bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Establishment of Natural Hazards Mapping Criteria Using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)
Authors: Morales Florentino F. , de Vries Walter Timo
Published: May 2021

Despite the large number of studies on natural hazards mapping and modeling, an increasing number of disasters still occur worldwide. Floods, landslides, and tsunamis, among others, consistently hit vulnerable countries, resulting in increasing death tolls and economic losses in the last decades. The increased reliability of available hazard maps is still insufficient when not fully integrated and incorporated in the respective communities' land use plans. As a pro-active and preventive approach in combatting disasters, land use planning requires the relevant stakeholders' active participation. This study derives the most crucial criteria in the eyes of planners, experts, and decision-makers for natural hazards mapping as part of land use planning and part of disaster risk reduction. These stakeholders and experts establish criteria for flood, landslide, earthquake and storm surge hazard mapping through Multi-criteria Evaluation (MCE). The MCE technique compares the relative merits of different spatially related criteria following the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) through pair-wise comparisons of criteria by experts and the decision-makers. This research process derives a general and consistent list of criteria for hazard mapping initially developed and based in the Philippines, which can be used in subsequent GIS analysis. Results further show the advantages of using AHP in a multi-criteria analysis for decision-making and compliance.
Accelerating the Passage to Citizenship: Marriage and Naturalization in France
Authors: McAvay Haley , Waldinger Roger
Published: May 2021

Naturalization systems often provide immigrant spouses of citizens with accelerated access to citizenship, but thus far, the impact of such fast-track procedures has yet to be examined by empirical analysis. Toward that end, we leverage a unique feature of French naturalization policy: a dual track system, one for standard naturalization and a second that makes naturalization a right for non-citizens married to citizens. We show that, overall, family-level factors exercise the greatest influence on naturalization decisions relative to individual and contextual factors; further, marriage to French citizens is the single most powerful factor, yielding effects on naturalization in both tracks. However, while marriage to a naturalized citizen promotes standard naturalization, marriage to a French native fosters citizenshipviathe marriage track. Women migrants who marry French natives are particularly likely to naturalizeviamarriage. Contributing to the study of naturalization by attending to the link between two institutions—naturalization and marriage—we show that the effects of an apparent bias toward the familial ties of citizens run up against state efforts to close off membership to outsiders.
Metodologia badań postaw politycznych młodzieży w świetle badań empirycznych
Authors: Kadziela Adam
Published: May 2021

The article complements the methodological discussions with issues related to the participation of young people in social research. The scientific purpose of the article is to analyze, indicate the features and stages of the research process, methods and scope of research in the context of available research on the political participation of young Poles. The subject of the analysis is also the research project “Determinants of the electoral participation of young Poles in 2019” carried out in September 2019.
Multikulturalizm: ewolucja dyskursu
Authors: Ciechański Jerzy
Published: May 2021

Multiculturalism as an ideology claims that Western societies ought to be transformed into patchworks of ethnicities, religions and races. It is supposed to help the economy grow. It also cancels out nationalism – the root cause of conflict and war. Immigration brings about such social transformation. From the mid-1980s that ideology set out the limits of public debate and underpinned immigration policies. However, the multicultural consensus of Western elites of opinion, power and money seems to be crumbling. Erstwhile marginalized, its critique becomes ever louder.
Impact of Agricultural Practices on Water Quality of Old Woman Creek Watershed, Ohio
Authors: Olaoye Israel A. , Confesor Remegio B. , Ortiz Joseph D.
Published: May 2021

The effect of agricultural practices on water quality of Old Woman Creek (OWC) watershed was evaluated in a hydrological model using the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) climate data and 20 different global circulation models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). A hydrological model was set up in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), while calibration was done using a Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm and Pareto Optimization with PRISM climate data. Validation was done using the measured data from the USGS gage station at Berlin Road in the OWC watershed and water quality data were obtained from the water quality lab, Heidelberg University. Land use scenario simulations were conducted by varying percentages of agricultural land from 20% to 40%, 53.5%, 65%, and 80% while adjusting the forest area. A total of 105 simulations was run for the period 2015–2017: one with PRISM data and 20 with CMIP5 model data for each of the five land use classes scenarios. Ten variables were analyzed, including flow, sediment, organic nitrogen, organic phosphorus, mineral phosphorus, chlorophyll a, CBOD, dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. For all the variables of interest, the average of the 20 CMIP5 simulation results show good correlation with the PRISM results with an underestimation relative to the PRISM result. The underestimation was insignificant in organic nitrogen, organic phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll a, CBOD, and total phosphorus, but was significant in CMIP5 flow, sediment, mineral phosphorus, and dissolved oxygen. A weak negative correlation was observed between agricultural land percentages and flow, and between agricultural land percentages and sediment, while a strong positive correlation was observed between agricultural land use and the water quality variables. A large increase in farmland will produce a small decrease in flow and sediment transport with a large increase in nutrient transport, which would degrade the water quality of the OWC estuary with economic implications.
Landscape Integrated Soil and Water Conservation (LISWC) System for Sloping Landscapes in Atlantic Canada
Authors: Li Sheng
Published: May 2021

