bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Combined Effects of Multiple Invasive Species on the Persistence of Experimental Populations of Imperiled Pahrump Poolfish
Authors: Paulson Brandon L. , Stockwell Craig A.
Published: April 2021

Many ecosystems have been invaded by more than one non-native species, but research evaluating the combined effects of multiple invasive species has been limited. In the southwest USA, many aquatic systems have been invaded by multiple species such as non-native crayfish and non-native fishes. We used experimental mesocosms to test individual and combined effects of invasive Red Swamp Crayfish, Procambarus clarkii , and Western Mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis , on endangered Pahrump Poolfish, Empetrichthys latos. We found that crayfish alone reduced adult poolfish survival, however crayfish did not limit production of poolfish juveniles. By contrast, mosquitofish had no effect on survival of poolfish adults, but significantly reduced recruitment of juveniles. When both crayfish and mosquitofish were present, both adult survival and juvenile production were significantly decreased. These findings were consistent with the recent decline of a wild poolfish population from over 10,000 fish to less than 1,000 poolfish following the establishment of crayfish and mosquitofish. This study demonstrates that conservation management of the Pahrump Poolfish must have active management and removal of invasive species, otherwise extirpation and eventually extinction will likely occur and provides an example for the compounding effects of multiple invasive species for other study systems.
Coupling of dynamic hydrological response units and SWAT-MODFLOW to model the impact of vegetation change on hydrological processes in an arid endorheic river watershed
Authors: Jin Xin , Jin Yanxiang
Published: April 2021

Vegetation change in arid areas may lead to the redistribution of regional water resources, which can intensify the competition between ecosystems and humans for water resources. Thus, it is necessary to understand the impact of vegetation change on hydrological processes in arid areas. We aimed to accurately model the impact of vegetation change on hydrological processes in an arid endorheic river watershed undergoing revegetation. The middle and lower reaches of the Bayin River basin, China were investigated because this is an area of frequent surface water–groundwater interactions and evident revegetation. A LU-SWAT-MODFLOW model was developed by integrating dynamic hydrological response units with a coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model, which can reflect actual land cover changes in the basin. The results showed that the LU-SWAT-MODFLOW model outperformed the original SWAT-MODFLOW model in simulating human activity impact as well as the leaf area index, evapotranspiration, and groundwater table depth. After regional revegetation, evapotranspiration in different sub-basins increased by 1.5 mm per month and by 6 mm per year. The groundwater recharge increased by 1.27 mm on average per month and 14.02 mm on average per year. Irrigation for the recovered vegetation strongly affected the groundwater recharge. In addition, the direction and amount of surface water–groundwater exchange considerably changed in areas where revegetation involved converting low-coverage grassland and bare land to forestland. In areas where revegetation involved converting farmland to forestland, the transition had a weak effect on the direction and amount of surface water–groundwater exchange.
Hourly soil temperature prediction using integrated machine learning methods, GLUE uncertainty analysis, Taguchi search, and wavelet coherence analysis
Authors: Seifi Akram , Ehteram Mohammad , Nayebloei Fatemeh , Soroush Fatemeh , Gharabaghi Bahram , Haghighi Ali Torabi
Published: April 2021

In this study, hourly Ts variations at 5, 10, and 30 cm soil depth were investigated and predicted for an arid site (Sirjan) and a semi-humid site (Sanandaj) in Iran. Standalone machine learning models (adaptive neuron fuzzy interface system (ANFIS), support vector machine model (SVM), radial basis function neural network (RBFNN), and multilayer perceptron (MLP)) were hybridized with four optimization algorithms (sunflower optimization (SFO), firefly algorithm (FFA), salp swarm algorithm (SSA), particle swarm optimization (PSO)) to improve prediction accuracy and reduce uncertainty. Uncertainty analysis was performed using generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE), while wavelet coherence was used to assess interactions between Ts and meteorological parameters. For the arid site, ANFIS-SFO (RMSE = 1.18oC, MAE = 1.05oC, NSE = 0.93, PBIAS = 7%, and R2 = 0.9998) produced the most accurate performance at 5 cm soil depth. At best, hybridization with SFO (ANFIS-SFO, MLP-SFO, RBFNN-SFO, SVM-SFO) decreased RMSE by 5.6, 18, 18.3, and 18.18 % compared with the respective standalone model. At the semi-humid site, all integrated models showed most accurate performance at 10 cm soil depth, with RMSE for the best model (ANFIS-SFO) increasing by 10.5%, and MAE by 10.1%, from 10 to 30 cm depth. GLUE analysis confirmed that integrating optimization algorithms with machine learning models decreased the uncertainty in Ts predictions. Wavelet coherence analysis demonstrated that air temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation, but not wind speed, had high coherence with Ts at different soil depths at both sites, and meteorological parameters mostly influenced Ts in upper soil layers.
Efficient photocatalytic degradation of aniline blue under solar irradiation by ternary cobalt ferrite / graphitic carbon nitride / bentonite nanocomposite.
Authors: Thakurata Debasish Guha , Das Krishna Chandra , Dhar Siddhartha Sankar
Published: April 2021

