bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacts of land conversion and management measures on net primary productivity in semi-arid grassland
Authors: Cao Feifei , Li Jiaxun , Fu Xiao , Wu Gang
Published: April 2020

Ecological restoration measures implemented in China have profoundly impacted vegetation NPP. This study aimed to estimate the effects of the land conversion and management measures on the grassland ecosystem in semi-arid regions. Land use data were employed from 2000 to 2015 to compare land conversion and coverage changes in Xilingol grassland. Then, the contributions of land conversion and management policies were quantified by assessing the difference between actual NPP and climate-induced NPP changes. The results indicated that the grassland area had a net loss of 534.42 km
2
, and the net area of increased vegetation coverage was 74,683.05 km
2
. Furthermore, the total NPP increased by 8,010.73 Gg C·yr
−1
(1 Gg = 10
9
 g), of which the human activities, including grazing management measures (+6,809.40 Gg C·yr
−1
) and land conversion (45.72 Gg C·yr
−1
) contributed to 85.58% of the increase in NPP. Transformation from desert and farmland dominated grassland expansion and NPP increase, while urbanization and desertification caused large grassland reduction and NPP loss. The grazing management increased vegetation NPP in most regions except for some regions in the desert steppe and the farming-pastoral zone. Related policies should be further adjusted to strengthen the management of the desert steppe and farming-pastoral regions.
Interactive Multi Resolution 2D Cellular Automata Model for Tsunami Wave Propagation
Authors: Mohamed E Syed
Published: April 2020

Cellular automata models are powerful tools that offer outstanding amenability, flexibility and deliver accurate qualitative and quantitative behaviour of the complex phenomena. In this paper, we develop a multi-resolution discrete event of cellular space propagation model with multiple spatial resolution cells for predicting the rate of tsunami wave spread. Specifically, as the tsunami wave spreads along with the cellular space, cells close to the wave front becomes high resolution (smaller size) and cells far from the wave front change to lower resolution (large size). The spatial resolution of the cells dynamically and adaptively develops as the wave proceeds. The conceptual framework for the investigation of the simulation and early results are presented. A methodology that is both appropriate and able to throw light on such natural clarity is the challenge for investigation and decision making in unknown or dynamical environments.
Dynamical Analysis of Chemostat Model Incorporated with Substrate Inhibition and Variable Yield Coefficient
Authors: Sadiq U A F M , Jamaian S S , Safuan H M
Published: April 2020

This paper analyses a chemostat model for microbial production by considering substrate inhibition and variable yield coefficient. The Andrews growth model is considered to describe the inhibitory effect of high substrate concentration towards the microbial growth. The dependency of product yield towards the substrate concentration also incorporated in the chemostat model. The stability and bifurcation analyses of the chemostat model are presented to investigate the dynamical behaviour of microbial in the chemostat and to identify the parameter region that generates oscillations in the chemostat. The steady state solutions and their stability are determined as a function of residence time. When the feed substrate concentration is adjusted to be more than 6.1 g/L, there exist a parameter range of residence time that improves the microbial production in the chemostat.
Generating project risk membership functions based on experts’ estimates and alpha-cut variations
Authors: Amirah A S Fatin , Isa Z
Published: April 2020

This paper presents an approach for generating project risk membership function (MFS) based on experts’ estimates and α-level variations using simulations. The proposed algorithm employs combination of computer and mathematics application in the area of risk assessment. The determination of appropriate MFS plays a substantial role in the performance of a fuzzy system. Most of the discussions in the previous literature on MFS generated, the assumptions that the risks are outlooked from similar perspective of the experts. However, this would be unlikely true in the real life when there is more than one expert from different background and experience. Proposed simulation method focuses on characteristics of MFS as well as the fuzzy numbers generation incorporating uncertainties in the experts’ inputs. Furthermore, results of set of fuzzy numbers of triangular MFS generated is presented in the fuzzy probability distribution and fuzzy cumulative distribution functions.
Rain Fade Analysis on Earth–to-Satellite Microwave Link Operating in Comoros
Authors: Thabiti Andhraou , Malik Noreha Abdul , Rafiqul Islam Md , Daoud Jamal I
Published: April 2020

Microwave link operates at high frequency approximately 10 GHz and above, and it suffers from high attenuation in the tropical region due to high rain intensity. Therefore, a microwave designer should consider this effect in the design so that the link can be operated with good quality of service, high availability and reliability. This study is about analysis of rain fade in a tropical country, Comoros, where the rain intensity was considered from ITU-R Recommendation. This rain intensity was used to determine the rain fade for earth-to-satellite of links operating in this country at L, C, Ka, Ku and V bands in horizontal, vertical and circular for 0.001% to 1% of exceeded per year. From the analysis, it was found that the link has availability to work from 99.999% to 99% with least effects in all frequency bands at vertical polarization, except in V-band. At 99% of availability, it shows that B-PSK is the best technique for modulation to make the proposed link more reliable. To attain 10dB fade margin which allows the antenna to reach certain quality of services, the gain receiver, diameter and figure of merit were increased while the footprint was maximized. The outcome of this study will be useful resources to upgrade the availability and reliability of earth to satellite microwave link in Comoros.
Grünwald Implicit Solution of One-Dimensional Time-Fractional Parabolic Equations Using HSKSOR Iteration
Authors: Muhiddin F A , Sulaiman J , Sunarto A
Published: April 2020

