Major Attributes Research Articles

Insights into sugar metabolism during bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruit development.

Bilberry fruit is regarded as one of the best natural sources of anthocyanins and is widely explored for its health‐beneficial compounds. Besides anthocyanins, one of the major attributes that determine the berry quality is the accumulation of sugars that provide sweetness and flavor to ripening fruit. In this study, we have identified 25 sugar metabolism‐related genes in bilberry, including invertases (INVs), hexokinases (HKs), fructokinases (FKs), sucrose synthases (SSs), sucrose phosphate synthases (SPSs), and sucrose phosphate phosphatases (SPPs). The results indicate that isoforms of the identified genes are expressed differentially during berry development, suggesting specialized functions. The highest sugar content was found in ripe berries, with fructose and glucose dominating accompanied by low sucrose amount. The related enzyme activities during berry development and ripening were further analyzed to understand the molecular mechanism of sugar accumulation. The activity of INVs in the cell wall and vacuole increased toward ripe berries. Amylase activity involved in starch metabolism was not detected in unripe berries but was found in ripe berries. Sucrose resynthesizing SS enzyme activity was detected upon early ripening and had the highest activity in ripe berries. Interestingly, our transcriptome data showed that supplemental irradiation with red and blue light triggered upregulation of several sugar metabolism‐related genes, including α‐ and β‐amylases. Also, differential expression patterns in responses to red and blue light were found across sucrose, galactose, and sugar‐alcohol metabolism. Our enzymological and transcriptional data provide new understanding of the bilberry fruit sugar metabolism having major effect on fruit quality.

Understanding consumers’ perspectives of electronic waste in an emerging economy: a case study of New Delhi, India

Obsolete electronics or E-waste has observed significant escalation in the recent years. Young adults, in particular, are one of the largest consumers of electronic equipments in the contemporary world, although research on their perceptions, awareness and disposal behavior of E-waste has been far and few in between. Considering the growth trajectory of E-waste in the emerging economies, a study has been carried out in the capital city of India, New Delhi with 1039 respondents in the age group of 18–22. Contemplating its aggressive generation, obsolete mobile phone was considered as a representative of E-waste. Both purchase and disposal behaviors of mobile phones were evaluated through the lens of theoretical frameworks such as conspicuous consumption and throwaway society. The concepts of planned and premature obsolescence were also explored. A structured questionnaire survey was carried out through a respondent driven snowball sampling method. We observed that the functional need is the foremost consideration while deciding to purchase a new mobile phone within our study sample. Over 49% of our respondents change their mobile phones between 1 and 3 years. This corresponds to the fact that mobile phones are discarded very much within their actual functional lifespan. Overall, it could be concluded that the major attributes of conspicuous consumption and a throwaway society are still not dominant in our study sample. The experiences of India’s E-waste have the potential to provide important insights for policy formulation and sustainable management particularly in other emerging economies and developing countries.

An Ontology Based Approach to Search Woman Clothing from Pakistan’s Top Clothing Brands

This paper is presenting an ontology-based approach that provides a fast and more relative searching way for women cloth. The trend of online shopping in Pakistan is getting more popular since last decade. It has been observed that most of the women prefer branded cloths when they go for online shopping. The research is aimed to provide them a platform to find their desired dresses from the top brand collections of Pakistan. All top brand products will be available in system to make search for women-clothing more precise and accurate. The system will extract major attributes of dresses i.e. color, style, pattern, from images uploaded by brands registered in the system. These attributes will be defined in a form of domain-oriented ontology (RDF/OWL) that will help consumers to find more exact and proper search results for their desired cloth.

Self‐organization's responses to the COVID‐19 pandemic in China

AbstractSelf‐organization was a key informal channel used to fight COVID‐19 in Wuhan when the local government and other formal organizations failed to respond in the very early stages of the pandemic. The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of self‐organization during an emergency from both a demand‐driven and a social mission identity perspective. Using 14 cases, this study examines the lifecycles of self‐organization in alignment with the consistent changes in social demands. Volunteers' social mission identity and a flexible organizational structure have been identified as two major attributes of the outstanding performance of self‐organization. Moreover, self‐organization demonstrates a striking feature of noncontiguous service provision with the assistance of social media. This study extends the literature on the changing roles of governments and civil society to the emergency context.

