bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Aspectual Meaning of Non-Aspectual Constructions
Authors: Koss Tom , De Wit Astrid , van der Auwera Johan
Published: June 2022

The distinction between perfective and imperfective aspect has been identified in many languages across the world. This paper shows that even languages that do not have a dedicated perfective—imperfective distinction may endow a verbal construction that is not specifically aspectual with a perfective value. The crucial diagnostic for identifying perfectivity in a given non-aspectual construction is a difference in the temporal interpretation of clauses involving that construction, licensed by the actionality class of the main predicate: while stative verbs have a present interpretation, dynamic verbs yield a non-present (past or future) interpretation. This pattern of interaction is triggered by a phenomenon that has been referred to as the ‘present perfective paradox’, i.e., the impossibility of aligning dynamic situations with the time of speaking while at the same time conceptualizing them in their entirety. The latter type of construal is argued to be the main function of perfective aspect. The range of non-aspectual constructions with underlying perfective semantics includes ‘iamitive’ markers, an evidential, an epistemic supposition marker, a focus marker, a polar question marker, and a declarative marker. These constructions come from typologically different and genetically unrelated languages, illustrating the cross-linguistic salience of the category of perfective aspect.
Chloroplast Genome of Lithocarpus dealbatus (Hook.f. & Thomson ex Miq.) Rehder Establishes Monophyletic Origin of the Species and Reveals Mutational Hotspots with Taxon Delimitation Potential
Authors: Shelke Rahul Gunvantrao , Banerjee Rudra Prasad , Joshi Babita , Singh Prem Prakash , Tiwari Gopal Ji , Adhikari Dibyendu , Jena Satya Narayan , Barik Saroj Kanta
Published: June 2022

There is phylogenetic ambiguity in the genus Lithocarpus and subfamily Quercoideae (Family: Fagaceae). Lithocarpus dealbatus, an ecologically important tree, is the dominant species among the Quercoideae in India. Although several studies have been conducted on the species’ regeneration and ecological and economic significance, limited information is available on its phylo-genomics. To resolve the phylogeny in Quercoideae, we sequenced and assembled the 161,476 bp chloroplast genome of L. dealbatus, which has a large single-copy section of 90,732 bp and a small single-copy region of 18,987 bp, separated by a pair of inverted repeat regions of 25,879 bp. The chloroplast genome contained 133 genes, of which 86 were protein-coding genes, 39 were transfer RNAs, and eight were ribosomal RNAs. Analysis of repeat elements and RNA editing sites revealed interspecific similarities within the Lithocarpus genus. DNA diversity analysis identified five highly diverged coding and noncoding hotspot regions in the four genera, which can be used as polymorphic markers for species/taxon delimitation across the four genera of Quercoideae viz., Lithocarpus, Quercus, Castanea, and Castanopsis. The chloroplast-based phylogenetic analysis among the Quercoideae established a monophyletic origin of Lithocarpus, and a closer evolutionary lineage with a few Quercus species. Besides providing insights into the chloroplast genome architecture of L. dealbatus, the study identified five mutational hotspots having high taxon-delimitation potential across four genera of Quercoideae.
Magnetic Losses in Soft Ferrites
Authors: Dobák Samuel , Beatrice Cinzia , Tsakaloudi Vasiliki , Fiorillo Fausto
Published: June 2022

We review the basic phenomenology of magnetic losses from DC to 1 GHz in commercial and laboratory-prepared soft ferrites considering recent concepts regarding their physical interpretation. This is based, on the one hand, on the identification of the contributions to the magnetization process provided by spin rotations and domain walls and, on the other hand, the concept of loss separation. It additionally contemplates a distinction between the involved microscopic dissipation mechanisms: spin damping and eddy currents. Selected experimental results on the broadband behavior of complex permeability and losses in Mn-Zn ferrites provide significant examples of their dependence on sintering methods, solute elements, and working temperature. We also highlight the peculiar frequency and temperature response of Ni-Zn ferrites, which can be heavily affected by magnetic aftereffects. The physical modeling of the losses brings to light the role of the magnetic anisotropy and the way its magnitude distribution, affected by the internal demagnetizing fields, acts upon the magnetization process and its dependence on temperature and frequency. It is shown that the effective anisotropy governs the interplay of domain wall and rotational processes and their distinctive dissipation mechanisms, whose contributions are recognized in terms of different loss components.
Innovation of the Component GARCH Model: Simulation Evidence and Application on the Chinese Stock Market
Authors: Liu Tong , Shi Yanlin
Published: June 2022

