bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creative Recycling of Cans and Paper Using Painting Techniques
Authors: Agung Sudarmanto Joni
Published: August 2022

Every day, people’s appreciation for handmade products is increasing. This is in part due to facilitation from the government of many exhibitions of handmade products that support the development of SME products and provides opportunities for them to stand out. One way to get people’s attention is to raise social issues, including environmental issues. The accumulation of waste left over from human consumption is something that must be considered. The 3R principle (reduce, reuse, recycle) is still a good concept to approach the reduction of waste in the community. The innovation of processing waste into reusable objects helps increase the life of objects. This research focused on creating recycled products with a combination of painting techniques. There were nine stages to the methods used in this research, starting from the collection of raw materials to the documentation of marketing processes. To ensure business continuity, the community was also involved in these efforts through the creation of new habits of waste collection: collecting consumables so that they can be repurposed into high-value items.
Keywords: recycle, recycle waste, copies
Data Science in Government Agencies: The Challenge of Deployment and Operation
Authors:   HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Netherland, de Kruif Sandra , Ongena Guido ,   HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Netherland, van Steenbergen Marlies ,   HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Netherland
Published: August 2022

Despite the numerous business benefits of data science, the number of data science models in production is limited. Data science model deployment presents many challenges and many organisations have little model deployment knowledge. This research studied five model deployments in a Dutch government organisation. The study revealed that as a result of model deployment a data science subprocess is added into the target business process, the model itself can be adapted, model maintenance is incorporated in the model development process and a feedback loop is established between the target business process and the model development process. These model deployment effects and the related deployment challenges are different in strategic and operational target business processes. Based on these findings, guidelines are formulated which can form a basis for future principles how to successfully deploy data science models. Organisations can use these guidelines as suggestions to solve their own model deployment challenges.
A Journey of Hope and Human Milk Amidst COVID-19
Authors: Keith Laene Ramirez
Published: August 2022

Objective

In a global pandemic, access to lactation care may be limited necessitating collaboration across healthcare systems to maximize support for hospitalized COVID-19 positive lactating patients, while aligning resources to ensure complete nourishment for the infant throughout maternal/infant separation.

Case Report

This case report depicts the experience of a primiparous mother and her exclusively breastfed four-month-old infant with a history oral/motor weakness and feeding difficulty, diagnosed with a devastating COVID pneumonia resulting in near complete lactation cessation. Discussion includes pasteurized donor human milk and facilitation of relactation following acute illness necessitating hospitalization.

Conclusion

In collaboration across healthcare networks, close and consistent communication using digital means plus informed choice offered to a gravely ill lactating mother, options for resuming exclusive breastfeeding for total infant nourishment are described to offer hope to both the lactation professionals and those lactating parents in similar scenarios who desire exclusive human milk fed nourishment for their infant amidst a global pandemic.
Saneamento, Higiene e Limpeza Ambiental para o Desenvolvimento Infantil
Authors: Macintyre Alison , Strachan Clare
Published: August 2022

Este Fronteiras ... baseia-se no conceito de WASH Transformativo ao explorar e delinear o que pode ser exigido aos intervenientes na implementação de WASH nos esforços para apoiar os resultados do desenvolvimento infantil. Este número de Fronteiras... explora as múltiplas formas como o saneamento inadequado, a higiene e a limpeza ambiental podem afectar o desenvolvimento físico e cognitivo das crianças. Explora áreas para além da higiene das mãos, ao considerar a higiene alimentar e a limpeza ambiental mais alargada e vai além das fezes humanas, ao ter em conta as fezes animais. É então discutido o que isto implica na prática, por forma a delinear o aperfeiçoamento das práticas actuais do sector de WASH, visando a obtenção de melhores resultados no desenvolvimento infantil e, em particular, de melhores oportunidades de as crianças sobreviverem e se desenvolverem.
The late-glacial — Holocene stratigraphy of bottom sediments from small isolated lakes in the Barents Sea coast (Kola region)
Authors: Tolstobrova A. , Korsakova O. , Tolstobrov D.
Published: August 2022

Lithological study and diatom analysis of the bottom sediments from small lakes belonging to the category of isolated basins located on the Barents Sea coast of the Kola region was carried out. Stratigraphic subdivision of depositional sequences was performed based on the new data obtained from the Settlement Teriberka area, as well as on the published data from other areas; lithostratigraphic units (LSU), which are stratogens, were identified in them. We found out that the proglacial reservoir was marine during deglaciation on the Barents Sea coast, freshwater (LSU 1) sediments of the ice-marginal basins were not found here (LSU 1). In the lake basins isolated from the sea, the depositional sequences in deep parts of isolated basins is represented by: brackishwater sediments of the proglacial basin (LSU 2), Lateglacial brackishwater sediments (LSU 3), marine sediments (LSU 4), sediments of an isolating lagoon (LSU 5), sediments accumulated in a meromictic lake (LSU 6), sediments of an onshore freshwater lake (LSU 7), sediments of a freshwater lake with slightly increased water mineralization deposited during Early-Mid Holocene Tapes transgression (LSU 8) and lacustrine sediments (LSU 9) are represent in the sedimentary sequences from small isolated lakes in the Barents Sea coast.
A rubrica álgebra na prescrição de normativas oficiais do ensino primário capixaba (1854 – 1927)
Authors: Mesquita Hairley Figueira , Siqueira Filho Moysés Gonçalves
Published: August 2022

