bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of drying methods on drying kinetics, energy features, thermophysical and microstructural properties of Stevia rebaudiana leaves
Authors: Lemus‐Mondaca Roberto , Zura‐Bravo Liliana , Ah‐Hen Kong , Di Scala Karina
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND

Stevia leaves were subjected to convective hot‐air, infrared and vacuum drying at 40, 60 and 80 °C, followed by an assessment of thermophysical properties and microstructure, along with drying kinetics modelling and evaluation of energy features for all drying operations.

RESULTS

Effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) showed dependency on temperature with values ranging from 1.08 × 10−12 to 7.43 × 10−12 m2 s−1 for convective drying, from 0.71 × 10−12 to 6.60 × 10−12 m2 s−1 for infrared drying, and from 1.29 × 10−12 to 5.39 × 10−12 m2 s−1 for vacuum drying. The thermal properties of the dried Stevia leaves under different drying conditions showed values of density, specific heat, thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and thermal effusivity ranging from 95.6 to 116.2 kg m−3, 3050 to 3900 J kg−1 K−1, 4.28 × 10−7 to 5.60 × 10−7 m2 s−1, 0.16 to 0.23 W m−1 K−1 and 244 to 305 W s0.5 m−2 K−1, respectively. As for microstructure, convective hot‐air drying showed better preserved leaf characteristics, compared to infrared‐ and vacuum‐drying, whereby scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image analysis also revealed noticeable differences at higher temperatures. Statistical analysis showed that the Midilli–Kuçuk model fitted best the experimental data of drying curves (0.961 < r2 < 0.999, 0.000064 < SSE < 0.005359, and 0.000074 < χ2 < 0.006278). Comparison of the drying methods with respect to energy features showed that convective drying at 80 °C led to lowest specific energy consumption (61.86 kW h kg−1) with highest efficiency (8.5%).

CONCLUSION

The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the drying behaviour and showed that thermophysical properties of dried Stevia leaves and energy features are affected by drying methods. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Improving the urban heritage based on a tourism risk assessment using a hybrid fuzzy MADM method: The case study of Tehran's central district
Authors: Hosseini Ali , Pourahmad Ahmad , Ayashi Athareh , Tzeng Gwo‐Hshiung , Banaitis Audrius , Pourahmad Atiyeh
Published: May 2021

A primary reason for the failure of renewal plans for the heritage of urban areas is ignorance of the risk factors of tourism. Urban heritage sites are valuable tourism resources and focus on tourism activities. These sites are affected by risks and negative events. Assessing tourism risks requires an in‐depth knowledge of the current situation. Thus, in order to reduce the risk of tourism on urban heritage, it is necessary to assess the risk of tourist destinations. This study assesses the urban heritage of central districts in Tehran with an emphasis on tourism risk as a real case study. This study provides an in‐depth review of the dimensions and criteria for evaluating tourism risks from the perspectives of social culture, environment, finance, safety and security. Fourteen criteria developed on the basis of the fuzzy decision‐making trial and evaluation laboratory (FDEMATEL) method are adopted for this assessment to construct the fuzzy influential network relation map and find the fuzzy influential weights; this is known as the DEMATEL‐based analysis network process (called DANP). The hybrid modified fuzzy VIKOR method is adopted to evaluate and reduce the tourism risk towards for closing the gap zero. Finally, an empirical case of Tehran city illustrates the availability and effectiveness of the proposed methods. The results revealed that safety and security risks have the greatest influence. The remaining dimensions are sociocultural, financial, and environmental risks. According to the model and the results of the risk assessment in tourism, this method is a reasonable solution for the assessment and risk analysis in real‐world problems. The proposed method can be a useful tool for managers in tourism and urban planning.
The Funk‐Hecke type relations and ray transforms for the vector spherical wave functions
Authors: Balandin A. L.
Published: May 2021

The Funk‐Hecke type integral relations for vector spherical wave functions are derived. Applying the obtained Funk‐Hecke integral identities, 3D Fourier transforms of vector spherical wave functions and and are obtained. On the basis of the Central Slice Theorem, the ray transforms for these vector functions are evaluated. This was found to be a useful tool in the scattering and the vector tomography problems.
Bäcklund transformation and some different types of N‐soliton solutions to the (3 + 1)‐dimensional generalized nonlinear evolution equation for the shallow‐water waves
Authors: Han Peng‐Fei , Bao Taogetusang
Published: May 2021

The (3 + 1)‐dimensional generalized nonlinear evolution equation is investigated based on the Hirota bilinear method. N‐soliton solutions, bilinear Bäcklund transformation, high‐order lump solutions, and the interaction phenomenon of high‐order lump solutions for this equation are obtained with the help of symbolic computation. Besides, some different types of periodic soliton solutions are studied. Analysis and graphical simulation are presented to show the dynamical characteristics of some different types of N‐soliton solutions are revealed. Many dynamic models can be simulated by nonlinear evolution equations, and these graphical analyses are helpful to understand these models. Compared with the published studied, some completely new results are presented in this paper.
Association of Visceral Adipose Tissue and Insulin Resistance with Incident Metabolic Syndrome Independent of Obesity Status: The IRAS Family Study
Authors: Mongraw‐Chaffin Morgana , Hairston Kristen G. , Hanley Anthony J. G. , Tooze Janet A. , Norris Jill M. , Palmer Nicolette D. , Bowden Donald W. , Lorenzo Carlos , Chen Yii‐Der Ida , Wagenknecht Lynne E.
Published: May 2021

Objective

Although increasing evidence suggests that visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a major underlying cause of metabolic syndrome (MetS), few studies have measured VAT at multiple time points in diverse populations. VAT and insulin resistance were hypothesized to differ by MetS status within BMI category in the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS) Family Study and, further, that baseline VAT and insulin resistance and increases over time are associated with incident MetS.

