bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The promise of energy-efficient battery-powered urban aircraft
Authors: Sripad Shashank , Viswanathan Venkatasubramanian
Published: November 2021

Improvements in rechargeable batteries are enabling several electric urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft designs with up to 300 mi of range with payload equivalents of up to seven passengers. Novel UAM aircraft consume between 130 Wh/passenger-mi and ∼ 1,200 Wh/passenger-mi depending on the design and utilization, compared to an expected consumption of over 220 Wh/passenger-mi and 1,000 Wh/passenger-mi for terrestrial electric vehicles and combustion engine vehicles, respectively. We also find that several UAM aircraft designs are approaching technological viability with current Li-ion batteries, based on the specific power and energy, while rechargeability and lifetime performance remain uncertain. These aspects highlight the technological readiness of a new segment of transportation.
Thermal adaptation of mRNA secondary structure: stability versus lability
Authors: Liao Ming-ling , Dong Yun-wei , Somero George N.
Published: November 2021

Significance

We demonstrate that the free energy change that occurs during folding of the secondary structures (ΔG
fold
) of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for cytosolic malate dehydrogenase varies significantly with evolutionary adaption temperature in marine mollusks. These adaptive changes in ΔG
fold
confer a physiologically important balance between stability and lability of secondary structure. This balance likely is of key importance in ensuring that the many functions of mRNA that depend on reversible changes in secondary structure can be conducted effectively at different species’ normal body temperatures. Synonymous changes in guanine + cytosine (G+C) content are the primary driver of adaptive change in ΔG
fold
; these G+C adaptations can confer appropriate stability on the mRNAs without altering stability or function of the proteins they encode.
Dynamics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers under AM and FM current modulations
Authors: Temgoua Loannis Pavel Gauss , Talla Mbé Jimmi Hervé , Essimbi Zobo Bernard , Woafo Paul
Published: November 2021

We numerically investigate the dynamics of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) described by the current-dependent gain model and subjected to current in the form of amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM). Since VCSELs have two polarization modes (PMs), the competition between them offers more complex dynamical behaviors. It is found that when operating close to the threshold current, the laser converts the AM and FM currents into a series of pulse packages (PPs) that are globally irregular and modulated either in amplitude or frequency. In the particular case of FM current, both modulations occur in a unique signal. Besides, chaotic light is recovered even at low frequencies (few MHz) where it is not usually expected when sinusoidal current modulation is used. But, if the AM and the FM currents evolve over the threshold value, the laser does not alter the form of the current. Therefore, those currents are linearly converted into light signals.
Theoretical description of pygmy and giant dipole resonances in 237Np
Authors: Yakut H , Tabar E , Kemah E , Hoşgör G
Published: November 2021

This study presents the descriptive characteristics of the electric dipole (E1) excitations for the first time in the 237Np nucleus, such as the reduced transition probability, the photo-absorption cross-section, the energy-weighted sum rule, and so on, as calculated by the Translational and Galilean Invariant Quasiparticle Phonon Nuclear Model (TGI-QPNM). To accurately determine the dipole properties of the collective pygmy and giant resonances, it was necessary to eliminate the spurious states mixed into the dipole spectrum because the mean-field Hamiltonian breaks the translational invariance symmetry. We therefore also investigated the effect of spurious states on the PDR and GDR spectra using the TGI-QPNM method. In addition, we consulted the available knowledge for the energy-weighted sum rule to test the TGI-QPNM model, and this resulted in 97% accuracy for E1 dipole excitations. Furthermore, the theoretical results were compared with experimental data for the photo-absorption cross-sections in the 5–20 MeV energy range for the 237Np nucleus, with a satisfactory agreement being found.
Extended Calogero-Bogoyavlenskii-Schiff equation and its dynamical behaviors
Authors: Ali Karmina K , Yilmazer Resat , Osman M S
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we consider an extended Calogero-Bogoyavlenskii-Schiff (eCBS) equation. Based on a logarithmic derivative transform and with the aid of symbolic computation, we construct complex multiple solitons for this nonlinear model. Also, by using a symbolic computational method, one-lump solution, two-soliton solution, localized and breather wave solution, as well as a periodic wave solution and multiple wave solutions are obtained. The constraint conditions which ensure the validity of the wave structures are also reported. Besides, the graphs of the solution attained are recorded in 3D graphs by fixing parameters to discuss their dynamical properties. The achieved outcomes show that the applied computational strategy is direct, efficient, concise and can be implemented in more complex phenomena with the assistant of symbolic computations.
Constraints on bimetric gravity from Big Bang nucleosynthesis
Authors: Högås Marcus , Mörtsell Edvard
Published: November 2021

