bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Religious-ethnic entrepreneurs planting seeds: a novel research agenda
Authors: Margaça Clara , Rodrigues Donizete
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The relationship between ethnicity, religion and entrepreneurship is an emerging field, and an extremely important topic, considering the influence of these drivers on people’s lives and on entrepreneurs’ performance, in particular. This study aims to explore and contribute to a more robust understanding of this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The main trends were disclosed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis and VOSviewer. The set of articles cover the annual period from 1973 to 2022. The coupling analysis founded links to produce a framework outlining an integrative state of the art intersecting ethnicity and religion and entrepreneurship spectrum study.

Findings

The analysis identified integrative relationships between the concepts of ethnicity, religion and entrepreneurship, which describe the direction of literature, resulting in five main categories.

Originality/value

This study offers a novel framework and in-depth understanding to delve into this interrelationship research agenda. Guided by the gaps in the literature, a set of outstanding avenues for future research are proposed.
Household portfolio choice before and after a house purchase
Authors: Lyng Ran Sun , Zhou Jie
Published: September 2023

Using a unique administrative panel data from Denmark, this article documents the dynamic evolution of households' financial wealth, the equity market participation rate (extensive margin), and the conditional risky asset share of financial wealth (intensive margin) over a 7‐year period around a house purchase. We find that households' equity market participation rate falls during the year of house purchase. Conditional on participation, the risky asset share of financial wealth follows a V‐shape around the house purchase. It decreases and reaches the lowest point 1 year before a house purchase, but jumps up immediately after. This finding suggests that of the three channels identified in the literature that are related to the risky asset demand after a house purchase, the debt retirement channel and the diversification effect dominate the liquidity concern.
Simulating capture efficiency of pitfall traps based on sampling strategy and the movement of ground‐dwelling arthropods
Authors: Ahmed Danish A. , Beidas Ayah , Petrovskii Sergei V. , Bailey Joseph D. , Bonsall Michael B. , Hood Amelia S. C. , Byers John A. , Hudgins Emma J. , Russell James C. , Růžičková Jana , Bodey Thomas W. , Renault David , Bonnaud Elsa , Haubrock Phillip J. , Soto Ismael , Haase Peter
Published: September 2023

Pitfall traps are frequently used to capture ground‐dwelling arthropods, particularly beetles, ants and spiders. The capture efficiency of a pitfall trapping system strongly depends on the number and opening size of traps, how traps are distributed over the sampling area (spatial arrangement) and the movement characteristics of arthropods.

We use numerical simulations for a single species to analyse the trap count patterns that emerge from these variables. Arthropod movement of individuals is modelled as correlated random walks, with multiple traps placed over an area, and catches are simulated as individual interaction with traps. We consider four different types of spatial arrangements of traps across a homogeneous landscape: grid (i.e. rectangular array), transect, nested‐cross and randomised. We contextualise our results by considering the locomotion ofPterostichus melanarius, a highly active carabid beetle often serving as a biocontrol agent for the suppression of pest insects and weeds.

By simulating the trapping of randomly moving ground‐dwelling arthropods, we show that there is an optimal inter‐trap separation distance (trap spacing) that maximises captures, that can be expressed using exact formulae in terms of trap opening sizes, sampling area and trap number. Moreover, for the grid and nested‐cross arrangements, larger trap spacing to maximise spatial coverage over the whole sampling area is suboptimal. Also, we find that over a large sampling area, there is a hierarchical order for spatial arrangements in relation to capture efficiency: grid, randomised, transect, followed by the nested‐cross. However, over smaller sampling areas, this order is changed as the rate at which trap counts accumulate with trap number varies across arrangements—eventually saturating at different levels. In terms of movement effects, capture efficiency is maximised over a narrow diffusive range and does not depend strongly on the type of spatial arrangement—indicating an approximate optimal mode of arthropod activity, i.e. rate of spread.

Our approach simultaneously considers several important experimental design aspects of pitfall trapping providing a basis to optimise and adapt sampling protocols to other types of traps to better reflect their various purposes, such as monitoring, conservation or pest management.
The connection still matters: Therapeutic alliance with digital treatment for alcohol use disorder
Authors: Benitez Bryan , Frankforter Tami L. , Nich Charla , Kiluk Brian D.
Published: September 2023

Background

A strong cooperative bond between the patient and provider (“therapeutic alliance”) is robustly associated with better alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment outcomes. Although digital treatments for AUD have significant potential, the function of the alliance during digital programs is unclear. We compared the validity of patient‐reported measures of the alliance with a digital treatment (“digital alliance”) for AUD and the alliance with their clinician (“clinician alliance”).

Methods

We used data from an 8‐week, randomized clinical trial of a computerized cognitive behavioral therapy program (CBT4CBT) during outpatient AUD treatment. Treatment conditions included CBT4CBT with minimal clinical monitoring (CBT4CBT + monitor) or with treatment as usual (CBT4CBT + TAU). The digital alliance and clinician alliance were measured with similar versions of the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI). The WAI ratings were completed at the 2nd and 6th treatment sessions. A timeline followback calendar assessed daily alcohol use. Bayesian multilevel models compared the strength of the alliances and tested their associations with future alcohol use.

