Bottom-up Approach Research Articles

Representativeness of the Hong Kong English lexicon

In 2016, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) formally recognized the status of Hong Kong English (HKE) by adding 13 HKE words in its entries (Oxford English Dictionary [OED], n.d.-a). While this codification marks significant progress in the development of a language variety, there have been vigorous discussions within the local community about the legitimacy and representativeness of these selected words as HKE (Xu, 2019). As emphasized by Schneider (2007), acceptability and codification are both important criteria for language development. Therefore, this warrants a bottom-up approach to investigate the extent to which HKE words are accepted by the local community, so as to provide insights on how future HKE words can be better codified.

Negotiation within legitimate political boundaries: revealing the bottom-up news filtering of Chinese Party newspapers

The extent to which media employees can make highly individualized decisions has been debated extensively in existing studies on gatekeeping. This case study proposes a bottom-up approach by examining the news filtering practices of Chinese Party (Communist Party of China, CPC) media employees, aiming to expand and deepen research in this field. Drawing upon 16 interviews conducted within a Chinese Party media newsroom, this research explores the news filtering process among different job groups. The study reveals the stratification of filtering preferences within the newsrooms and identifies two forms of bottom-up resistance: resistance by grassroots journalists driven by cost-effectiveness, and resistance by journalists and senior editors rooted in social responsibility. Furthermore, the study confirms that a unified propaganda function is insufficient to compromise the bottom-up resistance of media employees; however, it remains within legitimate political boundaries.

Flexible and Advanced DBS: A distributed control strategy for a DC[sbnd]Nanogrid

Nowadays, it is well known that the energy system is going towards a clear and necessary energy transition. New enabling technologies are needed to accelerate this transition, like the dc nanogrids. The dc nanogrids are designed for a bottom-up approach and play an important role due to their scalability and modularity features. To take advantage of these features, in this paper, the authors propose a flexible and advanced DBS distributed control strategy so to be independent from the dc nanogrid configuration and operating both in stand-alone and in the grid-connected mode. At this scope the dc nanogrid is modelled as the connection of multiple generic nodes and a hierarchical control architecture is applied as a single control structure. It facilitates the seamless transition between the operating modes, independently from the dc nanogrid configuration. The effectiveness of the proposed flexible and advanced DBS is validated by some experiments performed on a testbed integrating a dc nanogrid laboratory prototype.

Fabrication of Carbon Dots with Singlet Oxygen Generation and Their Potential Photodynamic Therapy Applications.

Due to the unique chemical and biomedical properties of carbon dots (CDs), they have increasingly obtained the attention in many research fields, for example, bioimaging, fluorescence sensing, and drug delivery, etc. Recently, it was found that, under light excitation, CDs can also be exploited as a novel photosensitizer to prepare reactive oxygen species (ROS), which expand their applications in the field of photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment. Nevertheless, the high cost and complex fabrication approach of CDs significantly limit their applications. To address this issue, bottom-up routes usually utilize sustainable and inexpensive carbon precursor as starting materials, employed N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) or ethanol as an environmental-friendly solvent. Bottom-up approach was energy efficient, and the purification process was relatively simple by dialysis. Therefore, carbon dots (CDs) were facilely fabricated in a one-pot solvothermal process using 1-aminoanthraquinone as a precursor, and their application as photosensitizers for in vitro antitumor cells, especially photodynamic therapy (PDT) was established. Then the photophysical and nanoscale dimensions properties of the fabricated CDs were characterized via TEM, UV-visible, fluorescence, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The synthesized N-doped CDs can easily dissolve in water, possess very low biotoxicity, yellow-light emission (maximum peak at 587nm). More importantly, PDT studies demonstrated that the obtained CDs possess a high singlet oxygen yield of 35%, and exhibit significant phototoxicity to cancer cells upon 635nm laser irradiation. These studies highlight that N-doped CDs can be facilely synthesized from only one precursor, and are a potentially novel theranostic agent for in vivo PDT.

