bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Nitrogen Deficiency and Resupply on the Absorption of Mineral Nutrients by Tangor Cultivar ‘Shiranuhi’ (Citrus unshiu × C. sinensis) Grown in a Hydroponic System
Authors: Heo Seong , Park Won-Pyo
Published: September 2022

Tangor (Citrus unshiu × C. sinensis) cultivars obtained through interspecific hybridization have gained popularity in various countries, including South Korea. However, tangor has a relatively short history of cultivation and thus has been less well researched in terms of physiology and opping technology compared to mandarin. In addition, although tangor grows more vigorously than mandarin and thus has high nutrient demands and longer harvest time, it is more prone to various physiological disorders. Furthermore, the demand for nutrients could vary depending on the cultivars even within the same species. Thus, the current study examined the effects of nitrogen deficiency and resupply on the uptake of mineral nutrients using a specific cultivar ‘Shiranuhi’ as a case study. In this study, the tangor cultivar ‘Shiranuhi’ was cultivated in a hydroponics system, which allows the control of nutrient contents, and changes in mineral nutrient contents under nitrogen deficiency and nitrogen resupply were examined. Based on this, the results show the straightforward relationship between nitrogen and other mineral nutrients under a hydroponic system applying the cultivation of tangor. This implies that the hydroponics system can be applied to tangor cultivation and efficiently and widely expanded in Northeast Asia, and the income of growers will increase through the production of high-quality fruits.
Heat Stress Tolerance: A Prerequisite for the Selection of Drought- and Low Phosphorus-Tolerant Common Beans for Equatorial Tropical Regions Such as Ghana
Authors: Appiah-Kubi David , Asibuo James Yaw , Butare Louis , Yeboah Stephen , Appiah-Kubi Zippora , Kena Alexander Wireko , Tuffour Henry Oppong , Akromah Richard
Published: September 2022

Forty common bean accessions of multiple genetic background trait attribution regarding drought tolerance were selected based on mean yield performance from an earlier field test evaluation conducted using augmented RCBD. The various bean genotypes were further evaluated with phosphorus and water treatment interactions at two different levels for each factor. The experiment was conducted in a 2 × 2 × 40 factorial using RCBD with three replications under screen-house conditions at the CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Kumasi-Ghana. The objective was to select drought- and low phosphorus-tolerant common bean genotypes; which are suitable for tropical climatic conditions. The results showed that common bean with drought and heat trait tolerance survived, developed flowers and podded with seeds to physiological maturity, whilst genotypes with no heat trait tolerance had impaired reproductive structural development and growth disruption; thus, flowers could not develop into pods with seeds. This reproductive developmental anomaly was due to prevailing average daytime and nighttime high temperatures of 35.45 °C and 29.95 °C, respectively, recorded during the growth period, which reduced pollen fertility. Among the 478 experimental bean plants (two plants were missing) analyzed, 141 (29.5%) did not flower, 168 (35.18%) had their pods dropped whilst 99 (20.7%) podded with seeds to achieve physiological maturity. The podded-seed bean genotypes were of the SEF-line pedigrees, which were shown to be heat and drought-tolerant. Meanwhile, bean accessions with SMC, SMN and SMR code prefixes did not pod into seed despite possessing drought-tolerant traits. The effects of interactions between phosphorus and water treatments on the root characteristics of drought-tolerant common bean were as follows: root length, root surface area, average root diameter and root volume growth extensions doubled dimensionally under optimum conditions (P2W2) compared to stressed conditions (P1W1). The results from the present study identified four SEF-bean genotypes, namely, SEF15, SEF 47, SEF 60 and SEF 62, as superior yield performers, even under low soil phosphorus and in extreme high temperature conditions. Therefore, breeding for the selection of drought- and low-P-tolerant common bean for tropical agro-ecological environments must also consider concomitant heat stress tolerance.
Characterization of High Molecular Weight Pneumococcal Conjugate by SEC-MALS and AF4-MALS
Authors: Deng James Z. , Lin Jason , Chen Michelle , Lancaster Catherine , Zhuang Ping
Published: September 2022

Infections by Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause serious pneumococcal diseases and other medical complications among patients. Polysaccharide-based vaccines have been successfully developed as prophylactic agents against such deadly bacterial infections. In the 1980s, PNEUMOVAX® 23 were introduced as the first pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines (PPSV). Later, pneumococcal polysaccharides were conjugated to a carrier protein to improve immune responses. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) such as PREVNAR® and VAXNEUVANCE™ have been developed. Of the more than 90 pneumococcal bacteria serotypes, serotype 1 (ST-1) and serotype 4 (ST-4) are the two main types that cause invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) that could lead to morbidity and mortality. Development of a novel multi-valent PCV against these serotypes requires extensive biophysical and biochemical characterizations of each monovalent conjugate (MVC) in the vaccine. To understand and characterize these high molecular weight (Mw) polysaccharide protein conjugates, we employed the multi-angle light scattering (MALS) technique coupled with size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) separation and asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation (AF4). MALS analysis of MVCs from the two orthogonal separation mechanisms helps shed light on the heterogeneity in conformation and aggregation states of each conjugate.
SORAG: Synthetic Data Over-Sampling Strategy on Multi-Label Graphs
Authors: Duan Yijun , Liu Xin , Jatowt Adam , Yu Hai-tao , Lynden Steven , Kim Kyoung-Sook , Matono Akiyoshi
Published: September 2022

