bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Accumulation Risk of Heavy Metals in Vegetables which Grown in Contaminated Soil
Authors: Hamad Asmaa A , Alamer Khalid H , Alrabie Hissah S
Published: February 2021

The present study has been carried out to estimate heavy metals mobility, bioconcentration and transfer from polluted soil to roots tissues and from roots tissues to aerial parts using bioconcentration factor and translocation factor. Soil samples and the biomass of the eight vegetable species have been collected during summer season, 2019 from four different sites in Wadi Al-Arg, Taif Governorate, KSA. In general, heavy metals content of soil samples in site III and IV have recorded elevated values compared with those of site I and II. The soil from site IV has shown the highest concentration of Mn, Ni, Cr, Pb, Cu, and Cd amounted 31.63, 14.05, 13.56, 22.79, 31.02 and 2.98 mg/kg dry soil respectively, while the soil from site III has shown the highest concentration of Zn. The data referred to the fact that Mentha longifolia, Cucumis sativus, Capsicum annuum, Lactuca sativa Cucurbita pepo, and Anethum graveolens that grown in sites of investigation could be recognized as suitable for human consumption. These six vegetables could accumulate the measured heavy metals in their tissues with acceptable quantities, less than the permissible levels of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Otherwise, heavy metal concentrations in Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum melongena have been found to be higher than permissible limits of FAO. Both plants also have shown elevated bioconcentration factors values for most of measured heavy metals. For S. lycopersicum the bioconcentration factor values of Fe, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Zn have been found to be 42.150, 27.250, 1.023, ND, 5.926, 4.649, 29.409, and 0.459 respectively. While for S. melongena, they have been 2.360, 21.333, ND, 0.170, ND, 3.113, 50.318, and 0.623, respectively. To avoid the harmful effects of the heavy metals accumulation on human health, consideration should be given to the constant examination to the edible parts of the vegetables grown in heavy metals contaminated soil.
Effects of Nitrogen and Sulfur Sprays on the Growth and Production of Broccoli Brassica Oleracea var. Italica L.
Authors: Kisko Mushtak F. Karomi , Kadhum Nabil Jwad , Ali Zainab Anwar , Abid Noora Saheb
Published: February 2021

In order to achieve optimal plant growth and production, essential nutrients must be readily available in adequate quantities and in a balanced proportion to give a good yield, especially broccoli which has health benefits that may not be found in many other plants. For this purpose, this experiment was carried out during the seasons 2019/2020 in the botanical garden of the Department of Biology, College of Science for Women, University of Baghdad, to study the effects of nitrogen and sulphur and their interaction on eight parameters reflecting the overall traits of vegetative growth, yield, and chlorophyll content of broccoli Brassica oleracea L. (var. italic JASSMINE F1 Hybrid). A factorial design with three replicates was used, each with 7 plants treated via foliar spraying. The first factor included three groups; control N0 (distill water spray), N1 (500 mg.l-1 nitrogen), and N2 (1000 mg.l-1 nitrogen). The second factor also included three groups; control S0 (distill water spray), S1 (500 mg.l-1 sulfur), and S2 (1000 mg.l-1 sulfur). We used Urea (CO(NH2)2) as a nitrogen source and zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) as a sulfur source. As for the treatment with nitrogen, the results revealed that N2 treatment caused the significantly highest values in all the studied traits, except for the plant height, where there was no significant difference between N1 and N2. As related to the treatment with sulphur, the results showed that S2 treatment resulted in the significantly highest values of leave area, leave dry weight, and root fresh weight. S2 also caused the highest values, but with no significant differences, of plant height, stem diameter and chlorophyll content index. S1 treatment, on the other hand, caused insignificantly higher values of leave number per plant and main curd weight. Based on the results of the interaction between nitrogen and sulfur, S1N2 treatment resulted in the significantly highest values as compared to all other treatments of all the studied traits, except for the plant height, root fresh weight, and main curd weight. The results presented here may facilitate improvements of Broccoli cultivation with suitable nutrient concentrations for sustainable agriculture. In conclusion, the present study comes up with the following: nitrogen and sulfur and their interaction enhance significantly the growth and production of broccoli.
Measuring Positive and Negative Association of Apriori Algorithm with Cosine Correlation Analysis
Authors: Wardani Dewi Wisnu
Published: February 2021

This work aims to see the positive association rules and negative association rules in the Apriori algorithm by using cosine correlation analysis. The default and the modified Association Rule Mining algorithm are implemented against the mushroom database to find out the difference of the results. The experimental results showed that the modified Association Rule Mining algorithm could generate negative association rules. The addition of cosine correlation analysis returns a smaller amount of association rules than the amounts of the default Association Rule Mining algorithm. From the top ten association rules, it can be seen that there are different rules between the default and the modified Apriori algorithm. The difference of the obtained rules from positive association rules and negative association rules strengthens to each other with a pretty good confidence score.
Preparing and Studying Structural and Optical Properties of Pb1-xCdxS Nanoparticles of Solar Cells Applications
Authors: Hakeem Haneen S. , Abbas Nada K.
Published: February 2021

