bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Filled/non-filled pairs: an empirical challenge to the integrated information theory of consciousness
Authors: Hopkins Amber Rose , McQueen Kelvin J.
Published: November 2021

Perceptual filling-in for vision is the insertion of visual properties (e.g., color, contour, luminance, or motion) into one’s visual field, when those properties have no corresponding retinal input. This paper introduces and provides preliminary empirical support for filled/non-filled pairs, pairs of images that appear identical, yet differ by amount of filling-in. It is argued that such image pairs are important to the experimental testing of theories of consciousness. We review recent experimental research and conclude that filling-in involves brain activity with relatively high integrated information (Phi) compared to veridical visual perceptions. We then present filled/non-filled pairs as an empirical challenge to the integrated information theory of consciousness, which predicts that phenomenologically identical experiences depend on brain processes with identical Phi.
Reconsolidation behavioral updating of human emotional memory: A comprehensive review and unified analysis of successes, replication failures, and clinical translation
Authors: Ecker Bruce
Published: November 2021

The annulment of a human emotional memory through reconsolidation behavioral updating has been documented in over twenty laboratory studies since the first such report in 2010. However, fourteen studies have reported non-replication, the cause(s) of which remain unclear. This review examines all successful and unsuccessful studies in detail, in an attempt to identify (a) the specific probable causes of non-replication and (b) how clinical translation might optimally be designed. For analyzing non-replications, a set of criteria is defined for principled identification of specific moments of prediction error (PE) in experimental procedures, including latent cause transitions, based on a preponderance of empirical evidence. A previously overlooked element of experimental procedure is in that way identified as being potentially decisive, and a unified, testable explanation is proposed for behavioral updating successes and failures in terms of the presence or absence of a PE experience. That in turn allows successful studies to be compared for the internal experiences induced in subjects, rather than compared for their external procedures, revealing an invariant set of three experiences shared by all successful updating studies despite their diverse procedures. Clinical translation, defined as replication of those experiences, not any particular procedure, is illustrated by an actual case, one of many published cases that have documented prompt transformational change produced by that specific methodology, suggesting memory reconsolidation as the mechanism of change. Lastly, the core empirical findings of successful reconsolidation updating studies are compared with previously proposed frameworks of memory reconsolidation in psychotherapy, exposing significant departures from scientific fidelity.
Perceiver effects in first impressions reflect generalized stereotypes: Evidence of consistency across time, groups, and contexts.
Authors: Rau Richard , Lawless DesJardins Nicole M. , Niemeyer Lisa Maria , Back Mitja D , Srivastava Sanjay , Nestler Steffen
Published: November 2021

In interpersonal perception, perceivers’ tendencies for judging the average target (perceiver effects) are commonly assumed to reflect generalized stereotypes about “the other”. This is empirically supported by findings of consistent rank-orders of perceiver effects across measurement occasions, but previous studies could not rule out important alternative explanations for consistency. Here, we present a strict test of the generalized stereotype account in two studies (ns 146 and 295) in which participants provided mutual impressions in distinct, uniquely composed groups. Results reveal that perceiver effects are quite consistent on the level of global evaluation and acquiescence but less consistent on the level of specific trait- or item-content. The finding that perceivers who saw others in globally positive or negative ways in one situation also saw other targets in similar ways in entirely different situations across time, groups, and contexts is strong evidence for the generalized stereotype account and has vital implications.
Ten simple rules to study distractor suppression
Authors: Wöstmann Malte , Störmer Viola S. , Obleser Jonas , Addleman Douglas A , Andersen Søren , Gaspelin Nick , Geng Joy , Luck Steven J , Noonan MaryAnn , Slagter Heleen A , Theeuwes Jan
Published: November 2021

Distractor suppression refers to the ability to filter out distracting and task-irrelevant information. Distractor suppression is essential for survival and considered a key aspect of selective attention. Despite the recent and rapidly evolving literature on distractor suppression, we still know little about how the brain suppresses distracting information. What limits progress is that we lack mutually agreed upon principles of how to study the neural basis of distractor suppression and its manifestation in behavior. Here, we offer ten simple rules that we believe are fundamental when investigating distractor suppression. We provide guidelines on how to design conclusive experiments on distractor suppression (Rules 1-3), discuss different types of distractor suppression that need to be distinguished (Rules 4-6), and provide an overview of models of distractor suppression and considerations of how to evaluate distractor suppression statistically (Rules 7-10). Together, these rules provide a concise and comprehensive synopsis of promising advances in the field of distractor suppression. Following these rules will propel research on distractor suppression in important ways, not only by highlighting prominent issues to both new and more advanced researchers in the field, but also by facilitating communication between sub-disciplines.
The Role of Self-dehumanisation in Radicalisation to Peaceful and Violent Political Activism
Authors: Kendrali Elisabeth
Published: November 2021

