bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of Growth and Production Test of Soybean Varieties on Shade Coconut Trees in Aceh
Authors: Asis  , Pakpahan L E , Idawanni  , Ferayanti F
Published: February 2022

The conversion occurrence of agricultural land has a significant effect on the decline in soybean production, so that the use of coconut land with a double cropping system to increase national soybean production. Soybean cultivation in agroforestry systems can be applied to soybean cultivation systems under shade with shade-tolerant varieties. This study aims to determine the growth and yield of soybean varieties at various levels of shade of coconut trees. The research was carried out in Paru Keude Village, Bandar Baru District, Pidie Jaya Regency, Aceh, carried out in April – September 2019, with a Split Plot Design. The main plot is shade (N) consisting of no shade (N1), 25% shade (N2) and 50% shade (N3), and the variety plot (V) consists of Dena 1 (V1), Anjasmoro (V2) and Fan Red (V3). The study was analyzed by ANOVA, if the F value was greater than the value in the F table, it was continued with Duncan's Multiple Range Test at a significance level of 95%. The results showed that the Kipas Merah variety had higher plant height than Dena 1 and Anjasmoro, but Dena 1 had higher production at each shade level compared to Anjasmoro and Kipas Merah. Thus, the Dena 1 variety was able to maintain production at all shading conditions.
Yield Test Results of Rice Superior Varieties in Swampland of South Lampung
Authors: Slameto  , Meidaliyantisyah  , Hendra J
Published: February 2022

The rice commodity is still the main foundation for national food security. Efforts are made to increase rice production to maintain food stability. Superior rice varieties are a solution to increase production. Swampland can be an alternative option for producing rice. This study aims to determine the test results of several rice varieties yield grown in swampland. The study was carried out in Rawa Selapan Village, Candipuro District, South Lampung Regency on 3rd planting season in 2018. The area for planting is 2 ha. Three high yielding rice varieties studied were Ciherang, Inpara-2, and Inpari-42 GSR. Paddy cultivation used rice paddy Integrated Crop Management (ICM) technology which spacing was 25 cm x 25 cm (according to local conditions). Plants are fertilized according to soil conditions where Urea was given 150 kg ha- 1, SP-36 100 kg ha-1, and KCl 75 kg ha-1. Rice harvest was done after 95% of panicles turn yellow. Observation variables include components of vegetative and generative growth. The results of the study showed that the new superior rice variety Inpari 42 GSR gave the highest production of 9796.11 kg ha-1 Harvested Dry Grain (HDG). The average yield of Ciherang variety was 7238.57 kg ha-1 HDG and Inpara-2 variety was 6074.29 kg ha-1 HDG. Grain water content conditions after harvest was 14-15%. Rice cultivation technology using new superior varieties of Inpari 42 GSR has high potential to be implemented and adapted in swampland where the land conditions are always inundated.
Effect of Porang Flour and Low-Calorie Sugar Concentration on The Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Jelly Drinks
Authors: Suryana E A , Kamsiati E , Usmiati S , Herawati H
Published: February 2022

Jelly drink is a fiber-rich drink sourced from hydrocolloid which aims to provide a distinctive viscosity. Hydrocolloids commonly used in the production of jelly drinks are agar, carrageenan, and glucomannan. The use of porang flour in the production of jelly drinks has not been widely reported. This study aims to determine the effect of porang flour and low-calorie sugar concentrations on jelly drinks. This study was prepared using a completely randomized design with a concentration of porang flour (0.25%; 0.50%; 0.75% and 1.00%) combined with low-calorie sugar concentrations (1.00% and 2, 00%). The parameters observed were color, viscosity, pH, and Total Dissolved Solid (TDS). The results showed that the treatments had a significant effect on the viscosity, pH, TDS, and color of the resulting jelly drink. The increase of porang flour concentration would increase the viscosity and pH values of jelly drink-produced. The use of 1% porang flour produced jelly drinks with the highest viscosity. Products with the best characteristics from the treatment of 1% porang flour combined with 2% low-calorie sugar with a viscosity of 600.25 cP; pH 2,235 and TDS 4,900. With the characteristics color, L 28.29; a -6.8917; b 8,3633; C 6.9067 and H 177.17. The average total sugar content ranged from 2,080-3.870% and the soluble fiber content of the jelly porang drink ranged from 0.1450-1.3926%.
Combination of Edible Coating Green Grass Jelly and Cinnamon Essential Oil Increase the Shelf Life of Water Rose Apple Fruit
Authors: Apriliawati R R , Dewi S S , Utama N A
Published: February 2022