Results

Data from 43 participants were included (age M = 44; 65% male; 51% Black, 40% White, 9% other; 14% Hispanic). The digital alliance ratings had similar internal reliability as the clinician alliance ratings (ω's > 0.90). Differences between digital alliance and clinician alliance ratings were negligible in both treatment conditions (BF01 = 9 and 31). During treatment, within‐person increases in the digital alliance and the clinician alliance predicted modest decreases in future drinking to a similar degree (BF01 = 15). Alliance ratings were not associated with future drinking when posttreatment follow‐up drinking data were included (BF10 < 3).

Conclusions

The digital alliance with CBT4CBT was comparable to the clinician alliance. The digital alliance and clinician alliance had similar, albeit very small, associations with abstinence during treatment. Future research can explore how the digital alliance develops to improve AUD treatment efficacy.
Community exposure to armed conflict and subsequent onset of alcohol use disorder
Authors: Bruffaerts Ronny , Axinn William G. , Ghimire Dirgha J. , Benjet Corina , Chardoul Stephanie , Scott Kate M. , Kessler Ronald C. , Schulz Paul , Smoller Jordan W.
Published: September 2023

Aims

To measure the independent consequences of community‐level armed conflict beatings on alcohol use disorders (AUD) among males in Nepal during and after the 2000–2006 conflict.

Design

A population‐representative panel study from Nepal, with precise measures of community‐level violent events and subsequent individual‐level AUD in males. Females were not included because of low AUD prevalence.

Setting

Chitwan, Nepal.

Participants

Four thousand eight hundred seventy‐six males from 151 neighborhoods, systematically selected and representative of Western Chitwan. All residents aged 15–59 were eligible (response rate 93%).

Measurements

Measures of beatings in the community during the conflict (2000–2006), including the date and distance away, were gathered through neighborhood reports, geo‐location and official resources, then linked to respondents' life histories of AUD (collected in 2016–2018) using the Nepal‐specific Composite International Diagnostic Interview with life history calendar. Beatings nearby predict the subsequent onset of AUD during and after the armed conflict. Data were analyzed in 2021–2022.

Findings

Cohort‐specific, discrete‐time models revealed that within the youngest cohort (born 1992–2001), those living in neighborhoods where armed conflict beatings occurred were more likely to develop AUD compared with those in other neighborhoods (odds ratio = 1.66; 95% confidence interval = 1.02–2.71). In this cohort, a multilevel matching analysis designed to simulate a randomized trial showed the post‐conflict incidence of AUD for those living in neighborhoods with any armed conflict beatings was 9.5% compared with 5.3% in the matched sample with no beatings.

Conclusions

Among male children living in Chitwan, Nepal during the 2000–2006 armed conflict, living in a neighborhood where armed conflict beatings occurred is associated with increased odds of developing subsequent alcohol use disorder. This association was independent of personal exposure to beatings and other mental disorders.
Microclimate and seed bank under Pithecellobium keyense (Fabaceae) in a coastal scrubland
Authors: Hernández‐Mendoza Vanessa B. , Cervera J. Carlos , Navarro‐Alberto Jorge A. , Leirana‐Alcocer Jorge Leandro
Published: September 2023

Microclimatic conditions affect seeds' survival, dormancy, and germination, which are determinants in vegetation succession and recovery. The semiarid coastal scrublands of Yucatan, Mexico are very important because of the environmental services they provide thus, studies are needed in disturbed sites in relation to seed viability and microclimate. In this study, we characterized the microclimate and seed bank under Pithecellobium keyense shrubs, during the rainy and dry seasons. We collected soil samples and measured microenvironmental variables under adult P. keyense at three different positions under the canopy of every studied individual (“open” or completely sunny, “half‐shaded,” placed at the border of the canopy, and “fully shaded” placed under the canopy, next to the stem of the shrub). Photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), minimum night‐time temperature, and maximum daytime temperature behaved differently among positions under the canopy both in rainy and dry seasons. During the rainy season, seed viability was no different among microenvironments, while in the dry, the highest was found in the fully shaded and the lowest in the open position. Microclimatic variables under the canopy of P. keyense had an effect on the probability of seed viability in Chuburná; and this effect was stronger in the dry season.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
Phylogenetic relationships of invasive plants are useful criteria for weed risk assessments
Authors: Buonaiuto D. M. , Evans Annette E. , Fertakos Matthew E. , Pfadenhauer William G. , Salva Justin , Bradley Bethany A.
Published: September 2023