GENDER DIFFERENCES AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS’ SENSE OF BELONGING AND LEARNING MOTIVATION

With the deepening knowledge and development of the research on college students' Sense of belonging, the research on college students' Sense of belonging has become an important topic in the academic field. Objective: This study intended to investigate the relationship between college students' sense of belonging and learning motivation. It aims to provide research materials for contemporary college students in their academic development, to provide reference for further research, and to provide a basis for solving problems such as college students in their academic difficulties. Method: The study employed cross sectional survey design and simple random sampling to recruit 336 participants. Out of them, 303 participants returned the questionnaires fully completed on all the scales. Descriptive statistics, t-test, correlations, and ANOVA were carried out to analyze the data. Result: The findings suggest that there were differences in college students' sense of belonging and learning motivation on different demographic variables, such as gender and grade among the major attributes. There was a significant positive correlation between college students' sense of belonging and learning motivation. Conclusion: There were differences in school belonging and learning motivation among college students with different demographic variables.

MARKET DEMAND AND SUPPLY OF Cordia millenii (ỌMỌ) SAWNWOOD AND ITS EFFECT ON CONSERVATION OF THE SPECIES

This study examined market demand and supply of Cordia millenii (Ọmọ) Sawnwood in Bodija sawnwood market so that stakeholders involved in the economies of the sawnwood will make appropriate economic decisions thereby ensuring sustainable utilization of the species. Bodija sawnwood market is made up of nine zones comprising 66 blocks and 1868 stalls. Five zones were purposively selected based on the abundance of Ọmọ sawnwood marketers in the zones. Simple random sampling was then used to select 40 respondents in each zone. Structured questionnaires were used and data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Respondents (89.5%) were male, 75% were between the ages of 30 and 49 years, 97% had formal education and 70.5% had been involved in the sawnwood trade between 10 to 29 years. Respondents (96.5%) stated that there has been a steady increase in the market demand and supply of the sawnwood over the years. Respondents (85.5%) claimed timber were gotten from government forest plantations. Strength (37.5%), hardness (15%), durability (26.5%) and appearance (21%) were identified as the major attributes influencing market demand of the sawnwood. High demand by consumers (76%) and season (23%) were factors influencing the market supply of the sawnwood. Poor infrastructure and unreliable institutional mechanisms (31%) were identified as challenges encountered. Market demand and supply of the sawnwood has been on the increase due to its ubiquitous nature. It is therefore recommended that forestry stakeholders should make a deliberate effort in the sustainable conservation of indigenous tree species through afforestation and reforestation programmes.

National climate funds: a new dataset on national financing vehicles for climate change

ABSTRACT The Paris Agreement’s nationally driven structure puts the spotlight on financing strategies at the national level. The role of national funding vehicles in mobilizing climate finance, however, has not received extensive attention. This paper remedies this gap by introducing a novel dataset of national climate funds established in developing countries. The database creates an inventory of national financing vehicles and tracks their major attributes, including scope, legal form, and the host, among others. We show that 39 countries have established national climate funds. These funds seek to access and mobilize finance from various sources, domestic and international. Most of these funds have broad mandates to tackle climate change, while a smaller share has a more targeted, sectoral focus. Funding sources vary from taxes to international aid. The funds offer a limited range of financial instruments, primarily awarding grants. The funds also differ in how integrated they are with overarching climate plans and strategies. We also find that most developing countries use existing budget lines to target finance towards climate change objectives. Only five countries track public expenditure on the basis of dedicated budget codes. This paper contributes to the literature by providing an empirical basis to pursue questions regarding the role and effectiveness of national climate funds. For policymakers, the limited range of instruments at the disposal of many of these national climate funds also suggests a need to ensure that the national climate funds have the design features they need to support the implementation of national policy goals. Key policy insights Systematic data on public climate finance are scarce. Most governments do not use climate change codes to track their expenditures related to climate change. Policymakers should adopt practices that will help instil transparency in public expenditure on climate change. Policymakers have to revisit the design features of national climate funds such as legal form and areas of operation as the wider operating context changes. Funds accredited with multilateral climate funds are underutilized by fund contributors. The Green Climate Fund’s direct access modality offers one major avenue to foster synergies between national climate funds and multilateral climate funds. Policymakers have the opportunity to harvest lessons from existing funds and calibrate climate policies accordingly, especially as countries contemplate setting revenue-generating carbon prices.

