bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Organic and nutrient removal from pulp and paper industry wastewater by extended aeration activated sludge system
Authors: Jagaba A H , Kutty S R M , Fauzi M A H M , Razali M A , Hafiz M F U M , Noor A 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Pulp and paper industries are critical to a country’s economic growth. The type of raw material used and the pulping process determine the quality and quantity of wastewater generated. However, the generated wastewater with a dark colour comprises a high concentration of suspended solids, organic content, chemical oxygen demand (COD), volatile organic compounds, and a variety of other impurities. Therefore, in this study, a bench scale activated sludge treatment system was set up using a reactor consisting of an aeration tank with 5000 mg/L initial biomass and a clarifier chamber for the biomass to settle. The reactor was run few weeks with real domestic wastewater as the influent for 3 weeks to acclimatize the sludge inside the reactor. The reactor was then fed with the influent mixture of 20% industrial pulp wastewater and 80% domestic wastewater. Organic and nutrient parameter concentrations are tested from the influent and effluent sample throughout the study duration and recorded for data analysis. The removal of COD and TSS are at 83% and 90% respectively while the averaged BOD value of the treated wastewater is at 74.6%. The conclusion of this project is that the bench scale EAAS is able to treat BOD and TSS according to standard. However, a modification may be required to increase the efficiency of removing COD to meet the requirement standards. This modification could be either by using a biocarrier or an activated carbon to further enhance the treatment efficiency even at higher wastewater concentration.
Notes on small mammals diversity at Perlis State Parks, Wang Kelian, Perlis, Malaysia
Authors: Fauzi N F M , Shahfiz M A , Ahmad Ruzman N H , Munian K , Baharudin M S , Azahar M A , Zam Beri N A Z , Ag Ahmadni A S , Mohamad F 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Three surveys were conducted to document diversity on small mammals at Perlis State Park, Wang Kelian, Perlis, Malaysia from 2019 until 2020. For each survey, a total of 50 cage traps, 10 mist-nets and two four-bank harp traps were set up for three-trapping nights along a 500 m transect line to sample small mammals. The opportunistic observation was also applying to record the incidence of small mammals. In total, 17 species of small mammals were documented during these surveys. Of these, seven species are volant small mammals, and ten species are non-volant small mammals. The family with the most diverse species was Pteropodidae with five species and Cynopterus brachyotis being the most dominant species (n = 46). Interestingly, these surveys report new distributional records for three small mammal species in Perlis State Park, though several studies have been conducted previously. This information demonstrates that there may be more species yet to be recorded from this study site. Comparing the species similarity between our study site and several state parks in Peninsular Malaysia shows that Perlis State Parks also holds a relatively high diversity of small mammals. Therefore, adequate conservation measures such as recognizing this state park as an important conservation area are needed to ensure valuable small mammals’ sustainability.
Delineation of flood-prone areas using Digital Elevation Model (DEM) in Kuala Krai, Kelantan
Authors: Anis-Athirah B N , Mohd-Fariz A R , Bam H N R , Majid S , Muhammad M , Jemali N J N 
Published: September 2021

