bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Compositional and morphological analysis of salt stress tolerant MTLD- transgenic potato plants
Authors: Rahnama Hassan , Moradi Amir Bahram , Moradi Foad , Noormohamadi Nafiseh
Published: July 2023

Undesired effects often occur in genetically modified (GM) plants, especially during metabolite engineering. Nevertheless, conducting a comparative study between GM and non-GM plants can identify the unintended alterations and facilitate the risk assessment of GM crops. This research compared the morphology and composition of a transgenic potato plant containing mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (MTLD), with its non-transgenic counterpart. The results indicated significant differences in plant height, number of leaves, length and width of leaves, as well as tuber number and weight between the transgenic and non-transgenic plants. However, compositional analysis revealed no significant differences in soluble protein, starch, total sugar, fructose, fiber, and ascorbate contents between MTLD-GM and non-GM potatoes. Nevertheless, sucrose and glucose levels were found to be higher in the transgenic potato tubers and leaves, respectively, when compared to the non-transgenic plants. In addition to ammonium, potassium, chloride, nitrite, and nitrate levels, significant differences were observed in the amino acids asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, serine, and valine between the GM and non-GM plants. Apart from the target gene product, mannitol, all the changes in chemical compositions observed in the transgenic potato plants fell within the ranges of normal variability for potato plants. Moreover, despite some phenotypical differences between the GM- MTLD potato and its non-GM counterpart, it is believed that this variation is a common phenomenon among potato varieties. In conclusion, the morphological and compositional analysis of the MTLD transgenic potato plant revealed substantial equivalence with its non-transgenic counterpart.
Rosai-Dorfman's Disease start with Retroperitoneal Fibrosis and involving Pituitary Gland, Ocular Region: A Case Report
Authors: Tian Yi , Wu Dan , Liu Changyan , Zhao Mingli , Kong Xiaodan
Published: July 2023

Rosai-Dorfman's Disease (RDD) is a rare benign lymphoid tissue proliferative disease[1], and it may be associated with infection or immune dysfunction. The disease mostly occurs in the lymph nodes, and there are also clinical reports of multi-organ involvement in the central nervous system, nasopharynx, breast, eye socket, eyelid, thymus, centrum, upper airways and testes[2-5]. In previous literature reports, we had found that the disease can have two organs involved at the same time [6]. However, like in our case, the three organs (Cranial, Eyes, Peritoneum) involved simultaneously and the onset of retroperitoneal fibrosis was more than rare. Through this case, we could get one lesson: when a patient presents with retroperitoneal fibrosis firstly, and combined with Pituitary Gland, Ocular Region involvement, or when one disease alone cannot illustrate all the symptoms, we need to look for any other possible causes, the RDD must be taken into account. The clinical significance is that similar cases should be examined or even biopsy as soon as possible, so that patients can get treatment at the first time. Finally, we hope that the case descriptions will improve understanding of RDD for clinicians.
Beyond circularity! Integration of circularity, efficiency, and sufficiency for nutrient management in agri-food systems
Authors: Spiller Marc , Vingerhoets Ruben , E Vlaeminck Siegfried , Wichern Florian , Papangelou Anastasia
Published: July 2023

Circularity is a new paradigm of nutrient management that is seeking to mitigate environmental impacts of agriculture by reducing nutrient losses through their recuperation and reuse. However, circular nutrient management is not an end goal in itself, but rather a means to a transition to sustainable food systems. We argue for a conceptually stronger and more explicit combination of circularity strategies with efficiency and sufficiency. A conceptual framework to combine these three transition strategies is presented and the relationship between the three strategies is demonstrated. An example of regional N flows is used to quantify the systemic effects of each strategy. Results show that circularity does not alter overall system’s efficiency but reduces primary inputs. Circularity can also lead to rebound effects if reused products have a lower efficiency than the products they replace. Targeting efficiency as a strategy has systemic, non-linear negative effects, as it reduces opportunities for implementation of circular solutions and reuse of nutrients. Sufficiency as a strategy can affect circularity, as a shift towards a more plant based diet will likely increase nutrient use efficiency, and will therefore reduce the available recoverable nutrients and limit circularity. Moreover, circularity, efficiency and sufficiency as strategies may have different time frames. Consequently, policy makers and practitioners need to consider the short-, medium- and long-term consequences of the three strategies and their relationships. Finally, regional nutrient management should aim to combine the three strategies in models, planning and decision making.
Warm inflation with bulk viscous pressure for different solutions of an anisotropic universe
Authors: Shokri Mehdi , Sadeghi Jafar , Herrera Ramon , Gahsti Saeed Noori
Published: July 2023

We study a warm inflationary model for different expansions assuming an anisotropic universe described by Bianchi I metric. The universe is filled with a scalar field or inflaton, radiation, and bulk viscous pressure. We carry out the inflationary analysis for different solutions of such universe in two different cases $\Gamma$ and $\xi$ as constant and variable parameters, respectively. We compare the obtained results with the recent observations, in order to find the observational constraints on the parameters space of the models. Moreover, we attempt to present a better judgment among the considered models by calculation of the non-linear parameter $f_{NL}$ describing the non-Gaussianity property of the models. Additionally, we investigate the warm inflationary models with viscous pressure from the Weak Gravity Conjecture approach, considering the swampland criteria.
Tonsillar immunity over time, from immune resistance to immune regulation
Authors: Pastor Rocío , Puyssegur Juliana , Guardia M. Paula de la , Varón Lindybeth Sarmiento , Beccaglia Gladys , Spada Nicolás , Lima Andrea Paes , Collado M. Soledad , Blanco Andrés , Scetti Isabel Aspe , Arabolaza M. Elena , Paoli Bibiana , Chirdo Fernando , Arana Eloísa I.
Published: July 2023

