bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-Pressure Adsorption of CO2 and CH4 on Biochar—A Cost-Effective Sorbent for In Situ Applications
Authors: Lutyński Marcin , Kielar Jan , Gajda Dawid , Mikeska Marcel , Najser Jan
Published: February 2023

The search for an effective, cost-efficient, and selective sorbent for CO2 capture technologies has been a focus of research in recent years. Many technologies allow efficient separation of CO2 from industrial gases; however, most of them (particularly amine absorption) are very energy-intensive processes not only from the point of view of operation but also solvent production. The aim of this study was to determine CO2 and CH4 sorption capacity of pyrolyzed spruce wood under a wide range of pressures for application as an effective adsorbent for gas separation technology such as Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) or Temperature Swing Adsorption (TSA). The idea behind this study was to reduce the carbon footprint related to the transport and manufacturing of sorbent for the separation unit by replacing it with a material that is the direct product of pyrolysis. The results show that pyrolyzed spruce wood has a considerable sorption capacity and selectivity towards CO2 and CH4. Excess sorption capacity reached 1.4 mmol·g−1 for methane and 2.4 mmol·g−1 for carbon dioxide. The calculated absolute sorption capacity was 1.75 mmol·g−1 at 12.6 MPa for methane and 2.7 mmol·g−1 at 4.7 MPa for carbon dioxide. The isotherms follow I type isotherm which is typical for microporous adsorbents.
Foam Glass Granule Usage in Tile Glue Mixtures That Use a Reduced Portland Cement Amount
Authors: Zurauskiene Ramune , Navickiene Lijana
Published: February 2023

In the last few years, ceramic tiles and tiles from natural rock with higher measurements were used. A huge amount of tile glue is used for high-measurement tile gluing due to a special gluing technology, which is characterized by a thicker glue layer. Due to this, a higher and higher amount of tile glue is used up during decorating. Regular tile glue mixture uses up to about 50–60% cement (according to mixture mass). In carried-out experiments, a lower amount of cement was used in tile glue mixture production (30%). Additionally, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% of sand was replaced with small foam glass granules. These granules are made from glass waste. By using foam glass granules, lighter tile glue mixtures were produced, while reducing the cement amount can lower energy usage and CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. The main properties of tile glue were investigated as follows: flow of mixture, density, compressive strength, bending strength, tensile-adhesive strength, slip and water absorption. The properties obtained during the research prove that newly produced tile glue mixtures fulfill all requirements given to these types of mixtures. A total of 25% of foam glass granule from filler mass can be used in tile glue production.
Comparative Study of 2D Petrographic and 3D X-ray Tomography Investigations of Air Voids in Asphalt
Authors: Middendorf Moritz , Umbach Cristin , Böhm Stefan , Liu Jia , Middendorf Bernhard
Published: February 2023

Knowledge of the exact composition of building materials (aggregate, binder, air voids, etc.) is essential for the further development of more resistant and sustainable building materials. In numerous scientific studies, the material behavior of asphalt is tested using mechanical methods. Here, the overall material behavior is determined (bitumen, air voids, aggregate). With the advent of imaging techniques, it is becoming possible to determine the individual constituents separately and perform a more detailed analysis of their location, shape and composition. Three-dimensional and two-dimensional methods are available for this purpose. For this study, two different types of asphalt (porous asphalt and asphalt concrete) were analyzed using 3D X-ray computed tomography and asphalt petrology as 2D methods; the results of both investigations are compared. The objective of this study is to determine whether the 2D method provides suitable results for the microstructural analysis of asphalt samples and how the results differ from those studied by the 3D method. The comparison shows that both methods can be used to analyze voids in asphalt samples. The 2D method provides valuable insight into the distribution of voids in a sample. In addition to the distribution of voids within a 2D section, the 2D method can also be used to make some structural statements about the location and structure of the voids in the 2D plane. The X-ray computed tomography method allows more complex analyses of the pore structure because of the third direction (3D). In addition, the 3D method provides more data, so that the pore structure can be described even more precisely, and the pore size (length, width, height) can be mapped and analyzed with a high degree of accuracy.
Study on Aerodynamic Drag Reduction at Tail of 400 km/h EMU with Air Suction-Blowing Combination
Authors: Cui Hongjiang , Chen Guanxin , Guan Ying , Deng Wu
Published: February 2023

In order to further reduce the aerodynamic drag of High-speed Electric Multiple Units (EMU), an active flow control drag reduction method combining air suction and blowing is proposed at the rear of the EMU train. A numerical calculation method based on realizable k-ε is used to investigate the aerodynamic drag characteristics of a three-car EMU with a speed of 400 km/h. The influence of different suction-blowing mass flow rates, the position and number of suction and blowing ports on the aerodynamic drag and surface pressure of the EMU tail are analyzed. The results demonstrate that suction and blowing at the tail reduce the pressure drag of EMU. And with the growth of air suction-blowing mass flow rate, the aerodynamic drag reduction rate of the tail car gradually increases, but the increment of drag reduction rate gradually decreases. Under the same mass flow rate of the suction and blowing, the closer the ports are to the upper and lower edges of the windscreen, the lower the pressure drag of the tail car is. At the same flow flux of air suction and blowing, the more the number of ports, the better the pressure drag reduction effect of the tail car. This study provides a reference for the next generation of EMU aerodynamic drag reduction and is of great significance for breaking through the limitations of traditional aerodynamic drag reduction.
A Pre-Seismic Anomaly Detection Approach Based on Earthquake Cross Partial Multi-View Data Fusion
Authors: Huang Yongming , Zhu Kun’ao , Shi Wen , Lu Yong , Liu Gaochuan , Zhang Guobao , Teng Yuntian
Published: February 2023

