bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complementary crosstalk between palmitoylation and phosphorylation events in MTIP regulates its role during Plasmodium falciparum invasion
Authors: Anam Zille , Kumari Geeta , Mukherjee Soumyadeep , Rex Devasahayam Arokia Balaya , Biswas Shreeja , Maurya Preeti , Ravikumar Susendaran , Gupta Nutan , Kushawaha Akhilesh Kumar , Sah Raj Kumar , Chaurasiya Ayushi , Singhal Jhalak , Singh Niharika , Kaushik Shikha , Prasad T. S. Keshava , Pati Soumya , Ranganathan Anand , Singh Shailja
Published: September 2022

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) including phosphorylation and palmitoylation have emerged as crucial biomolecular events that govern many cellular processes including functioning of motility- and invasion-associated proteins during Plasmodium falciparum invasion. However, no study has ever focused on understanding the possibility of a crosstalk between these two molecular events and its direct impact on preinvasion- and invasion-associated protein–protein interaction (PPI) network-based molecular machinery. Here, we used an integrated in silico analysis to enrich two different catalogues of proteins: (i) the first group defines the cumulative pool of phosphorylated and palmitoylated proteins, and (ii) the second group represents a common set of proteins predicted to have both phosphorylation and palmitoylation. Subsequent PPI analysis identified an important protein cluster comprising myosin A tail interacting protein (MTIP) as one of the hub proteins of the glideosome motor complex in P. falciparum, predicted to have dual modification with the possibility of a crosstalk between the same. Our findings suggested that blocking palmitoylation led to reduced phosphorylation and blocking phosphorylation led to abrogated palmitoylation of MTIP. As a result of the crosstalk between these biomolecular events, MTIP’s interaction with myosin A was found to be abrogated. Next, the crosstalk between phosphorylation and palmitoylation was confirmed at a global proteome level by click chemistry and the phenotypic effect of this crosstalk was observed via synergistic inhibition in P. falciparum invasion using checkerboard assay and isobologram method. Overall, our findings revealed, for the first time, an interdependence between two PTM types, their possible crosstalk, and its direct impact on MTIP-mediated invasion via glideosome assembly protein myosin A in P. falciparum. These insights can be exploited for futuristic drug discovery platforms targeting parasite molecular machinery for developing novel antimalarial therapeutics.
Fluoroquinolone heteroresistance, antimicrobial tolerance, and lethality enhancement
Authors: Singh Amit , Zhao Xilin , Drlica Karl
Published: September 2022

With tuberculosis, the emergence of fluoroquinolone resistance erodes the ability of treatment to interrupt the progression of MDR-TB to XDR-TB. One way to reduce the emergence of resistance is to identify heteroresistant infections in which subpopulations of resistant mutants are likely to expand and make the infections fully resistant: treatment modification can be instituted to suppress mutant enrichment. Rapid DNA-based detection methods exploit the finding that fluoroquinolone-resistant substitutions occur largely in a few codons of DNA gyrase. A second approach for restricting the emergence of resistance involves understanding fluoroquinolone lethality through studies of antimicrobial tolerance, a condition in which bacteria fail to be killed even though their growth is blocked by lethal agents. Studies withEscherichia coliguide work withMycobacterium tuberculosis. Lethal action, which is mechanistically distinct from blocking growth, is associated with a surge in respiration and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mutations in carbohydrate metabolism that attenuate ROS accumulation create pan-tolerance to antimicrobials, disinfectants, and environmental stressors. These observations indicate the existence of a general death pathway with respect to stressors.M. tuberculosisdisplays a variation on the death pathway idea, as stress-induced ROS is generated by NADH-mediated reductive stress rather than by respiration. A third approach, which emerges from lethality studies, uses a small molecule, N-acetyl cysteine, to artificially increase respiration and additional ROS accumulation. That enhances moxifloxacin lethality withM. tuberculosisin culture, during infection of cultured macrophages, and with infection of mice. Addition of ROS stimulators to fluoroquinolone treatment of tuberculosis constitutes a new direction for suppressing the transition of MDR-TB to XDR-TB.
A training programme for medical students in providing spiritual care to people with advanced diseases and their loved ones: A case study from the Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland
Authors: Fopka-Kowalczyk Małgorzata , Groves Richard , Larkin Philip , Krajnik Małgorzata
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This article presents the first programme on spiritual care particularly for people with advanced life-limiting illness including heart failure, lung disease or cancer for medical students in Poland implemented at the Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.

Methods and materials

Several steps were identified for the development of the first programme on spirituality for medical students at the Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz including preliminary work on the content of the programme, agreement on key concepts, terms, and definitions; consultations with teachers and review of the literature.

Results

The first Polish spiritual curriculum for medical students was implemented. The spirituality curriculum will potentially contribute to better care for the people with advanced illnesses such as heart failure, chronic lung disease or cancer and improve the quality of relationships between professionals and patients.

