Active effects of less known bituminous rock alginite on the biological processes of Solanum lycopersicum L.

Applied two preparations of alginite formed from natural bituminous rock alginite in 4 different variants into the soil (granular forms) and spraying on leaves (extracts) in 2 cultivars of Solanum lycoper-sicum L. resulted in reduced production traits on plants and fruits, increased or decreased accumulation of macro and microelements content in plants and fruits and by increasing the antioxidant activity of the fruits compared to the control variant without alginite.

State-of-the-Art Technologies for Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Systems

Advances in building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems for residential and commercial purposes are set to minimize overall energy requirements and associated greenhouse gas emissions. The BIPV design considerations entail energy infrastructure, pertinent renewable energy sources, and energy efficiency provisions. In this work, the performance of roof/façade-based BIPV systems and the affecting parameters on cooling/heating loads of buildings are reviewed. Moreover, this work provides an overview of different categories of BIPV, presenting the recent developments and sufficient references, and supporting more successful implementations of BIPV for various globe zones. A number of available technologies decide the best selections, and make easy configuration of the BIPV, avoiding any difficulties, and allowing flexibility of design in order to adapt to local environmental conditions, and are adequate to important considerations, such as building codes, building structures and loads, architectural components, replacement and maintenance, energy resources, and all associated expenditure. The passive and active effects of both air-based and water-based BIPV systems have great effects on the cooling and heating loads and thermal comfort and, hence, on the electricity consumption.

QUALITY PAPERA new rapid and robust multi-factorial screening for low-percentile use-rate accelerated reliability analysis

PurposeThe study aims to provide a quick-and-robust multifactorial screening technique for early detection of statistically significant effects that could influence a product's life-time performance.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed method takes advantage of saturated fractional factorial designs for organizing the lifetime dataset collection process. Small censored lifetime data are fitted to the Kaplan–Meier model. Low-percentile lifetime behavior that is derived from the fitted model is used to screen for strong effects. A robust surrogate profiler is employed to furnish the predictions.FindingsThe methodology is tested on a difficult published case study that involves the eleven-factor screening of an industrial-grade thermostat. The tested thermostat units are use-rate accelerated to expedite the information collection process. The solution that is provided by this new method suggests as many as two active effects at the first decile of the data which improves over a solution provided from more classical methods.Research limitations/implicationsTo benchmark the predicted solution with other competing approaches, the results showcase the critical first decile part of the dataset. Moreover, prediction capability is demonstrated for the use-rate acceleration condition.Practical implicationsThe technique might be applicable to projects where the early reliability improvement is studied for complex industrial products.Originality/valueThe proposed methodology offers a range of features that aim to make the product reliability profiling process faster and more robust while managing to be less susceptible to assumptions often encountered in classical multi-parameter treatments.

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTIVITY OF VIETNAMESE COFFEE FARMS BY INTERPLANTING WITH MACHILUS ODORATISSIMA NEES: A CASE STUDY IN QUANG TRI PROVINCE, VIETNAM

This study assessed the active effects of inter-planting Coffea arabica and Machilus odoratissima Nees, planted over seven years in small-scale farms in Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province, Vietnam; purpose to evaluate the effectiveness of inter-planting farm of Coffea arabica and Machilus odoratissima in the study site. The results show that the environmental conditions for growing and developing the coffee trees have been improved in the area of mix-planting Coffee and Machilus. The coffee productivity, as a result, has also been increased. In comparison with the living condition at the monoculture farms, wind speed was reduced to 1.67ms-1, soil moisture was increased by 5.1% and soil temperature was decreased by 3.60C at the inter-planting farms. The coffee productivity correspondingly increased by approximately 7.5%. In addition, the value of Machilus products contributed to economic efficiency and economically ensured the sustainability of coffee farms. It also shows that the harvesting Machilus products after seven years of planting contributed over 716.52 USD/ha to the farmer incomes. This could be considered as an economic support to the farmers to maintain the coffee plantation in hash weather conditions or in uncertain prices of productions.

Schizotypy but not Cannabis Use Modestly Predicts Psychotogenic Experiences: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE)

Objective. Cannabis use predicts psychosis in longitudinal studies, but it is difficult to infer causation. Some precursor variables predict both, including childhood trauma and adversity. Additionally, some of the desired effects of cannabis use resemble the symptoms of psychosis. It would be preferable to assess psychotomimetic or “unusual” experiences that include psychotic symptoms but without assuming pathology. Finally, it is possible that similar people are prone to psychosis and drawn to cannabis use, perhaps, because they are sensitive or attracted to unusual experiences. Schizotypy provides a trait measure of proneness to unusual experiences. The study aimed to examine cross-sectionally relationships between cannabis use, schizotypy, and unusual experiences whilst controlling for current trauma symptoms. Method. A volunteer online sample (n = 129, 64% women, predominantly students) who had used cannabis at least once was recruited. People who reported active effects of past trauma were excluded with a brief primary care posttraumatic stress disorder screen. Participants completed the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experience, the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, and measures of substance use and sociodemographics. Results. The majority of respondents recounted unusual experiences after cannabis use, and many of these might have been considered symptoms of psychosis if they had received medical attention. In regression analysis, the only predictor of the unusual experiences scale of O-LIFE was schizotypy (measured by the remaining subscales; 4% of variance). There were no correlations between cannabis use frequency and schizotypy or unusual experiences. Conclusions. These findings suggest that, after controlling for schizotypy and excluding people who are actively experiencing the effects of past trauma, frequency of cannabis use does not predict unusual experiences. However, individuals with schizotypal personality traits may have more unusual experiences when using cannabis.

