bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Salivary RANKL and OPG Levels in Periodontitis Patients at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia
Authors: Asif Saba , Ahmad Basaruddin , Hamza Syed Ameer , Taib Haslina , Kassim Nur Karyatee , Zainuddin Siti Lailatul Akmar
Published: September 2021

Objective This study was aimed to determine the levels of salivary receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) and its association with periodontal status among periodontitis patients.

Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was designed and performed at the Dental Clinic, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM). Random sampling was employed to identify 88 participants into three groups: 30 mild periodontitis, 30 moderate to severe periodontitis, and 28 healthy (nonperiodontitis) patients. Periodontal parameters: periodontal pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), plaque score (PS), and gingival bleeding index (GBI) were recorded. In total, 4 mL of unstimulated whole saliva was collected to determine the levels of salivary RANKL and OPG proteins by using ELISA technique. Data were analyzed by using SPSS software version 24.0.

Results Mean values for PPD (5.3 ± 0.5) and CAL (5.6 ± 0.5) were observed higher for moderate to severe periodontitis as compared with values (4.4 ± 0.2) (4.5 ± 0.2) in mild periodontitis patients. The mean salivary RANKL and OPG was 0.23 ± 0.07 ng/mL and 1.78 ± 0.70 ng/mL respectively in moderate to severe periodontitis. Only salivary RANKL levels were significantly and positively correlated with all the clinical periodontal parameters.

Conclusion The levels of salivary RANKL were higher as opposed to lower OPG levels in periodontitis patients in contrast to healthy (nonperiodontitis) patients. RANKL levels were significantly associated with the periodontal parameters. Therefore, we can conclude that RANKL can potentially aid as an adjunctive diagnostic protein in evaluating periodontal disease.
Clinical Predictive Factors of Pathological EEG in Children with Febrile Seizures and Their Association with Subsequent Epileptic Seizures
Authors: Kchaou Khouloud , Kammoun Ines , Chakroun Sahar , Haddar Asma , Masmoudi Kaouthar
Published: September 2021

The objective of this study was to identify clinical parameters predicting either a pathological EEG or a subsequent epileptic seizure (SES), based on the relation between paroxysmal EEG abnormalities and clinical features in children who presented at least one febrile seizure (FS). We collected data of children who presented to our department during the period 2013 to 2018 for EEG recording as part of their febrile seizure assessment. Only children aged between 1 month to 5 years were included. Both the clinical and EEG data were retrospectively collected and statistically studied. We performed a detailed analysis of the EEG recordings. SES was identified for patients with sufficient follow-up. A total of 120 children were included in the study, of whom 48% had EEG abnormalities. Psychomotor retardation (p = 0.002), completion of an EEG within 7 days of the last FS (p = 0.046), and late age (> 3 years) of the first FS onset (p = 0.021) were significantly associated with a pathological EEG. In multivariate analysis, performing early EEG (< 7 days from the last FS) (odds ratio [OR]: 2.35; p = 0.043; confidence interval [CI]: 1.028–5.375) and psychomotor retardation (OR: 4.19; p = 0.008; CI: 1.46–12) were independent predictors of a pathological EEG. Of 120 patients, 45 had a follow-up. However, only 10 (22.22%) had SES. Children with SES tended more to have a psychomotor delay, compared with children without SES (50% vs. 14.28%, p = 0.029). Moreover, the percentage of initial abnormal EEG in patients with SES was significantly higher than those without SES (70% vs. 34.28%, p = 0.05). Even though some FS characteristics predict EEG abnormalities, they are not always associated with SES. We highlight the importance of performing an EEG in the group of children who had both FS and psychomotor retardation. This is most likely the group at the highest risk of developing epilepsy.
The design of a photoionization front experiment using the Z-Machine as a driving source and estimated measurements
Authors: LeFevre H. J. , Springstead M. , Kelso K. , Mancini R. C. , Loisel G. P. , Keiter P. A. , Drake R. P. , Kuranz C. C.
Published: September 2021

Radiation-driven heat fronts are present in the early universe during reionization, the circumstellar medium of supernovae, and in high-energy-density physics experiments. Dedicated experiments to observe and diagnose the behavior of these types of heat fronts can improve our understanding of these phenomena. A simulation study of photoionization fronts using the HELIOS-CR radiation hydrodynamics code provides an experimental design for the Z-Machine at Sandia National Laboratory using a measurement-calibrated input radiation flux to drive the photoionization front. The simulations use detailed atomic physics and non-diffusive radiation transport in 1D to determine an optimal gas pressure of 0.75 atm for an experiment in N gas as well as the effects of increasing the thickness of the window that seals the gas cell. Post-processing of these simulations demonstrates that ratios of atomic rate coefficients place the heat front in a physics regime where photoionization dominates the energy deposition. To see the sensitivity of the simulations to changes in the model and spatial grid, this analysis performed resolution, atomic model detail, and radiation transport angular grid studies showing less than 10% deviation from the nominal model for increased complexity, when possible. An effort to emulate 3D geometric effects on the radiation flux using an artificial attenuation scheme has shown that, even for conservative estimates of the flux, simulations still produce a photoionization front. Estimations of a streaked, visible spectroscopy measurement using SPECT3D showed that line emission measurements are present early in time and that later in time thermal emission should become dominant.
Oxygen-vacancy enhanced tunnel electroresistance in LaNiO3/BaTiO3/LaNiO3 ferroelectric tunnel junctions
Authors: Zhou Min , Lu Xinyang , Wu Zewen , Xie Yiqun , Xing Yanxia , Wang Yin
Published: September 2021

