bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustainable development features of international business tourism
Authors: Okhrimenko Elena , Ergunova Olga
Published: July 2021

The authors have identified the features of the international business tourism development; analyzed the main business tourism segments. The authors provide the rationale that it is business tourism that has a huge impact on the level of income and the sustainability of economic development. Business tourism can be classified as a profitable and promising type of tourism. The authors consider the key factors influencing the development of international business tourism and the economy of the respective territory; the features of the MICE industry and its impact on business tourism. The characteristic features of international business tourism have been investigated and substantiated; the factors influencing the development of business tourism infrastructure in foreign countries have been identified. The authors conducted a study and a comparative analysis of the expenditure on organizing business tourism; revealed the specifics of the business tourism infrastructure in European countries; the authors studied and analyzed external business relations, increased business activity, the quality of business infrastructure at the regional level and their impact on the development of business tourism and the economy.
Research of doctors’ innovative KPIs of clinical diagnostic center in goal-setting sustainable development
Authors: Kashparov Dmitry , Kubina Natalya , Puryzhova Lyudmila , Kravchenko Irina , Kashparova Anastasia
Published: July 2021

Modern challenges have increased attention to the effective operation of medical institutions of various types. At first glance, the tools for achieving the goals of medical organizations have been studied and tested. However, the scientific description and research of the doctors’ KPIs of a polyclinic medical organization within in goal-setting sustainable development in the context of a changing situation with a pandemic has not been sufficiently clarified. The paper presents the current forms and systems of remuneration, KPIs for employees of polyclinic medical organization, as well as a study of the motivational components of the doctors at the Clinical Diagnostic Center (CDC) of Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (IKBFU), functional expectations (requirements) from the CDC management with subsequent development of innovative KPIs for doctors as a key category of employees of the research object. The results of the study make it possible to develop a methodology for calculating the integral indicator of KPIs with options for the concept of remuneration for doctors in CDC. The research includes a content analysis of the sources characterizing the current scientific and practical state of the formation and application of doctors’ KPIs. The basis of the study implies a comparison of the formulated tasks of CDC with the tasks of the doctors and their motivational components, followed by the formulation of indicators of doctors’ performance in the context of current forms and systems of remuneration of doctors in Russia and abroad. The continuation of the research in a practical aspect will be associated with developing and implementing the integral indicator of doctors’ KPIs in the approbation process. Future theoretical research is related to the formation of a methodological tool for a flexible system of remuneration for doctors based on changing challenges in goal-setting sustainable development
Storytelling and its potential in the development of tourist destinations in the post-pandemic age
Authors: Semenova Lyudmila , Klimova Tatiana , Bogomazova Irina
Published: July 2021

Information obtained from any source is forgotten after three days. The exception is the one that is of particular importance and is broadcast through stories. The ongoing transformation of the needs of tourists is reflected in the diversification of the tourist offer. In this regard, storytelling has received particular relevance and development. Storytelling technologies are the process of communicating information as a result of the use of stories and legends. The article analyzes the state and development prospects of the region as an attractive tourist destination, suggests a model for promoting a regional tourist destination based on storytelling. The development and comprehensive implementation of projects, taking into account the interests of all participants, will provide an opportunity to promote and develop the territory as an attractive tourist destination, which is of paramount importance in modern socio-economic conditions.
Healthy society as one of the main directions of the strategy for the development of sport in russia until 2030
Authors: Pyankova Svetlana , Arkalov Dmitriy
Published: July 2021

The article examines the Strategy for the development of physical culture and sports in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030 from the standpoint of assessing the target indicator “The share of citizens who systematically involve in physical culture and sports (in the total number of citizens who do not have contraindications and restrictions for physical culture and sports)”. Comparison with a similar indicator of the Strategy for the development of physical culture and sports in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2020 shows a positive trend, although the new Strategy states that statistical data differ within 15%. The work says that mass sport is the most attractive form of a healthy lifestyle in comparison with other areas in this area. The importance of resource provision, organization of feedback from the population and the use of the obtained data in the implementation of state policy in this direction are noted. The authors propose the use of methods that will make it possible to better plan tactical actions to achieve all the target indicators of the Strategy for the Development of Physical Culture and Sports in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030.
Value of the decision-making mechanism in business management
Authors: Fedorova Galina , Borisov Sergey , Zakharova Svetlana , Makarycheva Irina , Rusakova Tatyana
Published: July 2021

The article discusses the essence and significance of the decision-making mechanism in business management. Highlighted and given the characteristics of the main components of management decisions, which largely determine the assessment and selection of the optimum strategy for managing the activities of the organization. The assessment of the influence of the internal and external environment of the company both on the process of making a managerial decision and on the quality of the decision itself is given. The stages of the mechanism for making managerial decisions are investigated and, depending on the level of decision making, only the steps are considered that are required to solve the managerial problem. Methods or groups of methods are identified that are most effective at each stage of the process, both on the basis of assessing their advantages and disadvantages, and systematization and generalization of theoretical and practical experience. Studies have shown the dependence of the level of managerial potential, which determines the quality of decisions made, on the managerial level, professional competencies of the manager. It is concluded that it is required to use an integrated approach based on a systematic analysis of the assessment and selection of optimum business management methods at each stage of the business management decision-making process.
Supply Chain Management in a Global Pandemic
Authors: Sizov Pavel , Khmelnitskaya Zinaida
Published: July 2021

