bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of surfactant on the hydrolysis of coconut husk using cellulase and xylanase enzyme immobilized on chitosan magnetic nanoparticles
Authors: Tiatira C , Hamzah A , Sangian H F , Widjaja A
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to investigate the effect of surfactant Tween 80 in the enzymatic hydrolysis of coconut husks by using immobilized cellulase from Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma reesei, and immobilized xylanase. Surfactant is common to enhance the yield of sugar in enzymatic process. However, its application in immobilized enzymes has not been well investigated. Coconut husk is an abundant resource of cellulose that can be converted to reducing sugar which can be utilized to produce various products such as biofuel, lactic acid, 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, and leluvinic acid. Chitosan magnetic nanoparticles as a support in the immobilization process were prepared using the coprecipitation method to obtain particles separated by magnetic field. Cellulase and xylanase were immobilized on magnetic particles through covalent bond directly and with Glutaral dialdehyde (GDA) as cross-linker. The immobilized cellulase and xylanase along with Tween 80 surfactants were applied for the hydrolysis of NaOH pre-treated coconut husk at 55°C for 48 hours. The reducing sugar content were identified with DNS methods. In this study, the highest reducing sugar content obtained from cellulase from A niger, cellulase from T reesei and xylanase were 0.412 mg/ml, 0.532 mg/mL and 1.166 mg/mL, respectively. The concentration of Tween 80 that yielding highest sugar concentration for immobilized cellulase from A niger, cellulase from T reesei and xylanase were 2%, 1% and 2% (w/v), respectively.
A mini-review of bio-scrubber derived from bacterial cellulose impregnated by flavonoid of moringa leaves
Authors: Sa’adah A N , Milyawan G N A , Nadya T , Silviana S
Published: January 2022

Scrubber is widely used in various products, such as cosmetics, facial cleansers, and soaps. The use of scrubber releasing 209.7 trillion microplastics would harm the environment due to lack of process in treatment facilities. Efforts to substitute plastic-based scrubbers with more environmentally friendly materials need to be made. In previous studies, substitution scrubber with grape seeds has been done but has a low viscosity. This problem may be solved by using bacterial cellulose (BC) in the manufacture of bio-scrubbers. Several methods are currently being investigated to produce bacterial cellulose microparticles, such as mechanical methods using high-pressure homogenizer (HPH), acid hydrolysis, microbial hydrolysis, hydrogel fiber cultivation, microfluidic process, and ultrasonication. This review recommends the manufacture of bacterial cellulose microparticles by ultrasonication method. The recommendation is based on the literature study that has been carried out. The ultrasonication method has more advantages than other methods. It does not use solvents that pollute the environment and increasing the number of bacterial cellulose microparticles. The synthesis of bio-scrubber from bacterial cellulose ends with the drying process of bacterial cellulose microparticles. This review recommends the ambient pressure drying method. The ambient pressure drying method can produce bio-scrubber with high crystallinity, high mechanical properties, and transparency.
Studies on the curing, tensile and adhesion characteristics of cushion gum to carcass in truck retreaded tires: the effect natural rubber types
Authors: Rahmaniar  , Susanto T , Marlina P , Prasetya H A , Purbaya M
Published: January 2022

In order to improve the quality of truck retreaded tyres, the cushion gum (CG) plays an important role as an adhesion medium to bond the carcass of the new tread to the worn old tyre. This study investigates the effect of natural rubber types such as reclaimed skimmed latex (RSL), ribbed smoke sheet (RSS), chloroprene (CR) and RSS added 10 phr of carbon black (CB) towards its CG performance in cold cure systems. The CG was compounded based on ASTM D3182 with 10 phr of Cumaroun Resin, 5 phr of Calcium Silicate, and other chemicals. The 4 types of CG were tested its physical and tensile properties. To determine the curing time, the rheological was analysed. The results show that the addition of carbon black may improve physical and tensile properties, excluding the elongation at break. It is found that the curing time of cushion gum based on SL rubber has the shortest duration. Each CG was applied to retreat the same type of truck’s worn tyres (1000R20). After surface modification, 5 mm of CG was bonded new same carcass the old surface and continued by heating in the autoclave chamber for 3 hours with pressure at 2 atm. The results show that the adhesion strength of cushion gum based on RSL; RSS; CR; RSS/CB is as follows: 13.64; 8.21; 8.04; 8.01 kN/m respectively, while the adhesion strength of commercial cushion gum is 15,38 kN/m. The spectra FTIR of each cushion gum convince that the less dispersion matrix compared to commercial cushion gum. To sum up, the RSL-NR is the recommended polymer for cushion gum compounding. However, in order to improve its quality, it is suggested to do some pre-treatment and increase the number of tackifier and processing oil in the formulation
Evaluation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production in thermophilic and mesophilic anaerobic digestion of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB)
Authors: Sanjaya A , Mondylaksita K , Millati R , Budhijanto W
Published: January 2022

