bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of a Number of Irrigations on the Growth and Yield Traits of Three Varieties of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivium L.)
Authors: Mohammed Enas Ismail
Published: November 2023

A field experiment was carried out in Baghdad governorate / Tarmiya district during the Agricultural Season 2018-2019 to study the effect of a number of Irrigations on some growth and yield Traits of three varieties of bread wheat (Triticum aestivium L.), Where Three levels of Irrigation were used (Three, Five, and Eight Irrigations). And three varieties of wheat are (Iraq, Adana 99 and Ibaa 99). The experiment was designed according to the (R.C.B.D) Randomized Complete Block Design with a Split-Plot system and with Three Replications, and the results showed that the interaction between variety Ibaa 99 and eight irrigations was superior in each of the characteristics of the number of days for the appearance of 75% of the spikes, the flag leaf area, the total number of tillers, the number of grains per spike, the weight of 1000 grains, and biological yield which amounted to Their arithmetic averages were (113.36 days, 47.26 cm2, 395.11 tiller.m2, 29.19 grains.spike-1, 44.01gm and 16700.00kg.ha-1), Respectively. The interaction between the variety Adana 99 excelled with eight Irrigations in the two characteristics of spike length and plant height, whose values were (13.41 cm and 96.12 cm), respectively.
Genetic Heterogeneity of Genotypes of Sorghum under Different Ferrous Concentrations
Authors: Azawi Belqis Muhammad , Khader Imad Khalaf , Nazim Basem Shakour
Published: November 2023

A study was conducted of five genotypes of white corn (J, Giza, Inqaz, Rabeh, Li) in gypsum soil. The effect of foliar feeding with three levels of iron (0, 75 and 150) mg L was used (ferrous sulphate) on the growth of white corn at the plant. Research for the Department of Field Crops, College of Agriculture - University of Tikrit, for the fall season 2022 AD, with a sandy texture. As for the design type, random complete blocks (RCBD) with three replications, and each replicate contains (15) experimental units, each experimental unit contains four lines, the distance between one line and another is 60 cm, and between one line and another is 20 cm, to study growth characteristics. The Li variety excelled in the number of grains per head, head weight, weight of 1000 grains, grain yield per plant, total grain yield, harvest index, and the percentage of iron in the seeds, which amounted to (2316.0 seeds, 112.55 grams, 29.45 grams, 64.08 grams, 6.01 tons, 44.21%, and 67.75 mg Fe / kg), while the biological yield was superior to the J variety, which reached (12.93 tons). The percentage of protein was higher than the Giza variety, reaching (6.73%). As for fertilizer additions, (Fe2) was superior and gave the highest averages in traits, number of grains per head, head weight, weight of1000 grains, grain yield per plant, total grain yield, biological yield, harvest index, percentage of iron in seeds, andpercentage of protein, as it reached 2361.0 grains, 107.80 g, and 27. 43g, 64.67g, 5.33t, 12.20 tons, 44.26%, 72.75 mg Fe/kg, and 6.59%, respectively. The combination (Li + fertilizer additives (Fe2) was characterized by giving the highest averages in the characteristics of number of grains per head, weight of 1000 grains, grain yield per plant, grain yield, harvest index, and percentage of iron in seeds. The biological yield was outperformed by class J + additives Fertilizer (Fe1) and the characteristic of the percentage of protein was superior to the variety Giza + fertilizer additives (Fe2). The genetic variance contributed more than the environmental variance to all fertilizer additions (Fe2) and their quantitative characteristics, which was reflected in the degree of heritability in the broad sense, in addition to that the coefficient of genetic, environmental and phenotypic variation and the expected genetic improvement as a percentage was average for most of the traits under study.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by Cardaria draba and Evaluation of its Insecticidal Effect on Schizaphis graminum
Authors: Hasoon Maryem Akbal , Mohmed Ahmed Saeed , Kadhim Jamaal Hussein
Published: November 2023

Schizaphis graminum one of the main pests of the wheat crop, causing direct and indirect damage to the growth and yield of the crop. The biosynthesis of nanoparticles using plant extracts is the most recent and workable application for pest control. This study was conducted to know the potential activity of insecticidal of synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using plant leaf extracts of Cardaria draba. Synthesis was confirmed firstly by visual observation and then by UV-Vis spectrophotometer where The peak was recorded at 428 nm, The results of XRD technique of the colloidal solution confirmed the crystalline nature of the silver nanoparticles. FTIR analysis spectrum showed different types of functional groups which played crucial role in the biosynthesis of AgNPs. FESEM analysis determined the size and shape of AgNPs where average size was 85nm with roughly circular or spherical in shape. Different concentrations of AgNPs were prepared and tested on mortality of the stages of S. graminum, The highest mortality of adults and nymphs recorded 52.99 and 57.13% respectively at the high concentration 100 ppm compared with 4.79 and 5.87% respectively in the control treatment after 3 days from exposure time. In addition to statistically significant differences was in adult and nymph mortality between concentrations. The results suggested that using green biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles can be used as an effective way in the control S. graminum on wheat crops.
Interactive Effects of Inoculation with Two Isolates Providencia vermicola and Raoultella planticola and Two Levels of Mineral Fertilizers on Wheat Yield Increase
Authors: Makki Alyaa Adnan , Jassim Sofia Jabbar , Al-Nuaimy Ahmed Ayad
Published: November 2023

