bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isolation and Characterization of Nocardiae Associated with Foaming Coastal Marine Waters
Authors: Wright Luke , Katouli Mohammad , Kurtböke D. İpek
Published: May 2021

Nocardiosis is an infectious disease caused by Nocardia species that occurs worldwide, albeit more prevalently in tropical/subtropical regions. It can appear as either acute, subacute or as a chronic infection mostly with those with a compromised/weakened immune system. Inhalation of spores and or mycelium fragments is the main transmission route for developing pulmonary nocardiosis. In contrast, cutaneous nocardiosis usually occurs via direct contact. In the subtropical region of the Sunshine Coast in Australia foaming events with thick and persistent and orange-brown color foam have been observed during summer seasons in the near shore marine environments. This study reports the existence of nocardiae in these near shore marine environments by the use of a novel isolation method which used the gas requirements of nocardiae as a selective battery. A total of 32 nocardiae were isolated with the use of this novel method and subsequently conducted molecular identification methods confirmed that the isolates belonged to the genus Nocardia. Twenty-one isolates out of the 32 were closely related to N. nova strains MGA115 and one was related to CBU 09/875, in addition when compared with human pathogenic nocardiae twenty of the isolates were found to be related to N. nova strain JCM 6044. Isolates displayed varied resistance against some of the antibiotics tested when interpretation threshold recommended the Comite de L’Antibiogramme de la Societe Francaise de Microbiologie were used. The highest level of resistance against cefotaxime (n = 27) and ceftriaxone (n = 24). Some of the isolates (n = 6) that displayed resistance to selected antibiotics also possessed potential human pathogenic characteristics such as adherence and translocation through human long epithelial cells as well as displaying phage resistance (n = 26). They might thus present a potential public health risk if frequently encountered through exposure to aerosols generated by the foam as well as direct contact through a wound. Preventative measures to control the growth of nocardiae in such environments such as the control of pollutants, might prevent potential infections that might be caused by these bacteria in humans as well as in marine animals.
Cytokine Level Changes in Schizophrenia Patients with and without Metabolic Syndrome Treated with Atypical Antipsychotics
Authors: Boiko Anastasiia S. , Mednova Irina A. , Kornetova Elena G. , Gerasimova Valeria I. , Kornetov Alexander N. , Loonen Anton J. M. , Bokhan Nikolay A. , Ivanova Svetlana A.
Published: May 2021

The present study aims at comparing the change in cytokine levels in schizophrenia patients treated with atypical antipsychotics, with or without metabolic syndrome (MetS). The study included 101 patients with schizophrenia, 38 with and 63 without MetS, who received risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine or aripiprazole for six weeks. We analyzed the concentration of 21 cytokines in the serum patients. The treatment with atypical antipsychotics changed some proinflammatory cytokine levels. It led to increased IFN-α2 (p = 0.010), IL-1α (p = 0.024) and IL-7 (p = 0.017) levels in patients with MetS, whereas the same treatment led to decreased levels of IFN-γ (p = 0.011), IL-1β (p = 0.035), IL-12р40 (p = 0.011), IL-17A (p = 0.031), IL-6 (p = 0.043) and TNF-α (p = 0.012) in individuals without MetS. Our results demonstrated the effects of atypical antipsychotics on the immune–inflammatory parameters, depending on the metabolic disturbances in schizophrenia patients.
Safety and Therapeutic Efficacy of Thymoquinone-Loaded Liposomes against Drug-Sensitive and Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Allemailem Khaled S. , Alnuqaydan Abdullah M. , Almatroudi Ahmad , Alrumaihi Faris , Aljaghwani Aseel , Khalilullah Habibullah , Younus Hina , Khan Arif , Khan Masood A.
Published: May 2021

In the present study, we investigated the activity of free thymoquinone (TQ) or liposomal thymoquinone (Lip-TQ) in comparison to standard antibiotic amoxicillin (AMX) against the drug-sensitive and drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. A liposomal formulation of TQ was prepared and characterized and its toxicity was evaluated by analyzing the hematological, liver and kidney function parameters. TQ was effective against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant A. baumannii as shown by the findings of drug susceptibility testing and time kill kinetics. Moreover, the therapeutic efficacy of TQ or Lip-TQ against A. baumannii was assessed by the survival rate and the bacterial load in the lung tissues of treated mice. The mice infected with drug-sensitive A. baumannii exhibited a 90% survival rate on day 30 post treatment with Lip-TQ at a dose of 10 mg/kg, whereas the mice treated with AMX (10 mg/kg) had a 100% survival rate. On the other hand, the mice infected with drug-resistant A. baumannii had a 70% survival rate in the group treated with Lip-TQ, whereas AMX was ineffective against drug-resistant A. baumannii and all the mice died within day 30 after the treatment. Moreover, Lip-TQ treatment effectively reduced the bacterial load in the lung tissues of the mice infected with the drug-sensitive and drug-resistant A. baumannii. Moreover, the blood of the mice treated with Lip-TQ had reduced levels of inflammation markers, leukocytes and neutrophils. The results of the present study suggest that Lip-TQ may prove to be an effective therapeutic formulation in the treatment of the drug-sensitive or drug-resistant A. baumannii infection as well.
Lipid-Based Nanocarriers as Topical Drug Delivery Systems for Intraocular Diseases
Authors: Navarro-Partida Jose , Castro-Castaneda Carlos Rodrigo , Santa Cruz-Pavlovich Francisco J. , Aceves-Franco Luis Abraham , Guy Tomer Ori , Santos Arturo
Published: May 2021