Soil and water are fundamental and precious resources for agriculture. In Atlantic Canada (AC), intensive agricultural production systems have led to detrimental environmental effects such as soil erosion and the contamination of receiving waters, posing significant threats to the resilience and sustainability of the agro-ecosystem. Although many beneficial management practices (BMPs) have been developed, they all have their shortcomings and there are often trade-offs for each individual BMP. In this paper, a new paradigm is proposed for soil and water conservation—landscape integrated soil and water conservation (LISWC), a system designed to conserve and reuse soil and water within the landscape by integrating multiple BMPs based on an understanding of the landscape processes and knowledge about the BMPs. On a typical sloping field in AC, an LISWC system can be established by integrating BMPs such as diversion terraces and grassed waterways, tile drainage, water retention structures, supplemental irrigation, conservative tillage practices and soil–landscape restoration. Each individual BMP is designed to enhance one aspect of soil and water conservation but working on their own, they are all insufficient for the landscape as a whole and sometimes even have negative impacts. However, once integrated in the landscape, they complement each other: water erosion is reduced by diversion terraces and grassed waterway and conservative tillage, field drainage condition is enhanced by tile drainage, runoff and tile drained water is stored in the retention structure and reused for irrigation, and most eroded soil is returned to the soil loss area with soil–landscape restoration. This holistic landscape perspective can be used to develop LISWC systems for other landform types or applied at watershed or regional scales. Future studies are needed for the connections and interactions between individual BMPs, and analysis on the overall economic benefit of an LISWC system.
Comparative Study between the CRISPR/Cpf1 (Cas12a) and CRISPR/Cas9 Systems for Multiplex Gene Editing in Maize
Authors: Gong Chongzhi , Huang Shengchan , Song Rentao , Qi Weiwei
Published: May 2021

Although the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system has been proved to be an efficient multiplex gene editing system in maize, it was still unclear how CRISPR/Cpf1 (Cas12a) system would perform for multiplex gene editing in maize. To this end, this study compared the CRISPR/Cpf1 system and CRISPR/Cas9 system for multiplex gene editing in maize. The bZIP transcription factor Opaque2 (O2) was used as the target gene in both systems. We found that in the T0 and T1 generations, the CRISPR/Cpf1 system showed lower editing efficiency than the CRISPR/Cas9 system. However, in the T2 generation, the CRISPR/Cpf1 system generated more types of new mutations. While the CRISPR/Cas9 system tended to edit within the on-target range, the CRISPR/Cpf1 system preferred to edit in between the targets. We also found that in the CRISPR/Cpf1 system, the editing efficiency positively correlated with the expression level of Cpf1. In conclusion, the CRISPR/Cpf1 system offers alternative choices for target-site selection for multiplex gene editing and has acceptable editing efficiency in maize and is a valuable alternative choice for gene editing in crops.
Research on Innovative Business Plan. Smart Cattle Farming Using Artificial Intelligent Robotic Process Automation
Authors: Micle Diana Elena , Deiac Florina , Olar Alexandru , Drența Raul Florentin , Florean Cristian , Coman Ionuț Grigore , Arion Felix Horațiu
Published: May 2021

Integrating livestock management with the required devices and sensors is now seen as a critical factor in the agricultural sector’s long-term success. The findings revealed that the agricultural business sector is open to implementing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions, so the aim of this paper is to determine how advantageous it is for Romanian farmers to invest in a project that employs smart cattle farming methods that incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and the Internet of Things (IOT). An unstructured interview was used to gather empirical evidence during a focus group meeting. Analyzing the selected primary performance metrics, it was projected that the farm’s profitability would increase by 19 percent, productivity would increase by 21 percent, and the farm’s environmental impact would decrease by 22 percent. Automation and remote work would help minimize the farm’s worker burden while also making control panels, decision-making files, and data analysis more available. In order for the domain to be as prosperous as possible, farmers must be made aware of the benefits of using these emerging technologies for closing the gap between farmers and Information Technology (IT) solution providers, and this can be accomplished through continuous training for both farmers and their technology vendors.
When Machines Take the Beans: Ex-Ante Socioeconomic Impact Evaluation of Mechanized Harvesting of Mungbean in Bangladesh and Myanmar
Authors: Depenbusch Lutz , Farnworth Cathy Rozel , Schreinemachers Pepijn , Myint Thuzar , Islam Md Monjurul , Kundu Nanda Dulal , Myint Theingi , San Aye Moe , Jahan Rownok , Nair Ramakrishnan Madhavan
Published: May 2021