The article is devoted to the actual problems of supply chain management in the context of a pandemic. The difficulties faced by transport and logistics systems are considered in general. We described digital technologies, the timely introduction of which helped to maintain the sustainability of supplies, especially regarding the supply of food, personal hygiene and protection products, and medicines. The principles of testing the effectiveness of the implementation of digital technologies and methods in supply chain management were formulated. We proposed a methodology and a logical scheme, which enables to build and analyze a model of the network structure of supply chains, to identify “pain points” in supply chains to maintain the sustainability of the system. The practical approbation of the proposed approach was carried out.
Subnational economic complexity analysis: case-study of the Kaliningrad region
Authors: Roos Goran , Drok Tatiana E. , Novikova Anna , Farafonova Yulia
Published: July 2021

Currently, the economic complexity (EC) theory is of considerable relevance. Developed and rapidly developing countries invest heavily in research and development to increase their products complexity as it brings an economy’s competitiveness and revenues to a higher level. The article presents the main results of the 2017-2019 EC analysis of a Russian exclave, the Kaliningrad region, whose trade and production specialization have changed dramatically. The study relies on the data of the Atlas of Economic Complexity, the Federal Customs Service of Russia, the Kaliningrad Regional Customs. It applies the author’s method for “cleaning” the data. The key feature of the study is the incorporation of the regional data into the global trade statistics. The analysis reveals general trends towards an increase in capabilities in low complexity products. The paper emphasizes that the regional government needs to pursue an active sectoral policy aimed at increasing the economic complexity.
Optimization of the public procurement system from the standpoint of ensuring economic security
Authors: Kartavyh Ksenia , Chuchkalova Svetlana
Published: July 2021

The article discusses the main amendments to the Federal Law on the Contract System, which planned to be in force in 2021. The changes are aimed at simplifying and optimizing the system of state and municipal procurement. The paper analyzes the goals of improving the contract system. The definition of economic security in the field of public procurement is presented. The degree of influence of amendments to Federal Law No. 44-FZ on the economic security of the procurement system is disclosed.
Climate Policy and Ecological Modernization Processes in the Republic of Kazakhstan and Russia
Authors: Kovalev Yury , Burnasov Alexander , Stepanov Anatoly , Ilyushkina Maria
Published: July 2021

The article examines the climate policy of Russia and Kazakhstan in the period between the years 1990 and 2020. The position of the countries during the international negotiations on the formation of global climate regimes, the causes and factors affecting foreign and domestic climate policy are analyzed. The main actions and institutional changes in Russia and Kazakhstan aimed at the achievement of climate commitments are considered as well. Moreover, the key national programs on ecological modernisation of farms are discussed. The ecaluationt of the development level of various instruments of climate policy in both countries is provided. In conclusion the comparative scheme of climate activities in Russia and the Republic of Kazakhstan , designed by the authors, is presented.
Prospects for the development of the event industry in the context of the pandemic
Authors: Radygina Evgenia , Oshkordina Alla
Published: July 2021

The coronavirus pandemic in 2020 had a significant impact on all areas of economic activity. One of the most affected industries was the event industry. The organizers of the events faced external changes that required a radical restructuring of their activities and organizational structures. The analysis showed that most of the problems of the industry noted before the outbreak of the pandemic, and the restrictions imposed only revealed the need for their immediate solution. The article reflects the main measures taken by organizations to ensure anti-epidemic safety during events and when organizing the activities of employees, the most popular anti-crisis measures. The mechanisms taken by organizations are associated with a decrease in demand and the transition to the online space. In addition, there are trends that can influence the development of the event industry and related industries in the long term.
Experimental and numerical studies of stress fields of a branched polybutadiene in a flat die
Authors: Mezghani Abderrazak , Ben Moussa Ali
Published: July 2021

There is a growing body of laboratory and industrial evidence that the viscoelastic characteristics of molten polymers contribute to improving the efficiency of polymer extrusion molding. Understanding the behavior of molten polymers in manufacturing processes requires the qualitative and quantitative determination of flow kinematics and stress distribution. The optimization of forming processes and final properties of transformed products requires the mastery of high-performance simulation models. So, it is necessary to be able to correctly describe the non-linear rheological behavior of the molten polymers by appropriate constitutive equations and a relatively easy implementation in computer codes. In this work, experimental and numerical studies are performed to investigate the rheological behavior of branched polybutadiene into a two-dimensional channel of a capillary rheometer. The stress field in the flow was analyzed with a birefringence device to identify areas of stress concentration and to show its progress in different areas of the extrusion die. Also, we obtain the stress field with numerical simulations using ANSYS Fluent 16.0 as a solver and Gambit as a mesh generator. The power law model, or Ostwald-de Waele, adopted in this numerical study is a rheophysical approach used to simulate the rheological behavior of branched polybutadiene during extrusion molding. Furthermore, this numerical approach can be adopted for large flow rates where experimental study becomes very difficult.
Statements der 5 Mitglieder von OMT-Deutschland
Authors: Bretschneider Susan , Thiel Martin , Petzold Ronny , Pfäffle Uta , Zöller Matthias , Davies-Knorr Trisha , Baumgärtner Sandra , von Piekartz Harry
Published: July 2021