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of bio fertilizers produced from local isolates of Providencia vermicola and Raoultella planticola in field trials conducted during 2021-2022 at the Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Muthanna University, Bandar, Iraq, Using a completely randomized design with three replicates, microbial bio fertilizers were considered as the first factor, which included the use of single and double bacterial inoculums consisting of the above bacteria, while the second factor included two levels of fertilizers (0 and 50%) fertilizer recommendation. The experiment also included the use of two comparative treatments, the first with a full recommendation (160, 100 and 100 kg H-1) of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and the second a negative comparison treatment without the use of biological or chemical fertilizers. Characteristics of 1000-grain weight, grain yield, biomass and percentage of above-ground elements (N, K, P) at 50% flowering stage. The results showed the superiority of the double fertilization treatment (P.vermicola and R.planticola) in the characteristics of grain yield and the percentage of elements (nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus) over all bio fertilization treatments, as rates were recorded (7.21 μg H-1, 3.51%, 2.27%), 0.73%). The treatment with half the recommended amount of fertilizer was superior to the treatment with no added fertilizer on all the characteristics studied, as it recorded (48.5 g, 6.76 μg H-1, 20.88 μg H-1, 3.05%, 2.33%, 0.70 %), and treatment Showing an overlap between (P.vermicola and R.planticola), half of the fertilizer recommendations were significantly better than (4.24%, 2.96%, 0.81%) in terms of percentage of NPK elements.
Response of Three Barley Cultivars Hordeum vulgare L. to Water Stress Under Field Conditions
Authors: Mansoor Hasan Najem , Jeber Bushra Abed , Atab Huda A. , Merhij Mohammed Y.
Published: November 2023

A field experiment was conducted in one of the agricultural fields located in the center of Hilla/Babylon, within latitude 32°31’ north and longitude 44°21’ east. During the season 2021-2022 in a soil with a loam silty texture. The aim of the study is to know the effect of water stress on the yield of green feed and grain and its components and the water use efficiency of the barley crop. A split-plot design with RCBD arrangement was used with three replicates. The irrigation treatments that include the comparison treatment (50% depletion of the available water) were occupied and three water depletion treatments (40, 60, 80%) of the amount of water for the control treatment, the main plot, while the cultivars occupied subplot No significant differences appeared between the control treatment and the irrigation treatment, 80% of the control treatment in the yield of green feed and grains, and thus it was possible to save water by 20% without a significant decrease from the control treatment. The irrigation treatments 80 and 60% showed higher efficiency in using water for grain production than the control treatment. The cultivars showed significant differences in yield, as Bohouth 244 gave the highest yield of feed and grain, and it did not differ significantly from cultivar IPA 99. Also, Bohouth 244 showed the best water use efficiency to produce a larger amount of grain, and it did not differ significantly from IPA 99.
Response of Forage Quality Characters of Oats (Avena sativa L.) to Nitrogen Spraying, Cutting Stages and Cultivars
Authors: Yahya Ahmed M. , Abood Nihad M.
Published: November 2023

A field experiment was conducted during winter season of 2020-2021 in the Al-Hamdhyia research station, College of Agriculture, Anbar Univercity to study the response of forage quality characters of oats (Avena sativa L.) to nitrogen spraying, cutting stages and cultivars. A split-split plots arrangement according to the RCBD at three replications was used. The main plots included spraying of four concentrations of nitrogen (0, 2, 4 and 6 g N L-1), while the sub-split plots included three cutting stages (40, 50 and 60 days after planting, whereas the sub plots included three oats cultivars ((Shifaa, Carlop and Hamel). The results showed that the spraying of nitrogen at a 6 g N L-1 was significantly superiority and gave the highest percentages of protein, ash and fat (12.99, 26.56, 22.45 and 3.12%) respectively. The cutting stages also significantly affected the studied characters, the cutting after 40 days of planting achieved the highest percentages of protein, ash and fat (13.02, 23.59 and 3.24 %) respectively, while the cutting after 60 days of planting achieved the highest percentages of carbohydrates and fiber (27.71 and 30.39%) respectively. Also, the oats cultivars was significantly differed in the most of the studied characters, as the Carlop cultivar excelled in the percentages of fiber (29.23%), whereas the Shifaa cultivar excelled in the carbohydrates percentage of (26.30%), while the Hamel cultivar excelled in the ash percentage (21.23%). The di and triple interactions between studied factors had significant effects on the studied traits.
Evaluation of the Efficacy of Commercial and Local Entomopathogenic Fungi Metarhizium anisopliae Against Ephestia cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralida) under Lab Conditions
Authors: Swedaan Smha Sami , Al-Zurfi Sienaa Muslim
Published: November 2023

