bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The hidden value of trees: Quantifying the ecosystem services of tree lineages and their major threats across the contiguous US
Authors: Cavender-Bares Jeannine M. , Nelson Erik , Meireles Jose Eduardo , Lasky Jesse R. , Miteva Daniela A. , Nowak David J. , Pearse William D. , Helmus Matthew R. , Zanne Amy E. , Fagan William F. , Mihiar Christopher , Muller Nicholas Z. , Kraft Nathan J. B. , Polasky Stephen
Published: April 2022

Trees provide critical contributions to human well-being. They sequester and store greenhouse gasses, filter air pollutants, provide wood, food, and other products, among other benefits. These benefits are threatened by climate change, fires, pests and pathogens. To quantify the current value of the flow of ecosystem services from U.S. trees, and the threats they face, we combine macroevolutionary and economic valuation approaches using spatially explicit data about tree species and lineages. We find that the value of five key ecosystem services with adequate data generated by US trees is $114 billion per annum (low: $85 B; high: $137 B; 2010 USD). The non-market value of trees from carbon storage and air pollution removal far exceed their commercial value from wood products and food crops. Two lineages—pines and oaks—account for 42% of the value of these services. The majority of species face threats from climate change, many face increasing fire risk, and known pests and pathogens threaten 40% of total woody biomass. The most valuable US tree species and lineages are among those most threatened by known pests and pathogens, with species most valuable for carbon storage most at risk from increasing fire threat. High turnover of tree species across the continent results in a diverse set of species distributed across the tree of life contributing to ecosystem services in the U.S. The high diversity of taxa across U.S. forests may be important in buffering ecosystem service losses if and when the most valuable lineages are compromised.
Building Muxeninity: Identity, gender/native performance and family in three documentaries
Authors: Díaz Zanelli José Carlos
Published: April 2022

In recent years, several audio-visual productions have portrayed the gender system of Juchitán (Oaxaca, Mexico), focusing in particular on muxes, a third-gender community. Many of these productions use exoticization to expose specific muxe characteristics that are founded on a centuries-long legacy within the Zapotec civilization. Based on queer theory and a close reading of specific scenes, this article examines three documentaries: Muxes:Auténticas, Intrépidas buscadoras de peligro/Muxes: Authentic, Intrepid Seekers of Danger (), Muxes () and Muxes (). This analysis shows how these films represent the process of gendered identity construction of the muxe community, as well as their connections with indigeneity and problematic family interactions.
Spectrality in Pa negre/Black Bread (Villaronga 2010): Queer aesthetics and its politics of memory
Authors: Enjuto Rangel Cecilia
Published: April 2022

Since the 1960s, Latin American and Iberian filmmakers have embraced the child’s gaze as a cinematic tool to mediate and understand the historical and political memory of war and dictatorial violence. During the transitions to democracy in the 1990s and the twenty-first century, cinematic representations of children became key in the cultural politics of memory. Pa negre/Black Bread () is one of the films that problematize the past. Through its queer aesthetics, the film depicts a vision of the war and the dictatorship that rejects dogmatic, formulaic readings and shows how the pervasive effects of political injustice nurture social and gender violence. Villaronga’s film challenges the spectators and their expectations by questioning who the real monsters are and how lies fabricate a particular vision of history and the demonization of the other. In this article, I argue that through the spectres of the past, and the monsters in the present, Pa negre evokes a moral and aesthetic complexity that resists the politics of consensus and avoids essentialist views on queer identity, the Catalan resistance to the Francoist state and the treatment of the past as a mere ideological commodity in the contemporary politics of memory in Spain.
Mexican cinema as petrocinema
Authors: Fornoff Carolyn
Published: April 2022

What if thinking about Mexican cinema in concert with the environment had implications beyond representation? This article brings ecocritical methodologies into conversation with industry studies to propose that reading Mexican cinema in tandem with energy has sweeping repercussions for the study of Mexican cinema. It highlights several potential avenues of inquiry that consider Mexican cinema as petrocinema. These include the film industry’s funding, infrastructure, material footprint and inextricability from the ideology of energy surplus as the driver of modernity. This capacious approach to energy and environment as an ontological question and not just a question of cinematic representation argues that cultural production should be historicized within the infrastructure of fossil-fuelled capitalist modernity.
Short Bowel Syndrome in Adults
Authors: Bering Jamie , DiBaise John K.
Published: April 2022

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a rare disorder characterized by severe intestinal dysfunction leading to malabsorption of macronutrients and micronutrients that often results in permanent need of parenteral nutrition support. Patients can develop SBS because of massive intestinal resection or loss of intestinal function and consequently experience significant morbidity and increased healthcare utilization. The remaining anatomy and length of bowel after intestinal resection have important prognostic and therapeutic implications. Because patients with SBS constitute a heterogenous group, management is complex and multifaceted, involving nutrition support, fluid and electrolyte management, and pharmacologic therapies in particular to control diarrhea. Surgical interventions including intestinal transplantation may be considered in selected individuals. Successful care of these patients is best accomplished by a multidisciplinary team that is experienced in the management of this syndrome.
Evaluation of the physiological potential of Panicum maximum seeds by multivariate analysis
Authors: Francisco Elder Carlos Bezerra Pereira  , Tatiane Sanches Jeromini  , Givanildo Zildo da Silva  , Salvador Barros Torres  , Chalita Martins Cibele
Published: April 2022

