bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EXPLORATION OF IOCG MINERALIZATIONS USING INTEGRATION OF SPACE-BORNE REMOTE SENSING DATA WITH AIRBORNE GEOPHYSICAL DATA
Authors: Abdolmaleki M. , Rasmussen T. M. , Pal M. K.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Nowadays, remote sensing technologies are playing a significant role in mineral potential mapping. To optimize the exploration approach along with a cost-effective way, narrow down the target areas for a more detailed study for mineral exploration using suitable data selection and accurate data processing approaches are crucial. To establish optimum procedures by integrating space-borne remote sensing data with other earth sciences data (e.g., airborne magnetic and electromagnetic) for exploration of Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) mineralization is the objective of this study. Further, the project focus is to test the effectiveness of Copernicus Sentinel-2 data in mineral potential mapping from the high Arctic region. Thus, Inglefield Land from northwest Greenland has been chosen as a study area to evaluate the developed approach. The altered minerals, including irons and clays, were mapped utilizing Sentinel-2 data through band ratio and principal component analysis (PCA) methods. Lineaments of the study area were extracted from Sentinel-2 data using directional filters. Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) were used for classification and analysing the available data. Further, various thematic maps (e.g., geological, geophysical, geochemical) were prepared from the study area. Finally, a mineral prospectively map was generated by integrating the above mentioned information using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). The prepared potential map for IOCG mineralization using the above approach of Inglefield Land shows a good agreement with the previous geological field studies.
DYNAMIC TIME WARPING FOR CROPS MAPPING
Authors: Belgiu M. , Zhou Y. , Marshall M. , Stein A.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) has been successfully used for crops mapping due to its capability to achieve good classification results when a reduced number of training samples and irregular satellite image time series is available. Despite its recognized advantages, DTW does not account for the duration and seasonality of crops and local differences when assessing the similarity between two temporal sequences. In this study, we implemented a Weighted Derivative modification of DTW (WDDTW) and compared it with DTW and Time Weighted Dynamic Time Warping (TWDTW) for crops mapping. We show that WDDTW outperformed DTW achieving an overall accuracy of 67 %, whereas DTW obtained an accuracy of 57%. Yet, TWDTW performed better than both methods obtaining an accuracy of 88%.
SPATIOTEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF FOREST PLANTATION CLEARCUTTING AT LANDSCAPE LEVEL
Authors: Cortés L. , Acuña M. P. , Hernández H. J.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. This study is about clearcutting sizes, their spatial distribution, and how this affects the structure of the whole landscape when they are assessed over time. We introduced the concept of "extended clearcutting patches" (ECPs), which are formed aggregating adjacent patches harvested in consecutive years. The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the spatiotemporal pattern of clearcutting and ECPs at landscape level. The chosen landscape was the coastal commune of Constitución, Maule Region, in Chile, dominated by Pinus radiata D. Don plantations with a high land cover dynamic due harvesting activities. We used Landsat 5, 7 and 8 images (Surface Reflectance Tier 1) to produce yearly land cover maps from 1999 to 2016 and the approach proposed by Zhao et al. (2016) to classify them. We used 32,516 control points in the classification step obtaining a mean global accuracy of 0.94. The spatial distribution of the harvested patches is aggregated in single o accumulate years showing the long-term spatiotemporal pattern if this forestry practice. In average, ECPs have double the size than yearly harvested parches but they can be much bigger in same cases. This intensive forestry practices creates some spatiotemporal harvested complex, or extended clearcutting patches, that can have a bigger impact in functional aspects of the landscape and the wildlife present in this type of landscapes.
TOWARDS AN AUTOMATED FLOOD AREA EXTRACTION FROM HIGH RESOLUTION SATELLITE IMAGES
Authors: Kapilaratne R. G. C. J. , Kaneta S.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Flooding is considered as one of the most devastated natural disasters due to its adverse effect on human lives as well as economy. Since more population concentrate towards flood prone areas and frequent occurrence of flood events due to global climate change, there is an urgent need in remote sensing community for faster and reliable inundation mapping technologies to increase the preparedness of population and reduce the catastrophic impact. With the recent advancement in remote sensing technologies and integration capability of deep learning algorithms with remote sensing data makes faster mapping of large area is feasible. Therefore, this study attempted to explore a faster and low cost solution for flood area extraction by integrating convolution neural networks (CNNs) with high resolution (1.5 m) SPOT satellite images. By consider the system requirement as a measure of cost, capabilities (speed and accuracy) of a deeper (ResNet101) and a shallower (MobileNetV2) CNNs on flood mapping were examined and compared. The models were trained and tested with satellite images captured during several flood events occurred in Japan. It is observed from the results that ResNet101 obtained better flood area mapping accuracy than MobileNetV2. Whereas, MobileNetV2 is having much higher capabilities in faster mapping in 0.3 s/km2 with a competitive accuracy and minimal system requirements than ResNet101.
SCAN ANGLE IMPACT ON LIDAR-DERIVED METRICS USED IN ABA MODELS FOR PREDICTION OF FOREST STAND CHARACTERISTICS: A GRID BASED ANALYSIS
Authors: Dayal K. R. , Durrieu S. , Alleaume S. , Revers F. , Larmanou E. , Renaud J.-P. , Bouvier M.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Lidar scan angle can affect estimation of lidar-derived forest metrics used in area-based approaches (ABAs). As commonly used first-order metrics and various user-developed metrics are computed in the form of a grid or a raster, their response to various scan angles needs to be investigated similarly. The objective of this study was to highlight the impact of scan angles on 11 metrics (9 height-based and 2 other commonly used metrics) at the level of the grid-cell. The study area was divided into a grid of cell size 30 m. In every grid-cell, the flight lines that sampled at least 90% area of the grid-cell were identified. The flight lines and the corresponding point clouds were then classified based on their mean scan angle into four classes 0°–10°, 10°–20°, 20°–30° and 30°–40°. Metrics were computed for one flight line per class for each grid-cell. This resulted in a maximum of four values for a metric in every grid-cell. Comparing these values revealed the evolving nature of the metrics with the scan angle. For the comparison we used a paired t-test and simple linear regression. We observed that most of the metrics were systematically under-estimated with increasing scan angle. Gap-fraction, rumple index were affected more than standard deviation of height while the maximum height was relatively stable. Among the height percentiles, the higher percentiles were relatively more stable compared to the lower percentiles. Scan angles can indeed have an impact on the estimation of lidar derived metrics. Although, many of the metrics studied showed statistically significant differences in their computation for different scan angles, their impact on the accuracies of ABA models needs to be studied further by accounting for the differences as shown in this study.
AUTOMATED CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL FORESTS WITH LANDSAT TIME SERIES USING SIMPLIFIED SPECTRAL PATTERNS
Authors: Duong N. D.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Natural forests are a basic component of the earth ecology. It is essential for biodiversity, hydrological cycle regulation and environmental protection. Globally, natural forests are gradually degraded and reduced due to timber logging, conversion to cropland, production forest, commodity trees, and infrastructure development. Decreasing of natural forests results in loss of valuable habitats, land degradation, soil erosion and imbalance of water cycle in regional scale. Thus operational monitoring natural forest cover change, therefore, has been in interest of scientists for long time. Forest cover mapping methods are divided to two groups: field-based survey and remotely sensed image data based techniques. The field-based methods are conventional and they have been used widely in forestry management practice. Satellite-image-based methods were developed since beginning of earth observation. These methods, except visual image interpretation, can be grouped to supervised and unsupervised classification that rely on various algorithm as statistical, clustering or artificial intelligence. However, there is little report about method, which can extract natural forests from generic forest cover. Over the last couple of decades, natural forests have been over-exploited by various reasons. This practice led to urgent need of development of fast, reliable and automated method for mapping natural forests. In this study, a new method for mapping of natural forest by Landsat time series is presented. The new method is fully automated. It uses spectral patterns as principal classifier to recognize land cover classes. The proposed method was applied in study area consisted of Ratanakiri of Cambodia, Attapeu of Laos and Kon Tum of Vietnam. About 2000 Landsat images were used to generate land cover maps of the study area across years from 1989 to 2018.
MONITORING WHEAT CROP GROWTH PARAMETERS USING TIME SERIES SENTINEL-1 AND SENTINEL-2 DATA FOR AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION IN MONGOLIA
Authors: Gansukh B. , Batsaikhan B. , Dorjsuren A. , Jamsran C. , Batsaikhan N.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Wheat is the most important food crop in Mongolia, most of the croplands are utilizing for wheat cultivating area in the central northern region of Mongolia. The Mongolian government has several policies on the agricultural sector with wheat production in the study region has been intensified to meet people’s food demands and economic development. Monitoring wheat-growing areas is thus important to developing strategies for food security in the region. In the present study, we aimed to develop an agricultural application method using remote sensing data. Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 MSI analysis of time series data were carried out to monitor the wheat crop growth parameters. Time-series images were acquired during May 2019–September 2019 at different growth stages in Bornuur soum, Tuv province of Mongolia. The wheat crop parameters, i.e. normalized difference vegetation index, vegetation water content, backscatter value of VV, VH channels were estimated using remote sensing data with reference data as cadastre polygons of current cropland area. The results showed that provide timely and valuable information for agricultural production, management and policy-making. The agricultural application method will help to agriculture management and monitoring include crop identification and cropland mapping, crop growth monitoring, inversion of key biophysical, biochemical and environmental parameters, crop damage/disaster monitoring, precision agriculture, etc.
Clouds damp the radiative impacts of polar sea ice loss
Authors: Alkama Ramdane , Taylor Patrick C. , Garcia-San Martin Lorea , Douville Herve , Duveiller Gregory , Forzieri Giovanni , Swingedouw Didier , Cescatti Alessandro
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Clouds play an important role in the climate system: (1) cooling Earth
by reflecting incoming sunlight to space and (2) warming Earth by
reducing thermal energy loss to space. Cloud radiative effects are
especially important in polar regions and have the potential to
significantly alter the impact of sea ice decline on the surface radiation
budget. Using CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System) data and 32 CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) climate models, we quantify the
influence of polar clouds on the radiative impact of polar sea ice
variability. Our results show that the cloud short-wave cooling effect
strongly influences the impact of sea ice variability on the surface
radiation budget and does so in a counter-intuitive manner over the polar
seas: years with less sea ice and a larger net surface radiative flux show a
more negative cloud radiative effect. Our results indicate that 66±2%
of this change in the net cloud radiative effect is due to the reduction in
surface albedo and that the remaining 34±1 % is due to an increase in cloud
cover and optical thickness. The overall cloud radiative damping effect is
56±2 % over the Antarctic and 47±3 % over the Arctic. Thus,
present-day cloud properties significantly reduce the net radiative impact
of sea ice loss on the Arctic and Antarctic surface radiation budgets. As a
result, climate models must accurately represent present-day polar cloud
properties in order to capture the surface radiation budget impact of polar sea ice loss and thus the surface albedo feedback.
Osmium isotope and trace elements reveal melting of Chhota Shigri Glacier,
western Himalaya, insensitive to anthropogenic emission residues
Authors: Nizam Sarwar , Sen Indra Sekhar , Shukla Tanuj , Selby David
Published: August 2020

