bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation and field application of a low-cost device to measure CO2 and evapotranspiration (ET) fluxes
Authors: Macagga Reena , Asante Michael , Sossa Geoffroy , Antonijević Danica , Dubbert Maren , Hoffmann Mathias
Published: February 2024

Abstract. Mitigating the global climate crisis and its consequences, such as more frequent and severe droughts, is one of the major challenges for future agriculture. Therefore, identifying land use systems and management practices that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promote water use efficiency (WUE) is crucial. This, however, requires accurate and precise measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes and evapotranspiration (ET). Despite that, commercial systems to measure CO2 and ET fluxes are expensive and thus often exclude research in ecosystems within the Global South. This is especially true for research and data of agroecosystems in these areas, which are to date still widely underrepresented. Here, we present a newly developed low-cost, non-dispersive infrared (NDIR)-based CO2 and ET flux measurement device (∼ EUR 200) that provides reliable, accurate and precise CO2 and ET flux measurements in conjunction with manually operated closed chambers. To validate the system, laboratory and field validation experiments were performed, testing multiple different low-cost sensors. We demonstrate that the system delivers accurate and precise CO2 and ET flux measurements using the K30 FR NDIR (CO2) and SHT31 (RH, relative humidity) sensor. An additional field trial application demonstrated its longer-term stability (> 3 months) and ability to obtain valid net ecosystem C balances (NECBs) and WUE. This was the case, even though environmental conditions at the field trial application site in sub-Saharan Africa were rather challenging (e.g., extremely high temperatures, humidity and rainfall). Consequently, the developed low-cost CO2 and ET flux measurement device not only provides reasonable results but also might help with democratizing science and closing current data gaps.
GIS-based characterization of fault zones in South-Korea using information on seismicity, in-situ stress and slip tendency – Evaluation of respect distances for nuclear waste disposal site screening
Authors: Bredemeyer Stefan , Yoon Jeoung Seok , Xie Linmao , Lee Jeong-Hwan
Published: February 2024

Abstract. Identification of seismically active fault zones and the definition of sufficiently large respect distances from these faults which enable avoiding the damaged rock zone surrounding the ruptured ground commonly are amongst the first steps to take in the geoscientific evaluation of sites suitable for nuclear waste disposal. In this work we present a GIS-based approach, using the earthquake-epicentre locations from the instrumental earthquake record of South-Korea to identify potentially active fault zones in the country, and compare different strategies for fault zone buffer creation as originally developed for site search in the high seismicity country Japan, and the low-to-moderate seismicity countries Germany and Sweden. In order to characterize the hazard potential of the Korean fault zones, we moreover conducted slip tendency analysis, here for the first time covering the fault zones of the entire Korean Peninsula. For our analyses we used the geo-spatial information from a new version of the Geological map of South-Korea, containing the outlines of 11 rock units, which we simplified to distinguish between 4 different rock types (granites, metamorphic rocks, sedimentary rocks and igneous rocks) and the surface traces of 1,528 fault zones and 6,654 lineaments identified through years of field work and data processing, a rich geo-dataset which we will publish along with this manuscript. Our approach for identification of active fault zones was developed without prior knowledge of already known seismically active fault zones, and as a proof of concept the results later were compared to a map containing already identified active fault zones. The comparison revealed that our approach identified 16 of the 21 known seismically active faults and added 472 previously unknown potentially active faults. The 5 seismically active fault zones which were not identified by our approach are located in the NE- and SW-sectors of the Korean Peninsula, which haven’t seen much recent seismic activity, and thus are not sufficiently well covered by the seismic record. The strike directions of fault zones identified as active are in good agreement with the orientation of the current stress field of the peninsula and slip tendency analysis provided first insights into subsurface geometry such as the dip angles of both active and inactive fault zones. The results of our work are of major importance for the early-stage seismic hazard assessment that has to be conducted in support of the nuclear waste disposal siting in South-Korea. Moreover, the GIS-based methods for identification of active fault zones and buffering of respect areas around fault zone traces presented here, are applicable also elsewhere.
Emerging extreme Saharan-dust events expand northward over the Atlantic and Europe prompting record-breaking PM10 and PM2.5 episodes
Authors: Rodríguez Sergio , López-Darias Jessica
Published: February 2024