„Hands-on!“ heißt der Schwerpunkt dieser Ausgabe der MSK, in der Hands-on/Hands-off- Herangehensweisen debattiert werden. Arne Vielitz und Dr. Claus Beyerlein, beide Herausgeber der MSK, baten daher Vertreter/-innen der 5 Mitglieder der Dachorganisation OMT-Deutschland um ein Statement zu folgenden Fragen: Was beinhaltet die muskuloskelettale Physiotherapie für Sie? Wie sieht eine gelungene/zeitgemäße praktische Umsetzung/Anwendung aus? Wie sehen Sie die muskuloskelettale Physiotherapie in der Zukunft? Wo geht die Reise hin?

Die Statements der 5 auf diese Fragen sind in alphabetischer Reihenfolge geordnet.
Temperature dependence of the picosecond spin Seebeck effect
Authors: Kholid Farhan Nur , Hamara Dominik , Terschanski Marc , Mertens Fabian , Bossini Davide , Cinchetti Mirko , McKenzie-Sell Lauren , Patchett James , Petit Dorothée , Cowburn Russell , Robinson Jason , Barker Joseph , Ciccarelli Chiara
Published: July 2021

We performed temperature-dependent optical pump–THz emission measurements in Y3Fe5O12 (YIG)|Pt from 5 K to room temperature in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field. We study the temperature dependence of the spin Seebeck effect and observe a continuous increase as temperature is decreased, opposite to what is observed in electrical measurements, where the spin Seebeck effect is suppressed as 0 K is approached. By quantitatively analyzing the different contributions, we isolate the temperature dependence of the spin-mixing conductance and observe features that are correlated with the bands of magnon spectrum in YIG.
Vortex domain configuration for energy-storage ferroelectric ceramics design: A phase-field simulation
Authors: Cai Ziming , Zhu Chaoqiong , Wu Longwen , Luo Bingcheng , Feng Peizhong , Wang Xiaohui
Published: July 2021

The utilization of ferroelectrics in forms of ceramics, films, and composites toward energy-storage applications is of great interest recent years. However, the simultaneous achievement of high polarization, high breakdown strength, low energy loss, and weakly nonlinear polarization–electric field (P–E) correlation has been a huge challenge, which impedes progress in energy storage performance. In this work, a vortex domain engineering constructed via the core–shell structure in ferroelectric ceramics is proposed. The formation and the switching characteristics of vortex domains (VDs) were validated through a phase-field simulation based on the time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau kinetic equation. Benefiting from the smaller depth of a potential well in the energy profiles, the switching of VDs was much easier than that of conventional large-sized domains, which was found to be the origin of the lower coercive field, lower remanent polarization, and weaker nonlinear P–E correlation. Choosing BaTiO3 (BT) as a representative of ferroelectric ceramics, the shell fractions and permittivity values were varied in our phase-field simulation to optimize the energy storage performance. As a result, a large discharge energy of 6.5 J/cm3 was obtained in BT ferroelectric ceramics with a shell fraction of 5% and a shell permittivity of 20 under the applied electric field of 100 kV/mm, which is almost 140% higher than that with no shell structure. In general, the vortex domain engineering proposed in this work can serve as a universal method in designing high-performance ferroelectrics with simultaneous high breakdown strength, high discharge energy density, and high energy efficiency.
Stimulated emission in vicinity of the critical angle
Authors: Asane Joshua K. , Chowdhury Md G. R. , Khabir Kanij M. , Podolskiy Viktor A. , Noginov Mikhail A.
Published: July 2021

We have demonstrated amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) propagating along the planar interface between two adjacent dielectrics with slightly different refractive indexes. This emission originates from the leaky mode, fueled by optical gain in the low-index dielectric, that is outcoupled to the high-index dielectric in vicinity of the critical angle for total internal reflection. This led us to the observation of spectacular concentric rings of ASE emission occurring above the low and soft stimulated emission threshold. The results of our study can be used to develop novel miniature low-threshold stimulated emission sources and photonic circuits operating at optical frequencies.
Flow transition to turbulence and induced acoustics at Mach 6
Authors: Drikakis Dimitris , Ritos Konstantinos , Spottswood S. Michael , Riley Zachary B.
Published: July 2021

