bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Direct and Indirect Effects of Mountain Heights on Heavy Rainfall in the Hokitika Region of New Zealand
Authors: Yang Yang , Boutle Ian , Moore Stuart , Carey-Smith Trevor Keith , Crouch John
Published: March 2024

Very heavy stratiform precipitation (> 200 mm/per day) occurred in the Hokitika region on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand on 18 June 2015, under north-westerlies with small CAPE (< 25 J/kg). Analyses of model simulations and observations showed that this heavy rainfall was due to cold front lifting enhanced by orographic lifting over the Southern Alps. At 1.5 km grid-length, the model terrain underestimated the average height of the 103 tallest mountains over the South Island by ~ 800 m. This leads to weaker orographic lifting and mountain blocking, and a faster-moving and stronger cold front in the Hokitika region. As a result, large errors in the heavy rainfall prediction occur. By increasing either the resolved or the sub-grid mountain heights, the simulated rainfall errors were largely reduced through stronger orographic lifting and mountain blocking, and a better simulation of the cold front movement and strength.
All the experiments have the same “flow-over” regime with mountain waves and/or wave breaking (Fm ranges 0.61 – 1.21). However, the rainfall amount and distribution on the windward side of mountains altered significantly. Our new findings were that the Southern Alps can have significant indirect effects on heavy rainfall by altering the speed and strength of the cold front, in addition to the well-known direct dynamical effects (i.e., orographic lifting and mountain blocking). A combination of these direct and indirect effects makes the heavy rainfall simulation sensitive to mountain heights even under the same “flow-over” regime.
Chongqing Forest Wellness Tourism Sustainable Development Strategy by SWOT - AHP - QSPM Mixed Method Analysis
Authors: Wang Li , Damdinsuren Myagmarsuren , Qin Yuanhao , Zandan Yadmaa , Zhang Zilin
Published: March 2024

The wellness economy has developed rapidly recently, particularly in wellness tourism. Wellness tourism transforms sustainable strategy through the availability of extended multi-actor engagement in service innovation to further the tourism experience. Therefore, when operating a wellness tourism destination, it is necessary to encourage multi-actor engagement in service innovation to achieve sustainable development. This paper introduces a mixed research method with the SWOT-AHP-QSPM, as it qualitatively analyzes the advantages, disadvantages, opportunities, and threats, constructs an evaluation index system, conducts quantitative analysis using the analytic hierarchy process, determines the index weight and weighted score, and calculate the sustainable development strategy, which is appropriate for wellness development of Chongqing Tea Mountain and Bamboo Forest National Forest Park. Purposive field surveys and personal interviews were conducted in Chongqing forest tourism destinations, involving 356 effective respondents. The research reveals that multi-actor engagement significantly enhances sustainable development. These findings bridge service innovation knowledge gaps and provide valuable insights for forest tourism destination management and sustainable policy strategies to elevate multi-actor engagement in forest sites.
Extending Group Dynamics Models: Incorporating Heterogeneous Networks to Analyze Cooperative Behaviors and Collective Intelligence in Biological Groups
Authors: Fu Yude , Zhu Jing , Li Xiang , Han Xu , Tan Wenhui , Huangpeng Qizi , Duan Xiaojun
Published: March 2024

{This study investigates the coordinated behaviors and the underlying collective intelligence in biological groups, particularly those led by informed leaders. By establishing new convergence criteria based on real biological group experiments, this research introduces the concept of a volitional term and heterogeneous networks, constructing a coupled force Cucker-Smale model with informed leaders. The inclusion of the informed leader aspect distinctively characterizes the dynamics of leaders and followers, enabling a more accurate representation of biological group behavior. The paper then proposes the Flock Leadership Hierarchy Network (FLH), a model reflecting real biological interactions. By employing time slicing and rolling time windows, the study methodically analyses group behavior stages, using volatility and convergence time as metrics to examine the relationship between group consistency and interactions. Comparative experiments show the FLH network's superior performance. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test indicates that the FLH network follows a power-law distribution, highlighting the evolutionary intelligence of biological groups. This research offers new perspectives on the evolution of biological groups, contributing to our understanding of both natural and artificial systems, such as animal migration and autonomous drone operations.
Conveyor Roll Manufacturing Conveyor Roll Manufacturing
Authors: Herwanto Ion Sheren Dheril , Akbar Ali
Published: March 2024

Field work practice is a form of educational and vocational implementation that is participated in by students. Practical work aims to prepare students to become productive people and can work directly in their respective fields. Students can also experience the production atmosphere and can help deal with several problems experienced by professional engineering in factories. Conveyor systems can be said to be part of the equipment mechanics that transport materials from one place to another. This system is useful when goods need to be transported and moved from one place to another. Its existence makes the process easier, faster and more comfortable. In various industries, conveyors are very important. This system is designed to withstand heavy workloads and extreme weather conditions. The ability to adjust certain angles to help move materials. Design is divided into two, namely planning and conceptualizing. Planning this research focused on designing the conveyor for the can and plastic bottle waste sorting machine, then the consumer needs for the conveyor for the can and plastic bottle waste sorting machine were arranged as follows: a) The conveyor is easy to operate. b) Does not endanger the operator. c) Easy maintenance. d) Energy efficient conveyor from carrying out practical field work at CV. According to Agung Widodo's source, it can be concluded as follows: Industrial Automation or Industrial Automation is basically technology related to the application of mechanical, electronic and computer-based information systems to operate and control production.
Creating Product Profile Website For Jersey Online Figures
Authors: Rusminudi Muhammad Rifaldi , Cindy Taurusta
Published: March 2024

