bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelos para estimativa da radiação de onda longa atmosférica no cerrado Mato-Grossense
Authors: Carrilho Sobrinho Flair José , Carrilho Soilce Beatriz de Paula , Nogueira José De Souza , Pinto Junior Osvaldo Borges
Published: April 2021

Este trabalho teve por objetivoavaliar e parametrizar os modelos para a estimativa da radiação de onda longa atmosférica (Ld) no Cerrado Mato-grossense, considerando a cobertura do céu nas condições decéu-claro, parcialmente nublado e nublado. Levando-se em conta que medidas da Ld são raras, e que esteparâmetro quase sempre é obtido de forma indireta através de vários modelosdisponíveis na literatura, optou-se neste trabalho por analisar 107 modelos paraa estimativa da Ld. Osdados utilizados neste trabalho foram obtidos de instrumentos instalados em umatorre microclimatológica de 19 metros na fazenda Miranda no município de SantoAntônio de Leverger – MT, entre os meses de junho e julho; e outubro e novembrode 2009 totalizando 5856 medidas. Das estimativas da Ld obtidas a partir destas formulações,aquelas com melhores desempenhos foram as que apresentaram como critérios, osmenores erros estatísticos e os maiores índices e coeficientes como os dedeterminação (R2), decorrelação de Pearson (r), deconcordância de Wilmott (1982) e o de desempenho de Camargo Sentelhas(1997). Pode-se observar que, para as condições de céu claro, parcialmentenublado e nublado, os modelos de estimativa da irradiância de ondas longas, emsua formulação original, que apresentaram os melhores índices estatísticos e,portanto, aqueles que melhor se adaptaram ao Cerrado Mato-grossense, para operíodo estudado foram, respectivamente, Viswanadham Ramanadham (1970),Idso Jackson (1969) e Bignami et al. (1995) e após aparametrização os modelos de: Bárbaro et al. (2010); Aubinet(1994)) e Andreas Ackley (1982).
Caractériser les îlots de capitalisation d’entraîneurs de haut niveau experts à partir d’une approche inductive
Authors: Fukazawa-Couckuyt Stéphane , Robin Jean-François
Published: April 2021

Dans les projets de capitalisation de savoirs issus de l’expérience, la question de l’expertise permet de centrer le recueil et le traitement des savoirs sur ce qui constitue une plus-value pour le public cible du projet. Dans une recherche avec et sur des entraîneurs de haut niveau experts, une approche inductive sur un corpus de dix-huit entretiens individuels a permis de mieux caractériser ce qui a été appelé les « îlots de capitalisation », liés à l’expertise individuelle. Il en ressort que si un modèle théorique et prescriptif des îlots des entraîneurs experts ne peut être établi, des tendances émergent. Une première typologie des modes de constitution de ces îlots est formalisée.
Rôles et contributions de l’analyse inductive dans l’étude de pratiques communicationnelles d’organismes à but non lucratif : le cas de groupes de lutte à la pauvreté au Québec
Authors: Gagné Anne-Marie , Landry Normand , Caïdor Pascale , Caneva Christiane , Bégin Mathieu , Rocheleau Sylvain
Published: April 2021

Les pratiques communicationnelles des organismes de lutte à la pauvreté sont peu documentées dans les écrits scientifiques. L’approche inductive a été préconisée dans une étude exploratoire qui porte sur ces pratiques, à travers le discours et les perceptions de responsables des communications au sein d’organismes communautaires militants contre la pauvreté. Cet article présente les étapes de la méthode employée : la problématique de départ, le choix du terrain, la sélection des participants, le processus de codage et d’analyse des données et la construction d’une arborescence de sept catégories signifiantes ayant émergé des entretiens individuels et de groupe. Au total, 22 responsables des communications travaillant au sein de 19 organismes répartis dans 7 régions administratives du Québec ont été rencontrés sur une période d’un an. L’analyse inductive a permis d’identifier leurs revendications, les facteurs contextuels facilitant la mobilisation des acteurs, les difficultés rencontrées sur le plan des communications, leurs objectifs, leurs stratégies, leurs moyens de communication et enfin, les publics auxquels ces organismes s’adressent. L’article se penche plus spécifiquement sur l’origine et la composition d’une catégorie centrale, « Difficultés rencontrées par les organismes », afin d’illustrer comment l’approche inductive a fait émerger sept sous-catégories qui relèvent de deux dimensions, l’une d’ordre structurel et l’autre d’ordre relationnel, et qui expliquent en partie pourquoi ces organismes peinent à occuper l’espace public et médiatique. Les raisons expliquant la difficulté à occuper cet espace n’auraient pu être identifiées sans le recours aux entrevues individuelles et de groupe.
Treatment uniformity of atmospheric pressure plasma on flexible and porous material surface: A critical review
Authors: Xu Yu , Wang Chao-Liang , Qin Si-Cheng , Zhang Yu , He Tao , Guo Ying , Ding Ke , Zhang Yu-Ru , Yang Wei , Shi Jian-Jun , Du Cheng-Ran , Zhang Jing ,   College of Science, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China,   Textiles Key Laboratory for Advanced Plasma Technology and Application, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China,   Magnetic Confinement Fusion Research Center of Ministry Education, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China,   School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Published: April 2021

Flexible porous materials play an important role in frontier science and technology fields. Surface modification will further endow the materials with diverse and excellent surface properties, and expand the scope of their applications in functional and intelligent wearable devices. Atmospheric pressure plasma technology has many advantages in treating the flexible materials, such as low temperature, low energy consumption, high efficiency, friendly environment, low cost, no change in material itself characteristics, suitability for roll-to-roll preparation, etc. Also, it presents good adaptability in applied environment and target materials. All these advantages meet the requirements of large area and low-cost surface modification of flexible porous materials.

