bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gaining Insight into Mitochondrial Targeting: AUTAC-Biguanide as an Anticancer Agent
Authors: Vatté Julie , Bourdeau Véronique , Ferbeyre Gerardo , Schmitzer Andreea R.
Published: August 2024

AUTAC-Biguanide is a hybrid compound designed to target mitochondria, inducing their degradation by mitophagy. This study unveils the potential of biguanides as cancer cell-targeting agents, emphasizing AUTAC-Biguanide’s superior antiproliferative properties compared to metformin and its selectivity for cancer cells. The mechanism behind this heightened effect includes the ability of AUTAC-Biguanide to trigger mitophagy. By providing a comprehensive analysis of these findings, this study adds valuable insights to the field of mitochondrial-targeting anticancer agents.
Citrus limon var. pompia Camarda var. nova: A Comprehensive Review of Its Botanical Characteristics, Traditional Uses, Phytochemical Profile, and Potential Health Benefits
Authors: Posadino Anna Maria , Maccioccu Paola , Eid Ali H. , Giordo Roberta , Pintus Gianfranco , Fenu Grazia
Published: August 2024

Citrus limon var. pompia Camarda var. nova, commonly known as pompia, is a distinctive citrus ecotype native to Sardinia, notable for its unique botanical, phytochemical, and potential health benefits. It holds cultural significance as a traditional food product of Sardinia, recognized by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural Food and Forestry Policies. This comprehensive review examines pompia’s traditional uses, taxonomic classification, pomological characteristics, phytochemical profile, and potential health benefits. Pompia phytochemical analyses reveal a rich composition of flavonoids and terpenoids, with notable concentrations of limonene, myrcene, and various oxygenated monoterpenes. Pompia essential oils are primarily extracted from its peel and leaves. Peel essential oils exhibit a high concentration of the monoterpene limonene (82%) and significantly lower quantities of myrcene (1.8%), geranial (1.7%), geraniol (1.5%), and neral (1.4%). In its rind extract, flavanones such as naringin (23.77 µg/mg), neoeriocitrin (46.53 µg/mg), and neohesperidin (44.57 µg/mg) have been found, along with gallic acid (128.3 µg/mg) and quinic acid (219.67 µg/mg). The main compounds detected in the essential oils from pompia leaves are oxygenated monoterpenes (53.5%), with limonene (28.64%), α-terpineol (41.18%), geranial (24.44%), (E)-β-ocimene (10.5%), linalool (0.56%), and neryl acetate (13.56%) being particularly prominent. In pompia juice, the presence of phenolic compounds has been discovered, with a composition more similar to lemon juice than orange juice. The primary flavonoid identified in pompia juice is chrysoeriol-6,8-di-C-glucoside (stellarin-2) (109.2 mg/L), which has not been found in other citrus juices. The compound rhoifolin-4-glucoside (17.5 mg/L) is unique to pompia juice, whereas its aglycone, rhoifolin, is found in lemon juice. Other flavonoids identified in pompia juice include diosmetin 6,8-C-diglucoside (54.5 mg/L) and isorhamnetin 3-O-rutinoside (79.4 mg/L). These findings support the potential of pompia in developing nutraceuticals and natural health products, further confirmed by its compounds’ antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Future research should focus on optimizing extraction methods, conducting clinical trials to evaluate efficacy and safety, and exploring sustainable cultivation practices. The potential applications of pompia extracts in food preservation, functional foods, and cosmetic formulations also warrant further investigation. Addressing these areas could significantly enhance pompia’s contribution to natural medicine, food science, and biotechnology.
Exploring the Role of Bergamot Polyphenols in Alleviating Morphine-Induced Hyperalgesia and Tolerance through Modulation of Mitochondrial SIRT3
Authors: Ilari Sara , Nucera Saverio , Passacatini Lucia Carmela , Scarano Federica , Macrì Roberta , Caminiti Rosamaria , Ruga Stefano , Serra Maria , Giancotti Luigino Antonio , Lauro Filomena , Dagostino Concetta , Mazza Valeria , Ritorto Giovanna , Oppedisano Francesca , Maiuolo Jessica , Palma Ernesto , Malafoglia Valentina , Tomino Carlo , Mollace Vincenzo , Muscoli Carolina
Published: August 2024

Morphine is an important pain reliever employed in pain management, its extended utilize is hindered by the onset of analgesic tolerance and oxidative stress. Long-term morphine administration causes elevated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), disrupting mitochondrial function and inducing oxidation. Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), a mitochondrial protein, is essential in modulating ROS levels by regulating mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes as manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). Our investigation focused on the impact of SIRT3 on hyperalgesia and morphine tolerance in mice, as evaluating the antioxidant effect of the polyphenolic fraction of bergamot (BPF). Mice were administered morphine twice daily for four consecutive days (20 mg/kg). On the fifth day, mice received an acute dose of morphine (3 mg/kg), either alone or in conjunction with BPF or Mn (III)tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin (MnTBAP). We evaluated levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitration, and the activity of SIRT3, MnSOD, glutamine synthetase (GS), and glutamate 1 transporter (GLT1) in the spinal cord. Our findings demonstrate that administering repeated doses of morphine led to the development of antinociceptive tolerance in mice, accompanied by increased superoxide production, nitration, and inactivation of mitochondrial SIRT3, MnSOD, GS, and GLT1. The combined administration of morphine with either BPF or MnTBAP prevented these effects.
Prevalence and Influencing Factors of Central Obesity among Adults in China: China Nutrition and Health Surveillance (2015–2017)
Authors: Nan Jing , Chen Mulei , Yuan Hongtao , Cai Shuya , Piao Wei , Li Fusheng , Yang Yuxiang , Zhao Liyun , Yu Dongmei
Published: August 2024

