bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Appearance Comparisons, Affect, Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Pathology in Portuguese Female University Students
Authors: Coelho Carol , Machado Paulo , Machado Bárbara , Gonçalves Sónia
Published: May 2023

Physical appearance comparisons have been theorized to be associated with negative indicators of body image. This study aimed to study appearance comparisons and their association to affect, body dissatisfaction, and eating pathology. Three hundred and ten female university students with ages between 17 and 25 years (M = 20.2, SD = 1.9) completed sociodemographic and clinical data, self-reported questionnaires, and questions about appearance comparisons. Among the participants, 98.71% reported making appearance comparisons, and 42.15% of these reported making them frequently or always. Higher reported frequencies of appearance comparisons were related to higher levels of body dissatisfaction, negative affect, and eating pathology. Appearance comparisons to acquaintances were the most frequent. Comparisons in person and through media were reported in similar proportions. Upward comparisons were more frequent than lateral and downward comparisons and were related to higher levels of body dissatisfaction than downward comparisons and to higher levels of body dissatisfaction, negative affect, and eating pathology than lateral comparisons. Upward comparisons to close peers were associated with higher body dissatisfaction as opposed to models/celebrities. Results, limitations, and implications are discussed.
Association between Dietary Hardness and Cognitive Dysfunction among Japanese Men in Their 60s: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Fujiwara Aya , Fukunaga Ami , Murakami Kentaro , Inoue Yosuke , Nakagawa Tohru , Yamamoto Shuichiro , Konishi Maki , Mizoue Tetsuya
Published: May 2023

We aimed to examine the cross-sectional association between dietary hardness and cognitive dysfunction among Japanese men in their 60s. Participants were 1494 men aged 60–69 years from the baseline survey of Hitachi Health Study II (2017–2020). Dietary hardness was defined as an estimate of masticatory muscle activity involved in consuming solid foods. Habitual intake of these foods was assessed using a brief-type, self-administered diet history questionnaire. Cognitive dysfunction was defined as a score ≤ 13 points on the test battery for screening for Alzheimer’s disease (MSP-1100). The mean (SD) age of participants was 63.5 (3.5) years. The prevalence of cognitive dysfunction was 7.5%. The ORs (95% CIs) for cognitive dysfunction in the second and third tertiles were: 0.77 (0.47, 1.26) and 0.87 (0.54, 1.41), respectively, after adjustment for socio-demographic factors (p for trend = 0.73). After further adjustment for protective nutrient intake against cognitive dysfunction, the corresponding figures were 0.72 (0.43, 1.21) and 0.79 (0.43, 1.46), respectively (p for trend = 0.57). Dietary hardness was not associated with the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction among Japanese men in their 60s. Future prospective studies are necessary to investigate the association between dietary hardness estimated by a validated questionnaire and cognitive dysfunctions.
Nutritional Intake after Liver Transplant: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Spillman Lynsey N. , Madden Angela M. , Richardson Holly , Imamura Fumiaki , Jones Danielle , Nash Marilyn , Lim Hong Kai , Hellawell Holly N. , Rennie Kirsten L. , Oude Griep Linda M. , Allison Michael , Griffin Simon J.
Published: May 2023

Cardiovascular disease and its concurrent risk factors are prevalent after liver transplant (LT). Most of these risk factors are modifiable by diet. We aimed to synthesise the literature reporting the nutritional intake of liver transplant recipients (LTR) and the potential determinants of intake. We performed a systematic review and meta-analyses of studies published up until July 2021 reporting the nutritional intake of LTR. The pooled daily mean intakes were recorded as 1998 (95% CI 1889, 2108) kcal, 17 (17, 18)% energy from protein, 49 (48, 51)% energy from carbohydrates, 34 (33, 35)% energy from total fat, 10 (7, 13)% energy from saturated fat, and 20 (18, 21) g of fibre. The average fruit and vegetable intake ranged from 105 to 418 g/day. The length of time post-LT and the age and sex of the cohorts, as well as the continent and year of publication of each study, were sources of heterogeneity. Nine studies investigated the potential determinants of intake, time post-LT, gender and immunosuppression medication, with inconclusive results. Energy and protein requirements were not met in the first month post-transplant. After this point, energy intake was significantly higher and remained stable over time, with a high fat intake and low intake of fibre, fruits and vegetables. This suggests that LTR consume a high-energy, low-quality diet in the long term and do not adhere to the dietary guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Nitrate and Nitrite Metabolism in Aging Rats: A Comparative Study
Authors: Piknova Barbora , Park Ji Won , Thomas Samantha M. , Tunau-Spencer Khalid J. , Schechter Alan N.
Published: May 2023

