bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Specialized Metabolites from the Allelopathic Plant Retama raetam as Potential Biopesticides
Authors: Soriano Gabriele , Petrillo Claudia , Masi Marco , Bouafiane Mabrouka , Khelil Aminata , Tuzi Angela , Isticato Rachele , Fernández-Aparicio Mónica , Cimmino Alessio
Published: April 2022

To cope with the rising food demand, modern agriculture practices are based on the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. Although this strategy leads to a temporary solution, it also severely damages the environment, representing a risk to human health. A sustainable alternative to agrochemicals is the use of plant metabolites and plant-based pesticides, known to have minimal environmental impact compared to synthetic pesticides. Retama raetam is a shrub growing in Algeria’s desert areas, where it is commonly used in traditional medicine because of its antiseptic and antipyretic properties. Furthermore, its allelopathic features can be exploited to effectively control phytopathogens in the agricultural field. In this study, six compounds belonging to isoflavones and flavones subgroups have been isolated from the R. raetam dichloromethane extract and identified using spectroscopic and optical methods as alpinumisoflavone, hydroxyalpinumisoflavone, laburnetin, licoflavone C, retamasin B, and ephedroidin. Their antifungal activity was evaluated against the fungal phytopathogen Stemphylium vesicarium using a growth inhibition bioassay on PDA plates. Interestingly, the flavonoid laburnetin, the most active metabolite, displayed an inhibitory activity comparable to that exerted by the synthetic fungicide pentachloronitrobenzene, in a ten-fold lower concentration. The allelopathic activity of R. raetam metabolites against parasitic weeds was also investigated using two independent parasitic weed bioassays to discover potential activities on either suicidal stimulation or radicle growth inhibition of broomrapes. In this latter bioassay, ephedroidin strongly inhibited the growth of Orobanche cumana radicles and, therefore, can be proposed as a natural herbicide.
Small RNA Sequencing and Multiplex RT-PCR for Diagnostics of Grapevine Viruses and Virus-like Organisms
Authors: Miljanić Vanja , Jakše Jernej , Rusjan Denis , Škvarč Andreja , Štajner Nataša
Published: April 2022

Metagenomic approaches used for virus diagnostics allow for rapid and accurate detection of all viral pathogens in the plants. In order to investigate the occurrence of viruses and virus-like organisms infecting grapevine from the Ampelographic collection Kromberk in Slovenia, we used Ion Torrent small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq) and the VirusDetect pipeline to analyze the sRNA-seq data. The used method revealed the presence of: Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1), Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 2 (GLRaV-2), Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3), Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV), Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) and its satellite RNA (satGFLV), Grapevine fleck virus (GFkV), Grapevine rupestris vein feathering virus (GRVFV), Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV), Grapevine satellite virus (GV-Sat), Hop stunt viroid (HSVd), and Grapevine yellow speckle viroid 1 (GYSVd-1). Multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR) was developed for validation of sRNA-seq predicted infections, including various combinations of viruses or viroids and satellite RNA. mRT-PCR could further be used for rapid and cost-effective routine molecular diagnosis, including widespread, emerging, and seemingly rare viruses, as well as viroids which testing is usually overlooked.
Multimodal Functionalities of HIV-1 Integrase
Authors: Engelman Alan N. , Kvaratskhelia Mamuka
Published: April 2022

Integrase is the retroviral protein responsible for integrating reverse transcripts into cellular genomes. Co-packaged with viral RNA and reverse transcriptase into capsid-encased viral cores, human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) integrase has long been implicated in reverse transcription and virion maturation. However, the underlying mechanisms of integrase in these non-catalytic-related viral replication steps have remained elusive. Recent results have shown that integrase binds genomic RNA in virions, and that mutational or pharmacological disruption of integrase-RNA binding yields eccentric virion particles with ribonucleoprotein complexes situated outside of the capsid shell. Such viruses are defective for reverse transcription due to preferential loss of integrase and viral RNA from infected target cells. Parallel research has revealed defective integrase-RNA binding and eccentric particle formation as common features of class II integrase mutant viruses, a phenotypic grouping of viruses that display defects at steps beyond integration. In light of these new findings, we propose three new subclasses of class II mutant viruses (a, b, and c), all of which are defective for integrase-RNA binding and particle morphogenesis, but differ based on distinct underlying mechanisms exhibited by the associated integrase mutant proteins. We also assess how these findings inform the role of integrase in HIV-1 particle maturation.
Design of a Multi-Epitope Vaccine against Tropheryma whipplei Using Immunoinformatics and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Techniques
Authors: Albekairi Thamer H. , Alshammari Abdulrahman , Alharbi Metab , Alshammary Amal F. , Tahir ul Qamar Muhammad , Anwar Tasneem , Ismail Saba , Shaker Bilal , Ahmad Sajjad
Published: April 2022