Bimetric gravity is a ghost-free and observationally viable extension of general relativity, exhibiting both a massless and a massive graviton. The observed abundances of light elements can be used to constrain the expansion history of the Universe at the period of Big Bang nucleosynthesis. Applied to bimetric gravity, we readily obtain constraints on the theory parameters which are complementary to other observational probes. For example, the mixing angle between the two gravitons must satisfy θ≲ 18^∘ in the graviton mass range ≳ 10-16 eV/c2, representing a factor of two improvement compared with other cosmological probes.
New opportunities for axion dark matter searches in nonstandard cosmological models
Authors: Arias Paola , Bernal Nicolás , Karamitros Dimitrios , Maldonado Carlos , Roszkowski Leszek , Venegas Moira
Published: November 2021

We study axion dark matter production from a misalignment
mechanism in scenarios featuring a general nonstandard cosmology.
Before the onset of Big Bang nucleosynthesis, the energy density of
the universe is dominated by a particle field ϕ described by a
general equation of state ω. The ensuing enhancement of the
Hubble expansion rate decreases the temperature at which axions
start to oscillate, opening this way the possibility for axions
heavier than in the standard window. This is the case for kination,
or in general for scenarios with ω > 1/3. However, if
ω < 1/3, as in the case of an early matter domination, the
decay of ϕ injects additional entropy relative to the case of
the standard model, diluting this way the preexisting axion
abundance, and rendering lighter axions viable. For a misalignment
angle 0.5 < θ_i < π/√(3), the usual axion window
becomes expanded to 4 × 10-9 eV ≲ ma ≲ 2
× 10-5 eV for the case of an early matter domination, or to
2 × 10-6 eV ≲ ma ≲ 10-2 eV for the
case of kination. Interestingly, the coupling axion-photon in such
a wider range can be probed with next generation experiments such as
ABRACADABRA, KLASH, ADMX, MADMAX, and ORGAN. Axion dark matter
searches may therefore provide a unique tool to probe the history of
the universe before Big Bang nucleosynthesis.
Reply to Comment on ‘Carbon intensity of corn ethanol in the United States: state of the science’
Authors: Scully Melissa J , Norris Gregory A , Alarcon Falconi Tania M , MacIntosh David L
Published: November 2021

Spawn-Leeet alpublished a comment on our recent paper, ‘Carbon intensity of corn ethanol in the United States: state of the science.’ Their commentary is critical of our methodology and conclusions regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) life cycle analyses (LCAs) for corn starch ethanol and gives particular attention to the estimation of emissions from land use change (LUC). Several of the concerns stated by Spawn-Leeet alwere raised in prior publications and are addressed in the recently published literature, thus, we respond to those points in brief and refer readers to those papers for more information. In response to their remaining concerns, we present detailed information in support of our approach for assessing LCAs of corn starch ethanol and our findings. Our original paper and the corroborating information provided here demonstrate that our methods are robust and our results are credible. Further, we hope this response contributes to constructive discussion and research on estimation of GHG emissions and LUC linked to corn starch ethanol.
Trading deforestation—why the legality of forest-risk commodities is insufficient
Authors: Reis Tiago N P dos , de Faria Vinicius Guidotti , Russo Lopes Gabriela , Sparovek Gerd , West Chris , Rajão Raoni , Napolitano Ferreira Mariana , Elvira Marcelo M S , do Valle Raul S T
Published: November 2021

Consumer countries and blocs, including the UK and the EU, are defining legal measures to tackle deforestation linked to commodity imports, potentially requiring imported goods to comply with the relevant producer countries’ land-use laws. Nonetheless, this measure is insufficient to address global deforestation. Using Brazil’s example of a key exporter of forest-risk commodities, here we show that it has ∼3.25 Mha of natural habitat (storing ∼152.8 million tons of potential CO2 emissions) at a high risk of legal deforestation until 2025. Additionally, the country’s legal framework is going through modifications to legalize agricultural production in illegally deforested areas. What was illegal may become legal shortly. Hence, a legality criterion adopted by consumer countries is insufficient to protect forests and other ecosystems and may worsen deforestation and conversion risks by incentivizing the weakening of social-environmental protection by producer countries.
Transformation of the vegetation of the Tsasuchey steppe pine forest
Authors: Vakhnina I L , Noskova E V , Rakhmanova N V
Published: November 2021

The Tsasuchey pine forest is located at the South-Eastern Trans-Baikal near the Mongolian border. This territory is included in the State Nature Reserve of Federal Importance “Tsasuchey pine forest”. An increase in air temperatures and a low atmospheric precipitation in recent decades resulted in an increase in fire hazard and catastrophic fires, which nearly destroyed the pine forest. With the help of satellite images of the Terra/Modis spectroradiometer, we determined the burnt areas and vegetation indices NDVI and EVI for the territory of Tsasuchey pine forest. The research results showed that the fires are the key factor of vegetation transformation at the forest territory, and its recovering is closely connected with humidifying. During the last drought period the pine forest area was reduced from 43.5 to 2.5 thousand ha as the result of the catastrophic fires in 2000, 2003, and 2012. Correlation coefficients between investigated vegetation indexes on the territory of Tsasuchey pine forest and meteorological factors show the proved connection between precipitation and hydrothermal index (humidity factor), herewith, the EVI shows higher correlation coefficients with meteorological parameters than NDVI, which indicates its high informative value. The most direct relationship was revealed between the average and maximum monthly values of the EVI index and the total precipitation. In the dynamics of the average annual minimum values of EVI, there is, on average, a positive trend, which indicates an increase in the amount of vegetation on the territory of Tsasuchey pine forest during the warm period.
Analysis of Urban Heat Island Phenomenon as A Global Warming Control Based on Remote Sensing in Jember Urban, Indonesia
Authors: Listyawati R. N. , Prasetiyo P.
Published: November 2021