Race and Religion in Everyday Life: Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Christian Privilege Among Female Converts in the Netherlands

Abstract This article analyzes how the intersections of race and religion impact the experiences of women converting to Judaism, Christianity, or Islam in the Netherlands. It builds on the innovative historical and philosophical work by scholars who call attention to the intersections of race and religion. In ethnographic studies of female converts such entanglements of race and religion have primarily been noted in the case of white converts in Islam. However, research into race and racialization among Christian and Jewish female converts is rare, and a comparative approach even rarer. A bottom-up comparative approach, I argue, has the potential to critically examine not only the positions of religio-racialized minorities, but also the mechanisms of religious/racial hegemony at work in Western Europe. The article thus explores how becoming a religious minority impacts one’s sense of belonging to the nation and how processes of racialization, specifically antisemitism and Islamophobia, impact the conversion process.

Online Nucleotide Mapping of mRNAs.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) can be sequenced via indirect approaches such as Sanger sequencing and next generation sequencing (NGS), or direct approaches likebottom-up mass spectrometry (MS). Direct sequencing allow the confirmation of RNA modifications. However, the conventional bottom-up MS approach involves time-consuming in-solution digestions that require a large amount of sample, and can lead to the RNase contamination of the LC-MS system and column. Here, we describe a platform that enables online nucleotide mapping of mRNAs via the use of immobilized RNase cartridges and 2D-LC-MS instrumentation. The online approach was compared to conventional offline digestion protocols adapted from two published studies. For this purpose, five model mRNAs of varying lengths (996-4521 nucleotides) and chemistries (unmodified uridine vs 5-methoxyuridine (5moU)) were analyzed. The profiles and sequence coverages obtained after RNase T1 digestion were discussed. The online nucleotide mapping achieved comparable or slightly greater sequence coverage for the 5 mRNAs (5.8-51.5%) in comparison to offline approaches (3.7-50.4%). The sequence coverage was increased to 65.6-85.6 and 69.7-85.0% when accounting for the presence of nonunique digestion products generated by the RNase T1 and A, respectively. The online nucleotide mapping significantly reduced the digestion time (from 15 to <5 min), increased the signal intensity by more than 10-fold in comparison to offline approaches.

A Bottom-Up Approach to Biosecurity.

A Bottom-Up Approach to Biosecurity.

Reconstructing Curves: A Bottom-Up Approach towards adipose tissue regeneration with Recombinant Biomaterials.

The potential of recombinant materials in the field of adipose tissue engineering (ATE) is investigated using a bottom-up tissue engineering (TE) approach. This study explores the synthesis of different photo-crosslinkable gelatin derivatives, including both natural and recombinant materials, with a particular emphasis on chain growth and step growth polymerization. Gelatin type B (Gel-B) and a recombinant collagen peptide (RCPhC1) are used as starting materials. The gel fraction and mass swelling properties of 2D hydrogel films are evaluated, revealing high gel fractions exceeding 94% and high mass swelling ratios > 15. In vitro experiments with encapsulated adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) indicate viable cells (> 85%) throughout the experiment with the RCPhC1-based hydrogels showing a higher number of stretched ASCs. Triglyceride assays show the enhanced differentiation potential of RCPhC1 materials. Moreover, the secretome analysis reveal the production of adipose tissue-specific proteins including adiponectin, adipsin, lipocalin-2/NGAL and PAL-1. RCPhC1-based materials exhibit higher levels of adiponectin and adipsin production, indicating successful differentiation into the adipogenic lineage. Overall, this study highlights the potential of recombinant materials for ATE applications, providing insights into their physico-chemical properties, mechanical strength, and cellular interactions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

High fidelity FEM based on deep learning for arbitrary composite material structure