The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of central obesity and its influencing factors among Chinese adults aged 18 or older. The data were from China Nutrition and Health Surveillance (2015–2017), which used a stratified, multistage, random sampling method. A total of 145,298 adults aged 18 years or older from 31 provinces were included in this study. The Criteria of Weight for Adults promulgated by China in 2013 were used to determine central obesity. Out of all the adults investigated, 48,342 were identified with central obesity, with a prevalence rate of 33.3%. A logistic analysis suggested that the following factors were associated with central obesity: female sex [odds ratio (OR) = 1.329, 95%CI = 1.277~1.384]; increasing age [OR (95%CI): 1.146 (1.061~1.238), 1.254 (1.167~1.348), 1.774 (1.651~1.907), 2.041 (1.894~2.198), 2.434 (2.239~2.647)]; being married [OR = 1.184, 95%CI = 1.077~1.302]; being divorced or widowed [OR = 1.132, 95%CI = 1.006~1.273]; an urban setting [OR = 1.096, 95%CI = 1.061~1.132]; BMI [OR (95%CI): 0.159 (0.095~0.266), 12.645 (11.388~14.042), 180.989 (153.025~214.064)]; drinking [OR = 1.069, 95%CI = 1.031~1.109]; and screen time > 5 h [OR = 1.088, 95%CI = 1.036~1.141] were risk factors for central obesity; while education above primary school [OR (95%CI): 0.905 (0.875~0.936), 0.857 (0.802~0.915)] and sufficient physical activity [OR = 0.819, 95%CI = 0.782~0.858] were protective factors for central obesity. This study revealed that the prevalence of central obesity, which differed by gender and age, is still high. Large differences between different groups and geographic regions exist persistently. Effective, sustainable, and culturally targeted interventions are needed.
The Influence of Acute Oral Lactate Supplementation on Responses to Cycle Ergometer Exercise: A Randomized, Crossover Pilot Clinical Trial
Authors: Ewell Taylor R. , Bomar Matthew C. , Brown David M. , Brown Reagan L. , Kwarteng Beatrice S. , Thomson David P. , Bell Christopher
Published: August 2024

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential ergogenic effects of an oral lactate supplement. For this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design, fifteen recreational exercisers (nine males, six females) ingested a placebo or a commercially available lactate supplement prior to cycle ergometer exercise. Primary outcomes included peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak; via indirect calorimetry), VO2 at the ventilatory threshold, and work rate at the lactate threshold (arterialized venous blood from a heated hand) determined during incremental exercise to fatigue, and power output during a 20-min cycling time trial. Compared with placebo, the oral lactate supplement (19 ± 1 mg/kg body mass) did not influence VO2peak (placebo: 44.3 ± 7.8 vs. oral lactate: 44.3 ± 7.1 mL/kg/min (mean ± SD); p = 0.87), VO2 at the ventilatory threshold (placebo: 1.63 ± 0.25 vs. oral lactate: 1.65 ± 0.23 L/min; p = 0.82), or work rate at the lactate threshold (placebo: 179 ± 69 vs. oral lactate: 179 ± 59 W; p = 0.41). Throughout the 20-min time trial, the work rate was slightly greater (4%) with oral lactate (204 ± 41 W) compared with placebo (197 ± 41 W; main effect of treatment p = 0.02). Collectively, these data suggest that this commercially available lactate supplement did not acutely influence the physiological responses to incremental cycle ergometer exercise but elicited a modest ergogenic effect during the short-duration time trial.
Rational Design of Non-Covalent Imprinted Polymers Based on the Combination of Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Quantum Mechanics Calculations
Authors: Yu Xue , Mo Jiangyang , Yan Mengxia , Xin Jianhui , Cao Xuejun , Wu Jiawen , Wan Junfen
Published: August 2024

Molecular imprinting is a promising approach for developing polymeric materials as artificial receptors. However, only a few types of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are commercially available, and most research on MIPS is still in the experimental phase. The significant limitation has been a challenge for screening imprinting systems, particularly for weak functional target molecules. Herein, a combined method of quantum mechanics (QM) computations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations was employed to screen an appropriate 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) imprinting system. QM calculations were performed using the Gaussian 09 software. MD simulations were conducted using the Gromacs2018.8 software suite. The QM computation results were consistent with those of the MD simulations. In the MD simulations, a realistic model of the ‘actual’ pre-polymerisation mixture was obtained by introducing numerous components in the simulations to thoroughly investigate all non-covalent interactions during imprinting. This study systematically examined MIP systems using computer simulations and established a theoretical prediction model for the affinity and selectivity of MIPs. The combined method of QM computations and MD simulations provides a robust foundation for the rational design of MIPs.
Quantifying Carbon Use Efficiency: Unraveling the Impact of Climate Change and Ecological Engineering on Vegetation in the Three Rivers Source Region
Authors: Luo Yixia , Duan Hengyi , Pan Jing , Gao Xue , Chen Jilong , Wu Shengjun , Tan Daming
Published: August 2024