AbstractKelantan is one of the states that experience flood events annually including the Kuala Krai district. Flooding has a severe impact on roads, villages, farms, and people’s livelihoods. Early detection of flood-prone areas is essential in detecting the specific area. This study aimed to map a flood-prone area based on evaluation of terrain characteristics include elevation, aspect, slope, contour and hill shade of the Kuala Krai area. The raster data of DEM with 50 m resolution and hydrological data were evaluated to create a potential flood map. A flood-prone map is created by overlaying terrain features with flood criteria of a gentle slope with contour < 250 m and degree of slope less than 10, flat surface in aspect and consideration of hill shade factors. The map was also supported by vector data of rivers network that cross the Kuala Krai area. 56% of the Kuala Krai area facing a moderate risk of flood occurrence, while 41%of the areas are in a dangerous state and are predicted to be at a high risk of flood. This can be concluded that the areas with low elevation, adjacent to rivers, are the places where actions need to be taken by the experts to overcome the disaster in the future.
Application of POMOF composites for CO2 fixation into cyclic carbonates
Authors: Musa S G , Merican Z M A , Zabidi A M , Akbarzadeh O 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
The problem of global warming is one of the major concerns in the world today as there has been continuous rise in temperature resulting from increase in the emission of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2). Recently, carbon dioxide is considered as an abundant C1 feed-stock for organic transformations, due to its free availability, non-toxicity, and simplicity in handling. The synthesis of metal-organic framework/polyoxometalates supported composites (POM@MOF), were prepared by incorporation of Keggin type-polyoxometalate groups via impregnation method. The as-synthesized composites were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), which confirm the presence of the polyoxometalates group after formation of the composites. The composites were employed as catalyst for the conversion of CO2 and epichlorohydrin into cyclic chloropropylene carbonate. The reaction was carried out under mild condition of atmospheric pressure in a schlenk tube without addition of any co-catalyst or solvent and the yield have shown progressive increase over time as indicated by GC results from 30% at 6 h duration to 87% over a period of 48 h of continuous siring.
Impacts of river of life project towards the conservation of urban heritage quarter in Kuala Lumpur: a preliminary study
Authors: Zuraimi A S , Radzuan I S M 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
The River of Life (RoL) is one project of Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Programmes. RoL is a multi-year attempt that integrates high-impact programmes to help Malaysia achieve a status of a developed nation. This study discussed the components of the waterfront development packages in the River of Life (RoL) project implementation. As explained by urban planning theory, the growth of a city is affected by multiple factors. The word “urban regeneration” originated to define the social, economic, and environmental components that influence a city’s growth. This study intended to examine the socioeconomic impact of the RoL project in the Kuala Lumpur heritage quarter in terms of development. A qualitative method approach combining interviews and document reviews were used in this study. The study revealed the impacts of RoL project within the heritage quarter from the perspectives of the local authorities, private sector as well as stakeholders involved in the project. The study findings will help numerous stakeholders to provide better urban living for the Kuala Lumpur heritage quarter.
Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of limestone endemic Araceae species, Alocasia farisii
Authors: Puteri-Adiba H M , Arifullah M , Nazahatul A A , Sirikitputtisak T , Klaiklay S , Chumkaew P , Chewchanwuttiwong S , Norhazlini M Z , Zulhazman H 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
The changing environments are giving a rise to free radical, causing development of degenerative disease. A search for natural antioxidant is required as the synthetic antioxidant reported has carcinogenic effects on living organisms. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Alocasia farisii leaves and petioles using three different polarity solvent which are methanol, ethanol and ethyl acetate. The total phenolic content was evaluated using the Folin-Cioucalteu reagent with some modification and the antioxidant activity by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay. The methanolic extract attained the highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity at 46.615 μg GAE/g and 66.43 %, respectively. Ethyl acetate with the lowest polarity had the lowest value, 34.769 μg GAE/g total phenolic content and 58.274 % in antioxidant activity. The IC50 value shows methanol recorded the lowest value at 339.905 μg/mL, indicates high radical scavenging activity whereas ethyl acetate has highest IC50 value (400 μg/mL) indicates low radical scavenging. These finding provide useful information on the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of A. farisii that can be a reference for further research on this species of Araceae family. The leaves and petiole extracts of A. farisii may be exploited as natural sources of antioxidant.
Introduction to the Special Issue: The ecology and genetics of population differentiation in plants
Authors: Picó F Xavier , Abdelaziz Mohamed , Castilla Antonio R 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Population differentiation is a pervasive process in nature. At present, evolutionary studies on plant population differentiation address key questions by undertaking joint ecological and genetic approaches and employing a combination of molecular and experimental means. In this special issue, we gathered a collection of papers dealing with various ecological and genetic aspects of population differentiation in plants. In particular, this special issue encompasses eight research articles and two reviews covering a wide array of worldwide environments, plant functional types, genetic and genomic approaches, and common garden experiments to quantify molecular and/or quantitative trait differentiation in plant populations. Overall, this special issue stresses the validity of traditional evolutionary studies focused on plant populations, whilst emphasizing the integration of classical biological disciplines and state-of-the-art molecular techniques into a unique toolkit for evolutionary plant research.
Melittin suppresses epithelial–mesenchymal transition and metastasis in human gastric cancer AGS cells via regulating Wnt/BMP associated pathway
Authors: Huang Jye-Yu , Peng Shu-Fen , Chueh Fu-Shin , Chen Po-Yuan , Huang Yi-Ping , Huang Wen-Wen , Chung Jing-Gung 
Published: September 2021