The Ephestia cautella (Walk) (Lepidoptera: Pyralida) is a crucial insect of storage products worldwide. The experiments were conducted to assess Entomopathogenic Fungi (EPFs) (two isolates) with commercial formulations, Met 52 EC (Metarhizium anisopliae strain F52) and local entomopathogenic fungal isolates against Ephestia cautella. Commercial formulations of entomopathogenic fungal M. anisopliae affected the main mortality levels in the E.cautella adult at all three sporal concentrations (2×104, 2×106, 2×108 spore/ml), compared to the local isolates of M. anisopliae. Corrected mortality of E.cautella adult caused by both Commercial and local M. anisopliae 7 days after exposure at 2 × 108 spore/ml was 32±1.3 and 48 ± 1.4 %, respectively. 2nd, 5th instar larvae had a higher mortality level than the adults of E. cautella. The results reveal that Entomopathogenic Fungi isolated from the UK and Iraq can be applied as the microbial bio-agent control against E. castella. Consequently, more studies are required to develop commercial Entomopathogenic Fungi of naturally isolated.
Manufacturing and Testing a Double Action Feed Pellet Durability Measuring Device
Authors: Abbas Basim Aboud , Jasim Abdulrazzak A. , Bander Luma K.
Published: November 2023

The experiment was aimed to evaluate a locally manufactured a dual-action device used for measuring feed pellets durability. The device performs dropping process in conventional devices, then sifting process to separate the pellets from the crumbles simultaneously, with a control the motor speed by using the pulse width modulation (PWM) Technique. The device performance was compared with the durability measuring device of a moving drop box. Rotational speed, diameter of the die holes of the machine was used in this study. The results showed that increasing the rotational speed of the die from 280 to 300 and to 320 rpm, increasing the die holes diameter from 3 to 4 and to 5 mm, led to a significant decrease in the feed pellets durability, for both devices. The lowest die speed of 280 rpm, the minimum diameter of the die holes of 3 mm, recorded the highest pellets durability of 94.45% with the test speed of 33 rpm for the dual action measuring device as well as 93.45% for the movable drop box device. A highly significant correlation was found between data of the both devices. Test device success was proven for measure feed pellets durability.
Maize Production Forecasting in Iraq: A Box-Jenkins Approach for the Period of 2022-2026
Authors: Drebee Hayder Abbas , Razak Nor Azam Abdul , Mohsen Ali Ahmed
Published: November 2023

This study aims to forecast the production of Iraq’s maize crop using Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models. Using the semi-annual data for the period 1980-2021, the production of the maize crop was forecasted for 5 years, starting from 2022 to 2026. The data were obtained from the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Planning and Monitoring Department, Agricultural Statistics Department, Iraq. The forecasted production of maize in Iraq during the period 2021-2026 is characterized by fluctuations between highs and lows, similar to the production of maize during the study period. The highest expected production value of maize in Iraq was in the second half of 2023, reaching 585 thousand tons, while the lowest expected production was 500 thousand tons in the first half of 2022. This study is significant in providing valuable insights that can guide the formulation of effective policies regarding maize production, pricing, and consumption in the country.
Requirements for Developing the Technical Capabilities of Agricultural Extension Service Providers to Face the Effects of Climate Change in Baghdad Province
Authors: Abdel-Hussein Maryam Abdel-Razzaq , Fayyadh Saad Obaid
Published: November 2023

The aim of the research is to determine the requirements for developing the technical capabilities of the agricultural extension service providers to face the effects of climatic changes in Baghdad Governorate, to achieve the goal of the research and in order to obtain the respondents’ approval of the requirements (28) requirements were identified in the light of the literature and studies related to the subject and the opinions of specialists to develop the technical capabilities of the agricultural extension service providers distributed on two axes (the ability to know the effects of climate changes, the ability to know the practices to reduce the effects of climate changes). The research community and sample included all workers in the provision of agricultural extension service in the province of Baghdad and distributed to the Department of Agriculture Baghdad Al-Karkh and agricultural divisions affiliated to it and the Department of Agricultural Extension and Training in the province of Baghdad, the number of (110) persons. The results of the research showed that there was a great agreement by the respondents on all requirements for developing technical capabilities.As the requirement (developing the ability of the extension service provider to inform farmers of the impact of climate changes on the production of summer and winter crops) ranked first in terms of the level of approval of the respondents, which obtained a weighted average of (3.84) and a percentage weight of (96.1%). While the requirement (developing the ability of the extension service provider to educate farmers about the possibility of fires occurring in farms as a result of rising temperatures due to climate changes) came in the last order in terms of approval with a weighted average of (3.36) and a percentage weight of (90.9%). The researcher recommended the importance of the competent authorities considering the requirements for developing the technical capabilities of agricultural extension service providers and working on applying them to develop the performance of agricultural extension service providers in the face of climate changes.
Suggestion Patron to Diffusion Evaluation the Fodder Agricultural Technologies in Ninevah Province
Authors: Al-Hafidh Asmaa Zuhair Younis , Lafta Ahmed Hamdan
Published: November 2023