Risk assessments are conservation tools used to prevent the introduction of invasive species. Many assessments ask whether a taxon has invasive close relatives, but it is unclear whether this phylogenetic information is useful, and which taxonomic scales (e.g., genus, family) are most predictive of risk. Combining phylogenetic clustering analyses with models predicting invasion risk, we found invasive plants were clustered within nonnative flora of the conterminous United States. Taxonomic information in models improved their predictive capacity; invasion risk for taxa with invasive confamilials, congeners, or sister taxa increased by 9%, 16%, and 19% respectively. Phylogenetic information did not improve inference for species without any congeners, or those from large genera. The most common approach—assessing congeners—is well suited to identify invaders, particularly for genera with 2–10 established species. While existing phylogenetic information can enhance assessments of invasion risk, biologists and regulators should collaborate to improve nonnative species phylogenies.
Credibility building in the sovereign debt market: Evidence from prewar China
Authors: Ho Chun‐Yu , Li Dan
Published: September 2023

This paper qualitatively and quantitatively examines the development of the sovereign debt market in Prewar China under different governments. During the Beijing Era (1912–26), accompanied by the establishment of necessary financial institutions, the sovereign debt market emerged to meet fiscal needs. Surprisingly, the Nationalist government, in power from 1927, successfully cultivated a robust market characterized by its expanding size and liquidity. Setting itself apart from its predecessors, the government established credibility as a borrower in two key ways. Firstly, it demonstrated unwavering commitment to debt service by settling previous debts and offering well‐structured new ones, even during challenging times. Furthermore, the government escrowed fiscal revenue, pledged for debt repayments, to a semi‐independent committee of private bankers on behalf of debtholders, enhancing public confidence. Secondly, the government showcased its ability to secure tax revenues for debt repayments. However, starting from 1931/2, the debt market experienced a decline due to the government's compromised ability to pay resulting from external wars and shifting political priorities that weakened its commitment to debt repayments. Empirical evidence confirms the market's responsiveness to regime shifts and policy changes. This paper sheds light on how a nascent autocratic government can successfully borrow from the public.
Ginsenoside Rg1 attenuates D‐galactose‐induced neural stem cell senescence via the Sirt1‐Nrf2‐BDNF pathway
Authors: Hu Ling , Ran Jianhua , Wang Lu , Wu Mengna , Wang Ziling , Xiao Hanxianzhi , Du Kunhang , Wang Yaping
Published: September 2023

With the ageing of society's population, neurodegenerative diseases have become an important factor affecting the quality of life and mortality in the elderly. Since its physiopathological processes are complex and the authorized medications have recently been shown to have several adverse effects, the development of safe and efficient medications is urgently needed. In this study, we looked at how ginsenoside Rg1 works to postpone neural stem cell ageing and brain ageing, giving it a solid scientific foundation for use as a therapeutic therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.
Neuroprotective effects of riluzole in Alzheimer's disease: A comprehensive review
Authors: Golmohammadi Maryam , Mahmoudian Mohammadreza , Hasan Ekhlas Khammas , Alshahrani Shadia Hamoud , Romero‐Parra Rosario Mireya , Malviya Jitendra , Hjazi Ahmed , Najm Mazin A. A. , Almulla Abbas F. , Zamanian Mohammad Yasin , Kadkhodaei Mona , Mousavi Nazanin
Published: September 2023

Background

Despite several hundred clinical trials of drugs that initially showed promise, there has been limited clinical improvement in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This may be attributed to the existence of at least 25 abnormal cellular pathways that underlie the disease. It is improbable for a single drug to address all or most of these pathways, thus even drugs that show promise when administered alone are unlikely to produce significant results. According to previous studies, eight drugs, namely, dantrolene, erythropoietin, lithium, memantine, minocycline, piracetam, riluzole, and silymarin, have been found to target multiple pathways that are involved in the development of AD. Among these drugs, riluzole is currently indicated for the treatment of medical conditions in both adult patients and children and has gained increased attention from scientists due to its potential in the excitotoxic hypothesis of neurodegenerative diseases.

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of drugs on AD based on cellular and molecular mechanisms.

Methods

The literature search for this study utilized the Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases to identify relevant articles.

Results

Riluzole exerts its effects in AD through diverse pathways including the inhibition of voltage‐dependent sodium and calcium channels, blocking AMPA and NMDA receptors and inhibiting the release of glutamic acid release and stimulation of EAAT1‐EAAT2.

Conclusion

In this review article, we aimed to review the neuroprotective properties of riluzole, a glutamate modulator, in AD, which could benefit patients with the disease.
Evaluation of the effects of periodontal status according to 2017 classifications on oral health‐related quality of life and quality of life‐related to general health: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Dikilitaş Ahu , Karaaslan Fatih , Evirgen Şehrazat , Ertuğrul Abdullah Seçkin , Kamburoğlu Kıvanç
Published: September 2023

Background

In patients with periodontal disease, various symptoms are observed along with inflammation. The impact of local and systemic inflammation on periodontal tissue is well‐known; however, the impact of periodontal disease on the individual's quality of life is unclear. This study aimed to assess oral health‐related and general health‐related quality of life in patients undergoing maintenance treatment following treatment for periodontitis (RP‐CPH), patients with gingivitis (G) and patients with Stage I periodontitis (SI‐P) and to compare this with individuals with clinical periodontal health (IP‐CPH).

