Major Field Research Articles

How Chromatin Motor Complexes Influence the Nuclear Architecture: A Review of Chromatin Organization, Cohesins, and Condensins with a Focus on C. elegans

Chromatin is the complex of DNA and associated proteins found in the nuclei of living organisms. How it is organized is a major research field as it has implications for replication, repair, and gene expression. This review summarizes the current state of the chromatin organization field, with a special focus on chromatin motor complexes cohesin and condensin. Containing the highly conserved SMC proteins, these complexes are responsible for organizing chromatin during cell division. Additionally, research has demonstrated that condensin and cohesin also have important functions during interphase to shape the organization of chromatin and regulate expression of genes. Using the model organism C. elegans, the authors review the current knowledge of how these complexes perform such diverse roles and what open questions still exist in the field.

Postharvest diseases of mangoes in Fiji

ABSTRACT Despite considerable research globally on postharvest diseases of mango, virtually no work has been done to determine the occurrence of these diseases and their causal agents in Fiji. This study is the first major field and market survey of postharvest diseases of mango in Fiji. For the field survey, fruits from five local mango cultivars were harvested at each of five locations. Fruits from five imported cultivars were also harvested from one location in Nadi. For the market survey, vendors were selected at five municipal markets for fruit collection, along with ten roadside stalls. For field and market surveys, fruits were incubated at 23°C and assessed for postharvest disease (incidence and severity of body rots and stem end rots) when ripe. Isolations were made from disease lesions and fungal cultures were identified using multilocus sequence typing. High incidences of body and stem end rots were recorded across all surveys. In the field survey of local cultivars, ‘Salusalu’ fruits were found to have the lowest severity of body rot and stem end rot on average, while for imported cultivars, ‘Nam Doc Mai’ had the lowest average severity of these diseases. The market survey showed that ‘Salusalu’ had a lower incidence of anthracnose on the body of fruit compared to all other cultivars, although it did have a surprisingly high incidence of stem end rot at some localities. Fungal isolates from anthracnose lesions in the field and market surveys were identified as Colletotrichum asianum, C. simmondsii and C. fructicola. C. asianum was the predominant species associated with anthracnose symptoms, accounting for 97% of isolations. Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Neofusicoccum parvum were the predominant species found in association with mango stem end rot symptoms. Other species isolated from mango stem end rot in lesser numbers included L. brasiliensis, N. umdonicola and N. kwambonambiense. All of these fungi represent new reports for Fiji.

Physical Fitness and Self Efficacy in PATHFIT 1 of Education Students

Self-efficacy is an individual's belief in their ability to perform and accomplish tasks. On the other hand, physical fitness encompasses an individual's comprehensive state of bodily health and well-being. It pertains to the capacity to engage in physical activities effortlessly, efficiently, and without undue exhaustion or strain. The study aimed to determine the level of Physical Fitness and Self-Efficacy in PATHFIT 1 of Education students when grouped according to sex, year level and major field of specialization. This study used a descriptive and correlational research. The respondents were the 234 students using stratified random sampling. A standardized questionnaire used in this study for self- efficacy was taken from the general self-efficacy scale. The physical fitness questionnaire was researcher made and undergone a validation process. The salient results of the study were as follows: the level of physical fitness and self- efficacy were moderate; physical fitness significantly influenced the self-efficacy of Education students; there is no significant difference in the level of physical fitness of education students when grouped according to sex, year level and major field of specialization; and there is no significant difference in the level of self-efficacy of education students when grouped according to sex, year level and major subject. An enhancement program was formulated to better the importance of developing physical fitness and self-efficacy among students to monitor progress and changes.