The research aimed to determine the best concentration from combination of edible coating green grass jelly powder and cinnamon essential oil to extend the shelf life of water rose apple var. Merah Delima. The experiment was conducted in Postharvest Laboratory, University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta from December 2019 to January 2020. This research was conducted with a single factor trial design arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CDR) with 3 replications. The experiment consisted of treatment without coating, 0,2 % powder of grass leaves + 0,4% cinnamon, 0,2 % powder of grass leaves + 0,6% cinnamon, 0,4 % powder of grass leaves + 0,4% cinnamon, and 0,4 % powder of grass leaves + 0,6% cinnamon. The results showed that the treatment of 0,2 % powder of grass leaves + 0,6% cinnamon essential oil was the most effective to extend shelf life and inhibit microbial growth in the fruit.
Determination of Acid Level (pH) and Moisture Content of Cocoa Beans at Various Fermentation Level Using Visible Near-Infrared (Vis-NIR) Spectroscopy
Authors: Priambodo D C , Saputro D , Pahlawan M F R , Saputro A D , Masithoh R E
Published: February 2022

Fermentation is critical in cacao processing which breakdowns sugar compounds in the pulp into organic acids. The produced organic acids stimulate enzymatic reactions in the beans which affect the flavor, taste, and color of the cacao beans. Acidity (pH) and moisture content of cacao beans influence the quality of cacao during fermentation. Those parameters are commonly measured using pH meter and gravimetric methods which are time-consuming and destructive.Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop non-destructive calibration models to predict the pH and moisture content of cacao beans at various fermentation levels using a visible near-infrared spectrometer and chemometric methods. The samples consisted of 315 cacao beans obtained from 3 regions (Lampung, Makasar, and Kulon Progo) at 3 levels of fermentation (non, half, full). The calibration and prediction models were performed by PLS regression which involves X variables (Vis/NIR measurement results) and Y variable (pH and moisture content). Smoothing, normalization baseline correction, standard normal variate (SNV), and multiplicative scattered correction (MSC) were used for spectra pre-processing. The research showed that the MSC method resulted in the best model for pH with the correlation coefficient of calibration(RC2)and prediction(RP2)were 0.76 and 0.68, respectively. Original and MSC methods resulted in the best model for moisture content with the same value ofRC2of 0.55 andRP2of 0.41. The results showed the capability of Vis/NIR spectroscopy and the important role of chemometrics in developing models for predicting cacao bean quality parameters during fermentation.
Geomechanical and geotechnical features of solid mineral deposits in the Russian North
Authors: Tkach SM
Published: February 2022

The author analyzes geomechanical and geotechnical features of solid mineral mining in the north of Russia, and their positive, as well as their beneficial effect and adverse impact on safety and performance of mines. The research performed at the Chersky Institute of Mining of the North, SB RAS is aimed at development and improvement of eco-friendly and efficient innovative geotechnologies, methods and equipment for mineral mining and processes with regard to the specificity of the permafrost zone.
Geochemistry of organic matter of Devonian deposits in Kotelny island (New Siberian Islands) and Selennyakhsky uplift (Omulevsky terrain)
Authors: Zueva IN , Chalaya ON , Safronov AF , Glyaznetsova YuS , Lifshits SKh
Published: February 2022

For the purpose of comparative study of oil source properties of Devonian deposits in the central part of Kotelny island (New Siberian Islands) and Selennyakhsky uplift (Omulevsky terrain), geochemical studies of the composition, chemical structure of chloroform-extracted bitumens of organic matter and relict hydrocarbons were conducted. In terms of bituminological parameters, naphthide manifestations are characterized by large variations in the content of organic matter, the yield of chloroform-extracted bitumens, group composition and chemical structure of chloroform-extracted bitumens, which indicates the presence of bituminous varieties as traces of generation, migration and accumulation of hydrocarbons. According to the composition and distribution features of relict hydrocarbons, naphthide manifestations in the central part of Kotelny island and Selennyakhsky uplift show great similarity, which is proved by their common type of aquagenic initial organic matter, its high degree of maturity and a sufficiently high generation potential of Devonian deposits, which entered main oil formation stage and could generate liquid hydrocarbons, and in deeper subsidence zones they reached main gas formation stage. The obtained results on the geochemistry of organic matter confirm the existing viewpoint on general history of geological development and similarity of the formation conditions for oil and gas potential in offshore territories of the Laptev and East Siberian seas as well as in continental part of the East Siberian platform. This allows estimating oil generation potential of organic matter in rocks and oil-and-gas content in offshore Devonian deposits based on the results of a better known continental part of the territory.
Spatial and temporal stability of a reference frame as the basis of deformation monitoring
Authors: Panzhin AA , Panzhina NA
Published: February 2022

