bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tourism Development and Economic Growth in Southeast Asian Countries under the Presence of Structural Break: Panel Kink with GME Estimator
Authors: Maneejuk Paravee , Yamaka Woraphon , Srichaikul Wilawan
Published: February 2022

This study examines the nonlinear impact of tourism development on economic growth in Southeast Asian countries using the panel kink regression model. Due to the paucity of Southeast Asian data, we may face the overparameterization problem in our model. To deal with this problem, this study proposes the Generalized Maximum Entropy (GME) estimator to estimate the unknown parameters in this nonlinear model. Several important tourism development indicators consisting of the total international arrivals, international tourism expenditure, and tourism receipts are considered. In addition, we also consider the gross capital formation and real effective exchange rate as a control variable in our nonlinear model. Our findings show that the effect of international tourist arrivals on economic growth should be separated into two regimes, while other factors do not exhibit a nonlinear relationship with Southeast Asian economic growth. Thus, we construct the empirical model with the kink effect in the variable of international tourist arrivals. To confirm the performance of the GME estimator, we compare it to the ordinary least squares and the fixed effect estimators. According to the mean squared and root means squared errors, we find that our GME estimator performs better than the ordinary least squares and the fixed effect estimators. This indicates that GME estimation is an applicable method for estimating the nonlinear effect of tourism growth on economic growth. Our empirical results show that there are positive impacts of tourism growth on economic growth for regime 1 (low tourism demand) and regime 2 (high tourism demand) with the effect of the low tourist arrivals regime being relatively larger. We also find a positive influence of gross capital formation, real effective exchange rate, international tourism expenditure, and tourism receipts on Southeast Asian economic growth.
Analysis of Weighting Strategies for Improving the Accuracy of Combined Forecasts
Authors: Segura-Heras José V. , Bermúdez José D. , Corberán-Vallet Ana , Vercher Enriqueta
Published: February 2022

This paper deals with the weighted combination of forecasting methods using intelligent strategies for achieving accurate forecasts. In an effort to improve forecasting accuracy, we develop an algorithm that optimizes both the methods used in the combination and the weights assigned to the individual forecasts, COmbEB. The performance of our procedure can be enhanced by analyzing separately seasonal and non-seasonal time series. We study the relationships between prediction errors in the validation set and those of ex-post forecasts for different planning horizons. This study reveals the importance of setting the size of the validation set in a proper way. The performance of the proposed strategy is compared with that of the best prediction strategy in the analysis of each of the 100,000 series included in the M4 Competition.
Identification and Characterization of Three Chitinases with Potential in Direct Conversion of Crystalline Chitin into N,N′-diacetylchitobiose
Authors: Ren Xue-Bing , Dang Yan-Ru , Liu Sha-Sha , Huang Ke-Xuan , Qin Qi-Long , Chen Xiu-Lan , Zhang Yu-Zhong , Wang Yan-Jun , Li Ping-Yi
Published: February 2022

Chitooligosaccharides (COSs) have been widely used in agriculture, medicine, cosmetics, and foods, which are commonly prepared from chitin with chitinases. So far, while most COSs are prepared from colloidal chitin, chitinases used in preparing COSs directly from natural crystalline chitin are less reported. Here, we characterize three chitinases, which were identified from the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas flavipulchra DSM 14401T, with an ability to degrade crystalline chitin into (GlcNAc)2 (N,N’-diacetylchitobiose). Strain DSM 14401 can degrade the crystalline α-chitin in the medium to provide nutrients for growth. Genome and secretome analyses indicate that this strain secretes six chitinolytic enzymes, among which chitinases Chia4287, Chib0431, and Chib0434 have higher abundance than the others, suggesting their importance in crystalline α-chitin degradation. These three chitinases were heterologously expressed, purified, and characterized. They are all active on crystalline α-chitin, with temperature optima of 45–50 °C and pH optima of 7.0–7.5. They are all stable at 40 °C and in the pH range of 5.0–11.0. Moreover, they all have excellent salt tolerance, retaining more than 92% activity after incubation in 5 M NaCl for 10 h at 4 °C. When acting on crystalline α-chitin, the main products of the three chitinases are all (GlcNAc)2, which suggests that chitinases Chia4287, Chib0431, and Chib0434 likely have potential in direct conversion of crystalline chitin into (GlcNAc)2.
Trans-Apical Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in a Dialysis Patient with Systolic Heart Failure
Authors: Oshima Akira , Imamura Teruhiko , Onoda Hiroshi , Ueno Yohei , Ushijima Ryuichi , Sobajima Mitsuo , Fukuda Nobuyuki , Yokoyama Shigeki , Doi Toshio , Fukahara Kazuaki , Ueno Hiroshi , Kinugawa Koichiro
Published: February 2022

Mortality and morbidity remain high following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in dialysis patients or those with low left ventricular ejection fraction. Therapeutic strategy for those with these comorbidities remains unestablished. We had a dialysis patient with peripheral artery disease and low left ventricular ejection fraction, who received successfully scheduled trans-apical TAVR following sufficient reverse remodeling by 3-month optimal medical therapy. Our strategy should be validated in a larger robust cohort.
Use of Fungal Mycelium as Biosupport in the Formation of Lichen-like Structure: Recovery of Algal Grown in Sugarcane Molasses for Lipid Accumulation and Balanced Fatty Acid Profile
Authors: Zorn Savienne , Carvalho Ana , Bento Heitor , Gambarato Bruno , Pedro Guilherme , da Silva Ana , Gonçalves Rhyan , Da Rós Patrícia , Silva Messias
Published: February 2022

