bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of GaN Transistors to MOSFETs for Active Magnetic Levitation
Authors: H. Pesch Alexander , H. Aboki Nyandieka , E. Villamizar-Vasquez Jairo , Li Frank , Borra Vamsi
Published: November 2023

Active magnetic bearings have higher efficiency than other bearings because there is no physical contact. However, this benefit is mitigated by the addition of electrical power consumption. It is therefore important for magnetic bearings to have efficient power electronics. Gallium nitride-based transistors are a relatively new form of transistor which have shown to be more efficient than MOSFETs. There is an insufficient body of literature in the area of application of these transistors for magnetic levitation. This work presents a simple 1 degree-of-freedom voltage controlled levitation experiment in which levitation is achieved with both a gallium nitride transistor and a MOSFET.Voltage losses and current consumption are measured when using each transistor during levitation. In particular, transients during open-to-closed and closed-to-open states are measured for PWM pulsing. It is found that thegallium nitride transistor is superior in both switching time and efficiency in situ for magnetic levitation.
Application of Enzymes in Biomass Waste Management
Authors: Rath Prangya , Bhardwaj Laxmi Kant , Chaturvedi Mini , Bhardwaj Abhishek
Published: November 2023

Enzymes are biological molecules produced by living entities for carrying out biological processes. The application of enzymes for waste treatment has been gaining pace commercially to solve concerns related to agricultural residues, wastewater, replacement of synthetic processes with natural ones, etc. The application of enzymes for waste management has been an environmentally reliable and sustainable process. Treatment of waste with enzymes such as xylanase, proteases, hydrolases, cellulose, peroxidases, chitinases, laccases, etc. has been studied to be effective. These enzymes act upon the waste products and transform them into biodegradable forms that can be recycled, reused and converted to value-added products. They have wide applications and utility as it has been an effective approach, economically cheaper and sustainable techniques. Application of such enzymes for waste management would be beneficial for reducing the quantity of waste, diminishing the negative effects of waste and pollution on the environment, and would be beneficial in bio-converting the waste products into alternate sources of energy. The current chapter focuses on different types of enzymes, their applications for waste management, and their limitations. This chapter also emphasizes the usage of some prominent microorganisms, their secreted enzymes and their proposed mechanisms of action involved with the degradation of the waste products.
Assessment of Diversity and Genetic Variability of Guava (Psidium guajava) by Means of Microsatellite Markers in Montería, Córdoba-Colombia
Authors: Pardo-Perez Enrique , Ramos-Rivero Elizabeth , Causil-Vargas Luis
Published: November 2023

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a species is widely distributed in Córdoba, despite this, there are few studies that have been carried out to understand its genetic diversity. For this reason, the objective of this research was to evaluate the genetic diversity and variability of guava (Psidium guajava L) using microsatellite markers in Montería, Córdoba-Colombia. Forty-five accessions were evaluated. For DNA extraction, the CTAB 2x extraction protocol was used with modifications. The extracted DNA was amplified by the PCR technique using seven microsatellite markers. A total of 46 alleles were found with an average of 6.5 alleles per locus. A total of 28 private alleles were identified in the populations, possibly fixed by different evolutionary forces. The evaluated population presented an average expected heterozygosity of 0.572 and the observed heterozygosity was lower (0.058). The fixation index presented a total average of 0.906, indicating that in Montería there is an excess of homozygotes. The PIC values allowed us to determine that the markers mPgCIR9, mPgCIR11, mPgCIR13, mPgCIR16, mPgCIR19 and mPgCIR22 are highly informative, while mPgCIR23 is moderately informative. The guava population in Montería presented a low genetic diversity within the subpopulations, which could be related to inbreeding events such as self-pollination..
Assessment of Landslide Risk in the Jinbu Area, Korea: Integrating Spatial Models with High Resolution Social Economic Data
Authors: Mamun Al , Dong-Ho Jang
Published: November 2023

This research deals with risk assessment for human life, man-made infrastructure, and agriculture in a landslide-prone area using GIS-based spatial methods. The study area landslide inventory map was prepared based on previous landslide information, aerial photograph analysis, and several field observations. A total of 550 landslides have been included with 182 debris flow and 368 soil slides. All included landslides were classified into two groups by random selection; half were used for model calibration and the rest were used for cross-validation. In the analysis, fourteen causative factors were vastly used, such as aspect, slope, curvature, elevation, topographic wetness index, forest timber diameter, forest type, forest crown density, forest age, land-use, geology, soil drainage, soil depth, and soil texture. Moreover, to identify the interaction between occurred landslides and causative factors, the affected pixels were divided into different sub-classes using a frequency ratio method. Based on the total dataset, three landslide susceptibility maps were constructed using Bayesian prediction, likelihood ratio, and fuzzy set method. By evaluating cross-validation and success rate curve, model susceptibility results were plotted with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) was estimated. In addition, for risk assessment, each social data layer such as agriculture, house, industry, business, road, river, population intensity, monetary value, and vulnerability level was added based on the local standard and incident time and was converted into US dollars. During the analysis, each method hazard map was used with a specific group of thematic data layers. Subsequently, for preparing the probability table, study area total pixels and predictive landslide affected pixels were considered. Matching with the affected pixels, a standard of 5000 pixels was selected to run the final evaluation. Based on the results, the agricultural field showed the highest vulnerability and estimated risk of US $ 16.3 million. Further, the man-made infrastructure map showed a risk of US $ 31.3 million. The total estimated population casualties were 6.77, which was relatively similar to the published data.
The Activity of the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex Promotes the Top–down Regulation of Sensorimotor Synchronization
Authors: Uemura Maho , Katagiri Yoshitada , Imai Emiko , Ichinose Tomoko , Kondo Katsuhiko , Kowa Hisatomo
Published: November 2023