Geochemistry of high temperature initial geothermal fluids in the Dabie orogenic belt

Analyzing the genesis and resource potential of orogenic geothermal systems poses significant challenges due to their complex geological backgrounds and evolutionary histories. This paper presents a novel synthesis of hydrogeochemical and isotope geochemical data, coupled with geological and geophysical results, to comprehensively understand the origins of deep, high-temperature orogenic geothermal systems. This understanding is achieved through the utilization of advanced geochemical modeling techniques to analyze the geochemical attributes of initial geothermal fluids. The hydrochemical and H/O/S isotopic composition of a total of 67 geothermal and non-geothermal water samples from the Dabie orogenic belt (DOB) were analyzed. Integrated multicomponent geothermometry (IMG) was employed to reconstruct the characteristics of the initial geothermal fluids, and PHREEQC inverse simulations creatively determined the most likely pathways of their genesis and evolution. The findings indicate that all geothermal waters from the three major geothermal fields of Luotian, Yingshan, and Yuexi are alkali-sulfate type waters. The initial geothermal fluids are acidic sulfate type with reservoir temperatures of 156–222 °C, 115–179 °C, and 100–189 °C, respectively. The primary processes responsible for the formation of these initial geothermal fluids are the dissolution of anhydrite from sulfide oxidation and, to a lesser extent, direct sulfide oxidation. Generally, the formation of geothermal systems in the investigated geothermal fields is associated with the extensional collapse and lithospheric thinning of the Dabie orogen since the Early Cretaceous Period. The spatial distribution of the three geothermal fields in this study corresponds to the tectonic-magmatic framework of magmatic intrusion-induced domes (Luotian and Yuexi) in the DOB. The reactivation of the Tan-Lu Fault during the Cenozoic Era suggests the presence of a deep heat source comprising magmatic and metamorphic components. This heat source, combined with the infiltration of paleo-atmospheric and modern atmospheric precipitation water along regional fault systems, results in the formation and gradual dilution of initial geothermal fluids. Neutralization occurs through interactions with calcite and fine-grained sodium aluminosilicates, ultimately leading to the formation of the collected geothermal water. The conceptual model established in this study elucidates the distinctive genesis and formation mechanism of the orogenic geothermal system exemplified by the DOB.

New perspectives on ‘Breathomics’: metabolomic profiling of non-volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath using DI-FT-ICR-MS

Breath analysis offers tremendous potential for diagnostic approaches, since it allows for easy and non-invasive sample collection. “Breathomics” as one major research field comprehensively analyses the metabolomic profile of exhaled breath providing insights into various (patho)physiological processes. Recent research, however, primarily focuses on volatile compounds. This is the first study that evaluates the non-volatile organic compounds (nVOCs) in breath following an untargeted metabolomic approach. Herein, we developed an innovative method utilizing a filter-based device for metabolite extraction. Breath samples of 101 healthy volunteers (female n = 50) were analysed using DI-FT-ICR-MS and biostatistically evaluated. The characterisation of the non-volatile core breathome identified more than 1100 metabolites including various amino acids, organic and fatty acids and conjugates thereof, carbohydrates as well as diverse hydrophilic and lipophilic nVOCs. The data shows gender-specific differences in metabolic patterns with 570 significant metabolites. Male and female metabolomic profiles of breath were distinguished by a random forest approach with an out-of-bag error of 0.0099. Additionally, the study examines how oral contraceptives and various lifestyle factors, like alcohol consumption, affect the non-volatile breathome. In conclusion, the successful application of a filter-based device combined with metabolomics-analyses delineate a non-volatile breathprint laying the foundation for discovering clinical biomarkers in exhaled breath.

What medical conditions lead to a request for euthanasia? A rapid scoping review.

