37495 research outputs found
Sort by
Use of a Novel Combination of Multiplex PCR and DNA Barcoding in Assessing Authenticity of Ginseng Products
No full textGinseng (Panax sp.) is a medicinal plant root used for its purported health benefits, primarily in East Asian countries. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in sales of dietary supplements, including ginseng supplements, to purportedly support immune health and provide other health benefits. However, this heightened demand has subsequently increased the risk of adulteration in these dietary supplements. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of a novel combination of DNA barcoding and multiplex PCR to identify species in ginseng supplements. A total of 50 commercial ginseng supplements containing either Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, or Panax notoginseng were obtained from an online vendor. Two composite samples per product were subjected to DNA extraction followed by multiplex PCR and DNA barcoding with three genetic targets (i.e., rbcL, ITS2, and matK). Of the three genetic markers tested with DNA barcoding, ITS2 had the greatest amplification success at 74% and matK had the greatest sequencing success at 60%. DNA barcoding alone was able to identify species in 68% of products, while multiplex PCR had an overall 58% identification rate. The use of both methods resulted in a 70% species identification success rate. In addition to improving the overall identification rate, the use of both methods allowed for greater species resolution and the detection of undeclared plant species. Future research should explore the combination of DNA-based methods with chemical-based approaches to improve ginseng detection capabilities and enable the quantification of undeclared adulterants
Influences of Cultural Capital and Internationalization on Global Competence: Evidence from China’s Higher Vocational Education
Get PDFThe purpose of the study was to explore global competence-based pedagogy in higher education. Under the umbrella of cultural capital theory and internationalization framework, a systematic literature review analyzed and synthesized 26 empirical studies pertaining to global competence education in postsecondary education from 2013 to 2022. The review revealed a research gap highlighting the lack of exploration into global competence pedagogy among students in higher vocational education. To address this gap, the present study focused on a sample of 1,504 participants recruited from a Chinese vocational university situated on the eastern coast of China, encompassing both 3-year college students and 4-year undergraduates. Employing hierarchical linear regression, the study examined the relationship between participants’ attainment of global competence and 19 influencing factors identified through the systematic review. Consistent with cultural capital theory, the findings indicated that higher vocational students with favorable family and educational backgrounds tended to access more educational opportunities and achieve higher levels of global competence. However, limited opportunities for international mobility among higher vocational education students constrained the impact of overseas experiences on their global competence attainment. The study also revealed that internationalization framework played a significant role in fostering globally competent students in China’s higher vocational system. Specifically, faculty international mobility positively influenced the growth of global competence. The internationalization curriculum, cocurricular viii activities, and extracurricular engagements significantly enhanced global competence achievement. Furthermore, the results underscored the importance of off-campus intergroup contact in supplementing the limited on-campus interactions. Both in-person and online contact with foreign individuals outside of campus were found to facilitate the development of global competence. Notably, mediated contact made a unique contribution to global competence development among Chinese higher vocational students, suggesting that such mediums offer invaluable opportunities for students to acquire global resources, particularly for those lacking social connections with foreign individuals in their daily lives. In conclusion, the findings of this study contribute novel insights to the literature on global competence-based education, suggesting that students in higher vocational education, regardless of their socio–economic background or opportunities for international mobility, can benefit from the adoption of internationalization pedagogies in achieving global competence
Legitimacy Competition: China and the United States Legitimization of International Criminal Court Referral Decisions
No full textHow do the United States and China legitimize their position regarding United Nations Security Council (UNSC) referrals to the International Criminal Court (ICC)? Existing literature addresses that states seek to gain and maintain legitimacy. However, there is an overall lack of attention given to how state representatives frame key decisions to legitimize the state\u27s stance and if there are correlations between cases. Filling the gap in literature, this project examines how states legitimize their position on referrals to the ICC as permanent members of the UNSC and identifies a pattern in how they do this. Referring to the legitimacy competition within international institutions and the relationship between states and institutions, I argue that the United States and China are competing to be the dominating international power and use their status as permanent members of the UNSC to reinforce their legitimacy. I conducted case studies on six situations that the UNSC considered for referral to ICC through content analysis of UNSC resolutions, UNSC voting records, UNSC provisional verbatim records and press briefings to identify a pattern in their legitimation. Empirical findings show that China and the United States use concerns over sovereignty and jurisdiction while simultaneously reinforcing their concern for human rights violations to legitimize their position regarding UNSC referrals to the ICC. My in-depth case study on the Yazidi Genocide demonstrates that China is not involved in this case and that while the United States has voiced the need for accountability for the Genocide, it has not drafted a referral to the ICC
Alcohol Use Disorder: Behaviors and Comorbidities in Recovery
