bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Evaluation of Novel Series of Condensed Thiazoloquinazoline with Pyrido, Pyrano, and Benzol Moieties as Five- and Six-Membered Heterocycle Derivatives
Authors: Saleh Ebraheem Abdu Musad , AL Dawsari Abdullah Mohammed , Husain Kakul , Kutty Ismail Hassan , Rai K.M.Lokanatha
Published: January 2021

A novel synthesis of thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazolines 4(a–e), pyrido[2′,3′:4,5]thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazolines {5(a–e), 6(a–e), and 7(a–e)}, pyrano[2′,3′:4,5]thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazolines 8(a–e), and benzo[4,5]thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazoloine9(a–e) derivatives starting from 2-(Bis-methylsulfanyl-methylene)-5,5-dimethyl-cyclohexane-1,3-dione 2 as efficient α,α dioxoketen dithioacetal is reported and the synthetic approaches of these types of compounds will provide an innovative molecular framework to the designing of new active heterocyclic compounds. In our study, we also present optimization of the synthetic method along with a biological evaluation of these newly synthesized compounds as antioxidants and antibacterial agents against the bacterial strains, like S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. Among all the evaluated compounds, it was found that some showed significant antioxidant activity at 10 μg/mL while the others exhibited better antibacterial activity at 100 μg/mL. The results of this study showed that compound 6(c) possessed remarkable antibacterial activity, whereas compound 9(c) exhibited the highest efficacy as an antioxidant. The structures of the new synthetic compounds were elucidated by elemental analysis, IR, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR.
Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase from Trypanosomes: Selectivity for Steroids and Chemical Validation in Bloodstream Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Ortíz Cecilia , Moraca Francesca , Laverriere Marc , Jordan Allan , Hamilton Niall , Comini Marcelo A.
Published: January 2021

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) fulfills an essential role in cell physiology by catalyzing the production of NADPH+ and of a precursor for the de novo synthesis of ribose 5-phosphate. In trypanosomatids, G6PDH is essential for in vitro proliferation, antioxidant defense and, thereby, drug resistance mechanisms. So far, 16α-brominated epiandrosterone represents the most potent hit targeting trypanosomal G6PDH. Here, we extended the investigations on this important drug target and its inhibition by using a small subset of androstane derivatives. In Trypanosoma cruzi, immunofluorescence revealed a cytoplasmic distribution of G6PDH and the absence of signal in major organelles. Cytochemical assays confirmed parasitic G6PDH as the molecular target of epiandrosterone. Structure-activity analysis for a set of new (dehydro)epiandrosterone derivatives revealed that bromination at position 16α of the cyclopentane moiety yielded more potent T. cruzi G6PDH inhibitors than the corresponding β-substituted analogues. For the 16α brominated compounds, the inclusion of an acetoxy group at position 3 either proved detrimental or enhanced the activity of the epiandrosterone or the dehydroepiandrosterone derivatives, respectively. Most derivatives presented single digit μM EC50 against infective T. brucei and the killing mechanism involved an early thiol-redox unbalance. This data suggests that infective African trypanosomes lack efficient NADPH+-synthesizing pathways, beyond the Pentose Phosphate, to maintain thiol-redox homeostasis.
Fluorescent Probes for Selective Recognition of Hypobromous Acid: Achievements and Future Perspectives
Authors: Fang Yuyu , Dehaen Wim
Published: January 2021

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in numerous pathological processes and their homeostasis facilitates the dynamic balance of intracellular redox states. Among ROS, hypobromous acid (HOBr) has a high similarity to hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in both chemical and physical properties, whereas it has received relatively little attention. Meanwhile, selective recognition of endogenous HOBr suffers great challenges due to the fact that the concentration of this molecule is much lower than that of HOCl. Fluorescence-based detection systems have emerged as very important tools to monitor biomolecules in living cells and organisms owing to distinct advantages, particularly the temporal and spatial sampling for in vivo imaging applications. To date, the development of HOBr-specific fluorescent probes is still proceeding quite slowly, and the research related to this area has not been systematically summarized. In this review, we are the first to review the progress made so far in fluorescent probes for selective recognition and detection of HOBr. The molecular structures, sensing mechanisms, and their successful applications of these probes as bioimaging agents are discussed here in detail. Importantly, we hope this review will call for more attention to this rising field, and that this could stimulate new future achievements.
Gemcitabine Peptide-Based Conjugates and Their Application in Targeted Tumor Therapy
Authors: Hawryłkiewicz Aleksandra , Ptaszyńska Natalia
Published: January 2021