Conclusion

The article presents the content of the program, the expected learning objectives and ascribed teaching methods, along with the preliminary evaluation made by students.
QT interval is correlated with and can predict the comorbidity of depression and anxiety: A cross-sectional study on outpatients with first-episode depression
Authors: Tang Mingcong , Xi Juzhe , Fan Xiwang
Published: September 2022

Object

Patients with depression are at an increased risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. The associations between electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities and the severity of psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, have not been clearly elucidated. The present study aims to investigate the associations between depression and anxiety symptoms with ECG indices, and to predict the severity of depression and anxiety using ECG indicators.

Methods

61 outpatients with first-episode depression from the Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center were selected and met the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV. All participants provided self-reported scores on the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and underwent the standard 12-lead ECG assessment.

Results

Among the 61 included outpatients (mean [standard deviation, SD] age: 37.84 [13.82] years; 41[67.2%] were female), there were 2 (3.3%) outpatients without depression symptoms, 16 (26.2%) with mild depression, 19 (31.1%) with moderate depression, and 24 (39.3%) with severe depression. Ten (16.4%) outpatients did not have anxiety symptoms, 19 (31.1%) exhibited mild anxiety, 20 (32.8%) exhibited moderate anxiety, and 12 (19.7%) exhibited severe anxiety. Only 1 (1.6%) outpatient exhibited neither depression nor anxiety, 9 (14.8%) and 1 (1.6%) outpatients only exhibited depression and anxiety, respectively, and most outpatients (50 [82.0%]) had comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms. In the correlation analysis, depression and anxiety severity levels were significantly positively correlated (r = 0.717, p < 0.01). Moreover, categorical anxiety significantly differs in QT interval (p = 0.022), and continuous SAS scores were significantly correlated with QT interval (r = 0.263, p = 0.04). In addition, the correlations between ECG measurements and both categorical depression and continuous SDS scores were not statistically significant. The comorbidity of anxiety and depression was significantly correlated with heart rate (p = 0.039) and QT interval (p = 0.002). Disorder status significantly differed with different QT intervals (p = 0.021). In the prediction analysis, QT interval was the only significant predictor (p = 0.01, b = 0.058, Odds Ratio = 1.059) for comorbid anxiety and depression symptoms.

Conclusion

This study found that comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety were significantly associated with QT interval and heart rate. Additionally, QT interval could predict the comorbidity of these two psychiatric disorders. Further prospective research in a larger and high-risk population is needed.
Bmal1 knockdown in the left stellate ganglion inhibits neural activity and prevents ventricular arrhythmias after myocardial ischemia
Authors: Yu Zhongyang , Liu Zhihao , Jiao Liying , Zhang Song , Nie Liqing , Wang Yueyi , Zhou Liping , Wang Yuhong , Liu Zhihao , Liu Zihan , Xu Xiao , Li Zeyan , Zhou Yuyang , Zhou Huixin , Li Rui , Peng Chen , Yu Lilei , Jiang Hong
Published: September 2022

Objectives

The neural activity of the left stellate ganglion (LSG) is closely related to the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). Bmal1 modulates genes associated with neural activity in the central nervous system. However, few studies indicated the role of Bmal1 in the LSG and the subsequent effect on the heart. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the influence of Bmal1 knockdown in the LSG on its neural activity and cardiac electrophysiology and to explore the mechanisms.

Materials and methods

We used adeno-associated virus (AAV) to knock down Bmal1 in the LSG. Male beagles were randomized into the Bmal1 knockdown group and the control group. After 4 weeks of injection, the LSG function, neural activity, left ventricular effective refractory period (ERP), and action potential duration (APD) were measured. Electrocardiography for 1 h was recorded for VAs analysis after myocardial ischemia. Nerve growth factor (NGF) and c-fos in the LSG were quantified by immunofluorescence. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to assess the gene expression in the LSG.

Results

Bmal1 was sufficiently knocked down by AAV. Compared with the control group, heart rate variability (HRV) in the knockdown group was altered. Bmal1 knockdown inhibited neural activity and function of LSG. It also prolonged ERP as well as APD90. Ischemia-induced VAs were significantly reduced. Nerve growth factor (NGF) and c-fos in the LSG were reduced. Bmal1 knockdown led to the expression changes of genes associated with neural activity in the LSG.

Conclusion

Bmal1 knockdown in the LSG suppresses neural activity and prevents ventricular arrhythmias after myocardial ischemia.
The effect of SGLT-2i administration on red blood cell distribution width in patients with heart failure and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized study
Authors: Katsiadas Nikolaos , Xanthopoulos Andrew , Giamouzis Grigorios , Skoularigkis Spyridon , Skopeliti Niki , Moustaferi Evgenia , Ioannidis Ioannis , Patsilinakos Sotirios , Triposkiadis Filippos , Skoularigis John
Published: September 2022

Background

Recent studies suggest that the pivotal mechanism of sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) favorable action in patients with heart failure (HF) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is the stimulation of erythropoiesis via an early increase in erythropoietin (EPO) production which leads to hematocrit rise. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a simple hematological parameter which reflects the heterogeneity of the red blood cell size (anisocytosis). Since, EPO has been also implicated in the pathophysiology of RDW increase, the current mechanistic study examined the effect of SGLT-2i administration on red blood cells size (RDW) in patients with HF and DM.