The current research describes the synthesis, characterization, and application of CoFe2O4/g-C3N4/Bentonite as a novel nanocomposite for the efficient degradation of aniline blue under solar irradiation. Powder XRD, TIR, SEM, TEM, VSM, and UV-DRS were used to describe the formation and morphology of the composite. The composite has been used as a heterogeneous photo catalyst to degrade aniline blue in the presence of H2O2. In the presence of H2O2 in solar radiation, it was possible to degrade 88.5 % of 10 ppm aniline blue solution just in 50 minutes using 50 mg of the composite. The improvement in photodegradation rate in the existence of H2O2 was attributed to the advanced oxidation process (AOP) mechanism of Photo Fenton involving the production of reactive hydroxyl and perhydroxyl radicals. The degradation was found to follow 1st order kinetics with high regression coefficient with elevated rate constant.
Adrenal Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy: The Effects of a Full and Empty Stomach on Radiation Dose to Organs at Risk
Authors: Tanaka Osamu , Taniguchi Takuya , Ono Kousei , Nakaya Shuto , Kiryu Takuji , Makita Chiyoko , Matsuo Masayuki
Published: April 2021

BackgroundStereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) has been reported to be curative in the treatment of oligometastases to the adrenal glands. However, the adrenals are surrounded by radiation-sensitive organs. We performed an Organ at Risk (OAR) analysis for SBRT to the left adrenal gland based on gastric state.Patients and MethodsTwenty random stomachs were divided into “empty” or “full” groups of 10 each based on size. The PTV dose was 54 Gy/6 fx and D 95 coverage of PTV(CTV) (the dose to 95% of the PTV volume). ResultsThe gastric OAR dose in the empty group was significantly lower than the full group. The OAR dose to the left kidney in the empty group was significantly higher than in the full group.ConclusionThe smaller the stomach size, the lower the dose to the stomach. It is therefore better to perform SBRT on patients with an empty stomach.
Natural and Manmade (137Cs) Radioisotopes In Holocene Sequnce of The Sheresrtobitovsky Raised Bog In The Barabinsk Forest Steppe (West Siberia)
Authors: Leonova Galina A. , Melgunov Michael S. , Mezina Ksenia A. , Preis Yulia I. , Maltsev Anton E. , Shavekin Alexei S. , Rubanov Maxim V.
Published: April 2021

The specific activities of natural (7Be, 210Pb) and manmade (137Cs) radioisotopes in a suspended matter of snow water have been determined and the density of their fallouts on the surface of the Sherstobitovsky and Ubinsky raised bogs in the Barabinsk forest-steppe has been assessed at the points of snow sampling during winter period. It has been established that the main concentrator of 7Be radioisotope is a fine fraction of suspended matter (particle size < 0.45 µm) consisting of colloid and dissolved component, 210Pbatm is a coarse-grain fraction composed of dust particles (> 3 µm in size). As an example of the vertical profile of the Sherstobitosky peat bog, the first data on the distribution of natural (238U, 210Pb, 226Ra, and 40K) and manmade (137Cs) radioisotopes have been obtained for raised bogs of the forest-steppe zone in Western Siberia. The pattern for 226Ra and 238U in the nature of their vertical distribution is the same that is traced for 137Cs and 40K. According to our assumption, some increase in activities of these radionuclides is observed in horizons 6–12 cm, as well as in the lower part of the sequence (25–35 cm) is due to the same processes. Migration of 137Cs deep down the peat deposit is largely governed by the magnitude of peat water level fluctuations in both the seasonal and long-term cycle and it is closely related to the surface microrelief of the bog surface. Alongside this, 137Cs, being geochemical analog of the biophilic 40K, is absorbed by plant roots from underlying peat horizons during the dry season of a year. An additional contribution to the high activity of 137Cs in the upper horizons is probably conditioned by input of 137Cs to the surface of Sherstobitosky peat bog involved into atmosphere as a result of peat and forest fires.
Independent, But Not Synergistic, Effects of Landscape Structure And Climate Drive Pollination of A Tropical Plant, Heliconia Tortuosa
Authors: Dowd Claire E. , Leimberger Kara G. , Hadley Adam S. , Frey Sarah J.K. , Betts Matthew G.
Published: April 2021

Context Land-cover and climate change are predicted to affect pollination and plant reproduction but few studies have tested how these stressors interact to drive pollination success.Objectives Using a 9-year dataset we tested whether climate interacts synergistically with forest loss and fragmentation to affect pollination of a tropical understory herb, Heliconia tortuosa. We hypothesized that hot and/or dry conditions might amplify effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, leading to declines in plant reproduction.Methods We collected data on pollen tubes, fruits and seeds of H. tortuosa in a mensurative experiment representing gradients in forest amount and patch size (N=40 focal-patch landscapes). We modeled these reproductive metrics as a function of landscape composition, configuration, precipitation, temperature, and statistical interactions among these variables.Results We found little support for synergistic landscape and climate effects. However, probability of fruit production decreased in wet years, and increased in large patches embedded in more contiguous forest landscapes. Counterintuitively, small patches in heavily deforested landscapes also exhibited a high probability of fruit – perhaps due to constraints on hummingbird movement. Amount of H. tortuosa fruit decreased in wet years and in deforested landscapes. Conclusion Although we did not detect synergistic effects, climate and landscape structure do have independent impacts on plant reproduction. Unfortunately, the regional climate is predicted to become wetter and the forest remains fragmented, with potential negative consequences for Heliconia reproduction. Decline in this common species is likely to have cascading consequences for hummingbird pollinators, and subsequently other hummingbird dependent plant species.
Depression, Hope and Social support Among Older People with Cancer: A Comparison of Muslim Palestinian and Jewish Israeli Cancer Patients
Authors: Goldzweig Gil , Baider Lea , Jacobs Jeremy M. , Ghrayeb Ibtisam M , Sapir Eli , Rottenberg Yakir
Published: April 2021