The aim of this work was to identify efficient vigor tests for differentiating the seed lots, forecasting seedling emergence in the field and assessing the physiological quality of Panicum maximum seeds. 12 seed lots from the cultivar Tanzania and 11 seed lots from the cultivar Massai were evaluated for water content, germination, first count and germination speed index, emergence and first emergence count of seedlings in sand, root length and shoot length, analysis of SVIS® images (seedling length, vigor and uniformity index) and seedling emergence in the field. The work was conducted in a completely randomized design for tests performed in the laboratory and in randomized blocks for tests in the field. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and the means compared by Scott Knott's test at 5% probability and statistical multivariate clustering analysis and principal components analysis. The shoot and root length tests are efficient for the evaluation of the physiological potential of P. maximum cv. Massai, while the seedling length, vigor index and growth uniformity index tests using image analysis, seedling emergence in sand and first seedling emergence count in sand are efficient in assessing the physiological potential of seeds of P. maximum cv. Tanzania, and providing information similar to that of seedling emergence in the field.
Effect of different herbicides on Bidens pilosa and Euphorbia heterophylla biotypes resistant to ALS inhibitors
Authors: Rocha Pereira Maria Renata , Marchi Sidnei Roberto de , Martins Dagoberto
Published: April 2022

Select herbicides with different mechanism of action is a satisfactory option for resistant weed control. Then, the present work aimed to study the efficiency of different herbicides and their mixtures on Bidens pilosa (blackjack) and Euphorbia heterophylla (wild poinsettia) biotypes, resistant to ALS herbicides in two development stages. The trials we arranged in a completely randomized design with four replications. The treatments tested were (g a.i/a.e ha-1): imazethapyr at 70 and 140 (WG formulation) + 1.0% Assist; imazethapyr at 57.6 and 72 (SL formulation) + 1.0% Assist; imazapic + imazethapyr at 56 and 70 + 1.0% Assist; glyphosate + imazethapyr (596); saflufenacil + glyphosate at 35 + 720 + 0.5% Dash in tank mix, glyphosate at 720 and, a control without herbicide application. Control efficiency was evaluated, as well as dry matter accumulation at the end of the studies. Plants of both species were more susceptible to herbicides at the early stage of development (2 to 4 leaves). The treatments with saflufenacil + glyphosate, (imazethapyr + glyphosate) and glyphosate promoted the best controls, regardless of the species studied and the application stage. The mixture with saflufenacil provided the highest control speed, and the mixture (imazethapyr + glyphosate) was less efficient among three excellent treatments when applied to plants in the 4-6 leaf stage. The treatments (imazethapyr, in both formulations) and (imazethapyr + imazapic) were ineffective in controlling the studied biotypes, regardless of dose and developmental stage studied.
The sward height at the early stockpiling period modifies the structural characteristics of marandu palisadegrass under continuous stocking
Authors: Santos Manoel Eduardo Rozalino , Gabriel de Oliveira Rocha  , Bruno Humberto Rezende Carvalho  , Simone Pedro da Silva  , Lorena Carla Adorno  , Kimberly Barcelos Gois
Published: April 2022

The control of sward height at the early stockpiling period influences the structural characteristics of stockpiled sward in winter. So, we conducted this work on the Cerrado region of Brazil based on the hypothesis that the reduction of pasture height at the beginning of stockpiling period results in: (i) lower stock of forage mass; and (ii) higher live leaf mass, but lower stem mass in stockpiled pasture during the winter. The treatments were four sward heights (15, 25, 35, and 45 cm) at early stockpiling period of marandu palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha syn. Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu). The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, with three replications (paddocks with 800 m²). The stockpiled swards were evaluated during the grazing period in winter on days 7 (beginning), 45 (middle) and 90 (end). The vegetative tiller number (VEGT), live leaf mass (LLM) and leaf area index (LAI) were greater in the 15 cm stockpiled pasture than the other treatments. Greater heights (35 and 45 cm) at stockpiling resulted in greater forage mass than lower heights (15 and 25 cm). The VEGT, LLM, number of reproductive tillers, live stem mass, forage mass and LAI values were higher at the beginning than at the end of the grazing period. Our hypothesis has been proven, so that the reduction of sward height of the marandu palisadegrass at the beginning of the stockpiling period results in lesser forage mass, but with better structural characteristics.
questão agrária no polo de desenvolvimento integrado Assu-Mossoró (RN)
Authors: Silva Alcimária Fernandes , Silva Anieres Barbosa da , Gomes Rita de Cássia da Conceição
Published: April 2022