A major obstacle in tumor treatment is associated with the poor penetration of a therapeutic agent into the tumor tissue and with their adverse influence on healthy cells, which limits the dose of drug that can be safely administered to cancer patients. Gemcitabine is an anticancer drug used to treat a wide range of solid tumors and is a first-line treatment for pancreatic cancer. The effect of gemcitabine is significantly weakened by its rapid plasma degradation. In addition, the systemic toxicity and drug resistance significantly reduce its chemotherapeutic efficacy. Up to now, many approaches have been made to improve the therapeutic index of gemcitabine. One of the recently developed approaches to improve conventional chemotherapy is based on the direct targeting of chemotherapeutics to cancer cells using the drug-peptide conjugates. In this work, we summarize recently published gemcitabine peptide-based conjugates and their efficacy in anticancer therapy.
Pectin-Lyase-Modified Ginseng Extract and Ginsenoside Rd Inhibits High Glucose-Induced ROS Production in Mesangial Cells and Prevents Renal Dysfunction in db/db Mice
Authors: Jung Eunsoo , Pyo Mi-kyung , Kim Junghyun
Published: January 2021

Diabetes increases the incidence rate of chronic renal disease. Pectin-lyase-modified ginseng (GS-E3D), with enhanced ginsenoside Rd content, has been newly developed. In this study, renal protective roles of GS-E3D in type-2 diabetic db/db mice were investigated. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by high glucose (25 mM) was reduced by ES-E3D (75%) and ginsenoside Rd (60%). Diabetic db/db mice received 100 or 250 mg/kg/day of GS-E3D daily via oral gavage for 6 weeks. Albuminuria and urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OhdG, an oxidative stress marker) levels were increased in db/db mice and the levels recovered after GS-E3D treatment. In renal tissues, TUNEL-positive cells were decreased after GS-E3D treatment, and the increased apoptosis-related protein expressions were restored after GS-E3D treatment. Therefore, GS-E3D has a potent protective role in diabetes-induced renal dysfunction through antioxidative and antiapoptotic activities. These results may help patients to select a dietary supplement for diabetes when experiencing renal dysfunction.
Synthesis of Some New Folic Acid-Based Heterocycles of Anticipated Biological Activity
Authors: Abu Ali Ola A. , Saad Hosam A. , Al Malki Bodor M. A.
Published: January 2021

To date, no fused heterocycles have been formed on folic acid molecules; for this reason, and others, our target is to synthesize new derivatives of folic acid as isolated or fused systems. Folic acid 1 reacted with ethyl pyruvate, triethyl orthoformate, ethyl chloroformate, thioformic acid hydrazide, and aldehydes to give new derivatives of folic acid 2–6a,b. Moreover, It reacted with benzylidene malononitrile, acetylacetone, ninhydrin, ethyl acetoacetate, ethyl cyanoacetate, and ethyl chloroacetate to give the pteridine fused systems 10–15, respectively. Ethoxycarbonylamino derivate 5 reacted with some nucleophiles containing the NH2 group, such as aminoguanidinium hydrocarbonate, hydrazine hydrate, glycine, thioformic acid hydrazide, and sulfa drugs in different conditions to give the urea derivatives 16–20a,b. Compound 4 reacted with the same nucleophiles to give the methylidene amino derivatives 21–24a,b. The fused compound 10 reacted with thioglycolic acid carbon disulfide, malononitrile, and formamide to give the four cyclic fused systems 25–30, respectively. The biological activity of some synthesized showed moderate effect against bacteria, but no effect shown towards fungi.
Identification of DNA Methyltransferase-1 Inhibitor for Breast Cancer Therapy through Computational Fragment-Based Drug Design
Authors: Alkaff Ahmad Husein , Saragih Mutiara , Imana Shabrina Noor , Nasution Mochammad Arfin Fardiansyah , Tambunan Usman Sumo Friend
Published: January 2021

Epimutation by DNA Methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), an epigenetic regulator enzyme, may lead to the proliferation of breast cancer. In this report, 168,686 natural products from the PubChem database were screened and modified by in silico method to acquire the potential inhibitor of DNMT1. The initial screening of PubChem natural products using Lipinski’s and Veber’s rules of three and toxic properties have resulted in 2601 fragment candidates. Four fragments from pharmacophore-based molecular docking simulation were modified by utilizing FragFP and the Lipinski’s and Veber’s rules of five, and resulted in 51,200 ligands. The toxicological screening collected 13,563 ligands for a series of pharmacophore-based molecular docking simulations to sort out the modified ligands, which had the better binding activity and interactions to DNMT1 compared to the standards, SAH, SAM, and SFG. This step resulted in five ligand candidates, namely C-7756, C-5769, C-1723, C-2129, and C-2140. The ADME-Tox properties prediction showed that the selected ligands are generally better than standards in terms of druglikeness, GI absorption, and oral bioavailability. C-7756 exhibited a stronger affinity to DNMT1 as well as better ADME-Tox properties compared to the other ligands.
WO3 Nanowire/Carbon Nanotube Interlayer as a Chemical Adsorption Mediator for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Lee Sang-Kyu , Kim Hun , Bang Sangin , Myung Seung-Taek , Sun Yang-Kook
Published: January 2021

