The 2023 MDPI Annual Report has
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10 pages, 373 KiB  
Article
Development and Validation of the Serious Educational Game in Nursing Appraisal Scale
by Carla Sílvia Fernandes, Maria Joana Campos, Maria Teresa Moreira, Andreia Lima, Salomé Ferreira and Maria Manuela Martins
Nurs. Rep. 2024, 14(2), 1148-1157; https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14020087 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to develop and validate the Serious Educational Game in Nursing Appraisal Scale (SEGiNAS), a tool designed to evaluate the implementation of serious games within nurse education contexts of quantity of process, quality of process, and learning outcomes. Methods and [...] Read more.
Objectives: This study aims to develop and validate the Serious Educational Game in Nursing Appraisal Scale (SEGiNAS), a tool designed to evaluate the implementation of serious games within nurse education contexts of quantity of process, quality of process, and learning outcomes. Methods and Materials: This methodological and psychometric study aimed to develop and validate a scale. The item generation phase was based on the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, resulting in a 20-item scale. The validation phase involved evaluating the psychometric scale by surveying 160 Portuguese nurses. Results: A factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure corresponding to the scale’s designed dimensions, explaining a total variance of 64.5%. The scale demonstrated high internal consistency for all factors, including engagement and teaching effectiveness (0.925), learning impact and practical application (0.883), and content relevance and clarity (0.848). The dimensions were engagement and teaching effectiveness, learning impact and practical application, and content relevance and clarity. Conclusions: The SEGiNAS scale represents a valid and reliable tool for evaluating serious games in nursing education. Its development fills an existing gap in assessing the teaching–learning process with serious games. This study was not registered. Full article
39 pages, 4815 KiB  
Review
Unstable Metal Hydrides for Possible On-Board Hydrogen Storage
by Zhijie Cao, Franziska Habermann, Konrad Burkmann, Michael Felderhoff and Florian Mertens
Hydrogen 2024, 5(2), 241-279; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrogen5020015 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Hydrogen storage in general is an indispensable prerequisite for the introduction of a hydrogen energy-based infrastructure. In this respect, high-pressure metal hydride (MH) tank systems appear to be one of the most promising hydrogen storage techniques for automotive applications using proton exchange membrane [...] Read more.
Hydrogen storage in general is an indispensable prerequisite for the introduction of a hydrogen energy-based infrastructure. In this respect, high-pressure metal hydride (MH) tank systems appear to be one of the most promising hydrogen storage techniques for automotive applications using proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. These systems bear the potential of achieving a beneficial compromise concerning the comparably large volumetric storage density, wide working temperature range, comparably low liberation of heat, and increased safety. The debatable term “unstable metal hydride” is used in the literature in reference to metal hydrides with high dissociation pressure at a comparably low temperature. Such compounds may help to improve the merits of high-pressure MH tank systems. Consequently, in the last few years, some materials for possible on-board applications in such tank systems have been developed. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art developments of these metal hydrides, mainly including intermetallic compounds and complex hydrides, and offers some guidelines for future developments. Since typical laboratory hydrogen uptake measurements are limited to 200 bar, a possible threshold for defining unstable hydrides could be a value of their equilibrium pressure of peq > 200 bar for T < 100 °C. However, these values would mark a technological future target and most current materials, and those reported in this review, do not fulfill these requirements and need to be seen as current stages of development toward the intended target. For each of the aforementioned categories in this review, special care is taken to not only cover the pioneering and classic research but also to portray the current status and latest advances. For intermetallic compounds, key aspects focus on the influence of partial substitution on the absorption/desorption plateau pressure, hydrogen storage capacity and hysteresis properties. For complex hydrides, the preparation procedures, thermodynamics and theoretical calculation are presented. In addition, challenges, perspectives, and development tendencies in this field are also discussed. Full article
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24 pages, 5614 KiB  
Article
The Influence of the Soil Profile on the Formation of the Elemental Image of Grapes and Wine of the Cabernet Sauvignon Variety
by Zaual Temerdashev, Aleksey Abakumov, Alexan Khalafyan, Mikhail Bolshov, Aleksey Lukyanov, Alexander Vasilyev and Evgeniy Gipich
Molecules 2024, 29(10), 2251; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29102251 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
The features for assessing the authenticity of wines by region of origin are studied, based on the relationship between the mineral composition of the wine, the grapes, and the soil profile (0 to 160 cm) from the place of growth of Cabernet Sauvignon [...] Read more.