Oxygen vacancies (OVs) usually exist in perovskite oxides in ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs), which significantly influence electron transport properties of FTJ. However, the role of OVs is currently not well understood since the OVs concentration is difficult to detect in experiments or to simulate using traditional first-principles methods. Here, using the density functional theory combined with nonequilibrium Green's function and coherent potential approximation (NECPA-DFT), we investigate electron transport properties of the LaNiO3/BaTiO3/LaNiO3 FTJ, which has a low concentration OVs in the left LaNiO3/BaTiO3 interface. The tunnel barrier height monotonously decreases with the increase in the OVs concentration for the rightward polarization in BaTiO3, leading to an increased electron tunneling coefficient. In contrast, for a leftward polarization, the barrier height only slightly decreases with the increasing OVs concentration, leading to a nearly invariant electron tunneling coefficient. The tunnel electroresistance ratio, therefore, increases monotonously with the OVs concentration and reaches to 5898% for a OVs concentration of 9%. Our results show that OVs play a critical role in determining electron transport properties of an FTJ as well as provide an alternative avenue to realize a natural asymmetric FTJ to improve its performance.
Polarity dependence of electrical breakdown in argon under a non-uniform electric field
Authors: Enloe C. L. , McDonald M. S.
Published: September 2021

A considerable difference in the breakdown potential of a uniform pressure gas (specifically argon) under an asymmetric non-uniform electric field is observed depending on the polarity of the field. The degree of variation in the breakdown potential between the two polarities can be explained if one assumes a strong variation of the ion-induced secondary electron emission coefficient with the magnitude of the reduced electric field at the cathode. The magnitude of the breakdown potential can be predicted by evaluating the breakdown criterion along multiple field lines if one includes a numerical factor to account for diffusion of electrons out of the preferred breakdown channel.
Stabilization of correlated ferroelectric and ferromagnetic domain structures in BiFe0.9Co0.1O3 films
Authors: Katsumata Marin , Shigematsu Kei , Itoh Takuma , Shimizu Haruki , Shimizu Keisuke , Azuma Masaki
Published: September 2021

Co-substituted bismuth ferrite, BiFe0.9Co0.1O3, thin film is a promising candidate material for low-power-consumption nonvolatile magnetic memory devices because magnetization reversal by an electric field has been directly observed at room temperature. However, this phenomenon takes place in a limited region where the ferroelectric domain is composed of two polarization variants forming stripe patterns. We demonstrate the extension of the stripe domain structure to the entire electrically poled region by utilizing an effective in-plane electric field called a trailing field. A one-to-one correlation between ferroelectric and ferromagnetic domains was also demonstrated.
Femtosecond laser direct writing continuous phase vortex gratings with proportionally distributed diffraction energy
Authors: Xu Liqun , Wang Chaowei , Qi Xinbo , Li Rui , Zhang Chenchu , Zhang Leran , Ren Zhongguo , Zhang Zihang , Li Jiawen , Hu Yanlei , Wu Dong , Chu Jiaru
Published: September 2021

In this Letter, we propose a type of continuous phase vortex gratings (CPVGs), which are able to generate a series of vortex beams with equal or proportional diffracted energies and different topological charges (TCs). A set of CPVGs with dimensions (60 × 60 × 1.1 μm3) are directly designed by mathematical equations, which avoids the use of iterative algorithms. The CPVGs are fabricated by femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW) with photoresist, and the experimentally generated vortex beams are in good agreement with the theoretical designs, exhibiting high optical efficiencies. In addition, we realized a CPVG onto the tip of a composite fiber for integrated optical systems. Our work paves the way for applications in optical communications, optical manipulations, and high-performance integrated optics.
Probing polarization dynamics at specific domain configurations: Computer-vision based automated experiment in piezoresponse force microscopy
Authors: Kelley Kyle P. , Kalinin Sergei V. , Ziatdinov Maxim , Paull Oliver , Sando Daniel , Nagarajan Valanoor , Vasudevan Rama K. , Jesse Stephen
Published: September 2021

Topological defects in ferroelectric materials have attracted much attention due to the emergence of conductive, ferroic, and magnetic functionalities. However, many topological configurations dynamically evolve during the switching processes, making them a challenge to characterize via traditional techniques. Here, we implement an automated experimentation approach for the exploration of functional properties in BiFeO3 thin films. Specifically, we visualize the ferroelectric domain structures via single frequency piezoresponse force microscopy and implement a computer vision-based algorithm to discover features of interest at which spectroscopic measurements are taken. Subsequently, we employ dimensionality reduction techniques to reveal characteristic polarization behaviors at these features. This approach can be extended to other spectroscopies and modalities to probe only specific features of interest, ultimately enabling dynamical processes in ferroelectrics to be studied.
Dynamic regulating of lasing mode in a whispering-gallery microresonator by thermo-optic effect
Authors: Lu Junfeng , Liu Wei , Jiang Mingming , Zhou Xiangbo , Xu Juan , Liu Yang , Kan Caixia , Shi Daning , Xu Chunxiang
Published: September 2021