Abstract. The western Himalaya glaciers seasonally melt, in part, controlled by the presence of ice surface impurities in the form of dust, organic, and inorganic particles. The hitherto knowledge that dark-colored impurities on the ice surface are a mechanistic driver of heat absorption and thus enhancing ice mass wasting makes understanding the concentrations, origin, and pathways of emission residues on the glacier surface a global concern to conserve the Himalayan ice mass that provides water to more than one billion people. Yet, the source, origin, and pathways of metal impurities on the ice surface of Himalayan glaciers remain poorly constrained. Here, we present major and trace element geochemistry, rhenium-osmium (Re-Os) isotopes composition of cryoconite – a dark-colored aggregate of mineral and organic materials – on the ablation zone of the Chhota Shigri Glacier (CSG) considered as a benchmark glacier for process understanding in the western Himalaya. We find that the cryoconite possesses elemental ratios and crustal enrichment factor that reveal a predominant crustal source. Further, the 187Os/188Os composition in cryoconite varies from non-radiogenic (0.36) to radiogenic (1.31) compositions. Using a three-component isotope mixing model we show that the Os in cryoconite is dominantly derived from local rocks with negligible input from anthropogenic Os sources. Given that the CSG has limited debris cover (~ 3.4 %) and the near absence of anthropogenically derived particles; our results suggests that dark-colored surficial deposits of anthropogenic dust particles are not one of the significant drivers of glacier melting in the western Himalaya, as observed elsewhere.
IKTINOS a New Freight and Construction Standard to Evolve Concrete Beton Preparation from a Chaotic Contractor Site to a Container Box Mover International Industry
Authors: Pegiou Nikoltetta , Zisopoulos Athanasios , Spinthiropoulos Konstantinos , Kanavas Vasilios
Published: August 2020