Global warming is a world problem because it has a significant impact on the survival of the earth, which is the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon. Jember Regency is a district with a relatively high population growth rate. Total population growth per year is 0.55% in 2020. In general, increasing the urban population increases the need for built-up land to support human activities and can affect surface temperatures, producing the urban heat island phenomenon. This study analyses the UHI phenomenon in 3 sub-districts in urban Jember using the Landsat 8 OLI remote sensing image processing method and TIRS Multispectral Imagery to obtain surface temperature values and high-resolution aerial photos from 2013 to 2021, which will be used to identify surface temperatures through several methods. Extraction is the use of supervised classification (supervised), NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), and LST (Land Surface Temperature). The study results illustrate that the UHI value in 2013-2021 tends to fluctuate with decreasing temperatures. The Non-UHI classification dominates the urban area of Jember, where the majority are in the suburbs. Meanwhile, the highest UHI class value spreads in the downtown area.
ConTraEmSis: The Congested Traffic and Emission Index Impact Analysis Amid the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (LSSR) of COVID-19 in Several Cities of West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Risnandar R. , Gartika D.
Published: November 2021

In some metropolitan cities of West Java Province, the urban movability affects to the congested traffic. This study analyzes the congested traffic during the large-scale social re-strictions (LSSR) of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) around some metropolitan cities of West Java Province in May-June 2020. The national government of the Republic of Indonesia declared a national’s LSSR just for some the essential and critical activities are being acquiesced still enforce. Our proposed method, namely, ConTraEmSis is contributed to analyze the congested traffic two months from May-June 2020. We exploit the geomatic of the congested traffic in the COVID-19 information & coordination center West Java province (PIKOBAR) dataset for Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi (Bodebek areas), Bandung areas, and whole West Java province areas. We exploit the road transport and traffic management center (RTTM) and area traffic control system (ATCS) and index their data for the Bodebek and Bandung areas. The ConTraEmSis demonstrates that the congested traffic the LSSR of COVID-19 reduces around 18%-49% every month. Instead, the Java government always launch the many good governance policies to support the LSSR of the COVID-19 system. proposed model shows that after the LSSR in 2019 and 2020, is reduced between 3.27% and 5.27%. On the week-day afternoon, we scale down between 4.52% and 4.74%. On the weekend morning, we cut down between 1.3% to 1.5% before and after LSSR of 2019 and 2020, respectively. The congested traffic trends get 24% and 41% in the weekdays and weekends, respectively, since the LSSRs. Onto the weekend afternoon, we perform 13.4% and 14.8% for reducing the CO2 emission index during the LSSR’s 2020. We achieve the important congestion get an emission index lower than 0.3.
Three-dimensional Line Mapping from Airborne Digital Photogrammetry for Detail Spatial Planning
Authors: Soeksmantono A. , Hakim D. M.
Published: November 2021

Government regulation mentioned that detail spatial planning has to use detailed map data, which mean detail thematic information with high accuracy in term of geometric aspect. Three-dimensional (3D) representation of city infrastructures needs to fulfil due to the spatial planning office application to organize their city, for example building permit purpose. This kind of data is very useful for another spatial analysis and application as well, such as smart city and digital twin. The utilization of digital technology to streamline a long-standing business workflow is an issue in various fields in recent years, including geospatial technology for city planning. Currently, the development of large format digital camera and photogrammetric workflow has experienced rapid progress. City infrastructures such as building, sewerages, roads, electricity poles, etc. is possible to be extracted accurately including their position, shape and dimension with this mapping technique. This paper presents the creation of high accuracy three-dimensional line map derived from digital photogrammetric workflow for Bandung City as a study area. This area has ramps characterized in the southern part and hilly terrain in the northern part where height discrepancies between those two areas is more than five hundred meters. It is a challenge to meet high accuracy spatial data for the whole areas with this condition. Validation of positional accuracy was carried out using hundreds pre-marking independent check points (ICP) including well identified geographic features as an addition. The result show that almost all city infrastructures on the terrain can be identified and positional accuracy in centimeter level can be obtained by this technique.
Modelling Industrial Growth in The Coastal Area of Semarang Metropolitan Region Using GeOBIA
Authors: Fariha T. I. , Buchori I. , Sejati A. W.
Published: November 2021

