; United States—Let’s Move Active Schools). Data were collected through observation with field notes, photos, and interviews with key stakeholders. The results are presented as analytic narrative vignettes that represent a “typical” school day. The results provide a glimpse into available physical activity opportunities for young people at each school and demonstrate an emphasis on active school culture.
Fourth-Order Adjoint Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis of an OECD/NEA Reactor Physics Benchmark: II. Computed Response Uncertainties
Authors: Fang Ruixian , Cacuci Dan Gabriel
Published: January 2022

This work quantifies the impact of the most important 4th-order sensitivities of the leakage response of a polyethylene-reflected plutonium (PERP) reactor physics benchmark with respect to the benchmark’s 180 group-averaged microscopic total cross sections, on the expected value, variance and skewness of the benchmark’s leakage response. This work shows that, as the standard deviations of the cross sections increase, the contributions of the 4th-order sensitivities to the response’s expected value and variance become significantly larger than the corresponding contributions stemming from the 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-order sensitivities. Considering a uniform 5% relative standard deviation for all microscopic total cross sections, the contributions from the 4th-order sensitivities to the expected value and variance of the PERP leakage response amount to 56% and 52%, respectively. Considering 10% uniform relative standard deviations for the microscopic total cross sections, the contributions from the 4th-order sensitivities to the expected value increase to nearly 90%. Consequently, if the computed value L(a) were considered to represent the actual expected value of the leakage response and the 4th-order sensitivities were neglected, the computed value would represent the actual expected value with an error of 3400%. Furthermore, uniform relative standard deviations of 5% and larger (10%) for the microscopic total cross sections cause the higher-order sensitivities to contribute increasingly higher amounts to the response standard deviation: the contributions stemming from the 4th-order sensitivities are larger than the contributions stemming from the 3rd-order sensitivities, which in turn are larger than those stemming from the 2nd-order sensitivities, which are themselves larger than the contributions stemming from the 1st-order sensitivities. This finding evidently underscores the need for computing sensitivities of order higher than first-order. The results obtained in this work also indicate that the 4th-order sensitivities produce a positive response skewness, causing the leakage response distribution to be skewed towards the positive direction from its expected value. Increasing the parameter standard deviations tends to decrease the value of the response skewness, causing the leakage response distribution to become more symmetrical about the mean value. The results presented in this work highlight the finding that the microscopic total cross section for hydrogen (H) in the lowest (“thermal”) energy group is the single most important parameter among the 180 microscopic total cross sections of the PERP benchmark, as it contributes most to the various response moments.
The Development of an Integrated External Environment Monitoring Framework Aimed at the Internal Control of the Procurement Process of Fat and Oil Companies
Authors: Bulgakov Sergei , Makarenko Elena
Published: January 2022

The article deals with the development of methodical recommendations for monitoring the external environment aimed at the internal control of the procurement process in business based on a risk-oriented approach and with the digital techniques used by fat-and-oil industry companies. For research purposes, the following were necessary: first, to develop an integrated scheme for monitoring the external environment aimed at the internal control of the procurement process, taking into account the specifics of the commercial organization’s activity; and second, to analyze the features of the integrated monitoring scheme with the use of digital techniques. The methodology for developing methodical recommendations for monitoring the external environment aimed at the internal control of the procurement process is based on a risk-oriented approach, the unforeseen circumstances theory, and the use of big data and business analytics. In the first section, the authors substantiate the relevance of the research topic. In the second section, investigations on the topic are reviewed, the theoretical foundations are summarized, and research hypotheses are formulated. The third section determines the methodology of the study. The fourth section presents the research results, their practical value, recommendations and limitations, and the developed integrated scheme for environment monitoring with regard to the internal control of the procurement process based on a risk-oriented approach taking into consideration the specifics of the fat and oil industry. This section also determines the specifics of the digital techniques used for monitoring the environment and discusses issues surrounding the external monitoring of raw material prices, different types of work, and services based on digital techniques aimed at internal control. In the fifth and final section of the article, the authors analyze the research results and substantiate the prospects for further research in this area. The research results could be used by commercial companies in processing industries which are undergoing digital transformation and developing platform solutions aimed at improving internal control. The main research result of this article is the development of methodical recommendations for monitoring the external environment aimed at the internal control of the procurement process in business based on a risk-oriented approach with the use of digital techniques and a developed integrated monitoring scheme.
Tailoring of Hierarchical Porous Freeze Foam Structures
Authors: Werner David , Maier Johanna , Kaube Nils , Geske Vinzenz , Behnisch Thomas , Ahlhelm Matthias , Moritz Tassilo , Michaelis Alexander , Gude Maik
Published: January 2022