We developed a new nanowire for enhancing the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries. In this study, we synthesized WO3 nanowires (WNWs) via a simple hydrothermal method. WNWs and one-dimensional materials are easily mixed with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to form interlayers. The WNW interacts with lithium polysulfides through a thiosulfate mediator, retaining the lithium polysulfide near the cathode to increase the reaction kinetics. The lithium-sulfur cell achieves a very high initial discharge capacity of 1558 and 656 mAh g−1 at 0.1 and 3 C, respectively. Moreover, a cell with a high sulfur mass loading of 4.2 mg cm−2 still delivers a high capacity of 1136 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.2 C and it showed a capacity of 939 mAh g−1 even after 100 cycles. The WNW/CNT interlayer maintains structural stability even after electrochemical testing. This excellent performance and structural stability are due to the chemical adsorption and catalytic effects of the thiosulfate mediator on WNW.
Correction: Yu, D.Q., et al. Microscopic Characteristic and Chemical Composition Analysis of Three Medicinal Plants and Surface Frosts. Molecules 2019, 24, 4548
Authors: Yu Da Qing , Han Xiao Jing , Shan Ting Yu , Xu Rui , Hu Jin , Cheng Wang Xing , Zha Liang Ping , Peng Hua Sheng
Published: January 2021

The authors would like to correct an error in the title paper [...]
Probing Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential of γ-Secretase in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Wolfe Michael S.
Published: January 2021

The membrane-embedded γ-secretase complex carries out hydrolysis within the lipid bilayer in proteolyzing nearly 150 different membrane protein substrates. Among these substrates, the amyloid precursor protein (APP) has been the most studied, as generation of aggregation-prone amyloid β-protein (Aβ) is a defining feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Mutations in APP and in presenilin, the catalytic component of γ-secretase, cause familial AD, strong evidence for a pathogenic role of Aβ. Substrate-based chemical probes—synthetic peptides and peptidomimetics—have been critical to unraveling the complexity of γ-secretase, and small drug-like inhibitors and modulators of γ-secretase activity have been essential for exploring the potential of the protease as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease. Such chemical probes and therapeutic prototypes will be reviewed here, with concluding commentary on the future directions in the study of this biologically important protease complex and the translation of basic findings into therapeutics.
Brief Overview of Ice Nucleation
Authors: Maeda Nobuo
Published: January 2021

The nucleation of ice is vital in cloud physics and impacts on a broad range of matters from the cryopreservation of food, tissues, organs, and stem cells to the prevention of icing on aircraft wings, bridge cables, wind turbines, and other structures. Ice nucleation thus has broad implications in medicine, food engineering, mineralogy, biology, and other fields. Nowadays, the growing threat of global warming has led to intense research activities on the feasibility of artificially modifying clouds to shift the Earth’s radiation balance. For these reasons, nucleation of ice has been extensively studied over many decades and rightfully so. It is thus not quite possible to cover the whole subject of ice nucleation in a single review. Rather, this feature article provides a brief overview of ice nucleation that focuses on several major outstanding fundamental issues. The author’s wish is to aid early researchers in ice nucleation and those who wish to get into the field of ice nucleation from other disciplines by concisely summarizing the outstanding issues in this important field. Two unresolved challenges stood out from the review, namely the lack of a molecular-level picture of ice nucleation at an interface and the limitations of classical nucleation theory.
A Comprehensive Review of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Accuracy during Exercise Periods
Authors: Muñoz Fabra Elena , Díez José-Luis , Bondia Jorge , Laguna Sanz Alejandro José
Published: January 2021

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) has been a springboard of new diabetes management technologies such as integrated sensor-pump systems, the artificial pancreas, and more recently, smart pens. It also allows patients to make better informed decisions compared to a few measurements per day from a glucometer. However, CGM accuracy is reportedly affected during exercise periods, which can impact the effectiveness of CGM-based treatments. In this review, several studies that used CGM during exercise periods are scrutinized. An extensive literature review of clinical trials including exercise and CGM in type 1 diabetes was conducted. The gathered data were critically analysed, especially the Mean Absolute Relative Difference (MARD), as the main metric of glucose accuracy. Most papers did not provide accuracy metrics that differentiated between exercise and rest (non-exercise) periods, which hindered comparative data analysis. Nevertheless, the statistic results confirmed that CGM during exercise periods is less accurate.
Self-Supervised Point Set Local Descriptors for Point Cloud Registration
Authors: Yuan Yijun , Borrmann Dorit , Hou Jiawei , Ma Yuexin , Nüchter Andreas , Schwertfeger Sören
Published: January 2021

Descriptors play an important role in point cloud registration. The current state-of-the-art resorts to the high regression capability of deep learning. However, recent deep learning-based descriptors require different levels of annotation and selection of patches, which make the model hard to migrate to new scenarios. In this work, we learn local registration descriptors for point clouds in a self-supervised manner. In each iteration of the training, the input of the network is merely one unlabeled point cloud. Thus, the whole training requires no manual annotation and manual selection of patches. In addition, we propose to involve keypoint sampling into the pipeline, which further improves the performance of our model. Our experiments demonstrate the capability of our self-supervised local descriptor to achieve even better performance than the supervised model, while being easier to train and requiring no data labeling.
CMOS Image Sensors in Surveillance System Applications
Authors: Sukhavasi Susrutha Babu , Sukhavasi Suparshya Babu , Elleithy Khaled , Abuzneid Shakour , Elleithy Abdelrahman
Published: January 2021

