bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tree diversity in a tropical agricultural-forest mosaic landscape in Honduras
Authors: Ngo Bieng Marie Ange , Delgado-Rodríguez Diego , Vilchez-Mendoza Sergio , López-Sampson Arlene , García Edwin , Sepúlveda Norvin , Somarriba Eduardo
Published: November 2022

Biodiversity decline in the tropics requires the implementation of comprehensive landscape management where agricultural systems are necessarily an integral element of biodiversity conservation. This study evaluates the potential for taxonomic biodiversity conservation within an intensive livestock-agricultural-forest mosaic landscape in Catacamas, Honduras. Tree sampling was performed in 448 plots set up within different forest and agricultural land uses: secondary forests, agroforestry coffee plantations, agriculture, pastures, live fences and riparian forest. All trees with a minimum diameter at breast height of 10 cm were identified and measured. We characterized their tree structure and diversity, and compared tree diversity between the different uses. The results indicate a high degree of tree species diversity: 375 species identified, belonging to 74 families among the 15,096 trees inventoried across 84.2 hectares, including many rare species (40% of the species registered three individuals or fewer). Biodiversity indices for agroforestry coffee were found equivalent to those for natural secondary forests in the Catacamas landscape. Combining biodiversity conservation and agricultural production is possible in human-pressured tropical landscapes through tree cover maintenance. Enrichment practices combining local producers and technical knowledge may improve tree diversity in agricultural landscapes by prioritizing a mix of forest and introduced tree species (rare and with multiple uses).
Ensembles of data-efficient vision transformers as a new paradigm for automated classification in ecology
Authors: Kyathanahally S. P. , Hardeman T. , Reyes M. , Merz E. , Bulas T. , Brun P. , Pomati F. , Baity-Jesi M.
Published: November 2022

Monitoring biodiversity is paramount to manage and protect natural resources. Collecting images of organisms over large temporal or spatial scales is a promising practice to monitor the biodiversity of natural ecosystems, providing large amounts of data with minimal interference with the environment. Deep learning models are currently used to automate classification of organisms into taxonomic units. However, imprecision in these classifiers introduces a measurement noise that is difficult to control and can significantly hinder the analysis and interpretation of data. We overcome this limitation through ensembles of Data-efficient image Transformers (DeiTs), which we show can reach state-of-the-art (SOTA) performances without hyperparameter tuning, if one follows a simple fixed training schedule. We validate our results on ten ecological imaging datasets of diverse origin, ranging from plankton to birds. The performances of our EDeiTs are always comparable with the previous SOTA, even beating it in four out of ten cases. We argue that these ensemble of DeiTs perform better not because of superior single-model performances but rather due to smaller overlaps in the predictions by independent models and lower top-1 probabilities, which increases the benefit of ensembling.
Targeted deletion of ecto-5′-nucleotidase results in retention of inosine monophosphate content in postmortem muscle of medaka (Oryzias latipes)
Authors: Murakami Yu , Ando Masashi , Futamata Ryota , Horibe Tomohisa , Ueda Kazumitsu , Kinoshita Masato , Kobayashi Toru
Published: November 2022

Inosine monophosphate (IMP) is an important indicator of meat freshness and contributes to its umami taste. An attractive strategy for enhancing umami is to suppress the IMP-degrading activity and increase the IMP content in the skeletal muscle through genome editing technology using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying IMP degradation remain unclear. We cloned two ecto-5′-nucleotidase genes, designated as ecto-5′-nucleotidase-a (nt5ea) and ecto-5′-nucleotidase-b (nt5eb), from medaka (Oryzias latipes), a vertebrate model organism. Expression analysis using embryos showed that nt5ea or nt5eb overexpression remarkably upregulated IMP degradation, and that the IMP-degrading activity was higher in Nt5ea than in Nt5eb. Furthermore, we established frame-shifted or large deletion (lacking nt5ea or nt5eb locus) mutant strains and assayed the effects of gene disruptions on the amount of IMP in skeletal muscle. The nt5ea-deficient medaka showed considerable higher levels of IMP at 48 h postmortem than did the wild-type fish. The nt5eb mutants also exhibited higher IMP contents than that in the wild types, but the increase was less than that in the nt5ea mutants. Our results demonstrated that nt5e is an important regulator of IMP levels in skeletal muscle and that its loss of function was effective in maintaining IMP content.
Bacteriophage DW-EC with the capability to destruct and inhibit biofilm formed by several pathogenic bacteria
Authors: Wiguna Olivia Dwijayanti , Waturangi Diana Elizabeth , Yogiara
Published: November 2022