Taking the significance quest (Kruglanski et al., 2014) approach to radicalisation, this dissertation examined if self-dehumanisation could explain why some people turn to violent radicalism and others to peaceful activism to restore significance in life. I hypothesised that significance loss induces self-dehumanisation which subsequently warrants political violence. Study 1, a cross-sectional online study (N = 183), tested the mediating effect of self-dehumanisation on the relationship between significance loss and radicalism/activism. Study 2, an experimental online study with a between-subjects design (N = 264) where significance loss was manipulated using a recall task examined the causal links between significance loss and radicalism/activism, additionally testing the moderating effects of group vs. individual significance loss on this association. Study 1 demonstrated positive links between significance loss and peaceful activism, violent radicalism and self-dehumanisation. Dehumanising oneself was negatively related to peaceful activism; no support was found for its association with violent radicalism intentions. Study 2 showed the causal role of significance loss in enhancing peaceful activism and violent radicalism. The moderating effect of group vs. individual significance loss was not supported. This dissertation contributes to knowledge on the mechanisms of radicalisation, demonstrating self-dehumanisation’s activism-suppressing role for the first time.
AMORE Project: Integrated knowledge translation and geospatial analysis to improve travel times to health services (accessibility) and health equity in Cali, Colombia: a proof of concept using mixed-methods research
Authors: CUERVO Luis Gabriel , Cuervo Daniel , Hatcher-Roberts Janet , Herrera Eliana Martínez , Pinilla Luis Fernando , Piquero Felipe , Ospina Maria , Molina Ciro Jaramillo
Published: November 2021

Addressing accessibility to health services requires intersectoral multi-stakeholder action. There is not a lot of knowledge about the effects of traffic congestion on accessibility. The availability of new data allows putting forward simple metrics that all stakeholders can manage. This proof-of-concept reveals accessibility using a platform with intuitive heatmaps/choropleths, dials, and graphs. It uses filters and shows accessibility according to socio-demographic characteristics. It is dynamic, reflecting the impact of changes in traffic congestion. The platform (AMORE Platform) provides a situational analysis that can be updated as conditions or data changes. The Platform reveals and quantifies inequities of accessibility and allows maximizing accessibility by optimizing the location for new services. The proof-of-concept uses two scenarios (1) urgent care in a tertiary hospital; and (2) frequent care (hemodialysis and radiotherapy). The data generation component will be complemented with a participatory action research assessment with project collaborators involving different stakeholders (e.g., authorities, service providers and users, organized civil society and academia) who will use the platform and could determine its value and potential in service planning, urbanism, and intersectoral and multistakeholder collaboration. The platform can be updated and modified to cover other services within and beyond the health sector. The proof-of-concept is done in Cali, Colombia's third most populous city, with inputs from a broad range of stakeholders.
Implementation of a Low-Cost 3D-Printed Feline Larynx Model for Veterinary Students
Authors: Sakai Daniel M. , Skrzypczak Heather , Nejamkin Pablo , Clausse Maria , Bulant Carlos , José Del Sole Maria
Published: November 2021

Endotracheal intubation (EI) in domestic cats is an important skill that veterinary students learn in order to perform anesthesia safely in this species. Implementing a 3D-printed larynx model (LaryngoCUBE) during the instruction process may improve student’s learning of EI in felines. Twenty-two third-year students performed EI in cats with standard training (ST), and 16 students trained with the model (MT) the day before the laboratory. It was evaluated whether training with the model decreases the time and number of EI attempts, students’ perceived difficulty performing EI using a visual analog score (VAS; 0 cm = very easy, 10 cm = extremely difficult; median [minimum–maximum]), and the incidence of failure to perform EI. The EI time on ST (58 [18–160] seconds) was longer, but not statistically different from MT (29 [13–120] seconds; p = .101). The number of EI attempts on ST (2 [1–3]) was higher than MT (1 [1–3]; p = .005). The VAS on the ST and MT were 4.5 (0.0–10.0) cm and 3.0 (0.2–10.0) cm, respectively ( p = .029). The failure rate was 27% on the ST and 25% on the MT ( p = 1.000). Students who practiced with a larynx model took fewer attempts to perform EI, tended to be faster, and found that EI was easier. However, the EI success rate in MT was not improved.
Zunielmis pax, a new genus and species of riffle beetles (Coleoptera: ­Elmidae) from Colombia
Authors: González-Córdoba M. , Manzo V. , Granados-Martínez C.E.
Published: November 2021

A new riffle beetle, Zunielmis pax gen. et sp. nov., is described from Colombia (Vichada, Puerto Carreño, Bita River basin). It can be distinguished from all the other elmids by having large areas of a microgranular mesh (plastron) on the pronotum and elytra, crenulate lateral margin of the latter two, the shorter interocular distance than diameter of each eye, as well as by the characters of the structure of mandibles, the shape and sculpture of pronotum, and the structure of mesosternum, mesotibiae and elytra. The imagoes were collected on freshwater sponges. The habitat, where the new species was found, is described, and the adaptive meaning of the characteristics of plastron are discussed. Drawings and photographs of the adult habitus, distinctive morphological characters, and male and female genitalia are provided.
Annual Review of Constitution-Building: 2020
Authors: Abebe Adem , Dziedzic Anna , Welikala Asanga , Houlihan Erin C. , Grogan Joelle , Zulueta-Fülscher Kimana , Noël Thibaut , Al-Ali Zaid
Published: November 2021