Method

This study was comprised of cross‐sectional periodontal assessment along with questionnaires. Oral health‐related quality of life and general health‐related quality of life were assessed using, respectively, the Oral Health Impact Profile‐14 (OHIP‐14) and Short‐Form‐36 (SF‐36) questionnaires. Study participants were classified according to the classification of periodontal and peri‐implant diseases and conditions established by the 2017 World Workshop.

Results

The OHIP‐14 total scores for the 166 study participants (age range: 22–57) of the G (11.61 ± 3.21) and SI‐P (13.03 ± 3.47) groups were significantly higher than the OHIP‐14 total scores of the IP‐CPH (1.09 ± 1.58) and RP‐CPH (2.95 ± 2.58) groups. SF‐36 scores were found to be significantly lower in the SI‐P group in all subgroups compared to the G and IP‐CPH groups.

Conclusions

A correlation was found between early‐stage periodontal disease and low levels of OHRQoL and GHRQoL. The health of periodontal tissues may have a positive effect on the quality of life.
Youth Suicide Trends in California: An Examination of Immigrant and Ethnic Group Risk
Authors: Sorenson Susan B. , Shen Haikang
Published: September 2023

Although immigrants are in better health than the U.S.‐born population according to a variety of indicators, little research has investigated current foreign‐born/U.S.‐born differentials in suicide. A review of 32,928 California death certificates from 1970 to 1992 indicates that although foreign‐born persons are consistently underrepresented in the suicide deaths of 15‐ to 34‐year‐olds (risk ratio = 0.60), any foreign‐ versus U.S.‐born difference by ethnicity appears to be decreasing. Specifically, although Hispanics born outside the United States consistently are at significantly lower risk of suicide than U.S.‐born Hispanics, the discrepancy between the two groups has diminished over time. And, in a comparable trend, non‐Hispanic white persons born outside the United States were at higher risk of suicide than their U.S.‐born counterparts until 1990, when their risk became similar. Black and Asian/other foreign‐ and U.S.‐born persons have been at statistically similar risk since 1970. A man using a firearm at home was the typical pattern for both the foreign‐ and U.S.‐born.
Consumer perceptions of nutrient content claims in Australia: A qualitative study
Authors: Thompson Benjamin , McMahon Anne‐Therese , Watson Wendy L. , Riesenberg Devorah , Hughes Clare , Neale Elizabeth P.
Published: September 2023

Background

Nutrition and health claims influence consumer purchasing. Claims include content claims, which refer to the amount of a nutrient contained in a product, and health claims, which refer to health benefits of foods or nutrients in a product. Products that display a health claim must meet the Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion (NPSC). The present study aimed to explore consumer perceptions of content claims used on food and beverage labelling and advertisements.

Methods

Semi‐structured focus groups were conducted with Australian consumers. Analysis involved an inductive, reflexive approach to thematic analysis.

Results

Six focus groups involving 26 participants were conducted. Four main interconnected themes were generated: (1) complex factors influence food choice; (2) content claim scepticism; (3) the difference between content and health claims is unclear; and (4) the regulation of content claims is not common knowledge. Content claims were used, although generally viewed through a lens of scepticism and mistrust, and seen as a promotional tool for the food industry. Product complexity appeared to increase content claim use as a result of consumer uncertainty of the content of complex products, such as ultraprocessed foods. Most participants were aware that content and health claims were in some way regulated. Overall, they did not know further detail, including the relevant regulatory body.

Conclusions

For content claims to support the consumer they need to be accurate and their use limited to healthier foods. This can be achieved by requiring products with content claims to meet NPSC thresholds, as required for products making health claims.
Topical medications for the treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis: A network meta‐analysis
Authors: Mashrah Mubarak Ahmed , Fang Ying , Song Wanxing , Al‐Maweri Sadeq Ali , Lan Yang , Linhu Ge , Wang Liping
Published: September 2023

Background

The present network meta‐analysis aims to answer the question “what is the best topical intervention for the treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis that can provide an acceptable pain relief and promote wound healing?”

Methods

From inception to October 2022, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched to identify all potentially eligible randomized controlled trials. The primary outcomes were pain scores and/or healing time, while the secondary outcomes were the associated side effects. The Bayesian network meta‐analysis accompanied by a random effect model and 95% credible intervals were calculated.

Results

Forty‐three randomized controlled trials with a total of 3067 participants, comparing 20 different topical medications, were included. Concerning pain reduction, the network meta‐analysis failed to show any statistically significant differences when different topical treatments were compared together or even with a placebo at different time intervals. Except for doxycycline, which showed a statistically significant difference in terms of accelerating healing time, other topical interventions showed no statistically significant differences when compared with placebo or with each other.

