bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Single and Combined Use of Ergothioneine, Ferulic Acid, and Glutathione as Antioxidants for the Prevention of Ultraviolet B Radiation-Induced Photoaging Damage in Human Skin Fibroblasts
Authors: Tsay Gregory J. , Lin Shin-Yi , Li Chien-Yu , Mau Jeng-Leun , Tsai Shu-Yao
Published: July 2021

Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation can cause human skin damage or skin aging and wrinkle formation through photochemical reactions. Antioxidative substances may ameliorate UV damage. In this study, the anti-photoaging activity of three antioxidants—ergothioneine, ferulic acid, and glutathione—was investigated after UVB irradiation of Hs68 human skin fibroblast cells. The cells treated with these three antioxidants appeared similar to unirradiated control cells. UVB irradiation decreased cell viability by 26% compared to that of unirradiated control cells. However, the addition of either single or combined antioxidants enhanced cell viability after UVB irradiation. These three antioxidants can inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by the UVB irradiation of the Hs68 cells. Ergothioneine showed a greater inhibitory effect on matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) performance than the other two antioxidants. IL-1 alpha was not detected in the Hs68 cells after exposure to a radiation dose of 150 mJ/cm2. Ergothioneine showed better restoration of type 1 procollagen than either ferulic acid or glutathione. Based on these results, the addition of two antioxidants was expected to restore type Ι procollagen production. In summary, these results demonstrate that the three tested antioxidants protect the skin against UVB-induced damage. The single and combined use of ergothioneine, ferulic acid, and glutathione has the potential for development as anti-photoaging materials in cosmetic applications.
Sacred Sites, Rituals, and Performances in the Ecosystem of Religious Tourism
Authors: Shinde Kiran
Published: July 2021

It is now widely accepted that religious tourism encapsulates the essence of contemporary patterns of travel to sacred and religious sites [...]
Co-Creating Authentic Sacred Therapeutic Space: A Spiritually Sensitive Framework for Counselling Children
Authors: Boynton Heather M. , Mellan Christie
Published: July 2021

Social work values client-centered holistic approaches of care, yet there is a lack of approaches addressing spirituality in counselling with children. Children’s spirituality and conceptualization have been disenfranchised. Children’s spiritual experiences, ways of knowing and perceptions are important to attend to when supporting them through an impactful life event such as trauma, grief, or loss (TGL). Parents may not fully understand or have the capacity to attend to their child’s spirituality. Counsellors appear to lack knowledge and training to attend to the spiritual needs and capacities of children. This article offers some research findings of children’s spirituality deemed to be vital for healing from TGL and counselling. It provides an understanding of some of the constructs and isolating processes described by children, parents and counsellors related to children’s spirituality in TGL. It also will present a spiritually sensitive framework specifically attuned to the spiritual dimension and creating spaces of safety and hope when working with children. The implications of not addressing the critical spiritual dimensions in practice for children are discussed, and recommendations for continued research and training for further theoretical development and future social work practice are offered.
A New Tool for Covering Risk in Agriculture: The Revenue Insurance Policy
Authors: Frascarelli Angelo , Del Sarto Simone , Mastandrea Giada
Published: July 2021

Over the last years, the agricultural sector has faced increasing risks related not only to production activities, but also to climate adversity and a higher frequency of extreme events. These factors, combined with increased price volatility in the markets, have caused greater exposure to risk for farmers. For this reason, risk management in agriculture has taken on an important role within the Common Agricultural Policy. However, in recent years, gradual disaffection of farmers, low penetration of insurance in the arable sector, and a greater need for insurance coverage against market risks have characterised the subsidised risk management system. For all these reasons, starting in 2017, the National Agricultural Insurance Plan has provided new possibilities for covering risks. This paper aims to contribute to the debate on risk management linked to the revenue insurance policy recently adopted in Italy. Using data from the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network, we simulate the application of the revenue insurance policy with a sample of Italian farms operating in the common and durum wheat sectors. The main findings show that the revenue insurance policy stipulation is, overall, sustainable for both farms and insurance companies.
Maxwell Points of Dynamical Control Systems Based on Vertical Rolling Disc—Numerical Solutions
Authors: Stodola Marek , Rajchl Matej , Brablc Martin , Frolík Stanislav , Křivánek Václav
Published: July 2021

We study two nilpotent affine control systems derived from the dynamic and control of a vertical rolling disc that is a simplification of a differential drive wheeled mobile robot. For both systems, their controllable Lie algebras are calculated and optimal control problems are formulated, and their Hamiltonian systems of ODEs are derived using the Pontryagin maximum principle. These optimal control problems completely determine the energetically optimal trajectories between two states. Then, a novel numerical algorithm based on optimisation for finding the Maxwell points is presented and tested on these control systems. The results show that the use of such numerical methods can be beneficial in cases where common analytical approaches fail or are impractical.
Comparison of Metal-Based PZT and PMN–PT Energy Harvesters Fabricated by Aerosol Deposition Method
Authors: Chen Chao-Ting , Lin Shun-Chiu , Trstenjak Urška , Spreitzer Matjaž , Wu Wen-Jong
Published: July 2021