Objectives: Studies concerning the psychosocial aspects of cancer diagnosis and treatment among older Muslim patients are scarce. The goal of this research was to compare depression, hope, and perceived social support between older Muslim Palestinians and Jewish Israelis diagnosed with cancer. Design: The study sample included 149 Muslim Palestinian and 122 Jewish Israeli cancer patients. Outcome measures: Self-administered measures of depression (5-Item Geriatric Depression Scale) and perceived social support (Cancer Perceived Agents of Social Support Questionnaire). Hope was measured via Snyder’s Adult Hope Scale and 6 specific hope items. Results: General hope was significantly higher among Muslim patients, specific hope items were significantly higher among Jewish patients, and depression was significantly higher among Muslim patients. Hope was the most significant predictor of depression in both samples, particularly among Jewish patients, with higher hope relating to lower depression. Conclusion: Healthcare providers should show cultural sensitivity and incorporate the perspectives of older cancer patients and their families in order to improve patients’ psychological well-being. The inclusion of the concept and language of hope within the therapeutic dialogue may improve psychological wellbeing and synchronize the needs and expectations of patients, caregivers, and health care professionals, resulting in more equitable and value-oriented care.
Influence of Selected Environmental Parameters on Rove Beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) Communities in Central European Floodplain Forests
Authors: Stašiov Slavomír , Litavský Juraj , Majzlan Oto , Svitok Marek , Fedor Peter
Published: April 2021

Wetlands and especially floodplain forests belong to the most endangered ecosystems in Europe, characterized by complex dynamics of flood and dry periods and providing specific irreplaceable habitats for many organisms, including bioindicators. Many rove beetle species, for instance, are well-known detectors in monitoring ecological change, however, their use in environmental assessment requires to expand the insufficient knowledge on ecological environmental particularities of their assemblages. Therefore, we compared the rove beetle communities in eight habitats of floodplain forests from 2015 to 2016. Staphylinids were sampled by pitfall trapping. We compared the rove beetle taxocoenoses in the floodplain forests and their ecotones alongside three rivers (Danube, Tisa and Begej). We evaluated the impact of plant diversity and cover of vegetation layers, area, circumference and age of forest stands, distance to the forest edge, thickness of the litter layer, physical and chemical properties of soil and leaf litter (conductivity, pH, P, N, H, C) and anthropogenic impact on structure of rove beetle communities. We recorded significant interactions between total dynamic activity of rove beetles and number of plant species in shrub vegetation layer. Species richness was significantly positively correlated with number of plant species in shrub vegetation layer and soil pH, and negatively with relative H content of soil. We did not find any significant correlation between Shannon diversity, but evenness was negatively linked with species richness of plant communities in shrub layer.
Global water retention in forest canopy, litter, and soil layers and its controlling factors
Authors: Liu Yexuan , Shi Wenjiao , Tao Fulu , Shi Xiaoli
Published: April 2021

Forest ecosystems play a vital role in the earth’s hydrological process, and precipitation intercepted by forests accounts for more than a quarter of the water in the terrestrial hydrologic cycle. However, water retention in the three layers (canopy, litter, and soil) of forest ecosystems has not yet been thoroughly investigated on a global scale. Here, we investigate the global pattern of forest water retention capacity (WRC) and its controlling environmental factors based on 982 observations of 21 controlling factors in the three forest layers, mainly from 1990 to 2018. The results show that global WRC varies among the different forest types and climatic zones with a mean of 456.71 mm, while the average total water storage is 22,662.47 km3 in forest ecosystems. Climatic variables are the leading factors contributing to the variations in forest WRC, followed by forest structure factors, soil properties, terrain factors, and litter factors. This study advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying large-scale variations in forest WRC in different climate zones and forest types. The findings demonstrate that controlling factors should be considered when developing policy for regions with important ecological functions. They also provide a benchmark to improve ecohydrological models for simulating global WRC.
Green Credit, Green Reputation and Corporate Financial Performance: Evidence From China
Authors: Xi Bin , Wang Yaran , Yang Mingqian
Published: April 2021

