Found 520 results
Open Access
Article
04 November 2024Diversity and Meta-Analysis of Microbial Differential Abundance in Nasal Metatranscriptomic Profiles of Asthma
Asthma affects millions worldwide and involves complex genetic, immunological, and environmental factors. The nasal microbiome is increasingly recognized for its role in asthma development, but inconsistent results and small sample sizes have limited a clear understanding. We aimed to clarify the nasal microbiome’s role in asthma using large datasets and meta-transcriptomic analysis. RNA-seq data was analyzed from two large public studies: GALA II (694 children of Puerto Rican heritage; 441 asthmatics, 253 controls) and CAAPA (562 individuals of African ancestry; 265 asthmatics, 297 controls). After quality control and host read removal, microbial reads were annotated using Kraken2. α and β diversity analyses compared microbial diversity between asthmatic and control groups. Differential abundance analysis was conducted separately, controlling for age and sex, with results combined via meta-analysis. We found that asthmatic patients exhibited significantly higher α diversity indices (Shannon, Berger-Parker, Inverse Simpson, Fisher’s) in nasal microbiota compared to controls in GALA II, with similar trends in CAAPA. β diversity analysis showed significant differences in microbial composition in GALA II data. Differential abundance analysis identified 20 species in GALA II and 9 species in CAAPA significantly associated with asthma. Meta-analysis revealed 11 species significantly associated with asthma, including Mycobacterium_tuberculosis. Our study demonstrates increased nasal microbiome α diversity in asthmatic patients and identifies specific microbial species associated with asthma risk. These findings enhance understanding of asthma pathogenesis from the nasal microbiome perspective and may inform future research and therapeutic strategies.
Open Access
Article
04 November 2024Understanding Rural Consumer Credit Demand: Insights from China’s Household Income and Asset Structures
China’s ongoing supply-side structural reforms and the government’s strategic focus on rural revitalization catalyze a significant transformation in rural landscapes. The steady rise in rural residents’ incomes and assets, along with gradual improvements in household quality of life, is unlocking significant potential for growth and upgrades in the rural consumer market.This evolution necessitates a more diversified and sophisticated approach to financial services that is more inclusive and widespread. Despite the challenges, such as an aging population and imperfect credit systems that have limited the quality and precision of rural financial services, the analysis of household income and asset structures is vital for understanding consumption patterns and enhancing the economic vitality of rural households. Our study, based on the 2019 China Household Finance Survey data of 11,386 households and employing the Heckman two-stage model, finds that the proportions of income components and financial assets, moving in opposite directions, significantly influence the amount of consumer credit demanded, while other asset types, such as real estate, show no significant effect. The examination of income and asset diversity through the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) demonstrates varying impacts of income and asset structures on credit demand, depending on the concentration levels of income and assets. Additionally, our analysis of heterogeneity based on the age of the household head and geographic region highlights the diverse influences on the amount of consumer credit demand, underscoring the importance of tailoring financial products and policies to meet the specific needs of rural households. These findings shed light on these dynamics and inform financial service innovations that align with the needs of rural consumers, thereby supporting the broader objectives of rural economic development and the achievement of China’s rural revitalization strategies.
Open Access
Article
01 November 2024The Agricultural Land Use Changes in Metropolitan Areas: A Case Study in Italy
In recent decades, countries have experienced a widespread increase in population that has resulted in unorganized urban sprawl, problems with land use change and related threats to natural resources. On the other hand, this led to converting agricultural areas into urban spaces. This work aims to analyze land use changes in the metropolitan area of Rome, which has experienced significant urbanization in rural areas. In this context, the agricultural sector’s contribution to the economic growth of peri-urban areas in the metropolitan area of Rome was verified. After showing the extent of agricultural land consumption, an economic evaluation of land use was provided through the analysis of the evolution of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Rome. The analysis was performed using the Italian FADN data for 2008–2020 and a set of structural and economic–financial indicators. Furthermore, the study analyzes the relationship between farm performance and agricultural resources, farmer demographics, and farm size. The analysis reveals that farms are mainly specialized in arable land and herbivores and are conducted prevalently by men with a high school education level and aged between 40 and 65 years. The economic results also show a good performance; however, they are yearly differentiated. Only a few farms resort to other gainful activities to increase the income produced. Therefore, a greater diversification of agricultural activities is desirable. The research provides interesting insights to stakeholders on the public support that needs to be designed and implemented to favor the survival of farms in rural areas.
