bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of subcritical water flash release processing on buckwheat flour properties
Authors: Plumier Benjamin , Kenar James A. , Felker Frederick C. , Winkler‐Moser Jill , Singh Mukti , Byars Jeffrey A. , Liu Sean X. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundBuckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is rich in bioactive components. However, many of these components are trapped within cellular structures, making them inaccessible. Buckwheat flour was hydrothermally modified using subcritical water coupled with a flash pressure release (SCWF). The effects of the SCWF parameters (120, 140, and 160 °C and hold times of 0, 15, and 30 min) on the flour's structure, physicochemical, and functional properties were studied relative to the raw flour.ResultsTreatment deepened the flour color with increasing processing temperatures and hold times. Starch content remained unchanged though its granular structure was disrupted. SCWF treatments lowered total phenolic content compared with the raw flour, except for 160 °C–30 min, where total phenolic content increased by 12.7%. The corresponding antioxidant activities were found consistent with phenolic content. Soluble and insoluble dietary fiber amounts were not substantially influenced at 120 and 140 °C, whereas treatments at 160 °C (15 and 30 min hold) decreased soluble dietary fiber while increasing insoluble dietary fiber. Protein content increased 70–109% in some treatments, suggesting greater protein accessibility. Water‐holding capacity significantly increased for flour treated at 120 °C, whereas only slight improvements occurred at 140 and 160 °C.ConclusionsSubcritical water flash processing can modify the compositional and functional properties of buckwheat flour depending on the choice of reaction conditions. Observed changes were consistent with alteration of the flour's cellular structure and allow some components to become more accessible. The resulting SCWF‐modified buckwheat flours provide new food ingredients for potential use in ready‐to‐eat foods and spreads with improved health benefits. Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Response of the plant–soil system to desertification in the Hulun Buir Sandy Land, China
Authors: Chen Yun , Li Yuqiang , Cao Wenjie , Wang Xuyang , Duan Yulong , Liu Xinping , Yao Caiping 
Published: December 2022

AbstractIn this study, the vegetation and soils of different desertification landscapes (sandy grassland, and fixed, semi‐fixed, semi‐mobile, and mobile dunes) in the Hulun Buir Sandy Land were examined to quantify the impacts of desertification on plants, soils, and microbes, and the key limiting factors of restoration. Desertification caused soil quality to decline and led to an imbalance of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) supplies (N:P ratios decreased significantly from 3.55–1.8, p < 0.05). Desertification did not change the stoichiometric relationships among plant carbon (C), N, and P at a community level, but promoted redistribution of nutrients from roots to aboveground tissues. The aboveground biomass N and P increased by 9.8% and 39.3%, respectively from grassland to mobile dunes, but these of the underground biomass decreased by 26.1% and 37.7%, respectively. N limitation (plant N:P < 10) occurred at the community level. Desertification led to the change of dominant species from perennial herbs to annual psammophytes, and plant diversity (from 1.15–0.79) and productivity (from 880.6 to 128.6 g m−2) first increased slightly (p > 0.05) and then decreased sharply (p < 0.05) with increasing desertification, but with no significant (p > 0.05) change of the microbial community. Redundancy analysis showed that the main environmental drivers were the soil N:P (with an explanation of 29.6%), followed by pH, electrical conductivity, and the soil's fine particles (with a total explanation of 24.3%). Based on these results, three reference frames were proposed for the restoration of the near‐original vegetation community.
Microcystin as a biogeochemical cycle: Pools, fluxes, and fates of the cyanotoxin in inland waters
Authors: Shingai Quin K. , Wilkinson Grace M. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractMicrocystin poses a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health. There is a pressing need to understand the production, movement, and storage of microcystin in lakes. We constructed a conceptual biogeochemical model for microcystin through a comprehensive literature synthesis, identifying four major pools and nine major fluxes in lakes that also connect to the terrestrial environment. This conceptual model can be used as the framework for developing ecosystem mass balances of microcystin. We propose that the concentration of microcystin in the water column is the balance between the import, sediment translocation, production and degradation, uptake, burial, and export. However, substantial unknowns remain pertaining to the magnitude and movement of microcystin. Future investigations should focus on sediment fluxes, drivers of biodegradation, and seasonal dynamics. Adopting the framework of a “microcystin cycle” improves our understanding of processes driving toxin prevalence and helps to prioritize strategies for minimizing exposure risks.
Effect of Different Surface Modifications of Brazilian Attapulgite (ATP) on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of LLDPE/ATP Nanocomposites
Authors: da Silva Thais Ferreira , de Souza Gabriel Portilho Monteiro , Morgado Guilherme Ferreira de Melo , Quinteiro Eduardo , Albers Ana Paula Fonseca , Passador Fabio Roberto 
Published: December 2022

