Incubation Process Research Articles

Time-Dependent Effect of Graphene on the Microbial Activity of the Soil Under Single and Repeated Exposures

ABSTRACT Graphene (GR) has huge industrial and biomedical potential, and its adverse effect on soil microorganisms has been evaluated in ecotoxicological studies. These studies focused on single exposure to GR, but repeated exposures with low concentration are more likely to occur under actual exposure scenario. In this study, we compared the impact of single and repeated exposures of GR on structure, abundance and function of soil bacterial community based on soil enzyme activity and high-throughput sequencing. The results displayed that after 4 days of incubation the activities of urease and fluorescein diacetate esterase increased by approximately 12% and 4% upon repeated exposure to GR (biweekly 15 mg doses GR for the two-exposure experiment, 10 mg doses GR for the three-exposure experiment, resulting in the same final concentration of 300 mg/kg), respectively. Instead, the activities of urease and fluorescein diacetate esterase decreased by 13% and 6% upon single exposure (30 mg for the single-exposure experiment), respectively. As the incubation time increased to 60 days, these activities showed little difference. The alpha diversity of soil bacterial community under repeated exposures increased more than that under single exposure, demonstrating that a low concentration chronic exposure to GR increase the diversity within a specific bacterial community. The PCoA and sample level clustering tree showed single exposure to GR after 4 days alter the soil bacterial community to some extent. During the entire incubation process, no matter what kind of exposure scenarios to GR, the majority of bacterial phylotypes at the phylum level had no great change except for Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria according to the relative abundance of phylotypes. These results elucidated the repeated exposures to GR increased the metabolic activity and diversity of the soil microbial community as compared with single exposure. This study can provide a new perspective on the impact of carbon nanomaterials on soil microbial community.

Storing Grain in the Land: The Gestation, Delineation Framework, and Case of the Two Zones Policy in China

Cultivated land (CL) protection is an overarching strategic concern for stabilizing the agricultural foundation and for achieving the sustainable development of the national economy and society. Faced with the challenges of the dual drives of complex domestic and international situations, China’s CL protection system has coupled the quantity and quality dimensions and focused on a dynamic balancing system and permanent basic farmland (PBF) policy. However, it has had difficulty meeting the objectives of sustainable agricultural development and is undergoing upgrades. Accordingly, the Chinese government has issued a CL protection policy that includes adjusting the planting structure, optimizing the agricultural layout, and adding the three dimensions of quantity, quality, and planting structure, namely “Delimitation of the Grain Production Functional Zone and the Important Agricultural Product Production-Protection Zone” (the “two zones” policy). With regard to the ambiguous understanding of the two zones policy, this study aims to explore the following issues: (1) How was the two zones policy conceived? (2) What mechanism does it use to make up for the deficiencies of the previous policy? (3) How does it integrate the three dimensions of quantity, quality, and planting structure? (4) How to reasonably delimit the two zones. To solve these problems, this paper first reviews the evolution of China’s CL protection policies and explains the incubation process of the two zones policy and its connotation and mechanism. Then, a delineation framework process is proposed and the approaches of executing the two zones policy on a regional scale are discussed. Furthermore, a real delimitation was conducted in Qianguo County to validate the framework. The evidence shows that customizing CL use according to regional resource potential differentiation and forming a CL protection policy with the three dimensions of quantity, quality, and structure are effective in improving the productive potential of CL and promoting the adjustment of the planting structure. Furthermore, the framework and case study findings of the delimitation provide a theoretical reference and practical foundation to translate macro policy into micro management.

