bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving soil ecology when applying bacterial fertilizers
Authors: Chamurliev O G , Borisenko I B , Zelenev A V , Chamurliev G O , Konstantinova T V , Feofilova L A
Published: January 2022

Increasing the yield of spring barley on light chestnut soils of the Volgograd region is possible through the use of microbiological fertilizers that activate the processes of plant growth and development. The influence of the methods of basic tillage and the application of mineral and bacterial fertilizers “Azotovit” and “Phosphatovit” on the content of nitrogen in the soil was studied. The degree of decomposition of the linen cloths was the maximum for deep flat-cutting processing. According to the binary interaction, the best results were obtained on the variant with deep flat-cutting processing with double application of bacterial fertilizers. The introduction of bacterial fertilizers sharply increases the content of azotobacter, and especially when they are applied twice. The lowest toxicity of the soil in barley crops compared to the control was noted on the variant with deep flat-cutting treatment, and the maximum on the variant of dump treatment. The analysis of data on the structure of the crop also indicates the advantage of the variant of deep flat-cutting tillage with double application of microbiological fertilizers. The most cost-effective variants were with double application of bacterial fertilizers on the background of deep flat-cutting tillage.
Efficiency of using the Kazakhstan zeolites for the purification of water from iron ions
Authors: Khamzina Zh B , Belopukhov S L
Published: January 2022

The problem of provision of the population with high-quality drinking water is currently one of the most topical in connection with the unsatisfactory technical condition of the existing water supply systems and pollution of the water sources. Natural zeolites, which have a sufficiently high sorption capacity, cation-exchange properties, relatively low cost and availability, are increasingly being used in recent times for water purification. The mineralogical properties of natural zeolites of the Tayzhuzgen and Shankanai deposits have been investigated. A comparative study of the sorption properties of the natural and modified zeolites of the Kazakhstan deposits has been carried out on model solutions, containing iron ions (Fe2+). The exchange mechanism and the degree of extraction of ions from the solutions have been established. The efficiency of the municipal water purification in the Auezovskiy district of Almaty with zeolites of the Shankanai field has been equal to 85.94%. This suggests a possibility of using these zeolites to purify water from iron ions with the purpose of water treatment in the dairy industry.
Surface flow of melted snow water on the central Russian upland
Authors: Petelko A I , Barabanov A T , Melikhov V V
Published: January 2022

In areas with a pronounced relief, water erosion causes great harm to agriculture and other sectors of the national economy. It leads to the destruction of the soil cover, a reduction in the area of arable land, a decrease in fertility, the removal of erosion products into floodplains, the siltation of ponds and rivers and the destruction of the road network. The scientific goal was to identify the influence of the main natural factors (snow reserves, freezing and soil moisture) on the formation of the spring melt water runoff on the plow. To study the questions raised, the water-balance method was used with the use of runoff sites. Observations showed that the formation of the melt water runoff depended on the depth of soil freezing. With shallow soil freezing up to 50 cm, there was no runoff. All the melt water was absorbed by the soil. As a result of 30 years of research (1991-2020), it was found that the average annual runoff on the plow was very weak - 3.8 mm on the scale of Surmach, the runoff coefficient is 0.05, shallow soil freezing - 19-28 cm, duration of snow melting - 16 days.
Environmentally friendly protein supplements in poultry feeding
Authors: Lipova E A , Yu Bryukhno O , Yu Agapov S , Nikolaev S I , Agapova V N , Ryabova M A
Published: January 2022

Research has been carried out to study the use of a new feed product prepared on the basis of ginger oil cake and feed concentrate from vegetable raw materials “Sarepta” in feeding poultry meat cross Ross-308. These feed products allow to increase the live weight, the digestibility of nutrients in the diet and improve meat productivity. The results of weighing of broiler chickens showed superiority in live weight of the II experimental group - 2612.76 g, where protein-vitamin-mineral concentrate BVMC (S) was used as an additive in compound feed in the amount of 7.5, 10 and 12%, respectively, during the start, growth and finish. The live weight of the I experimental group was 2512.54 g, where protein-vitamin-mineral concentrate BVMC (R) was used as an additive, the dosages were similar to the II experimental group. The weight of the control group chickens was 2370.80 g, respectively. The conducted experience showed that the chickens of the experimental groups exceeded the control analogues in the digestibility of dry matter by 0.27-0.57%, crude protein - by 0.45-1.48%, crude fiber - by 0.7-2.53%, crude fat - by 0.94-2.29%. The results of anatomical cutting of the carcass showed the superiority of the experimental groups.
Environmental influence on the features of the formation of placental structures in cow
Authors: Velikorodnaya Yu I , Prikhodko S A , Ushakov M A , Ushakova Zh Sh , Sharonov D S , Antonov V A
Published: January 2022

