bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic riding and subdisciplines in Germany: An explorative study on commonalities and differences using focus group methodology
Authors: Stolz Isabel , Anneken Volker , Tillmann Vera , Froboese Ingo
Published: February 2023

Different forms of physical, mental, and psychosocial therapy approaches with the involvement of horses were established historically and include various subdisciplines of therapeutic practice on the horse. In the international discourse, subdisciplines are not clearly distinguished when describing therapy content, processes and goals, which could lead to a lack of clarity in understanding for the professional and public community. Disciplines are united by the holistic, resource-orientated view, considering biopsychosocial aspects for an improvement of the performance of activities and participation. Therapeutic objectives focus on function-orientated physiological or psychosocial approaches depending on underlying therapeutic schools and therapeutic orientations, which should be distinguished more clearly in the international discourse. This explorative study aims to contribute to the development of theory in the scientific discourse, based on a German perspective. For this purpose, commonalities, and differences between Therapeutic Riding and subdisciplines have been elaborated based on four focus groups with experts and therapists using qualitative content analysis (in total 17 participants). The results stress that therapy processes are based on common movement-specific principles such as the movement dialogue and relational triangle between the client, the therapist and the horse, from which the different approaches focus on differentiated targets in mental, motor and psychosocial areas. Common clear-cut terminology and standardization in therapy could differentiate targets and intended effects of therapeutic riding more precisely. This could contribute to clarifying effect factors for certain target groups and increase evidence-based assessment of therapy outcomes.
Trends in the Terrorist Threats Against Türkiye and Its Counterterrorism Measures
Authors: Sinai Joshua
Published: February 2023

To assess the magnitude of the terrorist threats facing Türkiye and the nature and effectiveness of its counterterrorism (CT) campaign, this analysis is divided into two parts. The first part presents an overview of the terrorist threats facing the country by the major terrorist groups that threaten it. The second part provides an overview of the government’s security agencies involved in the CT campaign and an assessment of their response measures vis-à-vis the spectrum of terrorist threats facing the country.
Between Crises and Fragile Stability: Türkiye-Israel Affairs
Authors: Adısönmez Umut Can , Öztığ Laçin İdil
Published: February 2023

Since the establishment of Israel, the Turkish-Israeli relations have been marked by continuous periods of swings – from crises to cooperation and back. This article aims to shed light on the turbulent bilateral ties by focusing on the role of the current Justice and Development Party (JDP) rule in Türkiye. In doing so, it firstly provides a background on the two countries’ relations, covering the period between their foundational years and 2002. Secondly, it explores a series of significant crises against which the Turkish-Israeli relations reached an all-time low starting with the Operation Cast Lead in 2008. Given the recent developments unfolding in Türkiye’s domestic sphere and its close geography, this work lastly assesses the impact of the Abraham Accords in 2020 on bilateral relations and speculates about the future trajectories.
Warm Peace in the Making – Examining P2p Relations Two Years to The Abraham Accords
Authors: Boms Nir , Khuzaie Ahmed
Published: February 2023

The Abraham Accords have offered a new and different model for regional relations and already shaped a different reality in the region by offering a dynamic of cooperation in just about all fields: business, security, diplomacy, tourism, and People-to-People (P2P) relations. However, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to bridge building between people and cultures following decades of animosity and some of the initial effort to build these bridges had actually backfired. This article seeks to analyze the challenges and opportunities of P2P relations under the framework of the Abraham Accords and to point toward a more constructive path that will enable them to develop and flourish.
The Changing Dynamics of Israel's Foreign Policy
Authors: Kılıçer Aybars Arda
Published: February 2023

Israel, formally known as "The State of Israel," was established on 14 May 1948, and has since played a pivotal role in international affairs, particularly in the politics of the Middle East and North Africa. Israel's relations with its Arab neighbors have been tense for decades, and a lasting peace has never appeared more likely. Yet, we already live in a time of perpetual change, and naturally, the politics of Israel and the surrounding region of the Middle East and North Africa are not immune to this pattern. Realizing this, TPQ decided to focus on the Changing Dynamics of Israel's Foreign Policy in its upcoming Fall 2022 issue.
DEEP NEURAL NETWORKS APPLICATIONS IN THE STUDY OF A GEOLOGICAL INDICATOR
Authors:   University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski”, Arsova-Borisova Kremena , Hristov Veselin ,   University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski”
Published: February 2023

The differences between shallow neural networks and deep neural networks are considered. Data from operational exploration of an open pit mine are used to train different types of deep neural networks to predict a useful indicator. The results of deep network training are compared both with each other and with previous results obtained from the training of shallow neural networks. The errors in training and testing of the models according to the number of layers and nodes in the networks are analysed.
SUSTAINABLY DEVELOPING MINING, BENEFICIATION AND METALLURGICAL ENTERPRISES ACCORDING TO UN AND EU REQUIREMENTS
Authors:   Bulgaria, Sofia 1111, Schipchenski prohod Str. 11, Ilchev Lyubomir , Davcheva-Ilcheva Nadezhda ,   Bulgaria, Sofia 1111, Schipchenski prohod Str. 11
Published: February 2023