Realizing dynamic regulation of specific optical components while being easy to integrate with photonic circuits will have a revolutionary impact on tunable laser sources, active filters, and all-optical switching/integration. Here, we demonstrate a temperature tunable Ga-doped ZnO microresonator with a conductivity of ∼1.75 S/cm controlled by the injection current and realize point-to-point heating. The shift in the resonant wavelength with a tuning range of 2 nm for TE66 mode is achieved by the effect of current-induced temperature rising on the refractive index of the microresonator crystal, namely, the thermo-optic effect. Meanwhile, the thermo-optic coefficient of 16.7 × 10−4/K around the bandgap energy of ZnO is also obtained. This operating mode of electronically controlled temperature establishes a solid foundation for the practicality and integration of tunable lasers.
Statistical learning for fluid flows: Sparse Fourier divergence-free approximations
Authors: Espath Luis , Kabanov Dmitry , Kiessling Jonas , Tempone Raúl
Published: September 2021

We reconstruct the velocity field of incompressible flows given a finite set of measurements. For the spatial approximation, we introduce the Sparse Fourier divergence-free approximation based on a discrete L2 projection. Within this physics-informed type of statistical learning framework, we adaptively build a sparse set of Fourier basis functions with corresponding coefficients by solving a sequence of minimization problems where the set of basis functions is augmented greedily at each optimization problem. We regularize our minimization problems with the seminorm of the fractional Sobolev space in a Tikhonov fashion. In the Fourier setting, the incompressibility (divergence-free) constraint becomes a finite set of linear algebraic equations. We couple our spatial approximation with the truncated singular-value decomposition of the flow measurements for temporal compression. Our computational framework thus combines supervised and unsupervised learning techniques. We assess the capabilities of our method in various numerical examples arising in fluid mechanics.
Point defect formation near the epitaxial Ge(001) growth surface and the impact on phosphorus doping activation
Authors: Vohra Anurag , Pourtois Geoffrey , Loo Roger , Vandervorst Wilfried
Published: September 2021

First-principles calculations are used to systematically investigate the impact of surface effects on the energetic cost to incorporate point defects near the growing surface [Ge(001)] and its consequence on the dopant activation in P-doped Ge layers. We illustrate the formation enthalpy ΔHf for the incorporation of a mono-vacancy, which is the dominant point defect responsible for the electrically inactive dopant incorporation in P-doped Ge. The calculated values point toward a significant lowering of ΔHf near the growing surface in comparison to the bulk cubic Ge supercell. The impact of the surface almost vanishes beyond the sixth atomic monolayer located below the surface and the calculated ΔHf values overlap with the ones computed for a bulk cubic Ge supercell. For epitaxial Ge:P layers, grown at low growth temperatures (<450°C) using the deposition method such as the Chemical Vapor Deposition, the dopant-vacancy clusters are formed within the first few monolayers close to the growing surface. The low ΔHf values for the incorporation of a mono-vacancy near the growing surface suggest that the concentration of vacancies can be significantly enhanced with respect to the bulk Ge, which can subsequently trap more dopants and deactivate them at the surface itself. Our first-principles calculation results are in line with previously reported experimental positron annihilation spectroscopy analysis on Ge:P layers grown at 440 °C using GeH4 as gas precursor. At P concentrations above 1×1020cm−3, the mono-vacancy sized open-volume defects are passivated by at least three P atoms.
Asymmetric sound absorption achieved by double-layer piezoelectric metamaterials with tunable shunt circuit
Authors: Gu Limin , Zhao Chunyu , Wang Kaiqi , Li Senlei , Wang Xiaole , Huang Zhenyu
Published: September 2021

Asymmetric acoustic metamaterials open up a new field for multi-directional sound wave manipulation. The controllability of most asymmetric metamaterials on sound waves is restricted by their fixed structure and material parameters. Here, we propose a double-layer piezoelectric metamaterial that comprises two identical membrane-type piezoelectric acoustic metamaterials and a tunable shunt circuit. For incident waves in a narrow band, one side of the metamaterial matches the air impedance to achieve perfect absorption while the other side mismatches the air impedance to completely reflect the sound waves. The proposed metamaterials can separately manipulate the absorption frequencies and coefficients on both sides of the metamaterial by tuning resistances in the shunt circuit. Both the theory and experiment show that the maximum absorption coefficient can reach over 0.98, and the tunable frequency range has a 60% bandwidth over the center frequency of 1059 Hz.
Magnetometry based on the excited-state lifetimes of a single nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond
Authors: Stürner F. M. , Liu Y. , Colard P.-O. , Markham M. , Jelezko F.
Published: September 2021