This paper presents the results of implicit large eddy simulation (iLES) and direct numerical simulation (DNS) for flow and acoustics for transitional and turbulent boundary layer over a flat plate at Mach 6. The DNS was about 50 times more refined grid-wise than iLES. Both DNS and iLES were performed using the same numerical schemes, initial and boundary conditions. We compare the different numerical approaches concerning the shape factor, momentum-thickness-based Reynolds number, heat flux on the wall, Reynolds stress, and near-wall acoustics. We perform pressure fluctuations spectral analysis and propose a predictive model. We show that iLES captures rather accurately the flow and acoustic characteristics in the turbulent region. Differences up to 5 dB occur between iLES and DNS in the transition region. iLES also shifts slightly further downstream the end of the transition and underpredicts the shear stress value peak. The iLES captures the near-wall acoustic spectrum roll-off accurately at low and medium frequencies. It underpredicts high frequencies' content due to grid constraints. Overall, iLES gives excellent results compared to the significantly more refined DNS. The results show that high-order numerical simulations can help adapt and validate semi-empirical models for the engineering design and acoustic loading on hypersonic structures.
Research and experimental verification of the characteristics of asymmetric multi-stage fluid guiding body piezoelectric pump
Authors: He Lipeng , Zhang Zheng , Zhou Jianwen , Hu Dianbin , Hou Yi , Li Qinggang , Cheng Guangming
Published: July 2021

Valveless piezoelectric pumps usually have less flow than valve piezoelectric pumps, but the valve piezoelectric pumps have some limitations, such as high cost, complex structure, and difficult installation. In order to solve the problem of the low flow rate of the valveless piezoelectric pump, a valveless piezoelectric pump with multi-stage fluid guiding bodies is proposed. Based on the structure and working principle of the piezoelectric pump, the forward energy loss equation is established, and analysis on parameters affecting the energy loss of the pump is then conducted. COMSOL Multiphysics is adopted to construct a two-dimensional model of velocity and von Mises stress distribution. The valveless piezoelectric pumps were then fabricated based on 3D printing technologies, and the prototypes were tested. The results show that the output performance of the pump is the best when the working voltage is 220 V, the frequency is 95 Hz, the length of the oblique arm of the fluid guiding body is 3.5 mm, the spacing is 9.05 mm, and the thickness is 0.1 mm. The maximum flow rate is 520.6 ml/min. In addition, the experimental results prove that the asymmetric fluid guiding body placed in the center of the pump chamber can improve the performance of piezoelectric pumps. This study extends the application of piezoelectric valveless pumps in micromechanical cooling.
Room-temperature spin–orbit magnetic fields in slightly misoriented (110) InGaAs/InAlAs multiple quantum wells
Authors: Nakanishi Koichi , Arikawa Ayuki , Saito Yasuhito , Iizasa Daisuke , Iba Satoshi , Ohno Yuzo , Yokota Nobuhide , Kohda Makoto , Ishitani Yoshihiro , Morita Ken
Published: July 2021

Spin–orbit (SO) magnetic fields caused by the Dresselhaus SO interaction in slightly misoriented (110) InGaAs/InAlAs quantum wells (QWs) are investigated using the time-resolved and spatially resolved optical Kerr rotation technique. The Dresselhaus SO magnetic field is directed along the in-plane in the (001) QWs and along the out-of-plane in the (110) QWs. On the contrary, in QWs grown on a slightly misoriented (110) substrate, the out-of-plane and in-plane components of the Dresselhaus SO magnetic field coexist. In this study, the strong out-of-plane and the in-plane SO magnetic fields peculiar to the misoriented (110) InGaAs QWs are revealed at room temperature by analyzing spatially resolved diffusion-driven spin precession dynamics with a diagonally applied external magnetic field. Based on the scan position dependence of the spin precession frequency induced by the SO magnetic field, the simultaneous observations of the out-of-plane and the in-plane SO magnetic fields are achieved and Dresselhaus SO parameter is extracted to be 1.9×10−12 eV m. This value accounts for the scan position dependencies with various magnetic fields and reveals the reliability of the extracted SO parameter.
Perspective on exchange-coupled quantum-dot spin chains
Authors: Kandel Yadav P. , Qiao Haifeng , Nichol John M.
Published: July 2021

Electron spins in semiconductor quantum dots are a promising platform for quantum-information processing applications because their quantum phase coherence can persist for extremely long times. Nearest-neighbor electron spins naturally interact with each other via Heisenberg exchange coupling. Heisenberg exchange coupling results from the interplay of the electrostatic confinement potential together with the Pauli exclusion principle, which requires that no two electrons can have the same quantum number. Exchange coupling enables a host of useful capabilities, including the generation of different types of qubits, multi-qubit gates, ways to increase connectivity in systems of quantum-dot spin qubits, and routes to explore intriguing many-body phenomena.
Magnetodielectric coupling and multi-blocking effect in the Ising-chain magnet Sr2Ca2CoMn2O9
Authors: Basu T. , Sakly N. , Pautrat A. , Veillon F. , Pérez O. , Caignaert V. , Raveau B. , Hardy V.
Published: July 2021