In this study, polycrystalline lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate (PMN–PT) was explored as an alternative piezoelectric material, with a higher power density for energy harvesting (EH), and comprehensively compared to the widely used polycrystalline lead zirconate titanate (PZT). First, the size distribution and piezoelectric properties of PZT and PMN–PT raw powders and ceramics were compared. Thereafter, both materials were deposited on stainless-steel substrates as 10 μm thick films using the aerosol deposition method. The films were processed as {3–1}-mode cantilever-type EH devices using microelectromechanical systems. The films with different annealing temperatures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and dielectric behavior measurements. Furthermore, the mechanical and electrical properties of PMN–PT- and PZT-based devices were measured and compared. The PMN–PT-based devices showed a higher Young’s modulus and lower damping ratio. Owing to their higher figure of merit and lower piezoelectric voltage constant, they showed a higher power and lower voltage than the PZT-based devices. Finally, when poly-PMN–PT material was the active layer, the output power was enhanced by 26% at the 0.5 g acceleration level. Thus, these devices exhibited promising properties, meeting the high current and low voltage requirements in integrated circuit designs.
A Novel Kalman Filter Design and Analysis Method Considering Observability and Dominance Properties of Measurands Applied to Vehicle State Estimation
Authors: Ruggaber Julian , Brembeck Jonathan
Published: July 2021

In Kalman filter design, the filter algorithm and prediction model design are the most discussed topics in research. Another fundamental but less investigated issue is the careful selection of measurands and their contribution to the estimation problem. This is often done purely on the basis of empirical values or by experiments. This paper presents a novel holistic method to design and assess Kalman filters in an automated way and to perform their analysis based on quantifiable parameters. The optimal filter parameters are computed with the help of a nonlinear optimization algorithm. To determine and analyze an optimal filter design, two novel quantitative nonlinear observability measures are presented along with a method to quantify the dominance contribution of a measurand to an estimate. As a result, different filter configurations can be specifically investigated and compared with respect to the selection of measurands and their influence on the estimation. An unscented Kalman filter algorithm is used to demonstrate the method’s capabilities to design and analyze the estimation problem parameters. For this purpose, an example of a vehicle state estimation with a focus on the tire-road friction coefficient is used, which represents a challenging problem for classical analysis and filter parameterization.
Smartphone-Enabled Quantification of Potassium in Blood Plasma
Authors: Hidayat Achmad Syarif , Horino Hideyuki , Rzeznicka Izabela I.
Published: July 2021

This work describes a new method for determining K+ concentration, [K+], in blood plasma using a smartphone with a custom-built optical attachment. The method is based on turbidity measurement of blood plasma solutions in the presence of sodium tetraphenylborate, a known potassium precipitating reagent. The images obtained by a smartphone camera are analyzed by a custom image-processing algorithm which enables the transformation of the image data from RGB to HSV color space and calculation of a mean value of the light-intensity component (V). Analysis of images of blood plasma containing different amounts of K+ reveal a correlation between V and [K+]. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by comparing the results with the results obtained using commercial ion-selective electrode device (ISE) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The accuracy of the method was within ± 0.18 mM and precision ± 0.27 mM in the [K+] range of 1.5–7.5 mM when using treated blood plasma calibration. Spike tests on a fresh blood plasma show good correlation of the data obtained by the smartphone method with ISE and AAS. The advantage of the method is low cost and integration with a smartphone which offers possibility to measure [K+] on demand and in remote areas where access to hospitals is limited.
AIoT-Enabled Rehabilitation Recognition System—Exemplified by Hybrid Lower-Limb Exercises
Authors: Lai Yi-Chun , Kan Yao-Chiang , Lin Yu-Chiang , Lin Hsueh-Chun
Published: July 2021

Ubiquitous health management (UHM) is vital in the aging society. The UHM services with artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) can assist home-isolated healthcare in tracking rehabilitation exercises for clinical diagnosis. This study combined a personalized rehabilitation recognition (PRR) system with the AIoT for the UHM of lower-limb rehabilitation exercises. The three-tier infrastructure integrated the recognition pattern bank with the sensor, network, and application layers. The wearable sensor collected and uploaded the rehab data to the network layer for AI-based modeling, including the data preprocessing, featuring, machine learning (ML), and evaluation, to build the recognition pattern. We employed the SVM and ANFIS methods in the ML process to evaluate 63 features in the time and frequency domains for multiclass recognition. The Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) process was applied to derive the frequency-domain features. As a result, the patterns combining the time- and frequency-domain features, such as relative motion angles in y- and z-axis, and the HHT-based frequency and energy, could achieve successful recognition. Finally, the suggestive patterns stored in the AIoT-PRR system enabled the ML models for intelligent computation. The PRR system can incorporate the proposed modeling with the UHM service to track the rehabilitation program in the future.
The Reliability of Common Functional Performance Tests within an Experimental Test Battery for the Lower Extremities
Authors: Scinicarelli Giordano , Trofenik Marko , Froböse Ingo , Wilke Christiane
Published: July 2021

