bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Auger-Electron-Emitting 191Pt-Labeled Pyrrole–Imidazole Polyamide Targeting MYCN Increases Cytotoxicity and Cytosolic dsDNA Granules in MYCN-Amplified Neuroblastoma
Authors: Obata Honoka , Tsuji Atsushi B. , Sudo Hitomi , Sugyo Aya , Hashiya Kaori , Ikeda Hayato , Itoh Masatoshi , Minegishi Katsuyuki , Nagatsu Kotaro , Ogawa Mikako , Bando Toshikazu , Sugiyama Hiroshi , Zhang Ming-Rong
Published: October 2023

Auger electrons can cause nanoscale physiochemical damage to specific DNA sites that play a key role in cancer cell survival. Radio-Pt is a promising Auger-electron source for damaging DNA efficiently because of its ability to bind to DNA. Considering that the cancer genome is maintained under abnormal gene amplification and expression, here, we developed a novel 191Pt-labeled agent based on pyrrole–imidazole polyamide (PIP), targeting the oncogene MYCN amplified in human neuroblastoma, and investigated its targeting ability and damaging effects. A conjugate of MYCN-targeting PIP and Cys-(Arg)3-coumarin was labeled with 191Pt via Cys (191Pt-MYCN-PIP) with a radiochemical purity of >99%. The binding potential of 191Pt-MYCN-PIP was evaluated via the gel electrophoretic mobility shift assay, suggesting that the radioagent bound to the DNA including the target sequence of the MYCN gene. In vitro assays using human neuroblastoma cells showed that 191Pt-MYCN-PIP bound to DNA efficiently and caused DNA damage, decreasing MYCN gene expression and MYCN signals in in situ hybridization analysis, as well as cell viability, especially in MYCN-amplified Kelly cells. 191Pt-MYCN-PIP also induced a substantial increase in cytosolic dsDNA granules and generated proinflammatory cytokines, IFN-α/β, in Kelly cells. Tumor uptake of intravenously injected 191Pt-MYCN-PIP was low and its delivery to tumors should be improved for therapeutic application. The present results provided a potential strategy, targeting the key oncogenes for cancer survival for Auger electron therapy.
Sweet Cherry Extract as Permeation Enhancer of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: A Promising Prospective for Future Oral Anticancer Therapies
Authors: Poggialini Federica , Vagaggini Chiara , Brai Annalaura , Pasqualini Claudia , Carbone Anna , Musumeci Francesca , Schenone Silvia , Dreassi Elena
Published: October 2023

Although patients would rather oral therapies to injections, the gastrointestinal tract’s low permeability makes this method limiting for most compounds, including anticancer drugs. Due to their low bioavailability, oral antitumor therapies suffer from significant variability in pharmacokinetics and efficacy. The improvement of their pharmacokinetic profiles can be achieved by a new approach: the use of natural extracts enriched with polyphenolic compounds that act as intestinal permeability enhancers. Here, we propose a safe sweet cherry extract capable of enhancing oral absorption. The extract was characterized by the HPLC-UV/MS method, evaluated for in vitro antioxidant activity, safety on the Caco-2 cell line, and as a potential permeation enhancer. The sweet cherry extract showed a high antioxidant capacity (ABTS and DPPH assays were 211.74 and 48.65 µmol of Trolox equivalent/g dried extract, respectively), high content of polyphenols (8.44 mg of gallic acid per gram of dry extract), and anthocyanins (1.80 mg of cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalent per g of dry extract), reassuring safety profile (cell viability never lower than 98%), and a significant and fully reversible ability to alter the integrity of the Caco-2 monolayer (+81.5% of Lucifer yellow permeability after 2 h). Furthermore, the ability of the sweet cherry extract to improve the permeability (Papp) and modify the efflux ratio (ER) of reference compounds (atenolol, propranolol, and dasatinib) and selected pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives was investigated. The obtained results show a significant increase in apparent permeability across the Caco-2 monolayer (tripled and quadrupled in most cases), and an interesting decrease in efflux ratio when compounds were co-incubated with sweet cherry extract.
Novel Transethosomal Gel Containing Miconazole Nitrate; Development, Characterization, and Enhanced Antifungal Activity
Authors: Asghar Zara , Jamshaid Talha , Sajid-ur-Rehman Muhammad , Jamshaid Usama , Gad Heba A.
Published: October 2023