In this study, a lichen-like structure was obtained through the production of a unique biomass, formed by algae cells of Scenedesmus obliquus adhering to the mycelium of filamentous fungal Mucor circinelloides. This structure was composed in two steps; in the first one, microalgal cells and spores were incubated separately, and in the second one, after 72 h of growth, isolated, mature mycelium was harvested and added to cell culture. For spores’ incubation, a culture medium containing only 2 g·L−1 of glucose and minerals was used. This culture medium, with low sugar content, provided a fungal biomass to the anchorage of microalgae cells. WC medium was used without and with sugarcane molasses supplementation for microalgae cells’ incubation. The lichen-type structure that was formed resulted in 99.7% efficiency in the recovery of microalgae cells and in up to 80% efficiency in the recovery of algae biomass in the lichen biomass composition. In addition, the resulting consortium attained a satisfactory lipid accumulation value (38.2 wt%) with a balanced fatty acid composition of 52.7% saturated plus monounsaturated fatty acids and 47.4% polyunsaturated fatty acids. Since fungal species are easy to recover, unlike microalgae, the lichen-like structure produced indicates an efficient low-cost bioremediation and harvesting alternative; in addition, it provides an oleaginous biomass for various industrial applications.
Membrane Separation Process in Wastewater and Water Purification
Authors: Giacobbo Alexandre , Bernardes Andréa Moura
Published: February 2022

The current scenario of increasing water scarcity and degradation of water bodies has led to the development of processes and technologies that provide more suitable treatment for both water and wastewater [...]
Development of Novel Composite Membranes in Water/Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Qiblawey Hazim
Published: February 2022

Composite membranes have attracted significant attention due to their flexibility in having more than one layer, with many materials being used to form the membrane [...]
The Role of Mandrel Rotation during CSET Processing Demonstrated on a 3003 Aluminium Alloy
Authors: Molnárová Orsolya , Habr Stanislav , Čapek Jaroslav , Ekrt Ondřej , Málek Přemysl , Bajtošová Lucia , Školáková Andrea , Lejček Pavel
Published: February 2022

Recently, the complex shearing of extruded tube (CSET) technique was proposed representing a new way of processing tubes from a bulk billet as a combination of extrusion with two passes of equal channel angular processing and possible mandrel rotation. In the present paper, the influence of mandrel rotation on the final microstructure and mechanical properties of the tube fabricated of a 3003 aluminium alloy was investigated. Electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) revealed differences in grain size and misorientation angles between tubes processed with stationary and rotating mandrel. Kernel average misorientation maps obtained from EBSD experiments and ASTAR analysis performed in transmission electron microscopy proved differences in the dislocation density and arrangement. The tube processed using a stationary mandrel showed a recovered microstructure with elongated grains separated by low-angle grain boundaries into subgrains. The microstructure of the tube processed with a rotating mandrel was dynamically recrystallized with the grain size in submicrometer range. Vickers microhardness measurements revealed only a 40% HV increase in the sample prepared using stationary mandrel as compared with the initial billet. The mandrel rotation resulted in a much higher HV increase up to 200% as a result of substantial grain refinement.
Influence of the Dielectric Coating of the Outer Side of the Cathode in the Anode–Cathode Pairs of a Molecular Electronic Sensitive Element on the Conversion Coefficient
Authors: Bugaev Alexander , Agafonova Victoria , Egorov Ivan , Agafonova Ekaterina , Avdyukhina Svetlana
Published: February 2022

Molecular electronic sensors of motion parameters use miniature electrochemical cells as a sensitive element, in which the interelectrode current is sensitive to external mechanical influences. New approaches for creating conversion elements are based on precision methods of micromachining materials. The use of new technologies has opened up the possibility of creating sensitive elements with configurations that have not been previously studied, and for which there is no clear understanding of the regularities that determine the output parameters depending on the geometry of the conversion elements. This work studies the influence of the dielectric coating on the surface of the cathodes on the conversion coefficient. The transforming structure has been made from three plates. The outer plates were an anode–cathode electrode pair. The middle plate served as a separator between the pairs of electrodes. It was found that an insulating layer on the side of the cathode facing away from the adjacent anode allows the conversion factor to be doubled. This result is applicable for a wide class of conversion elements made with microelectronic technologies, as well as structures made of mesh electrodes.
Quantitative Investigation of MgO, Al2O3 and SiO2 Effects on Solid-State Formation of Secondary Hematite in Sintering Process of Iron Ore Fines
Authors: Chen Yan-Bo , Du Yu , Guo Yu-Feng , Guo Xing-Min
Published: February 2022