International IDEA’s Annual Review of Constitution-Building Processes: 2020 provides a retrospective account of constitutional reform processes around the world and from a comparative perspective, and their implications for national and international politics. This eighth edition covers events in 2020 and includes chapters on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and emergency legal frameworks on constitutionalism and constitution-building worldwide; the impact of the pandemic on attempted executive aggrandizement in Central African Republic, Hungary and Sri Lanka; the impact of the pandemic on peace- and constitution-building processes in Libya, Syria and Yemen; gender equality in constitution-building and peace processes, with a particular focus on Chile and Zimbabwe; constitutional amendments to enhance the recognition of customary law in Samoa and Tonga; and the establishment, functioning and outputs of the French Citizens’ Convention for Climate. Writing at the mid-way point between the instant reactions of the blogosphere and academic analyses that follow several years later, the authors provide accounts of ongoing political transitions, the major constitutional issues they give rise to, and the implications of these processes for democracy, the rule of law and peace.
External Changes and Problems of Educational Work at Theological Schools of Russian Orthodox Church
Authors: Суханов Олег Анатольевич
Published: November 2021

В статье раскрывается связь между изменениями внешнего характера, происходящими с абитуриентами, и педагогическими проблемами, стоящими перед воспитательной службой духовных учебных заведений. Такие факторы, как снижение возраста и социально-психологической зрелости поступающих, снижение воспитательной роли коллектива и послушаний, ухудшение физического и психического здоровья учащихся влекут за собой новую педагогическую ситуацию, которая требует внимательной корректировки усилий как воспитателей, так и всех членов администрации и профессорско-преподавательской корпорации.

In article communication between the changes of external character happening to entrants and the pedagogical problems facing educational service of spiritual educational institutions reveals. Such factors as Decrease in age and the social and psychological maturity arriving decrease in an educational role of collective and poslushaniye, deterioration in physical and mental health of pupils involve a new pedagogical situation which demands attentive correction of efforts both tutors, and all members of administration and professorial corporation.
Transnational practices of migrants from post-Soviet states in Russia
Authors: Endryushko Anna
Published: November 2021

For the first time, using quantitative survey data, the author analyze prevalence of the main transnational practices of migrants from the post-Soviet states in the Moscow region. The empirical basis of the study consists  of the sociological surveys of migrants conducted in 2017 and 2020 by the Center for Ethnopolitical and Regional Studies for the Higher School of Economics and the team of the Center for the Study of Interethnic Relations of the IS FCTAS RAS . The author concludes that close relationships exist between migrants and their countries of origin, as well as the widespread prevalence of transnational practices. The basis of ties consists of frequent trips to the country of origin, the presence of a large number of relatives in the country of origin, regular communication with them, as well as regular cash transfers from migrants to their homeland, which form the basis of the household economy in these countries. The relationship of some transnational practices (including remittances) with the long-term migration strategies of the respondents suggests that the reorientation of migration from short-term to long-term will also reduce the scale of transnationalism.
Specifics and Actors of the Drone Warfare
Authors: Balakleets Natalia
Published: November 2021

The article reveals the features of modern military conflicts waged with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). Author traces the transformation of identity of fighters participating in high-tech wars. While the identity of combatants in conventional wars can be described with “killing- being killed” structure, post-heroic drone warfare leads to the formation of a split identity: on the one hand, a combatant reliably protected from mortal risks and threats, on the other hand, his defenseless victim. Author also studies the features of panoptic surveillance carried out with the drones. It is shown that modern war is entering the phase of unprecedented asymmetric confrontation, which cannot be overcome solely by technical means.
On Some Aspects of the Foreign Exchange Influence on Socio-Economic Tendencies
Authors: Ershov Mikhail V.
Published: November 2021

World’s financial markets have undergone significant changes in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 contributed to increased volatility in the markets and increased uncertainty about future development. At the same time, the currency sphere is still one of the most important for maintaining stability in the economy and is a successful exit from the crisis. As the article indicates, in times of crisis the national currencies of emerging markets and developing countries experience increased volatility and tendencies towards depreciation. Raising interest rates of the leading countries’s central banks can destabilize the situation in the foreign exchange markets, especially in developing countries. The article shows the advantages and disadvantages of the appreciation and depreciation of the national currency. Currency depreciation negatively impacts poverty and inequality across countries. The increased volatility of the national currency has a negative impact on the development of the economy. At the same time in Russia, where volatility has also increased and the ruble has depreciated, there are significant opportunities to ensure a stable ruble. In the current conditions of high uncertainty in world markets, anti-Russian sanctions and the importance of strengthening internal foundations of the economy, the use of a wide range of mechanisms to ensure the stability of the currency sphere is especially important. Moreover, Russian regulators do have such opportunities.
Історичні нариси буріння нафтових і газових свердловин – від проєкту до практики (погляд з минулого в майбутнє)
Authors: Stefurak R. I. , Yaremiychuk R. S.
Published: November 2021

