ALBERT

Description: PI3K biology; lymphoma; cancer

Description: oncogenic drivers; signaling; pathways; hematologic malignancies; cancer

Description: Precipitation extremes with devastating socioeconomic consequences within the South American Monsoon System (SAMS) are expected to become more frequent in the near future. The complexity in SAMS behavior, however, poses severe challenges for reliable future projections. Thus, robust paleomonsoon records are needed to constrain the high spatiotemporal variability in the response of SAMS rainfall to different climatic drivers. This study uses Ti/Ca ratios from X‐ray fluorescence scanning of a sediment core retrieved off eastern Brazilian to trace precipitation changes over the past 322 Kyr. The results indicate that despite the spatiotemporal complexity of the SAMS, insolation forcing is the primary pacemaker of variations in the monsoonal system. Additional modulation by atmospheric p CO 2 suggests that SAMS intensity over eastern Brazil will be suppressed by rising CO 2 emissions in the future. Lastly, our record reveals an unprecedented strong and persistent wet period during Marine Isotope Stage 6 driven by anomalously strong trade winds.

Description: Cold‐water coral (CWC) reefs and mounds are and have been biodiversity hotspots of the deep sea. As their occurrence depends on specific environmental parameters, gaining hindsight on changing ocean conditions under on‐going climate change is the key to a better understanding of CWC mound development through time. A convenient technique for reconstructing the palaeoenvironment during periods of CWC mound growth is by extracting geochemical proxies from biologically mediated carbonates. Here, the focus is on probably the two most abundant calcareous archives, that are, cold‐water Scleractinia and Foraminifera, with an overview of the geochemical proxies (selection) used in these aragonitic and calcitic skeletons from CWC mounds. A particular emphasis is set on constraining proxies for temperature, salinity, seawater density, seawater carbonate systems parameters (pH, CO 3 2− ), nutrients, oxygen and water mass tracers.

Description: G-quadruplexes (G4s) are stable secondary nucleic acid structures that play crucial roles in many fundamental biological processes. The folding/unfolding dynamics of G4 structures are associated with the replication and transcription regulation functions of G4s. However, many DNA G4 sequences can adopt a variety of topologies and have complex folding/unfolding dynamics. Determining the dynamics of G4s and their regulation by proteins remains challenging due to the coexistence of multiple structures in a heterogeneous sample. Here, in this mini-review, we introduce the application of single-molecule force-spectroscopy methods, such as magnetic tweezers, optical tweezers, and atomic force microscopy, to characterize the polymorphism and folding/unfolding dynamics of G4s. We also briefly introduce recent studies using single-molecule force spectroscopy to study the molecular mechanisms of G4-interacting proteins.

Description: Through proper arranging of a hybrid combination of longitudinal fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars and steel bars in the tensile region of the beam, the advantages of both FRP and steel materials can be sufficiently exploited to enhance the flexural capacity and ductility of a concrete beam. In this paper, a methodology for the flexural strength design of hybrid FRP-steel reinforced concrete (RC) beams is proposed. Firstly, based on the mechanical features of reinforcement and concrete and according to the latest codified provisions of longitudinal reinforcement conditions to ensure ductility level, the design-oriented allowable ranges of reinforcement ratio corresponding to three common flexural failure modes are specified. Subsequently, the calculation approach of nominal flexural strength of hybrid FRP-steel RC beams is established following the fundamental principles of equilibrium and compatibility. In addition to the common moderately-reinforced beams, the proposed general calculation approach is also applicable to lightly-reinforced beams and heavily-reinforced beams, which are widely used but rarely studied. Furthermore, the calculation process is properly simplified and the calculation accuracy is validated by the experimental results of hybrid FRP-steel RC beams in the literature. Finally, with the ductility analysis, a novel strength reduction factor represented by net tensile steel strain and reinforcement ratio is proposed for hybrid FRP-steel RC beams.

Description: Macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia) is endemic to eastern Australia and produces an edible nut that is widely cultivated in commercial orchards globally. A survey of fungi associated with the grey and green mold symptoms of macadamia flowers found mostly species of Botrytis (Sclerotiniaceae, Leotiomycetes) and Cladosporium (Cladosporiaceae, Dothideomycetes). These isolates included B. cinerea, C. cladosporioides, and unidentified isolates. Amongst the unidentified isolates, one novel species of Botrytis and three novel species of Cladosporium were delimited and characterized by molecular phylogenetic analyses. The new species are Botrytis macadamiae, Cladosporium devikae, C. macadamiae, and C. proteacearum.

Description: This paper studies the power of online search intensity metrics, measured by Google, for examining and forecasting exchange rates. We use panel data consisting of quarterly time series from 2004 to 2018 and ten international countries with the highest currency trading volume. Newly, we include various Google search intensity metrics to our panel data. We find that online search improves the overall econometric models and fits. First, four out of ten search variables are robustly significant at one percent and enhance the macroeconomic exchange rate models. Second, country regressions corroborate the panel results, yet the predictive power of search intensity with regard to exchange rates vary by country. Third, we find higher prediction performance for our exchange rate models with search intensity, particularly in regard to the direction of the exchange rate. Overall, our approach reveals a value-added of search intensity in exchange rate models.

Description: Dramatic urban land expansion and its internal sub-fraction change during 2000–2020 have taken place in Africa; however, the investigation of their spatial heterogeneity and dynamic change monitoring at the continental scale are rarely reported. Taking the whole of Africa as a study area, the synergic approach of normalized settlement density index and random forest was applied to assess urban land and its sub-land fractions (i.e., impervious surface area and vegetation space) in Africa, through time series of remotely sensed images on a cloud computing platform. The generated 30-m resolution urban land/sub-land products displayed good accuracy, with comprehensive accuracy of over 90%. During 2000–2020, the evaluated urban land throughout Africa increased from 1.93 × 104 km2 to 4.18 × 104 km2, with a total expansion rate of 116.49%, and the expanded urban area of the top six countries accounted for more than half of the total increments, meaning that the urban expansion was concentrated in several major countries. A turning green Africa was observed, with a continuously increasing ratio of vegetation space to built-up area and a faster increment of vegetation space than impervious surface area (i.e., 134.43% vs., 108.88%) within urban regions. A better living environment was also found in different urbanized regions, as the newly expanded urban area was characterized by lower impervious surface area fraction and higher vegetation fraction compared with the original urban area. Similarly, the humid/semi-humid regions also displayed a better living environment than arid/semi-arid regions. The relationship between socioeconomic development factors (i.e., gross domestic product and urban population) and impervious surface area was investigated and both passed the significance test (p 〈 0.05), with a higher fit value in the former than the latter. Overall, urban land and its fractional land cover change in Africa during 2000–2020 promoted the well-being of human settlements, indicating the positive effect on environments.

Description: The COVID-19 pandemic affected consumers’ behavior worldwide. This paper aims to analyze consumers’ sustainable food behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was based on an online survey during May–October 2020 among 859 Romanian consumers. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were employed to group the consumers based on their behavior. Furthermore, the binary-logistic regression was used to identify the socio-demographic profile of the identified groups. Based on the cluster analysis, the consumers were grouped into three main groups: indifferent, pro-environment protection, and health concerned. The results indicate a positive attitude towards sustainable food behavior. Consumers’ attitude towards sustainable food choice is mainly influenced by age and education level. The study offers valuable information for future public policy and marketing campaign regarding sustainable food behavior.

Description: For an industry to succeed in a competitive market, it should continuously take care of not only its stakeholders but also its technical efficiency and productivity. In this paper, data envelopment analysis was combined with Malmquist productivity analysis to investigate the pattern of multifactor productivity changes in the European energy industry over the period from 2005–2016. The results showed that the whole industry was technically inefficient and had large potential for improvement. A slight average increase in productivity that was observed over the studied period proved to be sensitive to the financial and economic situation and equally sensitive to technological and efficiency advances. As for efficiency gains, they reflected the nature of the energy industry, implying that they were due to scale efficiencies rather than human resource improvements. Although technological innovation and the optimal scale of production increased productivity, the slow pace at which this occurred and the negative outlook highlighted by the observed trends call for more serious consideration of the future productivity deployment of the European energy industry, particularly in the context of its decarbonisation, diversification, and modernisation.

Description: Physical activity is associated with enhanced sleep quality and optimal body composition, as well as a reduction in cardiovascular risk factors in the general population. Although earlier research has established a link between physical exercise and excellent sleep quality as well as an optimum BMI in adults, little is known about the relationship in the young adult populations. The purpose of this study is to discover if there is a relationship between sleep quality, blood pressure, waist circumference, socio-demographic variables with physical activity among young adult in Kuala Lumpur. A cross-sectional sample of 120 university students was recruited for this study. Physical activity and sleep quality were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively. Blood pressure, Body mass index, and waist circumference were also measured. Approximately 36% of university students engage in moderate to vigorous physical exercise. The average physical activity was 2430.37 ± 2509.16 MET-minutes each week, which meets the minimal need. The median difference in MET-minutes per week between gender was not significant, with males having greater MET than females (p 〉 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant variation in MET-minutes each week between study year and mode of transportation. (p 〉 0.05). Approximately 40.3% of university students were classified as having good sleep quality. The average sleep quality is 5.37 ± 2.38, indicating that the students have slightly a poor sleep quality. There was no statistically significant variation in sleep score between gender, year of study, and mode of transportation (p 〉 0.05). The waist circumference (WC) has a significant relationship with body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). According to multinomial logistic regression, there was a significant association between level of physical activity (PA) and BMI and year of study when comparing moderate and low PA. Physical activity is essential because it may alter a young adult’s lifestyle, encouraging active commuting to work or other short-distance destinations. Attention must be given to this particular population to encourage regular and sustainable participation in physical activity to achieve lifelong health benefits. Other variables, such as body fat, energy intake, stress level and muscle mass, can also be examined for future research.

Description: Copper(II) complexes with 1,1,1-trifluoro-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)butan-2,4-dione (HL1) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The biological properties of HL1 and cis-[Cu(L1)2(DMSO)] (3) were examined against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and opportunistic unicellular fungi. The cytotoxicity was estimated towards the HeLa and Vero cell lines. Complex 3 demonstrated antibacterial activity towards S. aureus comparable to that of streptomycin, lower antifungal activity than the ligand HL1 and moderate cytotoxicity. The bioactivity was compared with the activity of compounds of similar structures. The effect of changing the position of the methoxy group at the aromatic ring in the ligand moiety of the complexes on their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity was explored. We propose that complex 3 has lower bioavailability and reduced bioactivity than expected due to strong intermolecular contacts. In addition, molecular docking studies provided theoretical information on the interactions of tested compounds with ribonucleotide reductase subunit R2, as well as the chaperones Hsp70 and Hsp90, which are important biomolecular targets for antitumor and antimicrobial drug search and design. The obtained results revealed that the complexes displayed enhanced affinity over organic ligands. Taken together, the copper(II) complexes with the trifluoromethyl methoxyphenyl-substituted β-diketones could be considered as promising anticancer agents with antibacterial properties.

Description: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were successfully synthesized using the aqueous extract of the Paronychia argentea Lam (P. argentea) wild plant. The results showed that the conversion of Ag+ to Ag0 nanoparticles ratio reached 96.5% as determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), with a negative zeta potential (ζ) of −21.3 ± 7.68 mV of AgNPs expected to improve the stability of synthesized AgNPs. AgNP antibacterial activity has been examined against Streptococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) was 4.9 µL/mL for both E. coli and S. aureus bacteria, while the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were 19.9 µL/mL and 4.9 µL/mL for S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. The synthesized AgNPs were incorporated in ultrafiltration polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) membranes and showed remarkable antibiofouling behavior against both bacterial strains. The membranes were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The contact angle and porosity of the membrane were also determined. The efficiency of the membranes regarding rejection rate was assessed using bovine serum albumin (BSA). It was found in the flux experiments that membranes BSA rejection was 99.4% and 98.7% with and without AgNPs, respectively.

Description: The uncertainties in quality evaluations of rock mass are embedded in the underlying multi-source data composed by a variety of testing methods and some specialized sensors. To mitigate this issue, a proper method of data-driven computing for quality evaluation of rock mass based on the theory of multi-source data fusion is required. As the theory of multi-source data fusion, Dempster–Shafer (D-S) evidence theory is applied to the quality evaluation of rock mass. As the correlation between different rock mass indices is too large to be ignored, belief reinforcement and Murphy’s average belief theory are introduced to process the multi-source data of rock mass. The proposed method is designed based on RMR14, one of the most widely used quality-evaluating methods for rock mass in the world. To validate the proposed method, the data of rock mass is generated randomly to realize the data fusion based on the proposed method and the conventional D-S theory. The fusion results based on these two methods are compared. The result of the comparison shows the proposed method amplifies the distance between the possibilities at different ratings from 0.0666 to 0.5882, which makes the exact decision more accurate than the other. A case study is carried out in Daxiagu tunnel in China to prove the practical value of the proposed method. The result shows the rock mass rating of the studied section of the tunnel is in level III with the maximum possibility of 0.9838, which agrees with the geological survey report.