The research aims to Suggestion Patron to diffusion evaluation The Fodder agricultural technologies in Ninevah Province, also identify some of the domains which related with The Fodder Agricultural technologies. also identify the obstacles which prevent diffusion of these agr. technologies. And to achieve these aims many studies have been reed. The research community was about Ninevah Province. The most important results were : Suggestion Patron to diffusion Evaluation The Fodder Agricultural technologies in Ninevah Province, and the obstacles have been determined such as : Lack of correlation between fodder agr. Extension work and agricultural scientific research also gap of the concentration on the specific training to the producers about the fodder agriculture advisers also gap of the finance for research, and this research reached to some recommendations & proposals
Engineering the cardiac tissue microenvironment
Authors: Ronan George , Bahcecioglu Gokhan , Aliyev Nihat , Zorlutuna Pinar
Published: November 2023

In this article we review the microfabrication approaches, with a focus on bioprinting and organ-on-chip technologies, used to engineer cardiac tissue. First, we give a brief introduction to heart anatomy and physiology, and the developmental stages of the heart from fetal stages to adulthood. We also give information on the cardiac tissue microenvironment, including the cells residing in the heart, the biochemical composition and structural organization of the heart extracellular matrix, the signaling factors playing roles in heart development and maturation, and their interactions with one another. We then give a brief summary of both cardiovascular diseases and the current treatment methods used in the clinic to treat these diseases. Second, we explain how tissue engineering recapitulates the development and maturation of the normal or diseased heart microenvironment by spatially and temporally incorporating cultured cells, biomaterials, and growth factors (GF). We briefly expand on the cells, biomaterials, and GFs used to engineer the heart, and the limitations of their use. Next, we review the state-of-the-art tissue engineering approaches, with a special focus on bioprinting and heart-on-chip technologies, intended to (i) treat or replace the injured cardiac tissue, and (ii) create cardiac disease models to study the basic biology of heart diseases, develop drugs against these diseases, and create diagnostic tools to detect heart diseases. Third, we discuss the recent trends in cardiac tissue engineering, including the use of machine learning, CRISPR/Cas editing, exosomes and microRNAs, and immune modeling in engineering the heart. Finally, we conclude our article with a brief discussion on the limitations of cardiac tissue engineering and our suggestions to engineer more reliable and clinically relevant cardiac tissues.
SYZ Geometry for Calabi-Yau 3-folds: Taub-NUT and Ooguri-Vafa Type Metrics
Authors: Li Yang
Published: November 2023

We construct a family of Calabi-Yau metrics on

C

3

\mathbb {C}^3

with properties analogous to the Taub-NUT metric on

C

2

\mathbb {C}^2

, and construct a family of Calabi-Yau 3-fold metric models on the positive and negative vertices of SYZ fibrations with properties analogous to the Ooguri-Vafa metric.
The Application of Real Option Approach in International Business Research
Authors: Chi Tailan , Huang Yan
Published: November 2023

The real option theory (ROT), a theory on investment decision making under uncertainty, has been applied to analyzing a broad range of questions in international business (IB). In the face of uncertainty, any discretion that the managers of a multinational enterprise (MNE) have over the timing, scale, speed, and sequence of investing or using the firm’s resources, in the forms of physical or intellectual capital or managerial time and effort, can be a real option. Such options confer upon the managers the right, but not the obligation, to exploit the upside potential while limiting the downside risk. Uncertainty, irreversibility, and absence of immediate and complete preemption are three necessary conditions for a real option to create value. Uncertainty offers opportunities to gather more information in the future, and such information can help managers make better decisions or alter prior decisions for improvement. Irreversibility is defined as the proportion of the investment committed to a project that cannot be recouped if the project is abandoned. Preemption refers to the revocation of the decision-making discretion that nullifies the option.

It is possible to distinguish seven types of real options that have been examined in IB studies: (a) option to defer, (b) option to abandon/exit, (c) option to exchange, (d) option to grow/scale up, (e) option to contract/scale down, (f) option to switch, and (g) compound options. These types of options are found to influence a firm’s international market-entry strategies (e.g., location, timing, scale, speed, and mode) and the configuration and organization of the firm’s geographically dispersed production network.

ROT has also been integrated with other economic theories, such as transaction cost economics and resource-based view, to better understand these decisions. Although ROT assumes a strong form of rationality on the part of the decision maker, it is also possible to incorporate cognitive or cultural biases into the theory and give the theory’s analysis greater realism. ROT represents a theoretical approach that can be integrated with various economic and noneconomic theories. More work in such theoretical integration can potentially help researchers gain deeper or more complete understandings of IB questions.