Nitric oxide (NO) (co)regulates many physiological processes in the body. Its short-lived free radicals force synthesis in situ and on-demand, without storage possibility. Local oxygen availability determines the origin of NO—either by synthesis by nitric oxide synthases (NOS) or by the reduction of nitrate to nitrite to NO by nitrate/nitrite reductases. The existence of nitrate reservoirs, mainly in skeletal muscle, assures the local and systemic availability of NO. Aging is accompanied by changes in metabolic pathways, leading to a decrease in NO availability. We explored age-related changes in various rat organs and tissues. We found differences in nitrate and nitrite contents in tissues of old and young rats at baseline levels, with nitrate levels being generally higher and nitrite levels being generally lower in old rats. However, there were no differences in the levels of nitrate-transporting proteins and nitrate reductase between old and young rats, with the exception of in the eye. Increased dietary nitrate led to significantly higher nitrate enrichment in the majority of old rat organs compared to young rats, suggesting that the nitrate reduction pathway is not affected by aging. We hypothesize that age-related NO accessibility changes originate either from the NOS pathway or from changes in NO downstream signaling (sGC/PDE5). Both possibilities need further investigation.
Association among Olfactory Function, Lifestyle and BMI in Female and Male Elderly Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Sollai Giorgia , Crnjar Roberto
Published: May 2023

Physical activities seem to counteract the age-related physiological decline of the olfactory function which, influencing the food choices and eating behavior, can affect the body weight of individuals. The main purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the relationships between olfactory function and BMI in female and male Elderly Subjects (ES), according to the level of their lifestyle activities in physical, cognitive, and social terms. Considering weekly physical activities, the adult elderlies who decided to participate in this study were divided into active ES (n = 65) and non-active ES (n = 68). Assessment of weekly activities and olfactory function were performed by means of face-to-face interviews and the “Sniffin’ Sticks” battery test, respectively. The results show that ES who are overweight and with a non-active lifestyle achieved lower TDI olfactory scores than normal weight ES and those classified as active. Hyposmic and non-active ES showed a higher BMI than normosmic and active ES. Sex-related differences, with females performing better than males, were evident in the presence of at least one of the following conditions: non-activity, hyposmia, or overweight. Inverse correlations were found between BMI and TDI olfactory score and between BMI and hours/week spent on physical activities, both when subjects were considered all together and when they were divided into females and males. These findings suggest that a higher BMI is related to the olfactory dysfunction linked to active or non-active lifestyle and the sex-related differences, and the condition of hyposmia is related to the increase in body weight due to lifestyle and sex differences. Given that the relationship between BMI and non-exercise physical activities is comparable to that between BMI and exercise physical activities, and this may be of particular importance for ES with limited mobility.
Early Life Obesity Increases Neuroinflammation, Amyloid Beta Deposition, and Cognitive Decline in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: So Simon W. , Fleming Kendra M. , Nixon Joshua P. , Butterick Tammy A.
Published: May 2023

Obesity, a known risk factor of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), increases the activation of microglia, leading to a proinflammatory phenotype. Our previous work shows that a high fat diet (HFD) can cause neuroinflammation and cognitive decline in mice. We hypothesized that proinflammatory activation of brain microglia in obesity exacerbates AD pathology and increases the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques. Presently, we tested cognitive function in 8-month-old male and female APP/PS1 mice fed a HFD, starting at 1.5 months of age. Locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, behavioral despair, and spatial memory were all assessed through behavioral tests. Microgliosis and Aβ deposition were measured in multiple brain regions through immunohistochemical analysis. Our results show that a HFD decreases locomotor activity, while increasing anxiety-like behavior and behavioral despair independent of genotype. A HFD led to increased memory deficits in both sexes, with HFD-fed APP/PS1 mice performing the worst out of all groups. Immunohistochemical analysis showed increased microgliosis in mice fed a HFD. This was accompanied by an increase in Aβ deposition in the HFD-fed APP/PS1 mice. Together, our results support that HFD-induced obesity exacerbates neuroinflammation and Aβ deposition in a young adult AD mouse model, leading to increased memory deficits and cognitive decline in both sexes.
Inverse Association between Oxidative Balance Score and Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Kwon Yu-Jin , Park Hye-Min , Lee Jun-Hyuk
Published: May 2023

Mitigating the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can be achieved through the maintenance of a healthy weight, the adoption of a healthy diet, and engaging in regular physical activity. The oxidative balance score (OBS), an integrated measure of pro- and antioxidant exposure conditions, represents an individual’s overall oxidative balance status. This study aimed to evaluate the association between OBS and T2DM incidence using data from a large, community-based, prospective cohort study. Data from 7369 participants aged 40–69 years who engaged in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) were analyzed. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for T2DM incidence of sex-specific OBS tertile groups were calculated using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses. During the mean 13.6-year follow-up period, 908 men and 880 women developed T2DM. The fully-adjusted HR (95% CI) for incident T2DM of the middle and highest tertile groups, compared with the referent lowest tertile group, were 0.86 (0.77–1.02) and 0.83 (0.70–0.99) in men and were 0.94 (0.80–1.11) and 0.78 (0.65–0.94) in women, respectively. Individuals with a high OBS are at lower risk for the development of T2DM. This implies that lifestyle modification with more antioxidant properties could be a preventive strategy for T2DM.
Advances in Understanding the Human Gut Microbiota and Its Implication in Pediatric Celiac Disease—A Narrative Review
Authors: Lupu Vasile Valeriu , Trandafir Laura Mihaela , Raileanu Anca Adam , Mihai Cristina Maria , Morariu Ionela Daniela , Starcea Iuliana Magdalena , Mocanu Adriana , Butnariu Lacramioara Ionela , Stoleriu Gabriela , Salaru Delia Lidia , Chisnoiu Tatiana , Munteanu Dragos , Mitrofan Costica , Lupu Ancuta
Published: May 2023