Freeze foaming is a method to manufacture cellular ceramic scaffolds with a hierarchical porous structure. These so-called freeze foams are predestined for the use as bone replacement material because of their internal bone-like structure and biocompatibility. On the one hand, they consist of macrostructural foam cells which are formed by the expansion of gas inside the starting suspension. On the other hand, a porous microstructure inside the foam struts is formed during freezing and subsequent freeze drying of the foamed suspension. The aim of this work is to investigate for the first time the formation of macrostructure and microstructure separately depending on the composition of the suspension and the pressure reduction rate, by means of appropriate characterization methods for the different pore size ranges. Moreover, the foaming behavior itself was characterized by in-situ radiographical and computed tomography (CT) evaluation. As a result, it could be shown that it is possible to tune the macro- and microstructure separately with porosities of 49–74% related to the foam cells and 10–37% inside the struts.
Improved Methane Production by Photocatalytic CO2 Conversion over Ag/In2O3/TiO2 Heterojunctions
Authors: Reñones Patricia , Fresno Fernando , Oropeza Freddy E. , de la Peña O’Shea Víctor A.
Published: January 2022

In this work, the role of In2O3 in a heterojunction with TiO2 is studied as a way of increasing the photocatalytic activity for gas-phase CO2 reduction using water as the electron donor and UV irradiation. Depending on the nature of the employed In2O3, different behaviors appear. Thus, with the high crystallite sizes of commercial In2O3, the activity is improved with respect to TiO2, with modest improvements in the selectivity to methane. On the other hand, when In2O3 obtained in the laboratory, with low crystallite size, is employed, there is a further change in selectivity toward CH4, even if the total conversion is lower than that obtained with TiO2. The selectivity improvement in the heterojunctions is attributed to an enhancement in the charge transfer and separation with the presence of In2O3, more pronounced when smaller particles are used as in the case of laboratory-made In2O3, as confirmed by time-resolved fluorescence measurements. Ternary systems formed by these heterojunctions with silver nanoparticles reflect a drastic change in selectivity toward methane, confirming the role of silver as an electron collector that favors the charge transfer to the reaction medium.
Phase Analysis and Thermoelectric Properties of Cu-Rich Tetrahedrite Prepared by Solvothermal Synthesis
Authors: Zazakowny Karolina , Kosonowski Artur , Lis Adrianna , Cherniushok Oleksandr , Parashchuk Taras , Tobola Janusz , Wojciechowski Krzysztof T.
Published: January 2022

Because of the large Seebeck coefficient, low thermal conductivity, and earth-abundant nature of components, tetrahedrites are promising thermoelectric materials. DFT calculations reveal that the additional copper atoms in Cu-rich Cu14Sb4S13 tetrahedrite can effectively engineer the chemical potential towards high thermoelectric performance. Here, the Cu-rich tetrahedrite phase was prepared using a novel approach, which is based on the solvothermal method and piperazine serving both as solvent and reagent. As only pure elements were used for the synthesis, the offered method allows us to avoid the typically observed inorganic salt contaminations in products. Prepared in such a way, Cu14Sb4S13 tetrahedrite materials possess a very high Seebeck coefficient (above 400 μVK−1) and low thermal conductivity (below 0.3 Wm−1K−1), yielding to an excellent dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit ZT ≈ 0.65 at 723 K. The further enhancement of the thermoelectric performance is expected after attuning the carrier concentration to the optimal value for achieving the highest possible power factor in this system.
Multiscale Soft Surface Instabilities for Adhesion Enhancement
Authors: Mohanan Vaisakh Vilavinalthundil , Mak Ho Yi Lydia , Gurung Nishan , Xu Qin
Published: January 2022

Soft polymeric gels are susceptible to buckling-induced instabilities due to their great compliance to surface deformations. The instability patterns at soft interfaces have great potential in engineering functional materials with unique surface properties. In this work, we systematically investigated how swelling-induced instability patterns effectively improved the adhesive properties of soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gels. We directly imaged the formations of the surface instability features during the relaxation process of a swollen gel substrate. The features were found to greatly increase the adhesion energy of soft gels across multiple length scales, and the adhesion enhancement was associated with the variations of contact lines both inside the contact region and along the contact periphery. We expect that these studies of instability patterns due to swelling will further benefit the design of functional interfaces in various engineering applications.
Setting Times of Early-Age Mortars Determined from Evolution Curves of Poisson’s Ratio
Authors: Bate Bate , Chen Xiao , Chen Chao , Ma Hongyan , Zhu Jianfeng , Cao Junnan , Chen Jiakai , Khayat Kamal H. , Zhang Shuai
Published: January 2022