O espaço agrário brasileiro, historicamente, tem se caracterizado pela presença de um processo de exclusão e expropriação de determinados sujeitos sociais de terem acesso ou permanecerem na terra. Com base nesse pressuposto, o artigo visa analisar a questão agrária no Polo de Desenvolvimento Integrado Assu-Mossoró (RN). Nas reflexões ora encaminhadas esse Polo é considerado como resultante do processo contraditório de desenvolvimento do capitalismo no campo, na medida em que, de um lado, é um projeto que expressa a modernização da agricultura, e, do outro, subjuga e expropria agricultores familiares camponeses das localidades que estão inseridas na área do Polo. Pesquisas bibliográficas e documentais e a coleta de dados, sobretudo nos Censos Agropecuários de 2006 e 2017 e no Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária (INCRA), se constituíram nos principais procedimentos metodológicos. Concluiu-se que no referido Polo predominam os estabelecimentos da agricultura familiar, de pequena dimensão, reflexo de uma concentração fundiária que tem se intensificado com a presença do capital no campo, e que a parceria e o arrendamento por parte dos agricultores sem-terra sinalizam para o não subjugo ao agronegócio.
Agricultura familiar e o acesso às políticas públicas
Authors: Medeiros Alves Mariana , Dias Duarte Julyana
Published: April 2022

A estrutura agrária brasileira é marcada por profundas desigualdades quanto à distribuição de terras, bem como o acesso às políticas públicas que possibilitem a permanência e a reprodução da agricultura familiar, ainda que tenha participação significativa na produção de alimentos do país. Nesse sentido, este artigo tem como objetivo analisar a agricultura familiar e suas formas de reprodução no território, no contexto das políticas públicas desenvolvidas em prol de seu desenvolvimento, com foco no cenário do Programa Nacional de Fortalecimento da Agricultura Familiar no município sul-mineiro de Poços de Caldas. Desse modo, optou-se pela realização de um estudo de caso, por ser um método qualitativo capaz de auxiliar na compreensão de determinada localidade, sem deixar de considerar a totalidade em que está inserida. Os resultados desse estudo apontam que em 2017, o número de estabelecimentos agropecuários que obtiveram financiamento pelo PRONAF em Poços de Caldas, foram 40 de um total de 296 estabelecimentos agropecuários, com crescimento de aproximadamente 23% em relação ao censo anterior, de 2006 (IBGE 2006, 2017).
Comida de verdade
Authors: De Castro Barbosa Xênia , Ferreira da Silva Luís Felipe , Ribeiro Meireles Samhara Letycia
Published: April 2022

Este artigo visa comunicar reflexões oportunizadas pelo desenvolvimento do projeto “Comida de verdade: extensão rural para o fortalecimento da cadeia produtiva da farinha de mandioca no Território Rural de Identidade Rio Machado”. O referido projeto foi desenvolvido com o suporte do método dialógico de Paulo Freire (1980, 1981, 1983), e envolveu atividades de pesquisa e extensão social, com o objetivo central de contribuir para o fortalecimento da produção de mandioca no recorte geográfico citado. Os resultados apontaram para a redução da produção de mandioca em dois dos municípios do território investigado, em estagnação em três municípios e em elevação da produção em outros dois, evidenciando o conflito dessa atividade com a expansão da soja. O avanço do agronegócio da soja vem realizando significativas transformações socioterritoriais em Rondônia. Seus efeitos multivariados e multiescalares se manifestam na pressão sobre a terra, sobre os agricultores que produzem em regime familiar, sobre terras indígenas e unidades de conservação, dentre outros aspectos. Conclui-se que o fortalecimento da agricultura familiar, mediante linhas de fomento específicas, e a proteção às terras indígenas e áreas de conservação é fundamental para a segurança alimentar e nutricional dessas populações.
Agricultura familiar e gestão do PNAE
Authors: Sales Santos Ana Jacqueline , Galizoni Flávia Maria
Published: April 2022

No Brasil, na década de 1990 houveram intensos debates sobre produção de alimentos, modernização do campo e o lugar da agricultura familiar neste contexto. Marginalizados, agricultores familiares se organizaram para construir direitos e políticas públicas específicas. Este artigo analisa como agricultores familiares do Vale do Jequitinhonha se relacionam com canais de compras institucionais promovidos pelo Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar. A pesquisa realizada, de cunho qualitativo, compreendeu dados secundários de instituições públicas e estudo de caso no município de Turmalina. Os resultados indicaram que organizações da agricultura familiar criaram uma forma compartilhada da governança para adequação do PNAE à produção e dieta local. Apontou, ainda, que programas flexíveis e grupos sociais organizados são fundamentais para alavancar possibilidades de desenvolvimento.
Reflexões sobre o processo de ocupação do território amazônico por grandes empreendimentos sob a perspectiva da legitimação ambiental do espaço ocupado
Authors: De Carvalho Salma Saráty , Lima Aline Meiguins de , Silva Júnior Renato Oliveira da
Published: April 2022

