The 2023 MDPI Annual Report has
been released!
 
16 pages, 791 KiB  
Article
Soluble Dietary Fiber from Citrus unshiu Peel Promotes Antioxidant Activity in Oxidative Stress Mice and Regulates Intestinal Microecology
by Mengqi Fu, Xin Gao, Zuorui Xie, Chenlan Xia, Qing Gu and Ping Li
Foods 2024, 13(10), 1539; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13101539 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Aging is characterized by the progressive degeneration of bodily tissues and decline in physiological functions, a process that may be exacerbated by imbalances in intestinal flora. Soluble dietary fiber (PSDF) from Citrus unshiu peel has demonstrated strong free radical scavenging ability to regulate [...] Read more.
Aging is characterized by the progressive degeneration of bodily tissues and decline in physiological functions, a process that may be exacerbated by imbalances in intestinal flora. Soluble dietary fiber (PSDF) from Citrus unshiu peel has demonstrated strong free radical scavenging ability to regulate intestinal flora in vitro. However, further evidence is required to ascertain the effectiveness of PSDF in vivo. In our study, 8-week-old mice were artificially aged through subcutaneous injections of a 200 mg/kg/d D-galactose solution for 42 days, followed by a 28-day dietary intervention with varying doses of PSDF, insoluble dietary fiber (PIDF), and vitamin C. After the intervention, we observed a significant mitigation of D-galactose-induced oxidative stress, as evident by weight normalization and reduced oxidative damage. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that PSDF significantly altered the composition of intestinal flora, increasing Firmicutes and reducing Bacteroidota percentages, while also enriching colonic short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Spearman correlation analysis further identified a positive correlation between Firmicutes and isovaleric acid, and negative correlations between Muribaculaceae and acetic acid, and between Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and caproic acid. These findings support the potential of Citrus PSDF to alleviate oxidative stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods)
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28 pages, 2212 KiB  
Article
Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Characteristics in a Micro Heat Exchanger Employing Warm Nanofluids for Cooling of Electronic Components
by Mahdi Mokrane and Mahmoud Bourouis
Energies 2024, 17(10), 2383; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17102383 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
The heat transfer enhancement and hydrodynamic characteristics of nanofluid use in a micro heat exchanger is investigated for cooling electronic components working in hot climatic conditions. The cooling fluid employed was water and TiO2 nanoparticles at mass concentrations of 1% and 5%, [...] Read more.
The heat transfer enhancement and hydrodynamic characteristics of nanofluid use in a micro heat exchanger is investigated for cooling electronic components working in hot climatic conditions. The cooling fluid employed was water and TiO2 nanoparticles at mass concentrations of 1% and 5%, the Reynolds numbers ranged from 400 to 2000, and the inlet temperatures ranged between 35 °C and 65 °C. At a nanofluid inlet temperature of 55 °C and a nanoparticle concentration of 1%, the Nusselt number increased by 23% up to 54% as the Reynolds number varied between 400 and 2000. At a nanoparticle concentration of 5%, the percentages that correspondingly enhanced the Nusselt number were 32% and 63%. The temperature of the electronic heating component decreased by 4.6–5.2 °C when the nanofluid concentration was increased from 0 to 5% at a Reynolds number of 400 and a nanofluid inlet temperature of 35 °C. Small increments in the pressure drop of about 6% and 13% were observed at nanofluid concentrations of 1% and 5%, respectively. With nanoparticle concentrations of 1% and 5%, a Reynolds number of 2000, and a nanofluid inlet temperature of 35 °C, performance evaluation criterion (PEC) values of 1.36 and 1.45 were obtained. When the nanofluid inlet temperature increased to 65 °C, the PEC parameter decreased to 1.02–1.10 for both concentrations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section J1: Heat and Mass Transfer)
19 pages, 3127 KiB  
Article
MSGC-YOLO: An Improved Lightweight Traffic Sign Detection Model under Snow Conditions
by Baoxiang Chen and Xinwei Fan
Mathematics 2024, 12(10), 1539; https://doi.org/10.3390/math12101539 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Traffic sign recognition plays a crucial role in enhancing the safety and efficiency of traffic systems. However, in snowy conditions, traffic signs are often obscured by particles, leading to a severe decrease in detection accuracy. To address this challenge, we propose an improved [...] Read more.