Biofilm formation by pathogenic bacteria is a major challenge in the food industry. Once a biofilm is established, such as on food processing equipment, it becomes more difficult to eradicate. Although physical and chemical treatments are often used to control biofilm formation, these treatments can have significant drawbacks. Alternative biofilm treatments are needed. Phage DW-EC was isolated from dawet, an Indonesian traditional Ready-To-Eat food, which has high specificity for Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), and Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). Phage DW-EC produces several enzymes that can prevent the development of biofilm and biofilm eradication. Depolymerase enzymes break down the polysaccharides layer on the biofilms can lead to biofilm damage. On the other hand, endolysin and putative like-T4 lysozyme will lyse and kill a bacterial cell, thereby preventing biofilm growth. This research aims to determine the capability of previously identified phage DW-EC to inhibit and destroy biofilms produced by several foodborne pathogens. Phage DW-EC formed plaques on the bacterial lawns of EHEC, EPEC, and ETEC. The efficiency of plating (EOP) values for EHEC, EPEC, ETEC, and Bacillus cereus were 1.06, 0.78. 0.70, and 0.00, demonstrating that DW-EC was effective in controlling pathogenic E. coli populations. Furthermore, phage DW-EC showed anti-biofilm activity against foodborne pathogenic bacteria on polystyrene and stainless-steel substrates. DW-EC biofilm inhibition and destruction activities against pathogenic E. coli were significantly higher than against B. cereus biofilms, which was indicated by a lower density of the biofilm than B. cereus. Microscopic visualization verified that bacteriophage DW-EC effectively controlled EHEC, EPEC, and ETEC biofilms. The results showed that DW-EC could inhibit and destroy biofilm, making it promising to be used as an anti-biofilm candidate for polystyrene and stainless steel equipment in the food industry.
Massive and massless plasmons in germanene nanosheets
Authors: Pisarra Michele , Gomez Cristian Vacacela , Sindona Antonello
Published: November 2022

Atomically thin crystals may exhibit peculiar dispersive electronic states equivalent to free charged particles of ultralight to ultraheavy masses. A rare coexistence of linear and parabolic dispersions yields correlated charge density modes exploitable for nanometric light confinement. Here, we use a time-dependent density-functional approach, under several levels of increasing accuracy, from the random-phase approximation to the Bethe-Salpeter equation formalism, to assess the role of different synthesized germanene samples as platforms for these plasmon excitations. In particular, we establish that both freestanding and some supported germenene monolayers can sustain infrared massless modes, resolved into an out-of-phase (optical) and an in-phase (acoustic) component. We further indicate precise experimental geometries that naturally host infrared massive modes, involving two different families of parabolic charge carriers. We thus show that the interplay of the massless and massive plasmons can be finetuned by applied extrinsic conditions or geometry deformations, which constitutes the core mechanism of germanene-based optoelectronic and plasmonic applications.
Increased catalytic activity through ZnMo7O24/g-C3N4 heterostructured assemblies for greener indole condensation reaction at room temperature
Authors: Azizi Najmedin , Farhadi Elham , Farzaneh Fezeh
Published: November 2022

As an economical conjugated polymer, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has recently attracted much attention due to its exciting chemical and thermal stability and easy availability. Herein, we constructed a metal-coordinated graphitic carbon nitride (M–g-C3N4) catalyst through simple impregnation and calcination methods and used it as a new heterogeneous catalyst for the efficient synthesis of bis (indolyl) methanes and trisindolines under mild conditions. This reaction is performed efficiently in water as an environmentally friendly solvent at ambient conditions. The ZnMo7O24/g-C3N4 nanocomposite was synthesized by a simple method by immobilizing Mo7O24(NH4)6·4H2O and ZnCl2 on the surface of g-C3N4 under hydrothermal conditions. It was characterized by FT-IR, EDS, and electronic scanning microscopy (SEM). The metal doping of Mo and Zn on the surface of graphitic carbon nitride leads to the formation of a green catalyst that gives good to excellent yields of products in short reaction times with an easy working procedure. In addition, the ZnMo7O24/g-C3N4 catalyst could be reused at least five runs without apparent loss of efficiency.
Antibiofilm properties of bioactive compounds from Actinomycetes against foodborne and fish pathogens
Authors: Miller Tracy , Waturangi Diana Elizabeth , Yogiara
Published: November 2022