Conclusion

Within the limitations of the current network meta‐analysis, it seems that:

A low to moderate quality of evidence showed no superiority of any topical treatment over others concerning pain reduction, although rank probability tests revealed sucralfate, doxycycline, hyaluronic acid, and chamomile as the most efficacious treatment options at different evaluation times. Hence, further well‐designed clinical trials with larger sample sizes are warranted.

Topical doxycycline was shown to be the most efficacious intervention in promoting healing of recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
Melatonin, a potentially effective drug for the treatment of infected bone nonunion
Authors: Qin Han‐jun , He Si‐ying , Shen Ke , Lin Qing‐rong , Hu Yan‐jun , Chen Zi‐lin , Yu Bin , Jiang Nan
Published: September 2023

Osteomyelitis (OM), characterized by heterogeneity and complexity in treatment, has a high risk of infection recurrence which may cause limb disability. Management of chronic inactive osteomyelitis (CIOM) without typical inflammatory symptoms is a great challenge for orthopedic surgeons. On the basis of data analysis of 1091 OM cases, we reported that latent osteogenic decline in CIOM patients was the main cause of secondary surgery. Our research shows that impairment of osteoblasts capacity in CIOM patients is associated with ferroptosis of osteoblasts caused by internalization of Staphylococcus aureus. Further studies show that melatonin could alleviate ferroptosis of osteoblasts in infected states through Nox4/ROS/P38 axis and protect the osteogenic ability of CIOM patients. Knockout of NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) in vivo could effectively relieve ferroptosis of osteoblasts in the state of infection and promote osteogenesis. Through a large number of clinical data analyses combined with molecular experiments, this study clarified that occult osteogenic disorders in CIOM patients were related to ferroptosis of osteoblasts. We revealed that melatonin might be a potential therapeutic drug for CIOM patients and provided a new insight for the treatment of OM.
Evaluation of plasma and urine pharmacokinetics of tranexamic acid for equine medication control
Authors: Minamijima Yohei , Kuroda Taisuke , Kamiya Takahiro , Sone Yu , Wakuno Ai , Ito Hideki , Nomura Motoi , Leung Gary Ngai‐Wa , Kinoshita Kenji , Yamada Masayuki
Published: September 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK) of tranexamic acid (TXA) in horses and estimate its irrelevant plasma and urine concentrations using the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) approach by applying the Pierre‐Louis Toutain model. TXA was intravenously administered to eight thoroughbred mares, and plasma and urine TXA concentrations were quantified by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The quantified data were used to calculate the PK parameters of TXA in horses. The plasma elimination curves were best‐fitted to a three‐compartment model. Using the Toutain model approach, irrelevant plasma and urine TXA concentrations were estimated to be 0.0206 and 0.997 μg/mL, respectively. The typical values of clearance, steady‐state volume of distribution, and steady‐state urine‐to‐plasma ratio were 0.080 L/kg/h, 0.86 L/kg, and 49.0, respectively. The obtained irrelevant concentrations will be useful for establishing relevant regulatory screening limits for effective control of TXA use in horse racing and equestrian sports.
Psychosocial predictors of post‐natal anxiety and depression: Using Structural Equation Modelling to investigate the relationship between pressure to breastfeed, health care professional support, post‐natal guilt and shame, and post‐natal anxiety and depression within an infant feeding context
Authors: Jackson Leanne , Fallon Vicky , Harrold Joanne A. , De Pascalis Leonardo
Published: September 2023

High perceived pressure to breastfeed and poor perceived quality of health care professional support have been associated with early breastfeeding cessation, guilt, and shame. This is problematic because guilt and shame significantly predict post‐natal anxiety and depression. No previous attempts have been made to provide quantitative evidence for relationships mapped between the post‐natal social context, infant feeding method and post‐natal emotional well‐being. The current study aimed to empirically investigate aforementioned pathways. Structural equation modelling was applied to survey data provided online by 876 mothers. Guilt and shame both significantly predicted anxiety and depression. Poor health care professional support and high pressure to breastfeed increased anxiety and depression, and these effects were explained by indirect pathways through increases in guilt and shame. Formula feeding exclusivity was negatively correlated with post‐natal anxiety symptoms. This finding may be explained by feelings of relief associated with observed infant weight gain and being able to share infant feeding responsibilities others e.g., with one's partner. This relationship was counterbalanced by an indirect pathway where greater formula feeding exclusivity positively predicted guilt, which increased post‐natal anxiety score. While guilt acted as mediator of infant feeding method to increase post‐natal depression and anxiety, shame acted independently of infant feeding method. These identified differences provide empirical support for the transferability of general definitions of guilt (i.e., as remorse for having committed a moral transgression) and shame (i.e., internalisation of transgressive remorse to the self), to an infant feeding context. Recommendations for health care practitioners and the maternal social support network are discussed.
A systematic strategy to analyse individual‐based models reveals pathways of degradation and recovery in Patagonian rangelands
Authors: Cipriotti Pablo A. , Puetz Sandro , Paruelo José M. , Bartoloni Norberto J. , Wiegand Thorsten
Published: September 2023

