bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Review on Medicinal Plants Used in the Management of Headache in Africa
Authors: Frimpong Ebenezer Kwabena , Asong John Awungnjia , Aremu Adeyemi Oladapo
Published: September 2021

The use of medicinal plants in the management of diverse ailments is entrenched in the culture of indigenous people in African communities. This review provides a critical appraisal of the ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants for the management of headache in Africa. Research articles published from 2010 (Jan) to 2021 (July) with keywords such as Africa, ethnobotany, headache, medicinal plant and traditional medicine were assessed for eligibility based on sets of pre-defined criteria. A total of 117 plants, representing 56 families, were documented from the 87 eligible studies. Asteraceae (10%), Fabaceae (10%), Lamiaceae (9%) and Mimosaceae (5%) were the most represented plant families. The most popular plant species used in the management of headache were Ocimum gratissimum L. (n = 7), Allium sativum L. (n = 3), Ricinus communis L. (n = 3) and Artemisia afra Jack. ex. Wild (n = 2). The leaves (49%), roots (20%) and bark (12%) were the most common plant parts used. Decoction (40%) and infusion (16%) were the preferred methods of preparation, whereas the oral route (52%) was the most preferred route of administration. The data revealed that medicinal plants continue to play vital roles in the management of headache in African communities. In an attempt to fully explore the benefits from the therapeutic potential of indigenous flora for common ailments, further studies are essential to generate empirical evidence on their efficacies, using appropriate test systems/models. This approach may assist with the ongoing drive towards the integration of African traditional medicine within mainstream healthcare systems.
Innovative Biochemometric Approach to the Metabolite and Biological Profiling of the Balkan Thistle (Cirsium appendiculatum Griseb.), Asteraceae
Authors: Zheleva-Dimitrova Dimitrina , Zengin Gokhan , Ak Gunes , Sinan Kouadio Ibrahime , Mahomoodally Mohamad Fawzi , Gevrenova Reneta , Balabanova Vessela , Stefanova Alexandra , Nedialkov Paraskev , Voynikov Yulian
Published: September 2021

The widespread genus Cirsium Mill. (Asteraceae) is renowned in traditional medicine. In the present study, an innovative biochemometric-assisted metabolite profiling of the flower heads, aerial parts and roots of Cirsium appendiculatum Griseb. (Balkan thistle) in relation to their antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory potential was developed. The workflow combines ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC–HRMS) with partial least-square analysis to discriminate the herbal extracts and identify the most prominent biological activities. The annotation and dereplication of 61 secondary metabolites were evidenced, including 15 carboxylic (including hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic) acids and their glycosides, 11 acylquinic acids, 26 flavonoids and 9 fatty acids. All compounds were reported for the first time in the studied species. The root extract revealed the highest cupric and ferric reducing power (618.36 ± 5.17 mg TE/g and 269.89 ± 8.50 mg TE/g, respectively) and antioxidant potential in phosphomolybdenum (3.36 ± 0.15 mmol TE/g) as well as the most prominent enzyme inhibitory potential on α-glucosidase (0.72 ± 0.07 mmol ACAE/g), acetylcholinesterase (4.93 ± 0.25 mg GALAE/g) and butyrylcholinesterase (3.80 ± 0.26 mg GALAE/g). Nevertheless, the flower heads were differentiated by their higher metal chelating activity (32.53 ± 3.51 mg EDTAE/g) and total flavonoid content (46.59 ± 0.89 mgRE/g). The partial least-square discriminant and heat-map analysis highlighted the root extract as the most active and a promising source of bioactive compounds for the therapeutic industry.
Effects of Electromagnets on Bovine Corneal Endothelial Cells Treated with Dendrimer Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles
Authors: Hatamie Shadie , Shih Po-Jen , Chen Bo-Wei , Shih Hua-Ju , Wang I-Jong , Young Tai-Horng , Yao Da-Jeng
Published: September 2021

To improve bovine corneal endothelial cell (BCEC) migration, enhance cell energy, and facilitate symmetric cell distribution in corneal surfaces, an electromagnet device was fabricated. Twenty nanometer superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) functionalized with fourth-generation dendrimer macromolecules were synthesized, and their size and structure were evaluated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results confirmed the configuration of the dendrimer on the SPION surfaces. In vitro biocompatibility was assessed using the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. No significant toxicity was noted on BCECs within 24 h of incubation. In the cell migration assay, cells treated with dendrimer-coated SPIONs exhibited a relatively high wound healing rate under sample addition (1 μg/mL) under a magnetic field. Real-time PCR on BCECs treated with dendrimer-coated SPIONs revealed upregulation of specific genes, including AT1P1 and NCAM1, for BCECs-dendrimer-coated SPIONs under a magnetic field. The three-dimensional dispersion of BCECs containing dendrimer-coated SPIONs under a magnetic field was evaluated using COMSOL Multiphysics software. The results revealed the BCECs-SPION vortex pattern layers in the corneal surface corresponded to the electromagnet’s displacement from the ocular surface. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated that dendrimer-coated SPIONs can be used as a T2 contrast agent.
Application of Non-Viral Vectors in Drug Delivery and Gene Therapy
Authors: Ren Shuaikai , Wang Mengjie , Wang Chunxin , Wang Yan , Sun Changjiao , Zeng Zhanghua , Cui Haixin , Zhao Xiang
Published: September 2021