Miconazole nitrate (MCNR) is a BCS class II antifungal drug with poor water solubility. Although numerous attempts have been made to increase its solubility, formulation researchers struggle with this significant issue. Transethosomes are promising novel nanocarriers for improving the solubility and penetration of drugs that are inadequately soluble and permeable. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop MCNR-loaded transethosomal gel in order to enhance skin permeation and antifungal activity. MCNR-loaded transethosomes (MCNR-TEs) were generated using the thin film hydration method and evaluated for their zeta potential, particle size, polydispersity index, and entrapment efficiency (EE%). SEM, FTIR, and DSC analyses were also done to characterize the optimized formulation of MCNR-TEs (MT-8). The optimized formulation of MCNR-TEs was incorporated into a carbopol 934 gel base to form transethosomal gel (MNTG) that was subjected to ex vivo permeation and drug release studies. In vitro antifungal activity was carried out against Candida albicans through the cup plate technique. An in vivo skin irritation test was also performed on Wistar albino rats. MT-8 displayed smooth spherical transethosomal nanoparticles with the highest EE% (89.93 ± 1.32%), lowest particle size (139.3 ± 1.14 nm), polydispersity index (0.188 ± 0.05), and zeta potential (−18.1 ± 0.10 mV). The release profile of MT-8 displayed an initial burst followed by sustained release, and the release data were best fitted with the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. MCNR-loaded transethosomal gel was stable and showed a non-Newtonian flow. It was found that ex vivo drug permeation of MNTG was 48.76%, which was significantly higher than that of MNPG (plain gel) (p ≤ 0.05) following a 24-h permeation study. The prepared MCNR transethosomal gel exhibited increased antifungal activity, and its safety was proven by the results of an in vivo skin irritation test. Therefore, the developed transethosomal gel can be a proficient drug delivery system via a topical route with enhanced antifungal activity and skin permeability.
Effect of Phenolics from Aeonium arboreum on Alpha Glucosidase, Pancreatic Lipase, and Oxidative Stress; a Bio-Guided Approach
Authors: Alfeqy Marwah M. , El-Hawary Seham S. , El-Halawany Ali M. , Rabeh Mohamed A. , Alshehri Saad A. , Serry Aya M. , Fahmy Heba A. , Ezzat Marwa. I.
Published: October 2023

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a global issue affecting over a billion people, raising the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and other ailments. It is often characterized by hypertension, dyslipidemia and/or obesity, and hyperglycemia. Chemical investigation of Aeonium arboreum (L.) Webb & Berthel led to the isolation of six compounds, viz. β-sitosterol, β-sitosterol glucoside, myricetin galactoside, quercetin rhamnoside, kaempferol rhamnoside, and myricetin glucoside. Interestingly, A. arboreum’s dichloromethane (DCM), 100 and 50% MeOH Diaion fractions and the isolated compound (quercetin-3-rhamnoside) revealed potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, especially 50% Diaion fraction. In addition, they also showed very potent antioxidant potential, especially the polar fractions, using DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, ORAC, and metal chelation assays. Notably, the 50% Diaion fraction had the highest antioxidant potential using DPPH and ORAC assays, while the 100% Diaion fraction and quercetin-3-rhamnoside showed the highest activity using ABTS, FRAP, and metal chelation assays. Also, quercetin-3-rhamnoside showed a good docking score of −5.82 kcal/mol in comparison to acarbose. In addition, molecular dynamic stimulation studies illustrated high stability of compound binding to pocket of protein. Such potent activities present A. arboreum as a complementary safe approach for the management of diabetes mellitus as well as MetS.
A Comparative Analysis of Pervaporation and Membrane Distillation Techniques for Desalination Utilising the Sweeping Air Methodology with Novel and Economical Pervaporation Membranes
Authors: Al-Harby Nouf F. , El Batouti Mervette , Elewa Mahmoud M.
Published: October 2023

This study used the sweeping air approach to conduct a comparative analysis of pervaporation (PV) and membrane distillation (MD) in the context of desalinating saline/hypersaline water. An experimental setup of the sweeping air arrangement was designed and built at a laboratory size to conduct the research. The desalination process using PV used innovatively designed cellulose acetate (CA) membranes specifically adapted for this purpose. Conversely, in the studies involving MD, hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes were utilised. CA membranes were fabricated in our laboratory using the phase inversion approach. The physicochemical characteristics of the membranes were assessed using many methodologies, including FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurement, and water uptake analysis. This facilitated a more comprehensive comprehension of the impact of the alkaline treatment on these features. The variables that were examined included the kind of membrane, the pore size of the PTFE membrane, the composition of the casting solution of CA, the concentration of the feed solution, the temperature of the feed, and the temperature of the condenser cooling water. The morphologies of the membranes were examined using SEM. The study’s findings indicated that the use of MD resulted in a greater flow and a remarkable percentage of salt rejection (% SR). Furthermore, it was observed that the flux was positively correlated with the feed temperature, while it exhibited an inverse relationship with the cooling water temperature. Moreover, it was observed that the impact of the pore size of the PTFE membrane on the desalination process was found to be minimal. The most optimal outcomes obtained were 13.35 kg/m2 h with a percentage salt rejection (% SR) of 99.86, and 17.96 kg/m2 h with a % SR of 99.83 at a temperature of 70 °C, while using MD and PV technologies, respectively. Furthermore, both methods demonstrated the capability to desalinate very salty solutions with a salinity level of up to 160 g/L, thereby yielding potable water in a single step.
Origin of Optoelectronic Contradictions in 3,4-Cycloalkyl[c]-chalcogenophenes: A Computational Study
Authors: Masilamani Ganesh , Krishna Gamidi Rama , Debnath Sashi , Bedi Anjan
Published: October 2023

