bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An overview of shark fisheries in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia
Authors: Dewi S P S , Abdoellah O S , Ihsan Y N
Published: April 2021

The biology of sharks makes them very vulnerable to fishing pressure. Globally, sharks are threatened because of uncontrolled fishing due to the increasing demand for their fins. In Indonesia, shark fishing occurs in almost all marine areas, and each area has different characteristics and conditions. Understanding the conditions and characteristics of each area will help to define strategies for the sustainable management of shark fisheries. This paper aimed to provide an overview of the condition of shark fisheries in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. This study used a qualitative method to get information about fishing techniques, catch composition, utilization, and trading. The data were collected through observation, interviews, and literature review. The result showed that fishermen in Kupang caught sharks as a fishing target using longline fishing gear. Almost all sharks were landed in pieces after being chopped up in the vessel. They were chopped off into some pieces, such as the fin, meat, skin, and cartilage. Sharks species could be identified by their fins, but their total length, weight, sex ratio, and adult size were difficult to identify. That makes it difficult to plan reasonable management strategies. Shark fins are more expensive than other parts, and the price depends on the fin size. Shark products are traded to Surabaya, Manado, Bogor, and Jakarta. Trade of shark products is regulated by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation number 61/PERMEN-KP/2018. Based on this study, management intervention must be undertaken to ensure sustainable shark fisheries in Kupang.
Disaster literacy among young peatland farmers in Central Kalimantan
Authors: Sinta Dewi
Published: April 2021

The One Million Hectare Peat Clearing Project (PLG) in Central Kalimantan, designed as a rice granary in 1995, has become the door to ecological disasters on peatlands. Canalization that drains the peatlands excessively has sparked fires over the past 23 years, especially during the long dry season. Given the large losses incurred and the high budget for land fire suppression, pre-disaster management is important, one of which is through the concept of disaster literacy. Disaster literacy in this case is a non-structural mitigation approach that focuses on skills and understanding of disasters to reduce disaster risk. This study aims to see the application of the concept of disaster literacy, especially to young peatland farmers who are directly involved in agricultural management in a broad sense through the various existing literatures. The discussion will cover a lot of local wisdom of the community in managing peatlands in relation to the prevention of peatland fires.
Ecosystem Services From Honey Beees Apis cerana Fabr. In Taman Hutan Raya (Tahura) Ir. H. Djuanda Dago Expert Bandung Ecology and Economically
Authors: Nuriyah Syayidah , Anshory Yusuf Arief , Hermawan Wawan , Husodo Teguh
Published: April 2021

Pollination is one of the key components of global biodiversity and is very important for ecosystems in ensuring the maintenance of ecological processes, which are largely responsible for the successful reproduction of native plants.Apis ceranaFabr. including insect pollinators that are widely cultivated in the conservation forest Tahura Ir H Djuanda. Through survey and observation methods, it is known that some plants in Tahura are visited by honey bees, which have great potential for the effectiveness of plant pollination in Tahura. The types of plants visited by honey bees can be classified into agricultural and non-agricultural crops in a radius of 500 meters from Tahura. Based on the data, it is known that honey bees visited non-agricultural plants as many as 39 families and 83 species, while agricultural crops were 6 families and 17 species. So it can be concluded that bees prefer visiting non-agricultural crops rather than agricultural crops in Tahura, therefore the potential for pollination effectiveness by honey bees will be greater in non-agricultural crops such as plants in Tahura to maintain conservation forest biodiversity.
Powering primary healthcare centres with clean energy sources
Authors: Ani Vincent Anayochukwu
Published: April 2021

Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) remain the populations' first point of contact when seeking medical help. Women and children, whose health status decides the fate of the country, are the predominant users of primary healthcare centres which means they (the PHCs') must function as high quality health providers. Karshi Primary Healthcare Centre (KPHC) is one of the health facility that need reliable electricity to improve their healthcare delivery. Due to unreliable power supply, they rely on a diesel powered solution as a primary source of power supply. This negatively impacts patients and the environment, and has been a burden on their operational budgets. Change in energy system is the solution to this unreliable, costly, and unsecure power supply in Karshi, and its objective is to improve and enhance the quality of healthcare delivery services. The assumption is that with better energy source, there will be better healthcare services. A solar powered system with battery storage was proposed as the solution and the simulation results demonstrate that except for the initial cost of investment, the solar PV generator performs better than the diesel generator, in terms of the life cycle costs and the cost per unit energy. The life cycle cost and the cost of energy show a decrease of 75% each. The environmental analysis implies that the solar PV energy system has the potential to avoid the 9371 kg of carbon dioxide if the system is implemented in the future at KPHC. The proposed powered system will supply electricity for the laboratory equipment (centrifuges, microscopes, blood chemical analyzer, hematology analyzer, CD4 machine), vaccine-refrigeration, general purpose refrigerator, computer and telecommunications, while being able to cater to a greater number of patients than in the past.
Complete analysis of a discrete-time batch service queue with batch-size-dependent service time under correlated arrival process: D-MAP/Gn(a,b)/1
Authors: Gupta Umesh Chandra , Kumar Nitin , Pradhan Sourav , Barbhuiya Farida Parvez , Chaudhry Mohan L.
Published: April 2021