Sustainable development helps the transition of industrial enterprises from "open" to "closed" type of economy, solving their contradictions with the environment and the biosphere. Therefore, the future belongs to those industrial plants that will comply with and put into practice the concept of sustainable development. The authors propose a conditional structural and functional schemes for mining, beneficiation and metallurgical enterprises in accordance with the requirements of the main UN and EU documents for sustainable development. Management, as a major production factor, together with one of its main tools - feedback, have the task to change the ongoing processes to this desired goal. A network of industrial indicators accounting for the effectiveness of systems management and the progress made is also pointed out.
OPTIMISATION OF THE PARAMETERS OF CYCLICAL-STREAMING TECHNOLOGY IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF KRYVBAS IRON ORE DEPOSITS
Authors:   Kryvyi Rih National University, Ukraine, Kryvyi Rih, Joukov Serhii , Lutsenko Serhii ,   Kryvyi Rih National University, Ukraine, Kryvyi Rih, Hryhoriev Yulian ,   Kryvyi Rih National University, Ukraine, Kryvyi Rih, Shvets Ehor ,   Kryvyi Rih National University, Ukraine, Kryvyi Rih, Onika Siarhei ,   Belarusian National Technical University, Republic of Belarus, Minsk, Babiy Ekaterina ,   Institute of Geotechnical Mechanics named by N. Poljakov., Ukraine, Dnipro
Published: February 2023

Purpose. The state of open-pit mining, formed at Ukrainian enterprises, as well as the state of the mineral raw materials market require the search for new, more economically feasible approaches to open mining operations. Such a solution is the widespread use of cyclical-streaming technology. The aim of the paper is to research the interconnection between the main technological parameters of cyclical-streaming technology. Scientific novelty. In the paper relationships are established and the rational values of the parameters of the cyclical-streaming technology are determined, which contributes to improving the economic indicators of deposit development. Practical significance. The mathematical modelling of the main parameters of the cyclical-streaming technology is fulfilled. The obtained results of studies of the main parameters of the cyclical-streaming technology can be used by project organisations and mining enterprises in the design. Research results. The comparison of optimal indicators of operation of the excavator-automobile complex and cyclical-streaming technology is performed, as a result of which the economic expediency of the latter was confirmed. It has been established that increasing the carrying capacity of more than 136 tons at the current level of development of machinery and technology in iron ore open-pits in most cases is not appropriate. At the same time, the influence of the efficiency of the excavator unit on the performance of the cyclical-streaming technology in general was investigated. As a result, it was established that the best technical and economic indicators will be reached using the EKG-10 excavator. In this case, the geometric capacity of the dump truck body must correspond to the capacity of the bucket, and the load capacity is up to 130 tons. Thus, the study confirms the technological parameters of the cyclical-streaming technology that have been developed in the open-pits of the mining and processing plants of Kryvbas region.
OPTIMISATION OF LOCATION AND PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS FOR THE CRUSHING AND TRANSFER STATIONS IN THE DEEP OPEN PIT MINES
Authors:   Kryvyi Rih National University, 50027 Ukraine Kryvyi Rih, Vilkul Yuriy , Slobodyanyuk Valeriy ,   Kryvyi Rih National University, 50027 Ukraine Kryvyi Rih, Мaximov Ivan ,   Kryvyi Rih National University, 50027 Ukraine Kryvyi Rih
Published: February 2023

When designing the strip mining methods at the deep open pits at the stage of preliminary studies, it is necessary to determine the optimum number and succession of relocation of crushing and transfer stations while developing the open pit. This cuts the transport costs and reduces the number of dump trucks required. An analytical dependence has been established to determine the optimum number of transfer points with their uniform location along the length and height of the open pit working area. The features of changes in the basic technological parameters of truck operation, depending on the number of crushing and transfer stations, the open pit size and output are studied. The conditions for simultaneous use of several crushing and transfer stations, their optimum number and performance have been determined; the economic benefits of using the flowcharts with multiple transfer points have been estimated. Optimisation of the number of transfer points reduces the required capacity of each crushing and transfer plant of up to 10-20 million tons/year. Reducing the required capacity of transfer points makes it possible to equip them with primary jaw crushers.
Carbon nanodots as light-activated peroxidase nanozyme for eco-friendly leaching of copper from scrap
Authors:   University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski”, Arahangelova Velichka , Loukanov Alexandre ,   University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski”,   Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, National Institute of Technology, Gunma College, 580 Toriba, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8530 Japan
Published: February 2023

