bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Falling through the cracks: How do policies for alcohol marketing apply to zero alcohol products in Australia?
Authors: Bury Keira , Keric Danica , Riesenberg Devorah , Wellard‐Cole Lyndal , Pettigrew Simone
Published: October 2023

Issues

There is a decline in youth drinking, but also a causal link between alcohol marketing and drinking among young people. Therefore, novel alcohol marketing strategies should be scrutinised, particularly where children are exposed. This includes marketing for zero‐alcohol products (ZAP) (containing 0.00% to 1.15% alcohol by volume), which has expanded considerably in recent times. This review examines how the current industry‐managed regulatory approach to alcohol marketing applies to ZAPs in Western Australia.

Approach

The marketing mix (four Ps of marketing: product, promotion, place, price) was used as a framework to examine federal and state government policies and industry managed codes. Policies were included if they applied to marketing of alcohol products, for example, product labelling, promotion and advertising across various media, the place of purchase and pricing measures (taxation).

Key Findings

ZAPs were inconsistently defined, meaning that products between 0.05% and 1.15% alcohol by volume were covered under some but not all alcohol policy measures, and application to products under 0.5% alcohol by volume was limited.

Implications

Government policy should more clearly define alcohol marketing and whether ZAPs and other alcohol brand extensions should be treated in the same way as alcoholic products.

Conclusion

In Western Australia, the ways in which alcohol policy measures apply to ZAPs are limited and close attention must be paid to how ZAPs may provide additional marketing opportunities for the alcohol industry.
Die Aktivitätsperiodik des Flughörnchens, Glaucomys volans (Linnaeus 1758) und des Backenhörnchens, Tamias striatus (Linnaeus 1758)
Authors: Graefe Gernot
Published: October 2023

An zwei zusammen in einem allseitig geschlossenen Gehege gehaltenen Tierarten, dem Flughörnchen (Glaucomys volans) und dem Backenhörnchen (Tamias striatus) wurde besonders die Aktivitätsperiodik beobachtet.

Im nebenstehenden Diagramm (Abb. 5) sind die Aktivitätskurven beider Arten im Verlauf eines 24‐Std.‐tages mitten im August gemeinsam eingetragen.

Infolge des Aneinanderschliez̀ens der beiden Aktivitätszeiten und weil sie verschiedene Schlafplätze haben, erwiesen sich diese beiden Tierarten als sehr geeignete Partner für eine gemeinsame Haltung.

Als Zeitgeber für das Erscheinen und Schlafengehen des dunkelaktiven Flughörnchens wurden Helligkeitswerte von 35–45 Lux ermittelt. Ungefähr die gleichen Lichtwerte begrenzten die Wachperiode des lichtaktiven Backenhörnchens. Dadurch sind die Aktivitätsrhythmen beider Arten den jahreszeitlich sich ändernden Tag‐ und Nachtlängen gleich gut angepaz̀t, und ihre Überschneidung, die zwischenartliche Auseinandersetzungen zur Folge haben würde, ist von vornherein ausgeschlossen.

Die Aktivitätskurven beider Arten zeigen zwei Gipfel. Der höhere liegt am Anfang der Tatigkeitsperiode und ist beim Flughörnchen besonders deutlich. Durch Verdunkeln des Geheges konnten Anfang und Ende der Wachzeit verschoben werden.

In einer sehr windigen Nacht kamen die Flughörnchen nur wenig zum Vorschein, holten aber, obwohl der Wind anhielt, reichlich verspätet kurz vor Morgenanbruch ein Tätigkeitsmaximum nach.

Von vornherein im Stationsgelände frei laufende Backenhörnchen haben eine wesentlich gröz̀ere Fluchtdistanz als die im Gehege. Gleich geblieben waren die Aktivitätsperiodik und die Lebensgewohnheiten.
Über Interferenzerscheinungen zwischen sozialer und biologischer Rangordnung
Authors: Menzel R. , Menzel R.
Published: October 2023

Es werden mehrere interspezifische Gemeinschaften beschrieben, auch solche, deren Partner Arten angehören, die zueinander im Verhältnis biologischer Hierarchie stehen.

Auf freier Wildbahn gehen biologische Rivalen einander aus dem Wege. Daher sind solche Gemeinschaften nur unter dem psychischen oder physischen Zwange möglich, der die Partner an einen gemeinsamen verhältnismäßig engen Lebensraum bindet. Als physischer Zwang wirken Gefangenhaltung oder Einpferchung auf beschränktem Raum, als psychischer gemeinsame Bindung an den Menschen als Alphatier, also hochgradige Zähmung oder Domestikation.

Im allgemeinen ist eine Voraussetzung für die Bildung solcher interspezifischer Gemeinschaften das Vorhandensein ähnlicher Ausdrucksbewegungen; aber selbst wenn einzelne Ausdrucksbewegungen entgegengesetzt wirksame Schlüsselreize darstellen, z. B. das Pfoteheben bei Katze und Hund, können Angehörige solcher verschiedener Arten eine Gemeinschaft bilden, wenn sie Gelegenheit haben, sich in friedlicher Situation persönlich kennen‐zulernen. Das wird durch den Einfluß des Menschen in seiner Rolle als Alphatier begünstigt.