Normal organization of placental structures at different stages of pregnancy is critical for the growth and development of the fetus. The aim of this study is to characterize the localization and ratio of epithelial and mesenchymal cells in the placenta of cows with physiological and complicated preeclampsia pregnancy using the immunohistochemical method. To date, it has been established that adverse environmental factors adversely affect the reproductive potential of animals regardless of their gender. The results of the study demonstrated that in the placenta of cows with the development of preeclampsia in the last stages of pregnancy, there was a significant decrease in the content of keratin filaments both in the trophoblasts of the villous tree of the fetus and in the epithelial cells of the maternal part in comparison with physiological values. In this case, the vimentin filaments also underwent partial degradation. Thus, the ratio of keratin and vimentin intermediate filaments can be used as a histological criterion for changes in the placental structures of cows during the development of preeclampsia.
Vegetable oil various types together with enzyme preparation influence on broiler chickens’ meat productivity and quality
Authors: Zlepkin V A , Salomatin V V , Ryadnov A A , Zlepkina N A , Mishurova M N , Ryadnova T A , Kurskaya Yu A
Published: January 2022

The article provides data on the vegetable oil various types together with the “CelloLux-F” enzyme preparation influence on the broiler chickens of the meat cross “Cobb-500” meat productivity and quality indicators. Chickens of the control group got compound feed with sunflower oil; the experimental group I received the same compound feed and additionally 100 g/t of the “CelloLux-F” preparation, the experimental group II received compound feed, which was added with mustard oil (instead of sunflower oil) and additionally 100 g/t of the “CelloLux-F” preparation, the experimental group III received compound feed, which was added with camelina oil (instead of sunflower oil) and additionally 100 g/t of the “CelloLux-F” preparation. It was found that young animals of the experimental groups, in comparison with the control group, the weight of the drawn bird increased by 4.2-9.2%, the edible carcass parts - by 4.3-9.6%, the pectoral muscles - by 5.42-10.96%. The most expedient, both from a zootechnical and from an economic point of view, is the use of camelina oil (instead of sunflower oil) together with the enzyme preparation “CelloLux-F”, which will increase the poultry meat production profitability level by 18.02%.
A new generation of soy proteins for sustainable food production
Authors: Alekseev A L , Alekseeva T V , Obrushnikova L F , Knyazhechenko O A , Starodubova Yu V , Slozhenkina M I
Published: January 2022

One of the promising directions in the creation of meat products is the development and production of products of combined composition, combining a balanced complex of nutrients necessary for the body. In recent years, soy processing products have been most intensively used as a vegetable component in the production of meat products. Protein additives obtained by processing soybeans are widely used in the meat processing industry due to their high functional and technological characteristics, a positive effect on the organoleptic characteristics and nutritional value of the product. The purpose of the work is to study the nutritional value and technological parameters of the soy protein concentrate “Arkon-S”. The theoretical part of the research was carried out on the basis of the Department of Food Technologies of Don State Agrarian University, the development of pilot batches of products -in the production conditions of the sausage factory in Rostov-on-Don. The developed technology for the production of cooked sausages with soy concentrate “Arkon-S”, the functional properties and nutritional value of which, in combination with economic feasibility, allow it to be used as a protein ingredient in the production of combined meat products.
Improving the quality characteristics of flour confectionery when adding vegetable puree for the sustainable development of food production
Authors: Efremova E N , Taranova E S , Zenina E A , Melnikova E A , Melnikov A G , Shershnev A A
Published: January 2022

The confectionery industry is an independent production sector in the food processing industry. The purpose of the work is to improve the quality of products and expand the assortment of confectionery - cupcake, which consists in adding vegetable puree (pumpkin). The object of the study is the Dutch cupcake. In the Volgograd State Agrarian University at the Department of Processing Technologies and Food Safety, test baking of a cupcake confectionery with the addition of pumpkin puree was carried out. According to organoleptic and physico-chemical parameters, the cupcakes met the requirements of State Standard 15052-2014 “Cupcakes. General technical conditions”. When comparing the test samples, there are no significant differences, it differs in that the product with the addition of pumpkin puree has the smell and taste of pumpkin, and the porosity of the product decreases slightly, all this has a positive effect on the studied product. The profitability of the cupcake products with the addition of pumpkin puree is 1% higher than the control sample. A cupcake with the addition of pumpkin puree can be recommended as a preventive nutrition.
Modeling and prediction of electrical discharge machining performance parameters for AA 8081 hybrid composite using artificial neural network
Authors: Vivekanandhan M , Rajmohan K , Senthilkumar C
Published: January 2022

Aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) are gaining increasing attention from various industries due to their lightweight and more excellent wear resistance than conventional materials. Manufacturers embracing that difficulty in machining MMC due to reinforcing particles abrasive nature shorten the tool life. Electro-discharge machining (EDM) is an enormously used non-conventional process to remove material in die making, aerospace, and automobile industries and machine any material with the highest hardness. Hence in the present study, EDM was performed on an aluminium alloy 8081 (AA8081) with reinforcement of 10% SiC, 5% B4C, and 5% Gr particles utilizing an ultrasonic cavitation assisted stir casting process. The machining investigation was carried out adopting face-centered central composite design (CCD) with three parameters such as current, pulse-on time, and pulse-off time to ascertain the effects of two sustainable measures, viz., Material removal rate (MRR) and tool wear rate (TWR) the data were collected. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was developed based on data obtained from experiments. Finally, experimental values are compared with the predicted values of ANN and found high prediction accuracy. The advanced model results are used to approximate the responses fairly precisely. The version features a mean coefficient of correlation of 0.99072. Effects uncovered that the projected version is employed for the prediction of the complex EDM process.
Plasma edge density fluctuation measurements via lithium beam emission spectroscopy on EAST
Authors: WU Donggui , HU Guanghai , ZOLETNIK S , XU Guosheng , DING Siye , LIU Jianbin , SHAO Linming , WANG Yifeng , CHEN Ran , YAN Ning , CHAO Yan , WANG Ping , DUNAI D , ANDA G , CHEN Liang , WANG Liang
Published: January 2022