Euthanasia is a controversial issue related to the right to die. Although euthanasia is mostly requested by terminally sick individuals, even in societies where it is legal, it is unclear what medical conditions lead to euthanasia requests. In this scoping review, we aimed to compile medical conditions for which euthanasia has been requested or performed around the world. The review was preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. Retrieved search results were screened and unrelated documents were excluded. Data on reasons for conducting or requesting euthanasia along with the study type, setting, and publication year were extracted from documents. Human development index and euthanasia legality were also extracted. Major medical fields were used to categorize reported reasons. Group discussions were conducted if needed for this categorization. An electronic search was undertaken in MEDLINE through PubMed for published documents covering the years January 2000 to September 2022. Out of 3323 records, a total of 197 papers were included. The most common medical conditions in euthanasia requests are cancer in a terminal phase (45.4%), Alzheimer's disease and dementia (19.8%), constant unbearable physical or mental suffering (19.8%), treatment-resistant mood disorders (12.2%), and advanced cardiovascular disorders (12.2%). Reasons for euthanasia are mostly linked to chronic or terminal physical conditions. Psychiatric disorders also lead to a substantial proportion of euthanasia requests. This review can help to identify the features shared by conditions that lead to performing or requesting euthanasia.

대학교육에서 ChatGPT 활용에 대한 교원 인식조사

Objectives The purpose of this study is to present the direction of ChatGPT introduction and teaching and learning plans of universities by analyzing how ChatGPT perception and use behavior differ according to the characteristics of the faculty group in general situations and teaching and learning.
 Methods For this purpose, 341 faculty at K University were analyzed for their general perception of ChatGPT and perception of educational use according to their major field, digital literacy competency, and experience.
 Results First, in general, faculty' experience in using ChatGPT is high, and they use it for daily purposes such as searching for information and curiosity, and less for teaching. The reason why chat was not used was because they did not know how to use it and did not feel the need for it. Second, in terms of teaching and learning applications, the translation and summarization function was viewed most positively, and the spread of disinformation was viewed most negatively. ChatGPT utilization capabilities were high in the order of media exploration, research utilization, instructional design, and instructional application. Third, in the field of university support, ethics education for AI use and ChatGPT case sharing were the most important.
 Conclusions In order to raise faculty' perception of ChatGPT and spread the right culture, it is necessary to establish an ethical foundation at the university, support digital education, and develop and present new technology convergence classes.

A Study of the Relationship between Career Adaptability, Educational Performance and Educational Satisfaction among Beauty Academy Learners

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between career adaptability, educational performance and educational satisfaction among learners aged 20 and older who have experience in beauty academy in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. This study used 599 self-written questionnaires and conducted frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis and regression analysis using the SPSS 22.0 program. As a result, career adaptability was found to effects educational performance and educational satisfaction, and also educational performance was found to affect educational satisfaction. Based on the results of this study, we intend to provide high-quality beauty education by establishing an effective beauty education strategy. in subsequent studies, it is expected that in-depth research will be conducted to understand learners' career adaptability, educational performance and educational satisfaction by gender, age and major field.

NirmaN: An Online Construction Management System (OCMS)

Construction industry is one of the major fields contributing to the nation's economy. So, it becomes vital to explore the ways of achieving it for betterment of this industry. The problems faced by the construction industry affects many individuals, communities, industries and government, including almost all the stakeholders of it. This paper presents an online construction management system (OCMS) as an e-platform for the construction industry. This system is designed to increase efficiency and transparency in the construction process and reduce the costs associated with the construction industry. It will enable contractors, material shops, and clients to collaborate and manage the entire construction process in a secure and efficient manner. This theory is supported by several researches, market trends and their problems. As it deals with the real time entities and their survival, the facts are summarized from the statistical results obtained from the survey conducted, which includes a questionnaire for the contractors, engineers, project managers, customers, material shops, etc. Based on the results obtained from the survey, The system will provide a secure and user-friendly interface for clients to monitor the progress of their projects. The paper will discuss the potential of the proposed system and the challenges associated with its implementation. It will also provide an overview of the current market trends in construction management systems. Finally, the paper will conclude by exploring the potential of the proposed system to revolutionize the construction industry