It is a challenge to detect pre-seismic anomalies by using only one dataset due to the complexity of earthquakes. Therefore, it is a promising direction to use multiparameteric data. The earthquake cross partial multi-view data fusion approach (EQ-CPM) is proposed in this paper. By using this method, electromagnetic data and seismicity indicators are fused. This approach tolerates the absence of data and complements the missing part in fusion. First, the effectiveness of seismicity indicators and electromagnetic data was validated through two earthquake case studies. Then, four machine learning algorithms were applied to detect pre-seismic anomalies by using the fused data and two original datasets. The results show that the fused data provided better performance than the single-modal data. In the Matthews correlation coefficient index, the results of our method showed an 8% improvement compared with the latest study.
Limit Theorem for Spectra of Laplace Matrix of Random Graphs
Authors: Tikhomirov Alexander N.
Published: February 2023

We consider the limit of the empirical spectral distribution of Laplace matrices of generalized random graphs. Applying the Stieltjes transform method, we prove under general conditions that the limit spectral distribution of Laplace matrices converges to the free convolution of the semicircular law and the normal law.
Design Efficiency of the Asymmetric Minimum Projection Uniform Designs
Authors: Bai Qiming , Li Hongyi , Zhang Shixian , Tian Jiezhong
Published: February 2023

Highly efficient designs and uniform designs are widely applied in many fields because of their good properties. The purpose of this paper is to study the issue of design efficiency for asymmetric minimum projection uniform designs. Based on the centered L2 discrepancy, the uniformity of the designs with mixed levels is defined, which is used to measure the projection uniformity of the designs. The analytical relationship between the uniformity pattern and the design efficiency is established for mixed-level orthogonal arrays with a strength of two. Moreover, a tight lower bound of the uniformity pattern is presented. The research is relevant in the field of experimental design by providing a theoretical basis for constructing the minimum number of projection uniform designs with a high design efficiency under a certain condition. These conclusions are verified by some numerical examples, which illustrate the theoretical results obtained in this paper.
Improving Intent Classification Using Unlabeled Data from Large Corpora
Authors: Bercaru Gabriel , Truică Ciprian-Octavian , Chiru Costin-Gabriel , Rebedea Traian
Published: February 2023

Intent classification is a central component of a Natural Language Understanding (NLU) pipeline for conversational agents. The quality of such a component depends on the quality of the training data, however, for many conversational scenarios, the data might be scarce; in these scenarios, data augmentation techniques are used. Having general data augmentation methods that can generalize to many datasets is highly desirable. The work presented in this paper is centered around two main components. First, we explore the influence of various feature vectors on the task of intent classification using RASA’s text classification capabilities. The second part of this work consists of a generic method for efficiently augmenting textual corpora using large datasets of unlabeled data. The proposed method is able to efficiently mine for examples similar to the ones that are already present in standard, natural language corpora. The experimental results show that using our corpus augmentation methods enables an increase in text classification accuracy in few-shot settings. Particularly, the gains in accuracy raise up to 16% when the number of labeled examples is very low (e.g., two examples). We believe that our method is important for any Natural Language Processing (NLP) or NLU task in which labeled training data are scarce or expensive to obtain. Lastly, we give some insights into future work, which aims at combining our proposed method with a semi-supervised learning approach.
Mathematical–Statistical Nonlinear Model of Zincing Process and Strategy for Determining the Optimal Process Conditions
Authors: Vagaská Alena
Published: February 2023

The article is aimed at the mathematical and optimization modeling of technological processes of surface treatments, specifically the zincing process. In surface engineering, it is necessary to eliminate the risk that the resulting product quality will not be in line with the reliability requirements or needs of customers. To date, a number of research studies deal with the applications of mathematical modeling and optimization methods to control technological processes and eliminate uncertainties in the technological response variables. The situation is somewhat different with the acid zinc plating process, and we perceive their lack more. This article reacts to the specific requirements from practice for the prescribed thickness and quality of the zinc layer deposited in the acid electrolyte, which stimulated our interest in creating a statistical nonlinear model predicting the thickness of the resulting zinc coating (ZC). The determination of optimal process conditions for acid galvanizing is a complex problem; therefore, we propose an effective solving strategy based on the (i) experiment performed by using the design of experiments (DOE) approach; (ii) exploratory and confirmatory statistical analysis of experimentally obtained data; (iii) nonlinear regression model development; (iv) implementation of nonlinear programming (NLP) methods by the usage of MATLAB toolboxes. The main goal is achieved—regression model for eight input variables, including their interactions, is developed (the coefficient of determination reaches the value of R2 = 0.959403); the optimal values of the factors acting during the zincing process to achieve the maximum thickness of the resulting protective zinc layer (the achieved optimum value th* = 12.7036 μm), are determined.
Modeling Spatial Development of the Economy Based on the Concept of Economic Complexity (on the Example of Aerospace Industry)
Authors: Dubrovskaya Julia , Kozonogova Elena , Rusinova Maria
Published: February 2023