The planar morphology of the backbone significantly contributes to the subtle optoelectronic features of π-conjugated polymers. On the other hand, the atomistic tuning of an otherwise identical π-backbone could also impact optoelectronic properties systematically. In this manuscript, we compare a series of 3,4-cycloalkylchalcogenophenes by tuning them atomistically using group-16 elements. Additionally, the effect of systematically extending these building blocks in the form of oligomers and polymers is studied. The size of the 3,4-substitution affected the morphology of the oligomers. In addition, the heteroatoms contributed to a further alteration in their geometry and resultant optoelectronic properties. The chalcogenophenes, containing smaller 3,4-cycloalkanes, resulted in lower bandgap oligomers or polymers compared to those with larger 3,4-cycloalkanes. Natural bonding orbital (NBO) calculations were performed to understand the disparity alongside the contour maps of frontier molecular orbitals (FMO).
Byzantine Influence before Byzantinisation: The Tropologion Sinai Greek NE ΜΓ 56+5 Compared with the Georgian and Syriac Melkite Versions
Authors: Frøyshov Stig Simeon R. , Nikiforova Aleksandra , Smelova Natalia
Published: October 2023

The article examines a selection of hymns of potentially Byzantine origin in the eighth-to-tenth-century manuscripts of the New Tropologion, which was the hymnal of the Anastasis cathedral of Jerusalem and in churches that followed its rite. Such adoption in the rite of Jerusalem represented a Byzantine influence before the wave of liturgical Byzantinisation that started in the late ninth and tenth centuries. For the first time, three versions of the New Tropologion are studied together: the Greek original and the Syriac and Georgian translations. The Greek Tropologion Sinai MS NE MΓ 56+5 is the primary material, compared with Sinai MS Syriac 48 and several Georgian New Iadgari manuscripts from Sinai. The study identifies one certain Byzantine element in the New Tropologion: parts of the feast of St. John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople, and several probable Byzantine elements: the interpolation of the second ode in three canons by Kosmas of Jerusalem and one by John, and parts of the stichera series Aἱ ἀγγελικαὶ προπορεύεσθε δυνάμεις attributed to Romanos the Melodist. By contrast, the interpolated ode 1 in Kosmas’ canon for Great Saturday seems to be of Palestinian origin, and therefore not a Byzantine loan, contrary to traditional views. The article shows that there is considerable variation between the different versions of the New Tropologion.
MeViT: A Medium-Resolution Vision Transformer for Semantic Segmentation on Landsat Satellite Imagery for Agriculture in Thailand
Authors: Panboonyuen Teerapong , Charoenphon Chaiyut , Satirapod Chalermchon
Published: October 2023

Semantic segmentation is a fundamental task in remote sensing image analysis that aims to classify each pixel in an image into different land use and land cover (LULC) segmentation tasks. In this paper, we propose MeViT (Medium-Resolution Vision Transformer) on Landsat satellite imagery for the main economic crops in Thailand as follows: (i) para rubber, (ii) corn, and (iii) pineapple. Therefore, our proposed MeViT enhances vision transformers (ViTs), one of the modern deep learning on computer vision tasks, to learn semantically rich and spatially precise multi-scale representations by integrating medium-resolution multi-branch architectures with ViTs. We revised mixed-scale convolutional feedforward networks (MixCFN) by incorporating multiple depth-wise convolution paths to extract multi-scale local information to balance the model’s performance and efficiency. To evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed method, we conduct extensive experiments on the publicly available dataset of Thailand scenes and compare the results with several state-of-the-art deep learning methods. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed MeViT outperforms existing methods and performs better in the semantic segmentation of Thailand scenes. The evaluation metrics used are precision, recall, F1 score, and mean intersection over union (IoU). Among the models compared, MeViT, our proposed model, achieves the best performance in all evaluation metrics. MeViT achieves a precision of 92.22%, a recall of 94.69%, an F1 score of 93.44%, and a mean IoU of 83.63%. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach in accurately segmenting Thai Landsat-8 data. The achieved F1 score overall, using our proposed MeViT, is 93.44%, which is a major significance of this work.
CamoNet: A Target Camouflage Network for Remote Sensing Images Based on Adversarial Attack
Authors: Zhou Yue , Jiang Wanghan , Jiang Xue , Chen Lin , Liu Xingzhao
Published: October 2023

Object detection algorithms based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have achieved remarkable success in remote sensing images (RSIs), such as aircraft and ship detection, which play a vital role in military and civilian fields. However, CNNs are fragile and can be easily fooled. There have been a series of studies on adversarial attacks for image classification in RSIs. However, the existing gradient attack algorithms designed for classification cannot achieve excellent performance when directly applied to object detection, which is an essential task in RSI understanding. Although we can find some works on adversarial attacks for object detection, they are weak in concealment and easily detected by the naked eye. To handle these problems, we propose a target camouflage network for object detection in RSIs, called CamoNet, to deceive CNN-based detectors by adding imperceptible perturbation to the image. In addition, we propose a detection space initialization strategy to maximize the diversity in the detector’s outputs among the generated samples. It can enhance the performance of the gradient attack algorithms in the object detection task. Moreover, a key pixel distillation module is employed, which can further reduce the modified pixels without weakening the concealment effect. Compared with several of the most advanced adversarial attacks, the proposed attack has advantages in terms of both peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and attack success rate. The transferability of the proposed target camouflage network is evaluated on three dominant detection algorithms (RetinaNet, Faster R-CNN, and RTMDet) with two commonly used remote sensing datasets (i.e., DOTA and DIOR).
Terrestrial vs. UAV-Based Remote Measurements in Log Volume Estimation
Authors: Đuka Andreja , Papa Ivica , Lovrinčević Mihael , Bumber Zoran , Poršinsky Tomislav , Tomljanović Kristijan
Published: October 2023

