bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Australian Biotechnology: Promissory Expectations and Ecosystem Performance far From the Global Superclusters
Authors: Molloy Peter
Published: March 2021

Australia is an interesting case study of biotechnology ecosystem development. Despite its distance from the US biotechnology superclusters, the country has had high expectations for its potential development into a biotechnology superpower. These expectations have not been met over the last two decades. Despite generous R&D tax incentives and a robust network of public research organizations (PROs), the local biotechnology industry has remained small and weak, without a single ‘big biotech’ emerging. Cluster analysis over 11 years of all private and public DBFs indicated that the PRO network output failed to translate to the development by the local biotech industry of drug candidates that could attract Big Pharma deals. Analysis of the investor returns over 15 years from all public drug development biotech firms (DDBs) showed that not a single firm produced attractive long-term investor returns and the sector overall generated negative returns for investors. Despite high promissory expectations, favorable government policies and an inflated view of the quality of the country’s science output, Australia has failed to create a sustainable biotechnology ecosystem. Some of the reasons are identified and suggestions are offered for changes in government policy that could improve value creation by the local biotech sector.
Contribution to the study of geographical vocabulary, antroponymy and toponomy in Mirko Banjević's poem 'Sutjeska'
Authors: Jašović Golub
Published: March 2021

This paper deals with geography lexics and terminology found in a Mirko Banjević poem Sutjeska. This poem has been published several times. It was published just after the First World War for the first time in 1946 by "Pobjeda" from Podgorica, and then it was published by publishing house "Rad" from Belgrade in 1953, publishing house "Kosmos" from Belgrade in 1958 and finally by Yugoslav academy of sciences and arts from Zagreb in 1961. Materials used in this paper came from the Kosmos edition from 1961.
La «humanicidad» como categoría lingüística y campo semántico-funcional
Authors: Vercher García Enrique Javier
Published: March 2021

El presente artículo plantea la existencia y analiza la categoría de humanicidad, entendida como el modo en que las lenguas naturales clasifican y expresan la realidad externa en dos grandes ámbitos: el ámbito humano (aquel que el hablante entiende como perteneciente a la sociedad humana, a la esfera de la vida, costumbres, rituales, civilización y cultura específicamente propios del ser humano) y el ámbito natural (la esfera de todo aquello ajeno a la comunidad humana, de lo que está fuera del área de influencia de la civilización humana, es decir, los fenómenos naturales, flora y fauna en su estado salvaje no “domesticado” o no “civilizado”).

El campo-semántico funcional de la humanicidadsería el conjunto de recursos de los diferentes niveles lingüísticos (fonético-fonológico, morfológico, sintáctico y léxico) de una lengua dada para configurar los referentes de la realidad y clasificarlos en función de su categoría de humanicidad(ámbito humano vs. ámbito natural). La humanicidad, por tanto, no debe ser confundida con fenómenos bien conocidos como los de animacidad lingüísticao la distinción morfosintáctica entre humano/no humano.

This article proposes the existence and analyses the category of humanicity, understood as the way in which natural languages classify and express external reality in two large fields: the human sphere (which the speaker understands as belonging to human society, the area of life, customs, rituals, civilization and culture specific to human beings) and the natural sphere (the sphere of everything outwith the human community, outwith the area of influence of human civilization; that is, natural phenomena, flora and fauna in their wild, “undomesticated” or “uncivilised” state).

The functional-semantic field of humanicitywould be the set of resources of the different linguistic levels (phonetic-phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical) of a given language for configuring the reference points of reality and classifying them based on their category of humanicity(human sphere vs natural sphere). Humanicity, must therefore not be confused with well-known phenomena such as linguistic animacyor the morphosyntactic distinction between human/non-human.
Los ejemplos de la categoría 'nombre' en la Gramática de Salvá
Authors: Escudero Paniagua Francisco
Published: March 2021

En este trabajo se analiza la ejemplificación del nombre en la gramática de Salvá, tanto en la analogía como en la sintaxis de la primera edición. Tras la recopilación y análisis del objeto de estudio, se concluye que: 1) en la analogía del nombre, Salvá toma listas de ejemplos de otras gramáticas, pero las actualiza y añade comentarios. En cambio, en la sintaxis presenta ejemplos originales que somete a experimentación; 2) generalmente en la etimología la ejemplificación es cuantiosa, simple y sirve para documentar casos. En la sintaxis es menos cuantiosa, pero más reflexiva. En definitiva, se verifica el interés de Salvá por tener una ejemplificación precisa, adecuada y actualizada, así como por la mejora constante de su obra.