Ensuring the rational use of limited space is a key function of government bodies at any level of power. Spatial development of the economy is modeled in the presented paper based on the concept of economic complexity. In addition to the innovative application of the economic complexity concept to the analysis of territorial systems in the form of macroregions, this study used an improved methodology for calculating the index of economic complexity in relation to the processes of interregional cooperation. The methodology of constructing a model of the spatial organization of the economy included determining the composition of the system of equations and their structure, formulating the prerequisites and limitations of the model, and determining an objective function of the model. The minimum level of heterogeneity of spatial development and the maximum of macroregion economic complexity indexes were chosen as the criterion of optimality. As a result of testing the model on real statistical data of the regions in Russia, a grid of macroregions was formed, providing an increase in the diversification of the types of production activities within the macroregion and a decrease in the differentiation of the development of the territories included in it. A computer program was developed during the course of the study that allows simulation experiments to be carried out in order to find the optimal variant of spatial organization of the economy. In addition, in the example of the aerospace industry, the management algorithm of the regional sectoral branching process was tested.
The Algebraic Classification of Nilpotent Bicommutative Algebras
Authors: Abdurasulov Kobiljon , Kaygorodov Ivan , Khudoyberdiyev Abror
Published: February 2023

This paper is devoted to the complete algebraic classification of complex five-dimensional nilpotent bicommutative algebras.
Simulating the Effects of Gate Machines on Crowd Traffic Based on the Modified Social Force Model
Authors: Lin Xue , Cheng Long , Zhang Shuo , Wang Qianling
Published: February 2023

Gate machines, such as ticket gates in stations and secure gates in office buildings, are very common in people’s daily lives. On the one hand, the passage between the gates is not wide enough for pedestrians to pass through, which may affect the traffic efficiency of the crowd; on the other hand, the gates make pedestrians move more orderly and smooth and may speed up evacuation. Whether the gates benefit or hinder the movement and evacuation of a crowd is not clear for now. This paper studies the effects of gate machines on crowd traffic based on simulations using the modified social force model. Three simulation scenarios are considered, including the absence of any gate machines, the presence of gate machines without invisible walls, and the presence of gate machines with invisible walls. Normal and evacuation situations are distinguished by whether or not a pedestrian pauses for a while in front of the gates. The influences of factors such as the number of passages, exit width, and the number of pedestrians on crowd traffic are analyzed. Simulation results show that for different exit widths, there is a corresponding optimal number of passages to make the evacuation efficiency of the crowd the highest. The conclusions of this paper can provide some suggestions for the setting of the gate machines and the development of evacuation strategies.
Asbestos Fibers Enhance the TMEM16A Channel Activity in Xenopus Oocytes
Authors: Bernareggi Annalisa , Zangari Martina , Constanti Andrew , Zacchi Paola , Borelli Violetta , Mangogna Alessandro , Lorenzon Paola , Zabucchi Giuliano
Published: February 2023

Background: The interaction of asbestos fibers with target cell membranes is still poorly investigated. Here, we detected and characterized an enhancement of chloride conductance in Xenopus oocyte cell membranes induced by exposure to crocidolite (Croc) asbestos fibers. Methods: A two-microelectrode voltage clamp technique was used to test the effect of Croc fiber suspensions on outward chloride currents evoked by step membrane depolarization. Calcium imaging experiments were also performed to investigate the variation of ‘resting’ oocyte [Ca2+]i following asbestos exposure. Results: The increase in chloride current after asbestos treatment, was sensitive to [Ca2+]e, and to specific blockers of TMEM16A Ca2+-activated chloride channels, MONNA and Ani9. Furthermore, asbestos treatment elevated the ‘resting’ [Ca2+]i likelihood by increasing the cell membrane permeability to Ca2 in favor of a tonic activation of TMEME16A channels. Western blot analysis confirmed that TMEME16A protein was endogenously present in the oocyte cell membrane and absorbed by Croc. Conclusion: the TMEM16A channels endogenously expressed by Xenopus oocytes are targets for asbestos fibers and represent a powerful tool for asbestos–membrane interaction studies. Interestingly, TMEM16A channels are highly expressed in many types of tumors, including some asbestos-related cancers, suggesting them, for the first time, as a possible early target of crocidolite-mediated tumorigenic effects on target cell membranes.
Research on Cold Start of Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Based on Model Predictive Control
Authors: Xiong Shusheng , Wu Zhankuan , Jiang Qi , Zhao Jiahao , Wang Tianxin , Deng Jianan , Huang Heqing
Published: February 2023

