bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protective effects of piceatannol on cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Cheang Wai San , Chen Xinyi
Published: July 2024

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are significant global health concerns, encompassing conditions such as atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia. In recent years, there has been extensive research focusing on the pharmacological effects of natural compounds as potential treatments for CVDs. Piceatannol, a natural polyphenolic compound, has garnered attention in this regard. Being a structural analogue of resveratrol, piceatannol exhibits a variety of biological activities, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, stabilization of cell membrane potential, and inhibition of fat accumulation. This review summarizes the potential therapeutic applications and molecular mechanisms of piceatannol in CVDs.
Integrating Quizizz in the English classroom: Game-based learning and assessment
Authors: Sylvia Rizka , Al Khalidi Ahmed , Ikrima Putri Fadia
Published: July 2024

Quizizz is an outstanding online tool for creating interactive test that can possibly be used to enhance English language skill. This study aims to delineate the implementation of Quizizz as a game-based learning and assessment support tool in the English class of accounting study program at the Universitas Islam Kebangsaan Indonesia. In this case, Quizizz is used for the students who are disinterested in studying toward the end of the lesson (30 minutes before it finishes). Moreover, because the results of their gameplay are promptly shown on the screen, lecturers can use this web tool to conduct first-hand assessment as students are playing. Based on the authors’ testing of the implementation of Quizizz in English classroom, it was discovered that students enjoyed using Quizizz for practices due to its engaging display resembled a game. They increasingly focused on the subject at hand and passionately responded to the questions. The results indicate that the students showed an eager interest in studying English and expressed a favorable attitude toward Quizizz.
A Study of the Concept of Polygamy in Islam and the Legal Systems of Afghanistan, Malaysia, and Turkey
Authors: Abbasy Zarifa , Adeel Mohammad Alam
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT: Polygamy, defined as the practice of having multiple spouses simultaneously, is theoretically permissible for all Muslims according to jurisprudential texts. Over time, many Islamic nations have either permitted polygamy under stringent regulations or outright banned it. This study aims to comparatively analyze the status of polygamy in Islam and the legal frameworks of Afghanistan, Malaysia, and Turkey. Utilizing library and document research methods, alongside descriptive-analytical and comparative approaches, this research examines the conditions, disparities, and similarities within the legal systems of these countries concerning the implementation of polygamy. The findings reveal that Islam permits polygamy only under the condition of equity. The legal treatment of polygamy varies among Islamic nations; for instance, Afghanistan and Malaysia have legalized polygamy under Islamic law, subject to certain legal stipulations. Notably, Malaysian Islamic Family Law imposes fines and short prison sentences, illustrating a significant contrast in approach compared to Afghanistan. Conversely, Turkey, with its secular legal system, unequivocally prohibits polygamy. Moreover, the differing stances on polygamy acceptance or prohibition among these countries stem primarily from cultural, social, economic, legal, and political factors. Keywords: Polygamy, Islamic Principles, Justice, Legal System, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Turkey.
Maverdî’nin Düşüncesinde Devlet ve Siyaset
Authors: Vahib Muhammad , Yalın Doç. Dr. Salih
Published: July 2024

Özet: Maverdî (ö. 450/1058) IV/X. asırda yaşamış bir İslâm düşünürü olarak muhtelif alanlarda pek çok eser kaleme almıştır. Ancak teliflerinin birçoğu günümüze kadar ulaşmamıştır. Onun yazılarından bir kısmının devlet, siyaset ve felsefe ile ilgili olduğu söylenebilir. Maverdî, birçok eserinde kendinden önce gelen fikir ve düşünce birikiminden büyük ölçüde yararlanmıştır. O, her şeyden önce Hz. Peygamber'in uygulamalarını, hulefâ-yı râşidîn'in devlet ve siyasetle ilgili düşüncelerinden ve birikimlerinden yararlanmıştır. Ayrıca, selef-i sâlihîn âlimlerinin ve sonraki düşünürlerin fikirlerinden ve birikimlerinden de yararlanmıştır. Ona göre, her devlet bir toplum üzerine inşa edilir ve devleti yönetenler ise toplumun din, mezhep, kültür gibi yapılarına uygun bir siyaset politikası düzenlemelidir. Toplumu yöneten devlet başkanı ve siyasetçilerin birtakım vasıflara sahip olması gerekir ve bu yöneticiler güttükleri siyaset ve uygulamalarla halkın dikkatini çekmelidirler. Bu çerçevede, Maverdî'nin eserleri, İslâm düşüncesinin ve siyasî teorilerinin gelişimine önemli katkılarda bulunmuştur. Onun eserlerinde, İslâm'ın siyasî ilkeleri ve devlet yönetimi hakkındaki görüşleri detaylı bir şekilde ele alınmıştır. Bu makalede Maverdî’nin düşüncesinde devlet ve siyaset; devletin ihtiyaçları, yöneticileri, yönetim tarzı gibi hususlar incelenecektir. Anahtar Kelimeler: İslam Felsefesi, Maverdî, Düşünce, Devlet, Siyaset, Yönetici.
بررسی میزان اضطراب و تاثیر عمل به دستورات قرآنی بر بیماران اضطرابی
Authors: حمیدی پوهنیار عنایت الله , الوغ بیک پوهنیار محمد کریم , نظری پوهنیار محمد عارف
Published: July 2024