Nanoparticles of Pb1-xCdxS within the composition of 0≤x≤1 were prepared from the reaction of aqueous solution of cadmium acetate, lead acetate, thiourea, and NaOH by chemical co-precipitation. The prepared samples were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy(in the range 300-1100nm) to study the optical properties, AFM and SEM to check the surface morphology(Roughness average and shape) and the particle size. XRD technique was used to determine the crystalline structure, XRD technique was used to determine the purity of the phase and the crystalline structure, The crystalline size average of the nanoparticles have been found to be 20.7, 15.48, 11.9, 11.8, and 13.65 nm for PbS, Pb0.75Cd0.25S, Pb0.5Cd0.5S, Pb0.25Cd0.75S, and CdS respectively. The results indicate that crystalline structure of all prepared samples is cubic except CdS which shows hexagonal and cubic structure. The particle size was found within the range of (64.81 to 91.14) nm, with a high purity.
Prediction Model for Morphological Distribution and Evolution of Submarine Cuttings Piles in Offshore Drilling
Authors: Zhang Zhi , Sun Baojiang , Wang Zhiyuan , Tong Shikun , Guo Bing , Du Kai
Published: February 2021

Offshore oil and gas has effectively alleviated the global shortage of oil and gas resources, and drilling operations are becoming increasingly frequent. However, the cuttings discharged during surface drilling are transported and deposited to form cuttings piles, which pose a serious threat to the marine ecological environment. In this study, we consider the randomness and uncertainty of cuttings movement to divide the transport process into parabola and collision motion between the moving particles and slope particles after falling on the slope surface of cuttings piles. Through specific analysis of the stress state of a single particle in the transport process and changes in momentum distribution of the particle swarm, the evolution model of the morphological distribution of cuttings piles and the nearby flow field is established. This model can quantitatively analyze the evolution law of the morphological distribution of cuttings piles under the action of ocean current and the disturbance law of the flow field near the cuttings piles caused by the invasion of cuttings particles. Comparing the measured data at an offshore drilling field and prediction results of the model of Sun et al. (2020), the relative error of the model amounts to less than 15%, which demonstrates its rationality. The simulation results show that the morphological distribution of cuttings piles and the nearby flow field change significantly under the action of ocean current, and the intensity of evolution is related to the current velocity and cuttings size, which is of great significance for the quantitative analysis of the evolution of cuttings piles under the action of ocean currents and accurate prediction of their morphological distribution.
Avian species richness in cities: A review of the Spanish-language literature from the Southern Cone of South America
Authors: Muñoz-Pacheco Catalina B. , Villasenor Nelida R.
Published: February 2021

South America sustains an important part of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and presents a high urbanization level. Global syntheses have revealed a paucity of urban ecological research in this region; however, local research might be overlooked due to language barriers. To contribute to disseminate local knowledge, we synthesized the Spanish-language literature on bird species richness in the Southern Cone of South America - an area of high diversity, endemism, and more than half of the world’s terrestrial biomes. In this systematic review, we identified patterns and trends in the literature, and the variables that influence bird species richness. Most research was performed in large cities, focused on green areas (large urban parks), short-termed (1 year or less) and involved one season only (reproductive). The most studied biomes were Temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands, and Mediterranean and Temperate forests, and no study was found in mountains or deserts. Bird species richness in cities from the Southern Cone was positively influenced by vegetation cover and plant and habitat diversity; whereas variables associated with urban cover and disturbance exhibited negative effects. Important gaps of knowledge include research in small and medium size cities, in overlooked biomes (desserts, xeric shrublands, montane grasslands and shrublands), long-term research, comprising different seasons, including green space other than urban parks, and interdisciplinary studies that consider environmental, social, and economic components of urban ecosystems. By filling these key knowledge gaps, researchers from South America can contribute to the development of science-based actions to preserve nature in an urbanizing world.
Transcriptomic Characteristics of Suboptimal Health Status: Potential Utility of Novel Biomarkers for Predictive, Preventive, and Personalized Medicine Strategy
Authors: Wang Hao , Tian Qiuyue , Zhang Jie , Liu Hongqi , Zhang Jinxia , Cao Weijie , Zhang Xiaoyu , Li Xingang , Wu Lijuan , Song Manshu , Kong Yuanyuan , Wang Wei , Wang Youxin
Published: February 2021