We addressed whether arbitrary top–down regulation based on self-referential thinking could be valid for sensorimotor synchronization. We hypothesized that the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) could regulate sensorimotor synchronization in accordance with internal models generated by self-referential processing. To illustrate the validity of the hypothesis, we conducted a missing oddball task with musical students. Utilizing the event-related deep-brain activity (ER-DBA) method cooperatively with the event-related potential (ERP) method, we found that dACC activation promotes repetitive tapping supported by modal completion, whereas dACC deactivation promotes precise tapping under avoiding erroneous responses for the missing pulses. Endogenous ERP components including P150 as a marker of modal completion and N200 as a marker of response inhibition supported this claim. Furthermore, combining the ER-DBA and ERP results, it was suggested that the brain creates a coherent story to promote repetitive tapping by mediating sensory evidence via modal completion. The free energy measurements theoretically support these findings, thereby confirming the validity of our hypothesis.
High Hydrostatic Pressure Applied to Pre- and PostRigor Jack Mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) and the Assessment of Their Physicochemical Properties under Cold Storage
Authors: Zura-Bravo Liliana , Solís Doina , Masztalerz Klaudia , Tabilo-Munizaga Gipsy , Pérez-Won Mario , Lemus-Mondaca Roberto
Published: November 2023

Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) is recognized as one of the most valuable pelagic resources across the southeast Pacific Ocean. Despite its nutritious properties it is an underused resource due to its rapid spoilage. The use of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) for the processing of aquatic products could be an efficient alternative to cold storage since HHP might inactivate microbial pathogens and slow down spoilage microorganisms, therefore extending the product’s shelf life. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of HHP at 450 and 550 MPa for 3 min on the physicochemical properties of jack mackerel muscle undergoing pre- and post-rigor mortis stage and further storage for 26 days at 4°C. pH, total volatile basic nitrogen, trimethylamine, color, water-holding capacity, and texture were assessed. The proximate composition, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen, trimethylamine, color, water holding capacity, and texture, showed significant changes between untreated and treated samples, while the water holding capacity was virtually unaffected. Overall results showed an acceptable and long-lasting edible quality of Trachurus murphyi stored at 4°C when preserved through HHP. These findings suggest that the HHP might be able to industrially scale the production of highly physicochemical superior and minimally processed fish products.
Assessing the Efficacy of Alumni Crowdfunding and Strategic Investments for Overcoming Funding Challenges in French Language Education
Authors: Vanessa Georgina Udeh
Published: November 2023

The number of new financing options has increased quickly, including alumni crowdfunding and strategic investments. The antecedents and consequence of these funding mechanisms have not been thoroughly studied in research yet. In this study, the efficacy of leveraging alumni crowdfunding and strategic investments to overcome the perennial funding challenges in French language education was rigorously examined. The study examined the funding challenges plaguing French language education, casting a spotlight on the urgency of creative financial solutions and the strategic provisions of alumni engagements. The study further covered the various roles of strategic investments, synergy of alumni crowdfunding and investments. The analysis proffers a balanced perspective, delving into challenges and concerns that can potentially hinder the smooth operation of these innovative funding channels. Practical recommendations for successful alumni crowdfunding and effective strategic investments were provided. A synthesis of the key findings reveals profound implications for the future of French language education. It was concluded that effective fundraising for French language education relies on well-structured policy and institutional guidance. With these policies in place, educational institutions can navigate the complexities of funding French language programs and secure their future.
Factors Related to and Effective Interventions for Vaccination Uptake among Older Adults in Two Asia-Pacific Countries: A Rapid Review
Authors: Tong Wen Ting , Seth Ananta , Ng Mary , Tong Shao Chuen , Lau Amanda , Chen Tina , Ong Suan Ee , Yoong Joanne
Published: November 2023