Accurate and stable measurements of edge density fluctuation with high spatio-temporal resolution have been achieved by the lithium beam emission spectroscopy (Li-BES) diagnostic on experimental and advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST). The new narrower band interference filter exhibits good ability to suppress background emission signal even under strong lithium coating of the tokamak. The raw data measured by channels at different spatial locations in avalanche photo diode camera with high chopping frequency show good consistency. Based on the detected experimental data, detailed information of density profile and fluctuation structures is obtained. A clear edge coherent mode in the auto-power spectrum is observed in pedestal region, which is regarded as the dominant factor for the strong pedestal density fluctuation amplitude. The cross-power spectrum analysis further excludes the additional effects of common-mode noises and non-local perturbation, demonstrating that the detected fluctuation is only caused by local density fluctuation. The normalized radial and poloidal wave-number spectra can specify the quantitative changes of radial wavenumber (k
r) and poloidal wavenumber (k
θ) during the pedestal density fluctuation phase. This new Li-BES system, which can provide more accurate experimental data, allows further studies of edge density fluctuation and complex transport process on EAST.
3-regular three-XORSAT planted solutions benchmark of classical and quantum heuristic optimizers
Authors: Kowalsky Matthew , Albash Tameem , Hen Itay , Lidar Daniel A
Published: January 2022

With current semiconductor technology reaching its physical limits, special-purpose hardware has emerged as an option to tackle specific computing-intensive challenges. Optimization in the form of solving quadratic unconstrained binary optimization problems, or equivalently Ising spin glasses, has been the focus of several new dedicated hardware platforms. These platforms come in many different flavors, from highly-efficient hardware implementations on digital-logic of established algorithms to proposals of analog hardware implementing new algorithms. In this work, we use a mapping of a specific class of linear equations whose solutions can be found efficiently, to a hard constraint satisfaction problem (three-regular three-XORSAT, or an Ising spin glass) with a ‘golf-course’ shaped energy landscape, to benchmark several of these different approaches. We perform a scaling and prefactor analysis of the performance of Fujitsu’s digital annealer unit (DAU), the D-Wave advantage quantum annealer, a virtual MemComputing machine, Toshiba’s simulated bifurcation machine (SBM), the SATonGPU algorithm from Bernaschi et al, and our implementation of parallel tempering. We identify the SATonGPU and DAU as currently having the smallest scaling exponent for this benchmark, with SATonGPU having a small scaling advantage and in addition having by far the smallest prefactor thanks to its use of massive parallelism. Our work provides an objective assessment and a snapshot of the promise and limitations of dedicated optimization hardware relative to a particular class of optimization problems.
Irreducible components of two-row Springer fibers for all classical types
Authors: Im Mee Seong , Lai Chun-Ju , Wilbert Arik
Published: January 2022

We give an explicit description of the irreducible components of two-row Springer fibers for all classical types using cup diagrams. Cup diagrams can be used to label the irreducible components of two-row Springer fibers. We use these diagrams to explicitly write down relations between the vector spaces of the flags contained in a given irreducible component. This generalizes results by Stroppel–Webster and Fung for type A to all classical types.
Isometric rigidity of Wasserstein spaces: The graph metric case
Authors: Kiss Gergely , Titkos Tamás
Published: January 2022

The aim of this paper is to prove that the

p
p

-Wasserstein space

W

p

(
X
)

\mathcal {W}_p(X)

is isometrically rigid for all

p
≥
1

p\geq 1

whenever

X
X

is a countable graph metric space. As a consequence, we obtain that for every countable group

H

{H}

and any

p
≥
1

p\geq 1

there exists a

p
p

-Wasserstein space whose isometry group is isomorphic to

H

{H}

.
Ca2+ entry through mechanotransduction channels localizes BAIAP2L2 to stereocilia tips
Authors: Halford Julia , Bateschell Michael , Barr-Gillespie Peter G.
Published: January 2022

Many proteins are directed to specific locations within the cell. Brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor 1-associated protein 2-like protein 2, a membrane-binding protein required for maintenance of mechanotransduction in hair cells, is selectively targeted to tips of transducing stereocilia through the combined activity of a MYO15A-EPS motor complex and by Ca2+ entering through open mechanotransduction channels.
HOXA10 improves endometrial receptivity by upregulating E-cadherin
Authors: Bi Yin , Huang Weiyu , Yuan Lifang , Chen Saiqiong , Liao Shengbin , Fu Xiaoqian , Liu Bo , Yang Yihua
Published: January 2022