The features for assessing the authenticity of wines by region of origin are studied, based on the relationship between the mineral composition of the wine, the grapes, and the soil profile (0 to 160 cm) from the place of growth of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Soil, grape, and wine samples were taken from the territories of six vineyards in the Anapa district of Krasnodar Territory, Russia. Using the methods of ICP-OES, thermal, and X-ray phase analysis, the soils were differentiated into three groups, differing in mineralogical and mineral compositions. The soil samples of the first group contained up to 31% quartz, the second group up to 25% quartz and 19% mixed calcite, and the third group up to 32% calcite and 15% quartz. The formation of the elemental image of the grapes was studied, taking into account the total content and mobile forms of metals in the soil. The territorial proximity of the vineyards did not affect the extraction of elements from the soil into the grape berry, and the migration of metals for each territory was selective. According to the values of the biological absorption coefficient, the degree of transition of metals from the soil to a berry was estimated. For K, Ti, Zn, Rb, Cu, and Fe in all berries, the coefficient was higher than 1.00, which means that the berry extracts contained not only mobile-form, but also difficult-to-dissolve metal compounds. The migration of macro-components from the soil to the berry was low, and amounted to 6–7% for Ca, 0.8–3.0% for Na, and 25–70% for Mg of the concentration of their mobile forms. For all territories, the maximum correlation between metal concentrations in grapes and soil was observed for samples from a depth of 0–40 cm. The discriminant model based on concentrations of Rb, Al, K, Sr, Co, Na, Pb, Ca, and Ni showed the formation of clusters in the territories of vineyard cultivation. The developed model allow the problems of identifying wines by region to be solved with high accuracy, using their elemental image. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Analytical Chemistry)
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18 pages, 623 KiB  
Article
Academic Intrapreneurs: Exploring the Antecedents of Academic Intrapreneurial Intention
by Kemal Kanısoy, Harun Şeşen and Mehmet Ali Ekemen
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4019; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104019 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
It is widely accepted that intrapreneurial behavior is imperative for any type of organization to maintain sustainability in terms of growth and performance. In this context, it is also important to investigate the factors that play a role in promoting intrapreneurship within dynamic [...] Read more.
It is widely accepted that intrapreneurial behavior is imperative for any type of organization to maintain sustainability in terms of growth and performance. In this context, it is also important to investigate the factors that play a role in promoting intrapreneurship within dynamic industries, such as the higher education industry. For this purpose, this study aimed to explore the antecedents of intrapreneurial intention in academic staff to provide theoretical as well as practical contributions for universities. We used a survey method to collect data with a sample consisting of 236 academic staff from universities in Northern Cyprus, and tested hypotheses through three different structural models by using structural equation modeling (SEM). Following a deductive approach to establish constructs in the models, we treated academic intrapreneurial intention as the dependent variable, and self-leadership, self-efficacy, and psychological capital as the independent variables. In addition, attitudes toward intrapreneurship, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were individually tested as mediating variables. The results of this study indicate that self-leadership, self-efficacy, and psychological capital have direct and indirect effects on academic intrapreneurial intention, and attitudes toward intrapreneurship, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control play a mediating role between these antecedents and academic intrapreneurial intention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Business Models and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development)
20 pages, 2855 KiB  
Article
Novel Functional Food Properties of Forest Onion (Eleutherine bulbosa Merr.) Phytochemicals for Treating Metabolic Syndrome: New Insights from a Combined Computational and In Vitro Approach
by Happy Kurnia Permatasari, Nuril Farid Abshori, Rony Abdi Syahputra, Urip Harahap, Nurlinah Amalia, Dian Aruni Kumalawati, Nelly Mayulu, Nurpudji Astuti Taslim, Trina Ekawati Tallei, Raymond Rubianto Tjandrawinata, Elvan Wiyarta, Adriyan Pramono, Bonglee Kim, Apollinaire Tsopmo, Lluis Serra-Majem and Fahrul Nurkolis
Nutrients 2024, 16(10), 1441; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16101441 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome is a global health problem. The use of functional foods as dietary components has been increasing. One food of interest is forest onion extract (FOE). This study aimed to investigate the effect of FOE on lipid and glucose metabolism in silico [...] Read more.
Metabolic syndrome is a global health problem. The use of functional foods as dietary components has been increasing. One food of interest is forest onion extract (FOE). This study aimed to investigate the effect of FOE on lipid and glucose metabolism in silico and in vitro using the 3T3-L1 mouse cell line. This was a comprehensive study that used a multi-modal computational network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking in silico and 3T3-L1 mouse cells in vitro. The phytochemical components of FOE were analyzed using untargeted ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Next, an in silico analysis was performed to determine FOE’s bioactive compounds, and a toxicity analysis, protein target identification, network pharmacology, and molecular docking were carried out. FOE’s effect on pancreatic lipase, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase inhibition was determined. Finally, we determined its effect on lipid accumulation and MAPK8, PPARG, HMGCR, CPT-1, and GLP1 expression in the preadipocyte 3T3-L1 mouse cell line. We showed that the potential metabolites targeted glucose and lipid metabolism in silico and that FOE inhibited pancreatic lipase levels, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase in vitro. Furthermore, FOE significantly (p < 0.05) inhibits targeted protein expressions of MAPK8, PPARG, HMGCR, CPT-1, and GLP-1 in vitro in 3T3-L1 mouse cells in a dose-dependent manner. FOE contains several metabolites that reduce pancreatic lipase levels, α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and targeted proteins associated with lipid and glucose metabolism in vitro. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products and Health: 2nd Edition)
13 pages, 1069 KiB  
Article
Impact of Malayan Uniform System and Selective Management System of Logging on Soil Quality in Selected Logged-Over Forest in Johor, Malaysia
by Nor Halizah Abd Halim, Jiang Jiang, Arifin Abdu, Daljit Singh Karam, Keeren Sundara Rajoo, Zahari Ibrahim and Salim Aman
Forests 2024, 15(5), 838; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050838 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Understanding the effects of various forest management systems, including logging practices, on soil properties is essential for implementing sustainable management strategies. In Malaysia, two types of forest management systems were commonly used: Malayan Uniform System (MUS) and Selective Management System (SMS) practices. However, [...] Read more.