The main aim of this study was to determine the test–retest reliability of an experimental functional test battery: Y-balance test (YBT), single-leg countermovement jump (SLCMJ), single-leg hop for distance (SLH), side-hop (SH), speedy-jump (SJ), agility-T (AT), and lower extremity functional test (LEFT). Secondary aims were (1) to determine the mean range for the limb symmetry index (LSI) and (2) to detect significant differences in performance between test–retest sessions. Twenty-two healthy adults (14 males, 8 females; age 23.3 ± 3.9) were tested by the same rater during two different sessions (T1–T2), with a seven-day interval, under the same conditions. Reliability analysis showed good-to-excellent reliability (0.89 < ICC < 0.97; 0.80 < α < 0.98) for the test battery. LSI ranged from 95.9 ± 6.7% (SH-T1) to 104.4 ± 12.5% (SLCMJ-T2). Repeated measures ANOVA detected significant performance differences between sessions in the LEFT (p = 0.009) and for non-dominant sides in the SLH (p = 0.015), SH (p = 0.007), and SJ (p = 0.011). The high reliability of the test battery suggests a potential use in clinical sports practice. The LSI range of ≥95% was proposed as a benchmark for healthy adults. Learning effect seems to have played a crucial role in the T2 improvements of the non-dominant side for hop performances (SLH, SH, SJ) and speed performance (LEFT).
Family Business as a Bearer of Social Sustainability in Multinationals-Case of Slovakia
Authors: Rumanko Boris , Kozáková Jana , Urbánová Mária , Hudáková Monika
Published: July 2021

Social sustainability is slowly becoming a more important aspect of a company’s management, particularly in the case of multinational companies with an international network of subsidiaries placed in diverse cultural and social environments. The concept of social sustainability is strongly connected with a considerable number of stakeholders, compared to the environmental and economic aspects of sustainability. The nature of activities under the social pillar of corporate responsibility connects social sustainability with family business, which aims at the principles of social solidarity, equality and ethics. This article uniquely analyzes selected aspects of social sustainability on a sample of 201 Slovak subsidiaries of foreign multinationals and finds differences between family and nonfamily ones. Surprisingly, the conducted research proved that the examined family businesses cannot be considered as bearers of social sustainability in Slovakia, since, in many aspects, the nonfamily businesses implemented the monitored aspects in larger measures, and there were only two factors that turned out to be significant, according to the type of business ownership. Equal opportunities in the workplace were the only variable, due to which significant differences were seen, according to the factor of a family business and the factor of employees’ gender simultaneously, which makes it a crucial variable. The conducted study fills the gap in explanation of interconnections between social sustainability, family business and equal gender opportunities, which makes it unique not just in Slovak conditions.
Changing Pro-Environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies
Authors: Lange Florian , Brick Cameron
Published: July 2021

Human behavior is the main driver of environmental degradation and climate change [...]
Cation Exchange of Natural Zeolites: Worldwide Research
Authors: Morante-Carballo Fernando , Montalván-Burbano Néstor , Carrión-Mero Paúl , Espinoza-Santos Nathaly
Published: July 2021

Research on natural zeolites (NZ) has increased over the years, showing potential in different areas, and many of them involve cation exchange (CE), considered one of the essential properties of NZ. This work aims to identify studies’ cognitive structure based on the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of NZ through bibliometric analysis to evaluate scientific production, growth trend, and visualization through bibliometric maps using the VOSviewer software. All types of documents and all languages indexed in Scopus from 1970 to 2020 were considered for the database, obtaining 703 documents. The results indicate an increasing trend in CE annual publications in NZ. This analysis shows the most influential authors such as Daković, Wang and Colella, while the countries that stand out are China, Turkey and the United States. Besides, the bibliometric maps made it possible to understand the intellectual structure of this academic discipline, identifying areas of current and potential interest in this field of studies such as its application in medicine, agriculture, catalysts, heavy metal removal, wastewater treatment (WWT), bioremediation and construction. Finally, these studies showed trends in science and technology studies favoring environmental remediation and human health.
Accelerating Green Innovation Performance from the Relations of Network Potential, Absorptive Capacity, and Environmental Turbulence
Authors: Song Shuizheng , Hossin Md Altab , Yin Xiaohua , Hosain Md Sajjad
Published: July 2021

The demand for sustainable development and the advantages of industries are expediting over time with the triggering of green innovation performance (GIP). Improving a firm’s GIP, especially in manufacturing industries, can accelerate green development and mitigate the global-concerned environmental issues. Thus, to investigate GIP from its antecedent factors, we delineate the relationship between network potential, absorptive capacity, environmental turbulence, and GIP based on social network theory, organizational learning theory, and contingency theory. We tested our hypotheses based on 233 sets of questionnaire surveys from high-tech manufacturing firms in China through deploying the hierarchical regression and bootstrap method. Our empirical findings reveal that the network potential dimensions, including network position centrality (NPC), network structure richness (NSR), and network relationship closeness (NRC), significantly positively impacted the GIP. The absorptive capacity (AC) partially mediated the relationship between the network potential dimensions and GIP. Environmental turbulence (ET) as an essential mechanism not only positively moderated the relationship between AC and GIP but also enhanced the AC mediation effect. These findings indicate that manufacturing firms should continue to improve network potential and AC and respond rapidly to changes in the external environment to enhance GIP, consequently contributing to the sustainable development of the economy.
Monitoring and Assessment of Groundwater Quality at Landfill Sites: Selected Case Studies of Poland and the Czech Republic
Authors: Podlasek Anna , Jakimiuk Aleksandra , Vaverková Magdalena Daria , Koda Eugeniusz
Published: July 2021