Celiac disease (CD) is a multifactorial disorder, defined by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Both genetic predisposition and dietary exposure to gluten are essential factors in triggering CD. However, there is proof that their presence is necessary, but not sufficient, for disease development. Through gut microbiota modulation, several additional environmental factors have shown their potential role as co-factors in CD pathogenesis. The aim of this review is to illustrate the possible mechanisms that stand behind the gut microbiota’s involvement in CD pathogenesis. Furthermore, we discuss microbiota manipulation’s potential role as both a preventative and therapeutic option. The available literature provides evidence that even before CD onset, factors including cesarean birth and formula feeding, as well as intestinal infection exposure, amplify the risk of CD in genetically predisposed individuals, due to their influence on the intestinal microbiome composition. Active CD was associated with elevated levels of several Gram-negative bacterial genera, including Bacteroides, Escherichia, and Prevotella, while beneficial bacteria such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria were less abundant. Viral and fungal dysbiosis has also been described in CD, evidencing specific taxa alteration. A gluten-free diet (GFD) may improve the clinical symptoms and duodenal histopathology, but the persistence of intestinal dysbiosis in CD children under a GFD urges the need for additional therapy. Probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbial transplant have demonstrated their efficacy in restoring gut microbiota eubiosis in adult CD patients; however, their efficacy and safety as adjunctive therapies to a GFD in pediatric patients needs further investigation.
An Overview of Diet and Physical Activity for Healthy Weight in Adolescents and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes: Lessons Learned from the ACT1ON Consortium
Authors: Bishop Franziska K. , Addala Ananta , Corbin Karen D. , Muntis Franklin R. , Pratley Richard E. , Riddell Michael C. , Mayer-Davis Elizabeth J. , Maahs David M. , Zaharieva Dessi P.
Published: May 2023

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in young people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) now parallels that of the general population. Excess adiposity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is already elevated up to 10-fold in T1D, underscoring a compelling need to address weight management as part of routine T1D care. Sustainable weight management requires both diet and physical activity (PA). Diet and PA approaches must be optimized towards the underlying metabolic and behavioral challenges unique to T1D to support glycemic control throughout the day. Diet strategies for people with T1D need to take into consideration glycemic management, metabolic status, clinical goals, personal preferences, and sociocultural considerations. A major barrier to weight management in this high-risk population is the challenge of integrating regular PA with day-to-day management of T1D. Specifically, exercise poses a substantial challenge due to the increased risk of hypoglycemia and/or hyperglycemia. Indeed, about two-thirds of individuals with T1D do not engage in the recommended amount of PA. Hypoglycemia presents a serious health risk, yet prevention and treatment often necessitates the consumption of additional calories, which may prohibit weight loss over time. Exercising safely is a concern and challenge with weight management and maintaining cardiometabolic health for individuals living with T1D and many healthcare professionals. Thus, a tremendous opportunity exists to improve exercise participation and cardiometabolic outcomes in this population. This article will review dietary strategies, the role of combined PA and diet for weight management, current resources for PA and glucose management, barriers to PA adherence in adults with T1D, as well as findings and lessons learned from the Advancing Care for Type 1 Diabetes and Obesity Network (ACT1ON).
Gut–Brain Interaction Disorders and Anorexia Nervosa: Psychopathological Asset, Disgust, and Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Authors: Carpinelli Luna , Savarese Giulia , Pascale Biagio , Milano Walter Donato , Iovino Paola
Published: May 2023

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are very common in subjects with eating disorders (EDs). This study aimed to (a) investigate the prevalence of gut–brain interaction disorders (DGBIs) in anorexia nervosa (AN) patients, according to ROME IV criteria; and (b) explore AN psychopathological assets and disgust that might impact GI symptoms. Methods: Thirty-eight female patients consecutively diagnosed with untreated AN (age 19.32 ± 5.59) in an outpatient clinic devoted to EDs underwent Eating Disorder Inventory—3 (EDI-3), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Social Phobia Anxiety Scale (SPAS), Body Uneasiness Test (BUT), and Disgust Scale (DS) questionnaires. The presence of DGBIs was evaluated and GI symptoms were assessed using a standardized intensity–frequency questionnaire. Results: A total of 94.7% of our sample met the diagnostic criteria for functional dyspepsia (FD), of which 88.8% presented the postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) subtype and 41.6% presented the epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) subtype. In addition, 52.6% of the sample met the diagnostic criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), while for functional constipation (FC), prevalence reached 7.9%. All participants presented a pathological score on the disgust scale. Significant correlations were found between several GI symptoms and psychopathological asset and disgust. Conclusions: AN is a multifactorial disorder. It is necessary to implement studies with an integrated approach, taking into account DGBIs, as well as to monitor the emotional–cognitive structure that acts as a factor in maintaining the disorder.
A Comprehensive Review on the Role of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) as a Biomarker in Extra-Mammary and Extra-Gastric Cancers
Authors: Amisha Fnu , Malik Paras , Saluja Prachi , Gautam Nitesh , Patel Tanvi Harishbhai , Roy Arya Mariam , Singh Sunny R. K. , Malapati Sindhu Janarthanam
Published: May 2023