This rapid review aims to present a comprehensive overview of barriers and facilitators or factors, and, effective interventions that promote immunisation uptake by older people in the Asia-Pacific region. Rapid review methodology was applied using two databases (PubMed, Embase). Articles were included if studies were conduced in Australia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, included human population ≥50 years old, used original data, adopted quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method designs, and published from 2016 to August 2022. The study selection yielded 1424 articles. A total 23 papers met the inclusion criteria, of which 19 reported on barriers and facilitators, while, 4 articles reported on effective interventions to promote vaccination uptake. Among the 19 studies that identified barriers and facilitators to vaccination uptake, the more common factors were social influences (n=8/19), perceived benefits of vaccine (n=7/19), and perceived vaccine safety (n=6/19). Strategies that focussed on supporting clinicians were found to be effective in leading them to recommend vaccinations among older adults such as creating awareness on the low baseline vaccination rates among older adults, provision of structured health assessment, and nurse reminders. More studies are needed ascertain the factors, and effective interventions influencing vaccine uptake among older people in the Asia-Pacific region.
FU-Serve: Fog-enabled UAV-as-a-Service for IoT Applications
Authors: Roy Arijit , Imandi Raju , B N Pavan Kumar
Published: November 2023

In this work, we propose a Fog-enabled UAV-as-a-Service (FU-Serve) architecture to address the issues of data transmission delay for serving time-critical Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Traditionally, in a UAV-as-a-Service (UaaS) platform, different UAVs host heterogeneous sensors, which sense the physical phenomenon and transmit the sensed data to a centralized entity. Transmission of data from the sensors to the centralized entity and making any decision for an application consumes a significant amount of time. Consequently, the traditional UaaS architecture is unsuitable for serving time-critical IoT applications such as transportation, healthcare, and industries. To address these issues of service latency for time-critical IoT applications, we present the FU-Serve architecture by introducing the concept of fog computing in the UaaS platform. We discuss all the components of FU-Serve elaborately in this paper. Additionally, we architect optimal and dynamic fog node selection mechanisms for FU-Serve, which reduce the transmission delay in the networks. The simulation results show that the FU-Serve outperforms by $75\%$ compared to the traditional UaaS platform.
Assessing the Impact of Genotype-by-Environment Interactions on Agronomic Traits in Elite Cowpea Lines Across Agro-ecologies in Nigeria
Authors: Popoola Bosede Olufunke , Ongom Patrick Obia , Mohammed Saba B. , Togola Abou , Ishaya Daniel Jockson , Bala Garba , Fatokun Christian , Boukar Ousmane
Published: November 2023

This study assessed the impacts of genotypes, environments, and their interaction on the performance of elite cowpea lines for key adaptive, grain yield, and associated traits across different locations. A total of 42 elite genotypes were evaluated in five Nigerian environments, representing various savanna ecologies during the 2021 growing season. The experimental design employed was an alpha lattice arrangement, replicating each genotype three times. The results revealed significant differences among genotypes, environments, and genotype-by-environment interaction for most traits, including days to maturity, 100 seed weight, and grain yield. GGE biplot showed G21 (IT14K-2111-2) and G25 (IT15K-2386-1) as the most stable genotypes across the five environments, G41(IT1K-61-82) was best adapted to Ibadan and Shika, G5 (245-1) was best adapted to Bagauda and Gumel while G30 (IT16K-2365-1) was best adapted to Bauchi. G21 and G25 could be recommended across the five test environments while G41, G30 and G5 are specific to the adapted environments.
Identification of Putative Causal Relationships Between Blood-Based Biomarkers and Prediabetes-Induced Senescence: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Mbatha Nonkululeko Avril , Mushebenge Aganze Gloire-Aime , Khathi Andile
Published: November 2023