Understanding the effects of various forest management systems, including logging practices, on soil properties is essential for implementing sustainable management strategies. In Malaysia, two types of forest management systems were commonly used: Malayan Uniform System (MUS) and Selective Management System (SMS) practices. However, their effects on soil quality remained elusive, especially after decades of recovery. To address this need, we selected three plots for the MUS and SMS in Johor, Malaysia, to assess soil properties in logged-over forest plots. All the plots were natural forest reserves. Soil properties analyzed include soil acidity, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, selected nutrient contents, and soil compaction. Generally, the results of the study indicate that forests logged using the SMS exhibit superior soil quality compared to those logged using the MUS according to several key soil properties. Specifically, significantly higher cation exchange capacity, potassium content, calcium content, and magnesium content with lower soil compaction was observed in the SMS when compared to MUS plots. In short, the SMS enhances soil quality more effectively than the MUS, even with a shorter logging cycle. This is because the SMS does not harvest all trees and distributes the impact of harvesting more evenly over time, rather than concentrating it at a single time point. Ultimately, this highlights that the SMS can play a significant role in promoting sustainable forest management practices by preserving soil quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Forest Soil)
16 pages, 2399 KiB  
Article
Chitin Synthases in Cordyceps militaris: Genome-Wide Gene Identification, Evolutionary Insights, and Life Cycle Transcript Profiling
by Shoumian Li, Huihui Ren, Jie Zhang, Shangpai Gao, Zixuan Chen, Guojie Li, Jinghua Tian, Junling Wang, Ming Li, Xiao Li and Caihong Dong
Horticulturae 2024, 10(5), 494; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10050494 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Cordyceps militaris is one of the commercially cultivated mushrooms, valued for its medicinal and nutritional benefits. However, the fruiting body development mechanism has remained elusive. Chitin synthases (CHSs) are ubiquitous enzymes involved in the regulation of fungal growth, development and virulence. In this [...] Read more.
Cordyceps militaris is one of the commercially cultivated mushrooms, valued for its medicinal and nutritional benefits. However, the fruiting body development mechanism has remained elusive. Chitin synthases (CHSs) are ubiquitous enzymes involved in the regulation of fungal growth, development and virulence. In this study, a total of eight CmChs genes were identified. Chromosomal localization analysis revealed an uneven distribution of CmCHSs across the C. militaris genome. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, 100 CHSs from Cordyceps sensu lato, encompassing C. militaris, were categorized into three divisions and seven classes, shedding light on their evolutionary relationships. There was no significant difference in the number of CHSs between ascomycetes and basidiomycetes in general (p = 0.067), as well as between pathogenic and saprotrophic fungi in general (p = 0.151 and 0.971 in Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungi, respectively). This underscored the essential and conserved nature of these CHSs across various fungal lifestyles and ecological niches. The different transcript patterns of the eight CmChss during key life cycle stages, such as conidia germination, infection, and fruiting body development, indicated that each CHS gene may have a distinct role during specific stages of the life cycle. In conclusion, these findings indeed lay the groundwork for a further exploration of the functional roles of CHSs in the regulatory mechanism of fruiting body development in C. militaris. Full article
15 pages, 710 KiB  
Article
Deep Learning-Based Multi-Feature Fusion for Communication and Radar Signal Sensing
by Ting Li, Tian Liu, Zhangli Song, Lin Zhang and Yiming Ma
Electronics 2024, 13(10), 1872; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13101872 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Recent years witness the rapid development of communication and radar technologies, and many transmitters are equipped with both communication and radar functionalities. To keep track of the working state of a target dual-functional transmitter, it is crucial to sense the modulation mode of [...] Read more.
Recent years witness the rapid development of communication and radar technologies, and many transmitters are equipped with both communication and radar functionalities. To keep track of the working state of a target dual-functional transmitter, it is crucial to sense the modulation mode of the emitted signals. In this paper, we propose a deep learning-based intelligent modulation sensing technique for dual-functional transmitters. Different from existing modulation sensing methods, which usually focus on communication signals, we take both communication and radar signals into consideration. Typically, the dominant features of communication signals lie in the time domain, while those of radar signals lie in both time and frequency domains. To enhance the sensing accuracy, we first exploit real and complex value convolution operations to extract both time-domain and frequency-domain features of emitted signals from the target transmitter. Then, we fuse the extracted features by assigning proper weights with the attention mechanism. Simulation results reveal that the proposed technique can improve the sensing accuracy by up to 4% on average compared with benchmarks. Full article
11 pages, 2701 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Near-Surface Wind Shear Characteristics over Land in China
by Ling Yuan, Fengzhi Yang, Xia Ruan, Feng Zou and Qi Luo
Atmosphere 2024, 15(5), 582; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15050582 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Wind shear is one of the crucial parameters in wind resource assessment and also serves as a vital parameter and basis for determining wind turbines’ selection and hub height. Existing studies have only focused on typical underlying surface areas, but a relatively limited [...] Read more.