In the current digital era, websites have become an important means of promoting products to potential consumers. Online jersey figures are a product that is popular among sports fans. This product usually displays pictures or names of sports figures admired by fans. This research aims to develop a product profile website which is an important means of promoting products to potential consumers. A product profile website is a website that displays information about the products offered by a company. This website usually contains information about product specifications, prices, how to order, and other features. An effective product profile website can help companies increase product sales. This research also aims to prove that product profile websites are created using The waterfall method is suitable for creating websites with basic features because this method is easy to understand and apply. These elements can be text, images, videos and other elements. Which can be an effective means of promoting products. This evidence will be obtained by conducting research that measures the effectiveness of product profile websites in increasing product sales. The results of this research show that product profile websites created using the Waterfall method are more effective in attracting the attention of potential consumers and encouraging them to take action, such as buying a product.
Analysis of Raw Materials and Production Process of Broiler Feed Crumble Type B-BR 1 MGB
Authors: Khabibi Fikri Maulana
Published: March 2024

PT Japfa Comfeed Indonesia, Tbk is a company engaged in animal feed which provides various types, one of which is crumble. Crumble is a granular food processed by the process of grinding and crushing pellets. In addition to pellets, crumble is preferred and more suitable for poultry farms with mechanized feed bins. Crumble-shaped feed products are an activity that combines many existing production factors with the aim of producing a product, which is beneficial to consumers.
Long-term safety and efficacy of COVE study open-label and booster phases
Authors: Baden Lindsey , Sahly Hana El , Essink Brandon , Follmann Dean , Hachigian Gregory , Strout Cynthia , Overcash J. Scott , Doblecki-Lewis Susanne , Whitaker Jennifer , Anderson Evan , Neuzil Kathleen , Corey Lawrence , Priddy Frances , Tomassini Joanne , Brown Mollie , Girard Bethany , Stolman Dina , Urdaneta Veronica , Wang Xiaowei , Deng Weiping , Zhou Honghong , Dixit Avika , Das Rituparna , Miller Jacqueline
Published: March 2024

Vaccination with two injections of mRNA-1273 (100-μg) was shown to be safe and efficacious at preventing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Coronavirus Efficacy (COVE) trial at completion of the blinded part of the study. We present the final report of the longer-term safety and efficacy data of the primary vaccination series plus a 50-μg booster dose administered in Fall 2021. The booster safety profile was consistent with that of the primary series. Incidences of COVID-19 and severe COVID-19 were higher during the Omicron BA.1 than Delta variant waves and boosting versus non-boosting was associated with significant reductions for both. In an exploratory Cox regression model adjusted for time-varying covariates, a longer interval between primary vaccination and boosting was associated with a significantly lower incidence of COVID-19 during the Omicron BA.1 wave. Boosting elicited greater immune responses against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 than the primary series, irrespective of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04470427
Estimating Maternal Effects on Yield Traits in F 1 Hybrids of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Using a Modified Diallel Cross Model
Authors: Omale Baruch Bamiyo , Uguru Michael Ifeanyi
Published: March 2024

This study aimed to compare the effects of General Combining Ability (GCA) and Specific Combining Ability (SCA) before and after partitioning, and to assess each parent's contribution to its cross combination while detecting the significance of maternal effects on tomato fruit traits. Three tomato lines were crossbred in a 3 x 3 diallel cross design to produce F1 hybrids, which were evaluated alongside their respective parents using a Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications. Findings revealed that GCA effects estimated through Griffing’s method were consistent with the average GCA effects of each parent after partitioning in the proposed model. Additionally, the difference between female and male GCA effects provided a reliable estimation of maternal effects, particularly for additive alleles, as corroborated by Hayman analysis for traits such as seed number, weight, and yield. SCA effects calculated through Griffing’s method mirrored the average SCA effects of each cross and its reciprocal, while the proposed model showed that the difference between SCA effects of each cross and its reciprocal equaled reciprocal effects, demonstrating the precise estimation of reciprocal effects in capturing the interaction between nuclear and cytoplasmic genes in the cross and its reciprocal hybrid.
Light-driven Electrodynamics and Demagnetization in FenGeTe2 (n = 3, 5) Thin Films
Authors: Lupi Stefano , Tomarchio Luca , Polewczyk Vincent , Mosesso Lorenzo , MARTY Alain , Macis Salavatore , Jamet Matthieu , Bonell Frédéric
Published: March 2024