Am besten lassen sich solche zwischenartlichen Gemeinschaften in früher Jugend bilden, wenn die artgemäßen Verhaltensmerkmale noch nicht ganz ausgereift sind und vor allem wenn Auseinandersetzungen noch nicht lebensbedrohend für einen der Partner werden können. Bei erheblich verschiedener Größe und Kraft der Partner muß der Mensch unter Umständen den Stärkeren vorübergehend durch Zuruf hemmen oder sogar einschüchtern, damit er nicht den Schwächeren durch grobe Behandlung verletzt.

In solchen Gemeinschaften kann es zur Interferenz zwischen biologischer und sozialer Rangordnung kommen, insbesondere wenn der Mensch dem biologisch unterlegenen Tiere hilft.

Einmal ist es den Verfassern geglückt, ein von Hause aus nicht gregopetales Tier, den Fuchs, wenigstens vorübergehend einer solchen interspezifischen Gemeinschaft einzugliedern.
Colorimetric protein assay techniques
Authors: Sapan Christine V. , Lundblad Roger L. , Price Nicholas C.
Published: October 2023

There has been an increase in the number of colorimetric assay techniques for the determination of protein concentration over the past 20 years. This has resulted in a perceived increase in sensitivity and accuracy with the advent of new techniques. The present review considers these advances with emphasis on the potential use of such technologies in the assay of biopharmaceuticals. The techniques reviewed include Coomassie Blue G‐250 dye binding (the Bradford assay), the Lowry assay, the bicinchoninic acid assay and the biuret assay. It is shown that each assay has advantages and disadvantages relative to sensitivity, ease of performance, acceptance in the literature, accuracy and reproducibility/coefficient of variation/laboratory‐to‐laboratory variation. A comparison of the use of several assays with the same sample population is presented. It is suggested that the most critical issue in the use of a chromogenic protein assay for the characterization of a biopharmaceutical is the selection of a standard for the calibration of the assay; it is crucial that the standard be representative of the sample. If it is not possible to match the standard with the sample from the perspective of protein composition, then it is preferable to use an assay that is not sensitive to the composition of the protein such as a micro‐Kjeldahl technique, quantitative amino acid analysis or the biuret assay. In a complex mixture it might be inappropriate to focus on a general method of protein determination and much more informative to use specific methods relating to the protein(s) of particular interest, using either specific assays or antibody‐based methods. The key point is that whatever method is adopted as the ‘gold standard’ for a given protein, this method needs to be used routinely for calibration.
Real‐time monitoring of recombinant antibody breakthrough during Protein A affinity chromatography
Authors: Fahrner Robert L. , Blank Gregory S.
Published: October 2023

An on‐line assay was developed to monitor antibody breakthrough in real time during Protein A affinity chromatography of recombinant antibodies. When loading cell culture fluid on to a Protein A affinity column, antibody breakthrough cannot be measured by UV absorbance because of the flow‐through of UV‐absorbing impurities. An assay using perfusion chromatography media with immobilized Protein A is a rapid, antibody‐specific assay. It directly samples preparative column effluent, allowing real‐time measurement of antibody breakthrough during loading of Protein A affinity chromatography. Breakthrough curves were generated for three column media at five flow rates, showing the effects of diffusion on the shape of the breakthrough curve. The breakthrough curves were used to measure dynamic capacity.
Preformulation study of the vaccine candidate P64k against Neisseria meningitidis
Authors: Expósito Raya Néstor , Luaces Marissa Mestre , Rodriguez Ricardo Silva , Nazábal Gálvez Consuelo , Peña Rivero Maxlenin , Martínez de la Puente Nieves , Batista Milagros Font , Guillén Nieto Gerardo
Published: October 2023

We have previously isolated, cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli the lpdA gene coding for a high‐molecular‐mass protein (P64k) common to many meningococcal strains. P64k is an outer membrane lipoamide dehydrogenase that is highly immunogenic in animals. Here we describe a preformulation study of the recombinant protein as a vaccine candidate against Neisseria meningitidis, in which six variants containing the candidate were tested. Three assays were used to identify the most suitable variant for further evaluation: percentage of adsorption, identification of P64k by SDS/PAGE, and immunogenicity in mice. All the preformulation variants studied showed more than 98% of adsorption of P64k on the aluminium gel. After desorption, P64k was also identified by SDS/PAGE in the six preformulation variants. Seroconversion was attained in all groups analysed. On the basis of these results, the most effective variant consisted of 20 μg/ml P64k plus 0.5 mg/ml aluminium hydroxide.
The realm of microbial lipases in biotechnology
Authors: Pandey Ashok , Benjamin Sailas , Soccol Carlos R. , Nigam Poonam , Krieger Nadia , Soccol Vanete T.
Published: October 2023

In this review, a comprehensive and illustrious survey is made of the applied aspects of microbial lipases in modern biotechnological practices. Lipases are the most versatile biocatalyst and bring about a range of bioconversion reactions such as hydrolysis, interesterification, esterification, alcoholysis, acidolysis and aminolysis. After a brief description of the microbial sources of lipases, the pivotal role of lipases in the processes and products of the food and flavourings industry is illustrated. An illustration is presented of biomedical applications. The panorama of lipases in the manufacture of fine chemicals is depicted with special emphasis on pharmaceuticals, pesticides, cosmetics, biosensors and detergents. Widening applications such as those in waste management and improved tanning techniques are other novel aspects of lipase utilization that are discussed in this review.
Mutational analysis of sickle haemoglobin (Hb) gelation
Authors: Li Xianfeng , Himanen Juha‐Pekka , Martin de Llano Jose Javier , Padovan Julio Cesar , Chait Brian T. , Manning James M.
Published: October 2023