This paper examines the exemplification of nouns in Salvá’s grammar, relying on both the analogy and the syntax sections of its first edition. After compiling and analysing the object of the study, it is concluded that: 1) in the nouns’ analogy section, Salvá borrows lists with examples from other grammar books, but he actualises and adds comments to them. On the other hand, with regard to the syntax, the author brings to the fore original examples that he subjects to experimentation; 2) generally, in the etymology section, exemplification is rich, simple, and used for validating facts. However, in the syntax chapter exemplification is scarce, but more reflexive. In short, this paper corroborates Salvá’s interest in a precise, adequate and updated exemplification, as well as in the constant improvement of his work.
El tratamiento de la referencia disjunta en las Gramáticas académicas (1771-1973)
Authors: Gil de la Puerta Macarena
Published: March 2021

El efecto de referencia disjunta es un fenómeno lingüístico que consiste en que, en determinadas oraciones, como Juan quiere que apruebe, el sujeto omitido del verbo subordinado no puede correferir con el sujeto del verbo principal. Ya en sus primeras ediciones, la Gramática de la Real Academia Española describe este fenómeno y hasta lo considera la causa principal de la alternancia entre las oraciones en subjuntivo y en infinitivo, idea que irá corrigiendo a lo largo de las sucesivas ediciones. En el presente trabajo, se pretende examinar, por tanto, cómo ha sido la evolución en el tratamiento del efecto de referencia disjunta en las gramáticas académicas, durante el periodo de 1771 a 1973.

The disjoint reference effect is a linguistic phenomenon which consists in the fact that in certain sentences, such as 'Juan quiere que apruebe', the omitted subject of the subordinate verb and the subject of the main verb clause cannot be coreferential. In its first editions, the Grammar of the Real Academia Española describes this phenomenon and even considers it the main cause of the alternation between the subjunctive and infinitive clauses, an idea that will be corrected throughout successive editions. Therefore, in this paper, we intend to examine how the evolution in the treatment of the disjoint reference effect in academic grammar has been from 1771 to 1973.
Fuentes del léxico apícola en el «Diccionario de Autoridades»
Authors: Pena Arango Daniela
Published: March 2021

En el presente trabajo se recoge un breve análisis de las autoridades utilizadas para la inclusión y sanción de los términos apícolas en el Diccionario de Autoridades (1726-1739). Este análisis es seguido de un comentario más extenso en el que se aborda la importancia de las fuentes lexicográficas en la elaboración de este tipo de entradas científico-técnicas. Se subraya la repercusión de repertorios nacionales de sobra conocidos, como el Diccionario, de Nebrija o el Tesoro, de Covarrubias, pero también de otros menos comentados, como los diccionarios de Percival (1591), Palet (1604) o Oudin (1607).

In this paper, we present a short analysis regarding the authorities deployed to sanction and include the beekeeping lexicon in the Diccionario de Autoridades (1726-1739). This analysis is followed by a longer commentary, in which the importance of the lexicographical sources, when it comes to the elaboration of this type of technoscientific entries, is addressed. The results highlight the significance of national repertories, which are very well-known, such as the Nebrija’s or the Covarrubias’ dictionaries, but they also display some works which are no so traceable, such as the dictionaries of Percival (1591), Palet (1604) or Oudin (1607).

Dans cet article, nous présenterons une brève analyse des autorités utilisées pour l’inclusion et la sanction des termes apicoles dans le Diccionario de Autoridades (1726-1739). Cette analyse est suivie d’un commentaire plus long où nous traiterons le rôle des sources lexicographiques en l’élaboration de ce type d’entrées scientifiques et techniques. Nous soulignons l’importance de dictionnaires nationales bien connues, comme le Diccionario de Nebrija ou le Tesoro de Covarrubias, mais aussi d’autres moins commentées, comme les œuvres lexicographiques de Percival (1591), Palet (1604) ou Oudin (1607).
Traducción y difusión del «Libro de los Secretos de Agricultura» de Miguel Agustín (1749). Léxico y conocimiento vitivinícola
Authors: Ibáñez Rodríguez Miguel
Published: March 2021

En este artículo se estudia el léxico de la vid y el vino en el libro tercero de los Secretos de Agricultura de Miguel Agustín, escrito en catalán en 1617 y después vertido al español en 1626. También se revisa la traducción y difusión de dicho tratado. Se concluye que, en comparación con el tratado de 1513 de G. Alonso de Herrera, hay mayor pobreza terminológica y sus aportaciones a la lengua del vino no son significativas, a pesar de que introduce voces nuevas, pero que no llegan a consolidarse, y de su mayor densidad terminológica en los tipos de vinos y en la cata.

This paper addresses the wine lexicon in the third book of Secretos de Agricultura (Agricultural secrets), by Miguel Agustín, first written in Catalan in 1617 and then translated into Spanish in 1626. The translation and spreading of the said treatise are also covered here. A comparison with a previous treatise by G. Alonso de Herrera (1513) reveals that terminology in Agustín's book is not as rich as Alonso de Herrera's and its contribution to wine language is not significant, despite the introduction of some new words that never consolidated and a higher terminological density regarding wine types and tasting.
La saisie du social-historique : création et méthode chez Castoriadis
Authors: Gendreau Geneviève
Published: March 2021

Ce texte explore les propositions épistémologiques de Castoriadis, d’abord à partir de sa critique des sciences sociales, qui montre l’occultation systématique dont le social-historique a fait l’objet. Contre cet héritage des sciences sociales seront examinées ses propositions faisant de l’imaginaire social le lieu de l’institution de toute société. Si Castoriadis ne récuse en rien l’apport des méthodes explicatives et compréhensives en sciences sociales, il spécifie toutefois la région de l’être du social-historique qu’elles sont à même d’éclairer : ses éléments ensidiques, dans le cas des premières ; ses significations imaginaires sociales, dans le cas des secondes. Toutefois, son originalité pour les sciences sociales apparaît dans la nécessité d’une élucidation du noyau même des significations sociales, laquelle ne saurait être pensée en dehors de ses liens, politiques, au projet d’autonomie, ni en dehors de son ontologie de la création/destruction radicale.
Idée de révolution et faire révolutionnaire chez Cornelius Castoriadis
Authors: Coutu Benoît
Published: March 2021