Traffic sign recognition plays a crucial role in enhancing the safety and efficiency of traffic systems. However, in snowy conditions, traffic signs are often obscured by particles, leading to a severe decrease in detection accuracy. To address this challenge, we propose an improved YOLOv8-based model for traffic sign recognition. Initially, we introduce a Multi-Scale Group Convolution (MSGC) module to replace the C2f module in the YOLOv8 backbone. Data indicate that MSGC enhances detection accuracy while maintaining model lightweightness. Subsequently, to improve the recognition ability for small targets, we introduce an enhanced small target detection layer, which enhances small target detection accuracy while reducing parameters. In addition, we replaced the original BCE loss with the improved EfficientSlide loss to improve the sample imbalance problem. Finally, we integrate Deformable Attention into the model to improve the detection efficiency and performance of complex targets. The resulting fused model, named MSGC-YOLOv8, is evaluated on an enhanced dataset of snow-covered traffic signs. Experimental results show that the MSGC-YOLOv8 model is used for snow road traffic sign recognition. Compared with the YOLOv8n model [email protected]:0.95, [email protected]:0.95 is increased by 17.7% and 18.1%, respectively, greatly improving the detection accuracy. Compared with the YOLOv8s model, while the parameters are reduced by 59.6%, [email protected] only loses 1.5%. Considering all aspects of the data, our proposed model shows high detection efficiency and accuracy under snowy conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deep Learning in Computer Vision: Theory and Applications)
12 pages, 547 KiB  
Article
Effects of Water-Based Exercise on Patients Older than 60 Years Undergoing Cardiac Rehabilitation after Coronary Intervention
by Jus Ksela, Jan Kafol, Danijela Vasic and Borut Jug
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2024, 11(5), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd11050151 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) plays a crucial role in managing patients who have undergone coronary intervention (CI) following acute myocardial infarction. While water-based exercise is gaining recognition as an exercise modality in this patient population, its impact on the subgroup of older adults remains [...] Read more.
Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) plays a crucial role in managing patients who have undergone coronary intervention (CI) following acute myocardial infarction. While water-based exercise is gaining recognition as an exercise modality in this patient population, its impact on the subgroup of older adults remains unexplored. In this post hoc analysis, we investigated the effects of water-based exercise on adults older than 60 years undergoing CR after CI, comparing it to land-based exercise and a control group. In total, 45 patients aged over 60 participated in 14-day exercise programs, featuring two daily 30-min sessions. We assessed exercise capacity (VO2peak), vascular function (flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD)), heart rate variability (HRV), and blood markers (Interleukins 6, 8, and 10, P-Selectin, ICAM, and High-sensitivity CRP) before and after CR. VO2peak in the water-based group improved significantly after CR in comparison with the land-based group: 1.35 kg/mL/min (95% CI [0.20–2.50], p = 0.022). The significant difference between water-based and land-based groups was observed in several HRV parameters: Total power −1129.20 ms2 (95% CI [−1951.92–−306.49], p = 0.008); peak LF 0.04 Hz (95% CI [0.00–0.08], p = 0.036); SD1 −9.02 millisecond (95% CI [−16.86–−1.18], p = 0.025); and SD2 −19.71 ms (95% CI [−35.08–−4.34], p = 0.013). FMD and blood markers did not vary significantly based on the exercise group. These findings suggest that short-term water-based CR may have potential as an alternative to traditional land-based CR, improving VO2peak and cardiorespiratory fitness among adults over 60 years undergoing CR after CI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease in Older Adults)
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20 pages, 1746 KiB  
Article
The Liquid Jet Endstation for Hard X-ray Scattering and Spectroscopy at the Linac Coherent Light Source
by Cali Antolini, Victor Sosa Alfaro, Marco Reinhard, Gourab Chatterjee, Ryan Ribson, Dimosthenis Sokaras, Leland Gee, Takahiro Sato, Patrick L. Kramer, Sumana Laxmi Raj, Brandon Hayes, Pamela Schleissner, Angel T. Garcia-Esparza, Jinkyu Lim, Jeffrey T. Babicz, Jr., Alec H. Follmer, Silke Nelson, Matthieu Chollet, Roberto Alonso-Mori and Tim B. van Driel
Molecules 2024, 29(10), 2323; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29102323 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
The ability to study chemical dynamics on ultrafast timescales has greatly advanced with the introduction of X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) providing short pulses of intense X-rays tailored to probe atomic structure and electronic configuration. Fully exploiting the full potential of XFELs requires [...] Read more.
The ability to study chemical dynamics on ultrafast timescales has greatly advanced with the introduction of X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) providing short pulses of intense X-rays tailored to probe atomic structure and electronic configuration. Fully exploiting the full potential of XFELs requires specialized experimental endstations along with the development of techniques and methods to successfully carry out experiments. The liquid jet endstation (LJE) at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) has been developed to study photochemistry and biochemistry in solution systems using a combination of X-ray solution scattering (XSS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES). The pump–probe setup utilizes an optical laser to excite the sample, which is subsequently probed by a hard X-ray pulse to resolve structural and electronic dynamics at their intrinsic femtosecond timescales. The LJE ensures reliable sample delivery to the X-ray interaction point via various liquid jets, enabling rapid replenishment of thin samples with millimolar concentrations and low sample volumes at the 120 Hz repetition rate of the LCLS beam. This paper provides a detailed description of the LJE design and of the techniques it enables, with an emphasis on the diagnostics required for real-time monitoring of the liquid jet and on the spatiotemporal overlap methods used to optimize the signal. Additionally, various scientific examples are discussed, highlighting the versatility of the LJE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photochemical Studies of Metal Complexes)
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18 pages, 11498 KiB  
Article
Glacier Changes from 1990 to 2022 in the Aksu River Basin, Western Tien Shan
by Pei Ren, Xiaohui Pan, Tie Liu, Yue Huang, Xi Chen, Xiaofei Wang, Ping Chen and Shamshodbek Akmalov
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(10), 1751; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16101751 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Mountain glaciers are considered natural indicators of warming and a device for climatic change. In addition, it is also a solid reservoir of freshwater resources. Along with climate change, clarifying the dynamic changes of glacier in the Aksu River Basin (ARB) are important [...] Read more.