The use of recombinant Hb has provided the advantage that any amino acid substitution can be made at sites not represented by natural mutants or that cannot be modified by chemical procedures. We have recently reported the expression of human sickle Hb (HbS) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that carries a plasmid containing the human α‐ and β‐globin cDNA sequences; N‐terminal nascent protein processing is correct and a soluble correctly folded Hb tetramer is produced. The yeast system produces a recombinant sickle Hb that is identical by about a dozen biochemical and physiological criteria with the natural sickle Hb purified from the red cells of sickle‐cell anaemia patients. Most importantly, the gelling concentration of this recombinant sickle Hb is the same as that of the HbS purified from human sickle red cells. The misfolding of Hb reported for the Escherichia coli ‐expressed protein is not apparent for Hb expressed in yeast by any of the criteria that we have used for characterization. These findings indicate that this system is well suited to the production of HbS mutants to explore those areas of the HbS tetramer whose roles in the gelation process are not yet defined and to measure quantitatively the strength of such interactions at certain inter‐tetrameric contact sites in the deoxy‐HbS aggregate. This article reviews our studies on a number of sickle Hb mutants, including polymerization‐enhancing HbS mutants and polymerization‐inhibiting HbS mutants.
The role of glaciations in the evolutionary history of a widely distributed Neotropical open habitat bird
Authors: Bukowski Belén , Campagna Leonardo , Rodríguez‐Cajarville María José , Cabanne Gustavo S. , Tubaro Pablo L. , Lijtmaer Darío A.
Published: October 2023

Aim

The Neotropics constitute the most biodiverse region of the world, yet its patterns of diversification and speciation differ among Neotropical areas and are not equally well understood. Particularly, avian evolutionary processes are understudied in the open habitats of temperate South America, where the role of glacial cycles is not clear. We analysed the evolutionary history of a Neotropical widespread bird species as a case study to evaluate its continental‐scale patterns and processes of diversification, with a focus on Patagonia.

Location

Open habitats of the Neotropics.

Taxon

Vanellus chilensis (Aves, Charadriiformes).

Methods

We obtained reduced representation genomic and mitochondrial data from the four subspecies of V. chilensis to perform a phylogenetic/phylogeographical analysis and study the evolutionary history of the species. We complemented these analyses with the study of vocalizations, a reproductive signal in birds.

Results

The initial diversification event within V. chilensis, approximately 600,000 years ago, split a Patagonian lineage from one containing individuals from the rest of the Neotropics. We found considerable gene flow between these two lineages and a contact zone in northern Patagonia, and showed that genomic admixture extends to northwestern Argentina. Shallower divergence was detected between the two non‐Patagonian subspecies, which are separated by the Amazon River. Vocalizations were significantly different between the two main lineages and were intermediate in their temporal and frequency characteristics in the contact zone.

Main Conclusions

Patagonian populations of V. chilensis are clearly differentiated from those of the rest of the Neotropics, possibly as a consequence of Pleistocene glaciations. A secondary contact zone in northern Patagonia with extensive gene flow among lineages appears to be the consequence of post‐glacial, northward expansion of the Patagonian populations. Future analyses focused on the dynamics of the contact zone will allow us to establish whether the species continues to diverge or is homogenizing.
Attracted to the Hustle? An Impression Management Perspective on Entrepreneurial Hustle in New Venture Recruitment
Authors: Kindermann Bastian , Hocker Anna , Strese Steffen
Published: October 2023

Research has shown that impression management helps entrepreneurs access critical resources, but insights into applying concrete impression management techniques in new venture recruitment remain scarce. This knowledge gap represents a challenge for new ventures facing disadvantages in recruitment. We propose self‐presentations of entrepreneurial hustle as an effective impression management technique for entrepreneurs. Such self‐presentations to applicants increase the perceived competence and thereby the attractiveness of entrepreneurs' new ventures. We introduce applicants' individual entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurs' gender as factors influencing the relationship between entrepreneurial hustle and perceived entrepreneurial competence. Employing an experimental vignette methodology across three samples – a main sample drawn from mTurk (N = 613) and two additional samples from Prolific (N = 130) and German management students (N = 188) – we find that perceived competence mediates the relationship between entrepreneurial hustle and perceived organizational attractiveness. While individual entrepreneurial orientation weakens the effect of entrepreneurial hustle self‐presentations on perceived competence, we do not find an influence of entrepreneurs' gender. This research indicates mechanisms and contingencies regarding the effect of entrepreneurial hustle self‐presentations. Our results advance not only research on entrepreneurial hustle but also theory on interviewer‐level impression management and new venture recruitment.
Effect of sportswear on performance and physiological heat strain during prolonged running in moderately hot conditions
Authors: Ioannou Leonidas G. , Tsoutsoubi Lydia , Gkiata Paraskevi , Brown Harry A. , Periard Julien D. , Mekjavic Igor B. , Kenny Glen P. , Nybo Lars , Flouris Andreas D.
Published: October 2023

Introduction

This study examined the impact of different upper‐torso sportswear technologies on the performance and physiological heat strain of well‐trained and national‐level athletes during prolonged running in moderately hot conditions.