In this paper, we review several researches of atmospheric pressure plasma surface modification of flexible porous materials used in advanced materials, new energy, environmental protection and biomedicine. The problems and challenges of stability and permeability encountered in uniformly treating the flexible and porous materials by atmospheric pressure plasma are presented. Then, we introduce our research work on atmospheric pressure plasma stable discharge, roll-to-roll coating treatment of permeability and uniformity. Finally, we introduce the breakthrough in and ideas on the deposition kinetics of nanoparticle thin films and their microstructure control by atmospheric pressure plasma.

However, there are still many challenges to be overcome in the applications of the methods in current situation. Basic characteristics, discharge modes of atmospheric pressure plasma and the relationships of plasma discharge to structure and property of the various treated materials need to be further explored. It is confirmed that the permeability and uniformity of the atmospheric pressure plasma treatment in flexible porous materials are very important and their in-depth investigations will promote the application of this method—a high efficient, environmentally-friendly and continuous way of realizing functional and intelligent wearable devices in the future.
Self-healing super-hydrophobically coated fiber prepared by plasma treatment
Authors: Han Qian-Han , Zhang Ya-Rong , Lai Yu-Ling , Xu Li-Yun , Guo Ying , Zhang Jing , Yu Jian-Yong , Shi Jian-Jun ,   Textiles Key Laboratory for Advanced Plasma Technology and Application, College of Science, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China,   Magnetic Confinement Fusion Research Center of Ministry of Education, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China,   Innovation Center for Textile Science and Technology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Published: April 2021

The ultra-durable, self-healing superhydrophobic polyester fabric based on ZnO@PDMS nanoparticle composite coating (PET-g-PDMS@ZnO fiber) is prepared by low-temperature plasma polymerization. The influences of the preparation process on the superhydrophobicity, self-healing property, durability and stability of the coating are studied. The results show that the water contact angle on the surface of PET-g-PDMS@ZnO fabric can reach 162.7°, and the sliding angle is 7.5°. After 300 washing cycles and 1300 rubbing cycles, the superhydrophobic property is still maintained. Both plasma method and heating method are used to repair the worn coating, and it is found that the repair effect of plasma is obvious, while the heating repair is effective only in the case of small loads. Moreover, scanning electron microscope, nanoindentation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement are used to explore the self-healing mechanism. This research provides the theoretical and technical support for the development and application of plasma technology in the preparation of superhydrophobic fabrics.
A systematic review of automated pre-processing, feature extraction and classification of cardiotocography
Authors: Al-yousif Shahad , Jaenul Ariep , Al-Dayyeni Wisam , Alamoodi Ah , Najm IA , Md Tahir Nooritawati , Alrawi Ali Amer Ahmed , Cömert Zafer , Al-shareefi Nael A. , Saleh Abbadullah H.
Published: April 2021

Context

The interpretations of cardiotocography (CTG) tracings are indeed vital to monitor fetal well-being both during pregnancy and childbirth. Currently, many studies are focusing on feature extraction and CTG classification using computer vision approach in determining the most accurate diagnosis as well as monitoring the fetal well-being during pregnancy. Additionally, a fetal monitoring system would be able to perform detection and precise quantification of fetal heart rate patterns.

Objective

This study aimed to perform a systematic review to describe the achievements made by the researchers, summarizing findings that have been found by previous researchers in feature extraction and CTG classification, to determine criteria and evaluation methods to the taxonomies of the proposed literature in the CTG field and to distinguish aspects from relevant research in the field of CTG.

Methods

Article search was done systematically using three databases: IEEE Xplore digital library, Science Direct, and Web of Science over a period of 5 years. The literature in the medical sciences and engineering was included in the search selection to provide a broader understanding for researchers.

Results

After screening 372 articles, and based on our protocol of exclusion and inclusion criteria, for the final set of articles, 50 articles were obtained. The research literature taxonomy was divided into four stages. The first stage discussed the proposed method which presented steps and algorithms in the pre-processing stage, feature extraction and classification as well as their use in CTG (20/50 papers). The second stage included the development of a system specifically on automatic feature extraction and CTG classification (7/50 papers). The third stage consisted of reviews and survey articles on automatic feature extraction and CTG classification (3/50 papers). The last stage discussed evaluation and comparative studies to determine the best method for extracting and classifying features with comparisons based on a set of criteria (20/50 articles).

Discussion

This study focused more on literature compared to techniques or methods. Also, this study conducts research and identification of various types of datasets used in surveys from publicly available, private, and commercial datasets. To analyze the results, researchers evaluated independent datasets using different techniques.