Two-dimensional materials-based ultrafast spintronics is expected to surpass conventional data storage and manipulation technologies, that are now reaching their fundamental limits. The newly discovered van der Waals (VdW) magnets provide a new platform for ultrafast spintronics since their magnetic and electrical properties can be tuned by many external factors, such as strain, voltage, magnetic field, or light absorption for instance. Here, we report on the direct relationship between magnetic order and Terahertz (THz) electrodynamics in FenGeTe2 (n = 3, 5) (FGT) films after being illuminated by a femtosecond optical pulse, studying their ultrafast THz response as a function of the optical pump-THz probe temporal delay. In Fe5GeTe2, we find clear evidence that light-induced electronic excitations directly influence THz electrodynamics similarly to a demagnetization process, contrasting with the effects observed in Fe3GeTe2, which are characterized by a thermal energy transfer among electrons, magnons, and phonons. We address these effects as a function of the pump fluence and pump-probe delay, and by tuning the temperature across the magnetic ordering Curie temperature, highlighting the microscopic mechanisms describing the out-of-equilibrium evolution of the THz conductivity. Finally, we find evidence for the incoherent-coherent crossover predicted by the Kondo-Ising scenario in Fe3GeTe2 and successfully simulate its light-driven electrodynamics through a three-temperature model. As indicated by these results, FGT surpasses conventional metals in terms of modulating its properties using an optical lever.
Temporal changes in the size-resolved fractions of bacterial aerosols in urban and semi-urban residences
Authors: Grydaki N , Colbeck Ian , Whitby Corinne
Published: March 2024

Despite the significant amount of time spent in the domestic environment, culture-independent size distribution data of bioaerosols are largely missing. This study investigated the temporal changes in size-resolved bacterial aerosols in urban and semi-urban residential settings. Overall, airborne bacterial taxa identified in both sites were dispersed across particles of various sizes. qPCR analysis showed that outdoors bacteria dominated particles > 8 µm, whilst indoor bacterial loadings were greater with 1–2 µm (winter) and 2–4 µm (summer) ranges. Indoor and outdoor aerosols harboured distinct bacterial communities due to the dominance of human-associated taxa (Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Corynebacterium) in indoor air. The aerosol microbiome exhibited significant temporal variation, with Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Bacilli predominant indoors, whereas Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were the most abundant taxa outdoors. The variation between the two residences was mostly driven by particles < 2 µm, whereas differences between indoors and outdoors were mostly influenced by particles > 2 µm. Source-tracking analysis estimated that household surfaces accounted for the greatest source proportion of bacteria, surpassing that of outdoor air, which varied due to natural ventilation throughout the year. Our findings provide new insights into the factors governing the aerosol microbiome in residential environments which are crucial for exposure assessment.
Synthesis and characterization of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles and its nanocomposite decorated with CQDs: fluorescence and stable magnetite
Authors: Farshforoush Parastou , Arsalani Nasser
Published: March 2024

Highly stable and magnetized Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using a simple and rapid one-step co-precipitation technique through a chemical reaction between Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions. Subsequentially, glycerin (GC) and citric acid (CA) as an organic precursor of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) source were added and two types of nanocomposites including Fe3O4@GC and Fe3O4@GC@CA were fabricated hydrothermally. The acquired nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. SEM micrographs revealed that Fe3O4@GC and Fe3O4@GC@CA nanocomposites have an average diameter size of 40 nm and 49.5 nm, respectively. In addition, their crystallite size was calculated using the Debye-Scherrer equation that was obtained 10.3 and 11.7 nm for Fe3O4@GC and Fe3O4@GC@CA nanocomposites, sequentially. These results indicated the proper coating of Fe3O4@GC nanocomposite with citric acid. Comparing the TGA profiles of the samples showed that a higher percentage of weight loss was reported for the Fe3O4@GC@CA nanocomposite, which was due to the addition of an excess amount of citric acid during the synthesis process. Meanwhile, the outcomes demonstrated that synthesized nanocomposites have good photoluminescence with different peaks as well as high magnetic properties that make them useful for different application fields. Furthermore, zeta potential and color stability pictures showed high stability for acquired magnetic nanocomposites.
Comparative energy demand and carbon footprint analysis of textile waste management systems in Australia
Authors: Khan Mahbuba Imroz , Islam Md Tasbirul , Wang Lijing , Padhye Rajiv
Published: March 2024

Textile waste management has become a pressing problem for developed nations due to over consumption and throw-away culture. Production-related CO2 emission in textile sector is well investigated to some extent but little has been done identifying the best practice of downstream processing, such as incineration, mechanical recycling, and chemical recycling. This study aims to develop energy demand and carbon footprint analysis model in CCalC2 software to identify the best solution for Australia, which is one of the highest consumers of textile products and second largest generator of textile waste per capita. A model was developed according to the lifecycle assessment standards of ISO 14044 and PAS2050 embedded in the software along with the Ecoinvent database. Secondary data sources were used for the modelling. Four distinct scenarios have been developed, 100% landfilling (as the baseline), 100% incineration, mechanical recycling, and chemical recycling of cotton portion of the textile waste. Results of the study showed that chemical recycling is the best option in terms of energy and recycled pulp material saving, while it was the most carbon intensive process (6,401 kg CO2eq/1000 kg). It is estimated that mechanical recycling process would emit around 5,368 kg CO2eq/1000 kg – the least CO2 emitting process. Surprisingly, incineration showed a similar trend of CO2 emission (e.g., 5,897 kg CO2eq)/1000 kg of mechanical recycling and such option could only be pursued if thermal energy recovery and electricity production are considered. Several limitations and future directions have been mentioned in the study which should be conducted in the future.
Measuring the paraspinal muscles as an important tool for predicting the overall survival period after spine surgery in lung cancer patients with spine metastasis
Authors: Cho Sung Tan , Cho Jae Hwan , Kim Jin Hwan , Lee Dong-Ho , Hwang Chang Ju , Park Sehan
Published: March 2024