Background. The tonsils operate as a protection ring of mucosa at the gates of the upper aero-digestive tract. They show similarities with lymph nodes and participate as inductive organs of systemic and mucosal immunity. Based on the reduction of their size since puberty, they are thought to experience involution in adulthood. In this context, we have used tonsillar mononuclear cells isolated from patients at different stages of life, to study the effect of ageing and the concomitant persistent inflammation on these immune cells.
Results. We found an age-dependent reduction in the proportion of germinal center B cell population (BGC) and its T cell counterpart (T follicular helper germinal center cells, TfhGC). Also, we demonstrated an increment in the percentage of local memory B cells and mantle zone T follicular helper cells (mTfh). Furthermore, younger tonsils rendered higher proportion of proliferative immune cells than those from older ones. Finally, we demonstrated the growth of a B cell subset metabolically adapted to catabolize adenosine triphosphate (CD20+CD39+CD73+ cells), as patients get older.
Conclusions. This paper shed light on the changing aspects of the immune cellular landscape, over the course of time and constant exposure, at the entrance of the respiratory and digestive systems. Our findings support the notion that there is a re-modelling of the immune functionality of the tonsils over time. They are indicative of a shift from an effector type of immune response early in life, to a regulatory role at later stages, when limiting the tissue damage gets critical. Understanding these features will not only contribute to comprehend the differences in susceptibility to pathogens among children and adults but would also impact on vaccine developments intended to target these relevant mucosal sites.
Probabilistic Estimation of Comprehensive Utility Based on User Preference and Network Condition for Network Selection in Future in HetNet
Authors: Yadav Ashok Kumar , Singh Karan , Srivas Pramod Kumar
Published: July 2023

One of key difficulties in designing vertical handover strategy in ultra-dense heterogeneous networks is selecting network. This work has proposed hybrid network selection model based on context-aware information by integrating fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), Improved CRiteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC), and techniques for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) techniques. Improved CRITIC and TOPSIS techniques are used to compute objective criteria weight and utility based on network conditions and various service requirements, whereas FAHP techniques compute subjective criteria weight and utility based on user preference. Finally, network is chosen as candidate based on comprehensive utility and its threshold. The model shows that, if comprehensive utility follows normal, lognormal, gamma, and gamma distributions, then conversational, streaming, interactive, and background traffic will get better access to network. In comparison to competing models, our model reduces ping-pong effect, and unnecessary handovers, and improves quality of service, and network stability.
Assessment of Internal porosities for different placement techniques of bulk-fill resin-based composites: A Micro-computed tomography study
Authors: Al-Zain Afnan O. , Baeesa Lina , Jassoma Elaf , Alghilan Maryam A. , Hariri Murooj , Ismail Eman H. , Münchow Eliseu A.
Published: July 2023

Purpose: The aim was to compare the porosity of different bulk-fill resin-based composites (RBCs) placement techniques to the conventional incremental technique using microcomputed tomography (μ-CT).
Methods: Occlusal cavities were prepared on extracted human molars that were allocated into five placement technique groups (n=10): Monoblock-two-step technique: SureFil SDR flow+Ceram.X; Monoblock with sonic activation technique: SonicFill2; Monoblock-one-step technique: Tetric EvoCeram Bulk-Fill; Monoblock-two-step technique: Tetric EvoFlow Bulk-Fill+Tetric EvoCeram Bulk-Fill, and incremental technique: Filtek Z250. The number, volume of closed pores, and the total porosity was evaluated (μ-CT). Data were analyzed with analysis of variance on ranks (Student-Newman-Keuls method and Mann-Whitney rank-sum test) to verify the RBC viscosity and the socination placement technique significance. Porosity characteristics correlation was performed (Spearman correlation) (α= 0.05).
Results: The SonicFill2 group presented a higher number of closed pores than the other groups (p<0.05). The volume and total porosity characteristics were similar among all groups (p>0.05). The overall porosity within the restoration bulk seemed greater in the following order: Filtek Z250>SonicFill2>Tetric EvoFlow Bulk-Fill+Tetric EvoCeram Bulk-Fill>Tetric EvoCeram Bulk-Fill>SureFil SDR Flow+Ceram.X. Sonication tended to increase the number (p=0.005) and volume (p=0.036) of closed pores. Increased viscosity of the materials tended to increase the closed pores volume (p=0.036). There was a strong correlation between the number and volume of closed pores (R2=0.549, p<001).
Conclusions: The different placement techniques resulted in significantly less internal porosity than the monoblock with sonic activation technique (SonicFill2). Sonication during application contributed to the higher number and volume of closed pores than the passive bulk-fill RBCs application.
Contextual approach to immigration challenges among Cuban women
Authors: Bekteshi Venera
Published: July 2023