Whipple’s disease is caused by T. whipplei, a Gram-positive pathogenic bacterium. It is considered a persistent infection affecting various organs, more likely to infect males. There is currently no licensed vaccination available for Whipple’s disease; thus, the development of a chimeric peptide-based vaccine against T. whipplei has the potential to be tremendously beneficial in preventing Whipple’s disease in the future. The present study aimed to apply modern computational approaches to generate a multi-epitope-based vaccine that expresses antigenic determinants prioritized from the core proteome of two T. whipplei whole proteomes. Using an integrated computational approach, four immunodominant epitopes were found from two extracellular proteins. Combined, these epitopes covered 89.03% of the global population. The shortlisted epitopes exhibited a strong binding affinity for the B- and T-cell reference set of alleles, high antigenicity score, nonallergenic nature, high solubility, nontoxicity, and excellent binders of DRB1*0101. Through the use of appropriate linkers and adjuvation with a suitable adjuvant molecule, the epitopes were designed into a chimeric vaccine. An adjuvant was linked to the connected epitopes to boost immunogenicity and efficiently engage both innate and adaptive immunity. The physiochemical properties of the vaccine were observed favorable, leading toward the 3D modeling of the construct. Furthermore, the vaccine’s binding confirmation to the TLR-4 critical innate immune receptor was also determined using molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, which shows that the vaccine has a strong binding affinity for TLR4 (−29.4452 kcal/mol in MM-GBSA and −42.3229 kcal/mol in MM-PBSA). Overall, the vaccine described here has a promising potential for eliciting protective and targeted immunogenicity, subject to further experimental testing.
The Application of an Augmented Gravity Model to Measure the Effects of a Regionalization of Potential Risk Distribution of the US Cull Sow Market
Authors: Blair Benjamin , Lowe James
Published: April 2022

The continuous threat of foreign animal disease (FAD) is real and present for the U.S. swine industry. Because of this, the industry has developed plans to ensure business continuity during a FAD outbreak. A core aspect of these plans is regional standstill orders of swine movements to prevent disease spread following a FAD introduction. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of information about the impact of such practices on animal movements throughout the remaining swine marketing channel. This study utilizes a simplified gravity model, to understand the effects of standstill orders on individual states. The effect of each closure on the established trade patterns is determined by monitoring changes in a PPML regression coefficients of the model. Model validation compared the predicted impact of the closure of a terminal processing facility against a real-life closure dataset collected during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The analysis determined that both the population size and location of the closure affected the observed trade patterns. These findings suggest that using a regional stop movement order may complicate disease introduction preparation as each policy comes with its own potential outcome, shifting the geospatial distribution of area risk posed by these cull populations.
Water Quality Evaluation and Variation Trend Analysis of Rivers Upstream of the Dahuofang Reservoir in China
Authors: Yan Bin , Liu Dehui , Gao Zhenwei , Cao Qi , Chai Jiabin
Published: April 2022

The Dahuofang Reservoir is one of the most important water sources in Liaoning Province, China, so it is critical to identify the status and evolution characteristics of its water quality. Six monitoring indicators were selected to analyze water quality differences and variation trends of each indicator in three inlet sections of the reservoir during different hydrological periods from 2003 to 2021, and an improved comprehensive pollution index method was proposed to study the pollution variation trends. The results showed three findings. (1) The water quality of the three rivers is better in high water periods than that in low water periods. (2) In terms of the spatial state of the water environment, water quality of the Hun River is the worst, the Suzi River is poor, and the She River is better. The worst indicator of the three rivers, TN (total nitrogen), has exceeded the standard for many years (Grade IV–Inferior Grade V). TP (total phosphorus) in the Hun River, which has deteriorated severely since 2013 and is positively correlated with rainfall; it is mainly influenced by pollution from agricultural activities. (3) The P value obtained by the improved method is lower than that of original method, which is mainly because TN is relatively stable, and the exceeding standard of TP is not as serious as TN. The improved method takes into account the interactions and fluctuations of indicators, so that it can reflect the pollution situation more scientifically. These results are helpful to evaluate the pollution status of surface water. It is suggested that water be transferred appropriately to improve water quality and take necessary management measures to reduce TN and TP in the Hun River.
Caral, South America’s Oldest City (2600–1600 BC): ENSO Environmental Changes Influencing the Late Archaic Period Site on the North Central Coast of Peru
Authors: Ortloff Charles R.
Published: April 2022