Recent technology advances in CMOS image sensors (CIS) enable their utilization in the most demanding of surveillance fields, especially visual surveillance and intrusion detection in intelligent surveillance systems, aerial surveillance in war zones, Earth environmental surveillance by satellites in space monitoring, agricultural monitoring using wireless sensor networks and internet of things and driver assistance in automotive fields. This paper presents an overview of CMOS image sensor-based surveillance applications over the last decade by tabulating the design characteristics related to image quality such as resolution, frame rate, dynamic range, signal-to-noise ratio, and also processing technology. Different models of CMOS image sensors used in all applications have been surveyed and tabulated for every year and application.
Elbow Motion Trajectory Prediction Using a Multi-Modal Wearable System: A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Little Kieran , K Pappachan Bobby , Yang Sibo , Noronha Bernardo , Campolo Domenico , Accoto Dino
Published: January 2021

Motion intention detection is fundamental in the implementation of human-machine interfaces applied to assistive robots. In this paper, multiple machine learning techniques have been explored for creating upper limb motion prediction models, which generally depend on three factors: the signals collected from the user (such as kinematic or physiological), the extracted features and the selected algorithm. We explore the use of different features extracted from various signals when used to train multiple algorithms for the prediction of elbow flexion angle trajectories. The accuracy of the prediction was evaluated based on the mean velocity and peak amplitude of the trajectory, which are sufficient to fully define it. Results show that prediction accuracy when using solely physiological signals is low, however, when kinematic signals are included, it is largely improved. This suggests kinematic signals provide a reliable source of information for predicting elbow trajectories. Different models were trained using 10 algorithms. Regularization algorithms performed well in all conditions, whereas neural networks performed better when the most important features are selected. The extensive analysis provided in this study can be consulted to aid in the development of accurate upper limb motion intention detection models.
Flame Image Processing and Classification Using a Pre-Trained VGG16 Model in Combustion Diagnosis
Authors: Omiotek Zbigniew , Kotyra Andrzej
Published: January 2021

Nowadays, despite a negative impact on the natural environment, coal combustion is still a significant energy source. One way to minimize the adverse side effects is sophisticated combustion technologies, such as, e.g., staged combustion, co-combustion with biomass, and oxy-combustion. Maintaining the combustion process at its optimal state, considering the emission of harmful substances, safe operation, and costs requires immediate information about the process. Flame image is a primary source of data which proper processing make keeping the combustion at desired conditions, possible. The paper presents a method combining flame image processing with a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) that ensures high accuracy of identifying undesired combustion states. The method is based on the adaptive selection of the gamma correction coefficient (G) in the flame segmentation process. It uses the empirically determined relationship between the G coefficient and the average intensity of the R image component. The pre-trained VGG16 model for classification was used. It provided accuracy in detecting particular combustion states on the ranging from 82 to 98%. High accuracy and fast processing time make the proposed method possible to apply in the real systems.
Quality Control of PET Bottles Caps with Dedicated Image Calibration and Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Malesa Marcin , Rajkiewicz Piotr
Published: January 2021

Product quality control is currently the leading trend in industrial production. It is heading towards the exact analysis of each product before reaching the end customer. Every stage of production control is of particular importance in the food and pharmaceutical industries, where, apart from visual issues, additional safety regulations are demanded. Many production processes can be controlled completely contactless through the use of machine vision cameras and advanced image processing techniques. The most dynamically growing sector of image analysis methods are solutions based on deep neural networks. Their major advantages are fast performance, robustness, and the fact that they can be exploited even in complicated classification problems. However, the use of machine learning methods on high-performance production lines may be limited by inference time or, in the case of multiformated production lines, training time. The article presents a novel data preprocessing (or calibration) method. It uses prior knowledge about the optical system, which enables the use of the lightweight Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model for product quality control of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle caps. The combination of preprocessing with the lightweight CNN model resulted in at least a five-fold reduction in prediction and training time compared to the lighter standard models tested on ImageNet, without loss of accuracy.
Evaluation of Adaptive Loop-Bandwidth Tracking Techniques in GNSS Receivers
Authors: Cortés Iñigo , van der Merwe Johannes Rossouw , Nurmi Jari , Rügamer Alexander , Felber Wolfgang
Published: January 2021

Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers use tracking loops to lock onto GNSS signals. Fixed loop settings limit the tracking performance against noise, receiver dynamics, and the current scenario. Adaptive tracking loops adjust these settings to achieve optimal performance for a given scenario. This paper evaluates the performance and complexity of state-of-the-art adaptive scalar tracking techniques used in modern digital GNSS receivers. Ideally, a tracking channel should be adjusted to both noisy and dynamic environments for optimal performance, defined by tracking precision and loop robustness. The difference between the average tracking jitter of the discriminator’s output and the square-root Cramér-Rao bound (CRB) indicates the loops’ tracking capability. The ability to maintain lock characterizes the robustness in highly dynamic scenarios. From a system perspective, the average lock indicator is chosen as a metric to measure the performance in terms of precision, whereas the average number of visible satellites being tracked indicates the system’s robustness against dynamics. The average of these metrics’ product at different noise levels leads to a reliable system performance metric. Adaptive tracking techniques, such as the fast adaptive bandwidth (FAB), the fuzzy logic (FL), and the loop-bandwidth control algorithm (LBCA), facilitate a trade-off for optimal performance. These adaptive tracking techniques are implemented in an open software interface GNSS hardware receiver. All three methods steer a third-order adaptive phase locked loop (PLL) and are tested in simulated scenarios emulating static and high-dynamic vehicular conditions. The measured tracking performance, system performance, and time complexity of each algorithm present a detailed analysis of the adaptive techniques. The results show that the LBCA with a piece-wise linear approximation is above the other adaptive loop-bandwidth tracking techniques while preserving the best performance and lowest time complexity. This technique achieves superior static and dynamic system performance being 1.5 times more complex than the traditional tracking loop.
Designing and Implementing a Sustainable Cooperative Learning in Physical Education: A Pre-Service Teachers’ Socialization Issue
Authors: Legrain Pascal , Becerra-Labrador Tania , Lafont Lucile , Escalié Guillaume
Published: January 2021

The socialization of pre-service teachers (PSTs) depends on various actors. Researchers help them to build knowledge about variables that impact teaching models, including cooperative learning (CL). School teachers help them to efficiently implement teaching–learning environments, including CL configurations in real classrooms. However, these two tutors are insufficiently related to the aim of assisting novice physical education (PE) teachers to play a pivotal role in the transition to sustainable CL practices. Insufficient opportunities are provided for helping PE-PSTs to consider instructional precautions coming back on the theoretical foundations and practical barriers to CL implementation. Therefore, our purpose is to examine the conditions in which synergy between research and professional training may be strengthened to prepare PE-PSTs to durably establish CL in school curricula. The threefold aim of this paper is to examine whether PE-PSTs may be: (a) involved in research for opening new avenues in conducting their project under the researcher’s supervision in four main perspectives of CL, (b) trained in CL designs while experiencing instructional approaches and developing competencies to cope with constraints on information sharing, and (c) professionally socialized through the relevant connection between research and applied practice for progressively accessing a realistic and sustainable vision of CL.
Risk Management Maturity Model for Logistic Processes
Authors: Tubis Agnieszka A. , Werbińska-Wojciechowska Sylwia
Published: January 2021

Recently, the maturity models for risk management are attracting growing attention. The obtained maturity level defines an assessment of an organization’s management competence. Therefore, as a set of various tools and practices, the maturity model is critical for a company’s overall risk maintenance strategy development and implementation. Thus, the purpose of this article is to present a model for risk management maturity for logistic processes. We investigated the main defined assessment areas for risk maturity model implementation in logistic systems. Based on research findings, we introduced a new risk maturity assessment area based on participation in the supply chain—cooperation at risk. The proposed model constitutes the base for a two-stage assessment method implementation, where the global maturity index is introduced. Finally, we implement the proposed two-stage assessment method to verify the proposed model’s diagnostic function and determine its labor intensity. The study confirmed that the five defined maturity areas (knowledge, risk assessment, process risk management, cooperation at risk, and risk monitoring) provide a complex diagnostic tool for risk maturity level identification and, based on the obtained results, allows to define an appropriate development strategy for a given decision-making environment.
Potential of On-the-Go Gamma-Ray Spectrometry for Estimation and Management of Soil Potassium Site Specifically
Authors: Kassim Anuar Mohamed , Nawar Said , Mouazen Abdul M.
Published: January 2021

High resolution data on plant available potassium (Ka) is crucial to optimize variable rate potassium fertilizer recommendations, and subsequently improve crop growth and yield. A gamma-ray passive spectrometry sensor was evaluated for on-the-go mapping and management of the spatial distribution of Ka over a 8.4 ha field at Huldenberg, Belgium. During the on-the-go measurement, a 5 s sampling interval was used while driving at 3 km/h speed along 10 m parallel transects. Two calibration models to predict Ka across the field were developed and compared: (1) a simple third order polynomial function (3DPF) was established between the sensor reading of the naturally occurring radioactive isotope of potassium (K-40) and laboratory measured Ka and (2) a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model linking gamma-ray spectra and laboratory measured Ka. Although a relatively small number of samples (45 samples) were used for the development of the PLSR calibration model, the cross-validation analysis resulted in a very good performance with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.85, a residual prediction deviation (RPD) of 2.67, a root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) of 2.29 (mg/100 g) and a ratio of performance to interquartile distance (RPIQ) of 2.61. This was a much better result that that obtained with the 3DPF model (R2 = 0.69). The spatial distribution of Ka developed based on 3DPF and PLSR methods showed great similarity with the corresponding map developed using the data from the laboratory analysis. The calculated variable rate fertilizer recommendation based on gamma-ray data showed marginal differences in the amount of K2O fertilizer applied, compared to the uniform rate fertilization based on the conventional laboratory chemical soil analyses. The on-the-go measurement of Ka using gamma-ray spectrometry shows high potential, although the technology needs to be evaluated in a larger number of fields.
Research on the Evaluation and Influence Mechanism of Public Housing Service Quality: A Case Study of Shanghai
Authors: Wei Cheng Rui , Wang Yu
Published: January 2021