Due to the outstanding performance, composite materials are widely used and analyzing their properties and designing them based on performance has become a crucial task in the field of many manufacturing industries. Composite materials possess complex multiscale structures, and traditional fine-scale finite element modeling and analysis may lead to severe computational resource challenges. To overcome this difficulty, breakthroughs in key technologies of multiscale accelerated analysis algorithms are required. In this study, an innovative approach based on artificial intelligence and multiscale finite element method is presented. This approach involves partitioning the entire composite material structure into coarse grids that resemble homogenous structures of similar size, providing results consistent to fine-grid finite element analysis. By utilizing CNN for image feature recognition and employing the CGAN adversarial method, coarse-grid equivalent stiffness matrices and multiscale shape functions from completely random microstructures of composite materials can be obtained. Consequently, this enables a rapid response process from microstructure to low-resolution grid to high-resolution physical field, with remarkably accurate physical field results. Moreover, compared to traditional fine-grid finite element methods, this approach significantly reduces memory usage and computation time. This method is applicable to composite materials with varying shaped inclusions, different component properties, and diverse geometric distributions, allowing these materials to perform high-fidelity finite element calculations on coarse grids and predict their mechanical behavior. Furthermore, this breakthrough opens avenues for accelerating the optimization design of composite materials with diverse mechanical functionalities, by employing a bottom-up approach.

Controlling the broadband enhanced light chirality with L-shaped dielectric metamaterials

The inherently weak chiroptical responses of natural materials limit their usage for controlling and enhancing chiral light-matter interactions. Recently, several nanostructures with subwavelength scale dimensions were demonstrated, mainly due to the advent of nanofabrication technologies, as a potential alternative to efficiently enhance chirality. However, the intrinsic lossy nature of metals and the inherent narrowband response of dielectric planar thin films or metasurface structures pose severe limitations toward the practical realization of broadband and tailorable chiral systems. Here, we tackle these problems by designing all-dielectric silicon-based L-shaped optical metamaterials based on tilted nanopillars that exhibit broadband and enhanced chiroptical response in transmission operation. We use an emerging bottom-up fabrication approach, named glancing angle deposition, to assemble these dielectric metamaterials on a wafer scale. The reported strong chirality and optical anisotropic properties are controllable in terms of both amplitude and operating frequency by simply varying the shape and dimensions of the nanopillars. The presented nanostructures can be used in a plethora of emerging nanophotonic applications, such as chiral sensors, polarization filters, and spin-locked nanowaveguides.

Assessing paddy methane emissions through the identification of rice and winter crop areas using Sentinel-2 imagery in Korea

AbstractThe global efforts on reducing methane (CH4) emissions was emphasized in COP 28 and the potential for improved estimation became feasible through bottom-up data acquisition with advanced remote sensing technology. The objectives of this study were to extract summer rice and winter crop cultivation areas based on satellite images and to incorporate into estimating CH4 emissions in South Korea for the year 2020. Satellite images of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 were acquired from European Space Agency. Rice paddy was classified with backscattering coefficient from Sentinel-1 images, while the normalized difference vegetation index from Sentinel-2 images was used to identify winter cropping field. The equation of IPCC guidelines was used to estimate CH4 emissions by incorporating the areas of rice paddy and winter crop extracted with the respective satellite image. National farming statistics were used to determine the scaling factors for paddy organic matter and water management practices. The estimated areas for rice paddy and winter crop cultivation were 712,237 ha and 117,840 ha, respectively. The rice paddy areas were primarily concentrated in the western regions of the Korean peninsula, whereas winter crop cultivation was predominantly found in southern part of the country. The total amount of CH4 emissions was 6272 Gg CO2 eq./yr when considering rice straw and winter cropping practices into estimation (modified Tier 2 method). This represents a 7% increase compared to the method that considered solely the rice straw incorporation (current Tier 2 method). The CH4 emissions per unit area were also 8.82 tons CO2 eq./ha/yr with the modified Tier 2 method, indicating a 10% greater compared to the current Tier 2 method. Substantial CH4 emissions were primarily concentrated in western regions where extensive rice paddy cultivation occurs, while greater CH4 emissions per unit area were predominantly found in southern regions with substantial winter crop cultivation. The study findings hold importance for improving the accuracy of CH4 emissions estimation by employing bottom-up approach that utilizes satellite imagery to assess rice paddy and winter cropping areas. Further study would be needed to incorporate field-based data on rice crop management practices, such as rice straw and water management, to further refine CH4 emission estimation method.

Novel Catechol O-methyltransferases from Lentinula edodes Catalyze the Generation of Taste-Active Flavonoids.