Methods

The present was a prospective single-center study. Patients (N=110) were randomly assigned to dapagliflozin (10 mg a day on top of antidiabetic treatment) or the control group. Inclusion criteria were: (a) age > 18 years, (b) history of type 2 DM and hospitalization for HF exacerbation within 6 months. The evaluation of patients (at baseline, 6 and 12 months) included clinical assessment, laboratory blood tests, and echocardiography. Data were modeled using mixed linear models with dependent variable the RDW index. In order to find factors independently associated with prognosis (1-year death or HF rehospitalization), multiple logistic regression was conducted with death or HF rehospitalization as dependent variable.

Results

An RDW increase both after 6 and after 12 months was observed in the SGLT-2i (dapagliflozin) group (p < 0.001 for all time comparisons), whereas RDW didn't change significantly in the control group. The increase in RDW was positively correlated with EPO, while negatively correlated with ferritin and folic acid (p < 0.005 for all). Baseline RDW was significantly associated with 1-year death or rehospitalization, after adjusting for group (SGLT-2i vs. control), age, gender, smoking and BMI at baseline.

Conclusion

RDW increased with time in patients with HF and DM who received SGLT-2i (dapagliflozin). The increased RDW rates in these patients may stem from the induction of hemopoiesis from dapagliflozin. Baseline RDW was found to be independently associated with outcome in patients with HF and DM.
Impact of liver fibrosis and nodules formation on hemodynamics in young adults after total cavopulmonary connection. A magnetic resonance study
Authors: Chaloupecký Václav , Jičínská Denisa , Tomek Viktor , Materna Ondřej , Gebauer Roman , Poruban Rudolf , Antonová Petra , Adla Theodor , Štefánek Matěj , Illinger Vojtěch , Kotaška Karel , Janoušek Jan
Published: September 2022

Background

The aim of this study was to analyze the relation between the hepatic fibrosis markers, liver morphology and hemodynamics assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC).

Materials and methods

Adult patients after TCPC performed in childhood between 1993 and 2003 are the subjects of this observational study. The follow-up protocol consisted of clinical and echocardiographic examination, liver elastography, cardiopulmonary exercise test, MRI hemodynamics and liver morphology assessment and direct enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) test.

Results

The cohort consisted of 39 patients (46% female) with a median age at study 26 (IQR 23–28) years and interval from TCPC 21 (IQR 20–23) years. There was no correlation between ELF test and any MRI variables, but procollagen III amino-terminal peptide (PIIINP), a single component of ELF test, correlated significantly with ventricular end-diastolic volume (r = 0.33; p = 0.042) and inferior vena cava flow (r = 0.47; p = 0.003). Fifteen (38%) patients with liver nodules had compared to other 24 patients higher end-diastolic volume (ml/m2) 102.8 ± 20.0 vs. 88.2 ± 17.7; p = 0.023, respectively. PIIINP correlated significantly with inferior vena cava flow (r = 0.56; p = 0.030) and with end-diastolic volume (r = 0.53; p = 0.043), but only in patients with liver nodules.

Conclusion

Gradual progression of liver fibrosis, particularly hepatic arterialization caused by liver nodules formation, increases inferior vena cava flow and subsequent ventricular volume overload may further compromise single ventricle functional reserve in adult patients after TCPC.
The relationship between soluble lymphocyte activation gene-3 and coronary artery disease
Authors: Xiong Xinlin , Duan Zonggang , Zhou Haiyan , Niu Li , Luo Zhenhua , Li Wei
Published: September 2022

Background

Soluble lymphocyte activation gene 3 (sLAG3) may be used for diagnosis or prognosis in various diseases. However, the relationship between sLAG3 and coronary artery disease (CAD) are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the levels of sLAG3 in patients with CAD, and its potential clinical association with the disease.

Methods

A total of 66 subjects (49 patients with CAD and 17 control subjects without CAD) were enrolled. The sLAG3 level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Clinical variables included demographics, biochemical markers, coronary angiography status, and ejection fraction of the heart (EF) were collected, and Gensini scores were calculated. LAG3 gene data was extracted from three datasets (GSE23561, GSE61144, GSE60993) in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to compare differential expression between CAD and control subjects.