Abstract. Unprecedented extreme Saharan-dust (duxt) events have recently expanded northward, from subtropical NW Africa to the NE Atlantic and SW Europe, affecting the Canary Islands and mainland Spain. These six historic duxt episodes occurred 3–5 February 2020, 22–29 February 2020, 15–21 February 2021, 14–17 January 2022, 29 January–1 February 2022 and 14–20 March 2022. We analysed data of 330 Governmental Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMSs) of Spain, where PM10 and PM2.5 are measured with European EN-standards, and found that during duxt events PM10 concentrations are underestimated due to technical limitations of some PM10 monitors to properly measure extremely high concentrations. We assessed the consistency of PM10 and PM2.5 data and reconstructed 1414 PM10 (1 h average) data of 48 AQMSs by using our novel duxt-r method. During duxt events, 1-hour average PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were within the range 1000–6000 μg/m3 and 400–1200 μg/m3, respectively. The meteorological and dust modelling-reanalyses show that the intense winds leading to massive dust plumes occurred within meteorological dipoles formed by a blocking anticyclone over western Europe and a cut-off low located at the southwest, near the Canary Islands, Cape Verde or into the Sahara. These cyclones reached this region by two main paths: deviated southward from the Atlantic mid-latitudes westerly circulation by the blocking anticyclone over western Europe or deviated northward from the tropical belt. The 22–29 February 2020 event led to (24 h average) PM10 and PM2.5 within the range 600–1840 μg/m3 and 200–404 μg/m3, being the most intense dust episodes ever recorded in the Canary Islands. The 14–20 March 2022 event led to (24 h average) PM10 and PM2.5 values within the range 500–3070 μg/m3 and 100–690 μg/m3 in south-eastern, 200–1000 μg/m3 and 60–260 μg/m3 in central and 150–500 μg/m3 and 75–130 μg/m3 in northern regions of mainland Spain and to 150–430 μg/m3 and 30–80 μg/m3 in the Canary Islands, respectively, being the most intense dust episode ever recorded in mainland Spain. The analysis of the 2000–2022 PM10 and PM2.5 time series shows that these six duxt events have no precedent in Spain. All duxt events occurred during northern-hemisphere meteorological anomalies characterised by shifted to higher latitudes subtropical anticyclones, anomalous low pressures expanding beyond the tropical belt and a mid-latitudes amplified Rossby-waves undulation; these overall features resemble the anomalies of the atmospheric circulation linked to the anthropogenic global warming.
Exploring ship track spreading rates with a physics-informed Langevin particle parameterization
Authors: McMichael Lucas A. , Schmidt Michael J. , Wood Robert , Blossey Peter N. , Patel Lekha
Published: February 2024

Abstract. The rate at which aerosols spread from a point source injection, such as from a ship or other stationary pollution source, is critical for accurately representing subgrid plume spreading in a climate model. Such climate model results will guide future decisions regarding the feasibility and application of large-scale intentional marine cloud brightening (MCB). Prior modeling studies have shown that the rate at which ship plumes spread may be strongly dependent on meteorological conditions, such as precipitating versus non-precipitating boundary layers and shear. In this study, we apply a Lagrangian particle model (PM-ABL v1.0), governed by a Langevin stochastic differential equation, to create a simplified framework for predicting the rate of spreading from a ship-injected aerosol plume in sheared, precipitating, and non-precipitating boundary layers. The velocity and position of each stochastic particle is predicted with the acceleration of each particle being driven by the turbulent kinetic energy, dissipation rate, momentum variance, and mean wind. These inputs to the stochastic particle-velocity equation are derived from high-fidelity large-eddy simulations (LES) equipped with a prognostic aerosol-cloud microphysics scheme (UWSAM) to simulate an aerosol injection from a ship into a cloud-topped marine boundary layer. The resulting spreading rate from the reduced-order stochastic model is then compared to the spreading rate in the LES. The stochastic particle-velocity representation is shown to reasonably reproduce spreading rates in sheared, precipitating, and non-precipitating cases using domain-averaged turbulent statistics from the LES.
A modelled multi-decadal hailday time series for Switzerland
Authors: Wilhelm Lena , Schwierz Cornelia , Schröer Katharina , Taszarek Mateusz , Martius Olivia
Published: February 2024

Abstract. In Switzerland, hail is one of the costliest natural hazards, causing extensive damage to agriculture, cars, and infrastructure each year. In a warming climate, hail frequency and its patterns of occurrence are expected to change, which is why understanding the long-term variability and its drivers is essential. Therefore, this study presents new multidecadal daily hail time series for Northern and Southern Switzerland from 1959 to 2022. Daily radar hail proxies and environmental predictor variables from ERA-5 reanalysis are used to build an ensemble statistical model for predicting past hail occurrence. Haildays are identified from operational radar-derived "Probability of Hail" (POH) data for two study regions, namely the north and south of the Swiss Alps. We use data from 2002–2022 during the convective season from April to September. The decision hailday YES / NO is based on surpassing a POH ≥ 80 % for a certain minimum footprint area of the domains. Separate logistic regression models and GAM´s are built for each domain and combined in an ensemble model to reconstruct the final time series. Overall, the models are able to describe the observed time series well. Historical hail reports are used for comparing years with the most and least haildays. For the northern and southern domains, the time series both show a significant positive trend in yearly aggregated haildays from 1959 to 2022. The trend is still positive and significant when looking at the period 1979–2022. In all models, the trends are driven by moisture and instability predictors. In the last two decades, we can see an increase in haildays at the beginning of the hail season and an earlier and longer peak, however, there is no systematic shift in the seasonal cycle. With this time series, we can now study the local and remote drivers of the interannual variability and seasonality of Swiss hail occurrence.
Technical note: A fast and objective autosampler for direct vapor equilibration isotope measurements
Authors: Pyschik Jonas , Seeger Stefan , Herbstritt Barbara , Weiler Markus
Published: February 2024