A local West Macedonia company sells a transportable beton concrete unit with a capacity of 60 tn every hour. The next step of this machine is to be fed with cement, aggregates, water and chemicals from standard containers. Our research focus on how to connect the various containers, topology layout, type of bus and cleaning. The results did not encourage us to continue our research temporary due to inability to attract research and development funds. We currently will be satisfied to sell a hand-full of “assembly line” contracts instead of a beton unit.
A maternidade em contextos de vulnerabilidade social: papéis e significados atribuídos por pais e mães
Authors: Benatti Ana Paula , Pereira Caroline Rubin Rossato , Santos Dalila Carolina Moreira dos , Paiva Ilana Lemos de
Published: August 2020

O presente estudo investigou o significado da maternidade vivenciada em contextos de vulnerabilidade social, por considerar que estes poderiam imprimir peculiaridades ao seu exercício. Participaram seis pais e seis mães de crianças com até doze anos incompletos, os quais se encontravam cadastrados em um Centro de Referência de Assistência Social (CRAS) de um município do interior do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Os dados foram coletados através de um questionário sociodemográfico e de uma entrevista semiestruturada e foram analisados a partir da Análise de Conteúdo. Os resultados encontrados apontaram uma sobrecarga de papéis desempenhados pelas mães, tanto no que se refere à organização do ambiente doméstico quanto ao cuidado e educação dos filhos. Para pais e mães, a mãe ideal ou a “boa mãe” é entendida como aquela que ocupa um lugar central na família, responsabilizando-se pelos afazeres domésticos, cuidado e educação dos filhos, principalmente no que se refere a práticas de controle e disciplina.
“Tudo é trabalho”: representações sociais de gestores de transportes sobre o trabalho intensificado.
Authors: Tavares Ariane Serpeloni , Scopinho Rosemeire Aparecida
Published: August 2020