The copper is the second largest strategic raw material. Since there is a huge gap between copper production and consumption, a green and eco-sustainable recycling technology is necessary that is able to process the copper from secondary sources of waste and scraps. Here we demonstrate the photo-oxidising properties of pyrrolic nitrogen-dominated carbon nanodots as eco-friendly and powerful oxidase-mimicking nanozyme for leaching of copper from metal scrap under irradiation with either ultraviolet or natural sun light (average intensity of 59 000 lux). The ultra-small nanoparticles with diameter < 5 nm were prepared by 600 W microwave-assisted pyrolysis, which might be considered as energy efficient synthetic method. The developed strategy enables to dissolve Cu metal at neutral pH range (between 5.1 – 8.3) and it might break the pH limitation for recycling of copper in the conventional chemical methods, where toxic and corrosive substances are used. The obtained yield was about 5 %, which is still not satisfactory for practical application in recycle technology. Nevertheless, according to our knowledge there is not any other reported photosensitizer nanozyme, which is capable to induce oxidation and dissolving of copper under natural light irradiation of neutral leaching solution.
Comparison of simulation model and plant data of a crushing-grinding circuit
Authors:   University of Nevada Reno, USA, Duru Naci
Published: February 2023

Increasing complexity of ore deposits requires operations to be continuously improving their cost competitiveness. Mathematical modelling and process simulation techniques are useful tools to understand the process, define bottlenecks and increase process efficiencies. This paper presents a crushing and grinding circuit of a chromite ore gravity separation plant’ simulation model results and actual plant operating data. Throughout the study, jaw crusher, ball and rod mill summary equipment characteristics, breakage and selection functions employed, comparison of particle size distribution curves of site process streams to model results are presented. Simulation work is completed by using METSIM® software. The paper also showcases ease of flow diagram and process data presentation by the utilisation of the adequate simulation approach.
Study on the ferric iron adsorption from acid mine drainage on Lewatit resin in a fixed bed column
Authors:   University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski”, Georgiev Plamen
Published: February 2023

The study aimed to determine the effect of the acid mine drainages` flow rate on the iron adsorption by ion-exchange resin LEWATIT MonoPlus TP 207 in a fixed-bed column and to evaluate which widely used models describe that process better. The ferrous iron was preliminary chemically oxidised by H2O2 and Na2CO3 addition and increased pH to 3.50 combined with the solution purging with air. After assembling fixed-bed columns, their bed volume (BV) was determined. The treated mining solution was delivered to fixed-bed columns by a peristaltic pump at 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 BV flow rates. The iron adsorption efficiency on the LEWATIT resin was studied depending on the applied flow rate and the volume being treated. The experimental data obtained were modelled using the Bohart-Adams, Thomas, Yoon-Nelson, and Clark models. The results showed that at constant experimental conditions (temperature, ferric iron concentration, and pH), the applied flow rate had a significant effect on the parameters which are important from a practical (efficiency of iron removal, (Y); equilibrium iron and equilibrium copper contents of the resin, (qeq)) and a theoretical point of view (rate constants (kBA, kTh, kYN, r); time of breakthrough (τ)). The Yoon-Nelson and Clark models were the models that best fitted the experimental results.
Índice de Desenvolvimento da Educação do Estado de São Paulo – Idesp: resultados e metas estabelecidas
Authors: Gesqui Luiz Carlos
Published: February 2023

A Secretaria de Educação do Estado de São Paulo (Seduc-SP) lançou, em 2008, o Programa de Qualidade da Escola (PQE) com o objetivo de promover a melhoria da qualidade e a equidade do ensino nas mais de 5.000 escolas que compõem a rede pública paulista de ensino regular, e, para aferir essa qualidade, estabeleceu o Índice de Desenvolvimento da Educação do Estado de São Paulo (Idesp), um indicador estatístico que mensura a qualidade da educação oferecida a esses alunos e estabelece metas a serem alcançadas anualmente para cada escola e até 2030 para toda a rede, com o objetivo de cumprir o estabelecido legalmente, ou seja, garantir o direito fundamental de que todos os alunos aprendam com qualidade. Este artigo, de base documental, analisa as médias Idesp das três etapas de escolarização obtidas por essa rede no período de 2007 a 2019 e realiza, a partir dessas médias, quatro simulações para o período de 2020 a 2030. Os resultados obtidos sugerem, hipoteticamente, o não cumprimento do estabelecido legalmente para a atual política de qualidade da educação da rede pública paulista de ensino regular e, de modo especial, no que se refere aos anos finais do ensino fundamental e ao ensino médio. Conclui-se que tanto os resultados como as metas Idesp carecem de investigação científica por parte do campo acadêmico brasileiro e por parte da Seduc-SP, pois são elevadas as possibilidades de judicialização da qualidade da educação da rede pública paulista de ensino regular.
Experiências que marcaram a vida e a formação de bons professores de Ciências Biológicas
Authors: Dutra Leandro Barreto , Martines Elizabeth Antonia Leonel de Moraes
Published: February 2023