La philosophie politique de Cornelius Castoriadis est aujourd’hui réactualisée par nombre d’auteurs qui s’y réfèrent afin de jeter des bases théoriques à un renouveau des institutions politiques qui seraient plus aptes à faire face aux défis que nous impose le XXIe siècle. C’est dans ce contexte que nous proposons de revisiter sa théorie de la révolution. Pour ce faire, nous commencerons par la présentation de sa conception de la révolution, tant du point de vue historique que conceptuel. Nous exposerons par la suite les conditions objectives de possibilité qu’il met de l’avant, lesquelles sont agencées avec le désir comme conditions subjectives du passage à l’acte révolutionnaire. Nous verrons alors que celui-ci est pensé comme un faire dont le philosophe place en son centre la créativité dans et pour l’histoire.
Tout (est) mobile
Authors: Germann Molz Jennie , Kerbiriou Anne-Hélène
Published: March 2021

Cet article contribue à l’exploration théorique des modes de vie mobiles en proposant les concepts connexes de « convergence des modes de vie » et de « mode de vie comme distinction ». En développant ce cadre conceptuel, l’article s’appuie sur l’exemple de l’éducation par le voyage (worldschooling), un mode de vie mobile en vertu duquel des parents de la classe moyenne du Nord global retirent leurs enfants du cadre scolaire conventionnel pour les instruire tout en parcourant le monde. Comme d’autres adeptes de modes de vie mobiles, les familles pratiquant l’éducation par le voyage recherchent la « bonne vie », un mode de vie qu’elles associent à la mobilité, à la liberté et à l’autonomie. Cette quête constitue une forme de convergence des modes de vie dans laquelle les façons de vivre, c’est-à-dire les pratiques quotidiennes inscrites dans les voyages des familles, et un style de vie s’entremêlent, c’est-à-dire se combinent aux aspirations esthétiques associées à la mobilité. En même temps, nous avançons que la convergence des modes de vie peut également reproduire des hiérarchies sociales qui permettent aux familles de la classe moyenne du Nord global de tirer parti de leurs privilèges existants et d’accumuler de nouvelles formes de capital numérique, cosmopolite et lié au réseau. En ce sens, les modes de vie mobiles peuvent également fonctionner comme une forme de distinction de classe. Cependant, ces résultats ne sont pas propres aux familles pratiquant l’éducation par le voyage et cet article suggère la perspective de la convergence et de la distinction pour comprendre les désirs complexes et les inégalités qui caractérisent plus largement les modes de vie mobiles.
Variability and Consistency in Early Language Learning
Authors: Frank Michael C. , Braginsky Mika , Yurovsky Daniel , Marchman Virginia A.
Published: March 2021

A data-driven exploration of children's early language learning across different languages, providing an empirical reference and a new theoretical framework.

This book examines variability and consistency in children's language learning across different languages and cultures, drawing on Wordbank, an open database with data from more than 75,000 children and twenty-nine languages or dialects. This big data approach makes the book the most comprehensive cross-linguistic analysis to date of early language learning. Moreover, its data-driven picture of which aspects of language learning are consistent across languages suggests constraints on the nature of children's language learning mechanisms. The book provides both a theoretical framework for scholars of language learning, language, and human cognition, and a resource for future research.

Wordbank archives data from parents' reports about their children's language learning using instruments in the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI); its goal is to make CDI data available for study and analysis. After an overview of practical and theoretical issues, each of the book's empirical chapters applies a particular analysis to the Wordbank dataset, considering such topics as vocabulary size, demographic variation, syntactic and semantic categories, and the relationship between vocabulary growth and grammar. The final three chapters draw on the preceding chapters to quantify variability and consistency, consider the bird's eye view of language acquisition afforded by the data, and reflect on methodology.
Putting Skill to Work
Authors: Lowe Nichola
Published: March 2021

An argument for reimagining skill in a way that can extend economic opportunity to workers at the bottom of the labor market.

The United States has a jobs problem—not enough well-paying jobs to go around and not enough clear pathways leading to them. Skill development is critical for addressing this employment crisis, but there are many unresolved questions about who has skill, how it is attained, and whose responsibility it is to build skills over time. In this book, Nichola Lowe tells the stories of pioneering workforce intermediaries—nonprofits, unions, community colleges—that harness this ambiguity around skill to extend economic opportunity to workers at the bottom of the labor market.

Skill development confers shared value to both workers and employers because it lies at the intersection of their respective interests. Connecting skill to economic inequality, Lowe calls for solutions that push employers to accept greater responsibility for skill development. She examines real-world examples of workplace intermediaries throughout the United States, exploring in detail the work of manufacturing-focused organizations in Chicago and Milwaukee, and a network of community colleges in North Carolina that coordinates training for biopharmaceutical manufacturers.