Palm oil is one of the leading global commodities, and Indonesia is one of the largest palm oil producers in the world. One of the solid wastes generated from oil palm industrial activities is oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB). The annual accumulation of OPEFB in Indonesia is 126,317.54 tons/year, and it increases with increasing palm oil production. The cellulosic content of OPEFB is a potential substrate for anaerobic digestion to produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs). This study used chemical pretreatment (NaOH 8% w/V) for OPEFB delignification before the anaerobic digestion for VFAs production. Digested cow manure (DCM) was used as the inoculum. Process optimization of producing VFAs is challenging because VFAs act as intermediate products in the metabolic pathway of anaerobic digestion. In general, the temperature can affect the activity of hydrolytic and acidogenic facultative microorganisms. It increases the hydrolysis rate of organic polymers to more soluble forms and improves the performance of anaerobic reactors for the formation of VFAs. This study examines the effect of temperature on the anaerobic digestion process of OPEFB for VFAs production in a batch reactor. The temperature varied in mesophilic (29 °C) and thermophilic (55 °C) conditions. This study showed that anaerobic digestion in the thermophilic conditions produces almost thrice VFAs compared to the mesophilic process. The highest accumulation of VFAs in both reactors occurred on the seventh day, i.e., 3311.57 ± 89 mg.L−1 at ORP -163 ± 16 mV in the thermophilic reactor and 1307 ± 42 mg.L−1 at ORP -224 ± 32 mV in the mesophilic reactor. Acetic acid was the dominant VFA in each reactor. The VFA production in thermophilic reactor (RT) reached 59% of the stoichiometric potential. Although the thermophilic condition improves the VFA yield compared to the mesophilic condition, further study is still needed to increase the VFA production from OPEFB.
Subsurface flow constructed wetland model for phytoremediation of chromium from tannery wastewater using Echinodorus palaefolius
Authors: Prasakti L , Melyta D , Sarto  , Prasetya A
Published: January 2022

In the leather tanning process or tannery, Cr solution is usually used to modify leather properties. This results in Cr containing wastewater, which becomes a crucial issue. One promising method for removing Cr from tannery wastewater is by using subsurface flow constructed wetland (SSF-CW). A combination of adsorption and phytoremediation that occurs in the SSF-CW removes Cr from wastewater. In this research, the effect of vegetation and media on Cr removal was investigated. Echinodorus palaefolius was used as a phytoremediation agent, while wood charcoal and natural zeolite were used as media. The experiment was conducted in 4-different SSF-CW reactor configurations, namely CTT (wood charcoal-zeolite; no plant), CDT (wood charcoal-zeolite; with plant), ZDT (zeolite; with plant) and ADT (wood charcoal; with plant). Each reactor was filled with 70 L Cr contained water that was recirculated within the reactor for 15 days. Evidence revealed that Echinodorus palaefolius significantly increases the removal of Cr from wastewater, compared to that of without those plants (wood charcoal-zeolite medium only). Using an initial concentration of Cr of 2.05 mg/L, removal percentage is 63.7, 86.83, 70.37, and 83.05% for CTT, ZDT, ADT, and CDT, respectively. It is also found that zeolite media performed much better than charcoal. A combination of zeolite medium and Echinodorus palaefolius (ZDT) produced the highest Cr removal. In addition to that, despite its Cr intoxication indication, the Echinodorus palaefolius was able to grow/regenerate during the experiment.
Stress state of hydrotechnical facilities resistant to natural disasters
Authors: Nikolaev A P , Gureeva N A , Yushkin V N , Marchenko S S , Kiseleva R Z , Fomin S D
Published: January 2022

The equations of the theory of the stress-strain state of an elastic body for practical engineering structures of the agro-industrial complex do not have analytical solutions. Therefore, the development of numerical methods for determining the strength parameters of agricultural facilities is an urgent task. Among the numerical methods of strength calculations, the finite element method is currently widely used. In a Cartesian coordinate system, a finite element of a hexahedral shape is used to determine the stress-strain state of an elastic body under bulk loading in two formulations: in the formulation of the method of displacements with nodal unknowns in the form of displacements and their derivatives, and in a mixed formulation with nodal unknowns in the form of displacements and stresses. Approximation of displacements through nodal unknowns in obtaining the finite element stiffness matrix was performed using a form function, the elements of which were Hermite polynomials of the third degree. When obtaining the deformation matrix, displacements and stresses of the internal points of the finite element were approximated in terms of nodal unknowns using bilinear functions. The calculation example shows a significant advantage of using a finite element in a mixed formulation.
Improving the environmental safety of dairy products
Authors: Yu Kontareva V , Belik S N , Morgul E V , Kryuchkova V V , Gorlov I F , Slozhenkina A A , Mosolova N I
Published: January 2022