In order to protect the components of natural environment, each landfill must be properly secured and the monitoring program should be adopted. This study aims to present a comparative analysis of groundwater quality at selected landfill sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, with a special attention given to the levels and temporal changes of heavy metals (HMs) concentrations measured in collected groundwater samples. A secondary objective was to detect possible leakages of pollutants from the landfill body, into the groundwater, and further into the environment. The assessment of groundwater quality was based on a comparison of HMs concentrations with standards provided by the European environmental laws. On the basis of the long-term monitoring period, it was revealed, for the Polish landfill site, that the groundwater quality is improving over time, especially due to remedial works applied. For the Czech landfill, it was observed that the quality of groundwater is not negatively affected by the operation of the landfill, but in the immediate vicinity of the landfill, the groundwater quality is significantly affected by the agricultural use of neighbouring lands, as well as by the storage of construction and demolition wastes. The results showed that the leachate did not leak outside the landfills, especially due to minimal concentrations of HMs, measured in groundwater samples, taken from the piezometers located in the outflow direction from the landfills.
The Influence of Information System Success and Technology Acceptance Model on Social Media Factors in Education
Authors: Al-Rahmi Ali Mugahed , Shamsuddin Alina , Alturki Uthman , Aldraiweesh Ahmed , Yusof Farahwahida Mohd , Al-Rahmi Waleed Mugahed , Aljeraiwi Abdulmajeed A.
Published: July 2021

The current study explores the students’ behavioral intention to use social media and actual social media use in higher education, specifically the perception of their academic performance and satisfaction. The study is theoretically based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) with evaluation information system success models (ISSM). Theoretically, five independent constructs were identified as contributory to behavioral intention to use social media, and actual social media use towards the students’ satisfaction and performance impact was analyzed. A questionnaire survey based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and information system success model (ISSM) was utilized as the key method for collecting data and disseminated to 1200 students from four public universities of Malaysia chosen through a random sampling technique. For data analysis, the SPSS and structural equation modeling (SEM-Amos) were used. Outcomes obtained from the students’ behavioral intention to use and actual social media usage indicates a positive and constructive influence on satisfaction and academic performance in higher education. In addition, both male and female students were satisfied with perceived usefulness (β = 0.095, t-value = 3.325, p < 0.001 and β = −0.045, t-value = −2.079, p < 0.001, respectively), perceived ease of use (β = 0.108, t-value = 3.29, p < 0.001 and β = 0.307, t-value = 12.365, p < 0.001, respectively), perceived technology fit (β = 0.14, t-value = 4.769, p < 0.001 and β = 0.277, t-value = 12.358, p < 0.001, respectively), information quality (β = 0.108, t-value = 3.825, p < 0.001 and β = 0.109, t-value = 5.087, p < 0.001, respectively), and system quality (β = 0.232, t-value = 7.573, p < 0.001 and β = 0.176, t-value = 7.429, p < 0.001, respectively). Therefore, we encourage students to use social media for educational purposes and encourage more interactions with peers at higher education institutions. The study’s empirical findings present strong support for the integrative association between the TAM and the ISSM in using online learning platforms to improve students’ academic achievements and satisfaction. This could help decision makers in universities, higher education institutions, and colleges to plan, evaluate, and implement online learning platforms in their institutions.
An Importance Sampling Framework for Time-Variant Reliability Analysis Involving Stochastic Processes
Authors: Wang Jian , Gao Xiang , Sun Zhili
Published: July 2021

In recent years, methods were proposed so as to efficiently perform time-variant reliability analysis. However, importance sampling (IS) for time-variant reliability analysis is barely studied in the literature. In this paper, an IS framework is proposed. A multi-dimensional integral is first derived to define the time-variant cumulative probability of failure, which has the similar expression to the classical definition of time-invariant failure probability. An IS framework is then developed according to the fact that time-invariant random variables are commonly involved in time-variant reliability analysis. The basic idea of the proposed framework is to simultaneously apply time-invariant IS and crude Monte Carlo simulation on time-invariant random variables and stochastic processes, respectively. Thus, the probability of acquiring failure trajectories of time-variant performance function is increased. Two auxiliary probability density functions are proposed to implement the IS framework. However, auxiliary PDFs available for the framework are not limited to the proposed two. Three examples are studied in order to validate the effectiveness of the proposed IS framework.
Policy Effects on the Sustainability of Animal Breeding
Authors: Martyniuk Elżbieta
Published: July 2021