Methods

A randomized crossover design was employed in which 20 well‐trained (n = 16) and national‐level (n = 4) athletes completed four experimental trials in moderately hot conditions (35°C, 30% relative humidity). In each trial, participants ran at 70% of their peak oxygen uptake (70% V̇O2peak) for 60 min, while wearing a different upper‐body garment: cotton t‐shirt, t‐shirt with sweat‐wicking fabric, compression t‐shirt, and t‐shirt with aluminum dots lining the inside of the upper back of the garment. Running speed was adjusted to elicit the predetermined oxygen consumption associated with 70% V̇O2peak. Physiological (core and skin temperatures, total body water loss, and urine specific gravity) and perceptual (thermal comfort and sensation, ratings of perceived exertion, and garment cooling functionality) parameters along with running speed at 70% V̇O2peak were continuously recorded.

Results

No significant differences were observed between the four garments for running speed at 70% V̇O2peak, physiological heat strain, and perceptual responses (all p > 0.05). The tested athletes reported larger areas of perceived suboptimal cooling functionality in the cotton t‐shirt and the t‐shirt with aluminum dots relative to the sweat‐wicking and compression t‐shirts (d: 0.43–0.52).

Conclusion

There were not differences among the tested garments regarding running speed at 70% V̇O2peak, physiological heat strain, and perceptual responses in well‐trained and national‐level endurance athletes exercising in moderate heat.
From newspapers to social media? Changing dynamics in Swiss direct democratic campaigns
Authors: Fischer Michaela
Published: October 2023

Switzerland is a laggard in terms of digital campaigning. Direct democratic votes, more particularly, are centered around issues and little personalized. Combined with the specificities of voters’ information behaviour in direct democratic campaigns, these features are likely to disincentivize political actors from extensively campaigning online. Instead, we expect political actors to continue relying on traditional media. These propositions are tested on a large data base of social media posts and newspaper advertisements published before direct democratic votes held in Switzerland from 1981 to 2020 and 2010 to 2020, respectively. Counterintuitively, this research note finds a strong discontinuity in campaign communication practices. Over the past decades, and between 2010 and 2020 in particular, newspaper ads have become less central to direct democratic campaign communication. At the same time, political actors are increasingly shifting their communication to the digital sphere.
Plastic Optical Fiber pH Sensor Based on Sol-Gel Film
Authors: Abdul Rashid Affa Rozana , Mohamad Fizi Muhammad Faliq , Mukhtar Wan Maisarah
Published: October 2023

A plastic optical fiber (POF) pH sensor is developed based on a sol-gel film. A sol-gel film was prepared by mixing tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS), trimethoxymethylsilane (MTMS), ethanol, distilled water and Neutral Red (NR) powder. Then, plastic optical fiber is coated by manually depositing the sol-gel film onto the tip of the POF. The sensing probe is dissolved into analytes with different pH levels, such as Coca-Cola (pH 3), tomato sauce (pH 4), black coffee (pH 5), tea (pH 6), distilled water (pH 7), soap (pH 8), baking soda (pH 9) and Clorox bleach(pH 10). The Refractive index will increase when the analytes are more acidic or more alkaline because they are concentrated with hydrogen and hydroxide ions at pH 3 and pH 10. The output power is varied based on the chemical reaction with the pH sol-gel film in the fiber-optic sensing probe. From the experimental results, it is concluded that the sensitivity of coated POF sensor, which is 0.0566 a.u/RIU, is higher than the sensitivity of the uncoated POF, which is 0.0429 a.u/RIU.
A Systematic Review on Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards Single-Use Plastic
Authors: Devi Akshina Nawoor , Gew Lai Ti , Ooi Pei Boon
Published: October 2023

Revisiting the knowledge, attitude and practices toward single-use plastic before the COVID-19 pandemic may be helpful to reduce single-use plastic usage in the endemic community. This systematic review aims to identify factors associated with single-use plastic usage before the COVID-19 pandemic. Five primary electronic databases namely, Scopus, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science and CINAHL were used to search from inception to 30 April 2020, for studies pertaining to the investigation of factors (i.e. knowledge, attitudes, practice) associated with single-use plastic usage. Twenty-nine (29) articles were identified and five (5) studies meeting eligible criteria were reviewed and remained in this systematic review. The present review found that younger generations and females had a more pro-environmental attitude and practices toward SUP while only youngsters were associated with a high knowledge level. Results also showed that a high education level does not necessarily result in good practices. Single-use plastics pollution is a worldwide problem and most of us are aware of its impact on us, our environment and our surrounding, however, SUP reduction practices are still low. To remedy this pressing situation, better interventions and more alternative materials to plastics are needed. Furthermore, we need more people to adopt a sustainable attitude and behaviour to make a change.
Fractional Casson Blood Flow with Gold Nanoparticles (AuNPs) in a Slip Velocity Cylinder
Authors: Wan Azmi Wan Faezah , Mohamad Ahmad Qushairi , Lim Yeou Jiann , Shafie Sharidan
Published: October 2023