Discrete-time queueing models find a large number of applications as they are used in modeling queueing systems arising in digital platforms like telecommunication systems and computer networks. In this paper, we analyze an infinite-buffer queueing model with discrete Markovian arrival process. The units on arrival are served in batches by a single server according to the general bulk-service rule, and the service time follows general distribution with service rate depending on the size of the batch being served. We mathematically formulate the model using the supplementary variable technique and obtain the vector generating function at the departure epoch. The generating function is in turn used to extract the joint distribution of queue and server content in terms of the roots of the characteristic equation. Further, we develop the relationship between the distribution at the departure epoch and the distribution at arbitrary, pre-arrival and outside observer’s epochs, where the first is used to obtain the latter ones. We evaluate some essential performance measures of the system and also discuss the computing process extensively which is demonstrated by some numerical examples.
An artificial intelligence system for distinguishing between gastrointestinal stromal tumors and leiomyomas using endoscopic ultrasonography
Authors: Yang Xintian , Wang Han , Dong Qian , Xu Yonghong , Liu Hua , Ma Xiaoying , Yan Jing , Li Qian , Yang Chenyu , Li Xiaoyu
Published: April 2021

Background Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and gastrointestinal leiomyomas (GILs) are the most common subepithelial lesions (SELs). All GISTs have malignant potential; however, GILs are considered benign. Current imaging cannot effectively distinguish GISTs from GILs. We aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) system to differentiate these tumors using endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS).

Methods The AI system was based on EUS images of patients with histologically confirmed GISTs or GILs. Participants from four centers were collected to develop and retrospectively evaluate the AI-based system. The system was used when endosonographers considered SELs to be GISTs or GILs. It was then used in a multicenter prospective diagnostic test to clinically explore whether joint diagnoses by endosonographers and the AI system can distinguish between GISTs and GILs to improve the total diagnostic accuracy for SELs.

Results The AI system was developed using 10 439 EUS images from 752 participants with GISTs or GILs. In the prospective test, 132 participants were histologically diagnosed (36 GISTs, 44 GILs, and 52 other types of SELs) among 508 consecutive subjects. Through joint diagnoses, the total accuracy of endosonographers in diagnosing the 132 histologically confirmed participants increased from 69.7 % (95 % confidence interval [CI] 61.4 %–76.9 %) to 78.8 % (95 %CI 71.0 %–84.9 %; P = 0.01). The accuracy of endosonographers in diagnosing the 80 participants with GISTs or GILs increased from 73.8 % (95 %CI 63.1 %–82.2 %) to 88.8 % (95 %CI 79.8 %–94.2 %; P = 0.01).

Conclusions We developed an AI-based EUS diagnostic system that can effectively distinguish GISTs from GILs and improve the diagnostic accuracy of SELs.
Shared-Task Worklists Improve Clinical Trial Recruitment Workflow in an Academic Emergency Department
Authors: Naceanceno Kevin S. , House Stacey L. , Asaro Phillip V.
Published: April 2021

Background Clinical trials performed in our emergency department at Barnes-Jewish Hospital utilize a centralized infrastructure for alerting, screening, and enrollment with rule-based alerts sent to clinical research coordinators. Previously, all alerts were delivered as text messages via dedicated cellular phones. As the number of ongoing clinical trials increased, the volume of alerts grew to an unmanageable level. Therefore, we have changed our primary notification delivery method to study-specific, shared-task worklists integrated with our pre-existing web-based screening documentation system.

Objective To evaluate the effects on screening and recruitment workflow of replacing text-message delivery of clinical trial alerts with study-specific shared-task worklists in a high-volume academic emergency department supporting multiple concurrent clinical trials.

Methods We analyzed retrospective data on alerting, screening, and enrollment for 10 active clinical trials pre- and postimplementation of shared-task worklists.

Results Notifications signaling the presence of potentially eligible subjects for clinical trials were more likely to result in a screen (p < 0.001) with the implementation of shared-task worklists compared with notifications delivered as text messages for 8/10 clinical trials. The change in workflow did not alter the likelihood of a notification resulting in an enrollment (p = 0.473). The Director of Research reported a substantial reduction in the amount of time spent redirecting clinical research coordinator screening activities.

Conclusion Shared-task worklists, with the functionalities we have described, offer a viable alternative to delivery of clinical trial alerts via text message directly to clinical research coordinators recruiting for multiple concurrent clinical trials in a high-volume academic emergency department.
Bridging the gap between risk and uncertainty in insurance
Authors: Zweifel Peter
Published: April 2021