Similar geographic patterns but distinct assembly processes of abundant and rare bacterioplankton communities in river networks of the Taihu Basin

Bacterioplankton play an important role in the biogeochemical cycling in rivers. The dynamics of hydrologic conditions in rivers were believed to affect geographic pattern and assembly process of these microorganisms, which have not been widely investigated. In this study, the geographic pattern and assembly process of bacterioplankton community in river networks of the Taihu Basin were systematically explored using amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The results showed that the diversity, structure, and taxonomic composition of bacterioplankton community all exhibited significant temporal variation during wet, normal, and dry seasons (p<0.01). The neutral community model and null model were applied to reveal the assembly process of bacterioplankton community. The stochastic process and deterministic process both shaped the bacterioplankton community with greater influence of deterministic process. In addition, the abundant and rare bacterioplankton communities were comparatively analyzed. The abundant and rare bacterioplankton communities exhibited similar temporal dynamics (principal coordinates analysis) and spatial variations (distance-decay relationship), indicating similar geographic patterns. Meanwhile, distinct assembly processes were observed for the abundant and rare bacterioplankton communities. Stochastic process (dispersal limitation) shaped the abundant bacterioplankton community while deterministic process (heterogeneous selection) dominated the assembly process of rare bacterioplankton community. Mantel test, redundancy analysis, and correlation analysis together indicated that pH and dissolved oxygen were the major environmental attributes that affected thestructure and assembly process of bacterioplankton community. These results expanded our understanding of the geographic pattern, assembly process, and driving factors of bacterioplankton community in river networks and provided clues for the underlying mechanisms.

Salt marsh restoration: an overview of techniques and success indicators.

Coastal wetlands including salt marshes are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth. They are known for improving the quality of coastal water and provisioning coastal fisheries. However, this ecosystem is under potential threat due to urban coastal land reclamation, limited sediment supply, increased nutrient/eutrophication, and sea level rise. Therefore, restoration efforts to protect the degraded salt marsh habitat are considerably increasing worldwide. In this paper, we present an overview of salt marsh restoration techniques and success indicators. Published scientific literature in English language was collected by searching the most relevant keywords from popular search engines, namely, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Mendeley to get the information about salt marsh restoration techniques and success indicators. This study comprehensively reviewed data from 78 peer-reviewed papers. Results indicated that much of the salt marsh was restored through assisted abiotic strategies (e.g., recovery of tidal exchange, managed realignment, and sediment level amendment). A total of 214 indicators were found, spanning over six major ecological attributes such as structural diversity, ecosystem functions, physical conditions, species composition, external exchange, and absence of threat. Author keywords analysis revealed several hotspots for recent research (e.g., 16s rRNA, fungi, microbial communities, carbon accumulation, and blue carbon). This paper proposes a model for restoring degraded salt marsh, as well as tracking their success.The information presented here will assist the marine ecosystem restoration practitioners in getting a comprehensive understanding of salt marsh restoration success evaluation.

Analysis of supply chain: An application of Taguchi method

A Supply chain should be so planned that the flow between them is always smooth and flexible according to the need of the consumer. After literature survey and study of various processes undergoing in the organization for efficient working of their supply chain major attributes are selected. With the help of Taguchi Method, the ranking of the suppliers according to those major attributes are obtained so that most efficient working supply chain for that particular organization is achieved. This paper finds out the result for supplier selection on the basis of different selected attributes. This method used in this article has various applications in simple daily life problems to complex industrial problems so, the report is a various and very wide range and can be studied by various section of society.