Mountain glaciers are considered natural indicators of warming and a device for climatic change. In addition, it is also a solid reservoir of freshwater resources. Along with climate change, clarifying the dynamic changes of glacier in the Aksu River Basin (ARB) are important for hydrological processes. The study examined the variations in glacier area, elevation, and their reaction to climate change in the ARB between 1990 and 2022. The glacier melt on the runoff is explored from 2003 to 2020. This investigation utilized Landsat and Sentinal-2 images, ICESat, CryoSat, meteorological and hydrological data. The findings suggest that: (1) The glacier area in the ARB retreated by 309.40 km2 (9.37%, 0.29%·a−1) from 1990 to 2022. From 2003 to 2021, the ARB glacier surface elevation retreat rate of 0.38 ± 0.12 m·a−1 (0.32 ± 0.10 m w.e.a−1). Comparison with 2003–2009, the retreat rate is faster from 2010 to 2021. (2) From 1990 to 2022, the Toxkan and the Kumalak River Basin’s glacier area decreases between 61.28 km2 (0.28%·a−1) and 248.13 km2 (0.30%·a−1). Additionally, the rate of glacier surface elevation declined by −0.34 ± 0.11 m·a−1, −0.42 ± 0.14 m·a−1 from 2003 to 2021. (3) The mass balance sensitivities to cold season precipitation and ablation-phase accumulated temperatures are +0.27 ± 0.08 m w.e.a−1(10%)−1 and −0.33 ± 0.10 m w.e.a−1 °C−1, respectively. The mass loss is (962.55 ± 0.57) × 106 m3 w.e.a−1, (1087.50 ± 0.68) × 106 m3 w.e.a−1 during 2003–2009, 2010–2021 respectively. Warmer ablation-phase accumulated temperatures dominate glacier retreat in the ARB. (4) Glacier meltwater accounted for 34.57% and 41.56% of the Aksu River’s runoff during the ablation-phase of 2003–2009 and 2010–2020, respectively. The research has important implications for maintaining the stability of water resource systems based on glacier meltwater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere II)
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22 pages, 18573 KiB  
Article
A Multi-Scale Fusion Strategy for Side Scan Sonar Image Correction to Improve Low Contrast and Noise Interference
by Ping Zhou, Jifa Chen, Pu Tang, Jianjun Gan and Hongmei Zhang
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(10), 1752; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16101752 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Side scan sonar images have great application prospects in underwater surveys, target detection, and engineering activities. However, the acquired sonar images exhibit low illumination, scattered noise, distorted outlines, and unclear edge textures due to the complicated undersea environment and intrinsic device flaws. Hence, [...] Read more.
Side scan sonar images have great application prospects in underwater surveys, target detection, and engineering activities. However, the acquired sonar images exhibit low illumination, scattered noise, distorted outlines, and unclear edge textures due to the complicated undersea environment and intrinsic device flaws. Hence, this paper proposes a multi-scale fusion strategy for side scan sonar (SSS) image correction to improve the low contrast and noise interference. Initially, an SSS image was decomposed into low and high frequency sub-bands via the non-subsampled shearlet transform (NSST). Then, modified multi-scale retinex (MMSR) was employed to enhance the contrast of the low frequency sub-band. Next, sparse dictionary learning (SDL) was utilized to eliminate high frequency noise. Finally, the process of NSST reconstruction was completed by fusing the emerging low and high frequency sub-band images to generate a new sonar image. The experimental results demonstrate that the target features, underwater terrain, and edge contours could be clearly displayed in the image corrected by the multi-scale fusion strategy when compared to eight correction techniques: BPDHE, MSRCR, NPE, ALTM, LIME, FE, WT, and TVRLRA. Effective control was achieved over the speckle noise of the sonar image. Furthermore, the AG, STD, and E values illustrated the delicacy and contrast of the corrected images processed by the proposed strategy. The PSNR value revealed that the proposed strategy outperformed the advanced TVRLRA technology in terms of filtering performance by at least 8.8%. It can provide sonar imagery that is appropriate for various circumstances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radar and Sonar Imaging and Processing IV)
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23 pages, 709 KiB  
Review
NGF, EPO, and IGF-1 in the Male Reproductive System
by Chryssa Metallinou, Chrysovalanto Staneloudi, Konstantinos Nikolettos and Byron Asimakopoulos
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(10), 2918; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13102918 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Several studies have demonstrated interesting results considering the implication of three growth factors (GFs), namely nerve growth factor (NGF), erythropoietin (EPO), and the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) in the physiology of male reproductive functions. This review provides insights into the effects of NGF, [...] Read more.