Carbon use efficiency (CUE) was identified as a pivotal parameter for elucidating the carbon cycle within ecosystems. It signified the efficiency with which light energy was transformed into organic matter by vegetation. In light of the challenges posed by global warming, it was deemed essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of the fluctuations and determinants of CUE. Despite the significance of this topic, the current research on factors influencing CUE remained incomplete, notably lacking in exploration of the impacts of ecological engineering on CUE. The objective of this study is to elucidate the influences of climate change and ecological engineering on CUE, quantifying their effects using residual analysis. Additionally, it aims to analyze the primary factors contributing to the fluctuations in CUE. Our findings indicated an average CUE of 0.8536 (±0.0026) with minor interannual variation. In the Three Rivers Source region, CUE is jointly influenced by ecological engineering (30.88%) and climate change (69.12%). Notably, climatic factors predominantly regulate CUE, accounting for approximately 90.20% of its regional variations, with over 44.70% of areas exhibiting contributions exceeding 80%. Moreover, the impact of evapotranspiration on CUE surpasses that of precipitation and temperature, while factors such as elevation and vegetation types also play significant roles. This study showed the quantification of climate change and ecological engineering effects on CUE, which would hold substantial implications for predicting and evaluating global carbon cycling.
A Method for Extracting Acoustic Water Surface Waves Based on Phase Compensation
Authors: Li Miaomiao , Liang Xingdong , Zhang Yuan , Xin Jihao , Jiang Nanyi , Guo Qichang , Wang Mingming , Wei Jiashuo , Bu Xiangxi
Published: August 2024

With the increasing demand for marine biosensing and water–air collaborative rescue in national production and life, establishing a robust cross-medium communication link has become one of the hotspots. Among them, microwave acoustic cross-medium uplink communication technology has been widely studied for its advantages of being able to be used all day and in all weather, there being no need for relay, and having high concealment. The principle is to extract the frequency of the acoustic water surface waves from the phase history of the radar echoes. However, wave interference can cause discontinuity of the phase history, resulting in difficulty in extracting the acoustic water surface waves and an increase in bit error rate (BER). This article analyses the reasons for the discontinuity of phase history and innovatively proposes a method for extracting acoustic water surface waves based on phase compensation. The discontinuity points of the phase history are compensated based on whether the range bin changes. Then, low-frequency water surface fluctuations and discontinuity points are filtered out through second-order differential joint outlier removal, which can effectively reduce the influence of phase history discontinuity on time–frequency analysis and communication decoding. The effectiveness of the proposed method was verified through simulations and experiments. The experimental results indicate that the BER of the proposed method is 25% of that of the Wavelet–Kalman Filtering method. The proposed method provides a new approach for microwave acoustic cross-medium uplink communication.
Co-Kriging-Guided Interpolation for Mapping Forest Aboveground Biomass by Integrating Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation and Sentinel-2 Data
Authors: Wang Yingchen , Wang Hongtao , Wang Cheng , Zhang Shuting , Wang Rongxi , Wang Shaohui , Duan Jingjing
Published: August 2024

Mapping wall-to-wall forest aboveground biomass (AGB) at large scales is critical for understanding global climate change and the carbon cycle. In previous studies, a regression-based method was commonly used to map the spatially continuous distribution of forest AGB with the aid of optical images, which may suffer from the saturation effect. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) can collect forest vertical structure information with high precision on a global scale. In this study, we proposed a collaborative kriging (co-kriging) interpolation-based method for mapping spatially continuous forest AGB by integrating GEDI and Sentinel-2 data. First, by fusing spectral features from Sentinel-2 images with vertical structure features from GEDI, the optimal estimation model for footprint-level AGB was determined by comparing different machine-learning algorithms. Second, footprint-level predicted AGB was used as the main variable, with rh95 and B12 as covariates, to build a co-kriging guided interpolation model. Finally, the interpolation model was employed to map wall-to-wall forest AGB. The results showed the following: (1) For footprint-level AGB, CatBoost achieved the highest accuracy by fusing features from GEDI and Sentinel-2 data (R2 = 0.87, RMSE = 49.56 Mg/ha, rRMSE = 27.06%). (2) The mapping results based on the interpolation method exhibited relatively high accuracy and mitigated the saturation effect in areas with higher forest AGB (R2 = 0.69, RMSE = 81.56 Mg/ha, rRMSE = 40.98%, bias = −3.236 Mg/ha). The mapping result demonstrates that the proposed method based on interpolation combined with multi-source data can be a promising solution for monitoring spatially continuous forest AGB.
Modeling Residual Magnetic Anomalies of Landmines Using UAV-Borne Vector Magnetometer: Flight Simulations and Experimental Validation
Authors: Lee Junghan , Lee Haengseon
Published: August 2024