Agricultural mechanization has spread across much of Asia since the 1960s. It has increased agricultural productivity and reduced arduous farm work. However, differing impacts for smallholders and hired laborers, and for men and women, require careful consideration. This study analyzed, ex-ante, the likely social and economic tradeoffs of mechanizing the mungbean harvest in Bangladesh and Myanmar. We used a mixed methods approach combining survey data from 852 farm households with in-depth interviews in four villages. Partial budget analysis shows that mechanical harvesting of mungbean is not yet profitable for most farms. There is nevertheless an incentive to mechanize as the associated timeliness of the harvest reduces the risk of harvest losses from weather shocks. Men and women farmers expect time savings and reduced drudgery. The results confirm that hired workers depend on manual harvesting for income and status in both countries. Most hired workers are landless married women with limited access to other sources of income. In the short term, farmers are likely to combine manual harvests and a final mechanized harvest of the indeterminate crop. This could mediate the impact on hired workers. However, in the long term, it will be necessary to facilitate income-generating opportunities for women in landless rural families to maintain their well-being and income.
Dry or Wet? Evaluating the Initial Rice Cultivation Environment on the Korean Peninsula
Authors: Shoda Shinya , Nasu Hiroo , Yamazaki Kohei , Murakami Natsuki , Na Geon-Ju , Ahn Sung-Mo , Yoneda Minoru
Published: May 2021

The origins and development of rice cultivation are one of the most important aspects in studying agricultural and socio-economic innovations, as well as environmental change, in East Asian prehistory. In particular, whether wet or dry rice cultivation was conducted is an important consideration of its impact on societies and the environment across different periods and places. In this study, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of charred crop remains from archaeological sites dating from the Early Bronze Age (ca. 1.1 k BC) to the Proto-Three Kingdoms (ca. 0.4 k AD) was conducted to clarify: (1) if there were any shifts from dry to wet cultivation around 1500 years after rice adoption as previously hypothesized and (2) the difference in stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values between rice and dry fields crops excavated from the same archaeological context to understand the cultivation environment. The result show that stable isotope values of charred rice grains have not changed significantly for around 1500 years. Moreover, rice possessed higher nitrogen stable isotope values than dry crops across all periods. While other potential factors could have influenced the 15N-enrichment of soils and crops, the most reasonable explanation is bacteriologic denitrification in anaerobic paddy soil where the rice was grown.
Effect of Drip Fertigation with Nitrogen on Yield and Nutritive Value of Melon Cultivated on a Very Light Soil
Authors: Rolbiecki Roman , Rolbiecki Stanisław , Figas Anna , Jagosz Barbara , Wichrowska Dorota , Ptach Wiesław , Prus Piotr , Sadan Hicran A. , Ferenc Pal-Fam , Stachowski Piotr , Liberacki Daniel
Published: May 2021

Most species of Cucurbitaceae respond favorably to irrigation, especially when combined with fertilizers. The effect of drip irrigation combined with nitrogen fertigation in melon grown on a very light soil in Central Poland, during 2013–2015, was evaluated. The field experimental design was a split-plot with four replications. Two factors were studied: (1) irrigation treatments applied in two combinations—drip irrigation + broadcast nitrogen fertilization (control), and drip irrigation + fertigation with nitrogen; (2) two cultivars—Melba and Seledyn. The total marketable yield of fruits, weight of a single fruit, and the concentration of dry matter, total sugars, monosaccharides, ascorbic acid, total carotenoids, and polyphenols were evaluated. Tested factors presented a significant effect both on the yield and nutritive value characteristics. Drip irrigation combined with nitrogen fertigation, comparing to the control, notably improved yields and nutritional value of fruits. Seledyn produced better yields than Melba. This study shows that on very light soil, with low water and nutrient retention capacity, melon should be drip-irrigated and nitrogen-fertigated to obtain the best cultivation results.
Influence of Soil Moisture and Crust Formation on Soil Evaporation Rate: A Wind Tunnel Experiment in Hungary
Authors: Négyesi Gábor , Szabó Szilárd , Buró Botond , Mohammed Safwan , Lóki József , Rajkai Kálmán , Holb Imre J.
Published: May 2021

In both arid and semiarid regions, erosion by wind is a significant threat against sustainability of natural resources. The objective of this work was to investigate the direct impact of various soil moisture levels with soil texture and organic matter on soil crust formation and evaporation. Eighty soil samples with different texture (sand: 19, loamy sand: 21, sandy loam: 26, loam: 8, and silty loam: 6 samples) were collected from the Nyírség region (Eastern Hungary). A wind tunnel experiment was conducted on four simulated irrigation rates (0.5, l.0, 2.0, and 5.0 mm) and four levels of wind speeds (4.5, 7.8, 9.2, and 15.5 m s−1). Results showed that watering with a quantity equal to 5 mm rainfall, with the exception of sandy soils, provided about 5–6 h protection against wind erosion, even in case of a wind velocity as high as 15.5 m s−1. An exponential connection was revealed between wind velocities and the times of evaporation (R2 = 0.88–0.99). Notably, a two-way ANOVA test revealed that both wind velocity (p < 0.001) and soil texture (p < 0.01) had a significant effect on the rate of evaporation, but their interaction was not significant (p = 0.26). In terms of surface crusts, silty loamy soils resulted in harder and more solid crusts in comparison with other textures. In contrast, crust formation in sandy soils was almost negligible, increasing their susceptibility to wind erosion risk. These results can support local municipalities in the development of a local plan against wind erosion phenomena in agricultural areas.
Comparison of the Concentration of Risk Elements in Alluvial Soils Determined by pXRF In Situ, in the Laboratory, and by ICP-OES
Authors: Menšík Ladislav , Hlisnikovský Lukáš , Nerušil Pavel , Kunzová Eva
Published: May 2021