One of the central problems in ecology is how to scale from small‐scale observations and experiments to large‐scale patterns and processes. One approach to such upscaling is to use dynamic simulation models, but their application to large scales relevant for management is limited by computational costs, and their outputs are difficult to analyse without a systematic strategy. Our general objective is to propose such a strategy. The idea is to approximate the dynamics of detailed simulation models through a set of states, external drivers, and transition matrices, and then use Markov chain and network analysis of the resulting transition matrices to gain insights into the dynamics of the underlying detailed model. We used the individual‐based model COIRON, which simulates the dynamics of semiarid grass steppes in Patagonia (Argentina) under alternative grazing management, as example. Our specific objectives are to identify pathways of degradation and rehabilitation, as well as critical grazing thresholds and early‐warning vegetation states to guide sustainable grazing management in these steppes. Our results indicate nonlinear effects of stocking rate and grazing season on steppe dynamics. Markov chain analysis suggests benefits of seasonal over continuous grazing at intermediate stocking rates, and network analysis of recovery and degradation trajectories shows that intermediate stocking rates maximize differences between grazing seasons. Finally, our analysis identified specific vegetation states as early warning signals that indicate a high risk of irreversible vegetation changes. Patagonian grass steppes should ideally be managed with multi‐paddock grazing at moderate stocking rates around 0.5 sheep ha−1. The transition matrices summarize the relevant key features of the detailed model for larger scales, and applying Markov and network theory provides a systematic strategy to analyse its dynamics to respond to biological questions, both are often difficult to obtain by direct analysis of the detailed model.
Type I MADS‐box transcription factor TaMADS‐GS regulates grain size by stabilizing cytokinin signalling during endosperm cellularization in wheat
Authors: Zhang Jianing , Zhang Zhaoheng , Zhang Ruijie , Yang Changfeng , Zhang Xiaobang , Chang Siyuan , Chen Qian , Rossi Vincenzo , Zhao Long , Xiao Jun , Xin Mingming , Du Jinkun , Guo Weilong , Hu Zhaorong , Liu Jie , Peng Huiru , Ni Zhongfu , Sun Qixin , Yao Yingyin
Published: September 2023

Grain size is one of the important traits in wheat breeding programs aimed at improving yield, and cytokinins, mainly involved in cell division, have a positive impact on grain size. Here, we identified a novel wheat gene TaMADS‐GS encoding type I MADS‐box transcription factor, which regulates the cytokinins signalling pathway during early stages of grain development to modulate grain size and weight in wheat. TaMADS‐GS is exclusively expressed in grains at early stage of seed development and its knockout leads to delayed endosperm cellularization, smaller grain size and lower grain weight. TaMADS‐GS protein interacts with the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) and leads to repression of genes encoding cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenases (CKXs) stimulating cytokinins inactivation by mediating accumulation of the histone H3 trimethylation at lysine 27 (H3K27me3). Through the screening of a large wheat germplasm collection, an elite allele of the TaMADS‐GS exhibits higher ability to repress expression of genes inactivating cytokinins and a positive correlation with grain size and weight, thus representing a novel marker for breeding programs in wheat. Overall, these findings support the relevance of TaMADS‐GS as a key regulator of wheat grain size and weight.
Aligning policies, maintaining power: State‐society conflicts and state responses to food crises in Indonesia and Nigeria
Authors: Arif Sirojuddin
Published: September 2023

Despite the importance of food for both economic and political reasons, why do governments respond differently to food crises? To answer this question, this article assesses the politics of state responses to food crises in Indonesia and Nigeria in the 1960s and 1970s. Using the state‐in‐society approach to politics, this research finds that variation in state–society conflicts explains the differences in Indonesia's and Nigeria's responses to the food crises. Conflicts between the state and urban workers led Nigeria to align its food policies with the need to contain urban workers' grievances, while in Indonesia conflicts between peasants and the state led the government to align its food policies with rural development to raise food production and eliminate the source of rural threats. State responses to food crises are therefore context‐dependent policies, deeply influenced by the salient form of state–society conflicts.

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Partial sequence analysis and relative expression of the HSP70 gene of Vasconcellea pubescens
Authors: Idrovo Fabio , Cevallos-Vilatuña Tiffany
Published: September 2023