AbstractIn this work, Brazilian attapulgite (ATP) with different surface modifications is used as a mineral filler in the development of linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) nanocomposites. As a raw mineral, Brazilian ATP has many impurities in its structural channels (ATPr). Thus, sodium polyacrylate, hydrogen peroxide, and sulfuric acid are used to remove impurities from ATPr in a process called acid activation (ATPa). Also, inorganic materials do not have good interfacial interaction with organic polymers. Therefore, as an alternative to this challenge, two surface modifications are made to the ATPa: silanization (ATPs) and organophilization (ATPo). ATPr, ATPa, ATPs, and ATPo are characterized by FT‐IR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), XRD (X‐ray diffraction), TGA (thermogravimetric analysis), and FEG‐SEM (field emission gun scanning electron microscopy). The effectiveness of surface modifications is evaluated for LLDPE/ATP nanocomposites with the addition of 3 wt% ATP (ATPr, ATPa, ATPs, and ATPo) prepared by extrusion. The nanocomposites are analyzed by XRD, thermal characterization (differential scanning calorimetry—DSC), mechanical characterization (Shore D hardness, tensile test, and Izod impact strength), and morphological characteristics (SEM micrographs). It can be noted that the addition of treated ATP increases the mechanical properties. The silanization is more effective when compared to the organophilization treatment.
Production and Characterization of Starch/PVA Blends with Bioactive Compounds from Malt Bagasse
Authors: Almeida Lais C. M. , Carvalho Francieli K. , Olivato Juliana B. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractStarch is an abundant and renewable material for producing biodegradable films and, to improve their mechanical performance is usually blended with polymers of better performance, as poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Malt bagasse or brewer spent grain is a by‐product of brewing, mostly used as animal feed, and has bioactive compounds with proven antioxidant properties. On this basis, this work aims to produce starch‐PVA blends incorporated with malt bagasse extracts of two different types of beer, Pilsen, and Weiss. The inclusion of the Weiss (WMB) and Pilsen (PMB) malt bagasse extracts has no significant influence on the water solubility of the films. FEG‐SEM images present no tendency to phase separation at the sample surfaces, with a higher roughness of samples containing PMB extracts and improved homogeneity with the presence of WMB extracts. The inclusion of the bioactive extracts, regardless of concentration, has preserved the resistance and flexibility of the blends. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that all the extracts have a positive influence on the thermal stability of the materials. The starch/PVA biodegradable blends provide an alternative for producing active films suitable for cosmetic uses as anti‐aging masks.
Application of Atmospheric‐Air Plasma on Polyhydroxybutirate Solution – Evaluation of Promoted Changes on the Casted Film Surface and Nanoparticles Production
Authors: Rosa Victor Sermoud , dos Santos Mendonça Tiago , Mendonça Roberta Helena , Simao Renata Antoun , Bastos Daniele Cruz 
Published: December 2022

AbstractPolyhydroxybutirate (PHB) is a very promising biopolymer once it can be used as an eco‐friendly substitute to some synthetic polymers. In this work, PHB solutions are prepared by casting using chloroform as solvent. The solution is modified by plasma treatment using a commercial atmospheric‐air plasma‐jet system (PlasmaPen TM; PVA TePla America), feed with ambient air compressed under 7 bar, operating with a fixed potency of 150 W, receiving 220 VAC (60 Hz, 2 A) as an input, having a plasma plume with a length of 1.2–1.5 cm and a diameter of ≈0.5–0.6 cm. The PHB solution (PHB not treated or PHB‐NT) is treated for 1 min, with 5 cm of distance between the solution surface and the output of the equipment in order to promote local precipitation of PHB. The resulting solutions are used to produce PHB treated films named as PHB‐T. The PHB‐NT and PHB‐T films surface are analyzed through contact angle measurements, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Fourier‐Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results point to changes in reduction of PHB crystallinity and increase in surface roughness of the PHB‐T film caused by the presence of the circular crystalline regions that can be an indicator of possible PHB nanoparticles production.
Thermoplastic Starch – Urea, a Feasible Alternative to Release Nitrogen as Fertilizer
Authors: de Souza Gamarano Daniel , Pereira Iaci M. , Mottin Artur C. , Ayres Eliane 
Published: December 2022