Effective drug delivery to intraocular tissues remains a great challenge due to complex anatomical and physiological barriers that selectively limit the entry of drugs into the eye. To overcome these challenges, frequent topical application and regular intravitreal injections are currently used to achieve the desired drug concentrations into the eye. However, the repetitive installation or recurrent injections may result in several side effects. Recent advancements in the field of nanoparticle-based drug delivery have demonstrated promising results for topical ophthalmic nanotherapies in the treatment of intraocular diseases. Studies have revealed that nanocarriers enhance the intraocular half-life and bioavailability of several therapies including proteins, peptides and genetic material. Amongst the array of nanoparticles available nowadays, lipid-based nanosystems have shown an increased efficiency and feasibility in topical formulations, making them an important target for constant and thorough research in both preclinical and clinical practice. In this review, we will cover the promising lipid-based nanocarriers used in topical ophthalmic formulations for intraocular drug delivery.
Enhanced Transdermal Delivery of Bisoprolol Hemifumarate via Combined Effect of Iontophoresis and Chemical Enhancers: Ex Vivo Permeation/In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Studies
Authors: Teaima Mahmoud H. , Mohamed Mohamed Azmi Ahmed , Abd El Rehem Randa Tag , Tayel Saadia A. , El-Nabarawi Mohamed A. , Fouad Shahinaze A.
Published: May 2021

Bisoprolol hemifumarate (BH) is an antihypertensive drug that is used as first-line treatment for chronic hypertension and angina pectoris. Our study was performed to enhance the transdermal delivery of BH, a hydrophilic drug active with high molecular weight, through differently prepared hydrogels. The synergistic effect of permeation enhancers and iontophoresis was investigated via both ex vivo and in vivo permeation studies. Ex vivo iontophoretic permeation studies were performed by using male albino Wistar rat skin. Cellosolve® hydrogel (F7) showed a 1.5-fold increase in Q180, Jss, and FER compared to F5 (lacking permeation enhancer). BH pharmacokinetic data were studied in human volunteers, following transdermal delivery of F7, using Phoresor® Unit II iontophoresis device, compared to conventional oral tablets. F7 showed 1.9- and 2-fold higher values of Cmax and AUC0–40, respectively compared to Concor® tablets, as well as a smaller Tmax (2.00 ± 2.00 h). The relative bioavailability of F7 was found to be 201.44%, relative to Concor® tablets, demonstrating the significantly enhanced transdermal permeation of BH from the selected hydrogel by iontophoresis, in human volunteers. Finally, results showed the successful utility of permeation enhancers combined with iontophoresis in significantly enhanced transdermal permeation of BH, despite its large molecular weight and hydrophilic nature. Therefore, this strategy could be employed as a successful alternative route of administration to conventional oral tablets.
Efficient Carrier Recombination in InGaN Pyramidal µ-LEDs Obtained through Selective Area Growth
Authors: Jiang Jie’an , Xu Houqiang , Chen Li , Yan Long , Hoo Jason , Guo Shiping , Zeng Yuheng , Guo Wei , Ye Jichun
Published: May 2021

Pyramid-shaped InGaN/GaN micro-light-emitting diodes (μ-LEDs) were grown on a sapphire substrate using the selective area growth technique. A stable emission wavelength of a single μ-LED pyramid at 412 nm was observed under an injection current from 0.05 to 20 mA, despite the non-uniformity of the thickness and composition of the multiple quantum wells (MQWs) on the sidewall. An efficient carrier confinement and, thus, a high luminescence intensity were demonstrated in the middle of the sidewall through spatial-resolved cathodoluminescence (CL) characterization and were predicted by theoretical simulations. An ultra-high output power density of 1.37 kW/cm2 was obtained from the single μ-LED pyramid, illustrating its great potential for application in high-brightness micro-displays and in virtual reality and augmented reality (VR and AR) applications.
Overexpression of Cassava MeAnn2 Enhances the Salt and IAA Tolerance of Transgenic Arabidopsis
Authors: Lin Xuejun , Li Ruimei , Zhou Yangjiao , Tang Fenlian , Wang Yajie , Lu Xiaohua , Wang Shijia , Yao Yuan , Liu Jiao , Hu Xinwen , Guo Jianchun
Published: May 2021