Methods

Generalized estimating equations were used for differences in body fat distribution and insulin resistance by MetS status. Mixed effects logistic regression was used for the association of baseline and change in adiposity and insulin resistance with incident MetS across 5 years, adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and family correlation.

Results

VAT and insulin sensitivity differed significantly by MetS status and BMI category at baseline. VAT and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) at baseline (VAT odds ratio [OR] = 1.16 [95% CI: 1.12‐2.31]; HOMA‐IR OR = 1.85 [95% CI: 1.32‐2.58]) and increases over time (VAT OR = 1.55 [95% CI: 1.22‐1.98]; HOMA‐IR OR = 3.23 [95% CI: 2.20‐4.73]) were associated with incident MetS independent of BMI category.

Conclusions

Differing levels of VAT may be driving metabolic heterogeneity within BMI categories. Both overall and abdominal obesity (VAT) may play a role in the development of MetS. Increased VAT over time contributed additional risk.
Acrylic‐styrene/montmorillonite nanocomposites. Melt viscoelasticity and chain dynamics in nanoconfinement
Authors: Romo‐Uribe Angel
Published: May 2021

The chain dynamics of co(acrylic‐styrene)/montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay nanocomposites in the melt was studied by shear rheometry. Copolymers containing 60% butyl acrylate (BA), 38% styrene (sty), and 2% methacrylic acid (MAA) were synthesized in the presence of MMT nanoclay, that is, in‐situ, and the MMT content ranged from cMMT = 5–25 wt%. Recently, it was shown that nanoclay was exfoliated when cMMT ≤ 5 wt% and intercalated at higher concentrations, and the tensile modulus increased over an order of magnitude with MMT content [Romo‐Uribe, Polym Adv Technol, 2021]. Here, the chain dynamics was investigated using shearrheology. The results revealed that nanoclay slowed down the chain dynamics in the terminal regime, the terminal relaxation time τt increased up to an order of magnitude. Furthermore, nanoclay induced 10‐fold increase of rubbery modulus Ge with the consequent reduction of molecular weight between entanglements Me and reduction of packing length p. Furthermore, the nanoconfinement imposed on the polymer chains reduced the energy dissipation in the transition regime (as indicated by the damping tan δ) thus correlating with the increase of the glass transition temperature, Tg. Therefore, understanding and controlling nanoconfinement and its influence on chain dynamics would enable tuning the physical properties of polymer‐clay nanocomposites.
III‐V//CuxIn1−yGaySe2 multijunction solar cells with 27.2% efficiency fabricated using modified smart stack technology with Pd nanoparticle array and adhesive material
Authors: Makita Kikuo , Kamikawa Yukiko , Mizuno Hidenori , Oshima Ryuji , Shoji Yasushi , Ishizuka Shogo , Müller Ralph , Beutel Paul , Lackner David , Benick Jan , Hermle Martin , Dimroth Frank , Sugaya Takeyoshi
Published: May 2021

Multijunction (MJ) solar cells achieve high efficiencies by effectively utilizing the solar spectrum. Previously, we have developed III‐V MJ solar cells using smart stack technology, a mechanical stacking technology that uses a Pd nanoparticle array. In this study, we fabricated an InGaP/AlGaAs//CuxIn1−yGaySe2 three‐junction solar cell by applying modified smart stack technology with a Pd nanoparticle array and adhesive material. Using adhesive material (silicone adhesive), the bonding stability was improved conspicuously. The total efficiency achieved was 27.2% under AM 1.5 G solar spectrum illumination, which is a better performance compared to our previous result (24.2%) for a two‐terminal solar cell. The performance was achieved by optimizing the structure of the upper GaAs‐based cell and by using a CuxIn1−yGaySe2 solar cell with a specialized performance for an MJ configuration. In addition, we assessed the reliability of the InGaP/AlGaAs//CuxIn1−yGaySe2 three‐junction solar cell through a heat cycle test (from −40°C to +85°C; 50 cycles) and were able to confirm that our solar cells show high resistivity under severe conditions. The results demonstrate the potential of III‐V//CuxIn1−yGaySe2 MJ solar cells as next‐generation photovoltaic cells for applications such as vehicle‐integrated photovoltaics; they also demonstrate the effectiveness of modified smart stack technology in fabricating MJ cells.
Chemogenetic activation of central gastrin‐releasing peptide‐expressing neurons elicits itch‐related scratching behavior in male and female mice
Authors: Kiguchi Norikazu , Fukazawa Yohji , Saika Ayano , Uta Daisuke , Saika Fumihiro , Nakamura Tomoe Y. , Ko Mei‐Chuan , Kishioka Shiroh
Published: May 2021