Delineia as rubricas matemáticas indicadas nos documentos oficiais do ensino primário capixaba, no período de 1854 a 1927, com o intuito de captar a presença ou ausência da Álgebra. Investiga os Relatórios dos Presidentes da Província; Regulamentos da Instrução Pública; Decretos Estaduais; Programas de Ensino, enfim, a Legislação Educacional vigente à época. Aponta, por meio da análise empreendida nessas fontes históricas, que a rubrica Álgebra, no ensino primário, tanto no período oitocentos quanto no republicanismo capixaba, não se consolidou como uma disciplina, haja vista ter sido indicada apenas no ano de 1892, com a reforma Moniz Freire, determinando além de aplicações fáceis, ser ministrada para meninos.
Reality, Ontology and Substitution in the Organization Theory by Alexandr Bogdanov
Authors: Strezhneva M.
Published: August 2022

Alexander Bogdanov’s tektology and empiriomonism are treated in this article as an applicable basis for the recovery of structural realism in the study of international politics. Kenneth Waltz, the author of the existent structural realist theory, favored a systemic approach to international relations and acknowledged the problem of “organized complexity”, as produced by the activities of free-willed individuals, facing social sciences in particular. Yet, unlike Bogdanov, he seems not to have fully appreciated the reverberations that the advent of quantum physics caused for ideas on human cognition. Previously unambiguous distinction between mental and physical manifestations became blurred. It led to the emergence of a general “quantum” methodological school of structural realism, of which Bogdanov is recognized in this article as an early representative. Tektology is a system science, meant by the author to explore organizational features and principles of organization, inherent to any system complexes (biological, political or psychic). At the same time, as pointed out in this research, Bogdanov paid particular attention to the observer problem in societal studies. Bogdanov (as well as Niklass Luhmann later on), but unlike Kenneth Waltz (or Alexander Wendt), would deem neutral observation of international relations (IR) beyond attainment. It is revealed in particular that the long-term appeal of the Waltz’s theory has in fact been sustained by the form of system analysis it involved, based on deductive inference. It carried a promise to allow the IR to generate logically coherent theories about the ways that the international system is organized in. In empiriomonism, a method of “universal substitution” is promoted instead, allowing for new gains in knowledge about the unknown outer (material) reality. A theory of international politics of the latter kind could provide a framework for elaboration of new reasonable hypotheses concerning the international sphere.
New Stage of Global Tax Reform
Authors: Khudyakova L. , Sidorova E.
Published: August 2022

The article considers the new stage of the global tax reform initiated by the OECD/G20 Plan at the end of 2021. The prerequisites and main directions of the new tax plan, its assessment by various parties, international structures and civil society are reviewed. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of positions on the implementation of tax reform in the leading countries: the EU, the USA, the UK. An analysis allowed the authors to come to the following conclusions. The EU is the most active supporter of the global tax reform and ready not only to support the OECD rules, but in some cases to strengthen them. However, due to the diverse interests of 27 countries, there are difficulties and disagreements in adopting the two main Directives in this area. UK policy is more complicated. While expressing its interest in implementing the Pillar II rules, the country’s government has so far maintained its own policy on taxing TNCs. The most difficult situation is in the USA. As one of the main initiators of global reform, considering it as an important argument for reforming the taxation system within the country, President Biden faced serious resistance in the Senate. It is still unclear, whether the reform is to be adopted duly. Such delay in the US reform may have a serious detrimental effect on the progress of global reform as a whole, since countries that are “forefront” in implementing new tax rules may find themselves facing a competitive disadvantage. However the US, EU and UK are not the only parties whose support is integral to the success of the global tax reform. The world’s largest rapidly growing economies (China, India and Brazil), as well as other developing countries, will play an important role in the successful implementation of global tax reform.
Identifying the Most Significant Factors Affecting Urban Housing Sustainability and Their Scales/Sectors of Influence: A Systematic Review of the Recent Literature
Authors: Sanei Mohsen , Khodadad Mina , Calonge Reillo Fernando
Published: August 2022