This study compared oak butt-log volume estimations gained through terrestrial measurements in the forest stand with a remote approach using an unmanned aerial system (UAS) and photogrammetric post-processing. Terrestrial measurements were conducted in the lowland part of Croatia after a completed motor–manual final felling of a 140-year-old even-aged oak stand. Butt-logs’ volumes were estimated with four methods: the sectioning method and Huber’s, Smailan’s and Riecke–Newton’s methods. Measuring diameters and lengths and estimating volumes remotely were based on orthophotos using four different software: ArcGIS, QGIS, AutoCAD and Pix4D. Riecke–Newton’s method for volume estimation had the smallest relative bias of +1.74%, while for Huber’s method it was −8.07% and with Smailan’s method it was +21.23%. Log volume estimations gained remotely via ArcGIS and QGIS were, in the case of Huber’s method, at +3.63% relative bias, and in the case of Riecke–Newton’s method at +1.39% relative bias. Volume estimation using the sectioning method resulted in a total of 51.334 m3 for the whole sample, while the sectioning method performed with the help of AutoCAD resulted in 55.151 m3, i.e., +7.43% relative bias. Volume estimation of thirty oak butt-logs given by Pix4D software (version 4.8.4) resulted in +9.34% relative bias (56.134 m3). Comparing terrestrial measurements and the volume estimations based on them to those gained remotely showed a very high correlation in all cases. This study showed that using a UAS for log volume estimation surveys has the potential for broader use, especially after final felling in even-aged forests where the remaining trees in the stand would not block photogrammetric analysis.
A Comparative Study of Factor Graph Optimization-Based and Extended Kalman Filter-Based PPP-B2b/INS Integrated Navigation
Authors: Xin Shiji , Wang Xiaoming , Zhang Jinglei , Zhou Kai , Chen Yufei
Published: October 2023

Recently, factor graph optimization (FGO)-based GNSS/INS integrated navigation has garnered widespread attention for its ability to provide more robust positioning performance in challenging environments like urban canyons, compared to traditional extended Kalman filter (EKF)-based methods. In existing GNSS/INS integrated navigation methods based on FGO, the primary approach involves combining single point positioning (SPP) or real-time kinematic (RTK) with INS by constructing factors between consecutive epochs to resist outliers and achieve robust positioning. However, the potential of a high-precision positioning system based on the FGO algorithm, combining INS and PPP-B2b and that does not rely on reference stations and network connections, has not been fully explored. In this study, we developed a loosely coupled PPP-B2b/INS model based on the EKF and FGO algorithms. Experiments in different urban road and overpass scenarios were conducted to investigate the positioning performance of the two different integration navigation algorithms using different degrades of inertial measurement units (IMUs). The results indicate that the FGO algorithm outperforms the EKF algorithm in terms of positioning with the combination of GNSS and different degrades of IMUs under various conditions. Compared to the EKF method, the application of the FGO algorithm leads to improvements in the positioning accuracy of approximately 15.8%~45.9% and 19%~41.3% in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, for different experimental conditions. In scenarios with long and frequent signal obstructions, the advantages of the FGO algorithm become more evident, especially in the horizontal direction. An obvious improvement in positioning results is observed when the tactical-grade IMU is used instead of the microelectron-mechanical system (MEMS) IMU in the GNSS/INS combination, which is more evident for the FGO algorithm than for the EKF algorithm.
Bidirectional Six-Pack SiC Boost–Buck Converter Using Droop Control in DC Nano-Grid
Authors: Kim Yeonwoo , Choi Sewan
Published: October 2023

This paper proposes a bidirectional boost–buck converter employing a six-pack SiC intelligent power module using droop control in DC nano-grids. The topology is constructed as a cascaded structure of an interleaved boost converter and buck converter. A six-pack SiC intelligent power module (IPM), which is suitable for the proposed cascaded structure, is adopted for high efficiency and compactness. A hybrid control scheme, in which holding a particular switch always results in a turn-off or turn-on state according to the boost mode and the buck mode, is employed to reduce the switching losses. By applying the hybrid control scheme, the number of switching operations of the switches can be minimized. Since switchover of the current controller is not required, smooth transition is enabled not only from the buck mode to the boost mode but also vice versa. As a parallel control, a secondary control is employed with DC droop control, which has a trade-off relationship between voltage sag and current sharing. It is possible to enhance the accuracy of current sharing while effectively regulating the DC link voltage without voltage sag. This is verified experimentally using two modules as laboratory prototypes, of which the power rating is 20 kW each.
Sustainable Small Ruminant Production in Low- and Middle-Income African Countries: Harnessing the Potential of Agroecology
Authors: Anim-Jnr Antoinette Simpah , Sasu Prince , Bosch Christine , Mabiki Faith Philemon , Frimpong Yaw Oppong , Emmambux Mohammad Naushad , Greathead Henry Michael Rivers
Published: October 2023