Several studies have demonstrated interesting results considering the implication of three growth factors (GFs), namely nerve growth factor (NGF), erythropoietin (EPO), and the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) in the physiology of male reproductive functions. This review provides insights into the effects of NGF, EPO, and IGF-1 on the male reproductive system, emphasizing mainly their effects on sperm motility and vitality. In the male reproductive system, the expression pattern of the NGF system varies according to the species and testicular development, playing a crucial role in morphogenesis and spermatogenesis. In humans, it seems that NGF positively affects sperm motility parameters and NGF supplementation in cryopreservation media improves post-thaw sperm motility. In animals, EPO is found in various male reproductive tissues, and in humans, the protein is present in seminal plasma and testicular germ cells. EPO receptors have been discovered in the plasma membrane of human spermatozoa, suggesting potential roles in sperm motility and vitality. In humans, IGF-1 is expressed mainly in Sertoli cells and is present in seminal plasma, contributing to cell development and the maturation of spermatozoa. IGF-1 seems to modulate sperm motility, and treatment with IGF-1 has a positive effect on sperm motility and vitality. Furthermore, lower levels of NGF or IGF-1 in seminal plasma are associated with infertility. Understanding the mechanisms of actions of these GFs in the male reproductive system may improve the outcome of sperm processing techniques. Full article
21 pages, 813 KiB  
Article
Detection of False Data Injection Attacks on Smart Grids Based on A-BiTG Approach
by Wei He, Weifeng Liu, Chenglin Wen and Qingqing Yang
Electronics 2024, 13(10), 1938; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13101938 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
A false data injection attack (FDIA) is the main attack method that threatens the security of smart grids. FDIAs mislead the control center to make wrong judgments by modifying the measurement data of the power grid system. Therefore, the effective and accurate detection [...] Read more.
A false data injection attack (FDIA) is the main attack method that threatens the security of smart grids. FDIAs mislead the control center to make wrong judgments by modifying the measurement data of the power grid system. Therefore, the effective and accurate detection of FDIAs is crucial for the safe operation of smart grids. However, the current deep learning-based methods do not fully exploit the short-term local characteristics and long-term dependencies of power grid data and have poor correlation with past and future time series information, resulting in a lack of credibility in the detection results. In view of this, an FDIA detection model combining a bidirectional temporal convolutional network and bidirectional gated recurrent unit with an attention mechanism (A-BiTG) was proposed. The proposed model utilizes a bidirectional time convolutional network (BiTCN) and bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) to consider past and future temporal information in the grid. This enhances the ability of the model to capture long-term dependencies and extract features, while also solving the model’s problem of exploding and vanishing gradients. In addition, an attention mechanism (AM) was added to dynamically assign weights to the extracted feature information and retain the most valuable features to improve the detection accuracy of the model. Finally, the proposed method was compared with existing methods on the IEEE 14-bus and IEEE 118-bus test systems. The results show that the proposed detection model is more robust and superior under different noise environments and FDIA signals with different intensities. Full article
16 pages, 4867 KiB  
Article
Numerical Investigation on Flowability of Pulverized Biomass Using the Swelling Bed Model
by Mateusz Przywara, Regina Przywara and Wojciech Zapała
AgriEngineering 2024, 6(2), 1349-1364; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6020078 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Numerical investigations on the flowability of pulverized biomass are crucial for agriculture, aiding in optimizing biomass use, crop residue management, soil health improvement, and environmental impact mitigation. Rising interest in biomass and conversion processes necessitates deeper property understanding and technological process optimization. Moisture [...] Read more.
Numerical investigations on the flowability of pulverized biomass are crucial for agriculture, aiding in optimizing biomass use, crop residue management, soil health improvement, and environmental impact mitigation. Rising interest in biomass and conversion processes necessitates deeper property understanding and technological process optimization. Moisture content is a key parameter influencing biomass quality. In this paper, computer simulations of shear tests depending on the moisture content using the discrete element method were carried out and compared with experimental results. An experimental study and modeling for Jenike’s direct shearing apparatus was carried out. A swelling bed model was proposed to account for the effect of moisture. The swelling bed model assumed an increase in biomass grain vorticity proportional to the moisture content. The model was solved using the discrete element method (DEM). The model considers the effect of moisture on the values of Young’s and Kirchoff’s moduli for biomass grains. The model assumed that moisture is not present in surface form, the total amount of moisture is absorbed into the interior of the material grains, and the volume of a single grain increases linearly with an increase in the volume of the absorbed moisture. The tested materials were pulverized sunflower husks, apple pomace, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), meat and bone meal (MBM), and sawdust. Samples with moisture contents of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% were tested. The best agreement of the model with the experimental data was observed for the most absorbent materials in which moisture was not present in surface form, such as apple pomace, DDGS, and sawdust. Research data are important for the proper design of biomass storage, transportation equipment, and utilization as feedstock for bioenergy production or soil enrichment. Full article
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20 pages, 668 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Safety and Probiotic Properties of Enterococcus faecium B13 Isolated from Fermented Chili
by Jingmin Xiao, Cai Chen, Zhuxian Fu, Shumin Wang and Fan Luo
Microorganisms 2024, 12(5), 994; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12050994 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Enterococcus faecium B13, selected from fermentation chili, has been proven to promote animal growth by previous studies, but it belongs to opportunistic pathogens, so a comprehensive evaluation of its probiotic properties and safety is necessary. In this study, the probiotic properties and safety [...] Read more.