O bioma amazônico vem apresentando complexas formas de apropriação do território associados a sistemas produtivos diversificados. A dinâmica espacial da Amazônia paraense vem sofrendo transformações com o avanço das fronteiras dos grandes empreendimentos e seus impactos ambientais significativos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi compreender os principais eventos relacionados à políticas públicas que incentivam a ocupação e/ou expansão dos grandes empreendimentos, os instrumentos regulatórios ambientais que legalizam o funcionamento das atividades, e refletir sobre licenciamento ambiental como instrumento legitimador do espaço ocupado. Realizou-se revisão sistemática de literatura científica e documental. Agrupou-se os eventos sob diferentes cenários governamentais. Efetuou-se o levantamento dos instrumentos regulatórios ambientais, destacando aqueles que concedem permissão para implantação de atividades com impactos significativos. Posteriormente, houve análise interpretativa sobre a presença dos efeitos socioambientais significativos mesmo após a criação do licenciamento ambiental. Os resultados indicam a Amazônia como território absorvedor de impactos ambientais significativos desde os primeiros grandes empreendimentos implantados. O licenciamento ambiental vem legitimar a ocupação do território e uso dos recursos naturais em larga escala, e, portanto, deve-se ponderar para que não haja legitimação de impactos sem o tratamento eficiente, assim como conflitos agrários e acidentes socioambientais com danos severos e irreversíveis, principalmente envolvendo populações tradicionais. Diante do exposto, ratifica-se a necessidade de aprofundar debates envolvendo a sociedade, como parte interessada e atingida, em conjunto com os empreendimentos, comunidade científica e poder público, abordando a responsabilidade socioambiental desses empreendimentos e estratégias de política pública para o planejamento ambiental e desenvolvimento territorial.
Turning a Blind Eye to African Refugees and Immigrants in a Tourist City: A Case-study of Blame-shifting in Cape Town
Authors:   University of the Western Cape, Ruiters Greg , Lombard Felicia ,   University of the Western Cape, Uwimpuhwe Denys ,   University of the Western Cape
Published: April 2022

What role do municipalities play in limiting xenophobia in all its forms and what should these bodies do in promoting the integration of African immigrants? This paper analyzes a case study of Cape Town's policies and programs concerning African immigrants and refugees following the 2008 xenophobic crisis, up to 2016. Municipalities as a separate sphere of the government have their own space to address socio-political problems and to shape local alliances and urban life. Despite being a tourist-led, gentrifying city which substantially draws on vulnerable African immigrant labor, Cape Town's leaders and businesses, however, have no explicit policies or programs to address xenophobia a ticking time bomb; and they tend to shift the blame to other actors. City leaders and employers see African immigrants in an instrumental way (as mere labor; a financial burden and not as potential citizens). This paper focuses on local government's definition of the foreign immigrant problem and its poor record of reducing the drivers of xenophobic conflicts in South African cities, recognizing that while cities are not the only players, they certainly are the closest to the problem. The paper concludes that the city needs a proactive, comprehensive approach, recognizing migrants and their organizations, especially foreign workers, legal immigrants and refugees, as key city builders, stakeholders and potential citizens in the city. The paper draws on interviews with city officials, migrants and asylum seekers in the City of Cape Town.
Between the Imagined and the Reality: Threat of African Invasion and Spain's Migration Policy in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors:   University of Winneba, Agyeman Edmond Akwasi
Published: April 2022

The paper examines Spain's migration policy aimed at controlling sub-Saharan African immigration. It is based on analysis of policy documents, migration statistics and secondary literature. The paper shows that current migratory trends and statistics do not support the perception that sub-Saharan African migrants are invading Spain. The paper shows that Spain's policy of walling itself off the African continent is borne out of an imaginary threat and Spain's role as a gatekeeper for Western Europe's southern borders. It further argues that Spain's restrictive policies ignore the long-standing interdependent trade and other economic networks that exist between Spain, North Africa and West Africa, which predate the European colonization of Africa.
Differences in Mental Health among Migrants and Non-migrants in South Africa: Evidence from the National Income Dynamics Study
Authors:   University of the Western Cape, Govera Hemish
Published: April 2022

The literature associates migration with poor mental health outcomes. Despite extensive empirical research in other countries, there is a paucity of research examining the mental health consequences of migration in South Africa, and the factors that compound the relationship between the two variables. The study objective was to evaluate the differences in the mental health status of internal migrants and that of non-migrants in South Africa with a special focus on depressive symptoms. The study considered the influence of various vulnerability and sociodemographic factors such as gender, age, educational attainment, race, income group, marital status and province of residence. Mental health disorders are already considered the largest contributor to the global disease burden. Hence, understanding the nature of the relationship between migration and mental health is critical for public health prevention efforts. To make the determination, the study applied descriptive analysis and logistic modelling based on the South African National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) panel datasets of 2008, 2010, 2014/15 and 2017. Descriptive statistics were employed to derive the frequency distribution of sociodemographic characteristics and migration factors. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the associations between depression, migration and sociodemographic factors.
Externalization and Securitization as Policy Responses to African Migration to the European Union
Authors:   University of Zululand, Mlambo Victor H
Published: April 2022