Wind shear is one of the crucial parameters in wind resource assessment and also serves as a vital parameter and basis for determining wind turbines’ selection and hub height. Existing studies have only focused on typical underlying surface areas, but a relatively limited comprehensive analysis of wind shear characteristics in different complex environments remains. This study analyzes the daily and monthly variations in wind shear index (α) at the station scale based on the observations from 754 wind measurement towers across land surfaces in China. The distribution and empirical values of wind shear in different wind regions and underlying surface types are also investigated. The research findings indicate that the wind shear index derived from fitting the complete annual average wind speeds at multiple height levels of meteorological towers can accurately characterize the stratification state of the atmospheric boundary layer. The variation pattern of solar radiation influences the daily α value in typical regions. In mountainous and desert areas, the monthly variation tends to be higher in autumn and winter and lower in spring and summer. However, its monthly variation shows relatively smaller fluctuations in plain regions. The comprehensive α value over land regions in China is 0.135. The α values for I, II, III, and IV wind fields are 0.111, 0.163, 0.1, and 0.153, respectively. Its values for mountainous, plains, grassland, and desert regions are 0.12, 0.273, 0.123, and 0.104, respectively. By conducting statistical analysis on α values across different wind regions, guidance is provided for extrapolating surface wind speeds to hub-height wind speeds. This serves as a reference for wind energy resource assessment, wind turbine selection, and hub height determination in the atmospheric boundary layer of China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Biosphere/Hydrosphere/Land–Atmosphere Interactions)
16 pages, 3139 KiB  
Article
Adipose Tissue Segmentation after Lung Slice Localization in Chest CT Images Based on ConvBiGRU and Multi-Module UNet
by Pengyu Lei, Jie Li, Jizheng Yi and Wenjie Chen
Biomedicines 2024, 12(5), 1061; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12051061 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
The distribution of adipose tissue in the lungs is intricately linked to a variety of lung diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. Accurate detection and quantitative analysis of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue surrounding the lungs are essential [...] Read more.
The distribution of adipose tissue in the lungs is intricately linked to a variety of lung diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. Accurate detection and quantitative analysis of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue surrounding the lungs are essential for effectively diagnosing and managing these diseases. However, there remains a noticeable scarcity of studies focusing on adipose tissue within the lungs on a global scale. Thus, this paper introduces a ConvBiGRU model for localizing lung slices and a multi-module UNet-based model for segmenting subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT), contributing to the analysis of lung adipose tissue and the auxiliary diagnosis of lung diseases. In this study, we propose a bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) structure for precise lung slice localization and a modified multi-module UNet model for accurate SAT and VAT segmentations, incorporating an additive weight penalty term for model refinement. For segmentation, we integrate attention, competition, and multi-resolution mechanisms within the UNet architecture to optimize performance and conduct a comparative analysis of its impact on SAT and VAT. The proposed model achieves satisfactory results across multiple performance metrics, including the Dice Score (92.0% for SAT and 82.7% for VAT), F1 Score (82.2% for SAT and 78.8% for VAT), Precision (96.7% for SAT and 78.9% for VAT), and Recall (75.8% for SAT and 79.1% for VAT). Overall, the proposed localization and segmentation framework exhibits high accuracy and reliability, validating its potential application in computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) for medical tasks in this domain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Biomedical Engineering and Materials)
17 pages, 2005 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Lemon Juice (Citrus limon L.) Treated with Melatonin on the Health Status and Treatment of K14HPV16 Mice
by Fátima Badiche-El Hilali, Beatriz Medeiros-Fonseca, Jéssica Silva, Ana C. Silvestre-Ferreira, Maria João Pires, Rui M. Gil da Costa, Francisco Peixoto, Paula A. Oliveira and Daniel Valero
Antioxidants 2024, 13(5), 588; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13050588 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Lemon is a fruit rich in antioxidant properties and has several health benefits, namely the reduction of skin edema and anticarcinogenic properties, which are due to its high content of bioactive compounds. Melatonin can improve and preserve the properties of lemon for longer [...] Read more.
Lemon is a fruit rich in antioxidant properties and has several health benefits, namely the reduction of skin edema and anticarcinogenic properties, which are due to its high content of bioactive compounds. Melatonin can improve and preserve the properties of lemon for longer and also has health benefits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of oral administration of lemon juice after melatonin treatment on murinometric parameters of wild-type (WT) mice and transgenic mice carrying human papillomavirus (HPV). Two trials were performed for oral administration of the lemon extract compound: in drinking water and in diet. First of all, lemons were treated by immersion with melatonin at 10 mM. Then, lemons were squeezed, and the juice obtained was freeze-dried and stored to be subsequently added to drinking water or diet, according to the assay. Thus, mice were divided into eight groups in the drink assay (each with n = 5): group 1 (G1, WT, control), group 2 (G2, WT, 1 mL lemon), group 3 (G3, WT, 1.5 mL lemon), group 4 (G4, WT, 2 mL lemon), group 5 (G5, HPV16, control), group 6 (G6, HPV16, 1 mL lemon) group 7 (G6, HPV16, 1.5 mL lemon) and group 8 (G6, HPV16, 2 mL lemon). The diet assay was divided into four groups: group 1 (G1, WT, control), group 2 (G2, WT, 4 mL lemon), group 3 (G3, HPV16, control) and group 4 (G4, HPV16, 4 mL lemon). In the drink assay, the highest concentration of melatonin (308 ng/100 mL) was for groups 4 and 8, while in the food assay, there was only one concentration of melatonin (9.96 ng/g) for groups 2 and 4. Both trials lasted 30 days. During this time, body weight, food and water were recorded. Afterward, they were sacrificed, and samples were collected for different analyses. At the concentrations used, the lemon juice with melatonin had no adverse effects on the animals’ health and showed a positive outcome in modifying weight gain and enhancing antioxidant activity in mice. Moreover, a reduction in the incidence of histological lesions was observed in treated animals. Further research is needed to better understand the effects of lemon extract on health and treatment outcomes in this animal model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Health Outcomes of Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress)
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30 pages, 3285 KiB  
Review
Tumor versus Tumor Cell Targeting in Metal-Based Nanoparticles for Cancer Theranostics
by Jesús David Urbano-Gámez, Cinzia Guzzi, Manuel Bernal, Juan Solivera, Iñigo Martínez-Zubiaurre, Carlos Caro and María Luisa García-Martín
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(10), 5213; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25105213 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
 The application of metal-based nanoparticles (mNPs) in cancer therapy and diagnostics (theranostics) has been a hot research topic since the early days of nanotechnology, becoming even more relevant in recent years. However, the clinical translation of this technology has been notably poor, [...] Read more.