As workforce intermediaries help employers reinterpret skill, they also convince them to implement inclusive work-based systems that extend family-sustaining wages and better working conditions across the entire workforce. With renewed policy emphasis on skill development, these opportunity-rich solutions can be further expanded—ensuring workers across the entire educational spectrum contribute skills that drive innovation forward and share the gains they generate for the twenty-first century workplace.
On Leon Battista Alberti
Authors: Jarzombek Mark
Published: March 2021

A penetrating study of Alberti's writings on philosophy, ethics, aesthetics architecture, and literature.

Listen to Alberti's voice. This is what Mark Jarzombek has done in studying virtually all of Alberti's writings on philosophy, ethics, aesthetics architecture, and literature. Jarzombek's thorough grasp of Alberti's thought and painstaking analysis of his elusive identity transform our image of this remarkable man carving out a new place for Alberti in literary theory, art history, and Renaissance scholarship.Instead of warming over the stereotypes of Alberti as a "universal man" or as a proponent of "civic Humanism," Jarzombek explores Alberti's views on the relationship between the writer and society. He asserts that, while Alberti was indeed an architect, an art theorist and a man of letters, he was above all a theoretician of writing: "Everywhere one turns, the problems of writing, authorship and textuality seem to appear, from his first writings... to his last." Jarzombek, opening the possibilities for a different type of discussion of Alberti and of such major works as De pictura and De re aedificatora, places Alberti more accurately within the context of his times and clarifies the intertextual relationship among his works. Jarzombek's investigation brings to light themes that have remained hidden in the complex world of Alberti's speculations. The Alberti of Jarzombeks book is an outsider struggling to resolve conflicting impulses of pessimism and hope. He is also a profound and willful thinker who, while amalgamating contemporary trends, did not endorse them but countered with a cosmological philosophy of his own.
Age-related changes in polycomb gene regulation disrupt lineage fidelity in intestinal stem cells
Authors: Tauc Helen M , Rodriguez-Fernandez Imilce A , Hackney Jason A , Pawlak Michal , Ronnen Oron Tal , Korzelius Jerome , Moussa Hagar F , Chaudhuri Subhra , Modrusan Zora , Edgar Bruce A , Jasper Heinrich
Published: March 2021

Tissue homeostasis requires long-term lineage fidelity of somatic stem cells. Whether and how age-related changes in somatic stem cells impact the faithful execution of lineage decisions remains largely unknown. Here, we address this question using genome-wide chromatin accessibility and transcriptome analysis as well as single-cell RNA-seq to explore stem-cell-intrinsic changes in the aging Drosophila intestine. These studies indicate that in stem cells of old flies, promoters of Polycomb (Pc) target genes become differentially accessible, resulting in the increased expression of enteroendocrine (EE) cell specification genes. Consistently, we find age-related changes in the composition of the EE progenitor cell population in aging intestines, as well as a significant increase in the proportion of EE-specified intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and progenitors in aging flies. We further confirm that Pc-mediated chromatin regulation is a critical determinant of EE cell specification in the Drosophila intestine. Pc is required to maintain expression of stem cell genes while ensuring repression of differentiation and specification genes. Our results identify Pc group proteins as central regulators of lineage identity in the intestinal epithelium and highlight the impact of age-related decline in chromatin regulation on tissue homeostasis.
How oscillating aerodynamic forces explain the timbre of the hummingbird’s hum and other animals in flapping flight
Authors: Hightower Ben J , Wijnings Patrick WA , Scholte Rick , Ingersoll Rivers , Chin Diana D , Nguyen Jade , Shorr Daniel , Lentink David
Published: March 2021

How hummingbirds hum is not fully understood, but its biophysical origin is encoded in the acoustic nearfield. Hence, we studied six freely hovering Anna’s hummingbirds, performing acoustic nearfield holography using a 2176 microphone array in vivo, while also directly measuring the 3D aerodynamic forces using a new aerodynamic force platform. We corroborate the acoustic measurements by developing an idealized acoustic model that integrates the aerodynamic forces with wing kinematics, which shows how the timbre of the hummingbird’s hum arises from the oscillating lift and drag forces on each wing. Comparing birds and insects, we find that the characteristic humming timbre and radiated power of their flapping wings originates from the higher harmonics in the aerodynamic forces that support their bodyweight. Our model analysis across insects and birds shows that allometric deviation makes larger birds quieter and elongated flies louder, while also clarifying complex bioacoustic behavior.
A conserved cell division protein directly regulates FtsZ dynamics in filamentous and unicellular actinobacteria
Authors: Ramos-León Félix , Bush Matthew J , Sallmen Joseph W , Chandra Govind , Richardson Jake , Findlay Kim C , McCormick Joseph R , Schlimpert Susan
Published: March 2021

Bacterial cell division is driven by the polymerization of the GTPase FtsZ into a contractile structure, the so-called Z-ring. This essential process involves proteins that modulate FtsZ dynamics and hence the overall Z-ring architecture. Actinobacteria like Streptomyces and Mycobacterium lack known key FtsZ-regulators. Here we report the identification of SepH, a conserved actinobacterial protein that directly regulates FtsZ dynamics. We show that SepH is crucially involved in cell division in Streptomyces venezuelae and that it binds FtsZ via a conserved helix-turn-helix motif, stimulating the assembly of FtsZ protofilaments. Comparative in vitro studies using the SepH homolog from Mycobacterium smegmatis further reveal that SepH can also bundle FtsZ protofilaments, indicating an additional Z-ring stabilizing function in vivo. We propose that SepH plays a crucial role at the onset of cytokinesis in actinobacteria by promoting the assembly of FtsZ filaments into division-competent Z-rings that can go on to mediate septum synthesis.
Stress resets ancestral heritable small RNA responses
Authors: Houri-Zeevi Leah , Teichman Guy , Gingold Hila , Rechavi Oded
Published: March 2021

