bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maximizing the Estrogenic Potential of Soy Isoflavones through the Gut Microbiome: Implication for Cardiometabolic Health in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Leonard Lindsay M. , Choi Mun Sun , Cross Tzu-Wen L.
Published: January 2022

Soy isoflavones have been suggested as an alternative treatment for managing postmenopausal symptoms and promoting long-term health due to their structural similarity to mammalian estrogen and ability to bind to estrogen receptors. Among all soy isoflavones and their metabolites, (S)-equol is known for having the strongest estrogenic activity. Equol is a metabolite of the soy isoflavone daidzein produced through intestinal bacterial metabolism. However, more than half of the human population is not able to produce equol due to the lack of equol-producing bacteria in their gastrointestinal tract. The interpersonal variations in the gut microbiome complicate the interpretation of data collected from humans. Furthermore, because rodents are efficient equol-producers, translatability between rodent models and humans is challenging. Herein, we first summarized the current knowledge of the microbial conversion of daidzein to equol, its relation to health, and proposed the need for developing model systems by which equol production can be manipulated while controlling other known confounding factors. Determining the necessity of equol-producing capacity within a gut microbial community when consuming soy as a functional ingredient, and identifying strategies to maximize equol production by modulating the gut microbiome, may provide future therapeutic approaches to improve the health of postmenopausal women.
Relationship between Eating Habits, Physical Activity and Tobacco and Alcohol Use in Pregnant Women: Sociodemographic Inequalities
Authors: Corrales-Gutierrez Isabel , Baena-Antequera Francisca , Gomez-Baya Diego , Leon-Larios Fatima , Mendoza Ramon
Published: January 2022

Pregnant women must maintain or acquire healthy habits during pregnancy to protect both their own health and their child’s. Such habits include an adequate eating pattern along with good adherence to the intake of certain supplements, practice of moderate physical activity and avoiding the consumption of toxic products such as tobacco and alcohol. The objective of this study is to assess the interrelation between such habits and their association with sociodemographic variables. To such end, a cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of pregnant women who attended the scheduled morphology echography consultation at the 20th gestational week in their reference public hospital in the city of Seville (Spain). Results: Younger pregnant women and with lower educational levels are the ones that present the worst eating habits and the highest smoking rate. Pregnant women with lower educational levels are the least active. Non-smoking pregnant women present better eating habits than those who smoke. Pregnant women with lower educational levels are those who accumulate more unhealthy habits during pregnancy. This should be taken into account when planning the health care provided to pregnant women and in public health intersectoral policies.
Nutritional Composition and Bioactive Components in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Greens: A Review
Authors: Pathan Safiullah , Siddiqui Rafat A.
Published: January 2022

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a nutrient-rich grain native to South America and eaten worldwide as a healthy food, sometimes even referred to as a ”superfood”. Like quinoa grains, quinoa greens (green leaves, sprouts, and microgreens) are also rich in nutrients and have health promoting properties such as being antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antiobesity, and cardio-beneficial. Quinoa greens are gluten-free and provide an excellent source of protein, amino acids, essential minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Quinoa greens represent a promising value-added vegetable that could resolve malnutrition problems and contribute to food and nutritional security. The greens can be grown year-round (in the field, high tunnel, and greenhouse) and have short growth durations. In addition, quinoa is salt-, drought-, and cold-tolerant and requires little fertilizer and water to grow. Nevertheless, consumption of quinoa greens as leafy vegetables is uncommon. To date, only a few researchers have investigated the nutritional properties, phytochemical composition, and human health benefits of quinoa greens. We undertook a comprehensive review of the literature on quinoa greens to explore their nutritional and functional significance to human health and to bring awareness to their use in human diets.
One Giant Leap from Mouse to Man: The Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis in Mood Disorders and Translational Challenges Moving towards Human Clinical Trials
Authors: Forssten Sofia D. , Ouwehand Arthur C. , Griffin Síle M. , Patterson Elaine
Published: January 2022

The microbiota–gut–brain axis is a bidirectional communication pathway that enables the gut microbiota to communicate with the brain through direct and indirect signaling pathways to influence brain physiology, function, and even behavior. Research has shown that probiotics can improve several aspects of health by changing the environment within the gut, and several lines of evidence now indicate a beneficial effect of probiotics on mental and brain health. Such evidence has prompted the arrival of a new term to the world of biotics research: psychobiotics, defined as any exogenous influence whose effect on mental health is bacterially mediated. Several taxonomic changes in the gut microbiota have been reported in neurodevelopmental disorders, mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. While clinical evidence supporting the role of the gut microbiota in mental and brain health, and indeed demonstrating the beneficial effects of probiotics is rapidly accumulating, most of the evidence to date has emerged from preclinical studies employing different animal models. The purpose of this review is to focus on the role of probiotics and the microbiota–gut–brain axis in relation to mood disorders and to review the current translational challenges from preclinical to clinical research.
Modelling Human Brucellosis Based on Infection Rate and Vaccination Coverage of Sheep and Goats
Authors: Dougas Georgios , Katsiolis Aristomenis , Linou Maria , Kostoulas Polychronis , Billinis Charalambos
Published: January 2022