The technology of nanofluid in the blood flow has attracted researchers to further study theoretically and experimentally due to its importance in treating the tumour and delivering the drugs effectively. Due to the lack of analytical study on nano-bloodfluid, this present paper aims to obtain an analytical solution of the Casson blood flow with gold nanoparticles in the cylinder with the free convection flow and slip velocity effect. The dimensionless governing equations are modelled with the Caputo-Fabrizio fractional derivative approach. Next, the joint methods of the Laplace transform and finite Hankel transform are used to obtain the analytical solution. The velocity profile increased as a fractional parameter, slip velocity parameter, nanoparticles volume fraction parameter and Grashof number are increased. Meanwhile, it decreased as the Casson parameter and Prandtl number increased. The temperature profile increased as the nanoparticle volume fraction parameter increased. However, it decreased as the Prandtl number increased. The obtained results are beneficial for the accuracy checking of the numerical methods. Besides, these results are significant to study the human blood flow behaviour with nanoparticles that help diagnose and treat the tumour cell.
Sensitivity Optimization of Au/Ti Based-SPR Sensor by Controlling Light Incident Wavelength for Gas Sensing Application
Authors: Ahmad Khilmy Nadhratul Huda , Mukhtar Wan Maisarah , Abdul Rashid Affa Rozana
Published: October 2023

Exposure to harmful gases may cause health problems like bone marrow deficiency, which eventually drops the number of red blood cells, causing anemia and many other dangerous diseases. This work was carried out to study the potential development of a highly sensitive Kretschmann-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for gas sensing applications using hybrid thin films of gold/titanium (Au/Ti). To optimize the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP), the light incident wavelength was varied from visible to infrared spectra. The thickness of Au thin film with a refractive index of n= 0.1758 + 3.4101k was fixed at 50 nm. Meanwhile, the thicknesses of Ti were controlled between 1 nm to 5 nm to optimize the SPR signal. Four different types of gas samples, such as benzene, methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, were exposed to the sensor's surface. The proposed Au/Ti-based SPR sensor with thicknesses of Ti within 1 nm to 5 nm using visible and IR wavelengths able to detect various types of gaseous. Apparently, the deployment of infrared wavelength (λ=1550 nm) at Ti thickness of 3 nm resulted in the highest sensitivity up to 2412.06°/RIU and showed excellent selectivity to differentiate different types of gases. In conclusion, Au/Ti thin films are promising hybrid materials for gas sensing applications. Obviously, the sensor's sensitivity with total hybrid thin films of 53 nm was successfully enhanced as additional material, Ti, coated on the Au thin film's surface.
Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis using Banana Peels Extract and Its in Silico Evaluation for Antibacterial Activity against Escherichia coli
Authors: Cheong Wei Yi , Amran Syazwani Itri , Hussin Huszalina , Ahmad Zawawi Nurliyana
Published: October 2023

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) is widely applied in biomedical science. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is one of the potential metal nanoparticles famous for its potent antibacterial properties. However, its detrimental consequences on human health have been a significant concern. In this study, AgNPs was synthesized using banana peels by environmentally friendly approach, and their antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli as well as mechanisms were studied in silico. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total tannin acid content (TTC) of the BPE were initially determined by extraction using aqueous and methanolic solutions. A disc diffusion test (DDT) against E. coli was used to confirm the antibacterial activity of the BPE and BPE-AgNPs. An in silico approach was used to conduct molecular docking research to assess the potential antibacterial mechanism of BPE phytochemicals with the proteins of E. coli. The phytochemical content analysis shows that flavonoid has the highest content in the aqueous and the methanol extract, with respective concentrations of 439.60±57.84 mg QE/g DW and 222.42±14.56 mg QE/g DW. According to the results of DDT, BPE-AgNPs demonstrated positive antibacterial activity, while BPE demonstrated negative result. Several flavonoid chemical compounds, including rutin, quercetin, myricetin, naringenin, apigenin, luteolin, morin, galangin, catechin, and chrysin, were examined for their ability to bind to E. coli proteins such penicillin-binding protein, dihydrofolate reductase, and glutamate racemase. Rutin with penicillin-binding protein demonstrated the highest binding affinity, with the lowest free binding energy of -9.96 kcal/mol and the inhibition constant of 0.05 µM. The in silico and molecular docking analysis demonstrated the ability of active components of banana peels to inhibit the activity of the E.coli proteins. These elements not only function as reducing and stabilising agents for AgNP synthesis but also prevent E. coli from growing, which is potential in future antibacterial uses.
Nanopriming Technology for Boosting Germination of Capsicum annum using Mycosynthesized TiO2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Gupta Khushbu , Malek Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik , Chundawat Tejpal Singh
Published: October 2023

The aim of this research paper is to investigate the impact of titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) on germination of Capsicum annum (Pusa Sadabahar). TiO2 Nps were prepared using Fusarium oxysporum extract and then characterized through UV- visible spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD and SEM which confirms that nanoparticles were elongated spherical with 15nm diameter. Various concentration (100-500µg/ml) of TiO2 NPs were used to study different aspects of nanoparticles on Capsicum annum. The result emphasizes the positive effects of TiO2 nanoparticles  up to the concentration of 400µg/ml on germination percentage and other morpho-physical parameters such as radical length, plumule length, fresh and dry weight, total seedling length as compared with non-treated plants. Overall we found better results of using biologically synthesized NPs in chilli plants, while the significant decrease in outcome was also observed at higher concentration.
Solubility Study of Flexirubin Pigment Isolated from Chryseobacterium artocarpi CECT 8497 in Bio-Based Solvents
Authors: Rusdi Noor Adyanti , Lim Yong Hui , Hassan Nurhidayah , Ahmad Wan Azlina , Setu Siti Aminah
Published: October 2023