Annexins are a superfamily of soluble calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding proteins that have considerable regulatory effects in plants, especially in response to adversity and stress. The Arabidopsis thaliana AtAnn1 gene has been reported to play a significant role in various abiotic stress responses. In our study, the cDNA of an annexin gene highly similar to AtAnn1 was isolated from the cassava genome and named MeAnn2. It contains domains specific to annexins, including four annexin repeat sequences (I–IV), a Ca2+-binding sequence, Ca2+-independent membrane-binding-related tryptophan residues, and a salt bridge-related domain. MeAnn2 is localized in the cell membrane and cytoplasm, and it was found to be preferentially expressed in the storage roots of cassava. The overexpression of MeAnn2 reduced the sensitivity of transgenic Arabidopsis to various Ca2+, NaCl, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) concentrations. The expression of the stress resistance-related gene AtRD29B and auxin signaling pathway-related genes AtIAA4 and AtLBD18 in transgenic Arabidopsis was significantly increased under salt stress, while the Malondialdehyde (MDA) content was significantly lower than that of the control. These results indicate that the MeAnn2 gene may increase the salt tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis via the IAA signaling pathway.
Differential Methylation Patterns in Apomictic vs. Sexual Genotypes of the Diplosporous Grass Eragrostis curvula
Authors: Carballo Jose , Zappacosta Diego , Marconi Gianpiero , Gallardo Jimena , Di Marsico Marco , Gallo Cristian A. , Caccamo Mario , Albertini Emidio , Echenique Viviana
Published: May 2021

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism by which a methyl group is added to a cytosine or an adenine. When located in a gene/regulatory sequence it may repress or de-repress genes, depending on the context and species. Eragrostis curvula is an apomictic grass in which facultative genotypes increases the frequency of sexual pistils triggered by epigenetic mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to look for correlations between the reproductive mode and specific methylated genes or genomic regions. To do so, plants with contrasting reproductive modes were investigated through MCSeEd (Methylation Context Sensitive Enzyme ddRad) showing higher levels of DNA methylation in apomictic genotypes. Moreover, an increased proportion of differentially methylated positions over the regulatory regions were observed, suggesting its possible role in regulation of gene expression. Interestingly, the methylation pathway was also found to be self-regulated since two of the main genes (ROS1 and ROS4), involved in de-methylation, were found differentially methylated between genotypes with different reproductive behavior. Moreover, this work allowed us to detect several genes regulated by methylation that were previously found as differentially expressed in the comparisons between apomictic and sexual genotypes, linking DNA methylation to differences in reproductive mode.
Exogenous Potassium (K+) Positively Regulates Na+/H+ Antiport System, Carbohydrate Metabolism, and Ascorbate–Glutathione Cycle in H2S-Dependent Manner in NaCl-Stressed Tomato Seedling Roots
Authors: Khan M. Nasir , Mukherjee Soumya , Al-Huqail Asma A. , Basahi Riyadh A. , Ali Hayssam M. , Al-Munqedhi Bander M. A. , Siddiqui Manzer H. , Kalaji Hazem M.
Published: May 2021

Potassium (K+) is one of the vital macronutrients required by plants for proper growth and blossoming harvest. In addition, K+ also plays a decisive role in promoting tolerance to various stresses. Under stressful conditions, plants deploy their defense system through various signaling molecules, including hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The present investigation was carried out to unravel the role of K+ and H2S in plants under NaCl stress. The results of the study show that NaCl stress caused a reduction in K+ and an increase in Na+ content in the tomato seedling roots which coincided with a lower H+-ATPase activity and K+/Na+ ratio. However, application of 5 mM K+, in association with endogenous H2S, positively regulated the Na+/H+ antiport system that accelerated K+ influx and Na+ efflux, resulting in the maintenance of a higher K+/Na+ ratio. The role of K+ and H2S in the regulation of the Na+/H+ antiport system was validated by applying sodium orthovanadate (plasma membrane H+-ATPase inhibitor), tetraethylammonium chloride (K+ channel blocker), amiloride (Na+/H+ antiporter inhibitor), and hypotaurine (HT, H2S scavenger). Application of 5 mM K+ positively regulated the ascorbate–glutathione cycle and activity of antioxidant enzymes that resulted in a reduction in reactive oxygen species generation and associated damage. Under NaCl stress, K+ also activated carbohydrate metabolism and proline accumulation that caused improvement in osmotic tolerance and enhanced the hydration level of the stressed seedlings. However, inclusion of the H2S scavenger HT reversed the effect of K+, suggesting H2S-dependent functioning of K+ under NaCl stress. Therefore, the present findings report that K+, in association with H2S, alleviates NaCl-induced impairments by regulating the Na+/H+ antiport system, carbohydrate metabolism, and antioxidative defense system.
Thermoelectric Generator Using Polyaniline-Coated Sb2Se3/β-Cu2Se Flexible Thermoelectric Films
Authors: Kim Minsu , Park Dabin , Kim Jooheon
Published: May 2021