Setting times, as the early-age properties of cement-based materials, are important properties to ensure the quality and long-term performance of engineering structures. To determine the initial and final setting times of cementitious materials, the compressive wave velocity and shear wave velocity of six early-age mortar samples were monitored. Their time evolution curves of Young’s modulus, shear modulus, bulk modulus, and Poisson’s ratio were then calculated and analyzed. The signature times of the derivatives of the Poisson’s ratio evolution curves correlate well with the initial and final setting times, and the remarkably high coefficient of determination values relative to the data from this study are higher than those presented in the current literature. The proposed derivative method on the Poisson’s ratio evolution curve is as good as the derivative methods from vs. evolution curves used by prior studies for the estimation of both the initial and final setting times of the early-age properties of cement-based materials. The formation and subsequent disappearance of ettringite of low Poisson’s ratio were postulated to cause the initial dip in the Poisson’s ratio evolution curves.
Long-Term Leaching Behavior of Organic and Inorganic Pollutants after Wet Processing of Solid Waste Materials
Authors: Prieto-Espinoza Maria , Susset Bernd , Grathwohl Peter
Published: January 2022

The recycling of mineral materials is a sustainable and economical approach for reducing solid waste and saving primary resources. However, their reuse may pose potential risks of groundwater contamination, which may result from the leaching of organic and inorganic substances into water that percolates the solid waste. In this study, column leaching tests were used to investigate the short- and long-term leaching behavior of “salts”, “metals”, and organic pollutants such as PAHs and herbicides from different grain size fractions of construction & demolition waste (CDW) and railway ballast (RB) after a novel treatment process. Specifically, silt, sand and gravel fractions obtained after a sequential crushing, sieving, and washing process (“wet-processing”) of very heterogeneous input materials are compared with respect to residual contamination, potentially limiting their recycling. Concentrations in solid fractions and aqueous leachate were evaluated according to threshold values for groundwater protection to identify relevant substances and to classify materials obtained for recycling purposes according to limit values. For that, the upcoming German recycling degree was applied for the first time. Very good agreement was observed between short and extensive column tests, demonstrating that concentrations at L/S 2 ratios are suitable for quality control of recycling materials. Different solutes showed a characteristic leaching behavior such as the rapid decrease in “salts”, e.g., SO42− and Cl−, from all solid fractions, and a slower decrease in metals and PAHs in the sand and silt fractions. Only the gravel fraction, however, showed concentrations of potential pollutants low enough for an unlimited re-use as recycling material in open technical applications. Sand fractions may only be re-used as recycling material in isolated or semi-isolated scenarios. Leaching from heterogeneous input materials proved harder to predict for all compounds. Overall, column leaching tests proved useful for (i) initial characterization of the mineral recycling materials, and (ii) continuous internal (factory control) and external quality control within the upcoming German recycling decree. Results from such studies may be used to optimize the treatment of mixed solid waste since they provide rapid insight in residual pollution of material fractions and their leaching behavior.
Low-Temperature Dielectric Response of Strontium Titanate Thin Films Manipulated by Zn Doping
Authors: Okhay Olena , Vilarinho Paula M. , Tkach Alexander
Published: January 2022

The voltage dependence of the dielectric permittivity ε′ and the low dielectric loss tanδ of incipient ferroelectrics have drawn vast attention to the use of these materials for the development of tuning elements in electronics and telecommunications. Here, we study the DC electric field dependence of low-temperature ε′ in ~320 nm thick sol-gel-derived SrTi1−xZnxO3−δ thin films with x = 0.01 and 0.05, deposited on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates. Incorporation of Zn onto Ti sites is found to decrease ε′ compared to undoped SrTiO3 films, while increasing the relative tunability nr up to ~32.9% under a DC electric field of 125 kV/cm at low temperatures. The hysteresis-free variation in ε′ with electric field and tanδ values below 0.6% observed for SrTi1−xZnxO3−δ film with x = 0.01 make this compound more attractive for tunable device applications.
Ethanol-Induced Flash Sintering of ZnO Ceramics at Room Temperature
Authors: Yan Nianping , Pan Jianbing , Deng Zhixiang , Cai Muliang , Zhao Xinhao , Liu Jieming , Wang Xilin , Jia Zhidong
Published: January 2022