Vectors and carriers play an indispensable role in gene therapy and drug delivery. Non-viral vectors are widely developed and applied in clinical practice due to their low immunogenicity, good biocompatibility, easy synthesis and modification, and low cost of production. This review summarized a variety of non-viral vectors and carriers including polymers, liposomes, gold nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes from the aspects of physicochemical characteristics, synthesis methods, functional modifications, and research applications. Notably, non-viral vectors can enhance the absorption of cargos, prolong the circulation time, improve therapeutic effects, and provide targeted delivery. Additional studies focused on recent innovation of novel synthesis techniques for vector materials. We also elaborated on the problems and future research directions in the development of non-viral vectors, which provided a theoretical basis for their broad applications.
Molecular Brushes with a Polyimide Backbone and Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Side Chains by the Combination of ATRP, ROP, and CuAAC
Authors: Kashina Anna V. , Meleshko Tamara K. , Bogorad Natalia N. , Lavrentyev Viktor K. , Yakimansky Alexander V.
Published: September 2021

An approach to the synthesis of the novel molecular brushes with a polyimide (PI) backbone and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) side chains was developed. To obtain such copolymers, a combination of various synthesis methods was used, including polycondensation, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), ring opening polymerization (ROP), and Cu (I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne Huisgen cycloaddition (CuAAC). ATRP of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) on PI macroinitiator followed by ROP of ε-caprolactone (CL) provided a “brush on brush” structure PI-g-(PHEMA-g-PCL). For the synthesis of PI-g-PCL two synthetic routes combining ROP and CuAAC were compared: (1) polymer-analogous transformations of a multicenter PI macroinitiator with an initiating hydroxyl group separated from the main chain by a triazole ring followed by ROP of CL, or (2) a separate synthesis of macromonomers with the desirable functional groups (polyimide with azide groups and PCL with terminal alkyne groups), followed by a click reaction. Results showed that the first approach allows to obtain graft copolymers with a PI backbone and relatively short PCL side chains. While the implementation of the second approach leads to a more significant increase in the molecular weight, but unreacted linear PCL remains in the system. Obtained macroinitiators and copolymers were characterized using 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy, their molecular weight characteristics were determined by SEC with triple detection. TGA and DSC were used to determine their thermal properties. X-ray scattering data showed that the introduction of a polyimide block into the polycaprolactone matrix did not change the degree of crystallinity of PCL.
Characterization of CaCO3 Filled Poly(lactic) Acid and Bio Polyethylene Materials for Building Applications
Authors: Serra-Parareda Ferran , Alba Jesús , Tarrés Quim , Espinach Francesc X. , Mutjé Pere , Delgado-Aguilar Marc
Published: September 2021

Noise pollution has been identified as a cause of a broad spectrum of diseases, motivating researchers to identify building materials capable of attenuating this pollution. The most common solution is the use of gypsum boards, which show a good response for low frequencies but have a poorer response for high frequencies. In addition, due to environmental concerns associated with buildings, the use of materials that minimize environmental impacts must be favored. In this research, two biopolymers, a poly(lactic) acid and a bio-polyethylene, were filled with two typologies of calcium carbonate, and their soundproofing properties were tested using impedance tubes. In addition, the morphology of the fillers was characterized, and here we discuss its impact on the mechanical properties of the composites. The results showed that the incorporation of calcium carbonate into bio-based thermoplastic materials can represent a strong alternative to gypsum, because their mechanical properties and sound barrier performance are superior. In addition, the inclusion of mineral fillers in thermoplastic materials has a positive impact on production costs, in addition to preserving the advantages of thermoplastics in terms of processing and recycling. Although the use of carbonate calcium decreases the mechanical properties of the materials, it enables the production of materials with insulation that is four-fold higher than that of gypsum. This demonstrates the potential of these materials as building lightweight solutions.
Preparation and Characterization of Aminoglycoside-Loaded Chitosan/Tripolyphosphate/Alginate Microspheres against E. coli
Authors: Tiburcio Estefanía , García-Junceda Eduardo , Garrido Leoncio , Fernández-Mayoralas Alfonso , Revuelta Julia , Bastida Agatha
Published: September 2021

Although aminoglycosides are one of the common classes of antibiotics that have been widely used for treating infections caused by pathogenic bacteria, the evolution of bacterial resistance mechanisms and their inherent toxicity have diminished their applicability. Biocompatible carrier systems can help sustain and control the delivery of antibacterial compounds while reducing the chances of antibacterial resistance or accumulation in unwanted tissues. In this study, novel chitosan gel beads were synthesized by a double ionic co-crosslinking mechanism. Tripolyphosphate and alginate, a polysaccharide obtained from marine brown algae, were employed as ionic cross-linkers to prepare the chitosan-based networks of gel beads. The in vitro release of streptomycin and kanamycin A was bimodal; an initial burst release was observed followed by a diffusion mediated sustained release, based on a Fickian diffusion mechanism. Finally, in terms of antibacterial properties, the particles resulted in growth inhibition of Gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria.
Development of a Digital Twin for Enzymatic Hydrolysis Processes
Authors: Appl Christian , Baganz Frank , Hass Volker C.
Published: September 2021