We have demonstrated magnetodielectric (MD) coupling in an Ising-chain magnet Sr2Ca2CoMn2O9 via detailed investigation of ac susceptibility and dielectric constant as a function of temperature, magnetic field, and frequency. Sr2Ca2CoMn2O9 consists of spin-chains made of the regular stacking of one CoO6 trigonal prism with two MnO6 octahedra. The (Co2+–Mn4+–Mn4+) unit stabilizes a (↑↓↑) spin-state along the chains that are distributed on a triangular lattice. This compound undergoes a partially disordered antiferromagnetic transition at TN ∼ 28 K. The dielectric constant exhibits a clear peak at TN only in the presence of an external magnetic field (H ≥ 5 kOe), evidencing the presence of MD coupling, which is further confirmed by field-dependent dielectric measurements. We argue that spatial inversion symmetry can be broken as a result of exchange-striction along each spin chain, inducing uncompensated local dipoles. At low temperatures, a dipolar relaxation phenomenon is observed, bearing strong similarities to the blocking effect typical of spin dynamics in this compound. Such a spin-dipole relationship is referred to as a “multiblocking” effect, in relation to the concept of magnetodielectric “multiglass” previously introduced for related materials.
Assessing rotation and solvation dynamics in ethaline deep eutectic solvent and its solutions with methanol
Authors: LaRocca Mary M. , Baker Gary A. , Heitz Mark P.
Published: July 2021

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence were used to investigate the solvation of coumarin 153 (C153) and coumarin 343 (C343) in methanol + ethaline binary solutions, a deep eutectic solvent composed of a 1:2 molar ratio choline chloride + ethylene glycol. In addition, time-resolved anisotropy decays were used to determine the solute’s rotational reorientation time as a function of viscosity. Measurements were made in solutions covering the entire range of mole fraction. Viscosity measurements were used to characterize the bulk solvent properties, and as expected, addition of methanol resulted in an decreased viscosity, showing an exponential decrease with mole fraction, up to ∼50-fold at xMeOH = 1.0. Probe rotational reorientation times were found to be biexponential at xMeOH < 0.3 for C153 and xMeOH < 0.5 for C343 and monoexponential at richer methanol content. In proportion to viscosity, C153 and C343 average rotation times decreased ∼30-fold from xMeOH = 0 to 0.9 and showed a power law dependence of ∼η0.85. Rotation times approached the stick boundary limit on dilution with methanol. Time-resolved Stokes shifts quantified the solvation dynamics and were nearly single exponential for C153 but were clearly biexponential for C343. Solvation times also tracked with viscosity according to a power law dependence, with exponents of 0.3 and 0.4 for C153 and C343, respectively. The dilution effect of methanol was not linear in proportion to the viscosity change and alone cannot account for the change in solvation. Dilution also showed a different correlation to solvation than did temperature variations to govern the viscosity change.
Selenium application influenced selenium biofortification and physiological traits in water-deficit common bean plants
Authors: Ravello Ruby Antonieta Vega , de Oliveira Cynthia , Lessa Josimar , Boas Lissa Vasconcellos Vilas , de Castro Evaristo Mauro , Guilherme Luiz Roberto Guimarães , Lopes Guilherme
Published: July 2021

Agronomic biofortification with selenium (Se) maybe employed to improve the nutritional value of food crops while increasing the plant’s tolerance to water deficit conditions. Although not essential for plants, Se may increase plant tolerance to water stress by boosting plants’ defence system activity. This study aimed to enrich common bean grains with Se and alleviate water deficit effects on common bean by applying Se to plants growing under greenhouse. Selenium was applied to soil at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg kg–1, under irrigated and water-deficit conditions. Antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, and APX), H2O2 content, gas exchange, and SPAD index were assessed in plant leaves, and Se and nutrient concentrations were determined in grains. Results showed that water deficit decreased photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and increased water use efficiency. Selenium did not influence SPAD index in leaves from pod formation to maturity stage but improved the plant defence system by decreasing H2O2 content. Increasing Se rates increased Se concentration in grains and leaves. At lower Se rates, mainly at 0.25 mg Se kg–1, under water deficit, the activities of SOD, CAT, and APX reached their maximum values, and H2O2 content was minimum without reducing biomass production and nutrients accumulation. The highest Se rate (2 mg kg–1) was detrimental, since it decreased biomass production and the plant defence system under water deficit. Conclusively, soil Se addition enriched common bean plants with Se and showed positive responses against water deficit when applied at lower rates.
Sustainable solutions to arsenic accumulation in rice grown in south and south-east Asia
Authors: Srivastava Sudhakar , Pathak Saurabh , Ponsin Montree , Hensawang Supanad , Chanpiwat Penradee , Yoeurn Chetra , Phan Kongkea
Published: July 2021

Widespread distribution, toxicity and exposure through rice and rice-based food products make arsenic (As) contamination of environment a serious issue. This review discusses various strategies that can be utilised to tackle the As problem in rice, and the socioeconomic impacts of the As problem. The countries of south and south-east Asia are renowned as hotspots of As contamination owing to occurrence and enrichment of As in soil and groundwater via natural biogeochemical weathering of rocks and As-enriched sediment. The irrigation of rice is mostly applied through the use of contaminated groundwater leading to high As accumulation in rice grains. The intensification of research to address the problem of As in rice has been seen in the past two decades. It has been realised that appropriate irrigation water management, which acts as a major driver of As chemistry in soil and As uptake and transport in plants, can be an easy and affordable solution. Further, balanced supplement of various nutrient elements like selenium (Se), silicon (Si), sulfur (S), nitrogen (N), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) has been found to impart dual benefits in terms of reduced As toxicity as well as enhance the nutritional quality of rice grains. Several other agronomic and biotechnological approaches, processing, and cooking methods of rice were found to have profound impacts on rice As and its speciation from farms to table.
Tracking the impacts of El Niño drought and fire in human-modified Amazonian forests
Authors: Berenguer Erika , Lennox Gareth D. , Ferreira Joice , Malhi Yadvinder , Aragão Luiz E. O. C. , Barreto Julia Rodrigues , Del Bon Espírito-Santo Fernando , Figueiredo Axa Emanuelle S. , França Filipe , Gardner Toby Alan , Joly Carlos A. , Palmeira Alessandro F. , Quesada Carlos Alberto , Rossi Liana Chesini , de Seixas Marina Maria Moraes , Smith Charlotte C. , Withey Kieran , Barlow Jos
Published: July 2021