Evaluation of cardioprotective potential of isolated swerchirin against the isoproterenol-induced cardiotoxicity in wistar albino rats

Background: Cardiotoxicity is one of the emerging health-care issues worldwide and mortality due to this is increasing exponentially. Oxidative stress, myocardial inflammation, and damage to the cardiac membrane are major causative attributes for this toxicity. Isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiotoxicity is a well-established and accepted model to estimate innovative cardioprotective agents, as it exhibits several morphological and biochemical aberrations in the myocardium of rat that is comparable with those detected in clinical practice. Objectives: In the present study, we explored the cardioprotective effect of swerchirin (SW) extracted from Swertia chirayita in the ISO model. Materials and Methods: SW was isolated from S. chirayita, characterized by high-performance thin-layer chromatography-mass spectrometry, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C-NMR, and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques. The in-vitro study was performed for 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and nitric oxide scavenging activity to explore the antioxidant capacity. In silico study was performed to ascertain the binding affinity of SW with antioxidant enzymes. The in-vivo study was performed to explore the cardioprotective activity in the ISO-induced cardiotoxic model. Results: The in vitro studies showed the significant antioxidant potential of SW whereas the in silico study revealed its effective binding into the catalytic pocket domain of superoxide dismutase and catalase. The in vivo study showed a significant improvement in antioxidant enzymes and a reduction in serum glutamic-oxaloacetate transaminase and lipid profile. Further, SW also significantly reversed the histopathological aberrations in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Findings of the study showed a significant cardioprotective effect of SW against ISO-induced cardiac damage.

Characterization of sensory properties of Yunnan coffee

Yunnan Province is the major coffee cultivation region in China, and coffee beans produced in Yunnan account for approximately 99% of the total national coffee production. So far, the sensory properties of Yunnan coffee have not been subjected to descriptive analysis. Here, we selected 25 representative coffee bean samples that are produced in different cultivation areas of Yunnan and with different degrees of roasting. A total of 57 sensory descriptors have been associated with the samples, and a sensory wheel that summarizes the sensory characteristics was developed. In addition, to identify the major attributes associated with Yunnan coffee, principal component analysis was performed, and we also explored how the bean origin and degree of roasting are related to the overall sensory features of Yunnan coffee. Our results show that the growing area is an affecting factor on the aspects of “spices”, “roasted”, “sweet” and “chemical/stale”, whereas “mouthfeel” and “roasted”, and “sour/acid” levels can be influenced by the degree of roasting. The present sensory characterization may provide valuable information for future improvements of Yunnan's coffee agriculture.

CONSUMERS’ PREFERENCE FOR LOCAL RICE BRANDS IN IBADAN METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Despite a self-sufficiency in rice production in Nigeria, there is a huge supply deficit of local rice, which is augmented by importation. This shows a low demand for locally produced rice and a high importation bill for rice. This study therefore assessed consumers’ attitude to and preference for locally grown rice in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select three hundred consumers using a questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Likert scale and double-hurdle regression. Consumers spent about a third (31%) of their monthly food expenditure on rice consumption. Preference for local rice was lower (48%) than imported rice (52%). Cleanliness and absence of stones were major attributes consumers consider when purchasing local rice brands. The attitude towards consumption of local rice was very limited among the consumers. A marginal increase in household expenditure on rice reduces the probability of a consumer’s preference for local rice brands. Policy thrusts aimed at mitigating spikes in price of local rice will impact its consumption positively.

Can colpus membrane ornamentation be a reliable taxonomic tool? A case study with some rubiaceous taxa from eastern Himalaya

ABSTRACT Due to several overlaps of the primary pollen morphological attributes (viz., aperture type and exine sculpturing) throughout the subfamilies and tribes of Rubiaceae, they are of less importance in delineating majority of the taxa at the subfamilial and tribal levels than at generic and specific levels. This in turn renders difficulties in the identification of rubiaceous pollen grains in various palynological studies. In such cases, where the two major pollen morphological attributes viz., apertural type and exine ornamentation pattern are more or less common, we intended to see whether an additional pollen morphological character could reliably be used in demarcation of taxa. The present work deals with the pollen morphological details of 17 species of Rubiaceae from Darjeeling and Arunachal Himalayas. This eurypalynous family exhibits wide array of pollen morphological attributes, specially apertural type, exine ornamentation pattern and variable sculpturing on colpus membrane. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is performed to determine the major pollen morphological variables responsible for delimiting the studied species which pointed out that variation in colpus membrane ornamentation (psilate, granulate, scabrate, verrucate) is a key attribute in characterizing the studied eastern Himalayan rubiaceous taxa up to generic and specific levels.