Open Access
Article
01 November 2024Alkaline Modified Coir and Unmodified Hemp Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Based Composite for Automotive Application
The growing demand for sustainable materials in the automotive industry has prompted research into natural fiber-reinforced composites. To reduce carbon footprints and enhance product sustainability, the sectors increasingly focus on renewable and biodegradable materials. Composites made from natural fibers, such as coir and hemp, offer a promising solution for creating lightweight, high-performance components with a reduced environmental impact.In this study, an experimental investigation was conducted to examine the impact of single and hybrid and treated and untreated fibers, on the properties of epoxy-based composites. Untreated hemp fiber with treated Coir fiber was used for the research. The composites were fabricated through the open mould hand lay-up technique. Samples were prepared by randomly dispersing the fibers in the epoxy matrix before pouring them into the respective moulds prepared according to ASTM standards. Tensile, impact, and hardness tests were conducted on the cured samples to determine their mechanical properties, while a scanning electron microscope was used to evaluate the fractured surface. Water absorption tendencies were also determined. The results showed that the sample denoted as 5CF wt.% had the best property combination with tensile strength (32.4 MPa), tensile modulus (11.9 GPa), flexural strength (167.0 MPa), and impact strength (46.8 kJ/mm2). It was discovered that hemp fiber-based composites were not enhanced properly due to lack of fiber surface modifications. Though optimum results were obtained from treated coir fiber-based single/distinct composite, untreated hemp fiber was discovered to aid some flexural modulus and hardness properties in the hybrid composite based on the best results obtained in its distinct-based composite. Therefore, untreated hemp fiber can be used in hybrid form with treated coir fiber where one of the fibers is scarce or when fiber surface medication is difficult to achieve. Thus, the results showed that 5CH-based composites are the most suitable composition for automotive components development where high-mechanical properties are essential.
Open Access
Review
01 November 2024Waste Resin Derived Carbon Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries
As the environmental issues caused by waste resin become increasingly severe, there is an urgent need to develop ways to handle it in a high-value and harmless manner. Turning waste resin into functional carbon materials is a realizable and promising scheme, which could be a trigger to carry forward emerging sustainable battery technologies and applications. However, there are few review articles about the basics and research progress of the waste resin derived carbon materials for sodium-ion batteries. This review article provides a brief overview mainly about resin recycling and the potential usage of the resultant carbon materials for sodium-ion batteries. Specifically, we show the potential improvements in existing research, focusing on utilization of the waste as well as the significance of new routes for resin recycling. This work offers insights for the design of sustainable carbon materials for battery systems.
Open Access
Article
01 November 2024Energy Consumption and Economic Growth: Evidence from Electricity and Petroleum in Eastern Africa Region
This study investigates the distinct impacts of electricity and petroleum consumption on economic growth in Eastern Africa. Using a Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model and data for a period spanning 2000 to 2021, the study examines both the short-run and long-run effects of these energy sources on Gross Domestic Product. The findings reveal that petroleum consumption has a statistically significant and positive impact on GDP in both the short run and long run. In contrast, while electricity consumption shows a positive but statistically insignificant effect on GDP in the short run, it exhibits a negative and statistically significant impact in the long run. These results suggest that policymakers in Eastern Africa should prioritize sustainable petroleum management to maximize its economic benefits while mitigating potential environmental risks. While the negative coefficient of electricity implies a corrective response of the variables to long-run equilibrium in the face of short-term shocks. As a result, it is recommended that economic shocks caused by energy consumption be considered in terms of their relationship to economic growth, whether positive or negative in the long or short term, as decision makers need to address their impact and limit such shocks on economic growth.