The aim of the study was to compare the concentrations of risk elements (As, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in alluvial soil, which were measured by a portable X-ray fluorescence analyser (pXRF) in situ (FIELD) and in the laboratory (LABORATORY). Subsequently, regression equations were developed for individual elements through the method of construction of the regression model, which compare the results of pXRF with classical laboratory analysis (ICP-OES). The accuracy of the measurement, expressed by the coefficient of determination (R2), was as follows in the case of FIELD–ICP-OES: Pb (0.96), Zn (0.92), As (0.72), Mn (0.63), Cu (0.31) and Ni (0.01). In the case of LABORATORY–ICP-OES, the coefficients had values: Pb (0.99), Zn (0.98), Cu and Mn (0.89), As (0.88), Ni (0.81). A higher dependence of the relationship was recorded between LABORATORY–ICP-OES than between FIELD–ICP-OES. An excellent relationship was recorded for the elements Pb and Zn, both for FIELD and LABORATORY (R2 higher than 0.90). The elements Cu, Mn and As have a worse tightness in the relationship; however, the results of the model have shown its applicability for common use, e.g., in agricultural practice or in monitoring the quality of the environment. Based on our results, we can say that pXRF instruments can provide highly accurate results for the concentration of risk elements in the soil in real time for some elements and meet the principle of precision agriculture: an efficient, accurate and fast method of analysis.
Assessment of Maize Growth and Development with High- and Medium-Resolution Remote Sensing Products
Authors: Ballesteros Rocío , Moreno Miguel , Barroso Fellype , González-Gómez Laura , Ortega José
Published: May 2021

The availability of a great amount of remote sensing data for precision agriculture purposes has set the question of which resolution and indices, derived from satellites or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), offer the most accurate results to characterize vegetation. This study focused on assessing, comparing, and discussing the performances and limitations of satellite and UAV-based imagery in terms of canopy development, i.e., the leaf area index (LAI), and yield, i.e., the dry aboveground biomass (DAGB), for maize. Three commercial maize fields were studied over four seasons to obtain the LAI and DAGB. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and visible atmospherically resistant index (VARI) from satellite platforms (Landsat 5TM, 7 ETM+, 8OLI, and Sentinel 2A MSI) and the VARI and green canopy cover (GCC) from UAV imagery were compared. The remote sensing predictors in addition to the growing degree days (GDD) were assessed to estimate the LAI and DAGB using multilinear regression models (MRMs). For LAI estimation, better adjustments were obtained when predictors from the UAV platform were considered. The DAGB estimation revealed similar adjustments for both platforms, although the Landsat imagery offered slightly better adjustments. The results obtained in this study demonstrate the advantage of remote sensing platforms as a useful tool to estimate essential agronomic features.
Corn Grain and Stover Nutrient Uptake Responses from Sandy Soil Treated with Designer Biochars and Compost
Authors: Novak Jeffrey M. , Watts Donald W. , Sigua Gilbert C. , Ducey Thomas F.
Published: May 2021

Biochars are used for soil fertility improvement because they may contain certain elements that plants use as nutrients. However, few studies have demonstrated enhanced crop nutrient uptake. Our study examined nutrient uptake responses of corn (Zea Mays L.) grain and stover over 4 years (Y) after a Goldsboro sandy loam (fine-loamy, siliceous, sub-active, thermic Aquic Paleudults) received different designer biochars and a compost. The designer biochars were produced from lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) chip (PC), poultry litter (PL), blends with switchgrass (SG; Panicum virgatum), and a SG compost alone. Topsoil treated with 100% PL biochar and blended PC:PL biochar had significantly greater Mehlich 1 (M1) extractable P, K and Na contents compared to the control or other treatments. No significant differences were detected in annual grain nutrient concentrations. In the first corn stover harvest (Y1), significantly greater concentrations of P and K were taken up after treatment with 100% PL biochar, with PC:PL blend and with SG when compared to control. By the fourth corn stover harvest (Y4), nutrient uptake between treatments was not significantly different. Biochar impact on corn stover P, K and Na concentrations was time dependent, suggesting that repeated biochar applications may be needed.
Appropriateness of Antibiotic Prescription for Prophylactic Purposes among Italian Dental Practitioners: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Bianco Aida , Cautela Vincenza , Napolitano Francesco , Licata Francesca , Pavia Maria
Published: May 2021