This study presents an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-borne vector magnetometer (MAG) system and proposes a new data-processing technique for modeling the residual magnetic anomalies of three types of landmines: the metallic antitank M15, the metallic antipersonnel M16, and the minimum-metal antitank M19. The burial depth and magnetic moment of these landmines were estimated using the measured and simulated residual magnetic anomalies based on the proposed UAV-borne vector MAG model. Initial in-flight validation showed a strong correlation between the residual magnetic anomaly maps obtained from measurements and simulations. To verify the detection capability in real-world conditions, the UAV-borne MAG system was tested at the Korean Combat Training Center. Both simulations and experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed data-processing method and UAV-borne MAG model in accurately modeling the residual magnetic anomalies of landmines with metallic components. This approach will facilitate the automated detection of M15, M16, and M19 landmines with high detection rates and enable accurate classification.
Potential of the Bi-Static SAR Satellite Companion Mission Harmony for Land-Ice Observations
Authors: Kääb Andreas , Mouginot Jérémie , Prats-Iraola Pau , Rignot Eric , Rabus Bernhard , Benedikter Andreas , Rott Helmut , Nagler Thomas , Rommen Björn , Lopez-Dekker Paco
Published: August 2024

The EarthExplorer 10 mission Harmony by the European Space Agency ESA, scheduled for launch around 2029–2030, consists of two passive C-band synthetic-aperture-radar companion satellites flying in a flexible constellation with one Sentinel-1 radar satellite as an illuminator. Sentinel-1 will serve as transmitter and receiver of radar waves, and the two Harmonys will serve as bistatic receivers without the ability to transmit. During the first and last year of the 5-year mission, the two Harmony satellites will fly in a cross-track interferometric constellation, such as that known from TanDEM-X, about 350 km ahead or behind the assigned Sentinel-1. This constellation will provide 12-day repeat DEMs, among other regions, over most land-ice and permafrost areas. These repeat DEMs will be complemented by synchronous lateral terrain displacements from the well-established offset tracking method. In between the cross-track interferometry phases, one of the Harmony satellites will be moved to the opposite side of the Sentinel-1 to form a symmetric bistatic “stereo” constellation with ±~350 km along-track baseline. In this phase, the mission will provide opportunity for radar interferometry along three lines of sight, or up to six when combining ascending and descending acquisitions, enabling the measurement of three-dimensional surface motion, for instance sub- and emergence components of ice flow, or three-dimensional deformation of permafrost surfaces or slow landslides. Such measurements would, for the first time, be available for large areas and are anticipated to provide a number of novel insights into the dynamics and mass balance of a range of mass movement processes.
Wearable, Knitted 3D Spacer Thermoelectric Generator with Detachable p-n Junctions for Body Heat Energy Harvesting
Authors: Newby Samantha , Mirihanage Wajira , Fernando Anura
Published: August 2024

Textile-based thermoelectric (TE) devices are being investigated to power smart textiles autonomously. While previous research has focused on a solid system where the required junctions are fabricated into the device, there has been limited attention given to replacing these TE systems reliably. This work looks at a newer approach to the construction and demonstration of a wearable thermoelectric structure that employs three-dimensional knitted spacers to increase the temperature difference where the TE junctions are detachable and disposable. This system features positive and negative junctions which can be removed while maintaining its excellent voltage generation in low ΔT and good Seebeck coefficients. A mathematical model simulates the potential energy outputs and maximum power points generated, which can be used to increase the device’s performance for future wearable sensing applications.
Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning Based Dynamic Task Offloading in a Device-to-Device Mobile-Edge Computing Network to Minimize Average Task Delay with Deadline Constraints
Authors: He Huaiwen , Yang Xiangdong , Mi Xin , Shen Hong , Liao Xuefeng
Published: August 2024

Device-to-device (D2D) is a pivotal technology in the next generation of communication, allowing for direct task offloading between mobile devices (MDs) to improve the efficient utilization of idle resources. This paper proposes a novel algorithm for dynamic task offloading between the active MDs and the idle MDs in a D2D–MEC (mobile edge computing) system by deploying multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to minimize the long-term average delay of delay-sensitive tasks under deadline constraints. Our core innovation is a dynamic partitioning scheme for idle and active devices in the D2D–MEC system, accounting for stochastic task arrivals and multi-time-slot task execution, which has been insufficiently explored in the existing literature. We adopt a queue-based system to formulate a dynamic task offloading optimization problem. To address the challenges of large action space and the coupling of actions across time slots, we model the problem as a Markov decision process (MDP) and perform multi-agent DRL through multi-agent proximal policy optimization (MAPPO). We employ a centralized training with decentralized execution (CTDE) framework to enable each MD to make offloading decisions solely based on its local system state. Extensive simulations demonstrate the efficiency and fast convergence of our algorithm. In comparison to the existing sub-optimal results deploying single-agent DRL, our algorithm reduces the average task completion delay by 11.0% and the ratio of dropped tasks by 17.0%. Our proposed algorithm is particularly pertinent to sensor networks, where mobile devices equipped with sensors generate a substantial volume of data that requires timely processing to ensure quality of experience (QoE) and meet the service-level agreements (SLAs) of delay-sensitive applications.
Between Fact and Fiction: Elizabeth II’s Funeral and Its Connection to The Crown on X (Twitter)
Authors: Rodríguez-Díaz Raquel , Chavero Palmira , Paula-Veloz Naftalí
Published: August 2024