Herein, Sb2Se3 and β-Cu2Se nanowires are synthesized via hydrothermal reaction and water evaporation-induced self-assembly methods, respectively. The successful syntheses and morphologies of the Sb2Se3 and β-Cu2Se nanowires are confirmed via X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and field emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM). Sb2Se3 materials have low electrical conductivity which limits application to the thermoelectric generator. To improve the electrical conductivity of the Sb2Se3 and β-Cu2Se nanowires, polyaniline (PANI) is coated onto the surface and confirmed via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), FE-TEM, and XPS analysis. After coating PANI, the electrical conductivities of Sb2Se3/β-Cu2Se/PANI composites were increased. The thermoelectric performance of the flexible Sb2Se3/β-Cu2Se/PANI films is then measured, and the 70%-Sb2Se3/30%-β-Cu2Se/PANI film is shown to provide the highest power factor of 181.61 μW/m·K2 at 473 K. In addition, a thermoelectric generator consisting of five legs of the 70%-Sb2Se3/30%-β-Cu2Se/PANI film is constructed and shown to provide an open-circuit voltage of 7.9 mV and an output power of 80.1 nW at ΔT = 30 K. This study demonstrates that the combination of inorganic thermoelectric materials and flexible polymers can generate power in wearable or portable devices.
Special Issue “Production of Biofuels and Numerical Modelling of Chemical Combustion Systems”
Authors: Torres-García Miguel , Álvarez-Mateos Paloma , García-Martín Juan Francisco
Published: May 2021

Biofuels have recently attracted a lot of attention, mainly as alternative fuels for applications in energy generation and transportation [...]
Quality Assessment of Insamyangpye Decoction by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry Multiple Reaction Monitoring
Authors: Seo Chang-Seob , Lee Mee-Young
Published: May 2021

Insamyangpye decoction (ISYPD) is an oriental herbal prescription used in Korea to treat lung-related diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ISYPD is a complex prescription consisting of 13 herbal medicines, and ISYPD sample was obtained by adding 50 L of distilled water to a mixture (5 kg) of 13 herbal medicines, extracting at 100 °C for 2 h using an electric extractor, and freeze-drying. In this study, an accurate and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method based on multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was developed and verified for quality assessment of ISYPD using 10 marker components: mulberroside A (1), amygdalin (2), liquiritin apioside (3), naringin (4), poncirin (5), platycodin D (6), ginsenoside Rb1 (7), glycyrrhizin (8), saikosaponin A (9), and schizandrin (10). These marker compounds were separated using an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 mm × 50 mm, 1.7 μm) maintained at 30 °C with a mobile phase elution gradient of acetonitrile in distilled water, both containing 0.1% (v/v) trifluoroacetic acid. Marker components were quantified using the LC–MS/MS MRM method developed and validated, and found at 0.09–7.47 mg/g.
Optimization and Development of the Model for Monitoring the Deformations on the Airport Runways
Authors: Kovačič Boštjan , Doler Damjan , Topolšek Darja
Published: May 2021

The demand for safety and to provide safety are increasing, parallel with the growth of the need for mobility, transport and logistics. A big part of the demands and recommendations to provide safety in air traffic is related to the safety at and in the surroundings of the runways. The research focused on exploring the airport infrastructure; mainly with the aim of detecting and monitoring the deformations (cracks, displacements, etc.) of the runways which are causally connected with unusual landings or taking offs, with trips from the runways and with loss of control over the aircraft during the landings, taking offs and while moving the runways or taxiways, etc., and researching their effect on providing safety and the efficiency of the airports’ function. The research was executed at the Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport in three phases; the first two were meant for geodetic measurements to determine vertical deformations and the third for supplementary measurements to determine static load capacity. The result of the research is an innovative model for the continuous monitoring of the deformations on the runways. The suggested model enables determination and display of the areas of the vertical deviations which are impossible to detect with a visual check-up, joining the supplementary methods and assessing the condition of the runway based on executed measurements.
Measurement Problem in Quantum Mechanics and the Surjection Hypothesis
Authors: Bopp Fritz W.
Published: May 2021

Starting with unitary quantum dynamics, we investigate how to add quantum measurements. Quantum measurements have four essential components: the furcation, the witness production, an alignment projection, and the actual choice decision. The first two components still lie in the domain of unitary quantum dynamics. The decoherence concept explains the third contribution. It can be based on the requirement that witnesses reaching the end of time on the wave function side and the conjugate one have to be identical. In this way, it also stays within the quantum dynamics domain. The surjection hypothesis explains the actual choice decision. It is based on a two boundary interpretation applied to the complete quantum universe. It offers a simple way to reduce these seemingly random projections to purely deterministic unitary quantum dynamics, eliminating the measurement problem.
Rites of Initiation in the Early Irish Church: The Evidence of the High Crosses
Authors: Henvey Megan
Published: May 2021

Rites of Initiation in early medieval Ireland have been studied only with reference to contemporary texts; recourse to other sources, most notably the substantial corpus of extant high crosses, has not been made. Here it will be demonstrated that the iconography and programmatic arrangement of the depictions of Noah’s Ark, the Baptism of Christ, and the Three Hebrews in the Fiery Furnace can significantly advance theological and liturgical understanding of the early medieval rites of baptism and ordination in this region, indicating the central role of these biblical events and their associated literatures in these contexts. It will be further suggested that this relationship between text, image, and ritual points to the role of the high crosses in facilitating the liturgical rites of the early medieval Irish Church.
Dōgen and the Linguistics of Reality
Authors: Raud Rein
Published: May 2021