Abstract. To investigate water movement in environmental systems, stable water isotopes (2H and 18O) are commonly used tracers. Analyzing the isotopic composition of water bonded to substances like soil or plant tissue necessitates its extraction prior to analysis. One such method, direct vapor equilibration, is popular due to its cost-effectiveness and straightforward sample processing. However, sample analysis requires a significant manual labor, thereby limiting the number of samples that can be analyzed. This limitation is compounded by the fact that stored samples undergo isotopic composition changes over time, and in addition manual measurements may lack objectivity. To address these challenges, we have developed a device that automates the analysis process. Our vapor autosampler for vapour samples, named VapAuSa, features a modular design with up to 350 ports for direct vapor equilibration samples. These ports sequentially connect the prepared samples to the analyzer, enabling continuous automatic measurements. Within the accompanying software, measurement criteria can be specified, facilitating objective analysis. VapAuSa measurements have a similar uncertainty compared to manual analysis of identical samples (VapAuSa δ2H = +/− 4.5 ‰ δ18O = +/− 0.58 ‰ vs. manual δ2H = +/− 5.7 ‰ δ18O = +/− 0.37 ‰). However, the increased sample throughput minimizes storage-induced isotopic changes. Moreover, VapAuSa triples sample throughput per week while reducing direct labor time to just 10 % of manual processing.
Which global reanalysis dataset represents better in snow cover on the Tibetan Plateau?
Authors: Yan Shirui , Pu Wei , Chen Yang , Hou Yaliang , Li Xuejing , Xing Yuxuan , Wu Dongyou , Cui Jiecan , Zhou Yue , Wang Xin
Published: February 2024

Abstract. The extensive snow cover across the Tibetan Plateau (TP) regions has a major influence on the climate and water supply for over one billion downstream inhabitants. However, an adequate evaluation of snow cover fraction (SCF) variability over the TP simulated by global multiple reanalysis datasets has yet to be undertaken. In this study, we examined eight global reanalysis SCF datasets using the Snow Property Inversion from Remote Sensing (SPIReS) product spanning the period 2001–2020. The results reveal that the HMASR generated the best SCF simulations because of its outstanding spatial and temporal accuracy. The GLDAS and CFSR demonstrated acceptable SCF accuracy with respect to spatial variability, but struggled to reproduce the annual trend. Pronounced SCF overestimations were found when using the ERA5, ERA5L, and JRA55, but SCF was underestimated by MERRA2, and CRAL generated poor spatial pattern. Overall biases were related to the combined effect of precipitation forcing, temperature forcing, snow data assimilation, and SCF parameterization methods, with the dominant factor changing across datasets. In ERA5 and ERA5L, temperature and snowfall bias exhibited significant correlations with SCF bias over most TP areas, therefore having a greater impact on the accuracy of SCF in terms of spatial variability and temporal evolution. On the other hand, the impact of snow assimilation was possibly more pronounced in MERRA2 and CRAL. Although parameterization methods can improve SCF simulation accuracy, their influence was weaker than those of other factors, except for JRA55. To further improve the accuracy of SCF simulation, an ensemble average method was developed. The ensemble based on HMASR and GLDAS generated the most accurate SCF spatial distribution, whereas the ensemble containing ERA5L, CFSR, CRAL, GLDAS, ERA5, and MERRA2 proved optimal for capturing the annual trend.
Using EUREC4A/ATOMIC field campaign data to improve trade wind regimes in the Community Atmosphere Model
Authors: Graap Skyler , Zarzycki Colin M.
Published: February 2024

Abstract. Improving the prediction of clouds in shallow-cumulus regimes via turbulence parameterization in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) will likely increase the global skill of global climate models (GCMs) because this cloud regime is common over tropical oceans where low-cloud fraction has a large impact on Earth's radiative budget. This study attempts to improve the prediction of PBL structure in tropical trade wind regimes in the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) by updating its formulation of momentum flux in CLUBB (Cloud Layers Unified by Binormals), which currently does not by default allow for upgradient momentum fluxes. Hindcast CAM output from custom CLUBB configurations which permit countergradient momentum fluxes are compared to in situ observations from weather balloons collected during the ElUcidating the RolE of Cloud–Circulation Coupling in ClimAte and Atlantic Tradewind Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Interaction Campaign (EUREC4A/ATOMIC) field campaign in the tropical Atlantic in early 2020. Comparing a version with CAM–CLUBB with a prognostic treatment of momentum fluxes results in vertical profiles that better match large-eddy simulation results. Countergradient fluxes are frequently simulated between 950 and 850 hPa over the EUREC4A/ATOMIC period in CAM–CLUBB. Further modification to the planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterization by implementing a more generalized calculation of the turbulent length scale reduces model bias and root mean squared error (RMSE) relative to sounding data when coupled with the prognostic momentum configuration. Benefits are also seen in the diurnal cycle, although more systematic model errors persist. A cursory budget analysis suggests the buoyant production of momentum fluxes, both above and below the jet maximum, significantly contributes to the frequency and depth of countergradient vertical momentum fluxes in the study region. This paper provides evidence that higher-order turbulence parameterizations may offer pathways for improving the simulation of trade wind regimes in global models, particularly when evaluated in a process study framework.
Disturbance can slow down litter decomposition, depending on severity of disturbance and season: an example from Mount Kilimanjaro
Authors: Röder Juliane , Appelhans Tim , Peters Marcell K. , Nauss Thomas , Brandl Roland
Published: February 2024