Purpose: Much of the research examining the impact of acculturation on mental health draws conclusions based on samples from Mexican populations or Latinos overall, concealing the cultural diversity among Latino subgroups. This study highlights unique experiences of Cuban-born women in the U.S. by comparing their acculturative stress experience to that of Latina immigrants combined (i.e. Latinas born in Mexico and Puerto Rico)
Methods: We included 639 Latinas and 264 Cuban-born Latinas using National Latino Asian American Study (NLAAS). Based on Family Stress Management theory and existing research, we hypothesized that: (a) different contexts influence acculturative stress and psychological distress differently, therefore they should be studied as distinct concepts; (b) contextual factors interact with each other in influencing acculturative stress and psychological distress, and (c) the relationships between contextual factors, acculturative stress, and psychological distress among Cuban-born women differ from that of Latina immigrants combined.
Results: We found full support for the hypothesis (a) when controlling for socio-economic context, English skills, visiting family abroad difficulties, perceived racial discrimination and family-culture conflict, years in the U.S. interacted with perceived racial discrimination to affect acculturative stress among Latina immigrants combined showing partial support for hypothesis (b). Six contextual factors impacted acculturative stress of Cuban-born women vs. eight for Latina immigrants combined, and three contextual factors impacted psychological distress of Cuban-born women, vs. six for all Latina immigrants supporting hypothesis (c).
Implications. Country of birth differences suggest a need for further research focusing on Latino subgroup experiences with acculturation to inform effective policy and practice that targets unique needs of Latino sub-groups.
Circulating miRNAs targeting LIGHT as potential biomarkers for asthma
Authors: hu guang , Du Yujie , Xie Manying , Chen Rongchang , Shi Fei
Published: July 2023

Identification of new clinical markers contributes to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of asthma. Considering the crucial role of LIGHT in asthma, it may become a potential target for asthma. The aim of current study was to determine if circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) targeting LIGHT may be used as diagnostic biomarkers to distinguish asthma. Blood serum from a cohort of 60 subjects, including 20 cases with mild asthma, 20 cases with moderate-to-severe asthma, and 20 healthy controls were included. Serum was analyzed for circulating miRNAs profiles through miRNAs microarray. Real Time PCR was conducted to verify the results of miRNA microarray. Correlations between circulating miRNAs targeting LIGHT and clinical characteristics were investigated. A total of 365 miRNAs were differentially expressed in asthma patients. Among them, miR-107 and miR-140-5p were found to target LIGHT, and varied in asthmatics.Additionally, miR-107 and miR-140-5p expressions were positively correlated with the absolute value of peripheral eosinophils. Finally, miR-140-5p and miR-107 were demonstrated to have good diagnostic efficacy for asthma (AUC= 0.867 and 0.940) with good sensitivity (0.800 and 0.867 separately) and specificity (0.867 and 0.867). Thus, circulating miRNAs expressed differentially between healthy control and asthma patients. Plasma miR-140-5p and miR-107 can be used as diagnostic biomarkers to distinguish patients with asthma from healthy control, and may take part in asthma pathogenesis by negatively regulating LIGHT. Further research was needed to evaluate their roles as potential biomarkers in the diagnosis of asthma.
Development and characterization of fused human arginase I for cancer therapy
Authors: Jawalekar Snehal Sainath , Kawathe Priyanka Sugriv , Sharma Nisha , Anakha J , Tikoo Kulbhushan , Pande Abhay H.
Published: July 2023

Recombinant human arginase I (rhArg I) have emerged as a potential candidate for the treatment of varied pathophysiological conditions ranging from arginine-auxotrophic cancer, inflammatory conditions and microbial infection.. However, rhArg I have a low circulatory half-life, leading to poor pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, which necessitating the rapid development of modifications to circumvent these limitations. To address this, polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated-rhArg I variants are being developed by pharmaceutical companies. However, because of the limitations associated with the clinical use of PEGylated proteins, there is a dire need in the art to develop rhArg I variant(s) which is safe (devoid of limitations of PEGylated counterpart) and possess increased circulatory half-life. In this study, we described the generation and characterization of a fused human arginase I (FHA-3) variant having improved circulatory half-life. FHA-3 protein was engineered by fusing rhArg I with a half-life extension partner (domain of human serum albumin) via a peptide linker and was produced using P. pastoris expression system. This purified biopharmaceutical (FHA-3) exhibits (i) increased arginine-hydrolyzing activity in buffer, (ii) cofactor - independency, (iii) increased circulatory half-life (t1/2) and (iv) potent anti-cancer activity against human cancer cell lines under in vitro and in vivo conditions.
A GA-like Dynamic Probability Method with Mutual Information for Feature Selection
Authors: WANG Gaoshuai , Lauri Fabrice , HASSANI Amir HAJJAM EL
Published: July 2023