The Late Archaic Period (2600–1600 BC) site of Caral, located ~20 km inland from the Pacific Ocean coastline in the Supe Valley of the north central coast of Peru, is subject to CFD analysis to determine the effects of ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) events (mainly, El Niño flooding and drought events) on its agricultural and marine resource base that threatened societal continuity. The first step is to examine relics of major flood events that produced coastal beach ridges composed of deposited flood slurries—the C14 dating of material within beach ridges determines the approximate dates of major flood events. Of interest is the interaction of flood slurry with oceanic currents that produce a linear beach ridge as these events are controlled by fluid mechanics principles. CFD analysis provides the basis for beach ridge geometric linear shape. Concurrent with beach ridge formation from major flood events are landscape changes that affect the agricultural field system and marine resource food supply base of Caral and its satellite sites- here a large beach ridge can block river drainage, raise the groundwater level and, together with aeolian sand transfer from exposed beach flats, convert previously productive agricultural lands into swamps and marshes. One major flood event in ~1600 BC rendered coastal agricultural zones ineffective due to landscape erosion/deposition events together with altering the marine resource base from flood deposition over shellfish gathering and sardine and anchovy netting areas, the net result being that prior agricultural areas shifted to limited-size, inner valley bottomland areas. Agriculture, then supplied by highland sierra amuna reservoir water, led to a high water table supplemented by Supe River water to support agriculture. Later ENSO floods conveyed thin saturated bottomland soils and slurries to coastal areas to further reduce the agricultural base of Supe Valley sites. With the reduction in the inner valley agricultural area from continued flood events, agriculture, on a limited basis, shifted to the plateau area upon which urban Caral and the satellite sites were located. The narrative that follows then provides the basis for the abandonment of Caral and its satellite Supe Valley sites due to the vulnerability of the limited food-supply base subject to major ENSO events.
The Changing Dynamics of Kazakhstan’s Fisheries Sector: From the Early Soviet Era to the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Graham Norman A. , Pueppke Steven G. , Nurtazin Sabyr , Konysbayev Talgarbay , Gibadulin Farid , Sailauov Meiirli
Published: April 2022

Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic that is now independent, lies near the center of arid Eurasia. Its sparse hydrographic network includes a small number of large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, many ponds and smaller streams, as well as littoral zones bordering the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. A diverse fisheries sector, initially based on wild fish capture and later including aquaculture, developed in these waters during the Soviet era, when animal agriculture was unable to meet the protein needs of Soviet citizens. The sector, which was originally centered on the Volga–Caspian basin, was tightly managed by Moscow and benefitted from coordinated investments in research, infrastructure, and human resources, as well as policies to increase the consumption of fish products. Independence in 1991 administered a political and economic shock that disrupted these relationships. Kazakhstan’s wild fish harvests plummeted by more than two-thirds, and aquaculture collapsed to just 3% of its previous level. Per capita consumption of fish products also declined, as did processing capacity. Favorable recent policies to define fishing rights, incentivize investments, prevent illegal fishing, and make stocking more effective have helped to reverse these trends and stabilize the sector. Continued recovery will require additional steps to manage water resources sustainably, prioritize the use of water for fish habitats, and minimize the effects of climate change. This comprehensive assessment of Kazakhstan’s fisheries sector over the past century provides the basis to understand how long-term dynamic interactions of the environment with the political economy influence fisheries in Eurasia’s largest country.
Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Modelling for Biogas Production in Pre-Commercialized Integrated Anaerobic-Aerobic Bioreactors (IAAB)
Authors: Chen Wei-Yao , Chan Yi Jing , Lim Jun Wei , Liew Chin Seng , Mohamad Mardawani , Ho Chii-Dong , Usman Anwar , Lisak Grzegorz , Hara Hirofumi , Tan Wen-Nee
Published: April 2022

The use of integrated anaerobic-aerobic bioreactor (IAAB) to treat the Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) showed promising results, which successfully overcome the limitation of a large space that is needed in the conventional method. The understanding of synergism between anaerobic digestion and aerobic process is required to achieve maximum biogas production and COD removal. Hence, this work presents the use of artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the COD removal (%), purity of methane (%), and methane yield (LCH4/gCODremoved) of anaerobic digestion and COD removal (%), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removal (%), and total suspended solid (TSS) removal (%) of aerobic process in a pre-commercialized IAAB located at Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. MATLAB R2019b was used to develop the two ANN models. Bayesian regularization backpropagation (BR) showed the best performance among the 12 training algorithms. The trained ANN models showed high accuracy (R2 > 0.997) and demonstrated good alignment with the industrial data obtained from the pre-commercialized IAAB over a 6-month period. The developed ANN model is subsequently used to create the optimal operating conditions which maximize the output parameters. The COD removal (%) was improved by 33.9% (from 68.7% to 92%), while the methane yield was improved by 13.4% (from 0.23 LCH4/gCODremoved to 0.26 LCH4/gCODremoved). Sensitivity analysis shows that COD inlet is the most influential input parameters that affect the methane yield, anaerobic COD, BOD and TSS removals, while for aerobic process, COD removal is most affected by mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS). The trained ANN model can be utilized as a decision support system (DSS) for operators to predict the behavior of the IAAB system and solve the problems of instability and inconsistent biogas production in the anaerobic digestion process. This is of utmost importance for the successful commercialization of this IAAB technology. Additional input parameters such as the mixing time, reaction time, nutrients (ammonium nitrogen and total phosphorus) and concentration of microorganisms could be considered for the improvement of the ANN model.
Effects of Climate Change on Hydrology in the Most Relevant Mining Basin in the Eastern Legal Amazon
Authors: Pontes Paulo Rogenes M. , Cavalcante Rosane B. L. , Giannini Tereza C. , Costa Cláudia P. W. , Tedeschi Renata G. , Melo Adayana M. Q. , Xavier Ana Carolina Freitas
Published: April 2022