Significance

Amazonia is experiencing an increase in the frequency of extreme droughts and wildfires. However, the duration of their impacts on plant mortality and carbon stocks are poorly known, and it is unclear whether impacts are amplified in forests with a history of previous human disturbance. We show that plant mortality rates remain above baseline levels for over 3 y in forests affected by drought and 2.5 y in forests affected by both drought and fire. A history of human disturbance led to greater plant mortality in forests simultaneously affected by drought and fire. Our assessment of an area covering 1.2% of the Brazilian Amazon shows that regional drought and fires can have globally relevant impacts on the world’s carbon balance.
Insect-mediated apparent competition between mammals in a boreal food web
Authors: Labadie Guillemette , McLoughlin Philip D. , Hebblewhite Mark , Fortin Daniel
Published: July 2021

Significance

Despite the growing recognition that indirect interactions within species networks can determine food web dynamics, empirical evidence remains rare. We demonstrate how the impact of insects on forest structure and composition can reverberate across trophic levels by altering apparent competition in a large-mammal food web subjected to timber extraction. Spruce budworm outbreaks initiated a flush in deciduous vegetation that benefited moose, which translated into apparent competition between moose and boreal caribou through wolf predation. Mortality risk of caribou became indirectly related to patterns of insect and human activities, with the ungulate experiencing higher risk when selecting stands severely infested by budworms and subsequently logged. We expose cascading effects of insect–forest interactions on large-mammal relations in human-altered ecosystems.
Widespread remodeling of the m
6
A RNA-modification landscape by a viral regulator of RNA processing and export
Authors: Srinivas Kalanghad Puthankalam , Depledge Daniel P. , Abebe Jonathan S. , Rice Stephen A. , Mohr Ian , Wilson Angus C.
Published: July 2021

Significance

Herpes simplex virus infections cause painful lesions, blindness, and viral encephalitis. At the cellular level, infection causes a dramatic shutdown of host gene expression, allowing the virus to monopolize the transcriptional and translational machinery. One of the viral proteins responsible is ICP27, which disrupts cellular RNA processing, leading to nuclear accumulation and accelerated turnover of aberrant pre-mRNAs. ICP27 also facilitates nucleocytoplasmic export of viral messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Recent studies establish that the RNA modification
N
6
-methyladenosine (m
6
A) also regulates mRNA biogenesis, export, stability, and translation. Here, we show that the m
6
A pathway becomes progressively less important for viral gene expression as the infection cycle progresses and that ICP27 disrupts the m6A pathway through redistribution of nuclear methyltransferase components into the cytoplasm.
Achieving industrial ammonia synthesis rates at near-ambient conditions through modified scaling relations on a confined dual site
Authors: Wang Tao , Abild-Pedersen Frank
Published: July 2021

Significance

The Haber–Bosch process is of significance in producing fertilizer for agricultural needs and to avoid worldwide mass starvation. Designing a state-of-the-art catalyst to achieve a mild-condition Haber–Bosch process represents a great challenge because it consumes 1 to 2% of annual energy usage worldwide. We propose a theoretical strategy with a confined dual site to achieve an ammonia synthesis rate two to three orders of magnitude higher than the commercial Ru catalyst under the same reaction conditions. This work will open pathways for developing catalysts for the Haber–Bosch process that can operate under milder conditions.
Contrastive semantics of human locomotion verbs
Authors: Kudrnáčová Naděžda
Published: July 2021

This paper is a contribution to a hitherto unexplored area in English-Czech contrastive semantics. It examines
differences in the construal of walking, the most prototypical type of human locomotion. Based on the data from
InterCorp, a synchronic parallel translation corpus, it presents a cognitive oriented analysis of the
semantics of English walk and its nearest Czech counterparts, i.e. jít and
kráčet. Despite their apparent commonalities, the verbs in question do not construe walking in the same way.
In contrast to jít, the construal of a motion situation in walk and kráčet
involves focus on leg movements and bodily position, amounting to a marked segmentation of the motion into individual quanta.
Focus on leg movements and verticality of the body is even more pronounced in kráčet, which can then serve an
evaluative function; such a possibility is not open for walk. Walk thus occupies an intermediate position between
the two verbs.
The near-synonymy of classifiers and construal operation
Authors: Dosedlová Aneta , Lu Wei-lun
Published: July 2021