The authors studied the influence of prebiotic components on the biological value of enriched yogurt. Yogurt was produced by fermenting pasteurized normalized milk with yogurt starter containing freeze-dehydrated strains of Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis and lactose with the addition of a prebiotic complex containing an inactivated yeast culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, dietary fibers, vitamins, amino acids, macro- and microelements. The prebiotic complex was introduced at the stage of fermentation of the mixture, at a concentration of 1%, previously dissolved in milk at 38…42 °C. The amino acid content was determined; the aminoacid score, the utility of the aminoacid composition and the utility coefficient were calculated. It was established that the biological value of proteins of yogurt is characterized by their high content, balance of four essential aminoacids and presence of three limiting aminoacids. Enrichment of yogurt with a prebiotic complex slightly increased its biological value and the ability to absorb essential aminoacids. Therefore, it is impractical to use this component to increase the biological value of the protein of traditional products. The main function of the prebiotic component of the studied yogurt is to stabilize the intestinal microflora, which determines its functional significance.
Milk productivity and quality depending on the composition of the diet
Authors: Varakin A T , Ryadnov A A , Stepurina M A , Vorontsova E S , Datchenko O O
Published: January 2022

The aim of the research was to study the effect of using wet feed wheat grain harvested with sodium acetate in the diets of lactating cows instead of dried grain on milk productivity and milk quality. The content of crude protein in wheat grain at the natural humidity of the experimental variant was significantly higher than in the grain storage of the control variant prepared by the traditional method of canning - fire drying. The data of the experiment on lactating cows indicated that the inclusion of wet flattened wheat grain with sodium acetate in the diet instead of dried flattened grain had a positive effect on the dairy productivity of cows and milk quality. In comparison with the control group, the advantage of cows of the experimental group in terms of the average daily milk yield was 7.8%, and in terms of fat content by 0.21% and protein by 0.04%. The consumption of energy feed units per 1 kg of natural milk in the control group of cows was 1.02 and in the experimental group - 0.95 and the tested grain fodder – 290 and 269 g. The economic efficiency of milk production in the experimental group increased by 14.5%.
Using protein concentrate in livestock and poultry diets for sustainable agriculture
Authors: Nikolaev S I , Imangaliev A D , Batrakova Yu M , Shkalenko V V , Ryabova M A , Morozova E A
Published: January 2022

The paper presents the main results of the experiment on the use of high-protein concentrate “Gorlinka” in the diets of dairy cows and laying hens on their productive qualities. It was found that in terms of the main indicators of nutritional value (protein, fat, nitrogen-free extractives, ash elements), as well as in terms of amino acid composition and mineral substances, the studied concentrate surpasses the traditionally used in feeding farm animals and birds, oil cake and meal from sunflower seeds. The results of studies have shown that the groups of animals that received protein concentrate with the diet were in the lead. The use of protein concentrate “Gorlinka” in the feeding of dairy cows and laying hens increased the average daily milk yields of cows by 5.47-7.12%. There were also positive changes in the mass fraction of protein in milk by 0.03-0.04%, in dry matter by 0.04-0.09%, in the number of eggs laid by laying hens by 216-822 pieces, in the average egg weight by 0.77-1.66 g. Thus, the use of protein concentrate “Gorlinka” in feeding dairy cows and laying hens had a positive effect on the quality of the products (milk and edible eggs), while economic indicators improved.
The use of thin-walled structures for the sustainable development of agro-industrial systems and facilities
Authors: Klochkov Yu V , Nikolaev A P , Ishchanov T R , Sh Dzhabrailov A , Andreev A S , Yu Klochkov M
Published: January 2022

The issues of optimal use of strength resources of materials from which elements of thin-walled objects of the agro-industrial complex are made for the purpose of sustainable development of agricultural production are currently coming to the fore. In this regard, the development of modern algorithms for the numerical analysis of the processes of physically nonlinear deformation of thin-walled objects of agro-industrial complex of various sizes and shapes is becoming a rather urgent topic. The article proposes an algorithm for the finite element analysis of physically nonlinear deformation of thin-walled objects of the agro-industrial complex, taking into account the transverse shear, based on the hypotheses of the theory of plastic flow The element of discretization of the thin-walled object of the agricultural and industrial complex was a four-node fragment of its middle surface. The stiffness matrix of this sampling unit was obtained in the process of minimizing the Lagrange functional with respect to the sought nodal parameters, which were the components of the step vector of displacement and their first-order partial derivatives, as well as the components of the step vector of the angles of rotation of the normal.
Modeling potato yield statistics by using information technology for sustainable development
Authors: Darmanyan A P , Bogdanov S I
Published: January 2022

The potato yield statistics analysis and modeling in the Russian Federation according to the Federal State Statistics Service data for the period 2000-2020 was carried out. Based on the analysis of the autocorrelation function (Acf) as a mathematical model for modeling potato yield, the choice of a linear autoregressive model of the first order is justified. By using the multiple regression and correlation analysis methods, the parameters of the model were found, their statistical significance was proved, and the potato yield calculations proved the found model correspondence to real data for the period of 2002-2020.
Personalized 3D-printed anthropomorphic whole-body phantom irradiated by protons, photons, and neutrons
Authors: Tillery Hunter , Moore Meagan , Gallagher Kyle J , Taddei Phillip J , Leuro Erick , Argento David , Moffitt Gregory , Kranz Marissa , Carey Margaret , Heymsfield Steven B , Newhauser Wayne D
Published: January 2022