This contribution evokes Orio Giarini’s courage to think ‘outside the box’. It proposes a practical way to bridge the gap between risk (where probabilities of occurrence are fully known) and uncertainty (where these probabilities are unknown). However, in the context of insurance, neither extreme applies: the risk type of a newly enrolled customer is not fully known, loss distributions (especially their tails) are difficult to estimate with sufficient precision, the diversification properties of a block of policies acquired from another company can be assessed only to an approximation, and rates of return on investment depend on decisions of central banks that cannot be predicted too well. This contribution revolves around the launch of an innovative insurance product, where the company has a notion of whether a favourable market reception is more likely than an unfavourable one, of the chance of obtaining approval from the regulatory authority and the risk of a competitor launching a similar innovation. Linear partial information theory is proposed and applied as a particular practical way to systematically exploit the imprecise information that may exist for all of these aspects. The decision-making criterion is maxEmin, an intuitive modification of the maximin rule known from games against nature.
Correction: Modelling collective action to change social norms around domestic violence: social dilemmas and the role of altruism
Authors: Gram Lu , Granados Rolando , Krockow Eva M. , Daruwalla Nayreen , Osrin David
Published: April 2021

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00771-4
Researchers use LEGOs to decode intricate vibration patterns in quasi-crystalline matter
Authors: Yiu Yuen
Published: April 2021

An experimental setup using LEGO pieces is proven to be a viable method for studying the general dynamics and topology of metastructures.
Large eddy simulations of turbulent planar jets of viscoelastic fluids
Authors: Parvar S. , da Silva C. B. , Pinho F. T.
Published: April 2021

Direct numerical simulations and large-eddy simulations of turbulent planar jets are used to assess the distortion similarity (DSIM) model, recently developed by Ferreira et al. [“Large-eddy simulations of forced isotropic turbulence with viscoelastic fluids described by the finitely extensible nonlinear elastic rheological model with Peterlin's closure model,” Phys. Fluids 28, 125104 (2016)] for homogeneous turbulence, in the simulation of turbulent viscoelastic planar jets. Both a priori and a posteriori tests of the DSIM model are used and show that the several assumptions used in the development of the DSIM model hold well in inhomogeneous free turbulent viscoelastic flows, e.g., (i) the scale similarity of the subgrid-scale (SGS) polymer stretching and (ii) the local equilibrium of the elastic energy production and dissipation. The DSIM model for the SGS polymer stretching term, together with the dynamic Smagorinsky model, is able to reproduce well the flow structures and the classical one-point statistics of turbulent viscoelastic planar jets. The model should be equally able to simulate other free shear flows of viscoelastic fluids, e.g., wakes and mixing layers.
Tuning of superdiamagnetism in La2CuO4 by solid-state electrochemical fluorination and defluorination
Authors: Vasala Sami , Alff Lambert , Clemens Oliver
Published: April 2021

Here, we demonstrate the electrochemical fluorination of La2CuO4 in an all-solid-state cell. This method of fluorine intercalation is controllable and reproducible, offering a precise adjustment of hole doping and thus tuning of superdiamagnetic (i.e., the perfect diamagnetic behavior of a superconductor) properties. The fluorinated La2CuO4Fx samples showed an increase in Tc and in diamagnetic response with increasing fluorine content with x up to ∼0.2. The fluorination process could also be reversed, as fluorine could be electrochemically deintercalated from La2CuO4Fx under re-formation of the antiferromagnetic insulator La2CuO4, returning the samples to a non-superdiamagnetic state. This method offers a convenient way of studying the detailed effects of hole doping in La2CuO4 and shows that tuning of material properties by electrochemical fluorination can also be extended to the field of superconductors.
Vortex system around a step cylinder in a turbulent flow field
Authors: Tian Cai , Jiang Fengjian , Pettersen Bjørnar , Andersson Helge I.
Published: April 2021

The vortex system around the step surface of a step cylinder with a diameter ratio D/d=2 at Reynolds number (ReD) 3900 was investigated by directly solving the three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations. Formation mechanisms and vortex dynamics of the complex vortex system were studied by performing a detailed investigation of both the time-averaged and instantaneous flow fields. For the time-averaged flow, including the known junction and edge vortices, in total, four horseshoe vortices were observed to form above the step surface in front of the upper small cylinder. The crossflow width of the four horseshoe vortices varies differently as they convect downstream. Moreover, we captured a pair of base vortices and a backside horizontal vortex in the rear part of the step surface behind the small cylinder. For the instantaneous flow, hairpin vortices were found to form between the legs of two counter-rotating horseshoe vortices located on the same side of the step cylinder. Furthermore, in the small step cylinder wake, Kelvin–Helmholtz vortices were observed to shed at an unexpectedly high shedding frequency.
An improved approach to derive the kappa distribution in polytropic plasmas
Authors: Guo Ran
Published: April 2021

This paper studies sufficient conditions for deriving the kappa distribution in polytropic plasmas by an improved method compared with the previous work [R. Guo, Phys. Plasmas 27, 122104 (2020)]. We find that the polytropic equation of state can lead to the kappa distribution without any other assumptions in one dimension. In higher dimensions, an extra assumption that the global distribution must only depend on the energy is still needed. In addition, the self-consistence of the electrostatic potential is investigated in such plasmas. This study implies that in single-component plasmas, the potential is constrained by the Lane–Emden equation. However, in two-component plasmas, any arbitrary potential could exist with a suitable background ion density. Finally, we discuss the connections between the kappa distribution and the polytrope.
Unabsorbed light beamlets for diagnosing coronal density profiles and absorption nonuniformity in direct-drive implosions on OMEGA
Authors: Edgell D. H. , Hansen A. M. , Katz J. , Turnbull D. , Froula D. H.
Published: April 2021