Flexirubin is a natural pigment having yellowish-orange color and pharmacological properties. However, its solubility is limited to a few organic and inorganic solvents such as acetone, sodium carbonate, and sodium hydroxide. Therefore, further research works to improve the solubility of flexirubin in solvents are highly required to enhance its applications and properties. In this study, bio-based solvents which are D-limonene, ethyl acetate, ethanol, propanol, butanol were applied in the solubility study of flexirubin pigment and were compared with acetone as the positive control. These solvents were chosen due to their non-toxic and biodegradable properties. The crude flexirubin pigment was obtained from the cultivation of Chryseobacterium artocarpi CECT 8497 and extracted using acetone solvent. It was observed that the production of flexirubin pigment was 0.095 mg/L. The presence of flexirubin pigment was confirmed using attenuated total reflectance - Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrophotometer and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer. Meanwhile, the appearance color of flexirubin was assessed using ColorFlex colorimeter. It was demonstrated that the polarity of a solvent affects the solvent efficiency to solubilize the flexirubin pigment. Hence, it is vital to understand the solvent properties, especially the solvent polarity, in order to explain the solute-solvent interaction and solvatochromism phenomenon. The molar absorptivity coefficient obtained from UV-Vis absorption was calculated using Beer-Lambert law. The results demonstrated that the molar absorptivity coefficient of flexirubin increased from acetone, ethyl acetate, propanol, ethanol, D-limonene, and butanol with a range of 19 to 84 L mol-1 cm-1. The hydrophobic structure of crude flexirubin pigment has caused it to deliver better solubility in non-polar solvents, D-limonene, and butanol. Hence, both solvents gave slightly similar absorption with less polar acetone. In conclusion, this study confirmed the feasibility of applying bio-based solvents as alternative solvents to expand the solubility potential of flexirubin pigment. This finding is expected to provide its usefulness as the potential bio-based solvent, especially in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
Immobilization of Tyrosinase and Its Application
Authors: Sani Nor Suriani , Nik Malek Nik Ahmad Nizam
Published: October 2023

Immobilized enzymes are more robust and resistant to environmental changes than free enzymes in solution. More crucially, the immobilized enzyme systems' heterogeneity enables facile recovery of enzymes and products, multiple reuses, continuous enzymatic processes, quick reaction termination, and a more comprehensive range of bioreactor designs. This paper examines recent findings on enzyme immobilization using diverse approaches for various uses. The information gathered from the reactions catalyzed by the encapsulated tyrosinase provided a good view of hetero-biocatalysts in the phenol biosensor industries. This review proposes an effective method for immobilizing tyrosinase biomolecules into a silica aerogel matrix. Silica matrix has been utilized to encapsulate a wide range of biomolecules, mainly in sol-gel composites. We also discovered that silica aerogel synthesized from sol-gel method retains all the immobilized enzyme activity. The use of a silica matrix for enzyme immobilization, in conjunction with a moderate immobilization method, results in the successful retention of enzyme activity. Future studies should explore practical encapsulating approaches and inventively modified supports to enhance the commercialization of immobilized enzymes and offer fresh perspectives to the industrial sector.
Study on Rheological and Stability of Natural Derived Carbon Nanosphere Nanofluids
Authors: Ong Huei Ruey , Wan Saiful Bahri Wan Mohd Eqhwan Iskandar , Harun Amar Hisyam , Rahman Khan Md. Maksudur , Hong Chi Shein , Mohamed Muhammad Khairul Anuar
Published: October 2023

In this work, carbon nanosphere derived from a waste rice husk (RH) were prepared through chemical treatment and calcination process. Moreover, the carbon nanofluids (CNF) were developed using simple chemical treatment assisted by ultrasound technique. Different composition of carbon nanosphere (CNS) were taken into experiment to determine the optimum and best properties. Ultrasound techniques were introduced in this study to reduce the agglomeration of the particle. Surface morphology of CNS were analysed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The sphere shape from the particle/grain were identified from the nanoparticle and proves the terms of “nanosphere”. Viscosity of the nanofluids were studied by rheological testing (Antoon PAR, MAR 3). Flow curve of nanofluids showed that at minimum inclusion of CNS improved the stress of the fluid significantly. More to the addition, dynamic viscosity measure possesses that addition of CNS stabilized the properties of the fluid compared to virgin base fluid. The stability of the CNF was investigated through UV-Vis. Findings shows that, the stability of the nanofluids stabilized starting from 1 week onwards as evidenced by UV-Visible spectrophotometer analysis. Furthermore, little to no precipitate noticed even after 8 weeks. This work offers greener approach for nanofluids which organic derived and environmentally friendly (very low percentage of nanoparticle, 0.02 vol% (equivalent to 0.002 wt %).
Potential Use of Phytochemical Extract as Prebiotic Compounds – A Brief Review
Authors: Kharuddin Anis Athirah , Hasham Rosnani , Ali Fathilah , Adrus Nadia , Jamaluddin Jamarosliza , Abdul Rahman Roshanida , Abdul Hamid Mariani , Yaakob Harisun
Published: October 2023