In many real-world networks of interest in the field of remote sensing (e.g., public transport networks), nodes are associated with multiple labels, and node classes are imbalanced; that is, some classes have significantly fewer samples than others. However, the research problem of imbalanced multi-label graph node classification remains unexplored. This non-trivial task challenges the existing graph neural networks (GNNs) because the majority class can dominate the loss functions of GNNs and result in the overfitting of the majority class features and label correlations. On non-graph data, minority over-sampling methods (such as the synthetic minority over-sampling technique and its variants) have been demonstrated to be effective for the imbalanced data classification problem. This study proposes and validates a new hypothesis with unlabeled data over-sampling, which is meaningless for imbalanced non-graph data; however, feature propagation and topological interplay mechanisms between graph nodes can facilitate the representation learning of imbalanced graphs. Furthermore, we determine empirically that ensemble data synthesis through the creation of virtual minority samples in the central region of a minority and generation of virtual unlabeled samples in the boundary region between a minority and majority is the best practice for the imbalanced multi-label graph node classification task. Our proposed novel data over-sampling framework is evaluated using multiple real-world network datasets, and it outperforms diverse, strong benchmark models by a large margin.
A Wideband Noise Radar System Using a Phased Array with True Time Delay
Authors: Kim Eunhee , Kim In-kyu , Han Seungsu , Lee Jaemin , Shin Sang-jin
Published: September 2022

Noise radar has become attractive owing to progress in hardware technology. Aside from the low probability of exploitation, the use of noise waveform is likely to grow due to its low interference features, especially in circumstances where multiple radars operate in the same band. In this study, we developed and tested a wideband noise radar for a ground-moving vehicle. It operates in the X-band with an instantaneous bandwidth of 1.5 GHz. The true time delay (TTD) was applied to correct the distortion of the beam pattern by the wide bandwidth, and the correlators were implemented by high-speed parallel processing using a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The outdoor experimental results were presented.
Branch Identification and Junction Points Location for Apple Trees Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Tong Siyuan , Yue Yang , Li Wenbin , Wang Yaxiong , Kang Feng , Feng Chao
Published: September 2022

Branch identification is key to the robotic pruning system for apple trees. High identification accuracy and the positioning of junction points between branch and trunk are important prerequisites for pruning with a robotic arm. Recently, with the development of deep learning, Transformer has been gradually applied to the field of computer vision and achieved good results. However, the effect of branch identification based on Transformer has not been verified so far. Taking Swin-T and Resnet50 as a backbone, this study detected and segmented the trunk, primary branch and support of apple trees on the basis of Mask R-CNN and Cascade Mask R-CNN. The results show that, when Intersection over Union (IoU) is 0.5, the bbox mAP and segm mAP of Cascade Mask R-CNN Swin-T are the highest, which are 0.943 and 0.940; as for the each category identification, Cascade Mask R-CNN Swin-T shows no significant difference with the other three algorithms in trunk and primary branch; when the identified object is a support, the bbox AP and segm AP of Cascade Mask R-CNN Swin-T is significantly higher than that of other algorithms, which are 0.879 and 0.893. Next, Cascade Mask R-CNN SW-T is combined with Zhang & Suen to obtain the junction point. Compared with the direct application of Zhang & Suen algorithm, the skeleton obtained by this method is advantaged by trunk diameter information, and its shape and junction points position are closer to the actual apple trees. This model and method can be applied to follow-up research and offer a new solution to the robotic pruning system for apple trees.
PhotoElasticFinger: Robot Tactile Fingertip Based on Photoelastic Effect
Authors: Mukashev Dinmukhammed , Zhuzbay Nurdaulet , Koshkinbayeva Ainur , Orazbayev Bakhtiyar , Kappassov Zhanat
Published: September 2022

The sense of touch is fundamental for a one-to-one mapping between the environment and a robot that physically interacts with the environment. Herein, we describe a tactile fingertip design that can robustly detect interaction forces given data collected from a camera. This design is based on the photoelastic effect observed in silicone matter. Under the force applied to the silicone rubber, owing to the stress-induced birefringence, the light propagating within the silicone rubber is subjected to the angular phase shift, where the latter is proportional to the increase in the image brightness in the camera frames. We present the calibration and test results of the photoelastic sensor design on a bench using a robot arm and with a certified industrial force torque sensor. We also discuss the applications of this sensor design and its potential relationship with human mechano-transduction receptors. We achieved a force sensing range of up to 8 N with a force resolution of around 0.5 N. The photoelastic tactile fingertip is suitable for robot grasping and might lead to further progress in robust tactile sensing.
Pretreatment of Ultra-Weak Fiber Bragg Grating Hydrophone Array Based on Cubic Spline Interpolation Using Intensity Compensation
Authors: Pang Yandong , Liu Hanjie , Zhou Ciming , Huang Junbin , Gu Hongcan , Zhang Zhiqiang
Published: September 2022