Several lines of evidence have clarified that the key transmission pathways of itching sensation travel from the periphery to the central nervous system (CNS). Despite the functional significance of gastrin‐releasing peptide (GRP) and its cognate receptor in the itch processing mechanism in the spinal dorsal horn (SDH), the roles of GRP‐expressing (GRP+) neurons in different regions remain unclear. This study aimed to determine whether GRP+ neurons in the CNS directly modulated itch processing. To specifically activate spinal and supraspinal GRP neurons by the designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) system, CAG‐LSL‐Gq‐DREADD mice were crossed with GRP‐Cre mice, resulting in the development of GRP‐hM3Dq mice. Immunohistochemistry showed that hM3Dq was highly expressed in the SDH and brainstem closely related to sensory processing. The intraperitoneal, intrathecal, or intracerebroventricular administration of clozapine‐N‐oxide, an agonist of hM3Dq, strongly elicited dermatome‐dependent itch‐related scratching behavior, but did not change pain sensitivity. Importantly, GRP‐Gq‐DREADD‐mediated scratching behavior in GRP‐hM3Dq mice was not affected by the ablation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1+ sensory C‐fibers, and it was also observed to a similar degree under chronic itch conditions. Furthermore, there were no significant sex differences in the scratching behavior elicited by GRP‐Gq‐DREADD, suggesting that itch‐dominant roles of central GRP+ neurons might be common in both sexes, at least under normal physiological conditions. These novel findings not only contribute to understanding the functional roles of central GRP+ neurons further, but also propose the development of future effective therapeutics for intractable itching.
Major surface melting over the Ross Ice Shelf part II: Surface energy balance
Authors: Zou Xun , Bromwich David H. , Montenegro Alvaro , Wang Sheng‐Hung , Bai Lesheng
Published: May 2021

The West Antarctic climate is under the combined impact of synoptic and regional drivers. Regional factors have contributed to more frequent surface melting with a similar pattern recently, which accelerates ice loss and favors global sea‐level rise. Part I of this research identified and quantified the two leading drivers of Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) melting, viz. foehn effect and direct marine air advection, based on Polar WRF (PWRF) simulations. In this article (Part II), the impact of clouds and the pattern of surface energy balance (SEB) during melting are analyzed, as well as the relationship among these three factors. In general, net shortwave radiation dominates the surface melting with a daily mean value above 100 W·m−2. Foehn clearance and decreasing surface albedo respectively increase the downward shortwave radiation and increase the absorbed shortwave radiation, significantly contributing to surface melting in areas such as western Marie Byrd Land. Also, extensive downward longwave radiation caused by low‐level liquid cloud favors the melting expansion over the middle and coastal RIS. With significant moisture transport occurring over more than 40% of the time during the melting period, the impact from net radiation can be amplified. Moreover, frequent foehn cases can enhance the turbulent mixing on the leeside. With a Froude number (Fr) around 1 or slightly larger, fast downdrafts or reversed wind flows can let the warm foehn air penetrate down to the surface with up to 20 W·m−2 in sensible heat flux transfer to the ground. However, when the Froude number is close to infinity with breaking waves on the leeside, the contribution of turbulence to the surface warming is reduced. With better understanding of the regional factors for the surface melting, prediction of the future stability of West Antarctic ice shelves can be improved.
Separation and structural elucidation of cefsulodin and its impurities in both positive and negative ion mode in cefsulodin sodium bulk material using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Ren Xiaojuan , Liu Guijun , Tang Kaixian , Zhou Ping , Wang Jian
Published: May 2021

Rationale

The structural identification of impurities in cephalosporins has been reported. However, to the best of our knowledge, there was no report on the impurities of cefsulodin sodium, which is necessary for the quality control. Thus, the aim of this study was to separate and characterize the impurities in cefsulodin sodium raw material using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS).

Methods

The analytes were separated on a Kromasil 100‐5C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) using a gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of 1% ammonium sulphate aqueous solution and acetonitrile in the first dimension. The separation in the second dimension was carried on a Shimadzu Shim‐pack GISS C18 column (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.9 μm) with a mobile phase consisting of 10 mM ammonium formate solution and methanol.

Results

The fragmentation behaviors of cefsulodin and its impurities were studied and the structures of the impurities were deduced based on the MSn data. The structures of ten unknown impurities were proposed based on the work carried out in this study. The degradation behaviors of cefsulodin sodium were also studied. This revealed that cefsulodin sodium should be stored in a dry, cool and dark closed container.