This paper presents the application of a half-sweep iteration concept to the Grünwald implicit difference schemes with the Kaudd Successive Over-Relaxation (KSOR) iterative method in solving one-dimensional linear time-fractional parabolic equations. The formulation and implementation of the proposed methods are discussed. In order to validate the performance of HSKSOR, comparisons are made with another two iterative methods, full-sweep KSOR (FSKSOR) and Gauss-Seidel (FSGS) iterative methods. Based on the numerical results of three tested examples, it shows that the HSKSOR is superior compared to FSKSOR and FSGS iterative methods.
On Some Data Pre-processing Techniques For K-Means Clustering Algorithm
Authors: Usman Dauda , Stores Fatima Sani
Published: April 2020

This paper analyzed the performance of the basic K-Means clustering algorithm with two major data pre-processing techniques and superlative similarity measure with automatic initialization of seed values on the dataset. Further experiment was conducted with simulated data sets to prove the accuracy of the new method. The new method presented in this paper gave a good and promising performance for the different types of data sets. The sum of the squares clustering errors reduced significantly for the new method as compared with basic K-Means method whereas inter-distances between clusters are preserved to be as large as possible for better clusters identification.
Use of Taguchi Robust Design to Optimize Rubber Glove Process
Authors: Wahid Z , Ming T T , Ahmad K
Published: April 2020

In this paper, Taguchi concept of robust process design and the classical statistical experimental design methodology are integrated for improving both the product quality and efficiency. It is a systematic method of optimizing a production process, and is concerned with productivity enhancement and cost effectiveness. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the inputs on the outputs in the presence of a noise factor and also to choose the best level settings of the control factors that will maximize the mean and minimize the variation in the glove's quality characteristics at minimal cost. The quality characteristic of the rubber glove that is considered in this study was the tensile strength. Taguchi L16, the orthogonal array is employed to run the experiments. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio were performed. The BG interaction was identified as the important mean effect. However, factor (B), the latex temperature was not affected by factor (G), oven temperature after coagulation dip when it was at high but enhanced the strength when both were set at low. Factor (A), curing temperature profile affected both the mean and the process variability. The effect of humidity (H) appeared insignificant using ANOVA, but was significant in S/N ratio for the mean tensile strength. The preferred optimal setting were: A
2
B
1
C
1
D
1
F
2
H
1
G
1.
Identification of neuropeptides in gastropod mollusks. - Classical and brand-new approaches –
Authors: Morishita F , Takahashi T , Watanabe T , Uto T , Ukena K , Furumitsu M , Horiguchi T
Published: April 2020

For the understanding of the neural regulation of homeostasis, reproduction and behaviors, elucidation of structure and function of neuropeptides is inevitable. A classical technique for peptide purification is the separation of peptidic extract from nervous tissue by the high-performance liquid chromatography, which was followed by screening of fractions with biological or immunological assays. Although this approach requires relatively large amount of tissues for extraction and the screening is time- consuming, we have identified more than 15 kinds of bioactive neuropeptides in the nervous tissue of a marine snail,Thais clavigera.The purified peptides include TEP (Thaisexcitatory peptide)-1/-2, FRFamide, WWamide and others. The molecular cloning of precursor for each neuropeptide demonstrated that structurally related peptides are aligned in tandem on most of the precursor proteins. To identify the peptides on the precursors, we conducted thede novosequencing of peptides with the nanoLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS analysis. It identified most of the neuropeptides found on the precursor proteins in the extract from 50 ofThais ganglia.Thus, this technique is suitable for the comprehensive identification of peptides from relatively small amount of tissues. However, several peptides that had been identified by the classical technique, such as APGWamide and leucokinin, were not identified, suggesting the limitation of this brand-new technique.
Synthesis of Maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles pigment from lathe waste by sonication – calcination method
Authors: Khoiroh L M , Khidin F , Ningsih R
Published: April 2020

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) coated maghemite nanoparticles were synthesized using precursor variation through sonication-calcination method. The precursor was manufactured from lathe waste digested using (a) HCl: HNO3, (b) H2SO4: HNO3, and (c) H2SO4: HCl solvents. Samples were characterized using XRD, FTIR, color reader, and SEM-EDX. The X-ray diffraction pattern shows that Rietveld Refinement confirmed only one single-phase assigned to magnetite (Fe3O4) after sonication, one single-phase assigned to maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) after calcination, and widened peaks indicating nano-sized particles. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurements confirmed the bonding of PEG to the magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles. Color reader measurement denoted the highest brightness level was achieved using precursor A. SEM-EDX data shows that the distribution of γ-Fe2O3 particles was not uniform. There were impurities detected, one of which was silica.
Silica-cellulose material application as the immobilization matrix of Pseudomonas fluorescens
Authors: Royanudin M , Utomo Y , Wonorahardjo S
Published: April 2020