Na atualidade, muito se tem dito sobre a precariedade do sistema educacional brasileiro e da atuação de seus agentes. No entanto, desconfia-se dessa visão generalizada e por isso busca-se dar voz àqueles professores que desenvolvem, sem alardes, trabalhos docentes considerados relevantes e que podem se tornar inspiradores. O objetivo deste trabalho é conhecer as experiências que marcaram a vida e a formação de professores considerados bons professores pelos seus alunos. Fez-se uso de entrevistas narrativas individuais e da técnica de grupo focal com os três docentes mais citados pelos licenciandos de Ciências Biológicas em questionário aplicado previamente. A análise dos dados foi baseada na dinâmica interpretativa de Jerome Bruner para a construção de significados. Foi possível observar quatro marcas: desenvolvimento da responsabilidade e compromisso consigo e com o outro; experiências diferenciadas na disciplina de estágio supervisionado; relação afetiva com o conteúdo ministrado e porosidade e sensibilidade no encontro com o outro. Assim, recomenda-se atenção com a formação continuada de formadores, bem como, reformulações curriculares na formação inicial de professores que incluam experiências que possibilitem o desenvolvimento dessas marcas e outros saberes, bem como a necessidade de mais pesquisas sobre a formação de bons professores de ciências biológicas.
Las cicatrices del paisaje: cimarronaje colectivo y libertad en las tierras comunales de San Basilio de Palenque y La Bonga, norte de Colombia
Authors: Mantilla Oliveros Johana Caterina
Published: February 2023

A partir del análisis de fuentes de archivo, características del paisaje y evidencias arqueológicas propongo una lectura del paisaje de las tierras comunales de San Basilio de Palenque y la Bonga, en los montes de María, norte de Colombia. Se observan diversas tácticas de defensa y movilidad mediante las cuáles los cimarrones acceden a la tierra y mantienen su control en un contexto restrictivo como lo fue la esclavitud. Así, el surgimiento y desaparición de asentamientos apalencados, las modificaciones y alteraciones hechas al entorno, las evidencias cerámicas y las relaciones sostenidas por los habitantes de estos asentamientos aparecen como huellas, hendiduras y cicatrices inscriptas en un paisaje creado desde la fractura y la disrupción, pero articulado por procesos de negociación y reinvención cotidiana de la población allí asentada a lo largo del tiempo
Analytical and Theoretical Perspectives on Sport-Related VR Research: Spatial Presence Manipulation Guidelines
Authors: Kim Jihoon
Published: February 2023

As more scholars incorporate VR into their research, theoretical frameworks for empirical investigation and methodological guidelines for manipulation become more crucial. Because VR is a relatively new instrument and validating the implementation of VR can be challenging, scholars need to exercise caution when manipulating stimuli and measuring experimental conditions. Thus, the aim of the current essay is twofold: (a) address various methodological challenges (e.g., manipulation check) in recent VR studies and (b) discuss potential theoretical frameworks for future VR research in sport.
Perspectives on the Sports Analytics Revolution: An Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Kim Jun
Published: February 2023

The goal of this special issue is to add to the academic literature on analytics by offering a diverse array of perspectives on the use of analytics and technology in sports. Sticking with the overall scope of the Journal of Applied Sport Management, the “think pieces” in this special issue are meant to be grounded in existing scholarship while allowing the invited authors a great deal of originality and flexibility to consider what may be coming next and how we, as sport professionals and scholars, can be prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities that are on the horizon.
Analysis of the Impacts of Passenger Demand on the Profitability of Different Types of Urban Rail Transit
Authors: Zhou Qi , Mao Baohua , Peng Sairong , Huang Junsheng , Tian Peining
Published: February 2023

With the rapid development of urban rail transit (URT) in China, a contradiction between high costs and low passenger demand becomes prominent. Complete analysis of the impacts of passenger demand on the profitability of URT can be difficult to conduct, due to the multifaceted impact of passenger demand with multidimensional characteristics. To this end, we propose a strategy that helps to analyse the profitability of different types of URT, taking into account the spatial and temporal characteristics of demand. Based on data of the Shunde (SD) district in China, the profitability of metro, light rail transit (LRT), monorail and tram was evaluated. Results show the profitability under different demand levels. Tram might be the best choice at low demand levels. At medium demand levels, LRT and monorail are competitive. At high demand levels, LRT with medium to high capacity and low cost is a good alternative to metro, though the capacity of metro is higher. Utilizing the URT with high capacity under insufficient demand can aggravate the burden of depreciation, and make it hard to achieve profit. The spatial characteristics of the demand described in this paper reflect the problem of insufficient demand in marginal areas due to the diversified construction of URT.
Estimating Factors Influencing the Capacity of the Wide-Road-and-Narrow-Bridge Section Based on Random Forest
Authors: Li Hao , Guo Yahong
Published: February 2023