Results

The sLAG3 level was significantly lower in the CAD vs. the controls (P < 0.05), and negatively associated with CAD [odds ratio (OR): 0.212, 95% confidential interval (CI): 0.060–0.746, P < 0.05]. Furthermore, the area under the curve (AUC) of sLAG3 level was significant (P < 0.05). The sLAG3 level in subjects with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 24 kg/m2 was lower compared to those with BMI < 24 kg/m2 (P < 0.05). The sLAG3 level was also negatively associated with BMI and diabetes mellitus (P < 0.05), though not associated with the Gensini scores or EF (P > 0.05). Lastly, the LAG3 gene expression in peripheral whole blood of patients with CAD were down-regulated compared to healthy controls (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The sLAG3 level was negatively associated with the occurrence but not severity of CAD. Meanwhile, the sLAG3 was negatively associated with BMI and diabetes mellitus, suggesting the reduced sLAG3 might be a novel risk factor for developing CAD.
Investigating teachers' experience and self-efficacy beliefs across gender in implementing the new standards-based curriculum in Ghana
Authors: Agormedah Edmond Kwesi , Ankomah Francis , Frimpong James Boadu , Quansah Frank , Srem-Sai Medina , Hagan John Elvis , Schack Thomas
Published: September 2022

The introduction of the new standards-based curriculum in Ghana required teachers to make adjustments, including teaching routines. Despite the challenges encountered in the introduction of this new curriculum, its passage was successful. Previous studies have revealed mixed reactions from teachers and how their experiences affect their efficacy during the implementation stage. This study examined whether teachers' experiences and self-efficacy beliefs influenced the implementation of the new curriculum reforms across gender in Ghana. The cluster sampling technique was used to survey 693 basic school teachers who responded to a questionnaire. Descriptive and regression-based inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. A preliminary assessment showed that teachers exhibited a moderate-to-high level of teaching efficacy in student engagement, instructional strategy, and classroom management. Furthermore, the study also revealed that teaching experience was positively related to efficacy. However, gender significantly moderated the relationship between teaching experience and teachers' efficacy in student engagement as well as teaching experience and efficacy in student engagement. Findings imply that even though teachers may be more likely to plan and deliver pedagogical content and carry out instructional activities, their sense of efficacy in managing their classroom is questionable. Emphasizing teaching experience in improving their efficacy in curriculum implementation is key, especially among female teachers. Programs or capacity-building training workshops that seek to improve teachers' ability to manage the classroom environment should be organized regularly to promote effective curriculum implementation.
Converting physical spaces into learning spaces: Integrating universal design and universal design for learning
Authors: Khurana Aashna
Published: September 2022

The term “Universal Design for Learning (UDL)” is derived from “Universal Design,” which is commonly used in the field of architecture, and focuses on proactive designing of the infrastructure that is accessible to all the users, regardless of their age, sex, abilities, etc. When the universal design approach is implemented in education, it focuses on making the curriculum, instruction, materials, and assessments accessible for all the learners, but does not mention anything about the classroom and school infrastructure. This raises a question: is the UDL framework forgetting the origin of universal design by not recognizing the importance of physical spaces or school infrastructure, where all the learning takes place? A way to approach this question is to think of school infrastructure as a learning resource that provides enriching learning experiences to the learners, and not merely a brick-and-mortar structure that houses instruction. The school building comprises various physical spaces such as classrooms, corridors, playgrounds, staircases, etc. that can be transformed into learning spaces to promote subconscious learning in learners and ensure a school-wide implementation of UDL. Transforming the school environment would ensure learners an equitable, inclusive, and accessible environments that address learner variability, and reduce barriers to their learning. This involves a focus on various components, namely, transforming physical spaces (universal design) into learning spaces (universal design for learning), identifying different elements in each learning space to maximize their learning value, and general accessibility of the school infrastructure. The chapter aims to provide a framework to design inclusive learning spaces by deriving insights from the work of various groups of architects in India, Ireland, and the United States that have explored the relationship between physical spaces and UDL.
Association of obesity phenotypes with left ventricular mass index and left ventricular hypertrophy in children and adolescents
Authors: Genovesi Simonetta , Tassistro Elena , Giussani Marco , Lieti Giulia , Patti Ilenia , Orlando Antonina , Montemerlo Massimo , Antolini Laura , Parati Gianfranco
Published: September 2022

It has been argued that metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether, in a population of obese children/adolescents, the metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) phenotype is associated with higher left ventricular mass index and/or higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy than the MHO phenotype. We also tested whether the addition of an insulin resistance index (HOMA-index >90th percentile by sex and age) and the presence of hyperuricemia (serum uric acid >90th percentile by sex and age) to the definition of MUO better identified obese children with early cardiac damage. Left ventricular hypertrophy was defined as the presence of left ventricular mass index greater than or equal to the age- and sex-specific 95th percentile.