The role of small ruminant production in achieving sustainable and resilient food systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is yet to be fully explored or incorporated into current agroecological practices and policies. This review examines the principles and practices of agroecology, focusing on circular food systems and the sociopolitical aspects of their implementation for small ruminant production in LMICs. It discusses Gliessman’s five levels of agroecological transition and eight principles for integrating small ruminant production into agroecology: input reduction, animal health, soil health, biodiversity, recycling, synergy, economic diversification, and co-creation of knowledge. The review highlights that, while there are differing interpretations in the scientific literature, there is a growing consensus that agroecological practices applied to small ruminant production have the potential to improve integration and self-sufficiency in farming systems, improve animal health, reduce reliance on external inputs, and promote circularity and biodiversity. This reinforces the view that agroecological approaches to small ruminant production can foster a sustainable and interconnected system that strengthens the relationships between animals, plants, and the environment and enhances circularity. To achieve successful implementation and widespread adoption of these approaches, it is crucial to facilitate greater collaboration and cocreation of knowledge among small ruminant farmers and stakeholders in the small ruminant livestock industry.
Analysis of the Evolution of Foreign Trade Patterns and Influencing Factors in Henan Province from 2002 to 2021
Authors: Wang Yalin , Liu Jianzhong , Zhang Yinbao , Wang Yabo , Zhou Shiyu , Zhang Jingwei , Zhang Xinjia
Published: October 2023

Foreign trade is an important part of the national economy. Promoting the development of foreign trade can regulate the optimal allocation of resources, raise the level of domestic productivity, and accelerate economic development. As a traditional inland agricultural province, Henan Province has inherent disadvantages in developing foreign trade due to its geographical location. However, it has characteristic advantages in terms of population and transportation, so it is necessary to study the pattern of foreign trade and the factors affecting it in this region. In this research study, statistical data were assessed with methods such as the foreign trade dependence, geographical detector, and gravity models to analyze the trade scale, pattern, spatio-temporal variation characteristics, and foreign trade mechanisms in Henan Province. The results show that the trade pattern of Henan Province from 2002 to 2021 has evident spatial and temporal heterogeneity, with a relatively homogeneous overall commodity structure, weak competitive advantages, and a high degree of dependence on US trade. Innovation and transportation are essential internal factors, while the external factors are positively affected by the GDP of both Henan Province and the trading countries, FTAs, trade openness, and the population in the long run and are negatively impacted by distance. This study provides suggestions and decision support for formulating foreign trade policies for Henan Province. It also provides a research basis for related corresponding studies of other regions with similar characteristics.
A Multi-Objective Simulated Annealing Local Search Algorithm in Memetic CENSGA: Application to Vaccination Allocation for Influenza
Authors: Alkhamis Asma Khalil , Hosny Manar
Published: October 2023

Flu vaccine allocation is of great importance for safeguarding public health and mitigating the impact of influenza outbreaks. In this regard, decision-makers face multifaceted challenges, including limited vaccine supply, targeting vulnerable people, adapting to regional variations, ensuring fairness in distribution, and promoting public trust. The objective of this work is to address the vaccination allocation problem by introducing a novel optimization scheme with the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm. A dual-objective model is developed to both manage infection rates and minimize the unit cost of the vaccination campaign. The proposed approach is designed to promote convergence toward the best Pareto front in multi-objective optimization, wherein SA attempts to embed diversity and uniformity within a memetic version of the controlled elitism nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (CENSGA). To model the underlying vaccination allocation problem, the dynamics of the disease are described using the susceptible–exposed–infectious–recovered (SEIR) epidemiological model to better express hidden flu characteristics. This model specifically analyzes the effects of pulsive vaccination allocation in two phases aiming to minimize the number of infected individuals to an acceptable level in a finite amount of time, which can help in stabilizing the model against sudden flu endemics over the long run. The computational experiments show that the proposed algorithm effectively explores the extensive search space of the vaccination allocation problem. The results of the suggested framework indicate that the obtained Pareto front best represents complete vaccination campaigns. The findings of this research can help in evidence-based decision making that can optimize flu vaccine distribution, contribute to the prevention of illness and reduction in hospitalizations, and potentially save countless lives.
Soil Potassium Balance in the Hilly Region of Central Sichuan, China, Based on Crop Distribution
Authors: Wang Shan , Li Zhiping , Li Lulu , Xu Yuelin , Wu Guohui , Liu Qin , Peng Peihao , Li Ting
Published: October 2023