The demodulation algorithm based on 3 × 3 coupler in a fiber-optic hydrophone array has gained extensive attention in recent years. The traditional method uses a circulator to construct the normal path-match interferometry; however, the problem of increasing the asymmetry of the three-way signal to be demodulated is easily overlooked. To provide a solution, we report a pretreatment method for hydrophone array based on 3 × 3 coupler demodulation. We use cubic spline interpolation to perform nonlinear fitting to the reflected pulse train and calculate the peak-to-peak values of the single pulse to determine the light intensity compensation coefficient of the interference signal, so as to demodulate the corrected three-way interference signal. For experimental verification, ultra-weak fiber Bragg gratings (uwFBGs) with reflectivity of −50 dB are applied to construct a hydrophone array with 800 sensors, and a vibratory liquid column method is set up to generate a low-frequency hydroacoustic signal. Compared to the traditional demodulation algorithm based on a 3 × 3 coupler, the pretreatment method can improve the consistency of interference signals. The Lissajous figures show that cubic spline interpolation can improve the accuracy of monopulse peak seeking results by about 1 dB, and intensity compensation can further lead to a much lower noise density level for the interference pulse amplitude—specifically, more than 7 dB at 5~50 Hz—and the signal-to-noise ratio is improved by approximately 10 dB at 10 Hz. The distinct advantages of the proposed pretreatment method make it an excellent candidate for a hydrophone array system based on path-match interferometry.
Cofopose: Conditional 2D Pose Estimation with Transformers
Authors: Aidoo Evans , Wang Xun , Liu Zhenguang , Tenagyei Edwin Kwadwo , Owusu-Agyemang Kwabena , Kodjiku Seth Larweh , Ejianya Victor Nonso , Aggrey Esther Stacy E. B.
Published: September 2022

Human pose estimation has long been a fundamental problem in computer vision and artificial intelligence. Prominent among the 2D human pose estimation (HPE) methods are the regression-based approaches, which have been proven to achieve excellent results. However, the ground-truth labels are usually inherently ambiguous in challenging cases such as motion blur, occlusions, and truncation, leading to poor performance measurement and lower levels of accuracy. In this paper, we propose Cofopose, which is a two-stage approach consisting of a person and keypoint detection transformers for 2D human pose estimation. Cofopose is composed of conditional cross-attention, a conditional DEtection TRansformer (conditional DETR), and an encoder-decoder in the transformer framework; this allows it to achieve person and keypoint detection. In a significant departure from other approaches, we use conditional cross-attention and fine-tune conditional DETR for our person detection, and encoder-decoders in the transformers for our keypoint detection. Cofopose was extensively evaluated using two benchmark datasets, MS COCO and MPII, achieving an improved performance with significant margins over the existing state-of-the-art frameworks.
Application of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials as a Reinforcement to Concrete Pavements
Authors: Jayasooriya Darshana , Rajeev Pathmanathan , Sanjayan Jay
Published: September 2022

Nanomaterials are considered to be one of the game-changing features in the modern world and nanotechnology is mostly reputed as the next-generation industrial revolution due to the extraordinary characteristics possessed by them at their very small scale. Graphene and graphene oxide are two main nanoscale materials that have seen a drastic increase in their use in cement-based composites due to exemptional enhancements in terms of strength and durability that can be imparted to compromise the inherent flaws of concrete and other cementitious composites. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of graphene and graphene oxide on improving the performance of cement-based composites and, particularly, of continuously reinforced concrete pavements (CRCP), which is one of the emerging trends in the transport sector due to various advantages they bring in over conventional flexible pavements and unreinforced concrete pavements. Fresh, hardened and durability properties of concrete with graphene-based nanomaterials were studied and the past experimental data were used to predict statistical interferences between different parameters attributed to concrete. According to the review, graphene-based nanomaterials seem to be promising to overcome the various CRCP distresses. Simultaneously, the possibilities and hinderances of using graphene and graphene oxide in cement-based composites as a reinforcement are discussed. Finally, the potential of using graphene in continuously reinforced concrete pavements is explored.
Evaluation of Livability of Wuhan under Ecological Construction and Analysis of Its Spatial Pattern
Authors: Cui Heng , Fang Hanzhen , Tian Yiyuan , Zheng Wenlong , Li Wenzhuo , Tian Wengao
Published: September 2022