Ceramic flash sintering with a strong electric field at room temperature is the most attractive method. This paper presents the flash sintering of ZnO ceramics at room temperature by the application of a 3-kV/cm electric field after a dropwise addition of ethanol. This method is simple and easy to control. The density of the specimen exceeded 96% after 30 s of sintering. No significant difference was observed in the initiation voltage of flash sintering with and without the dropwise addition of ethanol. Ethanol burns upon dropwise addition, causing a discharge to first occur far from the location of the dropwise addition, followed by glowing and heating up, which causes the temperature of the entire specimen to rise.
Characterization and Biocompatibility Properties In Vitro of Gel Beads Based on the Pectin and κ-Carrageenan
Authors: Popov Sergey , Paderin Nikita , Khramova Daria , Kvashninova Elizaveta , Melekhin Anatoliy , Vityazev Fedor
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to investigate the influence of kappa (κ)-carrageenan on the initial stages of the foreign body response against pectin gel. Pectin-carrageenan (P-Car) gel beads were prepared from the apple pectin and κ-carrageenan using gelling with calcium ions. The inclusion of 0.5% κ-carrageenan (Car0.5) in the 1.5 (P1.5) and 2% pectin (P2) gel formulations decreased the gel strength by 2.5 times. Car0.5 was found to increase the swelling of P2 gel beads in the cell culture medium. P2 gel beads adsorbed 30–42 mg/g of bovine serum albumin (BSA) depending on pH. P2-Car0.2, P2-Car0.5, and P1.5-Car0.5 beads reduced BSA adsorption by 3.1, 5.2, and 4.0 times compared to P2 beads, respectively, at pH 7. The P1.5-Car0.5 beads activated complement and induced the haemolysis less than gel beads of pure pectin. Moreover, P1.5-Car0.5 gel beads allowed less adhesion of mouse peritoneal macrophages, TNF-α production, and NF-κB activation than the pure pectin gel beads. There were no differences in TLR4 and ICAM-1 levels in macrophages treated with P and P-Car gel beads. P2-Car0.5 hydrogel demonstrated lower adhesion to serous membrane than P2 hydrogel. Thus, the data obtained indicate that the inclusion of κ-carrageenan in the apple pectin gel improves its biocompatibility.
Human-Based Immune Responsive In Vitro Infection Models for Validation of Novel TLR4 Antagonists Identified by Computational Discovery
Authors: Merk Helena , Amran-Gealia Tehila , Finkelmeier Doris , Kohl Christina , Pichota Isabelle , Stern Noa , Rupp Steffen , Goldblum Amiram , Burger-Kentischer Anke
Published: January 2022

Infectious diseases are still a major problem worldwide. This includes microbial infections, with a constant increase in resistance to the current anti-infectives employed. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) perform a fundamental role in pathogen recognition and activation of the innate immune response. Promising new approaches to combat infections and inflammatory diseases involve modulation of the host immune system via TLR4. TLR4 and its co-receptors MD2 and CD14 are required for immune response to fungal and bacterial infection by recognition of microbial cell wall components, making it a prime target for drug development. To evaluate the efficacy of anti-infective compounds early on, we have developed a series of human-based immune responsive infection models, including immune responsive 3D-skin infection models for modeling fungal infections. By using computational methods: pharmacophore modeling and molecular docking, we identified a set of 46 potential modulators of TLR4, which were screened in several tests systems of increasing complexity, including immune responsive 3D-skin infection models. We could show a strong suppression of cytokine and chemokine response induced by lipopolysacharide (LPS) and Candida albicans for individual compounds. The development of human-based immune responsive assays provides a more accurate and reliable basis for development of new anti-inflammatory or immune-modulating drugs.
Isolation, Characterization and In Silico Studies of Secondary Metabolites from the Whole Plant of Polygala inexpectata Peşmen & Erik
Authors: Ünlü Ayşe , Teralı Kerem , Uğurlu Aydın Zübeyde , Dönmez Ali A. , Yusufoğlu Hasan Soliman , Çalış İhsan
Published: January 2022

Polygala species are frequently used worldwide in the treatment of various diseases, such as inflammatory and autoimmune disorders as well as metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, due to the large number of secondary metabolites they contain. The present study was performed on Polygala inexpectata, which is a narrow endemic species for the flora of Turkey, and resulted in the isolation of nine known compounds, 6,3′-disinapoyl-sucrose (1), 6-O-sinapoyl,3′-O-trimethoxy-cinnamoyl-sucrose (tenuifoliside C) (2), 3′-O-(O-methyl-feruloyl)-sucrose (3), 3′-O-(sinapoyl)-sucrose (4), 3′-O-trimethoxy-cinnamoyl-sucrose (glomeratose) (5), 3′-O-feruloyl-sucrose (sibiricose A5) (6), sinapyl alcohol 4-O-glucoside (syringin or eleutheroside B) (7), liriodendrin (8), and 7,4′-di-O-methylquercetin-3-O-β-rutinoside (ombuin 3-O-rutinoside or ombuoside) (9). The structures of the compounds were determined by the spectroscopic methods including 1D-NMR (1H NMR, 13C NMR, DEPT-135), 2D-NMR (COSY, NOESY, HSQC, HMBC), and HRMS. The isolated compounds were shown in an in silico setting to be accommodated well within the inhibitor-binding pockets of myeloperoxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase and anchored mainly through hydrogen-bonding interactions and π-effects. It is therefore plausible to suggest that the previously established anti-inflammatory properties of some Polygala-derived phytochemicals may be due, in part, to the modulation of pro-inflammatory enzyme activities.
The Acid-Base/Deprotonation Equilibrium Can Be Studied with a MicroScale Thermophoresis (MST)
Authors: Nowak Paweł Mateusz , Woźniakiewicz Michał
Published: January 2022