У статті висвітлено історію становлення й розвитку буріння глибоких нафтових і газових свердловин в Україні впродовж останнього сторіччя. Особливої уваги надано як бурінню надглибоких вертикальних свердловин завглибшки понад 6000 метрів, так і розгалужено-горизонтальних свердловин на суші й на морі.На думку авторів, проєкти буріння експлуатаційних свердловин мають складатися з двох частин, перша з яких передбачає забезпечення максимальної швидкості буріння, а друга – якісного розкриття продуктивних горизонтів.Втілюючи в життя ці частини проєкту, рекомендується використовувати сервісну систему виконання окремих видів робіт. Передусім це стосується регулювання властивостей промивальних рідин, процесів кріплення стінок свердловини, відновлення фільтраційних характеристик пластів-колекторів.Для вивчення надр із застосуванням новітніх технологій буріння доцільно було б заново переглянути геологічну інформацію з буріння найглибшої в Україні свердловини Шевченково-1 та запроєктувати буріння її аналога з порівнянною глибиною.Описано унікальний вітчизняний досвід буріння похило-скерованих і горизонтальних свердловин під час розбурювання Одеського газоконденсатного родовища на шельфі Чорного моря через регулювання тиску в разі розкриття пласта. Автори запропонували новітню технологію зменшення тиску в процесі експлуатації свердловин у воронках депресії. Технологія пройшла промислове випробування.Отриманий досвід можна застосувати під час буріння на інших родовищах Чорного моря.На переконання авторів, уряд має подбати про збільшення фінансування науково-технічних програм і заходів зі стабілізації й нарощування видобутку нафти й газу, зокрема й завдяки бурінню нових глибоких свердловин, відновленню фонду законсервованих свердловин та інтенсифікації роботи свердловин на виснажених родовищах.
Регулювання процесу обводнення газоконденсатних покладів шляхом циклічного нагнітання діоксиду вуглецю
Authors: Matkivskyi S. V.
Published: November 2021

Результати численних досліджень засвідчують високу ефективність регулювання процесу надходження пластової води в продуктивні поклади через нагнітання невуглеводневих газів поблизу початкового контуру газоносності. Для вдосконалення наявних технологій розробки газоконденсатних родовищ за водонапірного режиму досліджено ефективність циклічного нагнітання діоксиду вуглецю в продуктивні поклади. Розрахунки проведено для різної тривалості циклу нагнітання діоксиду вуглецю з використанням основних інструментів гідродинамічного моделювання Eclipse та Petrel компанії “Schlumberger”. За результатами розрахунків встановлено, що збільшення тривалості циклу нагнітання діоксиду вуглецю призводить до зменшення тривалості періоду розробки покладу до моменту прориву діоксиду вуглецю. Швидкий прорив невуглеводневого газу до видобувних свердловин призводить до їхнього відключення для забезпечення кондиції видобувного газу галузевим стандартам. Це також призводить до зниження технологічних показників розробки продуктивних покладів. Однак, аналізуючи результати досліджень, варто зазначити, що нагнітання діоксиду вуглецю в поклад на початковому газоводяному контакті сповільнює надходження пластової води в газонасичені горизонти. За результатами оброблення розрахункових даних оптимальне значення тривалості циклу нагнітання діоксиду вуглецю в поклад становить 7,89 місяця. Кінцевий коефіцієнт газовилучення для оптимального значення тривалості циклу нагнітання становитиме 64,14 %, а під час розробки на виснаження – 54,31 %. Результати проведених досліджень свідчать про технологічну ефективність нагнітання діоксиду вуглецю в продуктивний поклад на межі початкового газоводяного контакту для регулювання процесу надходження законтурних вод у газонасичені горизонти та збільшення кінцевого коефіцієнта вилучення газу.
Blue Water Footprint and Grey Water Footprint Assessment of Block-Printed Batik-Making Process Coloured by Indigo (Indigofera sp.), Tingi (Ceriops sp.) and Mahogany (Swietenia sp.) Dyes
Authors: Widianarko Budi , Handayani Widhi , Pratiwi Alberta Rika
Published: November 2021