Abstract. Deforestation and land-use change affect ecosystem processes such as carbon cycling. Here, we present results from a litter decomposition experiment in six natural and six disturbed vegetation types along an elevation gradient of 3600 m on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We exposed litter bags with a standard material for up to 12 weeks each in two seasons. In the cold wet season we sampled the full elevation gradient and in the warm wet season we repeated the sampling in the lower part of the elevation gradient. Though we found significantly negative effects of disturbance in forest ecosystems, this was only due to differences between natural and burned Podocarpus forests. Disturbance characterized by a more open vegetation structure in many of the studied vegetation types had no general effect when we studied the full elevation gradient; this also included non-forest vegetation types. Land-use intensity had a significant negative effect on decomposition rates but only in the warm wet season, not in the cold wet season. Temperature and humidity were the most important drivers of decomposition overall and for all subsets of vegetation types and seasons. Our study shows that negative effects of disturbance or land-use intensity on decomposition depended on the severity of disturbance and on the season. Nevertheless, climate was generally the most relevant driver of decomposition. Therefore, vegetation types with moderate levels of disturbance can retain high functionality in regards to carbon cycling over short periods of time. More and longer decomposition studies are necessary to better predict consequences of land-use change for carbon cycling in the Afrotropics.
The Impact of Personalized versus Standardized Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Training on Health-Related Outcomes and Rate of Responders
Authors: Weatherwax Ryan M. , Nelson Megan C. , Dalleck Lance C.
Published: February 2024

Recent research has shown more favorable training adaptations for inactive adults when cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) exercise is prescribed with the use of ventilatory thresholds compared to percentages of heart rate reserve (HRR). However, there is limited research on changes in health-related outcomes with the use of these CRF methods in combination with muscular fitness exercises. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two training programs for improving CRF, muscular fitness, and cardiometabolic risk factors. Inactive men and women (n=109, aged 49.3±15.5 years) were randomized to a non-exercise control group or one of two exercise training groups. The exercise training groups consisted of 13 weeks of structured exercise with progression using either CRF exercise prescribed with the use of ventilatory thresholds and functional training for muscular fitness (THRESH group) or HRR and traditional muscular fitness training (STND group). After the 13-week protocol, there were significant differences in body weight, body composition, systolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), VO2max, 5-repetition maximum (RM) bench press, and 5-RM leg press for both treatment groups compared to the control group after controlling for baseline values. However, the THRESH group had significantly more desirable outcomes for VO2max, 5-RM bench press, 5-RM leg press, body composition, and HDL-c when compared to both the STND and control group. Additionally, the proportion of individuals estimated as likely to respond above 3.5 mL·kg-1·min-1 in VO2max (i.e., the minimal clinically important difference) was 76.4%, 20.8%, and 0.13% for the THRESH, STND, and control groups, respectively. While both exercise programs elicited favorable health-related adaptations after 13 weeks, these results suggest that a personalized program with exercise prescribed based on ventilatory threshold and with the use of functional muscular fitness training may yield greater training adaptations.
Performance Evaluation of Tractor Operated Raised Bed Former-cum-Seeder for Maize– Chickpea Cropping Sequence
Authors: K P Singh  , K P Saha  , Dushyant Singh  , C D Singh  , R C Singh  , H Tripathi  , V Bhushana Babu
Published: February 2024

The main limiting factor in adoption of raised bed planting among farmers in vertisol is the lack of appropriate implements, especially for seeding. A study was undertaken to evaluate the performance of raised bed former-cumseeder in permanent raised bed system in comparison of zero till seed-cum-fertilizer drill in flatbed system under zero tillage condition for sowing of maize and chickpea crop. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with a raised bed former cum seeder/planter and a zero till seed-cum-fertilizer drill as main treatments, four sub-treatments with three replications. The sub plot treatments included control (top dressing of urea through broadcast method), straw mulching along with top dressing of urea by broadcast, foliar spray of 2% urea and split application of the remaining 50% urea at 100 mm depth using tractor operated variable depth fertilizer applicator in maize. Chickpea sub plot treatment included control (only basal application of NPK, straw mulching along with basal application of NPK, NPK +organic manure @ 2.7 t.ha-1 and NPK + vermicompost @ 1.4 t.ha-1 30 days after sowing. A saving of seed and fertilizers to an extent of 20% and 6%, respectively, in the case of maize and about 13% and 22%, respectively, in chickpea along with increase in yield by about 25% in both maize and chickpea was observed due to cultivation on permanent raised beds.
Performance Evaluation of Tractor Operated Root-crop Digger for Sandy Loam Soils of Haryana
Authors: Narender  , Vijaya Rani  , Anil Kumar  , S. Mukesh  , Ajit Singh
Published: February 2024

A tractor mounted root-crop digger designed by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana was evaluated at farmer’s field for potato, carrot and onion crops. Four performance parameters (exposed percentage, cut percentage, bruised percentage and digging efficiency) of the digger were studied at three different forward speeds and blade angles. The root-crop digger was operated at speed of 2.3, 2.2 and 3.2 km.h-1 and blade angle of 230 , 230 and 170 for potato, carrot and onion, respectively; giving digging efficiency of 98%, 100% and 100%; cut percentage of 1.71, 46 and 0.00 %; bruised percentage of 2.45, 2.28 and 3.39 % and exposed percentage of 91, 92 and 97 % for potato, carrot and onion crop, respectively. Though the digging efficiency for carrot was 100%, but with cut percentage of 46 %, the machine needs to be redesigned for carrot digging. The cost of operation of the machine was ` 2241, ` 2641 and ` 1885 per ha for potato, carrot and onion digging, respectively. With mechanical digger, the decrease in cost of digging was 54 %, 46 % and 51% as compared to manual harvesting of potato, carrot and onion crop, respectively. The break-even point of the root-crop digger was 35.14 hour per year with payback period of 0.24 year.
Estimation of Crop Coefficients by Remote Sensing based Vegetation Index
Authors: H.V. Parmar  , N.K. Gontia
Published: February 2024