In order to promote the modernisation process of rural roads and improve road capacity, the problem of bottleneck sections of rural roads needs to be solved urgently. The phenomenon of wide-road-and-narrow-bridge sections is particularly prominent in rural roads. Based on this, this paper analyses the degree of influence of roadway one-way lane width, bridge deck oneway lane width, motorised vehicles to non-motorised vehicles ratio, and road-bridge connection dimension on the capacity of the wide-road-and-narrow-bridge section based on the combination of VISSIM simulation and random forest algorithm. The result of the coefficient of determination (R2) of the random forest-based capacity prediction model shows that the random forest fits the data very well; the degree of influence on the capacity is in descending order of the bridge deck one-way lane width, motorised vehicles to non-motorised vehicles ratio, roadway one-way lane width and the road-bridge connection dimension. The model can, on the one hand, provide a reference for  improving the capacity of bottleneck sections of rural roads; on the other hand, it can provide decision value for the order of measures to be taken when rural roads are rebuilt and expanded, according to the order of importance.
How Do Land Use, Built Environment and Transportation Facilities Affect Bike-Sharing Trip Destinations?
Authors: Jaber Ahmed , Csonka Bálint
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of land use, built environment and public transportation facilities’ locations on destinations of bike-sharing trips in an urban setting. Several methods have been applied to determine the relationship between predicting variables and trip destinations, such as ordinary least squares regression, spatial regression and geographically weighted regression. Additionally, a comparison between the proposed models, count models and random forest has been conducted. The data were collected in Budapest, Hungary. It has been found that touristic points of interest, and healthcare and educational points have a positive impact on bike-sharing destinations. Public transportation stops for buses, trains and trams attract bike-sharing users, which has a potential for the bike-and-ride system. Land use has different effects on bike-sharing trip destinations; mostly as a circular shape variation within the urban structure of the city, such as residential, industrial, commercial and educational zones. Other variables, such as road length and water areas, form as constraints to bike-sharing trip destinations. Geographically weighted and spatial regression performs better than count models and random forest. This study helps decision-makers in predicting the origin-destination matrix of bike-sharing trips based on the transportation network and land use.
Risk Assessment of Traffic Accidents Involving Young Adult Drivers by Identification of Subjective and Objective Factors
Authors: Luburić Grgo , Perković Blašković Antonia , Hasani Habib
Published: February 2023

Young drivers represent the most vulnerable age group at risk of participating in traffic accidents. In order to reduce the occurrence of traffic accidents involving young drivers, various models for assessing the risk of accidents have been studied. Inexperience, lack of driving skills and risky behaviour in traffic are the main characteristics of traffic accidents involving young adult drivers. On the contrary, traffic accidents involving older adult drivers are characterised by reduced visual and cognitive stimuli and reduced mobility. Based on the data about traffic accidents from the available databases relevant for road traffic safety in the Republic of Kosovo over a four-year period, the road characteristics that caused the majority of traffic accidents involving young adult drivers and the subjective  and objective factors that affected the occurrence of traffic accidents the most have been defined. To conclude the research, a correlation has been defined between objective and subjective factors that increase the risk of traffic accidents, as well as the  frequency of single safety factors (human, vehicle, road and environment) in traffic accidents involving young adult drivers.
High-efficient particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo model for complex solution domain andsimulation of anode layer ion source
Authors: Cui Sui-Han , Zuo Wei , Huang Jian , Li Xi-Teng , Chen Qiu-Hao , Guo Yu-Xiang , Yang Chao , Wu Zhong-Can , Ma Zheng-Yong , Fu Jin-Yu , Tian Xiu-Bo , Zhu Jian-Hao , Wu Zhong-Zhen ,   School of Advanced Materials, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China,   Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Published: February 2023

Plasma simulation is important in studying the plasma discharge systematically, especially the anode layer ion source which has the complex geometrical characteristics of the discharge structure. However, owing to the complex solution domain formed by the geometric profile of the anode and cathode, the traditional simulation models show extremely small computational efficiency and poor convergence. This work presents a separate simulation for the ion source structure and the plasma discharge, separately, where the cathode geometric parameters (including the size, the shape and the relative position of the inner and outer cathodes) are simplified into two magnetic mirror parameters (the magnetic mirror ratio Rm and the magnetic induction intensity in the center of the magnetic mirror  B 0), and then a high-efficient particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision (PIC/MCC) model is established to improve the computational efficiency and stability of the plasma simulation later. As a result, the convergence time of the plasma simulation is shortened significantly from 1.00 μs to 0.45 μs, and by which the influences of the geometrical characteristics of the discharge structure on the plasma properties are systematically studied. The simulation results reveal that magnetic mirror with Rm = 2.50 and  B 0 = 36 mT can best confine the plasma in the central area between the inner cathode and outer cathode. When the discharge center of the plasmacoincides with the magnetic mirror center, the anode layer ion source presents both high density output of ion beam current and significantly reduced cathode etching, suggesting that the best balance is obtained between the output and cathode etching.
Ecology, more than antibiotics consumption, is the major predictor for the global distribution of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes
Authors: Pradier Léa , Bedhomme Stéphanie
Published: February 2023