Waste management, including heavy metal removal through bioremediation, requires process optimization. One of the important processes in a modern method is bacterial immobilization intended to improve the performance of bioremediation. In this preliminary study, silica material from rice husk processed via sol-gel was used, and cellulose of Nata de Coco was incorporated in situ during gelling to give balanced surface properties of a porous matrix. The modified could hold bacteria such as Pseudomonas fluorescens to be immobilized for further use. Variation of contact time was done, while temperature and stirring speed were kept constant. Assessment of Pseudomonas fluorescens bioremediation activity was carried out in cadmium standard solution. The result showed that the optimum contact time of Pseudomonas fluorescens and silica matrices was achieved at 30 min contact time as 99.19% was embedded in the matrices. This system decreased 80% of heavy metal in solution. This result indicates the compatibility of silica-cellulose matrix in Pseudomonas fluorescens immobilization, as predicted for other types of bacteria as well.
Integrated sustainability index of east Surabaya with casbee tools toward a sustainable city
Authors: Handryant A N , Harini S , Kusumadewi T , Kurniawaty P
Published: April 2020

Surabaya is a city that continues to grow from year to year. Various problems that can be identified in the city of Surabaya include population density due to immigration. Statistics show that in 2014 Surabaya’s population reached 3,020,305 million with a total poverty line of 168,000 people or 5.97% of the total population. Surabaya east is one of the industrial areas in Surabaya which contributes to increasing emissions. This research is focused on the East Surabaya area with samples in Kendangsari Village, Rungkut Kidul Village and Rungkut Tengah Village. The three locations have the same character in the form of industrial estate supported by residential areas both settlements and surrounding housing. This research uses descriptive quantitative and qualitative approaches. Observations were made on several environmental aspects which were grouped into aspects of Quality (Q) and load (L). These aspects are aspects of the assessment of the Comprehensive Assessment Built Environment Efficiency - Urban Development (CASBEE-UD) index. Based on calculations it is known that the index for the East Surabaya region is (B +) Good, this index shows the quality level of the region one level below the quality of sustainable areas. The index results indicate that the region is approaching a sustainable status. Based on the results of calculations and scoring it is known that the environmental quality in this region is good at 3.5 (three points five), with a breakdown of the environmental quality index of 2.4 (two-point four), social quality index of 3.8 (three-point eight) and economic quality index of 4.4 (four-point four). However, the environmental burden received by this region is moderate, so the score obtained is 2.7 (two points seven).
Cropping patterns and plants diversity in agroforests in Wringin village subdistrict of Wringin Bondowoso East Java
Authors: Solikin  , Danarto S A
Published: April 2020

Agroforest has an important role to supporting food security, energy, and water sustainably. Study aimed to determine cropping patterns types and plant diversity in agroforests applied by farmers in Wringin Village Subdistrict Wringin Situbondo Eat Java was conducted in March 2018 used explorative and descriptive methods. Data collection was conducted by field observation and interviewing the farmers. The field observation of the type of cropping pattern was conducted by purposive sampling in agroforests. The results showed that there were several types of cropping pattern in the fields. Combination of paddy gogo (Oryza sativa L.) and cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) with tree plants were dominance model of cropping patterns in agroforests applied by the famers in Wringin village. The cultivated plants in agroforests have potential as fruit, vegetable, food, spice, fodder, timber and medicinal plants.
Response of groundnut promising lines to various environments
Authors: Purnomo J , Rahmianna A A
Published: April 2020

The aims of this study was to evaluate the response of groundnut promising lines grown in various environments. A number of 18 groundnut lines and 2 checked cultivars were grown in 3 different environments i.e. lowlands with heavy and loamy soil texture at Ngawi and Banyuwangi Districts, and dry alkaline soils at Tuban District. A randomized block design with three replicates was applied in each site. Each genotype was planted in a 2 m x 5 m plot size with plant spacing of 40 cm interrows x 10 cm intrarow, 1 seed/hole. The basal fertilizer of 250 kg/ha composite NPK Phonska was applied at planting time. Location (site), genotype as well as its interaction significantly influenced the growth and yield variables. Four lines gave good yields at all sites i.e. BK10/LG5-295-50, BK1/LG5-37-64, BK1/LG5-B13-29-6, and BK1/LG5-B13-6-1. These four lines were less stable with its average pod yields were 4.0 t, 4.0 t, 3.9 t, and 4.0 t dry pods/ha consecutevely. Those pod yields were equal that those of checked cultivars Katana 1 and Hypoma 1. Instead of producing high pod yields, those four lines are resistant to leaf spot and rust diseases, so are merit to be proposed as newly superior cultivars.
Immunomodulatory activity of exopolysaccharides produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides strains isolated from palm (Borassus flabellifer L.) sap
Authors: Ma’unatin A , Harijono  , Zubaidah E , Rifa’i M
Published: April 2020