The component GARCH model (CGARCH) was among the first attempts to split the conditional variance into a permanent and transitory component. With the application to economic and finance data, it helps investigate the long- and short-run movements of volatility affecting securities. Like all GARCH-type models, the innovation series of the CGARCH are usually assumed to follow a Normal distribution, which cannot accommodate fat-tailed properties commonly present in empirical data. The resulting estimates are not efficient when a Normal assumption is employed. In this paper, we consider the tempered stable distribution, which has the attractive stability under aggregation property missed in other popular fat-tailed distributions such as Student’s t-distribution and General Error Distribution (GED). Through systematically designed simulation studies, our results demonstrate that a CGARCH model with tempered stable distribution uniformly outperforms those with Normal, Student’s t-distribution and GED. Our empirical study on the Shanghai Stock Exchange index also leads to the same conclusions. Therefore, we argue that the CGARCH model with tempered stable distribution could be widely used to model economic and financial data in general contexts, focusing on both the long- and short-run volatility behaviours.
Application to Lipschitzian and Integral Systems via a Quadruple Coincidence Point in Fuzzy Metric Spaces
Authors: Hammad Hasanen A. , De la Sen Manuel
Published: June 2022

In this paper, the results of a quadruple coincidence point (QCP) are established for commuting mapping in the setting of fuzzy metric spaces (FMSs) without using a partially ordered set. In addition, several related results are presented in order to generalize some of the prior findings in this area. Finally, to support and enhance our theoretical ideas, non-trivial examples and applications for finding a unique solution for Lipschitzian and integral quadruple systems are discussed.
Epidemic Dynamics of Two-Pathogen Spreading for Pairwise Models
Authors: Chen Shanshan , Ran Yijun , Huang Hebo , Wang Zhenzhen , Shang Ke-ke
Published: June 2022

In the real world, pathogens do not exist in isolation. The transmission of one pathogen may be affected by the presence of other pathogens, and certain pathogens generate multiple strains with different spreading features. Hence, the behavior of multi-pathogen transmission has attracted much attention in epidemiological research. In this paper, we use the pairwise approximation method to formulate two-pathogen models capturing cross-immunity, super-infection, and co-infection phenomena, in which each pathogen follows a susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) mechanism. For each model, we calculate the basic reproduction number and analyze the stability of equilibria, and discuss the differences from the mean-field approach. We demonstrate that simulations are in good agreement with the analytical results.
An Image Encryption Scheme Synchronizing Optimized Chaotic Systems Implemented on Raspberry Pis
Authors: Guillén-Fernández Omar , Tlelo-Cuautle Esteban , de la Fraga Luis Gerardo , Sandoval-Ibarra Yuma , Nuñez-Perez Jose-Cruz
Published: June 2022

Guaranteeing security in information exchange is a challenge in public networks, such as in the highly popular application layer Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol. On the one hand, chaos generators have shown their usefulness in masking data that can be recovered while having the appropriate binary string. Privacy can then be accomplished by implementing synchronization techniques to connect the transmitter and receiver, among millions of users, to encrypt and decrypt data having the correct public key. On the other hand, chaotic binary sequences can be generated on Rapsberry Pis that can be connected over MQTT. To provide privacy and security, the transmitter and receiver (among millions of devices) can be synchronized to have the same chaotic public key to encrypt and decrypt data. In this manner, this paper shows the implementation of optimized chaos generators on Raspberry Pis that are wirelessly connected via MQTT for the IoT protocol. The publisher encrypts data that are public to millions of interconnected devices, but the data are decrypted by the subscribers having the correct chaotic binary sequence. The image encryption system is tested by performing NIST, TestU01, NPCR, UACI and other statistical analyses.
Artificial Intelligence-Based Tissue Phenotyping in Colorectal Cancer Histopathology Using Visual and Semantic Features Aggregation
Authors: Mahmood Tahir , Kim Seung Gu , Koo Ja Hyung , Park Kang Ryoung
Published: June 2022

Tissue phenotyping of the tumor microenvironment has a decisive role in digital profiling of intra-tumor heterogeneity, epigenetics, and progression of cancer. Most of the existing methods for tissue phenotyping often rely on time-consuming and error-prone manual procedures. Recently, with the advent of advanced technologies, these procedures have been automated using artificial intelligence techniques. In this paper, a novel deep histology heterogeneous feature aggregation network (HHFA-Net) is proposed based on visual and semantic information fusion for the detection of tissue phenotypes in colorectal cancer (CRC). We adopted and tested various data augmentation techniques to avoid computationally expensive stain normalization procedures and handle limited and imbalanced data problems. Three publicly available datasets are used in the experiments: CRC tissue phenotyping (CRC-TP), CRC histology (CRCH), and colon cancer histology (CCH). The proposed HHFA-Net achieves higher accuracies than the state-of-the-art methods for tissue phenotyping in CRC histopathology images.
A Probabilistic Chaotic Image Encryption Scheme
Authors: Kanso Ali , Ghebleh Mohammad , Bou Khuzam Mazen
Published: June 2022

This paper proposes a probabilistic image encryption scheme that improves on existing deterministic schemes by using a chaining mode of chaotic maps in a permutation-masking process. Despite its simplicity, the permutation phase destroys any correlation between adjacent pixel values in a meaningful image. The masking phase, however, modifies the pixel values of the image at hand using pseudorandom numbers with some other initiated random numbers so that any slight change in the plain image spreads throughout the corresponding cipher image. These random numbers ensure the generation of distinct cipher images for the same plain image encryption, even if it is encrypted multiple times with the same key, thereby adding some security features. Simulations show that the proposed scheme is robust to common statistical and security threats. Furthermore, the scheme is shown to be competitive with existing image encryption schemes.
Conservative Finite-Difference Scheme for 1D Ginzburg–Landau Equation
Authors: Trofimov Vyacheslav , Loginova Maria , Fedotov Mikhail , Tikhvinskii Daniil , Yang Yongqiang , Zheng Boyuan
Published: June 2022