The objective of this study was to confirm the feasibility of three-dimensionally-printed (3D-printed), personalized whole-body anthropomorphic phantoms for radiation dose measurements in a variety of charged and uncharged particle radiation fields. We 3D-printed a personalized whole-body phantom of an adult female with a height of 154.8 cm, mass of 90.7 kg, and body mass index of 37.8 kg/m2. The phantom comprised of a hollow plastic shell filled with water and included a watertight access conduit for positioning dosimeters. It is compatible with a wide variety of radiation dosimeters, including ionization chambers that are suitable for uncharged and charged particles. Its mass was 6.8 kg empty and 98 kg when filled with water. Watertightness and mechanical robustness were confirmed after multiple experiments and transportations between institutions. The phantom was irradiated to the cranium with therapeutic beams of 170-MeV protons, 6-MV photons, and fast neutrons. Radiation absorbed dose was measured from the cranium to the pelvis along the longitudinal central axis of the phantom. The dose measurements were made using established dosimetry protocols and well-characterized instruments. For the therapeutic environments considered in this study, stray radiation from intracranial treatment beams was the lowest for proton therapy, intermediate for photon therapy, and highest for neutron therapy. An illustrative example set of measurements at the location of the thyroid for a square field of 5.3 cm per side resulted in 0.09, 0.59, and 1.93 cGy/Gy from proton, photon, and neutron beams, respectively. In this study, we found that 3D-printed personalized phantoms are feasible, inherently reproducible, and well-suited for therapeutic radiation measurements. The measurement methodologies we developed enabled the direct comparison of radiation exposures from neutron, proton, and photon beam irradiations.
Piezoresistive 3D graphene–PDMS spongy pressure sensors for IoT enabled wearables and smart products
Authors: Sengupta Debarun , Kamat Amar M , Smit Quinten , Jayawardhana Bayu , Kottapalli Ajay Giri Prakash
Published: January 2022

Recently, 3D porous graphene–polymer composite-based piezoresistive sensors have gained significant traction in the field of flexible electronics owing to their ultralightweight nature, high compressability, robustness, and excellent electromechanical properties. In this work, we present an improved facile recipe for developing repeatable, reliable, and linear 3D graphene–polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) spongy sensors for internet of things (IoT)-enabled wearable systems and smart consumer products. Fundamental morphological characterization and sensing performance assessment of the piezoresistive 3D graphene–polymer sensor were conducted to establish its suitability for the development of squeezable, flexible, and skin-mountable human motion sensors. The density and porosity of the sponges were determined to be 250 mg cm−3 and 74% respectively. Mechanical compressive loading tests conducted on the sensors revealed an average elastic modulus as low as ∼56.7 kPa. Dynamic compressive force-resistance change response tests conducted on four identical sensors revealed a linear piezoresistive response (in the compressive load range 0.42–2.18 N) with an average force sensitivity of 0.3470 ± 0.0794 N−1. In addition, an accelerated lifetime test comprising 1500 compressive loading cycles (at 3.90 N uniaxial compressive loading) was conducted to demonstrate the long-term reliability and stability of the sensor. To test the applicability of the sensors in smart wearables, four identical graphene–PDMS sponges were configured on the fingertip regions of a soft nitrile glove to develop a pressure sensing smart glove for real-time haptic pressure monitoring. Similarly, the sensors were also integrated into the Philips 9000 series electric shaver to realize smart shaving applications with the ability to monitor shaving motions. Furthermore, the readiness of our system for next-generation IoT-enabled applications was demonstrated by integrating the smart glove with an embedded system software utilizing the an open source microcontroller platform. The system was capable of identifying real-time qualitative pressure distribution across the fingertips while grasping daily life objects, thus establishing the suitability of such sensors for next-generation wearables for prosthetics, consumer devices, and personalized healthcare monitoring devices.
BenchML: an extensible pipelining framework for benchmarking representations of materials and molecules at scale
Authors: Poelking Carl , Faber Felix A , Cheng Bingqing
Published: January 2022

We introduce a machine-learning (ML) framework for high-throughput benchmarking of diverse representations of chemical systems against datasets of materials and molecules. The guiding principle underlying the benchmarking approach is to evaluate raw descriptor performance by limiting model complexity to simple regression schemes while enforcing best ML practices, allowing for unbiased hyperparameter optimization, and assessing learning progress through learning curves along series of synchronized train-test splits. The resulting models are intended as baselines that can inform future method development, in addition to indicating how easily a given dataset can be learnt. Through a comparative analysis of the training outcome across a diverse set of physicochemical, topological and geometric representations, we glean insight into the relative merits of these representations as well as their interrelatedness.
Graph neural network-based resource allocation strategies for multi-object spectroscopy
Authors: Wang Tianshu , Melchior Peter
Published: January 2022