Biologically active derivatives of fullerene C60. Current state and development prospects

The article presents literature review on the physicochemical and biological properties of fullerene C60, as well as the authors' own experimental data on the synthesis of fullerene derivatives of amines and natural alkaloids. It is shown that the presence of a fullerene fragment in the structure of the compound provides a significant improvement or the appearance of qualitatively new mechanical, chemical, physical, biological and other properties associated with the manifestation of nanoscale factors. The issues of the relationship of the structure, water solubility and biological activity of fullerene С60 derivatives are considered. Many biologically active effects of various modified derivatives of fullerene C60 are described, which have membrane-active, antibacterial, antiviral, immunomodulating, HIV inhibitory enzymes and other properties. It was noted that preparations containing a fullerene fragment are effective against hepatitis C virus, and are also able to efficiently trap free radicals. Derivatives of fullerenes can also be used as antioxidant, neuroprotective and other agents. Particular attention is paid to the authors' own results on the synthesis of amino derivatives of fullerenes.

Active Effects Selection which Considers Heredity Principle in Multi-Factor Experiment Data Analysis

The sparsity principle suggests that the number of effects that contribute significantly to the response variable of an experiment is small. It means that the researchers need an efficient selection procedure to identify those active effects. Most common procedures can be found in literature work by considering an effect as an individual entity so that selection process works on individual effect. Another principle we should consider in experimental data analysis is the heredity principle. This principle allows an interaction effect is included in the model only if the correspondence main effects are there in. This paper addresses the selection problem that takes into account the heredity principle as Yuan et al. (2007) did using least angle regression (LARS). Instead of selecting the effects individually, the proposed approach perform the selection process in groups. The advantage our proposed approach, using genetic algorithm, is on the opportunity to determine the number of desired effect, which the LARS approach cannot.

Physiological application of nanoparticles in calcium-related proteins and channels

Nanoparticles (NPs) have been studied as therapeutic drug-delivery agents for promising clinical trial outcomes. Nanomaterial-based drugs can transfer conventional drugs to target lesions, such as tumors, with increasing efficiency by enhancing drug-cell interaction or drug absorption. Although they are favorable as efficient drug transfer systems, NPs also exhibit cytotoxicity that affects nonpathological regions. Here, we review the basic information behind NP-induced Ca2+ signaling and its participation in channel physiology and pathology. NPs are observed to demonstrate inhibitory or active effects on Ca2+ signaling. Thus, understanding Ca2+ signaling by NPs as a key mechanism in signal transduction will progress the application of nano-drugs in various diseases without deleterious effect.

Chinese leader-follower flexible interactions at varying leader distances

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the Chinese leader–follower interaction model in school cases considering followers’ effect at varying social distances. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a case study approach. Findings First, Chinese leader–follower interactions in school cases are flexible in practice. Second, within leader–follower flexible interactions, contradictory perceptions and field-of-work consciousness foster different behavior choices between leaders and followers. Third, perceptions concerning the proximity of leaders to followers are positively influenced in relation to hierarchical distinctions and negatively influenced owing to private connections. Finally, the perceived leader distance of leaders from followers further influences the contradictory perceptions and field-of-work consciousness of leaders and followers and positively influences the degree of flexible leader–follower interaction. Research limitations/implications This study examined a single institution; hence, results may have been influenced by school-specific features and conditions. Future research should study more organizations to explore whether their unique characteristics and contexts could affect leader–follower interactions, thus providing more generalized and universally applicable conclusions. Originality/value First, this study proposed a leader–follower flexible interaction model in school cases and the concepts of field-of-work consciousness and contradictory perceptions, exploring the active effects of followers in the leadership process to offer guidance toward better understanding the leadership process. Second, it was found that private connections between leaders and followers, as well as hierarchical differences, influenced the perceptions of both leaders and followers concerning leader distance in a Chinese context, and the influence of leader distance on leader–follower interactions was also analyzed.

Sialylated Oligosaccharides and Glycoconjugates of Human Milk. The Impact on Infant and Newborn Protection, Development and Well-Being

Human milk not only has nutritional value, but also provides a wide range of biologically active molecules, which are adapted to meet the needs of newborns and infants. Mother’s milk is a source of sialylated oligosaccharides and glycans that are attached to proteins and lipids, whose concentrations and composition are unique. Sialylated human milk glycoconjugates and oligosaccharides enrich the newborn immature immune system and are crucial for their proper development and well-being. Some of the milk sialylated oligosaccharide structures can locally exert biologically active effects in the newborn’s and infant’s gut. Sialylated molecules of human milk can be recognized and bound by sialic acid-dependent pathogens and inhibit their adhesion to the epithelial cells of newborns and infants. A small amount of intact sialylated oligosaccharides can be absorbed from the intestine and remain in the newborn’s circulation in concentrations high enough to modulate the immunological system at the cellular level and facilitate proper brain development during infancy. Conclusion: The review summarizes the current state of knowledge on sialylated human milk oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates, discusses the significance of sialylated structures of human milk in newborn protection and development, and presents the advantages of human milk over infant formula.