Study design: Retrospective cohort study
Objectives: Metastatic lung cancer in the spine is difficult to determine whether to perform an additional surgical intervention, as patients at the end stage of lung cancer often have low performance status with significant muscle atrophy. This study aimed to demonstrate whether sarcopenia affects the prognosis after spine surgery in lung cancer patients by measuring the paraspinal muscles.
Methods: A total of 65 lung cancer patients who underwent spine surgery were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the survival period after surgery (≤6 months; n=33 and >6 months; n=32). Based on magnetic resonance imaging, the quantity and quality of the paraspinal muscles (psoas major, quadratus lumborum, erector spinae, and multifidus) were analyzed by an Image J program. Patient- and surgery-related factors were compared between the two groups.
Results: The quantity of the erector spinae muscle was higher in the >6 months group (11.5±2.8 cm2/m2) than in the ≤6 months group (10.0±2.3 cm2/m2, p=0.013). The logistic regression analysis showed that the muscle quantity of the erector spinae (p=0.026, odds ratio 1.343) and the number of vertebrae involved in metastasis (p=0.016, odds ratio 0.199) were the main prognostic factors for the survival period after spine surgery.
Conclusions: Lung cancer patients with a low quantity of the erector spinae muscles are at a high risk of poor prognosis after spine surgery. Therefore, measuring the erector spinae muscle could be an important tool for distinguishing patients appropriate for palliative treatments and surgical interventions.
Improved Nutritional Value of Surplus Bread and Perennial Ryegrass Extracts Via Solid-State Fermentation (SSF) with Rhizopus oligosporus
Authors: Bryant David , Sandoval Juan , Gallagher Joe , Rodriguez-Garcia Julia , Whiteside Kerry
Published: March 2024

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is a sustainable method to convert food waste and plant biomass into novel foods for human consumption. Surplus bread crusts (BC) have the structural capacity to serve as SSF scaffold, and their nutritional value could be increased in combination with perennial ryegrass (PRG), a biorefining feedstock with high-quality protein but an unpleasant sensory profile. SSF with Rhizopus oligosporus was investigated with these substrates to determine if the overall nutritional value could be increased. The BC-PRG SSFs were conducted for up to 72 h, over which time the starch content had decreased by up to 89.6%, the crude protein content increased by up to 113.1%, and the essential amino acid content increased by up to 54.5%. The BC-PRG SSF demonstrated that this process could potentially valorise BC and PRG, both widely available but underexplored substrates, offering feedstock for alternative protein sources.
Linc-00475 and p53 co-expression in gastric cancer: a predictor of clinical prognosis and potential effect on glycolysis
Authors: Zhang Chao , Li Xin , Chen Xin , Liu Weihong , Zhao Xin , Wang Xudong
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of clinical expression of glucose metabolism-related genes Linc-00475 and p53 on glycolysis and survival. A key differential gene Linc-00475 was screened using a metabolic database, and its downstream gene, p53, was predicted. A total of 107 gastric cancer tissue samples from patients diagnosed at our center between 2011 and 2013 were selected. The expression levels of Linc-00475 and p53 were detected via in situ hybridization or immunohistochemistry. Chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between Linc-00475 and p53 expression and clinicopathological factors. Kaplan-Meier method and log rank test were used to analyze patients’ overall survival. To determine the effect of Linc-00475 on glycolysis, qRT-PCR and western blot were utilized to evaluate the regulatory relationship between Linc-00475 and p53. High expression of Linc-00475 (P < 0.001) and low expression of p53 (P < 0.01) were associated with poor prognosis. There was a negative correlation between the expression of Linc-00475 and p53 in gastric cancer (Pearson's coefficient test, r = -0.405; P < 0.001). The co-expression of high-level Linc-00475 and low-level p53 can thus be used as an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.001). Linc-00475 was also shown to regulate aerobic glycolysis. Western blot and qRT-PCR demonstrated that Linc-00475 regulates the expression of p53. The co-expression of Linc-00475 and p53 can be used as a reference index for evaluating the prognosis of gastric cancer. Linc-00475 regulates p53, thereby affecting glycolysis.
The intersection of sport type and gender in patterns of disordered eating
Authors: Beaulieu Danie A. , Best Lisa A.
Published: March 2024