Resource allocation problems are often approached with linear programming techniques. But many concrete allocation problems in the experimental and observational sciences cannot or should not be expressed in the form of linear objective functions. Even if the objective is linear, its parameters may not be known beforehand because they depend on the results of the experiment for which the allocation is to be determined. To address these challenges, we present a bipartite graph neural network (GNN) architecture for trainable resource allocation strategies. Items of value and constraints form the two sets of graph nodes, which are connected by edges corresponding to possible allocations. The GNN is trained on simulations or past problem occurrences to maximize any user-supplied, scientifically motivated objective function, augmented by an infeasibility penalty. The amount of feasibility violation can be tuned in relation to any available slack in the system. We apply this method to optimize the astronomical target selection strategy for the highly multiplexed Subaru Prime Focus Spectrograph instrument, where it shows superior results to direct gradient descent optimization and extends the capabilities of the currently employed solver which uses linear objective functions. The development of this method enables fast adjustment and deployment of allocation strategies, statistical analyses of allocation patterns, and fully differentiable, science-driven solutions for resource allocation problems.
Incorporating thermoelectric power plant water use into multi-objective optimal power flow
Authors: Kravits Jacob , Kasprzyk Joseph R , Baker Kyri , Stillwell Ashlynn S
Published: January 2022

Traditionally, power systems have been operated to minimize cost while maintaining reliability. However, extreme weather and demand events can affect traditional thermoelectric power generation operations due to their reliance on water for cooling. This paper contributes a novel multi-objective formulation of the optimal power flow (OPF) problem where cost, water withdrawal, and water consumption are minimized. Through this formulation, we assign optimization weights to water withdrawn and consumed, which can be directly incorporated into existing OPF formulations. We apply this formulation with a global mapping sensitivity analysis to a realistic case study to first demonstrate its general effectiveness under extreme climatic, hydrologic, and operational scenarios. Then, we apply a global ranking sensitivity analysis to determine the most influential generators for system performance. Through this operational scenario analysis framework, analysts can gain insights into potential system-level and component-level vulnerabilities within power systems. Such insights can be useful for informing both short-term operations as well as long-term power system planning.
Fast and stable augmented Levin methods for highly oscillatory and singular integrals
Authors: Wang Yinkun , Xiang Shuhuang
Published: January 2022

In this paper, augmented Levin methods are proposed for the computation of oscillatory integrals with stationary points and an algebraically or logarithmically singular kernel. Different from the conventional Levin method, to overcome the difficulties caused by singular and stationary points, the original Levin ordinary differential equation (Levin-ODE) is converted into an augmented ODE system, which can be fast and stably implemented with a cost of

O
(
n
log
⁡
n

O(n\log n

) by applying sparse and fast spectral methods together with the truncated singular value decomposition. The established asymptotics and convergence show that these schemes become more accurate as the frequency increases and are super-algebraically convergent. The effectiveness and accuracy were tested by numerical examples, showing perfect coincidence with the estimates.
A sharp discrepancy bound for jittered sampling
Authors: Doerr Benjamin
Published: January 2022

For

m
,
d
∈

N

m, d \in {\mathbb N}

, a jittered (or stratified) sampling point set

P
P

having

N
=

m
d

N = m^d

points in

[
0
,
1

)
d

[0,1)^d

is constructed by partitioning the unit cube

[
0
,
1

)
d

[0,1)^d

into

m
d

m^d

axis-aligned cubes of equal size and then placing one point independently and uniformly at random in each cube. We show that there are constants

c
>
0

c > 0

and

C
C

such that for all

d
d

and all

m
≥
d

m \ge d

the expected non-normalized star discrepancy of a jittered sampling point set satisfies
\[
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="c d m Superscript StartFraction d minus 1 Over 2 EndFraction Baseline StartRoot 1 plus log left-parenthesis StartFraction m Over d EndFraction right-parenthesis EndRoot less-than-or-equal-to double-struck upper E upper D Superscript asterisk Baseline left-parenthesis upper P right-parenthesis less-than-or-equal-to upper C d m Superscript StartFraction d minus 1 Over 2 EndFraction Baseline StartRoot 1 plus log left-parenthesis StartFraction m Over d EndFraction right-parenthesis EndRoot period">

c

d

m

d
−
1

2

1
+
log
⁡
(

m
d

)

≤

E

D
∗

(
P
)
≤
C

d

m

d
−
1

2

1
+
log
⁡
(

m
d

)

.

c \,dm^{\frac {d-1}{2}} \sqrt {1 + \log (\tfrac md)} \le {\mathbb E} D^*(P) \le C\, dm^{\frac {d-1}{2}} \sqrt {1 + \log (\tfrac md)}.