Enzymatic hydrolysis processes can be used to produce organic nutrient media from renewable raw materials. However, many of these processes are not optimally designed, so expensive enzymes and substrates are wasted. Mathematical models and Digital Twins (DTs) are powerful tools, which can be used to optimize bioprocesses and, thus, increase the yield of the desired products. Individual enzymatic hydrolysis processes have already been modeled, but models for the combined starch hydrolysis and proteolysis, or DTs, are not available yet. Therefore, an easily adaptable, dynamic, and mechanistic mathematical model representing the kinetics of the enzymatic hydrolysis process of the combined starch hydrolysis and proteolysis was developed and parameterized using experimental data. The model can simulate the starch hydrolysis process with an agreement of over 90% and the proteolysis process with an agreement of over 85%. Subsequently, this model was implemented into an existing DT of a 20 L stirred tank reactor (STR). Since the DT cannot only map the kinetics of the enzymatic process, but also the STR with the associated periphery (pumps, heating jacket, etc.), it is ideally suited for future process control strategy development and thus for the optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis processes.
Spatiotemporal Variations and Uncertainty in Crop Residue Burning Emissions over North China Plain: Implication for Atmospheric CO2 Simulation
Authors: Fu Yu , Gao Hao , Liao Hong , Tian Xiangjun
Published: September 2021

Large uncertainty exists in the estimations of greenhouse gases and aerosol emissions from crop residue burning, which could be a key source of uncertainty in quantifying the impact of agricultural fire on regional air quality. In this study, we investigated the crop residue burning emissions and their uncertainty in North China Plain (NCP) using three widely used methods, including statistical-based, burned area-based, and fire radiative power-based methods. The impacts of biomass burning emissions on atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) were also examined by using a global chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) simulation. The crop residue burning emissions were found to be high in June and followed by October, which is the harvest times for the main crops in NCP. The estimates of CO2 emission from crop residue burning exhibits large interannual variation from 2003 to 2019, with rapid growth from 2003 to 2012 and a remarkable decrease from 2013 to 2019, indicating the effects of air quality control plans in recent years. Through Monte Carlo simulation, the uncertainty of each estimation was quantified, ranging from 20% to 70% for CO2 emissions at the regional level. Concerning spatial uncertainty, it was found that the crop residue burning emissions were highly uncertain in small agricultural fire areas with the maximum changes of up to 140%. While in the areas with large agricultural fire, i.e., southern parts of NCP, the coefficient of variation mostly ranged from 30% to 100% at the gridded level. The changes in biomass burning emissions may lead to a change of surface CO2 concentration during the harvest times in NCP by more than 1.0 ppmv. The results of this study highlighted the significance of quantifying the uncertainty of biomass burning emissions in a modeling study, as the variations of crop residue burning emissions could affect the emission-driven increases in CO2 and air pollutants during summertime pollution events by a substantial fraction in this region.
LR-TSDet: Towards Tiny Ship Detection in Low-Resolution Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Wu Jixiang , Pan Zongxu , Lei Bin , Hu Yuxin
Published: September 2021

Recently, deep learning-based methods have made great improvements in object detection in remote sensing images (RSIs). However, detecting tiny objects in low-resolution images is still challenging. The features of these objects are not distinguishable enough due to their tiny size and confusing backgrounds and can be easily lost as the network deepens or downsamples. To address these issues, we propose an effective Tiny Ship Detector for Low-Resolution RSIs, abbreviated as LR-TSDet, consisting of three key components: a filtered feature aggregation (FFA) module, a hierarchical-atrous spatial pyramid (HASP) module, and an IoU-Joint loss. The FFA module captures long-range dependencies by calculating the similarity matrix so as to strengthen the responses of instances. The HASP module obtains deep semantic information while maintaining the resolution of feature maps by aggregating four parallel hierarchical-atrous convolution blocks of different dilation rates. The IoU-Joint loss is proposed to alleviate the inconsistency between classification and regression tasks, and guides the network to focus on samples that have both high localization accuracy and high confidence. Furthermore, we introduce a new dataset called GF1-LRSD collected from the Gaofen–1 satellite for tiny ship detection in low-resolution RSIs. The resolution of images is 16m and the mean size of objects is about 10.9 pixels, which are much smaller than public RSI datasets. Extensive experiments on GF1-LRSD and DOTA-Ship show that our method outperforms several competitors, proving its effectiveness and generality.
New Evidence to Support Zephyria Tholus as a Composite Volcano on Mars
Authors: Wang Le , Zhao Jiannan , Huang Jun , Xiao Long
Published: September 2021