Although previous research has linked disordered eating to sports involvement, more recent research suggests that athleticism may protective against disordered eating. Due to inconsistent results on how physical activity affects disordered eating and limited research comparing sport types across weight control behaviours, we aimed to validate sport categorization across disordered eating components in men and women. In this online study, 209 men and 539 women completed questionnaires to assess components of disordered eating and overall sports participation. We found different predictive relationships between participation in different types of sports and disordered eating attitudes, behaviours, and cognitions across genders. For women, purging and restricting eating were associated with participation in ball game sports. Further, a focus on muscle building was associated with ball games and weight class sport participation. For men, body dissatisfaction and excessive exercise were associated with weight class sport participation. Cognitive restraint and muscle building were related to aesthetic sport participation. Purging was associated with aesthetic and weight class sports, whereas restricting eating was related to weight class and ball game sports. These inconsistencies suggest the need for further research to fully elucidate the relationship between participation in different types of sports and components of disordered eating.
Improvement of antagonistic activity against Streptococcus agalactiae using recombinant Bacillus subtilis expressing L-gulonolactone oxidase: its effects on growth performance, immune response, and antioxidant activity in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus
Authors: Kaewda Jirawadee , Boonanuntanasarn Surintorn , Manassila Pimpisut , Sangsawad Papungkorn , Nakharuthai Chatsirin
Published: March 2024

Due to the lack of the L-gulonolactone oxidase (GULO) enzyme, Nile tilapia is unable to synthesize vitamin C and thus requires an adequate level of exogenous vitamin C in its diet. In our previous study, we isolated the probiotic Bacillus subtilis from the intestine of Nile tilapia. Our findings revealed its antagonistic activity against major pathogenic bacteria in Nile tilapia, as well as its ability to enhance the immune responses of the fish. In addition, B. subtilis is an ideal bacterial factory to produce heterologous proteins. Therefore, this study aimed to construct a recombinant probiotic B. subtilis expressing GULO and investigated its effects as a dietary supplement in Nile tilapia. The fish were divided into four groups: those fed with a basal diet (CON), a basal diet + vitamin C (VC), a basal diet + wild-type B. subtilis (BS), and a basal diet + recombinant B. subtilis (BS + GULO). At day 90 of the feeding trial, significant enhancements in growth performance, immune response, and antioxidant capacity were observed in fish fed with BS + GULO. The HPLC analysis and qRT-PCR revealed a significant increase in serum ascorbic acid and GULO mRNA levels in the intestine of the BS + GULO group, respectively. In the challenge test, a time-course experiment demonstrated a significant increase in the expression of pro-inflammatory genes and immune response against S. agalactiae in the BS + GULO group, indicating an improvement in antagonistic activity compared to the wild-type B. subtilis.
Dynamic Fracture Mechanism and Fragment Characteristics of Sandstone Specimens with Asymmetrical Conjugate Fissures under Static Pre-compression
Authors: Feng Peng , Cao Pan , Li Juntao , Tang Ran , Li Huajin
Published: March 2024

This paper systemically investigates the dynamic mechanical response and fragment characteristics of sandstone with asymmetrical conjugate fissures subjected to preexisting static stress based on the split Hopkinson pressure bar apparatus. The cross-fissured sandstone with a higher dynamic strain rate is characterized by a greater coupled strength under the same static pre-stress; for a given dynamic load, the highest coupled strength occurs under the static pre-stress of 60% UCS. The failure mode of the cross-fissured sandstone is mainly influenced by the dynamic strain rate, ignoring the static pre-stress in this investigation. Under low dynamic strain rates, mixed tensile-shear failure can be generally observed, and large fragments dominate the broken specimen. However, cross-fissured sandstone features typical shear failure mode under the high dynamic impact, and the specimens are broken into small fragments with homogenous size distribution in this case. Higher dynamic strain rate and static pre-stress can induce smaller mean fragment size, smaller location parameter µ in GEV fitting, and higher fractal dimension of the cross-fissured sandstones corresponding to smaller fragment size and more homogeneous distribution.
Field test study on the dynamic characteristics of sewage collection in circular recirculating water aquaculture tank
Authors: Wu Yanfei , Gui Fukun , Yang Jianxin , Qi Hongfang , Zhang Hong , Wang Yang , Feng Dejun , Zhang Qingjing
Published: March 2024