Government provision of public housing services eases the disorderly spread of urban space, avoids the social risks caused by high density, and maintains a safe social life. The role of public housing services in realizing urban sustainable development has become increasingly prominent, yet the provision of adequate public housing of a decent quality in a desirable location is a major challenge. Therefore, this study proposes a holistic conceptual model of public housing service quality (PHSQ) and establishes corresponding evaluation indicators to objectively evaluate the current status of housing services. The results show that the overall PHSQ is low- to medium-quality; the city center has become a high-quality gathering area, and the suburbs are generally low-quality. The spatial pattern shows that a single high-quality center coexists with multiple low-quality centers, forming an approximate M-shaped distribution pattern. The geodetector results show that foundation supporting capacity, government control capacity, resource agglomeration capacity, market driving capacity, and social promotion capacity significantly affect the PHSQ. The influence produced by the interaction between different factors shows an enhanced relationship, especially between public discourse expression and other factors, implying the need to remove the overemphasis on “supply-side reform” and focus on the effectiveness of demand-side factors.
Landscape Characteristics Based on Effectiveness of Wildlife Crossing Structures in South Korea
Authors: Seo Hyunjin , Choi Chulhyun , Lee Kyeongjun , Woo Donggul
Published: January 2021

Roads are notable and responsible for the loss of biodiversity and disruption of wildlife habitats connectivity. Wildlife crossing structures (WCS) help wildlife move between habitats by connecting fragmented habitats. Their effectiveness is affected by various factors. Here, to identify methods for improving the effectiveness of wildlife crossing structures, we controlled the effect of intrinsic factors, such as size, that are difficult to improve in an already installed area, and then, evaluated the differences in extrinsic factors using 12 landscape characteristics. Our results show that 18 wildlife crossing structures were selected with propensity-score (PS) matching method. The surrounding landscape characteristics differed between high-effectiveness wildlife crossing structures and low-effectiveness wildlife crossing structures. Particularly, there was a significant difference between the ‘statutory protected area’ and the ‘edge’ index of the morphological spatial pattern analysis among the landscape characteristic variables derived within 1 km2 of wildlife crossing structures. We empirically demonstrate that characteristics around highly effective WCS, statutory protected areas are widely distributed, and the ratio of edge of MSPA is low (within 1 km2). Therefore, an important outcome of our research is the demonstration that management of WCS itself is important, but conservation of surrounding habitats and landscape management plans are also significant.
The Integration of Conventional Equity Indices with Environmental, Social, and Governance Indices: Evidence from Emerging Economies
Authors: Rehman Ramiz ur , Abidin Muhammad Zain ul , Ali Rizwan , Nor Safwan Mohd , Naseem Muhammad Akram , Hasan Mudassar , Ahmad Muhammad Ishfaq
Published: January 2021

This study investigates the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) equity indices with conventional indices in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) individually and across all BRICS countries to better understand regional economic cooperation. Accordingly, we look at daily returns from 13 July 2013 to 28 February 2018 for the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) ESG indices and MSCI composite indices of the respective countries. To analyze the integration between the ESG equity indices of the sampled countries with their regional and across regional conventional counterparts, the Johansen Co-integration test is employed in this study. Further, the vector error correction model (VECM) is applied to test the causality between the sampled time-series. The impulse response function analysis further explains the impulse responses of each country’s MSCI ESG returns to one standard deviation of innovations to MSCI composite returns of the same country and across countries. Finally, the extent of the MSCI composite returns’ impact on the MSCI ESG returns in the same country indices, and cross-regional indices is examined with variance decomposition analysis. The results suggest that all ESG equity indices are integrated with conventional indices in all BRICS countries. Furthermore, there is a short-or long-run causality between MSCI ESG and MSCI composite equity indices of China and South Africa. Moreover, the study finds only short-run causality between conventional and non-conventional equity indices of Brazil and Russia, whereas we find only long-run causality between India’s non-conventional and conventional equity indices. Finally, the study finds that the all-individual country MSCI ESG equity indices shows a long-run causality with MSCI composite equity indices of all other BRICS countries. The findings also confirm the economic and financial cooperation between the BRICS countries.
A Field Investigation on Adaptive Thermal Comfort in an Urban Environment Considering Individuals’ Psychological and Physiological Behaviors in a Cold-Winter of Wuhan
Authors: Makvandi Mehdi , Zhou Xilin , Li Chuancheng , Deng Qinli
Published: January 2021