Central Java Province has the manufacturing industry sector as the largest economic contributor. This manufacturing industry sector growth is mainly supported by the strategic location and infrastructures on the northern coast of Central Java Province (Kendal-Semarang-Demak). However, the high increase of industrial built-up area in the coastal area of Semarang Metropolitan Region has an impact on the conversion of coastal land if the growth cannot be controlled through the spatial plan implementation. This study identified the direction and trends of industrial growth in the coastal area of Semarang Metropolitan Region in 2015-2020 and the industrial growth prediction in 2030 for assessing the industrial zones in spatial plan 2011-2031. This research consists the estimation of industrial built-up area growth using the combination of GeOBIA method and manual interpretation of high-resolution satellite imagery (Sentinel-2A) from 2015 to 2020 and assessment of industrial zones in spatial plan based on the industrial growth prediction model in 2030 using the Cellular Automata Markov (CA-Markov). Industrial built-up area tends to grow towards the western and eastern part of the coastal area of Semarang Metropolitan Region based on map distribution and area growth. The results showed more than 20 % of industrial land is not suitable with the spatial plan in 2020 and it predicted will be increased in 2030, it is necessary to increase the efforts to control the spatial use.
Urban Heat Island: Identification of Spatial Patterns of Green Open Space for Mitigation in Kendal Industrial Park, Indonesia
Authors: Wijaya M. I. H. , Ariyani N.M. , Priambudi B. N. , Gumelar A. , Ichsanudin H.
Published: November 2021

The development of industrial estates is a strategy in encouraging the growth of national industries in Indonesia. The development of industrial estates, especially in the regions, is an implementation of the 2015-2035 master Plan of National Industry Development. Kendal Industrial Park (KIP) is one of the industrial estates in Central Java which is experiencing growth and is expected to be one of the choices for investors. The development of industrial estates in the regions has an impact on changes and increases in space requirements. This condition makes land-use change green land into industrial land which is the cause of the effect of rising air temperatures in cities. This study intends to identify the need for green open spaces spatially based on the phenomenon of increasing temperature in the Kendal industrial area using the Urban Heat Island (UHI) approach. Remote Sensing via satellite imagery is used to detect UHI spatially. The location of this UHI will later be used as spatial modelling data to assess how big and where green open space is needed. The results of this study are in the form of a spatial identification of the adequacy of green open space which will mitigate the UHI phenomenon in the Kendal industrial area which is presented spatially in the form of a thematic map.
Mapping of Local Government Policy in Sharing Operational Costs for Basic Education in the Pandemic Era
Authors: Suroso S. , Aeni N.
Published: November 2021

Adequacy of operational cost for basic education becomes the responsibility of the central and local government. Adequate funding is necessary for the success of compulsory basic education. The research aims to analyze and develop a framework for the local government policy in sharing operational cost adequacy for basic education in the study area. This research used a descriptive-quantitative approach. Data collecting was conducted by observation and interviews. The analysis used a descriptive one. There are findings in the research. Firstly, at the beginning of the year 2021, adequate funding for the elementary school in Pati regency is IDR 869,017 per student and it has been fulfilled with School Operational Assistance (BOS) IDR 900,000 provided by the central government but to cope with inflation during 2021, the local government should provide sharing operating cost IDR 38,538 per student yearly. Secondly, adequate funding for junior high school in Pati regency is IDR 1,063,797 per student at the beginning of the year 2021 and available funding from School Operational Assistance (BOS) is less than the needed funding. To satisfy adequate funding, the local government should provide sharing operating cost IDR 148,901 per student in 2021. To alleviate worsening problems in the pandemic era (Covid-19), local governments must take higher responsibility for boosting basic education by allocating more funds. It is useful to alleviate worsening problems such as dropping out of students in basic education.
Urban Dynamics and Carbon Stock Estimation in Salatiga City, Indonesia
Authors: Lakshita N. M. , Rahayu S.
Published: November 2021

Previous research has not discussed about the prediction method of carbon stock changes using open-source software. This research aims to fill the gap by using QGIS as open-source software in. The method used is Support Vector Machine and Cellular Automata, which is only found in QGIS software, including QGIS 3.8.0 and QGIS 2.18.24 with Pip-Python 3. The results show that SVM and Cellular Automata algorithms in QGIS software successfully predicted land cover in the context of carbon stock change. This study shows the prediction of carbon stock changes due to land cover conversion in Salatiga City for the period 2019-2029 decreased by 9,202.77 tons C, where carbon emission was 10,313.47 tons C and carbon sequestration was 1,110.70 tons C. The prediction of carbon stock changes in Salatiga City is needed to reference local governments to formulate mitigation and adaptation efforts to global climate change.
Mapping of Occupation on Communal Spaces in a Flat Building: A Case Study in Indonesia
Authors: Puspitasari A. Y. , Azwir A. , Ridlo M. A. , Ramli W. O. S. K.
Published: November 2021