Laser light scattered from a target is the most-direct measurement for diagnosing laser absorption in a direct-drive implosion. The 3ω gated optical imager beamlets diagnostic images unabsorbed light from all 60 OMEGA beams as distinct “beamlet” spots for each beam. The implosion can be diagnosed using the position and intensity of these beamlets. The position of each beamlet in the image is determined by refraction and can be used to fit the coronal plasma density profile of the implosion. The inferred plasma density profiles are comparable to the profiles predicted by the 1D hydrodynamics code LILAC but suggest that the predictions underestimate the density farther out in the corona. The intensity of light in each spot depends on the cumulative effects of absorption and cross-beam energy transfer along the beamlet’s path through the corona. The measured variation in intensity and polarization between similar spots indicates that absorption during OMEGA implosions is less uniform than previously known.
Measurements of electron temperature in high-energy-density plasmas using gated x-ray pinhole imaging
Authors: Schaeffer D. B. , Fox W. , Rosenberg M. J. , Park H.-S. , Fiksel G. , Kalantar D.
Published: April 2021

We present measurements of spatially and temporally resolved electron temperature in high-energy-density plasmas using gated x-ray pinhole imagers. A 2D image of bremsstrahlung x-ray self-emission from laser-driven plasma plumes is detected at the same time through two pinholes covered with different filter materials. By comparing the attenuated signal through each filter, a spatially resolved electron temperature as low as 0.1 keV can be estimated. Measurements of the plasma plume taken from different directions indicate that imaging through extended plasmas has a negligible effect on the temperature estimates. Methods for estimating the expected signal, selecting filters, and incorporating the response of the detector are discussed.
Independent friction-restitution modeling of two-disk collisions
Authors: Doménech-Carbó Antonio , Montagna Elena , Doménech-Carbó María Teresa
Published: April 2021

The oblique collisions between two axisymmetric disks moving on a flat horizontal surface are described in terms of impact modeling based on the assumption that normal and tangential restitution mechanisms operate independently of friction. Describing these mechanisms in terms of the usual Coulomb formulation, the model allows for an interpretation of some “anomalous” experimental data reported in the literature. These experimental data, corresponding to the variation of the coefficients of friction and tangential restitution with the impact angle, remained unexplained in classic formulations, are understood within the framework of the independent friction-restitution closure. Experimental data for metallic coins are in agreement with that formulation, including rolling friction effects.
Viscoelastic behavior of covalently crosslinked hydrogels under large shear deformations: An approach to eliminate wall slip
Authors: Kamkar Milad , Janmaleki Mohsen , Erfanian Elnaz , Sanati-Nezhad Amir , Sundararaj Uttandaraman
Published: April 2021

Linear and nonlinear viscoelastic properties of hydrogels significantly contribute to functionality, long-term performance, and stability of the hydrogels. With respect to the nonlinear viscoelastic response of chemically crosslinked hydrogels, the vast majority of publications have reported the type III response (weak strain overshoot). Herein, to measure the true mechanical response of hydrogels subjected to large shear deformations, we developed a technique by chemically bonding and sandwiching two surfaces of a hydrogel to treated glass slides attached to the oscillating rheometer's metal plates. Employing this method, for the first time, we were able to completely alleviate errors attributed to the wall slip in the rheological measurements of soft materials, enabling the accurate evaluation of nonlinear behavior of hydrogels. The results show that these hydrogels follow a type II (strain hardening) response. It is argued that the observed type III response of hydrogels, widely reported in the literature, originates from the wall-slip condition, rather than the inherent viscoelasticity of the hydrogels. This insight has important implications for the future development of hydrogel-based or other soft materials.
Auger recombination in narrow gap HgCdTe/CdHgTe quantum well heterostructures
Authors: Aleshkin V. Ya. , Rumyantsev V. V. , Kudryavtsev K. E. , Dubinov A. A. , Utochkin V. V. , Fadeev M. A. , Alymov G. , Mikhailov N. N. , Dvoretsky S. A. , Teppe F. , Gavrilenko V. I. , Morozov S. V.
Published: April 2021

We present detailed theoretical analysis of nonradiative Auger recombination in narrow-gap mercury-cadmium-telluride quantum wells (HgCdTe QWs). We suggest a microscopic model to calculate Auger recombination rates in the QWs with different Cd fraction as functions of non-equilibrium carrier density with account to the complex band dispersions and wavefunctions, degenerate carrier statistics, and screening effects. Our model is validated by the comparison of measured photoconductivity kinetics with the simulated curves. Furthermore, we use the developed calculation technique to evaluate different designs of HgCdTe/CdHgTe QWs for the far-IR emitters. In particular, we consider a series of QWs with the fixed bandgap of 40 meV (lasing wavelength about 30 μm) and find out that lasing may be favored in the QWs with moderate (6%–9%) cadmium content and not in the pure binary HgTe QWs, which is in contrast to intuitive expectations within threshold energy concept for Auger recombination. Though cadmium-free QWs do provide the highest possible Auger threshold energies, Cd-containing QWs feature much more efficient screening of Coulomb potential (and so Auger interaction) by free charge carriers. The latter effect contributes decisively into the suppression of Auger processes at low temperatures and high carrier concentrations.
The giant axolotl genome uncovers the evolution, scaling, and transcriptional control of complex gene loci
Authors: Schloissnig Siegfried , Kawaguchi Akane , Nowoshilow Sergej , Falcon Francisco , Otsuki Leo , Tardivo Pietro , Timoshevskaya Nataliya , Keinath Melissa C. , Smith Jeramiah James , Voss S. Randal , Tanaka Elly M.
Published: April 2021