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to determine the connection between length of sobriety, for people with alcohol use disorder, and their experience with related disorders and traits. Impulsivity, compulsions, obsessions, generalized anxiety, panic attacks, and neuroticism have all been researched in relation with the development of alcohol use disorder and drinking behaviors. This study strived to determine the presence of these symptoms and behaviors within one’s recovery, and their effect on one’s overall sobriety. This study compared self-reported symptoms of Alcoholics Anonymous members to their current length of sobriety and past relapses. Symptoms of Attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Neuroticism were recorded. The results were significant, and the data indicates that the longer someone with alcohol use disorder is sober, they will experience less symptoms of OCD and ADHD. As a person’s sobriety time increases, they will become less neurotic. The relationship between untreated anxiety and relapses could not be found due to a lack of participants. These results revealed that symptoms of OCD, ADHD, and neuroticism significantly change as someone with alcohol use disorder is experiencing recovery. If these symptoms were monitored in immediate rehabilitation (within the first couple weeks of recovery) and throughout recovery (as one’s sobriety time grows), stress related relapses could be prevented. This supports the importance of substance use and anxiety-based therapy for those in recovery. This study requests that alcohol abuse rehabilitation services provide accessible therapy and consistent personality, ADHD and anxiety-related disorder screenings to aid in one’s recovery
A Realist Interpretation of Unitarity in Quantum Gravity
Get PDFUnitarity is a difficult concept to implement in canonical quantum gravity because of state non-normalisability and the problem of time. We take a realist approach based on pilot-wave theory to address this issue in the Ashtekar formulation of the Wheeler–DeWitt equation. We use the postulate of a definite configuration in the theory to define a global time for the gravitational-fermionic system recently discussed in Alexander et al (2022 Phys. Rev. D 106 106012), by parameterising a variation of a Weyl-spinor that depends on the Kodama state. The total Hamiltonian constraint yields a time-dependent Schrodinger equation, without semi-classical approximations, which we use to derive a local continuity equation over the configuration space. We implement the reality conditions at the level of the guidance equation, and obtain a real spin-connection, extrinsic curvature and triad along the system trajectory. We obtain quantum corrections to deSitter spacetime from the guidance equation. The non-normalisable Kodama state is naturally factored out of the full quantum state in the conserved current density, opening the possibility for quantum-mechanical unitarity. We also give a pilot-wave generalisation of the notion of unitarity applicable to non-normalisable states, and show the existence of equilibrium density for our system. Lastly, we find unitary states in mini-superspace by finding an approximate solution to the Hamiltonian constraint
Inactivation of \u3cem\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/em\u3e, \u3cem\u3eSalmonella enterica\u3c/em\u3e, and \u3cem\u3eListeria monocytogenes\u3c/em\u3e Using the Contamination Sanitization Inspection and Disinfection (CSI-D) Device
Get PDFThe Contamination Sanitization Inspection and Disinfection (CSI-D) device is a handheld fluorescence-based imaging system designed to disinfect food contact surfaces using ultraviolet-C (UVC) illumination. This study aimed to determine the optimal CSI-D parameters (i.e., UVC exposure time and intensity) for the inactivation of the following foodborne bacteria plated on non-selective media: generic Escherichia coli (indicator organism) and the pathogens enterohemorrhagic E. coli, enterotoxigenic E. coli, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes. Each bacterial strain was spread-plated on non-selective agar and exposed to high-intensity (10 mW/cm2) or low-intensity (5 mW/cm2) UVC for 1–5 s. Control plates were not exposed to UVC. The plates were incubated overnight at 37 °C and then enumerated. Three trials for each bacterial strain were conducted. Statistical analysis was carried out to determine if there were significant differences in bacterial growth between UVC intensities and exposure times. Overall, exposure to low or high intensity for 3–5 s resulted in consistent inhibition of bacterial growth, with reductions of 99.9–100 % for E. coli, 96.8–100 % for S. enterica, and 99.2–100 % for L. monocytogenes. The 1 s exposure time showed inconsistent results, with a 66.0–100 % reduction in growth depending on the intensity and bacterial strain. When the results for all strains within each species were combined, the 3–5 s exposure times showed significantly greater (p \u3c 0.05) growth inhibition than the 1 s exposure time. However, there were no significant differences (p \u3e 0.05) in growth inhibition between the high and low UVC intensities. The results of this study show that, in pure culture conditions, exposure to UVC with the CSI-D device for ≥3 s is required to achieve consistent reduction of E. coli, S. enterica, and L. monocytogenes
Detecting Drifts in Data Streams Using Kullback-Leibler (KL) Divergence Measure for Data Engineering Applications
Get PDFThe exponential growth of data coupled with the widespread application of artificial intelligence(AI) presents organizations with challenges in upholding data accuracy, especially within data engineering functions. While the Extraction, Transformation, and Loading process addresses error-free data ingestion, validating the content within data streams remains a challenge. Prompt detection and remediation of data issues are crucial, especially in automated analytical environments driven by AI. To address these issues, this study focuses on detecting drifts in data distributions and divergence within data fields processed from different sample populations. Using a hypothetical banking scenario, we illustrate the impact of data drift on automated decision-making processes. We propose a scalable method leveraging the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence measure, specifically the Population Stability Index (PSI), to detect and quantify data drift. Through comprehensive simulations, we demonstrate the effectiveness of PSI in identifying and mitigating data drift issues. This study contributes to enhancing data engineering functions in organizations by offering a scalable solution for early drift detection in data ingestion pipelines. We discuss related research works, identify gaps, and present the methodology and experiment results, underscoring the importance of robust data governance practices in mitigating risks associated with data drift and improving data observability
Making the Most of Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models: A Novel Approach for Book Recommendation and Discovery in Medical Libraries
Get PDFThis poster presentation evaluates the use of Artificial Intelligence and large language models (LLMs) to assist health science libraries in recommending and discovering book titles as part of their collection development. Using pre-determined prompts, the researchers evaluated ChatGPT 4.0, Bing Chat, and Google Bard as recommender systems for book discovery and ranking existing titles