Crop coefficient plays a vital role in estimation of crop evapotranspiration for irrigation scheduling in a canal command. Remote sensing-based vegetation indices can help in efficient irrigation water management, as the irrigation systems need near real-time spatial information on types of crop, area under irrigation, crop water requirement, etc.The Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) was used for estimating actual evapotranspiration (AET) based on remotely sensed data. The summer groundnut crop coefficients were estimated using AET and ET0 . The FAO-56 method helped to estimate reference evapotranspiration (ET0 ) and crop evapotranspiration using crop coefficient. The remote sensing based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for different days of year (DOY) were derived using Landsat imageries for summer crop season in 2014. The relationship between the NDVI and Kc for different DOY was established to estimate the crop coefficients of summer groundnut at field and regional scales for different growth stages for the Ozat-II canal command of Junagadh district of Gujarat State, India. The developed equation might be useful for estimation of crop water requirement and irrigation scheduling of canal command using remote sensing data.
Impact of Wheat Cultivation under Conservation Practices on Resourceuse Efficiency in Karnal and Kurukshetra Districts of Haryana
Authors: Vikram Yogi  , Amit Kar  , VijayaRani  , Ajit Singh  , Sidharth Bhardwaj
Published: February 2024

A study was conducted to examine the resource-use efficiency of wheat cultivation under conservation and conventional methods in Haryana. A sample of 120 wheat producers was surveyed in four villages in the study area during 2012-13.The allocative efficiency of labour and irrigation in wheat cultivation using zero seed drill indicated over-use of these resources. The allocative efficiency of wheat cultivation under conventional tillage system showed that labour-use efficiency was 0.83 and fertilizer-use efficiency was 0.53. The allocative efficiency of wheat cultivation with rotavator showed that fertilizer-use and irrigation-use efficiency were over-used. The estimated mean technical efficiency of wheat farms under zero-tillage was 96% in their use of inputs. The technical efficiency of cultivation by rotavator was found to be 95%, indicating that average return of wheat could be increased by 5% by adopting the technology more scientifically. The economic efficiency measure was 62%, 52% and 34% in zero, rotavator and conventional tillage, respectively, indicating that there was scope to increase the returns by 38%, 48% and 64%, respectively, with optimum resource allocation. The study revealed that the farmers were inefficient in using their resources.
Design, Development of a Milk Pasteurization System
Authors: V. T. Atkari  , V. L. Kanawade  , K. R. Pawar
Published: February 2024

Existing pasteurizers have problems like holding coil contamination during diversion, reinfection through back growth of microorganisms from return lines and syphonage of raw milk into pasteurized line due to vacuum creation during diversion. To overcome these problems, a new pasteurizer was designed as per the quality guidelines for effective and hygienic pasteurization of milk. The developed pasteurizer was tested at raw milk inlet temperature of 2, 4, 6 and 8 °C and total milk solids of 15 and 18 per cent. The pasteurization temperature of 78 to 80 °C was used for 20 s. The pasteurizer was tested for overall heat transfer coefficient, regeneration efficiency, total heat load and pressure drop. The logarithmic mean temperature difference was used to find the running time of the newly developed system. The pasteurized milk side was always at higher pressure than raw milk side. The product side was also at higher pressure than hot and chilled water side. The measures were found to be effective to avoid the cross contamination.
Absorbance Enhancement of a Treated Tanzanian kaolin for Removal of Synthetic Dyes from Water
Authors: Erasto Laurance , Hellar-Kihampa Harieth , Mgani Quintino , Lugwisha Esther
Published: February 2024

The absorbance efficiency of local kaolin clay from Tanzania (Pugu kaolin) has been enhanced to improve its utilization in removal of textile dyes from water. The clay was acid-activated using H2SO4, after calcination at 750oC. Characterization by XRF, XRD, ATR-FTIR and Porosimeter showed kaolinite [Al2Si2O5(OH)4], silica (SiO2) and microcline [KAlSi3O8] as the main phases. Upon acid treatment, silica increased from 44.18% to 58.81% due to the appearance of tridymite, and alumina decreased from 26.70% to 12.74% due to disappearance of the kaolinite. Surface area increased from 15.36 to 149.61 m2 /g due to removal of acid-soluble impurities. The chemical composition showed decrease of Fe2O3 and increase of other major oxides. The impact of acid-activation on contact time, temperature, adsorbent dose, initial pH and absorbate concentration was investigated through batch adsorption technique using basic blue 9 (BB9) and direct red 28 (DR28) dyes. The results at optimal conditions of 3 hours contact time, 27oC temperature, 0.9 g adsorbent dose, initial pH of 11 and initial adsorbate concentration of 90 mg/L, showed that acid modification of the clay increased its capacity to adsorb BB9 from 96.82% to 99.91%, and DR28 from 86.33% to 95.04%. These findings established the influence of modifying the raw clay for its dye removal applications.
MEDIA CONVERGENCE IN THE SAMUTRI ANDARU LARAS GAMELAN COMMUNITY IN PRESERVING TRADITIONAL ARTS
Authors: Yulinda Nur Fitriana  , Mite Setiansah  , Edi Santoso
Published: February 2024