In the endometrium of women with recurrent implantation failure and unexplained recurrent miscarriage, the expression levels of homeobox A10 and E-cadherin were positively correlated. To explore whether homeobox A10 regulates E-cadherin during endometrial receptivity establishment, Ishikawa and RL95-2 cells were transfected with target-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) and overexpression plasmid of homeobox A10. The expression levels of homeobox A10 and E-cadherin were measured by western blot and quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Attachment assay of JEG-3 spheroids to endometrial cells were conducted to explore the adhesive functions after homeobox A10 interfered. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and dual luciferase reporter were used to investigate the regulatory mechanism of homeobox A10. The CD1 mice were transfected with si-homeobox A10 to confirm these results in vivo. In Ishikawa and RL95-2 cells, the expression of E-cadherin was positively correlated with homeobox A10 when it was silenced/overexpressed. Consistently, the adhesion of endometrial epithelium cells and trophoblast cells was inhibited after homeobox A10 was silenced, and exogenous restoration of E-cadherin expression reversed this effect to some extent. Homeobox A10 regulates the expression of E-cadherin by directly binding to a conserved motif (TGTACTAAAAA) located in the E-cadherin promoter region. In addition, after knockdown of homeobox A10 in CD1 mice, both the implantation and live birth rates were decreased. In conclusion, homeobox A10 can bind to the E-cadherin promoter region and directly regulate its expression, thereby improving endometrial receptivity and subsequently increasing the embryo adhesion and implantation.
Transgenic Drosophila lines for LexA-dependent gene and growth regulation
Authors: Chang Kathleen R , Tsao Deborah D , Bennett Celine , Wang Elaine , Floyd Jax F , Tay Ashley S Y , Greenwald Emily , Kim Ella S , Griffin Catherine , Morse Elizabeth , Chisholm Townley , Rankin Anne E , Baena-Lopez Luis Alberto , Lantz Nicole , Fox Elizabeth , Kockel Lutz , Kim Seung K , Park Sangbin
Published: January 2022

Conditional expression of short hairpin RNAs with binary genetic systems is an indispensable tool for studying gene function. Addressing mechanisms underlying cell–cell communication in vivo benefits from simultaneous use of 2 independent gene expression systems. To complement the abundance of existing Gal4/UAS-based resources in Drosophila, we and others have developed LexA/LexAop-based genetic tools. Here, we describe experimental and pedagogical advances that promote the efficient conversion of Drosophila Gal4 lines to LexA lines, and the generation of LexAop-short hairpin RNA lines to suppress gene function. We developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based knock-in system to replace Gal4 coding sequences with LexA, and a LexAop-based short hairpin RNA expression vector to achieve short hairpin RNA-mediated gene silencing. We demonstrate the use of these approaches to achieve targeted genetic loss-of-function in multiple tissues. We also detail our development of secondary school curricula that enable students to create transgenic flies, thereby magnifying the production of well-characterized LexA/LexAop lines for the scientific community. The genetic tools and teaching methods presented here provide LexA/LexAop resources that complement existing resources to study intercellular communication coordinating metazoan physiology and development.
Chromosomal-level genome and multi-omics dataset of Pueraria lobata var. thomsonii provide new insights into legume family and the isoflavone and puerarin biosynthesis pathways
Authors: Shang Xiaohong , Yi Xinxin , Xiao Liang , Zhang Yansheng , Huang Ding , Xia Zhengbao , Ou Kunpeng , Ming Ruhong , Zeng Wendan , Wu Dongqing , Cao Sheng , Lu Liuyin , Yan Huabing
Published: January 2022

Pueraria lobata var. thomsonii (hereinafter abbreviated as Podalirius thomsonii), a member of the legume family, is one of the important traditional Chinese herbal medicines, and its puerarin extract is widely used in the health and pharmaceutical industry. Here, we assembled a high-quality genome of P. thomsonii using long-read single-molecule sequencing and Hi-C technologies. The genome assembly is ~1.37 Gb in size and consists of 5145 contigs with a contig N50 of 593.70 kb, further clustered into 11 pseudochromosomes. Genome structural annotation resulted in ~869.33 Mb (~62.70% of the genome) repeat regions and 45 270 protein-coding genes. Genome evolution analysis revealed that P. thomsonii is most closely related to soybean and underwent two ancient whole-genome duplication events; one was in the common ancestor shared by legume species and the other occurred independently at around 7.2 million years ago, after its speciation. A total of 2373 gene families were found to be unique in P. thomsonii compared with five other legume species. Genes and metabolites related to puerarin content in tuberous tissues were characterized. A total of 572 genes that were upregulated in the puerarin biosynthesis pathway were identified, and 235 candidate genes were further enriched by omics data. Furthermore, we identified six 8-C-glucosyltransferase (8-C-GT) candidate genes significantly involved in puerarin metabolism. Our study filled a key genomic gap in the legume family, and provided valuable multi-omic resources for the genetic improvement of P. thomsonii.
Cytokinins are involved in regulation of tomato pericarp thickness and fruit size
Authors: Gan Lijun , Song Mengying , Wang Xuechun , Yang Na , Li Hu , Liu Xuexia , Li Yi
Published: January 2022