Feature selection plays a vital role in promoting classifier performance. However, current methods cannot effectively distinguish the complex interaction in the selected features. To further remove these hidden negative interactions, we propose a Genetic Algorithm (GA)-like Dynamic Probability (GADP) method with mutual information method (MI), which has a two-layer structure. The first layer applies MRMR to obtain a primary feature subset.
Based on the former candidate features, the GADP, as the second layer, can mine more supportive features.
Instead of the commonly used approaches that they frequently focus on improving the operators of GA to enhance the search ability and lowering the convergence time, we improve GA by boldly abandoning the operators and employing the dynamic probability that relies on the performance of each chromosome to determine feature selection in the new generation.
The dynamic probability mechanism significantly reduces the parameter number in GA and makes it easy to use. As each gene's probability is independent, the chromosome variety in GADP is more notable than in traditional GA, which ensures GADP has a wider search space and can effectively and accurately select relevant features. To verify the superiority of our method, we evaluate it under multiple conditions on 15 datasets. The results demonstrate the outperformance of the proposed method. Generally, it has the best accuracy. Further, we also compare the proposed model to the state-of-the-art heuristic methods like Harris Hawk Optimization (HHO), Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA), and White Shark Optimizer (WSO). Our model still owns advantages over them.
Four Non-covalent Bonded Anhydrous Supramolecular Salts of Triphenylmethylamine and Organic Acids
Authors: Ma Xiaodan , Lin Xuele , Zhen Yaoqi , Jin Shouwen , Liu Hui , Wang Daqi
Published: July 2023

This text reports the triphenylmethylamine based supramolecular salts formation in crystalline solids 1–4, where the acids have been integrated. Addition of the triphenylmethylamine to the solution of organic acid makes the corresponding supramolecular assemblies. All crystallize as their anhydrous organic salts and they have been featured via IR, mp, EA and XRD in detail. The major driving force in 1–4 is the classical H-bonds between triphenylmethylamine and the acids. The other extensive non-covalent associations also play great functions in space extension with the molecular partners in the relevant crystals. The hetero supramolecular synthons were built at these salts and the characteristic R44(12) rings have been enclosed under the H-bonds associations at 1–2. For the interplay of the classical H-bonds and various non-covalent bonds, all the salts adopted the 3D net.
Application of ultrasound-guided pre-operative injection of carbon nanoparticles in endoscopic radical thyroidectomy
Authors: Hong Lizhao , Feng Jiawei , wang Fei , Liu Shengyong , Jiang Yong
Published: July 2023

Background Central lymph node dissection is crucial in endoscopic radical thyroidectomy. We aim to introduce a method of preoperative ultrasound-guided injection of carbon nanoparticles.
Methods We reviewed the medical records of 89 patients who underwent surgery between March 2020 and March 2023. Clinical and pathological data of the patients were analyzed, and postoperative outpatient follow-up was conducted.
Results A total of 89 patients were included: 79 female, 10 male. Surgical procedures: radical thyroidectomy, 13 cases via oral, 76 cases via submental combined oral; operation time: 156 ± 29 minutes, postoperative hospital stay: 3.3 ± 0.6 days. 2 cases of bilateral carcinoma (2.2%), 87 cases of unilateral carcinoma (97.8%): single lesion 76 cases (87.4%), double lesions 10 cases (11.5%), 3 lesions 1case (1.1%); the maximum diameter: 7.9 ± 5.0 mm, 74 cases (83.1%) ≤ 10 mm; LNM: Nx 3 cases (3.4%), N0 42 cases (47.2%), N1a 44 cases (49.4%). The total number of lymph node dissection: 7.0 ± 3.7, 65 cases ≥ 5 (73.9%), N1a 1.5 ± 1.9. After 1 month of outpatient follow-up, there was no cough due to drinking water, hoarseness, numbness of hands and feet.
Conclusions Preoperative ultrasound-guided injection of carbon nanoparticles is simple and convenient, increasing the number of lymph node dissection, and increasing the positive rate of lymph nodes. In addition, there is no need to add additional operational steps during the operation, making the operation smoother and improving surgical efficiency. Therefore, it has certain clinical application value in preoperative preparation for endoscopic thyroidectomy.
The influence of job burnout on quiet quitting among nurses: the mediating effect of job satisfaction
Authors: Galanis Petros , Katsiroumpa Aglaia , Vraka Irene , Siskou Olga , Konstantakopoulou Olympia , Katsoulas Theodoros , Moisoglou Ioannis , Gallos Parisis , Kaitelidou Daphne
Published: July 2023

Introduction:Quiet quitting seems to be a new threat for healthcare workers and organizations. Individuals now tend to stay at their jobs covering only the bare requirements. High levels of burnout among nurses especially after the COVID-19 pandemic could further increase their levels of quiet quitting.Objective:To investigate the impact of nurses’ job burnout on their quiet quitting. Moreover, we assessed the mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between burnout and quiet quitting.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional study in Greece. We collected data during June 2023. A convenience sample of 946 nurses was obtained. We used the “Quiet Quitting” Scale (QQS) to measure levels of quiet quitting within nurses, the “Copenhagen Burnout Inventory” to measure job burnout, and “Job Satisfaction Survey” (JSS) to measure job satisfaction. In mediation analysis, we controlled for the effects of demographic and job characteristics.Results:Mean score on QQS was 2.36, while on JSS was 101.23. Also, mean scores on work-related burnout, personal burnout, and client-related burnout were 62.25, 64.53, and 64.45 respectively. Job burnout was a positive predictor of quiet quitting (beta = 0.009, 95% confidence interval = 0.007 to 0.012, p < 0.001), while job satisfaction was a negative predictor of quiet quitting (beta = -0.004, 95% confidence interval = -0.006 to -0.003, p < 0.001). Job satisfaction partially mediated the positive relationship between burnout and quiet quitting (indirect effect = 0.0035, 95% confidence interval = 0.0021 to 0.0051, p < 0.001).Conclusion:Job burnout affected quiet quitting within nurses through the mediating effect of job satisfaction. It is essential to reduce burnout and improve satisfaction to decrease level of quiet quitting among nurses. Effective measures should be taken to decrease nurses’ job burnout in order to improve their job satisfaction and thereby reduce their quiet quitting.
Building e-Loyalty towards Online Food Delivery Apps: A Serial-Mediation Model
Authors: Ella Mittal  , Navneet Kaur
Published: July 2023