Zephyria Tholus has been proposed to be a composite volcano, however, detailed geomorphological study was not carried out due to limited high-resolution remote sensing data. Here we use MOLA, THEMIS, CTX and HiRISE data to conduct topographical and geomorphological analysis of Zephyria Tholus. We identify extensive valleys and troughs on the flank, which are sector collapse or glacio-fluvial in origin. The valleys and troughs indicate coexistence of different erosion resistance materials, along with the observed solid lava outcrops. There are also layered materials identified on the wall of the largest valley. In addition, perched craters are identified on the top depression and flanks of Zephyria Tholus, indicating the presence of ice-rich layer. We conducted crater size-frequency distribution of the caldera and found the absolute model age is 3.74 (+0.03, −0.04) Ga. The geomorphology evidence and chronology result support the composite volcano nature of Zephyria Tholus, and indicate the magma volatile content in the Aeolis region in Noachian is more than 0.15 wt% if the atmosphere paleo-pressure was similar to present Mars.
Overview of Medical Management of Transgender Men: Perspectives from Sri Lanka
Authors: Jayasinghe Ravindri , Jayarajah Umesh , Seneviratne Sanjeewa
Published: September 2021

Transgender medicine is an evolving field of medicine due to the rising awareness of individuals with a non-binary gender identity. Individuals with nonconforming gender identities have been on the rise in many societies and it is becoming an increasingly discussed issue. Their management is multidisciplinary, which includes mental health, endocrine therapy, and surgery. Although their general healthcare needs are similar to those of the general population, special considerations in primary and preventive care are also necessary in relation to the gender-affirming medical issues. Their quality of life is largely affected by psychological, social, and economic difficulties they face due to acceptance issues in the society and healthcare. This review explores the primary care, medical, and surgical management of transgender men with perspectives from Sri Lanka.
Development and Numerical Performance Analysis of a Micro Turbine in a Tap-Water Pipeline
Authors: Chen Huixiang , Kan Kan , Wang Haolan , Binama Maxime , Zheng Yuan , Xu Hui
Published: September 2021

The induction faucet has been widely used in public due to its advantages of convenience, sanitation, water, and electricity saving. To solve the problem of environmental pollution caused by dry batteries used in induction faucets, a suitable micro pipe mixed-flow turbine installed in a tap-water system with only 15 mm in diameter, that uses the pipeline water pressure to generate electricity for the induction faucet was designed and developed, based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and model tests. According to the specific speed, a preliminary design of each flow component of the turbine was first produced. Then, using the multi-objective orthogonal optimization method, the optimum test schemes were determined, and the influence of various test factors on the turbine’s hydraulic performance was revealed. Under the design flow rate, the turbine’s power output and efficiency were 6.40 W and 87.13%, respectively, which were 34.45% and 4.99% higher than those of the preliminary scheme. Both the power output and efficiency of the optimized turbine met the design requirements. Numerical and model test results showed good agreement, where the deviation in turbine power output predictions was below 5% under large flow condition. Model test results also showed that the turbine can be started as long as the inlet flow is greater than 0.14 kg/s. Overall, the micro-pipe turbine designed in this paper exploits the (mostly wasted) water kinetic energy in induction faucets for power production, contributing to environmental pollution reduction and realizing energy conservation.
Digitization of the Customs Revenue Administration as a Factor of the Enhancement of the Budget Efficiency of the Russian Federation
Authors: Zasko Vadim , Sidorova Elena , Komarova Vera , Boboshko Diana , Dontsova Olesya
Published: September 2021

In this study, we analyzed the main tendencies of the digitization of the tax and customs administration in Russia and worldwide. The main focus of this study is on the determination of the role of customs payments in the enhancement of the budget efficiency of the Russian Federation. For this purpose, we carried out an analysis of the collectability of the customs payments over 18 years according to their different types. Our research showed that further development of the use of digital technologies in customs payments administration will be carried out in the informational exchange systems between the tax and customs authorities. We conducted an expert evaluation of the predictive model parameters to define the basic technological points of the project for the modernization of the digital information exchange system between the customs and tax authorities. The use of the suggested management decisions makes it possible to form a balanced view of the key values to perfect the customs payments collection system in the context of the future development of the digital economy and the improvement of budget efficiency.
Explaining Loyalty in Higher Education: A Model and Comparative Analysis from the Policy of Gratuity, a Case Applied to Chile
Authors: Galindo-Illanes Maritza Katherine , Gallegos-Mardones Juan Alejandro , Vasquez-Parraga Arturo Z.
Published: September 2021