Sustainability in animal breeding can be understood as continuous availability of breeding animals and their germinal products for commercial production, that now and in the future, meet the requirements of a broad range of stakeholders: breeders, farmers, livestock keepers, producers, consumers and others, while respecting animal welfare and promoting more sustainable agriculture. Breeding goals are established to contribute to fulfilling various aspects of sustainability: quality, diversity, acceptability, environment and economics. Government policies and strategies have major impacts on animal breeding; they provide the basis for establishing the legal landscape for national priorities for livestock sector development and provide for institutional arrangements and control measures. Implementation of international agreements supports policy development for sustainability in animal breeding and production. The Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources was prepared to directly contribute to sustainable management of livestock calling for improved characterization, monitoring, breeding and conservation. The Convention on Biological Diversity calls for the conservation of genetic diversity, including agricultural genetic resources. Animal breeding and strategies for livestock development require long-term policy perspectives, as poor decisions can have lasting detrimental effects. This paper is intended to highlight the importance of policy development in efforts to achieve sustainability in the livestock sector.
Intercultural Competencies for Fostering Technology-Mediated Collaboration in Developing Countries
Authors: Kampermann Albert , Opdenakker Raymond , Heijden Beatrice Van der , Bücker Joost
Published: July 2021

With the rapid global spread and application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the question is whether every culture makes similar use of the ideology that often underlies its creators’ design. ICT applications are designed with underlying beliefs or principles about e.g., work, communication, and individuality. These beliefs or principles are invisible and hidden in software and, as such, in many instances not recognized by users in other cultures. These hidden principles might even frustrate the understanding, use, knowledge-sharing, and e-collaboration between people from different cultures. In this article, we aim to explore, from a historical point of view, the early years of adaptation of ICT in developing countries, and we will highlight the importance of the use of intercultural (ICT-)skills to learn to recognize cultural differences from a relationship-based definition in technology-mediated collaboration. A semi-systematic or narrative review approach is used that is particularly suitable for topics that have been conceptualized differently. Our review firstly summarizes and categorizes the cultural factors impacting the adaptation and diffusion of ICT, especially in developing countries, and investigates which factors could hinder and/or facilitate the collaboration with other countries. Secondly, the findings of a thorough comparison between different intercultural competencies’ frameworks indicate that intercultural competencies show a combination of motivation, knowledge (-management), and skills, which are key competencies in the light of successful technology-mediated collaboration.
Effects of Microencapsulated Organic Acid and Their Salts on Growth Performance, Immunity, and Disease Resistance of Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Chowdhury Mohiuddin Amirul Kabir , Song Hongli , Liu Yao , Bunod Jean-Daniel , Dong Xiao-Hui
Published: July 2021

Use of antibiotics and other chemicals to combat disease outbreaks has been a bottleneck for the sustainable growth of shrimp industry. Among various replacements proposed, organic acid (OA) and their salts (OS) are commonly used by farmers and feed millers. However, in free forms, their requirement is very high (2–3 kg/MT) as they tend to disassociate before reaching the hindgut. The dosage can be reduced by microencapsulation of the ingredients. In this study, a 63-day trial was conducted to assess the effects of OA and OS (COMP) microencapsulated (ENCAP) with fat (HF), fat + alginate (HA), wax esters (WE) and HA + WE (HAWE) on performance, digestive enzymes, immunity and resistance to Vibrio parahaemolyticus. A positive control (PC, 200 g/kg fishmeal-FM) and a negative control (NC, 130 g/kg FM) diet were formulated. Eight other diets were formulated, supplementing an NC diet with microencapsulated OA (OAHF, OAHA, OAWE, OAHAWE) and OS (OSHF, OSHA, OSWE, OSHAWE). Among the ENCAPs, significant difference was observed in serum malondialdehyde (p = 0.026), where HF showed the lowest level (6.4 ± 0.3 mmol/L). Significant interactions between COMP and ENCAP were observed in lipid deposition (p = 0.047), serum alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, hepatopancreatic and serum phenol oxidase (p < 0.0001). Despite no differences, 96-h mortality during pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus challenge in all treatment diets (45–56%) was lower compared to the NC diets (63%). In conclusion, use of HF microencapsulated OA diets could provide improved performance and disease resistance that could contribute to the reduction of antibiotic use by the shrimp industry.
Youth Participation in Agriculture and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria
Authors: Osabohien Romanus , Wiredu Alexander Nimo , Nguezet Paul Matin Dontsop , Mignouna Djana Babatima , Abdoulaye Tahirou , Manyong Victor , Bamba Zoumana , Awotide Bola Amoke
Published: July 2021

With data from 683 systematically selected households, the study employed the Heckman two-stage model and the propensity score matching method (PSM) to examine the impact of youth participation in agriculture as a primary occupation on income and poverty in Nigeria. The results indicate that the gender of the youth and their determination to stay in agriculture significantly increases the probability that youth will participate in agriculture as a primary occupation. In addition, youth participation in agriculture as a main occupation contributes significantly to per capita household income and has the likelihood to reduce poverty by 17%. The daily wage rate of hired labor and the total farmland owned are the variables that positively explained the per capita income. Poverty was reduced by market access, having agriculture as a primary occupation, income from agricultural production, the total monetary value of all the household assets, determination to remain in agriculture, and the square of the respondents’ age. These results imply that creating employment for youth by engaging them in agriculture as a full-time occupation can increase their income and reduce poverty. However, the promotion of other secondary occupations, land, and market access is also vital.
Generalized Analytical Solutions of The Advection-Dispersion Equation with Variable Flow and Transport Coefficients
Authors: Sanskrityayn Abhishek , Suk Heejun , Chen Jui-Sheng , Park Eungyu
Published: July 2021

