bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and their antibacterial activity and photocatalytic degradation
Authors: El-Khawaga Ahmed M. , Elsayed Mohamed A. , Gobara Mohamed , Suliman Ahmad A. , Hashem Amr H. , Zaher Ahmed A. , Mohsen Mostafa , Salem Salem S 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Many research papers are currently being written about various methodologies for the green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles. In this study, ZnO nanoparticles were prepared by green synthesis method using baker’s yeast (
Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The characterization of the produced ZnO nanoparticles involved the utilization of XRD, FTIR, SEM, and TEM. The investigation involved the assessment of the antimicrobial potential and photocatalytic degradation efficacy of the synthesized materials through the utilization of Eriochrome Black T (EBT). The results indicate that the ZnO nanoparticles exhibit a spherical morphology, exhibiting diameters ranging from 13.0 to 20.0nm, with an average particle size of 15.0nm. The antimicrobial efficacy against (S. aureus) gram-positive and (E. coli) gram-negative bacteria was tested through the conduction of zone of inhibition (ZOI) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests. This research focused on the study of the photocatalytic-degradation of EBT in the presence of ultraviolet light. The experiments focused on the impact of various factors, such as pH levels, initial EBT concentration, and nanocatalyst dosage, on the observed photocatalytic efficiency. In the in vitro ZOI and MIC results assay, it was observed that ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) exhibited greater efficacy against gram-positive S. aureus, with a ZOI measuring 23.1 mm and a MIC of 0.625 μg/ml. In contrast, the effectiveness of ZnO-NPs against gram-negative E. coli was comparatively lower, as indicated by a ZOI of 17.0 mm and a MIC of 1.250μg/ml. The greatest EBT elimination, which achieved 83.0% in equilibrium, was found employing 20.0mg of ZnO NPs at pH 3.0, according to the photocatalytic activity results. The synthetic ZnO NPs are powerful antibacterial agents that are effective against tested bacteria and may be used in the treatment of wastewater.
Advancement of a RGBW-LED pen for diaphanoscopic illumination with adjustable color and intensity with tests on ex-vivo porcine eyes in terms of retinal risk and correlated color temperature
Authors: Fehler Nicole , Schneider David , Hessling Martin 
Published: September 2023

AbstractDiaphanoscopic illumination has the disadvantage that the intraocular spectrum is red-shifted due to transmission properties of the eyewall. This red-shift should be counteracted as well as the retinal risk should be reduced with adjusting the spectral distribution of the illumination light. Likewise, the illumination spectrum has to be adapted to the eye color of the patient. With the further development of a red, green, blue and white light-emitting diode (RGBW-LED) diaphanoscopy pen, the intensities of each color can be varied. The functionality of the LED pen is tested on ex-vivo porcine eyes. By measuring the transmission of the sclera and choroidea, the photochemical and thermal retinal hazard and the maximum exposure time are determined according to the standard DIN EN ISO 15004-2:2007. With this RGBW-LED pen the intraocular space can be illuminated clearly of up to 1.5 h without potential retinal damage according to DIN EN ISO 15004:2-2007. By adjusting the illumination spectrum the red-shift can be compensated and retinal risk can be reduced. By varying the LED intensities, the correlated color temperature in the eye can also be varied from cold white to warm white appearance as comfortable to the ophthalmologist. Additionally, a simple adjustment of the illumination to the eye color of the patient is possible. Using this RGBW-LED pen, the ophthalmologist can set the desired intraocular color appearance, which he prefers for special applications. He could also adjust the illumination to the eye color as this would reduce retinal hazard.