\]
This discrepancy is thus smaller by a factor of

Θ

(

(

1
+
log
⁡
(
m

/

d
)

m

/

d

)

1

/

2

)

\Theta \big (\big (\frac {1+\log (m/d)}{m/d}\big )^{1/2}\big )

than the one of a uniformly distributed random point set (Monte Carlo point set) of cardinality 

m
d

m^d

. This result improves both the upper and the lower bound for the discrepancy of jittered sampling given by Pausinger and Steinerberger [J. Complexity 33 (2016), pp. 199–216]. It also removes the asymptotic requirement that

m
m

is sufficiently large compared to

d
d

.
On a sharp inequality relating Yamabe invariants on a Poincare-Einstein manifold
Authors: Wang Xiaodong , Wang Zhixin
Published: January 2022

For a Poincare-Einstein manifold under certain restrictions, X. Chen, M. Lai and F. Wang [Adv. Math. 343 (2019), pp. 16–35] proved a sharp inequality relating Yamabe invariants. We show that the inequality is true without any restriction.
Taken to heart—arrhythmic potential of heart-leaf sida, a banned ephedrine alkaloid: a case report
Authors: Cheng Evaline , Hsiao Ruth , Feliciano Zenaida , Betancourt Jaime , Han Janet K
Published: January 2022

Background

Ephedra and ephedrine alkaloids were commonly used in herbal supplements before being prohibited by the European Commission and US Food and Drug Administration. However, ongoing, unknowing use by consumers can lead to potential adverse cardiovascular effects, such as arrhythmias.

Case summary

A 65-year-old-man with a history of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis status post-right single lung transplant was admitted for dizziness and resting tachycardia. Electrocardiogram showed a narrow complex, long R-P tachycardia with upright P-waves in lead V1. An initial workup suggested an arrhythmia associated with the consumption of an herbal supplement containing heart-leaf sida, a banned botanical ephedrine alkaloid. After the supplement was discontinued, the patient’s heart rate abruptly decreased without other intervention. Electrocardiogram showed a change in P-wave morphology in lead V1 from upright to biphasic (+/−) after conversion to normal sinus rhythm. Thus, a diagnosis of atrial tachycardia originating at or near the donor right superior pulmonary vein was favoured.

Discussion

Atrial tachycardia can be precipitated by the proarrhythmic effects of ephedrine alkaloids, especially in patients with underlying risk factors and susceptible atrial anatomical substrate post-lung transplantation. Despite being banned by the European Union and the USA, ephedrine alkaloids continue to be used in over-the-counter herbal supplements and may go undetected by consumers. Ongoing vigilance for ephedrine alkaloids, more rigorous regulation, and active patient education can help reduce potential cardiovascular adverse events.
Contrasting effects of genotype and root size on the fungal and bacterial communities associated with apple rootstocks
Authors: Liu Jia , Abdelfattah Ahmed , Wasserman Birgit , Wisniewski Michael , Droby Samir , Fazio Gennaro , Mazzola Mark , Wu Xuehong
Published: January 2022

The endophytic microbiome of plants is believed to have a significant impact on its physiology and disease resistance, however, the role of host genotype in determining the composition of the endophytic microbiome of apple root systems remains an open question that has important implications for defining breeding objectives. In the current study, the bacterial and fungal microbiota associated with four different apple rootstocks planted in April, 2018 in the same soil environment and harvested in May, 2019 were evaluated to determine the role of genotype on the composition of both the bacterial and fungal communities. Results demonstrated a clear impact of genotype and root size on microbial composition and diversity. The fungal community was more affected by plant genotype whereas the bacterial community was shaped by root size. Fungal and bacterial abundance was equal between different-sized roots however, significantly higher microbial counts were detected in rhizosphere samples compared to root endosphere samples. This study provides information that can be used to develop a comprehensive and readily applicable understanding of the impact of genotype and environmental factors on the establishment of plant microbiome, as well as its potential function and impact on host physiology.
Construction of a high-density genetic map based on specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing and identification of loci controlling anthocyanin pigmentation in Yunnan red radish
Authors: Tao Jing , Li Shikai , Wang Qian , Yuan Yi , Ma Jiqiong , Xu Minghui , Yang Yi , Zhang Cui , Chen Lijuan , Sun Yiding
Published: January 2022

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) belongs to the family Brassicaceae. The Yunnan red radish variety contains relatively large amounts of anthocyanins, making them important raw materials for producing edible red pigment. However, the genetic mechanism underlying this pigmentation has not been fully characterized. Here, the radish inbred line YAAS-WR1 (white root skin and white root flesh) was crossed with the inbred line YAAS-RR1 (red root skin and red root flesh) to produce F1, F2, BC1P1, and BC1P2 populations. Genetic analyses revealed that the pigmented/non-pigmented and purple/red traits were controlled by two genetic loci. The F2 population and the specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) technique were used to construct a high-density genetic map (1230.16 cM), which contained 4032 markers distributed in nine linkage groups, with a mean distance between markers of 0.31 cM. Additionally, two quantitative trait loci (QAC1 and QAC2) considerably affecting radish pigmentation were detected. A bioinformatics analysis of the QAC1 region identified 58 predicted protein-coding genes. Of these, RsF3′H, which is related to anthocyanin biosynthesis, was revealed as a likely candidate gene responsible for the purple/red trait. The results were further verified by analyzing gene structure and expression. Regarding QAC2, RsMYB1.3 was determined to be a likely candidate gene important for the pigmented/non-pigmented trait, with a 4-bp insertion in the first exon that introduced a premature termination codon in the YAAS-WR1 sequence. Assays demonstrated that RsMYB1.3 interacted with RsTT8 and activated RsTT8 and RsUFGT expression. These findings may help clarify the complex regulatory mechanism underlying radish anthocyanin synthesis. Furthermore, this study’s results may be relevant for the molecular breeding of radish to improve the anthocyanin content and appearance of the taproots.
Genomic population structure and local adaptation of the wild strawberry Fragaria nilgerrensis
Authors: Hu Yuxi , Feng Chao , Yang Lihua , Edger Patrick P , Kang Ming
Published: January 2022