In nature, bacteria can form biofilms, multi-layered structures that adhere microbial populations to solid surfaces by exopolysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids. In addition to causing foodborne infections, biofilms can be a major problem in aquaculture.Actinomycetesextracts have previously demonstrated antibiofilm activity against multiple foodborne and fish pathogens, and further characterization of these extracts is needed. In this study, we identified the chemical structures and antibiofilm properties of four extracts and determined the genetic similarity of the isolates to knownStreptomycesisolates. We found that several extracts contained multiple antibiofilm compounds, and the antibiofilm activities of all extracts were most stable at pH 6. Furthermore, the antibiofilm inhibition and destruction activities of the isolates were stable at different temperatures. All of crude extracts demonstrated activity against biofilms formed by foodborne and fish pathogens on the surface of stainless-steel coupons as well as polystyrene that commonly used in industrial equipment. Using PCR 16S-rRNA gene and DNA sequencing analysis, the fourActinomycetesisolates were found to be 99% (1 AC), 97% (20 PM), 95% (16 PM), and 85% (18 PM) similar toStreptomyces. Biofilm structure were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive Spectrometry analysis. Coniine/(S)-2-propylpiperidine was the most active fraction of the crude extracts of the 1 AC, 20 PM, and 16 PM isolates, and piperidine, 2-(tetrahydro-2-furanyl) was most active in the 18 PM isolate.
Effect of maleic anhydride grafted poly(lactic acid) on rheological behaviors and mechanical performance of poly(lactic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA/PEG) blends
Authors: Yu Songting , Zhang Yiting , Hu Huan , Li Juncheng , Zhou Weiyi , Zhao Xipo , Peng Shaoxian
Published: November 2022

Preparation of PLA/PEG/GPLA blends with high toughness by reactive blending of PLA grafted maleic anhydride (GPLA).
Synthesis of a porous SiO2–H3BO3–V2O5–P2O5 glassy composite: structural and surface morphological behaviour for CO2 gas sensing applications
Authors: Fatima Zaireen , Gautam Chandkiram , Singh Ajeet , Avinashi Sarvesh Kumar , Chandra Yadav Bal , Khan Afroj Ahmed
Published: November 2022

The present work mainly focuses on the fabrication of a porous glass 40SiO2–35H3BO3–19V2O5–6P2O5via a melt-quenching technique.
Simple fluorescence chemosensor for the detection of calcium ions in water samples and its application in bio-imaging of cancer cells
Authors: Salek-Maghsoodi Maral , Golsanamlu Zahra , Sadeghi-Mohammadi Sanam , Gazizadeh Masoud , Soleymani Jafar , Safaralizadeh Reza
Published: November 2022

Synthesis of the MNPs-PDNPs/RhB/FA probe and application for bioimaging and Ca detection.
First-principles investigation of potential water-splitting photocatalysts and photovoltaic materials based on Janus transition-metal dichalcogenide/WSe2 heterostructures
Authors: Ayele Samuel Tilahun , Obodo Kingsley O. , Asres Georgies Alene
Published: November 2022

In order to evaluate their potential for use in photocatalytic water splitting and photovoltaic solar cells, WSe2/JTMDC heterostructures with various stacking patterns are built. For the intended uses, the materials show promise.
An optical strategy for detecting hypochlorite in vitro and cells with high selectivity and stability based on a lanthanide-doped upconversion probe
Authors: Liu Yuting , Zhan Shiping , Su Xin , Nie Guozheng , Wu Xiaofeng , Liu Yunxin
Published: November 2022

The excessive use of sodium hypochlorite disinfectant for preventing COVID-19 can be harmful to the water environment and humans.
Apples to apples comparison of standardized to unstandardized principal component analysis of methods that assign partial atomic charges in molecules
Authors: Manz Thomas A.
Published: November 2022

Standardized and unstandardized principal component analyses are directly compared for a dataset of ∼2000 molecules across various charge assignment methods.
A low‐cost digital calibration scheme for high‐resolution SAR ADC using Adaptive‐LMS
Authors: Yang Yongkui , Yin Tingting , Liu Jiping , Yao Enyi
Published: November 2022

This paper presents a novel low‐cost digital calibration scheme using Adaptive‐LMS for high‐resolution SAR ADCs. This proposed Adaptive‐LMS is realized by perturbing adaptive analog offset and skipping several LSBs' calibration. Compared with a digital calibration scheme based on conventional LMS, the design saves not only die cost but also testing cost (less testing time). During the testing process, the proposed method requires only 16,000 samples to calibrate the capacitor mismatch and the SNDR is improved from 54.1 dB to 68.1 dB for a 12‐bit SAR ADC.
Resilience assessment for natural gas systems and electrical power systems without complete integration
Authors: Xie Haipeng , Fu Wei , Jiang Lizhou , Bie Zhaohong
Published: November 2022

Considering the limited information sharing between natural gas systems (NGS) and electrical power systems (EPS), this paper proposes a distributed resilience assessment method for NGS and EPS. First, a coordinated restoration framework is presented for incompletely integrated energy systems, and the collaborative benefit redistribution mechanism is proposed to motivate the participation of the cooperative restoration. Then fragility and recovery models for NGS and EPS components are developed, involving the impact of wind and rainfall during typhoons. An emergency load shedding model considering the conditional value at risk under typhoons is built, where the dynamic constraints of gas storage in NGS's pipelines is considered, and a linear approximation method is adopted to make the solution feasible. The modified alternating direction method of multipliers algorithm is used to solve the problem, and herein the self‐adaptive penalty factor is leveraged to boost the efficiency. Based on the valley‐shaped resilience model, the concept of skewness and kurtosis are introduced to give risk‐adverse metrics more systematically to the impact of extreme events. The proposed model and algorithm are validated by case studies. Except for the performance exploration, the weakness and enhancement suggestions are also concluded from the case analysis.
Prediction of the far field radiated by a flat antenna under test from a reduced set of near‐field bi‐polar measurements
Authors: D'Agostino Francesco , Ferrara Flaminio , Gennarelli Claudio , Guerriero Rocco , Migliozzi Massimo , Riccio Giovanni
Published: November 2022