Depositional model of clastic and carbonate rocks in a continental rift basin: a case study of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation in the Cangdong Depression, Bohai Bay Basin
Authors: Zhao Shaoze , Li Yong , Xu Yingjiao , Zhang Tanfeng , Mu Liangang , Wu Xuesong , Pu Xiugang , Yang Peng , Yuan Xuehua 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe study of a clastic and carbonate rock depositional model in a continental rift basin is helpful to better understand the sedimentary processes active in continental rift basins. However, the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and controlling factors of clastic and carbonate rocks in continental rift basins are still unclear. Therefore, the sedimentary characteristics of the clastic and carbonate rocks in the Paleogene Eocene Shahejie Formation (Es) are analysed via seismic, well log, core, thin section, and geochemistry data. Then, the impacts of tectonic movement, sediment supply and hydrologic conditions on sedimentary characteristics are discussed, and a depositional model is finally established. Five 3rd-order sequences, named SQ1–SQ5 from bottom to top, are identified in the Es. Fan delta, braided delta, meandering river delta, and lake sedimentary systems are identified in the Es; clastic rock sedimentary systems are identified in SQ1–SQ4, while concurrent clastic and carbonate rock sedimentary systems are identified in SQ5. During the SQ1–SQ4 period, the palaeogeomorphology formed by differential faulting activity or fault interactions and the inherited palaeogeomorphology resulted in different distributions of the sedimentary systems. The changes in accommodation space and sediment supply caused by tectonic movement led the delta to prograde or disappear. During the SQ5 period, the clastic rock sedimentary systems underwent a transition into clastic rock and carbonate rock sedimentary systems as a result of rift weakening, broad crustal thermal subsidence, sediment supply reduction and high-salinity lake water. This study provides a typical case for the evolution characteristics of the clastic rock and carbonate rock systems in continental rift basins, identifies changes in the tectonic, sediment supply, and hydrologic characteristics during their mutual transformations, and provides an important reference for hydrocarbon reservoir prediction.
Zooming in on Dewey, Democracy, and Subjectivity in Postdigital Education
Authors: Berg Dag-Erik 
Published: September 2023

AbstractDigital tools, such as video conference technology, are currently transforming people’s behaviour, social relations, and learning processes in higher education. But the digital tools used in teaching and learning are also part of a dynamic capitalism. This article focuses on democracy and subjectivity in higher education and outlines a critical approach in this context. I revisit John Dewey’s philosophy to reflect on digital tools and the goals of education in a democratic society. Published more than a century ago, Dewey’s seminal book Democracy and Education is relevant as a constructive approach to combining learning, experience, habits, and tools. Dewey argued that dualisms between mind and matter, knowledge and nature, undermine a democratic society. For Dewey, a society would require communication and the sharing of experiences whilst education would require democratic aims beyond the individual. Yet the contemporary challenges include a ‘digital gaze’ where the technology makes subjects more visible and observed. Foucault’s analytics of power thus becomes a constructive supplement to Dewey’s focus on participation and modes of inquiry to fully examine subjectivity and democracy in postdigital higher education.
Analysis of polycarbonate degradation at melt/FeCr-alloy interfaces as a function of the alloy composition by means of combinatorial thin film chemistry
Authors: Theile-Rasche C. , Meng T. , de los Arcos T. , Grundmeier G. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractInterfacial reactions at the polycarbonate (PC)/FeCr-alloy interface during melt contact were studied as function of the Fe:Cr ratio within the alloy. Thin Fe/Cr films with lateral composition gradients were deposited by magnetron sputtering; the analysis of the films was done with microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The local interfacial polymeric film formation could be therefore directly correlated with the Fe:Cr ratio. The local thickness and structure of the formed polycarbonate residue was analyzed by means of imaging ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy as well as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy under grazing incidence and XPS. Moreover, confocal fluorescence microscopy of the PC melt/alloy interface could reveal the formation of minor degradation products in the interphase region. The results show that already an Fe:Cr ratio of 2 : 1 leads to a strong inhibition of the thermal degradation in comparison to the unalloyed iron, and that in general, the enrichment of chromium in the passive film leads to an effective suppression of interfacial PC degradation. The data contributes to improving the mechanistic understanding of the role of iron during this process. Additionally, a critical concentration of chromium in the alloys used for PC processing can be deduced.