Extant studies in IB typically analyze only a single type of option in isolation. But the global production network of a MNE typically has a portfolio of different types of options embedded, and the different types of options inevitably interact. The study of interactions among two or more types of options under different sources of uncertainty is likely to yield new insights on the strategy and organization of the MNE.
Argentina and a Racism Hidden in Plain Sight
Authors: Caggiano Sergio
Published: November 2023

As part of a push to homogenize culture, the modern Argentine nation-state (1880–1930) did away with race as an explicit criterion of social classification, laying the foundations for the myth of White Argentina. Cultural productions and the mainstream media have fed that myth for a century. In recent decades (since the mid-1980s and the 1990s), however, community media outlets have drawn attention to racist practices against specific social groups, particularly Indigenous peoples, regional immigrants, and Black people. While working to forge ties with ancestors from the 19th century or even earlier, these alternative media outlets tend to overlook the 20th century entirely, as if to confirm how successfully Argentina rendered non-White people invisible during the nation’s modern history. Besides targeting minority groups, racism in modern Argentina was also directed at a large swath of the working class that embodies what shall be referred to here as negritud popular (low-class Blackness). What is the relationship between discrimination against specific groups, their responses to this discrimination, and a broader racism directed against working-class and popular sectors?

Working through denial and drawing on appearance, Argentinian racism operates ambiguously and intersects with other forms of discrimination. By removing the racial dimension from racism, race could no longer be politicized, but “White” Argentines could still refuse to acknowledge others’ existence, shaping a racism through denial that is epitomized in the commonly heard “in Argentina there are no Blacks/Indians left.” Appearance proves key in this process: Although it alludes to the color of one’s skin and phenotype, it also encompasses a number of visible traits, such as clothing and accessories, gestures, and face and hair care, that, when taken together, convey a person’s social class and value. From this perspective, racism in Argentina targets two types of subjects (ethnic, national, and diasporic subjects, on the one hand, and negritud popular on the other), although certain individuals may fall into both categories. The spaces for racism in Argentina—and for combating racism—are difficult to locate with any precision.
Multilingualism in Monolingual Schools and the German Example
Authors: Gogolin Ingrid
Published: November 2023

The majority of European countries consider themselves as monolingual nation-states. Some exceptions are countries composed of different linguistic territories, such as Belgium and Switzerland. Another form of exception is countries where certain territories are inhabited by linguistic minorities who are granted particular linguistic rights. Monolingualism with exceptions for special constellations or cases is therefore considered the “linguistic normality” in European nations. This understanding of normality is also reflected in the nations’ public institutions and is particularly pronounced in the national education systems.

The linguistic reality in Europe, however, contrasts with this notion of normality. Since time immemorial, the regions that have become European nation-states have been characterized by linguistic diversity, not only across but also within their boundaries. Since the second half of the 20th century, however, the number of languages that are vital and used daily has considerably increased. The most important driver of this development is international migration. Some European countries—Germany in particular—belong to the most attractive immigration destinations of the world. Despite of this reality, European national education systems largely persist in their monolingual mindset—or in other words: in a monolingual habitus.

This ambiguity can be amply illustrated by the example of the German education system. Education research shows that it belongs to the causes of educational disadvantage for children from immigrant families. This is precisely why innovation initiatives have been launched to mitigate the risks to teaching and learning associated with multilingualism, while making the best use of the resources offered by linguistic diversity to all children—be they growing up in monolingual or multilingual families.
English Education in the United States
Authors: Boyd Ashley
Published: November 2023

English Education, broadly defined, is the study of the teaching and learning of English teacher education. The curriculum of English Education addresses all aspects of reading and writing, including language and rhetoric, and the teaching of those entities. Historically, the field has been punctuated by contention, with debates over what texts, contexts, and approaches should be included, and has been subject to the political influences that have impacted all public education, ranging from calls for progressive approaches that are student-centered to an emphasis on standards and accountability. Intertwined with these forces have been scholars whose theories greatly affected teachers’ approaches, especially related to the teaching of literature and methods for writing. While some movements advocated for basic skills and isolated drills, others pushed for a more critical and culturally situated English Education that expanded traditional notions of literacy to include social practices. Scholarship and research in the field mirrored these trends, with much focus on preservice teacher education, secondary students’ performance, and teachers’ use of various strategies to further engage youth. Future directions for the field include more classroom-based research on how English Education can respond to the demands of our technology-saturated and media-driven society as well as longitudinal studies of English teachers from preservice through their induction years to further study the impacts of their preparation programs.
Diabetes in South Asians
Authors: Garduño‐Diaz Sara , Khokhar Santosh
Published: November 2023