Transgenerational inheritance of small RNAs challenges basic concepts of heredity. In Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes, small RNAs are transmitted across generations to establish a transgenerational memory trace of ancestral environments and distinguish self-genes from non-self-elements. Carryover of aberrant heritable small RNA responses was shown to be maladaptive and to lead to sterility. Here, we show that various types of stress (starvation, high temperatures, and high osmolarity) induce resetting of ancestral small RNA responses and a genome-wide reduction in heritable small RNA levels. We found that mutants that are defective in various stress pathways exhibit irregular RNAi inheritance dynamics even in the absence of stress. Moreover, we discovered that resetting of ancestral RNAi responses is specifically orchestrated by factors that function in the p38 MAPK pathway and the transcription factor SKN-1/Nrf2. Stress-dependent termination of small RNA inheritance could protect from run-on of environment-irrelevant heritable gene regulation.
Sharing diverse information gets driver agents to learn faster: an application in en route trip building
Authors: dos Santos Guilherme Dytz , Bazzan Ana L.C.
Published: March 2021

With the increase in the use of private transportation, developing more efficient ways to distribute routes in a traffic network has become more and more important. Several attempts to address this issue have already been proposed, either by using a central authority to assign routes to the vehicles, or by means of a learning process where drivers select their best routes based on their previous experiences. The present work addresses a way to connect reinforcement learning to new technologies such as car-to-infrastructure communication in order to augment the drivers knowledge in an attempt to accelerate the learning process. Our method was compared to both a classical, iterative approach, as well as to standard reinforcement learning without communication. Results show that our method outperforms both of them. Further, we have performed robustness tests, by allowing messages to be lost, and by reducing the storage capacity of the communication devices. We were able to show that our method is not only tolerant to information loss, but also points out to improved performance when not all agents get the same information. Hence, we stress the fact that, before deploying communication in urban scenarios, it is necessary to take into consideration that the quality and diversity of information shared are key aspects.
Genomic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the first SARS-CoV-2 variants introduced in Lebanon
Authors: Feghali Rita , Merhi Georgi , Kwasiborski Aurelia , Hourdel Veronique , Ghosn Nada , Tokajian Sima
Published: March 2021

Background

In December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic initially erupted from a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown origin in the city of Wuhan, China. Presently, it has almost reached 94 million cases worldwide. Lebanon on the brink of economic collapse and its healthcare system thrown into turmoil, has previously managed to cope with the initial SARS-CoV-2 wave. In this study, we sequenced 11 viral genomes from positive cases isolated between 2 February 2020 and 15 March 2020.

Methods

Sequencing data was quality controlled, consensus sequences generated, and a maximum-likelihood tree was generated with IQTREE v2. Genetic lineages were assigned with Pangolin v1.1.14 and single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were called from read files and manually curated from consensus sequence alignment through JalView v2.11 and the genomic mutational interference with molecular diagnostic tools was assessed with the CoV-GLUE pipeline. Phylogenetic analysis of whole genome sequences confirmed a multiple introduction scenario due to international travel.

Results

Three major lineages were identified to be circulating in Lebanon in the studied period. The B.1 (20A clade) was the most prominent, followed by the B.4 lineage (19A clade) and the B.1.1 lineage (20B clade). SNV analysis showed 15 novel mutations from which only one was observed in the spike region.
Nitrogen fertilizer reduction in combination withAzollacover for reducing ammonia volatilization and improving nitrogen use efficiency of rice
Authors: Yang Guoying , Ji Hongting , Liu Hongjiang , Feng Yanfang , Zhang Yuefang , Chen Liugen , Guo Zhi
Published: March 2021

Background

Excessive nitrogen (N) application rate with low N use efficiency (NUE) caused a considerable amount of N losses, especially ammonia volatilization (AV). Proper N fertilizer reduction (RN) could significantly reduce AV. However, continuous RN led to a nutrient deficiency in the soil and therefore negatively impacted the NUE and rice yield. PaddyAzolla, a good green manure, is considered as a promising measure to decrease AV and improve NUE and grain yield of rice. However, there is limited information on the integrated effects of RN andAzollacover on the AV, NUE, and rice yield, especially in the highly fertilized rice-growing systems.

Methods

The experiment was conducted including eight treatments: the control (without N fertilizer andAzollacover),Azollacover without N fertilizer (A), farmer’s N application rate (FN), FN +Azollacover (FNA), 15% RN from FN (RN15), RN15+Azollacover (RN15A). 30% RN from FN (RN30), RN30+Azollacover (RN30A). The integrated effects of N fertilizer reduction andAzollacover on AV, NUE, and rice grain was evaluated.