چکیده معالجه قطعی بیماری¬های روانی تنها با قرآن امکان پذیر است. هدف از این تحقیق بررسی میزان اضطراب و تاثیر عمل به دستورات قرآنی بر بیماران اضطرابی بود که با روش آزمایشی انجام شد. حجم نمونهٴ تحقیق شامل 44 محصل می‌باشد که به مرکز مشاوره پوهنتون جوزجان مراجعه نموده بودند که مشکلات اضطرابی داشتند، به صورت نمونه گیری قابل دسترس انتخاب و بعد از آن با مصاحبه، اضطراب تشخیص گردیده و در مرحلهٴ بعد به صورت انتخاب تصادفی در دو گروه آزمایش و کنترول قرار گرفت و طی دو مرحلهٴ پیش¬آزمون و پس¬آزمون به پرسش¬نامه اضطراب یک جواب دادند و گروه آزمایش 8 جلسه توام با آن عمل به دستورات قرآنی را نیز دریافت کردند. نتایج نشان داد مراجعین دارای اضطراب بالا بود وهمچنان با استفاده از تحلیل کوواریانس تک متغیری نتایج نشان داد که عمل به دستورات قرآنی سبب کاهش اضطراب می¬شود (0.05p<). بنابر این عمل به دستورات قرآنی می¬تواند سبب کم شدن اضطراب در افراد مبتلا به بیماری اضطراب شود، بدین ملحوظ برای مسلمان لازم است، در صورت رو به رو شدن با بیماری های روانی از جملهٴ آن¬ها اضطراب به دستورات قرآنی عمل نماید تا بتواند خود را مشمول رحمت خدای بزرگ نموده از انواع بیماری¬ها نجات یابد. کلمات کلیدی: اضطراب، بیماری¬های روانی، دستورالعمل¬های قرآنی، دین مبین اسلام، مرکز مشاورۂ روانی و معنویت.
INTER-DISCIPLINARITY IN LAW: ITS NECESSITY AND CHALLENGES
Authors: Lanneau Régis
Published: July 2024

When I started law school, a professor of a certain age was in charge of the welcoming speech. I remember perfectly his words: "Law is a mathematics of language". An explanation followed on the virtues and the power of the famous legal syllogism, the myth of which persists among bachelor students and certain colleagues; I admit to being impressed by this “demonstration” which seemed to me of an impeccable logic. Law would be a perfectly autonomous discipline. The lawyer should be content to know the "mathematical" rules of law (including cases) while striving to apply them rigorously, penetrated by the wisdom of precedent and academic enlightenment. This vision would be reinforced by a supposed civil law tradition – I am French – making the judge the simple mouth of the law (with his theory on economic development perhaps one of the most beautiful heresy of Montesquieu), the executor of Parliament’s wills (supposed to represent the no less mythical general will).
ECONOMIC RIGHTS: ISSUES & SUGGESTIONS WITH REFERENCE TO CONSTITUTIONALIZATION, ADJUDICATION & POLICY MAKING
Authors: Jain Palak
Published: July 2024

The Economic Darwinism in the past three centuries has resulted in a significant increment in the desires and needs of an industrial man. However, the existing system has failed to create means to address them. In such scenarios of increasing failure of systems to address the needs and desires of people, if the law has to act as ‘a system of social engineering’, it is essential that it creates a framework to eradicate social frictions by providing dignity through authority of rights.
Karya Ilmiah Terapan Optimalisasi Kinerja Fresh Water Generator untuk Meningkatkan Produksi Air Tawar di Atas Kapal MT.SP1BSI
Authors: Putra Aidil Suhada Eka , Erlinda Nelfi , Arfian Naf'an , Saransi Faisal
Published: July 2024

Pada umumnya untuk memenuhi kebutuhan air tawar di atas kapal perlu adanya pesawat yang dapat mengolah air laut menjadi air tawar Pada keadaan tersebut, untuk memenuhi kebutuhan air tawar di atas kapalsangat di perlukan sebuah pesawat bantu yang dinamakan Fresh Water Generator yang mampu memproduksi air tawar dengan cara mengolah air laut menjadi air tawar melalui suatu proses penyulingan. Fresh Water Generator yang mampu memproduksi air tawar melalui suatu proses penyulingan. Jenis metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah dengan menggunakan metode kualitatif, yaitu penelitian yang bertujuan untuk memecahkan masalah-masalah aktual yang di hadapi serta mengumpulkan data atau informasi untuk disusun, dijelaskan dan selanjutnya dianalisis. Berdasarkan hasil teori mengenai kinerja fresh water generator, agar jika suatu saat terjadi masalah kinerja fresh water generator dapat diatasi sesuai dengan pemecahan masalah yang akan di teliti pada karya ilmiah terapan ini.
Multiplicative Sombor index of trees
Authors: Dehgardi Nasrin ,   Sirjan University of Technology, Du Zhibin , Shang Yilun ,   South China Normal University,   Northumbria University
Published: July 2024