In this study, our attention is focused on deriving integrals of motion (conservation laws; invariants) for the problem of an optical pulse propagation in an optical fiber containing an optical amplifier or attenuator because, to date, such invariants are absent in the literature. The knowledge of a problem’s invariants allows us develop finite-difference schemes possessing the conservativeness property, which is crucial for solving nonlinear problems. Laser pulse propagation is governed by the nonlinear Ginzburg–Landau equation. Firstly, the problem’s conservation laws are developed for the various parameters’ relations: for a linear case, for a nonlinear case without considering the linear absorption, and for a nonlinear case accounting for the linear absorption and homogeneous shift of the pulse’s phase. Hereafter, the Crank–Nicolson-type scheme is constructed for the problem difference approximation. To demonstrate the conservativeness of the constructed implicit finite-difference scheme in the sense of preserving difference analogs of the problem’s invariants, the corresponding theorems are formulated and proved. The problem of the finite-difference scheme’s nonlinearity is solved by means of an iterative process. Finally, several numerical examples are presented to support the theoretical results.
Thermomechanical Optimization of Three-Dimensional Low Heat Generation Microelectronic Packaging Using the Boundary Element Method
Authors: Vallepuga-Espinosa José , Cifuentes-Rodríguez Jaime , Gutiérrez-Posada Víctor , Ubero-Martínez Iván
Published: June 2022

This paper presents a simulation based on the boundary element method for the optimization of the thermomechanical behavior of three-dimensional microchip-dissipator packaging when the heat generation produced is medium-low. Starting from a basic architecture studied in the literature, different modifications affecting both elastic boundary conditions and the contact interface between the microprocessor and the heatsink are included and studied in order to improve heat dissipation. A nonlinear interface material is included at the interface of both solids. Thus, a thermal contact conductance as a function of the normal contact traction is simulated. Finally, all these improvements in both contact interface and boundary conditions are applied to study the maximum heat generation that this kind of architecture can efficiently dissipate, so that the microchip will not be damaged due to thermal deformations.
Coexisting Attractor in a Gyrostat Chaotic System via Basin of Attraction and Synchronization of Two Nonidentical Mechanical Systems
Authors: Marwan Muhammad , Dos Santos Vagner , Abidin Muhammad Zainul , Xiong Anda
Published: June 2022

This paper is divided into two main portions. First, we look at basins of attraction as a tool with a unique set of characteristics for discussing multistability and coexisting attractors in a gyrostat chaotic system. For the validation of coexisting attractors in different basins, several approaches such as bifurcation diagrams, Lyapunov exponents, and the Poincaré section are applied. The second half of the study synchronizes two mechanical chaotic systems using a novel controller, with gyrostat and quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (QUAV) chaotic systems acting as master and slave systems, respectively. The error dynamical system and the parameter updated law are built using Lyapunov’s theory, and it is discovered that under certain parametric conditions, the trajectories of the QUAV chaotic system overlap and begin to match the features of the gyrostat chaotic system.
Human Alertness Optimization with a Three-Process Dynamic Model
Authors: Yin Jiawei , Julius Agung , Wen John T. , Wang Zhen , He Chuanlin , Kou Lei
Published: June 2022

Circadian rhythm is an important biological process for humans as it modulates a wide range of physiological processes, including body temperature, sleep-wake cycle, and cognitive performance. As the most powerful external stimulus of circadian rhythm, light has been studied as a zeitgeber to regulate the circadian phase and sleep. This paper addresses the human alertness optimization problem, by optimizing light exposure and sleep schedules to relieve fatigue and cognitive impairment, in cases of night-shift workers and subjects with certain mission periods based on dynamics of the circadian rhythm system. A three-process hybrid dynamic model is used for simulating the circadian rhythm and predicting subjective alertness and sleepiness. Based on interindividual difference in sleep type and living habits, we propose a tunable sleep schedule in the alertness optimization problem, which allows the appropriate tuning of sleep and wake times based on sleep propensity. Variational calculus is applied to evaluate the impacts of light and sleep schedules on the alertness and a gradient descent algorithm is proposed to determine the optimal solutions to maximize the alertness level in various cases. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the cognitive performance during certain periods can be significantly improved by optimizing the light input and tuning sleep/wake times compared to empirical data.
Recurrence of Uncomplicated Diverticulitis: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kang Guhyun , Son Soomin , Shin Young-Min , Pyo Jung-Soo
Published: June 2022