Enterococcus faecium B13, selected from fermentation chili, has been proven to promote animal growth by previous studies, but it belongs to opportunistic pathogens, so a comprehensive evaluation of its probiotic properties and safety is necessary. In this study, the probiotic properties and safety of B13 were evaluated at the genetic and phenotype levels in vitro and then confirmed in vivo. The genome of B13 contains one chromosome and two plasmids. The average nucleotide identity indicated that B13 was most closely related to the fermentation-plant-derived strain. The strain does not carry the major virulence genes of the clinical E. faecium strains but contains aac(6)-Ii, ant (6)-Ia, msrC genes. The strain had a higher tolerance to acid at pH 3.0, 4.0, and 0.3% bile salt and a 32.83% free radical DPPH clearance rate. It can adhere to Caco-2 cells and reduce the adhesion of E. coli to Caco-2 cells. The safety assessment revealed that the strain showed no hemolysis and did not exhibit gelatinase, ornithine decarboxylase, lysine decarboxylase, or tryptophanase activity. It was sensitive to twelve antibiotics but was resistant to erythromycin, rifampicin, tetracycline, doxycycline, and minocycline. Experiments in vivo have shown that B13 can be located in the ileum and colon and has no adverse effects on experiment animals. After 28 days of feeding, B13 did not remarkable change the α-diversity of the gut flora or increase the virulence genes. Our study demonstrated that E. faecium B13 may be used as a probiotic candidate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance)
23 pages, 759 KiB  
Article
Environmental Injustice: The Effects of Environmental Taxes on Income Distribution in an Oligopolistic General Equilibrium Model
by Ronald R. Kumar and Peter J. Stauvermann
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4142; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104142 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
We apply a static oligopolistic general equilibrium model to investigate the effects of an environmental tax on labor incomes, capital incomes, profits, and the distribution of income. The study is motivated by the fact that environmental taxation is one main political tool to [...] Read more.
We apply a static oligopolistic general equilibrium model to investigate the effects of an environmental tax on labor incomes, capital incomes, profits, and the distribution of income. The study is motivated by the fact that environmental taxation is one main political tool to realize environmental sustainability and support sustainable development. However, to ensure social and economic sustainability, the taxes applied must be perceived as fair by the majority of the civil society. Moreover, efforts to determine a fair taxation policy would ensure, inter alia, responsible consumption and production, and lower inequality in the economy, which are one of the two priorities of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 10 and 12). Therefore, it is necessary to determine the tax incidence to inform policymakers regarding the distribution of the tax burden. To examine environmental policy, we assume the government applies a policy objective to realize strong environmental sustainability, as proposed by the Dutch economist Rofie Hueting. The main result is that oligopolistic firms can shift the whole tax burden resulting from environmental taxes to workers and capital owners. Consequently, we show that environmental taxes can lead to more income inequality, and the more concentrated the markets, the bigger the social and economic inequality. Noting that addressing environmental problems is a priority of the UN SDGs, our analysis shows that approaching the issue using just environmental tax propositions is not advisable. These results of the analysis also provide a justification of why many members of the society tend to oppose environmental taxes. Full article
24 pages, 9403 KiB  
Article
Antiviral Shrimp lncRNA06 Possesses Anti-Tumor Activity by Inducing Apoptosis of Human Gastric Cancer Stem Cells in a Cross-Species Manner
by Ahmad Khan, Anas Mohammed and Xiaobo Zhang
Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(5), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22050221 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Virus infection causes the metabolic disorder of host cells, whereas the metabolic disorder of cells is one of the major causes of tumorigenesis, suggesting that antiviral molecules might possess anti-tumor activities by regulating cell metabolism. As the key regulators of gene expression, long [...] Read more.
Virus infection causes the metabolic disorder of host cells, whereas the metabolic disorder of cells is one of the major causes of tumorigenesis, suggesting that antiviral molecules might possess anti-tumor activities by regulating cell metabolism. As the key regulators of gene expression, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in the regulation of cell metabolism. However, the influence of antiviral lncRNAs on tumorigenesis has not been explored. To address this issue, the antiviral and anti-tumor capacities of shrimp lncRNAs were characterized in this study. The results revealed that shrimp lncRNA06, having antiviral activity in shrimp, could suppress the tumorigenesis of human gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs) via triggering apoptosis of GCSCs in a cross-species manner. Shrimp lncRNA06 could sponge human miR-17-5p to suppress the stemness of GCSCs via the miR-17-5p-p21 axis. At the same time, shrimp lncRNA06 could bind to ATP synthase subunit beta (ATP5F1B) to enhance the stability of the ATP5F1B protein in GCSCs, thus suppressing the tumorigenesis of GCSCs. The in vivo data demonstrated that shrimp lncRNA06 promoted apoptosis and inhibited the stemness of GCSCs through interactions with ATP5F1B and miR-17-5p, leading to the suppression of the tumorigenesis of GCSCs. Therefore, our findings highlighted that antiviral lncRNAs possessed anti-tumor capacities and that antiviral lncRNAs could be the anti-tumor reservoir for the treatment of human cancers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Marine Pharmacology)
21 pages, 1337 KiB  
Article
Influence of Different Proportions of the Addition of Electrocoagulated Metal Sludge (EMS) Obtained from Oily Wastewater Treatment on the Properties of Laboratory Bricks
by Morana Drušković, Dražen Vouk, Dajana Kučić Grgić and Mario Šiljeg
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4139; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104139 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Electrochemical wastewater treatment technologies are increasingly being used in practice, and the combination of electrocoagulation with advanced oxidation processes has been shown to increase treatment efficiency. The treatment of oily wastewater produces electrocoagulated metal sludge (EMS). In this work, the possibility of using [...] Read more.