In this study, the vaccination coverage, serological sampling and infection rate of sheep and goats were evaluated as predictors for the modeling of human brucellosis in Greece. The human brucellosis disease frequency per local regional unit (RU) varied significantly (RR90) among consecutive years. The notification rate was higher (p < 0.001) in the RUs with implementation of vaccination in sheep and goats (vaccination zone—VZ) with a median of 1.4 (IQR 0.0–3.1) compared with the RUs of the eradication zone (EZ) with a median of 0.0 (IQR 0.0–0.0). In VZ, the increased frequency of human cases was associated with delayed vaccine administration (estimate: 0.14 (0.04; 0.29), p = 0.03) and higher vaccination coverage of the animals (estimate: −0.349 (−0.72; −0.07), p < 0.01). However, the flock sampling rate was highly heterogenous among RUs (IQR 10.56–52.93), and inconsistent within RUs throughout the period of the study 2013–2017 (p = 0.001), limiting the reliable estimation of the infection rate in livestock and the design of an integrated One Health model for human disease.
Synthesis and Characterization of Novel 2-Acyl-3-trifluoromethylquinoxaline 1,4-Dioxides as Potential Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: Buravchenko Galina I. , Maslov Dmitry A. , Alam Md Shah , Grammatikova Natalia E. , Frolova Svetlana G. , Vatlin Aleksey A. , Tian Xirong , Ivanov Ivan V. , Bekker Olga B. , Kryakvin Maxim A. , Dontsova Olga A. , Danilenko Valery N. , Zhang Tianyu , Shchekotikhin Andrey E.
Published: January 2022

The emergence of drug resistance in pathogens leads to a loss of effectiveness of antimicrobials and complicates the treatment of bacterial infections. Quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides represent a prospective scaffold for search of new compounds with improved chemotherapeutic characteristics. Novel 2-acyl-3-trifluoromethylquinoxaline 1,4-dioxides with alteration of substituents at position 2 and 6 were synthesized via nucleophilic substitution with piperazine moiety and evaluated against a broad panel of bacteria and fungi by measuring their minimal inhibitory concentrations. Their mode of action was assessed by whole-genomic sequencing of spontaneous drug-resistant Mycobacterium smegmatis mutants, followed by comparative genomic analysis, and on an original pDualrep2 system. Most of the 2-acyl-3-trifluoromethylquinoxaline 1,4-dioxides showed high antibacterial properties against Gram-positive strains, including mycobacteria, and the introduction of a halogen atom in the position 6 of the quinoxaline ring further increased their activity, with 13c being the most active compound. The mode of action studies confirmed the DNA-damaging nature of the obtained quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides, while drug-resistance may be provided by mutations in redox homeostasis genes, encoding enzymes potentially involved in the activation of the compounds. This study extends views about the antimicrobial and antifungal activities of the quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides and can potentially lead to the discovery of new antibacterial drugs.
Homotypic Cancer Cell Membranes Camouflaged Nanoparticles for Targeting Drug Delivery and Enhanced Chemo-Photothermal Therapy of Glioma
Authors: Ren Yajing , Miao Chenlin , Tang Liang , Liu Yuxiang , Ni Pinyue , Gong Yan , Li Hui , Chen Fuxue , Feng Shini
Published: January 2022

Glioma is among the deadliest types of brain cancer, for which there currently is no effective treatment. Chemotherapy is mainstay in the treatment of glioma. However, drug tolerance, non-targeting, and poor blood–brain barrier penetrance severely inhibits the efficacy of chemotherapeutics. An improved treatment method is thus urgently needed. Herein, a multifunctional biomimetic nanoplatform was developed by encapsulating graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and doxorubicin (DOX) inside a homotypic cancer cell membrane (CCM) for targeted chemo-photothermal therapy of glioma. The GQDs with stable fluorescence and a superior light-to-heat conversion property were synthesized as photothermal therapeutic agents and co-encapsulated with DOX in CCM. The as-prepared nanoplatform exhibited a high DOX loading efficiency. The cell membrane coating protected drugs from leakage. Upon an external laser stimuli, the membrane could be destroyed, resulting in rapid DOX release. By taking advantage of the homologous targeting of the cancer cell membrane, the GQDs/DOX@CCM were found to actively target tumor cells, resulting in significantly enhanced cellular uptake. Moreover, a superior suppression efficiency of GQDs/DOX@CCM to cancer cells through chemo-photothermal treatment was also observed. The results suggest that this biomimetic nanoplatform holds potential for efficient targeting of drug delivery and synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy of glioma.
Monoketonic Curcuminoid-Lidocaine Co-Deliver Using Thermosensitive Organogels: From Drug Synthesis to Epidermis Structural Studies
Authors: Vigato Aryane A. , Machado Ian P. , del Valle Matheus , da Ana Patricia A. , Sepulveda Anderson F. , Yokaichiya Fabiano , Franco Margareth K. K. D. , Loiola Messias C. , Tófoli Giovana R. , Cereda Cintia Maria S. , de Sairre Mirela I. , de Araujo Daniele R.
Published: January 2022