Although cytokinins (CKs) regulate fruit development, no direct genetic evidence supports the role of endogenous CKs in pericarp growth or development or fruit size. Here, we report that the reduction in levels of endogenous active CKs via overexpression of the CK-inactivating enzyme gene AtCKX2 specifically in fruit tissues resulted in reduced pericarp thickness and smaller fruit size compared with wild-type control fruits. Pericarp thickness and single fruit weight in transgenic plants were significantly reduced. Analysis of paraffin sections showed that the reduced pericarp thickness was due largely to a decreased number of cells, and thus decreased cell division. Transcriptome profiling showed that the expression of cell division- and expansion-related genes was reduced in AtCKX2-overexpressing fruits. In addition, the expression of auxin-signaling and gibberellin-biosynthetic genes was repressed, whereas that of gibberellin-inactivating genes was enhanced, in AtCKX2-overexpressing fruits. These results demonstrate that endogenous CKs regulate pericarp cell division and subsequently fruit size. They also suggest that CKs interact with auxin and gibberellins in regulating tomato pericarp thickness and fruit size.
Genome-wide association analysis provides molecular insights into natural variation in watermelon seed size
Authors: Gong Chengsheng , Zhao Shengjie , Yang Dongdong , Lu Xuqiang , Anees Muhammad , He Nan , Zhu Hongju , Zhao Yong , Liu Wenge
Published: January 2022

Watermelons used for seed consumption tend to have larger seeds, whereas watermelons used for flesh consumption often require relatively small seeds. Therefore, watermelon seed size has received extensive attention from consumers and breeders. However, the natural variation and genetic mechanism of watermelon seed size remain unclear. In the present study, 100-seed weight, seed hilum length, seed length, seed width, and seed thickness were examined in 197 watermelon accessions. Furthermore, association analysis was performed between seed size traits and high-quality SNP data. The results revealed that there were strong correlations among the five seed traits, and seed enlargement was an important feature during watermelon seed size domestication. The seed-consumed biological species Citrullus mucosospermus and the edible seed watermelon Citrullus lanatus had significantly larger seeds than the other species. Eleven non-repeating significant SNPs above the threshold line were obtained from GWAS analysis. Four SNPs on chromosome 5 were considered to be closely associated with seed size traits (S5:32250307, S5:32250454, S5:32256177, and S5:32260870) and could be used as potential molecular markers for the breeding of watermelon cultivars with a target seed size. In addition, based on gene annotation information and previous reports, five genes near the four significant SNPs may regulate seed size. qRT-PCR analysis showed that two genes that may be involved in abscisic acid metabolism, Cla97C05G104360 and Cla97C05G104380, may play an important role in regulating watermelon seed size. Our findings provide molecular insights into natural variation in watermelon seed size and valuable information for molecular marker-assisted breeding.
Autocatalytic biosynthesis of abscisic acid and its synergistic action with auxin to regulate strawberry fruit ripening
Authors: Li Tianyu , Dai Zhengrong , Zeng Baozhen , Li Jie , Ouyang Jinyao , Kang Li , Wang Wei , Jia Wensuo
Published: January 2022

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a major role in the regulation of strawberry fruit ripening; however, the origin of the ABA signal is largely unknown. Here, we report an autocatalytic mechanism for ABA biosynthesis and its synergistic interaction with auxin to regulate strawberry fruit ripening. We demonstrate that ABA biosynthesis is self-induced in the achenes but not in the receptacle, resulting in its substantial accumulation during ripening. ABA was found to regulate both IAA transport and biosynthesis, thereby modulating IAA content during both early fruit growth and later fruit ripening. Taken together, these results reveal the origins of the ABA signal and demonstrate the importance of its coordinated action with IAA in the regulation of strawberry fruit development and ripening.
Luteal color doppler ultrasonography and pregnancy-associated glycoproteins as early pregnancy diagnostic tools and predictors of pregnancy loss in Bos taurus postpartum beef cows
Authors: Holton Matthew Patrick , Oosthuizen Nicola , Melo Gabriela Dalmaso de , Davis Dylan Blake , Stewart Robert Lawton , Pohler Ky Garret , Lamb Graham Cliff , Fontes Pedro Levy Piza
Published: January 2022