Housing is always crucial for the sustainable development of communities, specifically in urban areas, due to the population density of cities. The present study constructs its own structure on the basis of the recent papers investigating various sustainability factors for the urban housing sector. By doing a comprehensive systematic literature review, one of the most extensive lists of urban housing sustainability factors is gathered from 118 recent related papers. The factors are prioritized by their frequency of investigation and categorized by their scale(s) and sector(s) of influence. According to the results, the top three significant factors affecting urban housing sustainability are “natural resource or energy consumption/efficiency of the building/equipment (during the construction, operation, etc.)”, “materials performance (durability, cost, thermal capacity, permeability, ability to re-use, recycled, eco-friendly materials)”, and “access to public services/infrastructure: availability/quality of services and/or distance/time of travel time to the services (public transport, education/health/shopping/leisure facilities, parks, etc.)”. By analyzing the results with an integrative approach, it is understood that environmental factors are the most considered ones (more considered than the factors with influence on all sustainability sectors) where institutional factors received the least attention. Also, the most significant measures are the ones that have impacts on both ‘building’ and ‘neighborhood/community’ scales. It should be noticed that the neighborhood/community scale indicators are seen, almost, as important as the measures that affect the building itself. The results of this study can be helpful in establishing future housing-related policies, and also in having more efficient housing sustainability assessment tools.
LidSonic V2.0: LiDAR and Deep Learning-based Green Assistive Edge Device to Enhance Mobility for the Visually Impaired
Authors: Busaeed Sahar , Katib Iyad , Albeshri Aiiad , Corchado Juan M. , Yigitcanlar Tan , Mehmood Rashid
Published: August 2022

Over a billion people around the world are disabled, among them, 253 million are visually impaired or blind, and this number is greatly increasing due to ageing, chronic diseases, poor environment, and health. Despite many proposals, the current devices and systems lack maturity and do not completely fulfill user requirements and satisfaction. Increased research activity in this field is required to encourage the development, commercialization, and widespread acceptance of low-cost and affordable assistive technologies for visual impairment and other disabilities. This paper proposes a novel approach using a LiDAR with a servo motor and an ultrasonic sensor to collect data and predict objects using deep learning for environment perception and navigation. We adopted this approach in a pair of smart glasses, called LidSonic V2.0, to enable the identification of obstacles for the visually impaired. The LidSonic system consists of an Arduino Uno edge computing device integrated into the smart glasses and a smartphone app that transmits data via Bluetooth. Arduino gathers data, operates the sensors on smart glasses, detects obstacles using simple data processing, and provides buzzer feedback to visually impaired users. The smartphone application collects data from Arduino, detects and classifies items in the spatial environment, and gives spoken feedback to the user on the detected objects. In comparison to image processing-based glasses, LidSonic uses far less processing time and energy to classify obstacles using simple LiDAR data, according to several integer measurements. We comprehensively describe the proposed system's hardware and software design, construct their prototype implementations, and test them in real-world environments. Using the open platforms, WEKA and TensorFlow, the entire LidSonic system is built with affordable off-the-shelf sensors and a microcontroller board costing less than $80. Essentially, we provide designs of an inexpensive, miniature, green device that can be built into, or mounted on, any pair of glasses or even a wheelchair to help the visually impaired. Our approach affords faster inference and decision-making using relatively low energy with smaller data sizes as well as faster communications for the edge, fog, and cloud computing.
A Review Of Monkeypox: The New Global Health Emergency
Authors: Srinivasan Rajsri Kritika , Rao Mana
Published: August 2022

Monkeypox, once a rare zoonotic disease, was endemic to some African countries since its original identification among humans in 1970. Since then, cases in non endemic regions were linked to returning travelers or those who had contact with transported animals. The causative agent, Monkeypox virus, belongs to Orthopoxviruses, the same family as Variola; the causative organism for smallpox. Although most Monkeypox outbreaks until recently were linked to zoonotic transmission, secondary human-human transmission in smallpox unvaccinated individuals was observed in a small proportion of overall cases. Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980 and since its eradication, monkeypox virus is the most significant poxvirus to cause human disease. The 2022 monkeypox outbreak marks a significant paradigm shift in the human and poxvirus association, with new modes of transmission, concerns of viral evolution and entrenchment as a sexually transmitted disease. Monkeypox clinically resembles smallpox but is far milder. At this time there are no approved therapies for monkeypox and antiviral agents effective against smallpox are being utilized. Additionally, preventive strategies being utilized include smallpox vaccination like JYNNEOS and ACAM2000. In this narrative review, we discuss the virology, epidemiology, transmission, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, management and prevention strategies associated with monkeypox.
Statistical Equilibrium Principles in 2D Fluid Flow: From Geophysical Fluids to the Solar Tachocline
Authors: Weichman Peter B. , Marston John Bradley
Published: August 2022

An overview is presented of several diverse branches of work in the area of effectively 2D fluid equilibria which have in common that they are constrained by an infinite number of conservation laws. Broad concepts, and the enormous variety of physical phenomena that can be explored, are highlighted. These span, roughly in order of increasing complexity, Euler flow, nonlinear Rossby waves, 3D axisymmetric flow, shallow water dynamics, and 2D magnetohydrodynamics. The classical field theories describing these systems bear some resemblance to perhaps more familiar fluctuating membrane and continuous spin models, but the fluid physics drives these models into unconventional regimes exhibiting large scale jet and eddy structures. From a dynamical point of view these structures are the end result of various conserved variable forward and inverse cascades. The resulting balance between large scale structure and small scale fluctuations is controlled by the competition between energy and entropy in the system free energy, in turn highly tunable through setting the values of the conserved integrals. Although the statistical mechanical description of such systems is fully self-consistent, with remarkable mathematical structure and diversity of solutions, great care must be taken because the underlying assumptions, especially ergodicity, can be violated or at minimum lead to exceedingly long equilibration times. Generalization of the theory to include weak driving and dissipation (e.g., non-equilibrium statistical mechanics and associated linear response formalism) could provide additional insights, but has yet to be properly explored.
Overcoming Barriers to Water Conservation with Behavioral Nudges In Sub Saharan Africa
Authors: Chilaka Chibuzo , Torell Greg , Ward Frank
Published: August 2022