Secondary hematite (SH) is a serious factor resulting in reduction degradation of iron ore sinter in a blast furnace; however, until now, a quantitative study for SH formation had not been reported. In this work, the effects of gangue composition, including MgO, Al2O3 and SiO2, on the solid-state formation in the sintering process of iron ore fines were investigated quantitatively. It shows that the SH formation decreased from 67.84% to 46.11%, 35.44% and 22.37% after adding 1.0%, 3.0% and 5.0% MgO, respectively, while for Al2O3, the amount increased to 69.38%, 69.98% and 70.56%, respectively. For SiO2, the amount changed to 68.14%, 61.59% and 47.96%, respectively. Simultaneously, the magnetite (magnesioferrite) formation increased from 8.24% to 34.79%, 50.26% and 70.45% after adding 1.0%, 3.0% and 5.0% MgO, respectively. For Al2O3 and SiO2, the amount changed to 8.95%, 8.37%, 7.62% and 7.62%, 11.10%, 18.77%, respectively, compared with no gangue. This indicates that the SH formation increased with decrease in magnesioferrite. It was found that the decrease in SH formation relates to the diffusion of Mg2+ in magnesioferrite, which inhibits the solid-state formation of SH kinetically. A supposition was suggested that a maghemite existed at a high temperature, and decreased with an increase in MgO addition. This would be another reason to improve the degradation performance of iron ore sinter.
Depth Estimation of Sedimentary Sections and Basement Rocks in the Bornu Basin, Northeast Nigeria Using High-Resolution Airborne Magnetic Data
Authors: Ekwok Stephen E. , Achadu Ogiji-Idaga M. , Akpan Anthony E. , Eldosouky Ahmed M. , Ufuafuonye Chika Henrietta , Abdelrahman Kamal , Gómez-Ortiz David
Published: February 2022

This study involves the use of high-resolution airborne magnetic data to evaluate the thicknesses of sedimentary series in the Bornu Basin, Northeast Nigeria, using three depth approximation techniques (source parameter imaging, standard Euler deconvolution, and 2D GM-SYS forward modelling methods). Three evenly spaced profiles were drawn in the N-S direction on the total magnetic intensity map perpendicular to the regional magnetic structures. These profiles were used to generate three 2-D models. The magnetic signatures were visually assessed to determine the thickness of depo-centres and the position of intrusions. The thicknesses of sedimentary series based on source parameter imaging results are approximately ranged 286 to 615 m, 695 to 1038 m, and 1145 to 5885 m for thin, intermediate, and thick sedimentation, respectively. Similarly, the standard Euler deconvolution result shows thin (130 to 917 m), intermediate (1044 to 1572 m), and thick (1725 to 5974 m) sedimentation. The magnetic model of Profile 1, characterized by two major breaks, shows that the igneous intrusions and basement rocks are covered by sediments with thickness varying from 300 to <3500 m, while Profile 2 has a maximum estimated depth value of about 5000 m at the southern part. Furthermore, the Profile 3 model shows sediment thicknesses of 2500 and 4500 m in the northern and southern flanks of the profile, respectively. The maximum sediment thickness value from the various depth estimation methods used in this study correlate relatively well with each other. Furthermore, the anomalous depth zone revealed by the 2D forward models coincides with the locality of the thick sedimentation revealed by the source parameter imaging and standard Euler-deconvolution (St-ED) methods. The maximum depth values obtained from the various depth estimation methods used in this study correlated strongly with each other. The widespread occurrence of short-wavelength anomalies in the southern part of the study area as indicated by the jagged nature of the magnetic signature was validated by the analytic signal and upward-continuation results. Generally, it was observed that the southern part of the research area is characterized by thick sedimentation and igneous intrusions.
Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Tectonic Setting of the Raobazhai Ultramafic Complex, North Dabie
Authors: Yan Fangchao , Liu Qing , Hou Quanlin , He Miao
Published: February 2022

The Raobazhai ultramafic complex is located in the north of the Dabie Mountains and is composed of spinel peridotites accompanied by a few lenticular mafic metamorphic rocks. The spinel peridotites are mostly harzburgite, along with minor dunite and lherzolite. This study reports the petrological, geochemical, and Re-Os isotopic data of spinel and chromite harzburgites from Raobazhai. The major and trace whole-rock geochemistry characteristics indicate that the rocks are remnants of partial melting to different degrees (6–17%). Both mineral and whole-rock geochemistry showed typical abyssal peridotite affinity. Due to the presence of water-bearing minerals, the Sr, Ba, and U were enriched, and the Nb, Zr, and Hf were depleted, which can be attributed to the strong metasomatism of the boninitic melting/fluid in the fore-arc domain. The flat distribution of platinum group elements (PGE) and the decoupling of Pt-Pd were also the result of the fore-arc melting/fluid interaction. The 187Os/188Os ratios (0.1149–0.1266) were generally lower than the recommended value of the primitive mantle and fell within the abyssal peridotite isotope range. This indicated that the Raobazhai harzburgites were likely mantle peridotites with oceanic characteristics that underwent a fore-arc boninitic melting/fluid transformation event.
Novel Chemical and Biological Insights of Inositol Derivatives in Mediterranean Plants
Authors: Siracusa Laura , Napoli Edoardo , Ruberto Giuseppe
Published: February 2022