Organogels (ORGs) are remarkable matrices due to their versatile chemical composition and straightforward preparation. This study proposes the development of ORGs as dual drug-carrier systems, considering the application of synthetic monoketonic curcuminoid (m-CUR) and lidocaine (LDC) to treat topical inflammatory lesions. The monoketone curcuminoid (m-CUR) was synthesized by using an innovative method via a NbCl5–acid catalysis. ORGs were prepared by associating an aqueous phase composed of Pluronic F127 and LDC hydrochloride with an organic phase comprising isopropyl myristate (IPM), soy lecithin (LEC), and the synthesized m-CUR. Physicochemical characterization was performed to evaluate the influence of the organic phase on the ORGs supramolecular organization, permeation profiles, cytotoxicity, and epidermis structural characteristics. The physico-chemical properties of the ORGs were shown to be strongly dependent on the oil phase constitution. Results revealed that the incorporation of LEC and m-CUR shifted the sol-gel transition temperature, and that the addition of LDC enhanced the rheological G′/G″ ratio to higher values compared to original ORGs. Consequently, highly structured gels lead to gradual and controlled LDC permeation profiles from the ORG formulations. Porcine ear skin epidermis was treated with ORGs and evaluated by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), where the stratum corneum lipids were shown to transition from a hexagonal to a liquid crystal phase. Quantitative optical coherence tomography (OCT) analysis revealed that LEC and m-CUR additives modify skin structuring. Data from this study pointed ORGs as promising formulations for skin-delivery.
Thermodynamic Balance vs. Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach for the Outlet Temperature Estimation of a Benchtop Spray Dryer
Authors: Milanesi Andrea , Rizzuto Francesco , Rinaldi Maurizio , Foglio Bonda Andrea , Segale Lorena , Giovannelli Lorella
Published: January 2022

The use of design space (DS) is a key milestone in the quality by design (QbD) of pharmaceutical processes. It should be considered from early laboratory development to industrial production, in order to support scientists with making decisions at each step of the product’s development life. Presently, there are no available data or methodologies for developing models for the implementation of design space (DS) on laboratory-scale spray dryers. Therefore, in this work, a comparison between two different modeling approaches, thermodynamics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), to a laboratory spray dryer model have been evaluated. The models computed the outlet temperature (Tout) of the process with a new modeling strategy that includes machine learning to improve the model prediction. The model metrics calculated indicate how the thermodynamic model fits Tout data better than CFD; indeed, the error of the CFD model increases towards higher values of Tout and feed rate (FR), with a final mean absolute error of 10.43 K, compared to the 1.74 K error of the thermodynamic model. Successively, a DS of the studied spray dryer equipment has been implemented, showing how Tout is strongly affected by FR variation, which accounts for about 40 times more than the gas flow rate (Gin) in the DS. The thermodynamic model, combined with the machine learning approach here proposed, could be used as a valid tool in the QbD development of spray-dried pharmaceutical products, starting from their early laboratory stages, replacing traditional trial-and-error methodologies, preventing process errors, and helping scientists with the following scale-up.
Rational Development of a Carrier-Free Dry Powder Inhalation Formulation for Respiratory Viral Infections via Quality by Design: A Drug-Drug Cocrystal of Favipiravir and Theophylline
Authors: Wong Si Nga , Weng Jingwen , Ip Ignatius , Chen Ruipeng , Lakerveld Richard , Telford Richard , Blagden Nicholas , Scowen Ian J. , Chow Shing Fung
Published: January 2022

Formulating pharmaceutical cocrystals as inhalable dosage forms represents a unique niche in effective management of respiratory infections. Favipiravir, a broad-spectrum antiviral drug with potential pharmacological activity against SARS-CoV-2, exhibits a low aqueous solubility. An ultra-high oral dose is essential, causing low patient compliance. This study reports a Quality-by-Design (QbD)-guided development of a carrier-free inhalable dry powder formulation containing a 1:1 favipiravir–theophylline (FAV-THP) cocrystal via spray drying, which may provide an alternative treatment strategy for individuals with concomitant influenza infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/asthma. The cocrystal formation was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, and the construction of a temperature–composition phase diagram. A three-factor, two-level, full factorial design was employed to produce the optimized formulation and study the impact of critical processing parameters on the resulting median mass aerodynamic diameter (MMAD), fine particle fraction (FPF), and crystallinity of the spray-dried FAV-THP cocrystal. In general, a lower solute concentration and feed pump rate resulted in a smaller MMAD with a higher FPF. The optimized formulation (F1) demonstrated an MMAD of 2.93 μm and an FPF of 79.3%, suitable for deep lung delivery with no in vitro cytotoxicity observed in A549 cells.
In What Person to Say the Disaster? From R. Kusch towards An-Other Cogitamus
Authors: Peña Héctor Andrés
Published: January 2022