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the pattern of antibiotic prescription for prophylaxis purposes among Italian DPs (dental practitioners). A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted using a multi-stage sampling design. A structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data and information about antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) prescriptions for selected dental diagnoses and surgical procedures. The presence of an indication and appropriateness of AP were defined according to international guidelines. In total, 563 DPs answered the questionnaire (response rate 52.6%). The proportions of DPs who prescribed AP in the presence of an indication ranged from 39.1% for luxation injury with soft tissue trauma to 73.1% for dental implants, whilst DPs who prescribed AP in healthy patients ranged from 41.9% in luxation injury with soft tissue trauma to 70.3% for bone grafting. The course of AP reported by DPs was not consistent with the guidelines in 70.9% of explored procedures. A high proportion of AP prescriptions before dental procedures were unnecessary. This highlights the urgent need to incorporate recommendations for best practices into national and local protocols as soon as they are established. Specific antibiotic stewardship strategies targeted to DPs should be implemented and assessed for effectiveness in improving prescribing of antibiotics.
Stability and Compatibility Aspects of Drugs: The Case of Selected Cephalosporins
Authors: Tomczak Szymon , Gostyńska Aleksandra , Nadolna Malwina , Reisner Karolina , Orlando Marta , Jelińska Anna , Stawny Maciej
Published: May 2021

Intravenous drug incompatibilities are a common cause of medical errors, contributing to ineffective therapy and even life-threatening events. The co-administration of drugs must always be supported by studies confirming compatibility and thus guarantee the therapy’s safety. Particular attention should be paid to the possible incompatibilities or degradation of intravenous cephalosporins in different infusion regimens since the administration of drugs with inadequate quality may cause treatment failure. Therefore, an appropriate stability test should be performed. The study aimed to present various aspects of the stability and compatibility of five cephalosporins: cefepime (CFE), cefuroxime (CFU), ceftriaxone (CFX), ceftazidime (CFZ), and cefazoline (CFL). The degradation studies in parenteral infusion fluids and PN admixtures were conducted for CFE and CFU. The interactions between CFX or CFZ and PN admixtures, as well as the compatibility of CFL with five commercial parenteral nutrition (PN) admixtures, were investigated. The content of CFX and CFZ in PN admixture after 24 h was >90%. CFL administered simultaneously with PN admixture by the same infusion set using Y-site was compatible only with Nutriflex Lipid Special. CFE and CFU were stable in all tested infusion fluids for a minimum of 48 h and decomposed in PN admixtures during storage.
Honey as an Ecological Reservoir of Antibacterial Compounds Produced by Antagonistic Microbial Interactions in Plant Nectars, Honey and Honey Bee
Authors: Brudzynski Katrina
Published: May 2021

The fundamental feature of “active honeys” is the presence and concentration of antibacterial compounds. Currently identified compounds and factors have been described in several review papers without broader interpretation or links to the processes for their formation. In this review, we indicate that the dynamic, antagonistic/competitive microbe–microbe and microbe–host interactions are the main source of antibacterial compounds in honey. The microbial colonization of nectar, bees and honey is at the center of these interactions that in consequence produce a range of defence molecules in each of these niches. The products of the microbial interference and exploitive competitions include antimicrobial peptides, antibiotics, surfactants, inhibitors of biofilm formation and quorum sensing. Their accumulation in honey by horizontal transfer might explain honey broad-spectrum, pleiotropic, antibacterial activity. We conclude that honey is an ecological reservoir of antibacterial compounds produced by antagonistic microbial interactions in plant nectars, honey and honey bee. Thus, refocusing research on secondary metabolites resulting from these microbial interactions might lead to discovery of new antibacterial compounds in honey that are target-specific, i.e., acting on specific cellular components or inhibiting the essential cellular function.
Selection of a Gentamicin-Resistant Variant Following Polyhexamethylene Biguanide (PHMB) Exposure in Escherichia coli Biofilms
Authors: Cuzin Clémence , Houée Paméla , Lucas Pierrick , Blanchard Yannick , Soumet Christophe , Bridier Arnaud
Published: May 2021