As of 2023, it is estimated that Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects approximately 783 million people worldwide, with South Asians presenting the highest age-adjusted comparative diabetes prevalence among adults (90,204.5 people). Ethnicity has been highlighted as a major risk factor for the development of T2D with central adiposity, insulin resistance, and unfavorable lipid profile identified as predominant signals of alarm. Leading databases, including Web of Science, Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, were consulted, and manual searches were carried out for cited references in leading diabetes-related journals. Genetic predisposition, central adiposity, and unfavorable lifestyles, including physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet, have been found to be associated with the prevalence of T2D in migrant South Asians. Additionally, “Westernization,” acculturation, socioeconomic factors, and lack of awareness regarding seriousness and consequences of the disease have also been identified as contributors to the development of T2D in this population. However, the higher prevalence of T2D in migrant South Asians may not be entirely attributed to genetic predisposition; hence, ethnicity and associated modifiable risk factors warrant further investigation. Preventive measures and appropriate interventions are limited by the lack of ethnic-specific cut-off points for anthropometric and biological markers, as well as by the absence of reliable methods for dietary and physical activity assessment.
Conflict Management and Peacebuilding in Asia
Authors: Adhikari Monalisa , Uesugi Yuji
Published: November 2023

While Asian states do not have a coherently delineated international peacebuilding policy, their increased role and leverage in conflict management are being recognized both in scholarship and praxis. This article underlines how the geopolitical context of Asia, defined by competing regional hegemons, a weakly institutionalized regional organization, and a role of the United States as a security guarantor, has defined the conflict-management approaches of different states. “Asian” conflict-management approaches are situated within the burgeoning literature on “alternative” forms of peacebuilding and the emerging body of work on authoritarian, and illiberal forms of peacebuilding. The normative priorities of the primary Asian states of India, China, and Japan in their conflict management, including stability and development, are teased out, and the forms or modalities through which these are executed are unpacked. What such norms and practices mean for conflict-affected states in Asia are discussed in the end.
Spanish in Contact With English in the United States
Authors: Carter Phillip M. , Varra Rachel
Published: November 2023

In the United States, Spanish is spoken by more than 50 million people, making it one of the largest Spanish-speaking populations in the world. What differentiates Spanish in the United States from most other national contexts is the ubiquitous presence of English, which engenders two important and related effects. First, at the level of the individual, the overwhelming majority of Spanish speakers are bilingual. Second, at the level of the speech community, Spanish is involved in a situation of language shift, in which Spanish is continuously abandoned generation by generation. Linguists studying Spanish in the United States want to know if these factors, which together we call “contact with English,” influence the structures of Spanish in the United States. Decades of research on this topic seem to indicate that, with the exception of lexical-level phenomena, the degree to which English represents both a direct force on and a driving factor of change in Spanish in the United States may be less than previously anticipated. Even where the influence of English is indisputable—the lexicon—the durability of changes due to English is still a matter of empirical investigation. The influence of English, it is clear, interacts in variegated and nuanced ways not only with the internal linguistic mechanisms of the Spanish grammatical system but also with respect to the influence of Spanish dialects in contact with each other in particular local ecologies.
Correlates of Spontaneous Blood Pressure Reduction Following Severe Inpatient Hypertension Development
Authors: Garg Kanika , Staunton Mary Kate , Peixoto Aldo J , Wilson Francis Perry , Ghazi Lama
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND

Severe hypertension (sHTN) is prevalent in 10% of hospitalized patients and treatment guidelines are lacking. As such, patients who develop sHTN might unnecessarily receive antihypertensive medications which could lead to worse outcomes. Our goal was to investigate correlates of spontaneous blood pressure (BP) reduction to help guide future treatment decisions and avoid harm associated with aggressive BP treatment.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized adults between 2016 and 2020 who developed sHTN, SBP >180 or DBP >110 mm Hg, after admission. Spontaneous BP reduction was defined as a SBP <160 and a DBP <100 mm Hg achieved within 3 h of sHTN in the absence of antihypertensive therapy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify correlates of spontaneous BP reduction.

RESULTS

Of the 12,825 patients who developed sHTN, 44.2% had spontaneous BP reduction. After adjustment, we found that patients most likely to experience a BP drop received steroids before onset of sHTN (Odds ratio [OR]: 1.3 [1.09, 1.56]), had higher potassium levels on admission (OR: 1.2 [1.09, 1.24]) and were more likely to have a history of chronic pulmonary disease (OR: 1.1 [1.01, 1.18]) or cardiac arrythmia (OR: 1.1 [1.01, 1.18]). While numerically different, these differences were not clinically relevant.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that almost half the patients who develop sHTN have spontaneous BP reduction. Conventional clinical and demographic characteristics were not strong predictors of spontaneous BP reduction following sHTN development. More research is needed to confirm our findings and help guide treatment of sHTN.
PanomiR: a systems biology framework for analysis of multi-pathway targeting by miRNAs
Authors: Naderi Yeganeh Pourya , Teo Yue Y , Karagkouni Dimitra , Pita-Juárez Yered , Morgan Sarah L , Slack Frank J , Vlachos Ioannis S , Hide Winston A
Published: November 2023