Using green credit to guide the direction of funds is very important for improving the current social environment and enhancing economic development quality. Through its differential pricing features, evidence suggests that green credit has limited the flow of capital to highly polluting and high emission ("two high") industries, allowing more capital to flow to green industries and improving the quality of environmental and economic development. The article combines green credit and the performance of listed banks in a theoretical and empirical study to explore the intrinsic correlation between them and to find the intrinsic motivation for banks to implement green credit, which effectively improves social welfare and promotes sustainable economic development. The article first reviews the current status of green credit research and theories related to green development in China and other countries, and then analyses the dynamics of green credit development, value creation, as well as the mechanisms by which green credit improves the financial performance of listed banks. Finally, the article explores the impact of green credit on the financial performance of listed banks through empirical analysis. Here we have established a panel data model to sort out and analyze the relevant data of 19 listed Banks in China from 2008 to 2017 to study the impact of green credit on listed banks' financial performance. This study has shown that the green credit ratio, as an indicator of the amount of green credit implemented by listed banks, will positively impact financial performance. But the impact of the current period and the one-period lag is more significant, while the effect of the two-period lag is not significant. The second major finding was that when green reputation is used as an indicator to measure the quality of green credit implementation of listed banks, listed banks' financial performance can be significantly improved. Besides, this study has also found that green credit implementation generally has different impacts on different types of banks.
A Price-Aware Congestion Control Protocol for Cloud Services
Authors: sun xiaocui , Wang Zhijun , Wu Yunxiang , Che Hao , Jiang Hong
Published: April 2021

In current infrastructure-as-a service (IaaS) cloud services, customers are charged for the usage of computing/storage resources only, but not the network resource. The difficulty lies in the fact that it is nontrivial to allocate network resource to individual customers effectively, especially for short-lived flows, in terms of both performance and cost, due to highly dynamic environments by flows generated by all customers. To tackle this challenge, in this paper, we propose an end-to-end Price-Aware Congestion Control Protocol (PACCP) for cloud services. PACCP is a network utility maximization (NUM) based optimal congestion control protocol. It supports three different classes of services (CoSes), i.e., best effort service (BE), differentiated service (DS), and minimum rate guaranteed (MRG) service. In PACCP, the desired CoS or rate allocation for a given flow is enabled by properly setting a pair of control parameters, i.e., a minimum guaranteed rate and a utility weight, which in turn, determines the price paid by the user of the flow. Two pricing models, i.e., a coarse-grained VM-Based Pricing model (VBP) and a fine-grained Flow-Based Pricing model (FBP), are proposed. The optimality of PACCP is verified by both large scale simulation and small testbed implementation. The price-performance consistency of PACCP are evaluated using real datacenter workloads. The results demonstrate that PACCP provides minimum rate guarantee, high bandwidth utilization and fair rate allocation, commensurate with the pricing models.
Agile Attitude Maneuvers with Active Vibration-suppression for Flexible-spacecraft
Authors: Jianqiao Zhang , Kong Xianglong , Liu Chuang , Deng Qing
Published: April 2021

This paper addresses the agile attitude stabilization maneuver control of flexible-spacecraft using control moment gyros (CMGs) in the absence of modal information. Here, piezoelectric actuators are employed to actively suppress the vibration of flexible appendages. Both the attitude dynamics and the proposed robust controller are globally developed on the Special Orthogonal Group SO(3), avoiding ambiguities and singularities associated with other attitude representations. More specifically, an observer is first designed to estimate the modal information of vibration. A robust control law is developed by synthesizing a proportional derivative (PD) controller, an adaptive sliding mode controller, and an active vibration-suppression controller, which use the information of the estimated structural modes. The stability of the closed-loop system is proved using Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, numerical examples are performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Impaired executive functions predict repetitive behaviors in toddlers under 36 months old with autism spectrum disorder symptoms
Authors: Sadeghi Saeid , Pouretemad Hamid Reza , Badv Reza Shervin
Published: April 2021

Background: Executive Functions (EFs) deficit in Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been mainly investigated, while less is known about the EFs in toddlers. The study aimed was to investigate the relationship between EFs deficits and repetitive and restricted behaviors (RRBs) in toddlers with ASD symptoms. Finally, we examined whether EFs deficits were predictive of RRBs.Method: Cross-sectional data were collected from mothers of forty-five toddlers under 36 months old. The modified checklist for autism in toddlers (M-CHAT). The Gilliam autism rating scale (GARS-2), the behavior rating inventory of executive functioning-preschool version (BRIEF-P), and repetitive behavior scale- revised (RBS-R) administered to mothers.Findings: We found significant associations between parent-reported executive functions problems and (1) stereotyped behaviors, (2) self-injurious behaviors, (3) ritualistic behaviors, (4) sameness behaviors, (5) restricted behaviors, (6) compulsive behaviors, and (7) repetitive behaviors total score. There was a lack of association between M-CHAT and social interactions deficits of GARS-2 and the repetitive behaviors total score. Increases in the degree of EFs deficits predicted increments in repetitive behaviors.Discussion: These results support a link between executive disfunction and RRBs. Future research on RRBs in ASD may benefit from focusing on specific executive functioning abilities rather than general categories.
Predicting Tunnel Squeezing Using the SVM-BP Combination Model
Authors: HUANG Zhen , Liao Minxing , Zhang Haoliang , Zhang Jiabing , Ma Shaokun , Zhu Qixuan
Published: April 2021