For a graph $\Omega$, the multiplicative Sombor index is defined as $$\prod_{SO}(\Omega)=\prod_{ab\in \mathcal{E}(\Omega)}\sqrt{d^2_\Omega(a)+d^2_\Omega(b)},$$ where $d_\Omega(a)$ is the degree of vertex $a$. Liu [Liu, H. (2022). Discrete Mathematics Letters, 9, 80–85] showed that, when $\mathcal{T}$ is a tree of order $n$, $\prod_{SO}(\mathcal{T})\geqslant \prod_{SO}(P_n)=5(\sqrt{8})^{n-3}$. We improved this result and show that, if $\mathcal{T}$ is a tree of order $n$ with maximum degree $\cal{D}$, then $$\prod_{SO}(\mathcal{T})\geqslant \left\{\begin{array}{ll} (5({\cal{D}}^2+4))^{\frac{\cal{D}}{2}}8^{\frac{n-2{\cal{D}}-1}{2}} & {\rm if}\;{\cal{D}}\leqslant\frac{n-1}{2},\\[2mm] ({\cal{D}}^2+1)^{\frac{2{\cal{D}}+1-n}{2}}(5({\cal{D}}^2+4))^{\frac{n-{\cal{D}}-1}{2}} & {\rm if}\;{\cal{D}}>\frac{n-1}{2}. \end{array}\right. $$ Also, we show that equality holds if and only if $\mathcal{T}$ is a spider whose all legs have length less than three or all legs have length more than one.
Forecasting Maize Production in Telangana State Using Arima Model
Authors: Maheshnath M. , Kumari R. Vijaya , Suhasini K. , Reddy D. Srinivasa , Meena A.
Published: July 2024

The study utilized the Box-Jenkins approach for forecasting maize production in Telangana state. It involved the analysis of 55 years of empirical annual observations of maize production. The autocorrelation (ACF) and partial autocorrelation functions (PACF) were calculated to analyze the data. A suitable Box-Jenkins ARIMA model was fitted, and the validity of the model was examined using conventional statistical methods. Lastly, the next three years' worth of maize production was predicted using the autoregressive integrated moving average model's forecasting capability.
Participatory Approaches to Agricultural Research and Extension Services
Authors: Kumar Sunil , Srivastava Alok Kumar , Joshi Milind D. , Pathak Mahesh , Misra Vipin Kumar , Kumar Dhirendra
Published: July 2024

Participatory approaches in agricultural research and extension services have increasingly been recognized over recent decades as effective strategies for engaging farmers, integrating their expertise and preferences, and developing locally appropriate solutions. This article explores the various participatory methods used globally, particularly emphasizing practices in Asia and India. It traces the historical development of these approaches, outlines their core principles and methodologies, and presents evidence of their impact on agricultural productivity, sustainability, and the livelihoods of farmers. Through diverse case studies, including farmer field schools and participatory plant breeding, the article highlights the wide range of participatory techniques implemented in different regions. Additionally, it addresses the challenges and criticisms of participatory methods and suggests future directions for research and practice. Participatory approaches hold significant potential to enhance the responsiveness of agricultural research and extension services to the needs, knowledge, and creativity of farmers. Nonetheless, these approaches necessitate substantial investments in capacity building, institutional reforms, and policy adjustments to foster an environment conducive to participatory innovation. Continued research is crucial to evaluate the long-term effects and to facilitate the scaling up of successful participatory models.
Dissemination of Agricultural Technology and Constraints Analysis in Paddy-Wheat Residue Management in Punjab, India
Authors: Lyngdoh Lawanrisha , Dhaliwal Ravinder Kaur , Mohapatra Lopamudra
Published: July 2024

As extension personnel are in direct contact with the farmers, methods used and constraints faced by them play an important role in the transfer of technologies. Also, farmer’s constraints are significant to bring about the adoption of straw management techniques. The study was conducted in the state of Punjab consisting of 210 respondents (i.e. 150 extension personnel and 60 farmers). During the study, it was found that all the extension personnel made use of visit to farmers’ field and meetings/discussions to disseminate information on straw management in the state. The findings revealed that the major constraints faced by the extension personnel in disseminating straw management alternatives were inadequate and irregular supply of funds (98.67%), perceived ineffectiveness of technologies (89.33%) and lack of training facilities (86%). While all the farmer respondents agreed that high transportation of the straw, high labor charges and crop residue interference with tillage and seeding operations were the major constraints in adoption of straw management techniques. From the findings, it is important to direct the attention from the government and policy makers to design an effective strategy which can overcome these constraints faced by the extension personnel and farmers to ensure adoption of straw management techniques.
Social and Economic Consequences of Agriculture Crises: A Study of Farm Labour in Punjab, India
Authors: Singh Arshdeep
Published: July 2024

This study aims to comprehensively analyze the multifaceted socioeconomic challenges faced by agricultural laborers in Punjab, India, stemming from the capitalist agrarian practices introduced during the era of the Green Revolution. It delves into employment patterns, debt burdens, and household conditions to uncover the complex realities these laborers endure. Additionally, the study seeks to fill a significant research gap, as most economists emphasize the problems faced by land-owning farmers, often overlooking the substantial issues confronting agricultural laborers who constitute a large share of the total working population. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, this research combines primary data from a comprehensive multidimensional survey with a critical review of secondary literature. The findings from this approach reveal the profound socioeconomic vulnerabilities faced by these laborers. The majority is ensnared in severe debt, grapple with unemployment, and endure substandard living conditions, with many lacking access to basic necessities such as decent housing and sanitation facilities. Due to their limited access to institutional credit facilities, agricultural laborers are forced to seek credit from non-institutional sources at exorbitant interest rates. Shifting cropping patterns in favor of wheat-paddy crop rotation, seasonality of labor, and labor-saving techniques such as extensive mechanization of agriculture and the use of herbicides have resulted in shrinking employment opportunities, further aggravating their economic plight. In response, the study proposes policy recommendations including radical land reforms, strengthening the public distribution system, providing affordable loans, ensuring employment opportunities, and enhancing social welfare measures. Implementing these recommendations is crucial to addressing systemic issues and improving the socioeconomic conditions of agricultural laborers in Punjab.
A Comparative Study of Anti-elastase Activity of Extract, Extract-loaded Nanoparticle, and Serum Gels of Indonesian Bilberry Leaves
Authors: Kosasih Kosasih , Altriyuana Ananta , Hakim Zainur Rahman
Published: July 2024