 The application of metal-based nanoparticles (mNPs) in cancer therapy and diagnostics (theranostics) has been a hot research topic since the early days of nanotechnology, becoming even more relevant in recent years. However, the clinical translation of this technology has been notably poor, with one of the main reasons being a lack of understanding of the disease and conceptual errors in the design of mNPs. Strikingly, throughout the reported studies to date on in vivo experiments, the concepts of “tumor targeting” and “tumor cell targeting” are often intertwined, particularly in the context of active targeting. These misconceptions may lead to design flaws, resulting in failed theranostic strategies. In the context of mNPs, tumor targeting can be described as the process by which mNPs reach the tumor mass (as a tissue), while tumor cell targeting refers to the specific interaction of mNPs with tumor cells once they have reached the tumor tissue. In this review, we conduct a critical analysis of key challenges that must be addressed for the successful targeting of either tumor tissue or cancer cells within the tumor tissue. Additionally, we explore essential features necessary for the smart design of theranostic mNPs, where ‘smart design’ refers to the process involving advanced consideration of the physicochemical features of the mNPs, targeting motifs, and physiological barriers that must be overcome for successful tumor targeting and/or tumor cell targeting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Nanostructures in Biology and Medicine)
15 pages, 432 KiB  
Article
Unraveling Functional Diversity Patterns in Hyporheic Zones: A Trait-Based Approach Applied to Copepods from the Rio Gamberale Creek
by Agostina Tabilio Di Camillo, Francesco Cerasoli, Mattia Di Cicco, Diana Maria Paola Galassi and Tiziana Di Lorenzo
Diversity 2024, 16(5), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16050289 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Despite the recognized ecological significance of hyporheic zones, biological investigations into their ecology, especially concerning functional diversity, remain limited. This is particularly true for copepod assemblages, abundant in the transitional zone between groundwater and surface waters, requiring more thorough exploration. To bridge this [...] Read more.
Despite the recognized ecological significance of hyporheic zones, biological investigations into their ecology, especially concerning functional diversity, remain limited. This is particularly true for copepod assemblages, abundant in the transitional zone between groundwater and surface waters, requiring more thorough exploration. To bridge this knowledge gap, our study extensively monitored a hyporheic zone within a mountain creek and examined nine functional traits across twelve copepod species found in this environment. Through the application of RLQ and fourth-corner analysis, as well as functional diversity indices including functional richness, evenness, divergence, and dispersion, we aimed to establish links between functional traits and environmental factors. Our findings revealed relationships between environmental features—specifically electrical conductivity, pH, and ammonium concentration—and the trait composition of copepod assemblages, which were influenced by species abundances. Considering the intimate connection between functional traits and ecosystem services, assessing functional diversity within hyporheic zones offers valuable insights into its functionality in terms of services rendered. This study emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing functional diversity in hyporheic zone dynamics to ensure the health and stability of ecotones and, by extension, riverine and groundwater ecosystems. Full article
16 pages, 581 KiB  
Review
Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Manganism: A Narrative Review and Laboratory Recommendations
by Michal Majewski, Karolina Piwko, Michal Ordak, Elzbieta Muszynska, Tadeusz Nasierowski and Magdalena Bujalska-Zadrozny
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(10), 2823; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13102823 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
In recent years, a series of articles has been published concerning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in a group of patients exposed to manganism, specifically factory workers, welders, and individuals with liver diseases, as well as those abusing home-produced ephedrone. Some potential symptoms [...] Read more.