This study analysed the mechanism to generate e-loyalty among customers through e-service quality regarding OFD (OFD) apps. It examined the indirect influence of e-service quality on e-loyalty through the mediation of e-trust and e-satisfaction of customers. The serial mediation approach was used to test the proposed model of the study. Data was obtained through a self-administered structured questionnaire filled by 261 respondents from north India. The model hypotheses were tested by applying variance-based partial least squares in software SmartPLS 3. All the results were found to be statistically significant, and all proposed hypotheses were accepted. The results revealed that e-service quality positively contributed to building e-loyalty among customers of OFD apps. Furthermore, the results of the mediation effect suggested that e-trust and e-satisfaction strengthened the relationship between e-service quality and customers’ e-loyalty and therefore, that restaurants using OFD apps should try to provide the best online services to build trust along with satisfaction among their customers to increase loyalty to their online platforms. Theoretical implications for scholars and practical implications for the marketer are discussed.
Energy loss due to defect creation in solid state detectors
Authors: Heikinheimo Matti , Sassi Sebastian , Tuominen Kimmo , Nordlund Kai , Mirabolfathi Nader
Published: July 2023

The threshold displacement energy in solid state detector materials varies from several eV to \lesssim≲ 100 eV. If a stable or long lived defect is created as a result of a nuclear recoil event, some part of the recoil energy is stored in the deformed lattice and is therefore not observable in a phonon detector. Thus, an accurate model of this effect is necessary for precise calibration of the recoil energy measurement in low threshold phonon detectors. Furthermore, the sharpness of the defect creation threshold varies between materials. For a hard material such as diamond, the sharp threshold will cause a sudden onset of the energy loss effect, resulting in a prominent peak in the observed recoil spectrum just below the threshold displacement energy. We describe how this effect can be used to discriminate between nuclear and electron recoils using just the measured recoil spectrum.
Sub-GeV dark matter searches with EDELWEISS: New results and prospects
Authors: Lattaud Hugues
Published: July 2023

The Edelweiss collaboration performs light Dark Matter (DM) particles searches with germanium bolometer collecting charge and phonon signals. Thanks to the Neganov-Trofimov-Luke (NTL) effect, a RMS resolution of 4.46 electron-hole pairs was obtained on a massive (200g) germanium detector instrumented with a NbSi Transition Edge Sensor (TES) operated underground at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (LSM). This sensitivity made possible a search for WIMP using the Migdal effect down to 32 MeV/C^{2}2 and exclude cross-sections down to 10^{-29}−29 cm^22. It is the first measurement in cryogenic germanium with such thermal sensor, proving the high relevance of this technology. Furthermore, such TES have shown sensitivity to out-of-equilibrium phonons, paving the way for EDELWEISS new experience CRYOSEL. This is an important step in the development of Ge detectors with improved performance in the context of the EDELWEISS-SubGeV program.
Dark matter directionality approach using ZnWO$_4$ crystal scintillators
Authors: Caracciolo Vincenzo , Degoda Volodymyr Yakovych , Belli Pierluigi , Bernabei Rita , Borovlev Y. A. , Cappella Fabio , Cerulli Riccardo , Danevich Fedor A. , Incicchitti Antonella , Leoncini Alice , Merlo Vittorio , Cherubini N. , Kasperovych Dmytro V. , Kogut Y. P. , Podust G. P. , Polischuk Oksana G. , Postupaeva A. G. , Shlegel V. N. , Tretyak Volodymyr I.
Published: July 2023

The development of low-background anisotropic detectors can offer a unique way to study those Dark Matter (DM) candidate particles able to induce nuclear recoils through the directionality technique. Among the anisotropic scintillators, the ZnWO_{4}4 has unique features and is an excellent candidate for the purposes. Both the light output and the scintillation pulse shape depend on the impinging direction of heavy particles with respect to the crystallographic axes and can supply two independent modes to study the directionality and discriminate \gamma/\betaγ/β radiation. Measurements to study the anisotropic and scintillation performances of ZnWO_44 are reported.
Status and future prospects of the NEWS-G experiment
Authors: Knights Patrick
Published: July 2023