“Latin America”, for the ecopolitical approach, could be appropriate as the proper name of the ecological disaster, even as its first person: the environmental catastrophe, by means of “Latin America”, would say “I”. Genealogically, and as part of the so-called “Third World”, it would delimit the frontiers where the disastrous takes place “naturally”. But “Latin America”, from the philosophical perspective, has also been the locus par excellence to think about the vegetal and the indigenous. This article, driven by the current relevance of these two concepts, rereads the work of Rodolfo Kusch, one of the key figures of the so-called Pensamiento latinoamericano, and unveils not only one of the most original reflections on “plant metaphysics” and the “indigenous thought” but also the contours of a new or alternative philosophical subject: a thinking “we”. Drawing on Kusch’s indications, this text traces “an-other us” on the discursive level and develops the fundamental Kuschean intuition according to which such “we” has a synesthetic nature. From there, this article points to the conceptual reconfigurations of the vegetal and the indigenous by M. Marder and E. Viveiros de Castro to indicate in them the need to experiment, before and in the face of disaster, an-other “us” by/in thinking.
Two-Phonon Blockade in Quadratically Coupled Optomechanical Systems
Authors: Li Zi-Yuan , Jin Guang-Ri , Yin Tai-Shuang , Chen Aixi
Published: January 2022

We propose a scheme to realize the two-phonon blockade effect in a quadratically coupled optomechanical system. We consider the case that the optical cavity is simultaneously driven by a strong pumping field and a weak driving field. By strongly driving the optical cavity, the nonlinear interaction between the optical mode and the mechanical resonator can be significantly enhanced and an effective second-order nonlinearity between photons and phonons is induced. Based on this effectively strong nonlinearity, the two-phonon blockade effect can be achieved when a weak driving field is applied into the optical cavity. By contrast, we study the case of weakly driving the mechanical resonator. In this case, the single-phonon blockade is generated, while the two-phonon blockade cannot be observed. By numerically calculating the second-order and third-order correlation function, we investigate the statistical characteristics of phonons. In addition, we also study the influence of the thermal noise on the achieved two-phonon blockade effect. Our work provides an alternative approach for implementing multiphonon blockade and has potential applications in quantum information processing.
High-Transmittance Femtosecond Optical Kerr Gate with Double Gate Pulses Based on Birefringence Effect
Authors: Huang Zhenqiang , Tan Wenjiang , Si Jinhai , Zeng Shijia , Kang Zhen , Hou Xun
Published: January 2022

An optical Kerr gate (OKG) is an ultrafast optical switch based on the optical Kerr effect. The performance of a conventional OKG depends mainly on Kerr materials. Traditional Kerr materials do not demonstrate both large optical nonlinearity and an ultrafast response time. Therefore, the performance of a conventional OKG is limited by an inherent trade-off between high signal transmittance and fast switching time, which limits its application in many fields. We propose an improved femtosecond OKG with double gate pulses, based on the use of a birefringent crystal to realize an ultrashort switching time, even with a slow-response optical Kerr medium. We assessed the dependence of the double gate pulsed OKG (D-OKG)’s performance on the intensity ratio of the double gate pulses. A transmittance of 50% and a switching time of 142 fs were achieved. The D-OKG is convenient to construct, and its integrated performance is superior to that of a conventional OKG.
Modeling Turbulence in Permeable Media: The Double-Decomposition Concept Revisited
Authors: de Lemos Marcelo J. S.
Published: January 2022

In this article, a concept named double decomposition, which is used to model turbulent flows in porous media, is examined. This concept is based on the idea that in a turbulent flow through a porous matrix, local instantaneous variables can be averaged in time and space, simultaneously. Depending on how these operators are applied, averaged equations take different forms. In this article, instantaneous local equations are averaged using both operators and a different set of equations resulting from such operations are commented upon. Additional terms proposed for the averaged equations are discussed.
Dwarfing and the Underlying Morphological Changes of Poa alpigena Plants in Response to Overgrazing Conditions
Authors: Shi Hongxiao , Wu Xinhong , Wang Hai , Ha Sibagen , Yang Tingting , Liu Wenhui
Published: January 2022