MicroScale thermophoresis (MST) is a rapidly developing bioanalytical technique used routinely for the examination of ligand-target affinity. It has never been used so far for the analysis of acid-base dissociation and the determination of pKa constant. This work is the-proof-of-concept of this new idea. It demonstrates that the pKa values obtained from the thermophoretic data are consistent with the reference methods. As a result, the analytical potential and utility of the MST technology can become even greater, especially if the new detection system of thermophoretic movement will be developed in the future. Even now, taking into account the necessity to use fluorescence, the proposed method may be useful in many respects.
Phosphate Starvation by Energy Metabolism Disturbance in Candida albicansvip1Δ/Δ Induces Lipid Droplet Accumulation and Cell Membrane Damage
Authors: Peng Xueling , Ma Congcong , Feng Yuxin , Zhang Biao , Zhu Mengsen , Ma Tianyu , Yu Qilin , Li Mingchun
Published: January 2022

Phosphorus in the form of phosphate (Pi) is an essential element for metabolic processes, including lipid metabolism. In yeast, the inositol polyphosphate kinase vip1 mediated synthesis of inositol heptakisphosphate (IP7) regulates the phosphate-responsive (PHO) signaling pathway, which plays an important role in response to Pi stress. The role of vip1 in Pi stress and lipid metabolism of Candida albicans has not yet been studied. We found that when vip1Δ/Δ was grown in glucose medium, if Pi was supplemented in the medium or mitochondrial Pi transporter was overexpressed in the strain, the lipid droplet (LD) content was reduced and membrane damage was alleviated. However, further studies showed that neither the addition of Pi nor the overexpression of the Pi transporter affected the energy balance of vip1Δ/Δ. In addition, the LD content of vip1Δ/Δ grown in Pi limitation medium PNMC was lower than that grown in SC, and the metabolic activity of vip1Δ/Δ grown in PNMC was also lower than that grown in SC medium. This suggests that the increase in Pi demand by a high energy metabolic rate is the cause of LD accumulation in vip1Δ/Δ. In addition, in the vip1Δ/Δ strains, the core transcription factor PHO4 in the PHO pathway was transported to the vacuole and degraded, which reduced the pathway activity. However, this does not mean that knocking out vip1 completely blocks the activation of the PHO pathway, because the LD content of vip1Δ/Δ grown in the medium with β-glycerol phosphate as the Pi source was significantly reduced. In summary, the increased Pi demand and the decreased PHO pathway activity in vip1Δ/Δ ultimately lead to LD accumulation and cell membrane damage.
Characterization of the Phytochemical Composition and Bioactivities of Anacyclus maroccanus Ball. and Anacyclus radiatus Loisel Aerial Parts: Preliminary Evidence for the Possible Development of Moroccan Plants
Authors: Sissi Saida , Di Giacomo Silvia , Ferrante Claudio , Angelini Paola , Macone Alberto , Giusti Anna Maria , Toniolo Chiara , Vitalone Annabella , Abdellah Aghraz , Larhsini Mustapha , Menghini Luigi , Markouk Mohammed , Mazzanti Gabriela , Di Sotto Antonella
Published: January 2022

In the present study, the phytochemical composition and bioactivities of A. maroccanus (AM) and A. radiatus (AR), two ecotypes collected in the Demnate road and Essaouira regions, respectively, were studied to highlight a pharmacological interest and to enable possible pharmaceutical development. To this end, methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts were prepared for each ecotype by fractionation; next, their phytochemical composition was evaluated by spectrophotometric and chromatographic analysis. Moreover, in line with the available evidence for Anacyclus spp. and their traditional use, a screening of bioactivities, including antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antiglycative, chelating, and antibacterial activities, was performed. The extracts were characterized by high amounts of polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids, especially in the methanolic extracts; these samples were also enriched in carotenoids despite a lower chlorophyll content. Chlorogenic acid and rutin were the major identified compounds. The extracts also showed interesting hypoglycemic, antiglycative, and antibacterial properties, although with differences in efficacy and potency. Present results provide more scientific basis to the ethnopharmacological uses of Anacyclus spp. and suggest a further interest in AM and AR ecotypes as natural sources of bioactive compounds and/or phytocomplexes for possible pharmaceutical and nutraceutical developments.
Melatonin: Regulation of Prion Protein Phase Separation in Cancer Multidrug Resistance
Authors: Loh Doris , Reiter Russel J.
Published: January 2022