Wojciech Rowiński (1935–2014) – a pioneer of Polish transplantology and a mentor

IntroductionThe present state of Polish transplantology and nephrology was created to a great extent by prof. Wojciech Rowiński due to his excellent organizational, clinical, and didactic skills. His major field of interest was the pathophysiology of the ischemic damage in donor organs; especially kidneys. Together with his colleagues, he was responsible for the implementation of hypothermic pulsatile perfusion in order to preserve a cadaveric kidney until it could be used in clinical practice. The procedure has been in use since 1995 and has been an extremely important achievement in the reduction of the incidence of posttransplant acute tubular necrosis.AimThe purpose of our work is to introduce the reader to the person of Wojciech Rowiński.Material and methodsThe work is based on the available literature. The search process resulted in the detection of relevant articles using valid keywords on electronic databases, including Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Subsequently, 11 were identified as eligible for our review.Results and discussionIn 2008, due to Rowiński's initiative, the Parliament of the Republic of Poland accepted a resolution regarding the approval of transplantation as a method of treatment.ConclusionsRowiński's pioneering efforts and innovative techniques in transplantology had a profound impact on the field, leading to improved organ preservation, reduced complications, and enhanced ethical considerations.

Diversity and Abundance of Ichthyofaunal Species in Karingali Wetland of Central Kerala, India

Background: Karingali wetland is a collection of wetlands in Alappuzha and Pathanmthitta district. It is one of the major wetland paddy fields of central Travancore and had been considered as the rice bank of Mavelikara kingdom. This wetland has not yet been the subject of study. The present study is an inventorization of fish species in this wetland.This will eventually be utilised as a database. Methods: The study areas were divided into five sites; fish samples were collected monthly for a period of June 2020 – May 2022. The collected fish samples were stored in 10% formalin solution and identified with the help of standard literature. Result: During the course of the current study, a total of 35 species from 11 orders were discovered from the Karingali wetland. Cypriniformes, Siluriformes, Perciformes, Anabantiformes, Cichliformes, Beloniformes, Elopiformes, Synbranchiformes, Gobiiformes, Clupeiformes and Mugiliformes were the principal orders. The diversity value ranges high during march and low in July. Even though Karingali wetland are not as much polluted but at the verge of contamination.

Mineralogical and geochemical characterization of coal debris from major coal fields in India: Implications on respirable dust hazards

Coal mining activities have major impact on the surrounding regions through flying coal dust particles. In this study, we investigate the differences in mineralogy and geochemistry between the deposited coal dust and the respirable fractions of coal dust samples collected from the coal mining regions of Jharia and Raniganj coalfields in India. The coal dust samples were investigated in detail through various analytical techniques including FE-SEM, TGA, and particle size analyzer. The proximate analysis of the coal dust indicated that the ash content is 75%, moisture 0.5%, volatile matter 8.4%, and fixed carbon 16% in the Jharia coal fields, while the respective values of Raniganj coal values are 68.3%, 2.8%, 14.6%, and 14.2%. The average carbon content in the Raniganj coal dust particles is higher than that of Jharia (22.62 vs. 21.50%) and suggest that the coal dust particles were transported from the coal mining areas. The scanning electron microscopy images suggest that the coal dust samples have spherical and irregular morphologies. The carbon and sulphur in these samples were possibly derived from the organic matter of the coal materials, which were transported by air as dust particles. The particle size distribution of the coal dust samples revealed that 75–95% of these by volume are in the fraction of <600 μm. It can be inferred that the relatively fine particles of the coal dust samples contained 70% of ash comprising of mostly silica and clay as maximum respirable dust, which is hazardous to both human life and the environment. Our study provides insights into the air pollution and health risks around mining areas.