Significance

The axolotl is an important model organism because it is a tetrapod with a similar body plan to humans. Unlike humans, the axolotl regenerates limbs and other complex tissues. Therefore, the axolotl contributes to understanding evolution, development, and regeneration. With sophisticated tools for gene modification and tissue labeling, a fully assembled genome sequence was a sorely missing resource. Assembly was difficult because the genome size is 10× that of humans. Here, we use a cross-linking strategy called Hi-C to link together fragmented genome sequences to chromosome scale. We show that gene regulation occurs over very large genomic distances and that mitotic chromosomes are packaged efficiently.
Fourier uniqueness in even dimensions
Authors: Bakan Andrew , Hedenmalm Haakan , Montes-Rodríguez Alfonso , Radchenko Danylo , Viazovska Maryna
Published: April 2021

Significance

We show an interrelation between the uniqueness aspect of the recent Fourier interpolation formula of D.R. and M.V. and the lattice-cross uniqueness set for the Klein–Gordon equation studied by H.H. and A.M.-R. With appropriate modifications, the approach applies in any even dimension

≥
4

and is based on a sophisticated analysis of the iterates of a Gauss-type map.
Gerwasia mayorii.
Authors:   USA, USDA-ARS
Published: April 2021

There is little published information on this plant pathogenic fungus, which has limited geographic distribution. As hosts exist in other regions of the world with similar environmental conditions, this species may pose a threat to native or agricultural plants if introduced.
Geosmithia morbida (thousand cankers disease).
Authors: Stewart Jane
Published: April 2021

Thousand Cankers Disease is a disease complex native to the western United States that affects many Juglans and Pterocarya species, i.e. walnut and wingnut trees. It is caused by the fungus Geosmithia morbida, which is vectored by the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis), and possibly by other insects. The beetle carries fungal spores that are introduced into the tree during gallery construction, and the fungus then causes cankers in the inner bark that disrupt the flow of nutrients throughout the tree, often leading to its death. In recent years the disease has been reported in several eastern states, and also in Italy. Long-distance spread is thought to be a result of the movement of infected and infested wood.
Zophopetes cerymica.
Authors: Cock M. J. W.
Published: April 2021

At present, Z. cerymica is not known to have spread beyond its indigenous range in tropical Africa. Within that range it is a minor pest of coconut and oil palm, and therefore it is of quarantine significance outside tropical Africa.
Moneilema semipunctatum (cactus borer beetle).
Authors: Whittaker Angela
Published: April 2021

M. semipunctatum is a large, black, flightless beetle, native to the arid regions of the western USA and northern Mexico. It feeds on genera in the cactus family (Cactaceae). Hosts are typically in the subfamily Opuntioideae, such as species of the genera Opuntia (prickly pears) and Cylindropuntia (chollas). However, since the late 1970s there have been new records for the occurrence of M. semipunctatum, in its native range, on other genera in the subfamily Opuntioideae, such as Sclerocactus. This is causing a problem for the health and survival of species of rare endemic cacti, many of which are already listed as threatened or endangered. M. semipunctatum also poses a threat to native and exotic cacti in gardens and ornamental nurseries.
Erionota acroleucus (palm redeye).
Authors: Cock Matthew
Published: April 2021

Although E. acroleucus has been found to be a relatively common minor pest on rattan palms (Steiner, 2001b), and is reported from a variety of crop and ornamental palms (Cock, 2015), no economic impact has been reported. It is likely that this is a species that is kept under control by its indigenous natural enemies, but could become an outbreak pest if this natural control were disrupted, e.g. by the use of insecticides, or if it were introduced into new areas and thereby freed of its natural enemies.
Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum pathotype (wheat blast).
Authors: Islam Md. Tofazzal
Published: April 2021

Wheat blast is a fungal disease of wheat which is caused by a host-specialized ascomycete Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum (MoT) pathotype (Anamorph Pyricularia oryzae Triticum). It was first discovered in Paraná state of Brazil in 1985 and then gradually spread in wheat growing areas in several countries in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. It is a fearsome disease of wheat which causes yield loss up to 100%. It is now a threat to wheat production in about 3 million hectares of wheat growing areas in South America. Application of fungicides to control this disease is unreliable and breeding resistant varieties is also not durable. At conducive environmental conditions (18-30°C and > 80% RH) during ear emergence or grain filling, this disease can become an epidemic and devastate wheat crop within a week. In 2016, MoT emerged as an epidemic in eight districts of Bangladesh and has so far destroyed more than 15,000 hectares of wheat. The wheat blast pathogen in Bangladesh is determined as a South American lineage of M. oryzae. Scientists fear that MoT may spread to neighbouring South Asian wheat-growing countries and thus pose a serious threat to food and nutritional security of South America.
Bactrocera zonata (peach fruit fly).
Authors: Bakri Abdeljelil
Published: April 2021