Our gastrointestinal tract's (GI) functioning is influenced by a diverse collection of bacteria. Prebiotics are one of the most promising strategies for changing the composition of the gut microbiota and the metabolic process. Prebiotics can be thought of as a 'food' for probiotics in general. Prebiotics in the diet have been shown in numerous studies to be an effective way to manipulate the intestinal microbiota through diet. This topic has attracted widespread attention and is being managed for the benefit of human health. Because of the rising demand for prebiotics, a new source of prebiotics is needed such as plants, one that is reasonably inexpensive when compared to commercially available prebiotics. Turmeric and Garcinia atroviridis are common and cheap cooking ingredients used in Malaysia that are rich in dietary polyphenols and able to modulate gut and intestinal microbiota. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to emphasize the prebiotic potential of naturally occurring non-digestible carbohydrates in various plants.
Isolation of Biofilm-Bioflocculant Producing Bacteria from Palm Oil Mill Effluent
Authors: Wan Dagang Wan Rosmiza Zana , Zaidi Nuraihanah Najihah
Published: October 2023

A variety of flocculants have been used to treat wastewater by agglomerating various colloidal substances and cells. Due to the adverse effects and high cost of conventional flocculants, bioflocculant which are originally produced by microorganisms are gaining attention. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the biofilm-bioflocculant-producing bacteria which was isolated from palm oil mill effluent in Johor, Malaysia. The isolated bacteria were identified by their colony morphology, Gram-staining and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. All isolates were subjected to bioflocculant assay with kaolin clay suspension as a model of wastewater to assess the flocculation efficiency of the bacterial bioflocculants. Two different isolates were successfully identified as Gram-negative bacteria Stenotrophomonas koreensis TR6-01 and Alishewanella agri BL06. S. koreensis TR6-01 shows the highest flocculating activity at 82.79%, followed by A. agri BL06 with 78.52%, respectively. The strongest biofilm producer was shown by S. koreensis TR6-01 and thus, indicates good candidate for future wastewater treatment technology.
Carbon and Graphene Quantum Dots as Bionanomaterials: A Perspective View of COVID–19
Authors: Mohd Hatta Mohd Hayrie , Batumalaie Kalaivani , Matmin Juan , Malagobadan Johnathan
Published: October 2023

The rapid outbreak of the deadly and contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2019 that caused COVID-19 disease has demanded the development of novel antiviral materials. Since medical treatment and drug evaluation and approval by health authorities takes a longer time, nanomaterials can play a significant role in combating deadly disease. Carbon-based materials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, fullerene, and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), have been widely reported in the literature as contributing to fighting the viral disease. Among them, CQDs have received significant attention as bionanomaterials recently, particularly in the biomedical field to treat various viral infections. Therefore, this mini-review discusses the recent achievements of CQDs and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as bionanomaterials in fighting viral disease, specifically COVID-19 and other COVID-19-related works such as sensing and treatment, as well as virus inhibition.
The Performance of Corporate Social Responsibility Communication in the Web2.0 Era: A Bibliometric Analysis of CSR Communication in Social Media Field
Authors: Hua Xiang zhou , Mohd Hasan Nurul Ain , De Costa Feroz
Published: October 2023

With the advent of the web2.0 era, the role of CSR communication in social media has become a hot topic in research and business. However, research on the topic in this area is still relatively new and has not been fully researched. In this study, citespace software is used to analyze the performance of literature in this field. The main results show that the use of social media for CSR communication is a long-term and significant research topic. According to the analysis of 490 research articles in this field from 2007 to 2023, the research trend shows an increasing state year by year, and the explosive growth began in 2017. The United States, China and Spain are the countries that contribute the most in this field. Perez Andrea, Camilleri, Mark Anthony and others are among the most influential authors. The network of co-authors is decentralized, while transnational cooperation takes the form of institutions and groups. Twelve clusters of high concern were identified, with "institutional theory," "web," and "citizenship" having been around longer. The changes in 19 burst terms over 17 years (2007 to 2023) indicate the evolution of the research frontier in the field, with the earliest "institutional theory" moving to "web," "image," then "citizenship," "perspective," and more. "loyalty" and "satisfaction" etc. The evolution can be divided into three phases: the initial phase (2007-2011), the debate phase (2012-2017), and the research specialization phase (2018-2023). Finally, the contribution, limitation and further research direction of this paper are discussed.
Examining the Influence of Media System Dependency Relations on User Satisfaction, and Continuance Intention in Social Networking Services
Authors: Ma Chenwei , Zainudin Sharifah Sofiah Syed , Abas Wan Anita Wan , Feng Sijing , Jin Dian
Published: October 2023

Social Networking Services (SNS) exert a substantial influence in the digital realm. For marketers and entrepreneurs, comprehending the nuances of potential consumer interaction with SNS is pivotal to craft optimal communication strategies. Consequently, deciphering the determinants that either encourage or hinder individual SNS usage behaviors becomes imperative, as it fosters deeper insights into users' continuance intentions and facilitates the building of robust relationships. Drawing upon the Media System Dependency (MSD) theory, this research addresses two main questions: 1) How do individuals' MSD relations, encompassing Understanding Dependency (UD), Orientation Dependency (OD), and Play Dependency (PD), satisfaction (ST) within the SNS context? 2) Does satisfaction subsequently enhance their continuance intention (CI) towards the SNS? To address these queries, we scrutinized data amassed from 393 online Weibo users in China. Participants, all of whom possessed prior Weibo experience, were invited to partake in a comprehensive survey. The proposed hypotheses were rigorously examined using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The analysis revealed that the three delineated MSD relations significantly bolstered participants' ST, which in turn robustly influenced their CI. This study's findings shed invaluable light on the nexus between MSD relations and SNS engagement, offering meaningful implications for both academics and SNS practitioners. Future research endeavors are encouraged to expand upon these insights and further fortify our understanding of the topic.
Incorporating Corpus Linguistics Tools in the Training and Professional Development of Lecturers in Translation Studies
Authors: Shawaqfeh Adawiya Taleb , Khasawneh Mohamad Ahmad Saleem
Published: October 2023