So far most well-established quantum sensing techniques based on the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond utilize the recorded fluorescence intensity to detect the electronic spin states. However, the fluorescence intensity of a NV center is not only dependent on its spin state, but also affected by measurement issues, such as fluctuations of the excitation laser power and charge state transformation of the NV center. Instabilities in terms of output power or polarization changes in the laser source as well as sample drifts during a measurement are common factors that weaken the precision. Here, we demonstrate proof-of-principle of a sensing method making use of the excited-state lifetimes of a NV center for magnetometry experiments.
Consumer Products
Authors: O'Hagan John
Published: September 2021

Lasers used in the workplace are expected to be used in a safe condition and by individuals who have received some degree of laser safety training. While laser products available to the general consumer, those used by children or adult consumers need to have built-in safety to ensure that users and others are not at risk of injury. Laser beams should be effectively enclosed unless there is a justified need for the laser beam to be emitted. If it is emitted, the laser beam should be below a level likely to cause injuries. This chapter reviews the requirements and challenges of having safe laser related consumer products. The reading of an instruction sheet even when printed in the users language seldom is equivalent to the laser safety precautions a worker will receive. Placing the user, especially minors at risk. In addition, the risk of causing dazzle, distraction and glare need to be minimized through the appropriate selection of the beam qualities, such as maximum power and wavelength. One of the concerns is the with the direct import of laser products through online purchases. These may not meet the local safety requirements or provide adequate warning or instructions. This chapter reviews the laser safety issues with general public consumer products.
Fiber Optics in the Lab
Authors: Barat Ken
Published: September 2021

Use of fiber optics is no longer the private domain of the telecommunications community. Research labs and many laser product manufacturers have found advantages in incorporating fiber optics into their work. The 100 kW industrial laser system is a direct result of fiber optic use. This chapter deals with the use of optical fibers in the research laboratory setting. When using fiber optics in the research lab, one would by all accounts make staff safer. Rather than having long open-beam paths or beams bouncing around the optical table, most of the beam path is contained within a fiber. Regardless of whether it is nanojoule or megawatt output, the beam is contained. Overconfidence is a major cause of fiber optic incidents. Precautions are need as well as hazard awareness. The chapter reviews techniques for working with fibers as well as fiber disposal pitfalls and potential challenges one may encounter. With the use of simple and nonintrusive controls, laser work with fibers can be a very safe operation.
A shared mechanistic pathway for pyridoxal phosphate–dependent arginine oxidases
Authors: Hoffarth Elesha R. , Caddell Haatveit Kersti , Kuatsjah Eugene , MacNeil Gregory A. , Saroya Simran , Walsby Charles J. , Eltis Lindsay D. , Houk K. N. , Garcia-Borràs Marc , Ryan Katherine S.
Published: September 2021

Significance

Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes rarely react with oxygen, but an emerging group of oxygen-, PLP-dependent enzymes oxidize
l
-arginine. Two types of oxidases are known: hydroxylases and desaturases. We demonstrate that arginine desaturases have a minor hydroxylase activity and then show through X-ray crystallographic, mutagenesis, spectroscopic, and computational studies that their mechanism involves two rounds of single-electron transfer to oxygen and superoxide rebound, ultimately giving a conjugated hydroperoxyl intermediate. Water can attack to give a hydroxylated product and release H
2
O
2
, but with water absent, the intermediate can be deprotonated, instead giving a desaturated product and H
2
O
2
. Our work outlines the unique mechanism and evolutionary history of these enzymes and sets the stage toward engineering these enzymes to catalyze oxidative reactions.
Mapping social exclusion in STEM to men’s implicit bias and women’s career costs
Authors: Cyr Emily N. , Bergsieker Hilary B. , Dennehy Tara C. , Schmader Toni
Published: September 2021

Significance

Despite widespread initiatives to promote gender diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and math, subtle barriers to women’s success remain. We present evidence that men with stronger implicit stereotypes report socially including fewer women in the workplace. For women, the lack of social connections from men is linked to a lower sense of social fit and less workplace engagement. We discuss implications for how fostering positive cross-gender social relationships might benefit women and other marginalized groups in the workplace.
Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene sites in the montane forests of New Guinea yield early record of cassowary hunting and egg harvesting
Authors: Douglass Kristina , Gaffney Dylan , Feo Teresa J. , Bulathsinhala Priyangi , Mack Andrew L. , Spitzer Megan , Summerhayes Glenn R.
Published: September 2021

Significance

Eggshell is an understudied archaeological material with potential to clarify past interactions between humans and birds. We apply an analytical method to legacy collections of Late Pleistocene to mid-Holocene cassowary eggshell and demonstrate that early foragers in the montane rainforests of New Guinea preferentially collected eggs in late stages of embryonic growth. This finding suggests that foragers regulated the exploitation of cassowaries and may have hatched eggs to rear chicks. The montane rainforests of New Guinea may thus present the earliest known evidence of human management of avian breeding.
The cost of correcting for error during sensorimotor adaptation
Authors: Sedaghat-Nejad Ehsan , Shadmehr Reza
Published: September 2021