Remote Learning in Transnational Education: Relationship between Virtual Learning Engagement and Student Academic Performance in BSc Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.

The 21st century has seen dramatic changes to education delivery which have widened the scope of transnational education and remote learning via various virtual learning environments (VLEs). Efficient remote teaching activities require students to be engaged with taught materials and academic staff, and for educators to be able to track and improve student engagement. This article describes the generation of a predictive mathematical model for students’ exam performance using VLE engagement indicators and coursework marks together to enable the creation of a model with a correlation coefficient of 0.724. This article examines the relationship of each of these variables with final exam marks, as well as the addition of personal related variable X on the generated model’s accuracy. The generated models show that each variable had a different impact on the prediction of the final exam mark. The results’ analysis suggests that coursework marks and total VLE page views were the major attributes, while personal factors were also found to greatly impact model accuracy. Considering the case of outliers, who were students with low VLE engagement achieving high exam marks, it is proposed that personal factors, such as behavioural factors and study style, also have a significant effect on student academic attainment. The generated model can be used by students to improve self-efficacy by adjusting their study style and by educators to provide early interventions to support disengaged students. This model can be replicated in different remote learning settings and transnational education, and the findings might be insightful for courses with remote learning strategies to investigate the key educational, personal and engagement parameters for students’ overall success.

An Efficient Hybrid Clustering and Feature Extraction Techniques for Brain Tumor Classification

Most aggressive and common disease is Brain tumors and it leads to very short life expectancy in its highest grade. For proper treatment, such tumors needs to be identified in early stages and detecting brain tumors, medical imaging is used as an important tool. Although, for diagnosing such tumors, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is used very often and it is assumed as a highly suitable technique. From brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, edema and tumor inference is a challenging task due to brain tumors blurred boundaries, complex structure and external factors like noise. For alleviating noise sensitivity and enhancing segmentation stability, a hybrid clustering algorithm is proposed in this research work. Certain processes like classification, feature extraction, hybrid clustering and pre-processing are included in this proposed model. For segmentation of brain tumors, proposed a morphological operation. Skull stripping and contrast enhancement are two process performed in pre-processing stage. It is possible to detect high contrast regions under contrast enhancement. In second stage, Enhanced K- means algorithm is combined with Fuzzy C- Means Clustering (FCM), where images are segmented as clusters. Algorithm’s stability can be enhanced using this clustering techniques while minimizing clustering parameter’s sensitivity. Segmented objects are converted into representations using representation and feature extraction techniques. Major attributes and features are described in a better manner using these techniques. The Fast Discrete Curvelet Transform (FDCT) is used for performing feature extraction in this technique for minimizing complexity and enhancing performance. At last, for classification, deep belief network (DBN) is used in this work. And it uses the concept of optimized DBN, for which Improved dragonfly optimisation algorithm (IDOA) is utilized. This proposed model is termed as IDOA-DBN model. When compared with other classification techniques, brain tumors can be detected effectively using proposed model.

Treatment Adherence among Tuberculosis patients: A Concept Analysis

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: The principal difficulty of long-term tuberculosis (TB) treatment is patient nonadherence. During pandemic, nonadherence of TB treatment affects mortality since TB patients are more vulnerable with Covid-19. AIM OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this concept analysis was to clarify and analyze the concept of treatment adherence. METHODOLOGY: Analysis concept was conducted using the Walker and Avant’s method from relevant studies published by EBSCO, PubMed, ProQuest, Wiley Online Library, and Springer between 2003 - 2021. RESULTS: Five attributes characterizing the concept of treatment adherence from thirteen articles were identified: individual behavior, relationship, mutual participation, shared decision making, and agreement. CONCLUSION: This concept analysis revealed that TB treatment adherence involves many aspects, including the patient, family, society, health care professionals, and policy. These findings help to understand the contribution of major attributes, thereby promoting the body of knowledge on TB and contributing to its elimination during COVID-19 pandemic.