Inositols (Ins) are natural compounds largely widespread in plants and animals. Bio-sinthetically they derive from sugars, possessing a molecular structure very similar to the simple sugars, and this aspect concurs to define them as primary metabolites, even though it is much more correct to place them at the boundary between primary and secondary metabolites. This dichotomy is well represented by the fact that as primary metabolites they are essential cellular components in the form of phospholipid derivatives, while as secondary metabolites they are involved in a plethora of signaling pathways playing an important role in the surviving of living organisms. myo-Inositol is the most important and widespread compound of this family, it derives directly from d-glucose, and all known inositols, including stereoisomers and derivatives, are the results of metabolic processes on this unique molecule. In this review, we report the new insights of these compounds and their derivatives concerning their occurrence in Nature with a particular emphasis on the plant of the Mediterranean area, as well as the new developments about their biological effectiveness.
Interactions between Human Serum Albumin and Sulfadimethoxine Determined Using Spectroscopy and Molecular Docking
Authors: Zhang Yuai , Cao Yiqing , Li Yan , Zhang Xuemei
Published: February 2022

Sulfonamides are widely used antibiotics in agricultural production. However, the potential threat of these drugs to human health has increased global concern. Human serum albumin (HSA) is the main reservoir and transporter of exogenous small molecules in humans. In this study, the interaction between sulfadimethoxine (SMT) and human serum albumin (HSA) was studied using spectroscopy and computer simulation. Our results showed that the hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces drove SMT to enter the binding site I of HSA spontaneously and resulted in the fluorescence quenching of HSA. The stability of the HSA–SMT complex decreased with an increase in temperature. The binding of SMT to HSA induced alterations in the secondary structure of HSA, where the content of α-helix decreased from 61.0% of the free state to 59.0% of the compound state. The π–π, π–σ, and π–alkyl interactions between HSA and SMT were found to play important roles in maintaining the stability of the complex.
Complementary, Cooperative Ditopic Halogen Bonding and Electron Donor-Acceptor π-π Complexation in the Formation of Cocrystals
Authors: Speetzen Erin D. , Nwachukwu Chideraa I. , Bowling Nathan P. , Bosch Eric
Published: February 2022

This study expands and combines concepts from two of our earlier studies. One study reported the complementary halogen bonding and π-π charge transfer complexation observed between isomeric electron rich 4-N,N-dimethylaminophenylethynylpyridines and the electron poor halogen bond donor, 1-(3,5-dinitrophenylethynyl)-2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-iodobenzene while the second study elaborated the ditopic halogen bonding of activated pyrimidines. Leveraging our understanding on the combination of these non-covalent interactions, we describe cocrystallization featuring ditopic halogen bonding and π-stacking. Specifically, red cocrystals are formed between the ditopic electron poor halogen bond donor 1-(3,5-dinitrophenylethynyl)-2,4,6-triflouro-3,5-diiodobenzene and each of electron rich pyrimidines 2- and 5-(4-N,N-dimethyl-aminophenylethynyl)pyrimidine. The X-ray single crystal structures of these cocrystals are described in terms of halogen bonding and electron donor-acceptor π-complexation. Computations confirm that the donor-acceptor π-stacking interactions are consistently stronger than the halogen bonding interactions and that there is cooperativity between π-stacking and halogen bonding in the crystals.
Octakis(dodecyl)phthalocyanines: Influence of Peripheral versus Non-Peripheral Substitution on Synthetic Routes, Spectroscopy and Electrochemical Behaviour
Authors: Swart Glendin , Fourie Eleanor , Swarts Jannie C.
Published: February 2022

Non-peripherally octakis-substituted phthalocyanines (npPc’s), MPc(C12H25)8 with M = 2H (3) or Zn (4), as well as peripherally octakis-substituted phthalocyanines (pPc’s) with M = Zn (6), Mg (7) and 2H (8), were synthesized by cyclotetramerization of 3,6- (2) or 4,5-bis(dodecyl)phthalonitrile (5), template cyclotetramerization of precursor phthalonitriles in the presence of Zn or Mg, metal insertion into metal-free phthalocyanines, and removal of Mg or Zn from the phthalocyaninato coordination cavity. The more effective synthetic route towards pPc 8 was demetalation of 7. npPc’s were more soluble than pPc’s. The Q-band λmax of npPc’s was red-shifted with ca. 18 nm, compared to that of pPc’s. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) differentiated between N–H, Nmeso and Ncore nitrogen atoms for metal-free phthalocyanines. Binding energies were ca. 399.6, 398.2 and 397.7 eV respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) also showed zinc phthalocyanines 4 and 6 have four equivalent Nmeso and four equivalent N–Zn core nitrogens. In contrast, the Mg phthalocyanine 7 has two sets of core N atoms. One set involves two Ncore atoms strongly coordinated to Mg, while the other encompasses the two remaining Ncore atoms that are weakly associated with Mg. pPc’s 6, 7, and 8 have cyclic voltammetry features consistent with dimerization to form [Pc][Pc+] intermediates upon oxidation but npPc’s 3 and 4 do not. Metalation of metal-free pPc’s and npPc’s shifted all redox potentials to lower values.
Changes in Physicochemical, Free Radical Activity, Total Phenolic and Sensory Properties of Orange (Citrus sinensis L.) Juice Fortified with Different Oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) Extracts
Authors: Sarvarian Maryam , Jafarpour Afshin , Awuchi Chinaza Godswill , Adeleye Ademiku O. , Okpala Charles Odilichukwu R.
Published: February 2022