To investigate the dynamic characteristics of sewage collection in circular circulating water aquaculture tank, this paper systematically studies the influence of flow rate Q of the jet pipe, the layout distance ratio d/r (d is the distance between the midpoint of the axis and the nearest tank wall, and r is the radius of the circular aquaculture tank), the layout angle θ, the structure of the jet pipe, etc. In the field tests, a high-definition camera was used to record the distribution of sewage in the aquaculture tank, and the distribution of the flow field in the aquaculture tank was measured by an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, and the distance between the sewage and the center of the tank was quantified. Meanwhile, the sewage collection effect of the aquaculture tank was evaluated by comparing the maximum distance between the sewage and the center of the tank under different working conditions. The evaluation results indicated that the formation of an effective horizontal circulation in the circular aquaculture tank is the primary condition for sewage accumulation to the center of the tank, and different flow rate of the jet pipe, the layout distance ratio d/r, the layout angle θ, and the structure of the jet pipe all affect the sewage collection effect in the tank. In the horizontal single-tube single-hole jet pipe structure mode, the best sewage collection result was obtained at the layout angle θ of 0°, the layout distance ratio of 1/4, and the layout flow rate Q of 7 L/s (hydraulic retention time is 70 minutes); when the layout flow rate Q was less than 7 L/s, the sewage gathered near the wall of the circular aquaculture tank, and the degree of feed dispersion was relatively high. In the vertical single-tube porous jet pipe structure mode, better sewage collection effect was obtained when the layout flow Q was adjusted to 7 ~ 9 L/s, the layout angle θ was set to 45°, and the layout distance ratio d/r was set to 1/4. The sewage collection performance of the aquaculture tank under the vertical single-tube porous jet pipe layout mode was obviously better than that of the horizontal single-tube single-hole jet pipe mode. Without major changes to the original structure, the research results directly and effectively guide the actual production and application to reduce the flow rate and energy consumption and improve the circular circulating water aquaculture tank of the Qinghai Lake Nude Carp Rescue Center.
Novel peptide design and evaluation against actin and α5β1integrin
Authors: Eda Sasidhar Reddy , Pakala Sivaranjani , Ummanni Ramesh , Amineni Umamaheswari , Jinka Rajeswari
Published: March 2024

Adhesion-dependent cells rely on actin and α5β1 integrin interactions to establish the cytoskeleton, signaling their survival and growth. We investigated the persistence of the complex in early transformed rat fibroblast cells, which opens the possibility of halting tumor growth by inhibiting the formation of the actin and α5β1 integrin complex. Hence, actin and α5β1 integrin were targeted for developing novel peptides to disrupt their association and inhibit tumor growth. Seventeen heptapeptides were designed based on actin- α5β1 integrin complex by using in silico techniques such as peptide designing, homology modeling, docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and in vitro methods using a cellular tumor model system to study their viability using MTT assay. Docking was performed for actin, α5β1 integrin with existing peptide inhibitor ATN 161, designed peptides and small molecule inhibitor Cytochalasin D using Schrodinger. Docking revealed that actin and α5β1 integrin had higher affinity for sixteen and five peptides respectively. TRFKKGY, the top ranked peptide of actin and α5β1 integrin was cytotoxic to transformed rat fibroblast cells grown in non-adherent conditions. This data suggests that the peptide designed has a minimal inhibitory effect on cell growth. However, it showed maximum cell death in transformed rat fibroblast F111 cells.
Subretinal injection rate of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) solution and air using a 38-gauge cannula in a retina mimicking model
Authors: Kim Na Hee , Lee Minsub , Chung Hyewon , Kim Hyung Chan , Lee Hyungwoo
Published: March 2024

By investigating the correlation between the injection rate and pressure of subretinal tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and air using a standard VCS system with a 38-gauge cannula, we aimed to establish guidelines for stable injections. We fabricated a retina mimicking model (RMM) with 1% agarose solution and an aluminum plate, and substituted submacular hemorrhage (SMH) and tPA with blood-mimicking fluid (BMF) and balanced salt solution (BSS), respectively. The diameter of the pre-bleb mimicking SMH in RMM was 2.10 ± 0.32 cm, increasing to 3.11 ± 0.36 cm and 2.93 ± 0.26 cm after bleb propagation with BSS and air, respectively. BSS injection rates were 3.17 ± 0.47 µl/sec, 4.74 ± 0.80 µl/sec and 7.54 ± 0.75 µl/sec at 8, 12, and 16 psi, respectively. Air injection rates were 78.18 ± 2.97 and 123.63 ± 12.46 µl/sec at 3 and 4 psi, respectively. Injection at 2 psi required initiation at 4 psi, resulting in a rate of 52.75 ± 9.87 µl/sec. By experimenting with different pressures in the RMM, we found 12 psi to be the minimum for proper BSS injection and 3 psi for air. These findings provide crucial parameters for safer surgery to prevent irreversible damage.
Tele-Impedance control of a virtual avatar based on EMG and M-IMU sensors
Authors: Buscaglione Silvia , Noccaro Alessia , Tagliamonte Nevio , Ticchiarelli Giulia , Pino Giovanni Di , Formica Domenico
Published: March 2024

The broad spread of cooperative robots into many application domains has resulted in a demand for intuitive and effective solutions for teleoperated control. A relevant role in teleoperation has been assumed by impedance controllers, that allow the increase of stability and accuracy during interaction. This paper aims to test a teleoperation method based on an impedance controller, namely tele-impedance control, that is usable in unstructured environments since it relies only on wearable sensors. The proposed solution maps the joint stiffness and position of the human user, computed through six EMG and two M-IMU sensors, into the remote system to be teleoperated. We developed a 2-DoFs virtual task involving virtual physical interactions to compare the performance of our solution with the one of a traditional position-based controller. The study has been conducted on five healthy participants, who experienced both controllers in two different sessions. The tele-impedance approach has proved to be less physically demanding and more intuitive than the position-based one. Experimental data also allow us to investigate the strategy employed by the volunteers in the case of remote interactions, while using the two controllers. Of note, even though with the position controller the variation of subject impedance has no effect on the virtual arm, participants still tend to regulate both impedance and position of their own arm.
Strength and Durability Characteristics of Concrete Blended with Cow-Bone Ash (CBA) in Sulphate Environments
Authors: Taiwo Esan Martins
Published: March 2024