Rock squeezing has a large influence on tunnel construction safety; thus, when designing and constructing tunnels it is highly important to use a reliable method for predicting tunnel squeezing from incomplete data. In this study, a combination SVM-BP (support vector machine-back-propagation) model is proposed to classify the deformation caused by surrounding rock squeezing. We designed different characteristic parameters and three types of classifiers (an SVM model, a BP model, and the proposed SVM-BP model) for the tunnel-squeezing prediction experiments and analysed the accuracy of predictions by different models and the influences of characteristic parameters on the prediction results. In contrast to other prediction methods, the proposed SVM-BP model is verified to be reliable. The results show that four characteristics: tunnel diameter (D), tunnel buried depth (H), rock quality index (Q) and support stiffness (K) reflect the effect of rock squeezing sufficiently for classification. The SVM-BP model combines the advantages of both an SVM and a BP neural network. It possesses flexible nonlinear modelling ability and the ability to perform parallel processing of large-scale information. Therefore, the SVM-BP model achieves better classification performance than do the SVM or BP models separately. Moreover, coupling D, H, and K has a significant impact on the predicted results of tunnel squeezing.
The Learning Effect of Online Discussions: New Active Form of Learning under COVID-19
Authors: Lim Jaeseo , Ko Hyunwoong , Park Jooyong , Ihm Jungjoon
Published: April 2021

Background: COVID-19 created confusion in all areas of society and is no exception in education. In line with the demands of the times, we investigated the applicability of active learning online for the health professional.Methods: This study was conducted in the school of dentistry, a selective university. Eighty-two dentistry students participated in this study in the second semester of 2020. The students were randomly assigned to four different groups and learned according to given experimental procedures. Their performance in the final test scores was analyzed using ANOVAs. Subsequently, we systematically analyzed past offline active learning and online experiments.Results: As with past offline experiments, self-study before discussion groups have achieved high learning outcomes in verbatim type and transfer type items. Online self-study groups scored slightly lower than offline self-study groups, but online self-study groups scored higher than offline and online lecture groups.Conclusions: Our findings denote that active learning for health professionals was applicable online. When self-study precedes the discussion, it becomes richer, thereby increasing students' learning outcomes.
What Intensity of Exercise Is Most Suitable for the Elderly in China? A Propensity Score Matching Analysis
Authors: Chen Xinlin , Su Dai , Chen Xinlan , Chen Yingchun
Published: April 2021

Background
The strategy of successful ageing is an important means to deal with the challenges of the current ageing society. This paper aims to explore the effects of different intensities of physical activity on the successful ageing of the elderly.
Methods
Our data were from wave 4 of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS), involving 9,026 residents aged 60 years and older. The intensity of physical activity was divided into three levels: vigorous, moderate and mild. The concept of successful ageing adopted a four-dimensional model of life satisfaction added to the theoretical model of Rowe and Kahn's. Propensity score matching (PSM) with controlling nine confounding factors were used to analyse the effects of different intensities of physical activity.
Results
The percentage of successful ageing was 1.88% among all subjects. Among them, 30.26%, 29.57% and 29.40% of the elderly often participated in vigorous, moderate and mild physical activity, respectively. The results of PSM showed that participation in moderate activity increased the probability of successful ageing of the elderly by 0.76–0.78% (P < 0.001), while participation in vigorous and mild physical activity had no significant effect on successful ageing (P > 0.05).
Conclusion
Moderate-intensity physical activity was most beneficial to the successful ageing of the elderly and should be promoted in the elderly population.
Evaluation of Uncertainty Propagation Predictions in River Water Quality Modeling
Authors: Fonseca André , Botelho Cidália , Boaventura Rui , Vilar Vitor
Published: April 2021

The uncertainty on model predictions to evaluate river water quality is often high to delineate appropriate conclusions. This study presents the statistical evaluation of the water quality modeling system Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN as a tool to improve monitoring planning and mitigate uncertainty in water quality predictions. It also presents findings in determining HSPF model’s sensitivity analysis concerning water quality predictions. The computer model was applied to Ave River watershed, Portugal. The hydrology was calibrated at two stations from January 1990 to December 1994 and validated from January 1995 to December 1999. A two-step statistical evaluation framework is presented based on the most common hydrology criteria for model calibration and validation and, a Monte Carlo methodology uncertainty evaluation approach coupled with multi parametric sensitivity analyses to assess model uncertainty and parameter sensitivity. Fourteen HSPF water quality parameters probability distributions are used as input factors for the Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation results for in stream fecal coliform concentrations was found to be most sensitive to parameters that represent first order decay rate and surface runoff that removes 90 percent of fecal coliform from pervious land surface rather than accumulation and maximum storage rates. Regarding oxygen governing process (DO, BOD, NO3, PO4), benthal oxygen demand and nitrification/denitrification rates were the most sensitive parameters.
Energetic return on investment determines overall soil microbial activity.
Authors: Dufour Louis , Herrmann Anke , Leloup Julie , Przybylski Cédric , Foti Ludovic , Abbadie Luc , Nunan Naoise
Published: April 2021