Antibiotic consumption and its abuses have been historically and repeatedly pointed out as the major driver of antibiotic resistance emergence and propagation. However, several examples show that resistance may persist despite substantial reductions in antibiotic use, and that other factors are at stake. Here, we study the temporal, spatial, and ecological distribution patterns of aminoglycoside resistance, by screening more than 160,000 publicly available genomes for 27 clusters of genes encoding aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AME genes). We find that AME genes display a very ubiquitous pattern: about 25% of sequenced bacteria carry AME genes. These bacteria were sequenced from all the continents (except Antarctica) and terrestrial biomes, and belong to a wide number of phyla. By focusing on European countries between 1997 and 2018, we show that aminoglycoside consumption has little impact on the prevalence of AME-gene-carrying bacteria, whereas most variation in prevalence is observed among biomes. We further analyze the resemblance of resistome compositions across biomes: soil, wildlife, and human samples appear to be central to understand the exchanges of AME genes between different ecological contexts. Together, these results support the idea that interventional strategies based on reducing antibiotic use should be complemented by a stronger control of exchanges, especially between ecosystems.
Representational integration and differentiation in the human hippocampus following goal-directed navigation
Authors: Fernandez Corey , Jiang Jiefeng , Wang Shao-Fang , Choi Hannah Lee , Wagner Anthony D
Published: February 2023

As we learn, dynamic memory processes build structured knowledge across our experiences. Such knowledge enables the formation of internal models of the world that we use to plan, make decisions, and act. Recent theorizing posits that mnemonic mechanisms of differentiation and integration – which at one level may seem to be at odds – both contribute to the emergence of structured knowledge. We tested this possibility using fMRI as human participants learned to navigate within local and global virtual environments over the course of 3 days. Pattern similarity analyses on entorhinal cortical and hippocampal patterns revealed evidence that differentiation and integration work concurrently to build local and global environmental representations, and that variability in integration relates to differences in navigation efficiency. These results offer new insights into the neural machinery and the underlying mechanisms that translate experiences into structured knowledge that allows us to navigate to achieve goals.
NFATc1 marks articular cartilage progenitors and negatively determines articular chondrocyte differentiation
Authors: Zhang Fan , Wang Yuanyuan , Zhao Ying , Wang Manqi , Zhou Bin , Zhou Bin , Ge Xianpeng
Published: February 2023

The origin and differentiation mechanism of articular chondrocytes remain poorly understood. Broadly, the difference in developmental mechanisms of articular and growth-plate cartilage is still less elucidated. Here, we identified that the nuclear factor of activated T-cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) is a crucial regulator of articular, but not growth-plate, chondrocyte differentiation during development. At the early stage of mouse knee development (embryonic day 13.5), NFATc1-expressing cells were mainly located in the flanking region of the joint interzone. With development, NFATc1-expressing cells generated almost all articular chondrocytes but not chondrocytes in limb growth-plate primordium. NFATc1-expressing cells displayed prominent capacities for colony formation and multipotent differentiation. Transcriptome analyses revealed a set of characteristic genes in NFATc1-enriched articular cartilage progenitors. Strikingly, the expression of NFATc1 was diminished with articular chondrocyte differentiation, and suppressing NFATc1 expression in articular cartilage progenitors was sufficient to induce spontaneous chondrogenesis while overexpressing NFATc1 suppresses chondrogenesis. Mechanistically, NFATc1 negatively regulated the transcriptional activity of the Col2a1 gene. Thus, our results reveal that NFATc1 characterizes articular, but not growth-plate, cartilage progenitors during development and negatively determines articular chondrocyte differentiation at least partly through regulating COL2A1 gene transcription.
Synthetic analysis of chromatin tracing and live-cell imaging indicates pervasive spatial coupling between genes
Authors: Bohrer Christopher H , Larson Daniel R
Published: February 2023

The role of the spatial organization of chromosomes in directing transcription remains an outstanding question in gene regulation. Here, we analyze two recent single-cell imaging methodologies applied across hundreds of genes to systematically analyze the contribution of chromosome conformation to transcriptional regulation. Those methodologies are (1) single-cell chromatin tracing with super-resolution imaging in fixed cells; and (2) high-throughput labeling and imaging of nascent RNA in living cells. Specifically, we determine the contribution of physical distance to the coordination of transcriptional bursts. We find that individual genes adopt a constrained conformation and reposition toward the centroid of the surrounding chromatin upon activation. Leveraging the variability in distance inherent in single-cell imaging, we show that physical distance – but not genomic distance – between genes on individual chromosomes is the major factor driving co-bursting. By combining this analysis with live-cell imaging, we arrive at a corrected transcriptional correlation of ϕ≈0.3 for genes separated by < 400 nm. We propose that this surprisingly large correlation represents a physical property of human chromosomes and establishes a benchmark for future experimental studies.
Arabidopsis transcriptome responses to low water potential using high-throughput plate assays
Authors: Gonzalez Stephen , Swift Joseph , Yaaran Adi , Xu Jiaying , Miller Charlotte , Illouz-Eliaz Natanella , Nery Joseph R , Busch Wolfgang , Zait Yotam , Ecker Joseph R
Published: February 2023