The cold start of fuel cells limits their wide application. Since the water produced by fuel cells takes up more space when it freezes, it may affect the internal structure of the stack, causing collapse and densification of the pores inside the catalytic layer. This paper mainly analyzes the influence of different startup strategies on the stack cold start, focusing on the change in the stack temperature and the ice volume fraction of the catalytic layer. When designing a startup strategy, it is important to focus not only on the optimization of the startup time, but also on the principle of minimizing the damage to the stack. A lumped parameter cold-start model was constructed, which was experimentally verified to have a maximum error of 8.9%. On this basis, a model predictive control (MPC) algorithm was used to control the starting current. The MPC cold-start strategy reached the freezing point at 17 s when the startup temperature was −10 °C, which is faster than other startup strategies. Additionally, the time to ice production was controlled to about 20 s. Compared with the potentiostatic strategy and maximum power strategy, MPC is optimal and still has great potential for further optimization.
Shear Strength Analysis of Anti-Rust Bolts with a Spiral Oil-Guiding Slot and Oil-Bearing Hole: Simulation and Experiment
Authors: Liu Hailang , Li Chenghu
Published: February 2023

This paper studies the shear strength of an anti-rust bolt with a spiral oil-guiding slot and oil-bearing hole by conducting a simulation and experiment. A finite element model with the bolt and the clamp tool is developed for simulating the shearing of the bolt in progressive failure analyses. An indirect method is proposed to generate a spiral entity that can produce excellent spiral elements. A clamp tool is designed for the shear experiment of the bolt. Moreover, a substitute calculation method is presented for the shear strength analysis of the special bolt, and the effect of using the oil-guiding slot on shear strengths is considered by reducing the bolt’s radius. The study results show the following: The results of the simulation are in good agreement with the experimental results. One side of the bolt with the oil-bearing hole is first cut off, and the deviation between the result obtained by using the substitute calculation and the experiment’s result is 7.97%.
Advances in Understanding Metal Electrolysis Process
Authors: Friedrich Bernd , Jovićević Jovan N. , Feldhaus Dominic , Cvetković Vesna S.
Published: February 2023

Advancements in technologies related to the electrorefining and electrodeposition of metals—as important manufacturing process steps—continue to receive significant attention [...]
Cupriavidus pinatubonensis JMP134 Alleviates Sulfane Sulfur Toxicity after the Loss of Sulfane Dehydrogenase through Oxidation by Persulfide Dioxygenase and Hydrogen Sulfide Release
Authors: Xin Yufeng , Wang Yaxin , Zhang Honglin , Wu Yu , Xia Yongzhen , Li Huanjie , Qu Xiaohua
Published: February 2023

An incomplete Sox system lacking sulfane dehydrogenase SoxCD may produce and accumulate sulfane sulfur when oxidizing thiosulfate. However, how bacteria alleviate the pressure of sulfane sulfur accumulation remains largely unclear. In this study, we focused on the bacterium Cupriavidus pinatubonensis JMP134, which contains a complete Sox system. When soxCD was deleted, this bacterium temporarily produced sulfane sulfur when oxidizing thiosulfate. Persulfide dioxygenase (PDO) in concert with glutathione oxidizes sulfane sulfur to sulfite. Sulfite can spontaneously react with extra persulfide glutathione (GSSH) to produce thiosulfate, which can feed into the incomplete Sox system again and be oxidized to sulfate. Furthermore, the deletion strain lacking PDO and SoxCD produced volatile H2S gas when oxidizing thiosulfate. By comparing the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) between the wild-type and deletion strains, we speculated that H2S is generated during the interaction between sulfane sulfur and the glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) redox couple, which may reduce the oxidative stress caused by the accumulation of sulfane sulfur in bacteria. Thus, PDO and H2S release play a critical role in alleviating sulfane sulfur toxicity after the loss of soxCD in C. pinatubonensis JMP134.
Review of Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers for Rangefinders
Authors: Pan Jiong , Bai Chenyu , Zheng Qincheng , Xie Huikai
Published: February 2023

Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) rangefinders have been rapidly developed in the last decade. With high output pressure to enable long-range detection and low power consumption (16 μW for over 1 m range detection has been reported), pMUT rangefinders have drawn extensive attention to mobile range-finding. pMUT rangefinders with different strategies to enhance range-finding performance have been developed, including the utilization of pMUT arrays, advanced device structures, and novel piezoelectric materials, and the improvements of range-finding methods. This work briefly introduces the working principle of pMUT rangefinders and then provides an extensive overview of recent advancements that improve the performance of pMUT rangefinders, including advanced pMUT devices and range-finding methods used in pMUT rangefinder systems. Finally, several derivative systems of pMUT rangefinders enabling pMUT rangefinders for broader applications are presented.
Polyaniline Hybrids with Biological Tissue, and Biological Polymers as Physiological—Electroactive Materials
Authors: Ichikawa Mai , Otaki Masashi , Goto Hiromasa
Published: February 2023

A sprout/polyaniline was synthesized via the chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of natural sprout, based on a concept of cyborg plant composite. The composite consisted of both polyaniline and plants. The chemical structure was confirmed by infrared absorption spectroscopy measurements. Optical microscopy observation revealed that polyaniline was deposited into the micro-tissue of the sprout to form the conductive polymer bio-composite. Micro-optical fiber functions for the composite were visually confirmed. Furthermore, the sprout/polyaniline based organic diode exhibited an avalanche breakdown phenomenon. Next, a fucoidan/polyaniline composite as a physiological active material/conducting polymer composite was prepared. This composite showed good film-forming ability, electrochromism, and a micro-porous surface. This paper reports the preparation of conducting polymer composites with a combination of bio-tissue and bio-substance for the creation of bio-based electrically active organized architecture.
The Role of Quorum Sensing in the Development of Microcystis aeruginosa Blooms: Gene Expression
Authors: Lamas-Samanamud Gisella , Montante Armando , Mertins Andrea , Phan Duc , Loures Carla , Naves Fabiano , Reeves Tony , Shipley Heather J.
Published: February 2023

Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) is the dominant cyanobacterial species causing harmful algal blooms in water bodies worldwide. The blooms release potent toxins and pose severe public health hazards to water bodies, animals, and humans who are in contact with or consume this water. The interaction between M. aeruginosa and heterotrophic bacteria is thought to contribute to the development of the blooms. This study strives to provide a specific answer to whether quorum sensing is also a potential mechanism mediating the interaction of different strains/species and the expression by gene luxS or gene mcyB in M. aeruginosa growth. The luxS gene in M. aeruginosa PCC7806 is associated with quorum sensing and was tested by q-PCR throughout a 30-day growth period. The same was performed for the mcyB gene. Heterotrophic bacteria were collected from local water bodies: Cibolo Creek and Leon Creek in San Antonio, Texas. Results revealed that in algal bloom scenarios, there is a similar concentration of gene luxS that is expressed by the cyanobacteria. Gene mcyB, however, is not directly associated with algal blooms, but it is related to cyanotoxin production. Toxicity levels increased in experiments with multiple algal strains, and the HSL treatment was not effective at reducing microcystin levels.
Short-Wave Ultraviolet-Light-Based Disinfection of Surface Environment Using Light-Emitting Diodes: A New Approach to Prevent Health-Care-Associated Infections
Authors: Duering Helena , Westerhoff Thomas , Kipp Frank , Stein Claudia
Published: February 2023

Ultraviolet (UV)-C irradiation is a promising method for microbial eradication on surfaces. Major developments have taken place in UV-C light-emitting diodes (LEDs) technology. In this study, we examined the suitability of UV-C LED-based surface disinfection in hospitals. We tested the efficacy of UV-C LED surface treatment on different microorganisms dried on a carrier surface or in a liquid solution. The influences of soiling, shading, surface material, radiation wavelength, microbial load and species on the disinfection performance were investigated. UV-C LED caused a reduction of >5 log10 levels of E. coli, S. aureus and C. albicans, whereas 3 log10 reduction was observed for G. stearothermophilus spores. The components of the medium led to a reduced UV-C LED efficiency compared to buffered solutions. We observed that the microbial load and the roughness of the carrier surface had a major influence on the UV-C LED disinfection efficiencies, whereas shading had no impact on inactivation. This study showed that UV-C is suitable for surface disinfection, but only under certain conditions. We showed that the main factors influencing microbial inactivation through UV-C light (e.g., intrinsic and extrinsic factors) had a similar impact when using a UV-C LED radiation source compared to a conventional UV-C lamp. However, the potential of LEDs is contributed by their adjustable wavelength and customizable geometry for the decontamination of medical devices and surfaces, and thereby their ability to overcome shading effects.
The Epibiotic Microbiota of Wild Caribbean Sea Urchin Spines Is Species Specific
Authors: Rodríguez-Barreras Ruber , Dominicci-Maura Anelisse , Tosado-Rodríguez Eduardo L. , Godoy-Vitorino Filipa
Published: February 2023

Caribbean sea urchins are marine invertebrates that have experienced a decline over the years. Studies on sea urchins have focused primarily on the microbiome of the coelomic fluid or the gut microbiota. In this study, the epibiota community associated with four wild Caribbean sea urchin species, Lytechinus variegatus, Echinometra lucunter, Tripneustes ventricosus, and Diadema antillarum, was characterized for the first time. Using 57 sea urchin animal samples, we evaluated the influence of animal species, trophic niches, and geographical location on the composition of the epibiotic microbiota. We found significant differences in the bacterial biota among species and trophic niches, but not among geographical locations. L. variegatus exhibited the highest alpha diversity with high dominance of Fusobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Cyanobacteria, whereas T. ventricosus and D. antillarum were dominated by Firmicutes. T. ventricosus inhabiting the seagrass biotope dominated by Thalassia testudinum meadows had mostly Endozoicomonas. In contrast, samples located in the reef (dominated by corals and other reef builders) had a higher abundance of Kistimonas and Photobacterium. Our findings confirm that the epibiotic microbiota is species-specific, but also niche-dependent, revealing the trophic networks emerging from the organic matter being recycled in the seagrass and reef niches. As echinoids are important grazers of benthic communities, their microbiota will likely influence ecosystem processes.
Nanomaterials and Devices for Harvesting Ambient Electromagnetic Waves
Authors: Dragoman Mircea , Aldrigo Martino , Dinescu Adrian , Vasilache Dan , Iordanescu Sergiu , Dragoman Daniela
Published: February 2023