Electrochemical wastewater treatment technologies are increasingly being used in practice, and the combination of electrocoagulation with advanced oxidation processes has been shown to increase treatment efficiency. The treatment of oily wastewater produces electrocoagulated metal sludge (EMS). In this work, the possibility of using different ratios of EMS produced during oily wastewater treatment was investigated. EMS was dried conventionally in an oven at 105 °C and used as a partial substitute for clay in the manufacture of laboratory bricks. The main research objectives of this study were to examine the possibility and justification of introducing EMS in brick production. The results show that an increase in the proportion of EMS in the manufacturing of bricks leads to a deterioration in the quality of the bricks. Bricks with an addition of 1 wt% and 5 wt% EMS showed the best properties. The loss on ignition (LOI), compressive strength, boiling water absorption and initial water absorption were determined at 5.7%; 49 N/mm2, 16%, 14 g/min/200 cm2, 15% for modified bricks with 1 wt% EMS and 6.3%, 48 N/mm2, 20%, 15 g/min/200 cm2 for modified brick with 5 wt%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Treatment, Evaluation, Recycling and Use of Sewage Sludge)
25 pages, 1055 KiB  
Review
Oncogenic Pathways and Targeted Therapies in Ovarian Cancer
by Carolina Lliberos, Gary Richardson and Antonella Papa
Biomolecules 2024, 14(5), 585; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14050585 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the most aggressive forms of gynaecological malignancies. Survival rates for women diagnosed with OC remain poor as most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease. Debulking surgery and platinum-based therapies are the current mainstay for OC treatment. [...] Read more.
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the most aggressive forms of gynaecological malignancies. Survival rates for women diagnosed with OC remain poor as most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease. Debulking surgery and platinum-based therapies are the current mainstay for OC treatment. However, and despite achieving initial remission, a significant portion of patients will relapse because of innate and acquired resistance, at which point the disease is considered incurable. In view of this, novel detection strategies and therapeutic approaches are needed to improve outcomes and survival of OC patients. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of the genetic landscape and molecular pathways underpinning OC and its many subtypes. By examining therapeutic strategies explored in preclinical and clinical settings, we highlight the importance of decoding how single and convergent genetic alterations co-exist and drive OC progression and resistance to current treatments. We also propose that core signalling pathways such as the PI3K and MAPK pathways play critical roles in the origin of diverse OC subtypes and can become new targets in combination with known DNA damage repair pathways for the development of tailored and more effective anti-cancer treatments. Full article
24 pages, 410 KiB  
Article
Holistic Sexual-Reproductive Healthcare Services and Needs for Queer Individuals: Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives
by Raikane James Seretlo, Hanlie Smuts and Mathildah Mpata Mokgatle
Healthcare 2024, 12(10), 1026; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12101026 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
There are ongoing debates and controversies about whether genderqueer individuals have specific sexual-reproductive healthcare services and needs (SRHSNs). This study intended to identify and explore queer-specific SRHSNs among healthcare providers (HCPs) in Gauteng Province, South Africa. This was an exploratory sequential mixed-methods study, [...] Read more.
There are ongoing debates and controversies about whether genderqueer individuals have specific sexual-reproductive healthcare services and needs (SRHSNs). This study intended to identify and explore queer-specific SRHSNs among healthcare providers (HCPs) in Gauteng Province, South Africa. This was an exploratory sequential mixed-methods study, and this article focuses on the qualitative findings of that investigation. Thirty-three HCPs were purposively sampled, and semi-structured one-on-one interviews were used to collect data between September and November 2023. The data were analyzed using thematic content analysis (TCA). The results of this study revealed nine main themes: a crucial need for inclusive healthcare facilities; a need for psychological, counseling, and therapeutic support in sexual and reproductive healthcare; access to sexual-reproductive education and integrating support; suggested reproductive health services for queer sexual wellness; improved accessibility and particular queer reproductive healthcare; optimizing services related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) access, and sexually transmitted illness (STI) treatment; genderqueer persons’ parenthood aspirations and empowerment; the safe availability of intimacy tools; and navigation transitions. A holistic and inclusive healthcare approach that fits psychological support, comprehensive sexual-reproductive education, and specialized services to accommodate the unique needs of queer individuals should be implemented and made easily accessible. Full article
26 pages, 4402 KiB  
Article
Investigating a Machine Learning Approach to Predicting White Pixel Defects in Wafers—A Case Study of Wafer Fabrication Plant F
by Dong-Her Shih, Cheng-Yu Yang, Ting-Wei Wu and Ming-Hung Shih
Sensors 2024, 24(10), 3144; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24103144 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
CMOS image sensor (CIS) semiconductor products are integral to mobile phones and photographic devices, necessitating ongoing enhancements in efficiency and quality for superior photographic outcomes. The presence of white pixels serves as a crucial metric for assessing CIS product performance, primarily arising from [...] Read more.