Description: The distribution characteristics, environmental contamination states, and potential ecological risks of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) in seawater, sediment and breeding feed were studied in a typical mariculture area in western Guangdong of China. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine metal homology, and the single-factor index, potential ecological risk index, hazard quotient (HQ), and joint probability curve (JPC) were used to evaluate pollution states and ecological risk of metals. Four main statements can be concluded from the results: (1) Pb and Cu showed a similar distribution pattern in the seawater and sediment and their contents in the breeding wastewater exceeded the standard limits in several stations. (2) Cr, Cu, and As have similar sources in the feeds, which may be an important source of metals in water. (3) The risk assessment revealed that the sediment from the studied areas was at a low ecological risk of heavy metal, whereas, water in the pond and outfall was slightly polluted by Pb, and water in the cages and outfall were slightly polluted by Cu. (4) Both the hazard quotient (HQ) and joint probability curve showed the overall risk probabilities (ORPs) in the waters ranked as Cu 〉 Cr 〉 Pb 〉 Cd 〉 As. Although Pb and Cd had HQ values greater than 1, their ORPs were acceptable. This study highlights that multiple evaluation models are more reliable than the single ecological risk assessment for evaluating heavy metal pollution risks in the mariculture area.

Description: Estimation of probability density functions (pdf) is considered an essential part of statistical modelling. Heteroskedasticity and outliers are the problems that make data analysis harder. The Cauchy mixture model helps us to cover both of them. This paper studies five different significant types of non-parametric multivariate density estimation techniques algorithmically and empirically. At the same time, we do not make assumptions about the origin of data from any known parametric families of distribution. The method of the inversion formula is made when the cluster of noise is involved in the general mixture model. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated through a simulation study. The relationship between the accuracy of evaluation and complicated multidimensional Cauchy mixture models (CMM) is analyzed using the Monte Carlo method. For larger dimensions (d ~ 5) and small samples (n ~ 50), the adaptive kernel method is recommended. If the sample is n ~ 100, it is recommended to use a modified inversion formula (MIDE). It is better for larger samples with overlapping distributions to use a semi-parametric kernel estimation and more isolated distribution-modified inversion methods. For the mean absolute percentage error, it is recommended to use a semi-parametric kernel estimation when the sample has overlapping distributions. In the smaller dimensions (d = 2) and a sample is with overlapping distributions, it is recommended to use the semi-parametric kernel method (SKDE) and for isolated distributions, it is recommended to use modified inversion formula (MIDE). The inversion formula algorithm shows that with noise cluster, the results of the inversion formula improved significantly.

Description: With most epidemiological studies focused on poultry, dogs are often overlooked as a reservoir of Campylobacter, even though these animals maintain close daily contact with humans. The present study aimed to obtain a first insight into the presence and characteristics of Campylobacter spp. in different canine populations in Portugal, and to evaluate its zoonotic potential through genomic analysis. From a total of 125 rectal swabs collected from companion (n = 71) and hunting dogs (n = 54) living in two different settings, rural (n = 75) and urban (n = 50), 32 Campylobacter spp. isolates were obtained. Four different Campylobacter species were identified by Multiplex PCR and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, of which Campylobacter jejuni (n = 14, 44%) was overall the most frequently found species. Relevant resistance phenotypes were detected in C. jejuni, with 93% of the isolates being resistant to ciprofloxacin, 64% to tetracycline, and 57% to ampicillin, and three isolates being multi-drug-resistant. Comparison of the phenotypic and genotypic traits with human isolates from Portuguese patients revealed great similarity between both groups. Particularly relevant, the wgMLST analysis allowed the identification of isolates from human and dogs without any apparent epidemiological relationship, sharing high genetic proximity. Notwithstanding the limited sample size, considering the high genomic diversity of C. jejuni, the genetic overlap between human and dog strains observed in this study confirmed that the occurrence of this species in dogs is of public health concern, reinforcing the call for a One Health approach.

Description: Traffic congestion and the occurrence of traffic accidents are problems that can be mitigated by applying cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC). In this work, we used deep reinforcement learning for CACC and assessed its potential to outperform model-based methods. The trade-off between distance-error minimization and energy consumption minimization whilst still ensuring operational safety was investigated. Alongside a string stability condition, robustness against burst errors in communication also was incorporated, and the effect of preview information was assessed. The controllers were trained using the proximal policy optimization algorithm. A validation by comparison with a model-based controller was performed. The performance of the trained controllers was verified with respect to the mean energy consumption and the root mean squared distance error. In our evaluation scenarios, the learning-based controllers reduced energy consumption in comparison to the model-based controller by 17.9% on average.

Description: Nowadays, more and more attention is paid to the development and the intensification of the use of renewable energy sources. Hemp might be an alternative plant for bioenergy production. In this paper, four varieties of Polish industrial hemp (Białobrzeskie, Tygra, Henola, and Rajan) were investigated in order to determine which of them are the most advantageous raw materials for the effective production of bioethanol. At the beginning, physical and chemical pretreatment of hemp biomass was carried out. It was found that the most effective is the alkaline treatment with 2% NaOH, and the biomasses of the two varieties were selected for next stages of research: Tygra and Rajan. Hemp biomass before and after pretreatment was analyzed by FTIR and SEM, which confirmed the effectiveness of the pretreatment. Next, an enzymatic hydrolysis process was carried out on the previously selected parameters using the response surface methodology. Subsequently, the two approaches were analyzed: separated hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process. For Tygra biomass in the SHF process, the ethanol concentration was 10.5 g∙L−1 (3.04 m3·ha−1), and for Rajan biomass at the SSF process, the ethanol concentration was 7.5 g∙L−1 (2.23 m3·ha−1). In conclusion, the biomass of Polish varieties of hemp, i.e., Tygra and Rajan, was found to be an interesting and promising raw material for bioethanol production.

Description: With the rapid development in the global economy and technology, urbanization has accelerated. It is important to characterize the urban expansion and determine its driving force. In this study, we used the Xiaonan District in Hubei Province, China, as an example to map and quantify the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion from the two perspectives of built-up area and urban land in 1990–2020 by using remote sensing images. The location of rivers was found to be a primary limiting factor for spatial patterns and expansion of the built-up area. The transfer of the city center and the main direction of expansion generally corresponded well to the topography, policies, and development strategies. The built-up area expanded faster than the urban population in 1995–2020, which caused a waste in land resources. The results showed that the urban expansion first decreased and then increased during the research period. The increase in the proportion of the secondary industry was the main driving force of the urban expansion. Based on the characteristics of urban expansion in the past three decades, we conclude that the urban land of Xiaonan District will expand quickly in the future and will occupy vast agricultural land. The government must deploy control measures to balance the benefits and costs of urban expansion.

Description: Overweight can be an additional problem in patients admitted to hospital. Objective: To analyze gender differences in pre-admission dietary habits and physical exercise and in HRQoL at hospital discharge among hospitalized adults with overweight. Methods: Cross-sectional study in non-diabetic patients enrolled in a clinical trial with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 Kg/m2 at admission. Bivariate analyses used Pearson’s chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test for qualitative variables and the Mann–Whitney test for numerical variables. Results: The study included 148 males and 127 females. At admission, women had higher BMI (p = 0.016) than men and a larger percentage consumed drugs for depression (p = 0.030) and anxiety (p = 0.049), and followed a religion-based diet (p = 0.022). Pre-admission, women had healthier habits related to dietary caloric intake (p = 0.009) and greater adherence to recommendations for a healthy diet (p = 0.001). At discharge, women described worse self-perceived health (p = 0.044) and greater pain/discomfort (p = 0.004) in comparison to men. Conclusions: Pre-admission, women had better habits related to a healthy diet and did not differ from men in habits related to physical exercise but had a higher BMI. At discharge, women reported worse self-perceived health and greater pain/discomfort. These differences should be considered for the adequate clinical management of patients with overweight.

Description: Machine learning is emerging nowadays as an important tool for decision support in many areas of research. In the field of education, both educational organizations and students are the target beneficiaries. It facilitates the educational sector in predicting the student’s outcome at the end of their course and for the students in deciding to choose a suitable course for them based on their performances in previous exams and other behavioral features. In this study, a systematic literature review is performed to extract the algorithms and the features that have been used in the prediction studies. Based on the search criteria, 2700 articles were initially considered. Using specified inclusion and exclusion criteria, quality scores were provided, and up to 56 articles were filtered for further analysis. The utmost care was taken in studying the features utilized, database used, algorithms implemented, and the future directions as recommended by researchers. The features were classified as demographic, academic, and behavioral features, and finally, only 34 articles with these features were finalized, whose details of study are provided. Based on the results obtained from the systematic review, we conclude that the machine learning techniques have the ability to predict the students’ performance based on specified features as categorized and can be used by students as well as academic institutions. A specific machine learning model identification for the purpose of student academic performance prediction would not be feasible, since each paper taken for review involves different datasets and does not include benchmark datasets. However, the application of the machine learning techniques in educational mining is still limited, and a greater number of studies should be carried out in order to obtain well-formed and generalizable results. We provide future guidelines to practitioners and researchers based on the results obtained in this work.

Description: Psoriasis is a recurrent, chronic, immune-mediated, systemic inflammatory disease of the skin, joints, and other organic systems. After atopic dermatitis, chronic stationary psoriasis is the most common inflammatory skin disease, affecting an average of 2–4% of the world’s population. The disease carries a significant burden due to its numerous comorbidities and the major impact on patients’ social and emotional aspects of life. According to current knowledge, psoriasis is a multifactorial disease that occurs in genetically predisposed individuals under various environmental factors, which trigger an immune response disorder with a series of complex inflammatory cascades. The disease is initiated and maintained by mutual interaction of the innate and adaptive immune cells, primarily dendritic cells, T lymphocytes, and keratinocytes, whose leading role alternates at different stages of the disease, consisting mainly in the IL-23/Th17 pathway. Inflammatory events result in consequent epidermal and dermal changes and evolution of the characteristic psoriatic phenotype, respectively. This paper aims to present a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on psoriasis genetic and environmental etiological factors, immunopathogenesis, and the leading cellular and cytokine participants in the inflammatory pathways of this disease.

Description: The simple act of walking can occasionally cause ankle sprains. Traditionally, the rehabilitation of a sprained ankle involves physical therapy. Physical therapy is one of the health professions that help regain mobility through manual exercises. Aquatic therapy is one of the most potent water-based anti-inflammatory methods currently employed that increases local blood circulation, decreases pain and swelling, and promotes speedy healing. Several studies have demonstrated that ankle rehabilitation robots have immense potential in patients’ rehabilitation and recovery; however, these robots cannot be used underwater. This paper introduces the design, development, and control of a therapeutic robot incorporating aquatic therapy for ankle rehabilitation. Its primary objective is to design and control a one degree of freedom ankle rehabilitation robot that can be used in water and can recirculate hot water to simultaneously perform physical therapy and aquatic therapy. To conduct this study, an ankle rehabilitation robot was designed, modeled, developed, and controlled. The design and control techniques were evaluated by means of simulation and experimental results.

Description: Curcumin positively affects performance during exercise and subsequent recovery. However, curcumin has limited bioavailability unless consumed in larger doses. In the current study, we examined the impact of a new formulation of curcumin, Next-Generation Ultrasol Curcumin (NGUC), which is relatively more bioavailable than natural curcumin on exhaustion time, grip strength, muscle damage parameters, and serum and muscle proteins. A total of 28 rats were randomly grouped as control (C, non-supplemented), exercise (E, non-supplemented), E+NGUC100 (supplemented with 100 mg/kg BW NGUC), and E+NGUC200 (supplemented with 200 mg/kg NGUC). Grip strength and exhaustion time were increased with NGUC supplementation (p 〈 0.0001). Creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lactic acid (LA), myoglobin, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations were reduced in serum, and muscle tissue in NGUC supplemented groups (p 〈 0.05). In contrast, NGUC supplementation elevated the antioxidant enzyme levels compared to the non-supplemented exercise group (p 〈 0.01). Additionally, inflammatory cytokines were inhibited with NGUC administration (p 〈 0.05). NGUC decreased PGC-1α, p-4E-BP1, p-mTOR, MAFbx, and MuRF1 proteins in muscle tissue (p 〈 0.05). These results indicate that NGUC boosts exercise performance while reducing muscle damage by targeting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and muscle mass regulatory pathways.