Since the 1980s, numerous transformations in higher education were experienced in Latin America, and especially in Chile, a country that allowed private entities to enter the education systems and develop a market. The opportunity triggered an increase of coverage and competition to capture and retain students, followed by marketing strategies delivering student satisfaction and pursuing student loyalty. Moreover, since 2012, higher education institutions in Chile have been allowed to adopt a policy of gratuity, giving families the co-responsibility of dealing with the cost of education. So, some institutions adopted gratuity and continued receiving funds from the state, but others did not, relying instead on family income. The split in the financial responsibility of higher education seems to have generated varied reactions from the students and their families, including their satisfaction with and loyalty to the institution. Despite the abundant literature on higher education, however, a few studies attempt to explain and compare student satisfaction and loyalty across types of institutions, such as those that opted for gratuity versus those that did not. This study examines a set of relevant attributes for understanding that phenomenon; attributes such as quality of service, satisfaction, trust, commitment, and loyalty. The results reveal a prevalence of trust and familiarity among the students attending an institution with gratuity. In contrast, the results demonstrate a preponderance of commitment and satisfaction among the students attending a non-gratuity institution that relies on family, private, and personal funds to support their education.
South Korean Public Acceptance of the Fuel Transition from Coal to Natural Gas in Power Generation
Authors: Jeong Hyung-Seok , Kim Ju-Hee , Yoo Seung-Hoon
Published: September 2021

South Korea has set up a plan to convert 24 coal-fired power plants into natural gas-fired ones by 2034 in order to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This fuel transition can succeed only if it receives the public support. This article seeks to investigate the public acceptance of the fuel transition. For this purpose, data on South Koreans’ acceptance of the fuel transition were gathered on a nine-point scale from a survey of 1000 people using face-to-face individual interviews with skilled interviewers visiting households. The factors affecting acceptance were identified and examined using an ordered probit model. Of all the interviewees, 73.6 percent agreed with and 12.2 percent opposed the fuel transition, respectively, agreement being about six times greater than opposition. The model secured statistical significance and various findings emerged. For example, people living in the Seoul Metropolitan area, people who use electricity for heating, people with a low education level, young people, and high-income people were more receptive of the fuel transition than others. Moreover, several implications arose from the survey in terms of enhancing acceptance.
Understanding the Dynamics of Human–Wildlife Conflicts in North-Western Pakistan: Implications for Sustainable Conservation
Authors: Khattak Romaan Hayat , Teng Liwei , Mehmood Tahir , Ahmad Shakeel , Bari Fathul , Rehman Ejaz Ur , Liu Zhensheng
Published: September 2021

The high economic costs of human–wildlife conflicts (HWC) hinder long-term conservation successes, especially in developing countries. We investigated HWC by interviewing 498 respondents from 42 villages in Nowshera district, Pakistan. According to respondents, six species—the common leopard (Panthera pardus), grey wolf (Canis lupus), golden jackal (Canis aureus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Indian porcupine (Hystrix indica), and wild boar (Sus scrofa)—were involved in livestock predation and crop-raiding. Livestock predation (N = 670) translated into a total annual economic loss of USD 48,490 across the 42 villages, with the highest economic loss of USD 57.1/household/year attributed to the golden jackal. Crop damage by wild boar and porcupine incurred a total annual economic loss of USD 18,000. Results further showed that livestock predation was highly affected by location, prey type, prey age, and herding practices, while cereals and vegetables were preferred crops for wild boar and Indian porcupine. The grey wolf was declared as the most dangerous carnivore, followed by the golden jackal and common leopard. Negative attitude about golden jackal and wild boar prevails among 90% of the respondents of the study area. We strongly assume that the abundance of apex predators can control the economic impacts of meso-carnivores and wild boar on the community’s livelihood. Keeping relatively smaller herds may reduce carnivore attacks and educating the populous and compensation can minimise negative perceptions of HWC. To reduce HWC in the study area, there should be an incessant and timely coordination between wildlife officials and the local community.
Impact of Construction Project Managers’ Emotional Intelligence on Project Success
Authors: Montenegro Alessandra , Dobrota Marina , Todorovic Marija , Slavinski Teodora , Obradovic Vladimir
Published: September 2021

Numerous authors are persistent in investigating the competency profile of the ideal construction project manager in order to decrease the failure rate of construction projects. There is evidence for the change in construction project management, from traditional practices to practices more focused on people and working relationships. The literature demonstrates a positive correlation between project manager’s Emotional intelligence and project success but less is written about the mechanisms that interfere with that relationship. Furthermore, project manager’s relationships with stakeholders are recognized as an important determinant of project success in the construction industry. Considering the above facts, this study was motivated to examine how the construction project manager’s emotional intelligence influences project success, and whether the relations with internal and external stakeholders interfere as mediators in that relationship. In the conducted research, 110 project managers participated. The results demonstrate that the emotional intelligence of construction project managers significantly influences the project success and that internal and external stakeholder relationships play an important role as mediators among them. Moreover, it is found that some components of EI have more significant influence on stakeholder relationships and project success and that internal and external relationships in different amounts affect components of project success.
The Influence of Voids in the Vibrations of Bodies with Dipolar Structure
Authors: Marin Marin , Vlase Sorin , Chirila Adina
Published: September 2021

In our study we analyse the vibration of a right cylinder which consists of an elastic material with dipolar structure and has pores. One end of this cylinder is subjected to an excitation, harmonically in time. The other end of the cylinder and its lateral surface are free of loads. We prove that the presence of the voids does not affect the spatial decay of effects away from the excited end, if the harmonic excitation level is below a predetermined threshold.
Asymmetry of Plant Cell Divisions under Salt Stress
Authors: Baranova Ekaterina N. , Gulevich Alexander A.
Published: September 2021