Environmental factors affect nearly all land areas on the planet. Global warming is one of the most destructive of these factors because it has adverse effects on crop production systems. Plants are sessile organisms that have evolved complex mechanisms to cope with stress factors. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are one of those mechanisms. In this study, we analyzed a partial gene sequence that encodes for HSP70 protein in Vasconcellea pubescens. We also measured the relative expression of the gene in plantlets of Vasconcellea pubescens and performed biochemical assays under heat stress. The plantlets were exposed to three temperatures 25° C (control), 45 °C and 55 °C (stress temperatures) for 4 hours. The bioinformatic analysis led to the first description of a partial sequence of the HSP70 gene and its evolutionary history in V. pubescens. We found significant differences for relative expression of theHSP70 gene, percentage of electrolyte leakage, and proline content between plants subjected to heat stress and those in the control group. Our results showed that V. pubescens displays thermotolerance even under extreme temperatures. V. pubescens is a poorly studied species that may contain genes of biotechnological interest (such as HSP70) that could be used for plant genetic modification.
LES MODELING OF HIGH-LIFT HIGH-WORK LPT BLADES: PART II—VALIDATION AND APPLICATION
Authors: Kerestes Jared , Marks Christopher , Clark John , Wolff J. Mitch , Ni Ron-Ho (Bob) , Fletcher Nathan
Published: September 2023

Over the years, computational fluids dynamics (CFD) has matured to such a state so as to be indispensable in turbine design. In the past two decades, significant advances in turbine design have been made through the use of CFD—in particular, through the use of Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations. Currently, turbine design is RANS-driven; however, significant gains in performance and efficiency are becoming more difficult to achieve using RANS. For this reason, the turbomachinery CFD community is moving toward Large-Eddy Simulations (LES). In the design of low-pressure turbine (LPT) blades, LES is particularly beneficial owing to its ability to capture accurately both transition and separation. In this paper, LES is used to characterize a new family of high-lift high-work LPT blades—designated the LXFHW-LS family—designed at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). LES simulations are conducted in accordance with the methodology outlined in Part I of this paper. The purpose of this paper is twofold: 1) to use LES to predict the performance of the LXFHW-LS family and compare to measurements in a low-speed linear cascade and, in doing so, 2) to illustrate how LES may be used in LPT design as it evolves from RANS-driven to LES-driven. For each blade in the family, the loading distribution and loss coefficient are computed for sixteen separate Reynolds numbers. Computational results are validated using detailed experimental measurements from a low-speed linear cascade wind tunnel.
A Numerical Test Rig for Turbomachinery Flows Based on Large Eddy Simulations With a High-Order Discontinuous Galerkin Scheme—Part III: Secondary Flow Effects
Authors: Morsbach Christian , Bergmann Michael , Tosun Adem , Klose Bjoern F. , Bechlars Patrick , Kügeler Edmund
Published: September 2023

In this final paper of a three-part series, we apply the numerical test rig based on a high-order discontinuous Galerkin scheme to the MTU T161 low-pressure turbine with diverging end walls at off-design Reynolds number of 90,000, Mach number of 0.6, and inflow angle of 41 deg. The inflow end wall boundary layers are prescribed in accordance with the experiment. Validation of the setup is shown against recent numerical references and the corresponding experimental data. Additionally, we propose and conduct a purely numerical experiment with upstream bar wake generators at a Strouhal number of 1.25, which is well above what was possible in the experiment. We discuss the flow physics at midspan and in the end wall region and highlight the influence of the wakes from the upstream row on the complex secondary flow system using instantaneous flow visualization, phase averages, and modal decomposition techniques.
Modeling and Optimization of a PCM-Based Ocean Thermal Energy Harvester for Powering Unmanned Underwater Vehicles
Authors: Ouro-Koura Habilou , Jung Hyunjun , Borca-Tasciuc Diana-Andra , Copping Andrea E. , Deng Zhiqun (Daniel)
Published: September 2023

As oceans cover over 70% of the planet’s surface, they represent a large reservoir of resources that remained vastly untapped. Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) are becoming key technology for ocean exploration. Ocean thermal gradient is a permanent and reliable energy source that can be used to power UUVs using phase change material (PCM)-based thermal engines. When using PCM-based thermal engines to power UUVs, there are different energy conversion stages, thermal, hydraulic, kinetic, and electrical, dependent on a wide variety of parameters. Thus, optimization of the overall energy conversion is still a challenge for powering the increasing energy demanding UUVs for long missions.

The goal of this study is to propose a PCM-based ocean thermal energy harvesting system for powering float type UUVs such as the Solo II float. This reduces the cost for battery replacement and expands the float’s mission time. For this purpose, we developed a model consisting of hydraulic and electrical systems, designed to provide the electrical power needed by the UUV. The hydraulic and electrical systems are implemented using MATLAB-Simulink. The model developed can provide 13.66 kJ of electrical energy, which is more than 1.5 times the energy requirement per cycle for the SOLO II float.
Airflow Characteristics and Thermal Comfort of Air Diffusers
Authors: Eraslan Tolga Arda , Keskin Cem , Mengüç Mehmet Pınar
Published: September 2023