This study was to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides strains isolated from palm (Borassus flabellifer L.) sap. The EPS used were produced by two strains of Leuconostoc mesenteroides (N5 and N7) on different medium which were palm sap (EPS NSN5 and EPS NSN7) and MRS supplemented with sucrose (EPS MSN5 and EPS MSN7). EPS were given to BALB/c mice before infected by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The results of flow cytometric analysis of spleen lymphocytes showed some EPS were able to increased cytokines production (IL-2, INF-γ and TNF-α) by CD4+ cells. IL-2 production decreased with EPS NSN5 and EPS NSN7, INF-γ decreased with EPS MSN7 while TNF-α decreased with EPS NSN7. These results indicated that the EPS produced by two strains of Leuconostoc mesenteroides have immunomodulatory activity.
Assessing high school student’s chemical literacy on salt hydrolysis
Authors: Muntholib  , Mauliya AH , Utomo Y , Ibnu MS
Published: April 2020

Each instruction requires appropriate strategies and assessments, including instruction of chemical literacy. The subject matter of salt hydrolysis, which is closely related to daily life, is suitable for the instruction of chemical literacy. The purpose of this research was to produce a valid and reliable chemical literacy test (CLT) on salt hydrolysis to assess high school students’ chemical literacy. This study applied the design of research and development and also surveyed. The test development was carried out through five stages, namely (1) literature review, (2) item development, (3) expert judgment, (4) pilot study, and (5) finalization. The survey was carried out integrated with the pilot study phase of the test development stage. The data of the pilot study collected by a valid and reliable test produced in the development stage was analyzed as survey data. The research and development produced a chemical literacy test consists of 24 accurate items with Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.605. Analysis of student performance using valid and reliable tests shown that the respondents’ average chemical literacy score was 39.69 from a maximum score of 100. This score belongs to the upper low or lowers moderate category.
The potential of probiotics of malozndialdehide and gonadosomatic index of Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) after exposure of cadmium
Authors: Hayati A , Taufiq A P , Seftiarini W , Wanguyun A P , Amira M , Putra P A D , Muchtaromah B
Published: April 2020

Cadmium pollution originating from factory waste and human activities is very dangerous because it has high toxicity and becomes a threat for aquatic organisms including tilapia as an aquatic animal that is sensitive to heavy metal pollution. Cadmium contained in water will enter the body of fish and damage organs, one of which is the testes. It will affect the productivity of tilapia and harm the farmers. Therefore, in this study, supplementation of probiotics and vitamin C was provided to repair testicular damage due to cadmium exposure. The parameters evaluated included the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the gonadosomatic index (GSI). Based on data analysis of MDA levels and GSI values, it is known that supplementary feeding (probiotics, vitamin C, and a combination of both) has a positive effect on the value of GSI, but testicular MDA levels only feed with vitamin C that can provide a positive effect.
Bio-prospecting bamboo collection in purwodadi botanic gardens
Authors: Sofiah S , Susim H
Published: April 2020

The utilization of biodiversity can be classified according to several categories, including consumptive values, productive values, existence values, ecological values. Indonesia has a high diversity of bamboo. Bamboo is one of the plants that has an important role in Indonesia and other tropical countries. Almost every part of a bamboo plant has certain uses. This research was conducted in order to analyze the value of uses (bioprospect) of bamboo collections at Purwodadi Botanical Gardens. The study was conducted in January-February 2019. The research method was carried out by conducting semi-structured interviews with surrounding communities and identifying bamboo data in the collection as well as in the Registration Unit of Purwodadi Botanical Gardens. The results showed that there were 39 types of bamboo belonging to ten (10) genera in the Purwodadi Botanical Garden. The ten genera of bamboo include: (1) Bambusa, (2) Denderocalamus, (3) Dinochloa, (4) Fimbribambusa, (5) Gigantochloa, (6) Neololeba, (7) Scizostachyum, (8) Thyrsostachys, (9) Phylostachys, and (10) Pinga. Bamboo bioprospection analysis is done by Index of Cultural Significance (ICS) or cultural importance index. The highest cultural importance index (ICS) value of bamboo in Purwodadi Botanical Garden, indicated by Bambu Betung (Dendrocalamus asper) with an index value of 194 and smallest 107 by Bambusa balcoa
Interpretation of laylatulqadr time by analyzing earthquake data
Authors: Rauf A , Rusli  , Furaida A
Published: April 2020

This study aims to determine the time of the laylatulqadr events that have passed, not to predict the time of the laylatulqadr events that will come. The determination of laylatulqadr time was done by analyzing earthquake data. The study was conducted in the month of Ramadan in 1421 H, 1423 H, 1425 H, 1429 H and 1432 H. The earthquake data was collected started from 6:00 PM to 6:00 PM for 30 days in the month of Ramadan. Earthquake data analyzed by observing the quantity and quality of the earthquake. The interpretation results showed that lalilatulqadr in 1421 H occurred on the second night of Ramadan month. In 1423 H, laylatulqadr happened on the seventeenth night in the month of Ramdhan. In 1425 H, laylatulqadr occurred on the sixteenth night of Ramadan month. While in 1429 H, laylatulqadr happened on the night of the twenty-eighth of Ramadan month. And in 1432 H, laylatulqadr occurred on the twenty- ninth night of Ramadan month.
Involutions of ℓ² and 𝑠 with unique fixed points
Authors: van Mill Jan , West James
Published: April 2020