Background and objective: This study aimed to investigate the estimated rate and risk of recurrence of uncomplicated diverticulitis (UCD) after the first episode through a meta-analysis. Methods: Eligible studies were searched and reviewed; 27 studies were included in this study. Subgroup analyses were performed, based on lesion location, medical treatment, follow-up period, and study location. Results: The estimated recurrence rate of UCD was 0.129 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.102–0.162). The recurrence rates of the right-and left-sided colon were 0.092 (95% CI 27.063–0.133) and 0.153 (95% CI 0.104–0.218), respectively. The recurrence rate according to follow-up period was highest in the subgroup 1–2 years, compared with that of other subgroups. The recurrence rate of the Asian subgroup was significantly lower than that of the non-Asian subgroup (0.092, 95% CI 0.064–0.132 vs. 0.147, 95% CI 0.110–0.192; p = 0.043 in the meta-regression test). There were significant correlations between UCD recurrence and older age and higher body temperature. However, UCD recurrence was not significantly correlated with medications, such as antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs. Conclusions: In this study, detailed information on estimated recurrence rates of UCD was obtained. In addition, older age and higher body temperature may be risk factors for UCD recurrence after the first episode.
Investigation of the Shot Size Effect on Residual Stresses through a 2D FEM Model of the Shot Peening Process
Authors: Gakias Christos , Maliaris Georgios , Savaidis Georgios
Published: June 2022

Shot peening is a surface treatment process commonly used to enhance the fatigue properties of metallic engineering components. In industry, various types of shots are used, and a common strategy is to regenerate a portion (approximately up to 35% of the total shot mix weight) of used and worn shots with new ones of the same type. Shots of the same type do not have a constant diameter, as it is concluded by experience that the diameter variation is beneficial for fatigue life. The process of stochasticity raises the difficulty for the application of computational methods, such as finite elements analysis, for the calculation of pivotal parameters, for instance, the development of the residual stress field. In the present work, a recently developed plane strain 2D FEM model is used, which has the capability to consider various shot size distributions. With the aid of this model, it became feasible to study the effect of the shot-size distribution, its sensitivity, and to draw conclusions considering the industrial practice of using a mixture with new and worn shots. The diameter of these shot types differs significantly, and a used shot may have a diameter three times smaller than a new one. As concluded from the finite element results, which are verified from experimental measurements, a shot type with a larger diameter causes a wider valley in the stress profile, and the peak stress depth increases. Alongside the peak stress depth movement, with smaller shots, larger residual stresses are observed closer to the surface. Thus, the superimposition of many shots with variable diameters causes the development of a residual stress field with enhanced characteristics. Furthermore, this residual stress field may be further enhanced by adjusting or increasing the percentage weight of the used shots, up to ~50%.
Assessment of Porosity Defects in Ingot Using Machine Learning Methods during Electro Slag Remelting Process
Authors: Zhang Ganggang , Hu Yingbin , Hou Dong , Yang Dongxuan , Zhang Qingchuan , Hu Yapeng , Liu Xinliang
Published: June 2022

The porosity defects in the ingot, which are caused by moisture absorption in slag during the electroslag remelting process, deserve the researcher’s attention in the summer wet season. The prediction of slag weight gain caused by moisture absorption is critical for developing slag baking and scheduling strategies and can assist workshop managers in making informed decisions during industrial production of electro slag remelting. The moisture absorption in slag under the conditions of different air humidity, experimental time, slag particle size, and CaO content in the slag are investigated by slag weight gain experiments. The purpose of this study is to predict the rate of weight gain in slag using observed weight gain data and machine learning (ML) models. The observation dataset includes features and rate of weight growth, which serve as independent and dependent variables, respectively, for ML models. Four machine learning models: linear regression, support vector regression, random forest regression, and multi-layer perceptron, were employed in this study. Additionally, parameters for machine learning models were selected using 5-fold cross-validation. Support vector regression outperformed the other three machine learning models in terms of root-mean-square errors, mean squared errors, and coefficients of determination. Thus, the ML-based model is a viable and significant method for forecasting the slag weight gain rate, whereas support vector regression can produce results that are competitive and satisfying. The results of slag weight gain data and ML models show that the slag weight gain increases with the increase of air humidity, experimental time, slag particle size, and CaO content in the slag. The porosity defect in the ingot during the ESR process often appears when the moisture in the slag exceeds 0.02%. Considering saving electric energy, the complexity of on-site scheduling, and 4 h of scheduling time, the slag T3 (CaF2:CaO:Al2O3:MgO = 37:28:30:5) is selected to produce H13 steel ESR ingot in the winter, and slag T2 (CaF2:CaO:Al2O3:MgO = 48:17:30:5) is selected to produce H13 steel ESR ingot in the summer.
First-Principles Study on the Elastic Mechanical Properties and Anisotropies of Gold–Copper Intermetallic Compounds
Authors: Wang Jian , Qin Hongbo , Chen Junfu , Yang Daoguo , Zhang Guoqi
Published: June 2022