With the continuous development of ecological city construction under the concept of “ecological civilization”, the creation of ecologically livable cities has become more and more important. Since urban livability involves a wide range of social life, the establishment of urban livability index evaluation system can help analyze urban livability and residents’ quality of life, and then optimize and control urban spatial structure to promote high-quality urban development. This study takes Wuhan, Hubei Province, as an example, and establishes a comprehensive index evaluation system based on 12 indicators in three criteria levels: economic, social, and environmental, and calculates a comprehensive score of urban livability for each district in Wuhan City, and conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the 13 administrative districts under Wuhan City. Based on the final scores, we analyze the livability and friendliness of each district in Wuhan, analyze the spatial pattern of the results, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the livability of each district in Wuhan, make scientific reference suggestions to promote the coordinated development of each district, guide the rational allocation of resources, and provide a reference for decision-making to promote the livable communities in each district in Wuhan.
Quantification, Environmental Impact, and Behavior Management: A Bibliometric Analysis and Review of Global Food Waste Research Based on CiteSpace
Authors: Jia Li , Qiao Guanghua
Published: September 2022

With the help of CiteSpace software and the Web of Science core collection database, we quantitatively analyzed the global research progress of food waste, explored the core and hotspots, and compared and analyzed the methods and findings based on the literature. The results show the following: (1) The studies in the field are multidisciplinary, with researchers from different countries drawing from each other’s work. The United States, China, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Sweden are the top five in terms of the number of articles published. (2) Research hotspots have gradually transitioned from food waste treatment processes to the quantification of food waste, resource and environmental impacts, consumer behaviors, and interventions, with quantification studies and food waste in the restaurant industry being the emergent hotspots in recent years. (3) Quantitative studies were mostly conducted based on two or more methods, and a larger proportion of studies were based on secondary data. In terms of per capita food waste, the amount from eating out at restaurants was higher than eating at home, and higher in developed countries than others. (4) The environmental footprint implied by food waste reflects the inefficiency and unsustainability of the food supply chain, and the footprint of meat food is much larger than that of other types. (5) The future trend in behavioral research is to conduct in-depth randomized intervention studies to explore the impact of different interventions and policies on food waste behavior and to strengthen cooperation among experts in various fields to dig deeper into theoretical approaches, policy systems, and science and technology to propose more strategic and sustainable food consumption and promote the transformation of agricultural food systems.
Developing a Quality 4.0 Implementation Framework and Evaluating the Maturity Levels of Industries in Developing Countries
Authors: Zulqarnain Ali , Wasif Muhammad , Iqbal Syed Amir
Published: September 2022

Industry 4.0 implementations integrate people, machines, data, technology, and processes and allow organizations to connect through digitization and cloud-based systems. The purpose of the present research is to realize the need and sustainability of digitization and connectivity within the quality management domain in developing countries, which is now called Quality 4.0. In previous research, several Quality 4.0 frameworks have been proposed. However, most of the frameworks are based on philosophy or require vast resources to implement. Hence, this research work proposes a framework for the implementation of Quality 4.0 in different industries. This framework is based on eleven dimensions that are the core requirements of the Quality 4.0; key variables are evaluated to gauge the maturity of the implementation of the framework. A research instrument is developed based on the variables to acquire the industry data, which are statistically analyzed to determine the maturity of implementation. It was found that scalability, culture, and app development require the most immense attention from industry to completely implement the requirements of Quality 4.0. Finally, recommendations are suggested that address the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in transforming traditional quality management systems to the Quality 4.0 framework.
Effect of pH Value on the Bandgap Energy and Particles Size for Biosynthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles: Efficiency for Photocatalytic Adsorption of Methyl Orange
Authors: Gherbi Bachir , Laouini Salah Eddine , Meneceur Souhaila , Bouafia Abderrhmane , Hemmami Hadia , Tedjani Mohammed Laid , Thiripuranathar Gobika , Barhoum Ahmed , Menaa Farid
Published: September 2022

In this paper, ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were greenly synthesized at different pH values of 4, 6, 9.5, and 11 via Portulaca oleracea leaf extract, and the effect of pH on the optical and structural properties was studied. UV-Vis spectrophotometers and FTIR spectroscopy characterized the optical properties. Meanwhile, the structural properties were characterized via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, their photocatalytic dye degradation was examined against methyl orange dye. The characterization results have confirmed the successful biosynthesis of ZnO nanoparticles with a size ranging between 22.17 to 27.38 nm. The synthesis pH value significantly influenced ZnO NPs’ optical and morphological properties. The results have also indicated the high performance of the greenly synthesized ZnO NPs for dye degradation.
Strategies to Promote Sustainable Development: The Gendered Importance of Addressing Diminishing African Locust Bean (Parkia biglobosa) Resources in Northern Ghana’s Agro-Ecological Landscape
Authors: Lelea Margareta Amy , Konlan Lydia Madintin , Ziblila Rashida Chantima , Thiele Lara Elena , Amo-Aidoo Araba , Kaufmann Brigitte
Published: September 2022