Demand has increased for analytical solutions to determine the velocities and dispersion coefficients that describe solute transport with spatial, temporal, or spatiotemporal variations encountered in the field. However, few analytical solutions have considered spatially, temporally, or spatiotemporally dependent dispersion coefficients and velocities. The proposed solutions consider eight cases of dispersion coefficients and velocities: both spatially dependent, both spatiotemporally dependent, both temporally dependent, spatiotemporally dependent dispersion coefficient with spatially dependent velocity, temporally dependent dispersion coefficient with constant velocity, both constant, spatially dependent dispersion coefficient with spatiotemporally dependent velocity, and constant dispersion coefficient with temporally dependent velocity. The spatial dependence is linear, while the temporal dependence may be exponential, asymptotical, or sinusoidal. An advection–dispersion equation with these variable coefficients was reduced to a non-homogeneous diffusion equation using the pertinent coordinate transform method. Then, solutions were obtained in an infinite medium using Green’s function. The proposed analytical solutions were validated against existing analytical solutions or against numerical solutions when analytical solutions were unavailable. In this study, we showed that the proposed analytical solutions could be applied for various spatiotemporal patterns of both velocity and the dispersion coefficient, shedding light on feasibility of the proposed solution under highly transient flow in heterogeneous porous medium.
A Novel Centrosymmetric Fe(III) Complex with Anionic Bis-pyrazolyl-s-triazine Ligand; Synthesis, Structural Investigations and Antimicrobial Evaluations
Authors: Soliman Saied M. , Al-Rasheed Hessa H. , Elsilk Sobhy E. , El-Faham Ayman
Published: July 2021

Reaction of 2,4-bis(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-6-methoxy-1,3,5-triazine (MBPT) pincer ligand with FeCl3 in acidic medium (1:1 v/v) afforded the [Fe(BPT)Cl2(CH3OH)] complex of the hydrolyzed monobasic ligand: 4,6-bis(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazin-2(1H)-one (HBPT). In this complex, the Fe(III) ion is hexacoordinated with one anionic pincer ligand unit (BPT−1), two chloride ions, and one coordinated methanol molecule. It crystallized in the monoclinic crystal system and centrosymmetric P21/c space group with Z = 2 and unit cell parameters of a = 7.309(2) Å, b = 25.461(8) Å, c = 9.918(3) Å and β = 102.646(7)°. The structure of this complex is stabilized by C–H…Cl intramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions with donor acceptor distances ranging from 3.577(3)–3.609(3) Å while its supramolecular structure is controlled by intermolecular O–H…O, O–H…N, and C–H…Cl hydrogen bonding interactions. Hirshfeld analysis of molecular packing indicates that the percentages of the Cl…H, C…O, O…H, C…C, H…C, and N…H contacts are 21.1, 1.7, 10.2, 2.1, 8.6, and 10.4%, respectively. The nature and relative strength of the different coordination interactions in the [Fe(BPT)Cl2(CH3OH)] complex are discussed based on atoms in molecules theory. Antimicrobial evaluations indicated that the [Fe(BPT)Cl2(CH3OH)] complex showed moderate antibacterial and antifungal activities compared to amoxicillin and ampicillin antibiotics as standard drugs.
Well-Posedness and Porosity for Symmetric Optimization Problems
Authors: Zaslavski Alexander J.
Published: July 2021

In the present work, we investigate a collection of symmetric minimization problems, which is identified with a complete metric space of lower semi-continuous and bounded from below functions. In our recent paper, we showed that for a generic objective function, the corresponding symmetric optimization problem possesses two solutions. In this paper, we strengthen this result using a porosity notion. We investigate the collection of all functions such that the corresponding optimization problem is well-posed and prove that its complement is a σ-porous set.
The Potential Risk of Electronic Waste Disposal into Aquatic Media: The Case of Personal Computer Motherboards
Authors: Kalamaras Georgios , Kloukinioti Maria , Antonopoulou Maria , Ntaikou Ioanna , Vlastos Dimitris , Eleftherianos Antonios , Dailianis Stefanos
Published: July 2021

Considering that electronic wastes (e-wastes) have been recently recognized as a potent environmental and human threat, the present study aimed to assess the potential risk of personal computer motherboards (PCMBs) leaching into aquatic media, following a real-life scenario. Specifically, PCMBs were submerged for 30 days in both distilled water (DW) and artificial seawater (ASW). Afterwards, PCMBs leachates were chemically characterized (i.e., total organic carbon, ions, and trace elements) and finally used (a) for culturing freshwater (Chlorococcum sp. and Scenedesmus rubescens) and saltwater (Dunaliella tertiolecta and Tisochrysis lutea) microalgae for 10 days (240 h), (b) as the exposure medium for mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (96 h exposure), and (c) for performing the Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus (CBMN) assay in human lymphocytes cultures. According to the results, PCMBs could mediate both fresh- and marine algae growth rates over time, thus enhancing the cytotoxic, oxidative, and genotoxic effects in the hemocytes of mussels (in terms of lysosomal membrane impairment, lipid peroxidation, and NO content and micronuclei formation, respectively), as well as human lymphocytes (in terms of MN formation and CBPI values, respectively). The current findings clearly revealed that PCMBs leaching into the aquatic media could pose detrimental effects on both aquatic organisms and human cells.
The Snake Study: Survey of National Attitudes and Knowledge in Envenomation
Authors: Braitberg George , Nimorakiotakis Vasilios , Yap Celene Y.L. , Mukaro Violet , Welton Ronelle , Parker Anna , Knott Jonathan , Story David
Published: July 2021