CMOS image sensor (CIS) semiconductor products are integral to mobile phones and photographic devices, necessitating ongoing enhancements in efficiency and quality for superior photographic outcomes. The presence of white pixels serves as a crucial metric for assessing CIS product performance, primarily arising from metal impurity contamination during the wafer production process or from defects introduced by the grinding blade process. While immediately addressing metal impurity contamination during production presents challenges, refining the handling of defects attributed to grinding blade processing can notably mitigate white pixel issues in CIS products. This study zeroes in on silicon wafer manufacturers in Taiwan, analyzing white pixel defects reported by customers and leveraging machine learning to pinpoint and predict key factors leading to white pixel defects from grinding blade operations. Such pioneering practical studies are rare. The findings reveal that the classification and regression tree (CART) and random forest (RF) models deliver the most accurate predictions (95.18%) of white pixel defects caused by grinding blade operations in a default parameter setting. The analysis further elucidates critical factors like grinding load and torque, vital for the genesis of white pixel defects. The insights garnered from this study aim to arm operators with proactive measures to diminish the potential for customer complaints. Full article
11 pages, 2007 KiB  
Article
New Discovery of Calamitaceae from the Cisuralian in Northwest China: Morphological Evolution of Strobilus
by Xuelian Wang, Yunfa Miao, Yanzhao Ji and Bainian Sun
Biology 2024, 13(5), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13050347 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Calamitaceae was the predominant arborescent element of the Late Paleozoic plant assemblages. However, there is currently controversy surrounding the evolutionary relationships of their four reproductive organs, and there is no unified understanding of the geographical distribution and species richness characteristics. This paper is [...] Read more.
Calamitaceae was the predominant arborescent element of the Late Paleozoic plant assemblages. However, there is currently controversy surrounding the evolutionary relationships of their four reproductive organs, and there is no unified understanding of the geographical distribution and species richness characteristics. This paper is based on the detailed description of the macro- and microstructures of Calamites and Macrostachya discovered in the Shanxi Formation of the Cisuralian in the eastern Hexi Corridor of northwestern China, and it discusses the evolutionary patterns of calamitean reproductive organs. The results indicate that the current specimens can be identified as the Calamites cistii and Macrostachya sp., and the in situ spores should exhibit distinct trilete marks, indicating that they belong to the Punctatisporites punctatus. The abundant fossil records suggest that the “Calamostachys” type should be considered as the ancestral type of strobili. Additionally, Calamitaceae was widely distributed in mid to low latitudes globally from the Pennsylvanian to the Cisuralian and coupled with paleogeographic distribution characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Plant Science)
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32 pages, 8540 KiB  
Article
Annual Coastal Boulder Mobility Detected in 2017–2021 Remote Sensing Imagery and Its Relation to Marine Storms (Gulf of Taranto, Mediterranean Sea)
by Marco Delle Rose
Geosciences 2024, 14(5), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences14050136 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Landward displacements of coastal boulders are geomorphological signatures of sea flooding and erosion processes. In this study, using open-access resources that do not require the integration of specialist software, the 2017 to 2021 annual mobility of medium, coarse, and very coarse boulders spread [...] Read more.
Landward displacements of coastal boulders are geomorphological signatures of sea flooding and erosion processes. In this study, using open-access resources that do not require the integration of specialist software, the 2017 to 2021 annual mobility of medium, coarse, and very coarse boulders spread over about 100 km of the eastern coast of the Gulf of Taranto (Italy, Mediterranean Sea) was explored. The boulder displacement data obtained from remote sensing imagery were verified and refined by means of geomorphological field investigation. The main results are the following: (1) A large interannual variability in the boulder mobility was found; (2) storm Detlef, which crossed over the Mediterranean during 11–13 November 2019, was recognized as the cause of a massive displacement phenomenon; and (3) the marine weather conditions driving the investigated morphodynamic process were inferred. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Earth Observation by GNSS and GIS Techniques)
29 pages, 650 KiB  
Review
Multiplicative Effects of Essential Oils and Other Active Components on Skin Tissue and Skin Cancers
by Hyeong Jae Kim and Jeong Hee Hong
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(10), 5397; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25105397 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Naturally derived essential oils and their active components are known to possess various properties, ranging from anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-cancer activities. Numerous types of essential oils and active components have been discovered, and their permissive roles have been addressed in various [...] Read more.
Naturally derived essential oils and their active components are known to possess various properties, ranging from anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-cancer activities. Numerous types of essential oils and active components have been discovered, and their permissive roles have been addressed in various fields. In this comprehensive review, we focused on the roles of essential oils and active components in skin diseases and cancers as discovered over the past three decades. In particular, we opted to highlight the effectiveness of essential oils and their active components in developing strategies against various skin diseases and skin cancers and to describe the effects of the identified essential-oil-derived major components from physiological and pathological perspectives. Overall, this review provides a basis for the development of novel therapies for skin diseases and cancers, especially melanoma. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research in Antimicrobial Natural Products)
24 pages, 933 KiB  
Review
The Impact of Enterococcus spp. in the Immunocompromised Host: A Comprehensive Review
by Giuseppe Sangiorgio, Maddalena Calvo, Giuseppe Migliorisi, Floriana Campanile and Stefania Stefani
Pathogens 2024, 13(5), 409; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13050409 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
The immunocompromised host is usually vulnerable to infectious diseases due to broad-spectrum treatments and immunological dysregulation. The Enterococcus genus consists of normal gut commensals, which acquire a leading role in infective processes among individuals with compromised immune systems. These microorganisms may express a [...] Read more.