The unique ability to adapt and thrive in inhospitable, stressful tumor microenvironments (TME) also renders cancer cells resistant to traditional chemotherapeutic treatments and/or novel pharmaceuticals. Cancer cells exhibit extensive metabolic alterations involving hypoxia, accelerated glycolysis, oxidative stress, and increased extracellular ATP that may activate ancient, conserved prion adaptive response strategies that exacerbate multidrug resistance (MDR) by exploiting cellular stress to increase cancer metastatic potential and stemness, balance proliferation and differentiation, and amplify resistance to apoptosis. The regulation of prions in MDR is further complicated by important, putative physiological functions of ligand-binding and signal transduction. Melatonin is capable of both enhancing physiological functions and inhibiting oncogenic properties of prion proteins. Through regulation of phase separation of the prion N-terminal domain which targets and interacts with lipid rafts, melatonin may prevent conformational changes that can result in aggregation and/or conversion to pathological, infectious isoforms. As a cancer therapy adjuvant, melatonin could modulate TME oxidative stress levels and hypoxia, reverse pH gradient changes, reduce lipid peroxidation, and protect lipid raft compositions to suppress prion-mediated, non-Mendelian, heritable, but often reversible epigenetic adaptations that facilitate cancer heterogeneity, stemness, metastasis, and drug resistance. This review examines some of the mechanisms that may balance physiological and pathological effects of prions and prion-like proteins achieved through the synergistic use of melatonin to ameliorate MDR, which remains a challenge in cancer treatment.
Laser-Induced Generation of Hydrogen in Water by Using Graphene Target
Authors: Strek Wieslaw , Wiewiórski Przemysław , Miśta Włodzimierz , Tomala Robert , Stefanski Mariusz
Published: January 2022

A new method of hydrogen generation from water, by irradiation with CW infrared laser diode of graphene scaffold immersed in solution, is reported. Hydrogen production was extremely efficient upon admixing NaCl into water. The efficiency of hydrogen production increased exponentially with laser power. It was shown that hydrogen production was highly efficient when the intense white light emission induced by laser irradiation of graphene foam was occurring. The mechanism of laser-induced dissociation of water is discussed. It was found that hydrogen production was extremely high, at about 80%, and assisted by a small emission of O2, CO and CO2 gases.
The Use of HPTLC and SDS-PAGE Methods for Coniferous Honeydew Honey Fingerprinting Compiled with Mineral Content and Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Tomczyk Monika , Bocian Aleksandra , Sidor Ewelina , Miłek Michał , Zaguła Grzegorz , Dżugan Małgorzata
Published: January 2022

Fir honeydew honey is a uniquely beneficial product which is often subjected to adulteration; however, pollen analysis is not useful to verify this honey type. Fourteen samples of EU protected designation of origin fir honeydew honey gathered directly from apiaries were studied. Standards of legal requirements and additional parameters, i.e., specific optical rotation, mineral content, and antioxidant activity, were tested. Five nectar honeys of different varieties were used as a comparative material. HPTLC and SDS-PAGE methods were used to fingerprint the honey types. All honeys tested fulfilled the quality requirements in terms of water content, pH, total acidity, conductivity, HMF, and diastase number. They were defined as dark amber on the Pfund scale and exhibited positive specific rotation (+2.5 to 25). Honeydew honey surpassed the tested nectar honeys in terms of mineral content and antioxidant activity as well as total polyphenolic content, except for buckwheat honey. The sugar and polyphenolic profile obtained by HPTLC allowed to distinguish honeydew from nectar honeys. The same was achieved by SDS-PAGE protein profiling. Both techniques seem to be cheap and quick tools for precisely distinguishing honeydew honey.
Modern Methods of Pre-Treatment of Plant Material for the Extraction of Bioactive Compounds
Authors: Krakowska-Sieprawska Aneta , Kiełbasa Anna , Rafińska Katarzyna , Ligor Magdalena , Buszewski Bogusław
Published: January 2022

In this review, recent advances in the methods of pre-treatment of plant material for the extraction of secondary metabolites with high biological activity are presented. The correct preparation of the material for extraction is as important as the selection of the extraction method. This step should prevent the degradation of bioactive compounds as well as the development of fungi and bacteria. Currently, the methods of preparation are expected to modify the particles of the plant material in such a way that will contribute to the release of bioactive compounds loosely bonded to cell wall polymers. This review presents a wide range of methods of preparing plant material, including drying, freeze-drying, convection drying, microwave vacuum drying, enzymatic processes, and fermentation. The influence of the particular methods on the structure of plant material particles, the level of preserved bioactive compounds, and the possibility of their release during the extraction were highlighted. The plant material pre-treatment techniques used were discussed with respect to the amount of compounds released during extraction as well their application in various industries interested in products with a high content of biologically active compounds, such as the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industries.
Correction: Wu et al. Full-Color See-Through Three-Dimensional Display Method Based on Volume Holography. Sensors 2021, 21, 2698
Authors: Wu Taihui , Ma Jianshe , Wang Chengchen , Wang Haibei , Su Ping
Published: January 2022