The problem of soil fertility imbalance in hilly agriculture is prominent, and accurate estimation of soil potassium balance is key to achieving precision fertilization at the regional level. Crop distribution has a significant impact on potassium balance, but studies on potassium balance with a focus on crop cultivation types are scarce, especially with regard to hilly areas. In this study, the spatial distribution characteristics of soil potassium balance under different cropping conditions and its influencing factors were analyzed for a hilly region. The results showed that (1) the soil rapidly available potassium (RAK) and slowly available potassium (SAK) content in the 0–20 cm soil layer ranged from 29.37 to 122.07 mg kg−1 and from 472.31 to 772.77 mg kg−1, respectively. (2) The soil potassium equilibrium status varied considerably among different cropping systems and the soil potassium deficit was greatest under the rapeseed–maize rotation, reaching −129.50 kg K ha−1 yr−1. The difference in soil potassium deficits between the rice–rapeseed and wheat–maize rotations was not significant, at −46.79 kg K ha−1 yr−1 and −44.07 kg K ha−1 yr−1, respectively, and only the rice–wheat rotation showed a potassium surplus. Due to the low potassium absorption of crops, the equilibrium value of soil potassium is higher than that of crop rotation, and rice and wheat can achieve different degrees of potassium surplus. Rapeseed planting was generally under-applied with potassium, and the potassium deficit could reach −70 kg K ha−1 yr−1. (3) Climate, topography, anthropogenic activity, and soil available potassium explained 20.8% of the variance in soil potassium balance. Anthropogenic activity such as roads and population density had the greatest influence, with 0.797. Topography and average annual precipitation had the weakest influences. These findings emphasize the importance of anthropogenic activity for soil potassium balance, and also provide regional evidence for formulating efficient measures for regional potassium resources management.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Resource Governance
Authors: Zeng Huixiang , Zhou Zhifang , Xiu Zongfeng , Jin Youliang
Published: October 2023

The construction of an ecological civilization is receiving increasing attention from countries worldwide [...]
Supply Chain Simulation of Manufacturing Shirts Using System Dynamics for Sustainability
Authors: Kaur Gurinder , Kander Ronald
Published: October 2023

In supply chain management (SCM), goods and services flow from the raw materials stage to the end user with complexities and uncertainty at each stage. Computer modeling and simulation is a particularly useful method to examine supply chain operational issues because it can solve operational complexities that are challenging and time consuming to analyze. Manufacturing companies fear losing valuable time and assets during the manufacturing process; the inaccurate estimation of raw materials, human capital, or physical infrastructure not only leads to monetary loss for the manufacturing unit, but also has a detrimental effect on the environment. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that system dynamics modeling (SDM) in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) can be applied to apparel manufacturing to optimize materials, labor, and equipment usage. Utilizing system dynamics (SD), the manufacturing unit can improve sustainability by reducing materials, labor, and equipment usage, which in turn reduces energy use. In our literature review, we did not identify any study addressing supply chain simulation of the manufacturing of shirts using SDM. We chose shirt manufacturing to demonstrate the model because of its relatively simple manufacturing process. In our study, we conclude that SDM simulation is an efficient way to optimize materials, labor, and equipment in apparel manufacturing. This leads to a more sustainable manufacturing process, as the model simulates different manufacturing supply chain scenarios in a risk-free environment, thereby minimizing waste and resources. Further, the outputs from the STELLA® model can be used as inputs into a subsequent life cycle assessment (LCA) model to determine the quantitative environmental impacts.
Effect of Drying Methods on Chemical Profile of Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) Flowers
Authors: Benković-Lačić Teuta , Orehovec Iva , Mirosavljević Krunoslav , Benković Robert , Ćavar Zeljković Sanja , Štefelová Nikola , Tarkowski Petr , Salopek-Sondi Branka
Published: October 2023

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is used in the food industry, stomatology, pharmacy, and medicine due to the beneficial properties of chamomile flowers, which are due to the content of terpenoids, but also flavonoids and phenolic acids. This study aims to determine and compare the effects of the drying method on the metabolic profile of chamomile flowers from sustainable, organic practice. The flowers were dried using four different methods: in the sun at a temperature of around 30 °C for 4 days, in the shade at an average temperature of 20–25 °C for 7 days, in a dryer at a temperature of 105 °C for 24 h, and in a climate chamber at a temperature of 60 °C for 48 h. The drying method affects the color, aroma, dry biomass, and chemical profile of chamomile flowers. The biggest color change was between fresh chamomile flowers and chamomile flowers dried in a climate chamber at 105 °C for 24 h, and the smallest change was observed in flowers dried in the sun. The highest contents of polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were measured in flower samples dried in the sun. Drying the flowers at 105 °C caused a significant decrease in total phenols and total flavonoids compared to the drying methods in the sun and shade. Drying at 60 °C for two days had the most significant negative effect on polyphenolic compounds. GC-MS analysis of chamomile essential oil revealed a total of 49 compounds. The most abundant compounds in all samples were α-bisabolol oxide A (19.6 to 24.3%), bisabolol oxide B (19.3 to 23.2%), and β-farnesene E (15.9 to 25.5%). β-Farnesene was identified in significantly lower amounts in sun-dried flowers compared to others, indicating its sensitivity to high light intensity. Volatile compounds spiroether Z, spiroether E, and matricarin were significantly reduced in samples dried at a temperature of 105 °C compared to others, which agrees with the aroma of dried flowers. Discrimination between samples based on chemical profiles showed similarity between samples dried in the sun and in the shade compared to samples dried at higher temperatures.
Feasibility Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration for Harmless Treatment of Potentially Virulent Waste
Authors: Li Ying , Zhao Ruyan , Li Haonan , Song Wenting , Chen Haoxiang
Published: October 2023