This manuscript presents an overview of the implications of nanomaterials in harvesting ambient electromagnetic waves. We show that the most advanced electromagnetic harvesting devices are based on oxides with a thickness of few nanometers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and molybdenum disulfide thanks to their unique physical properties. These tiny objects can produce in the years to come a revolution in the harvesting of energy originating from the Sun, heat, or the Earth itself.
Recent Research Progress of Mn4+-Doped A2MF6 (A = Li, Na, K, Cs, or Rb; M = Si, Ti, Ge, or Sn) Red Phosphors Based on a Core–Shell Structure
Authors: Xie Yueping , Tian Tian , Mao Chengling , Wang Zhenyun , Shi Jingjia , Yang Li , Wang Cencen
Published: February 2023

White light emitting diodes (WLEDs) are widely used due to their advantages of high efficiency, low electricity consumption, long service life, quick response time, environmental protection, and so on. The addition of red phosphor is beneficial to further improve the quality of WLEDs. The search for novel red phosphors has focused mainly on Eu2+ ion- and Mn4+ ion-doped compounds. Both of them have emissions in the red region, absorption in blue region, and similar quantum yields. Eu2+-doped phosphors possess a rather broad-band emission with a tail in the deep red spectral range, where the sensitivity of the human eye is significantly reduced, resulting in a decrease in luminous efficacy of WLEDs. Mn4+ ions provide a narrow emission band ~670 nm in oxide hosts, which is still almost unrecognizable to the human eye. Mn4+-doped fluoride phosphors have become one of the research hotspots in recent years due to their excellent fluorescent properties, thermal stability, and low cost. They possess broad absorption in the blue region, and a series of narrow red emission bands at around 630 nm, which are suitable to serve as red emitting components of WLEDs. However, the problem of easy hydrolysis in humid environments limits their application. Recent studies have shown that constructing a core–shell structure can effectively improve the water resistance of Mn4+-doped fluorides. This paper outlines the research progress of Mn4+-doped fluoride A2MF6 (A = Li, Na, K, Cs, or Rb; M = Si, Ti, Ge or Sn), which has been based on the core–shell structure in recent years. From the viewpoint of the core–shell structure, this paper mainly emphasizes the shell layer classification, synthesis methods, luminescent mechanism, the effect on luminescent properties, and water resistance, and it also gives some applications in terms of WLEDs. Moreover, it proposes challenges and developments in the future.
Super-Branched PdCu Alloy for Efficiently Converting Carbon Dioxide to Carbon Monoxide
Authors: Bao Kaili , Zhou Yunjie , Wu Jie , Li Zenan , Yan Xiong , Huang Hui , Liu Yang , Kang Zhenhui
Published: February 2023

The alloying of noble metals with Cu is one of the most effective strategies for improving catalytic performance and reducing cost in electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reactions (CO2RR). Previous works usually focused on the influence of morphology and composition on the catalytic activity, but lacked the study of the valence state ratio of metals and the electron transfer behavior on alloys. In this work, PdCu−2 alloy (Pd/Cu molar ratio is 1:2) was obtained by a simple one-step solvothermal method, which can effectively convert CO2 to CO with a maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 85% at −0.9 V (vs. RHE). Then, the effect of the chemical state of Pd and Cu on the catalytic performance was investigated. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows that the binding energy of Pd in PdCu alloy has a negative shift, which has affected the adsorption of key intermediates. When the proportion of oxidized state and zero-valent metal in the alloy is about 1:2, the PdCu alloy shows the best catalytic activity. In addition, the transient photovoltage (TPV) measurements further demonstrate that due to the introduction of Cu, the electron transfer rate of PdCu−2 becomes the slowest, which helps the accumulation of electrons on PdCu−2 and leads to the improvement of catalytic performance for electrocatalytic CO2RR. This work can provide more insights into the alloy catalysts of electrocatalytic CO2RR.
Artificial HfO2/TiOx Synapses with Controllable Memory Window and High Uniformity for Brain-Inspired Computing
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhu Xu , Ma Zhongyuan , Hu Hongsheng , Chen Tong , Li Wei , Xu Jun , Xu Ling , Chen Kunji
Published: February 2023

Artificial neural networks, as a game-changer to break up the bottleneck of classical von Neumann architectures, have attracted great interest recently. As a unit of artificial neural networks, memristive devices play a key role due to their similarity to biological synapses in structure, dynamics, and electrical behaviors. To achieve highly accurate neuromorphic computing, memristive devices with a controllable memory window and high uniformity are vitally important. Here, we first report that the controllable memory window of an HfO2/TiOx memristive device can be obtained by tuning the thickness ratio of the sublayer. It was found the memory window increased with decreases in the thickness ratio of HfO2 and TiOx. Notably, the coefficients of variation of the high-resistance state and the low-resistance state of the nanocrystalline HfO2/TiOx memristor were reduced by 74% and 86% compared with the as-deposited HfO2/TiOx memristor. The position of the conductive pathway could be localized by the nanocrystalline HfO2 and TiO2 dot, leading to a substantial improvement in the switching uniformity. The nanocrystalline HfO2/TiOx memristive device showed stable, controllable biological functions, including long-term potentiation, long-term depression, and spike-time-dependent plasticity, as well as the visual learning capability, displaying the great potential application for neuromorphic computing in brain-inspired intelligent systems.
Graphene Nanofoam Based Nanomaterials: Manufacturing and Technical Prospects
Authors: Kausar Ayesha , Ahmad Ishaq , Zhao Tingkai , Eisa M. H. , Aldaghri O.
Published: February 2023

