• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.407-412
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• 2003

In order to measure an antifreezing tolerance, antifreeze proteins accumulated upon cold acclimation in apoplast were analyzed. As Dongborilho were cold-acclimated for 3 to 74 days there was an abrupt increase in apoplastic proteins up to 30 days and then decrease to the similar levels. Among the known antifreeze proteins, CLP produced in E. coli. and TLP purified from apoplast were used to generate antisera that allow to measure and localize the proteins in leaves of barley. The CLP of 27.7 kDa and TLPs of 6, 26, 27, 30, and 31 kDa were increased in their amounts in apoplast as cold treatment being longer. There was a correlation among the amounts of those proteins accumulated in apoplast and freezing tolerance as shown in field and ion leakage tests for five cultivars. The deposit of CLP was localized in the marginal area and the area adjacent to leaf vescular bundle cells in an increasing manner according to duration of cold acclimation but no variation was observed in terms of it's distribution. Based on the close correlation between levels of antifreeze proteins and degrees of freezing tolerance, the immunological methods was to develop to estimate a freezing tolerance in barley.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.1147-1154
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• 2021

The study aimed to investigate the impact of the microfinance program on loan borrowers' asset accumulation. In doing this, the study used descriptive and statistical methods to achieve the objectives. Primary data were collected from 192 respondents from Bangladesh using survey questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the multiple linear regression model. The result revealed that the majority of the borrowers said their assets such as farm, land, and livestock remained the same, which implies that microfinance borrowers still lag behind accumulating household assets. However, in the case of housing conditions and household appliances, there was a marginal increase. The regression result provides evidence that, among other factors, the amount of loan received from microfinance institutions and time duration with them is the most significant role-playing factor for borrower's sustainable well-being. The age and education level of borrowers are identified as positively related to asset accumulations, but not substantially so. Moreover, training provided by microfinance institutions is not effective and influential for microfinance borrowers' wealth accumulation, which is evidenced by the findings. This study's insights are worthwhile for any microfinance institution's decision-makers, development partners, and government to stress the shortcomings and accelerate the borrower's wealth status.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2019

As a solution to the growing concern on the global warming, researches are being actively carried out to apply carbon dioxide capture and storage technology to power generation systems. In this study, the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) adopting oxy-combustion carbon capture was modeled and the effect of replacing the conventional air separation unit (ASU) with the ion transport membrane (ITM) on the net system efficiency was analyzed. The ITM-based system was predicted to consume less net auxiliary power owing to an additional nitrogen expander. Even with a regular pressure ratio which is 21, the ITM-based system would provide a higher net efficiency than the optimized ASU-based system which should be designed with a very high pressure ratio around 90. The optimal net efficiency of the ITM-based system is more than 3% higher than that of the ASU-based system. The influence of the operating pressure and temperature of the ITM on system efficiency was predicted to be marginal.

• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 2021

Purpose: This study seeks to establish the environmental damage theory applicable to Kenya. The analysis is based on annual data drawn from World Bank on carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e) and gross domestic product per capita (GDPPC) for Kenya spanning 1963 to 2017. Research Methodology: The study adopts explanatory research design and autoregressive distributed lag model for analysis. Results: The results revealed a coefficient of -0.017 for GDPPC and 0.004 for GDPPC squared indicating that economic growth has negative effect on CO2e in the initial stages of growth but positive effect in the high growth regime with the marginal effect being higher in the initial growth regime. The findings suggest a U-shaped relationship consistent with Brundtland Curve Hypothesis (BCH). Conclusions: The findings emphasize the need for sustainable development path that enables present generations to meet own needs without compromising the capacity of future generations to meet their own. Sustainable development may include, investment in renewable energies like wind, solar and adoption of energy efficient technologies in production and manufacturing. The study concludes that BCH is applicable to Kenya and that developing affordable and effective mechanisms to boost sustainable development implementation is necessary to decrease the anthropogenic impact in the environment without any attendant reduction in the economic growth.

• Asia Pacific Journal of Business Review
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.19-44
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• 2021

Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) is receiving increased investments in the energy sector under the belt and road initiative (BRI) project since its inception in 2013. SSA has a worse energy efficiency ratio coupled with deficient electricity access, through analysis showed varied impacts on the SSA countries due to the BRI initiative. This study dilves into the influencing factors for Energy Efficiency (EE) in 38 SSA countries, applying the probit and logit approach for 2000-2018. The Multiple-regression model shows significant results of some variables such as foreign direct investment, gross domestic product, and port infrastructure quality being significant on EE under BRI initiative countries. However, the logit and probit models produce similar results and the marginal effect for the entire variable, except energy imports that do not likely impact EE. Furthermore, the interaction of quality of port infrastructure and foreign direct investment variables produces significant results, highlighting the increased investments SSA receives under the BRI initiative in the energy and transport sectors. The model Percent correctly predicted (PCP) value was about 84%, indicating it correctly classified the variables and about 16% not classified. The study recommends EE performance standards should be incorporated on energy projects in SSA to ensure that these projects are energy efficient and decouple SSA's energy demand from economic growth. The research proffers suggestions for policy regarding the BRI initiative in SSA and the implications on sustainable energy and building a community with a shared future.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.121-132
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• 2022