The immunocompromised host is usually vulnerable to infectious diseases due to broad-spectrum treatments and immunological dysregulation. The Enterococcus genus consists of normal gut commensals, which acquire a leading role in infective processes among individuals with compromised immune systems. These microorganisms may express a potential virulence and resistance spectrum, enabling their function as severe pathogens. The Enterococcus spp. infections in immunocompromised hosts appear to be difficult to resolve due to the immunological response impairment and the possibility of facing antimicrobial-resistant strains. As regards the related risk factors, several data demonstrated that prior antibiotic exposure, medical device insertion, prolonged hospitalization and surgical interventions may lead to Enterococcus overgrowth, antibiotic resistance and spread among critical healthcare settings. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of Enterococcus spp. in the immunocompromised host, summarizing the available knowledge about virulence factors, antimicrobial-resistance mechanisms and host-pathogen interaction. The review ultimately yearns for more substantial support to further investigations about enterococcal infections and immunocompromised host response. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Bacterial Pathogens)
22 pages, 1098 KiB  
Article
Simulation and Experimental Study of Circulatory Flash Evaporation System for High-Salt Wastewater Treatment
by Hao Feng, Wei Chen, Rui Sun, Zhen Zhang, Wei Li and Bin Zhang
Energies 2024, 17(10), 2382; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17102382 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Treatment methods for high-salt wastewater mainly consist of physical methods, chemical methods and biological methods. However, there are some problems, such as slow treatment speed, high investment costs and low treatment efficiency. To address NaCl solutions, in this study, a circulatory flash system [...] Read more.
Treatment methods for high-salt wastewater mainly consist of physical methods, chemical methods and biological methods. However, there are some problems, such as slow treatment speed, high investment costs and low treatment efficiency. To address NaCl solutions, in this study, a circulatory flash system was designed based on gas–liquid equilibrium, mass conservation equation and energy conservation equation. A circulatory flash evaporation simulation and a static flash evaporation experiment were conducted on NaCl solutions under various operating conditions to investigate the effects of heating temperature, flash pressure and initial NaCl concentration on the circulatory flash evaporation system. The significance of each factor’s influence on the evaporation fraction and energy consumption was examined through static flash experiments. The simulation results demonstrated that increasing the heating temperature, decreasing the flash pressure and having a higher initial NaCl concentration could enhance the treatment capacity of high-salt wastewater. The flow rate of vapor outlets increased with higher heating temperature but decreased as the flash pressure rose. The experimental results demonstrated that flash evaporation pressure was the primary factor influencing both the evaporation fraction and the energy consumption per unit mass of vapor produced. It was observed that with an increase in heating temperature, the flash pressure decreased and there was a corresponding decrease in energy consumption per unit mass of vapor produced. The optimal experimental conditions were achieved at a heating temperature of 99 °C, a flash pressure of 15 kPa, and an initial NaCl concentration of 20%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Heat and Mass Transfer Technologies)
21 pages, 1492 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Multi-Stakeholder Behavioral Strategies in the Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling Industry through an Evolutionary Game Theory
by Yanyan Wang, Lijun Qi and Wenjing Cui
Buildings 2024, 14(5), 1425; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051425 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Construction and demolition waste (C&DW) recycling products have drawn worldwide attention over the past few decades. There is a general agreement among researchers that C&DW recycling is an important means for curbing the deterioration of the environment. Previous papers mainly focused on the [...] Read more.
Construction and demolition waste (C&DW) recycling products have drawn worldwide attention over the past few decades. There is a general agreement among researchers that C&DW recycling is an important means for curbing the deterioration of the environment. Previous papers mainly focused on the decision-making behavior of dual stakeholders or tripartite stakeholders, as well as the lack of cooperation among multiple stakeholders. This study explored a dynamic evolutionary game model with three different parameter conditions to research the decision-making behaviors and stable strategies of the multi-stakeholders involved in the C&DW recycling product industry, including government departments and some enterprises. This research also investigated how the government’s supervision costs, penalties applied to enterprises, and resource taxes affect the dynamic evolution process of C&DW recycling. This research conducted numerical simulations using Python to analyze stakeholders’ behavioral evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) and the sensitivity to main factors in each stage of the C&DW recycling process to accelerate the development of construction waste resource utilization. Based on the results of the evolutionary game, this paper proposed that the roles of multi-stakeholders are different at different stages of industry development, and that supervision costs, penalties, and resource tax have their own impacts on the C&DW recycling product industry. The paper suggests a range of discussions and simulation studies to highlight the significance of the government’s refined and moderate adjustments to the regulatory incentive system and the level of government regulation and involvement at different stages of the process. These adjustments are aimed at promoting the sustainable recycling and utilization of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) products within some countries’ construction industry. Full article

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