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of luteal color doppler (CD) ultrasonography and plasma concentrations of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG) for early pregnancy diagnosis in Bos taurus beef cows. Additionally, CD and PAG were evaluated as potential predictors of late embryonic/early fetal mortality (LEM). Postpartum beef cows (n = 212) were exposed to estrus synchronization followed by fixed-time artificial insemination (day 0). On days 20 and 22, B-mode and CD ultrasonography were performed to evaluate corpus luteum (CL) morphometries and blood perfusion. Moreover, blood samples were collected on days 25 and 29 to quantify circulating concentrations of PAG. Conventional ultrasonography on days 29 and 100 was utilized as the gold-standard method for pregnancy diagnosis. Cows that experienced pregnancy loss between days 29 and 100 were classified as LEM. Pregnant cows had larger and more vascularized CL compared with nonpregnant cows on days 20 and 22 (P < 0.001 for all response variables). Accuracy for CD on days 20 and 22 were 87% and 92%, respectively. Accuracy for PAG on days 25 and 29 were 84% and 99%, respectively. No false negative (FN) results were observed for CD on both days 20 and 22; however, there were 7.1% FN results for PAG on day 25. Cows that experienced LEM had decreased (P = 0.04) circulating PAG on day 29 of gestation compared with cows that maintained pregnancy; however, there were no differences in luteal blood perfusion on days 20 and 22 (P ≥ 0.53) or circulating PAG on day 25 (P = 0.46) between LEM cows and cows that maintained pregnancy. Sensitivity and specificity of PAG on day 29 as predictors of LEM were 83% and 77%, respectively. In conclusion, CD resulted in accurate pregnancy diagnosis in B. taurus beef cows on both days 20 and 22 of gestation, while having no FN results. Circulating concentrations of PAG were decreased in cows that experienced LEM; however, further research is required to utilize PAG as a predictor of LEM commercially.
Aquatic Macrophytes Hosting Immature Mansonia (Mansonia) Blanchard, 1901 (Diptera, Culicidae) in Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil
Authors: Amorim J A , Sa I L R , Rojas M V R , Santos Neto N F , Galardo A K R , Carvalho D P , Ribeiro K A N , Sallum M A M
Published: January 2022

High abundance of hematophagous mosquitoes of the genus Mansonia Blanchard, 1901 (Diptera: Culicidae) threatens human and domestic animal health and well-being. Knowledge of the biology of nuisance mosquito species is necessary to understand specific ecological and biological factors to enable rapid and effective monitoring measures for sustainable control programs. The establishment and dispersion of Mansonia species are associated with the occurrence of aquatic macrophytes species, which are indispensable for the development of larvae and pupae. To increase knowledge of the host plants for Mansonia immature stages in Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil, specimens of four plant species, which occur across the tributaries of the Madeira River were sampled and inspected for the presence of egg batches, larvae, and pupae. A total of 1,386 larvae and pupae of Mansonia spp. were collected attached to the roots of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms (Commelinales: Pontederiaceae), Pistia stratiotes L. (Alismatales: Araceae), and Limnobium laevigatum (Humb. and Bonpl. Ex Willd.) Heine (Alismatales: Hydrocharitaceae). The novel association of Mansonia species with L. laevigatum is presented. Egg batches of Mansonia spp. were found only on Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitch. (Salviniales: Salviniaceae). Possible differences in the roles played by E. crassipes and S. molesta in the reproductive cycle of Mansonia spp. in the surveyed area are discussed. All species of host plants including E. crassipes, P. stratiotes, S. molesta, and L. laevigatum should be considered when planning macrophyte management for the control of Mansonia species.
Larvicidal Activity of Methyl Benzoate, a Volatile Organic Compound, Against the Mosquitoes Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Mostafiz Md Munir , Ryu Jihun , Akintola Ashraf Akintayo , Choi Kwang Shik , Hwang Ui Wook , Hassan Errol , Lee Kyeong-Yeoll
Published: January 2022

Methyl benzoate (MBe) is a volatile organic molecule found in various plants; it is used as an insect semiochemical. MBe also has a biorational insecticidal effect against various agricultural and urban arthropod pests. The present study was the first to assess the larvicidal potential of MBe against fourth-instar larvae of the mosquitoes Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Culex pipiens (L.). A positive association was observed between MBe concentrations and larval mortality in both the species. The highest mortality recorded was 100% for Ae. albopictus and 56% for Cx. pipiens after 24 h of exposure to 200 ppm MBe. The lethal median concentration (LC50) values of MBe against fourth-instar larvae of Ae. albopictus and Cx. pipiens were 61 ppm and 185 ppm, respectively. These results suggest that MBe has great potential for use as an environmentally friendly larvicidal agent for mosquito control.
Defeated No More: Meaning-Making After Military Sexual Trauma
Authors: Preston A’mie M , Saigal Seema , Barrie Rabiatu , McKinney Hannah , Mooney Scott , Padala Prasad R
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Military sexual trauma (MST) has been a concern within our U.S. military for many years. Many interventions have been found to benefit this population, although meaning-based interventions are still lacking in this area. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the meaning-making process and themes that arise for female military veterans as they narrate their experience(s) of MST.

Materials and Methods

The qualitative study consisted of six female participants, from different areas across the nation, who all reported experiencing MST during their time in service. Their experiences of MST included both sexual harassment and sexual assault. Participants completed a semi-structured interview that was analyzed using an axial coding method to discover the major themes of each participant’s interview. The participants discussed the positive and negative aspects of their journey following their MST experience(s). This study’s procedures were approved by Adler University’s Institutional Review Board.