This paper examines how African migration to the European Union (EU) has become externalized and securitized and the implications this has for migration management for both the EU and Africa. To accomplish this, the paper employed a qualitative research approach which reviewed current literature on the topic under study. It found that the externalization and securitization of African migration to the EU have failed to prioritize and address the different socio-economic and political conditions that are driving irregular migration. Additionally, externalization and securitization as policy responses do not stop irregular African migration; rather, they prolong the misery of migrants who are at the mercy of smugglers who prey on their desperation. The paper concludes that migration management between the EU and Africa needs to be anchored on policies that address the core push factors driving irregular migration from Africa, rather than policies which do not stop migration (even though they have slowed it down) but rather indirectly empower smugglers and leave considerable room for the abuse of migrants.
Taux de croissance annuel moyen via une formule géométrique.
Authors: Vandeschrick Christophe
Published: April 2022

In the context of the diachronic analysis of rates, indices or ratios, the literature regularly proposes to calculate the average via a geometric formula. This article aims to show that this rule is not acceptable. The reflection is governed by the following basic principle: the average annual growth rate corresponds to the value of the rate which, applied during the different years under observation, leads to the same growth as that actually observed between the beginning and end of the observation period. Its application to the three population growth hypotheses commonly used in demography demonstrates that the average growth rate is never obtained via a geometric formula of the average. Moreover, the standard application of the basic principle gives rise to a formula for the average rate under the assumption of linear growth which contradicts the formula usually followed and which must therefore be abandoned.

Résumé

Dans le cadre de l’analyse diachronique de taux, d’indices ou de rapports, la littérature propose régulièrement de calculer la moyenne via une formule géométrique. Cet article vise à montrer que cette règle n’est pas acceptable. La réflexion est régie par le principe de base suivant : le taux de croissance annuel moyen correspond à la valeur du taux qui, appliquée durant les différentes années sous observation, conduit à la même croissance que celle effectivement observée entre le début et la fin de la période d’observation. Son application aux trois hypothèses de croissance de la population utilisées couramment en démographie démontre que le taux de croissance moyen n’est jamais obtenu via une formule géométrique de la moyenne. Par ailleurs, l’application du principe de base fait émerger une formule du taux moyen sous hypothèse de croissance linéaire en contradiction avec la formule habituellement suivie et qui doit donc être abandonnée.
Os desafios do financiamento da educação básica no Brasil em perspectiva multidisciplinar
Authors: Figueiredo Tripodi Zara , Dias Peres Ursula , Alves Thiago
Published: April 2022

O dossiê Educação e suas Interfaces com Administração, Contabilidade e Economia: Políticas e Saberes vem a público em momento desafiador para o financiamento da educação brasileira, diante do processo de implementação do Fundo de Manutenção e Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica e de Valorização dos Profissionais da Educação (Fundeb) que passou a ser um mecanismo permanente a partir da promulgação Emenda Constitucional n° 108/2020. Para uma ideia mais precisa de sua importância, em 2019, o Fundeb redistribuiu 65,5% do total dos recursos destinados ao financiamento das escolas públicas de educação básica sendo, portanto, basilar para a garantia do direito à educação para 39,3 milhões de crianças, jovens e adultos no Brasil (82,1% das matrículas da educação básica do país em 2019). Neste contexto, este artigo apresenta as contribuições dos 10 artigos aprovados no dossiê vis-à-vis aos desafios atuais do financiamento da educação no Brasil nas seguintes temáticas: (a) Custos educacionais; Custo-Aluno Qualidade (CAQ); e desigualdades das condições de oferta entre escolas e localidades; (b) Mecanismos de equidade das políticas de financiamento; (c) Federalismo e desigualdades na capacidade de financiamento; (d) Dinâmica política e o processo de decisão parlamentar nos processos legislativos de aprovação do Fundeb; (e) Natureza jurídica das despesas em manutenção e desenvolvimento do ensino; (f) Federalismo educacional e governança do Plano Nacional de Educação; (g) Financiamento, remuneração e valorização docente; e (h) Financiamento da Educação Básica no Mercosul em perspectiva comparada.
MATLAB/Simulink Based Instantaneous Solar Radiation Modeling, Validation and Performance Analysis of Fixed and Tracking Surfaces for the Climatic Conditions of Lahore City, Pakistan
Authors: Ahmad Naseer
Published: April 2022