Growing water shortages for large regions of the arid regions of the world, are likely to become more recurrent as climate change impacts grow. Countries across the world are facing water security difficulties that stem from population growth, urbanization, and rapid industrialization. The use of behavioral nudges methods implemented to encourage a socially desired behavior at a low to zero cost, has been an effective method at reducing water consumption in places where they have been deployed. For example, studies in California USA, Barcelona Spain, and Australia indicate that adoption of nudges give significant positive results in water consumption reduction. We describe some of the barriers that make it difficult to implement behavioral nudges to address the water crises in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We investigate the literature available in Sub-Saharan Africa and discover that the application of behavioral nudges has been sparingly used for reasons that are not obvious at first glance. Second, we find that the potential impediments to the use of behavioral nudges in SSA to be awareness, inadequate access to science and technology, political systems that are poorly suited for implementing nudging, abundance of multiple ethnic groups that speak different languages, along with other barriers that could challenge implementation of behavioral nudges. In light of those barriers, we present a conceptual model with a potential to address these barriers to behavioral nudging a workable solution in SSA.
Progress and Impact of Latin American Natural Product Databases
Authors: Gómez-García Alejandro , Medina-Franco Jose L.
Published: August 2022

Natural products (NPs) are a rich source of structurally novel molecules, and the chemical space they encompass is far from being fully explored. Over history, NPs have represented a significant source of bioactive molecules and have served as a source of inspiration for developing many drugs on the market. On the other hand, computer-aided drug design (CADD) has contributed to drug discovery research, mitigating costs and time. In this sense, compound databases represent a fundamental element for the CADD. This work reviews the progress toward developing compound databases of natural origin, particularly databases developed in Latin America, and their practical applications in the drug discovery area. We also survey the computational methods, emphasizing chemoinformatic approaches to profile natural product databases.
Morphological Simulation of Phyllotactic Spiral-Ring Patterns by the Galactic Spiral Equations from the ROTASE Model
Authors: Pan Hongjun
Published: August 2022

This short paper demonstrates that the galactic spiral equations developed from ROTASE model can be used to morphologically simulate the phyllotactic spiral-ring patterns of plants. It is also noticed during this project that although the numbers in the Fibonacci sequence dominate the phyllotactic numbers, there are still significant phyllotactic numbers are not in the Fibonacci sequence, however, most of those numbers are well fit into a Fibonacci sibling sequence starting with numbers 0 and 2. Many plants show the phyllotactic number pairs of 10-16, 16-26 and 26-42 from the Fibonacci sibling sequence, which is the second dominated sequence in the phyllotaxis.
Boronates as Hydrogen Peroxide–Reactive Warheads in the Design of Detection Probes, Prodrugs, and Nanomedicines Used in Tumors and Other Diseases
Authors: Chen Jyun‐Wei , Wu Tzu‐Chien , Liang Wen , Ciou Jyun-Jia , Lai Chian-Hui
Published: August 2022

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has always been a topic of great interests attributed to its vital role in biological process. H2O2 is known as a major reactive oxygen species (ROS) which involves in numerous physiological processes such as cell proliferation, signal transduction, differentiation, and even pathogenesis. A plenty of diseases development such as chronic disease, inflammatory disease, and organ dysfunction are found to be relevant to abnormality of H­2O2 production. Thus, imminent and feasible strategies to modulate and detect H2O2 level in vitro and in vivo have gained great importance. To date, the boronate-based chemical structure probes have been widely used to address the problems from the above aspects because of the rearranged chemical bonding which can detect and quantify ROS including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and peroxynitrite (ONOO−). This present article discusses boronate-based probes based on the chemical structure difference as well as reactivities to H2O2 and ONOO−. In this review, we also focus on the application of boronate-based probes in the field of cell imaging, prodrugs nanoplatform, nanomedicines and electrochemical biosensors for disease diagnosis and treatment. In a nutshell, we outline the recent application of boronate-based probes and represent the prospective potentiality in biomedical domain in the future.
Meta-analyses of arsenic accumulation in Indica and Japonica rice grains
Authors: Das Susmita , Ghosh Abhik , Powell Michael A. , Banik Pabitra
Published: August 2022