The NEWS-G collaboration is searching for light dark matter using spherical proportional counters. Access to the mass range from 50 MeV to 10 GeV is enabled by the combination of low energy threshold, light gaseous targets (H, He, Ne), and highly radio-pure detector construction. Several of the recent developments that have paved the way for the operation of a new 140 cm in diameter, spherical proportional counter are presented. Constructed and commissioned at LSM using 4N copper with a 500\muμxm electroplated inner layer, the detector is now installed in SNOLAB, where it has begun data taking. Building on the electroplating of the current detector, the collaboration construct its next detector directly in the underground laboratory, using ultra-pure copper electroforming. The design and construction of ECUME, a 140 cm in diameter spherical proportional counter fully electroformed underground is discussed, along with the potential to achieve sensitivity reaching the neutrino floor in light Dark Matter searches with a next-generation detector.
Demystifying the relationship between ESG and SDG performance: Study of emerging economies
Authors: Kumar Soni Tarun
Published: July 2023

Companies and investors in emerging markets have started paying attention to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) issues. There has been a growing demand for aligning ESG disclosure of companies to UN SDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals), so understanding how the firm-level ESG affects the country-level SDG is very important for evaluating the advances in ESG and SDG implementation in emerging markets. This study examines the linkage between firm-level ESG disclosures and their relationship with country-level SDG scores over ten years for three emerging countries: India, China, and Brazil. The analysis of 1,500 top-listed firms in these countries reveals an increasing trend of firms going for ESG disclosures and increased ESG scores over the years in the three markets. Out of the total sample, almost 75% of firms make ESG disclosures in Brazil, followed by 54% in India and 32% in China. Additionally, companies in all these countries tend to emphasize governance-related disclosures more, with Brazil having higher ESG disclosures than India and China. The correlation and causality tests indicate a significant positive correlation between mean ESG scores and country-specific SDG scores. The Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality tests provide stronger linkages between firm-specific Environment scores and SDG scores, indicating that a firm’s environment disclosures translate into higher SDG scores. However, the same is not valid for Social and Governance factors. These findings have important implications given the global attention on the linkages between ESG disclosure and SDG score.
AcknowledgmentsThe financial and infrastructure support provided by FORE School of Management, New Delhi in completing this paper is gratefully acknowledged.
Evolution of the Polyphenolic Content of Moravian White Grape Variety Wines of Different Vintages During Storage
Authors: Vašková R. , Snopek L. , Mlček J.
Published: July 2023

Wine is known as a source of bioactive compounds and is one of the alcoholic beverages with the highest phenolic content. There has been growing interest in the composition of wine due to its beneficial properties for human health. This work focuses on biologically active and sensory attributes of white wine and presents research on wine chemical profiles in relation to their geographical origin, varieties and storage. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenolic compound evolution of 35 selected white wine varieties from the Moravian region in the Czech Republic. To separate and identify individual phenolic compounds in the wines, the high-performance liquid chromatographic method was used. A spectrophotometric method was applied for the determination of total polyphenol and total flavonoid content. This research presents results for the total benzoic and cinnamic acid derivatives, flavonols, flavanols and stilbene content of Moravian white grape varieties. Differences were found in the content of these compounds, and the results show that the phenolic concentrations depend on grape variety and storage time.
Susceptibility of Grapevine Sucker and Green Shoot Wounds to Trunk Disease Pathogens
Authors: Makatini G.J. , Halleen F. , Mutawila C. , Moyo P. , Mostert L.
Published: July 2023

Grapevine trunk disease fungi infect vines through openings, primarily pruning wounds. The main objective of this study was to understand the role of sucker wounds and wounds made by the removal of green shoots from the stems of potted grapevines as potential points of infection for grapevine trunk disease pathogens. Six wine and four table grape vineyards of different ages were sampled in different production areas in the Western Cape grape region of South Africa. Isolations were made from 161 sucker wounds, and fungal pathogens were identified using morphology and DNA sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, the translation elongation factor 1alpha or the partial β-tubulin gene. The results show that 62% of the sucker wounds were infected by trunk disease pathogens, including Diaporthe ampelina, Diplodia seriata, Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Phaeoacremonium minimum, Eutypella microtheca, Cryptovalsa ampelina and Neofusicoccum australe. Diaporthe ampelina was the most common, followed by D. seriata and P. chlamydospora, in both the wine and table grape sucker wounds. Under glasshouse conditions, wounds made by the removal of young green shoots on one-year-old potted grapevine plants were inoculated with spore suspensions of D. ampelina, E. lata, N. parvum, P. minimum and P. chlamydospora. After four months, all the inoculated pathogens could be re-isolated. This study shows that grapevine sucker and green shoot wounds are susceptible to different grapevine trunk disease pathogens and may therefore play a role in the epidemiology of trunk diseases.
GAZİANTEP ŞEHRİNDE GEÇİCİ KORUMA KAPSAMINDAKİ SURİYELİLERİN MEKÂNSAL KÜMELENME EĞİLİMLERİ VE ETKİLERİ, İNÖNÜ CADDESİ ÖRNEĞİ
Authors: ATMACA Cuma , ZAMAN Serhat
Published: July 2023