Stabilization of permalloy nanoparticles for syringe printable inductors

Additive manufacturing has the potential to fabricate custom parts with complex shapes. For syringe printing, there is a possibility for printing filaments consisting of different materials on a single tool. Additively manufactured electronics is a major field of investigative research, where filaments contain nanoparticles to tailor properties, such as metal to improve magnetic permeability. This study investigates syringe printing parts with high magnetic permalloy (Ni80Fe20) nanoparticle content (>35 vol%) and the properties of inductors printed from these inks. Two different metal alloy particle sizes of 250 nm and 30 nm are synthesized to observe the effect of particle size on stability. Zeta potential and settling behavior are observed to discern how coating procedures enhance particle stability in water. Permalloy nanoparticle inks are concentrated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to increase viscosity and glycerol to decrease evaporation rates while printing. It is found that PEG and glycerol stabilize 30 nm permalloy nanoparticles in addition to increasing ink viscosity. Permalloy nanoparticle inks are printed into toroid shapes demonstrating the feasibility of fabricating useful three-dimensional magnetic structures. These inductors exhibited an inductance of 180 nH at 30 MHz.

A fuel gas waste heat recovery-based multigeneration plant integrated with a LNG cold energy process, a water desalination unit, and a CO2 separation process

Development of the multigeneration plants based on the simultaneous production of water and energy can solve many of the current problems of these two major fields. In addition, the integration of fossil power plants with waste heat recovery processes in order to prevent the release of pollutants in the environment can simultaneously cover the environmental and thermodynamic improvements. Besides, the addition of a carbon dioxide (CO2) capturing cycles with such plants is a key issue towards a sustainable environment. Accordingly, a novel waste heat recovery-based multigeneration plant integrated with a carbon dioxide separation/liquefaction cycle is proposed and investigated under multi-variable assessments (energy/exergy, financial, and environmental). The offered multigeneration system is able to generate various beneficial outputs (electricity, liquefied CO2 (L-CO2), natural gas (NG), and freshwater). In the offered system, the liquified natural gas (LNG) cold energy is used to carry out condensation processes, which is a relatively new idea. Based on the results, the outputs rates of net power, NG, L-CO2, and water were determined to be approximately 42.72 MW and 18.01E+03, 612 and 3.56E+03 kmol/h, respectively. Moreover, the multigeneration plant was efficient about 32.08% and 87.72%, respectively, in terms of energy and exergy. Economic estimates indicated that the unit product costs of electricity and liquefied carbon dioxide production, respectively, were around 0.0466 USD per kWh and 0.0728 USD per kg-CO2. Finally, the total released CO2 was about 0.034 kg per kWh. According to a comprehensive comparison, the offered multigeneration plant can provide superior environmental, thermodynamic, and economic performances compared to similar plants. Moreover, there was no need to purchase electricity from the grid.

Supramolecular Chemistry of Sumanene

AbstractSumanene is a buckybowl molecule that is continuously attracting the attention of the scientific community because of its unique geometrical and physicochemical properties. This Minireview systematically summarizes advances and considerations regarding the applied supramolecular chemistry of sumanene. This work highlights the major fields in which potential or real applications of sumanene molecule have been reported to date, such as the design of sumanene‐containing functional supramolecular materials and architectures, sumanene‐based drug‐delivery systems, or sumanene‐tethered ion‐selective molecular receptors. An assessment of the current status in the applied supramolecular chemistry of sumanene is provided, together with an emphasis on the key advances being made. Discussion on those milestones that are still to be achieved within this emerging field is also provided.

Supramolecular Chemistry of Sumanene.

Sumanene is a buckybowl molecule that is continuously attracting the attention of the scientific community because of its unique geometrical and physicochemical properties. This Minireview systematically summarizes advances and considerations regarding the applied supramolecular chemistry of sumanene. This work highlights the major fields in which potential or real applications of sumanene molecule have been reported to date, such as the design of sumanene-containing functional supramolecular materials and architectures, sumanene-based drug-delivery systems, or sumanene-tethered ion-selective molecular receptors. An assessment of the current status in the applied supramolecular chemistry of sumanene is provided, together with an emphasis on the key advances being made. Discussion on those milestones that are still to be achieved within this emerging field is also provided.