AbstractUrea is the most common N‐containing fertilizer used for plant growth. However, more than half of urea applied to the soil may not reach the plants due to losses from leaching by rain and irrigation water. In this work, as a strategy to obtain matrices with prolonged release urea, starch is extruded with the addition of glycerol and different urea contents. Tensile test and SAXS are used to evaluate the obtained thermoplastic starch (TPS) compositions. Releasing of urea in water from the extruded matrices is assessed using UV/Vis spectroscopy. The assays show that, after a fast release of urea in the first 8 h, the curves tend to stabilize, suggesting a prolonged releasing behavior. Preliminary plant growth assessment, using radish seeds (Raphanus sativus), suggests the suitability of urea‐plasticized starch as a fertilizer for agriculture or horticulture purposes. Thermographic images indicate that urea, released from the starch matrices, increases transpiration lowering leaf temperatures. Further research involves adding a crosslinker in order to retard urea releasing, and blending starch with N containing polymers, which can also release N into the soil, increasing the weight percentage of N in the final product.
Efficacy of ultrasound vector flow imaging in tracking omnidirectional pulsatile flow
Authors: Haniel Jonathas , Yiu Billy Y. S. , Chee Adrian J. Y. , Huebner Rudolf , Yu Alfred C. H. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundUltrasound vector flow imaging (VFI) shows potential as an emerging non‐invasive modality for time‐resolved flow mapping. However, its efficacy in tracking multidirectional pulsatile flow with temporal resolvability has not yet been systematically evaluated because of the lack of an appropriate test protocol.PurposeWe present the first systematic performance investigation of VFI in tracking pulsatile flow in a meticulously designed scenario with time‐varying, omnidirectional flow fields (with flow angles from 0° to 360°).MethodsUltrasound VFI was performed on a three‐loop spiral flow phantom (4 mm diameter; 5 mm pitch) that was configured to operate under pulsatile flow conditions (10 ml/s peak flow rate; 1 Hz pulse rate; carotid pulse shape). The spiral lumen geometry was designed to simulate recirculatory flow dynamics observed in the heart and in curvy blood vessel segments such as the carotid bulb. The imaging sequence was based on steered plane wave pulsing (−10°, 0°, +10° steering angles; 5 MHz imaging frequency; 3.3 kHz interleaved pulse repetition frequency). VFI's pulsatile flow estimation performance and its ability to detect secondary flow were comparatively assessed against flow fields derived from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations that included consideration of fluid‐structure interactions (FSI). The mean percentage error (MPE) and the coefficient of determination (R2) were computed to assess the correspondence of the velocity estimates derived from VFI and CFD‐FSI simulations. In addition, VFI's efficacy in tracking pulse waves was analyzed with respect to pressure transducer measurements made at the phantom's inlet and outlet.ResultsPulsatile flow patterns rendered by VFI agreed with the flow profiles computed from CFD‐FSI simulations (average MPE: –5.3%). The shape of the VFI‐measured velocity magnitude profile generally matched the inlet flow profile. High correlation exists between VFI measurements and simulated flow vectors (lateral velocity: R2 = 0.8; axial velocity R2 = 0.89; beam‐flow angle: R2 = 0.98; p < 0.0001 for all three quantities). VFI was found to be capable of consistently tracking secondary flow. It also yielded pulse wave velocity (PWV) estimates (5.72 ± 1.02 m/s) that, on average, are within 6.4% of those obtained from pressure transducer measurements (6.11 ± 1.15 m/s).ConclusionVFI can consistently track omnidirectional pulsatile flow on a time‐resolved basis. This systematic investigation serves well as a quality assurance test of VFI.
Towards a holistic approach to rewilding in cultural landscapes
Authors: Massenberg Julian R. , Schiller Johannes , Schröter‐Schlaack Christoph 
Published: December 2022

Abstract

In recent years, rewilding has been attracting growing attention as novel, process‐oriented concept supporting ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation.