REPORTING THE DETECTION RESULT OF SARS-CoV-2 ANTIBODY RAPID TEST OF COMPANY’S EMPLOYEES IN SURABAYA AND PASURUAN, INDONESIA

Background: Coronavirus (CoV) is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from mild to severe symptoms. Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) is a new type of virus that has never been indentified in humans before. Methods: All antibody test methods and RT-PCR tests have an optimum time window in the incubation period or infection of a person. The antibody test method cannot be used as an early detection tool for people who are still on the first day of the incubation process. IgG and IgM antibody levels are still low on the first day of infection, even though the number of viral particles is very high at the beginning. Result: Sars-Cov-2 (Covid-19) antibody examination sample was taken from Main Clinic of Sentra Medika Surabaya, from May to August 2020, with the age range of 18-65 old amounted to 1015 people. The number of samples with the age range of 40-49 is 404 people (39,90%), Production Department has 773 samples of people (76,16%), the number of security samples is 39 people (3,84%), and others have 109 samples of people (10,74%). The number of male samples is 666 people (65,62%) more than female 349 people (34,38%). Positive Covid-19 Antibody examination results for Office Department are IgM 3 people, IgG 3 people, and the total numbers are 6 people (21%). Positive Covid-19 Antibody examination results for the production department are IgM 14 people, IgG 1 person. So, the total numbers are 17 people (59%). The most positive Covid-19 antibody examination result is the production department namely 59% and including positive results for IgM and IgG. The condition above the production department has the most frequent because of the condition of employees including some companies which had overtime work or 2 shifts. Conclusion: The highest number of Positive Covid-19 antibody examination result. The most department is the production department. The age range of 50-59 years old has a small number. At the time of being infected with Covid-19, IgG and IgM are negative, it needs time to get a positive examination result of IgG or IgM or both. The antibody examination method cannot be used as an early detection tool for Covid-19.

Application of the thermal time model of embryonic development duration to the culture of octopod cephalopods

Data about the effect of temperature on the duration of embryonic development, or the incubation process, are relatively abundant for octopod cephalopods. Experimental data can be used to fit the thermal time classic model of development in order to predict the duration of the process and the range of temperatures within which development proceeds according to the model and with high survival (permissive range), with potential applications for basic research and production activities. The present work is aimed at fitting this classical model to fourteen data sources dealing with eleven species of octopods, seven of them not being previously analyzed, and discussing the constraints and applications of the model. As a result, it is possible to hold that the thermal time model of development duration suitably fits experimental data in octopods, and can be used to schedule hatching events in a production facility. Nevertheless, the range of temperatures tested in the literature is usually too limited to allow an appropriate estimation of the permissive range, so an extension of the temperature range to the known limits of each species is suggested. In addition, when the model is applied to whole spawnings with culture purposes, it is recommended to set the very first hatchings as the criterion for the end of the incubation. Further research is needed to ascertain if temperature fluctuations within and/or out of the permissive range can have implications for the parameterization of the model in octopod species.

Perbaikan kualitas tanah berpasir untuk kebun kopi dengan penambahan tanah liat dan kompos di Desa Bambang, Kecamatan Wajak

Introduction: This study focuses on the effect of applying clay and compost on improving the quality of sandy soil in terms of the physical and chemical quality of the soil so that it can be a solution to problems in managing sandy soil so that the land can be productive and sustainable. Methods: This study used a factorial completely randomized design (RAL-F) with 3 treatment factors, namely: Depth (K1: 0-30 cm, K2: 30-60 cm), Dosage of compost (M1: 0 ton ha-1 as control, M2: 20 ton ha-1), Percentage of mineral soil (T1: 0% as control, T2: 25%, T3: 50%). Each treatment was repeated 4 times to obtain 48 pot units for the experiment. Data collection is carried out every 2 weeks for soil pH data. As for the other observation parameters taken in the last week of the incubation process, the data taken are chemical data in accordance with predetermined observation parameters which include soil physical properties such as bulk density, specific gravity, porosity, moisture content, pF value and basic chemical properties such as pH, organic matter, P-Available, N-Total. Results: Based on the results of laboratory analysis, it was shown that there was an increase in the average value of pH H2O and pH KCl every week, where initially the pH of H2O was 5.3 (1 MSI) to 5.9 (11 MSI) and the pH of KCl was from 5.1 (1 MSI) to 5.5 (11 MSI). This proves that the addition of organic matter and clay to the soil can increase the soil pH value. In addition to an increase in soil pH, there was also an increase in other chemical properties (BO, total-N and available-P) as well as soil physical properties (BI, BJ, Porosity and pF 2.5). Conclusion: the addition of clay soil and compost can improve the quality of sandy soil, especially the soil chemistry characteristics.