Salt stress causes several damaging effects in plant cells. These commonly observed effects are the results of oxidative, osmotic, and toxic stresses. To ensure normal growth and development of tissues, the cellular compartments of multicellular plants have a unique system that provides the specified parameters of growth and differentiation. The cell shape and the direction of division support the steady development of the organism, the habit, and the typical shape of the organs and the whole plant. When dividing, daughter cells evenly or unevenly distribute the components of cytoplasm. Factors such as impaired osmotic regulation, exposure to toxic compounds, and imbalance in the antioxidant system cause disorders associated with the moving of organelles, distribution transformations of the endoplasmic reticulum, and the vacuolar compartment. In some cases, one can observe a different degree of plasmolysis manifestation, local changes in the density of cytoplasm. Together, these processes can cause disturbances in the direction of cell division, the formation of a phragmoplast, the formation of nuclei of daughter cells, and a violation of their fine structural organization. These processes are often accompanied by significant damage to the cytoskeleton, the formation of nonspecific structures formed by proteins of the cytoskeleton. The consequences of these processes can lead to the death of some cells or to a significant change in their morphology and properties, deformation of newly formed tissues and organs, and changes in the plant phenotype. Thus, as a result of significant violations of the cytoskeleton, causing critical destabilization of the symmetric distribution of the cell content, disturbances in the distribution of chromosomes, especially in polyploid cells, may occur, resulting in the appearance of micronuclei. Hence, the asymmetry of a certain component of the plant cell is a marker of susceptibility to abiotic damage.
Seasonal Phenological Patterns and Flavivirus Vectorial Capacity of Medically Important Mosquito Species in a Wetland and an Urban Area of Attica, Greece
Authors: Beleri Stavroula , Balatsos Georgios , Karras Vasilios , Tegos Nikolaos , Sereti Fani , Rachiotis Georgios , Hadjichristodoulou Christos , Papadopoulos Nikolaos , Papachristos Dimitrios , Michaelakis Antonios , Patsoula Eleni
Published: September 2021

Seasonal patterns of mosquito population density and their vectorial capacity constitute major elements to understand the epidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases. Using adult mosquito traps, we compared the population dynamics of major mosquito species (Culex pipiens, Aedes albopictus, Anopheles spp.) in an urban and a wetland rural area of Attica Greece. Pools of the captured Cx. pipiens were analyzed to determine infection rates of the West Nile virus (WNV) and the Usutu virus (USUV). The data provided were collected under the frame of the surveillance program carried out in two regional units (RUs) of the Attica region (East Attica and South Sector of Attica), during the period 2017–2018. The entomological surveillance of adult mosquitoes was performed on a weekly basis using a network of BG-sentinel traps (BGs), baited with CO2 and BG-Lure, in selected, fixed sampling sites. A total of 46,726 adult mosquitoes were collected, with larger variety and number of species in East Attica (n = 37,810), followed by the South Sector of Attica (n = 8916). The collected mosquitoes were morphologically identified to species level and evaluated for their public health importance. Collected Cx. pipiens adults were pooled and tested for West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) presence by implementation of a targeted molecular methodology (real-time PCR). A total of 366 mosquito pools were analyzed for WNV and USUV, respectively, and 38 (10.4%) positive samples were recorded for WNV, while no positive pool was detected for USUV. The majority of positive samples for WNV were detected in the East Attica region, followed by the South Sector of Attica, respectively. The findings of the current study highlight the WNV circulation in the region of Attica and the concomitant risk for the country, rendering mosquito surveillance actions and integrated mosquito management programs as imperative public health interventions.
Malaria Cases in a Tertiary Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A 16-Year (2005–2020) Retrospective Review
Authors: Dian Nor Diyana , Mohd Salleh Ahmad Firdaus , Rahim Mohd Amirul Fitri A , Munajat Mohd Bakhtiar , Abd Manap Siti Nor Azreen , Ghazali Nuraffini , Hassan Noor Wanie , Idris Zulkarnain Md
Published: September 2021

While there has been a tremendous decline in malaria disease burden in the remote parts of Malaysia, little is known about malaria incidence in its urban localities. This study aimed to analyze trends of malaria cases in urban Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All suspected cases presented to a university hospital in Kuala Lumpur from January 2005 to December 2020 were examined by microscopy. Infection status was analyzed using descriptive statistics and curve estimation analysis. Of 3105 blood films examined, 92 (3%) were microscopically confirmed malaria cases. Plasmodium vivax infections accounted for the majority (36.9%) of all malaria cases. Nearly half (47.8%) of cases were found among foreign cases (p < 0.001). The majority of foreign cases were male (86.4%) and came from Southeast Asian countries (65.9%). The curve estimation analysis showed significant decreases in malaria cases due to P. vivax (R2 = 0.598; p < 0.001) and Plasmodium falciparum (R2 = 0.298, p = 0.029), but increases for Plasmodium knowlesi (R2 = 0.325, p = 0.021) during the 16 years. This study showed that malaria incidence in urban Kuala Lumpur is low and has remained stable since 2005. However, P. knowlesi has played a significant role in the increase in overall malaria in the area, highlighting the importance of continued vigilance and improved surveillance.
Special Issue “Cell, Organoid and Animal Models to Study Pathogenic Human RNA Viruses”
Authors: Adachi Akio , Nomaguchi Masako
Published: September 2021