Television series enhance the social visibility of their content, as is the case with Queen Elizabeth II and The Crown. Netflix is the streaming television platform that has turned Peter Morgan’s successful series (2016) into a television icon where the monarch is the main protagonist, taking us on a biographical journey that mixes the historical and the political with fiction. The main character is made to seem more humane and is brought closer to the general public, all of which leads to a transmedia narrative. This research aims to analyze the content of the messages published on Twitter during the days surrounding the Queen’s State funeral in September 2022 and their connection with the series through the hashtag #TheCrown. The topics that have become trends worldwide are quantitatively analyzed, using different digital tools. The sample collected 1,489,279 tweets published during the days from the announcement of the death of Elizabeth II to the day of her funeral (from 8 to 19 September 2022). The results show nodes of connection between different players and linked communities to #TheCrown while offering the traffic generated by the hashtag with different nodes and edges.
Commercial Credit Financing and Corporate Risk-Taking: Inhibiting or Facilitative?
Authors: Wu Yongxia , Hu Haiqing , Wang Xianzhu
Published: August 2024

Improving the level of risk-taking is an important measure for enterprises to realize sustainable development; in this context, commercial credit financing has become an important type of transaction and an indispensable short-term financing method. In this work, we use a sample of A-share-listed companies listed from 2007 to 2021 to test the impact of commercial credit financing on corporate risk-taking. Research shows that commercial credit financing has a U-shaped relationship with corporate risk-taking, i.e., when there is a low level of commercial credit financing, it has an inhibitory effect on corporate risk-taking, and when the level of commercial credit financing is high, it has a promotional effect on corporate risk-taking. The main reason for this, based on substitute financing and buyer market theories, is that commercial credit financing has a “double-edged sword” effect. Further research has found that corporate financialization, debt default risk, and ownership form all have moderating effects on this U-shaped relationship. Heterogeneity analysis results show that among enterprises with good cash flow conditions, low financing constraints, and a low supply of commercial credit, commercial credit financing has a significant U-shaped impact on enterprise risk-taking. However, among enterprises with poor cash flow conditions, high financing constraints, and a high supply of commercial credit, commercial credit financing shows a solely inhibitory effect on enterprise risk-taking. This research innovatively clarifies the dual role of commercial credit financing in corporate risk-taking from the perspective of the supply chain, and these findings are pivotal in guiding enterprises to rationally allocate commercial credit financing and make informed risk investment decisions to realize the simultaneous sustainable development of enterprises and supply chains.
Psychosocial Risks in Non-University Teachers: A Comparative Study between Spain and Mexico on Their Occupational Health
Authors: Sanchis-Giménez Lucía , Tamarit Alicia , Prado-Gascó Vicente Javier , Sánchez-Pujalte Laura , Díaz-Rodríguez Luis
Published: August 2024

Psychosocial risks seem to have a great impact on non-university teachers, giving rise to consequences such as burnout, health problems, and lack of engagement. These consequences result from high levels of stress, caused by an imbalance between demands and resources at work. Socio-cultural differences between Spain and Mexico, such as fewer educational resources and higher job insecurity in Mexico, can lead to a disparity in burnout rates, disproportionately impacting the occupational health in teachers from these countries. Thus, this study aims to (1) analyse psychosocial risks in two samples; (2) evaluate the relationships between demands, resources, and consequences; and (3) study the moderating effect of country on these relationships. Participants were 169 Spanish teachers and 218 Mexican teachers. Results showed that Spanish teachers experienced more role conflict, interpersonal conflict, work overload, and job insecurity. In both countries, work overload was the strongest predictor of burnout and health problems. Engagement was positively influenced by social support and autonomy in both contexts, with autonomy being the strongest predictor in Mexico. The type of country only moderated the relationship between job insecurity and burnout, being stronger in the case of Mexico. These findings provide crucial insights for the development of intervention programs aimed at reducing workload, managing conflicts, and enhancing social support, thus contributing to the social sustainability of the teaching profession.
From Global Goals to Classroom Realities: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Promoting Teacher Wellbeing in Higher Education
Authors: Wu Shixiao
Published: August 2024

Concerning the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on teacher wellbeing within the higher education sector in China, this study is a synthesis of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) for a broader understanding of the concept. By using structural equation modeling, this study investigates how CSR initiatives influence teachers by mediating the roles of educational institute culture and teacher admiration, with affective commitment as the moderator. The findings show that CSR endeavors provide direct payoff for teachers’ mental health and indirect payoff through a positive educational institution culture and teacher admiration. The role of affective commitment as a moderator is confirmed in the CSR–teacher admiration–wellbeing pathway. This research, therefore, shows that educational institutions have great potential to strategically align CSR with the UN-SDGs, not only for the benefit of teachers but also for the other sustainable development goals. This study therefore emphasizes the doubled role of educational institutes to make the lives of their staff better and to contribute to the global agenda of sustainable development by well-executed CSR initiatives.
Hydrometallurgical Extraction of Valuable Metals by Mixed Acid Leaching System for Used Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Fatima Sadaf , Khosa Muhammad Kaleem , Noor Awal , Qayyum Sadaf , El Oirdi Mohamed
Published: August 2024