The research investigated the impact of cowbone ash blended cement concrete (CBABC) on compressive strength, considering various mix ratios and curing periods. The study involved several phases: production of cowbone ash (CBA) from waste cowbones, characterization of CBA's physical and chemical properties, and formulation of CBABC mixes with 0%, 5%, and 10% CBA as partial replacements of cement. Concrete samples were prepared at ratios of 1:2:4 and 1:3:6 and cured for 7, 14, and 28 days. Cubic CBAC specimens sized 100mm by 100mm by 100mm underwent testing for compressive strength under both aggressive and non-aggressive conditions after 7, 14 and 28-days curing period. Analysis of oxide composition revealed a high calcium oxide content in CBA, constituting 68.34% by weight. With increasing CBA proportion, CBAC mixes showed enhanced workability. Under water curing at 28 days curing conditions, CBAC concrete exhibited average compressive strengths of 12.47 N/mm², 26.34 N/mm² and 20.34 N/mm² for 0%, 5% and 10% CBA content, respectively. Upon exposure to aggressive conditions, both conventional concrete (0% CBA) and CBABC concrete experienced decreased compressive strength. Notably, the CBABC mix with 5% CBA displayed greater resistance to aggressive conditions compared to other mixes. In conclusion, CBABC with 5% CBA replacement demonstrates potential for application in aggressive environments, particularly in Sodium Sulphate (Na2SO4), offering a durable alternative to conventional Grade C25 concrete mixes.
Physical and morphometric characteristics of the Angoni cattle in Zambia
Authors: Musimuko Ellison , Nalubamba King Shimumbo , Zulu Victor , Odubote Kolawole , Muleya Walter
Published: March 2024

This study aimed to characterize the Angoni breed of cattle sampled from three provinces of Zambia to determine existing genetic variation. Information from cattle owners through group discussions and secondary data from livestock extension officers was used to sample animals for this study, while study sites were selected using livestock population distribution from the Zambia Statistics Agency. Morphometric measurements and phenotypic characteristics were measured and recorded for each animal. The age of each animal was estimated using teeth dentition. Data was analyzed using XLSTAT version 2021 and Stata software. Predominant coat colours observed were blackish, blackish and white, and reddish and white (18%, 17% and 15% respectively. The majority of cattle (87.90%) were pigmented. (71.97%) possessed erect ears with moderate development of dewlap. The average age for females and males was 5.15 ± 2.2 years and 4.9 ± 2.1 years, respectively. The morphometric measurements (cm) for Shoulder height (SH) and topline (TopL) indicated males were slightly higher than females except for horn length (HornL) ( F = 16.2 ± 8.42; M = 13.04 ± 9.43) and horn width (HornW) ( F = 36.9 ± 13.27; M = 34.01 ± 19.50 ) in which females exhibited higher values than males. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that SH and TopL significantly differed (p < 0.05) for female and male cattle. Pearson correlations matrix demonstrated that most phenotypic traits were low to moderate positive correlation significant (p < 0.05), indicating a good association between these traits. Coat colour, ear orientation and dewlap development showed large variations among Angoni populations, indicating a lack of strong selection in these traits. Significant differences were observed for most morphometric traits, suggesting differences in size between the three studied cattle populations. The three cattle populations can best be differentiated by measuring shoulder height and topline. The above could be a valuable tool in developing genetic improvement, conservation and utilization of the breed.
Plastid DNA is a major source of nuclear genome complexity and of RNA genes in the orphan crop moringa
Authors: Marczuk-Rojas Juan Pablo , Salmerón Antonio , Alcayde Alfredo , Isanbaev Viktor , Carretero-Paulet Lorenzo
Published: March 2024

Background:
Unlike Transposable Elements (TEs) and gene/genome duplication, the role of the so-called nuclear plastid DNA sequences (NUPTs) in shaping the evolution of genome architecture and function remains poorly studied. We investigate here the functional and evolutionary fate of NUPTs in the orphan crop Moringa oleifera (moringa), featured by the highest fraction of plastid DNA found so far in any plant genome, focusing on i) any potential biases in their distribution in relation to specific nuclear genomic features, ii) their contribution to the emergence of new genes and gene regions, and iii) their impact on the expression of target nuclear genes.
Results:
In agreement with their potential mutagenic effect, NUPTs are underrepresented among structural genes, although their transcription levels and broadness were only lower when involving exonic regions; the occurrence of plastid DNA did not generally result in a broader expression, except among those affected in introns by older NUPTs. In contrast, we found a strong enrichment of NUPTs among several classes of RNA genes, especially those involved in the protein biosynthetic machinery (i.e., rRNA and tRNA genes) and specific classes of regulatory RNAs; a significant fraction of these is functionally expressed, thus potentially contributing to the nuclear pool.
Conclusions:
Our results complete our view of the molecular factors driving the evolution of nuclear genome architecture and function, and support plastid DNA in moringa as a major source of i) genome complexity and, ii) the nuclear pool of RNA genes.
Novel dendrimer-like N-doped TiO 2 -Fe 2 O 3 /C derived from bimetallic Ti-Fe-MOFs for the photocatalytic degradation
Authors: Li Jie , Zhang Jia , Chen Lianxi , Zhang Zeyin , Lv Bo
Published: March 2024