Poa alpigena is a dominant grass species in alpine meadows, which is sensitive to environmental conditions. In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of the anatomical structure of the stems and leaves of Poa alpigena in overgrazed and enclosed conditions in order to determine the dwarfing morphological mechanism associated with overgrazing. The results show that leaf thickness, leaf epidermal thickness, epidermal cell area, and phloem thickness increased with increased grazing intensity (p < 0.05). In contrast, xylem thickness, mesophyll cell area, and guide wall thickness decreased with an increase in grazing intensity (p < 0.05). Mesophyll cell density was relatively unaffected by grazing intensity. Additionally, the plasticity indices of leaf area, upper epidermal cutin layer thickness, and leaf xylem thickness were higher than 0.5. The plasticity indices of stem tube diameter, epidermal cell size, and epidermal cuticle thickness were greater than 0.4. The results of our study indicate that the structural stem and leaf changes in Poa alpigena are induced by the water and mechanical stresses that occur under grazing conditions. Thus, plateau plants adapt to grazing stress by increasing the thickness of their leaves, cuticles, and phloem. The mesophyll cell area, as well as the stem epidermal cell area of Poa alpigena decreased in response to minor variations in grazing intensity, yet overgrazing did not change its density. However, overgrazing induced a shortening of the leaves and stems, indicating that overgrazing has a dwarfing effect on Poa alpigena.
Towards a Better Understanding of the Potential Benefits of Seaweed Based Biostimulants in Vitis vinifera L. Cultivars
Authors: Samuels Liam Jay , Setati Mathabatha Evodia , Blancquaert Erna Hailey
Published: January 2022

Globally, 7.4 million hectares of arable land is planted with grapevine with a farm gate value of $68.3 billion. The production of grapes faces growing pressure associated with challenges such as climate change, diminishing resources as well as the overuse of chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, which have an impact on sustainability. Consequently, viticulture has over the years embraced and implemented various practices such integrated pest management, organic and biodynamic farming to curb the high chemical inputs typically used in conventional farming. Biostimulants and biofertilizers are considered environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternatives to synthetic fertilizers and plant growth regulators. Seaweed is of particular interest because of its availability globally. It was reported that brown seaweed (Ascophyllum spp.) improves plant growth and agricultural productivity, hormonal signalling, and an improved secondary plant metabolism. It also provides an alternative to soil supplementation, avoiding some of the negative effects of fertilizers through the leaching of nutrients into groundwater sources. This review aims to provide a summary of the use of seaweed extracts in grape production and their influence on grapevine physiology and stress adaptation mechanisms.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Pollutants in 2021
Authors:   Pollutants Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Improvement of the Electrical-Mechanical Performance of Epoxy/Graphite Composites Based on the Effects of Particle Size and Curing Conditions
Authors: Suherman Hendra , Dweiri Radwan , Sulong Abu Bakar , Zakaria Mohd Yusuf , Mahyoedin Yovial
Published: January 2022

This study aims to improve the electrical-mechanical performance of traditional epoxy/graphite composites for engineering applications. The improvement in the properties of these composites depended on the incorporation of different sizes of graphite particles of the same type and controlling their curing process conditions. The thermal properties and microstructural changes were also characterized. A maximum in-plane electrical conductivity value of approximately 23 S/cm was reported for composites containing 80 wt.% G with a particle size of 150 µm. The effect of combining large and small G particles increased this value to approximately 32 S/cm by replacing the large particle size with 10 wt.% smaller particles (75 µm). A further increase in the electrical conductivity to approximately 50 S/cm was achieved due to the increase in curing temperature and time. Increasing the curing temperature or time also had a crucial role in improving the tensile strength of the composites and a tensile strength of ~19 MPa was reported using a system of multiple filler particle sizes processed at the highest curing temperature and time compared to ~9 MPa for epoxy/G150 at 80 wt.%. TGA analysis showed that the composites are thermally stable, and stability was improved by the addition of filler to the resin. A slight difference in the degraded weights and the glass transition temperatures between composites of different multiple filler particle sizes was also observed from the TGA and DSC results.
MOFs-Graphene Composites Synthesis and Application for Electrochemical Supercapacitor: A Review
Authors: Shinde Surendra K. , Kim Dae-Young , Kumar Manu , Murugadoss Govindhasamy , Ramesh Sivalingam , Tamboli Asiya M. , Yadav Hemraj M.
Published: January 2022

Today’s world requires high-performance energy storage devices such as hybrid supercapacitors (HSc), which play an important role in the modern electronic market because supercapacitors (Sc) show better electrical properties for electronics devices. In the last few years, the scientific community has focused on the coupling of Sc and battery-type materials to improve energy and power density. Recently, various hybrid electrode materials have been reported in the literature; out of these, coordination polymers such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly porous, stable, and widely explored for various applications. The poor conductivity of classical MOFs restricts their applications. The composite of MOFs with highly porous graphene (G), graphene oxide (GO), or reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanomaterials is a promising strategy in the field of electrochemical applications. In this review, we have discussed the strategy, device structure, and function of the MOFs/G, MOFs/GO, and MOFs/rGO nanocomposites on Sc. The structural, morphological, and electrochemical performance of coordination polymers composites towards Sc application has been discussed. The reported results indicate the considerable improvement in the structural, surface morphological, and electrochemical performance of the Sc due to their positive synergistic effect. Finally, we focused on the recent development in preparation methods optimization, and the opportunities for MOFs/G based nanomaterials as electrode materials for energy storage applications have been discussed in detail.
Biocomposite of Cassava Starch-Cymbopogan Citratus Fibre: Mechanical, Thermal and Biodegradation Properties
Authors: Kamaruddin Zatil , Jumaidin Ridhwan , Ilyas Rushdan , Selamat Mohd , Alamjuri Roziela , Yusof Fahmi
Published: January 2022

