Asia Pacific Academy of Science Pte. Ltd.
Not a member yet
3612 research outputs found
Sort by
Occurrence of varroasis and nosemosis in Apis mellifera hives in Tomalá municipality, Honduras
Full text linkBeekeeping in Honduras represents a significant activity within the livestock sector, facing threats from pests and diseases that hinder its development and productivity. Objective: To determine the parasitic load of Varroa destructor and Vairimorpha (Nosema) spp. in Apis mellifera hives in Tomalá municipality, Lempira department, Honduras, and its association with hygienic behavior, productivity, and the presence of other pests. Materials and methods: The study analyzed 57 hive samples collected from 19 apiaries. The infestation rate of V. destructor was determined. The average infection rate of Vairimorpha spp. was assessed using the Cantwell method. Associations between parasitic loads and productivity, hygienic behavior, and other pests were evaluated through stratified analysis based on the application (or not) of treatment against Varroa spp. Associations were determined using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: Infestation rates for V. destructor were 3.48% in adult bees and 6.82% in larval stages. The use of chemical treatment showed no association with the V. destructor infestation rate in either larvae or adults (p ≥ 0.05). However, the presence of the small hive beetle (SHB) was associated with higher V. destructor infestation in larvae (p < 0.007) within untreated hives. The Vairimorpha spp. infection level was classified as very light, with an average of 5 × 10⁴ spores per sample. The Vairimorpha spp. load showed no association with the variables studied (p ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: The results indicate that varroosis is an important disease in Tomalá municipality, Lempira department, Honduras, associated with hygienic behavior and the presence of SHB in hives. Nosemosis exhibited a very light level of infection
Econometric analysis of resource-use efficiency and profitability in cowpea-based farming systems of Ondo State, Nigeria
Full text linkThis study assessed the efficiency of resource use and profitability in cowpea-based farming systems among smallholder farmers in Ondo State, Nigeria. Data were collected from 160 respondents using a multistage sampling technique and a structured questionnaire. Analytical tools included descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis, and a Cobb-Douglas production function estimated via Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). Results indicated that cowpea production is highly profitable, yielding a return on investment (ROI) of 4.26, meaning that every ₦1 invested generates ₦4.26 in return. The gross margin and net profit per hectare were ₦932,881.08 and ₦885,100.39, respectively. The Cobb-Douglas model showed that farm size, fertilizer, cowpea seed, and agrochemicals significantly and positively influenced output, whereas labor had a significant negative effect. The estimated returns to scale (0.43) suggested decreasing returns to scale. Further analysis of Marginal Value Product (MVP) and Marginal Factor Cost (MFC) revealed underutilization of land and agrochemicals, and overapplication of labor. Major constraints identified included high transportation costs, price instability, environmental hazards, and limited access to capital and market information. The study concludes that while cowpea farming remains economically viable, addressing technical inefficiencies and systemic barriers is essential for enhancing productivity and profitability
Citizen government interface for SDG data management in Tosa Town, Kochi
Full text linkThis study focuses on Tosa Town, a small city in Japan that is struggling to address the challenges posed by an aging population and digital transformation. Through a literature review and interviews with residents, it explores how local governance and data management impact the citizen-government interface and progress toward the SDGs. Key findings include the development of Tosa Town’s own “Citizen Participation Ladder Model,” which emphasizes a progressive participation framework that moves from receiving information to participating in decision-making, with tools specific to Tosa Town. Furthermore, integrating data management with this model can enhance citizen engagement in data collection, processing, and utilization, thereby improving policy alignment with community needs. This study highlights the critical role of the citizen-government interface and strategic data management in advancing the SDGs, offering insights for similar cities
The success of Domino’s strategy: “Buy 1, Get 1 Free” (BOGO)
Full text linkThe “Buy 1, Get 1 Free” (BOGO) promotion is a global cornerstone of Domino’s Pizza’s marketing efforts. This research paper explores the success of Domino’s BOGO strategy by examining its impact on consumer behavior, market positioning, and sales growth. The paper analyzes how BOGO promotions have contributed to Domino’s competitive advantage by drawing on secondary data, industry reports, and relevant literature. Moreover, it evaluates the effectiveness of these promotions in customer loyalty and driving repeat purchases. While the strategy comes with risks, such as reduced profit margins, BOGO continues to be a powerful tool in Domino’s marketing strategy
Celastrus orbiculatus Extract Inhibits the Malignancy ofNon-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells ThroughPI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway
Full text linkAim: This study is targeted at investigating the effects of Celastrus orbiculatus extract (COE) on non-small cell lung cancer
(NSCLC) cells.
Methods: At 24, 48 and 72 h after different concentrations of COE were applied to treat NSCLC cells, MTT method, 5-Ethynyl-
2′
-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, Transwell assay and flow cytometry were conducted to explore the effects of COE at different concentrations on the phenotypes of NSCLC cells. The expression of apoptosis-associated proteins and PI3K/AKT/mTOR-associated
proteins were examined via Western blot.
Results: COE inhibited NSCLC cell multiplication, migration and invasion and facilitated the apoptosis, and this effect was dosedependent. Additionally, also in a dose-dependent manner, COE suppressed Bcl-2 expression and facilitated Bax expression.