O objetivo do artigo é apresentar os resultados e análises oriundos de uma pesquisa qualitativa que buscou compreender as representações sociais (RSs) de gestores de logística sobre o trabalho intensificado. Foram realizadas dez entrevistas semiestruturadas com gestores que atuavam na área de transportes, em empresas privadas de grande porte. Os resultados apontaram que os gestores vivenciavam uma condição laboral bastante intensificada, caracterizada pelo elevado ritmo e pela extensão da jornada, dentro e fora do local de trabalho. Os entrevistados revelaram a existência de consequências paradoxais do trabalho intensificado: por um lado ele causava problemas na saúde, invadia o espaço privado e levava a dificuldades na conciliação das diversas esferas da vida; por outro, suportar e aceitar as condições de trabalho intensificadas aumentava as chances de crescimento profissional e diminuía os riscos de perder o emprego. Quanto às causas do trabalho intensificado, os gestores tenderam a atribuir ao sujeito a responsabilidade pela intensificação laboral, entretanto, aspectos como influência da liderança, características do ramo de transportes, trabalho como terceirizado, qualidade da equipe, cultura meritocrática e condições de trabalho proporcionadas pela empresa também foram elencados como fatores que afetavam a intensidade do trabalho.
Avaliação da satisfação da equipe de profissionais de um serviço de atenção psicossocial especializado em álcool e outras drogas
Authors: Soares Ricardo Henrique , Oliveira Márcia Aparecida Ferreira , Domanico Andrea
Published: August 2020

O presente artigo apresenta um estudo transversal, descritivo e de abordagem qualitativa acerca de uma avaliação de natureza participativa realizada em um serviço de atenção psicossocial especializado em álcool e outras drogas, que objetivou avaliar a satisfação da equipe de profissionais do serviço, empregando referencial teórico-metodológico da avaliação de quarta geração adaptado. Os dados empíricos foram coletados por meio de observação, entrevistas individuais com a aplicação do método do círculo hermenêutico-dialético e de entrevistas grupais. Os dados foram analisados pela técnica de comparação constante. As construções que emergiram no processo de avaliação participativa foram categorizadas em três núcleos temáticos: clínica, gestão e ensino. Os fatores que convergiram para a promoção da satisfação dos profissionais envolveram aspectos da prática assistencial empreendida no serviço. Por outro lado, fatores relacionados à própria assistência, além de outros atinentes à gestão do serviço e à educação permanente, conjugaram-se de modo a desfavorecer a satisfação dos profissionais.
“Outpatient”—Same-calendar-day Discharge Hip and Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Scully Ryan D. , Kappa Jason E. , Melvin J. Stuart
Published: August 2020

As the length of stay for hip and knee arthroplasty has decreased over the years, “outpatient,” or same-calendar-day discharge has become increasingly common. Outpatient arthroplasty offers several possible benefits over traditional inpatient arthroplasty, including potential for cost reductions, faster rehabilitation, improved patient satisfaction, and reduced reliance on hospital resources. Despite these possible benefits, concerns remain over feasibility and patient safety. To date, multiple studies have demonstrated that, for select patients, “outpatient” hip and knee arthroplasty can be safe and effective and yield complication and readmission rates similar to inpatient procedures at potentially significant cost savings. Successful outpatient pathways have emphasized careful patient selection, detailed patient education, enlistment of strong social support, utilization of multimodal analgesia and strong “episode ownership,” and involvement on behalf of the surgical team. As outpatient hip and knee arthroplasty becomes increasingly common, continued investigation into all aspects of the surgical episode is warranted.
Hospital Discharge Within a Day After Total Knee Arthroplasty Does Not Affect 1-Year Complications Compared With Rapid Discharge
Authors: Fassihi Safa C. , Malahias Michael-Alexander , Gu Alex , Richardson Shawn S. , Buller Leonard T. , Stake Seth , De Martino Ivan , Pathak Neil , Chen Aaron Z. , Ast Michael P. , Sculco Peter K.
Published: August 2020

Introduction:

In patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA), it is unclear whether a difference in complication rates exists between patients discharged the day of surgery compared with subsequent postoperative days.

Methods:

Data were collected from the PearlDiver Patient Records Database from 2007 to 2017. Subjects were identified using International Classification of Diseases codes. Eligible patients were stratified into the following three groups: (1) same day discharge (<24 hours postoperatively), (2) rapid discharge (1 to 2 days), and (3) traditional discharge (3 to 4 days) based on the length of stay.

Results:

In total, 84,864 patients were identified as having undergone primary TKA. The incidence of same day discharge, rapid discharge, and traditional discharge was 2.36% (2,004/84,864), 28.56% (24,235/84,864), and 69.08% (58,625/84,864), respectively. After adjustment, no notable differences were observed in the overall complication and revision rates between the same day discharge group and either the rapid discharge or the traditional discharge group. On multivariate analysis, patients in the rapid discharge cohort were less likely to require manipulation under anesthesia or develop periprosthetic joint infection when compared with the traditional discharge group at 1 year postoperatively.

Conclusions:

For those who qualify after careful selection, same day and rapid discharge TKA may be a feasible alternative to the traditional inpatient TKA.

Level of Evidence:

A level 3 retrospective, prognostic study
The Missing Link: Defining the Functional Parameters of Pelvic and Acetabular Alignment
Authors: Nies Matthew S. , Myrick Karen M. , Garbalosa Juan C. , Halawi Mohamad J.
Published: August 2020

Background:

This study aimed to define the three-dimensional functional alignment of the pelvis, proximal femur, and acetabulum during postural and physical activities.

Methods:

Thirty volunteers aged 40 years or greater were recruited. Reflective markers placed on bony prominences on the pelvis and lower extremities were tracked using a 12-camera motion analysis system. Measurements were obtained for various postures (ie, supine, standing, and sitting) and activities (ie, walking and ascending/descending stairs).