Aims: To do a comparative study of the anti-elastase activity of the extract, extract-loaded gelatin nanoparticles, and serum gels of Indonesian Bilberry leaves. 
Methods: Extraction of the leaves used the maceration method with 70% ethanol at a pH of 2 and dried using a rotavapor and an oven. The dry extracts were phytochemical screened and tested for specific and non-specific parameters. The synthesis of gelatin nanoparticles used the desolvation method with polymer gelatin and cross-linker glutaraldehyde, and then they were characterized. The extracts and the gelatin nanoparticles were formulated into serum gels and evaluated for physical, chemical, and anti-elastase activity at 40°C for six weeks. The extracts, nanoparticles, and formulations were assayed for anti-elastase activity at 410 nm.
Results: The extracts met standards, while the nanoparticles showed particle sizes of 174.7 nm, polydispersity index of 0.34, zeta potential of 2.82 mV, entrapment efficiency of 38.6%, aldimine on FTIR, and shape of stacked nanoparticles. The anti-elastase activity of the extract was 49.37 ppm, while the nanoparticles were 72.92 ppm, respectively. In addition, the serum gels of F1 were 117.92 ppm, and F2 were 142.92 ppm. F1 and F2 were stable during storage. It is still possible to enhance the activity of the serum gels, such as by increasing the addition of actives.
Conclusion: The extract, gelatin nanoparticles, and serum gels of F1 and F2 have anti-elastase activity in the potent category for the extract and nanoparticles, while moderate category for F1 and F2. The serum gels are physicochemically stable during storage.
Effect of Postharvest Disinfection Treatment Handling on Physicochemical Properties of Carrots in the Asante Mampong Municipal
Authors: Ampomah Gideon Alex , Maalekuu Bonaventure Kissinger , Bordoh Paa Kwesi , Amankwah Richard Siaw
Published: July 2024

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of postharvest handling practices particularly washing and scraping of carrots, on the physicochemical properties of the vegetable in the Asante Mampong Municipal area. The research was conducted within the catchment areas of three communities (namely Asaam, Kofiase, and Owuobonho) within the Mampong-Ashanti Municipality. The study encompassed three main phases of data collection: field survey, quantitative loss assessment, and interviews combined with laboratory studies. The physicochemical properties that were examined in the study were total soluble solids, moisture content, root firmness, and dry matter content. The dry matter content and the moisture content of the carrots were found to be significantly affected by the different handling practices, particularly washing and scraping as well as the communities from which they were sampled. However, the firmness of carrots as well as the total soluble solids was not observed to be significantly affected by different handling practices and communities. The study highlights the importance of proper postharvest handling practices in maintaining the quality and shelf-life of carrots. The results provide valuable insights for carrot farmers, traders, and consumers in the Asante Mampong Municipal area to adopt improved postharvest handling techniques, thereby reducing losses and enhancing the market value of their produce.
Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Physiological Productivity and Seed Quality of Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merill]
Authors: Tigga Prabha , Samaiya R.K. , Singh Yogendra , Banerjee Jhilick
Published: July 2024

The current study was carried out on soybean variety JS 20-98 seeds that were treated to varying concentrations of plant growth regulators (PGRs). These seeds were used in field studies using Randomised Block Design (RBD) with four replications, and the observations were recorded on phenophasic observations, such as days to 50% flowering, days to pod formation, days to seed formation, days to physiological maturity, and days to field maturity.Determination of dry matter production and its partitioning in various plant parts (leaves, branches, main stem, and pod) at 45 DAS, 60 DAS, 75 DAS, and 90 DAS. Physiological obsdervations (Growth analytical parameters), Leaf Area Index (LAI), Leaf Area Duration (LAD), Crop Growth Rate (CGR), Relative Growth Rate (RGR), Specific Leaf Area (SLA), Specific Leaf Weight (SLW), Biomass Duration (BMD), Chlorophyll Content Index (CCI), Relative Water Content (RWC). Yield and yield components included viz; plant height (cm), number of branches plant-1, number of pods plant-1, number of seeds pod-1, pod length (mm), pod width (mm), pod girth (mm), seed index (g), seed yield (g plant-1and kg ha-1), biological yield (g plant-1 and kg ha-1), harvest index (%). The biochemical estimation includes moisture (%), ash (%), crude fibre (%), total carbohydrate (%), protein (%), and fat (%). However, seed quality traits include germination (%), seedling length (cm), seed vigour index-I, seed vigour index-II, seedling dry weight (g), root length (cm), and shoot length (cm) in soybean. The treatment GA @ 3 ml L-1 (T5) produced the highest seed yield of 2429.93 kg ha-1, biological yield of 6804.47 kg ha-1, and harvest index of 35.71% among the six PGR treatments on soybean. The greatest value for seed quality parameters, especially germination (%), seedling dry weight (g), seedling length (cm), seed vigour index-I, and seed vigour index-II was recorded under the treatment GA @ 3 ml L-1 (T5).
Awareness about Government Scheme of Maternal Nutrition among Urban Area
Authors: Verma Rupanti , Jamal Zeba , Shukla Prachi , Pandey Ritika
Published: July 2024