Rewilding aims to strengthen the adaptive capacity of ecosystems by restoring natural processes and withdrawing anthropogenic interventions. Yet, diverging understandings, conceptions and definitions of rewilding result in a somewhat fuzzy concept.

So far, the scientific discussion focused primarily on biological and ecological effects and success factors of rewilding. However, particularly in Europe, which is characterised by densely populated areas and a long history of landscape cultivation, rewilding affects also socio‐economic and socio‐cultural dimensions

Based on a synthesis of current scientific publications, we argue that rewilding should be understood as an increase in wildness, that is restoring the autonomy of natural processes and self‐sustaining ecosystems in order to overcome the improper dualistic understanding of human‐nature relationships in which humanity is outside of nature.

We identify knowledge gaps and emphasise the need for inter‐ and transdisciplinary research on rewilding to develop a holistic approach to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration. In this context, we particularly emphasise the temporal dynamics of changes in landscapes, which are often long‐term and therefore difficult to monitor, the openness of rewilding processes and the associated uncertainty about end states, as well as the complexity of human‐nature relations and the associated value pluralism.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Registration of ‘NW13493’ hard white winter wheat
Authors: Baenziger P. S. , Frels K. A. , Boehm, J. , Belamkar V. , Rose D. J. , Xu L. , Finnie S. M. , Wegulo S. N. , Regassa T. , Easterly A. C. , Creech C. F. , Santra D. K. , Klein R. N. , Jin Y. , Kolmer J. , Chen M.‐S. , Bowden R. L. , Guttieri M. J. , Bai G. , Salah I. El‐Basyoni , Masterson S. D. , Poland J. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractHistorically, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars developed by the cooperative University of Nebraska–USDA‐ARS wheat improvement project were hard red winter wheat. With the expanding hard white wheat market, there is a greater emphasis on developing hard white winter wheat lines adapted to the Great Plains. ‘NW13493’ (tested as NW13493) (Reg. no. CV‐1197, PI 699380) was selected for its white kernels, agronomic performance, relevant disease resistances, and end‐use quality and is adapted to the central Great Plains. NW13493 was licensed to Bay State Milling Company on the basis of its superior agronomic and end‐use quality performance and also the need to ensure hard white wheat growers have a known market for their grain. NW13493 hard white winter wheat was released in February 2021 by the developing institutions and the licensee. NW13493 was a selection in 2013 from the cross ‘SD98W175‐1’/‘NW03666’, which was made in 2007. The pedigree of SD98W175‐1 is ‘KS84273BB‐10’/‘KSSB110‐9’//’KS831374‐141B’/‘YE1110’/3/ ‘KS82W418’/‘Stephens’ and the pedigree of NW03666 is ‘N94S097KS’/‘NE93459’. The F1 generation was grown in the greenhouse in 2008, and the F2 to F3 generations were advanced as bulks at Mead, NE, in 2009–2010. NW13493 was evaluated in replicated trials beginning in 2014. It has excellent winter survival and agronomic performance, acceptable disease reactions to many of the common diseases in its target area, and good end‐use quality for bread making.
Transition metals doped (3,3) armchair boron nitride nanosheet as dilute magnetic semiconductors materials for the spintronic application
Authors: Malek Akram , Movlarooy Tayebeh , Hessami Pilehrood Saeid 
Published: December 2022