Let

σ

ℓ
2

\sigma _{\ell ^2}

and

σ

R

∞

\sigma _{\Bbb R^{\infty }}

be the linear involutions of

ℓ
2

\ell ^2

and

R

∞

\mathbb {R}^\infty

, respectively, given by the formula

x
→
−
x

x\to -x

. We prove that although

ℓ
2

\ell ^2

and

R

∞

\Bbb R^{\infty }

are homeomorphic,

σ

ℓ
2

\sigma _{\ell ^2}

is not topologically conjugate to

σ

R

∞

\sigma _{\Bbb R^{\infty }}

. We proceed to examine the implications of this and give characterizations of the involutions that are conjugate to

σ

ℓ
2

\sigma _{\ell ^2}

and to

σ

R

∞

\sigma _{\Bbb R^{\infty }}

. We show that the linear involution

x
→
−
x

x\to -x

of a separable, infinite-dimensional Fréchet space

E
E

is topologically conjugate to

σ

ℓ
2

\sigma _{\ell ^2}

if and only if

E
E

contains an infinite-dimensional Banach subspace and otherwise is linearly conjugate to

σ

R

∞

\sigma _{\Bbb R^{\infty }}

.
Plant science’s next top models
Authors: Cesarino Igor , Dello Ioio Raffaele , Kirschner Gwendolyn K , Ogden Michael S , Picard Kelsey L , Rast-Somssich Madlen I , Somssich Marc
Published: April 2020

Background

Model organisms are at the core of life science research. Notable examples include the mouse as a model for humans, baker’s yeast for eukaryotic unicellular life and simple genetics, or the enterobacteria phage λ in virology. Plant research was an exception to this rule, with researchers relying on a variety of non-model plants until the eventual adoption of Arabidopsis thaliana as primary plant model in the 1980s. This proved to be an unprecedented success, and several secondary plant models have since been established. Currently, we are experiencing another wave of expansion in the set of plant models.

Scope

Since the 2000s, new model plants have been established to study numerous aspects of plant biology, such as the evolution of land plants, grasses, invasive and parasitic plant life, adaptation to environmental challenges, and the development of morphological diversity. Concurrent with the establishment of new plant models, the advent of the ‘omics’ era in biology has led to a resurgence of the more complex non-model plants. With this review, we introduce some of the new and fascinating plant models, outline why they are interesting subjects to study, the questions they will help to answer, and the molecular tools that have been established and are available to researchers.

Conclusions

Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying all aspects of plant biology can only be achieved with the adoption of a comprehensive set of models, each of which allows the assessment of at least one aspect of plant life. The model plants described here represent a step forward towards our goal to explore and comprehend the diversity of plant form and function. Still, several questions remain unanswered, but the constant development of novel technologies in molecular biology and bioinformatics is already paving the way for the next generation of plant models.
RSVdb: a comprehensive database of transcriptome RNA structure
Authors: Yu Haopeng , Zhang Yi , Sun Qing , Gao Huijie , Tao Shiheng
Published: April 2020

RNA fulfills a crucial regulatory role in cells by folding into a complex RNA structure. To date, a chemical compound, dimethyl sulfate (DMS), has been developed to probe the RNA structure at the transcriptome level effectively. We proposed a database, RSVdb (https://taolab.nwafu.edu.cn/rsvdb/), for the browsing and visualization of transcriptome RNA structures. RSVdb, including 626 225 RNAs with validated DMS reactivity from 178 samples in eight species, supports four main functions: information retrieval, research overview, structure prediction and resource download. Users can search for species, studies, transcripts and genes of interest; browse the quality control of sequencing data and statistical charts of RNA structure information; preview and perform online prediction of RNA structures in silico and under DMS restraint of different experimental treatments and download RNA structure data for species and studies. Together, RSVdb provides a reference for RNA structure and will support future research on the function of RNA structure at the transcriptome level.
The association between vitamin D levels and burn factors in different burn types
Authors: Cho Yoon Soo , Seo Cheong Hoon , Joo So Young , Ohn Suk Hoon
Published: April 2020

Background

Patients with burns present with different clinical features depending on the types of burn injury and burn patients with lower levels of vitamin D have worse prognoses and more complications. The study aims to investigate the association between vitamin D levels and burn factors according to each burn type in relation to early intensive rehabilitation therapy initiated for inpatients with burns.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we enrolled 757 of 1716 inpatients who underwent rehabilitative therapy between May 2013 and April 2017. Burn types were divided into flame burn, electrical burn and other burns, including scalding, contact and chemical burns. Age, burned body surface area (BSA), wound healing time (WHT), length of hospital stay (LOS) and body mass index were analysed between vitamin D deficient and non-deficient patient groups using Student’s t-tests, or Mann-Whitney U test and among three burn types using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA. The relationship between vitamin D levels and burn factors was evaluated using Pearson's or Spearman's correlation coefficient tests, and multiple linear regression analysis in different burn groups.