Arsenic (As) is a worldwide concern because of its toxic effects on crop yield and prevalence in the food chain. Rice is consumed by half of the world’s population and is known to accumulate As. The present study reviews the available literatures on As accumulation in different subspecies of rice grains (indica, japonica and aromatic) and performs meta-analyses for grain size and texture; these data include 120 studies conducted over the last 15 years across different parts of the world. Aromatic rice varieties accumulate less As than either indica or japonica. Japonica rice varieties accumulate higher As than indica rice grains and within each subspecies polished and/or shorter rice grains accumulated significantly lower As compared to larger and/or unpolished grains. This shows that rice-based As bioaccumulation in humans could be lowered by increased use of aromatic or polished indica rice varieties, followed by the cultivation of shorter polished grains of japonica rice. These findings will be important to inform policy on rice cultivation and dietary uptake of As for a large portion of the global population.
NLRP3 inflammasome in peripheral blood monocytes as a risk factor for early onset pre-eclampsia
Authors: Yang Hong , Ai Mo , Guo Yanqiu , Li Bingfen , Liu Cong , Qu Dongying
Published: August 2022

Introduction
As a leading cause of pregnancy and fetal mortality, pre-eclampsia impacts about 5–8% of pregnancies globally. To date, few studies have focused on the role played by NLRP3 in peripheral blood in early onset PE. In this study, we investigated whether NLRP3 expression in monocytes before 20 weeks of gestation was associated with an increased risk of early onset PE.
Methodology
During the study period from 2019 to 2021, women with singleton pregnancies were enrolled in this prospective study at the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command. A generalized additive model (GAM) and logistic regression models were applied to determine any association between NLRP3 and the risk of early onset PE.
Results
In total, 571 and 48 subjects were included in the control and pre-eclampsia groups, respectively. The GAM and logistic regression models showed that NLRP3 was a significant factor for PE occurrence. The area under the curve, accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.86, 0.82, 0.95, 0.72, 15.17, 0.29, and 52.0, respectively.
Conclusion
The monitoring for NLRP3 in peripheral blood may be a potential, prospectively identifying risk factor for preeclampsia.
Real Time Implementation of SDR based RF Source Detection and Localization in Restricted Area
Authors: SLIMENI Feten , Dalleji Tijeni , Agrebi Ala , Trabelsi Amine , Boulejfen Noureddine
Published: August 2022

Radio frequency (RF) detection and source localisation is a critical requirement for military and civilian applications. This paper implements a multistep RF detection technique in a software defined radio (SDR) platform, that starts by a fast energy detection then go through cyclostationarity feature detection to deal with low detected signals. This combination offers range potential to monitor wider area.
The system relies on the received signal strength indication (RSSI) measurements to estimate the distance between the sensing system and the detected RF source. General-purpose SDR platforms offer more flexibility and cost efficiency, compared to dedicated localisation systems. It enables providing an embedded standalone system able to detect RF signals and to estimate the polar coordinates of the emitting source. Through experiments, we prove the validity of the proposed system for real applications.
Urbanization and Energy Equity: An Urban-rural Gap Perspective
Authors: Hua Wenyuan , Wang Lu , Fang Xingming , Luo Liangguo
Published: August 2022

Inequality is usually discussed in a monetary perspective, while the disparity in energy access sometimes is more severe. This paper mainly studies the impact of urbanization on urban-rural electricity consumption inequality with a modified STRIPAT model. We find that there is a long-run U-shaped relationship between urbanization and urban-rural electricity consumption inequality, and the estimated turning point arrives at the urbanization level of around 60%. We further carry out a regional heterogeneity analysis and then have two interesting findings: firstly, the colder northern region’s turning point arrives later than the south. Secondly, the baseline U-shaped relationship remains for developed eastern regions, while for the unde- veloped midwest, the relationship is not nonlinear but linearly neg- ative. As an extension, we lastly explore the mechanism underlying the U-shaped relationship, and find that the interaction of urbaniza- tion’s scale and efficiency effect determines the U-shaped relationship.
Giant switchable metallic-like conduction in 180° domain walls in tetragonal Pb(Zr,Ti)O3
Authors: Risch Felix , Tikhonov Yurii , Lukyanchuk Igor , Ionescu Adrian , Stolichnov Igor
Published: August 2022

Conductive domain walls in ferroelectrics offer a promising concept of nanoelectronic circuits with 2D domain-wall channels playing roles of memristors or synoptic interconnections. However, domain wall conduction remains difficult to control and pA-range currents typically measured on individual walls are too low for single-channel devices. Charged domain walls show higher conductivity, but are generally unstable and difficult to create. Here, we show highly conductive and stable channels on ubiquitous 180°-domain walls in the archetypical ferroelectric, tetragonal Pb(Zr,Ti)O3. These electrically erasable/rewritable channels show tens of nanoamperes (200-400nA/μm) at voltages ≤2V and metallic-like non thermally-activated transport properties down to 4K, as confirmed by nanoscopic mapping. The domain structure analysis and phase-field simulations reveal complex switching dynamics, in which the extraordinary conductivity in strained Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films is explained by an interplay between ferroelastic 90°-domains and 180°-domains. This work demonstrates the potential of accessible and stable arrangements of nominally uncharged domain walls for nanoelectronics.
Genome-wide assessment of genetic variation and genetic differentiation for Gastrodia elata germplasm based on SLAF sequencing
Authors: XU Zhe , Shi Yana , Zhang Lei , Qian Huali , Chen Xiaolei , Su Jianyun , Chen Hao , Dong Jiahong , Cong kun , Ji Pengzhang
Published: August 2022