The human epidermal growth factor receptors (HERs) are expressed abundantly in the human body. The tumorigenic potential of HER2/neu is linked to its overexpression, amplification or somatic mutation. The HER2 gene amplification leading to protein overexpression has been reported in 25–30% of breast cancers and 10–30% of gastric/gastroesophageal cancers. While HER2 is a well-documented predictive, prognostic, and therapeutic marker in breast and gastric/gastroesophageal cancers, its relevance has also been demonstrated in multiple other malignancies. In this article, we will conduct an extensive review of current data pertaining to HER2 amplification, overexpression, or mutation in cancers other than breast and gastric cancers.
Reviving a Classic Antigen with a Cutting-Edge Approach: Nanobodies for HER2+ Breast Cancer
Authors: Castrignano Chiara , Di Scipio Federica , Franco Francesco , Mognetti Barbara , Berta Giovanni Nicolao
Published: May 2023

The serendipitous discovery of nanobodies (NBs) around two decades ago opened the door to new possibilities for innovative strategies, particularly in cancer treatment. These antigen-binding fragments are derived from heavy-chain-only antibodies naturally found in the serum of camelids and sharks. NBs are an appealing agent for the progress of innovative therapeutic strategies because they combine the advantageous assets of smaller molecules and conventional monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Moreover, the possibility to produce NBs using bacterial systems reduces manufacturing expenses and speeds up the production process, making them a feasible option for the development of new bio-drugs. Several NBs have been developed over the past 10 years and are currently being tested in clinical trials for various human targets. Here, we provide an overview of the notable structural and biochemical characteristics of NBs, particularly in their application against HER2, an extracellular receptor that often gets aberrantly activated during breast cancer tumorigenesis. The focus is on the recent advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic research up to the present date.
Fe-Based Metal Organic Frameworks (Fe-MOFs) for Bio-Related Applications
Authors: Zhu Rongyue , Cai Mengru , Fu Tingting , Yin Dongge , Peng Hulinyue , Liao Shilang , Du Yuji , Kong Jiahui , Ni Jian , Yin Xingbin
Published: May 2023

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous materials composed of metal ions and organic ligands. Due to their large surface area, easy modification, and good biocompatibility, MOFs are often used in bio-related fields. Fe-based metal–organic frameworks (Fe-MOFs), as important types of MOF, are favored by biomedical researchers for their advantages, such as low toxicity, good stability, high drug-loading capacity, and flexible structure. Fe-MOFs are diverse and widely used. Many new Fe-MOFs have appeared in recent years, with new modification methods and innovative design ideas, leading to the transformation of Fe-MOFs from single-mode therapy to multi-mode therapy. In this paper, the therapeutic principles, classification, characteristics, preparation methods, surface modification, and applications of Fe-MOFs in recent years are reviewed to understand the development trends and existing problems in Fe-MOFs, with the view to provide new ideas and directions for future research.
Development of Multiple Fano-Resonance-Based All-Dielectric Metastructure for High-Contrast Biomedical Applications
Authors: Bi Liping , Fan Xinye , Cao Shuangshuang , Li Chuanchuan , Yin Yingxin , Zhao Hening , Fang Wenjing , Niu Huijuan , Bai Chenglin , Wei Xin , Kumar Santosh
Published: May 2023

In this paper, an all-dielectric metastructure-based high-contrast refractive index sensor is proposed. This structure can be utilized to detect various concentrations of glycerol-water mixtures by evaluating transmission spectral lines and resonant wavelength shifts related with liquid concentration detection. The experimental and calculated results of the developed sensor structure are able to excite three resonance peaks, demonstrating that the structure is capable of reaching excellent sensing capabilities. It has been established that this work has the potential to be useful in medical and biological detection; this is of great scientific and practical significance.
Properties of Bovine Collagen as Influenced by High-Pressure Processing
Authors: Houška Milan , Landfeld Aleš , Novotná Pavla , Strohalm Jan , Šupová Monika , Suchý Tomáš , Chlup Hynek , Skočilas Jan , Štípek Jan , Žaloudková Margit , Šulc Miloslav
Published: May 2023