The study population included 459 obese children (males 53.2%, mean age 10.6 [standard deviation, 2.6] years), of whom 268 (58.4%) were MUO. The left ventricular mass index was higher in MUO children than in MHO children (37.8 vs 36.3 g/m2.7, p=0.015), whereas the percentage of MUO children presenting left ventricular hypertrophy was only slightly higher in MUO children (31.1 vs 40%, p=0.06). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the variables significantly associated with higher left ventricular mass index were male gender (p<0.01), Body Mass Index z-score (p<0.001) and Waist-to-Height-ratio (p<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy was only significantly associated with higher Body Mass Index z-score (p<0.05) and Waist-to-Height-ratio (p<0.05). In spite of the higher left ventricular mass index of MUO as compared to MHO children, the MUO phenotype was not a significant predictor of either higher left ventricular mass index or higher left ventricular hypertrophy prevalence. The MUO phenotype had a low predictive ability on the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.57 (sensitivity 0.64, 1-specificity 0.55). The addition of insulin resistance and hyperuricemia to the definition of MUO did not change the results observed with the standard definition of MUO at multivariable analysis.

The MUO phenotype appears to be of little usefulness in identifying the early presence of cardiac damage in a large population of obese children and adolescents. Excess weight and abdominal obesity are confirmed as an important determinant of early organ damage in obese children.
Vertical sleeve gastrectomy normalizes circulating glucocorticoid levels and lowers glucocorticoid action tissue-selectively in mice
Authors: Akalestou Elina , Lopez-Noriega Livia , Christakis Ioannis , Hu Ming , Miras Alexander D. , Leclerc Isabelle , Rutter Guy A.
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Glucocorticoids produced by the adrenal cortex are essential for the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis. Glucocorticoid activation is catalysed by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11β-HSD1). Excess glucocorticoids are associated with insulin resistance and hyperglycaemia. A small number of studies have demonstrated effects on glucocorticoid metabolism of bariatric surgery, a group of gastrointestinal procedures known to improve insulin sensitivity and secretion, which were assumed to result from weight loss. In this study, we hypothesize that a reduction in glucocorticoid action following bariatric surgery contributes to the widely observed euglycemic effects of the treatment.

Methods

Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed at ten weeks post operatively and circulating corticosterone was measured. Liver and adipose tissues were harvested from fed mice and 11β-HSD1 levels were measured by quantitative RT-PCR or Western (immuno-) blotting, respectively. 11β-HSD1 null mice (Hsd11b1-/-) were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. Wild type and littermate Hsd11b1-/- mice underwent Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) or sham surgery.

Results

Under the conditions used, no differences in weight loss were observed between VSG treated and sham operated mice. However, both lean and obese WT VSG mice displayed significantly improved glucose clearance and insulin sensitivity. Remarkably, VSG restored physiological corticosterone production in HFD mice and reduced 11β-HSD1 expression in liver and adipose tissue post-surgery. Elimination of the 11β-HSD1/Hsd11b1 gene by CRISPR/Cas9 mimicked the effects of VSG on body weight and tolerance to 1g/kg glucose challenge. However, at higher glucose loads, the euglycemic effect of VSG was superior to Hsd11b1 elimination.

Conclusions

Bariatric surgery improves insulin sensitivity and reduces glucocorticoid activation at the tissular level, under physiological and pathophysiological (obesity) conditions, irrespective of weight loss. These findings point towards a physiologically relevant gut-glucocorticoid axis, and suggest that lowered glucocorticoid exposure may represent an additional contribution to the health benefits of bariatric surgery.
A reliable data-driven state-of-health estimation model for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles
Authors: Zhang Chaolong , Zhao Shaishai , Yang Zhong , Chen Yuan
Published: September 2022

The implementation of a precise and low-computational state-of-health (SOH) estimation algorithm for lithium-ion batteries represents a critical challenge in the practical application of electric vehicles (EVs). The complicated physicochemical property and the forceful dynamic nonlinearity of the degradation mechanism require data-driven methods to substitute mechanistic modeling approaches to evaluate the lithium-ion battery SOH. In this study, an incremental capacity analysis (ICA) and improved broad learning system (BLS) network-based SOH estimation technology for lithium-ion batteries are developed. First, the IC curves are drawn based on the voltage data of the constant current charging phase and denoised by the smoothing spline filter. Then, the Pearson correlation coefficient method is used to select the critical health indicators from the features extracted from the IC curves. Finally, the lithium-ion battery SOH is assessed by the SOH estimation model established by an optimized BLS network, where the BLS network is formed through its L2 regularization parameter and the enhancement nodes’ shrinkage scale filtrated by a particle swarm optimization algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively evaluate the SOH with strong robustness as well as stability to the degradation and disturbance of in-service and retired lithium-ion batteries.
Broadening energy access for poor households in rural malawi: How pico solar, mobile money, and cloud-based services are being combined to address energy exclusion
Authors: Walwyn David R. , Hanlin Rebecca
Published: September 2022