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most important issues facing modern medicine. Some biocides have demonstrated the potential of selecting resistance to antibiotics in bacteria, but data are still very scarce and it is important to better identify the molecules concerned and the underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to assess the potential of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), a widely used biocide in a variety of sectors, to select antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli grown in biofilms. Biofilms were grown on inox coupons and then exposed daily to sublethal concentrations of PHMB over 10 days. Antibiotic-resistant variants were then isolated and characterized phenotypically and genotypically to identify the mechanisms of resistance. Repeated exposure to PHMB led to the selection of an E. coli variant (Ec04m1) with stable resistance to gentamycin (8-fold increase in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) compared to the parental strain. This was also associated with a significant decrease in the growth rate in the variant. Sequencing and comparison of the parental strain and Ec04m1 whole genomes revealed a nonsense mutation in the aceE gene in the variant. This gene encodes the pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex, which catalyzes the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA and CO2. A growth experiment in the presence of acetate confirmed the role of this mutation in a decreased susceptibility to both PHMB and gentamicin (GEN) in the variant. This work highlights the potential of PHMB to select resistance to antibiotics in bacteria, and that enzymes of central metabolic pathways should be considered as a potential target in adaptation strategies, leading to cross-resistance toward biocides and antibiotics in bacteria.
Ameliorative Effects of the Sesquiterpenoid Valerenic Acid on Oxidative Stress Induced in HepG2 Cells after Exposure to the Fungicide Benomyl
Authors: Kara Mehtap , Öztaş Ezgi , Boran Tuğçe , Karaman Ecem Fatma , Veskoukis Aristidis S. , Tsatsakis Aristides M.
Published: May 2021

Valerenic acid (VA) is a sesquiterpenoid and a phytoconstituent of the plant valerian used for sleeping disorders and anxiety. The frequency of using herbal components as therapeutic nutritional agents has increased lately. Their ability to improve redox homeostasis makes them a valuable approach against harmful xenobiotics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the putative beneficial role of VA against the redox-perturbating role of the fungicide benomyl in HepG2 human liver cells in terms of oxidative stress in the cellular environment and in endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Benomyl increased cell total oxidant status and reactive oxygen species production and decreased total antioxidant status. The expression of genes coding for antioxidant molecules, namely, heme oxygenase-1, alpha glutathione s-transferase, NF-ĸB, and liver fatty acid binding protein, were decreased due to benomyl. VA ameliorated these effects. Benomyl also increased ER-stress-related molecules such as endoplasmic reticulum to nucleus signaling 1 protein, glucose-regulated protein 78, and caspase-12 levels, and VA acted also as a preventive agent. These results indicate that VA exerts ameliorative effects after benomyl-induced oxidative stress. VA, a widely used nutritional supplement, is a compound with potent antioxidant properties, which are valuable for the protection of cells against xenobiotic-induced oxidative damage.
Application of Polypodiopsida Class in Nanotechnology–Potential towards Development of More Effective Bioactive Solutions
Authors: Fierascu Irina , Fierascu Radu Claudiu , Ungureanu Camelia , Draghiceanu Oana Alexandra , Soare Liliana Cristina
Published: May 2021

The area of phytosynthesized nanomaterials is rapidly developing, with numerous studies being published yearly. The use of plant extracts is an alternative method to reduce the toxic potential of the nanomaterials and the interest in obtaining phytosynthesized nanoparticles is usually directed towards accessible and common plant species, ferns not being explored to their real potential in this field. The developed nanoparticles could benefit from their superior antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (compared with the nanoparticles obtained by other routes), thus proposing an important alternative against health care-associated and drug-resistant infections, as well as in other types of applications. The present review aims to summarize the explored application of ferns in nanotechnology and related areas, as well as the current bottlenecks and future perspectives, as emerging from the literature data.
The Effect of Subgrade Coefficient on Static Work of a Pontoon Made as a Monolithic Closed Tank
Authors: Szymczak-Graczyk Anna
Published: May 2021

This article presents the effect of taking into account the subgrade coefficient on static work of a pontoon with an internal partition, made in one stage and treated computationally as a monolithic closed rectangular tank. An exemplary pontoon is a single, ready-made shipping element that can be used as a float for a building. By assembling several floats together, the structure can form a floating platform. Due to the increasingly violent weather phenomena and the necessity to ensure safe habitation for people in countries at risk of inundation or flooding, amphibious construction could provide new solutions. This article presents calculations for a real pontoon made in one stage for the purpose of conducting research. Since it is a closed structure without any joint or contact, it can be concluded that it is impossible for water to get inside. However, in order to exclude the possibility of the pontoon filling with water, its interior was filled with Styrofoam. For static calculations, the variational approach to the finite difference method was used, assuming the condition for the minimum energy of elastic deflection during bending, taking into account the cooperation of the tank walls with the Styrofoam filling treated as a Winkler elastic substrate and assuming that Poisson’s ratio ν = 0. Based on the results, charts were made illustrating the change in bending moments at the characteristic points of the analysed tank depending on acting loads. The calculations included hydrostatic loads on the upper plate and ice floe pressure as well as buoyancy, stability and metacentric height of the pontoon. The aim of the study is to show a finished product—a single-piece pontoon that can be a prefabricated element designed for use as a float for “houses on water”.
Enhancing the Triboelectric Nanogenerator Output by Micro Plasma Generation in a Micro-Cracked Surface Structure
Authors: Park Jinhyoung , Cho Hanchul , Lee Yong-Seok
Published: May 2021