The authors make the following corrections to the published paper [...]
Highly Modulated In-Fiber Mach–Zehnder Interferometer Based on an Ultracompact Leaky-Guided Liquid Core
Authors: Lee Cheng-Ling , Zhuo Wei-Rong , Liu Tai-Kai
Published: January 2022

We proposed a novel sensor based on an ultracompact leaky-guided liquid core fiber Mach–Zehnder interferometer (LLCFMZI) for high modulation of an interference spectrum. The sensor structure is based on a micro-sized hollow-core fiber (HCF) splicing a tilt end face single-mode fiber (SMF) to create a miniature oblique gap for the effective access of different liquids. The liquid core with a relatively lower refractive index (RI) than the cladding can achieve a leaky-mode optical waveguide (LMOW) mechanism, and its volume is only approximately 7.85 pL. In addition, the utilized micro-length HCF can reduce the energy loss of core in the LMOW to obtain an acceptable extinction ratio (>30 dB) with high temperature (T) sensitivity in the interference spectra. Experimental results show that the interference spectra can be highly modulated within the wide measurement range of 1250–1650 nm with a steadily linear response for thermal effect. The measured temperature sensitivities (T-sensitivities) of various liquids of DI water, ethanol, and Cargille-liquid (nD = 1.305) are 0.8869, 4.4754, and 4.8229 nm/°C, and the corresponding measured thermal optics coefficient (TOC) are −4.16 × 10−5, −2.11 × 10−4, and −3.6 × 10−4 °C−1, respectively. Measurement results demonstrate that the used liquids with a higher TOC can obtain better T-sensitivity modulation. The highest experimental sensitivity of the liquid-core filled with Cargille-liquid (nD = 1.40) is up to +13.87 nm/°C with a corresponding TOC of −4.07 × 10−4 °C−1. Furthermore, the experimental and theoretical values are in good agreement according to FSR the measuring scheme that investigates the effectiveness of the proposed LLCFMZI.
Multiple Participants’ Discrete Activity Recognition in a Well-Controlled Environment Using Universal Software Radio Peripheral Wireless Sensing
Authors: Saeed Umer , Yaseen Shah Syed , Aziz Shah Syed , Liu Haipeng , Alhumaidi Alotaibi Abdullah , Althobaiti Turke , Ramzan Naeem , Ullah Jan Sana , Ahmad Jawad , Abbasi Qammer H.
Published: January 2022

Wireless sensing is the utmost cutting-edge way of monitoring different health-related activities and, concurrently, preserving most of the privacy of individuals. To meet future needs, multi-subject activity monitoring is in demand, whether it is for smart care centres or homes. In this paper, a smart monitoring system for different human activities is proposed based on radio-frequency sensing integrated with ensemble machine learning models. The ensemble technique can recognise a wide range of activity based on alterations in the wireless signal’s Channel State Information (CSI). The proposed system operates at 3.75 GHz, and up to four subjects participated in the experimental study in order to acquire data on sixteen distinct daily living activities: sitting, standing, and walking. The proposed methodology merges subject count and performed activities, resulting in occupancy count and activity performed being recognised at the same time. To capture alterations owing to concurrent multi-subject motions, the CSI amplitudes collected from 51 subcarriers of the wireless signals were processed and merged. To distinguish multi-subject activity, a machine learning model based on an ensemble learning technique was designed and trained using the acquired CSI data. For maximum activity classes, the proposed approach attained a high average accuracy of up to 98%. The presented system has the ability to fulfil prospective health activity monitoring demands and is a viable solution towards well-being tracking.
UHF RFID Temperature Sensor Tag Integrated into a Textile Yarn
Authors: Benouakta Sofia , Hutu Florin Doru , Duroc Yvan
Published: January 2022

This paper presents the design of an ultra high-frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor tag integrated into a textile yarn and manufactured using the E-Thread® technology. The temperature detection concept is based on the modification of the impedance matching between RFID tag’s antenna and the chip. This modification is created by the change in the resistance of a thermistor integrated within the tag system due to a temperature variation. Moreover, in order to obtain an environment independent detection, a differential approach is proposed that avoids the use of a pre-calibration phase by the use of a reference tag. Experimental characterization demonstrates the RFID sensor’s potential of detecting a temperature variation or a temperature threshold between 25 and 70 °C through the variation of the transmitted differential activation power.
E-TBNet: Light Deep Neural Network for Automatic Detection of Tuberculosis with X-ray DR Imaging
Authors: An Le , Peng Kexin , Yang Xing , Huang Pan , Luo Yan , Feng Peng , Wei Biao
Published: January 2022