Maternal and child health is one of the eight millennium development. Encouraging institutional deliveries can help lower maternal and infant death rates. The Indian government has implemented a few maternity benefit programs in order to accomplish this. The study was undertaken to awareness about government schemes of maternal nutrition among urban area. The descriptive research design was adopted for the study and the study was conducted in Ayodhya district. A well-structured self-made questionnaire (google form) were used for collecting data from 100 urban people, selected through simple random sampling method. Frequency analysis was used for analysing data. The study revealed that most of the respondents have great knowledge about the government maternal nutrition schemes. Raising public knowledge of government programs aimed at promoting maternal nutrition in urban areas is essential to guaranteeing expectant mothers receive the assistance and resources they need to improve their health and the health of their unborn children, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for the health of mothers and children in urban areas.
Impact of CFLD’s on Productivity and Profitability of Blackgram in Farmers, Fields of West Godavari District, India
Authors: Vinayalakshmi Podapati , Rao N. Mallikharjuna , Kumar G. Naveen , Rajesh A. , Rao A. Srinivasa
Published: July 2024

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra, UNDI, West Godavari district has conducted 100 Cluster Frontline Demonstrations (CFLD) on blackgram with variety TBG-104 in 40 ha area during seasons kharif and rabi, 2022- 2023. CFLD is the most appropriate method for showcasing the output potential of recently released technology in large scale on farmers’ fields. The results indicated that higher yield i.e., 10.48 q/ha and 14.10 q/ha was realized with TBG-104 variety, which was 18.08 and 10.58% more compared to farmers practice variety PU-31 with 8.87 q/ha and 12.75 q/ha during kharif and rabi, respectively. The net returns of Rs. 30,058, Rs. 51, 890 per ha and B:C ratio of 1.91, 2.14 were also higher with demonstration plot compared to farmers practice plot (Rs. 20,250, Rs. 41,855 per ha and 1.61,1.90) during kharif and rabi, respectively.
Genetic Variability and Trait Association Studies of Internode Length and Strong Culm-Related Traits in Inter Sub-specific Cross Derived Recombinant Inbred Lines in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Akshay Mamidi , Krishna Lavuri , Badri Jyothi , Barbadikar Kalyani M. , Rao D. Sanjeeva
Published: July 2024

Internode length, plant height and culm thickness are the primary traits affecting the strength of culm in rice. The present investigation was carried out to study genetic variability and trait association of internode length and strong culm related traits in recombinant inbred lines (RILs) in rice. The lodging stress is influenced by intricate interplay of several factors and many questions remain unanswered. To elucidate the complex lodging phenomenon, traits viz., the length of uppermost internode (IL1), second internode (IL2), third internode (IL3), fourth internode (IL4), fifth internode (IL5), sixth internode (IL6), number of internodes (INN), plant height (PH), pushing resistance (PR) and culm thickness (CT) were investigated. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) displayed significant variation in RILs for all the traits studied. The investigation revealed high estimates of PCV and GCV along with high heritability and genetic advance as percent of mean (GAM) for traits under investigation revealing the role of additive gene effect and selection of these attributes will be valuable for rice improvement. Association studies revealed that strong culm is reliant on internode length of basal primary internodes and CT. Thus, the direct selection of culm thickness and lower basal internode length can improve the breaking-type lodging resistance in rice. Our conceptual perceptions are expected to provide valuable information to improve the culm strength in rice.
Testate amoebae (Protozoa: Tubulinea) Diversity in Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India
Authors: L Bindu.
Published: July 2024

Studies on testate amoebae in Karnataka state have been sporadic and no studies were done in Mookambika Wildlife sanctuary. Therefore, as part of the faunistic survey of Zoological Survey of India moss samples were collected from Mookambika wildlife sanctuary and has filled the lacuna of testate amoebae study in the sanctuary to form the baseline data. The study resulted 27 species of testate amoebae span over 7 families under the Phylum Tubulinea. The study highlights the importance of conducting more research on testate amoebae in different regions of Mookambika WLS.
An Analysis of Environmental Kuznets Curve in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from 1995-2020
Authors: Akhter Hamie , Samreen Sana
Published: July 2024

Purpose: The main motive of the present study is to investigate the Environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis (EKC) in six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries from 1995-2020. To attain this aim the time series model is built by utilizing Co2 emission as an environment indicator and GDP per capita, energy consumption and urbanization as economic indicators.
Model Specification / Methodology: Phillips Perron’s (PP) unit root test is applied to check the maximum order of integration among variables. Auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds estimation model is applied to test the existence of co-integration among variables.
Findings: The study found that the EKC hypothesis applies to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar after comparing the long run and short-run income elasticities. The results of the Toda–Yamamoto–Dolado–Lütkepohl (TYDL) non-granger causality test showed unidirectional causality between carbon emissions and energy consumption in Kuwait and Qatar. Bidirectional causality is found between economic growth and energy consumption in the UAE while unidirectional causality is from urbanization to energy consumption in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.
Optimizing Main Materials for a Lithium‐Air Battery of High Cycle Life
Authors: Luo Zhong‐Kuan , Liang Chun‐Sheng , Wang Fang , Xu Yang‐Hai , Chen Jing , Liu Dong , Sun Hong‐Yuan , Yang Hui , Fan Xian‐Ping
Published: November 2013