The physical properties and structure of collagen treated with high-pressure technologies have not yet been investigated in detail. The main goal of this work was to determine whether this modern gentle technology significantly changes the properties of collagen. High pressure in the range of 0–400 MPa was used, and the rheological, mechanical, thermal, and structural properties of collagen were measured. The rheological properties measured in the area of linear viscoelasticity do not statistically significantly change due to the influence of pressure or the duration of pressure exposure. In addition, the mechanical properties measured by compression between two plates are not statistically significantly influenced by pressure value or pressure hold time. The thermal properties Ton and ∆H measured by differential calorimetry depend on pressure value and pressure hold time. Results from amino acids and FTIR analyses show that exposure of collagenous gels to high pressure (400 MPa), regardless of applied time (5 and 10 min), caused only minor changes in the primary and secondary structure and preserved collagenous polymeric integrity. SEM analysis did not show changes in collagen fibril ordering orientation over longer distances after applying 400 MPa of pressure for 10 min.
Mechanical Properties of Weld Lines in Injection-Molded Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Nylon (PA-CF) Composites
Authors: Wang Xianpeng , Bao Zuguo , Gao Donglin , Huang Shiyao , Huang Li , Chen Qiuren , Zhao Hailong , Han Weijian , Xu Yahong
Published: May 2023

Weld lines are a common defect generated in injection molding, which apparently affects the performance of final products, but the available reports on carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics are still rather few. In this study, the effects of injection temperature, injection pressure, and fiber content on the mechanical properties of weld lines were studied for carbon fiber-reinforced nylon (PA-CF) composites. The weld line coefficient was also calculated by comparing specimens with and without weld lines. The tensile and flexural properties of PA-CF composites significantly increased with the rise of fiber content for specimens without weld lines, while injection temperature and pressure demonstrated slight influences on mechanical properties. However, the existence of weld lines had negative influences on the mechanical properties of PA-CF composites due to poor fiber orientation in weld line regions. The weld line coefficient of PA-CF composites decreased as fiber content increased, indicating that the damage of weld lines to mechanical properties increased. The microstructure analysis showed that there were a large number of fibers distributed vertically to flow direction in weld lines regions, which could not play a reinforcing role. In addition, increasing injection temperature and pressure facilitated fiber orientation, which improved the mechanical properties of composites with low fiber content, while weakening composites with high fiber content instead. This article provides practical information for product design containing weld lines, which helps to optimize the forming process and formula design of PA-CF composites with weld lines.
Effect of the Presence of Lignin from Woodflour on the Compostability of PHA-Based Biocomposites: Disintegration, Biodegradation and Microbial Dynamics
Authors: Feijoo Patricia , Marín Anna , Samaniego-Aguilar Kerly , Sánchez-Safont Estefanía , Lagarón José M. , Gámez-Pérez José , Cabedo Luis
Published: May 2023

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) has gained attention as a possible substitute for conventional polymers that could be integrated into the organic recycling system. Biocomposites with 15% of pure cellulose (TC) and woodflour (WF) were prepared to analyze the role of lignin on their compostability (58 °C) by tracking the mass loss, CO2 evolution, and the microbial population. Realistic dimensions for typical plastic products (400 µm films), as well as their service performance (thermal stability, rheology), were taken into account in this hybrid study. WF showed lower adhesion with the polymer than TC and favored PHBV thermal degradation during processing, also affecting its rheological behavior. Although all materials disintegrated in 45 days and mineralized in less than 60 days, lignin from woodflour was found to slow down the bioassimilation of PHBV/WF by limiting the access of enzymes and water to easier degradable cellulose and polymer matrix. According to the highest and the lowest weight loss rates, TC incorporation allowed for higher mesophilic bacterial and fungal counts, while WF seemed to hinder fungal growth. At the initial steps, fungi and yeasts seem to be key factors in facilitating the later metabolization of the materials by bacteria.
Study on the Flow Behavior of Wellbore Fluids of a Natural Gas Hydrate Well with the Combined Depressurization and Heat Injection Method
Authors: Ping Xiaolin , Han Guoqing , Zhang Jiqun , Chang Junhua , Cen Xueqi , Tang Hui
Published: May 2023

Natural gas hydrate (NGH) is a kind of clean energy with great potential because of its huge reserves. There are several effective methods for exploiting hydrate sediments such as depressurization, thermal excitation, inhibitor injection and displacement, etc. Among these methods, the combined depressurization and heat injection method is considered a very promising method, which solves the problem of insufficient heat supply during the depressurization process. In this paper, the mechanism of combined depressurization and heat injection exploitation of NGH is analyzed, and the multiphase flow models of the injection well and production well are established, respectively, for the parallel horizontal NGH well production system with this combined method. The multiphase flow laws of fluids in a wellbore were obtained, and the factors affecting the temperature and pressure distributions in the wellbore were analyzed. The results of this study show that gas and water are produced simultaneously in the process of exploitation with this combined depressurization and heat injection method. The electric submersible pump has a great influence on the flow of the fluids in the wellbore, and there are sudden skips of the temperature and pressure at the pump position. Increasing the depth and working frequency of the pump will reduce the risk of continuous discharge of water from the annulus. Increasing the injection rate and injection temperature can both improve the effect of heat injection. This study provides theoretical guidance for the combined extraction with depressurization and heat injection method and production optimization of NGH.
A Multi-Stage Decision Framework for Optimal Energy Efficiency Measures of Educational Buildings: A Case Study of Chongqing
Authors: Cui Wenjing , Hong Jingke , Liu Guiwen , Zhang Lin , Wei Lizhen
Published: May 2023