Due to the increasing demand for natural food ingredients, including taste-active compounds, enzyme-catalyzed conversions of natural substrates, such as flavonoids, are promising tools to align with the principles of Green Chemistry. In this study, a novel O-methyltransferase activity was identified in the mycelium of Lentinula edodes, which was successfully applied to generate the taste-active flavonoids hesperetin, hesperetin dihydrochalcone, homoeriodictyol, and homoeriodictyol dihydrochalcone. Furthermore, the mycelium-mediated OMT activity allowed for the conversion of various catecholic substrates, yielding their respective (iso-)vanilloids, while monohydroxylated compounds were not converted. By means of a bottom-up proteomics approach, three putative O-methyltransferases were identified, and subsequently, synthetic, codon-optimized genes were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified enzymes confirmed the biocatalytic O-methylation activity against targeted flavonoids containing catechol motifs.

Coupling material and energy flow analysis with life cycle assessment to support circular strategies at the urban level

Abstract Purpose This study aims to investigate how the coupling of Material and Energy Flow Analysis (MEFA) with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) under an urban metabolism (UM) perspective (referred to as the UM-LCA approach) can support the design, evaluation, and monitoring of urban-level circular strategies. For this purpose, we apply the UM-LCA approach to the urban area of Umeå (Sweden) by expanding the goal and scope of a recent MEFA study conducted by the authors of the article. Methods The modeling combines MEFA with LCA and is performed both retrospectively and prospectively. The MEFA was performed in the prior study following a bottom-up approach to map and quantify material and energy flows in the urban system at the sectoral level. The quantified flows are used in the present study to construct the life cycle inventory (LCI) model of the urban system. The LCI model is first used as a basis of the retrospective LCA (rLCA), which is conducted to assess the environmental performance of the urban system with its sectors. The LCI model is then modified according to future scenarios and is used as a basis of the prospective LCA (pLCA), which is performed to assess the environmental implications of implementing circular strategies in the future. Results and discussion The rLCA shows that the construction and household sectors are major drivers of environmental impacts in the urban system, with households being the largest contributors to 11 out of 12 analyzed impact categories. It also reveals the most impacting flows within these sectors, including food in households and steel in the construction sector. These findings indicate that the construction and household sectors and their most impacting flows should be prioritized in a circular strategy. Furthermore, the pLCA highlights that a future circular strategy promoting reductions in the material used in these two sectors could lead to higher reductions in all impact categories, ranging from 4.3 to 8.6%, than a strategy focused only on recycling, which could lead to reductions ranging from 0.2 to 1.2%. Conclusions This study concludes that the UM-LCA approach has great potential to comprehensively analyze, both retrospectively and prospectively, the environmental performance of an urban system providing valuable insights that could support policy makers in designing, assessing, and monitoring urban-level circular strategies. However, further research should address identified limitations of the UM-LCA approach (e.g., limited available data, inability to consider social and economic aspects) to facilitate its applicability and enhance its comprehensiveness.

PNA-Functionalized, Silica Nanowires-Filled Glass Microtube for Ultrasensitive and Label-Free Detection of miRNA-21.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous and noncoding single-stranded RNA molecules with a length of approximately 18-25 nucleotides, which play an undeniable role in early cancer screening. Therefore, it is very important to develop an ultrasensitive and highly specific method for detecting miRNAs. Here, we present a bottom-up assembly approach for modifying glass microtubes with silica nanowires (SiNWs) and develop a label-free sensing platform for miRNA-21 detection. The three-dimensional (3D) networks formed by SiNWs make them abundant and highly accessible sites for binding with peptide nucleic acid (PNA). As a receptor, PNA has no phosphate groups and exhibits an overall electrically neutral state, resulting in a relatively small repulsion between PNA and RNA, which can improve the hybridization efficiency. The SiNWs-filled glass microtube (SiNWs@GMT) sensor enables ultrasensitive, label-free detection of miRNA-21 with a detection limit as low as 1 aM at a detection range of 1 aM-100 nM. Noteworthy, the sensor can still detect miRNA-21 in the range of 102-108 fM in complex solutions containing 1000-fold homologous interference of miRNAs. The high anti-interference performance of the sensor enables it to specifically recognize target miRNA-21 in the presence of other miRNAs and distinguish 1-, 3-mismatch nucleotide sequences. Significantly, the sensor platform is able to detect miRNA-21 in the lysate of breast cancer cell lines (e.g., MCF-7 cells and MDA-MB-231 cells), indicating that it has good potential in the screening of early breast cancers.