The increase in the number of slum and uninhabitable settlements in urban areas will gradually cause prolonged social problems, thus, their existence needs to be addressed wisely through proper handling that the growth rate can be suppressed. Procurement of rental flat buildings is one of the efforts which has been taken by the Indonesian government to overcome these problems. Although it is proven to bring benefits, its existence needs to be reviewed to provide comfort for its residents. This study aimsed to study the phenomena in the flats for low-income people. This was a phenomenological deductive qualitative study involving 32 informants from different levels of the storeys as samples. Data were collected through interviews, observation and documentation and qualitatively analyzed through mapping the communal space, and an analysis matrix of daily activities of the residents. Result of the study indicated there were three different forms of occupation to communal space; 1) occupation in the corridor in the front of living place, 2) occupation in the hallway near the stairs and 3) occupation in the ground floor.
Mapping of Livability Assessment in Recreational Public Space: A Case Study of Titiwangsa Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur
Authors: Iman T. I. F.
Published: November 2021

Livability and recreational spaces are considered important aspects of urban life. However, there appears to be a knowledge gap in the current field of study of livability, which is the absence of an assessment criteria that can be used to assess/evaluate livability specifically for recreational public spaces. This research aims to address this knowledge gap by devising a custom assessment criteria that can be used to assess livability for a recreational public space and applying it to the selected case study of Titiwangsa Lake Gardens, a popular recreational park in Kuala Lumpur. The custom livability assessment criteria is used through an online questionnaire that serves to gauge the park users’ satisfaction towards livability qualities and was able determine that Titiwangsa Lake Gardens can in fact be considered as a livable recreational public space because the assessment revealed that the majority of qualities exhibited by the park is contributing positively to its livability. This research has also identified ‘comfort’ and ‘visual aesthetics’ as two of the most important aspects of recreational space design for livability suggests reasons for this. The custom livability assessment criteria for recreational public space devised through this research serves to contribute to the field of livability studies and can be used as a guide or reference for better planning, management, and design of recreational public spaces in the future.
Analysis of Potential Mass Public Transport Choice Using Geographic Information System (Case Study: Commuter Line Jakarta – Bogor)
Authors: Basuki K. H. , Haryadi B. , Riyanto B.
Published: November 2021

Mode choice by travellers is carried out with several considerations. The interesting point is, some public transport users have their private vehicles. No research has described how many travellers can choose the mode and how significant their shift is to mass public transportation. The aim of research was carried out by analysing the potential for selecting mass public transportation by considering the socio-demographic, economic and vehicle ownership characteristics with the variable distance, time and travel costs based on user preferences. According to the special condition, mode choice by rail-based transit mode is called KRL commuter line, bus and private vehicle at Jakarta – Bogor Corridor become research location. Research method of mode choice probability has been developed using Multinomial Logit Model (MLM) by transport cost, time travel and distance variable. A graphical descriptive approach method based on an equation model will then overlay the site to get the results of mode selection pattern using Geographical Information System (GIS). The application of the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) concept will be more effective if there is a transit-based mass transportation mode such as Rail-based Commuter Line (KRL) as an option, besides travellers also having private vehicles. The Result of this research is described by transport cost, travel distance, and time travel based on the revealed preference survey by 324 respondents. 50% of private car travellers are influenced by trip distance, but probability decreases if time travel increases and they switch to public transport. Users consider choosing a commuter line if the walk distance to the station is about 200 meters. On the other side, increase transport costs makes some travellers choose bus mode.
Mapping of Community Empowerment in Prevention Stunting in Kabupaten Wonogiri Through “Sego Sak Ceting”
Authors: Suranny Lilyk Eka , Maharani Fitriana Christi
Published: November 2021

The prevalence of stunting in Kabupaten Wonogiri is still quite high. The factors that cause stunting include the lack of food availability in the household and the mother’s knowledge of good nutrition during pregnancy and child birth. One of the stunting prevention programs in Kabupaten Wonogiri is through community empowerment known as “Sego Sak Ceting”(Sesarengan Wargo Beraksi Cegah Stunting). This activity was initiated by Puskesmas Giriwoyo I, Kabupaten Wonogiri. Sego Sak Ceting program is focused on improving household food availability as well as increasing maternal knowledge about good nutrition during pregnancy and childbirth. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the stages of community empowerment activities through Sego Sak Ceting and (2) to analyze the effectiveness of the program in the context of reducing stunting in KabupatenWonogiri. The data collection was conducted by doing observation, interviews, and literature study, and the data analysis was the qualitative descriptive analysis. The results showed that the stages of community empowerment activities through Sego Sak Ceting, namely socialization of the program to the target community; implementation of activities as well as monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of activities. Community empowerment throughSego Sak Cetinghas succeeded in: (1) reducing the percentage of pregnant women with Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) from 9.5% to 5.42%; (2) reducing the percentage of Low Birth Weight (LBW) from 5.2% to 3%; (3) increasing the percentage of participation of pregnant women in the class of pregnant women from 82.48% to 85.10%; (4) increasing the percentage of attendance of mothers with toddlersto Posyandu/Integrated Healtcare Center from 82.48% to 85.10%. Sego Sak Ceting can improve the awareness and knowledge of society that handling and preventing the stunting is responsible of local government, corporation, and society.
UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) for Landslide Analysis Case Study in Grenggeng Village, Kebumen District, Central Java
Authors: Afif M. A. , Wibowo D. A. , Raharjo P. D. , Winduhutomo S. , Puswanto E.
Published: November 2021