ABSTRACT
Gastric cancer has a poor prognosis; once cancer has metastasized, it can easily lead to patient death. Melittin is one of the major components extracted from the bee venom. It has been shown that melittin emerges antitumor activities against many human cancer cell lines. Our results indicated that melittin at 0.2-0.5 µm significantly reduced total cell viability in human gastric cancer AGS cells. At low concentrations (0.05-0.15 µm), melittin displayed antimetastasis effects and inhibited cell adhesion and colony formation. Besides, it inhibited cell motility and suppressed cell migration and invasion. Melittin inhibited the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and the integrity of cell membrane in AGS cells. Furthermore, Western blotting results showed that melittin decreased the protein expressions of Wnt/BMP and MMP-2 signaling pathways. Based on these observations, melittin inhibited cell migration and invasion of AGS cells through multiple signaling pathways. It may be used to treat metastasized gastric cancers in the future.
Machine learning methods, databases and tools for drug combination prediction
Authors: Wu Lianlian , Wen Yuqi , Leng Dongjin , Zhang Qinglong , Dai Chong , Wang Zhongming , Liu Ziqi , Yan Bowei , Zhang Yixin , Wang Jing , He Song , Bo Xiaochen 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Combination therapy has shown an obvious efficacy on complex diseases and can greatly reduce the development of drug resistance. However, even with high-throughput screens, experimental methods are insufficient to explore novel drug combinations. In order to reduce the search space of drug combinations, there is an urgent need to develop more efficient computational methods to predict novel drug combinations. In recent decades, more and more machine learning (ML) algorithms have been applied to improve the predictive performance. The object of this study is to introduce and discuss the recent applications of ML methods and the widely used databases in drug combination prediction. In this study, we first describe the concept and controversy of synergism between drug combinations. Then, we investigate various publicly available data resources and tools for prediction tasks. Next, ML methods including classic ML and deep learning methods applied in drug combination prediction are introduced. Finally, we summarize the challenges to ML methods in prediction tasks and provide a discussion on future work.
‘Killing Is Just The Best Solution’: Lynching As Informal Incapacitation
Authors: Tiwa Dany Franck A 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThis article highlights two overlooked drivers of lynching violence: the will to ensure that caught offenders will no longer victimize anybody, and the need for perpetrators of lynching to mitigate the risks associated with their participation. It uses the concepts of lethal and non-lethal informal incapacitation to explain lynching outcomes (‘killing’ and ‘serious beatings’) that are otherwise unintelligible. Evidence is drawn from individual and group interviews with more than a hundred key informants in Nigeria.
Severity of Severe Acute Respiratory System Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Alpha Variant (B.1.1.7) in England
Authors: Grint Daniel J , Wing Kevin , Houlihan Catherine , Gibbs Hamish P , Evans Stephen J W , Williamson Elizabeth , McDonald Helen I , Bhaskaran Krishnan , Evans David , Walker Alex J , Hickman George , Nightingale Emily , Schultze Anna , Rentsch Christopher T , Bates Chris , Cockburn Jonathan , Curtis Helen J , Morton Caroline E , Bacon Sebastian , Davy Simon , Wong Angel Y S , Mehrkar Amir , Tomlinson Laurie , Douglas Ian J , Mathur Rohini , MacKenna Brian , Ingelsby Peter , Croker Richard , Parry John , Hester Frank , Harper Sam , DeVito Nicholas J , Hulme Will , Tazare John , Smeeth Liam , Goldacre Ben , Eggo Rosalind M 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) alpha variant (B.1.1.7) is associated with higher transmissibility than wild-type virus, becoming the dominant variant in England by January 2021. We aimed to describe the severity of the alpha variant in terms of the pathway of disease from testing positive to hospital admission and death.MethodsWith the approval of NHS England, we linked individual-level data from primary care with SARS-CoV-2 community testing, hospital admission, and Office for National Statistics all-cause death data. We used testing data with S-gene target failure as a proxy for distinguishing alpha and wild-type cases, and stratified Cox proportional hazards regression to compare the relative severity of alpha cases with wild-type diagnosed from 16 November 2020 to 11 January 2021.ResultsUsing data from 185 234 people who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the community (alpha = 93 153; wild-type = 92 081), in fully adjusted analysis accounting for individual-level demographics and comorbidities as well as regional variation in infection incidence, we found alpha associated with 73% higher hazards of all-cause death (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41–2.13; P &lt; .0001) and 62% higher hazards of hospital admission (1.62; 1.48–1.78; P &lt; .0001) compared with wild-type virus. Among patients already admitted to the intensive care unit, the association between alpha and increased all-cause mortality was smaller and the CI included the null (aHR: 1.20; 95% CI: .74–1.95; P = .45).ConclusionsThe SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant is associated with an increased risk of both hospitalization and mortality than wild-type virus.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the influence of prophylactic pyloric balloon dilatation in the prevention of early delayed gastric emptying after oesophagectomy
Authors: Abdelrahman Mohamed , Ariyarathenam Arun , Berrisford Richard , Humphreys Lee , Sanders Grant , Wheatley Tim , Chan David S Y 
Published: September 2021