Description: During the last few years, attention has overwhelmingly focused on the integrated management of urban services and the demand of customers for locally-based supply. The rapid growth in developing smart measuring devices has made the underlying systems more observable and controllable. This exclusive feature has led the system designers to pursue the implementation of complex protocols to provide faster services based on data exchanges. On the other hand, the demands of consumers for locally-based supply could cause a disjunction and islanding behavior that demands to be dealt with by precise action. At first, keeping a centralization scheme was the main priority. However, the advent of distributed systems opened up new solutions. The operation of distributed systems requires the implementation of strong communication links to boost the existing infrastructure via smart control and supervision, which requires a foundation and effective investigations. Hence, necessary actions need to be taken to frustrate any disruptive penetrations into the system while simultaneously benefiting from the advantages of the proposed smart platform. This research addresses the detection of false data injection attacks (FDIA) in energy hub systems. Initially, a multi-hub system both in the presence of a microgrid (the interconnected smart energy hub-based microgrid system) and without it has been modeled for energy management in a way that allows them to cooperate toward providing energy with each other. Afterward, an FDIA is separately exerted to all three parts of the energy carrier including the thermal, water, and electric systems. In the absence of FDIA detection, the impact of FDIA is thoroughly illustrated on energy management, which considerably contributes to non-optimal operation. In the same vein, the intelligent priority selection based reinforcement learning (IPS-RL) method is proposed for FDIA detection. In order to model the uncertainty effects, the unscented transformation (UT) is applied in a stochastic framework. The results on the IEEE standard test system validate the system’s performance.

Description: Synthetic ligands of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor beta/delta (PPARβ/δ) are being used as performance-enhancing drugs by athletes. Since we previously showed that PPARβ/δ activation affects T cell biology, we wanted to investigate whether a specific blood T cell signature could be employed as a method to detect the use of PPARβ/δ agonists. We analyzed in primary human T cells the in vitro effect of PPARβ/δ activation on fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and on their differentiation into regulatory T cells (Tregs). Furthermore, we conducted studies in mice assigned to groups according to an 8-week exercise training program and/or a 6-week treatment with 3 mg/kg/day of GW0742, a PPARβ/δ agonist, in order to (1) determine the immune impact of the treatment on secondary lymphoid organs and to (2) validate a blood signature. Our results show that PPARβ/δ activation increases FAO potential in human and mouse T cells and mouse secondary lymphoid organs. This was accompanied by increased Treg polarization of human primary T cells. Moreover, Treg prevalence in mouse lymph nodes was increased when PPARβ/δ activation was combined with exercise training. Lastly, PPARβ/δ activation increased FAO potential in mouse blood T cells. Unfortunately, this signature was masked by training in mice. In conclusion, beyond the fact that it is unlikely that this signature could be used as a doping-control strategy, our results suggest that the use of PPARβ/δ agonists could have potential detrimental immune effects that may not be detectable in blood samples.

Description: Remotely sensed vegetation indices (VIs) have been widely used to estimate the aboveground biomass (AGB) carbon stock of coastal wetlands by establishing Vis-related linear models. However, these models always have high uncertainties due to the large spatial variation and fragmentation of coastal wetlands. In this paper, an efficient coastal wetland AGB model for the Bohami Rim coastal wetlands was presented based on multiple data sets. The model was developed statistically with 7 independent variables from 23 metrics derived from remote sensing, topography, and climate data. Compared to previous models, it had better performance, with a root mean square error and r value of 188.32 g m−2 and 0.74, respectively. Using the model, we firstly generated a regional coastal wetland AGB map with a 10 m spatial resolution. Based on the AGB map, the AGB carbon stock of the Bohai Rim coastal wetland was 2.11 Tg C in 2019. The study demonstrated that integrating emerging high spatial resolution multi-remote sensing data and several auxiliary metrics can effectively improve VIs-based coastal wetland AGB models. Such models with emerging freely available data sets will allow for the rapid monitoring and better understanding of the special role that “blue carbon” plays in global carbon cycle.

Description: Background: The invention of non-ionizing emission devices revolutionized science, medicine, industry, and the military. Currently, different laser systems are commonly used, generating the potential threat of excessive radiation exposure, which can lead to adverse health effects. Skin is the organ most exposed to laser irradiation; therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effects of 445 nm, 520 nm, and 638 nm non-ionizing irradiation on keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Methods: Keratinocytes and fibroblasts were exposed to a different fluency of 445 nm, 520 nm, and 638 nm laser irradiation. In addition, viability, type of cell death, cell cycle distribution, and proliferation rates were investigated. Results: The 445 nm irradiation was cytotoxic to BJ-5ta (≥58.7 J/cm2) but not to Ker-CT cells. Exposure influenced the cell cycle distribution of Ker-CT (≥61.2 J/cm2) and BJ-5ta (≥27.6 J/cm2) cells, as well as the Bj-5ta proliferation rate (≥50.5 J/cm2). The 520 nm irradiation was cytotoxic to BJ-5ta (≥468.4 J/cm2) and Ker-CT (≥385.7 J/cm2) cells. Cell cycle distribution (≥27.6 J/cm2) of Ker-CT cells was also affected. The 638 nm irradiation was cytotoxic to BJ-5ta and Ker-CT cells (≥151.5 J/cm2). The proliferation rate and cell cycle distribution of BJ-5ta (≥192.9 J/cm2) and Ker-CT (13.8 and 41.3 J/cm2) cells were also affected. Conclusions: At high fluences, 455 nm, 520 nm, and 638 nm irradiation, representing blue, green, and red light spectra, are hazardous to keratinocytes and fibroblasts. However, laser irradiation may benefit the cells at low fluences by modulating the cell cycle and proliferation rate.

Description: Atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular diseases represent the greatest threats to human health, worldwide. Previous animal studies showed that selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and Na2SeO3 might have anti-atherosclerotic activity, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly elucidated. This study compared the anti-atherosclerotic activity of SeNPs stabilized with chitosan (CS-SeNPs) and Na2SeO3 and the related mechanism in a high-fat-diet-fed apolipoprotein E-deficient mouse model of atherosclerosis. The results showed that oral administration of both CS-SeNPs and Na2SeO3 (40 μg Se/kg/day) for 10 weeks significantly reduced atherosclerotic lesions in mouse aortae. Mechanistically, CS-SeNPs and Na2SeO3 not only alleviated vascular endothelial dysfunction, as evidenced by the increase of serum nitric oxide level and the decrease of aortic adhesion molecule expression, but also vascular inflammation, as evidenced by the decrease of macrophage recruitment as well as the expression of proinflammatory molecules. Importantly, these results were replicated within in-vivo experiments on the cultured human endothelial cell line EA.hy926. Overall, CS-SeNPs had a comparable effect with Na2SeO3 but might have more potential in atherosclerosis prevention due to its lower toxicity. Together, these results provide more insights into the mechanisms of selenium against atherosclerosis and further highlight the potential of selenium supplementation as a therapeutic strategy for atherosclerosis.

Description: Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of pathologies that cause severe disability due to motor and cognitive limitations. In particular, cognitive impairment is a growing health and socioeconomic problem which is still difficult to deal with today. As there are no pharmacologically effective treatments for cognitive deficits, scientific interest is growing regarding the possible impacts of healthy lifestyles on them. In this context, physical activity is gaining more and more evidence as a primary prevention intervention, a nonpharmacological therapy and a rehabilitation tool for improving cognitive functions in neurodegenerative diseases. In this descriptive overview we highlight the neurobiological effects of physical exercise, which is able to promote neuroplasticity and neuroprotection by acting at the cytokine and hormonal level, and the consequent positive clinical effects on patients suffering from cognitive impairment.

Description: As China proposes to achieve carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, as well as the huge pressure on the power grid caused by the load demand of the energy supply stations of electric vehicles (EVs), there is an urgent need to carry out comprehensive energy management and coordinated control for EVs’ energy supply stations. Therefore, this paper proposed a two-step intelligent control method known as ISOM-SAIA to solve the problem of the 24 h control and regulation of green/flexible EV energy supply stations, including four subsystems such as a photovoltaic subsystem, an energy storage subsystem, an EV charging subsystem and an EV battery changing subsystem. The proposed control method has two main innovations and contributions. One is that it reduces the computational burden by dividing the multi-dimensional mixed-integer programming problem of simultaneously optimizing the 24 h operation modes and outputs of four subsystems into two sequential tasks: the classification of data-driven operation modes and the rolling optimization of operational outputs. The other is that proper carbon transaction costs and carbon emission constraints are considered to help save costs and reduce carbon emissions. The simulation analysis conducted in this paper indicates that the proposed two-step intelligent control method can help green/flexible EV energy supply stations to optimally allocate energy flows between four subsystems, effectively respond to peak shaving and valley filling of power grid, save energy costs and reduce carbon emissions.

Description: In China, ground-level ozone has shown an increasing trend and has become a serious ambient pollutant. An accurate spatiotemporal distribution of ground-level ozone concentrations (GOCs) is urgently needed. Generalized linear models (GLMs) and Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) models are practical for predicting GOCs. However, GLMs have limited capacity to capture temporal variations and can miss some short-term and regional patterns, while the performance of BME models may degrade in cases of sparse or imperfect monitoring networks. Thus, to predict nationwide 1 km monthly average GOCs for China, we designed a novel hybrid model containing three modules. (1) A GLM was established to accurately describe the variability in GOCs in the space domain. (2) A BME model incorporating GLM residuals was employed to capture the temporal variability of GOCs in detail. (3) A combination of GLM and BME models was developed based on the specific broad range of each submodel. According to the cross-validation results, the hybrid model exhibited superior performance, with coefficient of determination (R2) values of 0.67. The predictive performance of the large-scale and high-resolution hybrid model is superior to that in previous studies. The nationwide spatiotemporal variability of the GOCs derived from the hybrid model shows that they are valuable indicators for ground-level ozone pollution control and prevention in China.

Description: Ammonia and phosphate, which are present in large quantities in waste streams such as livestock manure, are key compounds in fertilization activities. Their recovery will help close natural cycles and take a step forward in the framework of a circular economy. In this work, a lab-scale three-chambered microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) has been operated in continuous mode for the recovery of ammonia and phosphate from digested pig slurry in order to obtain a nutrient concentrated solution as a potential source of fertilizer (struvite). The maximum average removal efficiencies for ammonium and phosphate were 20% ± 4% and 36% ± 10%, respectively. The pH of the recovered solution was below 7, avoiding salt precipitation in the reactor. According to Visual MINTEQ software modelling, an increase of pH value to 8 outside the reactor would be enough to recover most of the potential struvite (0.21 mmol L−1 d−1), while the addition of up to 0.2 mM of magnesium to the nutrient recovered solution would enhance struvite production from 5.6 to 17.7 mM. The application of three-chambered MECs to the recovery of nutrients from high strength wastewater is a promising technology to avoid ammonia production through industrial processes or phosphate mineral extraction and close nutrient natural cycles.

Description: A critical assessment has been performed to determine the stacking fault energy (SFE) of the austenite phase in high manganese steels using X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the SFE varies substantially with the chosen elastic constants. This strong dependence induces substantial errors in the estimated values of the SFE of the austenite and, thus, the mechanical behavior of Fe-Mn-Al-C steels. The SFE of three different Fe-Mn-Al-C alloys with varying aluminum (Al) content was determined in order to establish the main plastic deformation mechanism. The aim of this work is to establish a more straightforward and reliable methodology to calculate the SFE by XRD. In this effort, it was determined that uncertainty in the elastic constants can generate errors in up to 37% of the SFE. Moreover, in the studied case, for average of elastic constant values, the predominant deformation mechanism is defined, but when considering one set of constants, these can present uncertainty of 2.7 mJ/m2 and 4.4 mJ/m2 for alloys of 0% Al and 3% Al, respectively. This would lead them to be within the following plastic deformation mechanism, while for 8% Al the uncertainty is negligible.

Description: We are reporting on the impact of air annealing temperatures on the physicochemical properties of electrochemically synthesized cadmium selenium telluride (CdSe0.6Te0.4) samples for their application in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar cell. The CdSe0.6Te0.4 samples were characterized with several sophisticated techniques to understand their characteristic properties. The XRD results presented the pure phase formation of the ternary CdSe0.6Te0.4 nanocompound with a hexagonal crystal structure, indicating that the annealing temperature influences the XRD peak intensity. The XPS study confirmed the existence of Cd, Se, and Te elements, indicating the formation of ternary CdSe0.6Te0.4 compounds. The FE-SEM results showed that the morphological engineering of the CdSe0.6Te0.4 samples can be achieved simply by changing the annealing temperatures from 300 to 400 °C with intervals of 50 °C. The efficiencies (ƞ) of the CdSe0.6Te0.4 photoelectrodes were found to be 2.0% for the non-annealed and 3.1, 3.6, and 2.5% for the annealed at 300, 350, and 400 °C, respectively. Most interestingly, the PEC cell analysis indicated that the annealing temperatures played an important role in boosting the performance of the photoelectrochemical properties of the solar cells.