Microbial responses towards biochar application in potentially toxic element (PTE) contaminated soil: a critical review on effects and potential mechanisms
Authors: Yang Xiao , You Miao , Liu Siyan , Sarkar Binoy , Liu Zhaoshu , Yan Xiulan 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSoil harbors a huge diversity of microorganisms and serves as the ecological and social foundation of human civilization. Hence, soil health management is of utmost and consistent importance, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. One of the most hazardous contaminants in soil matrix is potentially toxic elements (PTEs), which can cause stress in soil indigenous microorganisms and severely jeopardize soil health. Biochar technology has emerged as a promising means to alleviate PTE toxicity and benefit soil health management. Current literature has broadly integrated knowledge about the potential consequences of biochar-amended soil but has focused more on the physical and chemical responses of the soil system than microbiological attributes. In consideration of the indispensable roles of soil microbials, this paper first introduces PTE-induced stresses on soil microbials and then proposes the mechanisms of biochar’s effects on soil microbials. Finally, microbial responses including variations in abundance, interspecific relationships, community composition and biological functions in biochar-amended soil are critically reviewed. This review thus aims to provide a comprehensive scientific view on the effect of biochar on soil microbiological health and its management.
Graphical Abstract
Consumer–brand relationship in the phygital age: a study of luxury fashion
Authors: Bartoli Chiara , Nosi Costanza , Mattiacci Alberto , Bertuccioli Francesca 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThis study focuses on hybrid consumption experiences that originate from encounters between the physical and the digital realms. The aim is to analyze brand-driven phygital environments to uncover the relationship between consumers and brands that is established within hybrid consumption spaces. Given its exploratory nature, the study adopts a mixed-methods qualitative type of research design; it includes a multiple-case analysis, a diary-based survey, and a focus group, and it concentrates on five phygital projects of four Italian luxury fashion brands. The analysis reveals nine relevant building blocks of phygital brand environments (PBEs) that pertain to the direction of experience, the environmental features, and customers’ reactions. Moreover, the study provides an early interpretative framework regarding the effects that these constituents of PBEs exert on the consumer-brand relationship (CBR). The work uncovers relevant managerial implications highlighting brand-driven phygital spaces as strategic tools for luxury fashion companies to provide consumers with additional relational value that is generated through encounters between physical stores, digital technology, humans and brands.
Examining the impact of Green Riyadh Project on alleviating urban heat island effects
Authors: Imam Ayman 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe increase of land surface temperature (LST) because of the urban growth and spatial expansion specially in developing country have shown many negative impacts on the health and quality of life of people, nowadays some cities experience much warmer temperatures than nearby rural areas, causes what is known as the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon. This study investigates alterations in vegetation and land surface temperature over space and time due to the Green Riyadh Project, employing remote sensing techniques. Multi-temporal Landsat images of the study area from 2018 and 2022, were processed in order to derive The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and LST are being considered. Change detection methods were used to indicate the changes between the two time periods. Based on the results of this study, NDVI values show that the vegetated areas in Riyadh have not increased between (2018 and 2022). While the LST values show that the total area of UHIs has increased between (2018 and 2022). The change detection in vegetation indicates that there was a decrease in vegetation, mostly in urban areas. Where the change detection of surface temperature indicates huge areas where temperature has increased, mostly in the rural are-as, leaving few areas where the temperature has decreased. This means that the present amount of vegetation has still not made an impact in terms of decreasing the LST. Therefore, there is a need for more effort to be made in increasing the green areas within the urban environment of Riyadh.