The media convergence utilized by the @SALGamelan community includes Y and Z generations in distributing their gamelan music. Still, this community needs to maximize the use of digital platforms it uses, such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. This study aims to analyze efforts to use digital communication media samutri andar laras in preserving traditional arts. This research method uses a post-positivism paradigm with a qualitative approach, and this type of research is descriptive; the data collection technique for this research is through interviews, documentation, and literature studies. Furthermore, the validity of the data used is source triangulation. Based on the results of this study, it was found that efforts to utilize digital music platforms are ideas for preserving traditional arts, especially gamelan music. Then create content on the social media of the SAL community. Apart from creating content, gamelan music preservation is done through mini shows at the National Museum, Jakarta, and gamelan introduction workshops are routinely held monthly at Graha Puspatarini, South Jakarta. Individual and community awareness of cultural preservation must be increased by creating content and participating in traditional music community events.community events
INTERAKSI HYPERPERSONAL PADA PELATIHAN BERBASIS E-LEARNING DI KEMENTERIAN PEKERJAAN UMUM DAN PERUMAHAN RAKYAT
Authors: Galih Chandra
Published: February 2024

Seiring perkembangan zaman pola komunikasi mulai bergeser dari tatap muka langsung/face to face (FtF) menjadi tidak langsung melainkan menggunakan media komputer atau Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC). Pola komunikasi CMC di implementasi dalam pembelajaran elektronik sehingga pembelajaran tidak lagi terikat oleh ruang dan waktu. Lebih dari itu dalam komunikasi yang termediasi komputer, pengelolaan kesan dapat diciptakan untuk sebuah maksud tertentu sehingga mampu memperkuat pesan yang disampaikan secara verbal. Penelitian ini menggunakan paradigma postpositivis, pendekatan kualitatif melalui wawancara mendalam dengan unit analisis dalam penelitian ini adalah peserta pelatihan e-learning Kementerian PUPR. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa para peserta pelatihan berhasil memainkan komunikasi hyperpersonal melalui pengelolaan kesan yang berbeda pada setiap individu meskipun terbatas melalui komputer. Pengelolaan kesan diciptakan melalui pemilihan background virtual, bahasa yang digunakan, gambaran diri secara virtual melalui penggunaan fitur dan struktur kata yang dituliskan secara hypertext. Penggunaan background standar, bahasa yang baku saat diskusi, dan menampilkan raut muka serius memberikan kesan fokus dan serius pada materi yang disampaikan pengajar, sedangkan penggunaan background virtual yang lucu, background sesuai hobi serta bahasa yang tidak baku dan bercanda memberikan kesan yang santai.
Design, Molecular Docking, Synthesis, and Antimicrobial Evaluation of new Dipeptide derivatives of Ceftizoxime sodium
Authors: N. Hachim Zahra , M. Alwan Shakir , H. Al-Qaisi Mayada
Published: February 2024

Newer cephalosporins that can be orally administered with significant oral bioavailability and resist β-lactamases are continuously and significantly requested. A method of using a potent third-generation cephalosporin, ceftizoxime, was suggested to synthesize new dipeptide derivatives. These derivatives were successfully synthesized by linking a dipeptide moiety, which includes L-Tryptophan-L-valine, L-Tryptophan-L-alanine, L-Tryptophan-L-histidine, and L-Tryptophan-L-phenylalanine as dipeptides to the aminothiazole moiety of ceftizoxime by an amide bond. Their chemical structures were confirmed by spectral analysis, including 1H-NMR,13CNMR, and FT-IR spectroscopy. Molecular docking for these new derivatives was performed on penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) type 2a (3ZG0) of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, type 2X (5OJ0) of Streptococcus pneumonia and type 1b (5HLA) of E. coli, and has recorded higher affinity binding represented as PLP fitness on target enzymes. The binding scores were significant and may indicate better antimicrobial activities when compared with ceftizoxime. This improvement in affinity binding can be explained by the presence of indole and/or imidazole moieties in those derivatives. The indole and imidazole moieties are actual pharmacophores with various biological activities and may contribute to affinity binding, and the derivatives are considered molecular hybrids. Furthermore, a preliminary evaluation of the antibacterial activity of the synthesized derivatives was performed against two significant bacterial species (MRSA and E. coli), which showed better activity in compression to ceftizoxime. Moreover, the derivatives were tested on the protein oligopeptide (POT) family system and have recorded very interesting results for possible oral absorption when compared with Ceftizoxime, Val-acyclovir, and Val-Val-Acyclovir, as reference drugs. The Swiss ADME server was also used to analyze the pharmacokinetic characteristics and identify those likely to be absorbed orally.
Działalność społeczna „nowoosadników” na wsi polskiej
Authors: Laskowska-Otwinowska Justyna
Published: February 2024