AbstractMagnetic 2D materials have attracted considerable attention for their significant potential application in spintronic. In this work, the effect of substitutional doping of 3d‐transition metals such as Co, Cr, Mn, and Fe on the magnetic and electronic properties of boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS) was studied based on the spin‐polarized density functional theory. The results revealed that the non‐magnetic and semiconducting behavior of BNNS can be altered by magnetically active dopants. The spin‐polarized density of states suggests that pure BNNS is a nonmagnetic semiconductor with a direct bandgap while transition metals doped BNNS are dilute magnetic semiconductors or half metals (HM). Co doping shows the most stable ferromagnetic phases in the nanosheet. A pair of Mn and Co atoms doped BNNS in edge structure show HM property with 100% spin polarization and seem to be good candidates for spintronic applications and especially as spin filter devices and spin current injectors.
Non‐pulmonary CFTR‐related symptom improvement with ivacaftor in p.Phe508del/p.Arg117His (7T) cystic fibrosis
Authors: Kuek Stephanie L. , Massie R. John H. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractDiagnosis and management of CRMS/CFSPID and cystic fibrosis (CF) with mild phenotypes remains challenging, and this extends to expanding practice with the use of CFTR modulators. We describe a case of an 18‐year‐old man with p.F508del/p.Arg117His(7T) initially presenting with CRMS/CFSPID. He went on to be diagnosed with pancreatic sufficient CF with minimal lung disease. However, he has had significant CFTR‐related symptoms with recurrent pancreatitis and chronic sinusitis. These non‐pulmonary symptoms resolved following introduction of the CFTR modulator ivacaftor. Care for those with mild CF phenotypes, CRMS/CFSPID and those with CFTR‐RD must be individualized, and open dialogue, education and patient centred care is necessary to ascertaining which patients might benefit from management in a multidisciplinary CF clinic and treatment. There may be a role for expanding the use of CFTR modulators to include non‐pulmonary manifestations of CFTR dysfunction in some cases.
Thermoelectric energy harvesting for personalized healthcare
Authors: Gao Wei , Wang Yang , Lai Feili 
Published: December 2022

AbstractIn recent decades, there has been increased research interest in miniaturizing and decentralizing diagnostic platforms to enable continuous personalized healthcare and free patients from long‐term hospitalization. However, the lack of reliable and portable power supplies has limited the working time of the personalized healthcare platform. Compared with the current power supplies (e.g., batteries and supercapacitors) that require manual intervention, thermoelectric devices promise to continuously harvest waste heat from the human body to satisfy the energy consumption of personalized healthcare platforms. Herein, this review discusses thermoelectric energy harvesting for personalized healthcare. It begins with the fundamental concepts of different thermoelectric materials, including electron thermoelectric generators (TEGs), ionic thermogalvanic cells (TGCs), and ionic thermoelectric capacitors (TECs). Then, the wearable and implantable applications of thermoelectric devices are presented. Finally, future directions of next‐generation thermoelectric devices for personalized healthcare are discussed. It is hoped that developing high‐performance thermoelectric devices will change the landscape of personalized healthcare in the future.
Molecular Resolution Mapping of Erythrocyte Cytoskeleton by Ultrastructure Expansion Single‐Molecule Localization Microscopy
Authors: Hou Mengdi , Xing Fulin , Yang Jianyu , Hu Fen , Pan Leiting , Xu Jingjun 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThe combination of expansion microscopy and single‐molecule localization microscopy has the potential to approach the molecular resolution. However, this combination meets challenges due to the hydrogel shrinkage in the presence of imaging buffer. Here, a method of ultrastructure expansion single‐molecule localization microscopy (U‐ExSMLM) based on skillfully adhering the gel onto poly‐l‐lysine (pLL)‐coated coverslip is developed to prevent lateral shrinkage of the hydrogel. U‐ExSMLM is then applied to dissect the membrane cytoskeleton organization of human erythrocytes at molecular resolution. The resolved nanoscale spatial distributions of cytoskeleton proteins, including the N/C‐termini of β‐spectrin, protein 4.1, and tropomodulin, show good agreement with the acknowledged model of erythrocyte cytoskeleton structure, demonstrating the reliability of U‐ExSMLM. Furthermore, the concentration of pLL is adjusted to preserve the physiological biconcave morphology of erythrocytes, and it is found that the spectrin cytoskeleton in the dimple regions has lower density and larger length than that in the rim regions, which provides the direct evidence for cytoskeleton asymmetry in human erythrocytes. Therefore, the integrated method offers future opportunities to study the ultrastructure of membrane cytoskeleton at molecular resolution.