Description: The exposure to extreme temperatures in workplaces involves physical hazards for workers. A poorly acclimated worker may have lower performance and vigilance and therefore may be more exposed to accidents and injuries. Due to the incompatibility of the existing standards implemented in some workplaces and the lack of thermoregulation in many types of protective equipment that are commonly fabricated using various types of polymeric materials, thermal stress remains one of the most frequent physical hazards in many work sectors. However, many of these problems can be overcome with the use of smart textile technologies that enable intelligent thermoregulation in personal protective equipment. Being based on conductive and functional polymeric materials, smart textiles can detect many external stimuli and react to them. Interconnected sensors and actuators that interact and react to existing risks can provide the wearer with increased safety, protection, and comfort. Thus, the skills of smart protective equipment can contribute to the reduction of errors and the number and severity of accidents in the workplace and thus promote improved performance, efficiency, and productivity. This review provides an overview and opinions of authors on the current state of knowledge on these types of technologies by reviewing and discussing the state of the art of commercially available systems and the advances made in previous research works.

Description: The nature of genome organization into two basic structural compartments is as yet undiscovered. However, it has been indicated to be a mechanism of gene expression regulation. Using the classification approach, we ranked genomic marks that hint at compartmentalization. We considered a broad range of marks, including GC content, histone modifications, DNA binding proteins, open chromatin, transcription and genome regulatory segmentation in GM12878 cells. Genomic marks were defined over CTCF or RNAPII loops, which are basic elements of genome 3D structure, and over 100 kb genomic windows. Experiments were carried out to empirically assess the whole set of features, as well as the individual features in classification of loops/windows, into compartment A or B. Using Monte Carlo Feature Selection and Analysis of Variance, we constructed a ranking of feature importance for classification. The best simple indicator of compartmentalization is DNase-seq open chromatin measurement for CTCF loops, H3K4me1 for RNAPII loops and H3K79me2 for genomic windows. Among DNA binding proteins, this is RUNX3 transcription factor for loops and RNAPII for genomic windows. Chromatin state prediction methods that indicate active elements like promoters, enhancers or heterochromatin enhance the prediction of loop segregation into compartments. However, H3K9me3, H4K20me1, H3K27me3 histone modifications and GC content poorly indicate compartments.

Description: Arterial media calcification (AMC) is predominantly regulated by vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), which transdifferentiate into pro-calcifying cells. In contrast, there is little evidence for endothelial cells playing a role in the disease. The current study investigates cellular functioning and molecular pathways underlying AMC, respectively by, an ex vivo isometric organ bath set-up to explore the interaction between VSMCs and ECs and quantitative proteomics followed by functional pathway interpretation. AMC development, which was induced in mice by dietary warfarin administration, was proved by positive Von Kossa staining and a significantly increased calcium content in the aorta compared to that of control mice. The ex vivo organ bath set-up showed calcified aortic segments to be significantly more sensitive to phenylephrine induced contraction, compared to control segments. This, together with the fact that calcified segments as compared to control segments, showed a significantly smaller contraction in the absence of extracellular calcium, argues for a reduced basal NO production in the calcified segments. Moreover, proteomic data revealed a reduced eNOS activation to be part of the vascular calcification process. In summary, this study identifies a poor endothelial function, next to classic pro-calcifying stimuli, as a possible initiator of arterial calcification.

Description: Porcine extracellular matrix (pECM)-derived hydrogels were introduced, in recent years, aiming to benefit the pECM’s microstructure and bioactivity, while controlling the biomaterial’s physical and mechanical properties. The use of pECM from different tissues, however, offers tissue-specific features that can better serve different applications. In this study, pECM hydrogels derived from cardiac, artery, pancreas, and adipose tissues were compared in terms of composition, structure, and mechanical properties. While major similarities were demonstrated between all the pECM hydrogels, their distinctive attributes were also identified, and their substantial effects on cell-ECM interactions were revealed. Furthermore, through comprehensive protein and gene expression analyses, we show, for the first time, that each pECM hydrogel supports the spontaneous differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells towards the resident cells of its origin tissue. These findings imply that the origin of ECM should be carefully considered when designing a biomedical platform, to achieve a maximal bioactive impact.

Description: New technologies have allowed traditional map production criteria to be modified or even subverted. Starting from the communication sciences—journalism in particular—and digital humanities via the history of communication, we show how to use interactive digital maps for the production and publication of knowledge through and/or for participation. Firstly, we establish the theoretical-conceptual framework necessary to base the practices, dividing the elements into three areas: interactive maps and knowledge production (decentralization, pluralization, reticularization, and humanization), maps as instruments to promote political and social participation (egalitarianism, horizontality, and criticism), and maps as instruments for the visualization of data that favors the user experience (interactivity, multimediality, reticularity of reading, and participation). Next, we present two cases that we developed to put into practice the theoretical concepts that we established: the Mapa Infoparticipa (Infoparticipa Map), which shows the results of the evaluation of the transparency of public administrations, and the Ciutadania Plural (Plural Citizenship) web platform for the production of social knowledge about the past and the present. This theoretical and practical model shows the possibilities of interactive maps as tools to promote political participation and as instruments for the construction of social knowledge in a collaborative, participatory, networked way.

Description: Aquaculture has grown rapidly in the field of food industry in recent years; however, it brought many environmental problems, such as water pollution and reclamations of lakes and coastal wetland areas. Thus, the evaluation and management of aquaculture industry are needed, in which accurate aquaculture mapping is an essential prerequisite. Due to the difference between inland and marine aquaculture areas and the difficulty in processing large amounts of remote sensing images, the accurate mapping of different aquaculture types is still challenging. In this study, a novel approach based on multi-source spectral and texture features was proposed to map simultaneously inland and marine aquaculture areas. Time series optical Sentinel-2 images were first employed to derive spectral indices for obtaining texture features. The backscattering and texture features derived from the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of Sentinel-1A were then used to distinguish aquaculture areas from other geographical entities. Finally, a supervised Random Forest classifier was applied for large scale aquaculture area mapping. To address the low efficiency in processing large amounts of remote sensing images, the proposed approach was implemented on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. A case study in the Pearl River Basin (Guangdong Province) of China showed that the proposed approach obtained aquaculture map with an overall accuracy of 89.5%, and the implementation of proposed approach on GEE platform greatly improved the efficiency for large scale aquaculture area mapping. The derived aquaculture map may support decision-making services for the sustainable development of aquaculture areas and ecological protection in the study area, and the proposed approach holds great potential for mapping aquacultures on both national and global scales.

Description: Plicosepalus acacia (Fam. Loranthaceae) has been reported to possess hypoglycemic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects. Liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed the presence of a high content of polyphenolic compounds that are attributed to the therapeutic effects of the crude extract. In addition, methyl gallate and quercetin were detected as major phytomedicinal agents at concentrations of 1.7% and 0.062 g%, respectively, using high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). The present study investigated the effect of the P. acacia extract and its isolated compounds, methyl gallate and quercetin, on hind limb ischemia induced in type 1 diabetic rats. Histopathological examination revealed that treatment with P. acacia extract, methyl gallate, and quercetin decreased degenerative changes and inflammation in the ischemic muscle. Further biochemical assessment of the hind limb tissue showed decreased oxidative stress, increased levels of nitric oxide and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and enhancement of the levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the groups treated with methyl gallate and quercetin. Expression levels of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), VEGF, fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), and miR-146a were upregulated in the muscle tissue of methyl gallate- and quercetin-treated groups along with downregulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). In conclusion, P. acacia extract and its isolated compounds, methyl gallate and quercetin, mediated therapeutic angiogenesis in diabetic hind limb ischemia.

Description: Background: Emerging data suggest that more aggressive beta-lactam PK/PD targets could minimize the occurrence of microbiological failure and/or resistance development. This study aims to assess whether a PK/PD target threshold of continuous infusion (CI) beta-lactams may be useful in preventing microbiological failure and/or resistance development in critically ill patients affected by documented Gram-negative infections. Methods: Patients admitted to intensive care units from December 2020 to July 2021 receiving continuous infusion beta-lactams for documented Gram-negative infections and having at least one therapeutic drug monitoring in the first 72 h of treatment were included. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed using the ratio between steady-state concentration and minimum inhibitory concentration (Css/MIC) ratio as the test variable and occurrence of microbiological failure as the state variable. Area under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Independent risk factors for the occurrence of microbiological failure were investigated using logistic regression. Results: Overall, 116 patients were included. Microbiological failure occurred in 26 cases (22.4%). A Css/MIC ratio ≤ 5 was identified as PK/PD target cut-off with sensitivity of 80.8% (CI 60.6–93.4%) and specificity of 90.5% (CI 74.2–94.4%), and with an AUC of 0.868 (95%CI 0.793–0.924; p 〈 0.001). At multivariate regression, independent predictors of microbiological failure were Css/MIC ratio ≤ 5 (odds ratio [OR] 34.54; 95%CI 7.45–160.11; p 〈 0.001) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection (OR 4.79; 95%CI 1.11–20.79; p = 0.036). Conclusions: Early targeting of CI beta-lactams at Css/MIC ratio 〉 5 during the treatment of documented Gram-negative infections may be helpful in preventing microbiological failure and/or resistance development in critically ill patients.

Description: The Boa constrictor is one of the most common reptiles bred in captivity. To achieve a successful breeding season, thorough knowledge of the females’ reproductive activity is necessary. In this regard, information on the Boa constrictor is still rather scarce. The aim of the present study was to monitor the ovarian activity and the embryonic development of boas by ultrasound. We performed brief scans on thirty non-anaesthetized snakes using a portable ultrasound system and a 7.5–10 MHz linear array transducer (Esaote MyLab™ Classic). Ultrasound features, dimensions, and echogenicity of the preovulatory and postovulatory follicles were determined. As gestation progresses, the postovulatory follicle size increases, and the embryonic silhouette becomes increasingly recognizable. During the second month after ovulation, by using color Doppler, early embryos’ heart activity could be evaluated. It is possible to highlight vascular connections between the mother and the membrane covering the embryonic structures. Ultrasound also allows one to identify follicular regression or slugs (nonfertilized eggs) early. The present study suggests that ultrasound could be an excellent noninvasive technique to evaluate the reproductive activity of Boa constrictor, allowing us to precisely identify the correct time for mating, monitor embryo development and viability, and allow the early diagnosis of follicular regression.

Description: For the sound field reconstruction of large conical surfaces, current statistical optimal near-field acoustic holography (SONAH) methods have relatively poor applicability and low accuracy. To overcome this problem, conical SONAH based on cylindrical SONAH is proposed in this paper. Firstly, elementary cylindrical waves are transformed into those suitable for the radiated sound field of the conical surface through cylinder-cone coordinates transformation, which forms the matrix of characteristic elementary waves in the conical spatial domain. Secondly, the sound pressure is expressed as the superposition of those characteristic elementary waves, and the superposition coefficients are solved according to the principle of superposition of wave field. Finally, the reconstructed conical pressure is expressed as a linear superposition of the holographic conical pressure. Furthermore, to overcome ill-posed problems, a regularization method combining truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD) and Tikhonov regularization is proposed. Large singular values before the truncation point of TSVD are not processed and remaining small singular values representing high-frequency noise are modified by Tikhonov regularization. Numerical and experimental case studies are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed conical SONAH and the combined regularization method, which can provide reliable evidence for noise monitoring and control of mechanical systems.

Description: Individual identification plays an important part in disease prevention and control, traceability of meat products, and improvement of agricultural false insurance claims. Automatic and accurate detection of cattle face is prior to individual identification and facial expression recognition based on image analysis technology. This paper evaluated the possibility of the cutting-edge object detection algorithm, RetinaNet, performing multi-view cattle face detection in housing farms with fluctuating illumination, overlapping, and occlusion. Seven different pretrained CNN models (ResNet 50, ResNet 101, ResNet 152, VGG 16, VGG 19, Densenet 121 and Densenet 169) were fine-tuned by transfer learning and re-trained on the dataset in the paper. Experimental results showed that RetinaNet incorporating the ResNet 50 was superior in accuracy and speed through performance evaluation, which yielded an average precision score of 99.8% and an average processing time of 0.0438 s per image. Compared with the typical competing algorithms, the proposed method was preferable for cattle face detection, especially in particularly challenging scenarios. This research work demonstrated the potential of artificial intelligence towards the incorporation of computer vision systems for individual identification and other animal welfare improvements.