Prediabetes, a pivotal phase in glucose metabolism between normalcy and diabetes, exerts a profound influence on the aging process and the risk of age-related diseases. This comprehensive review delves into the intricate web of blood-based biomarkers that collectively expedite senescence, marking the transition from a state of health to age-related complications. Key findings underscore the significance of diverse biomarkers, such as telomere length, p16INK4a, senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors, DNA methylation clocks, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, circulating hormones, and additional factors like folate, B12, osteocalcin, and more. Not only do these biomarkers serve as indicators of senescence, but they actively fuel chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic dysregulation, all of which contribute to accelerated aging. The implications of this understanding are profound, as prediabetes emerges as a critical period in an individual's life, influencing various physiological systems, including the vascular and neural systems, metabolic functions, hormonal regulation, and bone health. Recognizing the profound influence of prediabetes on senescence provides a foundation for personalized intervention strategies to mitigate age-related complications and promote healthy aging. Future research directions call for a more diverse array of biomarkers, in-depth exploration of their roles, and the development of tailored precision medicine strategies to ensure a holistic understanding and effective management of prediabetes-induced senescence and its implications for aging. This knowledge has far-reaching implications for public health and clinical practice, emphasizing the need for early detection and intervention in prediabetic individuals to enhance the quality of life in an aging population with diverse needs.
Associations Between Mitochondrial Content, Telomere Length, and mtDNA to nDNA Ratio in Human Sperm: Relevance to Reproductive Health
Authors: Moustakli Efthalia , Zikopoulos Athanasios , Skentou Charikleia , Stavros Sofoklis , Kolibianakis Efstratios M. , Drakakis Peter , Chalitsios Christos V. , Georgiou Ioannis , Zachariou Athanasios
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Important variables that affect the quality and functionality of sperm and may affect male reproductive health and fertility include telomere length, mitochondrial content, and the ratio of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to nuclear DNA (nDNA). The purpose of this study was to look at the connections between these three sperm characteristics and how they might affect a woman's ability to conceive. Methods: Data were collected from 82 men who underwent IVF/ICSI at the University Hospital of Ioannina's IVF Unit in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. Evaluations included sperm morphology, sperm count, sperm motility, and participant history. To address this, males of reproductive age who were categorized into three body mass index (ΒΜΙ) groups—normal, overweight, and obese—had their sperm samples tested. Results: Our findings indicate a negative correlation between relative telomere length and ΒΜΙ for both the normal and overweight groups. Conversely, a positive correlation was observed for the obese group, indicating a possible relationship between mitochondrial health and telomere maintenance. The results were statistically significant only for the obese group. Furthermore, a negative correlation was observed between telomere length and mitochondrial content in both the normal and overweight groups, indicating that a lower mitochondrial content may be linked to longer telomeres. Nonetheless, there was a positive correlation for the group that was obese. For all three groups, the data did not reach statistical significance. Given that mitochondrial con-centration and telomere length are both markers of cellular integrity and health, these correla-tions may have an impact on the quality of sperm. Furthermore, the relative telomere length of the normal and overweight groups had a negative correlation with the ratio of mtDNA to nDNA, though the obese group showed a positive correlation. The findings were not statistical-ly significant in any of the groups under investigation. According to this, male fertility may be negatively impacted by an imbalance in the copy number of the mitochondrial genome com-pared to the nuclear DNA in sperm. Conclusions: Our research, in essence, emphasizes the interaction among human sperm telo-mere length, mitochondrial concentration, and the mtDNA to nDNA ratio. Gaining knowledge of these correlations could help explain the reasons behind male infertility and open up new treatment options for reproductive health problems. The functional importance of these correla-tions and possible uses in therapeutic contexts require more investigation.
Discrimination/Classification of Edible Vegetable Oils From Raman Spatially Solved Fingerprints Obtained on a Portable Instrumentation
Authors: Jiménez-Hernández Guillermo , Ortega-Gavilán Fidel , Bagur-González M.Gracia , González-Casado Antonio
Published: November 2023

Nowadays, the combination of fingerprinting methodology with friendly environmental and economical analytical instrumentation are becoming increasingly relevant in the food sector. In this study, a highly versatile portable analyser based on Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) to obtain the edible vegetable oils (sunflower and olive oils) fingerprints was used to evaluate the capability of such fingerprints, obtained quickly, reliable and without any sample treatment, to discriminate/classify the analysed samples. After data treatment, not only HCA and PCA as unsupervised pattern recognition techniques but also SVM, kNN and SIMCA as supervised pattern recognition techniques, showed that the main effect over the discrimination/classification was associated to those regions of RAMAN fingerprint related to the free fatty acids content, especially oleic and linoleic acid. These facts allowed the discrimination attending to the original raw material used in the oil's elaboration. In all the model established, reliable qualimetric parameters were obtained.
Estimating the CSLE Biological Conservation Measures B Factor Using Google Earth Engine
Authors: Wu Youfu , Shi Haijing , Yang Xihua , Shui Junfeng , Guo Minghang , Li Li
Published: November 2023

The biological conservation measures factor (B) in the Chinese Soil loss Equation (CSLE) model is one of the main components in evaluating soil erosion, and the accurate calculation of B factor at the regional scale is fundamental in predicting regional soil erosion and the dynamic changes. In this study, we developed an optimal computational procedure for estimating and mapping the B factor in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing environment using multiple data sources through data suitability assessment and image fusion. Taking the Yanhe River Basin in the Loess Plateau of China as an example, we evaluated the availability of daily precipitation data (CHIRPS, ERA5, and PERSIANN-CDR data) against the data at national meteorological stations. We estimated the B factor from Sentinel-2 data and proposed a new method, namely trend migration method, to patch the missing values in Sentinel-2 data using three other remote sensing data (MOD09GA, Landsat-7, Landsat-8). We then calculated and mapped the B-factor in Yanhe River Basin based on rainfall erosivity, vegetation coverage, and land use types. The results show that the ERA5 precipitation dataset outperforms the CHIRPS and PERSIANN-CDR data in estimating rainfall erosivity and rainfall, and it can be utilized as an alternative data source for meteorological stations in soil erosion modeling. Compared to the harmonic analysis of time series (HANTS), the trend migration method proposed in this study is more suitable for patching the missing parts of Sentinel-2 data. The restored high-resolution Sentinel-2 data fit nicely with the 10-m resolution land use data, enhancing the B factor calculation accuracy from the region to the spot level. The B factor computation procedure developed in this study is applicable to various river basin and regional scales for regional soil erosion monitoring.
Exploratory Dividend Optimization with Entropy Regularization
Authors: Hu Sang , Zhou Zihan
Published: November 2023