In this article, a bi‐polar near‐field‐to‐far‐field (NFTFF) transformation with probe compensation, which is very convenient from the data reduction standpoint when characterising a flat antenna under test (AUT), is developed. It takes advantage from the non‐redundant sampling representations of the electromagnetic fields to devise a sampling representation on the scanning plane, which requires the knowledge of the bi‐polar NF samples at a reduced number of sampling points. To account for the AUT geometry, it properly adopts as modelling surface a disc having diameter equal to the largest size of such an AUT. This surface allows a more effective AUT modelling from the NF data reduction standpoint than the formerly proposed modelling surfaces for quasi‐planar antennas (the oblate ellipsoid or the two‐bowls), because, unlike these last, it has the capability to best fit the AUT geometry, thus reducing very significantly the involved volumetric redundancy. An ad hoc developed two‐dimensional optimal sampling, interpolation formula is then employed to reconstruct the plane‐rectangular NF data which would be necessary to execute the classical NFTFF transformation developed by Leach and Paris. Some results of numerical simulations and experimental proofs are reported to demonstrate the efficiency of the so developed technique.
A fast multi‐structural tracking method for characteristic modes with the ability to identify and amend errors
Authors: Yazdani‐Shavakand Mona , Ahmadi‐Shokouh Javad , Dashti Hamideh
Published: November 2022

Characteristic mode tracking plays a determining role in the correctness of the characteristic modes (CMs) results. The reliable modal tracking methods are usually either complex or have high computational time. Hence in this study, these challenges are overcome by supplementary algorithms as a novel solution to reduce the drawbacks of using mono‐structural algorithms. Therefore, a very simple algorithm is suggested as the main core of modal tracking, Then, the trajectory monitoring algorithm, error amender algorithm and decision‐maker algorithm are appended to improve the performance. The main core is the priority correlation‐based algorithm (PCA). When PCA cooperates with one of the proposed initial filters, CMs can be fast‐tracked but the results are not entirely correct. To increase accuracy, post‐processing analysis is suggested to detect errors and then correct them. Also, the post‐processing block can reduce Modal Tracking Algorithm computations due to using a new adaptive frequency step size. The CMs of three structures are tracked to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method. In addition, the critical decisions of modal tracking algorithm are investigated in detail.
A radio frequency identification reader collision avoidance protocol for dense reader environments in the context of Industry 4.0
Authors: Rezaie Hadiseh , Golsorkhtabaramiri Mehdi , Jafari Navimipour Nima
Published: November 2022

In the new industrial revolution known as Industry 4.0, radio frequency identification (RFID) systems are a key component of automatic detection. These systems have two main elements, namely Reader and Tag. In many Internet of Things (IoT) applications, the RFID system is used with lots of readers working together in a dense environment to read tags. The simultaneous operation of readers with a common sensory range increases the likelihood of reader‐to‐tag collision and reader‐to‐reader collision and reduces the number of successful reading and as a result, reduces network performance and average waiting time for each reader increased. Collisions happen when readers are in the interference range and start reading tags simultaneously, so it is necessary to use the right solution to control channel access in these systems. So far, various solutions have been proposed to control readers’ access to the communication channel. Some of them have not considered the existing standards for this type of system or have not been efficient enough to be used in the IoT. In this study, we propose a method that, by considering the distance between readers and the number of neighbourhoods, and the possibility of information sharing, allows readers to successfully read more tags with fewer collisions in a certain time frame. The results of the performance study in a real‐world environment showed that the suggested method outperformed similar methods in terms of network performance and has much better throughput, making it a superior choice for usage in IoT‐based RFID systems.
15. ergotag 5. Februar 2023 in Stuttgart – Zurück in die Zukunft
Authors: Gritsch Simone
Published: November 2022

Drei Jahre lang hat uns die Pandemie ausgebremst, nun sind wir zurück – live vor Ort in der Messe Stuttgart. Und dann gleich mit einem Jubiläum: Feiern Sie mit uns den 15. ergotag! Wir können es kaum erwarten, die Ergotherapie-Community wieder „in echt“ zu treffen, ins Gespräch zu kommen und uns gemeinsam mit Ihnen für die Zukunft zu wappnen. Es hat sich schließlich viel getan in der Zwischenzeit. Zusammen wollen wir lernen, wie wir den Wandel gesund gestalten können.
Voll aufdrehen für Betätigung – Dynamic Model of Occupation-Based Practice
Authors: Jäcker Katja
Published: November 2022