Description: Monitoring gait patterns in daily life will provide a lot of biological information related to human health. At present, common gait pressure analysis systems, such as pressure platforms and in-shoe systems, adopt rigid sensors and are wired and uncomfortable. In this paper, a biomimetic porous graphene–SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) pressure sensor (PGSPS) with high flexibility, sensitivity (1.05 kPa−1), and a wide measuring range (0–150 kPa) is designed and integrated into an insole system to collect, process, transmit, and display plantar pressure data for gait analysis in real-time via a smartphone. The system consists of 16 PGSPSs that were used to analyze different gait signals, including walking, running, and jumping, to verify its daily application range. After comparing the test results with a high-precision digital multimeter, the system is proven to be more portable and suitable for daily use, and the accuracy of the waveform meets the judgment requirements. The system can play an important role in monitoring the safety of the elderly, which is very helpful in today’s society with an increasingly aging population. Furthermore, an intelligent gait diagnosis algorithm can be added to realize a smart gait monitoring system.

Description: Climate change is expected to lead to changes to the amount, frequency, intensity, and timing of precipitation and subsequent water supply and its availability to plants in mountain regions worldwide. This is likely to affect plant growth and physiological performance, with subsequent effects to the functioning of many important high-elevation ecosystems. We conducted a quantitative systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of altered water supply on plants from high elevation ecosystems. We found a clear negative response of plants to decreases in water supply (mean Hedges’ g = −0.75, 95% confidence intervals: −1.09 to −0.41), and a neutral response to increases in water supply (mean Hedges’ g = 0.10, 95% confidence intervals: 0.43 to 0.62). Responses to decreases in water supply appear to be related to the magnitude of change in water supply, plant growth form, and to the measured response attribute. Changes to precipitation and water supply are likely to have important consequences for plant growth in high elevation ecosystems, with vegetation change more likely be triggered by reductions than increases in growing season precipitation. High elevation ecosystems that experience future reductions in growing-season precipitation are likely to exhibit plant responses such as reduced growth and higher allocation of carbohydrates to roots.

Description: We explored gender differences in sexual behavior, and their relevance to mental health among high school students in South Korea. This study was based on data from the 14th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (2018). The subjects were 2460 high school students who reported sexual experiences. Student′s t-test, ANOVA, and Rao-Scott chi-squared test were performed to identify the significance of the differences. Boys had earlier sexual debuts (Rao-Scott χ2 = 53.55, p 〈 0.001), a lower frequency of using contraceptives (Rao-Scott χ2 = 26.57, p 〈 0.001), and lower rates of sex education in school (Rao-Scott χ2 = 11.20, p = 0.004). With respect to mental health factors, there was a difference in suicidality according to sexual risk behaviors, with a stronger association found in boys. In girls, there was an association between pregnancy experiences and suicidal ideation (Rao-Scott χ2 = 9.90, p = 0.003), plans (Rao-Scott χ2 = 17.25, p 〈 0.001), and attempts (Rao-Scott χ2 = 23.11, p 〈 0.001). Our findings suggest differences by gender and age group in the association between sexual behavior and mental health. It is necessary to devise a sex education strategy for adolescents considering gender and early versus late adolescent development period.

Description: Protein binding to the non-coding regions of mRNAs is relatively well characterized and its functionality has been described in many examples. New results obtained by high-throughput methods indicate that binding to the coding sequence (CDS) by RNA-binding proteins is also quite common, but the functions thereof are more obscure. As described in this review, CDS binding has a role in the regulation of mRNA stability, but it has also a more intriguing role in the regulation of translational efficiency. Global approaches, which suggest the significance of CDS binding along with specific examples of CDS-binding RBPs and their modes of action, are outlined here, pointing to the existence of a relatively less-known regulatory network controlling mRNA stability and translation on yet another level.

Description: Wine batch distillation in a copper pot still heated directly by combustion is unusual. It is a niche sector. Few studies are available on the subject and even fewer have studied it from a thermal point of view. In a context of ecology awareness and regularly increasing gas taxes, finding less energy consuming and more performing solutions has become necessary. Two methods already exist to recover energy for such pot stills, however improvements could be made. The present study focuses on the heating zone of an experimental pot still. First, a thermal diagnosis based on a nodal model is conducted in transient regime. The major sites of energy expenditure and waste are thus identified and quantified. Results highlight significant losses both in combustion smoke and by conduction to the environment resulting from a limited thermal performance of the system. Proposals are then made to enhance it. For instance, the preheating could be optimized and more thermal waste could be recovered.

Description: Port resilience has become a crucial topic to achieve port sustainability. To assist ports to successfully develop policies to improve resilience, this study aims to develop a framework for measuring port resilience. This paper conceptualizes the framework to assess port resilience based on relevant literature by conducting exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis using 199 samples collected from port stakeholders in South Korea. As a result, it is validated that the framework is a multi-hierarchical structure based on nine factors, i.e., robustness, redundancy, visibility, flexibility, collaboration, agility, information sharing, response, and recovery. Our findings would serve as a theoretical footstep for further studies on the relations between port resilience and sustainability and also contribute to implement policies to strengthen port resilience.

Description: In the past few decades, ZrN thin films have been identified as wear resistant coatings for tribological applications. The mechanical and tribological properties of ZrN thin layers depend on internal stress induced by the adopted deposition techniques and deposition parameters such as pressure, temperature, and growth rate. In sputtering deposition processes, the selected target voltage waveform and the plasma characteristics also play a crucial influence on physical properties of produced coatings. In present work, ZrN thin films, obtained setting different values of duty cycle in a reactive bipolar pulsed dual magnetron sputtering plant, were investigated to evaluate their residual stress through the substrate curvature method. A considerable progressive increase of residual stress values was measured at decreasing duty cycle, attesting the significant role of voltage waveform in stress development. An evident correlation was also highlighted between the values of the duty cycle and those of wear factor. The performed analysis attested an advantageous effect of internal stress, having the samples with high compressive stress, higher wear resistance. A downward trend for wear rate with the increase of internal residual stress was observed. The choice of suitable values of duty cycle allowed to produce ceramic coatings with improved tribological performance.

Description: Selenium is incorporated into selenoproteins as the 21st amino acid selenocysteine (Sec). There are 25 selenoproteins encoded in the human genome, and their synthesis requires a dedicated machinery. Most selenoproteins are oxidoreductases with important functions in human health. A number of disorders have been associated with deficiency of selenoproteins, caused by mutations in selenoprotein genes or Sec machinery genes. We discuss mutations that are known to cause disease in humans and report their allele frequencies in the general population. The occurrence of protein-truncating variants in the same genes is also presented. We provide an overview of pathogenic variants in selenoproteins genes from a population genomics perspective.

Description: The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the receptor used by SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses to attach to cells via the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of their viral spike protein. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, several structures of protein complexes involving ACE2 and RBD as well as monoclonal antibodies and nanobodies have become available. We have leveraged the structural data to design peptides to target the interaction between the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 and SARS-CoV and ACE2, as contrasting exemplar, as well as the dimerization surface of ACE2 monomers. The peptides were modelled using our original method: PiPreD that uses native elements of the interaction between the targeted protein and cognate partner(s) that are subsequently included in the designed peptides. These peptides recapitulate stretches of residues present in the native interface plus novel and highly diverse conformations surrogating key interactions at the interface. To facilitate the access to this information we have created a freely available and dedicated web-based repository, PepI-Covid19 database, providing convenient access to this wealth of information to the scientific community with the view of maximizing its potential impact in the development of novel therapeutic and diagnostic agents.

Description: Climate change-related natural disasters, including wildfires and extreme weather events, such as intense storms, floods, and heatwaves, are increasing in frequency and intensity. These events are already profoundly affecting human health in the United States and globally, challenging the ability of communities to prepare, respond, and recover. The purpose of this research was to examine the peer-reviewed literature on community resilience initiatives in one of the most densely populated and economically important regions, the Northeastern United States, and to identify evidence-based interventions and metrics that had been field-tested and evaluated. This paper addresses two critical gaps in the literature: (1) what strategies or interventions have been implemented to build or enhance community resilience against climate change-related natural disasters; and (2) what metrics were used to measure community resilience as an outcome of those strategies or interventions? This review provides a succinct list of effective interventions with specific health outcomes. Community or state-level health officials can use the results to prioritize public health interventions. This review used existing database search tools to discover 205 studies related to community resilience and health outcomes. Methods set criteria to assess if interventions were able to measure and change levels of community resilience to the health impacts associated with a changing climate. Criteria included: (a) alignment with the United States’ National Preparedness Goal for reducing risks to human health and for recovering quickly from disasters; (b) derived from publicly available data sources; (c) developed for use by communities at a local scale; and (d) accessible to modestly resourced municipalities and county health agencies. Five (5) peer-reviewed, evidence-based studies met all of the selection criteria. Three of these articles described intervention frameworks and two reported on the use of standardized tools. Health-related outcomes included mental health impacts (PTSD/depression), mental stress, emergency preparedness knowledge, social capital skills, and emergency planning skills. The paper recommends the COAST project, COPEWELL Rubric for self-assessment, and Ready CDC intervention as examples of strategies that could be adapted by any community engaged in building community resilience.

Description: Recent technological developments have paved the way to the employment of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) for monitoring and exploration activities of marine environments. Traditionally, in information gathering scenarios for monitoring purposes, AUVs follow predefined paths that are not efficient in terms of information content and energy consumption. Informative Path Planning (IPP) represents a valid alternative, defining the path that maximises the gathered information. This work proposes a Genetic Path Planner (GPP), which consists in an IPP strategy based on a Genetic Algorithm, with the aim of generating a path that simultaneously maximises the information gathered and the coverage of the inspected area. The proposed approach has been tested offline for monitoring and inspection applications of Posidonia Oceanica (PO) in three different geographical areas. The a priori knowledge about the presence of PO, in probabilistic terms, has been modelled utilising a Gaussian Process (GP), trained on real marine data. The GP estimate has then been exploited to retrieve an information content of each position in the areas of interest. A comparison with other two IPP approaches has been carried out to assess the performance of the proposed algorithm.

Description: Aprepitant (APR) belongs to Class II of the Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS) because of its low aqueous solubility. The objective of the current work is to develop self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) of APR to enhance its aqueous solubility. Preformulation studies involving screening of excipients for solubility and emulsification efficiency were carried out. Pseudo ternary phase diagrams were constructed with blends of oil (Imwitor® 988), cosolvent (Transcutol® P), and various surfactants (Kolliphor® RH40, Kolliphor® ELP, Kolliphor® HS15). The prepared SNEDDS were characterized for droplet size and nanoemulsion stability after dilution. Supersaturated SNEDDS (super-SNEDDS) were prepared to increase the quantity of loaded APR into the formulations. HPMC, PVP, PVP/VA, and Soluplus® were used as polymeric precipitation inhibitors (PPI). PPIs were added to the formulations at 5% and 10% by weight. The influence of the PPIs on drug precipitation was investigated. In vitro lipolysis test was carried out to simulate digestion of formulations in the gastrointestinal tract. Optimized super-SNEDDS were formulated into free-flowing granules by adsorption on the porous carriers such as Neusilin® US2. In vitro dissolution studies of solid super-SNEDDS formulation revealed an increased dissolution rate of the drug due to enhanced solubility. Consequently, a formulation to improve the solubility and potentially bioavailability of the drug was developed.

Description: The rise in structural performance requirements in engineering is driving the research and development of stronger, stiffer, and lighter materials. However, most traditional artificial materials are unable to meet the needs of modern industrial and technological development. In fact, multifarious creatures in nature are further ahead in their use of structural materials. There is a fairly limited selection of natural structural materials at ambient temperatures. They usually consist of hard and soft phases arranged in a complex hierarchy with characteristic dimensions ranging from nanoscale to macroscale. The resulting materials usually show a nearly perfect combination of strength and toughness integrated with lightweight characteristics. This is exactly what is required of engineering materials. In this review, different biological materials were divided into the following types in terms of structural elements: 1D fibrous structures, 2D layered structures, 3D cellular structures and heterogeneous interface structures. For each structural element, corresponding structure components and mechanical properties of typical organisms were well described. Abundant sophisticated models of natural biological structures were discussed contrastively. The purpose of this review was to summarize the excellent properties of multi-dimensional biological models with cross-scale features and to reveal the relationship between structure characteristics and function mechanism, which could provide valuable references for the design and optimization of a future biomimetic composite with high mechanical performance. This review is anticipated to not only inspire novel biomimetic design but also offer a window for the deep understanding of existing outstanding structural composites in diversified species, which could provide continuous innovative power for composite renovation in many engineering fields.