Native to South and South-East Asia, B. zonata is now found in more than 20 countries. The potential risk of its introduction to a new area is facilitated by increasing international tourism and trade, and is influenced by changes in climate and land use. After introduction, it can easily adapt and spread as it is a polyphagous species and has a high reproductive potential (as many as 564 eggs in a lifetime), high biotic potential (several generations of progeny in a year), and a rapid dispersal ability. B. zonata is a strong flier and can be active throughout the year. Economic impacts may result primarily from the loss of export markets and the costly requirement of quarantine restrictions and eradication measures. Furthermore, its establishment may have a serious impact on the environment following the initiation of chemical and/or biological control programmes. B. zonata is of quarantine significance to EPPO (the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization) countries. The pest is classified on the A1 List of Pests recommended for regulation as quarantine pests.
Phomopsis vexans (Phomopsis blight of eggplant).
Authors:   USA, USDA-ARS
Published: April 2021

P. vexans is a pynicidial anamorph with a teleomorph in the genus Diaporthe. Easily seedborne and producing large numbers of conidia, it causes disease in Solanum melongena [aubergine/brinjal/eggplant], its only significant host. This ranges from poor seed germination and damping-off of seedlings, to leaf and stem lesions and to fruit rot, both in the field and after harvest. The fungus has been reported from widely distributed areas of most continents, but only a few of those are in Europe and Africa, even though the climates are favourable. Seed transmission may explain its broad historical distribution, but limitation of its host range to a non-staple vegetable crop can allow for its avoidance and eradication by cultural methods. As a result, perhaps, it does not appear often on lists of restricted pathogens, even though it may cause yield losses of more than 50%.
Phakopsora ampelopsidis (Ampelopsis rust fungus).
Authors:   USA, USDA-ARS
Published: April 2021

As currently defined (Ono, 2000), the rust fungus P. ampelopsidis is a pathogen of hosts in the genus Ampelopsis and perhaps in related genera in the Vitaceae, but not of the cultivated grapevine species of Vitis or the ornamental species in Parthenocissus. Plants in Ampelopsis occur in Asia from Japan to Turkey as well as in North America (USDA-ARS, 2009), but the rust is not known in Europe, and has not been reported on Ampelopsis in the Americas. Only in eastern Asia, where the medicinal uses of Ampelopsis species are being investigated (Kim et al., 2007; Zhang et al., 2008), is this rust a potential problem. It is most likely to be spread by aerial dispersal of urediniospores to nearer parts of Asia, where species in the host genus are distributed.
Spodoptera eridania (southern armyworm).
Authors: Montezano Debora , Specht Alexandre
Published: April 2021

Spodoptera eridania is a polyphagous generalist feeder recorded on 200 plants species belonging to 58 botanic families. It is native to the USA and occurs throughout southern USA, Central and South America, and the Caribbean (Pogue, 2002). Due the fact that S. eridania occurs all across the USA and is present in many host plants, several regions around the world are in risk of invasion due to the global trade of vegetables, ornamental and aromatic plants, which can transport larvae and eggs. Even though it is not established in Europe, it has been detected on imported plants from the New World (Karsholt, 1994). The detection of S. eridania in Africa, demonstrates its high dispersal ability, indicating the importance of closely monitoring this species.
Anastrepha striata (guava fruit fly).
Authors: Norrbom Allen
Published: April 2021

A. striata is a pest of various cultivated species of Myrtaceae, especially guavas [Psidium spp.]. Its exact native range is obscure, but its presence in southern Brazil has been detected only recently, suggesting that human activities may have aided its spread. It has also been intercepted and trapped in the USA (Florida, California), indicating its potential for spread via infested fruits.
Podosphaera spiraeae (Japanese spiraea powdery mildew).
Authors: Moparthi Swarnalatha , Bradshaw Michael
Published: April 2021

Podosphaera spiraeae is a common fungal pathogen for plants in the genus Spiraea. The pathogen is native to Japan but is most likely widespread throughout the temperate world where viable host plants occur. Identification of powdery mildew on Spiraea spp. can be difficult and its occurrence has not been well documented. Wind dispersal of asexual spores, known as conidia, spreads powdery mildew between viable host plants. The most likely long-distance pathway of invasion is through the nursery industry, which commonly trades Spiraea plants. P. spiraeae can be detrimental to nursery growers as it is unsightly, reduces photosynthesis and flower vigour and causes premature leaf drop. Primary control of the pathogenic fungus requires intricate integrated pest management regimes.
Ficus carica (common fig).
Authors: Datiles Marianne Jennifer
Published: April 2021