Gastrodia elata BI. is an important cultivated medicinal plant in China. To analyze the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationship of the germplasm resources of G. elata, specific Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were developed. SLAF analysis was used to compare 28 samples of the same G. elata cultivar. Plants from 4 different varieties or different habitats were collected to explore intraspecific variation and to lay a foundation for resource protection. This will facilitate improved variety breeding in future. In this study, Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genetic variation and differentiation of G. elata f. glauca, G. elata f. viridis, and G. elata f. elata were analyzed using Specific-Locus Amplified Fragment Sequencing (SLAF-seq). A total of 75.95M reads with an average sequencing depth of 19.32 × and a mean Q30 of 91.71% were obtained. Based on the 19,675 polymorphic SLAF tags, 60,238 SNPs were identified and a subset of 22,737 SNPs with minor allele frequency > 0.05 and integrity > 0.5 were selected. A model-based analysis divided the accessions into two groups, wild type G. elata f. glauca and G. elata f. viridis groups. Phylogenetic analysis also clustered the samples into the two major groups. G. elata has high genetic diversity. Population diversity was highest in G. elata f. elata and lowest in G. elata f. viridis. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed significant variations within individuals (92.23%). This study provides new insights into the genetic variation and differentiation of G. elata, which can be exploited to improve existing commercial cultivars.
Correlation of Stagnant Wetlands Depth and Their Ecological Status in the Central Tamilnadu District, Tamilnadu.
Authors: Krishnaraj Varunprasath , Mathesh Subha
Published: August 2022

Background

The wetland stagnation is the premise of the wetland depth (WD) but is lacking in detail. The research looks into correlation of stagnant wetland’s depth and their ecological status in the Central Tamil Nadu district (CTN) because of few studies. Seventy-five chosen stagnant wetlands are hydrologically isolated, depths were categorized into less than 5 feet, 6 to 10, and above 10 feet, surveyed by the range of methods from districts as Karur (KD), Namakkal (ND), and Tiruchirappalli district (TD). The human disturbance score (HDS) categorized as least impacted (0-33), moderately impacted (33-67), and highly impacted (67-100).The impacts of LULC changes over nine years (2010–2019) through the maximum likelihood method. Overall, wetland depth (WD) showed that 54% (less than 5 feet), 25.6% (5-10 feet) 20.2% (100 feet). District-wise, wetland degradation was the utmost in the TD, followed by ND and KD. Except In KD, the remaining district wetlands were MI category with diverse HDS. The correlation test revealed a positive relationship between WD against the alteration of the buffer zone, habitat, hydrology, and HDS. However, a negative relation between landscape alteration and wetland pollution. The impacts of LULC changes confirm that severe decline in wetlands habitat and water bodies’ area due to built-up area, cultivated land expansion and, increasing population. Our study supported that the WD is associated with quantified impact on wetlands conditions, but further research will need due to limited surveyed wetlands with similar geographical locations.
Impact of Pilot Zones for Green Finance Reform and Innovations on Green Technology Innovations: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Corporates
Authors: Sun Xinyu , Zhang Aili , Zhu Mengze
Published: August 2022

Green technology innovation is a crucial factor in the global quest for sustainability. In 2017, China approved the establishment of pilot zones for green financial reform and innovations to build and improve the green financial system. Using a Difference-in-Difference (DID) model, this paper examines the impact of this pilot policy on corporate green technology innovation and its transmission mechanism based on the data of green patents of Chinese A-share listed manufacturing companies between 2014 and 2019. It finds that pilot zones for green financial reform and innovations have contributed to the growth of green technology innovations. This conclusion was confirmed after a series of robustness tests. The pilot policy’s promotion of green technology innovations is mainly reflected in the application of corporate green invention patents. However, it is more significant for non-heavy polluting enterprises, high-tech certified enterprises and large enterprises. The paper also finds that the pilot policy promotes corporate green technology innovation by promoting social financing, talent support and government financial support.
On-demand and Fast Recyclable Bio-epoxy
Authors: Hong Young Gi , Jeong Jisu , Oh Dongki , Kim Minkook , Lee Min Wook , Goh Munju
Published: August 2022

Thermoset applications that require high mechanical and chemical stability during service life, such as windmill blades and airplanes, do not allow for biodegradability that degrades naturally over time. In this study, we developed an eco-friendly epoxy resin that maintains high chemical and mechanical stability in normal times but can be chemically decomposed under certain conditions when we want. The new bio-based EP was prepared from vanillin and raspberry ketone via an L-proline-catalyzed aldol condensation reaction. The bio-based EP exhibited excellent tensile strength (58 MPa), flexural strength (183 MPa). In addition, CFRP prepared by using synthesized EP exhibited excellent tensile strength (957 MPa), Young’s modulus (77 GPa), and interlaminar shear strength (49 MPa). Very interestingly, the synthesized EP and CFRP applicants were very rapidly degraded only under specific conditions. Therefore, this study is expected to give a great insight into solving the problems of eco-friendliness and recycling of thermoset resin applications.
Shielding effect enables ultrafast ion transfer through nanoporous membrane for highly energy-efficient electrodialysis
Authors: Lin Jiuyang , Ye Wenyuan , Xie Shuangling , Du Jiale , Liu Riri , Zou Dong , Chen Xiangyu , Yu Zijian , Fang Shengqiong , Ang Elisa Yun Mei , Toh William , Han Dan Dan , Ng Teng Yong , Seo Dong Han , Zhao Shuaifei , Bruggen Bart Van der , Xie Ming , Lee Young Moo
Published: August 2022