Mathematical modeling, simulation and experimental validation of instantaneous solar radiation is conducted in this article. The input parameters of the developed model are solar constant, latitude & longitude of the selected site, collector surface azimuth and elevation angle. The whole model is developed in MATLAB/Simulink and plots global radiation for any selected day of the year. To validate the model, actual data from RETScreen (energy management software) is taken and compared with the predicted data from developed model. During the whole year the predicted specific insolation is 226.65 MJ/m2/day and actual is 202.14 MJ/m2/day. The percentage error of the predicted data is 10.8% higher than the actual data. The validated model is used to calculate the monthly received solar radiation energy for the fixed surface and tracking surface. The yearly harvested solar energy by horizontal, yearly and monthly optimal tilt surfaces are 6828 MJ/m2, 7405 MJ/m2 and 7761 MJ/m2 respectively. Yearly insolation gain of the yearly optimal tilt and monthly optimal tilt collector surface is 8% and 14% as compared to the energy harvested by horizontal surface. For the single and dual axis tracking surfaces, yearly harvested energy is 8843 MJ/m2 and 9374 MJ/m2 respectively and this figure is 30% and 37% more as compared to the horizontal surface. If the insolation received by yearly optimal tilt is considered as reference value, then energy gain for monthly tilt, single and dual axis tracking is recorded as 5%, 19% and 27% respectively
Extracted Pomace Olive Oil Use for the Preparation of Starch Graft Copolymer
Authors: Dayoub Ola , Karam Sami , Alkjk Saeed , Soulayman Soulayman
Published: April 2022

In this work, the relevant parameters of a pomace olive oil consecutive solvent extraction method using ethanol, and petroleum ether are investigated from dry and wet pomace samples. It is found that, oil extraction from dry samples with petroleum ether showed a high yield (11.72±0.30%) with solvent recovery of 89%, while extraction yield with ethanol is (11.1±0.60%) with solvent recovery of 90%. Moreover, it is found that the oil extraction from wet samples with ethanol is possible but the economic feasibility is not proven as the solvent recovery is of 62%. On the other hand, the possibility of hydrolysis of the crude extracted pomace oil in alkaline medium is demonstrated in this work. In this context, the starch grafting of the obtained long chain mono-fatty acids was accomplished in the presence of Fenton's reagent in a Dimethyl formamide (DMFA)/Water solution. Sonication is used for reaction mixture homogeny and the biopolymer was obtained using domestic microwave heating. After characterizing the obtained grafting polymer, it was employed to prepare a composite material with polyvinyl alcohol. The prepared PVA composite film of grafted starch (PVA/gSt) has tensile strength of (5.84 MPa) while its elongation modulus increased by 123.6%. Moreover, it was observed, in this work, that (PVA/gSt) copolymerization increases both the crystalline structure and the morphological order. This result is contrary to the available literature related to copolymerization of starch with different mono acids. It is found that, the consecutive solvent extraction method is of promising aspect from technical and economic point of view and the grafted starch compatibility with other polymers may be improved. The PVA/gSt films could be applied as packaging films.
Trademark Registration in Bad Faith in the People’s Republic of China – Causes and Analysis of Provisions of Chinese law
Authors: Ratajczak Oskar
Published: April 2022

Bad faith trademark registrations in the People’s Republic of China are a longstanding issue. The PRC’s Trademark Law amendment of 2019 changed some articles relating to the bad faith trademark registration. The goal of this Article is to analyse the sources of this issue and examine the provisions of Chinese Trademark Law to understand how well foreign entities are protected against trademark squatters after the 2019 amendment. The causes of this issue were found in China’s unique economic position, the Chinese language, Chinese society, and Chinese culture. The analysis of the amended version of PRC’s Trademark Law found that, in fact, the Chinese legislator made some enhancements, but unfortunately it seems it is not going to be sufficient to protect the rightful foreign owners of trademarks in an effective way.
Reflections on the Context of Public Law and Private Law on the Example of the Decision to Permit a Road Investment
Authors: Gawrecki Bartłomiej Mikołaj
Published: April 2022

The article aims to show the next points of contact between public law and private law by presenting the civil and administrative legal effects of the decision on the permit for the implementation of a road investment (including its amendment and repeal), referred to in the Act of April 10, 2003, on special rules for the preparation of and implementation of investments in the field of public roads. The reason for the author to analyze the topic was the fact that the author has noticed the increasingly stronger interpenetration of the areas of public law and private law and problems encountered in legal practice. The article is a synthesis of the civil and administrative legal consequences – sometimes unintentional – of issuing and changing the decision on the permit for the implementation of a road investment, which have their source in the unilateral, imperative action of a competent public administration body. It is also another voice in the discussion on the advisability of the classic division into the two oldest branches of law.
The Ostmarkgesetz of 14 April 1939 – One of the Normative Grounds of the Annexation Of Austria
Authors: Nieścior Bartosz
Published: April 2022

The article presents the political and legal changes that accompanied the passing and then the introduction of the Ostmarkgesetz in Austria in 1939. It also contains a detailed analysis of the structure and layout of this normative act. The Ostmarkgesetz was extremely important because it thoroughly changed the administrative organization and introduced a new administration of the state in this area. The consequences had a significant impact on the Austrian legal order. This law is considered to be one of the main tools of the direct annexation of Austria by the Third Reich. This was the beginning of the subsequent war conquests of the Nazi state.
Acute progesterone feedback on gonadotropin secretion is not demonstrably altered in estradiol‐pretreated women with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Kim Su Hee , Lundgren Jessica A. , Patrie James T. , Burt Solorzano Christine M. , McCartney Christopher R.
Published: April 2022