Conclusions

This systematic review contributes to understand and have insight into the relevant research in the field of CTG by surveying and classifying pertinent research efforts. This review will help to address the current research opportunities, problems and challenges, motivations, recommendations related to feature extraction and CTG classification, as well as the measurement of various performance and various data sets used by other researchers.
Phenotypic, molecular and pathogenic characterization of Colletotrichum scovillei infecting Capsicum species in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: Giacomin Renata Mussoi , Ruas Claudete de Fátima , Baba Viviane Yumi , De Godoy Sara Mataroli , Sudré Claudia Pombo , Bento Cintia dos Santos , Da Cunha Maura , Da Costa Geronimo Ingrid Gaspar , Rodrigues Rosana , Gonçalves Leandro SA
Published: April 2021

Anthracnose is a disease caused by Colletotrichum spp., one of the world’s most damaging sweet and chili pepper pathogens, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. In the state of Rio de Janeiro, anthracnose is one of the main obstacles for pepper crops. However, to date no research has focused on the identification and characterization of the pathogen, which is fundamental to understand the scope of the disease in the state. Thus, the correct identification of the fungal species and pathogenicity studies can provide important support for disease management and control, apart from identifying possible resistance sources for exploitation in peppers breeding programs. In this study, 11 Colletotrichum isolates were collected from peppers with typical symptoms in the Rio de Janeiro state. These isolates were characterized based on morpho-cultural characteristics and sequencing data from five regions (ITS, ACT, CAL, β-TUB and GAPDH), and the genetic variability was estimated by AFLP markers. Simultaneously, microscopy images of the colonization by the fungal species on unripe Capsicum annuum fruits were taken. Pathogenicity was tested and resistance sources were sought by means of infection of ripe and unripe fruits of 50 Capsicum baccatum accessions. The resulting data showed that all isolates belong to Colletotrichum scovillei specie. About the pathogenicity of Capsicum baccatum, differentiated, stage-specific responses, with higher resistance of ripe fruits were recorded. In addition, four possible sources of Colletotrichum scovillei resistance were detected among the tested accessions. The combination of these data can contribute to future studies on the interaction of Colletotrichum scovillei-Capsicum spp., a research line that is still unexploited in the main areas of this anthracnose fungus.
Dysregulation of miR-381-3p and miR-23b-3p in skeletal muscle could be a possible estimator of early post-mortem interval in rats
Authors: Martínez-Rivera Vanessa , Cárdenas-Monroy Christian A. , Millan-Catalan Oliver , González-Corona Jessica , Huerta-Pacheco N. Sofia , Martínez-Gutiérrez Antonio , Villavicencio-Queijeiro Alexa , Pedraza-Lara Carlos , Hidalgo-Miranda Alfredo , Bravo-Gómez María Elena , Pérez-Plasencia Carlos , Guardado-Estrada Mariano
Published: April 2021

Background

The post-mortem interval (PMI) is the time elapsed since the dead of an individual until the body is found, which is relevant for forensic purposes. The miRNAs regulate the expression of some genes; and due to their small size, they can better support degradation, which makes them suitable for forensic analysis. In the present work, we evaluated the gene expression of miR-381-3p, miR-23b-3p, and miR-144-3p in skeletal muscle in a murine model at the early PMI.

Methods

We designed a rat model to evaluate the early PMI under controlled conditions. This model consisted in 25 rats divided into five groups of rats, that correspond to the 0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours of PMI. The 0 h-PMI was considered as the control group. Muscle samples were taken from each rat to analyze the expression of miR-381-3p, miR-23b-3p, and miR-144-3p by quantitative RT-PCR. The gene expression of each miRNA was expressed as Fold Change (FC) and compared among groups. To find the targets of these miRNAs and the pathways where they participate, we performed an in-silico analysis. From the gene targets of miR-381-3p identified in the silico analysis, the EPC1 gene was selected for gene expression analysis by quantitative RT-PCR in these samples. Also, to evaluate if miR-381-3p could predict the early PMI, a mixed effects model was calculated using its gene expression.

Results

An upregulation of miR-381-3p was found at 24 h-PMI compared with the control group of 0 h-PMI and (FC = 1.02 vs. FC = 1.96; p = 0.0079). This was the opposite for miR-23b-3p, which had a down-regulation at 24 h-PMI compared to 0 h-PMI (FC = 1.22 vs. FC = 0.13; p = 0.0079). Moreover, the gene expression of miR-381-3p increased throughout the first 24 h of PMI, contrary to miR-23b-3p. The targets of these two miRNAs, participate in biological pathways related to hypoxia, apoptosis, and RNA metabolism. The gene expression of EPC1 was found downregulated at 3 and 12 h of PMI, whereas it remained unchanged at 6 h and 24 h of PMI. Using a multivariate analysis, it was possible to predict the FC of miR-381-3p of all but 6 h-PMI analyzed PMIs.