Developing business incubation process frameworks: A systematic literature review

The business incubation process has proven increasingly important for startups, and there are now over 10,000 incubators globally, as well as a significant body of literature on the incubation process with an array of discussions on its interventions and outcomes. It is thus now important to synthesize the available literature on how different frameworks can shape specific outcomes of the incubation and provide a research agenda for the future. Drawing on the Context, Intervention, Mechanism, and Outcome (CIMO) framework, we analyze and synthesize four key literature streams: incubator typology; incubator impact and stakeholders; resources, capabilities and technology; and knowledge transfer and incubator performance. The study facilitates a better understanding of the incubation process and the mechanisms used to shape specific outcomes and performance. It also discusses future directions of research, and help policymakers and incubation managers design interventions according to the specific incubator type and incubation process context.

University business incubators and opportunities for collaboration with companies within the start-up 2

Business incubators based on the university mainly target social impact by creating opportunities for job creation, and profit is not the primary objective. However, companies are doing business, and there should be strong reasons to attract them in collaboration with the university. This paper aims to find the possibilities for collaboration between university business incubators and companies. To achieve this purpose, we used the data from scientific articles. The review is based on the content analysis of the relevant papers in the three-level approach (individual, organisational and institutional). Similar to other entrepreneurship-supporting organisations, university business incubators connect start-ups with mature companies or industry leaders to allow faster growth for new ventures. This research illustrates that the most significant types of collaboration for all three levels (individual, organisational and institutional) are mentorship and networking. The suggestions of this paper give an overview of the incubation process to entrepreneurship researchers. Keywords: Business incubator, entrepreneurship, networking, start-ups, university, university-industry collaboration;

Conceptual Framework and Analisys of the Business Incubation Process

The main stages of the study and analysis of the business incubation process (in the relevant organizations) are presented, both from the perspective of a resident and from the side of a business incubator. The accepted approach to the specifics and characteristics of the leading business incubators / accelerators and other similar organizations from the point of view of project management is explained. In the process of research, a review of academic works and sources of professional associations / institutional organizations was carried out, in which the existing definitions of a business incubator are analyzed, an overview of the organization / business model (business incubator) is provided together with data collection (from interviews and questionnaires). The most famous business incubation programs have been studied. A functional model of a business incubator has been obtained, as well as a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that can be useful for a business incubator to achieve effective company management.

Utilizing an Automated SERS-Digital Microfluidic System for High-Throughput Detection of Explosives.

The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique is a promising method for the detection of explosives such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO) because of its high sensitivity to trace substances. However, most SERS detection processes are often nonautomated as well as exhibit low efficiency and toxic exposure, which often poses potential danger to operators. Herein, we propose the integration of SERS with digital microfluidics (SERS-DMF) for automated, high-throughput, and high-sensitivity detection of explosives. First, we carefully designed a DMF chip comprising 40 drive electrodes and 8 storage electrodes to achieve a high-throughput process. And different concentrations of target molecules, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), and salts were loaded into the DMF chip. Then, the droplet aggregation, incubation, and detection processes were automatically controlled using the SERS-DMF platform. In addition, Ag NPs were efficiently aggregated by screening different types and concentrations of salts, resulting in "hotspots" and the SERS effect. With the help of the SERS-DMF platform, two explosive samples were automatically detected with high throughput and high sensitivity. The detection limits of TNT and NTO were 10-7 and 10-8 M, respectively. In addition, compared with nonautomatic operations, the SERS-DMF platform exhibited better reproducibility and higher efficiency for the detection of explosives. The proposed SERS-DMF thus has considerable potential as an analytical technique for detecting hazardous substances.