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) demonstrate gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator resistance to suppression with 7 days of progesterone and estradiol administration. It remains unknown whether such women demonstrate impairments in acute progesterone negative feedback on LH pulse frequency or progesterone positive feedback on gonadotropin release. This was a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled crossover study designed to test the hypothesis that acute, progesterone‐related suppression of LH pulse frequency and progesterone‐related augmentation of gonadotropin release are impaired in PCOS. Twelve normally cycling women and 12 women with PCOS completed study. Volunteers were pretreated with transdermal estradiol (0.2 mg/day) for 3 days and then underwent a frequent blood sampling study (20:00–20:00 h), during which they received micronized progesterone (100 mg) or placebo at 06:00 h. In a second study admission, volunteers received the intervention they did not receive during the first admission, but the protocol was otherwise identical. The primary outcome measures were LH secretory characteristics and circulating gonadotropin concentrations. Exogenous progesterone did not reduce LH pulse frequency in either group. Mean LH, pulsatile LH secretion, LH pulse mass, and mean FSH increased more with progesterone compared to placebo in both groups. Although trends toward less pronounced changes in LH pulse mass and pulsatile LH secretion were observed in the PCOS group, these differences were not statistically significant. In summary, exogenous progesterone did not suppress LH pulse frequency within 12 hours in estradiol‐pretreated women, and the positive feedback effect of progesterone on gonadotropin release was not demonstrably impaired in PCOS.

New & Noteworthy

This study indicated that exogenous progesterone does not reduce LH pulse frequency within 12 h in women with PCOS, but progesterone acutely increased gonadotropin in these women. This study suggested that progesterone‐related augmentation of gonadotropin release may be impaired in PCOS compared to normally cycling women, but this finding was not statistically significant.
Elevated IL-35 level and iTr35 subset increase the bacterial burden and lung lesions in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected mice
Authors: Yu Fangliu , Zhu Xinying , Li Qingdeng , Xu Wenqin , Gao Yunxing , Wen Yufeng , Zhang Qiong , Dou Jun
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between interleukin (IL)-35 level and IL-35-producing regulatory T cells (iTr35 subset) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-infected mice. After the mice were injected with Mtb strain H37R via tail vein, the bacterial burden, lung lesions, and the impact of immune suppression on the infected mice were respectively assessed. The results, when compared with the control mice, showed that the mRNA expression levels of the p35 and Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 of IL-35 were significantly increased in the Mtb-infected mouse spleen at 4 or 8 weeks post-infection and their protein expression levels were concurrently increased in the lungs of the mice, especially in 8 week infected mice. In addition, the levels of serum IL-35 and the iTr35 subset in the spleen of mice were also increased in 4 or 8 weeks post-infection compared with the control mice. Importantly, the high bacterial burden and lung lesions and the low mouse weight were found at 8 week post-infection. Therefore, the mice infected with Mtb resulted in elevating IL-35 level and iTr35 subset and increasing bacterial burden and lung lesions. The findings from the study suggest IL-35 and iTr35 cells may exert an immune suppression role in chronic Mtb-infected mice.
Comparison of axon extension: PTFE versus PLA formed by a 3D printer
Authors: Kawai Naofumi , Bando Mizuki , Yuasa Kento , Shibasaki Masayuki
Published: April 2022

Three-dimensional (3D) printers mainly create 3D objects by stacking thin layers of material. The effect of the tools created using the fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer on nerve cells remains unclear. In this study, the effects of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) models and two different types of polylactic acid (PLA) models (white or natural), were created using the FDM 3D printer on axon extension were compared using the Campenot chamber. Neurons were isolated from the dorsal root ganglia and added to the central compartment of the Campenot chambers after isolation, processing, and culturing. On day 7, after the initiation of the culture, the difference of the axon extensions to the side compartments of each group was confirmed. We also compared the pH and the amount of leakage when each of these chambers was used. The PLA was associated with a shorter axon extension than the PTFE (whitep= 0.0078, naturalp= 0.00391). No difference in the pH was observed (p= 0.347), but there was a significant difference on multiple group comparison (p= 0.0231) in the amount of leakage of the medium. PTFE was found to be a more suitable material for culturing attachments.
The role of temperature-induced effects generated by plasmonic nanostructures on particle delivery and manipulation: a review
Authors: Kotsifaki Domna G. , Nic Chormaic Síle
Published: April 2022

Plasmonic optical tweezers that stem from the need to trap and manipulate ever smaller particles using non-invasive optical forces, have made significant contributions to precise particle motion control at the nanoscale. In addition to the optical forces, other effects have been explored for particle manipulation. For instance, the plasmonic heat delivery mechanism generates micro- and nanoscale optothermal hydrodynamic effects, such as natural fluid convection, Marangoni fluid convection and thermophoretic effects that influence the motion of a wide range of particles from dielectric to biomolecules. In this review, a discussion of optothermal effects generated by heated plasmonic nanostructures is presented with a specific focus on applications to optical trapping and particle manipulation. It provides a discussion on the existing challenges of optothermal mechanisms generated by plasmonic optical tweezers and comments on their future opportunities in life sciences.
Chemically reactive Maxwell nanoliquid flow by a stretching surface in the frames of Newtonian heating, nonlinear convection and radiative flux: Nanopolymer flow processing simulation
Authors: Nasir Muhammad , Waqas Muhammad , Anwar Bég O. , Basha D. Baba , Zamri N. , Leonard H. J. , Khan Ilyas
Published: April 2022