Buildings consume large amounts of energy resources and emit considerable amounts of greenhouse gases, especially existing buildings that do not meet energy standards. Building retrofitting is considered one of the most promising and significant solutions to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. However, finding suitable energy efficiency measures for existing buildings is extremely difficult due to the existence of thousands of retrofit measures and the need to meet various objectives. In this paper, a multi-stage decision framework, including a multi-objective optimization model, and a ranking method are proposed to help decision-makers select the optimal energy efficiency measures. The multi-objective optimization model considers the economic and environmental objectives, expressed as the retrofit cost and energy consumption, respectively. The entropy weight ideal point ranking method, an evaluation and ranking method that combines the entropy weight method and ideal point method, is adopted to sort the Pareto front and make a final decision. Then, the proposed decision framework was implemented for the retrofit planning of an educational building in Chongqing, China. The results show that decision-makers can quickly identify near-optimal energy efficiency measures through multi-objective optimization and can select suitable energy efficiency measures using the ranking method. Moreover, energy consumption can be reduced by building retrofitting. The energy consumption of the case building was 64.20 kWh/m2 before retrofitting, and the value can be reduced by 6.79% through retrofitting. Furthermore, the reduction in building energy consumption was significantly improved by applying the decision framework. The highest value of energy consumption was 59.84 kWh/m2, while the lowest value was 27.11 kWh/m2 when implementing the multi-stage decision framework. Thus, this paper provides a useful decision framework for decision-makers to formulate suitable energy efficiency measures.
Coupled Excitation Strategy for Crack Initiation at the Adhesive Interface of Large-Sized Ultra-Thin Chips
Authors: Wu Tao , Chen Xin , Wen Shiju , Liu Fangsong , Li Shengping
Published: May 2023

The initial excitation of interface crack of large-size ultra-thin chips is one of the most complicated technical challenges. To address this issue, the reversible fracture characteristics of a silicon-based chip (chip size: 1.025 mm × 0.4 mm × 0.15 mm) adhesive layer interface was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests, and the characteristics of a cohesive zone model (CZM) unit were obtained through peel testing. The fitting curve of the elastic bilinear model was in high agreement with the experimental data, with a correlation coefficient of 0.98. The maximum energy release rate required for stripping was GC = 10.3567 N/m. Subsequently, a cohesive mechanical model of large-size ultra-thin chip peeling was established, and the mechanical characteristics of crack initial excitation were analyzed. The findings revealed that the larger deflection peeling angle in the peeling process resulted in a smaller peeling force and energy release rate (ERR), which made the initial crack formation difficult. To mitigate this, a coupling control method of structure and force surface was proposed. In this method, through structural coupling, the change in chip deflection was greatly reduced through the surface coupling force, and the peeling angle was greatly improved. It changed the local stiffness of the laminated structure, made the action point of fracture force migrate from the center of the chip to near the edge of the chip, the peeling angle was increased, and the energy release rate was locally improved. Finally, combined with mechanical analysis and numerical simulation of the peeling process, the mechanical characteristics of peeling were analyzed in detail. The results indicated that during the initial crack germination process, the ERR of the peel interface is significantly increased, the maximum stress value borne by the chip is significantly reduced, and the peel safety and reliability are greatly improved.
Catalytic Degradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride by Coupled UV−Peroxydisulfate System: Efficiency, Stability and Mechanism
Authors: Ma Panfeng , Shi Yu , Zhang Jingsen , Zhang Weijia , Cao Yong , Liu Bingtao
Published: May 2023

Magnetic CuFe2O4 powder obtained by sol−gel method and coupled photocatalysis was used to activate peroxydisulfate for tetracycline (TC) removal. A scanning electron microscope, X−ray diffraction Raman spectroscopy and FT−TR were used to characterize the catalysts. The degradation efficiency and stability of TC were highest under neutral conditions. The TC degradation rate reached 91.1% within 90 min. The removal rate of total organic carbon reaches 39.6% under optimal conditions. The unique electron transfer property of CuFe2O4 was utilized to achieve the synergistic effect of photocatalysis and persulfate oxidation. The main oxidizing substances involved in the decomposition were sulfate radicals and hydroxyl radicals, and the removal rate of over 84% could be maintained after five cycles of experiments.
Water in the Mencius: Correlative Reasoning, Conceptual Metaphor, and/or Sacred Performative Narrative?
Authors: Fu Boxi
Published: May 2023