Lithium-ion battery recycling includes discharging and processing exhausted batteries to recover valuable metals for reuse in new battery production. The improper disposal of e-waste draws attention to the possibility of reprocessing used lithium-ion batteries to make progress in recovering valuable metals. In this study, using biodegradable mixed organic acids, valuable metals were extracted from used batteries by a hydrometallurgical process under optimal conditions such as a stirring speed of 200 rpm, mixed acid concentration of ascorbic acid/citric acid (AA/CA) of 50:50 mM, temperature of 50 °C, time of 50 min, and slurry density of 20 g/L. Kinetic studies verified that the apparent activation energies, 43.6, 70.5, 49.8, 60.6, 45, and 6 kJ/mol, and surface chemical reactions controlled the leaching process for Li, Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu from cathode powder obtained from used LIBs. XRD and FT-IR confirmed the crystalline nature of the cathode powder. UV–visible spectra showed a Co(II) complex with λmax at 380 nm by reduction of the Co(III) complex. Lithium was recovered by LiF and as MnO2 using ammonium persulfate. Our efforts aimed to recover it through an economical and environmentally friendly approach.
Correction: Mansouri et al. Evaluation of Biomonitoring Strategies to Assess Performance of a Bioremediation Bioprocess. Sustainability 2022, 14, 10932
Authors: Mansouri Ahlem , Cregut Mickael , Jouanneau Sulivan , Abbes Chiraz , Landoulsi Ahmed , Thouand Gerald , Durand Marie-Jose
Published: August 2024

The authors would like to make the following corrections to the published paper [1]:1 [...]
A Comprehensive Framework for Assessing the Sustainability of Public Schools in Conflict Areas
Authors: Baba Aya , Shahrour Isam , Baba Mutasim
Published: August 2024

This paper presents a comprehensive sustainability framework tailored to schools in conflict areas, which suffer from weaknesses in education infrastructures and services. The primary objective is to assess the sustainability of public schools in these areas, focusing on the West Bank of Palestine. Concerning international assessment tools, which often prioritize the environmental aspect over social and economic considerations, this study offers a comprehensive collection of indicators addressing the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability in public schools. The research methodology integrates insights from the literature review, the Palestinian context, and experts’ opinions, which were collected through questionnaires. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is used to determine the weights of the indicators. Applying this methodology to 54 Palestinian public schools revealed a low level of sustainability. Improvement recommendations include implementing green building principles, promoting social inclusion, and collaborating with local organizations to enhance economic conditions. This study provides a foundation for future research endeavors by presenting a robust framework for assessing sustainability in public schools in the Palestinian Territories.
Traditional Architectural Heritage Conservation and Green Renovation with Eco Materials: Design Strategy and Field Practice in Cultural Tibetan Town
Authors: Xie Kai , Xiong Ran , Bai Yan , Zhang Menglong , Zhang Yin , Han Wenyang
Published: August 2024

With the rapid advancement of rural revitalization in China, protecting regional culture and construction techniques of traditional ethnic groups, while incorporating green energy-saving concepts, has become increasingly vital. With Sware ITES2023 as the simulation tool, this article conducts a comparative study on the green building technology and thermal comfort of traditional Tibetan residential houses in Songpan, Sichuan Province, and the new residential houses that villagers have incessantly renovated and built in the past two decades, thus demonstrating the advantages and disadvantages of traditional houses and newly-built houses in terms of green building technology elements, such as stone and wood structures, roof floors, walls, doors, and windows, therefore developing an optimized design scheme, which includes the eastern direction of a building’s orientation, concrete frame and wooden structure, brick wall and stone masonry, and optimized door and window size selection. This scheme will improve indoor thermal comfort by two to three times by calculation. Through preliminary simulation and deduction, the optimized design scheme combines traditional architectural culture and ethnic characteristics with green and energy-saving concepts. This provides a design paradigm that can be promoted and popularized for the construction of residential buildings in high-altitude ethnic areas of western Sichuan and also lays the foundation for future protection and research of traditional residential architecture.
HE-CycleGAN: A Symmetric Network Based on High-Frequency Features and Edge Constraints Used to Convert Facial Sketches to Images
Authors: Li Bin , Du Ruiqi , Li Jie , Tang Yuekai
Published: August 2024