Microbial communities are a critical component of the soil carbon (C) cycle, as they are responsible for the decomposition of both organic inputs from plants and of soil organic C. However, there is still no consensus about how to explicitly represent their role in terrestrial C cycling. We suggest that a full understanding of microbial communities’ involvement in soil C dynamics can only be attained when the interaction between the properties of both available organic C and microbial communities are accounted for. Here, we show that the potential energetic return on investment, derived from an energetic analysis of available organic C, is strongly related to the overall metabolic response of microbial decomposers. We further show that microbial communities do not all obtain the same energetic return on investment when metabolising the same organic C, suggesting that the response also depends on the intrinsic properties of the microbial communities.
The Design and Manufacture of Custom Ocular Prostheses (COPs) Based on Computer-Aided Semi-automation Workflow
Authors: Ye Xin , Wang Jun , Fang Wei , Qian Zhenbin , Shen Lijun
Published: April 2021

Background
It is important to correct the ocular disfigurement by wearing prostheses as soon as possible after healing from the eye enucleation surgery. This study aimed to develop a new computer-aided approach to fabricate custom ocular prostheses (COPs) with higher accuracy and efficiency and to fit different anophthalmia sockets.
Results
Five patients underwent enucleation surgery from November 2018 to October 2020 were enrolled in the study. The semi-automatic design and fabrication workflow of COPs was based on the conjunctival sac impression, combined with Computer-aided design/Computer-aided manufacture (CAD/CAM) workflow, which involves computer image analysis, reverse engineering (RE), and 3-dimensional (3D) printing technologies. The height of palpebral fissure in the artificial eye group was 0.8000 ± 0.09529, N = 5.The height of palpebral fissure in the healthy eye group was 0.7660 ± 0.1147, N = 5, and there was no statistical difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). The artificial eye in the conjunctival sac had a good effect on the reconstruction of orbital fullness. Both of the vertical activity and horizontal activity of COPs is smaller than that of healthy eyes (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
COPs made by RE and 3D printing technologies can effectively make the COPs suitable for patients' conjunctival sac. This workflow improved the accuracy of the COPs, and also reduced patients’ waiting time, which is worthy to be popularized and applied.
The importance of sustained compliance with physical distancing during COVID-19 vaccination rollout
Authors: Teslya Alexandra , Rozhnova Ganna , Pham Thi Mui , Wees Daphne van , Nunner Hendrik , Godijk Noortje , Bootsma Martin , Kretzschmar Mirjam
Published: April 2021

Mass vaccination campaigns against SARS-CoV-2 are under way in many countries with the hope that increasing vaccination coverage will enable reducing current physical distancing measures. Compliance with these measures is waning, while more transmissible virus variants such as B.1.1.7 have emerged. Using SARS-CoV-2 transmission model we investigated the impact of the feedback between compliance, the incidence of infection, and vaccination coverage on the success of a vaccination programme in the population where waning of compliance depends on vaccine coverage. Our results suggest that the combination of fast waning compliance, slow vaccination rates, and more transmissible variants may result in a higher cumulative number of infections than in a situation without vaccination. These adverse effects can be alleviated if vaccinated individuals do not revert to pre-pandemic contact rates, and if non-vaccinated individuals remain compliant with physical distancing measures. Both require convincing, clear and appropriately targeted communication strategies by public health authorities.
Design and Antiproliferative and Antioxidant Activities of Furan-Based Thiosemicarbazides and 1,2,4-Triazoles: Their Structure-Activity Relationship and SwissADME Predictions
Authors: SICAK Yusuf
Published: April 2021

Due to the limited number of drugs in current clinical use, the diverse biological applications of furan have encouraged the preparation of a wide variety of thiosemicarbazide and triazole derivatives for the purpose of developing new drug agents. In this study aimed to investigate the antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of some thiosemicarbazides (1-12) and 1,2,4-triazoles (13-24). Compound 15 (IC50: 8.81±0.28 µM) showed the highest antiproliferative activity against the cervical (HeLa) cancer cell line among the compounds. Compounds 15, 20, 21, and 22 of the 1,2,4-triazole derivatives (13-24) exhibited excellent antioxidant activity. Moreover, the physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetic properties, drug similarity, and medicinal chemistry properties of all synthesized products were calculated using SwissADME. In addition, the effect of the structure–activity relationships of the 1,2,4-triazole derivatives (13-24) on the results of antiproliferative and antioxidant activity assays was evaluated.
Novel Masonry Grout Incorporating High Volumes of Industrial By-Products: Microstructure Characteristics and Pursuance of Durability Properties
Authors: Nayaka R. Ramesh , Alengaram U. Johnson , Jumaat Mohd Zamin , P Rathish Kumar , Fonseca Fernando S , M Sumesh
Published: April 2021