Discussion

The present results suggest that miR-23b-3p and miR-381-3p participate at the early PMI, probably regulating the expression of some genes related to the autolysis process as EPC1 gene. Although the miR-381-3p gene expression is a potential estimator of PMI, further studies will be required to obtain better estimates.
Genome-wide identification, classification, and expression analysis of the HSF gene family in pineapple (Ananas comosus)
Authors: Wang Lulu , Liu Yanhui , Chai Mengnan , Chen Huihuang , Aslam Mohammad , Niu Xiaoping , Qin Yuan , Cai Hanyang
Published: April 2021

Transcription factors (TFs), such as heat shock transcription factors (HSFs), usually play critical regulatory functions in plant development, growth, and response to environmental cues. However, no HSFs have been characterized in pineapple thus far. Here, we identified 22 AcHSF genes from the pineapple genome. Gene structure, motifs, and phylogenetic analysis showed that AcHSF families were distinctly grouped into three subfamilies (12 in Group A, seven in Group B, and four in Group C). The AcHSF promoters contained various cis-elements associated with stress, hormones, and plant development processes, for instance, STRE, WRKY, and ABRE binding sites. The majority of HSFs were expressed in diverse pineapple tissues and developmental stages. The expression of AcHSF-B4b/AcHSF-B4c and AcHSF-A7b/AcHSF-A1c were enriched in the ovules and fruits, respectively. Six genes (AcHSF-A1a , AcHSF-A2, AcHSF-A9a, AcHSF-B1a, AcHSF-B2a, and AcHSF-C1a) were transcriptionally modified by cold, heat, and ABA. Our results provide an overview and lay the foundation for future functional characterization of the pineapple HSF gene family.
A Python script to merge Sanger sequences
Authors: Chen Cen , Lu Bingguo , Huang Xiaofang , Bi Chuyun , Zhao Lili , Hu Yunzhuo , Chen Xuanyang , Lin Shiqiang , Huang Kai
Published: April 2021

Merging Sanger sequences is frequently needed during the gene cloning process. In this study, we provide a Python script that is able to assemble multiple overlapping Sanger sequences. The script utilizes the overlapping regions within the tandem Sanger sequences to merge the Sanger sequences. The results demonstrate that the script can produce the merged sequence from the input Sanger sequences in a single run. The script offers a simple and free method for merging Sanger sequences and is useful for gene cloning.
Comparison of Conventional Production and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in Greenhouse Grown Strawberry
Authors: Kurtaslan Temur
Published: April 2021

Today, the importance of safe food is increasing for all consumers. Increased consumer awareness has increased the importance of human health and environmentally sensitive systems. Environmentally friendly production systems, which have several different names, have increased and studies on this subject have become widespread.

Increasing in Turkey gradually, approximately 15.00 per cent of strawberry production areas are located in Aydın, and more than 50.00 per cent of strawberry production have been maintaining in Sultanhisar, Aydın. In 2017, more than 400 producers produced strawberries on an area of 9000 decares in Sultanhisar. There are 306 strawberry producers registered in the farmer registration system. Among these 306 farmers, 90 farmers have implemented good agriculture practices while the rest 216 farmers maintain conventional agricultural production.

The material of the research is the data obtained from the interviews conducted with the producers making greenhouse cultivation, who applied good agriculture and conventional production in the same production technology in Aydın in 2017. In this survey, 112 randomly selected producers were interviewed face to face.

Producers who did not switch to good agricultural practice stated that they could not pass because of several reasons including the bureaucratic transactions, land owner unwillingness to make a lease agreement, and the deed of their land was held by more than one owner. However, they expressed that they were willing to move to good agricultural practice. On the other hand, the producers who applied good agriculture stated that they started good agricultural practice due to the support of the state, and that good agricultural practice increased the product quality.
Pesticide Residues on Tomatoes Grown and Consumed in Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kirinyaga County, Kenya
Authors: Nakhungu Momanyi Violet , Margaret N. Keraka, , Deborah A. Abong’o, , Peterson N. Warutere,
Published: April 2021

The effects of pesticides on human health are of great concern worldwide despite their usefulness in agriculture. The aim of the study was to evaluate pesticide residues on tomatoes grown and consumed in Kirinyaga County in order to determine whether the levels fall within recommended MRLs. Reported increased use of unspecified pesticides and undocumented residue levels in tomatoes produced in the country justified the need to evaluate pesticide residues in tomatoes grown in the area and consumed locally. The study, which was conducted in Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kirinyaga County, Kenya between July 2017 and July 2018 used analytical study design. Tomato samples of Rambo variety mainly grown in open fields and greenhouses in the Irrigation Scheme were purposively sampled from thirty-five sampling sites in open fields, greenhouses, markets and consumers. The samples were taken to Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) laboratory in Nairobi for analysis. Analysis was done using Quick Easy Cheap Effective Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) multi-residue analytical method for Low-Fat products. Four pesticide residues detected on tomatoes above the recommended EU and Cordex MRLs were: malathion (0.0315±0.0032 mg/kg) in open fields, carbendazim (1.2341±0.1667 mg/kg) and thiamethoxam (0.3736±0.0358 mg/kg) from greenhouses and acephate (0.0321±0.0032 mg/kg) from the market. Pesticide residue levels of tomatoes from consumers were all significantly (p<0.001, p<0.01) below the EU and Cordex permitted MRLs. Occurrence of pesticide residues on tomatoes from production to consumption levels is of great concern to consumers because of the perceived long term negative health effects. Implementation, strengthening and enforcement of the food policy in the country will enhance frequent monitoring of pesticide residue levels in fresh produce consumed locally in Kenya.
H-PSO Routing Optimization Model for Zoomlion Ghana Limited
Authors: Kangah Justice , Ayitey Emmanuel , Twenefour Frank B. K.
Published: April 2021