The task of converting facial sketch images to facial images aims to generate reasonable and clear facial images from a given facial sketch image. However, the facial images generated by existing methods are often blurry and suffer from edge overflow issues. In this study, we proposed HE-CycleGAN, a novel facial-image generation network with a symmetric architecture. The proposed HE-CycleGAN has two identical generators, two identical patch discriminators, and two identical edge discriminators. Therefore, HE-CycleGAN forms a symmetrical architecture. We added a newly designed high-frequency feature extractor (HFFE) to the generator of HE-CycleGAN. The HFFE can extract high-frequency detail features from the feature maps’ output, using the three convolutional modules at the front end of the generator, and feed them to the end of the generator to enrich the details of the generated face. To address the issue of facial edge overflow, we have designed a multi-scale wavelet edge discriminator (MSWED) to determine the rationality of facial edges and better constrain them. We trained and tested the proposed HE-CycleGAN on CUHK, XM2VTS, and AR datasets. The experimental results indicate that HE-CycleGAN can generate higher quality facial images than several state-of-the-art methods.
Oscillatory Properties of Second-Order Differential Equations with Advanced Arguments in the Noncanonical Case
Authors: Alqahtani Zuhur , Qaraad Belgees , Almuneef Areej , Alharbi Faizah
Published: August 2024

This paper focuses on studying certain oscillatory properties of a new class of half-linear second-order differential equations with an advanced argument in a non-canonical case. By employing some new relations between the solution and its higher derivatives and taking into account the symmetry of positive and negative solutions, we have introduced new criteria to test whether all solutions of the studied equation exhibit oscillatory behavior. Our study aims to expand and enhance previous results, helping to understand these properties in the specified context. The results obtained are confirmed and clarified through an example involving Euler-type equations.
Parainfluenza Virus 5 V Protein Blocks Interferon Gamma-Mediated Upregulation of NK Cell Inhibitory Ligands and Improves NK Cell Killing of Neuroblastoma Cells
Authors: Shiffer Elisabeth M. , Oyer Jeremiah L. , Copik Alicja J. , Parks Griffith D.
Published: August 2024

Natural killer (NK) cells can be effective immunotherapeutic anti-cancer agents due to their ability to selectively target and kill tumor cells. This activity is modulated by the interaction of NK cell receptors with inhibitory ligands on the surface of target cells. NK cell inhibitory ligands can be upregulated on tumor cell surfaces in response to interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), a cytokine which is produced by activated NK cells. We hypothesized that the resistance of tumor cells to NK cell killing could be overcome by expression of the parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) V protein, which has known roles in blocking IFN-γ signaling. This was tested with human PM21-NK cells produced through a previously developed particle-based method which yields superior NK cells for immunotherapeutic applications. Infection of human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells with PIV5 blocked IFN-γ-mediated upregulation of three NK cell inhibitory ligands and enhanced in vitro killing of these tumor cells by PM21-NK cells. SK-N-SH cells transduced to constitutively express the V protein alone were resistant to IFN-γ-mediated increases in cell surface expression of NK cell inhibitory ligands. Real-time in vitro cell viability assays demonstrated that V protein expression in SK-N-SH cells was sufficient to increase PM21-NK cell-mediated killing. Toward a potential therapeutic application, transient lentiviral delivery of the V gene also enhanced PM21-NK cell killing in vitro. Our results provide the foundation for novel therapeutic applications of V protein expression in combination with ex vivo NK cell therapy to effectively increase the killing of tumor cells.
The Altered Neonatal CD8+ T Cell Immunodominance Hierarchy during Influenza Virus Infection Impacts Peptide Vaccination
Authors: Heil Luke , Jewell Samantha , Lines J. Louise , Garvy Beth A.
Published: August 2024

Neonates are more susceptible to influenza virus infection than adults, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality and delayed clearance of the virus. Generating effective CD8+ T cell responses may be important for improving vaccination outcomes in vulnerable populations, but neonatal T cells frequently respond differently than adult cells. We sought to understand CD8+ T cell specificity and immunodominance during neonatal influenza infection and how any differences from the adult hierarchy might impact peptide vaccine effectiveness. Neonatal C57BL/6 mice displayed an altered CD8+ T cell immunodominance hierarchy during influenza infection, preferentially responding to an epitope in the influenza protein PA rather than the co-dominant adult response to NP and PA. Heterosubtypic infections in mice first infected as pups also displayed altered immunodominance and reduced protection compared to mice first infected as adults. Adoptive transfer of influenza-infected bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells promoted an NP-specific CD8+ T cell response in influenza-virus-infected pups and increased viral clearance. Finally, pups responded to PA (224–233), but not NP (366–374) during peptide vaccination. PA (224–233)-vaccinated mice were not protected during viral challenge. Epitope usage should be considered when designing vaccines that target T cells when the intended patient population includes infants and adults.
No Time to Die: How Cytomegaloviruses Suppress Apoptosis, Necroptosis, and Pyroptosis
Authors: Deng Yingqi , Águeda-Pinto Ana , Brune Wolfram
Published: August 2024

Viruses are obligate intracellular pathogens as their replication depends on the metabolism of the host cell. The induction of cellular suicide, known as programmed cell death (PCD), has the potential to hinder viral replication and act as a first line of defense against viral pathogens. Apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis are three important PCD modalities. Different signaling pathways are involved in their execution, and they also differ in their ability to cause inflammation. Cytomegaloviruses (CMV), beta-herpesviruses with large double-stranded DNA genomes, encode a great variety of immune evasion genes, including several cell death suppressors. While CMV inhibitors of apoptosis and necroptosis have been known and studied for years, the first pyroptosis inhibitor has been identified and characterized only recently. Here, we describe how human and murine CMV interfere with apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis signaling pathways. We also discuss the importance of the different PCD forms and their viral inhibitors for the containment of viral replication and spread in vivo.
The Stress Effect and Biomineralization of High Phosphorus Concentration on Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Mediated by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans
Authors: Gan Zhenye , Jiang Yanbo , Wei Chen , Wu Xianhui , Huang Haitao
Published: August 2024