Remote sensing technology has developed rapidly; one of them is data acquisition techniques using UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). With high-resolution aerial photographs, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can be a flexible, cost-effective, and accurate monitoring of landslide technique. This research aimed to determine and test the utilization of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in congested areas. Data was collected at Grenggeng Village, Kebumen Regency, using unmanned aerial vehicles cruising altitude of 90 – 110 meters above ground level and a spatial resolution of 5 – 10 cm over a 0.200 km2 area. In November 2020, the research site will be a landslide area with similar rock lithology to the Halang Formation’s sandstone and claystone layers. Direct field observations revealed the geological structures involved and the rock lithology that produced the slip field, seepage, and the sorts of vegetation that the community had planted. According to aerial photography data, the relief appears to be a straight-line pattern in the direction of the geological structure, the slope of the layers, and different vegetation. Aerial photography using UAV can also be used to carry out rehabilitation and reconstruction techniques.
Metabolomic signature of spermatozoa established during holding time is responsible for differences in boar sperm freezability
Authors: Torres Mariana A , Pedrosa Ana Carolina , Novais Francisco José , Alkmin Diego V , Cooper Bruce R , Yasui George S , Fukumasu Heidge , Machaty Zoltan , de Andrade André F C
Published: November 2021

Holding at room temperature is the first step in most boar semen cryopreservation protocols. It is well accepted that a holding time (HT) of 24 h increases sperm cryotolerance. However, the effect of HT on ejaculates with different freezability is not entirely clear. The aim of this study was to understand how HT influences spermatic and seminal plasma metabolite profiles of boar ejaculates and how these possible changes affect freezability. A total of 27 ejaculates were collected and extended to 1:1 (v: v) with BTS and split into two aliquots. The first aliquot was cryopreserved without HT (0 h), and the second was held at 17°C for 24 h before cryopreservation. Spermatozoa and seminal plasma were collected by centrifugation at two times, before HT (0 h) and after HT (24 h), and subsequently frozen until metabolite extraction and UPLC–MS analysis. After thawing, the semen samples were evaluated for kinetics, membrane integrity, mitochondrial potential, membrane lipid peroxidation, and fluidity. The ejaculates were then allocated into two phenotypes (good ejaculate freezers [GEF] and poor ejaculate freezers [PEF]) based on the percent reduction in sperm quality (%RSQ) as determined by the difference in total motility and membrane integrity between raw and post-thaw samples cryopreserved after 24 h of HT. The metabolic profile of the seminal plasma did not seem to influence ejaculate freezability, but that of the spermatozoa were markedly different between GEF and PEF. We identified a number of metabolic markers in the sperm cells (including inosine, hypoxanthine, creatine, ADP, niacinamide, spermine, and 2-methylbutyrylcarnitine) that were directly related to the improvement of ejaculate freezability during HT; these were components of metabolic pathways associated with energy production. Furthermore, PEF showed an upregulation in the arginine and proline as well as the glutathione metabolism pathways. These findings help to better understand the effect of HT on boar sperm freezability and propose prospective metabolic markers that may predict freezability; this has implications in both basic and applied sciences.
VEGFA165 can rescue excess steroid secretion, inflammatory markers, and follicle arrest in the ovarian cortex of High A4 cows
Authors: Abedal-Majed Mohamed A , Springman Shelby A , Sutton Courtney M , Snider Alexandria P , Bell Brooke E , Hart Mariah , Kurz Scott G , Bergman Jeff , Summers Adam F , McFee Renee M , Davis John S , Wood Jennifer R , Cupp Andrea S
Published: November 2021