Background
The early diagnosis of Suboptimal Health Status (SHS) creates a window opportunity for the predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM) of chronic diseases. Previous studies have observed the alterations in several mRNA levels in SHS individuals. As a promising “omics” technology offering comprehension of genome structure and function at RNA level, transcriptome profiling can provide innovative molecular biomarkers for the predictive diagnosis and targeted prevention of SHS.
Methods
To explore the potential diagnostic biomarkers, biological functions, and signaling pathways involved in SHS, an RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq)-based transcriptome analysis was firstly conducted on buffy coat samples collected from 30 participants with SHS and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
Results
Transcriptome analysis identified a total of 46 differentially expressed genes, in which 22 transcripts were significantly increased and 24 transcripts were decreased in the SHS group. A total of 23 transcripts was selected as candidate diagnostic biomarkers for SHS. Gene Ontology (GO) annotations and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that several biological processes were related to SHS, such as ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter and neurodegeneration. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis identified 10 hub gene related to SHS, including GJA1, TWIST2, KRT1, TUBB3, AMHR2, BMP10, MT3, BMPER, NTM and TMEM98. A transcriptome diagnosis model can distinguish SHS individuals from the healthy controls with a sensitivity of 83.3% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 73.9%-92.7%), a specificity of 90.0% (95% CI: 82.4%-97.6%), and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.938 (95% CI: 0.882–0.994).
Conclusion
Blood transcripts are potentially objective biomarkers for the SHS diagnosis. These findings determine the potential utility of SHS-related transcriptomic biomarkers for PPPM of chronic diseases.
Molecular Mechanism of ATF6α/S1P/S2P Signaling Pathway in Hippocampal Neuron Apoptosis in SPS Rats
Authors: han liang , Xu Yan hao , Shi Yu xiu
Published: February 2021

Apoptosis of hippocampal neurons is one of the mechanisms of hippocampal atrophy in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it is also one of the important reasons of memory disorder in PTSD patients. The endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) mediated by activated transcription factor 6α(ATF6α)/site 1 protease (S1P)/S2P is involved in cell apoptosis, but it is not clear whether it is involved in hippocampal neuron apoptosis caused by PTSD. The PTSD rat model was constructed by the single-prolonged stress (SPS) method. The experiment was divided into two parts: (1) Control group, SPS 1d group, SPS 7d group, SPS 14d group. (2) Control group, SPS 7d group, SPS 7d+AEBSF group, control+AEBSF group. 4-(2-Aminoethyl) benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride (AEBSF) is an ATF6α pathway inhibitor. The expression of ATF6α, glucose regulated protein (GRP78), S1P, S2, C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), caspase-12 protein and mRNA in the hippocampus of PTSD rats were detected by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and qRT-PCR. The apoptosis of hippocampal neurons was detected by TUNEL staining. In experiment 1, the protein and mRNA expression of ATF6α, GRP78 increased gradually in SPS 1d group and SPS 7d group, but decreased in SPS 14d group(P<0.01). In experiment 2, compared with the control group, the protein and mRNA expression of ATF6α, GRP78, S1P, S2P, CHOP, caspase-12 and apoptosis rate were significantly increased in SPS 7d group(P<0.01). However, the protein and mRNA expression of ATF6α, GRP78, S1P, S2P, CHOP, caspase-12 and apoptosis rate were significantly decreased after AEBSF pretreatment(P<0.01). SPS induces apoptosis of hippocampal neurons by activating ERS mediated by ATF6α, suggesting that ERS-induced apoptosis is involved in the occurrence of PTSD.
Impact of Channel Estimation-and-Artificial Noise Cancellation Imperfection on Artificial Noise-Aided Energy Harvesting Overlay Networks
Authors: Ho-Van Khuong , Do-Dac Thiem
Published: February 2021

EHONs (Energy Harvesting Overlay Networks) satisfy stringent design requirements such as high energy-and-spectrum utilization efficiencies. However, due to open access nature of these networks, eavesdroppers can emulate cognitive radios to wire-tap legitimate information, inducing information security to become a great concern. In order to protect legitimate information against eavesdroppers, this paper generates artificial noise transmitted simultaneously with legitimate information to interfere eavesdroppers. Nonetheless, artificial noise cannot be perfectly suppressed at legitimate receivers as for its primary purpose of interfering only eavesdroppers. Moreover, channel information used for signal detection is hardly estimated at receivers with absolute accuracy. As such, to quickly evaluate impact of channel estimation-and-artificial noise cancellation imperfection on secrecy performance of secondary/primary communication in ANaEHONs (Artificial Noise-aided EHONs), this paper firstly proposes precise closed-form formulas of primary/secondary SOP (Secrecy Outage Probability). Then, computer simulations are provided to corroborate these formulas. Finally, various results are illustrated to shed insights into secrecy performance of ANaEHON with key system parameters from which optimum parameters are recognized. Notably, secondary/primary communication can be secured at different levels by flexibly adjusting various parameters of the proposed system model
An Environmentally Friendly Phosphorus-Modified Cellulose/Silica Hybrid Hydrogel for Fire Prevention and Firefighting
Authors: Nabipour Hafezeh , Shi Hu , Wang Xin , Hu Xiangming , Song Lei , Hu Yuan
Published: February 2021