The goal of this article is to show how Dōgen’s views of language, perhaps the most “mystical” part of his thought at first glance, can be interpreted in a framework that is wholly rational in the broader sense of the word. Dōgen belongs to a pansemioticist tradition and indeed maintains that being is tantamount to signification, but unlike previous pansemioticists, such as Kūkai, he does not posit a signifying subjective Other to whom the “message” of reality can be attributed. In Dōgen’s view, the meaningfulness of an event is a concomitant characteristic of its very reality, because the availability of reality for us to experience is already a linguistic phenomenon. The article argues that this is not a mystical thesis, but a view that can also be articulated in a more familiar and fully rational idiom, and that it bears similarities with many different Western thinkers and theorists, such as Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Gadamer, Peirce, Jakobson, and others.
Educational Leadership in Times of Crisis
Authors: Mazurkiewicz Grzegorz
Published: May 2021

The chain of crises experienced during the first two decades of the 21st century has changed life on Earth and concluded in a list of incredibly difficult challenges. It has become obvious that our traditional ways of acting do not work anymore. We need to search for new ideas and approaches. We want to believe in the potential of education. It manifests itself in different ways in beliefs, declarations, and actions. The work of education systems and institutions is a huge investment of commitment, time, and money. Governments, experts, workers, and service users have high hopes and enormous resources to keep education functioning. Everyone involved in designing solutions and carrying out tasks must understand how to respond to the global context and the challenges that humanity must deal with in order to survive. The environment and problems of public health, diversity and inequalities, technologies and social media, and the crisis of democracy affect the social reality and the world of education today. To be able to respond, both to challenges and to expectations, the human approach to leadership has to be transformed. The main problem for reformers is to define leadership again, using new assumptions and new intellectual tools. The research question worth asking is: what kind of educational leadership is needed? In this article, I propose a paradigm shift in thinking about educational leadership and a departure from the dominant classical paradigm. I propose a new model of educational leadership and adequate activities.
Revisiting Investability of Heritage Properties through Indexation and Portfolio Frontier Analysis
Authors: Cheng Chin Tiong , Ling Gabriel Hoh Teck , Gan Yee-Siang , Wong Wai Fang , Lai Kong Seng
Published: May 2021

In recent years, the soaring prices of heritage properties in Georgetown, Penang have gained the attention of practitioners and investors. The practitioners claim that the prices of heritage properties within the core and buffer zones in Georgetown have increased more than 300% since the city was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Such heritage properties containing historical or art elements that lead to forming a diversified portfolio could exert a low correlation of returns with conventional assets. In addition, rehabilitation of heritage properties requires high restoration costs and conversion fees. Despite the above claims, there is an absence of empirical studies relating to heritage investability, particularly to prove whether the heritage properties are truly worth investing in. Thus, this study incorporates a self-developed heritage properties Index (PIHPI_HR) into the conventional investment portfolio for assessing diversification effects. This study has collected 853 units of transacted properties for constructing a 10-year price index (PIHPI_HR). Subsequently, its diversification effect was examined through the Efficient Frontier (EF), derived from the Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT). The findings have proven the optimization of the conventional portfolio by enabling investments in heritage properties where the return is higher than other investment assets at the same risk level. This study also unveiled the price movement of heritage properties together with their investment value, which is deemed to be useful for institutional investors and the public to formulate sustainable investment strategies in the future.
Risk Management in the Management Control System in Polish Local Government Units—Assumptions and Practice
Authors: Mormul Katarzyna
Published: May 2021

The issues related to management control and risk management are related not only to the safe operation of a given organization, but also contribute to ensuring the continuity of its operations. The main purpose of this article is to present the general principles of the organization of the management control and risk management system and to check the knowledge of its essence and principles by the employees of local government units. In the empirical part of the article, the method of desk research was used, as well as a questionnaire, which check the knowledge of rules and procedures by local government units’ employees. The research results show that the understanding of the essence and principles of management control system and risk management by employees is incomplete. Therefore, it is recommended to conduct training in the field, increasing the knowledge of the management control system. This is important because a properly functioning management control system may contribute to the improvement of public service provision, better use of resources, and may also prevent wastage.
Impact of Assimilating FY-3D MWTS-2 Upper Air Sounding Data on Forecasting Typhoon Lekima (2019)
Authors: Niu Zeyi , Zhang Lei , Dong Peiming , Weng Fuzhong , Huang Wei
Published: May 2021

In this study, the Fengyun-3D (FY-3D) clear-sky microwave temperature sounder-2 (MWTS-2) radiances were directly assimilated in the regional mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model using the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) data assimilation system. The assimilation experiments were conducted to compare the track errors of typhoon Lekima from uses of the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) radiances (EXP_AD) with those from FY-3D MWTS-2 upper-air sounding data at channels 5–7 (EXP_AMD). The clear-sky mean bias-corrected observation-minus-background (O-B) values of FY-3D MWTS-2 channels 5, 6, and 7 are 0.27, 0.10 and 0.57 K, respectively, which are smaller than those without bias corrections. Compared with the control experiment, which was the forecast of the WRF model without use of satellite data, the assimilation of satellite radiances can improve the forecast performance and reduce the mean track error by 8.7% (~18.4 km) and 30% (~58.6 km) beyond 36 h through the EXP_AD and EXP_AMD, respectively. The direction of simulated steering flow changed from southwest in the EXP_AD to southeast in the EXP_AMD, which can be pivotal to forecasting the landfall of typhoon Lekima (2019) three days in advance. Assimilation of MWTS-2 upper-troposphere channels 5–7 has great potential to improve the track forecasts for typhoon Lekima.
Localization and Tracking of an Indoor Autonomous Vehicle Based on the Phase Difference of Passive UHF RFID Signals
Authors: Zhang Yunlei , Gong Xiaolin , Liu Kaihua , Zhang Shuai
Published: May 2021