A population of cows with excess androstenedione (A4; High A4) in follicular fluid, with follicular arrest, granulosa cell dysfunction, and a 17% reduction in calving rate was previously identified. We hypothesized that excess A4 in the ovarian microenvironment caused the follicular arrest in High A4 cows and that vascular endothelial growth factor A would rescue the High A4 phenotype. In trial 1, prior to culture, High A4 ovarian cortex (n = 9) had greater numbers of early stage follicles (primordial) and fewer later-stage follicles compared to controls (n = 11). Culture for 7 days did not relieve this follicular arrest; instead, High A4 ovarian cortex had increased indicators of inflammation, anti-Mullerian hormone, and A4 secretion compared to controls. In trial 2, we tested if vascular endothelial growth factor A isoforms could rescue the High A4 phenotype. High A4 (n = 5) and control (n = 5) ovarian cortex was cultured with (1) PBS, (2) VEGFA165 (50 ng/mL), (3) VEGFA165B (50 ng/mL), or (4) VEGFA165 + VEGFA165B (50 ng/mL each) for 7 days. Follicular progression increased with VEGFA165 in High A4 cows with greater early primary, primary, and secondary follicles than controls. Similar to trial 1, High A4 ovarian cortex secreted greater concentrations of A4 and other steroids and had greater indicators of inflammation compared to controls. However, VEGFA165 rescued steroidogenesis, oxidative stress, and fibrosis. The VEGFA165 and VEGFA165b both reduced IL-13, INFα, and INFβ secretion in High A4 cows to control levels. Thus, VEGFA165 may be a potential therapeutic to restore the ovarian steroidogenic microenvironment and may promote folliculogenesis.
High altitude exposure affects male reproductive parameters: could it also affect the prostate?
Authors: Alcantara-Zapata Diana Elizabeth , Llanos Aníbal J , Nazzal Carolina
Published: November 2021

Living at high altitudes and living with prostatic illness are two different conditions closely related to a hypoxic environment. People at high altitudes exposed to acute, chronic or intermittent hypobaric hypoxia turn on several mechanisms at the system, cellular, and molecular level to cope with oxygen atmosphere scarcity maintaining the oxygen homeostasis. This exposure affects the whole organism and function of many systems, such as cardiovascular, respiratory, and reproductive. On the other hand, malignant prostate is related to the scarcity of oxygen in the tissue microenvironment due to its low availability and high consumption due to the swift cell proliferation rates. Based on the literature, this similarity in the oxygen scarcity suggests that hypobaric hypoxia, and other common factors between these two conditions, could be involved in the aggravation of the pathological prostatic status. However, there is still a lack of evidence in the association of this disease in males at high altitudes. This review aims to examine the possible mechanisms that hypobaric hypoxia might negatively add to the pathological prostate function in males who live and work at high altitudes. More profound investigations of hypobaric hypoxia’s direct action on the prostate could help understand this exposure’s effect and prevent worse prostate illness impact in males at high altitudes.
Trends in hospitalization of patients with diabetes mellitus in Ghana from 2012 to 2017 with predictions to 2032
Authors: Narh Clement T , Der Joyce B , Ofosu Anthony , Blettner Maria , Wollschlaeger Daniel
Published: November 2021

Background

This study explores sociodemographic and health factors associated with hospitalizing diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and estimates the number of future hospitalizations for DM in Ghana.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis using nationally representative patient hospitalization data provided by the Ghana Health Service and projected population counts from the Ghana Statistical Service. Data were stratified by year, age, sex and region. We employed Poisson regression to determine associations between sociodemographic and health factors and hospitalization rates of DM patients. Using projected population counts, the number of DM-related hospitalizations for 2018 through 2032 were predicted. We analysed 39 846 DM records from nearly three million hospitalizations over a 6-y period (2012–2017).

Results

Most hospitalized DM patients were elderly, female and from the Eastern Region. The hospitalization rate for DM was higher among patients ages 75–79 y (rate ratio [RR] 23.7 [95% confidence interval {CI} 18.6 to 30.3]) compared with those ages 25–29 y, females compared with males (RR 1.9 [95% CI 1.4 to 2.5]) and the Eastern Region compared with the Greater Accra Region (RR 1.9 [95% CI 1.7 to 2.2]). The predicted number of DM hospitalizations in 2022 was 11 202, in 2027 it was 12 414 and in 2032 it was 13 651.

Conclusions

Females and older patients are more at risk to be hospitalized, therefore these groups need special surveillance with targeted public health education aimed at behavioural changes.
An optimised one-way wave migration method for complex media with arbitrarily varying velocity based on eigen-decomposition
Authors: Li Anyu , Liu Xuewei
Published: November 2021

The classical one-way generalised screen propagator (GSP) and Fourier finite-difference (FFD) schemes have limitations in imaging large angles in complex media with substantial lateral variations in wave velocity. Some improvements to the classical one-way wave scheme have been proposed with optimised methods. However, the performance of these methods in imaging complex media remains unsatisfying. To overcome this issue, a new strategy for wavefield extrapolation based on the eigenvalue and eigenvector decomposition of the Helmholtz operator is presented herein. In this method, the square root operator is calculated after the decomposition of the Helmholtz operator at the product of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Then, Euler transformation is applied using the best polynomial approximation of the trigonometric function based on the infinite norm, and the propagator for one-way wave migration is calculated. According to this scheme, a one-way operator can be computed more accurately with a lower-order expansion. The imaging performance of this scheme was compared with that of the classical GSP, FFD and the recently developed full-wave-equation depth migration (FWDM) schemes. The impulse responses in media with arbitrary velocity inhomogeneity demonstrate that the proposed migration scheme performs better at large angles than the classical GSP scheme. The wavefronts calculated in the dipping and salt dome models illustrate that this scheme can provide a precise wavefield calculation. The applications of the Marmousi model further demonstrate that the proposed approach can achieve better-migrated results in imaging small-scale and complex structures, especially in media with steep-dipping faults.
The Right to Say No to Imposed Development: Human Rights Vernacularization in Reverse in South Africa
Authors: Huizenga Daniel
Published: November 2021