This research explores the impacts and strategies for integrating corpus linguistics tools in training translation lecturers. The focus of the study is to evaluate how the integration of corpus tools in the training of translation lecturers can enhance their efficiency and professional development. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires from 114 lecturers in translation studies and Ph.D. researchers in translation. Analysis was carried out using relevant statistical tools. The research findings indicate that the use of concordance tools, such as AntConc, has a notable positive impact on the effectiveness of translation instructors in demonstrating language patterns to their students. The substantial levels of agreement highlight the potential of these tools in facilitating the integration of theory and practice in the field of translation education. Furthermore, the participants recognized the effectiveness of specialized corpus-based translation tools such as TransTool in providing domain-specific linguistic information for accurate translation decision-making. The use of corpus-based tasks and exercises has developed as a strategic approach that strongly resonates with translation instructors, facilitating a comprehensive comprehension of the integration of corpus linguistics and its significance for educational methodologies. The aforementioned result underscores the need to include experiential learning and practical involvement to improve the effectiveness of translation teaching. However, there was a varied opinion of the influence of web-based corpora, suggesting the need for a more nuanced comprehension of their advantages and difficulties within the framework of translation education. Following the findings, it is thus concluded that the integration of corpus linguistics mechanisms in the training of translation lecturers remains effective as they enhance the use of real-world data in their translation studies and the use of data generated from a wide spectrum of languages in teaching translation.
Corrigendum: Sharp norm estimates for composition operators and Hilbert‐type inequalities
Authors: Brevig Ole Fredrik
Published: October 2023

We correct mistakes in Lemma 8 and in the proof of Lemma 10 from (Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 49 (2017), no. 6, 965–978).
On the approaches to threshold resummation of rapidity distributions for the Drell-Yan process
Authors: Bonvini Marco , Marinelli Giulia
Published: October 2023

We consider threshold resummation of rapidity distributions, for which various approaches exist in the literature. Recently, a work by Lustermans, Michel, Tackmann suggested that older approaches by Becher, Neubert, Xu (BNX) and Bonvini, Forte, Ridolfi (BFR) were wrong because they miss some leading power contributions at threshold. In this work, we prove and demonstrate that the BNX and BFR approaches are correct and able to resum threshold logarithms to leading power accuracy. We then show that the BNX and BFR approaches can provide rather good alternatives to more modern approaches to threshold resummation of rapidity distributions, provided the threshold logarithms are resummed according to the $$\psi $$
ψ
-soft definition introduced in the context of Higgs production.
On the relation between $$K^{0}_{s}$$ and charged kaon yields in proton–proton collisions
Authors: Stepaniak Joanna , Pszczel Damian
Published: October 2023

A compilation of the experimental $$p+p$$

p
+
p

data of neutral and charged kaon production has revealed a discrepancy between the observed $$K^{0}_{s}$$

K
s
0

yield and the the average number of produced charged kaons $$K^{0}_{s}=(K^{+}+K^{-})/2$$

K
s
0

=

(

K
+

+

K
-

)

/
2

. This widespread relation holds only for a colliding system that is an uniform population w.r. to the isospin (i.e. that consists of an equal number of all members of a given isospin multiplet). This is not the case for $$p+p$$

p
+
p

collisions therefore one should not expect that it will describe the data accurately. A much better agreement is obtained with a model based on the quark structure of the participating hadrons.
The thermal radiation effect on Casson nanofluids EG-GO and EG-CNTs models using Caputo fractional order derivative with shape effects: Via analytical investigations
Authors: Jyothi N. , Kumar A. G. Vijaya
Published: October 2023

This research examines the analytical investigations for radiating Casson nanofluid models with unsteady convecting flow, which are valued by the order of Caputo fractional derivative (CFD). Ethylene glycol (EG) is used as a base fluid, and graphene oxide (GO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are used as nanoparticles. The problem’s leading PDEs are nondimensionalized by applying the proper nondimensional variables. The solutions to the dimensionless governing equations are found by using the Fourier sine and Laplace transformation techniques together. For an enormous study of the problem, graphical illustrations and tables are developed by using MATLAB software programming with the help of Euler inversion. We examine the impact on the fractional heat and momentum equation of the [Formula: see text], Gr, Pr, [Formula: see text], R, [Formula: see text], oscillations. Using the properties of the fluid, important discoveries were made that indicated a number of elements for a number of flow parameters as well as fractional parameters. The thermal profiles are increased for [Formula: see text] decreased for [Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The velocity profiles are increased for R and Gr decreased for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text] and 1.4. Different shapes of nanoparticles are performed for ordinary fractional parameters, which are increased for temperature as well as velocity.