The Itacaiúnas River basin, an important watershed for the mining sector in Brazil, has had 51% of its native forest area deforested in the last forty years. It is in the arc of deforestation of the Amazon. It has protected areas essential to local biodiversity maintenance, in addition to owning ore reserves. Here, we present the first study to assess the mean annual, seasonal, and spatialized hydrological processes, providing results on a detailed scale in the basin, including mining sites. We used five future projections of mean monthly temperature and daily precipitation as input to the MGB hydrological model to simulate how hydrological processes, such as evapotranspiration, water availability, and high flows, may change in the next 30 years. The future decrease in precipitation (−8%) and increase in temperature (10%) may strengthen the monsoon seasonal cycle and lengthen the dry month for evapotranspiration. Furthermore, some parts of the basin expect an increase in the high flows (8.1%) and a decrease in water availability (−93.6%). These results provide subsidies to develop adaptation strategies to ensure the viability of mining operations and safeguard the surrounding environment and communities.
Thermal Analysis of Automobile Drive Axles by the Thermal Network Method
Authors: Ning Xinfei , Chen Mingzhang , Zhou Zijian , Shu Yuwen , Xiong Wei , Cao Yang , Shang Xuebing , Wang Zixi
Published: April 2022

Excessive temperature is detrimental to the operation stability of the automobile drive axle. It is necessary to judge whether the highest temperature exceeds the limited dangerous temperature and study the effects of key factors on reducing the temperature. In this study, the temperature field distribution (TFD) of the automobile drive axle is revealed using the thermal network method (TNM). Compared with the experimentation and finite element analysis (FEA), the TNM is more convenient for obtaining the temperature. Subsequently, the highest temperature of the automobile drive axle is clear and applied to judge whether the highest temperature exceeds the limited dangerous temperature. On the basis of the TNM, the structure and parameter effects of the automobile drive axle on reducing the temperature are studied, which improves the operation stability and working life. Several conclusions can be drawn. The highest temperatures of two-axle and planetary automobile drive axles are both located in the motor. Compared with the two-axle drive axle, the highest temperature of the planetary drive axle is obviously lower. Therefore, in terms of the planetary drive axle, the possibility of exceeding the limited dangerous temperature is lower. In addition, on the premise of ensuring the normal operation, the motor output power, the friction coefficient among teeth, the helical angle of the gear, and the thermal transfer coefficient of the lubricating oil can be optimized to be lower for reducing the temperature of the automobile drive axle.
Location of Electric Vehicle Charging Piles Based on Set Coverage Model
Authors: Liang Yingying , Fei Xiangyun , Li Jianlu , He Xiao , Gu He
Published: April 2022

Electric vehicles are rapidly popping up in the market as a new alternative to fossil fuels, in order to reduce carbon emissions in urban areas. However, the improper placement of charging piles has impeded the development of electric vehicles. In this paper, 12 indicators from 4 categories, namely economy, environment, cost, and service quality are selected to form an index system for evaluating the location of electric vehicle charging piles. The entropy weight-TOPSIS method is also applied for the same purpose. On the basis of the evaluation, this paper proposes a set coverage model and adopts a greedy heuristic algorithm to find out the optimal location of charging piles. Finally, the paper verifies the reasonability and feasibility of this model by studying the existing location of electric vehicle charging piles in northeast China. The evaluation is based on the Liaoning Province Electric Vehicle Big Data Supervision Platform, which has data that are official and scientifically based. The set coverage model proposed, based on the evaluation, is a new solution to finding out the optimal location of electric vehicle charging piles across China. This study aims to provide a theoretical basis for the development of this new energy industry.
The Effect of Machining Parameters and Drill Point Angle on the Temperature Distribution in AISI 304 Stainless Steel During Dry Drilling Operation
Authors: Kadhim Amjed , Hassan Abdulkareem , Rishack Qais
Published: April 2022

In this research work, the influence of cutting parameters and drill point angle on the temperature distribution in dry drilling of stainless steel AISI 304 was numerically investigated by using FE method based on DEFORM-3D V.11 commercial software. Two cutting tools of 10 mm diameter but different in point angles, one is 110° and the other is 118°. These tools were imported from specific website in a format of STL and inserted in the program during modeling of cutting tools. The material of the cutting tools is selected as high-speed steel. The workpiece model is created as cylindrical shape with 50 mm diameter and 5 mm thickness. The cutting parameters are selected as three cutting speeds (100, 200, and 300) rpm, with three feed rates (0.15, 0.25, and 0.35) mm/rev. The depth of hole is fixed for all simulations (3 mm). The percentage of increase or decrease in the resulted temperature according to the various cutting parameter was also calculated and discussed. The best cutting performance of tools according to the change of point angles was also investigated. The results provided a significant influence of cutting speed and tool point angle on the temperature generated in the machined models and very small influence of feed speed on the workpiece temperature.
Design and Optimizing of Compact Ultra-Wide Band Printed Patch Antenna Employing Different Optimization Algorithms Based on Plant Inspiration
Authors: Hathal Hussein , Abdullah Abdulkareem , Ali Ramzy
Published: April 2022