Description: Surface modification of membranes is an effective approach for imparting unique characteristics and additional functionalities to the membranes. Chemical grafting is a commonly used membrane modification technique due to its versatility in tailoring and optimizing the membrane surface with desired functionalities. Various types of polymers can be precisely grafted onto the membrane surface and the operating conditions of grafting can be tailored to further fine-tune the membrane surface properties. This review focuses on the recent strategies in improving the surface design of liquid separation membranes through grafting-from technique, also known as graft polymerization, to improve membrane performance in wastewater treatment and desalination applications. An overview on membrane technology processes such as pressure-driven and osmotically driven membrane processes are first briefly presented. Grafting-from surface chemical modification approaches including chemical initiated, plasma initiated and UV initiated approaches are discussed in terms of their features, advantages and limitations. The innovations in membrane surface modification techniques based on grafting-from techniques are comprehensively reviewed followed by some highlights on the current challenges in this field. It is concluded that grafting-from is a versatile and effective technique to introduce various functional groups to enhance the surface properties and separation performances of liquid separation membranes.

Description: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Bacillus subtillis PB6, chromium propionate or a combination of the two on the performance, egg and eggshell quality, nutrient metabolizability and serum biochemistry of layer breeders. White Plymouth Rock and Red Rhodes Island breeder hens at 55 weeks of age were allocated in individual cages using a completely randomized block design with 16 replicates. Hens were fed control, control + probiotic (500 g/ton of Bacillus subtilis PB6), control + CrProp (50 g/ton of chromium propionate) and control + probiotic + CrProp diets from 55 to 70 weeks of age. Productive parameters and eggshell quality as well as cortisol and blood biochemistry were grouped each 28 d as well as for the overall period. The metabolizability of nutrients and energy was determined at 70 weeks of age. In the overall period, hens fed the control + probiotic or control + probiotic + CrProp diets had significantly higher egg production, egg mass, shell percentage, thickness and shell strength. The metabolizability of dry matter, nitrogen and energy increased in hens that were fed the control + probiotic + CrProp diet. In conclusion, diets supplemented with Bacillus subtillis PB6 and chromium propionate resulted in improved productive performance, eggshell quality and nutrient metabolizability of layer breeders, without modifying serum cortisol, albumin and triglycerides.

Description: In recent years, the production and consumption of thermally modified wood (TMW) has been increasing. Offcuts and other waste generated during TMWs processing into products, as well as already disposed products based on TMWs can be an input recycled raw material for production of particleboards (PBs). In a laboratory, 16 mm thick 3-layer PBs bonded with urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin were produced at 5.8 MPa, 240 °C and 8 s pressing factor. In PBs, the particles from fresh spruce wood and mixed particles from offcuts of pine, beech, and ash TMWs were combined in weight ratios of 100:0, 80:20, 50:50 and 0:100. Thickness swelling (TS) and water absorption (WA) of PBs decreased with increased portion of TMW particles, i.e., TS after 24 h maximally about 72.3% and WA after 24 h maximally about 64%. However, mechanical properties of PBs worsened proportionally with a higher content of recycled TMW—apparently, the modulus of rupture (MOR) up to 55.5% and internal bond (IB) up to 46.2%, while negative effect of TMW particles on the modulus of elasticity (MOE) was milder. Decay resistance of PBs to the brown-rot fungus Serpula lacrymans (Schumacher ex Fries) S.F. Gray increased if they contained TMW particles, maximally about 45%, while the mould resistance of PBs containing TMW particles improved only in the first days of test. In summary, the recycled TMW particles can improve the decay and water resistance of PBs exposed to higher humidity environment. However, worsening of their mechanical properties could appear, as well.

Description: Dietary fibre has proven to promote healthy body mass and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases. To date, in Slovenia, there were only a few outdated studies of dietary fibre intake; therefore, we explored the dietary fibre intake using food consumption data collected in the SI.Menu project. Following the EU Menu methodology, data were collected on representative samples of adolescents, adults, and elderlies using a general questionnaire, a food propensity questionnaire, and two 24 h recalls. The results indicate that the intake of dietary fibre in Slovenia is lower than recommended. The proportion of the population with inadequate fibre intakes (

Description: Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater has shown to be an effective tool for epidemiological surveillance. More specifically, RNA levels determined with RT-qPCR have been shown to track with the infection dynamics within the population. However, the surveillance of individual lineages circulating in the population based on genomic sequencing of wastewater samples is challenging, as the genetic material constitutes a mixture of different viral haplotypes. Here, we identify specific signature mutations from individual SARS-CoV-2 lineages in wastewater samples to estimate lineages circulating in Luxembourg. We compare circulating lineages and mutations to those detected in clinical samples amongst infected individuals. We show that especially for dominant lineages, the allele frequencies of signature mutations correspond to the occurrence of particular lineages in the population. In addition, we provide evidence that regional clusters can also be discerned. We focused on the time period between November 2020 and March 2021 in which several variants of concern emerged and specifically traced the lineage B.1.1.7, which became dominant in Luxembourg during that time. During the subsequent time points, we were able to reconstruct short haplotypes, highlighting the co-occurrence of several signature mutations. Our results highlight the potential of genomic surveillance in wastewater samples based on amplicon short-read data. By extension, our work provides the basis for the early detection of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Description: The bioenergetics of the vast majority of terrestrial mammals evolved to consuming glucose (Glc) for energy production under regular atmosphere (about 21% oxygen). However, some vertebrate species, such as aquatic turtles, seals, naked mole rat, and blind mole rat, Spalax, have adjusted their homeostasis to continuous function under severe hypoxic environment. The exploration of hypoxia-tolerant species metabolic strategies provides a better understanding of the adaptation to hypoxia. In this study, we compared Glc homeostasis in primary Spalax and rat skin cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. We used the targeted-metabolomics approach, utilizing liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to track the fate of heavy Glc carbons (13C6 Glc), as well as other methodologies to assist the interpretation of the metabolic landscape, such as bioenergetics profiling, Western blotting, and gene expression analysis. The metabolic profile was recorded under steady-state (after 24 h) of the experiment. Glc-originated carbons were unequally distributed between the cytosolic and mitochondrial domains in Spalax cells compared to the rat. The cytosolic domain is dominant apparently due to the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) mastering, since its level is higher under normoxia and hypoxia in Spalax cells. Consumed Glc in Spalax cells is utilized for the pentose phosphate pathway maintaining the NADPH pool, and is finally harbored as glutathione (GSH) and UDP-GlcNAc. The cytosolic domain in Spalax cells works in the semi-uncoupled mode that limits the consumed Glc-derived carbons flux to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and reduces pyruvate delivery; however, it maintains the NAD+ pool via lactate dehydrogenase upregulation. Both normoxic and hypoxic mitochondrial homeostasis of Glc-originated carbons in Spalax are characterized by their massive cataplerotic flux along with the axis αKG→Glu→Pro→hydroxyproline (HPro). The product of collagen degradation, HPro, as well as free Pro are apparently involved in the bioenergetics of Spalax under both normoxia and hypoxia. The upregulation of 2-hydroxyglutarate production detected in Spalax cells may be involved in modulating the levels of HIF-1α. Collectively, these data suggest that Spalax cells utilize similar metabolic frame for both normoxia and hypoxia, where glucose metabolism is switched from oxidative pathways (conversion of pyruvate to Acetyl-CoA and further TCA cycle processes) to (i) pentose phosphate pathway, (ii) lactate production, and (iii) cataplerotic pathways leading to hexosamine, GSH, and HPro production.

Description: Klebsiella pneumoniae is an increasing threat to public health and represents one of the most concerning pathogens involved in life-threatening infections. The resistant and virulence determinants are coded by mobile genetic elements which can easily spread between bacteria populations and co-evolve with its genomic host. In this study, we present the full genomic sequences, insertion sites and phylogenetic analysis of 150 prophages found in 40 K. pneumoniae clinical isolates obtained from an outbreak in a Portuguese hospital. All strains harbored at least one prophage and we identified 104 intact prophages (69.3%). The prophage size ranges from 29.7 to 50.6 kbp, coding between 32 and 78 putative genes. The prophage GC content is 51.2%, lower than the average GC content of 57.1% in K. pneumoniae. Complete prophages were classified into three families in the order Caudolovirales: Myoviridae (59.6%), Siphoviridae (38.5%) and Podoviridae (1.9%). In addition, an alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed nine distinct clusters. Evidence of recombination was detected within the genome of some prophages but, in most cases, proteins involved in viral structure, transcription, replication and regulation (lysogenic/lysis) were maintained. These results support the knowledge that prophages are diverse and widely disseminated in K. pneumoniae genomes, contributing to the evolution of this species and conferring additional phenotypes. Moreover, we identified K. pneumoniae prophages in a set of endolysin genes, which were found to code for proteins with lysozyme activity, cleaving the β-1,4 linkages between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues in the peptidoglycan network and thus representing genes with the potential for lysin phage therapy.

Description: We report that polymerization makes a robust, practically applicable multifunctional optical device with a continuous wavelength tunable over 500 nm spectral range using UV-polymerizable cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs). It can be used as a circular polarizer generating an extremely high degree of circularly polarized light with |g| = 1.85~2.00. It can also be used for optical notch filters, bandwidth-variable (from ~28 nm to ~93 nm) bandpass filters, mirrors, and intensity-variable beam splitters. Furthermore, this CLC device shows excellent stability owing to the polymerization of CLC cells. Its performance remains constant for a long time (~2 years) after a high-temperature exposure (170 °C for 1 h) and an extremely high laser beam intensity exposure (~143 W/cm2 of CW 532 nm diode laser and ~2.98 MW/cm2 of Nd: YAG pulse laser operation for two hours, respectively). The optical properties of polymerized CLC were theoretically analyzed by Berreman’s 4 × 4 matrix method. The characteristics of this device were significantly improved by introducing an anti-reflection layer on the device. This wavelength-tunable and multifunctional device could dramatically increase optical research efficiency in various spectroscopic works. It could be applied to many instruments using visible and near-infrared wavelengths.

Description: Over the last few decades, advanced manufacturing and additive printing technologies have made incredible inroads into the fields of engineering, transportation, and healthcare. Among additive manufacturing technologies, 3D printing is gradually emerging as a powerful technique owing to a combination of attractive features, such as fast prototyping, fabrication of complex designs/structures, minimization of waste generation, and easy mass customization. Of late, 4D printing has also been initiated, which is the sophisticated version of the 3D printing. It has an extra advantageous feature: retaining shape memory and being able to provide instructions to the printed parts on how to move or adapt under some environmental conditions, such as, water, wind, light, temperature, or other environmental stimuli. This advanced printing utilizes the response of smart manufactured materials, which offer the capability of changing shapes postproduction over application of any forms of energy. The potential application of 4D printing in the biomedical field is huge. Here, the technology could be applied to tissue engineering, medicine, and configuration of smart biomedical devices. Various characteristics of next generation additive printings, namely 3D and 4D printings, and their use in enhancing the manufacturing domain, their development, and some of the applications have been discussed. Special materials with piezoelectric properties and shape-changing characteristics have also been discussed in comparison with conventional material options for additive printing.

Description: The use of intelligent compaction (IC) in asphalt overlay includes the use of double-drum IC rollers, a roller measurement system, global position system (GPS) radio/receiver/base station, infrared temperature sensors, and an onboard computer reporting system. GPS based mapping and optional feedback control help to overcome the drawbacks associated with conventional compaction such as identifying soft spots, achieving consistent roller patterns, and monitoring asphalt surface temperature and levels of compaction with adequate quality control or quality assurance (QC/QA). Cost-effectiveness of both compaction types was measured in terms of initial and roadway lifecycle cost based on the cost inputs received from South Korea and other published literatures. Roadway lifecycle cost was reported based on the improvement in in-place density, smoothness, and fatigue life. The results of this study showed that: (1) with IC an approximate 4.1% initial cost reduction can be achieved compared to conventional compaction; (2) QC/QA cost is found to have the most significant effect on the higher initial cost of conventional compaction compared to other associated costs whereas intelligent roller cost is the vital cost category for IC; (3) improvement of in-place air voids and density due to the IC has shown that at 97% field density (or at 3% air void content) the State Highway Agency can save approximately 44% over a 20-year service period; and (4) agency cost is observed to be reduced by approximately 62% with the IC method based on the 25-year analysis period due to the increase in fatigue life.

Description: Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi on agricultural produce. Mycotoxins can be cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, and teratogenic, and they are persistent threats to human and animal health. Consumption of mycotoxin-contaminated maize can cause cancer and even sudden death. Health hazards can also occur from consuming products from animals fed with mycotoxin-contaminated feed or forage. The main mode of spread of mycotoxigenic fungi is through air-borne spores originating from soil or plant debris, although some fungi can also spread through infected seed-to-seedling transmission, ultimately followed by contamination of the harvestable product. This perspective assesses opportunities to prevent mycotoxigenic fungal infection in maize seeds produced for sowing as an important starting point of crop contamination. A case study of Nigeria showed infection in all tested farmer-produced, seed company, and foundation seed samples. A schematic overview of the formal and informal seed systems is presented to analyze their contribution to fungal infection and mycotoxin contamination in the maize value chain, as well as to set criteria for successful control. We recommend an integrated approach to control mycotoxigenic fungal infection, including resistant varieties and other control methods during seed production, grain production, and grain storage, with an important role in maintaining seed health.