Results

Many found the interview to be a healing experience on their path of post-traumatic growth (PTG). There were eight major themes that arose from the data analysis under the three main domains of (1) creating a work or doing a deed, (2) experiencing something or encountering someone in a way to produce PTG, and (3) altering one’s attitude toward unavoidable suffering. The eight themes were as follows: advocacy, adaptive coping, sense of family unit, psychological clarity, meaningful mantra, survivor mentality code, view of self in the world, and resiliency.

Conclusions

All participants endorsed engagement in some type of activity that fell into one of the three major domains identified above. This finding helped highlight the PTG that participants were able to experience through their meaning-making journey. There were several recommendations and study implications that were derived from this research study. With the themes introduced from this study, future treatment planning for individual survivors of MST can be better informed by the utilization of meaning-making techniques. Family and group meaning-based interventions would also be an area of continued exploration for this population. Future implications for practice are also included within this article. Significant limitations of the study include amount of participants, lack of diversity in sample population, qualitative study results, and lack of a more-personal interviewing process.
Management Consideration for Anterior Mediastinal Mass in a Patient With Grave’s Disease
Authors: Babawale Abiola A , Galitz Michael S , Lin Andrew H
Published: January 2022

A 36-year-old active duty female presented to an outside hospital emergency department for the evaluation of chest pain and weakness. Per report, comprehensive evaluation ruled out acute cardiopulmonary conditions. A computerized tomography scan revealed a large homogeneous anterior mediastinal mass. The patient was referred to a cardiothoracic surgeon who discussed treatment options, including surgery. She was subsequently referred to an interventional radiologist, who performed a biopsy. Findings were consistent with thymic hyperplasia without evidence of malignant cells. Follow-up with her primary care physician revealed an undetectable thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level, and she was subsequently diagnosed with Graves’ disease (GD). The primary care physician referred her to an endocrinologist who initiated treatment with methimazole. The patient’s GD responded well to medication therapy; the thymic mass size decreased and her exercise tolerance increased. Notably, testing for TSH levels upon initial presentation could have avoided the need for biopsy.
The Emergence of New Polities in the Breakup of the Abbasid Caliphate
Authors: Kennedy Hugh
Published: January 2022

In this chapter, a general overview is given of the role of ethnic groups and tribes in the early Islamic world. Looking at the available source material, it appears that tribal identities and genealogies, as well as the ethnic differences that follow from these identifications, were of paramount importance to contemporary observers. The significance of tribes in internal politics and the way they are framed in literary texts, however, never allowed them to carve out a lasting dominion. The second part of the chapter addresses the more straightforwardly ethnic groups within the caliphate, principally Armenians, Kurds, and Iranians. Of these, only the Armenians developed modes of identification that were connected to their geographic situation, their brand of Christianity, and their language and script. At the other end of the spectrum, no strong common identity of the Kurds appears to have emerged in the premodern period, although there were some successful dynasties and rulers, such as Saladin, who (were) identified as Kurdish even if their empires did not. From among the multitude of possible identifications available to the populations in the early Islamic world (religious, tribal, linguistic, cultural, or urban), ethnicity thus did not have a specific impact on the constitution of states.
Fragmentation and Integration
Authors: Webb Peter
Published: January 2022

This chapter is a response to the previous three chapters, in which it is argued that the relative weight of the Roman Empire was different between the West and the Abbasid caliphate, meaning that the categories of Sameness and Otherness that developed in the wake of the rise of Christendom in the West are not readily applicable to the post-imperial situation in the Middle East. “Ethnic” uniformity was never a category employed by Islamic commentators, because they operated in a framework that, due to the fact that it did not rely on (post-)Roman models, was decidedly different from the ethnic structures familiar to Western Christian authors.
Franks, Romans, and Countrymen
Authors: Kramer Rutger
Published: January 2022

This chapter is essentially a case study that brings together the themes of law and identity, resilience and adaptation, empire, and ethnicity, highlighted in chapter 9. It zooms in on the various mechanisms employed to integrate the semi-independent polity of Aquitaine into the emerging Carolingian realm—and to deal with their significance in the sources composed in retrospect. Based around the “official” absorption of the duchy in 767/8, the chapter looks at the various modes of identification not only employed by the Aquitanians themselves but also visible within Carolingian chronicles, capitularies, and hagiographical narratives as they tried to make sense of this region, which was rich in Roman history but with a population that remained aware of its Visigothic and Basque roots as well.
Loyal and Knowledgeable Supporters
Authors: Sijpesteijn Petra M.
Published: January 2022

This chapter shows different ways in which the imposition of an imperial political structure—especially one for which “religion” is a major constituent of the court’s self-understanding—affected the makeup of local communities with histories predating the arrival of these new authorities. In so doing, it highlights the importance of the way central authorities conceived of the reality of a multitude of communities under their sway—and conversely, how the way these communities themselves chose to work with or against the newcomers affected ideas about the empires as they were being built. The chapter argues that the new Islamic regime in Egypt initially relied on the services of local elites without seriously affecting the social roles and identities already in place. Therefore, these elites were slow to be fully integrated into the Muslim and Arab community, while Arabs became more “Egyptian” in their outlook. Interests and identities were linked in a process that left many options open to those who could afford to take them.
To Know the Soul of a People
Authors: Drake Jamil W.
Published: January 2022