Significance

Improving the process of learning from error can play a critical role in applied settings such as rehabilitation. Previous work has generally focused on reward as a variable that may modulate learning. However, in response to an erroneous movement, the nervous system often engages a reflex that corrects for that error, thus expending time and energy. Here, we modulated this cost of error and found that increasing the cost increased how much the brain learned from error. Thus, the landscape of the loss associated with the act of correcting for error regulates the rates of sensorimotor learning.
Sustainable-use protected areas catalyze enhanced livelihoods in rural Amazonia
Authors: Campos-Silva João V. , Peres Carlos A. , Hawes Joseph E. , Haugaasen Torbjørn , Freitas Carolina T. , Ladle Richard J. , Lopes Priscila F. M.
Published: September 2021

Significance

Sustainable-use protected areas (PAs) have contributed to tropical biodiversity conservation by deterring deforestation in multiple countries, yet their social and economic benefits to local stakeholders remain poorly understood. Amazonia hosts the largest tropical PA system on Earth, which is intended to safeguard its rich biological and cultural diversity. Aligning biodiversity protection with social aspirations is therefore imperative in this region. Our results demonstrate that sustainable-use PAs can catalyze a wide set of enablers, including multipartnerships, strong local associations, land tenure, comanagement, economic subsidies, strong leadership, public policies, and polycentric governance, resulting in marked improvements in local welfare beyond biodiversity protection. Such a rare conservation bright spot elucidates potential pathways that can foster social and ecological outcomes that are potentially scalable across lowland Amazonia.
Directional thermal channeling: A phenomenon triggered by tight packing of heat sources
Authors: Honarvar Hossein , Knobloch Joshua L. , Frazer Travis D. , Abad Begoña , McBennett Brendan , Hussein Mahmoud I. , Kapteyn Henry C. , Murnane Margaret M. , Hernandez-Charpak Jorge N.
Published: September 2021

Significance

A critical factor in determining the achievable speeds and efficiencies of electronic devices is the operating temperature. As modern transistors shrink in size to as small as 5 nm, optimal design for temperature control requires a predictive understanding of nanoscale heat dissipation. In this work, we establish a fundamental microscopic description for thermal transport induced by nanoscale heat sources. We uncover the underlying mechanism that drives the counterintuitive behavior discovered recently via extreme UV scatterometry that nanoscale heat sources cool faster when closely packed than when widely spaced. This finding lays the foundation for better temperature management in modern integrated circuits and future quantum devices.
Deficiency of PARP-1 and PARP-2 in the mouse uterus results in decidualization failure and pregnancy loss
Authors: Kelleher Andrew M. , Setlem Rohit , Dantzer Françoise , DeMayo Francesco J. , Lydon John P. , Kraus W. Lee
Published: September 2021

Significance

This study identifies an unknown role for PARP-1 and PARP-2 in mediating pregnancy success. Utilizing a combination of mouse genetic models, pharmacological inhibitors, and histological and transcriptomic analysis, we identified roles for PARPs and ADP ribosylation (ADPRylation) during the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. We show that the absence of PARP-1 and PARP-2 augments the DNA damage response during early pregnancy, presumably by ADPRylating substrate proteins, culminating in aberrant decidualization and ultimately pregnancy failure. These findings could be leveraged to develop contraceptives or as biomarkers of uterine receptivity and stromal cell decidualization.
Simple sufficient condition for subspace to be completely or genuinely entangled
Authors: Demianowicz Maciej , Rajchel-Mieldzioć Grzegorz , Augusiak Remigiusz
Published: September 2021

We introduce a simple sufficient criterion, which allows one to tell whether a subspace of a bipartite or multipartite Hilbert space is entangled. The main ingredient of our criterion is a bound on the minimal entanglement of a subspace in terms of entanglement of vectors spanning that subspace expressed for geometrical measures of entanglement. The criterion is applicable to both completely and genuinely entangled subspaces. We explore its usefulness in several important scenarios. Further, an entanglement criterion for mixed states following directly from the condition is stated. As an auxiliary result we provide a formula for the generalized geometric measure of entanglement of the d-level Dicke states.
Looking for extra dimensions in the observed quasi-periodic oscillations of black holes
Authors: Banerjee Indrani , Chakraborty Sumanta , SenGupta Soumitra
Published: September 2021

Quasi-periodic oscillations, often present in the power density spectrum of accretion disk around black holes, are useful probes for the understanding of gravitational interaction in the near-horizon regime of black holes. Since the presence of an extra spatial dimension modifies the near horizon geometry of black holes, it is expected that the study of these quasi-periodic oscillations may shed some light on the possible existence of these extra dimensions. Intriguingly, most of the extra dimensional models, which are of significant interest to the scientific community, predicts the existence of a tidal charge parameter in black hole spacetimes. This tidal charge parameter can have an overall negative sign and is a distinctive signature of the extra dimensions. Motivated by this, we have studied the quasi-periodic oscillations for a rotating braneworld black hole using the available theoretical models. Subsequently, we have used the observations of the quasi-periodic oscillations from available black hole sources, e.g., GRO J1655-40, XTE J1550-564, GRS 1915 + 105, H 1743 + 322 and Sgr A* and have compared them with the predictions from the relevant theoretical models, in order to estimate the tidal charge parameter. It turns out that among the 11 theoretical models considered here, 8 of them predict a negative value for the tidal charge parameter, while for the others negative values of the tidal charge parameter are also well within the 1-σ confidence interval.
Comparison Between Maximum Annual and Peak Over Threshold Methods for the Determination of Extreme Waves in Moroccan Atlantic Coast
Authors: Bakali H , Serhir N , Aouiche I
Published: September 2021