Results

RN15A and RN30A substantially reduced total AV by 50.3 and 66.9% compared with FN, respectively, primarily due to the lower surface water ammonia concentrations and pH. RN improved the efficiency ofAzollacover on reducing AV, with 4.1–9.9% higher than for FN. Compared with the FN, RN15A and RN30A enhanced apparent N recovery efficiency (ANRE) by 46.5 and 39.1%, which might be responsible for the lower NH3emission and the increased total N uptake / total chemical N applied. Furthermore, RN15A and RN30A reduced yield-scaled volatilization by 52.3 and 64.3% than for FN, respectively. Thus, combining 15–30% RN withAzollacover may be a way to reduce AV and improve ANRE without decreasing rice grain yield.
Biochemical Characteristics and Antioxidant Properties of Citrus Juice from Lemon (Citrus limon), Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) and Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) as Influenced by Degree of Ripening
Authors: Ogundele Olusegun O. , Bolade Mathew K.
Published: March 2021

The influence of degree of ripening (unripe, half-ripe and ripe) of citrus fruits (lemon, lime and grapefruit) on the biochemical characteristics and antioxidant potential of their juices was investigated. The juice yield from the citrus fruits was affected by the level of ripening as the highest juice yield was obtained when the fruits were at ripe stage giving 25.2 mL/100 g (lemon), 43.3 mL/100 g (lime), and 21.1 mL/100 g (grapefruit). The biochemical characteristics of the citrus juices revealed that the pH values were generally increasing with an increasing level of ripening particularly for lime and grapefruit while the pH of lemon juice was decreasing with an increase in the degree of ripening. The lowest pH values exhibited by the citrus fruits were 2.87 (ripe lemon), 2.16 (unripe lime), and 3.27 (unripe grapefruits). The total acidity of the citrus juices essentially exhibited an inverse relationship with their corresponding pH values. The highest ascorbic acid contents of the juices were 51.3 g/100mL (unripe lemon), 38.9 g/100mL (unripe lime), and 44.7 g/100mL (unripe grapefruit) while the highest total phenolic contents were 722 µg GAE/mL (unripe lemon), 207 µg GAE/mL (unripe lime), and 646 µg GAE/mL (unripe grapefruit); indicating a significant impact of degree of ripening on the parameters. The antioxidant activity of the citrus juices using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical assay revealed a significant influence of degree of ripening and juice volume on the activity. The percent inhibition of DPPH free radical by the juices was generally higher at an unripe stage of fruit maturity as well at greater juice volume. The ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) of the citrus juices was also influenced by the level of ripening of the fruit. The FRAP values were generally higher at unripe stage which were 3.72 µ mol Fe(II)/g (unripe lemon), 4.98 µ mol Fe(II)/g (unripe lime) and 9.53 µmolFe(II)/g (unripe grapefruit).
Quantification of Pesticide Residues in Retail Samples of Cowpea - Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp
Authors: Okoye C. S. , Oguh C. E. , Umezinwa O. J. , Uzoefuna C. C. , Nwanguma B. C. , Ezeanyika L. U. S.
Published: March 2021

Quantification of pesticide residues in retail samples of food is one way to determine the level of human exposure to these chemicals and hence their potential health hazards. The study was aimed at quantifying the level of some known pesticides in retail samples of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Cowpea) from two cropping seasons. Five cultivars of cowpea from two different harvest seasons (2016/2017 and 2017/2018) were purchased from Ogige Market, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. The cowpeas were identified based on city/state where they were cultivated. Two foreign samples were also purchased from London, UK. The pesticide residues were determined using gas chromatography coupled with electron capturing detector (GC-ECD). The results showed that the retail samples of cowpea contained residues of one or more organochlorines and organophosphates. The levels of post-harvest pesticides, 2, 2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate (DDVP) in 2016/17 season (0.02 μg/g) exceeded the international permissible standards (0.01 μg/g). The levels of the pre-harvest pesticides, glyphosate was low in both seasons (0.01 μg/g) when compared to the international permissible standards (0.1 μg/g).  The DDVP was not detected in the two foreign samples. HCB (Hexachlorobenzene), α-HCH (alpha-Hexachlorocyclohexane), Chlorpyrifos, g-chlordane, t-nonachlor, p-p’-DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), p-p’-DDE (Dichlorodiphenyldichlo-rowthylene), and p-p’-DDD (Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane) were detected in the cowpea from two cropping seasons despite being banned from agricultural use. This could be due to the additional application of pesticides during storage of the cowpeas. The findings concludes that the levels of some of the residues exceeded the safety limits while some were below the safety limits, suggesting that some of samples of the cowpea were not safe for human consumption as bioaccumulation, persistence, and toxicity of these residues was likely to pose serious health risks to the consumers. Generally, cowpea from the 2016/17 season contained higher pesticide residues than those from the 2017/18 season.
A Comparative Study on the Effect of Spilanthes acmella and Chlorhexidine (0.2%) Mouth Rinses on Salivary Streptococcus mutans Count in Children
Authors: Ismail Sajeela , Ahamed Sajid , John Nisha Elizabeth , Ismail Ameera Ahmed
Published: March 2021