Analysis of cost of illness and diagnosis-related group payment system in breast cancer patients with chemotherapy in Indonesia

Background: Often, breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy sacrifice their finances, and the financial costs also affect the government. Objective: This study aims to analyse the cost of illness and the application of an insurance payment system among breast cancer patients receiving various chemotherapy regimens. Method: This study was retrospective and used a bottom-up prevalence approach. Data were collected from a secondary hospital between 2020 and 2021. The inclusion criteria were breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Patients with incomplete detailed cost data were excluded. The cost of illness was calculated from direct medical costs and the estimated non-medical and indirect costs. Results: The cost of illness for a chemotherapy visit for a breast cancer patient spanned from USD 130.37 to USD 932.05. However, these values did not include healthcare service costs and laboratory tests. The highest regimentation chemotherapy cost is for the combination of docetaxel–cyclophosphamide–trastuzumab. There was a significant margin between insurance claims and variable medical costs (p &lt; 0,05), ranging between USD 24.21 and 104.83. Conclusion: The cost of illness for chemotherapy for breast cancer patients is high, and the coverage of the diagnosis-related payment system is limited. Therefore, the government should accelerate prevention programmes to reduce the incidence of cancer.

Participatory and co-design approaches for migrant girls’ wellbeing: A study in an urban informal settlement of Delhi

Children constitute almost 30% of India's total population, of which there are approximately 63 million migrant children, with almost 50.6% of this population being female (Census of India, 2011). Being one of the most vulnerable groups, young migrant girls, particularly those living in urban informal settlements, largely remain invisible from the public realm due to lack of safe and accessible open play spaces within their neighbourhoods. Set against this context, this paper examines the challenges faced by migrant girls in accessing play spaces. The participants of this study include migrant girls between the ages of 9-16 years living in an informal settlement, Jai Hind Camp in Delhi, India. This paper draws upon data from a cross-disciplinary study that uses participatory learning and action research and co-design methods, and demonstrates a bottom-up approach for co-producing play spaces for children. It argues that participatory and experience-led interventions with children are important to understand their needs and requirements in contexts of displacement, and demonstrates marginalised girls’ agency and ability to express requirements for designing their everyday play spaces, which can contribute to their own wellbeing.

The bumpy road to conservation: challenges and opportunities in updating the Galapagos zoning system

In 2014, the Galapagos National Park Directorate, sponsored by various international non-governmental organizations, initiated a comprehensive marine and terrestrial spatial planning process to improve the management effectiveness of Galapagos’ protected areas. This effort aimed to reconfigure management areas by expanding or redistributing no-take zones to protect Key Biodiversity Areas and ensure the conservation of at least 30% of terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the Galapagos. However, this process encountered significant challenges, notably the erosion of fishers' trust following the implementation of a "Marine Sanctuary". This top-down decision resulted in socio-political tension, compelling the Ecuadorian government to delay the implementation of the new marine zoning until there was conclusive scientific data on its socio-economic impact on local small-scale fishers’ livelihoods. This paper examines the achievements and shortcomings of the Galapagos zoning update process, highlighting the successful integration of scientific zoning criteria and the enhanced protection of critical biodiversity areas, together with the reduced support from fishers and legal disputes. To move forward, we recommended a bottom-up approach centered on rebuilding trust among the fishing community via innovative engagement strategies and the introduction of market incentives to promote sustainable practices. Assessing the long-term impact of no-take zones is essential for refining management approaches. Additionally, the application of cutting-edge technology within an adaptive co-management model is recommended to improve fisheries and ecological data gathering and analysis, facilitating proactive and well-informed management decisions. Our suggestions aim to reconcile conservation objectives with the needs and aspirations of the local communities in this iconic archipelago.