In recent years, a series of articles has been published concerning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in a group of patients exposed to manganism, specifically factory workers, welders, and individuals with liver diseases, as well as those abusing home-produced ephedrone. Some potential symptoms of manganese toxicity include motor disturbances, neurocognitive problems, sleep disorders, and psychosocial changes. Despite various publications on MRI research in individuals with an elevated risk of manganism, there is a noticeable absence of a comprehensive review in this field. The detection of the accumulation of manganese in the brain through MRI can confirm the diagnosis and guide appropriate treatment. Due to the high cost of determining manganese ion levels in biological material, an additional aim of the manuscript was to identify simple medical laboratory parameters that, when performed concurrently with MRI, could assist in the diagnosis of manganism. Among these types of parameters are the levels of bilirubin, magnesium, liver enzymes, creatinine, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Clinical Neurology)
16 pages, 618 KiB  
Article
An Improved CNN-BILSTM Model for Power Load Prediction in Uncertain Power Systems
by Chao Tang, Yufeng Zhang, Fan Wu and Zhuo Tang
Energies 2024, 17(10), 2312; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17102312 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Power load prediction is fundamental for ensuring the reliability of power grid operation and the accuracy of power demand forecasting. However, the uncertainties stemming from power generation, such as wind speed and water flow, along with variations in electricity demand, present new challenges [...] Read more.
Power load prediction is fundamental for ensuring the reliability of power grid operation and the accuracy of power demand forecasting. However, the uncertainties stemming from power generation, such as wind speed and water flow, along with variations in electricity demand, present new challenges to existing power load prediction methods. In this paper, we propose an improved Convolutional Neural Network–Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (CNN-BILSTM) model for analyzing power load in systems affected by uncertain power conditions. Initially, we delineate the uncertainty characteristics inherent in real-world power systems and establish a data-driven power load model based on fluctuations in power source loads. Building upon this foundation, we design the CNN-BILSTM model, which comprises a convolutional neural network (CNN) module for extracting features from power data, along with a forward Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) module and a reverse LSTM module. The two LSTM modules account for factors influencing forward and reverse power load timings in the entire power load data, thus enhancing model performance and data utilization efficiency. We further conduct comparative experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed CNN-BILSTM model. The experimental results demonstrate that CNN-BILSTM can effectively and more accurately predict power loads within power systems characterized by uncertain power generation and electricity demand. Consequently, it exhibits promising prospects for industrial applications. Full article
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11 pages, 412 KiB  
Article
Burnout and Satisfaction with Work–Life Balance among General Practitioners in Bulgaria during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Kristina Kilova, Rumyana Stoyanova, Stanislava Harizanova and Marin Baltov
Healthcare 2024, 12(10), 987; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12100987 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
The objective of the present study is to analyze the link between the degree of professional burnout among general practitioners in Bulgaria during a pandemic and their satisfaction with the balance between their personal lives and professional lives. A cross-sectional study was conducted [...] Read more.
The objective of the present study is to analyze the link between the degree of professional burnout among general practitioners in Bulgaria during a pandemic and their satisfaction with the balance between their personal lives and professional lives. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic from December 2021 to January 2022 among 377 general practitioners. We identified the presence and level of burnout syndrome among GPs using V. Boyko’s method for diagnostics of the severity of symptoms and the phases of formation and completion of the ‘occupational burnout’ process. Descriptive statistics and parametric and non-parametric tests were used for the analysis. For the significance level of the null hypothesis, we assumed that p < 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval. A total of 96.3% of the GPs had a high level of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. They worked more than 8 h a day (74.8%) and more than 5 days a week (69.0%). A total of 86.3% of them were not satisfied with the spare time they had and stated that they could not balance their work and personal lives (67.1%) since the pandemic was announced. A link was found between the level of professional burnout and long working hours (p = 0.022), dissatisfaction with free time (p = 0.028), and the inability to balance work and personal life (p = 0.000), as well as concerns related to safety during the pandemic (p = 0.048). Unrealistically high levels of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a disturbed work–life balance is a reason to re-evaluate health policies and involve more hospital care doctors at the frontlines to fight against severe infectious diseases. The results of this study could be used to inform policy makers, healthcare managers, and other stakeholders about the factors that have had profound impacts on GPs’ stress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article
30 pages, 6691 KiB  
Article
Unveiling Valuable Geomechanical Monitoring Insights: Exploring Ground Deformation in Geological Carbon Storage
by Gabriel Serrão Seabra, Marcos Vitor Barbosa Machado, Mojdeh Delshad, Kamy Sepehrnoori, Denis Voskov and Femke C. Vossepoel
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(10), 4069; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14104069 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Geological Carbon Storage (GCS) involves storing CO2 emissions in geological formations, where safe containment is challenged by structural and stratigraphic trapping and caprock integrity. This study investigates flow and geomechanical responses to CO2 injection based on a Brazilian offshore reservoir model, [...] Read more.
Geological Carbon Storage (GCS) involves storing CO2 emissions in geological formations, where safe containment is challenged by structural and stratigraphic trapping and caprock integrity. This study investigates flow and geomechanical responses to CO2 injection based on a Brazilian offshore reservoir model, highlighting the critical interplay between rock properties, injection rates, pressure changes, and ground displacements. The findings indicate centimeter-scale ground uplift and question the conventional selection of the wellhead as a monitoring site, as it might not be optimal due to the reservoir’s complexity and the nature of the injection process. This study addresses the importance of comprehensive sensitivity analyses on geomechanical properties and injection rates for advancing GCS by improving monitoring strategies and risk management. Furthermore, this study explores the geomechanical effects of modeling flow in the caprock, highlighting the role of pressure dissipation within the caprock. These insights are vital for advancing the design of monitoring strategies, enhancing the predictive accuracy of models, and effectively managing geomechanical risks, thus ensuring the success of GCS initiatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Earth Sciences)
15 pages, 1298 KiB  
Review
The Approach to a Child with Dysmorphic Features: What the Pediatrician Should Know
by Silvia Ciancia, Simona Filomena Madeo, Olga Calabrese and Lorenzo Iughetti
Children 2024, 11(5), 578; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11050578 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
The advancement of genetic knowledge and the discovery of an increasing number of genetic disorders has made the role of the geneticist progressively more complex and fundamental. However, most genetic disorders present during childhood; thus, their early recognition is a challenge for the [...] Read more.