In Iran and other parts of Western Asia, the oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) fruit is processed in the dried powdery form, and in recent times, increasingly applied/sprinkled in fruit juices such as those made from oranges (Citrus sinensis L.). To our best knowledge, the effectiveness of oleaster fruit extract in fortifying the orange juice has not yet been reported and the knowledge of this will greatly benefit the consumers, particularly those around the Western Asia region. This current work, therefore, investigated the changes in physicochemical, free radical activity, total phenolic compounds, and sensory properties of orange juice fortified with different oleaster fruit extracts. The orange juice mix formulation comprised different concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25%) of oleaster (alcoholic, aqueous, and hydro-alcoholic) extracts. The control comprised orange concentrate (4% w/v), sugar (8.5% w/v), and citric acid (0.1% w/v) brought to the desirable volume with water. As the free radical activity depicted the antioxidant properties, the physicochemical aspects of this work involved the determinations of Brix, density, ash, pH, total acidity, sucrose, and total sugar, whereas the sensory aspects involved the determinations of color and taste. Whilst the aqueous oleaster 20 and 25% extracts produced notable physicochemical differences in the orange juice mix, both free radical activity, and phenolic compounds significantly increased (p < 0.05) after 30 days despite resembling (p > 0.05) those of control at day 1. More so, the increases in aqueous, alcoholic, and hydro-alcoholic oleaster extracts would decrease (p < 0.05) the sensory color and taste of the orange juice mix in this study.
Rethinking the Process of Animal Mummification in Ancient Egypt: Molecular Characterization of Embalming Material and the Use of Brassicaceae Seed Oil in the Mummification of Gazelle Mummies from Kom Mereh, Egypt
Authors: Marković Milan , Mezzatesta Elodie , Porcier Stéphanie , Vieillescazes Cathy , Mathe Carole
Published: February 2022

The study of animal mummification in ancient Egypt has recently received increasing attention from a number of modern scholars given the fact that this part of ancient Egyptian funerary and religious history is a practice yet to be fully understood. In this study, nine samples of embalming matter were extracted from six gazelle mummies from the archaeological site of Kom Mereh (modern village of Komir), dated to the Roman period of dominance in ancient Egypt. All samples were analyzed for the presence of inorganic and organic matter applying a multi-analytical approach based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Furthermore, in order to identify more specific compounds such as bitumen and beeswax in studied balms, each sample was subjected to a solid phase extraction (SPE) and saponification separation process, respectively. The results of this study revealed that the majority of the analyzed embalming substances sampled from six gazelle mummies from Kom Mereh were complex mixtures of plant oils, animal fats, conifer resin, and beeswax. In this regard, this study was able to report a practice until now unmentioned in the scientific literature, namely, the use of cruciferous oil, derived from seeds of Brassicaceae plants, in animal mummification.
Analyzing the Interaction between Anthocyanins and Native or Heat-Treated Whey Proteins Using Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Ren Shuai , Rodriguez-Saona Luis , Giusti M. Monica
Published: February 2022

The color stability of anthocyanins (ACN) has been shown to be improved by interaction with whey proteins (WP). In this study, we explore the ACN–WP interaction using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (IR). ACN from purple corn, grape, and black carrot (50 μM) were evaluated. IR spectra (4000–700 cm−1) were collected for native and preheated (40–80 °C) WP (5 mg/mL) and ACN–WP mixtures at pH 7.4. Soft independent modeling of class analogy was used to analyze the IR data. The WP secondary structure changed after heat treatments and after interaction with ACN. As expected, the WP α-helices decreased, and β-sheet increased after heat treatment. The intensities of the WP amide I and II bands decreased after ACN addition, revealing a decrease in the WP α-helix content. Higher preheating temperatures (70–80 °C) resulted in a more disordered WP structure that favored stronger WP–ACN interactions related to amide III changes. Addition of ACN stabilized WP structure due to heat denaturation, but different ACN structures had different binding affinities with WP. WP structure had less change after interaction with ACN with simpler structures. These results increase our understanding of ACN–WP interactions, providing a potential strategy to extend anthocyanin color stability by WP addition.
DNA Damage Clustering after Ionizing Radiation and Consequences in the Processing of Chromatin Breaks
Authors: Mladenova Veronika , Mladenov Emil , Stuschke Martin , Iliakis George
Published: February 2022

Charged-particle radiotherapy (CPRT) utilizing low and high linear energy transfer (low-/high-LET) ionizing radiation (IR) is a promising cancer treatment modality having unique physical energy deposition properties. CPRT enables focused delivery of a desired dose to the tumor, thus achieving a better tumor control and reduced normal tissue toxicity. It increases the overall radiation tolerance and the chances of survival for the patient. Further improvements in CPRT are expected from a better understanding of the mechanisms governing the biological effects of IR and their dependence on LET. There is increasing evidence that high-LET IR induces more complex and even clustered DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that are extremely consequential to cellular homeostasis, and which represent a considerable threat to genomic integrity. However, from the perspective of cancer management, the same DSB characteristics underpin the expected therapeutic benefit and are central to the rationale guiding current efforts for increased implementation of heavy ions (HI) in radiotherapy. Here, we review the specific cellular DNA damage responses (DDR) elicited by high-LET IR and compare them to those of low-LET IR. We emphasize differences in the forms of DSBs induced and their impact on DDR. Moreover, we analyze how the distinct initial forms of DSBs modulate the interplay between DSB repair pathways through the activation of DNA end resection. We postulate that at complex DSBs and DSB clusters, increased DNA end resection orchestrates an increased engagement of resection-dependent repair pathways. Furthermore, we summarize evidence that after exposure to high-LET IR, error-prone processes outcompete high fidelity homologous recombination (HR) through mechanisms that remain to be elucidated. Finally, we review the high-LET dependence of specific DDR-related post-translational modifications and the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. We believe that in-depth characterization of the biological effects that are specific to high-LET IR will help to establish predictive and prognostic signatures for use in future individualized therapeutic strategies, and will enhance the prospects for the development of effective countermeasures for improved radiation protection during space travel.
Perspectives and Prospective on Solid Lipid Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Madkhali Osama A.
Published: February 2022