Results:

Significant pelvic motion occurred only in the sagittal plane. The mean posterior inclinations of the pelvis were 15°, 18°, and 51° in the supine, standing, and sitting positions, respectively. These corresponded to acetabular anteversion/inclination angles of 26°/44°, 28°/45°, and 55°/55°, respectively. For activities, the mean posterior inclinations of the pelvis were 19°, 19°, and 20° during walking and ascending and descending stairs, respectively. These corresponded to acetabular anteversion/inclination angles of 29°/45°, 29°/45°, and 30°/46°, respectively.

Discussion:

The functional parameters for pelvic and acetabular alignment were defined. Further research is needed to understand the extent to which these normal parameters are altered in the setting of hip and/or spinal degenerative disease to guide acetabular implant placement.
Laboratory diagnostics of Blastocystis infections – challenges and controversies
Authors: Rudzińska Monika , Kowalewska Beata , Sikorska Katarzyna
Published: August 2020

Blastocystis is a unicellular intestinal organism with undetermined pathogenicity, one of the most commonly detected in human stool
samples around the world. Sometimes their presence may contribute to the development of blastocystosis manifested by gastrointestinal
complaints such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, and nausea of varying severity with periods of exacerbation and remission. Due
to the significant polymorphism (at least 4 morphological forms and a large range of sizes), and the delicate, easily degradable structure,
recognition of Blastocystis in microscopic stool smears is difficult. They are easily overlooked or confused with other microorganisms
present in the feces. There is a lack of a standardized procedure for the diagnostics of blastocystosis. In inter-laboratory comparative
studies, Blastocystis is the most inconsistently detected intestinal eukaryote.
The article discusses the difficulties in diagnosing blastocystosis, and the methods used to detect Blastocystis in terms of their usefulness
in a medical diagnostic laboratory.
Genetic characteristics of Korean Jeju Black cattle with high density single nucleotide polymorphisms
Authors: Alam M. Zahangir , Lee Yun-Mi , Son Hyo-Jung , Hanna Lauren H. , Riley David G. , Mannen Hideyuki , Sasazaki Shinji , Park Se Pill , Kim Jong-Joo
Published: August 2020

Objective: Conservation and genetic improvement of cattle breeds require information about genetic diversity and population structure of the cattle. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and population structure of the three cattle breeds in the Korean peninsula.Methods: Jeju Black, Hanwoo, Holstein cattle in Korea, together with six foreign breeds were examined. Genetic diversity within the cattle breeds was analyzed with minor allele frequency (MAF), observed and expected heterozygosity (HO and HE), inbreeding coefficient (FIS) and past effective population size. Molecular variance and population structure between the nine breeds were analyzed using a model-based clustering method. Genetic distances between breeds were evaluated with Nei’s genetic distance and Weir and Cockerham’s FST.Results: Our results revealed that Jeju Black cattle had lowest level of heterozygosity (HE = 0.21) among the studied taurine breeds, and an average MAF of 0.16. The level of inbreeding was –0.076 for Jeju Black, while –0.018 to –0.118 for the other breeds. Principle component analysis and neighbor-joining tree showed a clear separation of Jeju Black cattle from other local (Hanwoo and Japanese cattle) and taurine/indicine cattle breeds in evolutionary process, and a distinct pattern of admixture of Jeju Black cattle having no clustering with other studied populations. The FST value between Jeju Black cattle and Hanwoo was 0.106, which was lowest across the pair of breeds ranging from 0.161 to 0.274, indicating some degree of genetic closeness of Jeju Black cattle with Hanwoo. The past effective population size of Jeju Black cattle was very small, i.e. 38 in 13 generation ago, whereas 209 for Hanwoo.Conclusion: This study indicates genetic uniqueness of Jeju Black cattle. However, a small effective population size of Jeju Black cattle indicates the requirement for an implementation of a sustainable breeding policy to increase the population for genetic improvement and future conservation.
Some characters of bacterial cellulases in goats' rumen elucidated by metagenomic DNA analysis and the role of fibronectin 3 module for endoglucanase function
Authors: Nguyen Khanh Hoang Viet , Dao Trong Khoa , Nguyen Hong Duong , Nguyen Khanh Hai , Nguyen Thi Quy , Nguyen Thuy Tien , Nguyen Thi Mai Phuong , Truong Nam Hai , Do Thi Huyen
Published: August 2020