Rancang Bangun Mesin Penetas Telur Burung Love Bird Otomatis Berbasis Arduino Uno R3

Caring for birds is in great demand among bird lovers both in terms of maintenance and maintenance which is quite easy, just pay attention to diet and cleanliness of the place. Birds that enter the adult mass will experience overheat, which is a sign that they are ready to be bred and ready to breed. However, problems arise when the bird does not want to incubate its eggs due to certain factors. A fully automatic bird egg incubator using Arduino UNO is needed, which is a tool that functions to incubate bird eggs automatically and perfectly without having to be incubated by the parent, with the aim of reduce the failure rate in raising birds and increase the process of hatching the eggs. This machine regulates the temperature and humidity levels as well as egg rotation so that the resulting temperature can be evenly distributed automatically without having to touch the eggs during the hatching process as a substitute for the natural incubation process by the mother. The temperature needed to incubate the eggs ranges from 37.5°C to 40°C and humidity ranges from 35% to 60%.

Towards an understanding of how a higher education institution can enhance the impact of social enterprises through incubation

Abstract Social entrepreneurship is a relatively new concept in Estonia and measuring the social impact of enterprises is not yet the norm. It has gained more awareness during recent years and therefore several support instruments have been established. The aim of the paper is to provide a framework for impact analysis of an incubator and analysis of the evaluation of the program for social enterprises according to the designed framework. The incubation program itself was piloted at a higher education institution. The paper addresses the concept of social enterprises, new social venture creation, incubation by a higher education institution and its impact on social enterprises. While the development of enterprises is a common topic, the research on social impact incubators is still scarce. The study is characterised by a descriptive and an exploratory study design. The paper explores the social enterprise incubator through mixed-method two-stage content analysis of the applications and self-analysis reports of the participants of the incubator. In the process of the content analysis, qualitative data analysis is used. Finally, the paper concludes that the incubator was successful as it helped the social enterprises to become sustainable and enhanced their social impact. The limitation of the research is the evaluation design which addresses measuring the successfulness of the incubation immediately after the end of the programme and not in the long-term. The study contributes to the literature on measuring the successfulness of incubation processes and on the practice of incubating new social ventures with social impact.

The changes in Gamma-aminobutyric acid and polyphenols in mung beans (Vigna radiata L.) during germination

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, plays a role in regulating neuronal excitability. Polyphenols naturally occur in plants and help to prevent or reverse damage in cells caused by aging, the environment, and lifestyle. Edible sprouts such as mung beans are a valuable source that presents high content of bioactive compounds. These contents in raw mung beans are very low, but they increase significantly during germination. The objectives of this study were to determine the most appropriate germination conditions, including air relative humidity (80%, 90%, and 99%), salt concentrations (0, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%), and light conditions (dark, LED, and UV-C) during the soaking and incubation processes to maximize the content of GABA and polyphenols. The results showed that all investigated treatments (air relative humidity, salt, and light) increased GABA and polyphenol levels, but LED lighting and air relative humidity of 90% were the most effective. Under those conditions, the content of GABA and polyphenols in the germinated mung beans increased about 12 and 2 times, respectively. Furthermore, the changes in GABA and polyphenol contents were different under different soaking and incubation conditions. In conclusion, the nutritional quality of mung beans, in terms of GABA and polyphenols, could be improved by controlling light and air relative humidity during germination. It is also recommended that the germination conditions, including air relative humidity, soaking in water or salt, soaking time, and incubation time should be selected depending on the desired content of GABA or polyphenols.