SUMMARY
Background: Early delayed gastric emptying (DGE) occurs in up to 50% of patients following oesophagectomy, which can contribute to increased anastomotic leak and respiratory infection rates. Although the treatment of DGE in the form of pyloric balloon dilatation (PBD) post-operatively is well established, there is no consensus on the optimal approach in the prevention of DGE. The aim of this review was to determine the efficacy of prophylactic PBD in the prevention of DGE following oesophagectomy. Method: PubMed, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library (January 1990 to April 2021) were searched for studies reporting the outcomes of prophylactic PBD in patients who underwent oesophagectomy. The primary outcome measure was the rate of DGE. Secondary outcome measures include anastomotic leak rate and length of hospital stay. Results: Three studies with a total of 203 patients [mean age 63 (26–82) years, 162 males (79.8%)] were analyzed. PBD with a 20-mm balloon was performed in 165 patients (46 patients had PBD and botox therapy) compared with 38 patients who had either no intervention or botox alone (14 patients). The pooled rates of early DGE [16.27%, 95% CI (12.29–20.24) vs. 39.02% (38.87–39.17) (P &lt; 0.001)] and anastomotic leak [8.55%, 95% CI (8.51–8.59) vs. 12.23% (12.16–12.31), P &lt; 0.001] were significantly lower in the PBD group. Conclusion: Prophylactic PBD with a 20-mm balloon significantly reduced the rates of early delayed gastric emptying and anastomotic leak following oesophagectomy.
The sooner the better: lives saved by the lockdown during the COVID-19 outbreak. The case of Italy
Authors: Cerqueti Roy , Coppier Raffaella , Girardi Alessandro , Ventura Marco 
Published: September 2021