This paper investigates the near-synonymy of classifiers, using Chinese kē and
zhū as illustration. We find that in [quantifier] – [classifier] – [noun], the two classifiers have
overlapping semantic prototypes due to their similar behavioral profiles. However, despite a shared functional core, the two
classifiers diverge in terms of which part of plant to profile. In particular, zhū highlights parts of
plant that are small and vulnerable, such as flowers and seedlings. In addition, small is another important
conceptual characteristic exclusively associated with zhū, which gives it a distinctive set of peripheral members
to include in that particular linguistic category, including mold, bacterium, and even biological and
chemical substance. Another important difference is the quantifier that precedes, where kē tends to
occur with lower numbers (typically under 10), while zhū with higher numbers (typically over 1,000). Accordingly,
we conclude that [quantifier] – [zhu] – [noun] tends to invoke a higher-resolution construal.
Translator autonomy in the age of behavioural data
Authors: Nunes Vieira Lucas , Ragni Valentina , Alonso Elisa
Published: July 2021

Translation behaviour is increasingly tracked to benchmark productivity, to calculate pay or to automate project
management decisions. Although in many cases these practices are commonplace, their effects are surprisingly under-researched.
This article investigates the consequences of activity tracking in commercial translation. It reports on a series of focus-group
interviews involving sixteen translators who used productivity tools to independently monitor their work for a period of sixteen
weeks. Our analysis revealed several ways in which the act of tracking activity can itself influence translators’ working
practices. We examine translators’ conceptualisations of productivity and discuss the findings as a matter of translator autonomy.
The article calls for further awareness of individual and collective consequences of monitoring translation behaviour. Although in
some contexts translators found activity tracking to be useful, we argue that client-controlled tracking and translator autonomy
are in most cases incompatible.
Stripe-yz magnetic order in the triangular-lattice antiferromagnet KCeS2
Authors: Kulbakov Anton A , Avdoshenko Stanislav M , Puente-Orench Inés , Deeb Mahmoud , Doerr Mathias , Schlender Philipp , Doert Thomas , Inosov Dmytro S
Published: July 2021

Yb- and Ce-based delafossites were recently identified as effective spin-1/2 antiferromagnets on the triangular lattice. Several Yb-based systems, such as NaYbO2, NaYbS2, and NaYbSe2, exhibit no long-range order down to the lowest measured temperatures and therefore serve as putative candidates for the realization of a quantum spin liquid. However, their isostructural Ce-based counterpart KCeS2 exhibits magnetic order below T
N = 400 mK, which was so far identified only in thermodynamic measurements. Here we reveal the magnetic structure of this long-range ordered phase using magnetic neutron diffraction. We show that it represents the so-called ‘stripe-yz’ type of antiferromagnetic order with spins lying approximately in the triangular-lattice planes orthogonal to the nearest-neighbor Ce–Ce bonds. No structural lattice distortions are revealed below T
N, indicating that the triangular lattice of Ce3+ ions remains geometrically perfect down to the lowest temperatures. We propose an effective Hamiltonian for KCeS2, based on a fit to the results of ab initio calculations, and demonstrate that its magnetic ground state matches the experimental spin structure.
Waves in strongly nonlinear Gardner-like equations on a lattice
Authors: Rosenau Philip , Pikovsky Arkady
Published: July 2021

We introduce and study a family of lattice equations which may be viewed either as a strongly nonlinear discrete extension of the Gardner equation, or a non-convex variant of the Lotka–Volterra chain. Their deceptively simple form supports a very rich family of complex solitary patterns. Some of these patterns are also found in the quasi-continuum rendition, but the more intriguing ones, like interlaced pairs of solitary waves, or waves which may reverse their direction either spontaneously or due a collision, are an intrinsic feature of the discrete realm.
Green’s function approach to the Bose–Hubbard model with disorder
Authors: Souza R S , Pelster Axel , Santos F E A dos
Published: July 2021

We analyse the distinction between the three different ground states presented by a system of spinless bosons with short-range interactions submitted to a random potential using the disordered Bose–Hubbard model. The criteria for identifying the superfluid, the Mott-insulator, and the Bose-glass phases at finite temperatures are discussed for small values of the kinetic energy associated with the tunnelling of particles between potential wells. Field theoretical considerations are applied in order to construct a diagrammatic hopping expansion to the finite-temperature Green’s function. By performing a summation of subsets of diagrams we are able to find the condition to the long-range correlations which leads to the phase boundary between superfluid and insulating phases. The perturbative expression to the local correlations allows us to calculate an approximation to the single-particle density of states of low-energy excitations in the presence of small hopping, which characterizes unambiguously the distinction between the Mott-insulator and the Bose-glass phases. We obtain the phase diagram for bounded on-site disorder. It is demonstrated that our analysis is capable of going beyond the mean-field theory results for the classification of these different ground states.
Radiation effects in a SPACIROC2 ASIC and long-term reliability
Authors: Placinta V.M. , Cojocariu L.N. , de La Taille C. , Blin-Bondil S. , Mattiazzo S. , Silvestrin L. , Candelori A. , Maciuc F.
Published: July 2021