Conclusions

Based on the characterization of impurities, this study not only revealed the mechanism by which impurities were produced, thus providing guidance to pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing process improvement and impurity control, but also provided a scientific basis for further improvement of official monographs in pharmacopoeias.
Calcium concentrations in the lower Columbia River, USA, are generally sufficient to support invasive bivalve spread
Authors: Bollens Stephen M. , Harrison John A. , Kramer Marc G. , Rollwagen‐Bollens Gretchen , Counihan Timothy D. , Robb‐Chavez Salvador B. , Nolan Sean T.
Published: May 2021

Dissolved calcium concentration [Ca2+] is thought to be a major factor limiting the establishment and thus the spread of invasive bivalves such as zebra (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga (Dreissena bugensis) mussels. We measured [Ca2+] in 168 water samples collected along ~100 river‐km of the lower Columbia River, USA, between June 2018 and March 2020. We found [Ca2+] to range from 13 to 18 mg L−1 during summer/fall and 5 to 22 mg L−1 during the winter/spring. Previous research indicates that [Ca2+] < 12 mg L−1 are likely to limit the establishment and spread of invasive bivalves. Thus, our results indicate that there is sufficient Ca2+ in most locations in the lower Columbia River to support the establishment of invasive dreissenid mussels, which could join the already widespread and abundant Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) as the newest invader to an already heavily invaded Columbia River ecosystem. These new data provide important measurements from a heretofore undersampled region of the Columbia River and have important implications for the spread of invasive bivalves and, by extension, the conservation and management of native species and ecosystems.
Normal approximation and fourth moment theorems for monochromatic triangles
Authors: Bhattacharya Bhaswar B. , Fang Xiao , Yan Han
Published: May 2021

Given a graph sequence denote by T3(Gn) the number of monochromatic triangles in a uniformly random coloring of the vertices of Gn with colors. In this paper we prove a central limit theorem (CLT) for T3(Gn) with explicit error rates, using a quantitative version of the martingale CLT. We then relate this error term to the well‐known fourth‐moment phenomenon, which, interestingly, holds only when the number of colors satisfies . We also show that the convergence of the fourth moment is necessary to obtain a Gaussian limit for any , which, together with the above result, implies that the fourth‐moment condition characterizes the limiting normal distribution of T3(Gn), whenever . Finally, to illustrate the promise of our approach, we include an alternative proof of the CLT for the number of monochromatic edges, which provides quantitative rates for the results obtained in [7].
Comprehensive efforts result in high enrollment, retention despite pandemic, hurricanes
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: May 2021

A global pandemic and two hurricanes in two weeks. That's enough disaster to daunt even the staunchest college officials. But the leadership team and staff at SOWELA Technical Community College met the challenges, building on a retention rate of 75.06% from spring to fall 2020, to achieve an 83.71% retention rate from fall 2020 to spring 2021, the highest of any community college in Louisiana.
Ability to successfully image endometrium on transvaginal ultrasound in asymptomatic postmenopausal women
Authors: Goldstein S. R. , Khafaga A.
Published: May 2021

Objectives

Numerous studies indicate that endometrial thickness of ≤ 4 mm on transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) is a reliable test to exclude endometrial cancer in women with postmenopausal bleeding (PMB), such that biopsy is not needed. However, not all postmenopausal women have anatomy that allows reliable measurement of endometrial thickness. This study was undertaken to evaluate the frequency of, and the reasons for, an inability to adequately visualize the endometrium on TVS.

Methods

A total of 472 consecutive asymptomatic postmenopausal women underwent TVS as part of their routine gynecological care. Their charts and TVS images were reviewed, and, if possible, endometrial thickness was recorded. If the endometrium was not adequately visualized, the reason for inadequacy was recorded, as judged by the examiner. Other demographic characteristics recorded included the number of years since menopause, body mass index (BMI) and current use of hormone replacement therapy.

Results

Of the 472 women, 292 (61.9%) had an endometrium that was well visualized, in whom endometrial thickness could be measured reliably (mean, 3.0 (range, 1.0–28.0) mm). In the other 180 postmenopausal women (38.1%), a distinct endometrium was not adequately visualized. The reasons for non‐visualization were fibroids (n = 95, 20.1% of the overall cohort), adenomyosis (n = 35, 7.4% of the overall cohort) and an axial uterus (n = 50, 10.6% of the overall cohort). Mean interval from menopause was 14.0 (range, 1–50) years and 14.1 (range, 1–40) years in the visualized and non‐visualized cohorts, respectively (P = 0.83). Mean BMI was 23.9 (range, 16.3–41.5) kg/m2 in the visualized cohort and 25.4 (range, 18.0–39.9) kg/m2 in the non‐visualized cohort (P = 0.015).

Conclusions

TVS has become an accepted first step in the evaluation of PMB. However, in our cohort, 38.1% of women had anatomical reasons for non‐visualization of the endometrium and lack of a reliable endometrial thickness measurement, including fibroids, adenomyosis or an axial uterus. There was no significant difference between groups in the interval from menopause or current use of hormone replacement therapy, but the mean BMI of the non‐visualized group was significantly higher than in the visualized group. Clinicians should be cognizant of these potential limitations of TVS in the initial evaluation of women with PMB. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Design and fabrication of drug‐delivery systems toward adjustable release profiles for personalized treatment
Authors: Geraili Armin , Xing Malcolm , Mequanint Kibret
Published: May 2021