Open Access
Article
31 October 2024Analyzing Climate Dynamics and Developing Machine Learning Models for Flood Prediction in Sacramento, California
Climate change is leading to rapid environmental changes, including fluctuating precipitation and water levels, which raises the risk of flooding in coastal and riverine locations around the United States. This study focuses on Sacramento, California, a city significantly affected by these changes and recent severe flooding disasters. The ultimate goal is to understand the climate dynamics and create a more robust model to alert Sacramento and other communities to possible flooding and better prepare them for future climatic uncertainty. In this research, four classification machine learning models—Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)—are examined for their capacity to predict the occurrence of floods using historical precipitation temperature and soil moisture data. Our results demonstrate that the LSTM model, with an accuracy of 89.99%, may provide better reliable flood predictions, possibly due to its ability to process complicated temporal data. SVM, RF, and ANN showed accuracies of 81.25%, 83.75%, and 85%, respectively. The study explores the correlation between increasing precipitation incidents and severe climate variations, such as the El Niño and La Niña cycles, which could have increased flooding risks. Significant rainfall peaks occurred in 1998 and 2007, indicating that external atmospheric circumstances might have considerably impacted local weather patterns. While LSTM models show potential, there remains room to improve their accuracy and adaptability in extreme flood scenarios. Given these findings, future research could combine multiple environmental data sources and hybrid modeling approaches to enhance predictions.
Open Access
Book Review
31 October 2024The Shennong’s Herbal Canon for Health Management of Herbal Foods
The Shennong’s Herbal Canon lays the foundation for the basic theory of herbal combination in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, after the Tang dynasty, the text of this book was nearly entirely lost, with only a short preface and a catalogue of 365 herbs remaining. In Interpretation of Shennong’s Herb Canon and Catalogue of Herbal Foods, molecular anthropologist Hui Li systematically elaborated on the philosophical basis and practical application by starting from the TCM perspective and integrating multi-disciplinary scientific evidence. This book provides scholars with numerous empirical and logically-based scientific hypotheses and offers insights for daily health maintenance.
Open Access
Article
29 October 2024Experimental Study on Cold Plasma Jet (CPJ) Assisted Micro-Milling of 30CrMnSiNi2A
As a typical high-performance alloy, the excellent mechanical properties and stringent processing requirements of 30CrMnSiNi2A high-strength steel pose great challenges to high-quality and efficient processing. Currently, researchers have proposed methods such as improving cutting tool performance, minimal quantity lubrication (MQL), and applying external energy field to assist processing. However, due to the unregulated material properties, the further improvement of surface quality is limited, and there are problems of phase change and thermal damage in laser processing. Cold plasma jet (CPJ) is rich in active particles and has a low macroscopic temperature. It can effectively regulate material properties without causing serious surface damage. Therefore, a new 30CrMnSiNi2A machining approach adopting CPJ is proposed to improve the cutting process. The mechanism of its action on material properties and cutting process is revealed based on single-grain diamond scratching tests and micro-milling tests. The results show that CPJ can promote material fracture and improve material removal efficiency. The material removal efficiency R at 400 mN is increased from 0.433 before treatment to 0.895. Under the optimal processing parameters (feed speed Vf = 800 μm/s, spindle speed n = 40,000 rpm, and milling depth ap = 5 μm), compared with dry micro-milling, the cutting forces Fz, Fx and Fy in CPJ-assisted micro-milling are reduced by 26.5%, 24.8% and 31.3%, respectively. The surface roughness Sa is reduced by 19.3%, and the phenomena of plastic flow and burr are suppressed. The CPJ-assisted machining process proposed in this paper can regulate the material properties to improve the cutting process without causing serious damage to the material, providing a new approach for achieving high-quality and efficient processing of 30CrMnSiNi2A.
Open Access
Article
29 October 2024Postmortem Blood Metal Levels: Establishing Updated Reference Ranges Using ICP-OES
Postmortem testing for metals is crucial in forensic toxicology to determine whether metal exposure contributed to an individual’s death. However, current reference ranges for metal concentrations, primarily based on living individuals, fail to account for postmortem physiological changes. This study addresses this gap by analyzing thelevels of zinc and iron postmortem blood levels over various postmortem intervals (PMI) using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Fifty samples were analyzed, revealing a significant increase in metal concentrations over time, with zinc levels rising from 181 μg/dL to 24,935 μg/dL and iron levels from 155 μg/dL to 11,421 μg/dL across a 40-month PMI. These changes are attributed to the redistribution of metals from tissues into the bloodstream and decomposition processes. The study proposes postmortem-specific reference ranges, emphasizing the need for forensic pathologists and toxicologists to consider PMI in their assessments to avoid misinterpretation and inaccurate cause-of-death determinations. This research underscores the necessity of updating reference ranges for postmortem analysis, ultimately improving the accuracy of forensic toxicology reports and contributing to more reliable determinations of cause of death.