In the wake of an increased interest in finding natural alternatives for chemical medicinal products, this study assesses and compares the effects and acceptance of Spilanthes acmella, a widely used plant in various traditional systems of medicine, with Chlorhexidine (0.2%) mouth rinse on the dental caries causing pathogen Streptococcus mutans colonizing the oral cavity of children. The study included 40 healthy children in the age group of 8-12 years based on inclusion and extrusion criteria. In the beginning of the study, non-stimulated whole salivary samples were tested for the baseline count of colony forming units (CFU) of Streptococcus mutans using Mitis Salivarius Agar supplemented with potassium tellurite. The same process was repeated 24 hours after 15 days of regular use of mouth rinses twice daily. Results showed that there was statistically highly significant decrease in CFU in the post rinse phase in both the groups. S. acmella showed greater acceptance by study subjects when compared with the Chlorhexidine mouth rinse. It can be concluded based on the results of this study that S. acmella has beneficial effects against S. mutans and can be a potential option for preventive measures against dental caries, although more studies are needed for its validation.
Impact of Food Diversification on the Status of Fat- Soluble Vitamins in School-aged Children in the Nawa Region (Côte d'Ivoire)
Authors: Maurel Allico Mousso Jean , Edith Agbo Adouko , Laurent Séri Kipré , Lydie Boyvin , Félix Yapi Houphouët , Christophe Kouamé , Joseph Djaman Allico
Published: March 2021

Introduction: In Côte d'Ivoire, there is an imbalance between the dietary intake and the nutritional requirements of school-aged children. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of food diversification, namely sweet potato, soya and cowpea, on vitamin A, D and E profiles among school-aged children in Côte d'Ivoire.

Methodology: This study was conducted over eight months (from October 2017 to May 2018). It included 240 school-aged children (6 - 12 years old) who were divided into four groups of 60 pupils. These children consumed food at school canteens in 12 localities of the Nawa region. Four types of meals were proposed: rice with fish (Group 1 control), sweet potato porridge accompanied by green soybean (Group 2), sweet potato porridge accompanied by white cowpea (Group 3), and sweet potato porridge accompanied by cowpea with soya balls (Group 4). Three blood samples were collected: Phase 0 (prior to the consumption of the meals), Phase 1 (sampling taken three months later) and Phase 2 (sampling taken six months later). Blood assay for vitamins A, D and E was performed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Results: Before the children consumed food at the canteen (phase 0), a sufficient amount of vitamins A, D and E was observed, except for group 4 where a deficiency of vitamin D (<30 ng/mL) was noted. The levels of vitamins A and D decreased in groups 1, 2 and 3 from phase 0 to phase 2. However, they increased in children of group 4 from 0.5 to 0.8 mg/L and from 22 to 28 ng/mL respectively. The vitamin E level increased in all groups from phase 0 to phase 2. The improvement in vitamin E status was more remarkable in the children of group 2 and group 4 with levels varying from 8.5 to 11.8 mg/L and 8.3 to 10.6 mg/L respectively.

Conclusion: Improvements in vitamin A, D, and E status were more pronounced in children who ate sweet potato, soybean, and cowpea meal compared to their mean concentration at the beginning of the study. The sweet potato, soybean, and cowpea-based meal could be chosen as a means of food diversification in school canteens in order to improve the vitamin status of school-aged children.
Antibiotic Resistance Pattern of Common Uropathogens among Adult Inpatients of a Tertiary Teaching Hospital
Authors: Akhter Shahida , Rizwan A. S. M.
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Urinary tract infection is one of the common community and nosocomial problem that we encounter at a daily basis. The mounting problem of emergence of resistant strains of bacteria causing urinary tract infection (UTI) is a great concern. We had tried in this study to outline the local pattern of antibiotic resistance of the commonly found uropathogens.

Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was carried out in the Ad-din Sakina Women’s Medical College Hospital, Jashore, Bangladesh on patients attending inpatient Department from January to December 2020. Presence of more than or equal to 105 colony forming units/ml in urine culture was considered as significant for UTI. Isolated bacteria were tested by disk diffusion method.

Results: Out of 1170 urine sample tested, 372 (31.8%) were found to be culture positive cases. A clear female preponderance (77.15%) was noted in positive culture rate. E. coli was the commonest organism found among all isolates (82.25%) followed by enterococci (4.3%), klebsiella (3.76%), pseudomonas (2.95%), proteus (2.68%), enterobacter (2.15%) and Staphylococcus aureus (1.88%). High resistance was noted in E. coli isolates against nalidixic acid (77%), Cefuroxime (75%), azithromycine (61%), cefotaxime (58%) and ceftazidime (54%). The antibiotic which showed least resistance overall includes imipenem, meropenem, nitrofurantoin and gentamicin.