Acid mine drainage (AMD), containing large quantities of heavy metals and acidic components, poses a severe threat to the environment and human health. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans) plays a crucial role in the treatment of AMD, but its activity is significantly influenced by environmental conditions. This study systematically analyzes the stress effect of high phosphorus concentration on A. ferrooxidans during AMD treatment and its biomineralization effect. The results indicate that with phosphorus concentrations ranging from 0 g/L to 2 g/L, the system’s pH and Fe2+ oxidation rate initially decrease and then increase, with higher phosphorus concentrations delaying the time of increase. When the phosphorus concentration exceeds 2 g/L, both pH and Fe2+ oxidation rates generally show a downward trend. The morphology and elemental composition of the precipitates obtained under different phosphorus concentrations exhibit significant differences, indicating that phosphorus concentration notably affects the oxidation activity of A. ferrooxidans and its mediated biomineralization process. Under high phosphorus concentrations, the activity of A. ferrooxidans is inhibited, hindering the Fe2+ oxidation process and resulting in the formation of a large quantity of amorphous ferric phosphate precipitates. The findings provide a scientific basis for optimizing AMD treatment technologies, suggesting that reasonable control of phosphorus concentration in practical applications can improve AMD treatment efficiency and pretreatment effects.
New Insights into Changes in DOM Fractions in a Crab Farming Park and Key Factors in the Removal Process Using Fluorescence Spectra with MW-2DCOS and SEM
Authors: Zhou Ruijuan , Hao Yan , Yu Benxin , Hou Junwen , Lu Kuotian , Yang Fang , Li Qingqian
Published: August 2024

With the explosion of crab farming in China, the urgent need to treat crab wastewater can never be overemphasized. Hence, in this study, excitation–emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), moving window two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (MW-2DCOS) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed to identify changes in the dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractions in a crab farming park and reveal latent factors associated with removal processes. Seven components (C1–C7) were extracted from DOMs by EEM-PARAFAC as follows: C1: microbial byproduct-like substances, C2: visible-tryptophan-like substances, C3: fulvic-like substances, C4: phenolic-like substances, C5: ultraviolet tyrosine-like substances, C6: D-tryptophan-like substances and C7: L-tryptophan-like substances. Interestingly, C7 (39.20%), a representative component of DOM in the crab farming pond, was deeply degraded in the aeration pond by aerobic microbes, whereas C6 was absent in the crab pond. According to 2DCOS, the changing order of the components was C7 → C4 → C6 → C5 → C2 → C1 → C3, and the changing order of the functional groups was carboxylic → phenolic → aromatic. As assessed by MW-2DCOS, the Fmax of the components, especially components C2, C5 and C6 (and with the exception of C4 and C7) exponentially increased in the aeration pond, where an accumulative effect occurred. C2, C5 and C7 were removed by 24.26%, 39.42% and 98.25% in the crab farming system, and were deeply degraded in the paddy-field, purification pond and aeration pond, respectively. As assessed by SEM, the latent factors of organic matter removal were C1, C2, C4, C5, SUVA254, CODMn and DO. This study could be conducive to comprehensively characterizing the removal of components and functional groups of DOMs in crab farming parks.
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior Regarding Health and Environment in an Israeli Community: Implications for Sustainable Urban Environments and Public Health
Authors: Dopelt Keren , Aharon Liza , Rimon Miri
Published: August 2024

Over the past two decades, public health researchers have increasingly emphasized the need to adopt a new, comprehensive approach to the environment that addresses social and spatial aspects of urban life affecting public health in urban areas. Urban authorities can reduce environmental and climate change damages by promoting green construction and clean energy production, establishing recycling stations, encouraging residents to change their consumption and eating patterns, and more. Municipal authorities in Ashkelon, Israel, like their counterparts around the world, recognize the critical importance of participating in global efforts to address the climate crisis. In this context, we conducted a survey to examine the associations between knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding health and the environment among Ashkelon residents. A total of 322 participants from the city’s adult population completed an online questionnaire. Our findings indicate that Ashkelon residents understand the connection between the environment and human behavior and have a positive attitude toward preserving the environment. However, not all the city’s residents exhibit pro-environmental behavior, and not all pro-environmental facilities are accessible to all city residents. Significant positive connections were found between knowledge, attitudes, pro-environmental behavior, and accessibility to facilities. Participants who kept pets at home demonstrated more pro-environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behavior than those who did not have pets. Strengthening positive attitudes towards the environment is essential if individuals are to acquire knowledge and understand how to maintain a healthy environment. To achieve this end, extensive public education on environmental and climate change issues is needed, and the city environment should promote a healthy lifestyle while preserving the environment.