The study presented in this paper outlines the measurements
done to evaluate the performance of the second version of the
SPACIROC ASIC in ionizing radiation environments using different
types of particle beams: ions, protons and X-rays. From ion beam
tests, the threshold linear energy transfer (LET) for SEU production
was restricted between (4.4 ± 0.4) MeV·cm2/mg and
(8.6 ± 0.8) MeV·cm2/mg. The corresponding
cross-section value for the latter is
(1.6-1.4
+4.18)· 10-6 cm2/device — with
asymmetric errors corresponding to 95% confidence level (CL) —
and (0.5-0.34
+0.6)· 10-5 cm2/device (CL 95%)
for a LET of 11.2 ± 1.1 MeV·cm2/mg. A cross-section
for high energy hadrons (HEH) above 20 MeV till about 1 GeV was
measured and we place the actual value in
0.32 ·
10-12 cm2/device–6 · 10-12 cm2/device
interval with a high CL of about 95%. A room-temperature annealing
process was observed and precisely measured over time, which
efficiently mitigates within few days all residual TID effects that
were induced at a very high dose rate of order of 100s rad/s. The
obtained results are extrapolated to a few accelerator and
space-based applications and we predict no major operational
impediments within the lifetime of these experiments.
Potential biocontrol of endophytic fungi against Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae causal agent of cocoa dieback on cocoa seedling
Authors: Membalik V , Asman A , Amin N , Bahar A K F
Published: July 2021

Endophytic fungi associated with cocoa are one of the effective agents to control plant pathogens on cocoa, including the fungus Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae. L. pseudotheobromae cause a significant disease on cocoa, cocoa dieback. The disease is considered an emerged disease on cocoa in Sulawesi, Indonesia. The research aimed to determine the effect of the endophytic fungi on L. pseudotheobromae on cocoa seedlings. This study used a randomized block design consisting of 6 treatments and 3 replications. Five different fungi isolates were used that belong to Aspergillus genera. The treatment is three isolates of endophytes fungi (isolate T2S2LT, T245LT, T645LT), Aspergillus isolates combination, and control (with and without pathogen). The results showed that the combination of isolates and T645LT isolate was the best treatment for suppressing necrotic symptoms (leaf spot) incidence and severity. Also, T645LT isolate performed well to inhibit leaf blight symptoms incidence severity. Meanwhile, the chlorotic symptom was reduced by isolates combination, followed by T2S2LT, T645LT, and T245LT. Endophytic fungi can potentially be an important option to control cocoa dieback disease.
Resistance validation of several chili peppers to anthracnose (Colletrothicum acutatum) isolate Sukabumi
Authors: Gunaeni N , Korlina E , Hamdayanty H , Gaswanto R
Published: July 2021

Anthracnose Colletrothicum acutatum is the most dominant and virulent disease that attacks hot pepper pants and can reduce yields. One of the ways to control anthracnose can use resistant varieties. The research objective was to ensure the resistance of the hot pepper lines to C. acutatum isolate from Sukabumi. Anthracnose isolates used C. acutatum from Sukabumi with a DNA band measuring 490 bp. The method used to test the resistance to anthracnose on hot pepper was by inoculating 5 ul of conidial suspension with a density of 5.0 × 105 as much as one injection per fruit. PR protein analysis was performed on anthracnose infected and healthy fruit. The results showed that: (1). Based on the morphology of the isolates, the top looks are white and gray, and beige, white, peach for the colony color is shown below. (2). C. acutatum isolates from Sukabumi were identified by PCR method with DNA bands measuring 490 bp. (3). The results of validation of resistance to anthracnose C. acutatum with Sukabumi isolates obtained resistant lines: 2A (R-4), 4A (R-15), 4B (R-9), 6 (R-12), 7 (-13), 8 (R-14) with a lesion diameter less than 5 mm. (4). The absorbance value of peroxidase enzyme and protein content of anthracnose-resistant fruit was higher than that of susceptible fruit. (5). The results of the analysis of the protein band pattern profile on the PR-protein results showed that in certain molecular weight range thin and thick gene expressions were seen with molecular weights ranging between 37 kDa.
Low-cost Preparation of WO3/BiVO4 Nanocomposite Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation
Authors: Naqvi Syeda Qurat-Ul-Ain , Raza Syed Abbas , Soon Ying Woan , Liu Yeru , Jennings James Robert
Published: July 2021

Nanostructured WO3 electrodes coated with BiVO4 are known to be among the best performing BiVO4-based photoanodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting. However, record performance is only achieved using intricate and costly electrode fabrication processes; when lower-cost, more scalable methods are used, performance drops significantly. Here, we show that a low-cost successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method, which has received relatively little attention for the preparation of BiVO4, can be used to convert nanoporous WO3 films prepared by spin coating into high-performance WO3/BiVO4 photoanodes. After treatment with a cobalt phosphate co-catalyst, optimized WO3/BiVO4 photoanodes can reach water oxidation photocurrent densities of up to ~3.4 mA cm-2, with a photocurrent onset potential of ~0.56 V vs. RHE. Furthermore, an investigation by impedance spectroscopy showed that the electron diffusion length in both types of film is longer than the film thickness, which is an important requirement for an efficient nanostructured electrode. These results highlight the role that simple deposition methods such as SILAR can play in the preparation of nanocomposite photoanodes for PEC applications.