The outbreak of major health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, has posed numerous challenges to waste management. Environmentally sound treatment of such epidemic-related municipal solid waste (MSW) plays a vital role in interrupting virus transmission. In this study, the furnace type, incineration process and control parameters of an MSW incinerator were comparatively analyzed with those of a medical waste incinerator and hazardous waste incinerator according to China’s MSW incineration pollution control standards. In addition, changes in flue gas emissions data before, during and after the outbreak of the pandemic were empirically analyzed. The study revealed the following: (1) the feasibility of MSW incinerators to meet the harmless disposal of potentially viral municipal solid waste (PVMSW); (2) the priority order of incinerator types for MSW incinerators in the disposal of potentially virulent waste was grate furnace incinerator > fluidized bed incinerator > cement kiln; and (3) when MSW incinerators treated PVMSW, the emissions of dioxin compounds in the flue gas fluctuated between 0.00052 and 0.031 ng TEQ/m3, HCl emissions fluctuated between 1.6 and 23.742 mg/m3, CO emissions fluctuated between 0.18 and 59.15 mg/m3, heavy metal emissions fluctuated between 0.000008 and 0.855 mg/m3, and particulate matter emissions fluctuated between 0.64 and 12.13 mg/m3. All emissions met the flue gas emission standards. This study verified the feasibility of using MSW incinerators to treat PVMSW during a sudden major pandemic and provided a theoretical basis for the environmentally sound collaborative treatment of PVMSW and a reference for the emergency management and sustainable development of MSW.
Obtaining the Synthetic Fuels from Waste Plastic and Their Effect on Cavitation Formation in a Common-Rail Diesel Injector
Authors: Kevorkijan L. , Palomar-Torres A. , Torres-Jiménez E. , Mata C. , Biluš I. , Lešnik L.
Published: October 2023

The presented paper addresses two significant issues of the present time. In general, the studies of the effect of synthetic fuels on cavitation formation and cavitation erosion prediction in the nozzle tip of common-rail diesel injectors were addressed. The first problem is plastic waste, which can have a significant negative environmental impact if not treated properly. Most plastic waste has high energy value, so it represents valuable material that can be used in resource recovery to produce various materials. One possible product is synthetic fuel, which can be produced using thermal and catalytic pyrolysis processes. The first issue addressed in the presented paper is the determination of fuel properties since they highly influence the fuel injection process, spray development, combustion, etc. The second is the prediction of cavitation development and cavitation erosion in a common-rail diesel injector when using pyrolytic oils from waste plastic. At first, pyrolytic oils from waste high- and low-density polyethylene were obtained using thermal and catalytic pyrolysis processes. Then, the obtained oils were further characterised. Finally, the properties of the obtained oils were implemented in the ANSYS FLUENT computational program and used in the study of the cavitation phenomena inside an injection nozzle hole. The cavitating flow in FLUENT was calculated using the Mixture Model and Zwart-Gerber-Belamri cavitation model. For the modelling of turbulence, a realisable k–ε model with Enhanced Wall Treatment was used, and an erosion risk indicator was chosen to compare predicted locations of cavitation erosion. The results indicate that the properties of the obtained pyrolytic oils have slightly lower density, surface tension and kinematic viscosity compared to conventional diesel fuel, but these minor differences influence the cavitation phenomenon inside the injection hole. The occurrence of cavitation is advanced when pyrolytic oils are used, and the length of cavitation structures is greater. This further influences the shift of the area of cavitation erosion prediction closer to the nozzle exit and increases its magnitude up to 26% compared to diesel fuel. All these differences have the potential to further influence the spray break-up process, combustion process and emission formation inside the combustion chamber.
Connected Intelligent Transportation System Model to Minimize Societal Cost of Travel in Urban Networks
Authors: Koukounaris Athanasios I. , Stephanedes Yorgos J.
Published: October 2023

The increasing societal cost of vehicle travel in urban networks is causing higher social and environmental impacts on road users and urban residents. The societal cost of travel can be reduced through implementation of more efficient traffic management solutions, deeper integration of connected vehicles in the traffic stream, and increased deployment of vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) systems. This work proposes an innovative traffic management solution, based on Urban Connected Intelligent Transport Systems. The solution dynamically manages traffic by controlling for speed and acceleration in connected vehicles through V2I to minimize societal cost in urban networks. This is achieved by minimizing all four components of societal cost of travel, i.e., traffic accidents, fuel consumption, pollutant emissions and travel time. By minimizing societal cost, this research contributes to safer, greener and more sustainable transport in urban networks, while reducing the adverse environmental and economic impact. Experimental and field data as well as data from simulation were used to test the proposed solution at an urban coastal area in Patras, Greece.
IoT Vulnerabilities and Attacks: SILEX Malware Case Study
Authors: Mukhtar Basem Ibrahim , Elsayed Mahmoud Said , Jurcut Anca D. , Azer Marianne A.
Published: October 2023