Combating multiple drug resistance necessitates the delivery of drug molecules at the cellular level. Novel drug delivery formulations have made it possible to improve the therapeutic effects of drugs and have opened up new possibilities for research. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), a class of colloidal drug carriers made of lipids, have emerged as potentially effective drug delivery systems. The use of SLNs is associated with numerous advantages such as low toxicity, high bioavailability of drugs, versatility in the incorporation of hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs, and the potential for production of large quantities of the carrier systems. The SLNs and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are the two most frequently used types of nanoparticles. These types of nanoparticles can be adjusted to deliver medications in specific dosages to specific tissues, while minimizing leakage and binding to non-target tissues.
ACPNet: A Deep Learning Network to Identify Anticancer Peptides by Hybrid Sequence Information
Authors: Sun Mingwei , Yang Sen , Hu Xuemei , Zhou You
Published: February 2022

Cancer is one of the most dangerous threats to human health. One of the issues is drug resistance action, which leads to side effects after drug treatment. Numerous therapies have endeavored to relieve the drug resistance action. Recently, anticancer peptides could be a novel and promising anticancer candidate, which can inhibit tumor cell proliferation, migration, and suppress the formation of tumor blood vessels, with fewer side effects. However, it is costly, laborious and time consuming to identify anticancer peptides by biological experiments with a high throughput. Therefore, accurately identifying anti-cancer peptides becomes a key and indispensable step for anticancer peptides therapy. Although some existing computer methods have been developed to predict anticancer peptides, the accuracy still needs to be improved. Thus, in this study, we propose a deep learning-based model, called ACPNet, to distinguish anticancer peptides from non-anticancer peptides (non-ACPs). ACPNet employs three different types of peptide sequence information, peptide physicochemical properties and auto-encoding features linking the training process. ACPNet is a hybrid deep learning network, which fuses fully connected networks and recurrent neural networks. The comparison with other existing methods on ACPs82 datasets shows that ACPNet not only achieves the improvement of 1.2% Accuracy, 2.0% F1-score, and 7.2% Recall, but also gets balanced performance on the Matthews correlation coefficient. Meanwhile, ACPNet is verified on an independent dataset, with 20 proven anticancer peptides, and only one anticancer peptide is predicted as non-ACPs. The comparison and independent validation experiment indicate that ACPNet can accurately distinguish anticancer peptides from non-ACPs.
Magnetic Composites of Dextrin-Based Carbonate Nanosponges and Iron Oxide Nanoparticles with Potential Application in Targeted Drug Delivery
Authors: Caldera Fabrizio , Nisticò Roberto , Magnacca Giuliana , Matencio Adrián , Khazaei Monfared Yousef , Trotta Francesco
Published: February 2022

Magnetically driven nanosponges with potential application as targeted drug delivery systems were prepared via the addition of magnetite nanoparticles to the synthesis of cyclodextrin and maltodextrin polymers crosslinked with 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole. The magnetic nanoparticles were obtained separately via a coprecipitation mechanism involving inorganic iron salts in an alkaline environment. Four composite nanosponges were prepared by varying the content of magnetic nanoparticles (5 wt% and 10 wt%) in the cyclodextrin- and maltodextrin-based polymer matrix. The magnetic nanosponges were then characterised by FTIR, TGA, XRD, FESEM, and HRTEM analysis. The magnetic properties of the nanosponges were investigated via magnetisation curves collected at RT. Finally, the magnetic nanosponges were loaded with doxorubicin and tested as a drug delivery system. The nanosponges exhibited a loading capacity of approximately 3 wt%. Doxorubicin was released by the loaded nanosponges with sustained kinetics over a prolonged period of time.
Gold-Platinum Nanoparticles with Core-Shell Configuration as Efficient Oxidase-like Nanosensors for Glutathione Detection
Authors: Bonet-Aleta Javier , Garcia-Peiro Jose I. , Irusta Silvia , Hueso Jose L.
Published: February 2022