F. carica is a deciduous, small to medium-sized tree with a short, twisted trunk, thought to be native of South-West Asia, but now widely cultivated throughout the tropics and subtropics. It grows best on medium to heavy well-drained soils, and suckers freely. Propagation is usually vegetative by cuttings or grafts, using selected horticultural cultivars.
Terminalia catappa (Singapore almond).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

T. catappa is a hardy, fast-growing, deciduous multipurpose tree, reaching 25 (-40) m tall and producing an edible fruit. It plays a vital role in coastline stabilization as a tree component of strandline plant communities in the western Indian Ocean, South-East Asia and the South Pacific. Under suitable conditions it is a well-formed tree and has been widely planted throughout the tropics for shade, ornament and nuts, especially along sandy seashores (Heinsleigh and Holaway, 1988; Little and Skolmen, 1989). It is much used in agroforestry systems in the Philippines.
Hybrid indium tin oxide-Au metamaterial as a multiband bi-functional light absorber in the visible and near-infrared ranges
Authors: Osgouei Ataollah Kalantari , Hajian Hodjat , Serebryannikov Andriy E , Ozbay Ekmel
Published: April 2021

Metamaterial nearly perfect light absorbers (MPAs) with dual-narrowband functionality—that absorb light in two narrowband adjacent wavelength regions—have attracted considerable attention due to their intriguing applications, such as sensing, photovoltaic, and thermal emission. Here, we propose a multi-band MPA with two narrowband absorption responses that are centered on the visible and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (773 nm and 900 nm, respectively) and a broadband absorptive characteristic in another window in the NIR region (ranging from 1530 nm to 2700 nm with a bandwidth of 1170 nm). The MPA comprises a periodic array of self-aligned hybrid indium tin oxide (ITO)-Au split-ring-resonators that are separated from an optically thick bottom reflector with a SiO2 layer. Based on numerical calculations, which are accompanied with a semi-analytical examination, we find that the dual narrowband and broadband responses are attributed to the hybridization of the optical responses of gold as a plasmonic material with the ones of ITO. Note that ITO acts as a low-loss dielectric in the visible range and a lossy plasmonic material in the NIR region. Moreover, due to the applied symmetry in the unit cell of the metamaterial, the proposed MPA represents polarization insensitive and omnidirectional absorptive features. The proposed metastructure can find potential applications in selective thermophotovoltaic devices, thermal emitters, and sensors.
Synthesis and Surface Characterization of PMMA Polymer Films in Pure Oxygen, Argon, and Nitrogen Glow Discharge Plasma
Authors: Jaffer Zainab J , Mazhir Sabah N , Khalaf Mohammed K , Hanon Marwa S
Published: April 2021

The anticorrosion effect and biocompatibility property of Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) materials have been used in a variety of commercially available products and medical devices for many years. In this work, the treatment of surfaces prepared PMMA films by oxygen, argon and nitrogen plasma, requires understanding the effect of low energy ions on the surface modification of the film of PMMA. Due to this, the samples of prepared PMMA were exposed to three different gases at the same discharge conditions. Changes within the morphology and surface hydrophilicity of the treated samples were characterized by optical microscope images and the measurements of contact angle. Treatment of PMMA with O2, N2, Ar gases displayed a decreasing in the contact angle that results in increasing surface free energy. Oxygen –plasma treatment of PMMA films leads to high aspect ratio topography, with increased roughness for (5-30) minute process durations.
Effect of Nano clay on the fatigue of epoxy and glass fiber composites
Authors: Mohammed Khalifah Khalid
Published: April 2021

This study describes the experimental results of the fatigue behavior manifested by fatigue strength, fatigue life, and fatigue limit composites for epoxy resin and its E-glass fiber (2,4,6) laminates, nano clay prepared in laboratory reinforced in with (2%, 4%, 6%) weight fraction. The evaluation of (S-N) curves of the tested specimens was depending according to the type of E-glass fibers, laminates number, and addition nano clays small granular volume which prepared in laboratory to a polymer. The fatigue tests showed high resistance to all samples after being immersed in water. Adding the nano clay reduced the brittle nature of the Epoxy resin as it is improved drastically.
Evaluating the Efficiency of Faculties in University of Malaya Using Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Ahmed S A M , Talib M A , Noor N F M , Jani R
Published: April 2021

Public higher education sector worldwide is under a growing pressure to improve the quality and increase efficiency of its services. Limited financial resources as well as tight regulations and monitoring of the spending are characteristics of this public higher education sector. Another debated issue is the division of public money among the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in a country. University of Malaya is an example of a public higher education and it is considered as number one in Malaysia as HEI. UM in the latest QS Global World University Rankings 2021 has achieved the position 59th and the 9th in the regional Asia rankings. The main objective of this study is to provide the empirical evidence whether the efficiency of UM faculties is consistent with the international QS Global World University Rankings.
Freshening leads to a three-decade trend of declining nutrients in the western Arctic Ocean
Authors: Zhuang Yanpei , Jin Haiyan , Cai Wei-Jun , Li Hongliang , Jin Meibing , Qi Di , Chen Jianfang
Published: April 2021