The need for floating photovoltaic is being emphasized to expand renewable energy but low residents' acceptance is a major obstacle to the deployment of floating photovoltaic. Using the discrete choice experiment, this study analyzed the preferences for community-based floating photovoltaic projects and proposed a method to increase the residents' acceptance of floating photovoltaic projects. The estimates of the marginal willingness to accept (MWTA) of the distance, the coverage ratio, the landscape, the project owner (public institution), and the project owner (large company) are -0.69%p/km, 0.13%p/%p, -0.57%p, -2.95%p, -1.73%p, respectively. According to the result of simulation analysis, the residents' acceptance is significantly higher when the project is operated by a public institution, with a choice probability of 58%, than when the project is operated by a private company, with a choice probability of 29%, 12% for a large and small company, respectively. In addition, as a result of the analysis of the expected returns, the results show that the closer the distance from the residence to the power plant, the higher the expected return.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

Objectives In regard to the social competition hypothesis, depression is viewed as an involuntary defeat strategy. A previous study has demonstrated that adaptation in microenvironments can result in a wide range of behavioural patterns including defense activation disorders. Using a simulation model with evolutionary ecological agents, we explore how the fitness of various defence activation traits has changed over time in different environments with high and low social mobility. Methods The Evolutionary Ecological Model of Defence Activation Disorder, which is based on the Marginal Value Theorem, was used to examine changes in relative fitness for individuals with defensive activation disorders after adjusting for social mobility. Results Our study examined the effects of social mobility on fitness by varying the d-values, a measure of depression in the model. With a decline in social mobility, the level of fitness of individuals with high levels of defense activation decreased. We gained insight into the evolutionary influence of varying levels of social mobility on individuals' degrees of depression. In the context of a highly stratified society, the results support a mismatch hypothesis which states that high levels of defence are detrimental. Conclusions Despite the fact that niche specialization in habitats composed of multiple microenvironments can result in diverse levels of defensive activation being evolutionary strategies for stability, decreased social mobility may lead to a decrease in fitness of individuals with highly activated defence modules. There may be a reason behind the epidemic of depression in modern society.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2022

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a serious side effect of antiresorptive agents and bone-modifying agents. It is of the utmost importance to know the management of the MRONJ to improve the patient's quality of life. This study comprehensively reviews the current definitions of MRONJs, and antiresorptive medications, clinical manifestation and staging, risk factors, treatment strategies, and prevention methods of MRONJ. The disease is defined as an exposure of bone and osteonecrosis of the jaw in the oral cavity for at least 8 weeks in patients taking antiresorptive drugs or antiangiogenic agents and with no history of radiotherapy treatment of the jaws. Many articles have reported risk factors associated with MRONJ such as systemic diseases, antiresorptive medication, oral infection, and poor oral hygiene. Osteonecrosis and antiresorptive medications including bisphosphonate and denosumab have been strongly associated, but the pathology of MRONJ is only limited. Hence, an effective and appropriate management and treatment for MRONJ is still to be defined. The objectives of MRONJ treatment are to minimize osteonecrosis and relieve symptoms, and many treatments are suggested from conservative treatment to marginal resection, but this remains controversial. Appropriate treatment of MRONJ remained difficult, although many studies are being covered.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.3
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• pp.283-300
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• 2024

Machine learning (ML) models based on artificial neural network (ANN) and decision tree (DT) were developed for estimation of axial capacity of concrete columns reinforced with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars. Between the design codes, the Canadian code provides better formulation compared to the Australian or American code. For empirical models based on elastic modulus of FRP, Hadhood et al. (2017) model performed best. Whereas for empirical models based on tensile strength of FRP, as well as all empirical models, Raza et al. (2021) was adjudged superior. However, compared to the empirical models, all ML models exhibited superior performance according to all five performance metrics considered. The performance of ANN and DT models were comparable in general. Under the present setup, inclusion of the transverse reinforcement information did not improve the accuracy of estimation with either ANN or DT. With selective use of inputs, and a much simpler ANN architecture (4-3-1) compared to that reported in literature (Raza et al. 2020: 6-11-11-1), marginal improvement in correlation could be achieved. The metrics for the best model from the study was a correlation of 0.94, absolute errors between 420 kN to 530 kN, and the range being 0.39 to 0.51 for relative errors. Though much superior performance could be obtained using ANN/DT models over empirical models, further work towards improving accuracy of the estimation is indicated before design of FRP reinforced concrete columns using ML may be considered for design codes.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2024

Hypogonadism is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease. This study sought to describe the histomorphology of the left coronary arteries of the adult male rabbit following orchiectomy and subsequent testosterone administration. We included 20 adult male rabbits, divided into a baseline group (n=2), an interventional group subjected to castration only (n=6), an intervention group subjected to castration followed by testosterone injection (n=6), and a control group (n=6). Key variables under investigation were serum testosterone levels, the intima-media thickness of coronary arteries, smooth muscle cell density, and adventitial collagen fiber density. The mean coronary arteries' intimal medial thickness was significantly higher in the castrated group than in controls (0.488 mm and 0.388 mm, respectively), while the testosterone-injected group had a mean of 0.440 mm. Mean smooth muscle cell density was significantly lower in the castrated rabbits vs. controls (26.96% and 47.80%, respectively), this observation being reversed with testosterone injection (47.53%). Mean adventitial collagen fiber density was significantly higher in the castrated group than in controls (66.6% and 36.1%, respectively), with a marginal difference after testosterone injection (65.2%). This study demonstrates that castrationinduced hypogonadism causes morphological changes in the coronary arteries that are partly reversible using testosterone injections. These findings provide a morphological basis for understanding the role of testosterone in coronary arteries.