Indoor environment quality control is very important for building operations as occupant of buildings spend up to 90% of their time indoors. After Covid-19 pandemic break out, indoor environment quality has become even more crucial to the society because of health concerns. Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) covers conditions such as air quality, lighting, thermal conditions, ergonomics inside a building and their effects on the occupant or occupants of the building. Thermal conditions and air quality are usually achieved with the mechanical or natural ventilation systems or by HVAC equipment. As buildings became more complex structures, different airflow distribution systems to be developed to fulfill such requirements. For this purpose, not only the airflow distribution systems need to be modified but also diffusers that provide which supplies/draws air to/from systems are to be improved. Detailed analysis of these subcomponents is needed to assure that such devices provide high levels of comfort effectiveness and energy efficiency. The objective of this study is to develop a comprehensive analysis for air characterization and indoor air regime of different diffusers (square diffuser, operable flap diffuser) and their effect on comfort level of occupants Fanger’s model of thermal comfort is used with CFD simulations and a tool is considered for the validation experiments. Using more than 16 thermal sensors including one on a mannequin head, on a table and at foot level, the readings were correlated by using anemometers to measure air flow at supply diffuser and at different operating levels. CFD simulations were according to different scenarios which are to provide a comparison between diffusers and understand indoor airflow regimes. The results considering the flow interaction between diffusers and surroundings showed a detailed visual illustration in CFD simulations and their relation to perceived comfort levels.
Pathways for Atmospheric Water Harvesting to Reach Cost Parity With Distributed Desalination
Authors: Kocher Jordan D. , Menon Akanksha K.
Published: September 2023

With water consumption increasing, populations growing, and climate change affecting natural freshwater sources, global water stress is of increasing concern. To meet the freshwater demand, methods of artificially producing clean water are being explored. Desalination is among the most mature of these freshwater production technologies, though it is often claimed that seawater desalination (centralized) and transportation of this water from the coast to inland locations is expensive. More recently, there is growing interest in atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) as a method of producing fresh water from ambient air. AWH is touted to be a cost-effective method of producing fresh water locally where water is needed (decentralized), and thus does not require water to be transported. However, few studies have attempted to quantify the energy costs associated with AWH, and a direct comparison with desalination has not been reported. In this work, we analyze an AWH based on active cooling (like a vapor compression air conditioner) that condenses water from air. We find that using these systems to harvest water from outdoor air is an order of magnitude more expensive than the combined costs of coastal seawater desalination and transportation of the clean water to inland locations. Instead, we show that an indoor cooling system based on AWH that cogenerates both water and building cooling is a more practical and cost-effective use case of this technology.
Design Strategies for Biomass-Based CHP Systems in Rural Communities
Authors: Maharjan Krisha , Hwang Joonsik , Cho Heejin
Published: September 2023

Unreliable electricity supply and constrained heating networks are major challenges facing rural communities. Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems can alleviate these energy security issues by utilizing readily available biomass resources in rural areas by producing two forms of energy from a single process. Biomass-fueled CHP systems called b-CHP can effectively reduce energy costs and consumption while having a minimal environmental impact. This paper presents strategies for the design process of b-CHP systems and insights into the factors to consider for sustainable operation. For biomass to compete with fossil fuels, selecting optimal system component sizes and operational strategies is necessary to satisfy consumers’ varying electric and thermal demand patterns. Furthermore, the system performance must be evaluated in relation to a range of biofuel, fossil fuel, and grid utility prices in a specific location. The comparative analysis of the b-CHP system with traditional separate heat and power generation in terms of performance parameters such as operational cost (OC), primary energy consumption (PEC), and carbon dioxide emission (CDE) can be used to determine the ideal plant design. The net metering policy is another crucial factor from the economic standpoint of b-CHP systems. Therefore, an investigation of the b-CHP system with and without net metering is also necessary. With properly assessed and designed b-CHP systems, rural areas can increase their resilience and achieve energy independence.
Waste Heat Assessment of a Manufacturing Facility
Authors: Zeller Alexander , Gladen Adam C.
Published: September 2023

A waste heat assessment of a manufacturing facility with low-quality waste heat is conducted. A physical survey identified seven potential waste heat sources with fluid exhausts: the boiler flue, the chiller loop for the HVAC system, the exhaust from polypropylene dryers, from the compressed air dryer, from the plant vacuums, and from an electroplating air handler, and the deaerator. The temporal fluctuations in temperature and flow rate, and the frequency of occurrence of the waste heat, were determined from measurements, calculations, and company records. Variations were observed in the boiler flue and in the dryers. The monthly energy and exergy of the waste heat were calculated for a reference temperature of 25 °C. The total annual waste heat is calculated to be 36.5 TJ of energy which represents 0.84 TJ of exergy. The boiler, plant vacuums, and chiller comprise 96% of the energy rejected and are the major contributors to the rejected exergy. Matching the waste heat to space heating is evaluated. Based on fuel consumption in the boiler, the annual energy for space heating is estimated 8.5 TJ. Waste heat from the boiler flue, polypropylene dryers, and plant vacuums could meet up to 39% of this energy without storage and 63% with thermal storage to better overlap waste heat supply with demand. Simply allowing the vacuum exhausts to cool in the building could theoretically meet up to 27%. The study highlights the need to consider fluctuations in the waste heat supply and sink demand, the need for thermal storage, and identifying relatively simple modifications to recover waste heat.