The Indonesian batik, which is usually produced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) often consumes a lot of water and causing environmental pollution. Therefore, a study to map the water use for batik production is required. This study examines the Blue Water Footprint (BWF) and Grey Water Footprint (GWF) of block-printed batik making-process coloured by Indigo ( Indigofera sp.), Mahogany ( Swietenia sp.) and Tingi ( Ceriops sp.) dyes produced by a batik SME in Jarum village of Klaten Regency, Indonesia. The average BWF of block-printed batik making-process coloured by natural dyes was lower than the GWF and Indigo consumes more water in dyeing, followed by Tingi and Mahogany. The dyeing process consumes less water for BWF (2.96 L/pc), while the biggest portion of BWF was contributed from the wax removal process (152.81 L/pc). Implementation of cleaner production by managing the grey water, such as the implementation of communal Wastewater Treatment Plant, adopting water conservation strategies and educating the craftsmen are necessary to achieve batik and water resource sustainability.
Application of Multivariate Statistical Methods and Water Quality Index for the Evaluation of Surface Water Quality in the Cunas River Basin, Peru
Authors: Dominguez Franco Henry , Custodio María , Peñaloza Richard , De la Cruz Heidi
Published: November 2021

Watershed management requires information that allows the intervention of possible sources that affect aquatic systems. Surface water quality in the Cunas river basin (Peru) was evaluated using multivariate statistical methods and the CCME-WQI water quality index. Twenty-seven sampling sites were established in the Cunas River and nine sites in the tributary river. Water samples were collected in two contrasting climatic seasons and the CCME-WQI was determined based on physicochemical and bacteriological parameters. The PCA generated three PC with a cumulative explained variation of 78.28 %. The generalised linear model showed strong significant positive relationships ( p < 0.001) of E. coli with Fe, nitrate, Cu and TDS, and a strong significant negative relationship ( p < 0.001) with pH. Overall, the CCME-WQI showed the water bodies in the upper reaches of the Cunas River as good water quality (87.07), in the middle reaches as favourable water quality (67.65) and in the lower reaches as poor water quality (34.86). In the tributary, the CCME-WQI showed the water bodies as having good water quality (82.34).
Application of GIS in Rainwater Harvesting Research: A Scoping Review
Authors: Preeti Preeti , Rahman Ataur
Published: November 2021

The spatial and temporal variability of quantity and quality of water are important aspects of water resources management. Water demand has been increasing across the globe, but the fresh water supply is limited. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems are increasingly being embraced as an alternative freshwater source. This study reviews the dynamics of global research on RWH that utilises geographic information systems (GIS). It is found that the interest and use of RWH utilising GIS have increased over the recent years. However, the full potential of GIS in large scale RWH is yet to be untapped. We make recommendations for future research on RWH based on GIS. This includes new software and model development that links RWH with GIS to plan and design large scale RWH and automated building footprint extraction for estimating RWH potential. GIS can play a bigger role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by incorporating GIS with RWH since GIS can handle large spatial data efficiently, which can help in locating areas that are suitable for rainwater harvesting.
Energy Use and Carbon Footprint for Potable Water Treatment in Haiderpur Water Treatment Plant, Delhi, India
Authors: Singh S.K. , Sharma Artika , Singh Darshika , Chopra Ritika
Published: November 2021

With the advent of the environmentally conscious decision-making period, the carbon footprint of any engineering project becomes an important consideration. Despite this, the carbon footprint associated with water resource projects is often overlooked. Water production, its supply and treatment processes involve significant energy consumption and thus, are source of emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) which contribute to global warming. The emissions are not direct but come as a by-product of burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity to carry out these processes. Since water demand is continuous and keeps on rising, the quantification of carbon footprint associated with the water industry is vital. This paper studies and attempts to quantify the carbon footprint of one such urban water system, that is the Haiderpur Water Treatment Plant in Delhi, capital region of India by using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology and evaluate its performance from the point of view of energy consumption and make suggestions.
Economic Feasibility Study of Community Scale Reverse Osmosis Plants in Jaipur, Rajasthan
Authors: Tambi Ashok , Gupta A.B. , Upadhyaya Sushant
Published: November 2021

This study presents a performance analysis in terms of energy and other costs related to the unit cost of water produced in 16 identical community scale reverse osmosis units installed at Jaipur. The energy consumptions indicated that these plants suffer from accelerated fouling of membranes due to scaling by hardness causing substances, which results in a significant loss of useful life of the membranes.

The study shows that the overall cost of water production has four major components. Energy cost varies between Rs. 0.025 and 0.079 per litre. Salary cost varies between Rs. 0.04 to 0.20 per litre. Spares and chemical cost varies between Rs. 0.01 to 0.04 per litre. In addition, repayment of capital invested has also been considered with and without solar integration to arrive at realistic cost estimates over a perceived life cycle of the system. The breakeven achieved by selling 4600–5200 litre water @ Rs. 0.2 per litre per day if repayment of capital investment is not considered, as these units were installed under CSR, while it varies between 8800 and 9600 litre if repayment of capital investment is also considered as an independent business venture. This analysis substantiates that potential exists for the long-term sustainability of these systems.
Appraisal of Variation in Particulate Pollution Loading with a Change Induced by Anthropogenic Cultural Activity Over a South Indian City-Visakhapatnam
Authors: Chandu Kavitha , Akasapu Dharma Raju , Kumar Samudrala Venkata Jagannadha , Dasari Madhavaprasad
Published: November 2021