Fluorescence imaging deformability cytometry: integrating nuclear structure with mechanical phenotyping
Authors: Muñoz Hector E. , Lin Jonathan , Yeh Bonnie G. , Biswas Tridib , Di Carlo Dino 
Published: September 2023

AbstractMechanical measurements of cells can provide unique insights into cell state and disease processes. The overall mechanical properties of cells can be heavily affected by the stiffest organelle, the nucleus. However, it is challenging to fully characterize internal nuclear structures in most cell mechanical measurement platforms. Here, we demonstrate single-cell deformability measurements of whole cells and stained nuclei in a fluorescence imaging flow cytometry platform. We also introduce bending energy derived metrics as a way to normalize measurements of cytoskeletal cortex and nuclear shape changes of cells and demonstrate the utility of relative deformability distributions to characterize populations of cells. We apply the platform to measure changes in cell biophysical properties during the process of NETosis, whereby neutrophils undergo drastic nuclear restructuring. We characterize cell size, deformability, and nuclear structure changes and their correlations in thousands of neutrophils undergoing NETosis, a process implicated in development of critical disease states, such as sepsis. This platform can aid in understanding heterogeneity in deformability in cell populations and how this may be influenced by nuclear or internal structure changes.
Graphical Abstract
Attributes that Influence Consumers’ Preferences for Choosing Locally Grown Food Sources During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Seo Frank , Hudson Darren 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe objective of this study is to identify attributes that influenced consumers’ preferences when selecting locally grown food across different sources during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimated the willingness to pay (WTP) for locally grown food sources. Results showed that respondents valued Freshness, Accessibility, Variety, and Risk Shift attributes, respectively. In addition, community-supported agriculture (CSAs) have the lowest WTP among other sources, and respondents valued CSAs’ general weaknesses more than their advantages when choosing where to purchase locally grown food. However, we found that increasing community outreach levels positively affects choice probabilities for CSAs over other sources.
The Person and the Mirror: On the Colonial Force of Corporate Law
Authors: Bryan Bradley 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBuried within the everyday deployment of business vehicles by Indigenous governments as a seemingly neutral way to pursue economic development are also legal notions of corporate personhood and representation. While it is occasionally suggested that corporate law is itself part of the problem of colonialism, the idiomatic notions of “representation,” “legal personhood,” and “business as neutral” form an opaque curtain that hides colonizing tendencies within the legal structures used by Indigenous peoples. This article explores these colonial tendencies at play in Canadian corporate law, showing how corporate law’s deployment of the “legal person” sits at odds with Indigenous juridical orders.
Exercise as a community treatment for obesity and the metabolic disease epidemic
Authors: Scholler John , Otis Jeffrey S. 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
The obesity epidemic has continued to rise at an alarming rate and has increased health complications in children, adolescents, and adults. Resistance training, aerobic training, and a combination of the two have been shown to be effective at reducing excess adiposity and improving outcomes of obesity. The continued development of programs, community centers, or medical exercise facilities prescribing these treatments is nearing an absolute necessity to slow the advancing nature of obesity and related metabolic diseases. In this brief review, we summarize the effectiveness of these three training paradigms from a population-centric perspective.
Segregated Economies in an Integrated World: The Gendered Consequences of Exchange Rate Movements in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Simmons Joel W. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractI argue that exchange rates are an underappreciated explanation for the significant variation in the extent of female labor force participation in developing countries. Occupational segregation in developing countries is such that women working outside of the home tend to be segregated in labor-intensive export-oriented industries. Consequently, when an overvalued exchange rate increases export prices, it reduces commensurately the demand for female labor. This causes some women to drop out of the labor force. Data from over 150 low- and middle-income countries between 1990 and 2015 support this argument.