Mit der betätigungsbasierten und klientenzentrierten Praxis setzt sich die Ergotherapie deutlich von anderen Berufsgruppen wie etwa der Physiotherapie ab. Die Umsetzung fällt jedoch nicht immer leicht. Um sich den Grad der Betätigungsbasierung vor Augen zu führen, kann man zum dynamischen Modell für die betätigungsbasierte Praxis greifen.
Operative Therapie des malignen Melanoms
Authors: Mechlin Axel
Published: November 2022

Die operative Therapie ist maßgeblich im Behandlungskonzept des malignen Melanoms. Sie ist essentieller Bestandteil der Diagnosesicherung, des Stagings und der Therapie in allen Stadien der Erkrankung. Die optimale Planung und Durchführung der Primärexzision, der Sentinel-Lymphknoten-Biopsie und der Nachexzision mit Sicherheitsabstand legen den Grundstein einer erfolgreichen Behandlung, die neben oder auch in Kombination mit einer modernen Systemtherapie die Metastasen-Chirurgie miteinschließt.
Combining soft and hard material improves magnetic elastomers
Authors: Ikenson Ben
Published: November 2022

Novel composite may herald advances in 3D printed smart materials
Translating (or not) a South American Philosopher
Authors: González Núñez Gabriel
Published: November 2022

This study will consider translation as a tool to transfer ideas from Latin America to North America (and the rest of the English-speaking world). It will do so by exploring some of the paratextual strategies that have been employed in transmitting the ideas of Latin American philosophers to the English-speaking world. Specifically, it will rely on a case study, namely, the translation into English of the works of José Enrique Rodó, an important South American philosopher from the early twentieth century. The paper will outline Rodó’s work as translated into English, focusing not on the quality of the translated texts themselves but rather on what the translations were expected to do. As a way to understand their expected functions, the present study will describe the paratextual apparatuses that surround the translations. Such an analysis will rely on Gérard Genette’s work on paratexts to draw conclusions regarding the role of translation in the flow of ideas from the Global South to the Global North.
Chabacano and Luso-Asian creoles
Authors: Tobar Delgado Eduardo
Published: November 2022

This study presents the most comprehensive inventory of lexical similarities between Chabacano and Luso-Asian
creoles to date. Certain formal similarities, especially regarding function words, have not gone unnoticed in the past, but for
the most part have been treated as coincidences. Less attention has been paid to cases of parallel formal and semantic innovation
involving content words. Taken together, these data suggest a non-coincidental lexical component shared between Luso-Asian creoles
and the multi-directional propagation of features across Ibero-Asian creoles. This notion is further supported if we consider the
well-known cultural, commercial and demographic connections between the Philippines and the Portuguese colonies in Asia. At the
individual level, discarding a Spanish etymology in favor of a Portuguese one is a very problematic endeavor that often leads to
inconclusiveness. However, we argue that the sheer number of shared retentions and innovations presented in this study can only be
accounted for by factoring in some degree of language contact. Luso-Asian elements must have seeped into Chabacano at the time of
its genesis and at later stages.
In situ, in vivo, and in vitro approaches for studying AMR plasmid conjugation in the gut microbiome
Authors: Kessler Celia , Hou Jingping , Neo Onalenna , Buckner Michelle M C
Published: November 2022

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat, with evolution and spread of resistance to frontline antibiotics outpacing the development of novel treatments. The spread of AMR is perpetuated by transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) between bacteria, notably those encoded by conjugative plasmids. The human gut microbiome is a known ‘melting pot’ for plasmid conjugation, with ARG transfer in this environment widely documented. There is a need to better understand the factors affecting the incidence of these transfer events, and to investigate methods of potentially counteracting the spread of ARGs. This review describes the use and potential of three approaches to studying conjugation in the human gut: observation of in situ events in hospitalized patients, modelling of the microbiome in vivo predominantly in rodent models, and the use of in vitro models of various complexities. Each has brought unique insights to our understanding of conjugation in the gut. The use and development of these systems, and combinations thereof, will be pivotal in better understanding the significance, prevalence, and manipulability of horizontal gene transfer in the gut microbiome.
Questionnaire and experimental surveys show that dolphins cause substantial losses to a gillnet fishery in the eastern Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Garagouni Maria , Avgerinou Georgia , Mouchlianitis Foivos-Alexandros , Minos George , Ganias Konstantinos
Published: November 2022

Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are known to depredate fishing gear, resulting in damage to the catch and/or the gear itself. The extent of this damage and estimated financial loss varies between areas, métiers, and survey methods. We quantified losses due to bottlenose dolphin depredation in a coastal gillnet fishery in the Thermaikos Gulf, Greece, in terms of CPUE reduction, catch damage, and gear damage. Experimental fishing effort was carried out over two seasons (2020 and 2021), along with concurrent questionnaire surveys over the second season (2021). Depredation frequency (∼35%) and CPUE changes due to depredation (a significant decrease of 45–50%) were similar for both sampling schemes. The number of damaged fish in experimental hauls increased significantly with dolphin depredation, but did not fully account for the sizeable loss in marketable catch, indicating that large numbers of fish were removed from the nets entirely. Damage to experimental nets increased with dolphin presence and group size, with an average of 0.59% of net surface area damaged per depredation event. Both datasets point to annual economic losses of over €5000 per vessel in this fishery, while the similarity between direct observations and self-reported losses highlights the usefulness of frequent questionnaire surveys.
Simultaneous Determination of Alternaria Toxins, Ergot Alkaloid Epimers, and Other Major Mycotoxins in Various Food Matrixes by LC–MS/MS
Authors: Liang Shun-Hsin , York Jamie L , Konschnik Joseph D , Majer Hansjoerg , Steimling Justin A
Published: November 2022

Background

Various food commodities are vulnerable to different types of fungal pathogens and could be contaminated with differential classes of mycotoxins as a result. It is ideal to implement a generic method for the simultaneous determination of multi-mycotoxins in different food matrixes or agricultural products.

Objective

In this study, a simplified sample preparation procedure and a reliable LC–MS/MS analytical method were developed for the comprehensive measurement of 37 regulated and emerging mycotoxins including five Alternaria toxins (ATs) and six major ergot alkaloids (EAs) and their corresponding epimers. Four different food commodities (baby wheat cereal, peanut, tomato puree, and blended flour) were chosen for method validation to demonstrate the applicability of this analytical method across a wide range of food types.

Methods

Sample extraction was performed using a formic acid-acidified acetonitrile–water (4 + 1, v/v) solution followed by extract dry-down and reconstitution in a water–methanol (1 + 1, v/v) solution for analysis on a biphenyl LC column. Chromatographic analysis was performed using regular acidic LC conditions for baseline separation of ergot alkaloid epimers and completed with a short 11 min cycle time.

Results

Accurate quantification was achieved using matrix-matched calibration standards in the range of 0.4 to 400 µg/kg. The recoveries of all mycotoxins (except citrinin) in fortified samples were from 70 to 120%, and the RSD was less than 20%.

Conclusion

The established workflow was simple and fast for multi-mycotoxin determination in a wide variety of food commodities with LOQs needed to meet the regulatory levels.

Highlights

The developed method provided the unique benefit of simultaneous analysis of Alternaria toxins (ATs) and ergot alkaloids (EAs) together with other major regulated mycotoxins.
Contributor Agreements
Authors: Lovejoy Jilayne
Published: November 2022

This chapter discusses licensing configurations open source projects use. In particular, it describes the different types of inbound licenses or agreements: inbound=outbound, the Developer’s Certificate of Origin (‘DCO’); the contributor license agreement (‘CLA’); and Assignment. The chapter considers how each compares to the others, the ways each type is implemented, and some of the reasons each one is used. It also argues that, regardless of how an open source project is organised, there ought to be two licences (or agreements): a licence to govern contributions that come into the project (inbound) and a licence under which end-users of the project take the code (outbound). To conclude, the chapter provides some practical advice for the legal agreements governing one’s own open source projects.
Export Control
Authors: Choudaray Mishi , Cheng Michael
Published: November 2022

This chapter explores export control, which is one of many types of trade regulation that governments use to promote their economic, diplomatic, and national security interests through international commerce. Similar to any other policymaking exercise, trade regulation will often have unintended side effects in areas outside of policymakers’ then-current core objectives and priorities. The distributed manner in which open source and other decentralised collaboration models are developed, improved, and licensed in the context of international trade will often create novel questions of how to apply trade regulations designed for more traditional means of commerce. The chapter thus presents a checklist with common issues when analysing export control issues in open source. It then offers an example of how export control regimes have been applied to open source ecosystems in the US. Finally, the chapter provides a survey of the applicable export control regimes in the UK, EU, and China.
Business and Revenue Models and Commercial Agreements
Authors: Brock Amanda
Published: November 2022

This chapter explores how revenue is generated in businesses based on open source licensed software. Open source may be many things, beyond its legal categorisation, but open source software is not of itself a business model nor was it ever intended to be one. Generating revenue and finding a suitable business model for businesses based on open source licensed software, is, therefore, the ‘holy grail’ to many interested in open source. In light of this, the chapter first defines what open source is and what it is not. A consideration of possible revenue and business models is then provided. Next, the chapter discusses recent business issues in open source. Finally, the chapter covers commercial contracts.
The Rise of the Open Source Program Offices (OSPO)
Authors: Ruff Nithya
Published: November 2022