Fsr quorum sensing system modulates the temporal development of Enterococcus faecalis biofilm matrix.

Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication process that regulates major pathogenic attributes in bacteria including biofilm formation, secretion of virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance. The two-component Fsr-QS system of the nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis controls the production of extracellular gelatinase that contributes to biofilm development by enhancing the release of nucleic acids into the biofilm matrix. However, the contribution of this system to the deposition of other biofilm matrix components such as polysaccharides and proteins remains unknown. Using wild type and mutant strains, we discovered that biofilm formation was attenuated by inactivation of the Fsr system or its downstream gelatinase production. Inactivation of the Fsr system caused a modest, yet significant reduction in biofilm metabolic activity without affecting cell counts. Inactivation of the QS-signal sensor FsrC and response regulator FsrA resulted in decreased extracellular polysaccharides and proteins in biofilms in a temporal manner. Irrespective of biofilm age, eDNA levels were reduced in the gelatinase mutant strain. Our results collectively suggest that the Fsr system contributes to the temporal deposition of polysaccharides and proteins into the extracellular polymeric matrix (EPS) of E. faecalis biofilm, without affecting bacterial viability. This understanding of the role of the Fsr-QS system in biofilm development may reveal a novel target to develop effective antibiofilm agents to tackle E. faecalis-mediated infections such as in dental root canals, heart valves, and surgical sites.

Dimensions of Destination Attractiveness in Cape Coast

Abstract Destination attractiveness has received much attention in tourism literature and has been identified as crucial in terms of visitors’ perceived value. The aim of this paper was to assess the attributes that make Cape Coast an attractive destination. Focusing on the supply side perspective, the push and pull theory serves as the basis for the study. The study employed a cross-sectional survey and sampled 294 tourists with the help of a questionnaire using a convenience-sampling technique. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, in which means scores and standard deviations were used to measure the dimensions of destination attractiveness. The results showed that natural, cultural and man-made resources and amenities were the major attributes that make Cape Coast an attractive destination. It is recommended that natural resources and cultural heritage should be well preserved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) together with Ghana Tourism Authority to ensure its sustainability. It is therefore of utmost importance that Ghana Tourism Authority will ensure that the attractions are constantly improved and expanded in accordance with the new trends and developments of tourism in the marketplace.

English

Wheat breeding programs are increasingly using molecular tools to improve efficiency and speed of developing productive cultivars. Molecular markers such as Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) have now become a principal approach to study genetic relationship among various wheat species. The objective of our research study was to identify and distinguished the wheat parents and their hybrid for genes controlling major agronomical attributes. Germplasm comprised of fifteen genotypes were genotyped for gluten strength (Glu A1, Glu D1), height reduction (Rht 1), starch quality (Waxy), vernalization (Vrn A1, Vrn B1), photoperiod sensitivity (Ppd 1), Tan spot disease (Tns-1) and leaf rust disease (Lr34). Statistical analysis with endpoint genotyping, graphical display and principal coordinate revealed significant results for KASP assay. Most variable crosses were S3 X I1, S3 X I3, S2 X I1, S2 X I2 and S1 X I1 with maximum segregants. Whereas, variation was observed for Glu-D1, Tsn1, Glu-A1 followed by Lr34 alleles. Therefore, the objective was achieved successfully with the most reliable KASP markers. The diverse attributes dissected, and key hybrids identified in this study would provide guidance for the improvement of the economically important traits and provide understanding of genetic variability in distinct segregating populations. Besides we have identified significantly important partial mutants in the germplasm for Waxy allele. These findings could provide the end user with wheat products with improved quality such as with or without amylose content.