This research combines Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) with Crossover and Mutation Operators of Genetic Algorithm (GA) to produce a hybrid optimization algorithm to solve a routing problem identified at Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Sekondi Takoradi branch. PSO is known to converge prematurely and can be trapped into a local minimum especially with complex problems. On the other hand, GA is a robust and works well with discrete and continuous problems. The Crossover and Mutation operations of GA makes the iterations converges faster and are reliable. The hybrid algorithm therefore merges these operators into PSO to produce a more reliable optimal solution. The hybrid algorithm was then used to solve the routing problem identified at Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Sekondi Takoradi branch. A total of 160 public waste bin centers scattered in the metropolis and the distance between them were considered. The main aim was to determine the best combination of the set of routes connecting all the bin centers in the municipality that will produce the shortest optimal route for the study. MATLAB simulation was run of the list of distances to determine the optimal route. After 10,000 iterations, PSO produced an optimal result of 81.6 km, GA produced an optimal result of 88.9 km and the proposed hybrid model produced an optimal result of 79.9 km
Impact of the Spatial Resolution of Satellite’s Data for Mapping Land use Land Cover in Karmala Tehsil, Solapur, India
Authors: Kolambe Sanket , Raj Jeet , Loahkare Krishna , Mane Shital , Nikam Vikrant
Published: April 2021

Land use and land cover (LULC) classification mapping is important for evaluating, monitoring, protecting and planning for land resources. A key factor in extracting desired information from satellite images is choosing the right the spatial resolution. The scale of a pixel on the ground is known as spatial resolution. A pixel is the smallest ‘dot' that makes up an optical satellite image which defines the level of detail as in image. In this paper estimation of the areal extent of water, built up, barren land, vegetation land and fallow land classes with its classification accuracy were reviewed particularly for January 2013 and November 2016 in Karmala tehsil of Solapur district, India. LULC is implied by different spatial resolution images of Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS), Linear Imaging Self Scanning Sensor (LISS-III), Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Sentinel-2A imageries in QGIS environment while the classification was carried out using the maximum likelihood algorithm (MLA). The classified maps obtained from AWiFS and LISS-III sensors, as well as Sentinel-2A and Landsat-8 OLI data sets, were compared separately.  Spatial analysis depicts that the Kappa coefficient of Sentinal-2A, Landsat-8, LISS III and AWiFS was found 96.96%, 91.64%, 87.30% and 89.36%. Furthermore, overall accuracy of was found to be 99.07%, 94.49%, 89.84% and 94.08% respectively. The accuracy of the classified image with higher spatial resolution (Sentinal-2A) proved more informative than that of lower resolution (AWiFS) sensor. On the response, the finer spatial resolution of Sentinal-2A (10 m) delivered more precise details and enhanced LULC classification accuracy most reliably than the coarser spatial resolution of Landsat-8 (30m), LISS III (23m) and AWiFS (56m) image. A perusal of data revealed that the overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient was found proportionate to spatial resolution of satellite imageries. The higher resolution spatial data also greatly reduces the mixed-pixel problem. The study revealed that the spatial resolution plays an important role and affects classification details and accuracy of LULC level.
Dependence of Rural Communities on Unsafe Water Sources - Case study of Tinda Village, Northeastern Nigeria
Authors: Wada Ojima Z. , Olawade David B. , Afolalu Temitope D. , Maihankali Charles J. , Olojo Adedayo S.
Published: April 2021

Accessibility of rural dwellers, particularly in Northern Nigeria, to basic water services has been a significant challenge over the years, thereby contributing significantly to the high mortality rates associated with waterborne disease recorded in the region. Recent information is required about the state of water facilities in some of these marginalized communities to proffer sustainable solutions. This community-based survey explored the water services available to rural dwellers in Tinda village, Gombe State. Data was collected via participant and community observation. Grab water samples were also obtained and analyzed for physicochemical and bacteriological parameters using standard methods. The village lacked an improved drinking water source. The major source present was a dam, while other sources available were a river and an unsanitary well. The surface water samples were turbid and coloured, while the well water was slightly turbid and coloured. The lead, iron, and manganese levels of the surface water samples were above WHO permissible limits. E.coli was detected in both the river and well water samples, while salmonella sp. was detected in all the water sources. Disinfection of the water samples with a water guard (local chlorine disinfectant) significantly reduced the microbial load. However, the water was still unsafe for drinking. The current state of water facilities in Tinda village is deplorable. With the primary water sources polluted with both heavy metals and microbes, the health of rural dwellers remains at stake.
Sustainable Issues and Crop Diversification of the Rice-Wheat Cropping System for Higher Productivity and Resource Use Efficiency: A Review
Authors: Singh Kuldeep , Dhanda Sachin , Sharma Kartik , Panghaal Dheeraj
Published: April 2021

The rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) played a significant role in national food security. This system is having a huge potential to feed the increasing population of India. But with continuous adoption of the rice-wheat system, different issues and challenges have emerged and resulted in the decline or stagnated the productivity of this system. In these conditions’ diversification of the RWCS can be a viable option for higher productivity, profitability and efficient and sustainable use of available natural resources. This review mainly highlighted the major issues associated with the rice-wheat cropping system in India along with the alternate cropping system for crop diversification by substitution various crops viz. legume, maize, oilseed, fodder, vegetables and cash crop to tackle them. The comparison of various cropping system in term their crop productivity, economics analysis, water and nutrient productivity, and maintaining soil health.
COVID-19 Vaccine Knowledge and Acceptability among Healthcare Providers in Nigeria
Authors: Ekwebene Onyeka Chukwudalu , Obidile Valentine Chidi , Azubuike Precious Chidozie , Nnamani Chioma Phyllis , Dankano Nehemiah Emono , Egbuniwe Michel Chiedu
Published: April 2021

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has posed enormous challenges and has become a burden of morbidity and mortality while severely disrupting economic activities around the world. Vaccines for the disease has been discovered; however, there exists misconceptions and mistrusts among health workers which may constitute barriers to Covid-19 uptake.

Aim: The study aimed to determine the knowledge and acceptability of the Covid-19 vaccine among health care provider and to determine the association between the socio-demographic variables and Covid-19 acceptability.

Study Design: A snowball sampling technique was relied upon in the distribution of the questionnaires.

Place and Duration: Online questionnaires sent in the form of a link through social media outlets such as Whatsapp, Facebook and emails within four weeks interval.

Methodology: Health care providers in Nigeria aged 18 years and above participated in this study.The analysis was performed using the Statistical Software Package SPSS version 22.0.Four hundred and forty-five respondents filled the questionnaire from the six geopolitical zones of the country.

Results: There was a good knowledge of the Covid-19 vaccination as 411(92.4%) knew about the vaccine. However, only 53.5% of respondents were willing to get vaccinated against the disease. The most identified perceived barrier to covid-19 vaccine acceptance was fear of side effects 309 (69.4%) and there was no association between socio-demographic characteristics and covid-19 vaccine acceptability.

Conclusion: Healthcare providers recommendation and confidence in a vaccine plays an influential role in their patients’ vaccination behaviour. They serve as an important source of information for the general populace and their consultation can also be a key factor in patients’ decision to get vaccinated or not.
In silico Molecular Characterization and Phylogenetic Analyses of SARS-CoV-2 in Mediterranean Basin
Authors: Adwan Ghaleb. M.
Published: April 2021

Background: The novel human coronavirus disease COVID-19 has become the fifth reported pandemic since the global spread of 1918 flu and counted as the first documented coronavirus worldwide spread in the history. The COVID-19 was initially considered as a respiratory disease, but SARS-CoV-2 can lead to cause other serious complications.

Purpose: This study aimed to conduct phylogenetic analyses of the whole genome of SARS-CoV-2 strains isolated from infected humans in Mediterranean basin countries, Orf1ab gene, S gene, M gene, N gene and Orf3a gene sequences. In addition, the products of Orf1ab, S, M and N genes were also phylogenetically analyzed. Changes that occurred on the S-gene product of these SARS-CoV-2 strains were also detected.

Materials and Methods: The whole genome of SARS-CoV-2 isolates, the genes and the gene products (Accessed July 20, 2020) were recovered in Mediterranean basin countries were retrieved from GenBank Database previously available in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) using BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) system. Analyses of these sequences were carried out using computer program MEGA6 software.

Results: The Phylogenetic analyses showed that Bat coronavirus RaTG13 isolate is more closely related to SARS-CoV-2 isolates than Pangolin coronaviruse isolates. The S gene product of this virus mediates entry into the host cell and has S1/S2 cleavage site containing multibasic amino acid sequence (PRRAR) which is not detected in other closely related coronaviruses. Many coronavirus strains that deposited in GenBank, showed that they have PRR sequence in Orf1ab gene product. Conclusion: we conclude that part of multibasic S1/S2 motif acquired by recombination or insertion. Theoretically, any coronavirus strain acquired this sequence becomes highly pathogenic to humans. The dominant mutation (79.3%) at S gene product level was 614D→G. The impact of mutations detected in S gene product on virus transmission, diagnosis, pathogenicity and strategies of antiviral therapy, should be rapidly assessed in further studies.
Comparative Study on Lipase Immobilized onto Organo-Cation Exchanged Kaolin and Metakaolin: Surface Properties and Catalytic Activity
Authors: Elgubbi Hana Meftah , Othman Siti Salhah , Harun Farah Wahida
Published: April 2021