Observed Cloud Type‐Sorted Cloud Property and Radiative Flux Changes With the Degree of Convective Aggregation From CERES Data
Authors: Xu Kuan‐Man , Zhou Yaping , Sun Moguo , Kato Seiji , Hu Yongxiang 
Published: September 2023

AbstractCloud‐radiation interactions are a critical mechanism for convective self‐aggregation, especially the longwave radiative cooling of low clouds and environments. In this study, two data products from CERES observations combined with MERRA‐2 reanalysis are used to understand the changes of cloud properties and radiative fluxes by cloud type with the degree of convective aggregation at the 1000‐km scale, which is represented by the number of cloud objects (N), simple convective aggregation index (SCAI), modified SCAI (MCAI) or convective organization potential (COP). The changes with SCAI are similar to those with N as an index, agreeing with previous studies using grid‐averaged properties. For changes from weak to strong degrees of aggregation using N and SCAI, area fractions of middle‐ and high‐level cloud types decrease by up to 4% but those of low‐level cloud types increase by up to 2%, and more infrared radiation is emitted to space (2–8 W m−2) from optically thin cloud types but more solar radiation is reflected (2–4 W m−2) from optically‐thick cloud types. However, using COP (MCAI to lesser extent), area fractions of optically‐thick cloud types increase, which emit less infrared radiation and reflect more solar radiation, whereas the area fractions of low‐level clouds decrease. These results can be explained by greater expansion of cloud object sizes for COP than MCAI/SCAI as the degree of convective aggregation increases, which also explains the difference between SCAI and MCAI pertaining to the opposite changes of optically‐thick high‐level clouds. These results can have implications for understanding convective self‐aggregation.
Hydrogeomorphic Response of Charcoals During River Transits and Its Impact on the Carbon Cycle
Authors: Roy Biswajit , Baidya Disha , Jain Vikrant 
Published: September 2023

AbstractNatural or anthropogenic‐induced biomass burning produces large amounts of charcoals, which enter riverine or lacustrine systems mostly via surface runoff processes. Charcoal storage and cycling within large riverine systems can play a crucial role in mediating long‐term carbon sink across transient reservoirs, thereby influencing the global carbon budget. However, natural processes governing the transport and storage of charcoal particles in large terrestrial reservoirs such as the Indo‐Gangetic region still remain unknown. To understand charcoal movement and accumulation across upland and lowland transient reservoirs, we characterized spatial distribution and morphology of different charcoal forms (>125 μm and <125 μm) from bedload and floodplain sediments of the Yamuna sub‐basin (YSB), India. Both >125 μm and <125 μm charcoal forms in bedload and floodplain sediments did not exhibit similar spatial distribution patterns, indicating the segregation of charcoal particles influenced by variable flow regimes. Attrition with sediments breaks down fragile charcoals (leaves) quickly compared to the woody forms, resulting in dominant woody microforms in transient deposits. Higher stream power and limited stable bedform development in upland mountainous regions restrict charcoal storage. During lowland riverine transits, reduced stream power conditions allow increased floodwater inundation and finer clay substrate availability, facilitating an exponential increase in charcoal storage. However, increased discharge from peninsular rivers into the YSB leads to erosion and redistribution of sediment, including charcoal particles, and reduced charcoal storage in lowland transient areas. Such diverse dispersal pathways and fate of charcoal particles across riverine transits highlight the influence of regional hydrogeomorphic processes on the overall carbon cycle within transient reservoirs.
Drought as a possible contributor to the Visigothic Kingdom crisis and Islamic expansion in the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Camuera Jon , Jiménez-Espejo Francisco J. , Soto-Chica José , Jiménez-Moreno Gonzalo , García-Alix Antonio , Ramos-Román María J. , Ruha Leena , Castro-Priego Manuel 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe Muslim expansion in the Mediterranean basin was one the most relevant and rapid cultural changes in human history. This expansion reached the Iberian Peninsula with the replacement of the Visigothic Kingdom by the Muslim Umayyad Caliphate and the Muslim Emirate of Córdoba during the 8th century CE. In this study we made a compilation of western Mediterranean pollen records to gain insight about past climate conditions when this expansion took place. The pollen stack results, together with other paleohydrological records, archaeological data and historical sources, indicate that the statistically significant strongest droughts between the mid-5th and mid-10th centuries CE (450–950 CE) occurred at 545–570, 695–725, 755–770 and 900–935 CE, which could have contributed to the instability of the Visigothic and Muslim reigns in the Iberian Peninsula. Our study supports the great sensitivity of the agriculture-based economy and socio-political unrest of Early Medieval kingdoms to climatic variations.