In this article, we present a study that focuses on forecasting the one hundred-years return period waves height using two methods; i) Peak Over Threshold (POT) and ii) Annual Maxima (MA). The analysis is carried out at three points at the Atlantic coast of northern Morocco. The results obtained by these two methods indicate a difference of less than 10 % and have shown that to ensure safe dimensioning of maritime structures, the application of the two statistical methods is necessary. This is explained by the drawbacks encountered in both methods. In the MA method, the inconvenience is linked to the choice of non-extreme events when no significant storm is recorded during one year, furthermore, the non-consideration of important events recorded in other year. In the second method (POT), the difficulty consists in the uncertainty of the calculations by the POT method due to the mistrust associated with the choice of the censoring threshold.
Prospects for the Cultivation of Vicia Sativa L. in Mixed Crops on Green Manure in Novgorod Region
Authors: Ambartsumova K A
Published: September 2021

Interest in the cultivation of mixed crops increases every year in proportion to the growth of the appearance of problems associated with the deterioration of soil fertility, the rise in the cost of resources and the strengthening of weather anomalies in the country. The problem of decreasing soil fertility and the continuing increase in prices for mineral fertilizers will eventually lead to the introduction of alternative methods of accumulating humus in the soil using low-cost technologies in forage production. In our country, in which the path of intensive development of animal husbandry has been chosen as the main industry in agriculture, feed should make up 80% of all products obtained from agriculture. Studies on the cultivation of vetch (Vicia sativa L.) for green manure purposes have shown that thanks to the deep root system of the vetch-green manure, the soil loosens naturally without the need to dig up arable land. Rotting in the ground, the root leaves empty areas filled with water and air. The conducted studies of the use of vetch in mixed crops for green manure purposes allow recommending joint sowing 1:1 (through a row) vetch with oats as an alternative way to single-species sowing of vetch.
Differentiated Fertilization in the System of Precision Farming on the Complex of Gray Forest Soils in Vladimir Opolye
Authors: Korchagin A A , Mazirov M A , Shchukin I M , Shchukina W I , Petrosyan R D , Shilov P M
Published: September 2021

The studies were carried out in a long-term stationary field experiment from 1997 to 2008 on gray forest soils of Vladimir Opolye. The soils of Vladimir Opolye are distinguished by a high complexity and heterogeneity of the soil cover. The higher potential fertility is possessed by the soils with the 2nd humus horizon, the lower–by the gray forest non-podzolized soils. This heterogeneity leads to the “variegation” of crop yields. As a result of the experiment, it was established that when applying high doses of mineral fertilizers, the content of mobile phosphorus and exchangeable potassium increases, but the physicochemical and chemical properties of the soil deteriorate. Exchangeable and hydrolytic acidity increases, and the humus content decreases. This leads to a decrease in crop yields. The use of differentiated doses of fertilizers–low on soils with a 2nd humus horizon and high on gray forest and podzolized soils–will make it possible to achieve an even yield of agricultural crops, reduce the unproductive costs of mineral fertilizers and improve the ecological state of agricultural landscapes.
Environmental Innovations in the Construction of Social Infrastructure Facilities in Agricultural Holdings
Authors: Sergienko O I , Dmitrieva A P , Agakhanants P F , Tereshchenko O V , Yulmetova R F , Ulyanov N B
Published: September 2021

The article considers the problem of building social infrastructure facilities in agricultural holdings and proves that the use of environmental innovations in the construction of such facilities not only leads to a reduction in resource and carbon intensity, but also provides a social and environmental effect due to informing and educating the population. Environmental innovations in the construction of social facilities can be used for the purposes of environmental education and training of not only children but also adults through open lessons, thematic lectures and demonstrations of sustainable construction techniques. As an example, we present the results of comparative evaluation of carbon footprint of the school building project with kindergarten and cultural and leisure center made of traditional monolithic reinforced concrete structures and 3D polystyrene foam panels, obtained with SimaPro 9.1.1.1 software. It is shown that the use of innovative construction technology leads to a reduction of the carbon footprint in the life cycle of a building by 1.5 times compared to traditional technology.
Variability of the Generative Function of Bulls of Different Breeds and Their Tolerance in Connection with the Change in the Lunar Phases
Authors: Shestakov V M , Ermoshina E V , Korolev V B , Pimkina T N , Koroleva E V
Published: September 2021