The way the water metaphor is mobilized in Mencius 6A.2 has been interpreted and assessed from a number of perspectives. While several commentators find the analogy developed by Mencius comparing water and human nature intrinsically weak, others see it as partially effective in its use of analogical reasoning or of conceptual metaphors, especially when related to a yin-yang-based cosmology. This contribution develops an alternative perspective: it locates this metaphor in the corpus of references to water found first in the Mencius and second in the works of Chinese antiquity until the early Han period. This survey allows us to highlight three important features: (a) a quasi-sacred status is attached to the aquatic element; (b) water’s characteristics are developed according to a narrative model, causing the reader to circulate from one level of reality to another, such that the communication between the heart–mind and Heaven opens up; and (c) finally, as they mobilize a sense of contemplation and wonder, water narratives are meant to be transformative of the disciple’s consciousness and behavior.
Detection and Monitoring of Woody Vegetation Landscape Features Using Periodic Aerial Photography
Authors: Strnad Damjan , Horvat Štefan , Mongus Domen , Ivajnšič Danijel , Kohek Štefan
Published: May 2023

Woody vegetation landscape features, such as hedges, tree patches, and riparian vegetation, are important elements of landscape and biotic diversity. For the reason that biodiversity loss is one of the major ecological problems in the EU, it is necessary to establish efficient workflows for the registration and monitoring of woody vegetation landscape features. In the paper, we propose and evaluate a methodology for automated detection of changes in woody vegetation landscape features from a digital orthophoto (DOP). We demonstrate its ability to capture most of the actual changes in the field and thereby provide valuable support for more efficient maintenance of landscape feature layers, which is important for the shaping of future environmental policies. While the most reliable source for vegetation cover mapping is a combination of LiDAR and high-resolution imagery, it can be prohibitively expensive for continuous updates. The DOP from cyclic aerial photography presents an alternative source of up-to-date information for tracking woody vegetation landscape features in-between LiDAR recordings. The proposed methodology uses a segmentation neural network, which is trained with the latest DOP against the last known ground truth as the target. The output is a layer of detected changes, which are validated by the user before being used to update the woody vegetation landscape feature layer. The methodology was tested using the data of a typical traditional Central European cultural landscape, Goričko, in north-eastern Slovenia. The achieved F1 of per-pixel segmentation was 83.5% and 77.1% for two- and five-year differences between the LiDAR-based reference and the DOP, respectively. The validation of the proposed changes at a minimum area threshold of 100 m2 and a minimum area percentage threshold of 20% showed that the model achieved recall close to 90%.
Velocity Estimation for Space Infrared Dim Targets Based on Multi-Satellite Observation and Robust Locally Weighted Regression
Authors: Zhang Shenghao , Rao Peng , Zhang Hao , Chen Xin
Published: May 2023

Velocity estimation of space moving targets is a key part of space situational awareness. However, most of the existing methods do not consider the satellite observation process, and the performance mainly depends on the preset target motion state, which has great limitations. To accurately obtain the motion characteristics of space infrared dim targets in space-based infrared detection, a velocity estimation method based on multi-satellite observation and robust locally weighted regression is proposed. Firstly, according to parameters such as satellite position, satellite attitude angle, and sensor line of sight, the overall target observation model from the sensor coordinate frame to the Earth-centered inertial coordinate frame is established, and the pixel coordinates of the target imaging point are extracted using the gray-weighted centroid method. Then, combined with the least squares criterion, the position sequence of the space target is obtained. Finally, a robust locally weighted regression operation is performed on the target position sequence to estimate the velocity. This study verified the feasibility of the proposed method through simulation examples, with the results showing that the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the method were only 0.0733 m/s and 1.6640 m/s without measurement error. Moreover, the velocity estimation accuracy was better than that of other methods in most scenarios. In addition, the estimation accuracy under the impact of various measurement errors was analyzed, and it was found that the pixel coordinate extraction error had the greatest impact on velocity estimation accuracy. The proposed method provides a technical basis for the recognition of space infrared dim moving targets.
Identifying PM2.5-Related Health Burden in the Context of the Integrated Development of Urban Agglomeration Using Remote Sensing and GEMM Model
Authors: Xu Lili , Chen Binjie , Huang Chenhao , Zhou Mengmeng , You Shucheng , Jiang Fangming , Chen Weirong , Deng Jinsong
Published: May 2023

Integrated development of urban agglomeration is emerging as the main pattern of China’s new modernization. Yet, atmospheric pollution continues to have an adverse impact on public health, challenging efforts to promote coordinated regional development. To better understand the interaction between atmospheric pollution-related health burdens and urbanization, this study employed deep learning technology to obtain high-resolution satellite-derived PM2.5 concentration data across the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. Using the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM), this study estimated premature mortality resulting from long-term exposure to PM2.5 and innovatively incorporated exposure factors to improve accuracy. Results indicated that while PM2.5 concentrations decreased by 16.13% from 2015 to 2019, the region still experienced 239,000 premature mortalities in 2019, with notable disparities among cities of different economic levels and sizes. Furthermore, it was found through correlation analysis that residential density and GDP per capita were highly associated with premature mortality. In conclusion, these findings highlight the continuing challenge of achieving equitable effectiveness of joint air pollution control across regions in the context of integrated development of urban agglomeration.
Magnetopause Detection under Low Solar Wind Density Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Zhang Yujie , Sun Tianran , Niu Wenlong , Guo Yihong , Yang Song , Peng Xiaodong , Yang Zhen
Published: May 2023