State-of-the-art radio frequency identification (RFID)-based indoor autonomous vehicles localization methods are mostly based on received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements. However, the accuracy of these methods is not high enough for real-world scenarios. To overcome this problem, a novel dual-frequency phase difference of arrival (PDOA) ranging-based indoor autonomous vehicle localization and tracking scheme was developed. Firstly, the method gets the distance between the RFID reader and the tag by dual-frequency PDOA ranging. Then, a maximum likelihood estimation and semi-definite programming (SDP)-based localization algorithm is utilized to calculate the position of the autonomous vehicles, which can mitigate the multipath ranging error and obtain a more accurate positioning result. Finally, vehicle traveling information and the position achieved by RFID localization are fused with a Kalman filter (KF). The proposed method can work in a low-density tag deployment environment. Simulation experiment results showed that the proposed vehicle localization and tracking method achieves centimeter-level mean tracking accuracy.
A Two Joint Neck Model to Identify Malposition of the Head Relative to the Thorax
Authors: Schmid Philipp M. , Bauer Christoph M. , Ernst Markus J. , Sommer Bettina , Lünenburger Lars , Weisenhorn Martin
Published: May 2021

Neck pain is a frequent health complaint. Prolonged protracted malpositions of the head are associated with neck pain and headaches and could be prevented using biofeedback systems. A practical biofeedback system to detect malpositions should be realized with a simple measurement setup. To achieve this, a simple biomechanical model representing head orientation and translation relative to the thorax is introduced. To identify the parameters of this model, anthropometric data were acquired from eight healthy volunteers. In this work we determine (i) the accuracy of the proposed model when the neck length is known, (ii) the dependency of the neck length on the body height, and (iii) the impact of a wrong neck length on the models accuracy. The resulting model is able to describe the motion of the head with a maximum uncertainty of 5 mm only. To achieve this high accuracy the effective neck length must be known a priory. If however, this parameter is assumed to be a linear function of the palpable neck length, the measurement error increases. Still, the resulting accuracy can be sufficient to identify and monitor a protracted malposition of the head relative to the thorax.
Determination of Mitotane (DDD) and Principal Metabolite by a Simple HPLC-UV Method and Its Validation in Human Plasma Samples
Authors: Luci Giacomo , Cucchiara Federico , Ciofi Laura , Mattioli Francesca , Lastella Marianna , Danesi Romano , Di Paolo Antonello
Published: May 2021

Mitotane (DDD) is prescribed in adrenocortical renal carcinoma. Its principal metabolite, dichlorodiphenylethene (DDE), can accumulate in fat tissues and from a toxicological point of view, is probably more interesting than the other metabolite dichlorodiphenylacetate (DDA). Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) of DDD plasma concentrations is required to combine therapeutic efficacy with acceptable toxicity. Therefore, we developed a simple and fast HPLC-UV method to monitor plasma concentrations after a liquid–liquid extraction of plasma calibration samples, quality controls, and anonymous plasma samples with unknown DDD and DDE concentrations. Samples were injected into an HPLC instrument and peaks of mitotane (DDD), DDE and aldrin (internal standard, IS) were resolved by a stationary phase C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm), maintained at 35 °C. Mobile phase, made by water/acetonitrile (10/90, v/v), was pumped at a flow of 1.0 mL/min, and absorbance was monitored at a wavelength of 226 nm. Average recovery was 95% for all analytes, and the method was linear for both DDD (r2 = 0.9988, range 1–50 mg/L) and DDE (r2 = 0.9964, range 1–40 mg/L). The values of limit of detection and quantitation were 0.102 and 0.310 mg/L for DDD and 0.036 and 0.108 mg/L for DDE, respectively. The retention time values of DDD, DDE and IS were 7.06, 9.42 and 12.60 min, respectively. The method was successfully validated according to FDA guidelines and finally adopted for routine TDM.
School Inquiry in Secondary Education: The Experience of the Fiesta de la Historia Youth Congress in Seville
Authors: De-Alba-Fernández Nicolás , Navarro-Medina Elisa , Pérez-Rodríguez Noelia
Published: May 2021