This paper studies the dividend optimization problem in the entropy regularization framework by following the same continuous-time reinforcement learning setting as in Wang et al. (2020). The exploratory HJB is established and the optimal exploratory dividend policy is a truncated exponential distribution. We show that, for suitable choices of the maximal dividend paying rate and the temperature parameter, the value function of the exploratory dividend optimization problem could be significantly different from the value function in the classical dividend optimization problem. In particular, the value function of the exploratory dividend optimization problem could be classified into three cases based on its monotonicity. Numerical examples are also presented to show the impact of temperature parameter on the solution.
Tuberculosis Case Finding in Kulon Progo District, Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Passive Versus Active Case Finding Using Mobile Chest X-ray
Authors: Kaku John Silwanus , Ahmad Riris Andono , Main Stephanie , Oktofiana Dwi , Dwihardiani Bintari , Triasih Rina , Du Cros Philipp , Chan Geoffrey
Published: November 2023

Active-case finding (ACF) using chest X-ray is an essential method of finding and diagnosing TB cases that may be missed in Indonesia's routine TB case finding. This study compares active and passive TB case-finding strategies. A retrospective study of TB case notification was conducted. Data between January 1 and December 31, 2021, was used. The population in this study were TB cases notified from Kulon Progo District health facilities, including those found through routine activities or active-case finding. A total of 255 TB cases were diagnosed in Kulon Progo in 2021, and 106 (41.6%) were bacteriologically confirmed. The TB patients' mean age was 46.3 (SD 21.4, range 0-85 years). The majority of cases were male (58.8%) and mostly among people aged 16-60 years old (63.5%). ACF diagnosed 91 TB cases (35.7% total cases, 91/255). The proportion of clinical TB cases (n=68, 74.7%) among those found through ACF was higher than found through passive-case finding. Use of chest X-ray in ACF likely contributed to the detection of a higher proportion of clinical TB than bacteriologically confirmed.
The Structure Characterization and Biological Activities of New Polysaccharides from Agrocybe aegerita (AA-P) and Hygrophorus olivaceoalbus (HO-P)
Authors: Yang Tong , Chen Xi , Zhao Hui , Ding Xiang , Hou Yiling
Published: November 2023

The structure characterization of two new polysaccharides from Agrocybe aegerita (AA-P) and Hygrophorus olivaceoalbus (HO-P) by HPGPC, GC-MS, NMR and FT-IR indicated that AA-P was composed of Galactose, Glucose and Arabinose, in the ratio of 3:2:1. Its skeleton structure was consisted of (1→4)-Arap, (1→4,6)-Glup and (1→6)-Galp with one branched chain. The HO-P was consisted of mannose, galactose and glucose in a ratio of 1:1:2. Its skeleton structure was consisted of (1→6)-Galactose residues, (→1)-glucose residues, (1→4)-glucose residues and (1→4,6)-D-mannose residues. There were two branched chains connected to the main chain. AA-P and HO-P had the best stimulation effect on B cells and RAW264.7 cells, respectively, and could both mainly by impacting and reducing G0/G1 phase which lead to a significant proliferation of B cells, T cells and RAW264.7 cells. In addition, AA-P and HO-P could significantly promote the secretion of TNF-α from T cells, the secretion of IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM from B cells, and the secretion of TNF-α from RAW264.7 cells, but neither of them could impact the secretion of IL-1β from RAW264.7 cells.
Biosorption of Technologically Valuable Metal Ions on Algae Wastes: Laboratory Studies and Applicability
Authors: Lucaci Alina-Roxana , Bulgariu Laura
Published: November 2023

In the context of circular economy that recommends the most efficient use of waste, algae wastes have a huge potential for valorisation. In this study, algae wastes obtained after alkaline extraction of active compounds from two types of marine algae (green algae – Ulva sp. and red algae – Callithamnion sp.), were used as biosorbents to remove metal ions from aqueous effluents. Their efficiency in the biosorption processes was tested for Zn(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) ions, considered technologically valuable metal ions. The batch mono-component experiments performed under optimal conditions (pH = 5.0; 4.0 g biosorbent/L; 22 ± 1C), showed that more than 75 % of the metal ions are removed when their initial concentration is less than 1.25 mmol/L. The very good fit of the experimental data with the pseudo-second order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model, and the high values obtained for the maximum biosorption capacity (qmax: Cu(II) (0.52 mmol/g) > Zn(II) (0.41 mmol/g) > Co(II) (0.39 mmol/g) for G-AWB, and qmax: Cu(II) (1.78 mmol/g) > Zn(II) (1.72 mmol/g) > Co(II) (1.66 mmol/g) for R-AWB) highlights the potential use of these biosorbents to remove such technologically valuable metal ions from industrial wastewater. This possibility was tested using industrial wastewater samples obtained from the metal coating industry. Quantitative removal (> 91 %) of Zn(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) ions was obtained when their initial concentration was adjusted to 50 mg/L. Also, the rapid and efficient desorption of these metal ions from loaded-biosorbents, by simple treatment with small volumes of HNO3 (10-1 mol/L), further emphasizes the possibility of their recovery and reuse in the technological circuit. The results included in this study indicate that algae wastes have the potential to be used in industrial effluents decontamination processes and opens new perspectives for the implementation of circular economy principles.
ANALISIS PERUBAHAN PENGGUNAAN LAHAN DI KECAMATAN MOJOSONGO KABUPATEN BOYOLALI AKIBAT PEMBANGUNAN GERBANG TOL BOYOLALI
Authors: Khoirunnisa Hanin , Wijayanti Pipit , Utomowati Rahning
Published: November 2023