The study focusses on the variation of air quality assessed from mass concentrations of air pollutants in the year 2020 (particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3)) amidst COVID–19 restrictions on firework activity during Diwali festive period in Visakhapatnam city. The results are compared with 2018 and 2019. The results indicate that the firework activity affected ambient air quality. The effect is lower in 2020 than in 2018 and even in 2019. In 2019, the effect is lower compared to 2018 due to the washout of pollutants caused by unusual rains on those days.
Novel Method Development for Extraction and Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Human Serum Samples
Authors: Kottadiyil Divya , Deore Shital , Sivaperumal P.
Published: November 2021

In recent years, exposure to pesticides has gained widespread attention due to their adverse health effects. Long-term exposure to pesticides has shown hazardous effects on vital functions of the human nervous and reproductive systems. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the extent of pesticide exposure in humans. Primarily, it is quite challenging to determine trace levels of pesticide residues in biological matrices. Hence, a quick, multi-residue extraction procedure was experimented for pesticide residue analysis in human serum. Herein, the original QuEChERS extraction method was modified for achieving the best possible recoveries. A total of 15 representative pesticides from each class were selected and fortified into the human serum samples. The extraction was performed by employing acidified solution containing acetonitrile and ethyl acetate followed by vortex and centrifugation. The obtained aqueous layer was collected and vapourised to dryness and d-SPE clean-up was conducted utilising PSA. The extracted sample was injected into the GC-MS/MS system under MRM mode. The method development parameters such as linearity, % RSD, accuracy, LOD, LOQ and % ME were assessed. The results obtained for the serum matrix were found to be within the criteria mentioned in European Union SANTE/12682/2019 guidelines for method validation. The developed solitary method is quick, simple and highly efficient for routine pesticide residue analysis. Hence, a wide spectrum of pesticides can be analysed utilising the proposed method for human serum.
Antioxidant, Antiprotoscolices Activity of Ethanolic Extracts of Some Medicinal Plants Against Echinococcus granulosus as Eco-friendly System
Authors: Abed Amer , Ibrahim Orooba
Published: November 2021

The principal objective of the study is to investigate the use of Mentha spicata, Thymus vulgaris and Ocimum basilicum as a good alternative option to Antiprotoscolices in-vitro. Hydatid disease, a zoonotic parasitic infection caused by Echinococcus granulosus, an important economic and human public health problem with a wide geographical distribution. Fertile hydatid cysts were collected from livestock and the viability of the protoscolices was confirmed. Protoscolices were subjected to four different concentrations of organic extracts (12.5, 25, 50 and 75 mg/ml) for 10, 20 and 30 min. Each extract was investigated and viability of the protoscolices was tested using 0.1% eosin staining. The highest efficacy was by T. vulgaris, M. spicata (100%), and O. basilicum (98.8%) respectively, after exposure of 20 minutes at 75 mg/ml, that lead to the significant reduction in the viability of protoscolices. The extract had time-dependent effect. Phytochemical were identified qualitatively and weighted quantitatively, that help in the identification of bioactive compounds involved in selective action on the protoscolices tegument layer. In conclusion, all the selected medicinal plants could be a promising source of potent antiprotoscolices effect. The mechanism by which plant extracts killed protoscolices and also their safety for living cells are unclear and need to be investigated further.
Green Biosynthesis of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Testing Their Inhibitory Efficacy Against Some Pathogens
Authors: Kaduim Doaa , Mahmoud Zaid , Mousa Falah
Published: November 2021

The biosynthesis of iron oxide (Fe2O3, also known as haematite) nano particles (NPs) using Hydra helix and Beta vulgaris aqueous extracts were adduced, respectively, where the extracts act as a stabiliser and reductant reagent. The crystal structure and size of particles were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), while the morphology was examined using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), XRD patterns showed the synthesised nanoparticles with well-crystallised structure from Beta vulgaris extract with size 12 nm, while the results by using Hydra helix showed many peaks back to Goethite phase with 16 nm. The antibacterial and antifungal activity were examined using Staphylococcus (showed inhibition zone diameter 23 mm, 16 mm using Hydra helix and Beta vulgaris, respectively), E. coli (showed no inhibition) and Candida fungi (showed inhibition zone 16 mm, 11 mm using Hydra helix and Beta vulgaris, respectively).
Study on Treatment of Blood from Abattoir using Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) Technology with Production of Green Energy
Authors: Sreedharan Sanju
Published: November 2021