Wildfires have been recognized as a natural incident in some forests, however, fire season is now more severe and extensive, even in tropical rainforests in which fire could have damaging impacts. A hydrogel is a 3-D polymeric structure encompassing cross-linked and hydrophilic macromolecules. In comparison with water, hydrogels have shown some superiorities in terms of water-binding, cooling, and sealing, which make them be applied in forest fire prevention programs for improving fire-extinguishing performance. In this study, an environmentally friendly phosphorus-modified cellulose/silica hybrid hydrogel was prepared based on the modified methylcellulose by 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide–itaconic acid (DOPO-ITA) and silica nanoparticles. The storage (G') and loss (G") moduli increased with the increment of silica nanoparticles content, owing to the role of silica nanoparticles as crosslinking agent. In the fire prevention experiments, the grass treated with the methylcellulose@DOPO-ITA@silica hybrid hydrogel shows self-extinguishing behavior, whereas those treated with ordinary water or methylcellulose hydrogel can be easily ignited after one week. In the firefighting experiments, the methylcellulose@DOPO-ITA@silica hybrid hydrogel displays much shorter extinguishing time and lower consumption volume than ordinary water and the methylcellulose@DOPO-ITA hydrogel. This work presents an environmentally-friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradable cellulose-based hybrid hydrogel for fire prevention and firefighting of wildfires.
Abnormal CD8 T cells induce and track Alzheimer’s-like neurodegeneration
Authors: Wheeler Christopher , Panwar Akanksha , Rentsendorj Altan , Jhun Michelle , Cohen Robert , Cordner Ryan , Gull Nicole , Pechnick Robert , Duvall Gretchen , Mardiros Armen , Golchian David , Schubloom Hannah , Jin Lee-way , Dam Debby Van , Vermeiren Yannick , De Reu Hans , De Deyn Peter Paul , Black Keith
Published: February 2021

Sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, the most common neurodegenerative disorder of aging, is characterized by cerebral plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Experimental rodents develop plaques but neither tangles nor substantial neurodegeneration under conditions that guarantee Alzheimer’s in humans, suggesting rodents lack critical co-initiation factors. Accumulation of antigen-reactive memory CD8 T cells increases with aging, and was recently revealed as a hallmark of human Alzheimer’s. The impact of this process on disease initiation, however, has not been established because age-related T cell changes are muted in rodents. We developed a mouse model of human-like CD8 T cell aging that promotes antigen-reactive memory CD8 T cell accumulation. Here we show that these “hiT” mice develop all major hallmarks of Alzheimer’s with aging, including tangle-like inclusions and substantial neurodegeneration. Antigen-reactive CD8 T cells analogous to those in hiT mice increased in Alzheimer’s brain, but decreased earlier in blood, where their loss effectively distinguished the Alzheimer’s continuum from aging controls. Our findings establish a clinically relevant mouse model for sporadic Alzheimer’s and show that age-related immune dysfunction critically contributes to its initiation. They also identify useful immune-based targets to track and potentially treat human Alzheimer’s, while validating a model system to examine age-related disease immuno-biology more generally.
Earthquake Vulnerability in the Himalaya by Integrated Multi-Criteria Decision Models
Authors: Malakar Sukanta , Rai Abhishek K
Published: February 2021

Himalaya is one of the most seismo-tectonically active mountain on the surface of the earth. Recurring moderate and high magnitude earthquakes are not uncommon in this region. This paper maps the earthquake vulnerability in the Himalayan seismo-tectonic zone using integrated multi-criteria decision models. Several factors influence the earthquake vulnerability in a region, such as the social, geotechnical, structural, and physical parameters. We have used the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach to determine the weights of various parameters, which have been further used in the VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) and Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) method to develop earthquake vulnerability maps for the study area. The map generated by AHP-VIKOR reveals that 12.93% of the Himalayan region is highly vulnerable, 26.39% moderately vulnerable, and 60.67% of the area is relatively low vulnerable. On the other hand, the AHP-GRA method reveals that 9.75% of the region is high vulnerability zone, 20.26% moderate, 70% as a relatively low vulnerable zone. A high correlation between the final vulnerability maps generated from AHP-VIKOR and AHP-GRA further validates our result. The results of this paper may be useful for the various hazard mitigation and infrastructure planning agencies in the Himalayan seismicity zone.
The impact of the COVID-19 response on the provision of other public health services in the U.S.: A cross sectional study
Authors: Kintziger Kristina W. , Stone Kahler W. , Jagger Meredith , Horney Jennifer A.
Published: February 2021

Background

Funding and staff formerly dedicated to routine public health tasks (e.g., responding to communicable and non-communicable diseases, investigating foodborne outbreaks, conducting routine surveillance) and services (e.g., environmental health, substance abuse, maternal-child health) may no longer be available in many public health departments due to the COVID-19 response. The objective of this study was to assess the extent to which staffing for essential public health services has been redirected to the COVID-19 response.
Methods

This is a cross-sectional study using a survey distributed through the Qualtrics platform. Individuals (N = 298) working in public health across governmental and academic public health departments in the U.S. during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response were surveyed. Survey items measured multiple domains including professional experience (i.e., training, years of experience, content expertise, job functions), mental and physical health status (i.e., generalized anxiety, depression, burnout), and career plans (i.e., pre-pandemic vs. current career plans).
Results

The total number of content expertise areas and programmatic functions covered by individual public health workers increased between January and September of 2020, with 26% (73 of 282) of respondents reporting an increase in both. The total number of respondents working in infectious disease and preparedness remained constant, while declines were reported in program evaluation (-36%) and health education (-27%) and increases were reported in disease investigation (+ 35%).
Conclusions