As the topic of gender and forests gains international attention through programs related to addressing the Sustainable Development Goals, we focus on a case study of the African Locust Bean (Parkia biglobosa) in the savannah landscape of northern Ghana. Although this tree holds high cultural significance for Dagomba women, it is unfortunately becoming scarcer in our study area near Tamale. We investigate the reasons for this decline in relation to the agricultural, ecological, and cultural landscape and discuss the gendered impacts of these changes. Research in these communities was conducted between 2018 and 2021 as part of a transdisciplinary action research approach to process underutilized species with women’s groups. The research started with a survey that included 27 women’s groups in 13 communities with 524 women participants. Out of a selected number of groups, our research team has worked more intensively with three women’s groups near Nyankpala, which selected for their processing focus the African Locust Bean, locally known as dawadawa. More than 45 group sessions were organized with seven groups in a collaborative learning process in 2019. Additionally, the three groups in Kpachi who chose to process the African Locust Bean sustained facilitation of group activities until the end of 2021. Specifically, on the topic of the decline of this tree, 19 semistructured interviews were conducted in August 2020 with 8 female farmers, 7 male farmers and 4 chiefs in the local governance system. Our results show the cultural significance of the African Locust Bean for women in the Dagomba culture as well as practical uses of all parts of the tree. Specifically, the seeds are used for making a fermented condiment and tea. Although seeds of the African Locust Bean are considered a women’s crop, their access to this tree is mediated by the local chiefs and often male land-users. Most farmers interviewed reported a reduction in trees in their fields. The reasons for the decrease can be summarized in six different categories, (1) aging tree populations, (2) challenge caring for saplings until maturity, (3) agricultural changes with increased mechanization and pesticide use, (4) over-use as a firewood resource, (5) usufruct rights between traditional chiefs, male land-owners, and women who should be granted access to the trees according to Dagomba cultural values, and (6) reduced water availability inhibits seed yield. In conclusion, there is an urgent need for action to protect and restore the African Locust Bean within northern Ghana’s savannah landscape to ensure continued access and benefits of the tree to women in the region.
Parental Involvement in Distance K-12 Learning and the Effect of Technostress: Sustaining Post-Pandemic Distance Education in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Abdullatif Ahlam Mohammed , Aladsani Hibah Khalid
Published: September 2022

This study explored the effect of parental involvement in K-12 distance learning activities on their perceived technostress and behaviours of support toward their children’s learning in Saudi Arabia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data. Applying the person-technology (P-T) fit model, this study proposed a model comprising five factors to answer the research questions. The five factors were parental involvement, parents’ technostress, parents’ self-efficacy, school support and behaviours of support. Analysis of 651 parent responses showed an insignificant relationship between parental involvement in distance learning activities and parents’ technostress. However, there was a significant and positive relationship between parental involvement and parents’ behaviours of support toward their children’s learning. The results also indicated that when parents’ technostress increases, their supportive behaviours rise accordingly. The level of technostress among parents in this study was found to reduce with an increase in both parents’ self-efficacy levels and the level of school support provided by administration and teachers to parents in distance learning environments. The findings of our study suggested several important implications that contribute to providing more effective and successful distance education and supporting the future of post-pandemic digital education in Saudi Arabia.
Learning the Indicative Patterns of Simulated Force Changes in Soil Moisture by BP Neural Networks and Finding Differences with SMAP Observations
Authors: Li Xiaoning , Zhao Hongwei , Sun Chong , Li Xiaofeng , Li Xiaolin , Zhao Yang , Wang Xuezhi
Published: September 2022

Soil moisture is a vital land surface variable that can influence climate change. Many problems in soil moisture data require the identification of signals obscured by anthropogenic external forces (including greenhouse gases such as CO2 and aerosol radiative force), natural forces (such as volcanic and solar activity), and internal variability (such as ENSO, NAO, and PDO). Although artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been widely studied in making accurate predictions, the studies of interpretation of ANNs in soil moisture are still rare. Hence, the proposed method aims to assist in the study of interpretating soil moisture data. Specifically, first, an ANN model is trained to predict the approximate year of the simulations by identifying the spatial patterns of qualitative changes in soil moisture. After accurately predicting the approximate year, the spatial patterns in the ANN model, acting as “reliable indicators” of the force changes, are the different natures of regional signals. Then, the simulated data and Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) observations are fed into the trained ANN separately, and the specific differences are observed by the Deep Taylor Decomposition (DTD) visualization tool. By comparing with the standard multiple linear regression method, the results of the ANN model can provide the reliable indicators of change for a specific year, thus providing meaningful information from the ANN model according to the common soil moisture data. The results show that a large correlation exists between eastern Asia and western North America during the 21st century, and the correlation increases with time in Australia. This also reflects the strong force signal due to a combination of anthropogenic and external forces that has played a role in soil moisture over the decades and can clearly discern the differences between model simulations and observed data. This study indicates that the proposed method using ANNs and visualization tools enables relatively accurate predictions and the discovery of unknown patterns within soil moisture data.
Research on the Impact of Fiscal Decentralization on Governance Performance of Air Pollution—Empirical Evidence of 30 Provinces from China
Authors: Luo Wenjian , Liu Yujie
Published: September 2022