This article fundamentally reviews progress in the design and manufacturing of three-dimensional (3D) graphene-based nanocomposites for technical applications. The 3D graphene nanostructures have been manufactured using techniques like the template method, chemical vapor deposition, sol-gel, freeze-drying, hydrothermal technique, and other approaches. The nanofoam has been reinforced in polymers to achieve superior structural, morphological, and physical characteristics of the ensuing polymer/graphene nanofoam nanocomposites. The polymer/graphene nanofoam nanocomposites have been manufactured using the approaches like direct template method, in situ technique, infiltration process, and other methods. The 3D nanofoam- and polymer-based nanostructures have shown high specific surface area, suppleness, electron transport, thermal conduction, mechanical resilience, and other physical properties. The technical applications of hierarchical graphene nanofoams have been observed in the fields of radiation shielding, solar cells, supercapacitors, fuel cells, and other applications.
Association between Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Subjective Quality of Life in Spanish Young Adults
Authors: Vicente-Castro Iván , Redondo-Useros Noemí , Díaz-Prieto Ligia E. , Gómez-Martínez Sonia , Marcos Ascensión , Nova Esther
Published: February 2023

Background: For the last 25 years, the debate on the benefit–risk balance of moderate alcohol consumption has been ongoing. This study explored the relationships between the pattern of alcohol consumption and subjective quality of life in healthy adults. Material and Methods: Participants were 247 healthy adults aged 25–45 years, with a moderate alcohol consumption, classified in three groups of alcohol intake: None (N = 37; <0.7 g/day), Low (N = 87; 0.7–<5 g/day) and Medium (N = 123; 5–16 g/day in women and 5–28 g/day in men). Information was collected with questionnaires including: alcoholic beverage frequency and pattern, quality of life (SF-36v2), anxiety, depression, health condition, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, physical activity and sleep time. Results: Mean (SD) age of participants was 35.9 (6.3). In the Medium group, the mean alcohol intake was 10.98 ± 4.84 g/day on weekly bases and 24.7 ± 15.2 g/day on weekend days. Beer was the main contributor to total daily alcohol consumption. The percentage of subjects in the Medium group that showed a weekend average intake higher than moderate was 58.5% in exclusively weekend consumers and 48.2% in those who are not exclusive-weekend consumers (p = 0.278). Regarding markers of quality of life and mental health, the results did not show any significant association with alcohol consumption. In conclusion, in subjects that show weekly bases moderate intake of alcohol, weekend-day consumption levels can be high; however, no association of an overall moderate alcohol consumption pattern with quality of life was found.
Chrononutrition during Pregnancy and Its Association with Maternal and Offspring Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Ramadan and Non-Ramadan Studies
Authors: Chen Yu-En , Loy See , Chen Ling-Wei
Published: February 2023

Much evidence suggests that food intakes and eating patterns are major determinants of the phase of peripheral circadian clocks, and desynchronization between them is thought to contribute to the development of metabolic disorders. However, much remains to be understood about how different dimensions of chrononutrition during pregnancy affect pregnant women’s and their offspring’s health outcomes. Therefore, we systematically reviewed and integrated all emerging evidence on chrononutrition during pregnancy (including meal skipping, meal frequency, night eating, and (Ramadan) fasting) and their relationships with maternal and offspring outcomes. The results suggest that meal skipping and night eating during pregnancy were generally associated with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, whereas no strong conclusion could be reached for meal frequency. In our meta-analysis, Ramadan fasting did not seem to be related with birth weight or gestational age at birth, but evidence for other mother–offspring outcomes was inconsistent. To further elucidate the effect of chrononutrition factors on maternal and offspring health outcomes, larger and well-conducted prospective cohort and interventional studies are needed. In addition, information on covariates such as physical activity, sleep, diet quality and quantity, fasting days, fasting period per day, and trimester exposure should also be collected and considered during analysis.
Identification and Characterization of Genomic Predictors of Sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Obesity Using UK Biobank Data
Authors: Semenova Ekaterina A. , Pranckevičienė Erinija , Bondareva Elvira A. , Gabdrakhmanova Leysan J. , Ahmetov Ildus I.
Published: February 2023