Zero energy technologies and sustainable energy production are the two major concerns of present day researches. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bioreactors that extract chemical energy stored in organic compounds, into electric potential, through bio-degradation. The core reason for the high strength of effluent generated from slaughterhouses is animal blood. The current study evaluates the potential of MFC technology to reduce the pollution strength of cattle blood in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD). The current study was piloted in three stages using lab scale two chambered MFC: The first stage was to determine the best oxidising agent as compared to natural aeration from three accessible options, KMnO4, diffused aeration and tape grass aquatic plant. KMnO4 was found to be the superlative with a 30% reduction in COD in 100 hrs batch reactor and a maximum power of 0.97 mW using 125 mL livestock blood. The second stage of the study optimised the concentration of KMnO4. At 500 mg/L KMnO4 concentration, 50% COD removal efficiency was acquired in a batch reactor of 60 hrs with an average energy output of 1.3 mW. In the final stage on the addition of coconut shell activated carbon with an Anolyte at a rate of 40 mL/125 mL of substrate COD removal efficiency increased to 74.9%.
DOLCE: A descriptive ontology for linguistic and cognitive engineering1
Authors: Borgo Stefano , Ferrario Roberta , Gangemi Aldo , Guarino Nicola , Masolo Claudio , Porello Daniele , Sanfilippo Emilio M. , Vieu Laure
Published: November 2021

dolce, the first top-level (foundational) ontology to be axiomatized, has remained stable for twenty years and today is broadly used in a variety of domains. dolce is inspired by cognitive and linguistic considerations and aims to model a commonsense view of reality, like the one human beings exploit in everyday life in areas as diverse as socio-technical systems, manufacturing, financial transactions and cultural heritage. dolce clearly lists the ontological choices it is based upon, relies on philosophical principles, is richly formalized, and is built according to well-established ontological methodologies, e.g. OntoClean. Because of these features, it has inspired most of the existing top-level ontologies and has been used to develop or improve standards and public domain resources (e.g. CIDOC CRM, DBpedia and WordNet). Being a foundational ontology, dolce is not directly concerned with domain knowledge. Its purpose is to provide the general categories and relations needed to give a coherent view of reality, to integrate domain knowledge, and to mediate across domains. In these 20 years dolce has shown that applied ontologies can be stable and that interoperability across reference and domain ontologies is a reality. This paper briefly introduces the ontology and shows how to use it on a few modeling cases.
Schrödinger–Poisson system with zero mass and convolution nonlinearity in R2
Authors: Yang Heng
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we prove the existence of nontrivial solutions and ground state solutions for the following planar Schrödinger–Poisson system with zero mass [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is the Riesz potential, [Formula: see text] is of subcritical exponential growth in the sense of Trudinger–Moser. In particular, some new ideas and analytic technique are used to overcome the double difficulties caused by the zero mass case and logarithmic convolution potential.
Muscarinic Receptors Expression in the Peripheral Blood Cells Differentiate Dementia with Lewy Bodies from Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Reale Marcella , Carrarini Claudia , Russo Mirella , Dono Fedele , Ferri Laura , Di Pietro Martina , Costantini Erica , Porreca Annamaria , Di Nicola Marta , Onofrj Marco , Bonanni Laura
Published: November 2021

Background: Central nervous system disruption of cholinergic (ACh) signaling, which plays a major role in cognitive processes, is well documented in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The expression of muscarinic ACh receptors type 1 and 4 (CHRM1 and CHRM4) has been reported to be altered in the brain of DLB patients. Objective: We aim to assess the peripheral gene expression of CHRM1 and 4 in DLB as a possible marker as compared to AD and healthy control (HC) subjects. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from 21 DLB, 13 AD, and 8 HC matched subjects. RT-PCR was performed to estimate gene expression of CHRM1 and CHRM4. Results: Peripheral CHRM1 expression was higher and CHRM4 was lower in DLB and AD compared to HC, whereas both CHRM1 and CHRM4 levels were higher in AD compared to DLB patients. Receiver operating characteristics curves, with logistic regression analysis, showed that combining peripheral CHRM1 and CHRM4 levels, DLB and AD subjects were classified with an accuracy of 76.0%. Conclusion: Alterations of peripheral CHRM1 and CHRM4 was found in both AD and DLB patients as compared to HC. CHRM1 and CHRM4 gene expression resulted to be lower in DLB patients compared to AD. In the future, peripheral CHRM expression could be studied as a possible marker of neurodegenerative conditions associated with cholinergic deficit and a possible marker of response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.
One-of-a-kind Production in Cyber-Physical Production Systems Considering Machine Failures
Authors: Vinci Carlavan Guido , Rossit Daniel Alejandro
Published: November 2021