Air pollution governance is of great benefit to future generations, and its steady performance improvement is inextricably linked to the fiscal relationships between the central and local governments in China’s decentralization context. Based on the provincial panel data from 2011 to 2019, this paper constructs a comprehensive index of air pollution governance performance using the entropy method. Then, the relationship between fiscal decentralization and governance performance of air pollution is measured using a two-way fixed effects model. The results show that the increase in fiscal decentralization is not conducive to the improvement in governance performance of air pollution. Moreover, fiscal decentralization weakens the positive impact of pollution control investment on enhancing governance performance of air pollution while easing the negative impact of local government capital attraction competition on enhancing governance performance of air pollution. In terms of regional level, fiscal decentralization in northern and inland regions significantly negatively impacts air pollution governance performance. However, the above effects are not significant in the southern and coastal regions. The policy implications of the above findings are as follows: first, the central government ought to optimize the financial decentralization system and promote multiple performance assessments. Second, it is essential to adjust the structure of fiscal spending and promote competitive partnerships among local governments. Third, emphasis should be placed on collaborative governance of key regions while developing an effective incentive mechanism.
Weinberg’s Compositeness
Authors: van Kolck Ubirajara
Published: September 2022

Nearly 60 years ago, Weinberg suggested a criterion for particle “compositeness”, which has acquired a new life with the discovery of new, exotic hadrons. His idea resonates with model-based intuition. I discuss the role it plays in the context of another of Weinberg’s creations, the model-independent framework of effective field theories.
Big Bang and Topology
Authors: Asselmeyer-Maluga Torsten , Król Jerzy , Wilms Alissa
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we discuss the initial state of the universe at the Big Bang. By using the ideas of Freedman in the proof of the disk embedding theorem for 4-manifolds, we describe the corresponding spacetime as a gravitational instanton. The spatial space is a fractal space (wild embedded 3-sphere). Then, we construct the quantum state from this fractal space. This quantum state is part of the string algebra of Ocneanu. There is a link between the Jones polynomial and Witten’s topological field theory. Using this link, we are able to determine the physical theory (action) as the Chern–Simons functional. The gauge fixing of this action determines the foliation of the spacetime and the smoothness properties. Finally, we determine the quantum symmetry of the quantum state to be the enveloped Lie algebra Uq(sl2(C)), where q is the fourth root of unity.
Vascular Response of Tetrabromobisphenol a in Rat Aorta: Calcium Channels Inhibition and Potassium Channels Activation
Authors: Feiteiro Joana , Rocha Sandra M. , Mariana Melissa , Maia Cláudio J. , Cairrao Elisa
Published: September 2022

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a flame retardant widely used to reduce flammability. It is an endocrine disruptor, and due to constant human exposure, some concerns have been raised regarding its impact on human health. Studies showed that TBBPA affects oxidative stress, cell proliferation and intracellular calcium levels. However, the vascular consequences of TBBPA exposure are still relatively unexplored. Hence, this work aimed to analyse TBBPA effects on rat aortic smooth muscle and its action mechanisms. Through an ex vivo approach, Wistar rat aortas were used in an organ bath to evaluate the vascular effect of TBBPA (0.01–100 μM). Additionally, TBBPA’s mode of action was studied through calcium and potassium channel inhibitors. Resorting to in vitro studies, A7r5 cells were used to analyse L-Type voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) activity through the whole-cell configuration of the patch clamp technique, and the mRNA expression of proteins and ion channels involved in vascular contractility. The results showed vasorelaxation of rat aorta induced by TBBPA exposure, involving the inactivation of L-Type VGCC and activation of potassium channels, and the modulation of mRNA expression of L-type calcium and large-conductance calcium 1.1 and the BKCa 1.1 α- and β1 -subunit channels, soluble guanylyl cyclase and protein Kinase G.
Harmful Effects of Pyraclostrobin on the Fat Body and Pericardial Cells of Foragers of Africanized Honey Bee
Authors: Inoue Lais V. B. , Domingues Caio E. C. , Gregorc Aleš , Silva-Zacarin Elaine C. M. , Malaspina Osmar
Published: September 2022

Managed honey bees are daily exposed in agricultural settings or wild environments to multiple stressors. Currently, fungicide residues are increasingly present in bees’ pollen and nectar and can harm colonies’ production and survival. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the effects of the fungicide pyraclostrobin on the fat body and pericardial cells of Africanized honey bees. The foragers were divided into three experimental treatment groups and two controls: pyraclostrobin 0.125 ng/µL (FG1), 0.025 ng/µL (FG2), 0.005 ng/µL (FG3), untreated control (CTL), and acetone control (CAC). After five days of oral exposure (ad libitum), the bees were dissected and prepared for histopathological and morphometric analysis. The FG1-treated bees showed extensive cytoarchitecture changes in the fat body and pericardial cells, inducing cell death. Bees from the FG2 group showed disarranged oenocytes, peripheral vacuolization, and pyknotic nuclei of pericardial cells, but the cytoarchitecture was not compromised as observed in FG1. Additionally, immune system cells were observed through the fat body in the FG1 group. Bees exposed to FG3 demonstrated only oenocytes vacuolization. A significant decrease in the oenocyte’s surface area for bees exposed to all pyraclostrobin concentrations was observed compared to the CTL and CAC groups. The bees from the FG1 and FG2 treatment groups presented a reduced surface area of pericardial cells compared to the controls and the FG3 group. This study highlighted the harmful effects of fungicide pyraclostrobin concentrations at the individual bee cellular level, potentially harming the colony level on continuous exposure.
Dark Energy from Virtual Gravitons (GCDM Model vs. ΛCDM Model)
Authors: Marochnik L. S. , Usikov D. A.
Published: September 2022