In this paper, a compact ultra-wide band (UWB) printed patch antenna is designed and optimized using four biologically and plant inspired optimization algorithms. These algorithms are the newly adopted Moss Rose Optimization Algorithm (MROA), Runner Root Algorithm (RRA), Sunflower Optimization Algorithm (SFOA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). These algorithms are modified in an optimizer software, which merges the attributes of the design of electromagnetic environment of CST Microwave Studio with those of the technical programming environment of MATLAB. A compact (12 × 21.5) mm2 printed patch antenna has been proposed and simulated over the whole UWB frequency range using these four optimization algorithms. The simulation results show the superiority of the antenna design using MROA, which has the widest covered frequency range, the lowest reflection coefficient and the lowest standing wave ratio.
Evaporative Cooling: A Review of its Types and Modeling
Authors: Hashim Rasha , Hammdi Salman , Eidan Adel
Published: April 2022

Evaporative cooling is a widely used energy-saving and environmentally friendly cooling technology. Evaporative cooling can be defined as a mass and heat transfer process in which the air is cooled by the evaporation of water and as a result a large amount of heat is transferred from the air to the water and thus the air temperature decreases. Evaporative cooling is mainly used in many cooling technologies used in buildings, factories, agricultural in addition to it is used industrially in cooling towers, evaporative condensers, humidification, and humidity control applications. Evaporative cooling is divided into direct evaporative cooling and indirect evaporative cooling, as well as water evaporative cooling and air evaporative cooling. This paper reviews the most important developments and technologies in evaporative cooling that lead to lower energy consumption and provide suitable cooling comfort.
Review on Buckling and Bending Analysis of Functionally Graded Beam with and without Crack
Authors: Neamah Raghad , Nassar Ameen , Alansari Luay
Published: April 2022

The functionally graded beam is a wide field of research, which attracts great interest today in the field of engineering, science, and medicine society. This type of beam is made from functionally graded material that is characterized by several properties one of them is the high strength to weight ratio. In the current years, this beam has witnessed great developments in the mechanism of its composition and the materials used in its manufacture. This research provides an overview of the properties, types, advantages and challenges, and applications of the functionally graded materials. In addition, this paper review provides a summary of the analysis of bending and buckling that occurs on the functionally graded beam with and without crack effect from (2008-2021) year. Through this review, the following was noted: Firstly, a small number of researchers have worked experimentally, and the properties of a beam in most of the research are gradual towards thickness using the mixing rule. Secondly, the crack has a very severe effect on the behavior of both bending and buckling for the graded beam. This critical review can be considered a milestone in future analyzes of the graded beam and is also beneficial to designers and researchers working in this field.
Participación de las Juntas Vecinales en el fortalecimiento de la Seguridad Ciudadana
Authors: Mendoza Flores Juan Milciades
Published: April 2022

La seguridad está inmersa a la supervivencia de las personas. Hobbes señalaba que la persona cede su libertad al Estado por seguridad. En cuanto al objetivo de investigación fue analizar la importancia de las organizaciones de seguridad ciudadana (juntas vecinales) en su lucha contra la delincuencia. De acuerdo con la metodología, fue de enfoque cualitativo, básico y hermenéutico, para lo cual se buscó 169 artículos de revistas indexadas con proyección en Latinoamérica bajo términos clave: “seguridad ciudadana”, “juntas vecinales” y “autodefensa”, seleccionando las quince de mayor relevancia; cuyo resultado demostró que en los grupos de autodefensa funcionan desorganizadamente o sin una estructura administrativa y operacional, con políticas que no atacan la fuente del problema. La conclusión fue que las juntas vecinales comprenden su realidad comunitaria; debido a la interacción que tienen con los integrantes de la sociedad; sin embargo, no tiene una política de seguridad establecida.
Educação Ambiental como instrumento de efetividade para o Direito Ambiental
Authors: Almeida Vadiney Ferreira de , Sabino Artemizia Rodrigues , Simão Maria Olívia de Albuquerque Ribeiro
Published: April 2022