In secondary education, the focus of history teaching must be on the development of global citizenship. The present research was a study contextualized in the Fiesta de la Historia Youth Congress in Seville (Spain). A documentary analysis with a descriptive and interpretive design was made of 63 projects of inquiry that pupils carried out. The main objectives were to assess the incidence of the proposal in terms of participation, and to determine whether the pupils’ projects followed a logic of inquiry about socially relevant problems which favors the construction of global citizenship. The results point to a low incidence of schools participating in this initiative. The projects of inquiry analyzed present, for the most part, themes related to the historical and social heritage of the locality. The proposals are approached as problems of a specific discipline and are worked on through a method based on a pseudoscientific research process. The findings indicate the need to continue implementing initiatives based on school inquiry that allow the teaching of history to be articulated around relevant social problems, with the objective being to develop citizenship skills.
The Influence of Growth, Maturation and Resistance Training on Muscle-Tendon and Neuromuscular Adaptations: A Narrative Review
Authors: Tumkur Anil Kumar Nakul , Oliver Jon L. , Lloyd Rhodri S. , Pedley Jason S. , Radnor John M.
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the growth, maturation and resistance training-related changes in muscle-tendon and neuromuscular mechanisms in youth, and the subsequent effect on performance. Sprinting, jumping, kicking, and throwing are common movements in sport that have been shown to develop naturally with age, with improvements in performance being attributed to growth and maturity-related changes in neuromuscular mechanisms. These changes include moderate to very large increases in muscle physiological cross-sectional area (CSA), muscle volume and thickness, tendon CSA and stiffness, fascicle length, muscle activation, pre-activation, stretch reflex control accompanied by large reductions in electro-mechanical delay and co-contraction. Furthermore, a limited number of training studies examining neuromuscular changes following four to 20 weeks of resistance training have reported trivial to moderate differences in tendon stiffness, muscle CSA, muscle thickness, and motor unit activation accompanied by reductions in electromechanical delay (EMD) in pre-pubertal children. However, the interaction of maturity- and training-related neuromuscular adaptions remains unclear. An understanding of how different neuromuscular mechanisms adapt in response to growth, maturation and training is important in order to optimise training responsiveness in youth populations. Additionally, the impact that these muscle-tendon and neuromuscular changes have on force producing capabilities underpinning performance is unclear.
Green Talk or Green Walk: Chinese Consumer Positive Word-of-Mouth to Corporate Environmental Actions in Polluting Industries
Authors: Zhang Jiajia , Sun Jin
Published: May 2021

Although environmental action is regarded as a public relations strategy aiming to manifest a corporate green stance, this not always the case. Many consumers tend to be skeptical of corporate real environmental efforts, especially firms in traditionally dirty industries. However, few studies have focused on this issue. To shed light on such a phenomenon, the present study aims to provide a comprehensive multiple-step multiple-mediator model based on the social intuitionist model and cognitive-affective system theory of personality(CAPS) to examine how corporate environmental actions (substantive vs. symbolic) affect consumer positive word-of-mouth (WOM) and to investigate the cognitive and affective processes of greenwashing perception and other-condemning emotions. Findings from an online Chinese consumer panel of 130 adults indicate that consumers are prone to have more positive WOM for substantive actions compared with symbolic actions; this effect is not only mediated by other-condemning emotions but serially mediated by, firstly, greenwashing perception and, secondly, other-condemning emotions. The current study is conducive to explaining the link between corporate environmental actions and consumer positive WOM from a theoretical argument and empirical evidence, and thus providing suggestions for advertisers and marketers in green marketing about environmental information disclosure.
Bohemian Cultural Scenes and Creative Development of Chinese Cities: An Analysis of 65 Cities Using Cultural Amenity Data
Authors: Wu Jun , Zheng Hao , Wang Tong , Clark Terry Nichols
Published: May 2021

There has been a cultural turn in urban development, as an increasing number of scholars are stressing the importance of culture in urban research and policy agendas. Specifically, the bohemian cultural scene could drive an integral cultural policy approach between the cultural scenes city and the creative city approach. Based on amenities data from 65 major Chinese cities, this paper investigates the relationship between bohemian cultural scenes and creative development of Chinese cities as well as regional differences using tree-based model, ordinary least squares (OLS) and truncated regression, and provides conceptual and quantitative support for a bohemian cultural scenes policy. Factor analysis suggests the bohemian cultural scene in Chinese cities consists of two dimensions: self-expression and charisma. According to regression results, bohemian scenes significantly promote urban creative development; specifically, charisma has a stronger impact on urban creativity than self-expression. There are also significant regional differences: northern and eastern cities should focus on the development of the charismatic dimension, creative subjects should adjust away from prudent industriousness and practice dynamic experimentalism; whereas southern cities should focus on the self-expressive dimension, and continue to promote tolerance, inclusivity and expressive practice. Finally, the bohemian scenes policy demands an integral policy approach sensitive to the existing socioeconomic context: policymakers should incorporate specific amenities into existing qualities of local spaces and cultural consumption to stimulate creative development.
Assessing Label Frames and Emotional Primes in the Context of Animal Rearing—Response of an Explorative fNIRS Study
Authors: Mehlhose Clara , Risius Antje
Published: May 2021