Opracowanie to jest kontynuacją innego artykułu autorki: Chłopskie systemy wartości jako inspiracja dla polskich społeczności alternatywnych, który został opublikowany we „Wsi i Rolnictwie” nr 3/2006. Omówiono w nim działalność społeczną grup „nowoosadniczych”. Punktem wyjścia dla refleksji na temat charakterystyki pracy organizowanych stowarzyszeń i adekwatności ich propozycji na potrzeby społeczności lokalnej jest opis preferencji kulturalnych w środowiskach wiejskich i małomiasteczkowych, do których „nowoosadnicy” adresują swą działalność społeczną. Działania społeczno-edukacyjne na wsi nie są oczywiście domeną „nowoosadników”. Także zjawisko przenoszenia się z miasta na wieś stało się tematem zainteresowania świata naukowego. Rozpatruje się je na wielu płaszczyznach, w tym w kontekście rozwijania się nowej warstwy inteligencji wiejskiej. Artykuł stara się odpowiedzieć na pytanie, czy rzeczywiście pojawiające się na polskiej wsi osadnictwo inteligenckie może służyć pomocą w kształtowaniu się nowego oblicza tych terenów.
Metoda pamiętnikarska w polskiej socjologii wsi – ujęcie antropologiczne
Authors: Pawłowska Kinga
Published: February 2024

Tekst zawiera omówienie teoretyczno-metodologicznych zagadnień związanych z wykorzystaniem dokumentów osobistych w polskiej socjologii wsi w pierwszej połowie XX wieku na przykładzie prac Williama Thomasa i Floriana Znanieckiego, Józefa Chałasińskiego, Ludwika Krzywickiego oraz Władysława Grabskiego, z uwzględnieniem ich krytyki na gruncie dawnych oraz współczesnych rozważań. Druga część tekstu dotyczy sporu wokół „metody biograficznej” w socjologii zakorzenionego w debacie nad naukami społecznymi w ogóle, sprowadzającego się do dyskusji nad istotą „wyjaśnienia” oraz „rozumienia” - przeciwstawnymi koncepcjami poznania świata społecznego. Następnie spór między „wyjaśnieniem” oraz „rozumieniem” omówiony został gruncie antropologii wraz z uzasadnieniem takiego ujęcia problemu. W trzeciej części została przedstawiona perspektywa analizy materiałów pamiętnikarskich, nazwana „antropologicznym ujęciem autobiografii”, inna od dotychczas stosowanych w socjologii, opracowana przy wykorzystaniu dorobku antropologii społeczno-kulturowej. Podejście to odwołuje się do szczególnego traktowania pojęć w antropologii - jako swoistych „narzędzi analitycznych”. Przez zbudowanie siatki pojęć można bowiem stworzyć uniwersalną metodologię poprzedzającą materiał empiryczny. Zaproponowana perspektywa pozwala na połączenie elementów „wyjaśnienia” oraz „rozumienia” w obrębie jednej perspektywy analitycznej, polegającej na odłączeniu metody badawczej od określonej teorii. Zagadnienia związane z historycznym charakterem materiałów autobiograficznych zostały omówione przy użyciu podejścia mikrohistorycznego, zaproponowanego przez badaczy nurtu tzw. nowej historii kulturowej.
Closing History: Honor, Greimas, and the Franklin’s Tale
Authors: Normandin Shawn
Published: February 2024

This article responds to the following problem: why does Arveragus’s abandonment of his wife to pursue honor go unquestioned by everyone in the Franklin’s Tale, including the wife herself? Chaucer imagines a fictional past in which criticizing honor is impossible. Endeavoring to understand the impossibility, this article draws upon the work of the semiotician A. J. Greimas, which illuminates how the tale’s structure forecloses anti-honor discourse. Greimas’s theory of history explains how the poet could use foreclosure to simulate the distant past. But the consequences of Dorigen’s response to the black rocks suggest how history can modulate from one foreclosure to another—something Greimas does not address. Unlike the tale’s Brittany, late-fourteenth-century England was a realm where the negative aspects of honor were increasingly obvious. Chaucer’s bracketing of anti-honor discourse might have procured some relief from contemporary anxieties, but his tale also reveals the instability of the historical closure it contrives.
Through a Tainted Lens: A Qualitatve Study of Medical Learners’ Thinking About Patient ‘Deservingness’ of Health Advocacy
Authors: Scott Ian , Hubinette Maria , Van der Goes Theresa , Kahlke Renate
Published: February 2024

Introduction: While health advocacy is a key component of many competency frameworks, mounting evidence suggests that learners do not see it as core to their learning and future practice. When learners do advocate for their patients, they characterize this work as ‘going above and beyond’ for a select few patients. When they think about advocacy in this way, learners choose who deserves their efforts. For educators and policymakers to support learners in making these decisions thoughtfully and ethically, we must first understand how they are currently thinking about patient deservingness.
Methods: We conducted qualitative interviews with 29 undergraduate and postgraduate medical learners, across multiple sites and disciplines, to discuss their experiences of and decision-making about health advocacy. We then carried out a thematic analysis to understand how learners decided when and for whom to advocate. Stemming from initial inductive coding, we then developed a deductive coding framework, based in existing theory conceptualizing ‘deservingness.’
Results: Learners saw their patients as deserving of advocacy if they believed that the patient: was not responsible for their condition, was more in need of support than others, had a positive attitude, was working to improve their health, and shared similarities to the learner. Learners noted the tensions inherent in, and discomfort with, their own thinking about patient deservingness.
Discussion: Learners’ decisions about advocacy deservingness are rooted in their preconceptions about the patient. Explicit curriculum and conversations about advocacy decisions are needed to support learners in making advocacy decisions equitably.
State, Refugees, and Civil Society in Turkey: Transformation Under Control
Authors: ALTIOK Birce
Published: February 2024