It was revealed that the Moon, being in its full phase, affects the quality of the ejaculate of sire bulls; there is an increase in the activity of spermatozoa in the ejaculate of all tested bulls, as a whole and separately for each line. A significant increase in the activity of sperm cells in the ejaculate from 8.4 points in the new moon to the maximum activity of 8.65 points in the full moon was revealed. The highest rate of sperm production was revealed in bulls in the full moon phase up to 6.2 ml of ejaculate, which is 16.1% higher than the smallest volume of ejaculate equal to 5.2 ml obtained in the new moon phase (P <0.001). The average indicator for sire bulls in terms of the concentration of sperm in the ejaculate was the maximum in the full moon phase - 1.18 bln/ml. That significantly exceeded the indicators of sperm concentration in the new moon and last quarter stage by 0.18 and 0.1 bln/ml, respectively, with a fairly high degree of variability of this feature of 31.8 … 39.4%. The unequal ability to adapt to changing conditions of a space nature in animals of different breeds and lines has been established. The Montvik Chieftain 95679 bulls were less tolerant. The Siling Traijune Rokita sire bulls proved to be more tolerant. Sperm production in bulls of this line was more stable. With age, sires of all lines become more sensitive to the changing lunar phases. The greatest dependence is seen in the bulls of the Simmental breed.
Adaptation of Sorghum Crops in the North-West of the Non-Black Earth Zone
Authors: Shkodina E P , Lashkova T B , Bevz S Ya
Published: September 2021

The article addresses the issue of whether it is possible to grow thermophilic crops of the sorghum family for forage purposes in the North-west zone. For 4 years of research, a high degree of adaptation of the plants to growing conditions and their ecological plasticity, declared in the characteristics of the studied crops, have been confirmed. It has been found that the lack of heat in the zone of excessive moisture and long daylight hours is the main limiting factor that has a direct effect on both the duration of interstage periods and the height and yield of green mass of the plants. Even under extreme conditions of acute heat deficit, sorghum crops have been able to form a full-fledged harvest of green mass. The sum of active temperatures in the zone is not enough for the sorghum to complete the full development cycle.
Nutrient Medium Composition Optimization to Obtain Seed Progeny of Phalaenopsis (Phalaenopsis × Hybridum Blume)
Authors: Voronina A V , Vishnyakova A V , Mironov A A , Ushanov A A , Zubko O N , Lvova A D , Nguyen M L , Monakhos S G
Published: September 2021

Seed propagation of phalaenopsis is carried out by sowing seeds on artificial nutrient media. In the work, the influence of the basic composition of the nutrient medium, the addition of liquid endosperm of coconut, activated carbon, growth regulators and sucrose concentration on the germination of seeds and the effectiveness of the formation of seed progeny plants was studied. The best result was obtained by cultivating seeds on a B5 nutrient medium supplemented with 35 g/l of sucrose and 7 g/l of agar and amounted to 92.1% of germination and 34.4% of mature plants.
Diversity in nonlinear responses to soil moisture shapes evolutionary constraints in Brachypodium
Authors: Monroe J Grey , Cai Haoran , Des Marais David L
Published: September 2021

Water availability is perhaps the greatest environmental determinant of plant yield and fitness. However, our understanding of plant-water relations is limited because—like many studies of organism-environment interaction—it is primarily informed by experiments considering performance at two discrete levels—wet and dry—rather than as a continuously varying environmental gradient. Here, we used experimental and statistical methods based on function-valued traits to explore genetic variation in responses to a continuous soil moisture gradient in physiological and morphological traits among 10 genotypes across two species of the model grass genus Brachypodium. We find that most traits exhibit significant genetic variation and nonlinear responses to soil moisture variability. We also observe differences in the shape of these nonlinear responses between traits and genotypes. Emergent phenomena arise from this variation including changes in trait correlations and evolutionary constraints as a function of soil moisture. Our results point to the importance of considering diversity in nonlinear organism-environment relationships to understand plastic and evolutionary responses to changing climates.
Evaluation of albendazole efficiency and complications in patients with pulmonary hydatid cyst
Authors: Aydin Yener , Ulas Ali Bilal , Ince Ilker , Kalin Asli , Can Fatma Kesmez , Gundogdu Betul , Kasali Kamber , Kerget Bugra , Ogul Yasemin , Eroglu Atilla
Published: September 2021

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the efficacy and complications of albendazole use after surgery in patients with pulmonary hydatid cysts.

METHODS

One hundred fifty-three consecutive patients who met the study criteria out of 215 patients who received prophylaxis with albendazole after surgery for isolated pulmonary hydatid cysts in our clinic between January 2011 and December 2020 were analysed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Eighty-six out of 153 (56.2%) of cases were male and 67 (43.8%) were female. The average age was 24.6 ± 17.4 (between 3 and 71 years), 76 of them (49.7%) were 18 years old and younger, while 77 (50.3%) were adults. All cases were approached transthoracically and a total of 170 operations were performed on the 153 cases. Fever, weakness and dizziness were reported in only one patient who was given albendazole treatment. A partial increase in liver enzymes was observed in 16 cases (10.5%) after albendazole treatment. Mild leukopoenia and neutropenia were observed in only one of the cases. In 1 case, a second operation was performed 30 months later due to recurrence. Albendazole treatment was not required to be discontinued in any of the cases. Mortality was not observed in any of the cases. Factors such as mean age, cyst size and hospitalization period did not have a statistically significant effect on any changes in liver enzymes tests following albendazole therapy (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Albendazole treatment can safely be used for postoperative prophylaxis in patients with pulmonary hydatid cysts in a controlled manner without causing serious complications.