THE GROWTH OF CHRISTIANITY IN SHANGHAI CONSIDERED THROUGH THE RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY OF RELIGION

The increasing growth of Christianity in Shanghai, China, provides an instructive model for understanding the marketing and economics of religion. The paper employs theoretical analysis as well as an analysis of the results of field study. The theoretical study employed rational choice theory and the field study included visiting religious places and conducting interviews. The major field work took place at Christian churches and other places of worship in Shanghai city during Christmas and New Year time, 2019. This research concludes that Christianity and its competitiveness in comparison to the other faiths in Shanghai, will gain popularity in Shanghai follower will grow in numbers

Research And Application Of 3D Collaborative Design in Oil and Gas Field Surface Engineering

With the constant development of major oil and gas fields at home and abroad towards the direction of digitalization and intelligent technologies, the traditional surface engineering process has encountered the challenges of limited professional collaborative design and poor data connection, etc. The advanced 3D collaborative design has gradually become the mainstream platform of oil and gas field surface engineering design due to its features of a higher degree of model reduction and its advantages of cross-discipline, cross-platform, and cross-region collaborative design. However, in the course of current station modeling and designing, due to the complexity of engineering and the limits of design software, etc., the problems of mutual transmission failure amongst models and the loss of attribute information are prone to occur, causing a bad impact on the work efficiency of 3D collaborative design. In this paper, the commonly used 3D collaborative design software in oil and gas fields has been systematically discussed along with the common issues and their solutions in aspects of 3D design analyzed. Moreover, the effective application of collaborative design in the stage of procurement and construction, and the stage of the operation and maintenance of the digital station shall be separately discussed. While improving the efficiency of 3D collaborative design, it also plays the role of guidance in strengthening the digital and intelligent construction foundation of oil and gas fields.

Sustainability in British skin surgery - a medical student&amp;rsquo;s perspective

The drive for sustainability is becoming ever more apparent and important in our day to day lives. Healthcare is a major field where more sustainable alternatives, and systematic changes must be considered, in order to improve the environmental impact of skin surgery and medicine. Over time, behaviours and methods that could be potentially detrimental environmentally, can become integrated deeply within departmental protocols. Here, the potential key contributors to reduced sustainability within the field of skin surgery are discussed from the perspective of a medical student with interest in Plastic and Dermatological Surgery, with possible measures and discussion points to move forwards.

A low-carbon polygeneration system based on a waste heat recovery system, a LNG cold energy process, and a CO2 liquefaction and separation unit

Abstract Expanding energy conversion plants that simultaneously produce water and energy can address multiple issues in these two major fields. Additionally, utilizing waste heat energy from fossil fuel-driven plants rather than releasing it into the atmosphere can provide both thermodynamic and environmental benefits. A new polygeneration plant that integrates a waste heat recovery process and a CO2 liquefaction and separation process is developed and analyzed through a multi-criteria assessment (thermodynamic, economic, and environmental). The plant is capable of producing several advantageous products, including power, natural gas, desalinated water, and liquefied CO2. The polygeneration plant employs cold energy of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for condensation processes, a novel approach. Results indicate a net power rate of ~41.96 MW, with 166.8, 4912.8, and 972.6 mol/s for liquefied CO2, natural gas, and desalinated water, sequentially. The plant exhibits energy efficiency and exergy efficiency of ~31.6% and ~86.5%, respectively. The cost feasibility shows that electricity production carries a unit cost of 0.0474 US$/kWh, while liquefied CO2 production cost was about 0.0742 US$/kgCO2. The plant is estimated to emit roughly 0.0343 kg/kWh of carbon dioxide. The energy and exergy efficiencies decrease by ~9% and 2%, respectively, as the seawater feed rate increases from 13 to 23 kg/s. A comprehensive comparison indicates that the studied polygeneration plant yields superior economic, thermodynamic, and environmental performance compared to similar facilities. Furthermore, the proposed plant is capable of meeting its own power demands and does not require electricity from the grid.