Despite recent reviews of best practice for the treatment of Australian venomous bites and stings, there is controversy about some aspects of care, particularly the use of antivenom. Our aim was to understand current attitudes and practice in the management of suspected snake envenoming. A single-stage, cross-sectional survey of Australian emergency care physicians who had treated snake envenomation in the previous 36 months was conducted. Hospital pharmacists were also invited to complete a survey about antivenom availability, usage, and wastage in Australian hospitals. The survey was available between 5 March and 16 June 2019. A total of 121 snake envenoming cases were reported, and more than a third (44.6%) of patients were not treated with antivenom. For those treated with antivenom (n = 67), 29 patients (43%) received more than one ampoule. Nearly a quarter of respondents (21%) identified that antivenom availability was, or could be, a barrier to manage snake envenoming, while cost was identified as the least important factor. Adverse reactions following antivenom use were described in 11.9% of cases (n = 8). The majority of patients with suspected envenoming did not receive antivenom. We noted variation in dosage, sources of information, beliefs, and approaches to the care of the envenomed patient.
New Sources of Leptonic CP Violation at the DUNE Neutrino Experiment
Authors: Giarnetti Alessio , Meloni Davide
Published: July 2021

We check the capability of the DUNE neutrino experiment to detect new sources of leptonic CP violation beside the single phase expected in the Standard Model. We illustrate our strategy based on the measurement of CP asymmetries in the case that new physics will show up as nonstandard neutrino interactions and sterile neutrino states and show that the most promising one, once the experimental errors are taken into account in both scenarios, is the one related to the νμ→νe transition.
Zika Virus Antibody Titers Three Years after Confirmed Infection
Authors: Langerak Thomas , Kasbergen Louella M. R. , Chandler Felicity , Brinkman Tom , Faerber Zéfia , Phalai Kajal , Ulbert Sebastian , Rockstroh Alexandra , Bruin Erwin de , Koopmans Marion P. G. , Rockx Barry , van Gorp Eric C. M. , Vreden Stephen
Published: July 2021

Background: In 2015–2016, a large Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak occurred in the Americas. Although the exact ZIKV antibody kinetics after infection are unknown, recent evidence indicates the rapid waning of ZIKV antibodies in humans. Therefore, we aimed to determine the levels of ZIKV antibodies more than three years after a ZIKV infection. Methods: We performed ZIKV virus neutralization tests (VNT) and a commercial ZIKV non-structural protein 1 (NS1) IgG ELISA in a cohort of 49 participants from Suriname who had a polymerase-chain-reaction-confirmed ZIKV infection more than three years ago. Furthermore, we determined the presence of antibodies against multiple dengue virus (DENV) antigens. Results: The ZIKV seroprevalence in this cohort, assessed with ZIKV VNT and ZIKV NS1 IgG ELISA, was 59.2% and 63.3%, respectively. There was, however, no correlation between these two tests. Furthermore, we did not find evidence of a potential negative influence of DENV immunity on ZIKV antibody titers. Conclusions: ZIKV seroprevalence, assessed with two commonly used serological tests, was lower than expected in this cohort of participants who had a confirmed previous ZIKV infection. This can have implications for future ZIKV seroprevalence studies and possibly for the duration of immunological protection after a ZIKV infection.
Vaccine Composition Formulated with a Novel Lactobacillus-Derived Exopolysaccharides Adjuvant Provided High Protection against Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Zhang Haochi , Pan Na , Ma Cheng , Liu Bohui , Xiu Lei , Tong He , Sheng Shouxin , Liang Yanchen , Li Haotian , Ma Fangfei , Bao Xuemei , Hu Wei , Wang Xiao
Published: July 2021