Objective: Fibronectin 3 (FN3) and immunoglobulin like modules (Ig) are usually collocated beside modular cellulase catalytic domains. However, very few researches have investigated the role of these modules. In a previous study, we have sequenced and analyzed bacterial metagenomic DNA in Vietnamese goats' rumen and found that cellulase-producing bacteria and cellulase families were dominant. In this study, the properties of modular cellulases and the role of a FN3 in unique endoglucanase belonging to glycosyl hydorlase (GH) family 5 were determined.Methods: Based on Pfam analysis, the cellulases sequences containing FN3, Ig modules were extracted from 297 complete open reading frames (ORFs). The alkaline, thermostability, tertiary structure of deduced enzymes were predicted by AcalPred, TBI software, Phyre2 and Swiss models. Then, whole and truncated forms of a selected gene were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by His-tag affinity column for assessment of FN3 ability to enhance enzyme activity, solubility and conformation.Results: From 297 complete ORFs coding for cellulases, 148 sequences containing FN3, Ig were identified. Mostly FN3 appeared in 90.9% beta-glucosidases belonging to glycosyl hydrolase family 3 (GH3) and situated downstream of catalytic domains. The Ig was found upstream of 100% endoglucanase GH9. Rarely FN3 was seen to be situated downstream of X domain and upstream of catalytic domain endoglucanase GH5. Whole enzyme (called XFN3GH5 based on modular structure) and truncate forms FN3, XFN3, FN3GH5, GH5 were cloned in pET22b (+) and pET22SUMO to be expressed in single and fusion forms with a small ubiquitin-related modifier partner (S). The FN3, SFN3 increased GH5 solubility in FN3GH5, SFN3GH5. The SFN3 partly served for GH5 conformation in SFN3GH5, increased modules interaction and enzyme-soluble substrate affinity to enhance SXFN3GH5, SFN3GH5 activities in mixtures. Both SFN3 and SXFN3 did not anchor enzyme on filter paper but exfoliate and separate cellulose chains on filter paper for enzyme hydrolysis.Conclusion: Based on these findings, the presence of FN3 module in certain cellulases was confirmed and it assisted for enzyme conformation and activity in both soluble and insoluble substrate.
Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) peel pellet as a rumen enhancer in Holstein crossbred bulls
Authors: Matra Maharach , Totakul Pajaree , Viennasay Bounnaxay , Phesatcha Burarat , Wanapat Metha
Published: August 2020

Objective: An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of dragon fruit peel pellet (DFPP) as a rumen enhancer of dry matter consumption, nutrient digestibilities, ruminal ecology, microbial protein synthesis and rumimal methane production in Holstein crossbred bulls.Methods: Four animals, with an average live-weight of 200±20 kg were randomly assigned in a 4×4 Latin square design to investigate the influence of DFPP supplementation. There were four different dietary treatments: without DFPP, and with 200, 300, and 400 g/h/d, respectively.Results: Results revealed that dry matter consumption of total intake, rice straw and concentrate were not significantly different among treatments (p>0.05). It was also found that ruminal pH was not different among treatments (p>0.05), whilst protozoal group was reduced when DFPP increased (p<0.01). Blood urea nitrogen and NH3-N concentrations were increased at 400 g of DFPP supplementation (p<0.01). Additionally, volatile fatty acid production of propionate was significantly enhanced by the DFPP supplementation (p<0.05), while production of methane was consequently decreased (p<0.05). Furthermore, microbial protein synthesis and urinary purine derivatives were remarkably increased especially at 400 g of DFPP supplementation (p<0.05).Conclusion: Plant secondary compounds or phytonutrients (PTN) containing saponins (SP) and condensed tannins (CT) have been reported to influence rumen fermentation. DFPP contains both CT and SP as a PTN. The addition of 400 g of DFPP resulted in improved rumen fermentation end-products especially propionate (C3) and microbial protein synthesis. Therefore, DFPP is a promising rumen enhancer and indicated a significant potential of DFPP as feedstuff for ruminant feed to mitigate rumen methane production.
Effects of dietary supplementation with Taiwanese tea byproducts and probiotics on growth performance, lipid metabolism, and the immune response in red feather native chickens
Authors: Chen L. W. , Chuang W. Y. , Hsieh Y. C. , Lin H. H. , Lin W. C. , Lin L. J. , Chang S. C. , Lee T. T.
Published: August 2020

Objective: This study compared the catechin composition of different tea byproducts and investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with green tea byproducts on the accumulation of abdominal fat, the modulation of lipid metabolism, and the inflammatory response in red feather native chickens.Methods: Bioactive compounds were detected, and in vitro anti-obesity capacity analyzed via 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. In animal experiments, 320 one-day-old red feather native chickens were divided into 4 treatment groups: control, basal diet supplemented with 0.5% Jinxuan byproduct (JBP), basal diet supplemented with 1% JBP, or basal diet supplemented with 5×106 colony-forming unit (CFU)/kg Bacillus amyloliquefaciens+5×106 CFU/kg Saccharomyces cerevisiae (BA+SC). Growth performance, serum characteristics, carcass characteristics, and the mRNA expression of selected genes were measured.Results: This study compared several cultivars of tea, but Jinxuan showed the highest levels of the anti-obesity compound epigallocatechin gallate. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes treated with Jinxuan extract significantly reduced lipid accumulation. There were no significant differences in growth performance, serum characteristics, or carcass characteristics among the groups. However, in the 0.5% JBP group, mRNA expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) were significantly decreased. In the 1% JBP group, FAS, ACC and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ levels were significantly decreased. Moreover, inflammation-related mRNA expression levels were decreased by the addition of JBP.Conclusion: JBP contained abundant catechins and related bioactive compounds, which reduced lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, however there was no significant reduction in abdominal fat. This may be due to a lack of active anti-obesity compounds or because the major changes in fat metabolism were not in the abdomen. Nonetheless, lipogenesis-related and inflammation-related mRNA expression were reduced in the 1% JBP group. In addition, dietary supplementation with tea byproducts could reduce the massive amount of byproducts created during tea production and modulate lipid metabolism and the inflammatory response in chickens.
The effect of a finishing diet supplemented with γ-aminobutyric acids on carcass characteristics and meat quality of Hanwoo steers
Authors: Barido Farouq Heidar , Lee Chang Woo , Park Yeon Soo , Kim Do Yeong , Lee Sung Ki
Published: August 2020