Advanced polymeric controlled delivery systems are designed to effectively treat chronic diseases by adjusting the temporal profile of drug release. Most conventional controlled‐release carriers provide a constant and sustained‐release profile of therapeutics for an extended time. Although these systems have improved the patients’ compliance and adherence and have reduced the administration frequency, they cannot be used for optimal treatment of diseases that require variable patterns of drug release in the treatment regimen. These patterns and the specific rhythms of medical conditions determined by both the body's internal biological clock cycles (i.e., circadian rhythm) and each patient's characteristics call for patient‐specific controlled drug‐delivery systems that can provide adjustable drug release profiles. The importance of individualized therapy and the variety of biodegradable polymers with tunable physicochemical properties promote the design and manufacturing of polymeric delivery systems that release therapeutics at controllable rates. In the past two decades, novel biomaterials and fabrication methods have been utilized to improve the traditional drug‐delivery design and manufacturing technologies. This review article provides a critical discussion of emerging polymeric controlled‐release systems and the mechanisms through which they release their therapeutic agents. Advances and challenges in the design and the fabrication processes of polymeric drug‐delivery systems, particularly solid oral dosage forms and implantable microchips, with controllable release profiles of drugs, are reviewed, focusing on the application of microtechnology and 3D printing techniques in their manufacturing.
Sézary syndrome with CD3+CD4+CD8−immunophenotype in a Bichon Frise
Authors: Rigas Konstantinos , Monti Paola , Di Palma Stefano , Verganti Sara
Published: May 2021

An adult female spayed Bichon Frise with history of chronic pruritus, atopy and intermittent ear infections was presented for the assessment of generalised erythema, multiple cutaneous nodules, otitis externa and exudative dermatitis only partially and temporarily responsive to oclacitinib and systemic antibiotic treatment. Several investigations were performed, and a diagnosis of cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma (CETL) with circulating neoplastic lymphocytes (Sézary syndrome [SS]) with CD3+CD4+CD8−immunophenotype was obtained. The patient was treated with a single dose of L‐asparaginase and then continued on prednisolone only. After 300 days following the initial diagnosis, the dog was humanely euthanized due to disease progression. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported in the literature of a dog with SS with circulating neoplastic T lymphocytes expressing CD4 (T‐helper cells) rather than the more commonly reported CD8+(T‐cytotoxic) phenotype.
Evolutionary driving forces of A‐to‐I editing in metazoans
Authors: Duan Yuange , Tang Xiaolu , Lu Jian
Published: May 2021

Adenosine‐to‐inosine (A‐to‐I) RNA editing is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that converts adenosines to inosines in metazoans' transcriptomes. However, the landscapes of editomes have considerably changed during evolution. Here, we review some of our current knowledge of A‐to‐I editing in the metazoan transcriptomes, focusing on the possible evolutionary driving forces underlying the editing events. First, we review the evolution of ADAR gene family in animals. Then, we summarize the recent advances in characterizing the editomes of various metazoan species. Next, we highlight several factors contributing to the interspecies differences in editomes, including variations in copy number and expression patterns of ADAR genes, the differences in genomic architectures and contents, and the differences in the efficacy of natural selection. After that, we review the possible diversifying and restorative effects of the editing (recoding) events that change the protein sequences. Finally, we discuss the possible convergent evolution of RNA editing in distantly related clades.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Evolution and Genomics > RNA and Ribonucleoprotein Evolution

RNA Processing > RNA Editing and Modification
Contested Resources and South-South Inequalities: What Sino-Brazilian Trade Means for the “Low-Carbon” Bioeconomy
Authors: Rodríguez Fabricio
Published: May 2021

This article explores Brazil’s relationship of trade dependency to China and its implications for the former’s attempt to lead the way into a low-carbon bioeconomy. While actors from Brazil’s sucro-energetic sector try to rescale the use of agrofuels as a clean source of bio-based energy, China’s growing demand for Brazilian resources places a structural constraint on any Brazilian attempt to move away from fossil developmental paradigms. The chapter shows how green narratives of South-South cooperation—entailing the “low-carbon bioeconomy” on the Brazilian side, and the concept of “ecological civilization” on the Chinese side—collide with the high-carbon qualities of Sino-Brazilian trade. Importantly, Brazilian exports to China are currently adding to the carbon-intensive quality of the global economy. Additionally, bilateral trade is indicative of a new pattern of global inequality in which Brazilian geographies of oil, iron ore and soy extraction provide the material basis for China’s economic transformation.
Towards an Extractivist Bioeconomy? The Risk of Deepening Agrarian Extractivism When Promoting Bioeconomy in Argentina
Authors: Tittor Anne
Published: May 2021

Bioeconomy is a concept that has been developed in the OECD and is prominently discussed in Europe and industrialized countries. Over the years, Argentina has begun appropriating and developing its own interpretation of the concept, which has a clear agro-industrial and bio-technological focus. In Argentina, bioeconomy is framed as further intensification of agro-industrial production—including GMOs and the immense use of pesticides—combined with strengthening industrial upgrading. The same people and institutions that have supported soybean expansion over the last decades also advocate bioeconomy. Nevertheless, Argentina’s agricultural policies have been contested for several years; this particularly applies to the expansion of soybean monocultures and the related use of pesticides. Referring to the debate on agrarian extractivism, this chapter argues that Argentina’s focus within the bioeconomy debate risks deepening the extractivist tendency within the dominant form of agriculture and continuing the exclusion of peasants, indigenous groups and environmental concerns.
Knowledge, Research, and Germany’s Bioeconomy: Inclusion and Exclusion in Bioenergy Funding Policies
Authors: Lehmann Rosa
Published: May 2021