Soil-free assays that induce water stress are routinely used to investigate drought responses in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Due to their ease of use, the research community often relies on polyethylene glycol (PEG), mannitol, and salt (NaCl) treatments to reduce the water potential of agar media, and thus induce drought conditions in the laboratory. However, while these types of stress can create phenotypes that resemble those of water deficit experienced by soil-grown plants, it remains unclear how these treatments compare at the transcriptional level. Here, we demonstrate that these different methods of lowering water potential elicit both shared and distinct transcriptional responses in Arabidopsis shoot and root tissue. When we compared these transcriptional responses to those found in Arabidopsis roots subject to vermiculite drying, we discovered many genes induced by vermiculite drying were repressed by low water potential treatments on agar plates (and vice versa). Additionally, we also tested another method for lowering water potential of agar media. By increasing the nutrient content and tensile strength of agar, we show the ‘hard agar’ (HA) treatment can be leveraged as a high-throughput assay to investigate natural variation in Arabidopsis growth responses to low water potential.
Mega-scale movie-fields in the mouse visuo-hippocampal network
Authors: Purandare Chinmay S. , Mehta Mayank R.
Published: February 2023

Natural behavior often involves a continuous series of related images, often while the subject is immobile. How is this information processed across the cortico-hippocampal circuit? The hippocampus is crucial for episodic memory
1–3
, but most rodent single unit studies require spatial exploration
4–6
or active engagement
7
. Hence, we investigated neural responses to a silent, iso-luminant, black and white movie in head-fixed mice without any task or locomotion demands, or rewards. The activity of most neurons (97%, 6554/6785) in the thalamo-cortical visual areas was significantly modulated by the 30s long movie clip. Surprisingly, a third (33%, 3379/10263) of hippocampal –dentate gyrus, CA1 and subiculum– neurons showed movie-selectivity, with elevated firing in specific movie sub-segments, termed movie-fields. On average, a cell had more than 5 movie-fields in visual areas, but only 2 in hippocampal areas. The movie-field durations in all brain regions spanned an unprecedented 1000-fold range: from 0.02s to 20s, termed mega-scale coding. Yet, the total duration of all the movie-fields of a cell was comparable across neurons and brain regions, partly due to broader movie-fields in hippocampal areas, indicating greater sequence coding. Consistently presentation of the movie images in a scrambled sequence virtually abolished hippocampal but not visual-cortical selectivity. The enhancement of sequential movie tuning compared to the scrambled sequence was eight-fold greater in hippocampal than visual areas, further supporting visual sequence encoding. Thus, a movie was encoded in all mouse-brain areas investigated. Similar results are likely to hold in primates and humans. Hence, movies could provide a unified way to probe neural mechanisms of non-spatial information processing and memory across brain regions and species.
Presence of microplastics and microparticles in Oregon Black Rockfish sampled near marine reserve areas
Authors: Lasdin Katherine S. , Arnold Madison , Agrawal Anika , Fennie H. William , Grorud-Colvert Kirsten , Sponaugle Su , Aylesworth Lindsay , Heppell Scott , Brander Susanne M.
Published: February 2023

Measuring the spatial distribution of microparticles which include synthetic, semi-synthetic, and anthropogenic particles is critical to understanding their potential negative impacts on species. This is particularly important in the context of microplastics, which are a form of microparticle that are prevalent in the marine environment. To facilitate a better understanding of microparticle occurrence, including microplastics, we sampled subadult and young juvenile Black Rockfish (Sebastes melanops) at multiple Oregon coast sites, and their gastrointestinal tracts were analyzed to identify ingested microparticles. Of the subadult rockfish, one or more microparticles were found in the GI tract of 93.1% of the fish and were present in fish from Newport, and near four of five marine reserves. In the juveniles, 92% of the fish had ingested one or more microparticles from the area of Cape Foulweather, a comparison area, and Otter Rock, a marine reserve. The subadults had an average of 7.31 (average background = 5) microparticles detected, while the juveniles had 4.21 (average background = 1.8). In both the subadult and juvenile fish, approximately 12% of the microparticles were identified as synthetic using micro-Fourier Infrared Spectroscopy (micro-FTIR). Fibers were the most prevalent morphology identified, and verified microparticle contamination was a complex mixture of synthetic (∼12% for subadults and juveniles), anthropogenic (∼87% for subadults and 85.5% for juveniles), and natural (e.g., fur) materials (∼0.7% for subadults and ∼2.4% for juveniles). Similarities in exposure types (particle morphology, particle number) across life stages, coupled with statistical differences in exposure levels at several locations for subadult fish, suggest the potential influence of nearshore oceanographic patterns on microparticle distribution. A deeper understanding of the impact microplastics have on an important fishery such as those for S. melanops, will contribute to our ability to accurately assess risk to both wildlife and humans.
Socio-economic Characteristics of German International Corporation (GIZ) Technology Intervention on Shea Nut Processors in Niger State, Nigeria
Authors: Koloche I. M. , Solomon S. , Adaigbe V. C. , Yahaya S. A. , Odufale O. O. , Garba M. H. , Bello O. G.
Published: February 2023