The provision of many essential public health functions and tasks have been limited or eliminated while the U.S. public health workforce responds to the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings highlight opportunities for funding and professional development of public health systems, both during and after the COVID-19 response, to help ensure the continuity of essential public health services, staffing sustainability, and preparedness for future public health emergencies in the U.S.
Trial registration:
Not applicable.
Simple Mobile technology health management tool for people with severe mental illness: a randomised controlled feasibility trial
Authors: Röhricht Frank , Padmanabhan Raguraman , Binfield Paul , Mavji Deepa , Barlow Sally
Published: February 2021

Background:
Severe mental illness (SMI) is associated with care delivery problems due to the patient’s psychosocial impairment and corresponding functional disability. Current routine appointment systems do not adequately foster recovery care and are not systematically capturing information suggestive of urgent care needs.
This study aimed to assess the
feasibility, acceptability, and potential clinical benefits of a
mobile technology health management tool to enhance community care
in people with severe mental illness.
Methods:
This randomised-controlled feasibility pilot study utilised mixed quantitative (measure on subjective quality of life as primary outcome; questionnaires on self-management skills, medication adherence scale as secondary outcomes) and qualitative (thematic analysis) methodologies. The intervention was a simple interactive technology (Short Message Service (SMS) communication system called ‘Florence’, and had three components: medication and appointment reminders, daily individually defined wellbeing scores and optionally coded request for additional support. Eligible participants (diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder ≥ 1 year) were randomised (1:1) to either treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU and the technology-assisted intervention.
Results:
The health technology tool appeared to offer a practicable and acceptable intervention for patients with SMI in managing their condition. Recruitment and retention data indicated feasibility, the qualitative analysis identified suggestions for further improvement of the intervention. Preliminary results suggest that service users engaged well and benefited from SMS reminders and from monitoring their individual wellbeing scores. The care coordinators did not utilise the intervention per protocol due to a variety of organisational barriers. Quantitative analysis of outcomes (including a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) on subjective quality of life, self-efficacy/competence and medication adherence) did not reveal significant differences between groups over time, given high baseline scores. The wellbeing scores, however, were positively correlated with all outcome measures.
Conclusion:
It is feasible to conduct an adequately powered full trial to evaluate this intervention. Inclusion criteria should be revised to include service users with a higher level of need and clinicians should receive more in-depth assistance in managing the tools effectively. The preliminary data suggests that this intervention can aid recovery care and individually defined wellbeing scores are highly predictive of a range of recovery outcomes; they could, therefore, guide the allocation of routine care resources.
Trial registration
ISRCTN 34124141; retrospectively registered, date of registration 05/11/2019.
Microwave assisted ultrafast immobilization of CuO nanostructures in paper matrices for antimicrobial applications
Authors: Aggrawal Sudiksha , Pradhan Debabrata , Mohanty Paritosh
Published: February 2021

CuO nanoflakes with dimension of 50-150 nm × 200 nm were successfully immobilized on the surface of cellulose fibers by an ultrafast (5 min reaction time), scalable microwave assisted method. The achievement of high retention of CuO upto 70% has been phenomenal as the immobilization was carried out in the absence of any linker, binder or retention aid. The successful recyclability of the CuO immobilized paper matrices upto five consecutive cycles while retaining 87% of immobilized CuO nanostructures in paper matrices has been unprecedented. The antimicrobial activities of the paper matrices have been investigated by deactivating both G. trabeum and E. coli . The CuO immobilized paper matrices have desisted the growth of G. trabeum for upto 28 days, which is phenomenal and completely deactivated E. coli of the CFU in order of 10 7 in the presence of visible light with exposure time of 2 h only.
In silico exploration of phytoconstituents from Phyllanthus emblica and Aegle marmelos as potential therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 RdRp
Authors: Pandey Khushboo , Lokhande Kiran Bharat , Swamy K. venkateswara , Nagar Shuchi , Dake Manjusha
Published: February 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) worldwide has increased the importance of computational tools to design a drug or vaccine in reduced time with minimum risk. Earlier studies have emphasized the important role of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) in SARS-CoV-2 replication as a potential drug target. In our study, comprehensive computational approaches were applied to identify potential compounds targeting RdRp of SARS-CoV-2. To study the binding affinity and stability of the phytocompounds from Phyllanthus emblica and Aegel marmelos within the defined binding site of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp, they were subjected to molecular docking, 100ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation followed by post-simulation analysis. Further, to assess the importance of features involved in the strong binding affinity, molecular field-based similarity analysis was performed. Based on comparative molecular docking and simulation studies of the selected phytocompounds with SARS-CoV-2 RdRp revealed that, EBDGp possess stronger binding affinity (-23.32 kcal/mol) and stability than other phytocompounds and reference compound, Remdesivir (-19.36 kcal/mol). Molecular field-based similarity profiling has supported our study in the validation of the importance of the presence of hydroxyl groups in EBDGp, involved in increasing its binding affinity towards SARS-CoV-2 RdRp. Molecular docking and dynamic simulation results confirmed that EBDGp has better inhibitory potential than Remdesivir and can be an effective novel drug for SARS-CoV-2 RdRp. Furthermore, binding free energy calculations confirmed the higher stability of the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp-EBDGp complex. These results suggest that the EBDGp compound may emerge as a promising drug against SARS-CoV-2 and hence requires further experimental validation.
Increase energy use efficiency and economic benefit with reduced environmental footprint in rice production of central China
Authors: Yuan Shen , Zhan Xuewu , Xu Le , Ling Xiaoxia , Peng Shaobing
Published: February 2021