The folk category has often been used to highlight the vibrant religious cultures of marginal communities in the United States. To Know the Soul of a People, though sympathetic to this perspective, shows how the category in the study of religion contributed to shaping the perceptions of Black and lower-class communities in American social and political thought. After World War I, a cadre of social scientists used the category in their field studies of Black rural populations in the poor South. Charles Johnson, Guy Johnson, Lewis Jones, Allison Davis, Gunnar Myrdal, and other second-generation male social scientists deployed the category to jettison biological views of racial inferiority in order to amplify prejudice and the “stagnant” economy that they felt contributed to the social status of Black (and white) rural communities in the Jim Crow South. But the reformist agenda of the social scientists took a detour away from prejudice and socioeconomic conditions to concentrate on the cultural and behavioral deficits of America’s folk population. Perusing field notes, correspondence, proposals, and monographs, this book argues that these liberal-minded social scientists had a hand in the making of a folk population on the basis of their perceived antiquated and underdeveloped religious behaviors. Jamil W. Drake demonstrates how the religion of rural Black communities in the social sciences laid the seeds to the ideas of the culture of poverty after World War II.
Making—and Breaking—Ties
Authors: Raja Rubina
Published: January 2022

Palmyra stood caught between two opposing empires—Rome, to the West, and Parthia, to the East. This chapter offers new insights into the ties that connected Palmyra with these empires, the networks that drew them together, and the fractures that developed between Rome and Palmyra and led to Zenobia’s failed rebellion. The chapter draws on historical sources to offer an overview of Roman and Parthian interactions in the region and the tensions that arose between them, but it also draws on material finds to explore the role played by Palmyrenes outside the city, tracing Palmyrene evidence from Egypt and the Indian Ocean to Rome and the shores of Great Britain. Finally, Zenobia’s rise to power and her bid to control a large swathe of the region is examined. Evidence for her leadership, such as coinage and inscriptions are assessed, followed by a discussion of her failed coup, and the sacking of Palmyra by Aurelian.
Postludium
Authors: Raja Rubina
Published: January 2022

The aim of this book was to provide an overview of the archeology and history of Palmyra in the light of scholarship that has been conducted both on and off the site since the late nineteenth century. The book also provided a survey of the site’s earliest visitors before archeological work was carried out in a systematic way, and it explored the treatment of the site in the midst of the ongoing conflict in Syria. In the future, careful work, which considers ethnographic comparanda studies alongside archeological and written sources, should shed further light on the ongoing resilience and ability of the Palmyrene people to adapt and to pursue their own destiny in a city that since Antiquity has formed part of a globalized world.
Secession All the Way Down
Authors: Lee Michael J. , Atchison R. Jarrod
Published: January 2022

American libertarianism is both an ideology and an identity of separation. This chapter shows how libertarians litigated the social contract generally and the American social contract specifically. It examines the key thinkers and core texts of American libertarianism to explore how two rhetorical resources, natural rights philosophy and early American legal and cultural history, have enabled the libertarian case for ignoring the state. They pulled from global examples of statist oppression and Enlightenment-inspired language of first principles—“Absolute power corrupts absolutely”—but they also brought these analogies and commonplaces to bear domestically with endless citations of Thomas Jefferson and the Anti-Federalists, data mining the ratification and meaning of the Constitution, and reproaches of a thick roster of American autocrats. American libertarians used both arguments for majority-rules as well as arguments for minority rights to justify secession, and they employed America’s Founding language to unsettle national foundations.
“A Slave Republic”
Authors: Lee Michael J. , Atchison R. Jarrod
Published: January 2022

This chapter tracks the southern secession rhetorical movement in the mid-nineteenth century. Slavery was the South’s tide; every white person’s political, social, and material status rose and fell with it. The crux of the secessionist case is best observed in several types of public texts from the era: the transcripts of each southern state’s secession convention, the speeches and letters of each state’s secession commissioners who encouraged other southern states to secede, widely attended speeches at commercial and political conventions throughout the 1850s South, secessionist screeds in prominent southern papers, and pro-secession pamphlets printed and circulated around the South by the hundreds of thousands. The full scale of southern disunion condensed into secession during the 1850s, but the disunionist repertoire was not forgotten when the last musket went silent. The varied means of that resistance is a principal theme of southern history, and, minus formal, violent secession, it continues even today.
Secession in Exodus
Authors: Lee Michael J. , Atchison R. Jarrod
Published: January 2022

Religious exit is a distinct point on the horizon of separatist activity. For religious communities, separation has been a method to protect a religious order that was under assault and a tool to create the material conditions necessary for a spiritual ideal, a godly kingdom on earth, beyond the bounds of a sinful America. This chapter analyzes discourses of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From its beginning, the Church has faced tremendous pressure to assimilate into and separate from American culture. Brigham Young displayed the Church’s view of secession when he declared in 1845, “When we go from here we dont calculate to go under any government but the government of God.” Over the next century the Church and Utah integrated into America as a distinct religious group and showed that Young’s declaration was premised on a false choice, as they successfully utilized secession to advance integration.