To date, studies of outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) have focused primarily on physical factors, tending to overlook the relevance of individual adaptation to microclimate parameters through psychological and physiological behaviors. These adaptations can significantly affect the use of urban and outdoor spaces. The study presented here investigated these issues, with a view to aiding sustainable urban development. Measurements of OTC were taken at a university campus and in urban spaces. Simultaneously, a large-scale survey of thermal adaptability was conducted. Two groups were selected for investigation in a cold-winter-and-hot-summer (CWHS) region; respondents came from humid subtropical (Cfa) and hot desert (BWh) climates, according to the Köppen Climate Classification (KCC). Results showed that: (1) neutral physiological equivalent temperature (NPET) and preferred PET for people from the Cfa (PCfa) and BWh (PBWh) groups could be obtained with KCC; (2) PCfa adaptability behaviors were, subjectively, more adjustable than PBWh; (3) Clothing affected neutral temperature (NT), where NT reduced by approximately 0.5 °C when clothing insulation rose 0.1 Clo; and (4) Gender barely affected thermal acceptance vote (TAV) or thermal comfort vote (TCV) and there was a substantial relationship between thermal sensation, NT, and PET. These findings suggest ‘feels like’ temperature and comfort may be adjusted via relationships between microclimate parameters.
The Impact of Carsharing on Transport in the City. Case Study of Tri-City in Poland
Authors: Neumann Tomasz
Published: January 2021

The work on the impact of innovative solutions in urban transport on the inhabitants’ quality of life was discussed. This paper presents the characteristics of the use of shared vehicles in the agglomeration, based on the example of the Tri-City. An analysis of vehicles’ use in given periods of time was performed, indicating the growing interest in using this type of transport in the city. The work was divided into four chapters. The first part concerns the history of travel and urban development. The second discusses all currently available communication solutions in cities. The third chapter contains the research part. It focuses on presenting changes in vehicle availability over a more extended period. The fourth chapter describes the functioning of cars “for minutes” and the operation and use of dedicated mobile applications. The work ended with a summary of theoretical and cognitive content. A significant contribution is a brief analysis of the shared car market in the Tri-City. The available options are characterized. Also, the degree of use has been analyzed. The study concluded with theses about the further rapid development of this industry in northern Poland.
Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Indicators and Comparisons of Countries through a Hybrid Model of Data Mining and MCDM Methods
Authors: Ozkaya Gokhan , Timor Mehpare , Erdin Ceren
Published: January 2021

Science, technology and innovation (STI) policies are of great importance for countries to reach their sustainable development goals. Numerous global databases have many indicators that measure and compare the performance of STI policies of countries. However, many problems arise regarding how to identify, classify and systematically analyze these indicators in order to measure, monitor and improve the performance of STI. The study includes a literature review on global problems and new trends in STI policies, while mentioning the necessity of an internationally comparable STI indicator set, current STI indicator studies and efforts, and studies for each continent. In light of these, all the indicators selected are introduced in detail. The strengths and weaknesses of the countries in the study in terms of evaluation indicator values are indicated. After determining the indicator weights objectively with the entropy method, 40 countries are compared with TOPSIS, VIKOR, PROMETHEE I-II, ARAS, COPRAS, MULTIMOORA, ELECTRE, SAW and MAUT methods. In addition, countries that show similarities with each other are evaluated by cluster analysis, which is one of the data mining classification methods. This study offers a new and original approach with MCDM methods on this subject. Considering all the results obtained in the study together, these rankings are compared among themselves and with the rankings specified in the Global Innovation (2019) and Global Competitiveness (2019) indices, and it is seen that the results are consistent. In addition, it is possible to update and publish this study every year with updated data.
Markedly Different Decomposition Temperature and Products of Biomass Pyrolysis at Low Temperature—Differentiation of Acids in Their Effects on Pretreatment
Authors: Yan Peifang , Liu Xiumei , Xu Zhanwei , Zhang Zongchao Conrad
Published: January 2021