Numerous species of RNA viruses pathogenic for humans are present worldwide [...]
IgG Antibodies Develop to Spike but Not to the Nucleocapsid Viral Protein in Many Asymptomatic and Light COVID-19 Cases
Authors: Tutukina Maria , Kaznadzey Anna , Kireeva Maria , Mazo Ilya
Published: September 2021

Since SARS-CoV-2 appeared in late 2019, many studies on the immune response to COVID-19 have been conducted, but the asymptomatic or light symptom cases were somewhat understudied as respective individuals often did not seek medical help. Here, we analyze the production of the IgG antibodies to viral nucleocapsid (N) protein and receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein and assess the serum neutralization capabilities in a cohort of patients with different levels of disease severity. In half of light or asymptomatic cases the antibodies to the nucleocapsid protein, which serve as the main target in many modern test systems, were not detected. They were detected in all cases of moderate or severe symptoms, and severe lung lesions correlated with respective higher signals. Antibodies to RBD were present in the absolute majority of samples, with levels being sometimes higher in light symptom cases. We thus suggest that the anti-RBD/anti-N antibody ratio may serve as an indicator of the disease severity. Anti-RBD IgG remained detectable after a year or more since the infection, even with a slight tendency to raise over time, and the respective signal correlated with the serum capacity to inhibit the RBD interaction with the ACE-2 receptor.
Specific CD8+ TCR Repertoire Recognizing Conserved Antigens of SARS-CoV-2 in Unexposed Population: A Prerequisite for Broad-Spectrum CD8+ T Cell Immunity
Authors: Hu Wei , He Meifang , Wang Xiaoning , Sun Qiang , Kuang Ming
Published: September 2021

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has developed variants escaping neutralization antibody immunity established against the original virus. An understanding of broad-spectrum adaptive immunity, including CD8+ T cell immunity to wide range of epitopes, could help translational efforts to improve coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and therapy. However, there have been few direct studies in which such immunity exists in a population. Methods: We selected SARS-CoV-2-conserved structural peptides that are not prone to mutation as antigens for broad-spectrum CD8+ T cell immunity. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from unexposed healthy donors were stimulated with these peptides in vitro and CD8+ T cell-specific response was monitored. The conserved peptide-specific CD8+ T cells were sorted for T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire sequencing. The presence of specific complementary determining region 3 (CDR3) clones was analyzed in a healthy cohort. Results: For each structural protein, including S, E, M, N, the conserved peptides could potentially provide the largest number of major histocompatibility complex-I (MHC-I) epitopes in the Oriental and Caucasian populations. For conserved peptides from spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M), nucleocapsid (N) proteins, we found that there were no cross-reactive memory T cells in the unexposed individuals. Instead, their T cells contain naïve TCR repertoire recognizing these conserved peptides. Using TCR sequencing and CDR3 clustering for the conserved peptides specific T cells, we found that the recovered patients had a higher proportion of TCR repertoire similar with that of specific CD8+ T cells in unexposed individuals. Meanwhile, CDR3 clones of the above T cells were widely present in the healthy population. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 specific CD8+ TCR repertoire in unexposed healthy population, which is implicated in the development and implementation of broad-spectrum vaccines against COVID-19.
Risk Exposure during Showering and Water-Saving Showers
Authors: Niculita-Hirzel Hélène , Goekce Sami , Jackson Caroline Eliane , Suarez Guillaume , Amgwerd Luc
Published: September 2021

Eco-friendly showers aim to lower energy and water consumption by generating smaller water droplets than those produced by traditional systems. To evaluate the risk of users inhaling the contaminants associated with such water droplets—namely, chemical components or opportunistic bacterial pathogens such as Legionella—we modeled the behavior of water droplets aerosolized by water-atomization technology at a flow rate of 2.2 L/min and compared the results obtained using this model with those determined experimentally in a typical shower stall. Additionally, we monitored the number and mass of inhalable water droplets emitted by twelve showerheads—eight using water-atomization technology and four using continuous-flow technology—which have distinct characteristics in terms of water flow rate, water pressure, spray angle, and number of and diameter of nozzles. The water-atomizing showers tested not only had lower flow rates, but also larger spray angles, less nozzles, and larger nozzle diameters than those of the continuous-flow showerheads. We observed a difference in the behavior of inhalable water droplets between the two technologies, both unobstructed and with the presence of a mannequin. The evaporation of inhalable water droplets emitted by the water-atomization showers favored a homogenous distribution in the shower stall. In the presence of the mannequin, the number and mass of inhalable droplets increased for the continuous-flow showerheads and decreased for the water-atomization showerheads. The water-atomization showerheads emitted less inhalable water mass than the continuous-flow showerheads did per unit of time; however, they generally emitted a slightly higher number of inhalable droplets (1.6 times more), including those large enough to carry a bacterium each—only one model performed as well as the continuous-flow showerheads in this regard. Further experiments are needed to assess whether this slight increase in the number of inhalable water droplets increases the biological risk.
Extreme Droughts Change in the Mekong River Basin: A Multidisciplinary Analysis Based on Satellite Data
Authors: Tuong Vo , Hoang Thanh-Van , Chou Tien-Yin , Fang Yao-Min , Wang Chun-Tse , Tran Thanh-Danh , Tran Dung Duc
Published: September 2021