In this study, first-principles calculations were utilized to investigate the lattice constants, elastic constants, and mechanical properties of gold–copper (Au–Cu) intermetallic compounds (IMCs), including AuCu3, AuCu, and Au3Cu. We also verified the direction dependence of the Young’s modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson’s ratio of the compounds. The calculated lattice parameters agreed with the experimental data, and the single-crystal elastic constants, elastic modulus E, shear modulus G, bulk modulus B, and Poisson’s ratio ν were calculated. For the Young’s and shear moduli, AuCu3 showed the highest anisotropy, followed by AuCu and Au3Cu. The Poisson’s ratios of AuCu3 and Au3Cu crystals were isotropic on (100) and (111) crystal planes and anisotropic on the (110) crystal plane. However, the Poisson’s ratio of the AuCu crystal was anisotropic on (100) and (111) crystal planes and isotropic on the (110) crystal plane.
The Effect of Cathodic Cage Plasma TiN Deposition on Surface Properties of Conventional Plasma Nitrided AISI-M2 Steel
Authors: de Abreu Luiz Henrique Portela , Naeem Muhammad , Monção Renan Matos , Costa Thercio H. C. , Díaz-Guillén Juan C. , Iqbal Javed , Sousa Rômulo Ribeiro Magalhães
Published: June 2022

In this study, a combination of conventional plasma nitriding and cathodic cage plasma deposition (CCPD) at different temperatures (400 and 450 °C) is implemented to enhance the surface properties of AISI-M2 steel. This combination effectively improves the surface hardness and the formation of a favorable hardness gradient toward the core, which would benefit the load-bearing capacity of substrate. The duplex-treated samples exhibit iron nitrides Fe4N, Fe2−3N and titanium nitride TiN phases. The thickness of the hard-TiN layer is 1.35 and 2.37 μm, whereas the combined thickness of the hard film and diffusion layer is 87 and 124 μm, for treatment at 400 and 450 °C, respectively. The wear rate and friction coefficient are dramatically reduced by duplex treatment. The oxidative wear mechanism and adhesive wear mechanism are dominant for duplex-treated samples. This study suggests that the cathodic cage plasma deposition technique can attain a combination of hard film and diffusion layer. The plasma nitriding before CCPD is beneficial for attaining an adequate nitrogen diffusion layer thickness. The drawbacks of conventional TiN film deposition, such as “egg-shell” problems, can be removed.
Novel Plasma Metabolomic Markers Associated with Diabetes Progression in Older Puerto Ricans
Authors: Rivas-Tumanyan Sona , Pacheco Lorena S. , Haslam Danielle E. , Liang Liming , Tucker Katherine L. , Joshipura Kaumudi J. , Bhupathiraju Shilpa N.
Published: June 2022

We assessed longitudinal associations between plasma metabolites, their network-derived clusters, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) progression in Puerto Rican adults, a high-risk Hispanic subgroup with established health disparities. We used data from 1221 participants free of T2D and aged 40–75 years at baseline in the Boston Puerto Rican Health and San Juan Overweight Adult Longitudinal Studies. We used multivariable Poisson regression models to examine associations between baseline concentrations of metabolites and incident T2D and prediabetes. Cohort-specific estimates were combined using inverse-variance weighted fixed-effects meta-analyses. A cluster of 13 metabolites of branched chain amino acids (BCAA), and aromatic amino acid metabolism (pooled IRR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.28; 2.73), and a cell membrane component metabolite cluster (pooled IRR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.04; 2.27) were associated with a higher risk of incident T2D. When the metabolites were tested individually, in combined analysis, 5 metabolites involved in BCAA metabolism were associated with incident T2D. These findings highlight potential prognostic biomarkers to identify Puerto Rican adults who may be at high risk for diabetes. Future studies should examine whether diet and lifestyle can modify the associations between these metabolites and progression to T2D.
Genetic Diversity and Phylogenetic Relatedness of Plasmodium ovale curtisi and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Oboh Mary A. , Thomas Bolaji N.
Published: June 2022

P. ovale was until recently thought to be a single unique species. However, the deployment of more sensitive tools has led to increased diagnostic sensitivity, including new evidence supporting the presence of two sympatric species: P. ovale curtisi (Poc) and P. ovale wallikeri (Pow). The increased reports and evolution of P. ovale subspecies are concerning for sub-Saharan Africa where the greatest burden of malaria is borne. Employing published sequence data, we set out to decipher the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relatedness of P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri using the tryptophan-rich protein and small subunit ribosomal RNA genes from Gabon, Senegal, Ethiopia and Kenya. Higher number of segregating sites were recorded in Poc isolates from Gabon than from Ethiopia, with a similar trend in the number of haplotypes. With regards to Pow, the number of segregating sites and haplotypes from Ethiopia were higher than from those in Gabon. Poc from Kenya, had higher segregating sites (20), and haplotypes (4) than isolates from Senegal (8 and 3 respectively), while nucleotide from Senegal were more diverse (θw = 0.02159; π = 0.02159) than those from Kenya (θw = 0.01452; π = 0.01583). Phylogenetic tree construction reveal two large clades with Poc from Gabon and Ethiopia, and distinct Gabonese and Ethiopian clades on opposite ends. A similar observation was recorded for the phylogeny of Poc isolates from Kenya and Senegal. With such results, there is a high potential that ovale malaria control measures deployed in one country may be effective in the other since parasite from both countries show some degree of relatedness. How this translates to malaria control efforts throughout the continent would be next step deserving more studies.
Application of Organic Fertilizer Changes the Rhizosphere Microbial Communities of a Gramineous Grass on Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Authors: Ma Kun , Wang Yingcheng , Jin Xin , Zhao Yangan , Yan Huilin , Zhang Haijuan , Zhou Xueli , Lu Guangxin , Deng Ye
Published: June 2022