Clay mineral has received much attention to be used as biocatalysts as it is cheaper, easily available and environmentally friendly. However, the use of unmodified clay, in particular kaolin for enzyme immobilization showed unsuitability of this support due to its negative charge. In this study, the hydrophobic properties of kaolin and metakaolin (kaolin heated to 650 °C) were adjusted by the intercalation with benzyltriethylammonium chloride (BTEA-Cl), at concentrations 2.0 times the cation exchange capacities (CEC) of the clays. The supports were then used for immobilization of lipase from Candida rugosa (CRL). From the study, the highest percentage of lipase immobilization was achieved (70.14%), when organo-modified metakaolin (2.0 MK) was used. The supports as well as the immobilized biocatalysts were then characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption techniques. Comparisons of the efficiencies of immobilized with free CRL in the synthesis of nonyl hexanoate showed that immobilized CRL achieved enzymatic activities of between 5.24×10−3 to 3.63×10−3 mmol/min/mg, while free CRL achieved enzymatic activity of 3.27×10−3 mmol/min/mg after 5 h of reaction at 30 ℃. The immobilized CRLs also maintained 70.81% – 80.59% thermostabilities at 70 ℃ as compared to the free CRL (28.13%). CRL immobilized on 2.0 NK and 2.0 MK also maintained 38.54% and 62.56%, respectively, of the initial activities after 10 continuous cycles, showing the excellent stability and reusability of the immobilized lipases, suitable as substitute for expensive, hazardous catalysts used in industries. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Docking, Scoring, and Virtual Screening in Drug Discovery
Authors: Spyrakis Francesca , Sarkar Aurijit , Kellogg Glen E.
Published: April 2021

Since its introduction about four decades ago, docking and scoring are now the very heart of structure‐based drug design. The past 10–20 years have seen a plethora of docking and scoring tools successfully integrated into drug discovery pipelines. Interestingly, while artificial intelligence is now receiving significant attention in the computational modeling arena, docking and scoring have long utilized these techniques. This comprehensive summary highlights some of the most significant achievements of docking and scoring, reviews the current status, provides descriptions of many of the tools available, comments on some of the outstanding challenges facing the paradigm, and offers perspectives and advice on best practices for users. While significant development is still needed in docking of flexible molecules and accurate Gibb's free energy predictions, docking and scoring are very useful when handled by experienced practitioners, but less so if treated as a “black box.” Lastly, we present a hypothetical case so beginners may appreciate the nuances of setting up a docking study. Focus in docking is now shifting toward parallel applications, i.e. protein–protein, protein–oligosaccharide, protein–DNA, or protein–RNA docking and polypharmacology. In summary, this article is intended to elucidate the nuances of the subject, while providing guidelines for practical implementation of effective workflows in drug discovery and structural biology.
Sub‐Nanometer Nanobelts Based on Titanium Dioxide/Zirconium Dioxide–Polyoxometalate Heterostructures
Authors: Zhang Simin , Liu Nan , Wang Hongwei , Lu Qichen , Shi Wenxiong , Wang Xun
Published: April 2021

In addition to offering conformational flexibility, sub‐nanometer nanobelts (SNBs) also outperform many larger nanobelts with large size owing to their ultrathin morphologies. However, to date, only a few monocomponent SNBs have been synthesized. This study presents a facile method for synthesizing ZrO2–PMoO (PMZ) SNBs and TiO2–PMoO (PMT) SNBs with heterostructures. The SNBs comprise ZrO2/TiO2 and polyoxometalate (POM) nanoclusters, which are formed via the aggregation and subsequent transformation of nanoclusters. Significantly, these SNBs demonstrate high catalytic activity and stability in oxidative desulfurization reactions at room temperature. The impressive catalytic performance of the SNBs is aided by the POM nanoclusters, which not only coassemble with ZrO2/TiO2 nuclei to form building blocks of PMZ SNBs/PMT SNBs but also serve as catalytic centers. The catalytic performance is further enhanced by the ZrO2/TiO2 in the SNBs. Moreover, the proposed synthesis method can be utilized to produce other SNBs. Thus, this method provides valuable insights into the strong performance properties of SNBs created by combining metal oxides and POM nanoclusters into SNBs, which have great potential as redox catalysts.
Synthesis of 5‐Trifluoromethyl‐1,2,4‐Triazoles via Metal‐Free Annulation of Trifluoroacetimidohydrazides and Methyl Ketones
Authors: Zhang Jiajun , Tang Jianhua , Chen Zhengkai , Wu Xiao‐Feng
Published: April 2021

A metal‐free approach for the synthesis of 5‐trifluoromethyl‐1,2,4‐triazoles via I2‐mediated [4+1] annulation of readily available trifluoroacetimidohydrazides and methyl ketones has been achieved. The transformation involves iodination/Kornblum oxidation, intermolecular dehydration condensation and an iodine‐mediated intramolecular cyclization/aromatization sequence. The developed protocol can be easily scaled up to 3 mmol scale without obvious efficiency decrease and be implemented by a consecutive one‐pot manner.

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Cover crop mixtures enhance stability but not productivity in a semi‐arid climate
Authors: Franco Jose G. , Gramig Greta Gaye , Beamer Kenneth P. , Hendrickson John R.
Published: April 2021