Extracting the peak value of the X-ray signal in the original magnetopause detection method of soft X-ray imaging (SXI) for the SMILE satellite is problematic because of the unclear interface of the magnetosphere system under low solar wind density and the short integration time. Herein, we propose a segmentation algorithm for soft X-ray images based on depth learning, we construct an SXI simulation dataset, and we segment the magnetospheric system by learning the spatial structure characteristics of the magnetospheric system image. Then, we extract the maximum position of the X-ray signal and calculate the spatial configuration of the magnetopause using the tangent fitting approach. Under a uniform universe condition, we achieved a pixel accuracy of the maximum position of the photon number detected by the network as high as 90.94% and contained the position error of the sunset point of the 3D magnetopause below 0.2 RE. This result demonstrates that the proposed method can detect the peak photon number of magnetospheric soft X-ray images with low solar wind density. As such, its use improves the segmentation accuracy of magnetospheric soft X-ray images and reduces the imaging time requirements of the input image.
GNSS Real-Time Warning Technology for Expansive Soil Landslide—A Case in Ningming Demonstration Area
Authors: Chen Zi , Huang Guanwen , Xie Wei , Zhang Yongzhi , Wang Le
Published: May 2023

Efficient monitoring and early warning are the preconditions of realizing expansive soil landslide hazard prevention and control. Previous early warning of expansive soil landslides was evaluated through soil sampling experiments to analyze the stability coefficient. However, the existing methods lack timeliness and ignore the inconsistent deformation characteristics of different parts of the landslide mass. There are still difficulties in the dynamic numerical early warning of landslides at multiple points. Considering that the degradation of expansive soil landslides’ strength is directly reflected by surface displacement, for the Ningming expansive soil demonstration area and based on the GNSS shallow real-time displacement monitoring sequence, a landslide early-warning method based on the GNSS displacement rate combined with the GNSS displacement tangent angle model was proposed, and we thus designed early-warning thresholds for different warning levels. Combined with multi-source data such as soil moisture, soil pressure, and rainfall, the feasibility of accurate early warning of expansive soil landslides based on GNSS real-time surface displacement was verified. The proposed method does not require numerical calculation of internal stress and achieved two successful early warnings of landslides in the test area, which has a certain promotional value.
Spatial-Temporal Changes of Abarkuh Playa Landform from Sentinel-1 Time Series Data
Authors: Mirzadeh Sayyed Mohammad Javad , Jin Shuanggen , Amani Meisam
Published: May 2023

Playas, as the flattest landforms in semiarid and arid regions, are extremely sensitive to climate changes, such as changes in the hydrologic regime of the landscape. The changes in these landforms due to irrigation, anthropogenic activities, and climate change could be a source of disasters. In this study, we explored the spatial-temporal changes of the Abarkuh Playa in Central Iran using the time series of the Sentinel-1 backscatter dataset in the three scales. Our results showed that the western area of the Abarkuh Playa has been changed to other landforms with different characteristics, which is clear from all backscatter maps. The spatial-temporal analysis of the time series of backscatter data using the independent component analysis and time series of precipitation revealed that the backscatter variations were associated with direct rainfall across the playa and the surface was reacting to changes in the soil moisture content. The results of the power scale showed that the boundary of the playa could successfully be recognized as the oscillating pattern from other landforms in the study area. Moreover, the spatial-temporal analysis of backscatter in the power scale showed that different polarizations could reveal different patterns of surface changes for the playa.
An ISAR and Visible Image Fusion Algorithm Based on Adaptive Guided Multi-Layer Side Window Box Filter Decomposition
Authors: Zhang Jiajia , Li Huan , Zhao Dong , Arun Pattathal V. , Tan Wei , Xiang Pei , Zhou Huixin , Hu Jianling , Du Juan
Published: May 2023

Traditional image fusion techniques generally use symmetrical methods to extract features from different sources of images. However, these conventional approaches do not resolve the information domain discrepancy from multiple sources, resulting in the incompleteness of fusion. To solve the problem, we propose an asymmetric decomposition method. Firstly, an information abundance discrimination method is used to sort images into detailed and coarse categories. Then, different decomposition methods are proposed to extract features at different scales. Next, different fusion strategies are adopted for different scale features, including sum fusion, variance-based transformation, integrated fusion, and energy-based fusion. Finally, the fusion result is obtained through summation, retaining vital features from both images. Eight fusion metrics and two datasets containing registered visible, ISAR, and infrared images were adopted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed asymmetric decomposition method could preserve more details than the symmetric one, and performed better in both objective and subjective evaluations compared with the fifteen state-of-the-art fusion methods. These findings can inspire researchers to consider a new asymmetric fusion framework that can adapt to the differences in information richness of the images, and promote the development of fusion technology.