This study evaluates droughts in the Mekong River Basin (MKB) based on a multidisciplinary method, mainly using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Mann–Kendall (MK) test. Precipitation data corresponding to the seasonality of the regional climate were retrieved from Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement from 2001 to 2020, at a monthly temporal scale and 0.1 degree spatial resolution. Drought events and their average interval, duration, and severity were determined based on Run theory. Our results revealed the most extreme drought period was in January 2014, at the time the lowest precipitation occurred. Spatial extreme drought results indicated that Zone 2 in the upstream MKB has the highest frequency of drought, with 44 events observed during 19 years, and experiences the most severe droughts, whereas Zone 24 in the downstream MKB has the most prolonged drought duration of seven months. The periods and locations of extreme drought were identified using the SPI, corresponding to historic droughts of the MKB. Furthermore, the MK test shows an increasing trend of droughts in the lower MKB and the cluster analysis identified six clusters of times series. Overall, our study provides essential findings for international and national water resource stakeholders in identifying trends of extreme drought in the MKB.
Response of Growth and Grazing Rate of Nanoflagellates on Synechococcus spp. to Experimental Nutrient Enrichment
Authors: Tsai An-Yi , Mukhanov Vladimir
Published: September 2021

As important bacterivores in planktonic food webs, mixotrophic nanoflagellates cancause mortality in marine Synechococcus spp. Our previous study found that the pigmented nanoflagellate (PNF) has a significant grazing impact on Synechococcus spp. In the current study, we applied the dilution approach to test the growth and grazing rates of nanoflagellates on Synechococcus spp. We then compared the differences between experimental nutrient additions and in situ conditions in the coastal waters of the East China Sea during the summer season from July to September. The growth rates of Synechococcus spp. in the ambient environment were between 0.54 and 0.62 day−1, which were slightly higher than the 0.56 and 0.66 day−1 with nutrient enrichment in summer. In contrast, our nutrient enrichment experiments produced a marked decline approximately from 21% to 58% in the nanoflagellate grazing rate on Synechococcus spp. The reason was that the mixotrophic PNFs directly used the added nutrients and reduced their supply of nutrients from prey during the incubation experiments.
Estudio de la identidad profesional en estudiantes de Marxismo-Historia de la Universidad de Holguín, Cuba
Authors: Rodríguez D´Agostini Katia , Palomo Alemán Adalys Grisell , Medina Carballosa Emma
Published: September 2021

El objetivo del artículo consistió en presentar los resultados de un diagnóstico, que permitió evaluar la concepción del trabajo para el desarrollo de la identidad profesional pedagógica, en el proceso de formación inicial de los estudiantes de la carrera Licenciatura en Educación Marxismo Leninismo e Historia en la Universidad de Holguín. La metodología utilizada, combinó los enfoques cualitativo y cuantitativo de la investigación. Se alcanzó como resultado, corroborar la existencia de insuficiencias que inciden en la identificación de los estudiantes con la profesión y la carrera y, con ello, demostrar   la necesidad de perfeccionar la preparación de los futuros profesores, de manera que logren una participación activa en la transformación de la sociedad, desde la asunción del significado social de su misión.
ARCHITECTURE AS A UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLE OF THE SELF-ORGANIZATION OF MATTER
Authors:   National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, TKACHEV V.N.
Published: September 2021

From time to time, mankind moves to new levels of perception of world phenomena and comprehension of the results of its activities, revealing the unity of their structural construction and existence within the general laws of the Universe. Separate sparks of speculation by scientists of antiquity, the Middle Ages and modern times about the discovered uniformity of the whole and parts (everything in everything), the universality of formulas for constructing matter from the Universe to an anthill and a molecule, were combined in the 20th century in the theory of fractals and deterministic chaos. The architecture of this hierarchy turned out to be a key link in the circle of concepts of identifying the interrelationships of all its components at different levels of subject-spatial realization: from personal space to socially organized and space systems. The projection of the categorical apparatus of the architecture of people on objects and events of the environment of various scales, on the principles of their methodological comprehension, confirmed the legitimacy of their claims to the privatization of architectural concepts as an attempt to update the approach to measuring the phenomena of the universe and, perhaps, to simplify its understanding, to understand how the whole The technological mechanism creates the universe in an infinite variety of material forms.