A vaccine that effectively targets methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is urgently needed, and has been the focus of studies by numerous research groups, but with limited success to date. Recently, our team found that exopolysaccharides derived from probiotic Lactobacilluscasei strain WXD030 as an adjuvant-formulated OVA could upregulate IFN-γ and IL-17 expression in CD4+ T cells. In this study, we developed a vaccine (termed rMntC-EPS) composed of S. aureus antigen MntC and Lactobacillus casei exopolysaccharides, which conferred high levels of protection against S. aureus infection. Methods: Six–eight-week-old female mice were vaccinated with purified rMntC-EPS30. The immune protection function of rMntC-EPS30 was assessed by the protective effect of rMntC-EPS30 to S. aureus-induced pulmonary and cutaneous infection in mice, bacterial loads and H&E in injury site, and ELISA for inflammation-related cytokines. The protective mechanism of rMntC-EPS30 was assessed by ELISA for IgG in serum, cytokines in the spleen and lungs of vaccinated mice. In addition, flow cytometry was used for analyzing cellular immune response induced by rMntC-EPS30. For confirmation of our findings, three kinds of mice were used in this study: IL-17A knockout mice, IFN-γ knockout mice and TCRγ/δ knockout mice. Results: rMntC-EPS30 conferred up to 90% protection against S. aureus pulmonary infection and significantly reduced the abscess size in the S. aureus cutaneous model, with clearance of the pathogen. The rMntC-EPS vaccine could induce superior humoral immunity as well as significantly increase IL-17A and IFN-γ production. In addition, we found that rMntC-EPS vaccination induced robust Th 17/γδ T 17 primary and recall responses. Interestingly, this protective effect was distinctly reduced in the IL-17A knockout mice but not in IFN-γ knockout mice. Moreover, in TCRγ/δ knockout mice, rMntC-EPS vaccination neither increased IL-17A secretion nor provided effective protection against S. aureus infection. Conclusions: These data demonstrated that the rMntC formulated with a novel Lactobacillus-derived Exopolysaccharides adjuvant provided high protection against Staphylococcus aureus. The rMntC-EPS vaccine induced γδ T cells and IL-17A might play substantial roles in anti-S. aureus immunity. Our findings provided direct evidence that rMntC-EPS vaccine is a promising candidate for future clinical application against S. aureus-induced pulmonary and cutaneous infection.
Polish Medical Students’ Knowledge Regarding Human Papillomavirus’s Ways of Transmission, Risk of Cancer Development and Vaccination, and Their Intention to Recommend Vaccination
Authors: Milecki Tomasz , Michalak Maciej , Milecki Jakub , Michalak Michał , Kadziszewski Radosław , Kuncman Łukasz , Jarzemski Piotr , Milecki Piotr , Antczak Andrzej
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with six types of cancer in men and women. A vaccine against HPV, preferably administered before initial sexual intercourse, has been proven to be highly effective in preventing these cancers. An effective healthcare provider recommendation has significant influence on HPV vaccine uptake; therefore, it is critical that medical students receive comprehensive training in this area. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge of medical students regarding Human Papillomavirus’s (HPV) ways of transmission, risk of cancer development, and vaccination against HPV. This study also investigated factors among medical students that would affect their intention to recommend HPV vaccination to others. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted among 1061 (678 women and 383 men) medical students who filled in our questionnaire. The medical students were divided into two subgroups: (1) pre-clinical medical students (MS pre-clinical; first-to third-year students; n = 683) and (2) clinical medical students (MS clinical; fourth-to six-year students; n = 378). Results: A total259 (24.41%) of the 1061 medical students were vaccinated against HPV. We found a significant improvement in the general level of knowledge in the later years of education (4–6) compared to the early years of education (1–3). However, it was demonstrated that, despite medical education advancements, there are still significant gaps of knowledge about the relationship between HPV infection and cancers other than cervical cancer, as well as in relation to the routes by which HPV is transmitted. Medical students’ intentions to recommend HPV vaccine to others were related to their own HPV-related knowledge and their own vaccination status. Conclusion: Medical students have gaps of knowledge regarding particular issues and aspects of HPV. It is necessary to further educate medical students in the field of prevention and in the treatment of lesions caused by HPV infection. Medical students’ intention to recommend the HPV vaccine can be improved by including them and members of their families in the HPV vaccination program.
COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance and Hesitancy among Healthcare Workers in Germany
Authors: Holzmann-Littig Christopher , Braunisch Matthias , Kranke Peter , Popp Maria , Seeber Christian , Fichtner Falk , Littig Bianca , Carbajo-Lozoya Javier , Allwang Christine , Frank Tamara , Meerpohl Joerg , Haller Bernhard , Schmaderer Christoph
Published: July 2021

Vaccination hesitancy is a threat to herd immunity. Healthcare workers (HCWs) play a key role in promoting Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in the general population. We therefore aimed to provide data on COVID-19 vaccination acceptance/hesitancy among German HCWs. For this exploratory, cross-sectional study, an online survey was conducted in February 2021. The survey included 54 items on demographics; previous vaccination behavior; trust in vaccines, physicians, the pharmaceutical industry and health politics; fear of adverse effects; assumptions regarding the consequences of COVID-19; knowledge about vaccines; and information seeking behavior. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated and chi-square tests were performed. Four thousand five hundred surveys were analyzed. The overall vaccination acceptance was 91.7%. The age group ≤20 years showed the lowest vaccination acceptance. Factors associated with vaccination hesitancy were lack of trust in authorities and pharmaceutical companies. Attitudes among acquaintances were associated with vaccination hesitancy too. Participants with vaccination hesitancy more often obtained information about COVID-19 vaccines via messenger services or online video platforms and underperformed in the knowledge test. We found high acceptance amongst German HCWs. Several factors associated with vaccination hesitancy were identified which could be targeted in HCW vaccination campaigns.