Nanozymes, defined as nanomaterials that can mimic the catalytic activity of natural enzymes, have been widely used to develop analytical tools for biosensing. In this regard, the monitoring of glutathione (GSH), a key antioxidant biomolecule intervening in the regulation of the oxidative stress level of cells or related with Parkinson’s or mitochondrial diseases can be of great interest from the biomedical point of view. In this work, we have synthetized a gold-platinum Au@Pt nanoparticle with core-shell configuration exhibiting a remarkable oxidase-like mimicking activity towards the substrates 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and o-phenylenediamine (OPD). The presence of a thiol group (-SH) in the chemical structure of GSH can bind to the Au@Pt nanozyme surface to hamper the activation of O2 and reducing its oxidase-like activity as a function of the concentration of GSH. Herein, we exploit the loss of activity to develop an analytical methodology able to detect and quantify GSH up to µM levels. The system composed by Au@Pt and TMB demonstrates a good linear range between 0.1–1.0 µM to detect GSH levels with a limit of detection (LoD) of 34 nM.
On the Versatile Role of Electrospun Polymer Nanofibers as Photocatalytic Hybrid Materials Applied to Contaminated Water Remediation: A Brief Review
Authors: Cordoba Alexander , Saldias Cesar , Urzúa Marcela , Montalti Marco , Guernelli Moreno , Focarete Maria Letizia , Leiva Angel
Published: February 2022

A wide variety of materials, strategies, and methods have been proposed to face the challenge of wastewater pollution. The most innovative and promising approaches include the hybrid materials made of polymeric nanofibers and photocatalytic nanoparticles. Electrospun nanofibers with unique properties, such as nanosized diameter, large specific surface area, and high aspect ratio, represent promising materials to support and stabilize photocatalytic nanosized semiconductors. Additionally, the role performed by polymer nanofibers can be extended even further since they can act as an active medium for the in situ synthesis of photocatalytic metal nanoparticles or contribute to pollutant adsorption, facilitating their approach to the photocatalytic sites and their subsequent photodegradation. In this paper, we review the state of the art of electrospun polymer/semiconductor hybrid nanofibers possessing photocatalytic activity and used for the remediation of polluted water by light-driven processes (i.e., based on photocatalytic activity). The crucial role of polymer nanofibers and their versatility in these types of procedures are emphasized.
Curcumin-Loaded Human Serum Albumin Nanoparticles Prevent Parkinson’s Disease-like Symptoms in C. elegans
Authors: de Guzman Arvie Camille V. , Razzak Md. Abdur , Cho Joong Hee , Kim Ji Yi , Choi Shin Sik
Published: February 2022

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common degenerative disorders and is characterized by observable motor dysfunction and the loss of dopaminergic neurons. In this study, we fabricated curcumin nanoparticles using human serum albumin as a nanocarrier. Encapsulating curcumin is beneficial to improving its aqueous solubility and bioavailability. The curcumin-loaded HSA nanoparticles were acquired in the particle size and at the zeta potential of 200 nm and −10 mV, respectively. The curcumin-loaded human serum albumin nanoparticles ameliorated Parkinson’s disease features in the C. elegans model, including body movement, basal slowing response, and the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. These results suggest that curcumin nanoparticles have potential as a medicinal nanomaterial for preventing the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Bright CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals with Improved Stability by In-Situ Zn-Doping
Authors: Zeng Yong-Tang , Li Zhan-Rong , Chang Sheng-Po , Ansay Arjun , Wang Zi-Hao , Huang Chun-Yuan
Published: February 2022

In this study, facile synthesis, characterization, and stability tests of highly luminescent Zn-doped CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) were demonstrated. The doping procedure was performed via partial replacement of PbBr2 with ZnBr2 in the precursor solution. Via Zn-doping, the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of the NCs was increased from 41.3% to 82.9%, with a blue-shifted peak at 503.7 nm and narrower spectral width of 18.7 nm which was consistent with the highly uniform size distribution of NCs observed from the TEM image. In the water-resistance stability test, the doped NCs exhibited an extended period-over four days until complete decomposition, under the harsh circumstances of hexane-ethanol-water mixing solution. The Zn-doped NC film maintained its 94% photoluminescence (PL) intensity after undergoing a heating/cooling cycle, surpassing the un-doped NC film with only 67% PL remaining. Based on our demonstrations, the in-situ Zn-doping procedure for the synthesis of CsPbBr3 NCs could be a promising strategy toward robust and PL-efficient nanomaterial to pave the way for realizing practical optoelectronic devices.
Torsional Properties of Bundles with Randomly Packed Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Wei Hanqing , Ting Heidi Zhi Jin , Gong Yongji , Lü Chaofeng , Glukhova Olga E. , Zhan Haifei
Published: February 2022

Carbon nanotube (CNT) bundles/fibers possess promising applications in broad fields, such as artificial muscles and flexible electronics, due to their excellent mechanical properties. The as-prepared CNT bundles contain complex structural features (e.g., different alignments and components), which makes it challenging to predict their mechanical performance. Through in silico studies, this work assessed the torsional performance of CNT bundles with randomly packed CNTs. It is found that CNT bundles with varying constituent CNTs in terms of chirality and diameter exhibit remarkably different torsional properties. Specifically, CNT bundles consisting of CNTs with a relatively large diameter ratio possess lower gravimetric energy density and elastic limit than their counterpart with a small diameter ratio. More importantly, CNT bundles with the same constituent CNTs but different packing morphologies can yield strong variation in their torsional properties, e.g., up to 30%, 16% and 19% difference in terms of gravimetric energy density, elastic limit and elastic constants, respectively. In addition, the separate fracture of the inner and outer walls of double-walled CNTs is found to suppress the gravimetric energy density and elastic limit of their corresponding bundles. These findings partially explain why the experimentally measured mechanical properties of CNT bundles vary from each other, which could benefit the design and fabrication of high-performance CNT bundles.
Facile Fabrication of Highly Hydrophobic Onion-like Candle Soot-Coated Mesh for Durable Oil/Water Separation
Authors: Song Jiajia , Liu Na , Li Jiakai , Cao Yingze , Cao Haijie
Published: February 2022