Description: Carbon neutrality has positive impacts on people, nature and the economy, and buildings represent the “last mile” sector in the transition to carbon neutrality. Carbon neutrality is characterized by the decarbonization of operations and maintenance, in addition to zero emissions in electricity and other industry sectors. Taking China’s commercial buildings as an example, this study is the first to perform an extensive data analysis for a step-wise carbon neutral roadmap of building operations via the analysis of a dynamic emission scenario. The results reveal that the carbon emissions abatement of commercial building operations from 2001 to 2018 was 1460.85 (±574.61) mega-tons of carbon dioxide (Mt CO2). The carbon emissions of commercial building operations will peak in the year 2039 (±5) at 1364.31 (±258.70) Mt, with emission factors and energy intensity being the main factors influencing the carbon peak. To move toward carbon neutral status, an additional 169.73 Mt CO2 needs to be cut by 2060, and the low emission path toward carbon neutrality will lead to the realization of the carbon peak of commercial buildings in 2024, with total emissions of 921.71 Mt. It is believed that cutting emissions from the operation of buildings in China will require a multi-sectoral synergistic strategy. It is suggested that government, residents, enterprises, and other stakeholders must better appreciate the challenges to achieve a substantial carbon reduction and the need for urgent action in the building sector in order to achieve carbon neutrality.

Description: To evaluate the stability of bridge piers affected by the local scouring, the existing formulas for estimating the maximum local scour depth have been developed based on the results of experiments conducted under a constant water level. However, the applicability of these formulas to the cases where the water level rises and falls, such as a water level change in a real river, is not clear. In this study, water flow experiments were conducted on cylindrical and oval bridge pier models to investigate the effect of iterated water level change on the progression of local scour around piers. Results of experiments with cylindrical and oval pier showed that the local scour depth and length increased by an iterated action of the water level change; however, these values converged after the number of iterated actions reached a certain time. The local scour length at upstream of the bridge pier was approximately 1.8 times larger than the theoretical value, which was calculated through the local scour depth and angle of repose in water. The local scour length is an important parameter for defining the streambed protection zone, which is one of the measures against local scour, and we showed that the streambed protection zone needs to be defined more widely.

Description: Many studies have found that gold nanoparticles with branched surfaces (nanoflowers) are markers for immunosensors that provide higher sensitivity gains than the commonly used spherical gold nanoparticles. Although the analytical characteristics of nanoparticle-using systems vary significantly depending on their size and shape, the question of choosing the best gold nanoflowers remains open. This work presents a comparative study of a panel of 33 preparations of gold nanoflowers formed by varying several parameters: the size of spherical nanoparticles-nuclei, the concentrations of nuclei, and tetrachloroauric acid during growth. The sizes of the resulting particles, their sorption capacity under antibody immobilization, mobility along membranes for lateral flow assays, and the effects of these parameters on the limits of detection of lateral flow immunoassay are characterized. The optimality of preparations obtained by growing a 0.2% v/v solution of nuclei with a diameter of 10 or 20 nm with tetrachloroauric acid at a concentration of 0.12 mM was shown. With their use, lateral flow immune tests were developed to determine markers of acute myocardial infarction—fatty acids binding protein and troponins I and T. The use of gold nanoflowers obtained under the proposed protocols led to significant gains in the limits of detection—3 to 10 times under visual detection and over 100 times under instrumental detection—compared to spherical gold nanoparticles. The significant increase under instrumental detection is due to the label’s low nonspecific binding.

Description: Enzymatic synthesis of aromatic biobased polyesters is a recent and rapidly expanding research field. However, the direct lipase-catalyzed synthesis of polyesters from ferulic acid has not yet been reported. In this work, various ferulic-based monomers were considered for their capability to undergo CALB-catalyzed polymerization. After conversion into diesters of different lengths, the CALB-catalyzed polymerization of these monomers with 1,4-butanediol resulted in short oligomers with a DPn up to 5. Hydrogenation of the double bond resulted in monomers allowing obtaining polyesters of higher molar masses with DPn up to 58 and Mw up to 33,100 g·mol−1. These polyesters presented good thermal resistance up to 350 °C and Tg up to 7 °C. Reduction of the ferulic-based diesters into diols allowed preserving the double bond and synthesizing polyesters with a DPn up to 19 and Mw up to 15,500 g·mol−1 and higher Tg (up to 21 °C). Thus, this study has shown that the monomer hydrogenation strategy proved to be the most promising route to achieve ferulic-based polyester chains of high DPn. This study also demonstrates for the first time that ferulic-based diols allow the synthesis of high Tg polyesters. Therefore, this is an important first step toward the synthesis of competitive biobased aromatic polyesters by enzymatic catalysis.

Description: In this work, we studied the impacts of transmitting light, nonlinear thermal, and micropolar fluid mechanics on a wire surface coating utilizing non-Newtonian viscoelastic flow. Models with temperature-dependent variable viscosity were used. The boundary layer equations governing the flow and heat transport processes were solved using the Runge–Kutta fourth order method. A distinguished constituent of this study was the use of a porous matrix that acted as an insulator to reduce heat loss. In this paper we discuss the effects of numerous development parameters, including β0, Q, m, Ω, Kp, and Br (non-Newtonian parameter, heat-producing parameter, viscosity parameter, variable viscosity parameter, porosity parameter, and Brinkman number, respectively). Furthermore, the effects of two other parameters, D and M, are also discussed as they relate to velocity and temperature distributions. We observed that the velocity profiles decreased with increasing values of Kp. Fluid velocity increased as the values of M, Br, N, and D increased, while it decreased when the values of Kp, Q and D increased. For increasing values of M, the temperature profile showed increasing behavior, while Br and Q showed decreasing behavior. Furthermore, the present work is validated by comparison with HAM and previously published work, with good results.

Description: In this article, the authors study the Lebesgue point of functions from Hajłasz–Sobolev, Besov, and Triebel–Lizorkin spaces with generalized smoothness on doubling metric measure spaces and prove that the exceptional sets of their Lebesgue points have zero capacity via the capacities related to these spaces. In case these functions are not locally integrable, the authors also consider their generalized Lebesgue points defined via the γ-medians instead of the classical ball integral averages and establish the corresponding zero-capacity property of the exceptional sets.

Description: The applicability of high voltage electrical discharges for the decomposition of CO2 has been extensively demonstrated. In this study, a new AC parallel-plate plasma reactor is presented which was designed for this purpose. Detailed experimental characterization and simulation of this reactor were performed. Gas chromatography of the exhaust gases enabled calculation of the CO2 conversion and energy efficiency. A conversion factor approximating 25% was obtained which is higher in comparison to existing plasma sources. Optical emission spectroscopy enabled the determination of the emission intensities of atoms and molecules inside the plasma and characterization of the discharge. The Stark broadening of the Balmer hydrogen line Hβ was used for the estimation of the electron density. The obtained densities were of the order of 5 × 1014 cm−3 which indicates that the electron kinetic energy dominated the discharge. The rotational, vibrational, and excitation temperatures were determined from the vibro-rotational band of the OH radical. A 2-temperature plasma was found where the estimated electron temperatures (~18,000 K) were higher than the gas temperatures (~2000 K). Finally, a 2-D model using the fluid equations was developed for determining the main processes in the CO2 splitting. The solution to this model, using the finite element method, gave the temporal and spatial behaviors of the formed species densities, the electric potential, and the temperatures of electrons.

Description: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally, associated with multifactorial pathophysiological components. In particular, genetic mutations, infection or inflammation, unhealthy eating habits, exposition to radiation, work stress, and/or intake of toxins have been found to contribute to the development and progression of cancer disease states. Early detection of cancer and proper treatment have been found to enhance the chances of survival and healing, but the side effects of anticancer drugs still produce detrimental responses that counteract the benefits of treatment in terms of hospitalization and survival. Recently, several natural bioactive compounds were found to possess anticancer properties, capable of killing transformed or cancerous cells without being toxic to their normal counterparts. This effect occurs when natural products are associated with conventional treatments, thereby suggesting that nutraceutical supplementation may contribute to successful anticancer therapy. This review aims to discuss the current literature on four natural bioactive extracts mostly characterized by a specific polyphenolic profile. In particular, several activities have been reported to contribute to nutraceutical support in anticancer treatment: (1) inhibition of cell proliferation, (2) antioxidant activity, and (3) anti-inflammatory activity. On the other hand, owing to their attenuation of the toxic effect of current anticancer therapies, natural antioxidants may contribute to improving the compliance of patients undergoing anticancer treatment. Thus, nutraceutical supplementation, along with current anticancer drug treatment, may be considered for better responses and compliance in patients with cancer. It should be noted, however, that when data from studies with bioactive plant preparations are discussed, it is appropriate to ensure that experiments have been conducted in accordance with accepted pharmacological research practices so as not to disclose information that is only partially correct.

Description: Over the last years, the replacement of traditional polymer modifiers with waste plastics has attracted increasing interest. The implementation of such technology would allow a drastic reduction of both production cost and landfill disposal of wastes. Among all, polyethylene-based plastics have been proved suitable for this purpose. The research activities presented in this paper aim to assess the synergistic effect of polyethylene and Fischer–Tropsch waxes on the viscoelastic properties and performance of the bitumen. In order to reduce the blending time, waxes, and polyethylene need to be added simultaneously. In fact, the presence of the waxes reduces the polarity of the bitumen matrix and increases the affinity with the polymer promoting its dispersion. Results demonstrate that the chain length of the waxes, the form of the added waste polyethylene, and the blending protocol have critical effects on the time-evolution of such properties. Short-chain waxes have a detrimental impact on the rutting resistance regardless of the blending protocol. On the contrary, long-chain waxes improve the overall behavior of the polyethylene-modified binders and, in particular, the resistance to permanent deformations.

Description: This paper investigates the hybrid source localization problem using differential received signal strength (DRSS) and angle of arrival (AOA) measurements. The main advantage of hybrid measurements is to improve the localization accuracy with respect to a single sensor modality. For sufficiently short wavelengths, AOA sensors can be constructed with size, weight, power and cost (SWAP-C) requirements in mind, making the proposed hybrid DRSS-AOA sensing feasible at a low cost. Firstly the maximum likelihood estimation solution is derived, which is computationally expensive and likely to become unstable for large noise levels. Then a novel closed-form pseudolinear estimation method is developed by incorporating the AOA measurements into a linearized form of DRSS equations. This method eliminates the nuisance parameter associated with linearized DRSS equations, hence improving the estimation performance. The estimation bias arising from the injection of measurement noise into the pseudolinear data matrix is examined. The method of instrumental variables is employed to reduce this bias. As the performance of the resulting weighted instrumental variable (WIV) estimator depends on the correlation between the IV matrix and data matrix, a selected-hybrid-measurement WIV (SHM-WIV) estimator is proposed to maintain a strong correlation. The superior bias and mean-squared error performance of the new SHM-WIV estimator is illustrated with simulation examples.

Description: In this paper, a new methodology for the assessment of the so-called “acoustic capacity” of a road infrastructure is proposed. This aspect is very important in the field of transportation planning as, currently, road infrastructures are verified only in terms of physical capacity; at most, the environmental capacity due to atmospheric pollutants is taken into account, while the acoustic capacity is completely neglected. The acoustic capacity is assessed based on the Harmonoise model, which is widely recognized at the European level. The Harmonoise model, starting from traffic data, such as traffic flows, average speed, and typologies of vehicles, provides the levels of noise emissions and immissions, which can be compared to the noise limit levels established by law. The validity of the proposed methodology was assessed on a test network. The results of this analysis show that, generally, the acoustic capacity is actually a capacity constraint, which involves several traffic flows: this occurs in particular in the case of an intersection, but also in the case of a bi-directional road. Furthermore, the acoustic capacity of a road infrastructure is generally lower than its physical capacity.

Description: During mechanical stimulation-induced bone remodeling, interstitial fluid around microcracks may produce a flow field with gradient fluid shear stress (FSS). Osteoclast precursors can sense this gradient FSS and migrate toward the low FSS region. However, the local distribution of wall FSS on bone cells under a flow field with globally gradient FSS remains unknown. In this study, finite element models of a modified plate flow chamber with cells were constructed. The effect of oscillatory flow with different FSS levels and cell spacings or frequencies on the distribution of local wall FSS around cells was simulated by using a fluid–solid coupling method. Results showed that the polarization of wall FSS distribution in a cell decreased with the increase in cell spacing. At a low FSS level, the frequency of oscillatory flow had a minimal effect on the wall FSS distribution. At a high FSS level, the increase in flow frequency enhanced the fluctuation of local wall FSS distribution on cells. These results provide a basis for future research on the flow-induced migration of osteoclast precursors and clarify the mechanism of mechanical stimulation-induced bone resorption.