O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar o Direito Ambiental com foco na Educação Ambiental. A Educação Ambiental é um processo importante para a formação da consciência dos indivíduos sobre a necessidade do uso adequado dos recursos naturais, da geração de resíduos e seu descarte, assim como diminuir o consumo. O direito ao meio ambiente, a definição, o regime jurídico, os princípios, objetivos da Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente e a Política Nacional de Educação Ambiental, são os mais destacados fundamentos do Direito Ambiental. Nesse sentido, o estudo estampa seus princípios, assim como a legislação por meio de regulamentos e normas que embasam a preservação do meio ambiente e dá amparo aos movimentos que abordam a Educação Ambiental. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, cuja abordagem fundamentou-se na revisão bibliográfica e documental. Como resultado, foi possível liar os princípios do direito constitucional ao direito ambiental e a Educação Ambiental, assim como sua representação social e de efetividade que a norma exerce na transformação cidadã e nas instituições.
Lactose sanguin et lactose du lait : caractérisation de leurs facteurs de variation chez la vache laitière
Authors: Decoopman Nicolas , Guinard-Flament Jocelyne , Resmond Rémi
Published: April 2022

La synthèse du lactose est spécifique de la mamelle mais l’épithélium mammaire (EM) est perméable entraînant un passage du lactose du lait vers le sang ayant un effet sur le taux de lactose du lait (TL). Pour l’utiliser comme un indicateur de l’état de la mamelle, il faut connaître et comprendre ses variations et donc ceux de la lactosémie. Cette étude met en évidence des facteurs de variations communs à la lactosémie et au TL : la parité, le stade de lactation, la quantité de matière grasse dans le lait et l’inflammation mammaire. Le mécanisme de perméabilité de l’EM serait impliqué dans les variations du TL dans le cas 1) de la parité, avec des primipares qui auraient un EM plus jointif, 2) de l’augmentation de la quantité de matière grasse dans le lait, par distension de l’EM et 3) de l’inflammation mammaire, avec rupture des jonctions serrées des cellules de l’EM.
Using Social Media for government communications: A closer look at this popular communication outlet and it’s use in the local government sector.
Authors: Bietsch Samantha
Published: April 2022

Social media can be a marketer’s dream with the ability to engage, collect research and communicate information quickly and to a large number of people. This is likely why so many businesses have jumped on board enjoying this communication outlet after seeing its popularity from a socializing aspect.  In recent years, we have found this mode of communication to begin gaining popularity in the government sector. Many politicians are using this platform to communicate, gain popularity and even gauge consumer response.  This paper takes an in-depth look at government communications and political use of social media focusing on a local government level. This paper explores some of the apprehensions with utilizing this platform and strategies to mitigate problems. Finally, this paper also looks at how to implement a social media policy for local governments that don’t currently employ a strategy.
Social Media about Grandparents as Childcare Providers: Evidence from Russian Region
Authors: Saitova Daria
Published: April 2022

Social media and the internet are proving more and more popular, even among older people. While still providing child care, grandparents become active users of social media. This research aims to estimate whether publications mentioning grandparents explore the topic of raising grandchildren and whether the increasing activity of older people on social media results in more proactive grandparental labour. The paper analyses socio-political communities—including the mass media ones—of the largest social media in Russia—Facebook, VK, Instagram, Telegram, and Odnoklassniki. The location of the publications analysed is the Sverdlovsk Region. The sample included posts mentioning grandmothers and grandfathers. The analysis identified main topics which the publications mentioning grandparents are associated with and tried to find a correlation between their activity on social media and contribution to childcare. The research shows that the publications analysed are mostly related to the topics of safety and accidents. Education and childcare rank third in terms of the frequency of posts mentioning grandparents. The publications mention grandmothers more than three times more often than grandfathers. On the one hand, social media facilitate a better understanding between the younger and the older generations. On the other hand, social media may replace face-to-face communication with grandchildren. Grandparents are becoming less involved in raising grandchildren because of the increasing retirement age and state programmes that support social activity of the older generation, which is proved by their activity on social media and results of this study. However, in the Russian Federation, the state and information support for grandparental labour (i.e., grandparents’ activity while raising, educating, and taking care of grandchildren) may become one of the tools to promote fertility. The paper suggests several possible mechanisms to integrate grandparental labour in the economic subsystem of the society.
Level of Social Media Addiction of Y and Z Generation in North Cyprus
Authors: Öze Nuran , Zorali Sonuç
Published: April 2022

As technology has advanced, daily interpersonal communication has also altered and shifted to a different level. With the widespread use of the internet and personal technological gadgets hitting the market, social web and social media settings became the essential field of communication for humankind. Now, mostly people use internet-based social communication webs to communicate instead of having face-to-face interaction. This study will focus on the subject of social media addiction in North Cyprus. Our main focal point is the purposes of social media usage, the habits of social media usage and addiction of social media, ranging from the vast majority of the current population, who have experienced technology from a young age, Y generation, and those born into technological innovations, Z generation. During the research it has been used Aylin Tutgun-Ünal’s “Social Media Addiction Scale” (SMAS) in order to analyze the social media addiction of Y and Z generations. SMAS consisted of 41 articles and was approved as constituting validity and authenticity in 2015. Besides Facebook, SMAS measured other addictive social media applications in use.  It has attempted to find answers for our research questions by comparing and analyzing Y and G generations scores. By the end of this research, results enabled to determine that the Y and Z generations were on a low-scale addictiveness to social media. In any case, it has been noticed how the socially addictive scale was low with occupation, mood adjustment and differentiation on the levels of repetition and conflict. According to the research findings, participants' social media engagement was on a medium level of addictiveness; women spend more time on social media than men, receiving emotional support; social media is mostly used for interpersonal communication; and Y generation has passing more time on social media compared with the Z generation.
Dissemination of fake news on social media: A demographic analysis of audience involvement
Authors: Kayode-Adedeji Tolulope , Nwakerendu Ike
Published: April 2022