The forced migration movement from Syria, which began in 2011, has brought about significant changes in civil society within Turkey. The already existing complex relationship between the state and civil society, is further diversified in the context of forced migration, presenting the need to focus on the provision of humanitarian assistance, access to services, and integration of Syrian refugees who are legally under temporary protection, without international refugee recognition. Furthermore, state-driven cross-border humanitarian operations and security-oriented state policies also shape this landscape. Therefore, the interplay between civil society actors –existing, government-supported, and newly emerging– and security-oriented state policies contributes to this transformation. Historical and political realities, alongside global-local crises, influence the trajectory of change within civil society, positioning authorities as pivotal decision-makers in managing individuals’ movement. Through in-depth interviews in different cities of Turkey with NGOs and refugee-led civil society members in 2018, the article uncovers the formation and progression of relationships between civil society actors and the state, revealing adaptations and adjustments based on contextual circumstances. The article seeks to move beyond comprehensive liberal and developmental perspectives, instead focusing on the evolving dynamics of state control within migration-related civil society.
The way of the Silver Age zoologist: practices of field work, capturing and collecting material
Authors:   National Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine), Zagorodniuk Igor
Published: February 2024

The article is an essay on the formation and development of professional zoological research in Ukraine, with a focus on the study of terrestrial vertebrates, especially mammals, in particular during long-distance and long-term expeditionary trips and under conditions of stationary field research at biological stations. The heyday of such research is equated to the well-known renaissance of cultural processes of the late 19th and first third of the 20th century, but in field zoology such processes continued throughout the second third of the 20th century. The key features of the zoologists and field zoology of the Silver Age were constant (in fact, year-round) route excursions around the vicinity of large cities or various types of biological stations, as well as long-distance wagon-type collective expeditions, constant presence in nature with a gun more than with any type of trap, high specialisation on objects that could be obtained by shooting and were not small-sized and generally traditional hunting targets, linking the objectives of expeditions to material collection more than to observations (and, in fact, feedback, i.e. justification of expedition goals by the needs of collections accumulation). Special attention is paid to the traditional methods and volumes of material collecting. The changes in the practices of large expeditions and the factors of their extinction are considered. In particular, the latter is associated not so much with the disappearance of the need for material as with changes in the tasks of its analysis and the emergence of alternative, primarily live methods of studying certain species, as well as a departure from paradigmatic guidelines for describing and analysing the biotic diversity of regions and revising the taxonomy of groups and studying species variability using traditional systems of features, criteria, and approaches. The article analyses the value of the samples collected during the Silver Age and the tasks, motives and sources of enriching modern collections after the loss of the classical system of mass collection of morphological material.
A revision of Silurian corals (Anthozoa: Heliolitoidea) from the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv)
Authors:   National Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine), Grytsenko Volodymyr , Rudenko Kseniia ,   National Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)
Published: February 2024

The collection of Silurian heliolitoid corals revised in this study has been assembled by the first author (V.G.) for four decades. The material was collected predominantly from Silurian outcrops and borehole cores in the Middle Dnister area. Some of the specimens were found in Belarus and Moldova during field works and field trips. The scientific works were part of the projects elaborated by a collective of scientists from the Institute of Geological Sciences, NAS of Ukraine and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The working group consisted of geologists who graduated from the university in 1965 to 1970. Professors M. M. Klushnikov and O. L. Einor were our advisors. P. D. Tsegelnjuk was the oldest and the leader of the group. The collecting of specimens started in 1966 and now is ready to summarise the results. In the last fifty years, a large collection of fossil cnidarians from Silurian deposits has been assembled in the course of long-term geological field expeditions organised to study outcrops, cores of boreholes, and collect fossils. More than fifty outcrops and one hundred boreholes were studied in the territory of the Podillian region and the west slope of the Ukrainian Shield from Volyn to Snake Island. The collection comprises nearly ten thousand samples and 6000 thin sections of cnidarians. The total number of the studied samples belonging to Heliolitoidea is 139, of which 19 came from 9 outcrops and 120 from cores of 37 boreholes. The described samples represent 3 orders, 1 superfamily, 8 families, 2 subfamilies, 16 genera, 20 species (9 new), and 1 new subspecies. The authors consider that all the remains belong to fossil cnidarians. Fossil cnidarians are especially important from a facial point of view. The remains primarily indicate normal sea conditions in warm subtropical and tropical zones. In some cases, the identification of fossil cnidarians is easy, but usually we need to use the oriented thin sections. In the paper, only a small part of the collection is described following the system of Heliolitoidea developed by Olga Bondarenko. A studied collection is deposited in the Geological Department of the National Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine under the number GD-1986.