The effects of a chemical reaction and radiative heat flux in a nonlinear mixed thermo-solutal convection flow of a viscoelastic nanoliquid from a stretchable surface are investigated theoretically. Newtonian heating is also considered. The upper-convected Maxwell (UCM) model is deployed to represent the non-Newtonian characteristics. The model also includes the influence of thermal radiation that is simulatedviaan algebraic flux model. Buongiorno’s two-component nanofluid model is implemented for thermophoretic and Brownian motion effects. Convective thermal and solutal boundary conditions are utilized to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of temperature and concentration distributions. Dimensionless equations are used to create the flow model by utilizing the appropriate parameters. The computed models are presented through a convergent homotopic analysis method (HAM) approach with the help of Mathematica-12 symbolic software. Authentication of HAM solutions with special cases from the literature is presented. The impact of various thermophysical, nanoscale and rheological parameters on transport characteristics is visualized graphically and interpreted in detail. Temperatures are strongly enhanced with Brownian motion and thermophoresis parameters. Velocity is boosted with the increment in the Deborah viscoelastic number and mixed convection parameter, and the hydrodynamic boundary layer thickness is reduced. A stronger generative chemical reaction enhances concentration magnitudes, whereas an increment in the destructive chemical reaction reduces them and also depletes the concentration boundary layer thickness. Temperature and concentration are also strongly modified by the conjugate thermal and solutal parameters. Greater radiative flux also enhances the thermal boundary layer thickness. Increasing the Schmidt number and the Brownian motion parameter diminish the concentration values, whereas they elevate the Sherwood number magnitudes,i.e.enhance the nanoparticle mass transfer rate to the wall.
Perspectives in biopolymer/graphene-based composite application: Advances, challenges, and recommendations
Authors: Asim Nilofar , Su’ait Mohd Sukor , Badiei Marzieh , Mohammad Masita , Akhtaruzzaman Md. , Rajabi Armin , Amin Nowshad , Ghazali Mariyam Jameelah
Published: April 2022

Graphene-based materials are widely applied due to their interesting physical and chemical properties, but their hydrophobic surface and toxicity to living creatures limit their application in some fields. Biopolymers are incorporated with graphene-based materials to overcome these issues and improve their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and ecological friendliness, and the synergetic effect enhances other properties as well. These properties make graphene-based materials a novel subject of interest in science and industry. In this study, the various applications of developed biopolymer/graphene-based composites are broadly addressed, and recent progress in the field is emphasized. Modification, stability, and compatibility are among the key merits for developing highly advanced composites with desirable properties. The major challenges and some recommendations in various applications based on reviewed studies are covered. However, the development of environmentally friendly, low-cost, high-quality, and large-scale biopolymer/graphene-based composites for specified applications is challenging. Studies based on application and trend are conducted. Opportunities and limitations can guide researchers in the field to solve challenges, provide directions for future studies, and optimize sustainable biopolymer/graphene-based composites for specified industrial applications.
Glucose-responsive nanogels efficiently maintain the stability and activity of therapeutic enzymes
Authors: Qi Hongzhao , Yang Jie , Yu Jie , Yang Lijun , Shan Peipei , Zhu Sujie , Wang Yin , Li Peifeng , Wang Kun , Zhou Qihui
Published: April 2022

To date, the encapsulation of therapeutic enzymes in a protective matrix is an optimized strategy for the maintenance of their stability, facilitating their clinical application. However, the stability and activity of therapeutic enzymes are often in tension with each other. A rigid protective matrix may effectively maintain the stability of therapeutic enzymes, but it can reduce the diffusion of substrates toward the therapeutic enzyme active site, dramatically affecting their catalytic efficiency. Here, we exploited a kind of nanogels by in situ polymerization on the arginine deiminase (ADI) surface with 3-acrylamido-phenylboronic acid (APBA) monomer. These nanogels efficiently improved the thermal stability (25–75℃), the pH stability (pH 1–13), and protease (trypsin) stability of ADI due to the strong rigidity of the surface poly(APBA) shell. And even after 60 days of storage, ∼60% of the activity of ADI encapsulated by nanogels remained. Furthermore, ADI encapsulated by nanogels could efficiently degrade arginine to increase the ratio of citrulline to arginine in mice plasma. That is because autologous glucose binds with APBA leading to the hydrophilicity increase of nanogels, and then, the arginine molecules can readily diffuse toward the encapsulated ADI. This nanogel platform eases the tension between the stability and activity of therapeutic enzymes. The resulting nanogels can efficiently maintain the in vitro stability and the in vivo activity of therapeutic enzymes, facilitating the exploitation of new therapeutic enzyme formulations, which can be transported and stored in vitro for a long time and be applied effectively in vivo.