Boyolali is one of the districts in the Central Java province that is often passed when the flow of mudik or vacation. The existence of a toll gate in the region prompted the occurrence of land use changes in the area around the Boyolali toll gate. The change in land use in the Mojosongo district from 2011 to 2018 was dominated by the change from the use of land to the fields of 58,17 Ha and the change of the farm to settlements with an area of 78,88 Ha. The research method used is quantitative. The approach used is descriptive. Subsequently, the data collection used is an observation technique for testing the validity of image changes in land use and interpretation of image to find land use changes in the Mojosongo district. The result of this study is the change in land use that occurred in the district of Mojosongo and which was quite large in 2011 to 2018 that is, the transfer of land use function from agriculture to non-agriculture and the change of land function 2018 to 2022 occurred not so significant only the addition of the settlement area but not in the entire district.
The Effect of Feed Fermented Rubber Seeds with Rhizopus oligosporus and Neurospora stiophila on the Percentage of Abdominal Fat and Blood Profile of Native Chickens
Authors: Pantaya Dadik , Wulandari Suci , Yulinarsari Alditya Putri , Rohman Holilul , Aulia Rizqi Qorina Insani , Uzaman Moch. Ibnaq
Published: November 2023

The purpose of this study was to explore feed ingredients from rubber seed plantation waste and their effect on the percentage of abdominal fat and blood profile due to the high content of rubber seed oil and the presence of anti-nutrients (HCN). The concentrations of Rhizopus oligosporus and Neurospora stiophila inoculum were 109 CFU/g each. This study was subjected to a Nested Completely Randomized Design. The first factor was the type of microbial used. Factor II was inoculum dose (0%, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.6%, and 3.2%). The best concentration of inoculum was used in the making of fermented rubber seeds to be given to native chickens. The application on native chickens used statistical analysis Completely Randomized Design consisting of 3 treatments, namely P1: feed without using fermented rubber seeds; P2: feed using 5% Neurospora fermented rubber seed; and P3: feed using 5% Rhizopus fermented rubber seed. Significantly different results continued with Duncan's test. The results showed that the type of fungi had no significant effect on the treatment, but increasing the dose of fungi inoculum up to 3.2% had a significant effect on decreasing the content of dry matter, HCN, and crude fiber in rubber seeds. Administration of Rhizopus and Neurospora inoculums had a significant effect on increasing abdominal fat when compared to control. The conclusion of this study was that the processing method before fermentation and the amount of fungal inoculum used during fermentation affected the nutritional and antinutritional content of HCN rubber seeds. The presence of fermented rubber seeds which had either Rhizopus oligosporus or Neurospora stiophila increased the percentage of abdominal fat. Native chickens which were given fermented rubber seeds with Neurospora showed a higher level of stress marked by increased blood lymphocytes
Feeding dynamics and reproductive biology of the obtuse barracuda Sphyraena obtusata (Cuvier, 1829) from Ratnagiri, central west coast of India
Authors: Ranaware Shraddha D. , Vivek H. Nirmale  , Bhaskar P. Bhosale  , Santosh Y. Metar  , Prakash E. Shingare
Published: November 2023

The obtuse barracuda Sphyraena obtusata (Cuvier, 1829) is a commercially important foodfish belonging to the family Sphyraenidae and landed mostly as trawl bycatch along Ratnagiri.Investigations were carried out on the species with respect to the length-weight relationship,condition factor, morphometrics, feeding and reproductive biology. The length-weightrelationship showed positive allometric growth in males, females and pooled individuals. Allmorphometric measurements showed a high degree of correlation with total length. The gutcontent analysis revealed S. obtusata to be a carnivore fish feeding mainly on fish juveniles,fish scales, crustaceans and cephalopod appendages. The male:female sex ratio was foundto be 1:0.90. Gonado-somatic index (GSI), maturity and ova diameter studies indicated thatS. obtusata has a prolonged spawning season with individuals spawning twice in a season.Absolute fecundity ranged from 68355 to 310615 eggs with an average of 137783 eggs. Themean length at sexual maturity for females was found to be 22.92 cm.
Keywords:Carnivorous fish, Fish biology, Life history,Trophodynamics, Tropical fisheries
Vehicle modeling in Unreal Engine 4
Authors: Sapienza Francis , Parker Michael , Bodie Mark , Shoop Sally
Published: November 2023