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementation with rumen-protected γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on carcass characteristics and meat quality of Hanwoo steers.Methods: Eighteen Hanwoo steers with an average initial weight of 644.83±12.91 kg were randomly allocated into three different groups. Each group consisted of 6 animals that were treated with different diets formulated based on the animals’ body weights. The control (C) group was fed a basal diet consisting of concentrate and rice straw with 74% total digestible nutrients (TDNs) and 12% crude protein (CP). The two other groups were treatment groups; one group was fed a basal diet (74% TDNs and 12% CP) supplemented with rumen-protected GABA at a dose of 150 mg/kg feed, and the other group was fed a basal diet (74% TDNs and 12% CP) supplemented with GABA at a dose of 300 mg/kg feed.Results: The GABA supplementation significantly contributed to better growth performance (p<0.05), especially the weight gain and average daily gain. It also contributed to the lower cooking loss (p<0.05), improvements in essential antioxidant enzymes and stable regulation of antioxidant activities in the longissimus lumborum of Hanwoo steers, as represented by the lower formation of malondialdehyde content within the meat, the inhibition of myoglobin oxidation indicated by the retention of the oxymyoglobin percentage, and the suppression of metmyoglobin percentage during cold storage (p<0.05).Conclusion: Higher doses of GABA may not significantly promote better animal performance and meat quality, suggesting that dietary supplementation with GABA at a dose of 100 ppm is sufficient to improve the meat quality of Hanwoo steers.
Changes in fermentation pattern and quality of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) silage by wilting and inoculant treatments
Authors: Liu Chang , Zhao Guo Qiang , Wei Sheng Nan , Kim Hak Jin , Li Yan Fen , Kim Jong Geun
Published: August 2020

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of wilting and microbial inoculant treatment on the fermentation pattern and quality of Italian ryegrass silage.Methods: Italian ryegrass was harvested at heading stage and ensiled into vinyl bags (20 cm×30 cm) for 60d. Italian ryegrass was ensiled with 4 treatments (NWNA, no-wilting noadditive; NWA, no-wilting with additive; WNA, wilting no-additive; WA, wilting with additive) in 3 replications, wilting time was 5 hours and additives were treated with 106 cfu/g of Lactobacillus plantarum. The silages samples were collected at 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60 days after ensiling and analyzed for the ensiling quality and characteristics of fermentation patterns.Results: Wilting treatment resulted in lower crude protein and in vitro dry matter digestibility and there were no significant differences in acid detergent fiber (ADF), total digestible nutrient (TDN), water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC), ammonia content, and pH (p>0.05). However, wilting treatment resulted in higher ADF and neutral detergent fiber content of Italian ryegrass silage (p<0.05), and the WNA treatment showed the lowest TDN and in vitro dry matter digestibility. The pH of the silage was higher in the wilting group (WNA and WA) and lower in the additive treatment group. Meanwhile, the decrease in pH occurred sharply between the 3-5th day of storage. The ammonia nitrogen content was significantly lower in the additive treatment (p<0.05), and wilting had no effect. As fermentation progressed, the lactic and acetic acid contents were increased and showed the highest content at 30 days of storage.Conclusion: The wilting treatment did not significantly improve the silage fermentation, but the inoculant treatment improved the fermentation patterns and quality of the silage. So, inoculation before ensiling is recommended when preparing high quality of Italian ryegrass silage, and when wilting, it is recommended to combine inoculation for making high quality silage.
“The Difference Between No. 1 1928 and No. 1 1930 Is Great Indeed.”
Authors: deJong Lambert William ,   Zeta Books
Published: August 2020

This article chronicles the correspondence between Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975) and his colleagues in the USSR in the years following his arrival in the United States on what was to have been a one-year fellowship working in the laboratory of T.H. Morgan at Columbia University. These letters chronicle a period during which Dobzhansky not only realized the enormous potential of Drosophila genetics for unlocking the secrets of evolution, but also that con­tinuing this research would require finding a way to remain in the United States longer than either the Soviet Academy of Sciences, or the Rockefeller Foundation, would allow. Dobzhansky’s exchanges during this period with mentors such as Yuri Filipchenko and Nikolai Vavilov, as well as fellow students and colleagues such as Nikolai Medvedev, highlight the precarious game Dobzhansky played as he attempted to appear eager to return to his homeland, while secretly maneuvering to delay it. By the time it was over Filipchenko would die an early death of meningitis and Vavilov—who had originally been urging Dobzhansky to return and contribute to development of genetics in Russia—would now advise him to remain in the USA. Dobzhansky was nearly forced to return to the USSR after a routine trip to Canada to renew his visa, an outcome that would surely have resulted in imprisonment or worse. In the end he was allowed to stay, however Dobzhansky’s defection was so resented by the Soviet regime that even decades later he would remain an “un-person” in his homeland, whose name and contributions were never officially acknowledged during his lifetime, and his attempts at reconciliation were rejected.
Swinging Statistics
Authors: Doboș Corina ,   Zeta Books
Published: August 2020