Social media users continue to threaten privacy with the spread of fake news thus impacting people negatively. This study seeks not just to reveal the predominant demography of Nigerians who spread false information, but also to access how the decision to verify and share such information is made. The cluster and systematic sampling method were used to select respondents from selected geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The study revealed that adults between ages 21-35 and 36 – 50 spread misinformation on social media platforms, and those in the latter age range would not verify before sharing on Whatsapp and Facebook. It recommends that the public needs to be educated on information verification, and the government and concerned organisations need to enforce laws necessary to discourage the spread of misinformation.
“Smart” Psychological Operations in Social Media: Security Challenges in China and Germany
Authors: Bazarkina Darya , Matyashova Darya
Published: April 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) is actively being incorporated into the communication process, as AI rapidly spreads and becomes cheaper for companies and other actors to use. AI has traditionally been used to run social media. It is used in the various platforms’ algorithms, bots and deepfake technology, as well as for the purpose of monitoring content and targeting instruments. However, a variety of actors are now increasingly using AI technology, at times with malicious intent. For example, terrorist organizations use bots on social networks to spread their propaganda and recruit new fighters. The rise of crimes involving AI is growing at a rapid pace. The impact of this type of crime is extremely negative – mass protests which demand the restriction of the use of technology, the involvement of manipulated persons in criminal groups, the destruction of the reputation of victims of “smart” slander (sometimes leading to threats to their life and health), etc. Combating these phenomena is a task which falls to security agencies, but also civil society institutions, the academic community, legislators, politicians, and the business community, since the complex nature of the threat requires complex solutions involving the participation of all interested parties. This paper aims to find answers to the following research questions: 1) what are the current threats to the psychological security of society caused by the malicious use of AI on social networks? 2) how do malicious (primarily non-state) actors carry out psychological operations through AI on social networks? 3) what impacts (behavioral, political, etc.) do such operations have on society? 4) how can the psychological security of society be protected using existing approaches as well as innovative ones? The answer to this last question is inextricably linked to the possibilities offered by international cooperation. This paper examines the experiences of Germany and China, two leaders in the field of AI which happen to have different socio-political systems and approaches to a number of international issues. The paper concludes that by increasing international cooperation, it is possible to counter psychological operations through AI more effectively and thereby protect society’s interests.
Applying social media for studying challenges of COVID-19 for students
Authors: Elenurm Tiit
Published: April 2022

This conference paper contributes to understanding opportunities to use social media for identifying the priorities and challenges of students from different countries in online and face-to-face learning and networking activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in more intensive online learning and hybrid learning applications in higher education. When there is a shift from a teacher-controlled class environment to a more learner-controlled social media, the role of the educator becomes more of a facilitator. The main research question in this paper is: How social media activities facilitated by instructors can support international learner-driven online networking and knowledge sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic? Our action research aim was to reveal learning preferences and networking challenges that students do not usually share in a class environment. Despite critics of Facebook and the increasing popularity of alternative social media among young people, Facebook groups offer tools for discourse between different age cohorts and conduct polls to assess alternative educational tools and COVID-19 administrative restrictions that influence student mobility and socialisation. To study the challenges of COVID-19 for students in online learning and in physical interaction, we applied netnography methods in combination with interventions by educators to study students’ preferences in the Facebook group Challenges in online learning – COVID-19. Among the most popular Facebook polls for students were questions about group work and exam arrangements during the pandemic and work from anywhere practice implications, cross-border mobility regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic and reasons why some students do not participate in web conferences using their computer cameras. Students shared the view that flexible online work from anywhere solutions will be for many organisations among trends that will remain after the COVID-19 crisis is over. Some students, both from Europe and developing countries, believed that this trend would improve job opportunities for the workforce living in low-cost countries. Facebook group enabled international knowledge sharing, where both students and educators could share their views on many issues that influence the rapidly changing online learning and networking environment.
Social Networks Clothes Shopping and the Influence of Brand Image and Perceived Benefits on Purchase Intention
Authors: Lopes Paula , Rodrigues Rosa , Varela Miguel
Published: April 2022