Vehicle modeling software has presented considerable challenges in properly representing vehicle mobility in extreme conditions. We have recently been developing new vehicle models and scenes in Unreal Engine. Unreal Engine is best known as a video game creation platform focused on graphics and has relatively few options for real world accurate physics modeling. UE4 allows for lots of customization internally or via supplemental C++ code, so this can be mitigated by the addition of various functions to account for different situations a vehicle might be in. We have successfully implemented the following: accurately functioning wheeled vehicles, tracked vehicles, and created simulated and real world environments, downloaded through Geowatch heightmaps. Each environment can have various terrain conditions including soil, rock, snow, and sand applied across its surface. Modeling snow in these environments is of particular interest and recent motion resistance and sinkage models have been integrated into the software to affect graphics and vehicle performance. This new model for vehicle mobility offers an opportunity to improve the physics and graphics of differing terrains especially for winter conditions. The new model also allows for features to be updated and added with ease in the future.
Hierarchical Gated Sentiment-aware Rating Prediction
Authors: Ma Jingwei , Wen Jiahui , Zhong Mingyang
Published: November 2023

Review-based recommendations suffer from text noises and the absence of supervised signals. To address those challenges, we propose a novel hierarchical gated sentiment-aware model for rating prediction in this paper. Specifically, to automatically suppress the influence of noisy reviews, we propose a hierarchical gating network to select informative textual signals at different levels of granularity. Specifically, a local gating module is proposed to select reviews with personalized end-to-end differential thresholds. The aim is to gate reviews in a relatively ''hard" way to minimize the information flow from noisy reviews while facilitating the model training. A global gating module is employed to evaluate the overall usefulness of the review signals by estimating the uncertainties encoded in the historical reviews. In addition, a discriminative learning module is proposed to supervise the learning of the hierarchical gating network. The essential intuition is to exploit the sentiment consistencies between the target reviews and the target ratings for developing self-supervision signals so that the hierarchical gating network can select relevant reviews related to the target ratings for better prediction. Finally, extensive experiments on public datasets and comparison studies with state-of-the-art baselines have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed model, additional investigations also provide a deep insight into the rationale underlying the superiority of the proposed model.
Research on Cyber-physical System Models of
Downhole Locomotive Dispatching
Authors: Ma Jingyu , Zheng Jianzhi , Li Boyun , Li Wenhong
Published: November 2023

Intelligent dispatching among multiple controllers is developed in this work to improve the efficiency of downhole locomotive dispatching, finally realizing unmanned intelligent locomotive dispatching. The locomotive dispatching logic processing model of with signal lights, rutting machine, locomotives and other equipment is established based on the model theory of Cyber-physical systems(CPS). The model tasks in this system are combined with the embedded controller tasks which make it convenient to optimize the logic processing procedures using PtolemyⅡsoftware. Our key findings are that the above model can make the locomotive dispatching process without deadlock and make the processing procedure more reasonable. The simulation and practical experiments show that the controller cooperation speed can be improved after the CPS model is built, which can realize safer and more effective automatic locomotive dispatching.
Economic viability of banana peel and sweet potato vines in diets for rabbits
Authors: Falcone Diuly Bortoluzzi , Maysonnave Greicy Sofia , Silva Stéfane Sauzem , de Toledo Geni Salete Pinto , Silva Leila Picolli da
Published: November 2023

The objective of this work was to study the economic feasibility of using banana peel (BP) and sweet potato vines (SPV) as substitutes for maize and alfalfa hay in diets for rabbits. BP and SPV were chosen to replace maize and alfalfa hay, because in addition to the aforementioned ingredients having similar nutritional characteristics, they are among the most expensive ingredients in rabbit diets. Data were obtained through a biological assay carried out in the rabbit breeding laboratory of the Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Fifty New Zealand white rabbits, weaned at 35 days of age, were fed during the growth phase (35 to 84 days) with increasing levels of BP and SPV, replacing maize and alfalfa hay (T0, T25, T50, T75 and T100% replacement). A diet containing 100% replacement (T100) had the lowest cost per kilogram, which was R$ 1.18/kg, while the controlled diet was 73% more expensive, costing R$ 2.08/kg. The total operating cost to produce a rabbit head with the control treatment was R$10.93/head and at T100, it was R$6.51/head. The animal income of the live rabbit was R$ 24.08 and R$ 23.95 in treatments T0 and T100, respectively. As for the gain margin per animal (GMA), in TO it was R$ 13.16 while in T100 it was R$ 17.44, therefore the GMA was 32.55% higher when using the T100 diet. In view of the above, it is concluded that it is more economical and feasible to feed rabbits with diets containing 100% BP and SPV, replacing maize and alfalfa hay.
“I am there just to get on with it”: a qualitative study on the labour of the patient and public involvement workforce
Authors: Papoulias Stan , Brady Louca-Mai
Published: November 2023