Germany plays a protagonist role in promoting bioeconomy funding policies for research and innovation (R&I). Conceptualizing the role of (unequal) knowledge production in changing socio-energy systems with reference to energy justice research, Rosa Lehmann distils the role of bioenergy-related R&I funding and emphasizes that the national bioeconomy agenda has thus far failed to integrate and reinvigorate the knowledge and practices of civil society actors engaged in cooperative schemes promoting citizen-based bioenergy production. Lehmann argues that the inclusion of these experiences is fundamental to any bioeconomy agenda that not only aims to induce technological change but also to stimulate societal change.
The Log Skeleton Visualizer in ProM 6.9
Authors: Verbeek H. M. W.
Published: May 2021

Process discovery is an important area in the field of process mining. To help advance this area, a process discovery contest (PDC) has been set up, which allows us to compare different approaches. At the moment of writing, there have been three instances of the PDC: in 2016, in 2017, and in 2019. This paper introduces the winning contribution to the PDC 2019, called the Log Skeleton Visualizer. This visualizer uses a novel type of process models called log skeletons. In contrast with many workflow net-based discovery techniques, these log skeletons do not rely on the directly follows relation. As a result, log skeletons offer circumstantial information on the event log at hand rather than only sequential information. Using this visualizer, we were able to classify 898 out of 900 traces correctly for the PDC 2019 and to win this contest.
Erderwärmung, Klimazoll und Klimaclub: Wie können die Paris-Ziele erfüllt werden?
Authors:   ZG Überblick
Published: May 2021

Der Klimawandel und die damit einhergehende Erderwärmung gehören zu den wichtigsten Herausforderungen unserer Zeit. Um die Ziele des Pariser Klimaabkommens zu erreichen, müssen die Treibhausgasemissionen deutlich reduziert werden. Die Autor:innen diskutieren die in Deutschland und weltweit notwendigen wirtschaftspolitischen Maßnahmen. Dabei kommt Strategien zur Implementierung einer gemeinsamen Klimapolitik speziell der Hauptemittenten Europa, China und USA eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Noch können die Paris-Ziele erreicht werden, wenn auf internationaler Ebene kooperiert wird und auf nationaler Ebene angemessene Langfriststrategien etabliert werden. Die aktuellen politischen Entwicklungen haben dafür ein Fenster geöffnet.
Digitalisierung für Gesundheit — ökonomische Aspekte des Gutachtens des SVR Gesundheit
Authors: Jochimsen Beate
Published: May 2021

Am 24. März 2021 hat der „Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der Entwicklung im Gesundheitswesen“ sein Gutachten „Digitalisierung für Gesundheit — Ziele und Rahmenbedingungen eines dynamisch lernenden Gesundheitssystems“ der Bundesregierung überreicht. Wesentliche Aspekte des Gutachtens werden präsentiert, wobei ökonomische Gesichtspunkte und Bezüge zur Corona-Pandemie besonders hervorgehoben werden.
The antecedents and consequences of workplace envy: A meta-analytic review
Authors: Li Miaomiao , Xu Xiaofeng , Kwan Ho Kwong
Published: May 2021

Extensive research has been conducted into the antecedents and consequences of workplace envy, but there have been limited meta-analytic reviews. This meta-analysis draws on social comparison theory to examine studies of envy in the workplace and develop a comprehensive model of the antecedents and consequences of workplace envy. We reconcile the divergent findings in the literature by building a model of three types of workplace envy that distinguishes between episodic, dispositional, and general envy. The results suggest that individual differences (e.g., narcissism, neuroticism), organizational contexts (e.g., competition, position), and social desirability are predictors of workplace envy. They also reveal that workplace envy is related to organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), negative behaviors (e.g., ostracism, social undermining), negative emotions, organizational perceptions (i.e., engagement, satisfaction), turnover intentions, and moral disengagement. We test the moderating roles of envy types, measurement approaches, and causal directions. The results reveal that these moderators have little differences, and that some variables (e.g., self-esteem, fairness) may be both antecedents and consequences of workplace envy. Finally, we suggest that future research into workplace envy should investigate contextual predictors and moderators of the social comparison process that triggers envy. This meta-analysis can serve as a foundation for future research into workplace envy.
Adversarial balancing-based representation learning for causal effect inference with observational data
Authors: Du Xin , Sun Lei , Duivesteijn Wouter , Nikolaev Alexander , Pechenizkiy Mykola
Published: May 2021

Learning causal effects from observational data greatly benefits a variety of domains such as health care, education, and sociology. For instance, one could estimate the impact of a new drug on specific individuals to assist clinical planning and improve the survival rate. In this paper, we focus on studying the problem of estimating the Conditional Average Treatment Effect (CATE) from observational data. The challenges for this problem are two-fold: on the one hand, we have to derive a causal estimator to estimate the causal quantity from observational data, in the presence of confounding bias; on the other hand, we have to deal with the identification of the CATE when the distributions of covariates over the treatment group units and the control units are imbalanced. To overcome these challenges, we propose a neural network framework called Adversarial Balancing-based representation learning for Causal Effect Inference (ABCEI), based on recent advances in representation learning. To ensure the identification of the CATE, ABCEI uses adversarial learning to balance the distributions of covariates in the treatment and the control group in the latent representation space, without any assumptions on the form of the treatment selection/assignment function. In addition, during the representation learning and balancing process, highly predictive information from the original covariate space might be lost. ABCEI can tackle this information loss problem by preserving useful information for predicting causal effects under the regularization of a mutual information estimator. The experimental results show that ABCEI is robust against treatment selection bias, and matches/outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches. Our experiments show promising results on several datasets, encompassing several health care (and other) domains.
Using excess deaths and testing statistics to determine COVID-19 mortalities
Authors: Böttcher Lucas , D’Orsogna Maria R. , Chou Tom
Published: May 2021