Pine as a softwood and poplar as a hardwood pretreated with hydrochloric acid (HCl), phosphoric acid (H3PO4), and hypophosphorous acid (H3PO2) are studied for the pyrolytic properties and products in thermogravimetry (TG) and fixed bed reactor. The pyrolysis performances are pronouncedly distinguished due to the compositional and structural changes induced by the acid pretreatments. Reduction in the mineral content in the biomass feedstocks by pretreatment with the acids results in significant changes in the pyrolytic products. The residual P in the H3PO2-pretreated biomass apparently catalyzed the biomass deeper dehydration in pyrolysis compared to the other two mineral acids. TG analysis shows a shift of the temperature of maximum mass loss (Tmax) by more than 40 °C to lower temperature in the decomposition of the H3PO2-pretreated biomass from that of the untreated and the HCl- and H3PO4-pretreated biomass. Inspired by the striking differences in TG profiles of biomass pretreated by the three acids, thermal pyrolysis of pretreated biomass was carried out in a fixed bed reactor aimed at producing biochemicals at low temperatures (330 °C and 400 °C). The liquid products obtained from the fixed bed reactor show remarkably different major anhydrosugars as a result of pretreatment by the three acids. While phenolics dominate in the collected pyrolysis liquid from untreated biomass samples, biomass pretreated with all three acids results in substantially reduced phenolics in the bio-oils. The reduction in phenolic compounds in the bio-oil may be attributed to the reduction in mineral content in the feedstock. Consequently, the yields of anhydrosugars, mainly levoglucosan (LG) and levoglucosenone (LGO) are increased. LG yields of 20.9–28.5% from the cellulose content are obtained from HCl- and H3PO4-pretreated pine/poplar, with very low LGO yield (less than 1.7%). However, H3PO2-pretreated biomass is selective to produce LGO, especially at 330 °C. LGO yields of 7.4% and 6.7% are obtained from H3PO2-pretreated pine and poplar, respectively.
Tinea Capitis Caused by Microsporum audouninii: A Report of Two Cases from Côte D’Ivoire, West Africa
Authors: Yotsu Rie Roselyne , Kouadio Kouamé , Yao Aubin , Vagamon Bamba , Takenaka Motoi , Murota Hiroyuki , Makimura Koichi , Nishimoto Katsutaro
Published: January 2021

We report here two cases of tinea capitis caused by Microsporum (M.) audouinii in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. The patients were a three-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl who presented with scaly patches on the scalp. The causative fungus was isolated using an adhesive tape-sampling method and cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar plates. It was identified as M. audouinii both by its macroscopic and microscopic features, confirmed by DNA sequencing. These are the first documented cases of M. audouinii infections confirmed with DNA sequencing to be reported from Côte d’Ivoire. The practicality of the tape-sampling method makes it possible to carry out epidemiological surveys evaluating the distribution of these dermatophytic infections in remote, resource-limited settings.
Identification of a New HIV-1 BC Intersubtype Circulating Recombinant Form (CRF108_BC) in Spain
Authors: Cañada Javier E. , Delgado Elena , Gil Horacio , Sánchez Mónica , Benito Sonia , García-Bodas Elena , Gómez-González Carmen , Canut-Blasco Andrés , Portu-Zapirain Joseba , Sáez de Adana Ester , De la Peña Mireia , Ibarra Sofía , Cilla Gustavo , Iribarren José Antonio , Martínez-Sapiña Ana , Thomson Michael M.
Published: January 2021

The extraordinary genetic variability of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) group M has led to the identification of 10 subtypes, 102 circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) and numerous unique recombinant forms. Among CRFs, 11 derived from subtypes B and C have been identified in China, Brazil, and Italy. Here we identify a new HIV-1 CRF_BC in Northern Spain. Originally, a phylogenetic cluster of 15 viruses of subtype C in protease-reverse transcriptase was identified in an HIV-1 molecular surveillance study in Spain, most of them from individuals from the Basque Country and heterosexually transmitted. Analyses of near full-length genome sequences from six viruses from three cities revealed that they were BC recombinant with coincident mosaic structures different from known CRFs. This allowed the definition of a new HIV-1 CRF designated CRF108_BC, whose genome is predominantly of subtype C, with four short subtype B fragments. Phylogenetic analyses with database sequences supported a Brazilian ancestry of the parental subtype C strain. Coalescent Bayesian analyses estimated the most recent common ancestor of CRF108_BC in the city of Vitoria, Basque Country, around 2000. CRF108_BC is the first CRF_BC identified in Spain and the second in Europe, after CRF60_BC, both phylogenetically related to Brazilian subtype C strains.
Alive by Meeting: A Solution to the Paradox of Meetings Based
on the Pyramid of New Collaboration
Authors: Bettoni Marco , Obeng Eddie
Published: January 2021

Meetings are the activity at the centre of every
organisation; they are critical. But there is a problem: most people
hate them. How can we solve this so‑called “paradox of meetings”?
How can we avoid death by meeting? By reviewing meeting theories
which help to better understand meetings, we have found support for
the view that bad meetings today are primarily the consequence of
unsuitable knowledge sharing and collaboration. Based on this and by
applying our new understanding of collaboration as New
Collaboration, we propose to look at meetings by focusing on
collaborative problem‑solving and to perceive collaboration in such
problem‑solving meetings as New Collaboration. But how do we have to
interact in order to implement New Collaboration in meetings? This
is where our Pyramid of New Collaboration comes in as a detailed
description of the collaboration process. Our paper will first
review related literature dealing with leadership, meeting theories,
knowledge sharing and collaboration. Then, we will explain in detail
our concept of collaboration, the process of collaboration and the
Pyramid of New Collaboration with its seven layers. Finally, we will
discuss the application of the Pyramid to the solution of the
paradox of meetings and propose the concept of a New Collaboration
Meeting.