The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly growing and is projected to develop in future years. The IoT connects everything from Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras to medical equipment to smart home appliances to smart automobiles and many more gadgets. Connecting these gadgets is revolutionizing our lives today by offering higher efficiency, better customer service, and more effective goods and services in a variety of industries and sectors. With this anticipated expansion, many challenges arise. Recent research ranked IP cameras as the 2nd highest target for IoT attacks. IoT security exhibits an inherent asymmetry where resource-constrained devices face attackers with greater resources and time, creating an imbalanced power dynamic. In cybersecurity, there is a symmetrical aspect where defenders implement security measures while attackers seek symmetrical weaknesses. The SILEX malware case highlights this asymmetry, demonstrating how IoT devices’ limited security made them susceptible to a relatively simple yet destructive attack. These insights underscore the need for robust, proactive IoT security measures to address the asymmetrical risks posed by adversaries and safeguard IoT ecosystems effectively. In this paper, we present the IoT vulnerabilities, their causes, and how to detect them. We focus on SILEX, one of the famous malware that targets IoT, as a case study and present the lessons learned from this malware.
Cyberattacks and Security of Cloud Computing: A Complete Guideline
Authors: Dawood Muhammad , Tu Shanshan , Xiao Chuangbai , Alasmary Hisham , Waqas Muhammad , Rehman Sadaqat Ur
Published: October 2023

Cloud computing is an innovative technique that offers shared resources for stock cache and server management. Cloud computing saves time and monitoring costs for any organization and turns technological solutions for large-scale systems into server-to-service frameworks. However, just like any other technology, cloud computing opens up many forms of security threats and problems. In this work, we focus on discussing different cloud models and cloud services, respectively. Next, we discuss the security trends in the cloud models. Taking these security trends into account, we move to security problems, including data breaches, data confidentiality, data access controllability, authentication, inadequate diligence, phishing, key exposure, auditing, privacy preservability, and cloud-assisted IoT applications. We then propose security attacks and countermeasures specifically for the different cloud models based on the security trends and problems. In the end, we pinpoint some of the futuristic directions and implications relevant to the security of cloud models. The future directions will help researchers in academia and industry work toward cloud computing security.
Elastic Wave Mechanics in Damaged Metallic Plates
Authors: Olisa Samuel Chukwuemeka , Khan Muhammad A. , Starr Andrew
Published: October 2023

Human health monitoring (HHM) is essential for continued daily task execution, as is structural health monitoring (SHM) for structures to ensure the continual performance of their designed tasks with optimal efficiency. The existence of damage in a structure affects its optimal use through stiffness deterioration. Damage of different forms could occur in a structure but have the singular objective of material degradation, leading to its underuse for a task. Guided wave ultrasonics has shown strength in detecting sundry damage in structures, but most of the damage monitored and detected is unfilled with substances. However, some damage could trap and accumulate substances that could hasten material degradation through corrosion activities under favorable conditions, especially in the oil and gas industry. This study used the ultrasonic-guided waves’ pitch–catch inspection technique to identify damage filled with different materials. The assessment was based on the RMSD of the dominant Lamb wave mode’s average maximum amplitude and the response signals’ transmission coefficient (TC). A five-cycle tone burst of excitation signals of different frequencies was created to generate propagating Lamb waves in the structure. The fundamental antisymmetric mode was found to be more sensitive than the fundamental symmetric mode when detecting damage filled with various substances. At 80 kHz, the deviation of the current response signals from the baseline response signals due to different filled substances in the damage was distinct and decreased with increased fluid viscosity. Given that structures in the oil and gas sector are particularly susceptible to substance-induced damage, the outcomes of this study are paramount.
Absence of Seed-Mediated Transmission of Cucumber Mosaic Virus in Espelette Pepper Crops despite Widespread and Recurrent Epidemics
Authors: Hirsch Judith , Szadkowski Marion , Wipf-Scheibel Catherine , Lepage Elise , Dumeaux Paul , Nguyen Elodie , Verdin Eric , Moury Benoît , Rimbaud Loup
Published: October 2023

In the past decade, severe epidemics of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) have caused significant damage to Espelette pepper crops. This virus threatens the production of Espelette pepper, which plays a significant role in the local economy and touristic attractiveness of the French Basque Country, located in southwestern France. In 2021 and 2022, CMV was detected via double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (DAS-ELISAs) in Gorria pepper seed lots harvested from naturally infected fields scattered throughout the entire Espelette pepper production area. These seed lots were used in greenhouse grow-out tests to determine whether CMV could be transmitted to seedlings from contaminated seeds, using visual symptom assessment, DAS-ELISAs, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Despite the widespread occurrence of CMV in seeds of field samples, the grow-out experiments on a total of over 5000 seedlings yielded no evidence of seed transmission of local CMV isolates in Gorria pepper. Therefore, rather than seeds from infected pepper plants, sources of CMV inoculum in Espelette are more likely to be alternative hosts present in and around pepper fields that can allow for the survival of CMV during the off-season. These results have important epidemiological implications and will guide the choice of effective measures to control current epidemics.