Results

In total, 88.9% patients were vitamin D deficient, and these patients had a larger burned BSA (p = 0.015) and longer WHT and LOS (all p < 0.001) than non-deficient patients. Burned BSA, WHT and vitamin D levels showed significant differences in their mean values according to three burn types (all p < 0.001). WHT was a communal factor significantly associated with vitamin D levels in all three burn types (p < 0.05). The WHT cut-off points to predict vitamin D deficiency were 55 days for flame burn (p < 0.001) and 62.5 days for electrical burn (p = 0.001).

Conclusions

WHT across all three burn types was a common factor associated with vitamin D levels for inpatients with burns who had undergone rehabilitative therapy. Electrical burn patients with vitamin D deficiency, even those with a low burned BSA percentage, showed prolonged wound healing over a two-month post-burn period. Independent of burned BSA, nutritional intervention concerning vitamin D in relation to burn wound healing should be considered to guide early initiation of intensive rehabilitation therapy.
Narrative Framing and the United States’ Threat Construction of Rivals
Authors: Yuan Zhengqing , Fu Qiang
Published: April 2020

Constructing a credible foreign threat is a key activity in the US national security community. By adopting a narrative approach to threat formation, we attempt to delineate the contours of the Soviet Union, Japan, and China in the US threat discourse spectrum. The Soviet threat is constructed through a story of two ideologically opposed rivals competing for world domination and the Japan-bashing narrative is of victimisation due to Japan’s unfair competition. China threat stories, however, are now more complex, conflating a story of US victimhood at the hands of China’s unfair competition, advocated by President Trump, with a widely embedded but malleable epic tale of power competition between a rising power and the ruling power, and a new Cold War script propagated by the 'deep state' hawks. We have found that as long as a country may potentially threaten the United States’ hegemonic identity, be it a formidable power with an antagonistic outlook like the Soviet Union, an ally from inside like Japan, or a rising peer competitor like China, the United States will invariably construct a diametrical self-other story in a zero-sum mindset and resort relentlessly to its superior Self while customising its threat story scripts in accordance with the rival’s characteristics and dimensions of challenges.
Detecting and counting harvested fish and identifying fish types in electronic monitoring system videos using deep convolutional neural networks
Authors: Tseng Chi-Hsuan , Kuo Yan-Fu
Published: April 2020

The statistics of harvested fish are key indicators for marine resource management and sustainability. Electronic monitoring systems (EMSs) are used to record the fishing practices of vessels in recent years. The statistics of the harvested fish in the EMS videos are manually read and recorded later by operators in data centres. However, this manual recording is time consuming and labour intensive. This study proposed an automatic approach for prescreening harvested fish in the EMS videos using convolutional neural networks (CNNs). In this study, harvested fish in the frames of the EMS videos were detected and segmented from the background at the pixel level using mask regional-based CNN (mask R-CNN). The number of the fish was determined using time thresholding and distance thresholding methods. Subsequently, the types and body lengths of the fish were determined using the confidence scores and the masks predicted by the mask R-CNN model, respectively. The trained mask R-CNN model attained a recall of 97.58% and a mean average precision of 93.51% in terms of fish detection. The proposed method for fish counting attained a recall of 93.84% and a precision of 77.31%. An overall accuracy of 98.06% was obtained for fish type identification.
Pattern formation in a slowly flattening spherical cap: delayed bifurcation
Authors: Charette Laurent , Macdonald Colin B , Nagata Wayne
Published: April 2020

This article describes a reduction of a non-autonomous Brusselator reaction–diffusion system of partial differential equations on a spherical cap with time-dependent curvature using the method of centre manifold reduction. Parameter values are chosen such that the change in curvature would cross critical values which would change the stability of the patternless solution in the constant domain case. The evolving domain functions and quasi-patternless solutions are derived as well as a method to obtain this non-autonomous normal form. The coefficients of such a normal form are computed and the reduction solutions are compared to numerical solutions.
Impact of the West African Ebola Epidemic on Agricultural Production and Rural Welfare: Evidence from Liberia
Authors: de la Fuente Alejandro , Jacoby Hanan G , Lawin Kotchikpa Gabriel
Published: April 2020

The 2014-15 Ebola epidemic took a devastating human and economic toll on three West African countries, of which Liberia was perhaps the hardest hit. The pathways through which the crisis affected economic activity in these largely agrarian societies remain poorly understood. To study these mechanisms in the context of rural Liberia, we link a geographically disaggregated indicator of Ebola disease mortality to nationally representative household survey data on agricultural production and consumption. We find that higher Ebola prevalence (as proxied by local mortality) led to greater disruption of group-labor mobilization for planting and harvest, thereby reducing rice area planted as well as rice yields. Household welfare, measured by per capita expenditures spanning two points before and after the crisis, fell by more in Ebola prevalent areas with more intensive rice-farming, precisely those areas more adversely affected by agricultural labor shortages.
Practical Guide to TrappingPeromyscus leucopus(Rodentia: Cricetidae) andPeromyscus maniculatusfor Vector and Vector-Borne Pathogen Surveillance and Ecology
Authors: Machtinger Erika T , Williams Scott C
Published: April 2020