Solar lighting has become the primary lighting source for households within rural Malawi, where many households remain off-grid and are unable to afford the purchase of large, independent power systems. However, this success has not been without its challenges. The paradox is that, historically, even the lowest cost systems require an initial investment beyond the means of low-income households, and hence necessitate the use of expensive and exploitative financing options, such as those offered by micro-financial institutions. In this study, we explore in a case-study, how one solar company, Yellow, has overcome this structural inequity by combining three low-cost technologies, namely pay-as-you-go, mobile money (MoMo), and cloud-based services (XaaS), to develop a novel platform, referred to as Ofeefee, which is able to deliver products into a market characterized by a weak retail infrastructure and low purchasing power. The result was better quality lighting at a lower levelized cost than traditional technologies. In so doing, the paper highlights the importance of thinking not just in broad energy access terms but the importance of discriminating between energy and lighting to disaggregate the needs of energy poor communities more appropriately.
Experimental investigation of a hybrid configuration of solar thermal collectors and desiccant indirect evaporative cooling system
Authors: Ditta Allah , Tabish Asif Nadeem , Mujtaba M. A. , Amjad Muhammad , Yusuf Abdulfatah Abdu , Chaudhary Ghulam Qadar , Razzaq Luqman , Abdelrahman Anas , Kalam M. A
Published: September 2022

This paper presents the integrated performance of a solar-assisted desiccant dehumidifier along with Maisotsenko cycle (M-cycle) counter flow heat and mass exchanger. This system handles latent load and sensible load separately. The hybrid configuration of solar thermal collectors was analyzed for efficiency of solar collectors and solar fraction. High consumption of fossil fuels, which are already present in a limited amount, is also associated with environmental problems and climate change issues, as these increase the chances of global warming. These issues demand of us to shift towards renewable energy resources. Increase in world energy use results in a number of environmental problems, such as climate change, in addition to global warming and ozone depletion. In building services, HVAC systems are major concerns. To overcome the requirement, conventional air conditioning and vapor compression systems are mainly used for air conditioning, although these also have some environmental problems. Solar thermal applications in combination with other renewable-energy-dependent cooling practices have generated a huge interest towards sustainable solutions, keeping in view several techno-economical, environmental, and climatic advantages. The experimental investigation reveals that the maximum outlet temperature and efficiency of solar thermal collectors was 87°C and 56% respectively. The maximum cooling capacity of the system is evaluated at 4.6 kW.
The impact of carbon trading policy on regional ecological risk: Synergy between market-based environmental policy and government intervention
Authors: Li Linna , Jin Xiaolin , Li Yiming , Chen Han , Wang Yu
Published: September 2022

Eliminating or reducing ecological risks can help to observably guarantee the national security. In this article constructs a regional ecological risk evaluation framework is constructed on the basis of the Pressure-state-response model from three dimensions: social, environmental and natural dimension, and the quantitative research method is taken to investigate the ecological risks in 30 Chinese provinces from 2006 to 2017. Taking the establishment of a carbon emission trading market as a quasi-natural experiment, the author further explores the impact of market-based environmental policies on regional ecological risks and their heterogeneity, channels of action, and the synergistic effects of government intervention. It is found that: 1) The implementation of market-based environmental policies can improve regional responsiveness to ecological risks and significantly reduce the level of regional ecological risks, meanwhile the research results pass the identification assumptions and robustness tests. 2) The effects of market-based environmental policies are affected by the operational characteristics of market prices, liquidity and relative transaction scale. (iii)There are two essential approaches for market-based environmental policies to reduce regional ecological risks, named industrial structure upgrading and technology development. 4) Moderate government intervention can produce synergistic effects in the process of regional ecological risk reduction by market-based environmental policies, and it is able to maintain intervention produces policy synergistic effects within a temperate condition. In a word, these findings can provide both an important basis for adjusting the implementation scope and operational structure of market-based environmental policies. On the other hand, it can also offer a significant policy insight for regional ecological risk evaluation and management.
Energy endowment, energy capacity aggregation and carbon emissions in china-empirical analysis based on spatial durbin model
Authors: Wang Guoyu , Zhou Jinsheng
Published: September 2022

Abstract: This paper investigates how regional energy endowment affects carbon emissions and whether energy capacity aggregation plays a mediating role. In the context of the “double carbon target”, it is important to study the relationship between energy endowment and carbon emission growth to formulate reasonable and effective energy policies in the region. Based on the panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from 2008 to 2019, this paper investigates the mechanism of the role between energy endowment, energy capacity aggregation, and carbon emissions using the spatial Durbin model. The results show that: 1) Carbon dioxide emissions have significant positive spatial autocorrelation. 2) Energy endowment and energy capacity aggregation increase provincial carbon emissions. For each unit increase in energy endowment and energy capacity aggregation level, regional carbon emissions will increase by 0.0423 and 0.0564 units. Moreover, the effect of energy endowment on carbon emissions has a spatial spillover effect. 3) The intermediary effect test finds that energy capacity aggregation plays an intermediary role in the energy endowment affecting carbon emissions. Therefore, this paper verifies that energy endowments promote regional carbon emissions and that the energy capacity aggregation effect plays a mediating role. The research results provide theoretical guidance for solving the contradictory problem of energy demand growth on carbon emission limitation and promoting regional green and low-carbon development.
The buffering of a riverine carbonate system under the input of acid mine drainage: Example from a small karst watershed, southwest China
Authors: Huang Jiangxun , Li Qingguang , Wu Pan , Wang Shilu , Gu Shangyi , Guo Mingwei , Fu Yong
Published: September 2022