By optimizing the main materials in lithium‐air batteries, namely sulfolane as electrolyte solvent, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) as electrolyte salt, carbon paper as current collector, and Li2O2–C hybrids as positive electrode materials, a performance of 800 cycles with a specific capacity of 1000 mAh g−1 (based on the total mass of positive electrode materials) and an average energy efficiency of 74.72% has been achieved in this work and for the first time reported in the field of lithium‐air battery. Sulfolane‐based electrolyte and carbon paper current collector play the most critical role in building such a lithium‐air battery of high cycle life. The findings described here are expected to benefit the pursuit of green, sustainable, and high‐performance lithium‐air batteries.
Ambient‐temperature fusible filter: a preliminary experiment and a proposal for a filtration process
Authors: Teduka Masahiro , Nishioka Takeshi
Published: November 2013

Significance

A new filtration apparatus is proposed using a fusible filter medium (FF). The advantages of FF are (1) materials captured by the filter can be recovered by melting the filter and subsequent gravity separation, (2) the filter medium can be recycled, and (3) the latent heat of solidification removed to produce FF is significantly lower than that of vaporization. The filtration can be further simplified and made more cost‐efficient using an “ambient‐temperature” fusible filter (ATFF). © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 22–26, 2014
Technical Note: Anatomic identification of isolated modern human molars: Testing procrustes aligned outlines as a standardization procedure for elliptic fourier analysis
Authors: Corny Julien , Détroit Florent
Published: November 2013

The determination of the precise position of permanent first and second modern human molars, following standard tooth identification criteria, is often difficult because of their morphological similarities. Here, we proposed to evaluate the suitability of two‐dimensional crown contour shape analysis in achieving this objective. The method was tested separately on 180 first and second maxillary molars (UM) and 180 first and second mandibular molars (LM) securely identified (in anatomical position in their sockets). Generalized Procrustes superimposition is used to normalize the outlines prior to applying elliptic Fourier analyses (“EFAproc” method). Reliability and effectiveness of this morphometric procedure was evaluated by comparing the results obtained for the same dataset with four other morphometric methods of contour analysis. Cross‐validated (“leave one individual out”) percentages of misclassification yielded by linear discriminant analyses were used for determining the anatomic position of modern human molars. The percentages of misclassifications obtained from every method of contour analysis were low (1.67% to 3.33% for the UM, 5.56% to 6.67% for the LM) indicating the high suitability of crown contour analyses in correctly identifying molars. A reliable protocol, based on predictive linear discriminant analyses, was then proposed for identification of isolated molars. In addition, our results confirmed that the EFAproc method is suitable for normalizing outlines prior to undertaking elliptic Fourier analyses, especially in the case of nearly circular outlines: it obtained better classification than the classic method of normalization of Fourier descriptors for UM and provided also some advantages over the three landmarks‐based methods tested here. Am J Phys Anthropol 153:314–322, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Integrated self‐organization of transitional ER and early Golgi compartments
Authors: Glick Benjamin S.
Published: November 2013

COPII coated vesicles bud from an ER domain termed the transitional ER (tER), but the mechanism that clusters COPII vesicles at tER sites is unknown. tER sites are closely associated with early Golgi or pre‐Golgi structures, suggesting that the clustering of nascent COPII vesicles could be achieved by tethering to adjacent membranes. This model challenges the prevailing view that COPII vesicles are clustered by a scaffolding protein at the ER surface. Although Sec16 was proposed to serve as such a scaffolding protein, recent data suggest that rather than organizing COPII into higher‐order structures, Sec16 acts at the level of individual COPII vesicles to regulate COPII turnover. A plausible synthesis is that tER sites are created by tethering to Golgi membranes and are regulated by Sec16. Meanwhile, the COPII vesicles that bud from tER sites are thought to nucleate new Golgi cisternae. Thus, an integrated self‐organization process may generate tER‐Golgi units.
Renal transplant recipient with advanced HIV infection: graft and peripheral cell population analysis
Authors: Bostock Ian C. , Furuzawa‐Carballeda Janette , Gómez‐Martín Diana , Lima Guadalupe , Martin‐Onraët Alexandra , Sierra Juan , Uribe‐Uribe Norma O. , Vilatobá Mario , Contreras Alan G. , Gabilondo Bernardo , Morales‐Buenrostro Luis E. , Alberú Josefina
Published: November 2013

Key Clinical Message

The scenario of a renal transplant recipient who is diagnosed with HIV infection in the late post transplant period is very uncommon. The viral infection effect on immunologic stability, regulatory cells, and allogeneic response during immune quiescence and graft acceptance provides a fertile ground in organ transplantation research and translational immunology.
“We've Got Creative Differences”: The Effects of Task Conflict and Participative Safety on Team Creative Performance
Authors: Fairchild Joshua , Hunter Samuel T.
Published: November 2013

Although both participative safety and team task conflict are widely thought to be related to team creative performance, the nature of this relationship is still not well understood, and prior studies have frequently yielded conflicting results. This study examines the ambiguity in the extant literature and proposes that both constructs must exist in tandem. Through a study of 55 design teams, we have identified a significant interaction between task conflict and participative safety. Results suggest that both participative safety and task conflict must exist in tandem to spur team creativity, and that team creative performance must be examined at the facet level, instead of simply as a single construct. In addition, supplemental analyses suggest that teams low on participative safety and task conflict are likely able to generate more original solutions for creative tasks due to the presence of an independent, disagreeable creative member. Implications for future research and practice are further discussed.
Numerical solution of volterra functional integral equation by using cubic B‐spline scaling functions
Authors: Maleknejad Khosrow , Mollapourasl Reza , Mirzaei Paria
Published: November 2013