Influence of Networking on Starts-Up Development in Incubation Hubs

This study on the role of networking in entrepreneurial incubation hubs was aimed at validating the influence of networking on start-up development in Harare, Zimbabwe. The research targeted start-up founders that had gone through the process of incubation in Harare. The study used a qualitative research method. A case study approach was then adopted in which the participants were purposively selected. An interviewing guide was used to gather data. The study involved three focus groups with a total of twenty-one start-up founders. The research established that start-ups tend to develop better through the infusion of ideas and experiences either through peer-to-peer or peer-to-coach or vice versa. Networking in incubation hubs aided learning as incubates had the chance to learn among themselves. The interaction created lifelong learning exposure which proved to be effective in creating personal development. In conclusion, it was found that networking forms a fundamental basis for start-up business success as it provides the bedrock for collaborations and the sharing of ideas that aids in the development of startups.

Response of Biochemical Properties in Agricultural Soils Polluted with 4-Chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic Acid (MCPA) under Severe Drought Conditions

The soil moisture content can vary the behavior of biochemical activity and its incidence on herbicides. The objective of this manuscript was to assess, under controlled laboratory conditions, whether a prolonged 75-day drought can affect the behavior of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) herbicide and biochemical properties in three agricultural soils (Typic Xerofluvent, SA, Typic Haploxeralf, SB, and Vertic Chromoxert, SC). During the 75 experimental days, two irrigation levels were maintained: (1) watered soils during this experimental period, and (2) non-watered soils, where no water was supplied during the experimental period. The evolution of the herbicide and the biochemical properties were different depending on the soil moisture status. In the SA, the biochemical properties decreased until day 35 after initiating the experiment, whereas in the SB and SC, the biochemical parameters decreased until days 25 and 45, respectively. The application of herbicide to the non-watered soil increased the inhibition of biochemical properties. In non-watered SA, MCPA degradation occurred at day 45 after initiating the experiment, whereas in SB and SC, MCPA degradation occurred at days 35 and 60 after starting the incubation process, respectively. These results suggest that the soil persistence of MCPA under drought conditions increases, and consequently increases soil contamination.

Studying the governmental, industrial, and academic partnerships between incubation centers for furthering innovation: Evidence from biotechnology firms in Singapore

In Singapore, the number of incubation centers is rapidly increasing to fulfill the demands of the associated audience. These centers are vital in providing important facilities and capitals for new start-ups. This study aimed at identifying the governmental, industrial, and academic partnerships between incubation centers for furthering innovation in biotechnology firms in Singapore. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five employers from top management in biotechnology firms in Singapore. After the collection data, qualitative analysis was conducted in two steps (step 1: thematic analysis and step 2: word cloud analysis). The results obtained from this study showed that incubation centers play an important role in establishing early-stage biotech start-ups, promoting bio-entrepreneurship. It has also been observed that different challenges are faced during incubation process which include legal issues, infrastructure issues, strategic alliances issues and others. Moreover, the governmental, industrial, and academic partnerships between incubation centers have proven to be effective in promoting innovation processes in biotechnology firms.

The influence of the age of the parent herds and the duration of incubation egg storage on the development of embryos and the quality of the daily broiler

he article says that the development of domestic industrial poultry farming at this stage involves the introduction of advanced technologies at different stages of the production cycle, starting from the incubation egg to the production of a full-fledged viable day-old chicken. The article presents data on changes in the quality indicators of incubation eggs after excessive, long-term storage before the incubation process, analyzes the causes of embryo death at different stages of development, determines the quality of a day-old chicken, its safety up to 10 days of age and the state of the immune system before the cycle of routine vaccinations of the broiler herd. As a result of the analysis of embryonic development, it was found that long-term storage of eggs, especially from young flocks and herds ending their productive period, negatively affects the growth and development of embryos, which leads to increased embryo waste during incubation, prolonged withdrawal of young and negative