Rapid warming and sea-ice loss in the Arctic Ocean are among the most profound climatic changes to have occurred in recent decades on Earth. Arctic Ocean biological production appears that it may be increasing as a result, but the consequences for nutrient concentrations are unknown. We have assembled a collection of historical field data showing that average concentrations of the macronutrients nitrate and phosphate have decreased by 79% and 29%, respectively, in surface waters of the western Arctic Ocean basin over the past three decades. The field observations and results from numerical ocean simulations suggest that this long-term trend toward more oligotrophic (nutrient-poor) conditions is driven primarily by the compound effects of sea-ice loss: a reduced resupply of nutrients from subsurface waters (due to fresh water addition and stronger upper-ocean stratification) coincident with increased biological consumption of nutrients (due to the greater availability of light needed for photosynthesis).
Geometric lifting of the integrable cellular automata with periodic boundary conditions
Authors: Takagi Taichiro , Yoshikawa Takuma
Published: April 2021

Inspired by G Frieden’s recent work on the geometric R-matrix for affine type A crystal associated with rectangular shaped Young tableaux, we propose a method to construct a novel family of discrete integrable systems which can be regarded as a geometric lifting of the generalized periodic box–ball systems. By converting the conventional usage of the matrices for defining the Lax representation of the discrete periodic Toda chain, together with a clever use of the Perron–Frobenious theorem, we give a definition of our systems. It is carried out on the space of real positive dependent variables, without regarding them to be written by subtraction-free rational functions of independent variables but nevertheless with the conserved quantities which can be tropicalized. We prove that, in this setup an equation of an analogue of the ‘carrier’ of the box–ball system for assuring its periodic boundary condition always has a unique solution. As a result, any states in our systems admit a commuting family of time evolutions associated with any rectangular shaped tableaux, in contrast to the case of corresponding generalized periodic box–ball systems where some states did not admit some of such time evolutions.
Determination of Leading Commodities and Food Commodities Structure in Sigi Regency of Central Sulawesi Province
Authors: Iskandar R , Rizal  , Dhandy R
Published: April 2021

Agriculture, forestry, and fishery sectors were the most important sectors that can increase community income in Sigi Regency after the earthquake, liquefaction, and COVID-19 pandemic occured. This fact can be seen from a dominant contribution given by these sectors towards the formation of Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in Sigi Regency on the basis of the current price that is 43,21% in 2018. Those GRDP acquisitions were not yet known from what commodity and which sub-district, therefore more detailed information is needed. This study aimed to analyze various leading food crop commodities and examine the growth structure of food crop commodities in Sigi Regency. The methods used were Location Quotient (LQ) and Klassen Typology (KT) approach with the data collection on food crop commodity production from 2015-2019. LQ method produces commodities that were classified as a relatively leading level, i.e. Sweet Potatoes, Cassava, Peanuts, and Green Beans. Meanwhile, KT analysis divided agricultural commodities into four categories: (i) Sweet Potatoes, Cassava, Peanuts and Green Beans were categorized as the developed commodities; (ii) No crop was categorized as the stagnant commodities; (iii) Corn and Soybeans were categorized as potential or developing commodities; and (iv) Rice was categorized as an underdeveloped commodity.
Study of the business sustainability of sheep as leading export commodity in Jember regency
Authors: Suryadi U , Sumadi  , Sholehulhuda A
Published: April 2021

Research has been carried out to study the business sustainability of sheep as a leading export commodity in Jember Regency. The study was conducted to reveal the readiness of sheep breeders to avoid resource depletion and extinction of germplasm and to avoid the large number of quality breeds sold, which could weaken the sustainability of the source of sheep breeds in Jember. The data obtained were analyzed using Multi Dimensional Scaling (MDS) on 50 attributes from 5 dimensions (ecological dimensions, economic dimensions, social dimensions, technological dimensions, and institutional dimensions). The MDS method used to calculate the sheep business sustainability index is a development of the Rap-fish (Rapid Appraisal-Farming) method. The results showed that the export of sheep in a fairly sustainable status with the key factors that must be considered in sustainability are the factors of seeds and availability of technology packages, the role of government and the existence of farmer groups.
Sensory characteristics of mille crepes cake from seaweed powder
Authors: Ningsih S S , Anggraeni A A
Published: April 2021

Seaweed has been reported to have a high content of fiber. Seaweed can be processed into many types of more durable products, such as seaweed powder. Seaweed powder could be used as a raw material for making cakes. Mille crepes cake is a classic French cake that consists of several thin layers made from wheat flour. This study developed mille crepes cake from Eucheuma cottonii seaweed powder. This study was a research and development model, focused on the 4D model (Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate). Wheat flour was substituted with Eucheuma cottonii seaweed powder as much as 2.5%, 5%, and 7%. Based on the five trained panelists’ sensory evaluation, the 5% substitution of seaweed powder resulted in mille crepes cake products with the most acceptable sensory characteristics. Thirty untrained panelists tested the wheat flour control and the 5% seaweed powder product by the hedonic test. The data obtained were analyzed quantitatively. The differences between both samples were measured using paired t-tests. Control products and 5% seaweed powder products did not display any significant difference (p≤0.05) in color, flavor, taste, texture, and overall.