In this paper I contribute to critical literature on human rights practice by emphasizing how communities in South Africa leverage emerging transnational human rights norms to make progressive claims to property based on a revitalized customary law. I show the extent to which international Indigenous and peasant peoples’ rights are an important interpretive resource in contemporary struggles against the powers of autocratic traditional leaders and extractive industry. In an effort to emphasize the agency of rural communities, I develop a conceptual framework examining ‘law from below’ and the importance of studying ‘property in the margins’. I demonstrate that the use of Indigenous rights norms in South African litigation and social struggle is a process of human rights vernacularization in reverse whereby norms are developed locally through struggle and deliberation and translated into legal venues, effecting shifts in human rights norms and practice.
Morphometric parameters predict body fat proportions in common hamsters
Authors: Siutz Carina , Ruf Thomas , Monecke Stefanie , Millesi Eva
Published: November 2021

Common hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) are hibernators that rely both on body fat reserves and food stores for the winter period. They face an ongoing population decline in most parts of their distribution and recently were classified as critically endangered. Knowledge on individual body fat proportions in this species is of particular interest for conservation, because it could contribute to better understand the high plasticity in overwintering strategies, overwinter mortality rates, individual variations in reproductive output, and give information on the animals’ health state. To calculate body fat proportions, we validated a method that can be applied in the field without the use of anesthesia. To develop this method, we first analyzed the body fat in carcasses of common hamsters using Soxhlet extractions and measured four morphometric parameters (body mass, head length, tibia length, foot length). The morphometric measurements were then integrated in a linear regression model to predict body fat proportions based on the measured values. The morphometric variables yielded an explained variance (adjusted R2) of 96.42% and body fat proportions were predicted with a mean absolute error of 1.27 ± 0.11% from measured values. We applied the model to predict body fat for available field data, which consistently produced reliable values. By measuring the four morphometric parameters and following the provided instructions, body fat proportions can be reliably and noninvasively estimated in captive or free-ranging common hamsters. Furthermore, the method could be applicable to other rodents after species-specific validation.
Skeletal radiographic anatomy of echidnas: insights into unusual mammals
Authors: Wheelhouse Jaimee , Vogelnest Larry , Nicoll Robert G
Published: November 2021

Long-beaked echidnas (Zaglossus spp.) have received less attention in the literature than Short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus). Their natural history, anatomy, and physiology are poorly known. To improve our understanding of this unique group, we undertook a radiographic study of the Eastern long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bartoni), and provide a comparative analysis of its radiographic skeletal anatomy with that of T. aculeatus. We examine conventional radiography and computed tomographic images of Zaglossus and Tachyglossus, describe the anatomical features of Zaglossus, and compare those with Tachyglossus. We provide evidence of epicoracoid overlap in echidnas, a feature not well documented in monotremes. The significance of epicoracoid overlap requires further investigation. Our study is intended as a reference for the radiographic anatomy of Z. bartoni.
Variation in the Myotis keaysi complex (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), with description of a new species from Ecuador
Authors: Novaes Roberto Leonan M , Cláudio Vinícius C , Carrión-Bonilla Carlos , Abreu Edson F , Wilson Don E , Maldonado Jesús E , Weksler Marcelo
Published: November 2021

The genus Myotis comprises a diverse group of vespertilionid bats with worldwide distribution. Twenty-eight Neotropical species are currently recognized. In this study, we evaluate molecular and morphological variation in the M. keaysi complex, a high elevation clade of Neotropical myotine bats characterized by complex taxonomy and high morphological variation. A phylogeny inferred with cytochrome-b sequences recovered two clades composed of samples traditionally assigned to M. keaysi, with 9% of genetic divergence between them. These clades were also suggested as putative distinct species by molecular species delimitation methods. Qualitative and quantitative morphological analyses indicated a phenotypic discontinuity between specimens from central Andes (including the holotype of M. keaysi) and western lowlands of Ecuador, showing strong congruence between molecular and morphological approaches. We therefore describe a new species for the Tumbes-Choco-Magdalena region, documenting their external and cranial diagnostic characters by comparing them with other Neotropical species. In addition, we provide an emended diagnosis for our new concept of M. keaysi.