Factors such as varied definitions of mortality, uncertainty in disease prevalence, and biased sampling complicate the quantification of fatality during an epidemic. Regardless of the employed fatality measure, the infected population and the number of infection-caused deaths need to be consistently estimated for comparing mortality across regions. We combine historical and current mortality data, a statistical testing model, and an SIR epidemic model, to improve estimation of mortality. We find that the average excess death across the entire US from January 2020 until February 2021 is 9$$\%$$%higher than the number of reported COVID-19 deaths. In some areas, such as New York City, the number of weekly deaths is about eight times higher than in previous years. Other countries such as Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, and Spain exhibit excess deaths significantly higher than their reported COVID-19 deaths. Conversely, we find statistically insignificant or even negative excess deaths for at least most of 2020 in places such as Germany, Denmark, and Norway.
Emission of harmful gases from animal production in Poland
Authors: Mazur Kamila , Roman Kamil , Wardal Witold Jan , Borek Kinga , Barwicki Jan , Kierończyk Marek
Published: May 2021

The aim of the study was to present the scale of greenhouse gas emissions from animal production, and to provide test results from different housing systems. In three free stall buildings, two with slurry in deep channels and one with cattle in cubicles staying on shallow litter concentration of ammonia and carbon dioxide were measured in summer season by using dedicated equipment from Industrial Scientific Research. Air exchange was calculated on the base of balance carbon dioxide method. This method was used in order to estimate the air flow rate. Concentrations of ammonia and CO2 were measured as the base for air exchange and ammonia emission rates. Ammonia emissions were product of ammonia concentration and air exchange rate. Temperature and relative humidity were measured to establish microclimate conditions in buildings tested to show the overall microclimatic situation in buildings. Differences between ammonia emission rates were observed in both housing systems. The highest ammonia emission rate was equal to 2.75 g·h−1·LU−1 in well-ventilated cattle barn with the largest herd size.
Is it time for robot rights? Moral status in artificial entities
Authors: Müller Vincent C.
Published: May 2021

Some authors have recently suggested that it is time to consider rights for robots. These suggestions are based on the claim that the question of robot rights should not depend on a standard set of conditions for ‘moral status’; but instead, the question is to be framed in a new way, by rejecting the is/ought distinction, making a relational turn, or assuming a methodological behaviourism. We try to clarify these suggestions and to show their highly problematic consequences. While we find the suggestions ultimately unmotivated, the discussion shows that our epistemic condition with respect to the moral status of others does raise problems, and that the human tendency to empathise with things that do not have moral status should be taken seriously—we suggest that it produces a “derived moral status”. Finally, it turns out that there is typically no individual in real AI that could even be said to be the bearer of moral status. Overall, there is no reason to think that robot rights are an issue now.
Non-consensual personified sexbots: an intrinsic wrong
Authors: Lancaster Karen
Published: May 2021

Humanoid robots used for sexual purposes (sexbots) are beginning to look increasingly lifelike. It is possible for a user to have a bespoke sexbot created which matches their exact requirements in skin pigmentation, hair and eye colour, body shape, and genital design. This means that it is possible—and increasingly easy—for a sexbot to be created which bears a very high degree of resemblance to a particular person. There is a small but steadily increasing literature exploring some of the ethical issues surrounding sexbots, however sexbots made to look like particular people is something which, as yet, has not been philosophically addressed in the literature. In this essay I argue that creating a lifelike sexbot to represent and resemble someone is an act of sexual objectification which morally requires consent, and that doing so without the person’s consent is intrinsically wrong. I consider two sexbot creators: Roy and Fred. Roy creates a sexbot of Katie with her consent, and Fred creates a sexbot of Jane without her consent. I draw on the work of Alan Goldman, Rae Langton, and Martha Nussbaum in particular to demonstrate that creating a sexbot of a particular person requires consent if it is to be intrinsically permissible.
Assessment of genetic diversity of Musa species accessions with variable genomes using ISSR and SCoT markers
Authors: Igwe David Okeh , Ihearahu Onyinye Constance , Osano Anne Adhiambo , Acquaah George , Ude George Nkem
Published: May 2021