A key to sustainable management of hypersaline organic-rich wastewaters is to precisely fractionate organic components and inorganic salts (NaCl) as individual resources. Conventional nanofiltration and electrodialysis processes suffer from membrane fouling and compromise the fractionation efficacy. Here, we develop a thin-film composite nanoporous membrane (NPM) via co-deposition of dopamine and polyethyleneimine as a highly anion-conducting membrane (ACM). Experimental results and molecular dynamics simulations show that co-deposition of dopamine and polyethyleneimine effectively tailors the membrane surface properties, intensifying the charge shielding effect and enabling ultrafast anion transfer for highly efficient electrodialysis. The resulting NPM exhibits unprecedented electrodialytic fractionation of organics and NaCl (> 99.3% desalination efficiency; >99.1% organics recovery) with negligible membrane fouling, dramatically outperforming state-of-the-art anion exchange membranes. Our study sheds light on facile design of high-performance ACMs and associated new mass transport mechanisms in electrodialytic separation, paving the way for sustainable management of complex waste streams.
Analysis of differences in lymphocyte subsets and CD4+ T cells immune activation between re-detectable positive and non-re-detectable positive COVID-19 convalescent patients
Authors: Huang Zhimin , Li Guilian , Yang Zhengrong , Zhou Lin , Jiang Min , Li Hao , Zhong Yifan , Jiang Yixiang , Wang Xiaohui , He Taiping
Published: August 2022

Background:Recently many literature were reported on the re-detectable positive phenomenon of COVID-19 patients during recovery, but there were few studies on the lymphocyte subsets and T-lymphocyte activation indicators between the RP (re-detectable positive) and NRP (non-re-detectable positive) patients. The aim of this study was to analyze immunological characteristics of RP and NRP patients among convalescent patients from post-discharge COVID-19 patients.Methods:Anticoagulated whole blood samples were collected from 11HCs (healthy controls) and 66 COVID-19 convalescent patients, then the percentage of lymphocyte subsets and CD4+CD38+/HLA-DR+ T cells were tested with flow cytometry, SARS-CoV-2 S RBD-IgG antibody ( anti-spike protein receptor-binding domain IgG antibody) was detected by chemiluminescence.Results:B cells (%) in RP group was significantly lower than that in HC group (P=0.005), and B cells (%) decreased successively in HC, NRP and RP group, with significant differences among the three groups (P=0.016). CD3+ and CD8+T cells (%) in RP group were noticeably higher than that in NRP group (P=0.004,0.019, respectively), but there was no difference in CD4+T cells (%) and NK cells (%) among the three groups. The CD4+CD38+ and CD4+HLA-DR+T cells (%) in RP group were noticeably higher than that in HC group (P=0.025,0.018). ANOVA (Analysis of variance) of the three groups showed that CD4+CD38+ and HLA-DR+T cells (%) were also significant difference (P=0.037, 0.029), and CD4+HLA-DR+T cells (%) in the three groups increased in turn. Meanwhile, there was a substantial positive correlation between RBD-IgG titer and CD4+HLA-DR+(%) (P=0.003,r=0.517), and the RBD-IgG titer of HLA-DR+ highgroup was obviously higher than that of HLA-DR+ Lowgroup (P=0.005).Conclusions:In this work, we analyzed the immunological characteristics of re-detectable positive COVID-19 convalescent patients through lymphocyte subsets, suggesting that the low B cells (%) and the increased CD4+HLA-DR+T cells (%) in the convalescent patients of COVID-19 may be related to re-detectable positive phenomenon.
Optimization and design of fractional-order PID controller based on an improved sparrow search algorithm
Authors: Cu Wenkai , Fang Jiabin , Yuan Qing , Wei Jinjia , Yang Guidong , Zhou Zhi
Published: August 2022

Compared with the classical integer-order PID controller, fractional-order [[EQUATION]] (FOPID) controller is more difficult to adjust due to the introduction of two additional parameters. Aiming at the problem, a novel improved sparrow search algorithm, abbreviated as IMSSA, is proposed to perform the selection of optimal parameters for the FOPID controller. The algorithm, integrating strategies of adaptive exponential weighting factor and the stochastic mutation, enhances the searching efficiency and convergence performance of the sparrow search algorithm (SSA). The results carried on 12 benchmark functions show that the IMSSA has excellent performance in terms of convergence speed, accuracy and robustness compared with other popular algorithms, proving the effectiveness of the improved strategies. Finally, the feasibility of the IMSSA algorithm for parameter tuning of the FOPID controller is further verified by two simulation cases. The IMSSA proposed in this paper offers a novel approach to apply intelligent algorithms to solve fractional-order control problems.
Fine mapping and gene silencing pinpoint Capana10g002229 as a strong candidate gene regulating the deciduous character of ripe pepper fruit (Capsicum spp.)
Authors: Hu Fang , Dong Jichi , Zhang Shaobin , Song Zhao , Guan Wendong , Yuan Fanchong , Zhong Jian , Liu Jia , Hu Kailin , Cheng Jiaowen
Published: August 2022