Energy harvesting, especially for powering low-power internet-of-things (IoT) devices, is gaining attention in recent years. Triboelectric nanogenerators have been studied to improve the output by applying a structure that can concentrate electrons on the surface of the generator materials. For enhancing the triboelectrification output, we herein focused on the power output line. A method for increasing the amount of electrons on the power lead by potential difference and their acceleration was studied. A rod was shaken by external vibrations; the accumulated charges were discharged in a manner similar to that of a lightning rod. Micro plasma was generated when the rod made contact with the mating micro-cracked surface innumerable times. The micro-cracked surface was fabricated with a diamond tip moving horizontally to the surface. As the resistance of the micro plasma was close to zero, the amount of electron movement was instantaneously accelerated. This type of triboelectric generator can be fabricated in the form of an electric box. By using this triboelectric power amplifier, voltage can be amplified 2 to 3 times, and the current can be amplified 10 to 15 times; thus, enhanced energy harvesting efficiency is attained.
Backpack Process Model (BPPM): A Process Mining Approach for Curricular Analytics
Authors: Salazar-Fernandez Juan Pablo , Munoz-Gama Jorge , Maldonado-Mahauad Jorge , Bustamante Diego , Sepúlveda Marcos
Published: May 2021

Curricular analytics is the area of learning analytics that looks for insights and evidence on the relationship between curricular elements and the degree of achievement of curricular outcomes. For higher education institutions, curricular analytics can be useful for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the curricula and for justifying changes in learning pathways for students. This work presents the study of curricular trajectories as processes (i.e., sequence of events) using process mining techniques. Specifically, the Backpack Process Model (BPPM) is defined as a novel model to unveil student trajectories, not by the courses that they take, but according to the courses that they have failed and have yet to pass. The usefulness of the proposed model is validated through the analysis of the curricular trajectories of N = 4466 engineering students considering the first courses in their program. We found differences between backpack trajectories that resulted in retention or in dropout; specific courses in the backpack and a larger initial backpack sizes were associated with a higher proportion of dropout. BPPM can contribute to understanding how students handle failed courses they must retake, providing information that could contribute to designing and implementing timely interventions in higher education institutions.
Automatic Classification of UML Class Diagrams Using Deep Learning Technique: Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Gosala Bethany , Chowdhuri Sripriya Roy , Singh Jyoti , Gupta Manjari , Mishra Alok
Published: May 2021

Unified Modeling Language (UML) includes various types of diagrams that help to study, analyze, document, design, or develop any software efficiently. Therefore, UML diagrams are of great advantage for researchers, software developers, and academicians. Class diagrams are the most widely used UML diagrams for this purpose. Despite its recognition as a standard modeling language for Object-Oriented software, it is difficult to learn. Although there exist repositories that aids the users with the collection of UML diagrams, there is still much more to explore and develop in this domain. The objective of our research was to develop a tool that can automatically classify the images as UML class diagrams and non-UML class diagrams. Earlier research used Machine Learning techniques for classifying class diagrams. Thus, they are required to identify image features and investigate the impact of these features on the UML class diagrams classification problem. We developed a new approach for automatically classifying class diagrams using the approach of Convolutional Neural Network under the domain of Deep Learning. We have applied the code on Convolutional Neural Networks with and without the Regularization technique. Our tool receives JPEG/PNG/GIF/TIFF images as input and predicts whether it is a UML class diagram image or not. There is no need to tag images of class diagrams as UML class diagrams in our dataset.
Developmental History of Soil Concepts from a Scientific Perspective
Authors: Mizuta Katsutoshi , Grunwald Sabine , Cropper Wendell P. , Bacon Allan R.
Published: May 2021

Various soil concepts have emerged since the beginning of the twentieth century, with some shared similarities. These concepts have contributed to a rise in the awareness of protecting limited soil resources, but not every idea has equally gained widespread attention from scientists. The purpose of this study was to document the developmental history of 10 soil concepts from 1900 to 2018 and investigate their growth/decline. Articles containing words related to the selected soil concepts in titles, abstracts, or publication contents available in the Web of Science were examined. “Soil production” was the oldest concept, found in a paper published in 1910, followed chronologically in the literature by soil care, fertility, conservation, quality, health, protection, security, sustainability, and resilience. Most of the concepts were initially found in non-soil-science journals that predated publications in soil science journals, which implies slowness of the soil science community’s adoption. The statistical publication trend for each concept over time was analyzed and interpreted based on diffusion of innovation theory. The results suggest that all of the soil concepts experienced a statistically positive/upward shift (p < 0.01) over time. In particular, soil concepts cited in soil science journals tended to maintain their momentum and communal value over time in soil science research, except the soil care concept. Applications of soil concept research based on collaboration between scientists of different nationalities, affiliations, and research expertise would further increase the possibility of citation frequency and foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration.
Unsupervised Offline Changepoint Detection Ensembles
Authors: Katser Iurii , Kozitsin Viacheslav , Lobachev Victor , Maksimov Ivan
Published: May 2021