Although sundry superhydrophobic filtrating materials have been extensively exploited for remediating water pollution arising from frequent oil spills and oily wastewater emission, the expensive reagents, rigorous reaction conditions, and poor durability severely restrict their water purification performance in practical applications. Herein, we present a facile and cost-effective method to fabricate highly hydrophobic onion-like candle soot (CS)-coated mesh for versatile oil/water separation with excellent reusability and durability. Benefiting from a superglue acting as a binder, the sub-micron CS coating composed of interconnected and intrinsic hydrophobic carbon nanoparticles stably anchors on the surface of porous substrates, which enables the mesh to be highly hydrophobic (146.8 ± 0.5°)/superoleophilic and resist the harsh environmental conditions, including acid, alkali, and salt solutions, and even ultrasonic wear. The as-prepared mesh can efficiently separate light or heavy oil/water mixtures with high separation efficiency (>99.95%), among which all the water content in filtrates is below 75 ppm. Besides, such mesh retains excellent separation performance and high hydrophobicity even after 20 cyclic tests, demonstrating its superior reusability and durability. Overall, this work not only makes the CS-coated mesh promising for durable oil/water separation, but also develops an eco-friendly approach to construct robust superhydrophobic surfaces.
Crystal-Plane and Shape Influences of Nanoscale CeO2 on the Activity of Ni/CeO2 Catalysts for Maleic Anhydride Hydrogenation
Authors: Liu Shaobo , Liao Xin , Zhang Qiuming , Zhang Yin , Wang Hao , Zhao Yongxiang
Published: February 2022

Through use of the hydrothermal technique, various shaped CeO2 supports, such as nanocubes (CeO2-C), nanorods (CeO2-R), and nanoparticles (CeO2-P), were synthesized and employed for supporting Ni species as catalysts for a maleic anhydride hydrogenation (MAH) reaction. The achievements of this characterization illustrate that Ni atoms are capable of being incorporated into crystal lattices and can occupy the vacant sites on the CeO2 surface, which leads to an enhancement of oxygen vacancies. The results of the MAH reaction show that the morphology and shape of CeO2 play an important role in the catalytic performance of the MAH reaction. The catalyst for the rod-like CeO2-R obtains a higher catalytic activity than the other two catalysts. It can be concluded that the higher catalytic performances of rod-like CeO2-R sample should be attributed to the higher dispersion of Ni particles, stronger support-metal interaction, more oxygen vacancies, and the lattice oxygen mobility. The research on the performances of morphology-dependent Ni/CeO2 catalysts as well as the relative reaction strategy of MAH will be remarkably advantageous for developing novel catalysts for MA hydrogenation.
Multi-Segment TFT Compact Model for THz Applications
Authors: Liu Xueqing , Ytterdal Trond , Shur Michael
Published: February 2022

We present an update of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) thin-film transistor (TFT) compact model. The updated model implemented in Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) accounts for the gate voltage-dependent channel layer thickness, enables the accurate description of the direct current (DC) characteristics, and uses channel segmentation to allow for terahertz (THz) frequency simulations. The model introduces two subthreshold ideality factors to describe the control of the gate voltage on the channel layer and its effect on the drain-to-source current and the channel capacitance. The calculated field distribution in the channel is used to evaluate the channel segment parameters including the segment impedance, kinetic inductance, and gate-to-segment capacitances. Our approach reproduces the conventional RPI TFT model at low frequencies, fits the measured current–voltage characteristics with sufficient accuracy, and extends the RPI TFT model applications into the THz frequency range. Our calculations show that a single TFT or complementary TFTs could efficiently detect the sub-terahertz and terahertz radiation.
Highly Sensitive Photothermal Fiber Sensor Based on MXene Device and Vernier Effect
Authors: Wu Qing , Chen Si , Guan Lixin , Wu Haibin
Published: February 2022

A photothermal fiber sensor based on a microfiber knot resonator (MKR) and the Vernier effect is proposed and demonstrated. An MXene Ti3C2Tx nanosheet was deposited onto the ring of an MKR using an optical deposition method to prepare photothermal devices. An MXeneMKR and a bare MKR were used as the sensing part and reference part, respectively, of a Vernier-cascade system. The optical and photothermal properties of the bare MKR and the MXeneMKR were tested. Ti3C2Tx was applied to a photothermal fiber sensor for the first time. The experimental results showed that the modulation efficiency of the MXeneMKR was 0.02 nm/mW, and based on the Vernier effect, the modulation efficiency of the cascade system was 0.15 nm/mW. The sensitivity was amplified 7.5 times. Our all-fiber photothermal sensor has many advantages such as low cost, small size, and good system compatibility. Our sensor has broad application prospects in many fields. The proposed stable MKR device based on two-dimensional-material modification provides a new solution for improving the sensitivity of optical fiber sensors.