Increasing environmental awareness and concern have shifted the focus of research and development towards biodegradable materials development. In the current study, Cymbopogan citratus fibre (CCF) were incorporated into thermoplastic cassava starch (TPCS) with various content of CCF (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 wt.%) via compression moulding. The determination of fundamental characteristics of TPCS/CCF biopolymer composites was conducted to assess their potential as biodegradable reinforcements. Characterization of the samples was conducted via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as mechanical, moisture absorption, and soil burial testings. The findings showed that the improved tensile and flexural features of the TPCS composites with CCF incorporation, with 50 wt.% CCF content yielded the maximum modulus and strength. The thermal properties of the biocomposite demonstrated that CCF addition improved the material’s thermal stability, as shown by a higher-onset decomposition temperature and ash content. Meanwhile, the CCF incorporation into TPCS slowed down the biodegradation of the composites. In term of morphological, homogeneous fibres and matrix dispersion with excellent adhesion was observed in morphological analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which is crucial for the enhancement of the mechanical performance of biocomposites.
Machine Learning-Based Dynamic Modeling for Process Engineering Applications: A Guideline for Simulation and Prediction from Perceptron to Deep Learning
Authors: Rebello Carine M. , Marrocos Paulo H. , Costa Erbet A. , Santana Vinicius V. , Rodrigues Alírio E. , Ribeiro Ana M. , Nogueira Idelfonso B. R.
Published: January 2022

A misusage of machine learning (ML) strategies is usually observed in the process systems engineering literature. This issue is even more evident when dynamic identification is performed. The root of this problem is the gradient explode and vanishing issue related to the recurrent neural networks training. However, after the advent of deep learning, these issues were mitigated. Furthermore, the problem of data structuration is often overlooked during the machine learning model identification in this field. In this scenario, this work proposes a guideline for identifying ML models for the different applications in process systems engineering, which are usually for simulation or prediction purposes. While using the proposed guideline, the work also identifies a virtual analyzer for a pressure swing adsorption unit. In these types of adsorption separations, it is usual that the measurement of the main properties is not done online. Therefore, the virtual analyzer is another contribution of this manuscript. The overall results demonstrate that even though the test provides good performance during the ML model identification, its quality might degenerate over the application domain if the model application is overlooked.
Moisture Transport Coefficients Determination on a Model Pharmaceutical Tablet
Authors: Koumbogle Komlan , Gitzhofer François , Abatzoglou Nicolas
Published: January 2022

In this work, a novel methodology to determine moisture transport coefficients for MMC PH101 tablets is presented. Absolute permeability, moisture diffusion, moisture transfer, and water vapor permeability coefficients were estimated on compressed powder tablets produced with different compression pressures (20 MPa to 200 MPa with an interval of 20 MPa). The ASTM D6539 standard test was used to measure the absolute permeability. The moisture transfer coefficient was determined from measured absolute permeability. The moisture diffusion coefficient was obtained with the tablet average pore radius, which was determined with the water droplet penetration method. Descriptive and phenomenological models derived from the measurements were confronted with existing and adopted models, and a good agreement was found. The obtained models are of the function of the microstructural properties of the tablet (average pore radius and average porosity). The tablet average porosity was found to be the principal parameter that governs the behavior of the moisture transport coefficients. The findings of this study might be applicable to obtain a series of input parameters for modelling software, such as COMSOL Multiphysics®, to infer delamination, sticking, and failure propensity from the effect of moisture.
Detection of Bubble Defects on Tire Surface Based on Line Laser and Machine Vision
Authors: Yang Hualin , Jiang Yuanzheng , Deng Fang , Mu Yusong , Zhong Yan , Jiao Dongmei
Published: January 2022

In order to eliminate driving dangers caused by tire surface bubbles, the detection method of bubble defects on tire surfaces based on line lasers and machine vision is studied. Since it is difficult to recognize tire surfaces directly through images, line laser scanning is used to obtain tire images. The filtering method and morphology method are combined to preprocess these images. The gray centroid method is adopted to extract the center of the laser stripe, and then the algorithm to determine the positions of bubble defects on tire surfaces is proposed. According to the geometric characteristics of tire bubbles, the coordinates of starting points, ending points, and rough positions of vertices are determined. Then, the ordinates of the laser center with sub-pixel accuracy near bubble vertices are discretely magnified. The mask made of Gaussian function is convoluted with the magnified region, and the maximum value is obtained. Furthermore, the position of bubble vertices can be accurately extracted. The denoising effects of different methods for images are compared through experiments, and different positions of bubbles are detected. Experimental results show that the detection accuracy of this method is up to 93%, which is much higher than other methods. Experiments verify that the proposed method is effective for detecting tire surface bubbles.
Supercritical Technology-Based Date Sugar Powder Production: Process Modeling and Simulation
Authors: Bushnaq Hooralain , Krishnamoorthy Rambabu , Abu-Zahra Mohammad , Hasan Shadi W. , Taher Hanifa , Alomar Suliman Yousef , Ahmad Naushad , Banat Fawzi
Published: January 2022