The advancement of genetic knowledge and the discovery of an increasing number of genetic disorders has made the role of the geneticist progressively more complex and fundamental. However, most genetic disorders present during childhood; thus, their early recognition is a challenge for the pediatrician, who will be also involved in the follow-up of these children, often establishing a close relationship with them and their families and becoming a referral figure. In this review, we aim to provide the pediatrician with a general knowledge of the approach to treating a child with a genetic syndrome associated with dysmorphic features. We will discuss the red flags, the most common manifestations, the analytic collection of the family and personal medical history, and the signs that should alert the pediatrician during the physical examination. We will offer an overview of the physical malformations most commonly associated with genetic defects and the way to describe dysmorphic facial features. We will provide hints about some tools that can support the pediatrician in clinical practice and that also represent a useful educational resource, either online or through apps downloaded on a smartphone. Eventually, we will offer an overview of genetic testing, the ethical considerations, the consequences of incidental findings, and the main indications and limitations of the principal technologies. Full article
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11 pages, 1231 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Production of Clean Fermentable Sugars by Acid Pretreatment and Enzymatic Saccharification of Sugarcane Bagasse
by Mario Alberto Yaverino-Gutierrez, Lucas Ramos, Jesús Jiménez Ascencio and Anuj Kumar Chandel
Processes 2024, 12(5), 978; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12050978 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Sugarcane bagasse (SCB), an agro-industrial byproduct generated by a sugar mill, holds a substantial carbohydrate content of around 70 wt.%, comprising cellulose and hemicellulose. Saccharification plays a pivotal role in the conversion of SCB into second-generation (2G)-ethanol and valuable compounds, which is significantly [...] Read more.
Sugarcane bagasse (SCB), an agro-industrial byproduct generated by a sugar mill, holds a substantial carbohydrate content of around 70 wt.%, comprising cellulose and hemicellulose. Saccharification plays a pivotal role in the conversion of SCB into second-generation (2G)-ethanol and valuable compounds, which is significantly aided by thermochemical pretreatments. In this study, SCB underwent diluted sulfuric acid pretreatment (2% H2SO4, 80 rpm, 200 °C, 20 min), resulting in the removal of 77.3% of the xylan. The hemicellulosic hydrolysate was analyzed to identify the sugars and degraded products acting as microbial inhibitors. The acid hydrolysate showed a xylose yield of 68.0% (16.4 g/L) and a yield of 3.8 g/L of acetic acid. Afterward, the hemicellulosic hydrolysate was concentrated 2.37 times to obtain a xylose-rich stream (39.87 g/L). The sequential detoxification, employing calcium oxide and activated carbon, removed the inhibitory compounds, including acetic acid, while preserving the xylose at 38.10 g/L. The enzymatic saccharification of cellulignin at 5% and 10% of the total solids (TSs) yielded comparable reducing sugar (RS) yields of 47.3% (15.2 g/L) and 47.4% (30.4 g/L), respectively, after 96 h, employing a 10 FPU/g enzyme loading of Cellic® CTec3 (Novozymes Inc. Parana, Brazil). In summary, these findings outline an integrated green chemistry approach aimed at addressing the key challenges associated with pretreatment, concentration, detoxification, and enzymatic hydrolysis to produce fermentable sugars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Process Design and Development of Biorefinery)
24 pages, 393 KiB  
Article
A New Closed-Form Formula of the Gauss Hypergeometric Function at Specific Arguments
by Yue-Wu Li and Feng Qi
Axioms 2024, 13(5), 317; https://doi.org/10.3390/axioms13050317 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
In this paper, the authors briefly review some closed-form formulas of the Gauss hypergeometric function at specific arguments, alternatively prove four of these formulas, newly extend a closed-form formula of the Gauss hypergeometric function at some specific arguments, successfully apply a special case [...] Read more.
In this paper, the authors briefly review some closed-form formulas of the Gauss hypergeometric function at specific arguments, alternatively prove four of these formulas, newly extend a closed-form formula of the Gauss hypergeometric function at some specific arguments, successfully apply a special case of the newly extended closed-form formula to derive an alternative form for the Maclaurin power series expansion of the Wilf function, and discover two novel increasing rational approximations to a quarter of the circular constant. Full article
21 pages, 16832 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation on the Impact of Graphite Electrodes Grain Size on Technological Parameters and Surface Texture of Hastelloy C-22 after Electrical Discharge Machining with Negative Polarity
by Rafał Nowicki, Dorota Oniszczuk-Świercz and Rafał Świercz
Materials 2024, 17(10), 2257; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17102257 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a rapidly evolving method in modern industry that manufactures highly complex components. The physical properties of a tool electrode material are significant factors in determining the effectiveness of the process, as well as the characteristics of the machined [...] Read more.
Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a rapidly evolving method in modern industry that manufactures highly complex components. The physical properties of a tool electrode material are significant factors in determining the effectiveness of the process, as well as the characteristics of the machined surfaces. The current trend of implementing graphite tool electrodes in manufacturing processes is observed. Innovative material engineering solutions enable graphite production with miniaturized grain size. However, the correlation between the graphite electrode grain size and the mechanism of the process removal in the EDM is a challenge for its widespread implementation in the industry. This research introduces a new method to evaluate the impact of the graphite electrode grain size and machining parameters on the material removal effectiveness, relative tool wear rate, and surface roughness (Ra) of Hastelloy C-22 following EDM with negative polarity. The study utilized new graphite materials with a grain size of 1 µm (POCO AF-5) and 10 µm (POCO EDM-180). An assessment of the impact of the EDM process parameters on the technological parameters and the development of the surface roughness was carried out. Electrical discharge machining with fine-grained graphite electrodes increases process efficiency and reduces tool wear. Graphite grains detached from the tool electrode affect the stability of electrical discharges and the efficiency of the process. Based on the experimental results, mathematical models were developed, enabling the prediction of machining effects to advance state-of-the-art manufacturing processes. The obtained mathematical models can be implemented in modern industrial EDM machines as guidelines for selecting adequate machining parameters depending on the desired process efficiency, tool wear rate, and surface roughness for advanced materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonconventional Technology in Materials Processing-3rd Edition)
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30 pages, 2710 KiB  
Article
MDE and LLM Synergy for Network Experimentation: Case Analysis of Wireless System Performance in Beaulieu-Xie Fading and κ-µ Co-Channel Interference Environment with Diversity Combining
by Dragana Krstic, Suad Suljovic, Goran Djordjevic, Nenad Petrovic and Dejan Milic
Sensors 2024, 24(10), 3037; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24103037 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Channel modeling is a first step towards the successful projecting of any wireless communication system. Hence, in this paper, we analyze the performance at the output of a multi-branch selection combining (SC) diversity receiver in a wireless environment that has been distracted by [...] Read more.
Channel modeling is a first step towards the successful projecting of any wireless communication system. Hence, in this paper, we analyze the performance at the output of a multi-branch selection combining (SC) diversity receiver in a wireless environment that has been distracted by fading and co-channel interference (CCI), whereby the fading is modelled by newer Beaulieu-Xie (BX) distribution, and the CCI is modelled by the κ-µ distribution. The BX distribution provides the ability to include in consideration any number of line-of-sight (LOS) useful signal components and non-LOS (NLOS) useful signal components. This distribution contains characteristics of some other fading models thanks to its flexible fading parameters, which also applies to the κ-µ distribution. We derived here the expressions for the probability density function (PDF) and cumulative distribution function (CDF) for the output signal-to-co-channel interference ratio (SIR). After that, other performances are obtained, namely: outage probability (Pout), channel capacity (CC), moment-generating function (MGF), average bit error probability (ABEP), level crossing rate (LCR), and average fade duration (AFD). Numerical results are presented in several graphs versus the SIR for different values of fading and CCI parameters, as well as the number of input branches in the SC receiver. Then, the impact of parameters on all performance is checked. From our numerical results, it is possible to directly obtain the performance for all derived and displayed quantities for cases of previously known distributions of fading and CCI by inserting the appropriate parameter values. In the second part of the paper, a workflow for automated network experimentation relying on the synergy of Large Language Models (LLMs) and model-driven engineering (MDE) is presented, while the previously derived expressions are used for evaluation. Due to the aforementioned, the biggest value of the obtained results is the applicability to the cases of a large number of other distributions for fading and CCI by replacing the corresponding parameters in the formulas for the respective performances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends and Advances in Telecommunications and Sensing)
18 pages, 1407 KiB  
Article
Design and Implementation of DSLMS Algorithm Based Photoelectric Detection of Weak Signals
by Yang Wang, Min Wang, Zishuo Song and Weihao Bian
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(10), 4070; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14104070 (registering DOI) - 10 May 2024
Abstract
Accurately extracting weak signals is extremely important for overall performance and application in optoelectronic imaging and optical communication systems. While weak signals are susceptible to noise, adaptive filtering is a commonly used noise removal method. Still, its convergence speed is slow, the steady-state [...] Read more.
Accurately extracting weak signals is extremely important for overall performance and application in optoelectronic imaging and optical communication systems. While weak signals are susceptible to noise, adaptive filtering is a commonly used noise removal method. Still, its convergence speed is slow, the steady-state error is large, and the anti-interference ability is weak. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes a new type of variable-step-length adaptive filtering algorithm (DSLMS) based on the minutiae function, which effectively reduces the noise component in error through its combination with the pair cancelation system, utilizing the low correlation property of the noise signal, to improve the anti-noise interference ability of the adaptive filter. Using FPGA and Matlab (2018b) for experimental verification, the results show that this algorithm shows significant advantages in noise suppression, accelerated algorithm convergence, and low steady-state error, and it has effectiveness and application potential for the optoelectronic detection of weak signal processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Optoelectronic Detection Technologies and Systems)

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