Arthropods pests are most frequently associated with both plants and vertebrate animals. Ticks, in particular the blacklegged ticks Ixodes scapularis Say and Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls (Acari: Ixodidae), are associated with wildlife hosts and are the primary vectors of Lyme disease, the most frequently reported vector-borne disease in the United States. Immature blacklegged ticks in the eastern United States frequently use small mammals from the genus Peromyscus as hosts. These mice are competent reservoirs for Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, as well as other tick-borne pathogens. To conduct surveillance on immature ticks and pathogen circulation in hosts, capture and handling of these small mammals is required. While protocols for rearing and pest surveillance on plants are common, there are very few protocols aimed at entomologists to conduct research on vertebrate–arthropod relationships. The goal of this manuscript is to provide a practical template for trapping Peromyscus spp. for vector and vector-borne pathogen surveillance and ecology for professionals that may not have a background in wildlife research. Important considerations are highlighted when targeting P. leucopus Rafinesque and P. maniculatus Wagner. Specifically, for tick and tick-borne disease-related projects, materials that may be required are suggested and references and other resources for researchers beginning a trapping study are provided.
Stuck in defensive professionalism: Undermining organizational change in an intellectual property law firm
Authors: Heizmann Helena , Mastio Emmanuel A , Ahuja Sumati
Published: April 2020

This article examines how professionals employed in professional organizations make sense of the disruption of their work. Based on a qualitative study of an Australian intellectual property (IP) law firm, we shed light on the ways in which the discursive practices of professionals may undermine change in professional organizations. We identify three defensive strategies of IP professionals (denial, regression, and projection) resulting from the inability to resolve conflicts between market-based pressures and their entrenched understandings of professional work. In doing so, we show how professionals can become ‘stuck’ in defensive responses that may further marginalize the role of professional organizations in society. These findings call into question overly deterministic, radical accounts of organizational change that do not take into account the contextual embeddedness of professional organizations.
The Interviewer Contribution to Variability in Response Times in Face-to-Face Interview Surveys
Authors: Sturgis Patrick , Maslovskaya Olga , Durrant Gabriele , Brunton-Smith Ian
Published: April 2020

Survey researchers have consistently found that interviewers make a small but systematic contribution to variability in response times. However, we know little about what the characteristics of interviewers are that lead to this effect. In this study, we address this gap in understanding by linking item-level response times from wave 3 of the UK Household Longitudinal Survey (UKHLS) to data from an independently conducted survey of interviewers. The linked data file contains over three million records and has a complex, hierarchical structure with response latencies nested within respondents and questions, which are themselves nested within interviewers and areas. We propose the use of a cross-classified mixed-effects location scale model to allow for the decomposition of the joint effects on response times of interviewers, areas, questions, and respondents. We evaluate how interviewer demographic characteristics, personality, and attitudes to surveys and to interviewing affect the length of response latencies and present a new method for producing interviewer-specific intra-class correlations of response times. Hence, the study makes both methodological and substantive contributions to the investigation of response times.
The promise of digital humanities pedagogy: Decolonizing a diverse classroom in Ghana
Authors: Hallberg Adu Kajsa
Published: April 2020

Higher education operates in a quickly changing, progressively more globalized, cosmopolitan, and interconnected world (Bauman, 2000, Globalization: The Human Consequences. New York/Chichester: Columbia University Press; Appiah, 2006, Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers. New York: W.W. Norton & Co; Zuckerman, 2013, Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans in the Age of Connection. New York: W. W. Norton & Company). At the same time, substantive inequalities between people and places mean that this connectivity and knowledge is unevenly spread (Hallberg Adu, 2014, What is the opposite of a knowledge society? A critical reflection from Ghana. In Amoah, L. (ed.), Impacts of the Knowledge Society on Economic and Social Growth in Africa. IGI Global). For our students, the future leaders of this unequal world, critical reasoning becomes a key skill, and perhaps especially so for students in the Global South. This paper argues that digital humanities (DH) can provide both a theoretical framework for decolonizing the academy and technological solutions to hurdles in this process. The paper argues that assignments, their theoretical underpinnings, and implementation are key to decolonizing higher education. It describes three accessible technology-driven assignments with DH pedagogy created for diverse classrooms at Ashesi University in Ghana and discusses their outcomes.
Urgent considerations for the neuro-oncologic treatment of patients with gliomas during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Mohile Nimish A , Blakeley Jaishri O , Gatson Na Tosha N , Hottinger Andreas F , Lassman Andrew B , Ney Douglas E , Olar Adriana , Schiff David , Shih Helen A , Strowd Roy , van den Bent Martin J , Ziu Mateo
Published: April 2020