Conclusions: Antibiotic stewardship in accordance to local resistance and sensitivity pattern of uropathogens is mandatory to prevent the development of multidrug resistant strains.
Assessment of Surface Runoff using ArcSWAT for Rela Watershed, Rajasthan, India
Authors: Reddy K. Hema Narayana , Kothari Mahesh , Reddy K. S. , Singh P. K. , Yadav K. K.
Published: March 2021

The current study based on SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) Model which coordinates the GIS data with attribute database set to assess the runoff of Rela Watershed. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is based on distributed parameter model which has been created to forecast runoff, sediment, erosion and nutrient transport from agrarian watersheds under various management practices. The SWAT Model works related to Arc GIS. In the current study the catchment region has been delineated utilizing the DEM (Digital Elevation Model) and afterward partitioned into 29 sub-watersheds or sub-basins. For planning of landuse map, the LANDSAT images are downloaded from earth explorer and the soil mapis obtained from NBSS (National Bureau of Soil Survey, Udaipur). The sub basins are partitioned into 29 HRUs which represents Hydrological Response Unit. At that point by utilizing 30 years of every day precipitation information and daily minimum and maximum temperature information SWAT simulation is accomplished for consistent schedule to estimate Runoff. The insights indicated diverse runoff framework esteem during the time 19.5 mm being the most minimal and 527.3 mm being the maximum runoff for Rela Watershed. The average annual runoff is 162.6 mm i.e. 28% of total rainfall in Rela Watershed.
The Most Predominant Gram Negative Bacteria in a Public Hospital
Authors: Ahmed Nehad J.
Published: March 2021

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the occurrence of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria in a hospital in Al-Kharj.

Methodology: The study included the review of antibiogram results to find the number and percentage of these bacteria in 4 years, 2015-2018.

Results: The total number of bacterial cultures in the 4 years was 3327. Most of these cultures were for gram negative bacteria (81.06%). Regarding gram negative bacteria in the 4 years, the most common was Escherichia coli (represents 19.30% of the total bacteria and 23.80% of gram negative bacteria).

Conclusion: It can be concluded that the most prevalent gram negative bacteria were Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia. It is important to conduct more researches to know the prevalence of these bacteria, to know their resistance rate to help health care providers to prescribe and dispense antibiotics wisely.
Effects of COVID 19 Pandemic on Diabetic Patients
Authors: Alshammari Khalid Farhan , Almakhalfi Nuseibah Saleh , Alradaddi Fadyah Mohammed , Almutairi Maha Qasem , Almeshari Raghad Abdullah , Alshammari Kholah Fares , Alaezaimee Shamma Mutlaq
Published: March 2021

Ever since the pandemic started in March 2020, the whole world and the healthcare system were overburdened with an extremely difficult task of curbing COVID-19 as much as possible to decrease the death rate and to understand its effects. Diabetic patients are no different as they constitute a large group globally. Therefore, understanding the biggest factors that affects their day-to-day life is crucial to be able to treat them well and decrease the chances of having high mortality rates among diabetics. COVID-19 in diabetes is susceptible to high mortality rates making them prone to develop nutritional and psychological effects. Further studies are needed to provide better care in the future for diabetic patient’s psychological and nutritional wellbeing and alleviate their healthcare by developing targeted programs, awareness and scheduled home visits.
Optical Fiber Delivered Ultrafast Plasmonic Optical Switch
Authors: Yang Jinghui , Zhang Xinping
Published: March 2021

Ultrafast optical switch based on plasmonic nanostructures has large application potentials in optical logic circuits and optical communication systems. Integration of plasmonic optical switching devices with optical fibers is a breakthrough for realizing practical applications in long‐range optical data transmission or communication techniques. Here, the incorporation of plasmonic optical switch devices onto the end facets of optical fibers is reported, so that the switched optical signals are generated by interaction between femtosecond laser pulses and plasmonic nanostructures on one end of the fiber, and are delivered via the fiber waveguide to the other end for detection or decoding. “Quenching” of localized surface plasmon in the gold nanowires by its interaction with band‐edge modulation in gold through strong optical excitation is the responsible photophysics. This work accomplishes for the first time the implementation of ultrafast plasmonic optical switch device on optical fiber tips for logic data transmission.
Mechanistic Understanding of the Interactions and Pseudocapacitance of Multi‐Electron Redox Organic Molecules Sandwiched between MXene Layers
Authors: Boota Muhammad , Hussain Tanveer , Yang Long , Bécuwe Matthieu , Porzio William , Barba Luisa , Ahuja Rajeev
Published: March 2021

Using a combined theoretical and experimental approach, a mechanistic understanding of the interactions and pseudocapacitance of different quinone‐coupled viologen and pyridiniumium molecules sandwiched between titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) MXene layers has been provided. Three different derivatives of quinone‐coupled viologen and pyridiniumium are synthesized using nucleophilic substitution reaction and subsequently hybridized with Ti3C2Tx MXene (organic@Ti3C2Tx) using self‐assembly approach. The atomic structure of pristine Ti3C2Tx and organic@Ti3C2Tx hybrid films is investigated using grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray pair distribution function analysis using synchrotron radiation. Spectroscopic results confirm the coupling of quinones with viologen and pyridiniumium molecules and their non‐covalent functionalization to the MXene without their catalytic decomposition. First‐principles calculations confirm that the preferred orientation of organic molecules upon intercalation/adsorption is horizontal to the Ti3C2Tx surface. The authors reveal that these molecules attach to the Ti3C2Tx surface with a significantly high binding energy (up to −2.77 eV) via a charge transfer mechanism. The electronic structure calculations show that all organic@Ti3C2Tx hybrids preserved their metallic behavior. Free‐standing organic@Ti3C2Tx hybrid films show a more than three times higher capacitance at ultra‐high scan rates (up to 20 V s−1) compared to their pristine counterpart due to molecular pillaring of organic molecules between Ti3C2Tx layers via strong binding energies and charge transfer.