In a karstic area affected by acid mine drainage (AMD), hydrochemical conditions, such as temperature, salinity, alkalinity, DIC, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients, may affect the buffering capacity of carbonate systems in freshwater systems. The resulting pH fluctuation is larger than that of a marine system. Therefore, this study focuses on the buffering of a riverine carbonate system under the input of AMD and discusses the variations in a series of buffering factors, including the Revelle factor, γDIC, γAlk βDIC, βAlk, ωDIC, and ωAlk. The results revealed that the Revelle factor could reflect the buffering process effectively; in addition, the maximum value of the Revelle factor appeared at pH = 8.5. The data points for pH greater than this value indicated that the Huatan River had the ability to absorb atmospheric CO2 in spring. Conversely, the data for pH less than this value reflected the buffering of H+ during CO2 degassing in summer and autumn. In winter, the data were around the maximum value, indicating the weakest buffering capacity. As a result, the dynamics of the carbonate system caused the most sensitive response to pH. In addition, the maximum Revelle factor value did not always indicate the carbonate system had reached equilibrium; the presence of strong CO2 degassing was still a possibility. Under acidic conditions, as CO2(aq) increased, the absolute values of γDIC, βDIC, ωDIC, and γAlk increased correspondingly, indicating the enhanced buffering capacity of H+ during CO2 degassing. Under the four Representative Concentration Pathways scenarios (RCPs) included in the IPCC’s fifth assessment report, the degassing rate of the Huatan River would decrease by 5%, 15%, 26%, or 48%, depending on the scenario. Even though the Huatan River revealed CO2 degassing characteristics in winter and spring under current conditions, it will eventually become a sink for atmospheric CO2 as atmospheric CO2 concentration increases. In this light, the carbon sink effect in karst areas will become increasingly important.
Tradeoffs between units providing soil ecosystem services in multifunctional landscapes of the Orinoquia
Authors: Caro-Caro Clara Inés , Bernal-Riobo Jaime Humberto , Arango-Argoti Miguel , Torres-Mora Marco Aurelio
Published: September 2022

Ecological assessment of soil ecosystem services was made through indicators of provision of nutrients, amount of organic matter, and cation exchange capacity; and climate regulation, carbon storage, in the Orotoy river basin. As units that provide ecosystem services, mosaics of tropical humid forest cover, oil palm crops and cattle pastures were selected, persistent for 20 years, in windows located in the upper, middle and lower areas of the basin. Soil samples (896) were collected and analyzed in the laboratory for determining physical and chemical properties. The data were processed with the SPAW and R software. Indicators, ranging from 0 to 1, and tradeoffs were represented on a 1: 25.000 scale land cover map. It was found that in the indicator of carbon storage, the low zone obtained the highest average value (0.42); and the indicator of the ecosystem service of nutrient provision obtained close average values in the middle and lower zones, 0.33 and 0.44, correspondingly. In vegetation cover, the tropical humid forest presented the highest average values for the indicator of climate regulation (0,43). The established trade-offs from the valuation are: the upper zone is fundamental for water regulation and climate regulation throughout the basin; forest cover in the entire basin regulates the climate, oil palm crops and cattle pastures via fertilization, contribute to the surrounding forests, located in areas of less slope. In the mosaics of the multifunctional landscapes it was found that although the ecosystem services are related to the forming factors of the soil and the vegetation coverage, the influence of cultural practices on the soils is also evident; these determine trade-offs. The importance of including the ecosystem services of the soil in the processes of territorial ordering and management of landscapes like the one of the basin of the Orotoy river is verified, which in the current management scenario presents trade-offs between zones and coverages.
The impact of environmental subsidy on the performance of corporate environmental responsibility: Evidence from China
Authors: Chen Guifu , Wei Boyu , Zhu Ruoran
Published: September 2022