The crop wild relative Fragaria nilgerrensis is adapted to a variety of diverse habitats across its native range in China. Thus, discoveries made in this species could serve as a useful guide in the development of new superior strawberry cultivars that are resilient to new or variable environments. However, the genetic diversity and genetic architecture of traits in this species underlying important adaptive traits remain poorly understood. Here, we used whole-genome resequencing data from 193 F. nilgerrensis individuals spanning the distribution range in China to investigate the genetic diversity, population structure and genomic basis of local adaptation. We identified four genetic groups, with the western group located in Hengduan Mountains exhibiting the highest genetic diversity. Redundancy analysis suggested that both environment and geographic variables shaped a significant proportion of the genomic variation. Our analyses revealed that the environmental difference explains more of the observed genetic variation than geographic distance. This suggests that adaptation to distinct habitats, which present a unique combination of abiotic factors, likely drove genetic differentiation. Lastly, by implementing selective sweep scans and genome–environment association analysis throughout the genome, we identified the genetic variation associated with local adaptation and investigated the functions of putative candidate genes in F. nilgerrensis.
The callus formation capacity of strawberry leaf explants is modulated by DNA methylation
Authors: Liu Decai , Mu Qin , Li Xianyang , Xu Sheng , Li Yi , Gu Tingting
Published: January 2022

Shoot regeneration from leaf tissue requires the de-differentiation of cells from a highly differentiated state into an actively dividing state, but it remains unclear how this physiological transition occurs and is regulated, especially at the epigenetic level. Here, we characterized the DNA methylome represented by 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in leaf and callus tissue derived from leaf explants of woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca. We detected an overall increase in DNA methylation and distinct 5mC enrichment patterns in the CG, CHG, and CHH sequence contexts in genes and transposable elements. Our analyses revealed an intricate relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression level in leaves or leaf-derived callus. However, when considering the genes involved in callus formation and shoot regeneration, e.g. FvePLT3/7, FveWIND3, FveWIND4, FveLOG4 and FveIAA14, their dynamic transcription levels were associated with differentially methylated regions located in the promoters or gene bodies, indicating a regulatory role of DNA methylation in the transcriptional regulation of pluripotency acquisition in strawberry. Furthermore, application of the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5′-azacytidine (5′-Aza) hampered both callus formation and shoot regeneration from the leaf explants. We further showed that 5′-Aza downregulated the expression of genes involved in cell wall integrity, such as expansin, pectin lyase, and pectin methylesterase genes, suggesting an essential role of cell wall metabolism during callus formation. This study reveals the contribution of DNA methylation to callus formation capacity and will provide a basis for developing a strategy to improve shoot regeneration for basic and applied research applications.
Primary care telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: patient’s choice of video versus telephone visit
Authors: Huang Jie , Graetz Ilana , Millman Andrea , Gopalan Anjali , Lee Catherine , Muelly Emilie , Reed Mary E
Published: January 2022

The aim of this study is to examine the association between patient characteristics and primary care telemedicine choice among integrated delivery system patients self-scheduling visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used multivariate logistic regression to examine the association between the choice of video versus telephone and patient sociodemographic characteristics and technology access among patient-initiated primary care telemedicine visits scheduled online from March to October 2020. Among 978 272 patient-scheduled primary care telemedicine visits, 39% were video visits. Patients of Black or Hispanic race/ethnicity, or living in low socioeconomic status or low internet access neighborhoods were less likely to schedule video visits. Patients 65 years or older, with prior video visit experience or mobile portal access, or visiting their own personal provider were more likely to schedule video visits. While video adoption was substantial in all patient groups examined, differences in telemedicine choice suggest the persistence of a digital divide, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a telephone telemedicine option.
Measuring intraoperative surgical instrument use with radio-frequency identification
Authors: Hill Ian , Olivere Lindsey , Helmkamp Joshua , Le Elliot , Hill Westin , Wahlstedt John , Khoury Phillip , Gloria Jared , Richard Marc J , Rosenberger Laura H , Codd Patrick J
Published: January 2022

Objective

Surgical instrument oversupply drives cost, confusion, and workload in the operating room. With an estimated 78%–87% of instruments being unused, many health systems have recognized the need for supply refinement. By manually recording instrument use and tasking surgeons to review instrument trays, previous quality improvement initiatives have achieved an average 52% reduction in supply. While demonstrating the degree of instrument oversupply, previous methods for identifying required instruments are qualitative, expensive, lack scalability and sustainability, and are prone to human error. In this work, we aim to develop and evaluate an automated system for measuring surgical instrument use.