Against the background of rising societal interest for sustainable food and nutrition choices, food labels have gained importance in providing important information to consumers. However, little is known about how the differences between quality frames in labels are evaluated and how priming might serve as an anchor for label perception. This study aims to observe the neural reaction of this in the context of differently framed food labels for products of animal origin, claiming the presence or absence of an additional quality aspect and under the impulse of emotional priming. In an explorative setup, we measured the neural prefrontal cortex activity of 26 participants with the neuroimaging technology fNIRS. An idyllic prime and a prime related to a label claiming an additional product quality led to increased neural activity in the OFC and dlPFC. Shedding light on what elements are of importance to identify products that meet consumers’ requirements in terms of quality aspects, this could indicate that the prime stressed the meaning of the label. This strengthens the argument to positively phrase and anchor frames regarding quality attributions as opposed to negative declarations. It further demonstrates the ability of fNIRS to capture processing through labels and primes in the context of consumer behavior.
Amalgamation of Customer Relationship Management and Data Analytics in Different Business Sectors—A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Saha Lewlisa , Tripathy Hrudaya Kumar , Nayak Soumya Ranjan , Bhoi Akash Kumar , Barsocchi Paolo
Published: May 2021

Customization of products or services is a strategy that the business sector has embraced to build a better relationship with the customers to cater to their individual needs and thus providing them a fulfilling experience. This whole process is known as customer relationship management (CRM). In this context, we extensively surveyed 138 papers published between 1996 and 2021 in the area of analytical CRM. Although this study consisted of papers from different business sectors, a fair share of focus was directed to the telecommunication industry and generalized CRM techniques usages. Different science and engineering-based data repositories were studied to ascertain significant studies published in scientific journals, conferences, and articles. The research works on CRM were considered and separated into IT and non-IT-based techniques to study the methods used in different business sectors. The main target behind implementing CRM is for the better revenue growth of the company. Different IT and non-IT-based techniques are used in the analytical CRM area to achieve this target, and researchers have been actively involved in this domain. The purpose of the research was to show the impact of IT-based techniques in the business world. A detailed future course of research in this area was discussed.
Applicability of Structure-from-Motion Photogrammetry on Forest Measurement in the Northern Ethiopian Highlands
Authors: Sakai Toru , Birhane Emiru , Abebe Buruh , Gebremeskel Destaalem
Published: May 2021

Ethiopia is one of the countries with the most degraded forest resources. Information on tree structure is needed at some points in the process to assess the appropriateness of forest management. The objectives are to examine whether the Structure from Motion (SfM)-based photogrammetry can be used to derive the forest structural parameters, and how the tree structural parameters can vary by location. In this study, the possible applicability of low-cost SfM-based photogrammetry was evaluated for forest management and conservation purposes in the Adi Zaboy watershed of the Northern Ethiopian highlands. In the watershed, dwarf Acacia etbaica was sparsely distributed. Consequently, the full three-dimensional point clouds of the individual trees were generated, which provided a wide variety of tree structural parameters in a non-destructive manner. The R2 values for tree height, canopy width, and stump diameter were 0.936, 0.891, and 0.808, respectively, and the corresponding RMSE values were 0.128 m, 0.331 m, and 0.886 cm. In addition, differences in forest structure and composition were caused by differences in the environment. The SfM-based photogrammetry would provide fundamental information to meet the demand of sustainable forest management from a morphological point of view, especially in forests of Ethiopian highlands.
Exploring Methods of the Sustainable Development for Safety Engineering International Course
Authors: Jiang Wei , Zhou Jiankai , Gao Yangping , Wang Yintong
Published: May 2021

To improve the effectiveness of the international course for safety engineering at China University of Mining & Technology (Beijing) (CUMTB), we explored sustainable development methods, co-occurrence analysis, statistical analysis, and questionnaire survey methods in a discussion of the international course’s current state and problems. First, the international course’s research topics and trends were analyzed. Second, other Chinese universities with international courses in safety engineering were counted. Finally, the international courses in safety engineering at CUMTB were analyzed from three aspects: teachers, teaching content, and course effect. The results show that there is a developing trend in international course research focusing on specific disciplines. For the safety engineering international course at CUMTB, foreign university teachers are the first choice for course instruction; however, the language barrier is a primary problem. In terms of teaching content, students are more interested in their intended employment fields and lack an understanding of various research fields. The course meets the students’ expectations but can still be improved. According to the results, we conclude that bilingual teaching by ethnic Chinese university teachers leads to more efficient knowledge acquisition. A guidance course and a survey of students’ employment intentions should be added before the course. Through these measures, the international course’s effectiveness and quality can be improved to better realize sustainable development.
Recognizing the Key Drivers and Industry Implications of Sustainable Packaging Design: A Mixed-Method Approach
Authors: Mattia Giovanni , Di Leo Alessio , Pratesi Carlo Alberto
Published: May 2021

Sustainable packaging design plays a strategic role across several industries. Using the Italian market as the perimeter of the analysis, this paper aims to broaden the knowledge of corporate attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors toward sustainable packaging along the entire supply chain. A mixed-method approach was used, integrating qualitative and quantitative data collected from 33 in-depth interviews and a survey on a sample of 462 companies. The results revealed that a challenging goal will consist of reconciling technological advances and marketing instances, and that the entire supply chain should be synergistically involved in packaging sustainability. It was also found that larger companies consider sustainability as part of a broader business strategy, whereas smaller ones possess a tactical vision. The study provides valuable insights to better comprehend and manage a complex ecosystem such as that of sustainable packaging.