In this article, we consider a class of nonlinear functional integral equations which has rather general form and contains a lot of particular cases such as functional equations and nonlinear integral equations of Volterra type. We use a combination of a fixed point method and cubic semiorthogonal B‐spline scaling functions to solve the integral equation numerically. We provide an error analysis for the method which shows that the approximate solution converges to the exact solution. Some numerical results for several test problems are given to confirm the accuracy and the ease of implementation of the method. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 30: 699–722, 2014
Enhancement of Essential Oil Extraction for Steam Distillation by DBD Surface Treatment
Authors: Kodama Satoshi , Thawatchaipracha Butree , Sekiguchi Hidetoshi
Published: November 2013

A dielectric barrier discharge plasma was used for surface treatment of lemon peel, followed by steam distillation, to enhance essential oil extraction. The effects of plasma surface treatment of lemon peel on essential oil yield and composition were investigated. The yield of essential oil was improved by plasma treatment. Limonene, γ‐terpinene, and β‐pinene were identified from the extracted essential oil; the concentrations of these compounds were significantly decreased by O2, N2, and air plasma treatments, and slightly decreased by Ar plasma treatment. Microscopic observations showed that the lemon peel surface was damaged by discharge, and that some oil bled from the oil glands. It was concluded that essential oil extraction was enhanced by small defects generated on the lemon peel by the plasma discharge.
Inactivation of Vegetative Microorganisms and Bacillus atrophaeus Endospores by Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS)
Authors: Schnabel Uta , Andrasch Mathias , Weltmann Klaus‐Dieter , Ehlbeck Jörg
Published: November 2013

Plasma is used as a common technology for the treatment and modification of surfaces in a variety of industrial branches. Decontamination of inorganic materials by plasma is possible with deterioration of the materials properties of a few nanometres. The inactivation efficacy of microwave plasma processed air against vegetative bacteria and bacterial endospores was investigated. The gained results provide inactivation rates up to 6 log in total treatment times (15–30 min) comparable to sterilization treatment times of thermo‐sensitive medical devices with ethylene oxide, formaldehyde or H2O2. Additions like O2 or O3 did not promote the antimicrobial efficacy. Moreover, this new method is characterized by advantages like no thermal influence, no toxicity for human and environment and low costs.
Examining the Role of Ozone in Surface Plasma Sterilization Using Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma
Authors: Mastanaiah Navya , Banerjee Poulomi , Johnson Judith A. , Roy Subrata
Published: November 2013

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) devices are known ozone generators. Authors have previously demonstrated a DBD surface plasma source, operating in air at atmospheric pressure, to achieve killing of vegetative cells in 2–3 min and sterilization in 20 min (bacterial spores). The aim of this paper is to examine the role of the ozone in surface DBD plasma sterilization. The role of ozone in plasma killing is examined by a) characterizing the rate of production/decay of ozone during DBD plasma generation, b) studying the effect of exposing bacteria (Escherichia coli) solely to the ozone thus produced. Our results indicate that while ozone plays a major role, the energy flux delivered to the electrodes is also crucial in the process of plasma sterilization.
Fabrication of mesa structural n‐type nanocrystalline‐FeSi2/p‐type Si heterojunction photodiodes by liftoff technique combined with photolithography
Authors: Funasaki Suguru , Promros Nathaporn , Iwasaki Ryuhei , Takahara Motoki , Shaban Mahmoud , Yoshitake Tsuyoshi
Published: November 2013

Mesa structural n‐type nanocrystalline (NC) FeSi2/p‐type Si heterojunctions were fabricated by a liftoff technique combined with photolithography in order to improve the diode performance, particularly to reduce the parasitic capacitance. Their current‐voltage characteristics were experimentally studied in the dark and under illumination using a 1.31 μm laser at room temperature. Their junction capacitance density and leakage current density were evidently reduced as compared with those of the normal structural diodes. The mesa diode exhibits a good rectifying action with a rectification ratio of approximately three orders of magnitude at bias voltages of ±1 V. The photodetection was clearly observed owing to the suppression in the dark current. The estimated detectivity is 2.0 × 109 cm√Hz/W at zero bias, which is an order of magnitude larger than that of the normal structural diodes. This should be because the formation of interface states is reduced accompanied by the interface area reduction. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electroluminescence properties of p‐Si/β ‐FeSi2 NCs/…/n‐Si mesa diodes with embedded multilayers of β ‐FeSi2 nanocrystallites
Authors: Chusovitin Evgeniy , Goroshko Dmitry , Shevlyagin Alexander , Galkin Nikolay , Shamirzaev Timur , Gutakovskiy Anton , Balagan Semen , Vavanova Svetlana
Published: November 2013

Light‐emitting silicon diode structures with embedded β ‐FeSi2 nanocrystallites have been fabricated using solid phase epitaxy and a combination of reactive deposition and solid phase epitaxy. Electroluminescence (EL) of the structures is studied over various temperatures and current densities under forward and reverse biases. We can state that β ‐FeSi2 NCs formed by the combined RDE+SPE method results in the formation of high density of dislocations and point defects. In contrast, defect‐free structures with β ‐FeSi2 NCs formed by SPE demonstrate intense EL (η = 1.2×10‐5%) in the wavelength range 1.4–1.6 µm even at room temperature. EL intensity dependence on the number of layers with embedded β ‐FeSi2 NCs is almost linear for the heterostructures formed on Si(100) and sublinear for the heterostructures formed on Si(111) substrate. The increase of the initial Fe layer thickness leads to the electroluminescence quenching. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Silicon‐silicide quasi‐zero dimensional heterostructures for silicon based photonics, opto‐ and thermoelectronics
Authors: Galkin Nikolay G. , Goroshko Dmitriy L. , Chusovitin Evgeniy A. , Galkin Konstantin N. , Dotsenko Sergei A.
Published: November 2013