Cover crops are a critical component of sustainable agroecosystems, yet their performance in semi‐arid environments with short growing seasons and highly variable precipitation is inconsistent. To evaluate productivity and stability of single species vs. multi‐species cover crop plantings with variable water input, cover crops were evaluated at two sites in North Dakota under dryland and dryland plus irrigation conditions. Cover crop treatments consisted of three warm‐season monocultures, a three warm‐season species mixture (MIX3), and a three warm‐season and three cool‐season species mixture (MIX6). Averaged across year and water regime, biomass production was not greater for mixtures (8,693 kg ha–1, MIX3; 10,212 kg ha–1, MIX6) than for the most productive monoculture (11,295 kg ha–1, sunflower [Helianthus annuus L.]) at the West site. The same held true at the East site (7,486 kg ha–1, MIX3; 8,603 kg ha–1, MIX6), with cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] producing the most biomass, 10,886 kg ha–1, of all monocultures. At the West site, variability in production was lowest for MIX6 when pooled across year and water regime (CV = 25%) compared to monocultures (CV ≥ 49%). At the East site, cowpea had the lowest CV (24%) while mixtures averaged 35%. Pooled across sites, production in the MIX6 plots had the lowest variability (29%). Grasses consistently contributed to high proportions of total biomass production compared to other functional types. Multi‐species cover crop mixtures are more versatile than single species plantings across climates, and resilient cover crop mixtures integrated into semi‐arid crop rotations as full‐ season plantings should include warm and cool season grasses.
Exploring genotype × environment interaction in sweet sorghum under tropical environments
Authors: Souza Vander Fillipe de , Ribeiro Pedro César de Oliveira , Vieira Júnior Indalécio Cunha , Oliveira Isadora Cristina Martins , Damasceno Cynthia Maria Borges , Schaffert Robert Eugene , Parrella Rafael Augusto da Costa , Dias Kaio Olimpio das Graças , Pastina Maria Marta
Published: April 2021

Understanding the genotype‐by‐environment interactions (GEI) is crucial to release sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] cultivars with stable and high agronomic performance under tropical environments. Therefore, linear mixed models could be used to face this challenge by leveraging the biological process of GEI into cultivar recommendation. The goals of this study were: (a) to explore GEI patterns under tropical conditions to select stable and high‐yielding genotypes for energy‐use in the bioethanol industry; and (b) to evaluate the advantages of linear mixed models taking into account simultaneously the genetic and the residual correlations across environments and the genomic relationship between genotypes. The breeding dataset was comprised of 41 genotypes evaluated for Tonnes of brix per hectare (TBH) in late‐stage trials over 32 tropical environments. The models incorporating simultaneously the genomic relationship matrix of genotypes and the genetic and the residual correlations across environments showed the lowest values of Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) compared to the standard phenotypic models, and also increased the expected genetic gains of TBH across years. Based on the best models selected by AIC, the genotypes 38 (CMSXS5006), 6 (BRS511), 5 (CMSXS633), 9 (CMSXS637), and 12 (BRS506) exhibited the highest productivity in TBH. Particularly, the genotype 9 (CMSXS637) showed broad stability and high productivity under tropical environments, besides the desirable traits for bioethanol production. These results highlight the importance of modeling the genomic relationship between genotypes and the genetic and the residual correlations across environments to increase the breeding efficiency of sweet sorghum under tropical environments.
Planting depth affects corn emergence, growth and development, and yield
Authors: Nemergut Kyle T. , Thomison Peter R. , Carter Paul R. , Lindsey Alexander J.
Published: April 2021

Current planting depth recommendations for corn (Zea mays L.) producers range from 38 to 51 mm in the midwestern United States. Characterization of emergence and soil conditions at a range of depths under later‐planted scenarios is important as days adequate for field work in April have been reducing and may affect planting dates. Field studies were conducted in Ohio from 2017 to 2019 to determine the effects of planting depth and soil type on emergence, growth, and grain yield. The research was conducted in two soil types (Strawn–Crosby or Kokomo) using a randomized complete block design with four replications targeting three planting depths (25, 51, and 76 mm). Sensors were installed at the depth of seeding to measure soil moisture and temperature during the emergence period. Plants were harvested to assess growth at V3 and yield at R6. Seeds targeted at 25‐mm depth resulted in the shortest time to 10% emerged but had the least uniform emergence (longest time from 10–90% emerged) compared to the 51 and 76 mm targeted depths. Shallow planting depth also correlated to fewer leaves per plant and fewer kernels produced per plant. Emergence 7 d or 86 soil accumulated growing degree units (sGDU) after planting across fields resulted in a per plant yield reduction of 5% per day or 0.6% per sGDU, respectively. In the Strawn–Crosby field, plot yields did not differ between planting depths; in the Kokomo field yields increased by 8 or 10% when planting at 51 and 76 mm, respectively, as compared to 25 mm. Planting depth adjustments can enhance crop performance, though grain yield responses may differ by soil type.
Mechanism for clogging of microchannels by small particles with liquid cohesion
Authors: Shao Yachan , Ruan Xuan , Li Shuiqing
Published: April 2021

We numerically investigate the effect of liquid cohesion on the clogging of microchannels induced by small wet particles. The computer simulation is performed by the discrete element method (DEM) with cohesive contact models in presence of pendular liquid bridges, which is embedded into the computational fluid dynamics (CFD). We find that liquid cohesion significantly promotes particle deposition and agglomerate growth. A clogging phase diagram, in the form of Weber number and Stokes number, is constructed to quantify the clogging‐nonclogging transition. The competition between particle–particle and particle–fluid interactions is quantitatively discussed in terms of particle velocity and slip velocity. Strong cohesion can address a greater slip velocity or drag between particles and fluid, which depresses the resuspension of deposited particles and results in clogging. Finally, we compare our results with clogging induced by van der Waals adhesion of small dry particles and find that the competence of liquid cohesion is more prominent.