Industry 4.0 proposes the incorporation of information technologies at all levels of the production process. By incorporating these technologies, Industry 4.0 provides new tools for production planning processes, allowing to address problems in an innovative and efficient manner. From these technologies and tools, it is that in this work a One-of-a-Kind Production (OKP) process is approached, where the products tend to be highly customized. OKP implies working with a very large variability within production, demanding very efficient planning systems. For this, a planning model based on CONWIP-type strategies was proposed, which seeks to level the production of a shop floor configured in the form of a job shop. Even more, for having a more realistic shop-floor representation, machine failures have been included in the model. In turn, different dispatching rules were proposed to study the performance and analyze the behaviour of the system. From the results obtained, it is observed that, when the production demand is very exigent in relation with the capacity of the system, the dispatching rules that analyze the workload generated by each job tend to perform better. However, when the demand on the capacity of the production system is less intense, the rules associated with due dates are the ones that obtain the best results.
Remote Run-Time Failure Detection and Recovery Control For Quadcopters
Authors: Shahsavari Sajad , Rabah Mohammed , Immonen Eero , Haghbayan Mohammad-Hashem , Plosila Juha
Published: November 2021

We propose an adaptive run-time failure recovery control system for quadcopter drones, based on remote real-time processing of measurement data streams. Particularly, the measured RPM values of the quadcopter motors are transmitted to a remote machine which hosts failure detection algorithms and performs recovery procedure. The proposed control system consists of three distinct parts: (1) A set of computationally simple PID controllers locally onboard the drone, (2) a set of computationally more demanding remotely hosted algorithms for real-time drone state detection, and (3) a digital twin co-execution software platform — the ModelConductor-eXtended — for two-way signal data exchange between the former two. The local on-board control system is responsible for maneuvering the drone in all conditions: path tracking under normal operation and safe landing in a failure state. The remote control system, on the other hand, is responsible for detecting the state of the drone and communicating the corresponding control commands and controller parameters to the drone in real time. The proposed control system concept is demonstrated via simulations in which a drone is represented by the widely studied Quad-Sim six degrees-of-freedom Simulink model. Results show that the trained failure detection binary classifier achieves a high level of performance with F1-score of 96.03%. Additionally, time analysis shows that the proposed remote control system, with average execution time of 0.49 milliseconds and total latency of 6.92 milliseconds in two-way data communication link, meets the real-time constraints of the problem. The potential practical applications for the presented approach are in drone operation in complex environments such as factories (indoor) or forests (outdoor).
Identification and Assessment of Obsolescence in the Early Stages of System Design
Authors: Salas Cordero Sophia , Zolghadri Marc , Vingerhoeds Rob , Baron Claude
Published: November 2021

Obsolescence is the fact that an entity (physical or logical) is becoming outdated or no longer possesses the required level of performance. The objectives of this article are twofold. First, it is intended to contribute to the understanding of obsolescence propagation. Secondly, two supporting approaches for the Identification and Assessment phases are proposed: the House of Obsolescence and the System Obsolescence Criticality Analysis. The former allows the mapping of obsolescence propagation via dependencies, whether imposed changes are desired or imposed, by external actors to the system architecture. Whereas, the objective of the latter is to assign an obsolescence criticality index to the identified risks in order to prioritize them for solution or mitigation determination during the analysis phase. The tools make extensive use of the modeled system knowledge through the application of Systems Engineering. The application of these approaches is presented through an illustrative study.
Research Strategy in 4D Printing: Disruptive vs Incremental?
Authors: Demoly Frédéric , André Jean-Claude
Published: November 2021

The paper aims at presenting 4D printing as a research-intensive technology from a critical external perspective. It provides a comprehensive discussion on the possible future of this emerging domain and also highlights weaknesses and strengths of applying a disruptive or incremental research strategy. Most scientific research efforts in 4D printing contribute to developing the spectrum of possible changes by investigating stimulus/smart materials combinations with additive manufacturing technologies. Although the current results are spectacular, the performances are still far from the basic requirements expected in the industry. The paper highlights the current limitations and trends towards incremental research strategies and argues in favor of risk-taking and the disruptive nature of research to make leaps that benefit society. Even if transgressive promises are associated with this technology with high growth potential in academic research, where creativity is involved and related invention derived, targeted applications are far from being achieved leading to a risk of the slow death of the field and unsatisfactory innovation. Based on this assessment, it appears that close fields in a situation of possible disciplinary porosity can – with a little openness and some creativity – move away from the current highly self-centered work to try to rekindle 4D printing, provided that risk-taking in interdisciplinary research is better supported. If creativity and interdisciplinary project management for innovation are to be promoted, the organizational context must be conducive to risk-taking for this redeployment.
Some results on fuzzy relations
Authors: Wang Yini , Wang Sichun
Published: November 2021

Fuzzy relation is one of the main research contents of fuzzy set theory. This paper obtains some results on fuzzy relations by studying relationships between fuzzy relations and their uncertainty measurement. The concepts of equality, dependence, partial dependence and independence between fuzzy relations are first introduced. Then, uncertainty measurement for a fuzzy relation is investigated by using dependence between fuzzy relations. Moreover, the basic properties of uncertainty measurement are obtained. Next, effectiveness analysis is carried out. Finally, an application of the proposed measures in attribute reduction for heterogeneous data is given. These results will be helpful for understanding the essence of a fuzzy relation.