Materials and Methods

We present the first system to our knowledge that automates the collection of real-time instrument use data with radio-frequency identification (RFID). Over 15 breast surgeries, 10 carpometacarpal (CMC) arthroplasties, and 4 craniotomies, instrument use was tracked by both a trained observer manually recording instrument use and the RFID system.

Results

The average Cohen’s Kappa agreement between the system and the observer was 0.81 (near perfect agreement), and the system enabled a supply reduction of 50.8% in breast and orthopedic surgery. Over 10 monitored breast surgeries and 1 CMC arthroplasty with reduced trays, no eliminated instruments were requested, and both trays continue to be used as the supplied standard. Setup time in breast surgery decreased from 23 min to 17 min with the reduced supply.

Conclusion

The RFID system presented herein achieves a novel data stream that enables accurate instrument supply optimization.
Processions, Power, and Community Identity: East and West
Authors: Brubaker Leslie , Wickham Chris
Published: January 2022

This comparative chapter looks at the different ways in which processions (whether liturgical, triumphal, or otherwise) strengthen the social cohesion among participants and onlookers alike. As such processions are unfolding, they become flashpoints for imperial or religious authority, highly public events that serve to remind everybody involved of the social and hierarchical makeup of society. At the same time, their prescriptions and descriptions—everything from panegyrics exalting the organization to the routes to be followed within and around a city—latch on to long traditions and emphasize that any given procession is, in fact, part of a much longer process. In the right hands, processions may anchor a community to an even larger social whole by means of the persons, institutions, and buildings involved. Conversely, their highly public nature also makes them exponents for social change, whether at the hands of the authorities themselves or of those who find themselves on the outside looking in. Comparing the uses and development of this phenomenon in both the Eastern and Western Mediterranean, this chapter sheds new light on the many practices of community in the (post-)Roman world—at times uniform but also highly diversified by necessity.
Studying Jewish Resistance
Authors: Einwohner Rachel L.
Published: January 2022

Chapter 1 opens with a description of the memorials along the Path of Remembrance in Warsaw, in what used to be the Warsaw Ghetto—home to nearly one-half million Jews during World War II. Many of these monuments honor the memory of those who participated in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Yet while these memorials help dispel the prevailing myth of Jewish passivity, they also call attention to something that is hard to explain. This chapter establishes the book’s overall question: rather than asking why Jews didn’t resist, it asks why they did resist. It also describes the book’s social scientific approach to answering this question, including its use of comparative-historical sociology and archived Holocaust testimonies.
Understanding Resistance
Authors: Einwohner Rachel L.
Published: January 2022

Chapter 2 presents the book’s theoretical argument, which goes beyond existing theories of social movement emergence. Drawing on work on threat assessment and framing in social movements, it argues that the armed resistance in the ghettos rested on critical conclusions and resonant responses. First, based on their assessments of the threats facing them, Jews in each ghetto reached conclusions about whether they were likely to survive. If survival was possible then taking up arms against the Nazis was foolhardy, but a firm belief in the inevitability of their deaths made armed resistance acceptable. Second, Jews in the ghettos had to fashion responses to that perceived threat that matched meaningfully, or resonated, with how they framed their circumstances. The three-case comparison demonstrates that framing and assessments of threat varied across the three ghettos and help explain why a sustained uprising happened in Warsaw but not in Vilna or Łódź.
Competing Visions in the Vilna Ghetto
Authors: Einwohner Rachel L.
Published: January 2022

Chapter 4 shows why members of the United Partisans Organization (Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye, or FPO), a resistance organization in the Vilna ghetto, planned for an armed ghetto uprising similar to what happened in Warsaw but were not able to achieve that goal. In Vilna, young activists both reached the critical conclusion of hopelessness and equated armed resistance with an honorable death. These assessments and frames were summarized in FPO leader Abba Kovner’s famous 1941 manifesto calling on Jews not to go “like sheep to the slaughter.” However, multiple conclusions and competing resonant responses to the threat of ghetto life prevented the activists from attracting wide support. In particular, Nazi-appointed Ghetto Chief Jacob Gens opposed resistance and encouraged the ghetto community instead to “work to live.” Rather than fight in the ghetto, the FPO fled Vilna for the nearby forests and resisted as members of partisan units.
Introduction
Authors: Drake Jamil W.
Published: January 2022

Critics have discussed how the “black” underclass concept has shaped perceptions and policies on poverty and welfare in urban America after World War II. The concept was used to classify and explain deficient and pathological behaviors of black urban communities in urban ghettos. These critics have rightly traced the racially tinged concept to liberal scientists and policymakers before neoconservative scientists and policymakers popularized it to bolster their neoliberal platform of small government and mass incarceration. For many, the concept reduces policy debates on race and poverty to individual responsibility and moral and cultural behaviors. To Know the Soul of a People intervenes in the discussion by highlighting another concept that laid the foundation to the black underclass concept: Folk Negro. Early twentieth-century liberal social scientists and reformers used the folk to note the moral and cultural deficits of the Black poor communities in the rural South. By showing the folk concept in poverty debates, this chapter also notes how religion was a factor in framing the moral and cultural deficits of the black southerners. Folk is the precusor of the underclass concept.