Offline changepoint detection (CPD) algorithms are used for signal segmentation in an optimal way. Generally, these algorithms are based on the assumption that signal’s changed statistical properties are known, and the appropriate models (metrics, cost functions) for changepoint detection are used. Otherwise, the process of proper model selection can become laborious and time-consuming with uncertain results. Although an ensemble approach is well known for increasing the robustness of the individual algorithms and dealing with mentioned challenges, it is weakly formalized and much less highlighted for CPD problems than for outlier detection or classification problems. This paper proposes an unsupervised CPD ensemble (CPDE) procedure with the pseudocode of the particular proposed ensemble algorithms and the link to their Python realization. The approach’s novelty is in aggregating several cost functions before the changepoint search procedure running during the offline analysis. The numerical experiment showed that the proposed CPDE outperforms non-ensemble CPD procedures. Additionally, we focused on analyzing common CPD algorithms, scaling, and aggregation functions, comparing them during the numerical experiment. The results were obtained on the two anomaly benchmarks that contain industrial faults and failures—Tennessee Eastman Process (TEP) and Skoltech Anomaly Benchmark (SKAB). One of the possible applications of our research is the estimation of the failure time for fault identification and isolation problems of the technical diagnostics.
Mining Textual and Imagery Instagram Data during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Amanatidis Dimitrios , Mylona Ifigeneia , Kamenidou Irene (Eirini) , Mamalis Spyridon , Stavrianea Aikaterini
Published: May 2021

Instagram is perhaps the most rapidly gaining in popularity of photo and video sharing social networking applications. It has been widely adopted by both end-users and organizations, posting their personal experiences or expressing their opinion during significant events and periods of crises, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the search for effective vaccine treatment. We identify the three major companies involved in vaccine research and extract their Instagram posts, after vaccination has started, as well as users’ reception using respective hashtags, constructing the datasets. Statistical differences regarding the companies are initially presented, on textual, as well as visual features, i.e., image classification by transfer learning. Appropriate preprocessing of English language posts and content analysis is subsequently performed, by automatically annotating the posts as one of four intent classes, thus facilitating the training of nine classifiers for a potential application capable of predicting user’s intent. By designing and carrying out a controlled experiment we validate that the resulted algorithms’ accuracy ranking is significant, identifying the two best performing algorithms; this is further improved by ensemble techniques. Finally, polarity analysis on users’ posts, leveraging a convolutional neural network, reveals a rather neutral to negative sentiment, with highly polarized user posts’ distributions.
Numerical Analysis of the Localization of Pulmonary Nodules during Thoracoscopic Surgery by Ultra-Wideband Radio Technology
Authors: Battistel Alberto , Pott Peter Paul , Möller Knut
Published: May 2021

Worldwide, lung cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death. Detected by computer tomography, it is usually removed through thoracoscopic surgery. During the surgery the lung collapses requiring some strategies to track or localize the new position of the lesion. This is particularly challenging in the case of minimally invasive surgeries when mechanical palpation is not possible. Here we undertake a preliminary study with numerical analysis of an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio technology which can be employed directly during thoracoscopic surgery to localize deep solitary pulmonary nodules. This study was conducted through Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulations, where a spherical target mimicking a nodule located between 1 and 6 cm of depth and an UWB pulse at several frequencies between 0.5 and 5 GHz was used for localization. This investigation quantifies the influence of several parameters, such frequency, lesion depth, and number of acquisitions, on the final confocal image used to locate a cancer in the lung tissue. We also provide extensive discussion on several artifacts that appear in the images. The results show that the cancer localization was possible at operational frequencies below 1 GHz and for deep nodules (>5 cm), while at lower depths and higher frequencies several artifacts hindered its detection.
100 Gbaud On–Off Keying/Pulse Amplitude Modulation Links in C-Band for Short-Reach Optical Interconnects
Authors: Ozolins Oskars , Pang Xiaodan , Udalcovs Aleksejs , Schatz Richard , Spolitis Sandis , Bobrovs Vjaceslavs , Jacobsen Gunnar , Popov Sergei
Published: May 2021

We experimentally evaluate the high-speed on–off keying (OOK) and four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4) transmitter’s performance in C-band for short-reach optical interconnects. We demonstrate up to 100 Gbaud OOK and PAM4 transmission over a 400 m standard single-mode fiber with a monolithically integrated externally modulated laser (EML) having 100 GHz 3 dB bandwidth with 2 dB ripple. We evaluate its capabilities to enable 800 GbE client-side links based on eight, and even four, optical lanes for optical interconnect applications. We study the equalizer’s complexity when increasing the baud rate of PAM4 signals. Furthermore, we extend our work with numerical simulations showing the required received optical power (ROP) for a certain bit error rate (BER) for the different combinations of the effective number of bits (ENOB) and extinction ratio (ER) at the transmitter. We also show a possibility to achieve around 1 km dispersion uncompensated transmission with a simple decision feedback equalizer (DFE) for a 100 Gbaud OOK, PAM4, and eight-level PAM (PAM8) link having the received power penalty of around 1 dB.