Date palm fruits (Phoenix dactylifera) contain high levels of fructose and glucose sugars. These natural sugar forms are healthy, nutritional and easily assimilate into human metabolism. The successful production of soluble date sugar powder from nutritious date fruits would result in a new food product that could replace the commercial refined sugar. In this work, a novel process technology based on the supercritical extraction of sugar components from date pulp was modeled and simulated using Aspen Plus software. The process model consisted of three main steps that were individually simulated for their optimal working conditions as follows: (a) freeze-drying of the date pulp at −42 °C and 0.0001 bar; (b) supercritical extraction of the sugar components using a 6.77 wt.% water mixed CO2 solvent system at a pressure of 308 bar, temperature of 65 °C, and CO2 flow rate of 31,000 kg/h; and (c) spray-drying of the extract using 40 wt.% Gum Arabic as the carrier agent and air as drying medium at 150 °C. The overall production yield of the process showed an extraction efficiency of 99.1% for the recovery of total reducing sugars from the date fruit. The solubility of the as-produced date sugar powder was improved by the process selectivity, elimination of insoluble fiber contents, and the addition of Gum Arabic. The solubility of the final date sugar product was estimated as 0.89 g/g water.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Quantum Beam Science in 2021
Authors:   Quantum Beam Science Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Sound Healing: Mood, Emotional, and Spiritual Well-Being Interrelationships
Authors: Goldsby Tamara L. , Goldsby Michael E. , McWalters Mary , Mills Paul J.
Published: January 2022

Psychosocial stress, tension, and depression are quite common in many parts of the developed world. Integrative medicine techniques which may potentially increase spiritual and emotional well-being may be useful in combating chronic psychosocial stress, as well as challenges with depression and excessive tension. The present observational study examines the effect of singing-bowl sound healing on emotional and spiritual well-being and particularly examines interrelationships between changes in spiritual well-being with changes in tension and depressed mood post-sound healing. Participants experienced a sound healing environment of vibrational musical instruments such as singing bowls (bell-like instruments), gongs, and other vibrational instruments. Sixty-two participants were examined in an observational study using singing-bowl sound healing. Emotional and spiritual well-being were examined by utilizing standardized questionnaires. Results revealed significant correlations between improvements in scores of spiritual well-being and reductions in scores of tension and depression post-sound healing. Moreover, effects varied by age of the study participants. Specifically, the association between spiritual well-being improvement and depression improvement was strongest for ages 31–40, while spiritual well-being improvement and tension improvement associations were strongest for ages 51–60. Implications for applying sound healing meditations as a potential low-cost, low-technology therapeutic technique are discussed for emotional and spiritual well-being.
Cloud Processing for Simultaneous Mapping of Seagrass Meadows in Optically Complex and Varied Water
Authors: Kovacs Eva M. , Roelfsema Chris , Udy James , Baltais Simon , Lyons Mitchell , Phinn Stuart
Published: January 2022

Improved development of remote sensing approaches to deliver timely and accurate measurements for environmental monitoring, particularly with respect to marine and estuarine environments is a priority. We describe a machine learning, cloud processing protocol for simultaneous mapping seagrass meadows in waters of variable quality across Moreton Bay, Australia. This method was adapted from a protocol developed for mapping coral reef areas. Georeferenced spot check field-survey data were obtained across Moreton Bay, covering areas of differing water quality, and categorized into either substrate or ≥25% seagrass cover. These point data with coincident Landsat 8 OLI satellite imagery (30 m resolution; pulled directly from Google Earth Engine’s public archive) and a bathymetric layer (30 m resolution) were incorporated to train a random forest classifier. The semiautomated machine learning algorithm was applied to map seagrass in shallow areas of variable water quality simultaneously, and a bay-wide map was created for Moreton Bay. The output benthic habitat map representing seagrass presence/absence was accurate (63%) as determined by validation with an independent data set.
Land Surface Parameterization at Exposed Playa and Desert Region to Support Dust Emissions Estimates in Southern California, United States
Authors: Cheng Yen-Ben , Dickey Hank , Yimam Yohannes T. , Schmid Brian , Paxton Bronwyn , Schreuder Maarten , Tran Reed
Published: January 2022