The deciduous character of ripe fruit, which is controlled by the dominant S locus, is a domesticated trait with potential value in the pepper processing industry (Capsicum spp.). However, the gene associated with the S locus has not been identified. Here, one major QTL designated S10.1 was detected by using the F2 population (n=155) derived from BA3 (C. annuum)×YNXML (C. frutescens) and was further verified in an intraspecific backcross population (n=254) derived from the cross between BB3 (C. annuum) and its wild relative Chiltepin (C. annuum var. glabriusculum) with BB3 as the recurrent parent. Then, a large BC1F2 population derived from the self-pollination of BB3×(BB3×Chiltepin) plants and comprising 4,217 individuals was used to screen the recombinants, and the S locus was ultimately delimited into a 38.03 kb region on chromosome P10 harbouring four annotated genes. Capana10g002229, encoding a polygalacturonase (PG), was proposed as the best candidate gene for S based on sequence comparison and expression pattern analyses. Downregulation of Capana10g002229 in fruits through VIGS significantly delayed fruit softening and abscission from the fruit-receptacle junction. Taken together, the results show that Capana10g002229 could be regarded as a strong candidate gene associated with the S locus in pepper. These findings not only lay a foundation for deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying pepper domestication but also provide a strategy for genetic improvement of the deciduous character of ripe fruit using a marker-assisted selection approach.
Aberrant cerebellar-cerebral functional connectivity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and its trajectory after pharmacotherapy and potential for diagnosis and prediction of early treatment effects
Authors: Guo Wenbin , Yan Haohao , Shan Xiaoxiao , Li Huabing , Liu Feng , Xie Guojun , Li P
Published: August 2022

The trajectory of abnormal cerebellar-cerebral functional connectivity (FC) in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) after pharmacotherapy and the association between alterations in the cerebellar-cerebral FC and changes in the clinical features of patients with OCD, as well as the possibility of building models for diagnosis and prediction of early treatment effects of OCD were unclear. We performed a longitudinal study involving 37 patients with OCD and 37 healthy controls (HCs). Patients with OCD received a 5-week treatment with paroxetine. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, seed-based FC analyses, support vector machine (SVM), support vector regression (SVR), and correlation analyses were applied to acquire and analyze the imaging and clinical data. Compared with HCs, patients with OCD showed decreased cerebellar-cerebral FC in the executive, affective-limbic, and sensorimotor networks. After treatment, patients showed significant clinical improvement and a part of the decreased cerebellar-cerebral FCs were restored. Negative correlations between abnormal cerebellar-cerebral FC at baseline and severity of compulsions, and impairment of social function were observed. Alterations in the cerebellar-cerebral FC were correlated with changes in cognition. Abnormal cerebellar-cerebral FC at baseline could serve as potential neuroimaging biomarkers for diagnosis of OCD and prediction of early treatment effects. These findings suggested that cerebellar-cerebral FC had an important role in the neuropsychological mechanisms underlying OCD and the pharmacological mechanism underlying the treatment for OCD. It was possible to develop precision medicine to identify individuals with OCD and which patients would maximally benefit from pharmacotherapy through SVM and SVR which were based on cerebellar-cerebral FC.
Exogenous melatonin alleviates neuropathic pain-induced affective disorders by suppressing NF-ᴋB/ NLRP3 pathway and apoptosis
Authors: Mokhtari Tahmineh , Yue Lu-Peng , Hu Li
Published: August 2022

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of melatonin (MLT) on NP-induced emotional disturbances (i.e., anxiety and depression) in a rat brain. Adult male rats were separated into three groups of sham, chronic constrictive injury (CCI): nerve ligation received the vehicle, and CCI + MLT: received MLT (10 mg/kg). Next, we used behavioral tests to evaluate pain severity, anxiety, and depression. Finally, rats were scarified for molecular and histopathological studies. Behavioral tests showed that NP could induce depression-and anxiety-like behaviors. NP activated NF-ᴋB/NLRP3 inflammasome pathways by upregulating NF-ᴋB, NLRP3, ASC, and active Caspase-1 and enhancing the concentrations of cytokines (IL1β and IL-18) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HC). NP upregulated Bax, downregulated Bcl2, and increased cell apoptosis in the HC and PFC. The rats treated with MLT eliminated the effects of NP, as the reduced pain severity, improved anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors, ameliorated NF-ᴋB/NLRP3 inflammasome pathways, and modulated levels of cytokines in the HC and PFC had indicated this result. MLT could promote cell survival from apoptosis by modulating Bax and Bcl2. Therefore, it might be inferred that its anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties mediate the beneficial effects of MLT in NP-induced affective disorders.