The effects of organic fertilizer application on the soil microbial community in grassland systems have been extensively studied. However, the effects of organic fertilizers on the structure of rhizosphere microbial communities are still limited. In this study, the diversity and composition of rhizosphere microbial communities of a gramineous grass Elymus nutans under organic fertilizer treatment were studied in an artificial pasture on Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. After a growing season, the application of organic fertilizer not only increased the height and biomass of Elymus nutans, but also changed the rhizosphere microbial compositions. In particular, organic fertilizer increased the diversity of rhizosphere bacterial community and inhibited the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Acinetobacter, but the opposite trend was observed for the diversity of fungal community. The assembly process of fungal community was changed from a stochastic process to a deterministic process, indicating that selection was strengthened. Additionally, both the infection rate of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) toward host plants and the development of AMF-related structures were significantly increased after the application of organic fertilizer. Our study demonstrated that the addition of organic fertilizer to artificial pasture could improve the growth of grass through the alteration of the rhizosphere microbial communities. Organic fertilizer had a greater selectivity for the bacterial and the fungal communities that enhanced the niche filtration in this community, further benefiting the yield of forages.
Traditional Fermented Foods and Beverages from around the World and Their Health Benefits
Authors: Cuamatzin-García Leonel , Rodríguez-Rugarcía Paola , El-Kassis Elie Girgis , Galicia Georgina , Meza-Jiménez María de Lourdes , Baños-Lara Ma. del Rocío , Zaragoza-Maldonado Diego Salatiel , Pérez-Armendáriz Beatriz
Published: June 2022

Traditional fermented foods and beverages play an important role in a range of human diets, and several experimental studies have shown their potential positive effects on human health. Studies from different continents have revealed strong associations between the microorganisms present in certain fermented foods (e.g., agave fructans, kefir, yeats, kombucha, chungkookjang, cheeses and vegetables, among others) and weight maintenance, reductions in the risk of cardiovascular disease, antidiabetic and constipation benefits, improvement of glucose and lipids levels, stimulation of the immunological system, anticarcinogenic effects and, most importantly, reduced mortality. Accordingly, the aim of this review is to corroborate information reported in experimental studies that comprised interventions involving the consumption of traditional fermented foods or beverages and their association with human health. This work focuses on studies that used fermented food from 2014 to the present. In conclusion, traditional fermented foods or beverages could be important in the promotion of human health. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms involved in inflammatory, immune, chronic and gastrointestinal diseases and the roles of fermented traditional foods and beverages in terms of preventing or managing those diseases.
Perspectives of Using DES-Based Systems for Solid–Liquid and Liquid–Liquid Extraction of Metals from E-Waste
Authors: Dias Rafael M. , da Costa Mariana C. , Jimenez Yecid P.
Published: June 2022

In recent years, the linear economic model and global warming have shown that it is necessary to move toward a circular economic model. In this scenario, the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) with green processes is one of the pending tasks; thus, in the present review, advances in the solid–liquid and liquid–liquid extraction processes, processes among the most important for the recovery of metals from ores or WEEE, with green solvents such as deep eutectic solvents (DES) are presented and analyzed, identifying the present and future challenges. To date, most articles focused on one of the processes, be it solid–liquid or liquid–liquid extraction, while few reports included the entire hydrometallurgical process, which could be due to heterogeneity of the WEEE, a characteristic that influences determining the leaching kinetic and the leaching mechanisms. A deeper understanding of the phenomenon would help improve this process and the next stage of liquid–liquid extraction. This also leads to the fact that, at the liquid–liquid extraction stage, most articles considered synthetic pregnant leach solutions to evaluate each of the variables, whereas the stripping of the ions and the recycling of the DESs in continuous processes is a challenge that should be addressed in future work. From the analysis, for WEEE leaching, it was identified that acid DESs are those achieving the best extraction percentages in the leaching of copper, lithium, and cobalt, among others, where the most studied hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) is choline chloride with an acid (e.g., citric or lactic acid) as the hydrogen bond donor (HBD). For the liquid–liquid extraction of ions is a greater variety of HBAs (e.g., lidocaine, trioctylphosphine oxide and triphenyl phosphate) and HBDs (e.g., decanoic acid, thenoyltrifluoroacetone, and benzoyltrifluoroacetone) used; however, studies on the extraction of cobalt, lithium, copper, and nickel stand out, where the pH and temperature parameters have great influence.
Natural Products Produced in Culture by Biosynthetically Talented Salinispora arenicola Strains Isolated from Northeastern and South Pacific Marine Sediments
Authors: Williams David E. , Morgan Kalindi D. , Dalisay Doralyn S. , Matainaho Teatulohi , Perrachon Elodie , Viller Noemie , Delcroix Maïlys , Gauchot Jeanne , Niikura Haruka , Patrick Brian O. , Ryan Katherine S. , Andersen Raymond J.
Published: June 2022