One solution to the high cost and scarcity of building materials is to use alternative and sustainable materials. The study presented herein developed an eco-friendly masonry grout using high volumes of palm oil clinker powder to replace cement and palm oil clinker to replace coarse aggregate. Several batches of grouts with different amounts of these materials were made to determine the technical viability of the grout. SEM and XRD analyses were conducted to investigate the microstructure characteristics of the grout, and water absorption, initial rate of absorption, sulphate attack and electrical resistivity tests were conducted to determine its durability. Compressive strength tests were conducted at different curing ages and the drying shrinkage of the grout was monitored for 180 days. The results indicate that the new grout is as good as a conventional grout but with added sustainable and economical benefits. The new grout can be used in masonry construction and can be used to alleviate the inadequate supply of affordable housing.
Effect of Environmental Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment: Empirical Evidence From China
Authors: Bai Dongbei , Liu Ling Cai , Fahad Shah , Baloch Zulfiqar Ali
Published: April 2021

The industry selection effect arising from the impact of environmental regulation on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in China is heterogeneous. Based on an extension of the principal-agent Game Theory, this paper constructs a system of simultaneous equations to study the dynamic effect of environmental regulation on Chinese FDI in terms of industry selection decisions, by utilizing panel data from 2005 to 2014 in China. Results of this study show that environmental regulation promotes the technological innovation within the Chinese industry and attract greater foreign capital investment. While the influx of capital will furthermore boost technological progress, a benign interaction effect may be observed between technological innovation and foreign capital. The implementation of the new environmental policy will intensify game strategies between managers and enterprises. Enhanced co-ordination activity within industrial organizations will generate more effective organizational and technological innovation, thereby attracting a large flow of FDI, Phase analysis suggests that the policy of market borrowing technologies is more effective. In addition, industry sample results highlight a compensation effect of technological innovation in the raw materials and manufacturing industry, though environmental regulation of high-tech industries will generate an offset effect with respect to technological innovation. Industries that show the strongest technological and innovative prospects will prove the most attractive for foreign capital investment.
Epidural Electrical Stimulation Of The Cervical Dorsal Roots Restores Voluntary Arm Control In Paralyzed Monkeys
Authors: Capogrosso Marco , Barra Beatrice , Conti Sara , Perich Matthew , Zhuang Katie , Schiavone Giuseppe , Fallegger Florian , Galan Katia , James Nicholas , Barraud Quentin , Delacombaz Maude , Kaeser Mélanie , Rouiller Eric , Milekovic Tomislav , Lacour Stephanie , Bloch Jocelyne , Courtine Gregoire
Published: April 2021

Recovering arm control is a top priority for people with paralysis. Unfortunately, the complexity of the neural mechanisms underlying arm control practically limited the effectiveness of neurotechnology approaches. Here, we exploited the neural function of surviving spinal circuits to restore voluntary arm and hand control in three monkeys with spinal cord injury using spinal cord stimulation. Our neural interface leverages the functional organization of the dorsal roots to convey artificial excitation via electrical stimulation to relevant spinal segments at appropriate movement phases. Stimulation bursts, triggered by intracortical signals produced sustained arm movements enabling monkeys with arm paralysis to perform an unconstrained, three-dimensional reach-and-grasp task. Stimulation specifically improved strength, task performances and movement quality. Electrophysiology suggested that artificial recruitment of the sensory afferents was synergistically integrated with spared descending inputs and spinal reflexes to produce coordinated movements. The efficacy and reliability of our approach hold realistic promises of clinical translation.
Immunomodulatory, Trypanocide, and Antioxidant Properties of Essential Oil Fractions of Lippia Alba (Verbenaceae)
Authors: Quintero Wendy Lorena , Moreno Erika Marcela , Pinto Sandra Milena Leal , Sanabria Sandra Milena , Stashenko Elena , García Liliana Torcoroma
Published: April 2021

Background: Parasite persistence, exacerbated and sustained immune response, and continuous oxidative stress have been described to contribute to the development of the cardiac manifestations in chronic Chagas disease. Nevertheless, there are no efficient therapies to resolve the Trypanosoma cruzi infection and prevent the disease progression. Interestingly, trypanocide, antioxidant, and immunodulatory properties have been reported separately for some major terpenes (citral, limonene, and caryophyllene oxide) presents in essential oils extracted from two chemotypes (Citral and Carvone) of Lippia alba. The aim of this study was to obtain L. alba essential oil fractions enriched with the aforementioned bioactive terpenes and to evaluate the impact of these therapies on trypanocide, oxidative stress, mitochondrial bioenergetics, genotoxicity, and inflammatory markers on T. cruzi-infected macrophages.Methods: T. cruzi-infected J774A.1 macrophage were treated with limonene-enriched (ACT1) and citral/caryophyllene oxide-enriched (ACT2) essential oil fractions derived from Carvone and Citral-L. alba chemotypes, respectively.Results: ACT1 and ACT2 exhibit similar trypanocidal effects to Benznidazole (BZN), against amastigotes. Synergistic antiparasitic activity was observed when ACT1 was combined with BZN or ACT2. This compound also decreased the oxidative stress, mitochondrial metabolism, and genotoxicity of the therapies. The experimental treatments (ACT1+ACT2 and ACT1+BZN) reduced the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α), while increased the anti-inflammatories (IL-4 and IL-10).Conclusion: Due to its highly trypanocidal and immunomodulatory properties, ACT1 (whether alone or in combination with BZN or ACT2) represents a promising compound for further studies in drug development towards the Chagas disease control.
A multi-analytical diagnostic approach to study patinas, trace of colours and degradation process on the stone surface of a Renaissance Piety from the Museum of Ancient Art (Castello Sforzesco, Milan)
Authors: Fermo Paola , Colella Mario , Malagodi Marco , Fiocco Giacomo , Albano Michela , Marchioron Silvia , Guglielmi Vittoria , Comite Valeria
Published: April 2021