Description: Conflicts are ubiquitous in forest management because of several overlapping temporal and spatial issues (see examples in tropical and temperate areas [...]

Description: In this article, sample damage and wear of forced-in joints is presented, and their reliability evaluated. Compared were shafts without additional finish treatment, rolled shafts and those with a TiSiN coating. Tribological samples under investigation operated in rotational bending conditions. Recorded was the number of fatigue cycles at which damage might occur. Reliability indicators were plotted, which demonstrated that coated shafts are distinguished by the highest reliability and low damage intensity. Macroscopic observations of shaft surfaces demonstrated the traces of adhesive wear and, in the case of shafts without additional treatment and in the case of rolled shafts, fretting wear traces in the form of a ring comprising the entire shaft circumference. Microscopic observations showed numerous build-ups on the surface, microcracks, and the occurrence of wear products in the gap between the shaft and sleeve. The highest fatigue strength was demonstrated by shafts with a TiSiN coating. The shaft section change area was the place where fatigue wear occurred.

Description: Over the past decades, a large amount of data has been accumulated in various subfields of glycobiology. However, much clinically relevant data and many tools are still not widely used in medicine. Synthetic glycoconjugates with the known structure of glycans are an accurate tool for the study of glycan-binding proteins. We used polyacrylamide glycoconjugates (PGs) including PGs with tumour-associated glycans (TAGs) in immunoassays to assess the prognostic potential of the serum level of anti-glycan antibodies (AG Abs) in gastrointestinal cancer patients and found an association of AG Abs with survival. The specificity of affinity-isolated AG Abs was investigated using synthetic and natural glycoconjugates. AG Abs showed mainly a low specificity to tumour-associated and tumour-derived mucins; therefore, the protective role of the examined circulating AG Abs against cancer remains a challenge. In this review, our findings are analysed and discussed in the context of the contribution of bacteria to the AG Abs stimulus and cancer progression. Examples of the influence of pathogenic bacteria colonising tumours on cancer progression and patient survival through mechanisms of interaction with tumours and dysregulated immune response are considered. The possibilities and problems of the integrative study of AG Abs and the microbiome using high-performance technologies are discussed.

Description: This study is a specific contribution to investigating normalities in prices to a well-established cointegrated vector autoregressive model (VAR). While the role of prices in computational economics has been investigated, the real prices vis-à-vis nominal prices in the decision process has been neglected. The paper investigates the transition from nominal to real time-series of prices without losing information in the data set when deflating or de-seasonalizing. The likelihood approach is based on careful specifications of the (co)integration characteristics of tourism prices. The results confirm that the transmission of tourism prices in the Eurozone positively impacts Slovenian tourism prices when the spatial consolidated cointegrated VAR model is used. The theoretical-conceptual and empirical contribution is twofold: first, the study develops and empirically applies bona fide divisor of normality consolidation for time-series in levels instead of routinely utilised inflation integers, and second, the study introduces perfection of prices on a long-run time-series treatment.

Description: Total imperviousness (residential and non-residential) increases with population growth in many regions around the world. Population density has been used to predict the total imperviousness in large areas, although population size was only closely related to residential imperviousness. In this study, population density together with land use data for 154 suburbs in Southeast Queensland (SEQ) of Australia were used to develop a new model for total imperviousness estimation. Total imperviousness was extracted through linear spectral mixing analysis (LSMA) using Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS, and then separated into residential and non-residential areas based on land use data for each suburb. Regression models were developed between population density and total imperviousness, and population density and residential imperviousness. Results show that (1) LSMA approach could retrieve imperviousness accurately (RMSE 〈 10%), (2) linear regression models could be used to estimate both total imperviousness and residential imperviousness better than nonlinear regression models, and (3) correlation between population density and residential imperviousness was higher (R2 = 0.77) than that between population density and total imperviousness (R2 = 0.52); (4) the new model was used to predict the total imperiousness based on population density projections to 2057 for three potential urban development areas in SEQ. This research allows accurate prediction of the total impervious area from population density and service area per capital for other regions in the world.

Description: We consider alternative possibilities for hedging spot positions on the FTSE LATIBEX Index, the index of the only international market exclusively for Latin American firms that is denominated by the euro. Since there is not a futures market on the index, it is unclear whether a relatively successful hedge can be found. We explore the plausibility of employing futures on four stock market indices: EUROSTOXX 50, S&P500, BOVESPA, and IPC, and simulate the results that could be obtained by a hedge position based on either unconditional or conditional second order moments estimated from different asymmetric GARCH models. Several criteria for hedging effectiveness suggest that futures contracts on BOVESPA should be preferred, and that a salient reduction in risk can be achieved over the unhedged LATIBEX portfolio. The evidence in favor of a better performance of conditional moments is very clear, without significant differences among the alternative GARCH specifications.

Description: Every biological image contains quantitative data that can be used to test hypotheses about how patterns were formed, what entities are associated with one another, and whether standard mathematical methods inform our understanding of biological phenomena. In particular, spatial point distributions and polygonal tessellations are particularly amendable to analysis with a variety of graph theoretic, computational geometric, and spatial statistical tools such as: Voronoi polygons; Delaunay triangulations; perpendicular bisectors; circumcenters; convex hulls; minimal spanning trees; Ulam trees; Pitteway violations; circularity; Clark-Evans spatial statistics; variance to mean ratios; Gabriel graphs; and, minimal spanning trees. Furthermore, biologists have developed a number of empirically related correlations for polygonal tessellations such as: Lewis’s law (the number of edges of convex polygons are positively correlated with the areas of these polygons): Desch’s Law (the number of edges of convex polygons are positively correlated with the perimeters of these polygons); and Errara’s Law (daughter cell areas should be roughly half that of their parent cells’ areas). We introduce a new Pitteway Law that the number of sides of the convex polygons in a Voronoi tessellation of biological epithelia is proportional to the minimal interior angle of the convex polygons as angles less than 90 degrees result in Pitteway violations of the Delaunay dual of the Voronoi tessellation.

Description: Physical processes play important roles in controlling eutrophication and oligotrophication. In stratified lakes, internal waves can cause vertical transport of heat and nutrients without breaking the stratification, through boundary mixing events. Such is the case in tropical Valle de Bravo (VB) reservoir lake, where strong diurnal winds drive internal waves, boundary mixing, and hypolimnetic warming during stratification periods. We monitored VB during 21 years (2001–2021) when important water-level fluctuations occurred, affecting mixing and nutrient flux. Stability also varied as a function of water level. Hypolimnetic warming (0.009–0.028 °C day−1) occurred in all the stratifications monitored. We analyzed temperature distributions and modeled the hypolimnion heat budget to assess vertical mixing between layers (0.639–3.515 × 10−6 m3 day−1), vertical diffusivity coefficient KZ (2.5 × 10−6–13.6 × 10−6 m2 s−1), and vertical nutrient transport to the epilimnion. Nutrient flux from the metalimnion to the epilimnion ranged 0.42–5.99 mg P m−2day−1 for soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and 5.8–101.7 mg N m−2day−1 for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). Vertical mixing and the associated nutrient fluxes increase evidently as the water level decreases 8 m below capacity, and they can increase up to fivefold if the water level drops over 12 m. The observed changes related to water level affect nutrient recycling, ecosystemic metabolic balance, and planktonic composition of VB.

Description: The optimization problem of cloaking a perfectly electric conducting or dielectric spherical core is investigated. The primary excitation is due to an external magnetic dipole. The chaotic accelerated particle swarm optimization (CAPSO) algorithm is adjusted and applied to this optimization problem. The optimization variables are the radii, the permittivities and the permeabilities of a small number of spherical shells covering the core. Several feasible optimal designs are obtained, which exhibit perfect or almost perfect cloaking performance for all angles of observation. These optimal designs correspond to two, three or four spherical coating layers composed of ordinary materials. Detailed parametric investigations of the cloaking mechanism with respect to the type and radius of the core and the location of the primary dipole are carried out. The presented optimization procedure and the reported results are expected to be useful in applications like scattering and characterization of optical particles as well as in designing low-profile receiving antennas.

Description: The battery storage system (BSS) is one of the key components in many modern power applications, such as in renewable energy systems and electric vehicles. However, charge imbalance among batteries is very common in BSSs, which may impair the power efficiency, reliability, and safety. Hence, various battery equalization methods have been proposed in the literature. Among these techniques, switched-capacitor (SC)-based battery equalizers (BEs) have attracted much attention due to their low cost, small size, and controllability. In this paper, seven types of SC-based BEs are studied, including conventional, double-tiered, modularized, chain structure types I and II, series-parallel, and single SC-based BEs. Mathematical models that describe the charge–discharge behaviors are first derived. Next, a statistical analysis based on MATLAB simulation is carried out to compare the performance of these seven BEs. Finally, a summary of the circuit design complexity, balancing speed, and practical implementation options for these seven topologies is provided.

Description: High energy consumption, rising environmental concerns and depleting fossil fuels demand an increase in clean energy production. The enhanced resiliency, efficiency and reliability offered by microgrids with distributed energy resources (DERs) have shown to be a promising alternative to the conventional grid system. Large-sized commercial customers like institutional complexes have put significant efforts to promote sustainability by establishing renewable energy systems at university campuses. This paper proposes the integration of a photovoltaic (PV) system, energy storage system (ESS) and electric vehicles (EV) at a University campus. An optimal energy management system (EMS) is proposed to optimally dispatch the energy from available energy resources. The problem is mapped in a Linear optimization problem and simulations are carried out in MATLAB. Simulation results showed that the proposed EMS ensures the continuous power supply and decreases the energy consumption cost by nearly 45%. The impact of EV as a storage tool is also observed. EVs acting as a source of energy reduced the energy cost by 45.58% and as a load by 19.33%. The impact on the cost for continuous power supply in case of a power outage is also analyzed.

Description: Human dipeptidyl-peptidase III (hDPP III) is capable of specifically cleaving dipeptides from the N-terminal of small peptides with biological activity such as angiotensin II (Ang II, DRVYIHPF), and participates in blood pressure regulation, pain modulation, and the development of cancers in human biological activities. In this study, 500 ns molecular dynamics simulations were performed on free-hDPP III (PDB code: 5E33), hDPP III-Ang II (PDB code: 5E2Q), and hDPP III-IVYPW (PDB code: 5E3C) to explore how these two peptides affect the catalytic efficiency of enzymes in terms of the binding mode and the conformational changes. Our results indicate that in the case of the hDPP III-Ang II complex, subsite S1 became small and hydrophobic, which might be propitious for the nucleophile to attack the substrate. The structures of the most stable conformations of the three systems revealed that Arg421-Lys423 could form an α-helix with the presence of Ang II, but only part of the α-helix was produced in hDPP III-IVYPW. As the hinge structure in hDPP III, the conformational changes that took place in the Arg421-Lys423 residue could lead to the changes in the shape and space of the catalytic subsites, which might allow water to function as a nucleophile to attack the substrate. Our results may provide new clues to enable the design of new inhibitors for hDPP III in the future.

Description: In this study, a resistive humidity sensor for moisture detection at room temperature is presented. The thin film proposed as a critical sensing element is based on a quaternary hybrid nanocomposite CNHox//SnO2/ZnO/PVP (oxidated carbon nanohorns–tin oxide–zinc oxide–polyvinylpyrrolidone) at the w/w/w/w ratios of 1.5/1/1/1 and 3/1/1/1. The sensing structure consists of a Si/SiO2 dielectric substrate and interdigitated transducers (IDT) electrodes, while the sensing film layer is deposited through the drop-casting method. Morphology and composition of the sensing layers were investigated through scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Each quaternary hybrid nanocomposite-based thin film’s relative humidity (RH) sensing capability was analyzed by applying a direct current with known intensity between two electrodes and measuring the voltage difference when varying the RH from 0% to 100% in a humid nitrogen atmosphere. While the sensor with CNHox/SnO2/ZnO/PVP at 1.5/1/1/1 as the sensing layer has the better performance in terms of sensitivity, the structure employing CNHox//SnO2/ ZnO/PVP at 3/1/1/1 (mass ratio) as the sensing layer has a better performance in terms of linearity. The contribution of each component of the quaternary hybrid nanocomposites to the sensing performance is discussed in relation to their physical and chemical properties. Several alternative sensing mechanisms were taken into consideration and discussed. Based on the measured sensing results, we presume that the impact of the p-type semiconductor behavior of CNHox, in conjunction with the swelling of the hydrophilic polymer, is dominant and leads to the overall increasing resistance of the sensing film.