Optimization of growth parameters has permitted to create monolithic nanocomposites with buried nanocrystallites (NCs) of iron and chromium disilicides, polycrystalline nanocomposites with buried Mg2Si NCs and epitaxial MnSi1.74 nanoislands on Si(111) substrate. Grown quasi‐zero dimensional heterostructures with multilayers of β‐FeSi2 NCs atop silicon p‐n junction have demonstrated the range expansion of photoelectrical sensitivity up to 1.8 µm and strong room temperature electroluminescence at 1.2 – 1.6 µm. A new approach to the selective doping of embeddded nanocrystallites inside silicon matrix has been developed on the base of the successive formation of ordered superstructures of metals (Ag, Sb) together with silicide island formation. Nanocomposite layers with n‐ and p‐type conductivity and huge Seebeck coefficient (550‐750 µV/K) in the Si‐p/β‐FeSi2 NCs/Si‐p and Si/Mg2Si NCs/Si‐p and Si/Mg2Si NCs/Si‐n nanocomposites have been created and tested. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
TCP‐polite rate control based on cooperative measurement
Authors: Wang Wen‐Yong , Huang Li‐Sheng , Li Chang‐Chun , Wang Xin
Published: November 2013

Based on the cooperative measurement of new congestion metric instead of drop ratio and round‐trip time, a new cooperative transmission control mechanism, called TCP‐polite rate control (TPRC), is proposed. In this scheme, the congestion metric of network is obtained with cooperative measurement and feeds back to rate‐based pacing mechanism, thus keeping the transmission rate at the lower bound of available bandwidth. Simulation results show that TPRC scheme outperforms TCP and TCP‐friendly rate control protocol in terms of fast‐start, efficiency, and fairness. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Protecting mobile agents communications in pervasive networks with a trusted distributed mediator for ID‐based RSA
Authors: Maccari L. , Fantacci R. , Pecorella T. , Ghettini G. , Chiti F.
Published: November 2013

This paper proposes a new method of data authentication and encryption for distributed networks supporting mobile software agents. Software agents are a valuable instrument in wireless distributed monitoring networks, because they can be used to concentrate monitoring efforts in certain areas where an event is taking place. In this way, events can be tracked in a dynamic and efficient way. Mobile agents have to send messages to each other in order to coordinate their actions, and those messages need to be secured by crypto credentials. However, when agents are moved over wireless networks, how can credentials be protected from sniffing by an attacker, besides layer II encryption? Moreover, if a rogue agent is injected in the network, is it possible to limit the damages it can produce? The proposed approach bridges mediated RSA with the trusted platform modules, in order to provide an efficient and secure communication between agents. The communication is secured using indeed Identity based cryptography, while maintaing the compatibility with standard RSA and eliminating the mediator introduced by mediated RSA. We will show that this approach is convenient in terms of traffic overhead, perfectly applicable to existing trusted platform modules specifications and able to limit damages that both external and internal attackers can produce to the network. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Privacy‐assured substructure similarity query over encrypted graph‐structured data in cloud
Authors: Zhang Yingguang , Su Sen , Wang Yulong , Chen Weifeng , Yang Fangchun
Published: November 2013

In recent years, large amounts of graph‐structured data have been outsourced to the commercial public cloud. It is a crucial requirement to enable substructure similarity query for effective data retrieval. However, for protecting data privacy, sensitive data have to be encrypted before outsourcing, which impedes the traditional similarity query schemes from being supported in cloud. Most existing works on encrypted cloud data retrieval pay little attention to this problem. Additionally, considering the huge amounts of encrypted data graphs, the complicated similarity computation and privacy requirements, it is particularly challenging to solve this problem effectively. In this paper, for the first time, we investigate the problem of privacy‐assured substructure similarity query over encrypted graph‐structured data in cloud computing. Our solution explores a secure framework and a series of secure algorithms to efficiently perform the substructure similarity query without privacy breaches. The proposed solution first builds a secure feature‐graph index to represent the feature‐related information about each encrypted data graph based on privacy homomorphism and obscuration methods and then calculates the similarity between the query graph and each data graph by the difference of feature frequency in a privacy‐preserving manner. Thorough analysis is given to investigate effectiveness and privacy guarantees, and the experiments with real dataset further demonstrate the validity and efficiency of the proposed solution. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural Changes of a U3O8/ZrO2 Catalyst During HCl Oxidation – a HAADF‐STEM Study
Authors: Krumeich Frank , Amrute Amol P. , Mondelli Cecilia , Pérez‐Ramírez Javier
Published: November 2013

Uranium oxide finely dispersed on ZrO2 crystals represents an effective and robust catalyst for the industrially relevant oxidation of HCl to chlorine. Remarkably, the catalytic performance increases significantly during the first 80 h on stream and remains stable thereafter. According to XRD results, this self‐activation of the catalyst is accompanied by the disappearance of the starting α‐U3O8 phase. The uranium distribution on the ZrO2 crystals at different stages of the reaction was visualized by aberration‐corrected HAADF‐STEM. The mostly mono‐atomic uranium oxide layers present in the fresh catalyst broaden during reaction and often form a homogeneous coating over the support crystals comprising small uranium oxide species mostly comprising a single uranium atom. These species are found to be often located on top of columns of ZrO7 polyhedra, pointing to a strong fixation on the carrier. This observation likely explains the unique stability of the zirconia‐supported uranium oxide catalyst in the Deacon reaction.