Remote sensing technologies provide a unique opportunity to identify ground surfaces that are more susceptible to dust emissions at a large scale. As part of the Salton Sea Air Quality Mitigation Program (SSAQMP) of the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), efforts have been made to improve our understanding of fugitive, wind-blown dust emissions around the Salton Sea region in Southern California, United States. Field campaigns were conducted for multiple years to evaluate surface conditions and measure the dust emissions potential in the area. Data collected during the field work were coupled with remote sensing imagery and data mining techniques to map surface characteristics that are important in identifying dust emissions potential. Around the playa domain, surface crust type, sand presence, and soil moisture were estimated. Geomorphic surface types were mapped in the desert domain. Overall accuracy ranged from 91.7% to 99.4% for the crust type mapping. Sand presence mapping showed consistent and slightly better accuracy, ranging from 96.2% to 99.7%. Soil moisture assessment agreed with precipitation records. Geomorphic mapping in the desert domain achieved accuracy above 93.5%, and the spatial pattern was consistent with previous studies. These land surface condition assessments provide important information to support dust emissions estimates in the region.
Integration of Aerobiological Information for Construction Engineering Based on LiDAR and BIM
Authors: Quevedo-Martínez Eva , Cortés-Pérez Juan Pedro , Coloma Juan Francisco , Fernández-Alvarado José Francisco , García Marta , Fernández-Rodríguez Santiago
Published: January 2022

In green urban areas, the allergenic factor is important when selecting trees to improve the quality of life of the population. An application of laser imaging detection and ranging (LiDAR) in building information modelling (BIM) is the capture of geo-referenced geometric information of the environment. This study presents the process of digitalisation of a green infrastructure inventory based on the geolocation and bioparameters of the cypress species. The aerobiological index (IUGZA) was estimated by developing green infrastructure BIM models at different detail levels and with a new BIM dimension (6D) for the urban environment. The novelty of the study is the modelling of urban information for evaluating the potential environmental impact related to the allergenicity of the urban green infrastructure using LiDAR through BIM. The measurements of cypress trees based on bioparameters and distances were applied to the IUGZA. This innovation for describing the current 3D environments and designing new scenarios in 6D may prevent future problems in urban areas during construction projects.
Estimating the Near-Ground PM2.5 Concentration over China Based on the CapsNet Model during 2018–2020
Authors: Zeng Qiaolin , Xie Tianshou , Zhu Songyan , Fan Meng , Chen Liangfu , Tian Yu
Published: January 2022

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) threatens human health and the natural environment. Estimating the near-ground PM2.5 concentrations accurately is of great significance in air quality research. Statistical and deep-learning models are widely used for estimating PM2.5 concentration based on remotely sensed aerosol optical depth (AOD) products. Deep-learning models can effectively express the nonlinear relationship between AOD, parameters, and PM2.5. This study proposed a capsule network model (CapsNet) to address the spatial differences in PM2.5 concentration distribution by introducing a capsule structure and dynamic routing algorithm for the first time, which integrates AOD, surface PM2.5 measurements, and auxiliary variables (e.g., normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and meteorological parameters). Moreover, we examined the longitude and latitude of pixels as input parameters to reflect spatial location information, and the results showed that the introduction of longitude (LON) and latitude (LAT) parameters improved the model fitting accuracy. The coefficient of determination (R2) increased by 0.05 ± 0.01, and the root mean square error (RMSE), mean relative error (MRE), and mean absolute error (MAE) decreased by 3.30 ± 1.0 μg/m3, 8 ± 3%, and 1.40 ± 0.2 μg/m3, respectively. To verify the accuracy of our proposed CapsNet, the deep neural network (DNN) model was executed. The results indicated that the R2 values of the validation dataset using CapsNet improved by 4 ± 2%, and RMSE, MRE, and MAE decreased by 1.50 ± 0.4 μg/m3, ~5%, and 0.60 ± 0.2 μg/m3, respectively. Finally, the effects of seasons and spatial region on the fitting accuracy were examined separately from 2018 to 2020. With respect to seasons, the model performed more robustly in the cold season. In terms of spatial region, the R2 values exceeded 0.9 in the central-eastern region, while the accuracy was lower in the western and coastal regions. This study proposed the CapsNet model to estimate PM2.5 concentrations for the first time and achieved good accuracy, which could be used for the estimation of other air contaminants.
A 900 MHz, Wide-Input Range, High-Efficiency, Differential CMOS Rectifier for Ambient Wireless Powering
Authors: Alhoshany Abdulaziz
Published: January 2022

This paper presents a wide dynamic-range CMOS rectifier with high efficiency and high sensitivity for RF energy harvesting. A new adaptive-biasing scheme is implemented using stacking diodes with dynamic threshold voltage to mitigate the reverse-leakage current of the NMOS rectifying devices at high RF power levels. The proposed design employs the adaptive-biasing technique to control the conduction of the PMOS rectifying devices with self-bulk biasing of the feedback diodes to minimize the leakage current. The proposed novel techniques extend the dynamic range of the RF-to-DC power converter with high efficiency, which is 17 times better than a conventional cross-coupled rectifier. The prototype is implemented using a standard 65 nm CMOS technology and occupies a 0.0093 mm2 active area. The proposed design achieves a peak power conversion efficiency (peak PCE) of 73%, −18.8 dBm 1-V sensitivity, and a superb dynamic range of 17.3 dB with efficiency greater than 80% of its peak PCE, which outperforms the state-of-the-art RF CMOS rectifiers, when operating at UHF 900 MHz with a 100-KΩ load.