Laboratory cultures of two ‘biosynthetically talented’ bacterial strains harvested from tropical and temperate Pacific Ocean sediment habitats were examined for the production of new natural products. Cultures of the tropical Salinispora arenicola strain RJA3005, harvested from a PNG marine sediment, produced salinorcinol (3) and salinacetamide (4), which had previously been reported as products of engineered and mutated strains of Amycolatopsis mediterranei, but had not been found before as natural products. An S. arenicola strain RJA4486, harvested from marine sediment collected in the temperate ocean waters off British Columbia, produced the new aminoquinone polyketide salinisporamine (5). Natural products 3, 4, and 5 are putative shunt products of the widely distributed rifamycin biosynthetic pathway.
Yeast Particles Hyper-Loaded with Terpenes for Biocide Applications
Authors: Soto Ernesto R. , Rus Florentina , Ostroff Gary R.
Published: June 2022

Yeast particles (YPs) are 3–5 µm hollow and porous microspheres, a byproduct of some food grade yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) extract manufacturing processes. Terpenes can be efficiently encapsulated inside YPs by passive diffusion through the porous cell walls. As previously published, this YP terpene encapsulation approach has been successfully implemented (1) to develop and commercialize fungicide and nematicide products for agricultural applications, (2) to co-load high potency agrochemical actives dissolved in terpenes or suitable solvents, and (3) to identify YP terpenes with broad-acting anthelmintic activity for potential pharmaceutical applications. These first-generation YP terpene materials were developed with a <2:1 terpene: YP weight ratio. Here we report methods to increase the terpene loading capacity in YPs up to 5:1 terpene: YP weight ratio. Hyper-loaded YP terpenes extend the kinetics of payload release up to three-fold compared to the commercialized YP terpene formulations. Hyper-loaded YP-terpene compositions were further optimized to achieve high terpene storage encapsulation stability from −20 °C to 54 °C. The development of hyper-loaded YP terpenes has a wide range of potential agricultural and pharmaceutical applications with terpenes and other compatible active substances that could benefit from a delivery system with a high payload loading capacity combined with increased payload stability and sustained release properties.
Leptin in Human Milk—One of the Key Regulators of Nutritional Programming
Authors: Sinkiewicz-Darol Elena , Adamczyk Iwona , Łubiech Katarzyna , Pilarska Gabriela , Twarużek Magdalena
Published: June 2022

Breast milk is the optimal food for infants and toddlers, providing basic nutrients. It is also a source of many biologically active substances. Among them are hormones responsible for metabolic balance. One of the hormones taken in with breast milk by a breastfed baby is leptin. This hormone is involved in the regulation of appetite, informing the brain about the body’s energy resources. Having the correct mechanisms related to the action of leptin is a factor reducing the risk of obesity. The natural presence of leptin in the composition of breast milk suggests that it has a specific role in shaping the health of a breastfed child. Obesity as a disease of civilization affects more and more people, including children. The development of this disease is multifaceted and determined by many factors, including genetic and environmental factors such as eating habits and low physical activity. Behind obesity, there are complex mechanisms in which many elements of the human body are involved. Understanding the effects of breastfeeding as a natural source of leptin can help prevent childhood obesity and development of this disease in future life.
Application of Dual-Enhanced Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Probe Technology in the Diagnosis of Tumor Cells in Vitro
Authors: Zhao Yinping , Kong Yawei , Chen Liwen , Sheng Han , Fei Yiyan , Mi Lan , Li Bei , Ma Jiong
Published: June 2022

With the development of precision medicine, antigen/antibody-targeted therapy has brought great hope to tumor patients; however, the migration of tumor cells, especially a small number of cells flowing into blood or other tissues, remains a clinical challenge. In particular, it is difficult to use functional gold nanomaterials for targeted clinical tumor diagnosis while simultaneously obtaining stable and highly sensitive Raman signals. Therefore, we developed a detection method for functional Au Nanostars (AuNSs) with dual signal enhancement that can specifically track location and obtain high-intensity surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals. First, AuNSs with specific optical properties were synthesized and functionalized. The Raman dye 4-mercapto-hydroxybenzoic acid and polyethylene glycol were coupled with the tumor marker, epidermal growth factor receptor, to obtain the targeted SERS probes. In addition, a detection chip was prepared for Raman detection with physical enhancement, exhibiting a 40-times higher signal intensity than that of quartz glass. This study combines physical enhancement and SERS enhancement technologies to achieve dual enhancement, enabling the detection of a highly sensitive and stable Raman signal; this has potential clinical value for antigen/antibody-targeted tumor diagnosis and treatment.
Development and Validation of an HPLC-UV Method for the Quantification of 4′-Hydroxydiclofenac Using Salicylic Acid: Future Applications for Measurement of In Vitro Drug–Drug Interaction in Rat Liver Microsomes
Authors: Salhab Hassan , Barker James
Published: June 2022