The COVID-19 outbreak is posing unprecedented risks and challenges for all communities and health care systems, worldwide. There are unique considerations for many adult patients with gliomas who are vulnerable to the novel coronavirus due to older age and immunosuppression. As patients with terminal illnesses, they present ethical challenges for centers that may need to ration access to ventilator care due to insufficient critical care capacity. It is urgent for the neuro-oncology community to develop a proactive and coordinated approach to the care of adults with gliomas in order to provide them with the best possible oncologic care while also reducing their risk of viral infection during times of potential health care system failure. In this article, we present an approach developed by an international multidisciplinary group to optimize the care of adults with gliomas during this pandemic. We recommend measures to promote strict physical distancing and minimize exposures for patients, address risk and benefit of all therapeutic interventions, proactively develop end-of-life plans, educate patients and caregivers, and ensure the health of the multidisciplinary neuro-oncology workforce. This pandemic is already changing neuro-oncologic care delivery around the globe. It is important to highlight opportunities to maximize the benefit and minimize the risk of glioma management during this pandemic and potentially, in the future.
The Incidence of Fusarium graminearum in Wild Grasses is Associated With Rainfall and Cumulative Host Density in New York
Authors: Fulcher Michael R. , Winans James B. , Quan Menchus , Bergstrom Gary C.
Published: April 2020

The movement of plant pathogens between cultivated and natural host communities can result in lost agricultural production and altered microbial or plant biodiversity. Fusarium graminearum incidence was studied in wild grass hosts for 3 years to better understand the ecology of this plant pathogen at the interface of crop fields and nonagricultural environments. Research sites (n = 23) were spread between regions of high and low agricultural production and included both agricultural and nonagricultural fields. Pathogen incidence in living grass spikes and senesced, overwintered stems varied between regions of New York and was lowest in a region with sparser agricultural production (P = 0.001). However, pathogen incidence within regions was similar at both agricultural and nonagricultural sites. The groundcover of crop and wild hosts within 1 km of sample sites were equally effective predictors of pathogen incidence, indicating either host group may drive pathogen spread. Rainfall in the 8 weeks preceding sample collection was strongly correlated with F. graminearum incidence in grasses, as well as an increased prevalence of F. graminearum in Fusarium spp. communities (P = 0.001). Grass species diversity was not associated with a reduction in pathogen incidence, and F. graminearum incidence did not vary among the most well-sampled grasses. These results indicate the pathogen colonizes and spreads in noncultivated grasses in a manner consistent with existing concepts of pathogen epidemiology in cereal crops. Increasing host acreage, whether cultivated or not, could drive the colonization of grasses in remote or protected environments, potentially altering their microbial communities.
The Role of Flowers in the Disease Cycle ofColletotrichum fioriniaeand Other Cranberry Fruit Rot Fungi
Authors: Waller Timothy J. , Gager J. , Constantelos Christine , Oudemans Peter V.
Published: April 2020

Floral extracts (FEs) can influence the infectivity and epidemiology of fruit infecting Colletotrichum species. In this study, Colletotrichum fioriniae responded to cranberry FEs with an increased rate and magnitude of secondary conidiation and appressorium formation. Four other cranberry fruit rotting species also showed an increased rate of germination in the presence of FEs. However, increased appressorium formation was observed only in the latent pathogens Coleophoma cylindrospora, Colletotrichum fructivorum, and Colletotrichum fioriniae. Two other fruit rotting species, Phyllosticta vaccinii and Allantophomopsis lycopodina, did not form appressoria while secondary conidiation was only seen with the Colletotrichum spp. When conidia of Colletotrichum fioriniae were inoculated in the presence of FE, the incidence of disease was greater on cranberry fruit. Conidia of this species also formed appressoria at lower than expected temperatures in the presence of FE. Dissection of the flowers revealed that the corolla (with stamens and stigma) was the most stimulatory part of the inflorescence. These observations suggest an important and ephemeral role of flowers in the epidemiology of fruit rot. Stimulatory floral signals were readily detected using a conidial germination bioassay and rainwater samples collected from the plant canopy throughout the growing season confirmed that bioactivity was highest during the bloom period, and declined as the fruit developed. The data presented show that floral signals can alter the growth patterns of a larger than previously observed range of fungi and the mobility of floral signals within the canopy implicates these phenology-specific cues in modifying the disease cycles of numerous plant pathogens.
Data-Driven Study of the COVID-19 Pandemic via Age-Structured Modelling and Prediction of the Health System Failure in Brazil amid Diverse Intervention Strategies
Authors: Canabarro Askery , Tenório Elayne , Martins Renato , Martins Lais , Brito Samuraí , Chaves Rafael
Published: April 2020

In this work we propose a data-driven age-structured census-based SIRD-like epidemiological model capable of forecasting the spread of COVID-19 in Brazil. We model the current scenario of closed schools and universities, social distancing of individuals above sixty years old and voluntary home quarantine to show that it led to a considerable reduction in the number of infections as compared with a scenario without any control measures. Notwithstanding, our model predicts that the current measures are not enough to avoid overloading the health system, since the demand for intensive care units will soon surpass the number available. We also show that an urgent intense quarantine might be the only solution to avoid this scenario and, consequently, minimize the number of severe cases and deaths. On the other hand, we demonstrate that the early relaxation of the undergoing isolation measures would lead to an increase of millions of infections in a short period of time and the consecutive collapse of the health system.