In this study, N-doped TiO2-Fe2O3/C nanostructure is prepared by mixing of the precursors of both metals (Ti and Fe) with the N doped ligand precursor in the same process and further being calcined at 500oC directly in air atmosphere. Herein, other three different Ti-MOFs precursors and its derivatives were also obtained in the same way for comparison of structure and performance. Interestingly, the obtained products derived from N doped bimetallic Ti-Fe MOFs display a particularly dendritic structure with large surface area and well mesoporous structures. Meanwhile, it was further confirmed from FTIR and XPS results that the derivatives were still retain N and C components after calcination in air condition which is beneficial to improve the photocatalytic activity. Finally, the prepared N doped dendritic bimetallic structure as a photocatalyst to decompose methylene blue (MB) dye. It was showed that N-doped TiO2-Fe2O3/C demonstrates better photocatalytic performance than that of N-doped TiO2/C and non-N-doped TiO2/C and the MB degradation efficiency of N-doped TiO2-Fe2O3/C reaches 81%.
Non Linear Code based Public Key Encryption
Authors: Raju Pratheeksha , T Chithralekha
Published: March 2024

Code based cryptography is an important class of post quantum cryptography that depends on the strength of hard problems in coding theory which is hard to break even using quantum computers. Code based cryptosystems generally exploit the properties of Linear Block Codes to create quantum resistant schemes for presumed quantum era. Non Linear codes are less explored than linear codes in code based cryptography because they lack a general structure, hindering their compact representation. We propose a novel method to formulate a variant of McEliece cryptosystem which enables the use of Non linear codes in Code based Post Quantum Cryptographic systems providing comparable security and maximum possible information rate for a given set of code parameters.
Characterization of pyridaben resistance in Tetranychus urticae in Israel
Authors: Rath Animesha , Regon Preetom , Kliot Adi
Published: March 2024

Tetranychus urticae, the Two-Spotted Spider Mite (TSSM) is a plant pest causing serious economic damages in various crops worldwide. The main means of controlling TSSM in the field are based on chemical pesticides. The number of reports of pesticide resistance among populations of this pest has crowned it the pest resistant to the highest number of compounds worldwide. Pyridaben is one of the pesticides used against TSSM, it works by inhibiting complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport pathway. In the study, we examined three populations of TSSM with different genetic backgrounds, all with different resistance abilities to pyridaben. We focused on the underling mechanisms of resistance as well as possible fitness costs associated with the resistance. We show that resistance to pyridaben in the three populations is metabolic, and that high resistance abilities incur high fitness costs. Our data sheds light on the current situation of TSSM resistance to pyridaben in Israel.
Non-destructive wood identification using X-ray µCT scanning: which resolution do we need?
Authors: Dierickx Sofie , Genbrugge Siska , Beeckman Hans , Hubau Wannes , Kibleur Pierre , Bulcke Jan Van den
Published: March 2024

Background
Taxonomic identification of wood specimens provides vital information for a wide variety of academic (e.g. paleoecology, cultural heritage studies) and commercial (e.g. wood trade) purposes. It is generally accomplished through the observation of key anatomical features. Classic methodologies mostly require destructive sub-sampling, which is not always acceptable. X-ray computed micro-tomography (µCT) is a promising non-destructive alternative since it allows a detailed non-invasive visualization of the internal wood structure. There is, however, no standardized approach that determines the required resolution for proper wood identification using X-ray µCT. Here we compared X-ray µCT scans of 17 African wood species at four resolutions (1µm, 3µm, 8µm and 15µm). The species were selected from the Xylarium of the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium, and represent a wide variety of wood-anatomical features.
Results
For each resolution, we determined which standardized anatomical features can be distinguished or measured, using the anatomical descriptions and microscopic photographs on the Inside Wood Online Database as a reference. We show that small-scale features (e.g. pits and fibres) can be best distinguished at high resolution (especially 1µm voxel size). In contrast, large-scale features (e.g. vessel porosity or arrangement) can be best observed at low resolution due to a larger field of view. Intermediate resolutions are optimal (especially 3 µm voxel size), allowing recognition of most small- and large-scale features. While the potential for wood identification is thus highest at 3µm, the scans at 1µm and 8µm were successful in more than half of the studied cases, and even the 15µm resolution showed a high potential for 40% of the samples.
Conclusions
The results show the potential of X-ray µCT for non-destructive wood identification. Each of the four studied resolutions proved to contain information on the anatomical features and has the potential to lead to an identification. The dataset of 17 scanned species is made available online and serves as the first step towards a reference database of scanned wood species, facilitating and encouraging more systematic use of X-ray µCT for the identification of wood species.