This chapter discusses the Open Source Program Office (‘OSPO’). OSPO’s have become de rigeur through 2020 and many organisations wonder how they benefit from starting one — and, perhaps why they should invest in one, especially when they are already consuming open source software. The chapter considers the advantage of engaging with an OSPO, its history and origins, and an OPSO’s impacts on an organisation. It argues that the biggest reason to do so is to proactively drive product/service intention and strategy, which also happens to be the biggest benefit of engaging with open source projects. Proactively driving product/service strategy tends to speed time to market, providing a competitive advantage.
The Bible and the British Empire
Authors: Broadbent Ralph
Published: November 2022

This chapter will argue that, directly or indirectly, the Bible and British biblical studies have been used to support and reinforce the British Empire. It will briefly survey the historiography of empire and the theoretical approaches of postcolonialism. It will examine aspects of the Bible and biblical studies, giving examples of this support for imperialism. This will reveal a complex, hierarchical ideology, involving monarchy, the aristocracy, the poor, women, and the “other,” which has continued well beyond the end of empire. A final section will suggest possible areas for future exploration and questions still to be answered.
Executive Politics
Authors: Silveira Pedro , Silva Patrícia
Published: November 2022

This chapter explores the functioning of the central executive branch of the Portuguese government. It explores the institutional context that crafts the conditions for the prime ministerialization of the Portuguese executive. Cabinet stability, composition, and performance provide relevant cues regarding the prime minister’s leeway in the executive. In terms of the inner functioning of the executive, the trend towards prime ministerialization identified in the first decades of democratic experience has persisted—if not increased—in the last decades, granting the prime minister more effective control over government decision-making. The last two decades unveil relevant signs of an erosion of collective government and the empowerment of coordination mechanisms which reinforce the central role played by the prime minister, who becomes more powerful within the executive and less constrained by long-standing party loyalties.
Portuguese National Identity: Historical Constructions and Contemporary Expressions
Authors: Sobral José , Vala Jorge
Published: November 2022

This chapter analyses the Portuguese national identity in an historical, socio-psychological, and comparative perspective. Following a processual approach to identity construction, we begin by presenting an overview of the historical development of Portuguese national identity. Then we explore the salience of national identification, showing that a high national attachment is prevalent among the Portuguese. The analysis of a fundamental emotion in national identification, pride, reveals how history is central in Portuguese expressions of it. Finally, two questions are explored. One ponders the relative weight of ethnic and civic characterizations of national belonging. The Portuguese case reveals that a combination of both is at the core of representations of national identity. The second question focuses on the possible exclusionary consequences of national identification. Specifically, results show that national identification per se does not impact on those attitudes, only an exclusivist conception of identity impacts on anti-immigration tendencies.
Social, Economic, and Demographic Change during the Portuguese Democracy (1974–2020)
Authors: Amaral Luciano
Published: November 2022

Portugal went through substantial social and economic changes since the onset of democracy in 1974. The general transformation of Portuguese economy and society was defined by a general pattern of convergence with Western European standards in many aspects: Portugal became a high-income country, having previously been a mid- to low-income country at the beginning of the democratic period; it also became a service economy, much like its European counterparts. This convergence was also visible in the role played by the government, both in terms of its growth (as measured by public spending) and its structure, with the expansion of social elements (social security, education, and health), bringing Portugal closer to the standard of European welfare states. One final aspect where convergence was noticeable was demographic behaviour, as Portugal quickly completed the process generally known as ‘demographic transition’.
Empire and Decolonization in Portuguese Africa
Authors: Jerónimo Miguel Bandeira , Monteiro José Pedro
Published: November 2022

This chapter addresses some of the most important historical processes that shaped Portuguese late colonialism and decolonization from 1945 to 1975. The authors argue that to fully apprehend the dynamics that led to the transfers of power, the independence of several former Portuguese African colonies, and its post-imperial aftermath, it is fundamental to understand the profound consequential political, economic, cultural, and social changes that took place in the Portuguese African colonies after 1945. From the reconfiguration of the imperial politics of difference to the modernizing impetuses that marked the empire during the last thirty years of Portuguese colonialism, this chapter tackles the ways in which pro-imperial advocates and anti-colonial activists, among others, engaged in a dispute with global ramifications regarding the legitimacy of Portuguese rule over different territories and populations. Portuguese late colonialism is thus addressed through a comparative framework that brings together the trajectories of imperial demise of other European powers and the universalization of political national self-determination as the cornerstone of the contemporary global order.
Trade, Insecurity, and the Costs of Conflict
Authors: Garfinkel Michelle R. , Skaperdas Stergios , Syropoulos Constantinos
Published: November 2022

Typically, economics assumes that property rights over productive resources or goods are perfectly defined and costlessly enforced. The costs of insecurity and the resultant conflict are, however, real and often economically significant. In this chapter, the authors examine how international trade regimes affect the costs of conflict and, in turn, how the desirability of international trade is affected by these costs. The authors consider both domestic and international conflict. Trade openness reduces the costs of these types of conflict for countries that import goods whose production relies on supplies of contested resources. For countries that export such goods, trade openness intensifies conflict. The effect of conflict on the allocation of productive resources through prices under trade can also explain the “natural resource curse” and can overturn a country’s natural comparative advantage. Finally, the authors consider alternative channels through which trade can affect arming and conflict costs, with effects that can either improve or worsen international relations.
Navigating Religious Identity and Embodiment in Digital Games
Authors: Borchert John W.
Published: November 2022