Identifying an energy-efficient system with low energy use, low global warming potential (GWP), and high profitability is essential for ensuring the sustainability of the agro-environment. Given the global importance of China’s rice production, this study determines energy, environmental, and economic performances of transplanted (TPR) and direct-seeded rice system (DSR) in central China. The results showed that total energy inputs for TPR and DSR were 31.5 and 22.8 GJ ha− 1 across two growing seasons, respectively. Higher energy input for TPR primarily resulted from extra energy use of the nursery beds and transplanting. Higher energy output of DSR (202.5 GJ ha− 1) over that of TPR (187.7 GJ ha− 1) was due to a slightly higher yield from DSR. Therefore, DSR exhibited significantly higher energy use efficiency than that of TPR. Lower specific energy for DSR (2.78 MJ kg− 1) relative to TPR (4.02 MJ kg− 1) indicated that the energy used to produce per unit of rice grain could be reduced by 30.8% by adopting DSR. On average, GWP of DSR was reduced by 5.6% compared with TPR. Moreover, DSR had a 55.8% higher gross return and a 25.7% lower production cost than those of TPR. Overall, compared with TPR, DSR has the potential to increase gross economic return and energy output with reduced energy input and emissions. Therefore, this study suggests that DSR is an environmentally-sound and economically-viable production system. As such, DSR is noted as an energy-efficient and climate-smart production system that could be used by policymakers and farmers to achieve not only improvements in the environment but also financial benefits.
Extracting and physicochemical properties of carotenoprotein from shrimp processing waste by proteases-mediated hydrolysis
Authors: Pourashouri Parastoo , Mirsadeghi Hojat , Khodanazary Aynaz
Published: February 2021

In this study, carotenoprotein from Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) processing waste was extracted with the aid of alcalase (CP-A) and pepsin (CP-P) at various levels (0-4 units/100g waste) for different times (0–240 min). Recovery of carotenoids and protein increased with increasing enzymes levels (3 unit/g) and hydrolysis times until 180 min (p<0.05). The extracted carotenoprotein by pepsin and alcalase consisted of 72.11-75.32% protein contents and carotenoids were in the range of 330-530 µg/g samples. The phenylalanine, lysine, methionine and valine as essential amino acids were high at CP-A and CP-P. The dominant non-essential amino acids in carotenoproteins were aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine and alanine. It was rich in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The CP-A showed higher DHA and EPA (8.52 and 6.49%) than CP-P (5.55 and 5.49%). The saturated fatty acids were reduced after enzymatic hydrolysis and contents were higher in carotenoproteins. The extracted samples showed a significant amount of mineral contents. Sodium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium contents were found to be higher in CP-A. The lead and copper reduced as a result of hydrolysis. Therefore, carotenoprotein from processing residue of pacific white shrimp could be used as the value-added nutritious enriching food or feed powder.
The Surface Wind Influence on the Heat Fluxes Variability on the South Atlantic
Authors: Lindemann Douglas , Avila-Diaz Alvaro , Pezzi Luciano , Rodrigues Jackson , Freitas Rose Ane , Coelho Lucas , Alonso Marcelo , Cerón Wilmar L.
Published: February 2021

An adequate representation by models and reanalyzes is fundamental since the coverage by observational data on the oceans is still limited. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the influence of the wind near the surface on the heat fluxes during the southern winter and summer seasons. Datasets from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) and reanalyzes were used, in comparison to Objectively Analyzed Air - sea Fluxes (OAFlux) for the South Atlantic Ocean (SAO) during 1980-2005. Results point out an overestimation on the CMIP5 models and reanalyzes to reproduce the heat flux latent and sensible fluxes of SAO, mainly at medium and high latitudes. One possibility may be related the underestimating of surface wind speed, causing an impacts on the heat exchange between ocean and atmosphere. It was also possible to verify that the representation of heat flux, specific humidity, and air and ocean temperatures shows small biases (Mean Bias Error (MBE) to specific humidity (±5 kg.kg-1) and sensible heat flux (±10 W.m-2)). To the test Root Mean Square Error (RMSE)-observations Standard deviation Ratio (RSR), air temperature values are less than 1 °C, and for the wind with values greater than 2 m.s-1. There is less precision of CMIP5 models than OAFlux, resulting in low correlation values (between -0.3 and 0.3). On the other hand, the reanalyzes show small biases in air and ocean temperatures (between ±1 °C) and significant correlations (above 0.9) with the best performances for the NCEP and ERA5.
Synthesis of Nano-Crystalline Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 Powder by Choline-Chloride-Malonate Deep Eutectic Solvents
Authors: Wang Qi-feng , Gu Yong-jun , Li Qian , Huang Jin-liang , Chen Min , Gao Shun , Kim Bok-hee
Published: February 2021