The present article proposes an examination of the disciplinary evolution of demographic research in Communist Romania, as a case study of the mutually constitutive, multifaceted relationship between science, politics, ideology and memory. My research tries to compensate for the lack of access to the archives of the central institutions for population research during Communism (the National Institute of Statistics and the National Commission of Demography), by combining published sources (mainly scientific works, but also histories of demography and personal memoirs), with different archival documents, mainly coming from personal funds of two population researchers (Sabin Manuilă and Ștefan Milcu), from the fund of the Central Commission for Planning, of the Chancellery of the Romanian Communist Party and from diplomatic archives. I pay attention to the side of the story offered by the actors themselves, focusing on the way in which the legacy of interwar demography was assumed and invoked in different post-war accounts regarding the history of demographic discipline in Romania. By doing so, I seek to contribute to writing a history of science as a product of complex entanglements between the different factors that circumscribe the process of knowledge production within a larger social and political context: specific professional interests and institutional settings, subjective interpretations, ideological pressures and attempts of political control.
The Institute of Philosophy in Communist Romania Under the Regime of Gheorghiu-Dej, 1949-65
Authors: Vasile Cristian ,   Zeta Books
Published: August 2020

This paper examines some aspects of the institutional history of post-war Romanian philosophy, with a special focus on the Institute of Philosophy of the Academy of People’s Republic of Romania. The aim of this article is to shed more light on the main aspects of philosophical research during cultural Stalinism, and to underline the inflexion points within Romanian “philosophical” writings between 1948 and 1965. I examined the lack of human resources and its impact on the emergence of Marxist-Leninist philosophy, as well as the main research topics studied at the Philosophy Section of the Institute of History and Philosophy and Institute of Philosophy especially in the 1950s. I focused also on the context of unmasking and purging of the “philosophical” front mainly in late 1950s, underlining the Agitprop fight against Revisionism and “bourgeois” influence in social sciences. The avatars of the philosophical field are analysed through the lens of professor’s Constantin Ionescu Gulian’s destiny as an important manager of the institutions producing philosophy during the aforementioned period.
The Indo-Pacific Amalda (Neogastropoda, Olivoidea, Ancillariidae) revisited with molecular data, with special emphasis on New Caledonia
Authors: Kantor Yuri I. , Castelin Magalie , Fedosov Alexander , Bouchet Philippe
Published: August 2020

In the ancillariid genus Amalda, the shell is character rich and 96 described species are currently treated as valid. Based on shell morphology, several subspecies have been recognized within Amalda hilgendorfi, with a combined range extending at depths of 150–750 m from Japan to the South-West Pacific. A molecular analysis of 78 specimens from throughout this range shows both a weak geographical structuring and evidence of gene flow at the regional scale. We conclude that recognition of subspecies (richeri Kilburn & Bouchet, 1988, herlaari van Pel, 1989, and vezzaroi Cossignani, 2015) within A. hilgendorfi is not justified. By contrast, hilgendorfi-like specimens from the Mozambique Channel and New Caledonia are molecularly segregated, and so are here described as new, as Amalda miriky sp. nov. and A. cacao sp. nov., respectively. The New Caledonia Amalda montrouzieri complex is shown to include at least three molecularly separable species, including A. allaryi and A. alabaster sp. nov. Molecular data also confirm the validity of the New Caledonia endemics Amalda aureomarginata, A. fuscolingua, A. bellonarum, and A. coriolis. The existence of narrow range endemics suggests that the species limits of Amalda with broad distributions, extending, e.g., from Japan to Taiwan (A. hinomotoensis) or even Indonesia, the Strait of Malacca, Vietnam and the China Sea (A. mamillata) should be taken with caution.
Gender Differences in Contribution to Domestic Work and Childcare Associated with Outsourcing in Korea
Authors: Ryu Soomin , Kim Jinhee
Published: August 2020

This paper examines the associations of having a helper for domestic work or childcare and time spent on it by couples in South Korea. We use five waves of panel survey data from the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (KLoWF), which allows longitudinal changes within couples over time that account for potential selection effects and unobserved heterogeneity among individuals. With fixed effects, we find outsourcing is associated with a decrease in wife’s time spent on domestic work or childcare by 1 hour per week. However, the decrease is concentrated on the unemployed wife’s time, but not employed wife’s time. In addition, outsourcing is not a significant factor for husband’s time and the husband’s share of total contribution. This may be because wives are the main provider of domestic work and childcare in Korea regardless of employment status or having any helper. Due to unequal contributions between husband and wife, using outsourcing also neither alleviates the employed wife’s contribution nor changes the husband’s contribution. However, the results may be underestimated because there are more common and diverse types of outsourcing in a broad sense, such as going out for dinner, buying prepared food, and using dry cleaning services. We expect future studies to consider more broad types of outsourcing and examine how relations with the couple’s time use at home are different by type.