The study of digital religion emerged both in reaction to the proliferation of digital technologies and as an observation of how religious actions and ideas interacted with this new media. Researching identity and embodiment in digital games has reached a point in the study of digital religion where it must continue to challenge an in- or out-of-game divide by looking to places like queer studies and posthumanism as exemplary for understanding hybrid embodiments. A history of this study that attends to problems of embodiment or disembodiment and identities as either playful or sincere reveals progress toward research that can contribute to understanding religious identity and embodiment in digital games as emergent, processual, and constructed.
Digital Materiality in Protestant Evangelical Christianity
Authors: Goh Robbie B. H.
Published: November 2022

Materiality—the role of objects, bodies, physical contact—plays an important part in many religious traditions. Protestant evangelical Christianity offers an interesting perspective on materiality, given that its megachurches rely on the growth, size, and vibrancy of their congregations and services, and that connectional ties and/or the transmission of supernatural power play important organizational and spiritual roles. The Coronavirus epidemic has accelerated the process of digitalization (if nothing else as a hybrid of or backup to physical services). Protestant evangelical churches’ strategies of digital materiality can be considered under the three main rubrics of the “mega,” “accountability,” and “anointing,” each of which strategy has its particular characteristics, capabilities, and limitations. The case of Protestant evangelical Christianity shows the ways in which materiality poses one of the most significant challenges to online religious forms, which is also likely to provoke the most innovative digital solutions looking ahead.
Robots, Ethics, and Digital Religion
Authors: Balle Simon , Ess Charles
Published: November 2022

As robotic artifacts begin to appear in religious practice, they become compelling objects for digital religion studies. The authors explore current research on robotics in religion to develop conceptual and theoretical space for robots within digital religion. A brief history of automata in diverse religions provides important grounding for then reviewing foundational philosophical and culturally variable aspects of robots. The authors then introduce the most prominent religious robots employed in Buddhist and Christian contexts today. Within and beyond these religious contexts, robots pose unique opportunities and challenges: the authors catalogue and develop these within the frame of three central digital religion themes: identity, community, and authority. These endeavors set the stage for further analyses of robots in religion, starting with authenticity and ritual as additional themes in digital religion studies.
Christianity and Digital Media
Authors: Gelfgren Stefan
Published: November 2022

This chapter describes and discusses how digital media has been used, implemented, and negotiated within Christianity and how these processes vary between and within different traditions (divided here into Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox). The view on digital media differs between different traditions, and therefore the goals and purposes of digital media also differ. For example, the presence of differing theology, history, and established structures and practices influence how digital media is perceived and implemented by different actors, such as churches and denominations, and their representatives. Related to differences, similarities, and tensions across traditions, this chapter also discusses the future of research on digital religion. While research on Protestant digital religion is thoroughly researched today, the growing body of research on other cases—other traditions and in other geographical locations—will probably change how digital religion is viewed and interpreted.
Biocontrol Impacts on Wheat Physiology and Fusarium Head Blight Outcomes Are Bacterial Endophyte Strain and Cultivar Specific
Authors: Whitaker B. K. , Vaughan M. M. , McCormick S. P.
Published: November 2022

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an economically important disease of small grains globally and is primarily caused by Fusarium graminearum in North America. Recently, microbial biocontrols have risen in importance as sustainable agents of disease control. However, the path to implementation of microbial biocontrols in agriculture will require an understanding of how microbiota both affect plant performance overall and vary with inherent host disease resistance. Using a full-factorial, controlled greenhouse experiment, we tested how seven bacterial endophyte seed soak treatments affected both plant physiology prior to pathogen infection and FHB disease progression in Triticum aestivum (wheat). Bacterial endophyte treatments strongly affected the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, with changes in plant traits regulating light energy allocation and the build-up of electrochemical energy storage across the thylakoid membrane. Physiological responses were contingent on host variety. The direct effects of bacterial endophytes on wheat response to infection were weak and dependent on the inherent disease resistance of the host variety. However, disease outcomes were indirectly mediated by bacterial impacts on plant traits, with proton motive force traits emerging as common predictors of disease response across both host varieties and other traits indicating potential trade-offs in host response to bacterial inoculants and F. graminearum infection. Our results provide an alternate mechanism for microbial biocontrol efficacy other than direct antagonism with the pathogen inside the host. Furthermore, the chlorophyll-fluorescence and absorbance-based markers assessed here may have translational potential as a phenotyping tool for FHB susceptibility in wheat and other small grains.