The dark energy from virtual gravitons is consistent with observational data on supernovas with the same accuracy as the ΛCDM model. The fact that virtual gravitons are capable of producing a de Sitter accelerated expansion of the FLRW universe was established in 2008 (see references). The combination of conformal non-invariance with zero rest mass of gravitons (unique properties of the gravitational field) leads to the appearance of graviton dark energy in a mater-dominated era; this fact explains the relatively recent appearance of the dark energy and answers the question “Why now?”. The transition redshifts (where deceleration is replaced by acceleration) that follow from the graviton theory are consistent with model-independent transition redshifts derived from observational data. Prospects for testing the GCDM model (the graviton model of dark energy where G stands for gravitons) and comparison with the ΛCDM model are discussed.
The C/M Ratio of AGB Stars in the Local Group Galaxies
Authors: Ren Tongtian , Jiang Biwei , Ren Yi , Yang Ming
Published: September 2022

The number ratio of carbon-rich to oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars (the so-called C/M ratio) is closely related to the evolution environment of the host galaxy. This work studies the C/M ratio in 14 galaxies within the Local Group with the most complete and clean sample of member stars identified in our previous works. The borderlines between carbon-rich AGB and oxygen-rich AGB stars as well as red supergiants are defined by Gaussian mixture model fitting to the number density in the (J−K)/K diagram for the member stars of the LMC and M33, and then applied to the other galaxies by shifting the difference in the position of tip red giant branch (TRGB). The C/M ratios are obtained after precise and consistent categorization. Although for galaxies with larger distance modulo there is greater uncertainty, the C/M ratio is clearly found to decrease with the color index (J−K)0 of TRGB as the indicator of metallicity, which agrees with previous studies and can be explained by the fact that carbon stars are more easily formed in a metal-poor environment. Furthermore, the C/M ratio within M33 is found to increase with galactocentric distance, which coincides with this scenario and the galactic chemical evolution model. On the other hand, the C/M ratio within M31 is found to decrease with galactocentric radius, which deserves further study.
The Variation of the X-ray Solar Flare’s Time Profile
Authors: Mawad Ramy , Moussas Xenophon , Ghamry Essam , Farid Hussein M.
Published: September 2022

We have studied the variation of the time profile of X-ray emission of solar flares that occurred during the second half of solar cycle 23 (SC 23) and for about the full solar cycle 24 (SC 24) (2002–2018). We define a new index, called the “ratio index” (Rf), for all X-ray solar flares. This index is defined as the ratio of the flare’s rising time interval by its total duration period. According to the ratio index, the X-ray solar flares are classified into two types: (1) sudden flares [Rf < 0.5], and (2) gradual flares [Rf > 0.5]. The sudden flare type, with fast-rising and slow recovery, is more common and represents most of the flares that happen most of the time during the solar cycles but are less common during the minimum solar activity years. On the other hand, the gradual flare type (or Rf > 0.5) is less common but predominates during the minimum solar activity epochs. Sudden flares tend to be strong, large, and numerous in the polar regions, while gradual flares are weak, short, and countable in the latitude range between 50 and 70, both for northern and southern latitudes. However, both types appear to happen in the lower latitudes and the solar equatorial regions.
The First Report and Phylogenetic Analysis of Canine Distemper Virus in Cerdocyon thous from Colombia
Authors: Echeverry-Bonilla Diego Fernando , Buriticá-Gaviria Edwin Fernando , Orjuela-Acosta Delio , Chinchilla-Cardenas Danny Jaír , Ruiz-Saenz Julian
Published: September 2022

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is the etiological agent of a highly prevalent viral infectious disease of domestic and wild carnivores. This virus poses a conservation threat to endangered species worldwide due to its ability to jump between multiple species and produce a disease, which is most often fatal. Although CDV infection has been regularly diagnosed in Colombian wildlife, to date the molecular identity of circulating CDV lineages is currently unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the presence and phylogenetic characterization of CDV detected in samples from naturally infected Cerdocyon thous from Colombia. We sequenced for the first time the CDV infecting wildlife in Colombia and demonstrated the presence of South America/North America-4 Lineage with a higher relationship to sequences previously reported from domestic and wild fauna belonging to the United States of America. Our results are crucial for the understanding of the interspecies transmission of CDV in the domestic/wild interface and for the prevention and control of such an important multi-host pathogen.
Biological and Molecular Characterization of the Lytic Bacteriophage SoKa against Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, Causal Agent of Citrus Blast and Black Pit in Tunisia
Authors: Oueslati Maroua , Holtappels Dominique , Fortuna Kiandro , Hajlaoui Mohamed Rabeh , Lavigne Rob , Sadfi-Zouaoui Najla , Wagemans Jeroen
Published: September 2022

Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss), the causal agent of citrus blast and black pit lesion of lemon fruit, continues to cause serious damage in citrus production in Tunisia. Faced with the rapid emergence of the disease and the inefficiency of conventional control methods, an alternative strategy based on the use of bacteriophages was pursued in this study. The lytic Pss bacteriophage SoKa was isolated from soil collected from Tunisian citrus orchards. Analysis of the host range showed that SoKa was able to lyse seven other Pss strains. Interestingly, Pseudomonas syringae pv. porri, pathogenic to leek, could also be infected by SoKa. The activity of SoKa was maintained at pH values between 2 and 10, at temperatures between −80 and 37 °C; the phage could resist UV radiation at an intensity of 320 nm up to 40 min. Whole genome sequencing revealed that the Pseudomonas phage SoKa is a novel phage that belongs to the Bifseptvirus genus of the Autographiviridae family. The absence of virulence proteins and lysogeny-associated proteins encoded on the phage genome, its anti-biofilm activity, and the significant reduction of tissue necrosis in different fruit bioassays make SoKa potentially suitable for use in phage biocontrol.
SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance in Belgian Wastewaters
Authors: Janssens Raphael , Hanoteaux Sven , Maloux Hadrien , Klamer Sofieke , Laisnez Valeska , Verhaegen Bavo , Linard Catherine , Lahousse Lies , Delputte Peter , Terwagne Matthieu , Marescaux Jonathan , Pype Rosalie , Didy Christian , Dierick Katelijne , Van Hoorde Koenraad , Lesenfants Marie
Published: September 2022

Wastewater-based surveillance was conducted by the national public health authority to monitor SARS-CoV-2 circulation in the Belgian population. Over 5 million inhabitants representing 45% of the Belgian population were monitored throughout 42 wastewater treatment plants for 15 months comprising three major virus waves. During the entire period, a high correlation was observed between the daily new COVID-19 cases and the SARS-CoV-2 concentration in wastewater corrected for rain impact and covered population size. Three alerting indicators were included in the weekly epidemiological assessment: High Circulation, Fast Increase, and Increasing Trend. These indicators were computed on normalized concentrations per individual treatment plant to allow for a comparison with a reference period as well as between analyses performed by distinct laboratories. When the indicators were not corrected for rain impact, rainy events caused an underestimation of the indicators. Despite this negative impact, the indicators permitted us to effectively monitor the evolution of the fourth virus wave and were considered complementary and valuable information to conventional epidemiological indicators in the weekly wastewater reports communicated to the National Risk Assessment Group.
Persistent Transmission of HCV among Men Who Have Sex with Men despite Widespread Screening and Treatment with Direct-Acting Antivirals
Authors: Popping Stephanie , Cuypers Lize , Claassen Mark A. A. , van den Berk Guido E. , De Weggheleire Anja , Arends Joop E. , Boerekamps Anne , Molenkamp Richard , Koopmans Marion P. G. , Verbon Annelies , Boucher Charles A. B. , Rijnders Bart , van de Vijver David A. M. C.
Published: September 2022

Background: In the Netherlands, unrestricted access to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) halved the incidence of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM). To develop strategies that can further reduce the spread of HCV, it is important to understand the transmission dynamics of HCV. We used phylogenetic analysis of a dense sample of MSM to provide insight into the impact of unrestricted access to DAAs on HCV transmission in the Netherlands and in Belgium. Methods: We included 89 MSM that were recently infected with HCV genotype 1a in ten Dutch and one Belgian HIV treatment centers. Sequences were generated using next gene sequencing and Sanger sequencing. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis (general time reversible model) was performed on concatenated NS5A and NS5B sequences and a reference set of 389 highly similar control sequences selected from GenBank. A cluster was based on a minimum bootstrap support of 90% and a 3% genetic distance threshold. Results: We found that 78 (88%) of individuals were part of seven major clusters. All clusters included individuals from across the study region, however, different cities were part of different clusters. In three clusters, HIV-negative MSM clustered with sequences from HIV-positive MSM. All clusters that were observed before the introduction of DAAs persisted after unrestricted access to DAAs became available. Conclusion: Recently acquired HCV infections among MSM in the Netherlands and Belgium are strongly clustered and therefore highly suitable for targeted prevention strategies, such as contact tracing and partner notification. Importantly, despite an HCV incidence reduction after high DAA uptake and continuously monitoring, HCV transmission persisted in the same clusters.