Summary
This paper estimates the effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions – mainly, the lockdown – on the COVID-19 mortality rate for the case of Italy, the first Western country to impose a national shelter-in-place order. We use a new estimator, the augmented synthetic control method (ASCM), that overcomes some limits of the standard synthetic control method (SCM). The results are twofold. From a methodological point of view, the ASCM outperforms the SCM in that the latter cannot select a valid donor set, assigning all the weights to only one country (Spain) while placing zero weights to all the remaining. From an empirical point of view, we find strong evidence of the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions in avoiding losses of human lives in Italy: conservative estimates indicate that the policy saved in total more than 21,000 human lives.
Bone remodelling patterns around orthodontic mini-implants migrating in bone: an experimental study in rat vertebrae
Authors: Becker Kathrin , Rauch Nicole , Brunello Giulia , Azimi Sarah , Beller Mathias , Hüfner Mira , Nienkemper Manuel , Schwarz-Herzke Beryl , Drescher Dieter 
Published: September 2021

Summary

Background
Orthodontic implant migration has been clinically observed in presence of continuous loading forces. Recent studies indicate that osteocytes play a crucial role in this phenomenon.

Objectives
Aim of this study was to investigate local osteocytic gene expression, protein expression, and bone micro-structure in peri-implant regions of pressure and tension.

Material and methods
The present work reports a complementary analysis to a previous micro-computed tomography study. Two customized mini-implants were placed in one caudal rat vertebra and connected by a nickel–titanium contraction spring generating different forces (i.e. 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 N). Either at 2 or 8 weeks, the vertebrae were harvested and utilized for 1. osteocytic gene expression using laser capture micro-dissection on frozen sections coupled with qPCR, 2. haematoxylin–eosin staining for qualitative and quantitative analyses, 3. immunofluorescence staining and analysis, and 4. bone-to-implant contact on undecalcified samples.

Results
At the two time points for all the performed analyses no significant differences were observed with respect to the applied force magnitudes and cell harvesting localization. However, descriptive histological analysis revealed remarkable bone remodelling at 2 weeks of loading. At 8 weeks the implants were osseointegrated and, especially in 1.0 and 1.5 N groups, newly formed bone presented a characteristic load bearing architecture with trabecula oriented in the direction of the loading.

Conclusions
The present study confirmed that stress-induced bone remodelling is the biological mechanism of orthodontic implant migration. Bone apposition was found at ‘tension’ and ‘pressure’ sites thus limiting implant migration over time.
Comparative genome analysis of Clostridium beijerinckii strains isolated from pit mud of Chinese strong flavor baijiu ecosystem
Authors: Zou Wei , Ye Guangbin , Liu Chaojie , Zhang Kaizheng , Li Hehe , Yang Jiangang 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Clostridium beijerinckii is a well-known anaerobic solventogenic bacterium which inhabits a wide range of different niches. Previously, we isolated five butyrate-producing C. beijerinckii strains from pit mud (PM) of strong-flavor baijiu (SFB) ecosystems. Genome annotation of the five strains showed that they could assimilate various carbon sources as well as ammonium to produce acetate, butyrate, lactate, hydrogen, and esters but did not produce the undesirable flavors isopropanol and acetone, making them useful for further exploration in SFB production. Our analysis of the genomes of an additional 233 C. beijerinckii strains revealed an open pangenome based on current sampling and will likely change with additional genomes. The core genome, accessory genome, and strain-specific genes comprised 1567, 8851, and 2154 genes, respectively. A total of 298 genes were found only in the five C. beijerinckii strains from PM, among which only 77 genes were assigned to Clusters of Orthologous Genes categories. In addition, 15 transposase and 12 phage integrase families were found in all five C. beijerinckii strains from PM. Between 18 and 21 genome islands were predicted for the five C. beijerinckii genomes. The existence of a large number of mobile genetic elements indicated that the genomes of the five C. beijerinckii strains evolved with the loss or insertion of DNA fragments in the PM of SFB ecosystems. This study presents a genomic framework of C. beijerinckii strains from PM that could be used for genetic diversification studies and further exploration of these strains.