2011 yılında Suriye’de başlayan iç savaş küresel bir krize dönüşmüş ve en çok etkilenen ülkelerden birisi de Türkiye olmuştur. Bu kaostan kaçan 3,7 milyon Suriyeli Türkiye’ye sığınmış, kısa sürede birçok kent yoğun sığınmacı göçüne maruz kalmıştır. İstanbul’dan sonra en fazla sığınmacı ağırlayan Gaziantep’te her beş kişiden biri Suriyelidir. Bu insanların bir arada yaşama isteği mekânsal yoğunlaşmayı kaçınılmaz kılmıştır. Kentin eski ticaret merkezlerinden olan İnönü Caddesi bu yoğunlaşmanın en net görüldüğü yerdir. Bu çalışma, Gaziantep’te yaşayan Suriyelilerin mekânsal kümelenme eğilimlerini ve etkilerini İnönü Caddesi örneğinde tespit etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Ayrıca geçici koruma kapsamındaki Suriyelilerin neden ve nasıl İnönü Caddesi’nde yoğunlaştıklarını, ne gibi mekânsal değişikliklere neden olduklarını, bu duruma yerel halkın ve Suriyelilerin bakış açısını ve bu değişimin sonuçlarını ortaya koymayı hedeflemektedir. Görüşme tekniği kullanılarak yapılan analizlerle mekânsal kümelenme modeli ve süreci belirlenip, göç kuramları ile açıklanmıştır.
ALGINATE COATED MgO-NPs IMPROVES THE STABILITY OF Kluyveromyces lactis β-GALACTOSIDASE FOR BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
Authors: Ansari Shakeel , Satar Rukhsana , Ikram Nadeem , Awais Muhammad
Published: July 2023

The current study was undertaken to immobilize Kluveromyces lactis β-galactosidase on alginate coated magnesium oxide nanoparticles (ACMONPs). Transmission electron microscopy showed that MgO-NPs synthesized by wet chemical approach were of 27 nm size and spherical in shape. Excellent biocompatibility of sodium alginate resulted in 90% immobilization yield for β-galactosidase due to covalent attachment. Soluble and immobilized β-galactosidase exhibited its pH and temperature-optima at pH 7.0 and at 40 oC, respectively. However, the enzyme attached to ACMONPs enhanced its activity at higher and lower pH and temperature ranges, in contrast to enzyme in solution. ACMONPs bound enzyme displayed greater enzyme activity under the effect of galactose mediated product inhibition as well as in reusability experiment. Our study indicated that 88% lactose was hydrolyzed by β-galactosidase immobilized on ACMONPs at 40 oC as compared to 71% by soluble enzyme under identical temperature in controlled batch reactors. Hence, this nanomatrix can find its potential application in continuous packed-bed reactors for obtaining lactose-free dairy products.
Estudio de modelos de avalancha usando esquemas de volúmenes finitos bien balanceados
Authors: Campos Fernando , Sepúlveda Mauricio , Abarca del Río Rodrigo , Issler Dieter
Published: July 2023

Las avalanchas son desastres naturales con importantes consecuencias humanas y económicas en todo el mundo. Chile, un país montañoso, es particularmente susceptible a estos eventos. En este estudio, empleamos una técnica numérica basada en el sistema de ecuaciones diferenciales de Saint-Venant y el método de volúmenes finito bien balanceado con reconstrucción hidrostática para analizar el comportamiento de las avalanchas de nieve, teniendo en cuenta la topografía y la fricción descritas por la reología del modelo de Voellmy-Salm. La avalancha de Rigopiano en Italia sirve como caso de estudio para probar y validar nuestra estrategia, demostrando el potencial del modelo para simular eventos de avalanchas del mundo real. El modelo numérico se explica detalladamente y los resultados para el caso de avalancha real se presentan visualmente, mostrando una estrecha alineación con los datos de campo y las estimaciones de la literatura. En conclusión, destacamos los hallazgos clave, enfatizamos la importancia de seguir investigando en el modelado de avalanchas y sugerimos las posibles aplicaciones de estos modelos para la gestión del riesgo de avalanchas en regiones como Chile.
Métodos estáticos equivalentes para el análisis dinámico de edificios altos bajo cargas de viento en Cuba
Authors: Ballate Delgado Amaya , Robert López Dora , Martín Rodríguez Patricia , Fernández Lorenzo Ingrid
Published: July 2023

Los diseños actuales de edificios altos se caracterizan por un creciente aumento en la altura, una mayor esbeltez y el uso de materiales ligeros por lo que estas estructuras presentan gran susceptibilidad ante las acciones dinámicas de la carga de viento. El método factor de efecto de ráfaga (FER) se emplea en varias normas internacionales para la determinación de la respuesta dinámica de edificios altos bajo carga de viento, este método difiere de la metodología empleada por la norma de viento cubana vigente (NC285, 2003). En este trabajo se compara la norma cubana vigente NC285 (2003) con la propuesta de actualización según los parámetros del viento, el método estático equivalente utilizado, los valores del cortante en la base y los desplazamientos máximos considerando como objetos de estudio dos edificios de 100 y 152 m de altura. Además, se presenta un procedimiento de cálculo de las aceleraciones actuantes y los criterios de aceleraciones límites permisibles. Los resultados en los edificios objeto de estudio muestran que la aceleración máxima transversal rige el estado de servicio para los estudios de confort. Los valores de desplazamientos máximos son mayores para la nueva propuesta de la norma solo en la dirección de viento que proviene directamente del mar.
Silicon
Authors: Roy Sunipa , Kumar Ghosh Chandan , Dey Sayan , Kumar Pal Abhijit
Published: July 2023