Currently, the tuberculosis (TB) detection model based on chest X-ray images has the problem of excessive reliance on hardware computing resources, high equipment performance requirements, and being harder to deploy in low-cost personal computer and embedded devices. An efficient tuberculosis detection model is proposed to achieve accurate, efficient, and stable tuberculosis screening on devices with lower hardware levels. Due to the particularity of the chest X-ray images of TB patients, there are fewer labeled data, and the deep neural network model is difficult to fully train. We first analyzed the data distribution characteristics of two public TB datasets, and found that the two-stage tuberculosis identification (first divide, then classify) is insufficient. Secondly, according to the particularity of the detection image(s), the basic residual module was optimized and improved, and this is regarded as a crucial component of this article’s network. Finally, an efficient attention mechanism was introduced, which was used to fuse the channel features. The network architecture was optimally designed and adjusted according to the correct and sufficient experimental content. In order to evaluate the performance of the network, it was compared with other lightweight networks under personal computer and Jetson Xavier embedded devices. The experimental results show that the recall rate and accuracy of the E-TBNet proposed in this paper are better than those of classic lightweight networks such as SqueezeNet and ShuffleNet, and it also has a shorter reasoning time. E-TBNet will be more advantageous to deploy on equipment with low levels of hardware.
Lightweight Security Transmission in Wireless Sensor Networks through Information Hiding and Data Flipping
Authors: Zhou Lan , Kang Ming , Chen Wen
Published: January 2022

Eavesdroppers can easily intercept the data transmitted in a wireless sensor network (WSN) because of the network’s open properties and constrained resources. Therefore, it is important to ensure data confidentiality in WSN with highly efficient security mechanisms. We proposed a lightweight security transmission method based on information hiding and random data flipping to ensure that the ally fusion center (AFC) can achieve confidential data transmission over insecure open links. First, the sensors’ local measurements are coded into a customized binary string, and then before data transmission, some parts of the string are flipped by the sensors according to the outputs of a pre-deployed pseudo-random function. The AFC can recover the flipped binaries using the same function and extract the measurement hidden in the string, while the enemy fusion center (EFC) cannot distinguish flipped and non-flipped data at all, and they cannot restore the measurement correctly as long as one bit in the string is not correctly recovered. We proved the security and anti-interference of the scheme through both simulations and physical experiments. Furthermore, the proposed method is more efficient such that it consumes less power than traditional digital encryptions through real power consumption tests.
Laser Ablated Nanocrystalline Diamond Membrane for Infrared Applications
Authors: Komlenok Maxim S. , Dezhkina Margarita A. , Sedov Vadim S. , Klimenko Oleg A. , Dyakov Sergey A. , Gippius Nikolay A.
Published: January 2022

We are reporting on laser microstructuring of thin nanocrystalline diamond membranes, for the first time. To demonstrate the possibility of microstructuring, we fabricated a diamond membrane, of 9 μm thickness, with a two-dimensional periodic array of closely located chiral elements. We describe the fabrication technique and present the results of the measurements of the infrared transmission spectra of the fabricated membrane. We theoretically studied the reflection, transmission, and absorption spectra of a model structure that approximates the fabricated chiral metamembrane. We show that the metamembrane supports quasiguided modes, which appear in the optical spectra due to grating-assisted diffraction of the guided modes to the far field. Due to the C4 symmetry, the structure demonstrates circular dichroism in transmission. The developed technique can find applications in infrared photonics since diamond is transparent at wavelengths >6 μm and has record values of hardness. It paves the way for creation of new-generation infrared filters for circular polarization.
CNN-Based Hand Grasping Prediction and Control via Postural Synergy Basis Extraction
Authors: Liu Quan , Li Mengnan , Yin Chaoyue , Qian Guoming , Meng Wei , Ai Qingsong , Hu Jiwei
Published: January 2022

The prediction of hand grasping and control of a robotic manipulator for hand activity training is of great significance to assist stroke patients to recover their biomechanical functions. However, the human hand and the figure joints have multiple degrees of freedom; therefore, it is complex to process and analyze all the collected data in hand modeling. To simplify the description of grasping activities, it is necessary to extract and decompose the principal components of hand actions. In this paper, the relationships among hand grasping actions are explored by extracting the postural synergy basis of hand motions, aiming to simplify hand grasping actions and reduce the data dimensions for robot control. A convolutional neural network (CNN)-based hand activity prediction method is proposed, which utilizes motion data to estimate hand grasping actions. The prediction results were then used to control a stimulated robotic model according to the extracted postural synergy basis. The prediction accuracy of the proposed method for the selected hand motions could reach up to 94% and the robotic model could be operated naturally based on patient’s movement intention, so as to complete grasping tasks and achieve active rehabilitation.