Corporate environmental responsibility (CER) has become a critical factor for measuring the competitiveness of firms in China, and environmental subsidies may be a catalyst for promoting firms’ CER. This study uses data from Chinese A-share listed firms during 2010–2020. Using the instrumental variable two-stage least squares (IV-2SLS) method, we found that environmental subsidies significantly improve corporate environmental performance but have no significant impact on the disclosure and governance of pollution emissions. We find that environmental subsidies are better for chemical and energy firms with high pollution levels, provide incentives for non-state-owned firms to improve CER and that their effect in western and eastern China is better than that in the central region. We also found that corporate social responsibility plays a moderating role in environmental subsidies that affect CER. Finally, this study finds that environmental subsidies may crowd out corporate investments to improve environmental performance. Based on the above results, we provide the corresponding policy suggestions.
The influencing factors of CO2 emissions and the adoption of eco-innovation across G-7 economies: A novel hybrid mathematical and statistical approach
Authors: Rehman Erum , Rehman Shazia , Mumtaz Ayesha , Jianglin Zhang , Shahiman Muhammad Ali
Published: September 2022

The present study empirically analyzes the role of eco-innovation in plummeting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in conjunction with renewable energy usage, foreign direct investment, and trade openness for the states in G-7 from 1990 to 2019 in a mathematical and statistical context. Under the dynamical framework, the estimates of mathematical grey relational analyses indicate that eco-innovation holds a stronger degree of association with CO2 emissions. Further, the estimates demonstrate that, compared to the other G-7 states, Japan is the country where eco-innovation is a more striking variable. However, renewable energy utilization seems weaker in Japan, which necessitates adopting renewable energy to curb carbon emissions in the region. Statistically, the odds ratio illustrates a similar pattern, demonstrating that the odds of occurrence for eco-innovation are much stronger in reducing the rising levels of carbon emissions within the G-7 states. Moreover, trade openness and foreign direct investment were revealed to be the leading contributors to carbon emissions in Germany and Canada, respectively, whilst appearing to be significant variables in lowering emissions in the United States and the United Kingdom. The outcomes of this investigation offer significant perspectives for policymakers in formulating holistic and environmentally friendly policies by embracing eco-innovation as a potentially significant component for sustainable economic expansion and environmental health.
Older males whistle better: Age and body size are encoded in the mating calls of a nest-building amphibian (Anura: Leptodactylidae)
Authors: Stănescu Florina , Márquez Rafael , Cogălniceanu Dan , Marangoni Federico
Published: September 2022

Courtship acoustic displays in anuran amphibians are energetically costly and risky, but have a major role in mating success since they encode relevant information regarding the caller’s identity and status. Age and size are essential traits shaping fitness, reproductive success and life-history strategies, and thus are expected to also have a role in courtship displays. We tested this assumption in a species of nest-building frogs,Leptodactylus bufonius, in northern Argentina. We conducted the first detailed quantitative description of the males’ mating calls and assessed the effects of biological traits (i.e., body size parameters and individual age) and local climate (i.e., air temperature and humidity) on the main acoustic features of these calls (i.e., call duration, inter-call duration, dominant frequency, and dominant frequency modulation). The calls were short (mean ± SE, 0.163 ± 0.004 s), whistle-like, single notes with harmonic structure. The dominant frequency (1381.7 ± 16.2 Hz) decreased with arm length (χ2= 5.244, df = 1,p= 0.022) and had an upward modulation (456.4 ± 11.0 Hz) which increased with age (χ2= 4.7012, df = 1,p= 0.030). Call duration and dominant frequency were the most static parameters at intra-individual level, indicating their role in individual recognition. Temperature and humidity shaped the temporal acoustic parameters, and the dominant frequency. Our findings suggest that the acoustic features of the mating calls in amphibians could promote female mate choice in relation to both size and age and open up new questions for future research: are females more attracted to older males, and what are the specific costs and benefits? We suggest that mating calls may direct female preferences toward males of certain size and age classes, ultimately shaping the life-history strategies in a given population. Finally, we found discrepancies in the mating calls ofL. bufoniusrecorded from Corrientes and those previously described from other populations, which suggests that multiple species may have been recorded under the same name.
Scent releasing silicone septa: A versatile method for bioassays with volatiles
Authors: Huber Franz K. , Schiestl Florian P.
Published: September 2022

Volatile organic compounds are of great importance for communication within biological systems. For the experimental investigation of the functions of volatiles, methods for experimental manipulation are needed. Based on scent-release methods from pheromone research, we describe a simple and cheap method for scent manipulation using silicone rubber (i.e. a silicone septum). Volatile compounds are applied to the septum by soaking the septa for 1 h in a solvent/volatile solution. After removal of the septum from the solution and a drying period of 1 h to allow for evaporation of the solvent, the silicone emits the volatiles at a continuously decreasing rate for a minimum of 24 h. In this study, we measure the variability of the emission and quantify the emission of 22 common floral scent compounds at four different time points and in four different soaking concentrations. Our results show that for the same compound and soaking concentration, variability of volatile emission was low, showing the method leads to repeatable emission rates and can be fine-tuned to the desired emission rate. We provide a calculation tool based on linear regression to allow an experimenter to calculate soaking concentration for each of the 22 compounds to achieve a desirable emission from the septa, as well as to estimate the emission rate of a volatile from the septa after a given time.