Advanced Microstructural Characterization in High-Strength Steels Via Machine Learning-Enhanced High-Speed Nanoindentation and EBSD Mapping

This research investigates the nanoscopic features of Advanced High-Strength Steels (AHSS) through a bottom-up approach employing high-speed nanoindentation mapping (HSNM) to elucidate structure-property relationships. The influence of grain boundaries on nanomechanical properties was documented, highlighting the challenge of SEM-EBSD analysis in differentiating phases with identical crystal structures (BCC, FCC, etc.). Integrating SEM-EBSD with HSNM in the same region of interest is essential for detailed insights into phase/microstructure distribution and accurate grain boundary identification.A modular four-step analysis protocol, designed and validated on ferritic-bainitic TRIP steels (TBF), leverages machine learning-enhanced HSNM for significant advancements in AHSS design. The initial phase involves the application of the expectation-maximization algorithm for probability distribution fitting of HSNM data, deriving primary mechanical phase statistics. This exclusively facilitates the correlation of elastic modulus and hardness for each phase/microstructure using nanoindentation data. Further refinement of phase/microstructure to mechanical property correlations was achieved through a supervised machine learning approach, ensuring precise association between EBSD and nanoindentation data. This includes detailed image analysis and clustering of nanoindentation data, enhancing the precision in phase recognition.This methodology addresses the critical challenges in developing 3rd Generation AHSS, aiming to fill the gap in accurately identifying and quantifying phases such as martensite, austenite, bainite, and ferrite, thereby reducing classification and measurement uncertainties. The approach contributes to the fundamental understanding of AHSS microstructures and provides a scalable framework for the comprehensive characterization of structural materials.

Cost of Illness and Out-of-pocket Expenditure of Ankylosing Spondylitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis at a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India Using Conventional Disease-modifying Antirheumatic Drugs

Background: The economic burden of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in India is significant. Aim: To estimate the cost of illness (COI) and out-of-pocket expenditure of AS and RA among patients on conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Methodology: A retrospective, cross-sectional study on 87 participants using a prevalence-based, bottom-up approach and the human capital method was adopted to calculate the direct and indirect costs of RA and AS. Results: The average COI for patients with RA was estimated to be ₹51,741 person per year, whereas the COI for patients with AS was ₹41,379 per person per year (Consumer Price Index 2021: 134.44). Direct cost was the major contributor to COI constituting 65.21% [₹33,743] and 58.84% [₹24,348] of the total COI of RA and AS, respectively. Increasing disease severity, longer duration of illness and increasing impairment of daily activities were significantly associated with increasing COI of both RA and AS. The main expense towards annual direct costs per year in patients with RA was medication expenses, whereas for patients with AS, it was investigation expenses. Out-of-pocket spending was significant as nearly half (54.95%) of the direct expenditure on health for both RA [₹18,544] and AS (39.2%) [₹9,544] was borne by patients themselves. RA and AS caused catastrophic health expenditure in 14.92% and 6.67% of households, respectively. Indirect costs of RA and AS were ₹17,998 and ₹17,030, respectively. Indirect costs of RA and AS increased as productivity at work decreased. Average overall work productivity impairment and overall activity impairment reached close to 50% and was comparable for RA and AS. Conclusion: The economic burden of RA and AS is significant. There is an urgent need to prioritise policies and interventions for management of rheumatological conditions.

Establishment of multi-pollutant emission inventory for coal-fired power plants in Guangdong province: A comprehensive approach to air quality management

Emissions of heavy metals from coal-fired power plants pose significant environmental and health risks. This study focuses on quantifying the point-source emissions of heavy metal elements from coal-fired power plants in Guangdong Province, a major economic region with numerous power plants. A bottom-up approach was used to calculate the emissions of mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), and other elements in 2018, along with scenario assumption analyses. The total emissions of Hg, As, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni were estimated at 2305, 7443, 7891, 298, 3039, and 7131 kg in 2018, respectively. In addition, the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, due to its economic development and demand for electricity, has the highest levels of heavy metals emitted from coal-fired power plants in the region, accounting for 42.17-48.60% of the provincial emissions. Scenario simulations showed that the installation of advanced dust removal methods (e.g., LLT-ESP) significantly reduces heavy metal emissions compared to the baseline. It is crucial to continue investing in advanced dust removal technologies and enforce stricter regulations to further mitigate heavy metal emissions from coal-fired power plants.