This chapter introduces silicon as an electronic material for microelectronic
device fabrication. It discusses, in-depth, the various aspects of crystalline silicon,
wafer manufacturing and their identification techniques. Finally, the various steps
involved in a microfabrication process are also discussed. From this chapter, the
readers are expected to learn how to process a silicon wafer successfully and proceed
with customized device fabrication.
MEMS in Improved Efficiency
Authors: Roy Sunipa , Kumar Ghosh Chandan , Dey Sayan , Kumar Pal Abhijit
Published: July 2023

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems or MEMS, are an achievement of this
era and revolutionized the semiconductor industry. It is the amalgamation of
microelectronics with micromachining technology. Though the term mechanical is
one of the keywords of MEMS but not necessarily, micromachined devices should
not contain mechanical parts always. Machine means cutting tools. In MEMS
technology, the micron-level substrates are cut down to fabricate the device. The
primary purpose of MEMS technology is miniaturization with low power
consumption. The term MEMS can be described in many ways. In a single sense,
MEMS is a platform on top of which some common microscopic mechanical parts,
e.g., channels, holes, cantilevers, membranes, cavities, and other structures, can be
fabricated. Though micromachining is associated with MEMS, still the structures are
not machined. Instead, they are created using micro-fabrication technology suitable
for batch processing for integrated circuits.
Antibody Therapy as Alternative to Antibiotics
Authors: Lama Manoj
Published: July 2023

In the 1890s, Behring and Kitasato established the principle of serum
therapy, which proved useful in treating infectious diseases. However, by the 1940s,
serum therapy was abandoned mainly due to complications associated with the toxicity
of heterologous sera and the introduction of more effective antibiotics. Although the
availability of antibiotics had a tremendous impact on saving lives from infectious
diseases, there was a rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance. As a result, an
alternative therapy is being given due consideration. With the advent of antibody
production technology, antibody therapy has gained interest as a promising treatment
for emerging infectious diseases. Some monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) had already
been approved for the treatment of certain infectious diseases. Many mAb candidates
are currently in different phases of clinical testing for a variety of infectious pathogens.
There is hope that antibody therapy may appear as a promising treatment option against
infectious diseases in the near future.
Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for the Antimicrobial Applications
Authors: Abdul Azeez Nazeer , Pahil Sapna , Mahadevegowda Surendra H. , Deepa Vijaykumar Sudarshana
Published: July 2023

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous crystalline
materials made-up of transition-metal cations linked with multidentate organic ligands
by the coordination bonds. The strong, flexible frameworks and the porous structure of
the MOFs establish them as an effective carriers of various functional compounds, such
as gases, drugs, and anti-microbial agents. The MOFs render high loading capacity and
sustained release, which is the desired property in anti-microbial applications. Similar
porous material for the anti-microbial application is Zeolite, however, it is more
complex to synthesize than MOFs. Currently, MOFs are used mainly in catalysis, gas
separation and storage, and water purification applications. In the applications as antimicrobial agents, MOFs are just emerging into the field application from the laboratory
scale. Hence, this chapter discusses the properties, synthetic procedures, anti-bacterial
mechanisms and various forms of MOFs for anti-microbial applications. The MOFs are
often doped with metal nanoparticles, polymers, and metal-polymer complexes. Each
category of MOFs has a different mechanistic approach to inhibiting microbial colony
growth. In this regard, this chapter will provide sufficient information on the MOFs,
which will help to understand their significance in anti-microbial applications and their
scope
Biogenic Metal Nanoparticles: A Sustainable Alternative to Combat Drug-Resistant Pathogens
Authors: Samanta Palas , Dey Sukhendu , Sen Sushobhon , Adhikari Manab Deb
Published: July 2023

The natural environment acts as the largest ‘bio-laboratory” of yeast, algae,
fungi, plants etc., which are used as an abundant source of biomolecules. These
different biomolecules play vital roles in the formation of different biogenic metals or
metalloid nanoparticles. Recently, the overburden from the different microbial diseases
has increased rapidly in different application sectors, viz., drug delivery, DNA analysis,
cancer treatment, antimicrobial agents, water treatment and biosensor and catalysts, as
a result of multipurpose work occurrence globally. The indiscriminate and arbitrary use
of antibiotics in clinical practice has spurred the emergence of potentially life threatening multidrug-resistant pathogens. In the quest for novel antimicrobial agents,
the current interest is to develop potent antimicrobial agents which exhibit broad spectrum bactericidal activity and possess a mechanism of action that does not readily
favor the development of resistance. The use of nanoscale materials as bactericidal
agents represents a novel paradigm in antibacterial therapeutics. Actually, eco-friendly,
sustainable modern approaches, such as green syntheses of different biogenic metals or
metalloid nanoparticles, are cost-effective and environment-friendly, and they are used
as strong antimicrobial agents. This chapter focuses on synthesizing biogenic metal or
metalloid nanoparticles with special emphasis on microbial synthesis, particularly from
yeast, bacteria, algae, fungi, plants extract, etc. Finally, a detailed description of the
biosynthesis mechanism using different green sources, along with their antimicrobial
activity and mode of action, has been presented.