Background
Workers tasked with specific responsibilities around patient and public involvement (PPI) are now routinely part of the organisational landscape for applied health research in the UK. Even as the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research (NIHR) has had a pioneering role in developing a robust PPI infrastructure for publicly funded health research in the UK, considerable barriers remain to embedding substantive and sustainable public input in the design and delivery of research. Notably, researchers and clinicians report a tension between funders’ orientation towards deliverables and the resources and labour required to embed public involvement in research. These and other tensions require further investigation.
Methods
Qualitative study with participatory elements. Using purposive and snowball sampling and attending to regional and institutional diversity, we conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with individuals holding NIHR funded formal PPI roles across England. Interviews were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis with coding and framing presented and adjusted through two workshops with study participants.
Results
We generated five overarching themes which signal a growing tension between expectations put on staff in PPI roles and the structural limitations of these roles: (i) the instability of support; (ii) the production of invisible labour; (iii) PPI work as more than a job; (iv) accountability without control; and (v) delivering change without changing.
Conclusions
The NIHR PPI workforce have enabled considerable progress in embedding patient and public input in research activities. However the role has not led to a resolution of the tension between organisational time and PPI time but rather to its displacement and – potentially - its intensification. We suggest that the expectation to ‘deliver’ PPI hinges on a paradoxical demand to deliver a transformational intervention that is fundamentally divorced from any labour of transformation. We conclude that ongoing efforts to transform health research ecologies so as to better respond to the needs of patients will need to grapple with the force and consequences of this paradoxical demand.
Experimental Investigation of the Effect of FRP Reinforcement Number on the Rotational Behavior of Column-Beam Connection
Authors: TÜRKER Yasemin ŞİMŞEK , KILINÇARSLAN Şemsettin
Published: November 2023

Glued laminated timber (glulam) is widely used as a building material to make up lightweight and large span structures. The fundamental idea behind this substance is to use structural adhesives to join multiple layers of dimensioned wood together, increasing the member's strength and stiffness while also enabling the construction of long-lasting structures with striking aesthetics. At the joints of wood structures, steel plates, aluminum plates, or merely wooden components are frequently used. Steel components that are often used as joints can corrode and also aluminum plates are not resistant to heat. For this reason, the use of non-metallic fasteners is one of the topics that have been emphasized lately sheets onto the timber beam by means of glue or epoxy resins. In this study, columns and beams with cross-section dimensions of 120x120-120x240 were connected to each other with steel fasteners. The connected column-beam joints is reinforced with a glass fiber reinforced polymer and carbon fiber reinforced polymer fabric, 1, 2 and 3 times. Reference column-beam joints and reinforced column-beam joints were subjected to load-displacement test under cyclic loading. After the experimental studies, modeling of column-beam connections was made with the finite element program and load-displacement curves were compared. As a result of the experiment, important structural properties such as maximum load carrying capacity, energy consumption capacity, stiffness value were examined. With the effect of the reinforcement, the load carrying capacities, stiffness and energy consumption capacities of the column-beam connections increased. In addition, it is seen that the bearing capacity of the column-beam connections increases with the increase in the number of windings.
Effects of Astragalus smicus growth together with nitrogen fertilization on N-cycling genes in Cd-contaminated soil
Authors: Wang Bo , Sun Minghui , Wang Yuekai , Shi Liang , Wang Youbao
Published: November 2023

Heavy metal contamination in soil is a severe environmental problem that has caused negative effects on plant growth as well as element cycling, microbiome and diversity in cropland ecosystem. Nitrogen cycling is an extremely important element cycling process in the ecosystem, including three primary processes, nitrogen (N) fixation, nitrification and denitrification. The process of nitrification and denitrification can also cause nitrogen loss and emission of a greenhouse gas N2O. Nitrogen cycling is driven mainly by soil microorganisms. Plant growth and artificial nitrogen fertilization both can improve soil physiochemical properties and affect soil nitrogen cycling as well as nitrogen turnover to a certain degree. In the present study, Astragalus smicus growth and nitrogen fertilization are used to test their effects on soil physiochemical properties in Cd-contaminated soil by using pot experiments. qPCR and 16S-rDNA high throughput sequencing are employed to examine their effects on microbial community structure and abundance of N-cycling related genes. Results show that A.smicus growth can significantly reduce soil pH, but markedly increase the contents of soil organic matter and available N compared to the control. A. smicus growth and N fertilization markedly reduce soil pH, and significantly increase soil total N, organic matter, available N, NO3-N, contents of urease and alkaline proteinase as well as abundance of N-cycling related genes, nifH, AOA amoA, and AOB-amoA compare to the control. A. smicus growth and N fertilization profoundly increase soil total N, available N, NO3-N, contents of urease and alkaline proteinase and abundance of AOB-amoA compare to the control group and the A. smicus growth group. Hyphomicrobium, Nitrospira and Nitrosospira are the primary drivers for N fixation, nitrification and denitrification.