Charting microRNA (miRNA) regulation across pathways is key to characterizing their function. Yet, no method currently exists that can quantify how miRNAs regulate multiple interconnected pathways or prioritize them for their ability to regulate coordinate transcriptional programs. Existing methods primarily infer one-to-one relationships between miRNAs and pathways using differentially expressed genes. We introduce PanomiR, an in silico framework for studying the interplay of miRNAs and disease functions. PanomiR integrates gene expression, mRNA–miRNA interactions and known biological pathways to reveal coordinated multi-pathway targeting by miRNAs. PanomiR utilizes pathway-activity profiling approaches, a pathway co-expression network and network clustering algorithms to prioritize miRNAs that target broad-scale transcriptional disease phenotypes. It directly resolves differential regulation of pathways, irrespective of their differential gene expression, and captures co-activity to establish functional pathway groupings and the miRNAs that may regulate them. PanomiR uses a systems biology approach to provide broad but precise insights into miRNA-regulated functional programs. It is available at https://bioconductor.org/packages/PanomiR.
Phylogeographical patterns are governed by geography in endemic polymorphic snail Indrella ampulla (Gastropoda: Ariophantidae)
Authors: Chakraborthy Sudeshna , Sil Maitreya , Roy Abhisikta , Bhat H N Poorna , Saha Anwesha , Narayanan Surya , Sidharthan Chinta , Aravind N A
Published: November 2023

Genetic diversity within a species can be shaped by abiotic factors, such as climate and geography. We aimed to ascertain the relative importance of these two abiotic factors to Indrella ampulla, a monotypic snail species from the Western Ghats, India, that has three colour morphs with some overlapping distributions. We also wanted to investigate whether these colour morphs represent divergent lineages or incipient species. We sequenced one nuclear and two mitochondrial genes from 32 individuals of I. ampulla. We used phylogenetic, population genetic, and niche modelling tools to address these questions. The results suggested that the colour morphs were not reciprocally monophyletic and exhibited considerable niche overlap, suggesting that they cannot be considered as incipient species. Furthermore, the results showed that the impact of palaeoclimatic oscillations in shaping the genetic diversity of this species cannot be determined conclusively. The Palghat Gap seems to have shaped the genetic diversity in this group to a certain degree. The colour morph distributed south of the Palghat Gap did not show admixture and exhibited the least amount of niche overlap with the other morphs. The geography of the landscape seems to have played a prominent role in shaping genetic diversity in this species.
Exploitation of microbial activities at low pH to enhance planetary health
Authors: Atasoy Merve , Álvarez Ordóñez Avelino , Cenian Adam , Djukić-Vuković Aleksandra , Lund Peter A , Ozogul Fatih , Trček Janja , Ziv Carmit , De Biase Daniela
Published: November 2023

Awareness is growing that human health cannot be considered in isolation but is inextricably woven with the health of the environment in which we live. It is, however, under-recognized that the sustainability of human activities strongly relies on preserving the equilibrium of the microbial communities living in/on/around us. Microbial metabolic activities are instrumental for production, functionalization, processing, and preservation of food. For circular economy, microbial metabolism would be exploited to produce building blocks for the chemical industry, to achieve effective crop protection, agri-food waste revalorization, or biofuel production, as well as in bioremediation and bioaugmentation of contaminated areas. Low pH is undoubtedly a key physical–chemical parameter that needs to be considered for exploiting the powerful microbial metabolic arsenal. Deviation from optimal pH conditions has profound effects on shaping the microbial communities responsible for carrying out essential processes. Furthermore, novel strategies to combat contaminations and infections by pathogens rely on microbial-derived acidic molecules that suppress/inhibit their growth. Herein, we present the state-of-the-art of the knowledge on the impact of acidic pH in many applied areas and how this knowledge can guide us to use the immense arsenal of microbial metabolic activities for their more impactful exploitation in a Planetary Health perspective.
Conceptual design and evaluation of a hybrid energy system based on a tri-level waste heat recovery: an approach to achieve a low-carbon cogeneration system
Authors: Albaker Abdullah , Candra Oriza , Al-dolaimy F , Abbas Ahmed Hussien R , Abdullaev Sherzod Shukhratovich , Mohsen Karrar Shareef , Alavi Hosein
Published: November 2023