Salicylic acid is a key compound in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that has been recently used for preventing the risk of hospitalization and death among COVID-19 patients and in preventing colorectal cancer (CRC) by suppressing two key proteins. Understanding drug–drug interaction pathways prevent the occurrence of adverse drug reactions in clinical trials. Drug–drug interactions can result in the variation of the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic of the drug. Inhibition of the Cytochrome P450 enzyme activity leads to the withdrawal of the drug from the market. The aim of this paper was to develop and validate an HPLC-UV method for the quantification of 4′-hydroxydiclofenac as a CYP2C9 metabolite using salicylic acid as an inhibitor in rat liver microsomes. A CYP2C9 assay was developed and validated on the reversed phase C18 column (SUPELCO 25 cm × 4.6 mm × 5 µm) using a low-pressure gradient elution programming at T = 30 °C, a wavelength of 282 nm, and a flow rate of 1 mL/min. 4′-hydroxydiclofenac demonstrated a good linearity (R2 > 0.99), good reproducibility, low detection, and quantitation limit, and the inter and intra-day precision met the ICH guidelines (<15%). 4′-hydroxydiclofenac was stable for three days and showed an acceptable accuracy and recovery (80–120%) within the ICH guidelines in a rat liver microsome sample. This method will be beneficial for future applications of the in vitro inhibitory effect of salicylic acid on the CYP2C9 enzyme activity in rat microsomes and the in vivo administration of salicylic acid in clinical trials.
Changes in the Volatile Profile of Wheat Sourdough Produced with the Addition of Cava Lees
Authors: Martín-Garcia Alba , Comas-Basté Oriol , Riu-Aumatell Montserrat , Latorre-Moratalla Mariluz , López-Tamames Elvira
Published: June 2022

The volatile fraction is of great importance for the organoleptic quality and consumer acceptance of bread. The use of sourdough improves the sensory profile of bread, as well as the addition of new ingredients to the fermentation. Cava lees are a sparkling wine by-product formed of dead microorganisms, tartaric acid, and other inorganic compounds, rich in antioxidant compounds as well as β-glucans and mannoproteins. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of Cava lees (0–2% w/w) on sourdough volatile compounds to re-valorize this by-product of the wine industry. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was optimized to study the volatile fractions of sourdoughs. The parameters selected were 60 °C, 15 min of equilibrium, and 30 min of extraction. It was found that the addition of Cava lees resulted in higher concentrations of volatile compounds (alcohols, acids, aldehydes, ketones and esters), with the highest values being reached with the 2% Cava lees. Moreover, Cava lees contributed to aroma due to the compounds usually found in sparkling wine, such as 1-butanol, octanoic acid, benzaldehyde and ethyl hexanoate.
Contribution of Aldehydes and Their Derivatives to Antimicrobial and Immunomodulatory Activities
Authors: Aljaafari Mariam Nasser , Alkhoori Maryam Abdulraheem , Hag-Ali Mohammed , Cheng Wan-Hee , Lim Swee-Hua-Erin , Loh Jiun-Yan , Lai Kok-Song
Published: June 2022

Essential oils (EOs) are intricate combinations of evaporative compounds produced by aromatic plants and extracted by distillation or expression. EOs are natural secondary metabolites derived from plants and have been found to be useful in food and nutraceutical manufacturing, perfumery and cosmetics; they have also been found to alleviate the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in addition to functioning as antibacterial and antifungal agents, balancing menstrual cycles and being efficacious as an immune system booster. Several main aldehyde constituents can be found in different types of EOs, and thus, aldehydes and their derivatives will be the main focus of this study with regard to their antimicrobial, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. This brief study also explores the activity of aldehydes and their derivatives against pathogenic bacteria for future use in the clinical setting.
Millimeter-Wave Spectroscopy of Methylfuran Isomers: Local vs. Global Treatments of the Internal Rotation
Authors: Bruckhuisen Jonas , Chawananon Sathapana , Kleiner Isabelle , Roucou Anthony , Dhont Guillaume , Bracquart Colwyn , Asselin Pierre , Cuisset Arnaud
Published: June 2022

Methylfurans are methylated aromatic heterocyclic volatile organic compounds and primary or secondary pollutants in the atmosphere due to their capability to form secondary organic aerosols in presence of atmospheric oxidants. There is therefore a significant interest to monitor these molecules in the gas phase. High resolution spectroscopic studies of methylated furan compounds are generally limited to pure rotational spectroscopy in the vibrational ground state. This lack of results might be explained by the difficulties arisen from the internal rotation of the methyl group inducing non-trivial patterns in the rotational spectra. In this study, we discuss the benefits to assign the mm-wave rotational-torsional spectra of methylfuran with the global approach of the BELGI-Cs code compared to local approaches such as XIAM and ERHAM. The global approach reproduces the observed rotational lines of 2-methylfuran and 3-methylfuran in the mm-wave region at the experimental accuracy for the ground vt=0 and the first torsional vt=1 states with a unique set of molecular parameters. In addition, the V3 and V6 parameters describing the internal rotation potential barrier may be determined with a high degree of accuracy with the global approach. Finally, a discussion with other heterocyclic compounds enables the study of the influence of the electronic environment on the hindered rotation of the methyl group.