The research around social networks have become increasingly important in recent years because they are a powerful means of communication between different generations, especially the younger ones. Social networks are occupying a privileged place in the marketing and communication of brands, which has been reflected in the increase in sales in various sectors of activity. The present investigation aims to analyze how the relationship between Brand Image and Clothing Purchase Intention is mediated by the Consumers Perception benefits that this purchase provides them. The study used a quantitative methodology with questionnaire survey which had the participation of 947 subjects p in the study, aged between 18 and 55 years (M = 28.69, SD = 9.16), who during the period of confinement, caused by the pandemic situation, bought clothing through social networks. The results revealed that Brand Image has a significantly positive impact on Purchase Intention, but when Perceived Benefits enter in the model, the effect diminishes, although it remains positive and significant. It is verified that there is a partial mediation of the Perceived Benefits, which indicates that it has an indirect effect on consumers Purchase Intention. This research is important for marketing professionals to deepen their knowledge about Brand Image importance and the Perception of its Benefits has on consumers Purchase Intention, in order to develop Marketing and Advertising effective strategies to reach the target audience.
Heliotropium myosotoides ve Heliotropium suaveolens (Boraginaceae)’in Farklı Organlarından Elde Edilen Ekstrakların Antioksidan ve Antimikrobiyal Aktiviteleri
Authors: KANDEMİR Nezahat , KANDEMİR Şevket , ÇELİKOĞLU Emine , ÇELİKOĞLU Umut , İDİL Önder
Published: April 2022

Bu makalede, Heliotropium suaveolens ve Heliotropium myosotoides’in farklı organlarından elde edilen ekstraktların antioksidan, antimikrobiyal aktiviteleri ve DNA hasarı üzerine etkileri değerlendirildi. H. suaveolens’in vejetatif ve generatif gelişme periyotlarındaki farklı organlarına, H. myosotoides’in generatif ve vejetatif gelişme periyodundaki topraküstü ve toprakaltı organlarına hekzan, etanol ve etil asetat uygulanmıştır. Daha sonra bitki ekstrakları DMSO içerisinde çözülerek antioksidan, antimikrobiyal ve plazmit DNA çalışmalarında kullanılmıştır. H. suaveolens’in vejetatif gelişme periyodunda yaprak, generatif gelişme periyodunda ise yaprak ve çiçek etanol ekstraktlarında yüksek antioksidan aktivite görülmüştür. Ancak H. suaveolens’in vejetatif gelişme periyodunda gövde, generatif gelişme periyodunda kök ve gövde etanol ekstraklarının zayıf antioksidan aktivite gösterdiği tespit edilmiştir. H. suaveolens’in hekzan ekstraktlarında ise antioksidan aktivite vejetatif ve generatif gelişme periyotlarındaki bütün organlarında bulunmuştur. H. myosotoides'in generatif büyüme periyodundaki topraküstü ve toprakaltı organlarının etanol ve hekzan ekstraktlarının zayıf antioksidan aktiviteye sahip olduğu görülmüştür. Ancak bu iki türün etanol, hekzan ve etil asetat ekstraktlarının antimikrobiyal aktivite ve DNA hasarı göstermediği belirlenmiştir. H. suaveolens’in antioksidan aktivite gösteren organlarının parfümeri ve kozmetik sanayisinde değişik preparatların hazırlanmasında ve içerdiği glikozitlerden dolayı bal üreticileri tarafından kullanılabileceği önerilmiştir.
Water Contamination by Nitrates and its Thyroid Disruptive Action. Bioassay on Xenopus Laevis
Authors: Modarelli María Fernanda , Bilbao Rodrigo Miguel , Ponzo Osvaldo Juan
Published: April 2022

Background: Groundwater could vehicle substances that have shown to have a thyroid-disrupting action. Amphibians are used as bioassays to analyze changes that these disruptors generate during metamorphosis.
Objectives: To assess the thyroid disrupting action of groundwater contaminated with nitrates and arsenic, by means of a bioassay of chronic toxicity in Xenopus laevis larvae.
Methods: Three experimental groups immersed in water: Control group (C) (n=13) filtered drinking water, Exposed group (E) groundwater (n=18) and Positive Control group (PC) (n=18) filtered drinking water added with 0,007 mg/l of potassium perchlorate. A water physicochemical analysis was performed. The duration of metamorphosis stages, total body length, mortality per group, weight and height were morphologically evaluated. The colloid volume, degrees of hyperplasia, and height of the follicular epithelium of the thyroid gland were histologically evaluated. At molecular level, NIS thyroid symporter protein expression was measured.
Perempuan Pejuang Sutra di Kabupaten Wajo: Aktor Tunggal dan Tantangan Akses Program Perhutanan Sosial
Authors: Taroniarta Sukma , Yahya Nurul Huda
Published: April 2022

Silk is a symbol of cultural grandeur in South Sulawesi. Complex business issues, and lifestyle changes within communities, has led to the silk industry being vulnerable to abandonment. Social Forestry, through a scheme to increase non-timber forest product businesses on community lands, can provide economic opportunities for silk-based businesses, which are dominated by women. This study is a qualitative study supported by quantitative data. Direct observations and in-depth interviews were conducted with several key figures in the silk business in Canru Village, Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi. The results of the study show that economic pressure is the main motivation for shifting roles in the silk business, but there are several other obstacles that threaten the sustainability of the silk industry, which has lasted for hundreds of years.