The exhaust waste heat of the fossil-fired power plants and some power generation technologies (such as fuel cells) is a rich source of recoverable thermal energy. Meanwhile, the effective use of the fuel cell's exhaust waste heat in the downstream processes and units can improve the thermodynamic superiority, reduce the environmental impacts caused by the release of waste heat in the environment and enhance the attractiveness and sustainability of the energy process. Here, the multi-variable analysis (thermodynamic, economic and environmental assessments)/optimization of a low-carbon cogeneration process (power and cooling capacity production system) are proposed and investigated. The proposed cogeneration process works under waste heat from the exhaust of a fuel cell, an ejector refrigeration cycle and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC)-driven tri-stage waste heat recovery system. A bi-objective optimization is based on identifying the maximum value of exergy efficiency and the minimum value of the total cost of the system. To highlight the advantages, the behavior of the considered cogeneration process is compared with a system that works under a compressor refrigeration cycle and a single-stage waste heat recovery system (as a reference process). According to the results, the considered process can provide approximately 10% higher exergy efficiency compared to the reference process. Moreover, the overall cost of the considered process can be about 20% lower compared to the reference process. The amount of emitted CO2 from the proposed process can be mitigated by nearly 11 thousand tons compared to the reference process.
Comparing the Performance of Three Models Incorporating Weather Data to Forecast Dengue Epidemics in Reunion Island, 2018–2019
Authors: Andronico Alessio , Menudier Luce , Salje Henrik , Vincent Muriel , Paireau Juliette , de Valk Henriette , Gallian Pierre , Pastorino Boris , Brady Oliver , de Lamballerie Xavier , Lazarus Clément , Paty Marie-Claire , Vilain Pascal , Noel Harold , Cauchemez Simon
Published: November 2023

We developed mathematical models to analyze a large dengue virus (DENV) epidemic in Reunion Island in 2018–2019. Our models captured major drivers of uncertainty including the complex relationship between climate and DENV transmission, temperature trends, and underreporting. Early assessment correctly concluded that persistence of DENV transmission during the austral winter 2018 was likely and that the second epidemic wave would be larger than the first one. From November 2018, the detection probability was estimated at 10%–20% and, for this range of values, our projections were found to be remarkably accurate. Overall, we estimated that 8% and 18% of the population were infected during the first and second wave, respectively. Out of the 3 models considered, the best-fitting one was calibrated to laboratory entomological data, and accounted for temperature but not precipitation. This study showcases the contribution of modeling to strengthen risk assessments and planning of national and local authorities.
Assessing effective mechanical and chemical strategies for managing Eucosma giganteana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in the perennial oilseed crop, Silphium integrifolium (Asteraceae: Heliantheae)
Authors: Murrell Ebony G , Zio Konilo R , Chérémond Nervah E , Van Tassel David L
Published: November 2023

Eucosma giganteana (Riley) is a native specialist pest of silflower, Silphium integrifolium Michx., which is currently being domesticated as a perennial oilseeds crop. The larvae of this moth attack silflower capitula and root crowns, causing both seed damage and long-term degradation of plants. To determine methods to manage E. giganteana in silflower crop fields, we conducted a laboratory bioassay and 3 field experiments to assess the effects of a suite of organic, conventional, and mechanical treatments on E. giganteana mortality and colonization of flower heads. Pyrethroids (permethrin, cyfluthrin), chlorantraniliprole, and methoxyfenozide each had significant insecticidal effects on E. giganteana in at least 2 of the experiments conducted. Nematodes marginally increased larva mortality in the laboratory bioassay and could be further investigated as a soil-applied biological control. In 2 separate field experiments, trimming the top 15% of silflower plants to delay flowering did not alone reduce E. giganteana colonization of flower heads throughout the growing season. However, when trimming was paired with a single chlorantraniliprole application, colonization of capitula was reduced by 83% over untreated control plants. Collectively, these experiments provide evidence for several treatments that could be further tested and incorporated into an integrated pest management strategy for E. giganteana.
CSST WL preparation I: forecast the impact from non-Gaussian covariances and requirements on systematics control
Authors: Yao Ji , Shan Huanyuan , Li Ran , Xu Youhua , Fan Dongwei , Liu Dezi , Zhang Pengjie , Yu Yu , Wei Chengliang , Hu Bin , Li Nan , Fan Zuhui , Xu Haojie , Guo Wuzheng
Published: November 2023

The precise estimation of the statistical errors and accurate removal of the systematical errors are the two major challenges for the stage IV cosmic shear surveys. We explore their impact for the China Space Station Telescope (CSST) with survey area ${\sim} 17\,500\deg ^2$ up to redshift ∼4. We consider statistical error contributed from Gaussian covariance, connected non-Gaussian covariance, and super-sample covariance. We find the non-Gaussian covariances, which is dominated by the super-sample covariance, can largely reduce the signal-to-noise ratio of the two-point statistics for CSST, leading to an ∼1/3 loss in the figure of merit for the matter clustering properties (σ8–Ωm plane) and 1/6 in the dark energy equation of state (w0–wa plane). We further put requirements of systematics mitigation on intrinsic alignment of galaxies, baryonic feedback, shear multiplicative bias, and bias in the redshift distribution, for an unbiased cosmology. The 10−2–10−3 level requirements emphasize strong needs in related studies, to support future model selections and the associated priors for the nuisance parameters.