Assessing the effectiveness of different molecular markers is essential for identification of appropriate ones for crop improvement and conservation, hence, inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and start codon targeted (SCoT) markers were used for this study. Sixty-six accessions with different genomes obtained from International Transit Center, Belgium, were used for DNA extraction, amplification with ISSR and SCoT markers and agarose gel electrophoresis. The reproducible bands were scored for analyses. We identified high allelic richness of 299 (ISSR) and 326 (SCoT). Polymorphic information contents (ISSR: 0.9225; SCoT: 0.9421) were high but SCoT exhibited higher level of informativeness. The two markers demonstrated high percentage polymorphic loci (ISSR: 91.21–100%; SCoT: 96.97–100%). Other genetic indicators including effective number of alleles, Nei’s genetic diversity, and Shannon information index were higher in SCoT and further elucidated the usefulness of the markers. Intraspecific genetic diversity, interspecific genetic diversity, coefficient of gene differentiation and level of gene flow revealed extensive gene flow and larger variability within the accessions. Both ISSR and SCoT grouped the accessions via dendrogram, biplot and structure analyses. Though the two marker systems varied in their informativeness, they demonstrated high effectiveness in resolving genetic diversity (GD) of the different accessions, with higher efficiency in SCoT markers. Due to higher GD indices exhibited by SCoT, AS is the most genetically endowed one. Our study showed that SCoT markers are more informative than ISSR for GD exploration, assessment and cluster resolution of Musa species, thereby revealing the potential of SCoT markers for improved breeding and conservation.
In vitro assessment of antitumor immune responses using tumor antigen proteins produced by transgenic silkworms
Authors: Yamada Kanae , Masuda Kei , Ida Shota , Tada Hiroe , Bando Minori , Abe Kanako , Tatematsu Ken-ichiro , Sezutsu Hideki , Oyama Tetsunari , Chikamatsu Kazuaki , Takeda Shigeki
Published: May 2021

The evaluation of antitumor immune responses is essential for immune monitoring to predict clinical outcomes as well as treatment efficacies in cancer patients. In this study, we produced two tumor antigen (TA) proteins, melanoma antigen family A4 and wild type p53, using TG silkworm systems and evaluated anti-TA-specific immune responses by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assays in patients with head and neck cancer. Eleven (61.1%) of 18 patients showed significant IFN-γ production in response to at least one TA; however, the presence of TA-specific immune responses did not significantly contribute to better prognosis (overall survival, p = 0.1768; progression-free survival, p = 0.4507). Further studies will need to be performed on a larger scale to better assess the clinical significance of these systems. The production of multiple TA proteins may provide new avenues for the development of immunotherapeutic strategies to stimulate a potent and specific immune response against tumor cells as well as precise assessment of antitumor immune responses in cancer patients.
Behavior of rat bone marrow stem cells on titanium surfaces modified by laser-beam and deposition of calcium phosphate
Authors: Florian F. , Guastaldi F. P. S. , Cominotte M. A. , Pires L. C. , Guastaldi A. C. , Cirelli J. A.
Published: May 2021

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of rat bone marrow stem cells seeded on a Ti-15Mo alloy surface modified by laser-beam irradiation followed by calcium phosphate deposition.

Materials and methods

A total of four groups were evaluated: polished commercially pure titanium (cpTi): Ti-P; laser irradiation + calcium phosphate deposition on cpTi: Ti-LCP; polished Ti-15Mo alloy: Ti15Mo-P; and laser irradiation + calcium phosphate deposition on Ti-15Mo alloy: Ti15Mo-LCP. Before and after laser irradiation and calcium phosphate deposition on the surfaces, physicochemical and morphological analyses were performed: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDX). The wettability of the samples was evaluated by contact angle measurement. In addition, the behavior of osteoblast-like cells to these surfaces was evaluated for cell morphology, adhesion, proliferation and viability, evaluation of alkaline phosphatase formation and gene expression of osteogenesis markers.

Results

Surfaces wet-abrade with grit paper (P) showed oriented groves, while the laser irradiation and calcium phosphate deposition (LCP) produced porosity on both cpTi and Ti15Mo alloy groups with deposits of hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals (SEM). EDX showed no contamination after surface modification in both metal samples. A complete wetting was observed for both LCP groups, whereas P surfaces exhibited high degree of hydrophobicity. There was a statistical difference in the intragroup comparison of proliferation and viability (p < 0.05). The ALP activity showed higher values in the Ti15Mo alloy at 10 days of culture. The gene expression of bone related molecules did not present significant differences at 7 and 14 days among different metals and surface treatments.

Conclusion

Ti15-Mo seems to be an alternative alloy to cpTi for dental implants. Surface treatment by laser irradiation followed by phosphate deposition seems to positively interact with bone cells.

Clinical relevance

Ti-15Mo alloy surface modified by laser-beam irradiation followed by calcium phosphate deposition may improve and accelerate the osseointegration process of dental implants.
Development and physicochemical characterization of novel porous phosphate glass bone graft substitute and in vitro comparison with xenograft
Authors: Chauhan Niketa , Lakhkar Nilay , Chaudhari Amol
Published: May 2021

The process of bone regeneration in bone grafting procedures is greatly influenced by the physicochemical properties of the bone graft substitute. In this study, porous phosphate glass (PPG) morsels were developed and their physicochemical properties such as degradation, crystallinity, organic content, surface topography, particle size and porosity were evaluated using various analytical methods. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the PPG morsels was assessed and the interaction of the PPG morsels with Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSCs) was studied by measuring cell proliferation and cell penetration depth. The cell-material interactions between PPG morsels and a commercially available xenograft (XG) were compared. The PPG morsels were observed to be amorphous, biocompatible and highly porous (porosity = 58.45%). From in vitro experiments, PPG morsels were observed to be non-cytotoxic and showed better cell proliferation. The internal surface of PPG was easily accessible to the cells compared to XG.