The substantial decline in skeletal muscle mass, strength, and gait speed is a sign of severe sarcopenia, which may partly depend on genetic risk factors. So far, hundreds of genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with handgrip strength, lean mass and walking pace have been identified in the UK Biobank cohort; however, their pleiotropic effects on all three phenotypes have not been investigated. By combining summary statistics of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of handgrip strength, lean mass and walking pace, we have identified 78 independent SNPs (from 73 loci) associated with all three traits with consistent effect directions. Of the 78 SNPs, 55 polymorphisms were also associated with body fat percentage and 25 polymorphisms with type 2 diabetes (T2D), indicating that sarcopenia, obesity and T2D share many common risk alleles. Follow-up bioinformatic analysis revealed that sarcopenia risk alleles were associated with tiredness, falls in the last year, neuroticism, alcohol intake frequency, smoking, time spent watching television, higher salt, white bread, and processed meat intake; whereas protective alleles were positively associated with bone mineral density, serum testosterone, IGF1, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, height, intelligence, cognitive performance, educational attainment, income, physical activity, ground coffee drinking and healthier diet (muesli, cereal, wholemeal or wholegrain bread, potassium, magnesium, cheese, oily fish, protein, water, fruit, and vegetable intake). Furthermore, the literature data suggest that single-bout resistance exercise may induce significant changes in the expression of 26 of the 73 implicated genes in m. vastus lateralis, which may partly explain beneficial effects of strength training in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. In conclusion, we have identified and characterized 78 SNPs associated with sarcopenia and 55 SNPs with sarcopenic obesity in European-ancestry individuals from the UK Biobank.
Presence of trans-Fatty Acids Containing Ingredients in Pre-Packaged Foods and the Availability of Reported trans-Fat Levels in Kenya and Nigeria
Authors: Huang Liping , Ojo Adedayo E. , Kimiywe Judith , Kibet Alex , Ale Boni M. , Okoro Clementina E. , Louie Jimmy , Taylor Fraser , Huffman Mark D. , Ojji Dike B. , Wu Jason H. Y. , Marklund Matti
Published: February 2023

In most African countries, the prevalence of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFA) in the food supply is unknown. We estimated the number and proportion of products containing specific (any hydrogenated edible oils) and non-specific (vegetable fat, margarine, and vegetable cream) ingredients potentially indicative of iTFAs among pre-packaged foods collected in Kenya and Nigeria. We also summarized the number and proportion of products that reported trans-fatty acids levels and the range of reported trans-fatty acids levels. In total, 99 out of 5668 (1.7%) products in Kenya and 310 out of 6316 (4.9%) products in Nigeria contained specific ingredients indicative of iTFAs. Bread and bakery products and confectioneries in both countries had the most foods that contained iTFAs-indicative ingredients. A total of 656 products (12%) in Kenya and 624 products (10%) in Nigeria contained non-specific ingredients that may indicate the presence of iTFAs. The reporting of levels of trans-fatty acids was low in both Kenya and Nigeria (11% versus 26%, respectively, p < 0.001). With the increasing burden of ischemic heart disease in Kenya and Nigeria, the rapid adoption of WHO best-practice policies and the mandatory declaration of trans-fatty acids are important for eliminating iTFAs.
Sex Differences in Effects of Mood, Eating-Related Behaviors, and BMI on Food Appeal and Desire to Eat: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study
Authors: Legget Kristina T. , Cornier Marc-Andre , Sarabia Lauren , Delao Eve M. , Mikulich-Gilbertson Susan K. , Natvig Crystal , Erpelding Christina , Mitchell Tessa , Hild Allison , Kronberg Eugene , Tregellas Jason R.
Published: February 2023

Although sex differences in food intake have been observed consistently, contributing factors are not well understood. Using a cross-sectional online survey (n = 306; 151 men, 155 women), this study aimed to assess how sex impacts relationships between food ratings (appeal/desire to eat for high-calorie (HC) and low-calorie (LC) food images) and eating-related attitudes/behaviors, body mass index (BMI), and mood. Across participants, increased state- and trait-based hunger, disinhibition, and cravings were associated with both increased HC appeal and desire (p < 0.001). Increased state-based hunger and cravings were associated with greater LC desire (p < 0.001). Greater satiety was associated with decreased desire for both HC and LC (p < 0.001), while greater anxiety was associated with increased desire for both HC and LC (p < 0.001). Significant associations between BMI and food ratings were not observed. Women reported greater dietary restraint, trait-based hunger, disinhibition, eating disorder-related behaviors, depression, and stress compared to men, in addition to greater appeal and familiarity with LC foods (all p < 0.05). Significant effects of sex on the associations between food ratings and eating-related attitudes/behaviors, BMI, and mood were not observed, however. Findings support the importance of considering mood and eating-related attitudes/behaviors in investigations of food cue responsivity.
Association between Food, Beverages and Overweight/Obesity in Children and Adolescents—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Jakobsen Dorthe Dalstrup , Brader Lea , Bruun Jens Meldgaard
Published: February 2023

A healthy diet is essential to prevent childhood obesity, however, adherence to a healthy diet is challenging. The aim of this study was to give a comprehensive overview of the literature investigaating associations between food and beverages and overweight/obesity in children and adolescents in order to identify dietary risk factors. A systematic search was performed in four databases and observational studies were included. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effect model. Sixty records met inclusion criteria and 14 different food or beverage categories were identified. A higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages increased the odds of overweight/obesity by 1.20 (p < 0.05) (n = 26) and higher intake of fast food increased the odds of overweight/obesity by 1.17 (p < 0.05) (n = 24). Furthermore, higher intake of meat (OR 1.02, p < 0.05 (n:7)) and refined grains (OR 1.28, p < 0.05 (n:3)) was associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity. In contrast, higher intake of whole grain (OR 0.86, p = 0.04 (n:5)) and more surprisingly sweet bakery (OR 0.59, p < 0.05 (n:3)) was associated with a decreased risk of overweight/obesity. In conclusion, a higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and a higher intake of fast food was identified as the primary dietary risk factors for overweight/obesity. Future research is needed to strengthen the generalizability of these results.