This study assessed the activities of GIZ (German International Corporation) intervention technology on shea nut processors in Niger State, Nigeria. A two-stage sampling technique was adopted for the study. The first stage involved a purposive selection of 15 Local Government Areas of GIZ’s intervention. The second stage involved a proportionate random selection of 297 beneficiaries constituting 10% processors in the GIZ profile list. Also, in the same LGAs, snow-balling technique was used to randomly select 297 Shea nut processors that were GIZ non-beneficiaries, thereby making a total sample size of 594. Data were collected through interview schedule and were analysed using percentages and mean and multiple regression analysis. The study revealed that majority (75.1 %) of the respondents had non-formal education, 76.6 % were between 41-60 years with mean age of 48.1 years. All the respondents (100.0 %) were female and married with average of experience of 15.5 years. The most severe constraints were; inadequate funding (=1.875), poor market channels (=1.737) and inadequate extension contact (=1.542), and there was positive relationship between some selected socio-economic characteristics and the level of adoption of GIZ’s technologies (F=23.59, p <0.001). The results from this study showed that the processors were constrained by inadequate fund, poor market channels and inadequate extension services because the gap from the existing one is lower before the intervention of GIZ Shea nut technology due to high quality of production of premium shea butter produced by the beneficiaries which attracted income. The continuity of the GIZ’s intervention with effective extension services and provision of credit facilities to ameliorate the problem of inadequate fund is highly recommended.
Study on Long Term Trend Analysis on Occurrence of Dew at Raipur
Authors: Chaudhary J. L. , Megha Dalai Mridu , Thakur Gunja , Murari Krishna , Unjan Deepika
Published: February 2023

The present study on long term trend analysis on occurrence of dew was conducted during the 2022 year for long term data analysis of dew for the period 1991-2020 recorded at the Agro- meteorological Observatory, Research Area of Department of Agricultural Meteorology, Indira Gandhi krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, India. Based on study, daily dew observations were taken and converted into monthly and yearly dew observations. From the study, it was observed that there was significant decrease in dew amounts during the month of October, November and December. In addition to it, dew days of December month were found to be significantly decreasing. In yearly observation dew days found non-significant change and dew amount was found to be significantly decreasing. Correlation between dew amount and dew days has been tried and it was found  that there  exists the relationship between dew days and dew amount. In January, February, March, April, September and December months, there was positive correlation between dew days and dew amount. This indicates that if number of dew days increase, dew amount also increases. October and November months are having non-significant values. In November month, there is negative correlation coefficient because of the fact that in this month on increase of dew days, there is visual observation of dew amount decrease, though it is non-significant.
Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Physical and Physico-chemical Properties of Soil
Authors: Madhurya Poondla , Latha Mekala , Rao Challa Sujani , Sree Sunkara Prathibha
Published: February 2023

Increasing food production while reducing environmental impact and resource use is the main challenge in agriculture. The usage of inorganic fertilizers in agriculture for increasing food production does not guarantee a sustainable future. In Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) we make conjunctive use of organic manures and inorganic fertilizers for improving soil productivity while also protecting soil properties from being destructed. In this research, the effect of INM on various soil properties is been investigated. The field experiment was carried out in India, during the rabi season of 2020 in a sandy loam soil of ustic Inceptisols under maize (Zea mays L.) variety Pioneer - 3396 as the Test crop. Application of Farm Yard Manure (FYM) @ 10 t/ha, biofertilizers namely Azospirillum and Phosphorus Solubilizing Bacteria (Pseudomonas sp.) @ 5 kg/ha each, was followed. The inorganic fertilizers @ 200:60:50 N-P2O5-K2O kg ha-1 were followed as recommended dose and applied in three splits. The experiment is conducted in Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) comprising eight treatments and three replications viz., T1: Control, T2: 100% RDN, T3: 125% RDN, T4: 75% RDN+ 25% N through FYM, T5: 75% RDN + 25% N through FYM + Biofertilizers, T6: 100% RDN+ 25% N through FYM, T7: 100% RDN+ Biofertilizers and T8: 100% RDN+ 25% N through FYM + Biofertilizers. Statistical significance was tested by applying F-test at a 0.05 level of probability. There was observed a non-significant effect on the Bulk Density (BD), Porosity, Water Holding Capacity (WHC), Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), Soil reaction (pH), and Electrical Conductivity (EC), Organic Carbon (OC) of the experimental soil, which might be due to the short duration of the study.
Performance of Mid-late Sugarcane Clones in AICRP(S) Trials for Quality Traits and Red Rot Resistance
Authors: Ganapathy S. , Ravichandran V. , Jayakumar J.
Published: February 2023

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of mid-late sugarcane pre-release clones for CCS yield and its contributing characters along with red rot disease resistance. Observation on brix per cent, sucrose (%), purity (%), extraction (%), fibre (%), CCS (%), cane yield (t/ha), and CCS yield (t/ha). From the results, it could be concluded that the mid-late maturing clone, CoC 14337, was found to be the best among the test clones for sucrose per cent and CCS yield along with resistance to red rot disease. Another clone, CoA 14323, was the next-best entry, with higher CCS yield, sucrose percent and red rot resistance, compared to the better standard. As a result, clones CoC 14337 and CoA 14323 were identified as the promising entries (clones) and could be forwarded for further yield evaluation trials before being released as a new sugarcane variety suitable for East Coast Zone of India.