After COE treatment, the phosphorylation levels of AKT, mTOR and PI3K were noticeably decreased.
Conclusion: COE suppresses the malignancy of NSCLC cells, probably via inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling
Corporate legal responsibility in the context of environmental sustainability and corporate governance
Full text linkThe research underscores the pivotal role of corporate governance in analyzing corporate legal responsibility within the context of corporate governance and environmental sustainability. The increasing societal awareness about climate change and social equity has compelled companies to scrutinize their operations’ environmental and social impacts. These corporate legal responsibilities encompass adherence to environmental regulations, human rights, and labor practices. The research methodology is a comprehensive literature study, aligning with the research context. The findings underscore that compliance with legal responsibilities forms the bedrock of sustainable business practices. The analysis culminates in the assertion that robust corporate governance plays a pivotal role in guiding companies to not only meet existing environmental and social regulations but also integrate sustainability considerations into their corporate culture. The potential consequences of non-compliance are severe, including reputational damage, legal penalties, and environmental and social harm. This triumph is evident in the enhanced transparency, accountability, and environmental and social performance
Improving indoor temperatures through a homemade green roof modular system
Full text linkIncreased urbanisation has led to a worsening in the quality of life for people in large cities due to the increase in indoor temperatures. Retrofitted green roofs may attenuate housing temperatures, due to the isolation and passive cooling properties of these vegetated systems. For this purpose, this research reports on an experiment using a green roof modular system to compare indoor and outdoor temperatures before, and after, a green roof set up in an existing depot in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil characterized by high temperatures for most parts of the year. The modular system comprised previously used pallets covered with geotextile and planted with succulent species with low watering needs and reduced maintenance processes. Compared to the outdoor environment, mostly warmer indoor conditions were converted to cooler temperatures and due to its thermal properties, which provide insulation, evapotranspiration, and shading the green roof system presented a potential to attenuate the heat exchange and improve indoor conditions. A homemade lightweight modular system can widespread green roofs on a city scale
Garment-aware gaussian for clothed human modeling from monocular video
Full text linkReconstructing the human body from monocular video input presents significant challenges, including a limited field of view and difficulty in capturing non-rigid deformations, such as those associated with clothing and pose variations. These challenges often compromise motion editability and rendering quality. To address these issues, we propose a cloth-aware 3D Gaussian splatting approach that leverages the strengths of 2D convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and 3D Gaussian splatting for high-quality human body reconstruction from monocular video. Our method parameterizes 3D Gaussians anchored to a human template to generate posed position maps that capture pose-dependent non-rigid deformations. Additionally, we introduce Learnable Cloth Features, which are pixel-aligned with the posed position maps to address cloth-related deformations. By jointly modeling cloth and pose-dependent deformations, along with compact, optimizable linear blend skinning (LBS) weights, our approach significantly enhances the quality of monocular 3D human reconstructions. We also incorporate carefully designed regularization techniques for the Gaussians, improving the generalization capability of our model. Experimental results demonstrate that our method outperforms state-of-the-art techniques for animatable avatar reconstruction from monocular inputs, delivering superior performance in both reconstruction fidelity and rendering quality
A bibliometric analysis of research trends in air pollution and environmental impacts
Full text linkThis study presents an extended bibliometric analysis to identify the research landscape, trends, and influential aspects in the field of air pollution and environmental impacts. This study aims to explore the existing gaps and emerging trends in the research landscape on air pollution and its environmental impacts by analyzing publication records, author analysis, country analysis, keywords analysis and thematic maps. The findings expose the increasing interest in air pollution and its environmental impacts worldwide, growing research output, key contributors, and influential knowledge hubs that are in the process of shaping this field of study. Bibliometric techniques, like keyword co-occurrence and thematic mapping, unravel the intellectual structure and evolving focal areas within this research domain. The main findings reveal a number of highly frequent keywords that describe the interdisciplinary nature of air pollution and environmental impact studies. Thematic mapping highlights the following major themes: “air”, “climate” and “pollution”, while emerging themes in research involve “emission”, “biomass” and “factors”, etc. The study gives useful insights for future studies and informed decision-making in the industry with a better understanding of the status quo in air pollution and its environmental impacts research. Future research efforts are recommended to be directed toward more interdisciplinary approaches, strengthened regional studies in developing countries, and the promotion of international collaborations in order to meet air pollution and its environmental consequence challenges effectively on a global scale
Rising tides of contamination from source to sink: The Yamuna’s struggle with pollution (2014–2024)
Full text linkThe Yamuna River, a lifeline for millions in India, has been severely polluted over the decades. From 2014–2024, substantial research has been conducted to analyze the extent of its degradation, pollution sources, and mitigation efforts. This review synthesizes studies from this decade, focusing on chemical, biological, and physical parameters of pollution, industrial and municipal waste contributions, agricultural runoff, and policy interventions. Despite increased awareness and remedial measures, the river remains critically polluted, demanding urgent and sustainable solutions. Also, incomplete data has been collected over the years. The focus of researchers has been primarily on Delhi-NCR regions, mainly because industrial and agricultural activities are more prominent in these regions, neglecting the entire stretch of the River Yamuna which is very important to understand the overall health of the river and to analyze the areas that are contributing mostly to its polluted water