Interfacial Tension Driven Open Droplet Microfluidics

AbstractDroplet microfluidics enables compartmentalized reactions in small scales and is utilized for a variety of applications across chemical analysis, material science, and biology. While droplet microfluidics is a successful technology, barriers include high “activation energy” to develop custom applications and complex peripheral equipment. These barriers limit the adoption of droplet microfluidics in labs or prototyping environments. This work demonstrates for the first time an open channel droplet microfluidic system that autonomously generates droplets at low capillary numbers. Hundreds of droplets are produced in a run using only an open channel, pipettes, and a commercially available carrier fluid. Conceptual applications that showcase the process of droplet generation, splitting, transport, incubation, mixing, and sorting are demonstrated. The open nature of the device enables the use of physical tools such as tweezers and styli to directly access the system; with this, a new method of droplet sorting and transfer unique to open systems is demonstrated. This platform offers enhanced usability, direct access to the droplet contents, easy manufacturability, compact footprint, and high customizability. This design is a first step in exploring the space of power‐free open droplet microfluidic systems and provides design rules for similar channel designs.

Evolution of the Composition and Melting Behavior of Spinnable Pitch during Incubation.

The physical and chemical properties of spinnable pitch showed a huge impact on the performance of resultant pitch carbon fiber even if its physical and chemical properties were slightly changed. Various polycyclic aromatic compounds and abundant free radicals existed in spinnable pitch, and there are many interactions among molecules and free radicals. The molecular structure and composition of spinnable pitch were investigated during incubation, and the effect of molecular evaluation on rheological properties of spinnable pitch was illustrated using various characterization methods in this work. It indicated that n-hexane soluble fraction mainly occurred condensation or cleavage, and a small number of heavy components were generated after a long period. The fraction of n-hexane insoluble/toluene soluble underwent molecular condensation and cross-linking in the presence of oxygen-containing radicals and aromatic hydrocarbon radicals, while toluene insoluble/tetrahydrofuran soluble fraction tended to change in large molecules of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Lastly, tetrahydrofuran insoluble fraction was condensed due to its high aromaticity during the incubation process, and the content of aromatic carbon increased. These changes of composition and structure of spinnable pitch led to its softening point, increase in viscosity and flow activation energy, and deterioration of the rheological property.

The Effect of the Stirring Speed on the In Vitro Dry Matter Degradability of Feeds

In vitro methods have been standardized and tested to correctly simulate the rumen environment and fermentation process. A few studies have verified that the feed degradability achieved as a result of stirring the samples is higher when the samples are incubated under continuous stirring than when they are only stirred twice daily. The objective of this study has been to verify the effect of the speed of stirring on feed degradability during In vitro incubation. For this purpose, the apparent and true dry matter degradability (ADMD and TDMD) of grass hay, pelleted alfalfa, corn silage, barley meal, straw, and a total mixed ration (TMR) were measured after 48 h of incubation in jars under different rotation speeds. The same types of feed were placed in the four jars of each instrument, and the rotation system of the machine was modified to ensure the simultaneous rotation of a pair of original jars (which sometimes stopped and/or rotated slowly and irregularly) together with a pair of modified jars under regular and continuous rotation. A rev counter data logger was mounted onto the jars, and the rotation speeds of the original and modified jars were measured and compared under different conditions (empty jars, jars with liquid, jars with rumen fluid, and sample bags). The modifications to the instruments stabilized the rotation of the jars, thereby making the stirring more regular during incubation. The degradability was partly influenced by the regular stirring, albeit with just one instrument, and for grass hay, barley meal, corn silage, and TMR. In short, it has been found that the regular stirring of sample bags is not essential to obtain reliable degradability measurement during incubation, although it is better to maintain a constant rotation to ensure a regular and standardized In vitro incubation process and therefore to allow reproducibility and comparisons of the results on feed degradability.

Book Review: Technology Business Incubator Process and Performance

Innovation ecosystems support the evolution of technology startups besides nurturing their growth.[1] Most of the available literature on this phenomenon focuses on the developed economies, and there is a void in studying emerging economies. This book on “Technology Business Incubators in India Structure, Role and Performance” addresses the same. The focus on the various constituents of TBIs in the form of Accelerators, Business incubators, and Co-working spaces and their structure, role, and performance are examined. Read more...