Subj collection

152.
Effects of chiral MIT boundary conditions for a Dirac particle in a box
Authors: Rohim Ar , Yamamoto Kazuhiro
Published: September 2021

We investigate the effects of the chiral MIT boundary conditions for a Dirac particle in a 1D box. We show how the boundary condition affects the discrete momentum, energy level, transition frequency, and spin state in a box. The effects of the chiral MIT boundary conditions on the probability and scalar densities are also demonstrated. The results show that an asymmetric distribution appears in the box depending on the parameters of the spin orientation and chiral angle.
Tracy–Widom method for Jánossy density and joint distribution of extremal eigenvalues of random matrices
Authors: Nishigaki Shinsuke M
Published: September 2021

The Jánossy density for a determinantal point process is the probability density that an interval $I$ contains exactly $p$ points except for those at $k$ designated loci. The Jánossy density associated with an integrable kernel $\mathbf{K}\doteq (\varphi(x)\psi(y)-\psi(x)\varphi(y))/(x-y)$ is shown to be expressed as a Fredholm determinant $\mathrm{Det}(\mathbb{I}-\tilde{\mathbf{K}}|_I)$ of a transformed kernel $\tilde{\mathbf{K}}\doteq (\tilde{\varphi}(x)\tilde{\psi}(y)-\tilde{\psi}(x)\tilde{\varphi}(y))/(x-y)$. We observe that $\tilde{\mathbf{K}}$ satisfies Tracy and Widom’s criteria if $\mathbf{K}$ does, because of the structure that the map $(\varphi, \psi)\mapsto (\tilde{\varphi}, \tilde{\psi})$ is a meromorphic $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})$ gauge transformation between covariantly constant sections. This observation enables application of the Tracy–Widom method [7] to Jánossy densities, expressed in terms of a solution to a system of differential equations in the endpoints of the interval. Our approach does not explicitly refer to isomonodromic systems associated with Painlevé equations employed in the preceding works. As illustrative examples we compute Jánossy densities with $k=1, p=0$ for Airy and Bessel kernels, related to the joint distributions of the two largest eigenvalues of random Hermitian matrices and of the two smallest singular values of random complex matrices.
Genome Sequence Resource for Colletotrichum viniferum, the Cause of Grapevine Ripe Rot in China
Authors: Dou Mengru , Hao Yu , Yang Jing , Yuan Xiaojian , Yin Xiao , Jiao Yuntong , Zhao Jiahe , Chen Tingting , Wang Yuejin , Xu Yan
Published: September 2021

Grape ripe rot is an important disease that has seriously damaged the yield and quality of grape worldwide. The disease is caused by Colletotrichum viniferum, a hemibiotrophic fungus that belongs to the Glomerellaceae family of Sordariomycetes class. Here, we present the genome of C. viniferum CvYL2a from grape, based on Illumina HiSeq 2500 and PacBio RS II. The high-quality genome consists of 70 contigs with a 73.41 Mb genome size and encodes 14,668 protein-coding genes. These genes were annotated using Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, EuKaryotic Orthologous Groups, Nonredundant Protein, and Swiss-Prot databases. In addition, we identified a series of genes involved in pathogenicity, including 909 carbohydrate-active enzymes, 67 secondary metabolite gene clusters, and 307 cytochrome P450 enzymes. This genome sequence provides a valuable reference for research on grape–C. viniferum interactions, the pathogenesis of C. viniferum, and comparative genome analyses.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
How an Online Teaching Community Supports and Equips Interprofessional Graduate Faculty
Authors: Pearce Michelle J. , Cestone Christina
Published: September 2021

Introduction:

Learning communities have been shown to help strengthen teaching skills, innovation, and scholarship. We sought to understand the impact of an online teaching community among interprofessional graduate faculty at a health professions university, notably in the context of COVID-19.

Methods:

The University of Maryland, Baltimore's Online Teaching Community (OTC) was created in 2019 to provide peer-to-peer faculty support and resources for effective online teaching. The OTC meets monthly, online, for a 1-hour informal discussion including a 30-minute topical presentation related to online teaching. A brief impact survey was completed in May 2020, as well as a live poll in January 2021.

Results:

Membership doubled after the first year; the OTC becoming particularly relevant after COVID-19, including individuals across seven professional schools on campus. Faculty reported enjoying the sense of community, feeling supported as an online instructor, and learning strategies and sharing resources for online instruction.

Discussion:

An OTC can support, unite, and equip interprofessional graduate faculty members to teach online. The OTC described may be a helpful model for developing and implementing OTCs on other campuses.