Alteration dark patinas and traces of colours present on the surface of a marble Piety dating to the Renaissance period and stored at the Castello Sforzesco-Museum of Ancient Art (Milan, Italy) were studied and chemically characterized. For this purpose, a multi-analytical approach based on both portable non-invasive (XRF and colorimetric measurements) and micro-invasive techniques (FTIR/ATR and SEM-EDS), has been applied. The statue has been recently submitted to a restoration before an exhibition at the Louvre Museum and the original appearance of the marble surface recovered thanks to the patina removal. Through the analytical characterization carried out before and after the marble cleaning, the presence of a degradation layer composed by gypsum was evidenced on the stone surface. The origin of this layer is probably ascribable to the exposure of the statue to outdoor environment and interaction with atmospheric pollution. The chemical nature of the coating applied at the end of 19th century and responsible for the patina formation was hypothesized. Finally, the use of pigments originally applied by means of an organic binder was also highlighted.
UBE2S Activates NF-κB Signaling By Binding With IκBα and Promotes Metastasis of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell
Authors: Ho Jhih-Yun , Cheng Hsing-Hsien , Kuo Yu-Chieh , Lee Yu-Lin A. , Cheng Chia-Hsiung
Published: April 2021

BackgroundNuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling in cancer cells was reported to be involved in tumorigenesis. Phosphorylation and degradation of inhibitor of NF-κBα (IκBα) is a canonical pathway of NF-κB signaling. Herein, we report non-canonical activation of NF-κB signaling without phosphorylation of IκB but by directly binding by ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2S (UBE2S) for degradation in adenocarcinoma cells.MethodsTCGA and the Human Atlas Protein Database were used to analyze the survival rate and expression of UBE2S. PC9, H460, H441 and A549 cells were used in this study. PC9 and H460 cells were used for further analysis because of different protein levels of UBE2S. Specific IKK inhibitors, PS1145 and SC514, were used to analyze the phosphorylation of IκBα. Western blotting experiment was used to analyze the protein levels PC9 and H460 cells. Wound-healing experiment was used to analyze the migrative ability of PC9 and H460 cells. Overexpression and knockdown of UBE2S in H460 and PC9 cells were used to analyze the downstream proteins levels. Immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescent staining, a glutathione S transferase (GST) pull-down assay, and an in vitro binding assay were used to analyze the interaction of UBE2S and IκBα. Luciferase assay was used to analyze the activation of NF-κB signaling regulated by UBE2S. Zebrafish xenograft model was used analyzed the metastasis of PC9 cells regulated by UBE2S.Results UBE2S in lung adenocarcinoma patients was negatively related to the survival rate. The protein levels of UBE2S and IκBα were shown opposite change in PC9 and H460 cells. PC9 cells showed higher UBE2S expression and migrative ability than H460 cells. Phosphorylation of IκBα was not changed by treatment with IKK specific inhibitors, PS1145 and SC514, in PC9 and H460 cells. Overexpression and knockdown of UBE2S in H460 and PC9 cells showed the protein levels of IκBα were regulated. Immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescent staining, a glutathione S transferase (GST) pull-down assay, and an in vitro binding assay showed the direct binding of UBE2S with IκBα. Protein levels of nuclear p65 and luciferase assay showed the NF-κB signaling was regulated UBE2S. EMT markers and migrative ability of cancer cells were also regulated by UBE2S. Zebrafish xenograft tumor model showed the reduction of migrative PC9 cells by knockdown of UBE2S.ConclusionHigher UBE2S expressed in lung adenocarcinomas could bind with IκBα for activation of NF-κB signaling to promote metastasis of cancer cells. UBE2S might be a potential therapeutic target for lung adenocarcinomas.
On predicting the deformation and fracture properties of ABS / PMMA / Nano-SiO2 composites
Authors: Ding Jin , Huang Yahui , Fu Zhenshan , Cui Wenchao
Published: April 2021

The damage mechanism of ABS/PMMA/nano-SiO2 composites was studied by both experiments and finite element analysis in this paper. A microstructure-based the Homogenization theory and the surface-based cohesive method was developed to predict the deformation and fracture behavior of ABS/PMMA/nano-SiO2 composite. The constitutive behavior of the elastoplastic-damage in the matrix, the fracture for the nano-SiO2 reinforement, and the traction-separation for interfaces, were simulated in this model. The validity of the modeling results were validated by the agreement of the experiment and the morphology of fracture section with those predicted by the simulation. The numerical results were used to provide insight into the damage mechamisms of ABS/PMMA/nano-SiO2 composites, and the effects of nano-SiO2 strength on ABS/PMMA blends mechanical properties were also discussed in detail.