Chloride-malonate deep eutectic solvent (Cm-DES) was applied to synthesize nano-crystalline Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 ceramic powder by using Zr(CH3COO)4, SnCl2∙2H2O and Ti(OCH3CH3)4 as raw materials. The nano-crystalline Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 powder was obtained at 450 °C, dramatically lower than that by solid state reaction. Meantime, the grain size of as-synthesized Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 powder at 450 °C is 10.7 nm. In the synthesized process, Cm-DES, as a solvent and template, affects the synthesis process and the time required for synthesis is greatly reduced. These results show that the Cm-DES is suitable and prospective for the synthesis of nano-crystalline Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 ceramic powder, which could contribute to reduce energy consumption and time cost.
The Role of Trust and Hope in Antipsychotic Medication Reviews in Primary Care Settings: A Realist Review. 
Authors: Grünwald Lisa Marie , Duddy Claire , Byng Richard , Crellin Nadia , Moncrieff Joanna
Published: February 2021

Background: Increasing number of service users diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis are being discharged from specialist secondary care services to primary care, many of whom are prescribed long-term antipsychotics. It is unclear if General Practitioners have the confidence and experience to appropriately review and adjust doses of antipsychotic medication without secondary care support.Aim: To explore barriers and facilitators of conducting antipsychotic medication reviews in primary care for individuals with no specialist mental health inputDesign & Setting: Realist review in general practice settings. Method: A realist review has been conducted to synthesise evidence on antipsychotic medication reviews conducted in primary care with service users diagnosed with schizophrenia and/or psychosis. Following initial scoping searches and discussions with stakeholders, a systematic search and iterative secondary searches were conducted. Articles were systematically screened and analysed to develop a realist programme theory explaining the contexts (C) and mechanisms (M) which facilitate or prevent antipsychotic medication reviews (O) in primary care settings, and the potential outcomes of medication reviews.Results: Antipsychotic medication reviews may not occur for individuals with only primary care medical input. Several, often mutually reinforcing, mechanisms have been identified as potential barriers to carrying out meaningful reviews, including low expectations of recovery for people with severe mental illness, a perceived lack of capability to understand and participate in medication reviews, linked with a lack of information shared in appointments between GPs and Service Users, and perceived risk and uncertainty regarding antipsychotic medication and illness trajectory. Conclusions: The review identified reciprocal and reinforcing stereotypes affecting both GPs and service users. Possible mechanisms to counteract these barriers are discussed, including realistic expectations of medication, and the need for increased information sharing and trust between GPs and service users.
Polyvinyl Alcohol Based Nanocomposite Films Engineered With Clove Oil and Chitosan Nanoparticles to Combat the Postharvest Fungal Diseases
Authors: K Radhakrishnan E , Jose Ashitha , Saranya A.S , Chacko Chinnu , Jacob Dhanya M
Published: February 2021

The post-harvest loss of fresh produces is a global challenge to the food industry. The drastic loss of fresh produces caused mainly by fungal attack demands the development of active packaging materials with antimicrobial properties. Hence studies have already reported the applications of polymers like Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) engineered with antimicrobial properties for the packaging. In the current study, material properties of PVA alone, PVA incorporated with chitosan nanoparticles (PCS), clove oil (PCO) and also chitosan nanoparticles and clove oil combination (PCSCO) have been studied for the packaging applications. All the developed films were characterised by the XRD and FTIR analysis and it confirmed the molecular interactions among the components of nanocomposites. At the same time, the bionanocomposite PCSCO was found to have low moisture content and film solubility as suitable for the packaging application. In addition, the presence of chitosan nanoparticles and clove oil was found to provide the microbial barrier properties to the PCS, PCO and PCSCO flms. The PCSCO film with both chitosan nanoparticles and clove oil was further demonstrated to have superior antifungal activity against the spoilage organism Pythium aphanidermatum. The results of the study indicate the potential of developed nanocomposite for the postharvest packaging application.
A Comprehensive Density-of-States Model for Oxide Semiconductor Thin Film Transistors
Authors: Rajshekar Kadiyam , Dhanaraj Kannadassan
Published: February 2021

In this paper, a comprehensive Density of States model was proposed to understand the origin of conductivity and the performance of p-type and n-type oxide semiconductor thin film transistors (TFTs). To validate the model, the simulated I-V characteristics are compared with measured results of p-type Cu2O & SnO and n-type SnO2 TFTs. It was found that cation vacancies were responsible for hole conduction in p-type TFTs, while anion vacancies and/or metal interstitial were responsible for electron conduction in n-type TFTs. This was observed by assigning the cation vacancies to acceptor-like Gaussian states and anion vacancies and/or metal interstitial to Donor-like Gaussian states respectively. The characteristic slopes in conduction/valence band-tail states are due to disorders present in the oxide semiconductors. The model is successfully delivering the physical insight and path way to circuit simulation of large scale integration of pixel circuits AMLCD/AMOLED displays.
Mechanisms of immunomodulation and cytoprotection conferred to pancreatic islet by human amniotic epithelial cells
Authors: Lebreton Fanny , Wassmer Charles H. , Bellofatto Kevin , Perez Lisa , Othenin-Girard Véronique , de Tejada Begoña Martinez , Cohen Marie , Berishvili Ekaterine
Published: February 2021

Inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokine activity can reverse inflammation mediated dysfunction of islet grafts. Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) possess regenerative, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. We hypothesized that hAECs could protect islets from cellular damage induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines. To verify our hypothesis hAECs monocultures, rat islets (RI), or RI-hAEC co-cultures where exposed to a pro-inflammatory cytokine cocktail (Interferon γ: IFN-γ, Tumor necrosis factor α: TNF-α and Interleukin-1β: IL-1β). The secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines and gene expression changes in hAECs and viability and function of RI were evaluated. The expression of non-classical Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I molecules by hAECs cultured with various IFN-γ concentrations were assessed. Exposure to the pro-inflammatory cocktail significantly increased the secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL6, IL10 and G-CSF by hAECs, which was confirmed by upregulation of IL6, and IL10 gene expression. HLA-G, HLA-E and PDL-1 gene expression was also increased. This correlated with an upregulation of STAT1, STAT3 and NF-κB1gene expression levels. RI co-cultured with hAECs maintained normal function after cytokine exposure compared to RI cultured alone, and showed significantly lower apoptosis rate. Our results show that exposure to pro-inflammatory cytokines stimulates secretion of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory factors by hAECs through the JAK1/2 – STAT1/3 and the NF-κB1 pathways, which in turn protects islets against inflammation-induced damages. Integrating hAECs in islet transplants appears as a valuable strategy to achieve to inhibit inflammation mediated islet damage, prolong islet survival, improve their engraftment and achieve local immune protection allowing to reduce systemic immunosuppressive regimens.
Predictors of Underweight Among Lactating Mothers in Dangila District, North West Ethiopia
Authors: Adugna Abaynew , Degu Amsalu
Published: February 2021

Background: Health extension workers are responsible for providing nutritional services like nutritional assessment and intervention for individuals who are identified as being at nutrition risk within their catchment area. Despite the Ethiopian government's effort to reduce the prevalence of maternal malnutrition through health extension workers, maternal underweight is still a significant public health problem in the country. Hence, this study aimed to identify the predictors of underweight among lactating mothers in Dangila woreda, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia.Methods: An institution-based case-control study was conducted on 400 lactating women in three primary health care units of Dangila Woreda. A consecutive sampling method was used to select study participants. The data collectors were given appropriate training, and the principal investigator was continuously supervising the data collection process to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information. A bivariable logistic regression was performed, and the variables with p-value <0.2 in bivariable logistic regression were entered to multivariable logistic regression to control the effect of confounding variables.Results: The present study showed no statistically significant difference between the cases and controls in the sociodemographic characteristics. Besides, most of the cases had inadequate (60.52%) levels of nutritional knowledge compared to the controls. Regarding household food security, the majority (93.88%) of the cases and controls (89.43%) had food security while only 6.12% of the cases and 10.57% of the controls had food insecurity. Age at first pregnancy (AOR=2.138, 95% CI: 1.134-4.031), breastfeeding age (AOR=2.486, 95 % CI: 1.281-4.823), and site of delivery (AOR=3.157, 95% CI: 1.407-7.084) were the predictors of underweight among lactating mothers.Conclusions: Age at first pregnancy, site of delivery, and breastfeeding age were the significant predictors of underweight in lactating mothers. Therefore, interventions like promoting institutional delivery, prevention of teenage pregnancy, and enhancing the intake of adequate nutrition during lactation should be taken.
Electromechanical Impedance Based Self-Diagnosis of Piezoelectric Smart Structure Using Principal Component Analysis and LibSVM
Authors: Jiang Xie , Zhang Xin , Tang Tao , Zhang Yuxiang
Published: February 2021

The long-term use of a piezoelectric smart structure make it difficult to judge whether the structure or piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is damaged when the signal changes. If the sensor fault occurs, the cases and degrees of the fault are unknown based on the electromechanical impedance method. Therefore, after the principal component analysis (PCA) of six characteristic indexes, a two-component solution which could explain 99.2% of the variance in the original indexes was obtained to judge whether the damage comes from the PZT. Then LibSVM was used to make an effective identification of four sensor faults (pseudo soldering, debonding, wear, and breakage) and their three damage degrees. The result shows that the identification accuracy of damaged PZT reached 97.5%. The absolute scores of PCA comprehensive evaluation for structural damages are less than 0.5 while for sensor faults are greater than 0.6. By comparing the scores of the samples under unknown conditions with the set threshold, whether the sensor faults occur is effectively judged; the intact and 12 possible damage states of PZT can be all classified correctly with the model trained by LibSVM. It is feasible to use LibSVM to classify the cases and degrees of sensor faults.