The authors discuss the choice of a reference frame as the basis of geodynamic monitoring. The monitoring can be either regional, for instance, to embrace the Ural Region, or local, which covers a number of ore bodies and enclosing rock mass. Since rock masses are structured as hierarchies of blocks and feature continuous mobility under the joint natural and induced effects, it is of the current concern to have a reference frame free from any influence of deformation processes. It is proposed to assess spatial and temporal stability of a reference frame by means of its geodetic binding to the global network IGS with subsequent analysis of the displacement directions and velocities relative to the neighbor reference points. Using the obtained information, the most stable reference points are identified, and the velocities and directions of their displacements are compared with the model in ITRF2014 system, which also allows eliminating the background component. The application of the proposed method for assessing spatial and temporal stability of geodetic reference points as the monitoring basis is illustrated.
Effect of ply orientation, staking sequence and notch geometry on the failure behaviour of glass fibre-reinforced epoxy composite laminates: A numerical investigation
Authors: Krishna Prasad G. R. , Faizan Mohammad Rashid
Published: February 2022

A detailed numerical failure analysis was conducted for unidirectional glass fibre-reinforced epoxy composite laminates having an elliptical cut-out at the centre using Hashin’s damage model. The major axis, a, of the elliptical cut-out was fixed while the minor axis, b, was varied in such a way, that its upper extreme represented a situation of the plate with a circular hole, while the lower extreme of it represented the presence of a sharp crack in the structure. For angle ply cases, plies oriented along the material direction predicted an ever-increasing load replicating an elastic analysis without any damage accumulation. Such exceptionally higher stiffness and resistance to deformation were much anticipated, as the uni-axial tensile load was applied along fibre direction which shares a large portion of the load in comparison to the matrix material. While the plies oriented perpendicular to the direction of the material behaved as the weakest stack-up sequence in resisting uni-axial tensile load. Multi-angle hybrid composites predicted uneven failure behaviour. For the different combinations of multi-angle layups and minor axis, b, different trends for peak loads were observed. Interestingly, extension-shear coupling was observed for a few configurations which were marginally negligible for others. The variation of opening stress along the transverse direction predicts some very interesting observations. For the higher value of b, the opening stress decreases as we moved away from the irregularity. However, the situation of a plate with a sharp crack (b → 0) showed the effect of crack tip blunting. Near the vicinity of the sharp crack, the opening stress first dropped, then picked up, and again kept on decreasing as we move away. The drop in the stress near the vicinity of the sharp crack is attributed to the blunting of the crack tip.
Instability in Casson nanofluids for Darcy-Brinkman model
Authors: Devi M , Sharma J , Gupta U
Published: February 2022

The convective instability of Casson nanofluids saturating porous medium is investigated analytically and numerically. Darcy-Brinkman law is utilized to frame the momentum equation for the system. The governing equations are simplified using normal mode analysis and linear stability theory. The present study finds the expressions of thermal Rayleigh number for various boundaries and discusses the convective instability under various effects with the help of Wolfram Mathematica software. Out of all the boundaries, the instability of the layer is found to be least for both rigid boundaries. It is established that the convection in the fluid gets delayed due to porosity effects while non-Newtonian property and nano scale effects contribute significantly in making the layer unstable.
Revolution in electric vehicles
Authors: Sagwal Amandeep , Agrawal Paras , Randeep  , Bhullar Mangladeep
Published: February 2022

Nowadays electric vehicles play an effective role in reducing greenhouse gases emission by the transportation sector. In recent times, electric vehicles such as battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell electric vehicles are becoming an advanced area of research related to the automobile industry. This article focuses on the latest emerging technologies in electric vehicles including various aspects of electric vehicles, their types, innovations in electric vehicle technology in terms of their motors, batteries as well as their applications, future perspectives, and different challenges associated with electric vehicles.
Numerical Assessment of Highly Efficient Tin-Halide Perovskite Solar Cell
Authors: Kumar Ajay , Gupta Uddeshya , Gupta Neha , Goyal Amit Kumar
Published: February 2022

Interface science of Perovskite Solar cells (PSCs) has a very crucial role in increasing the efficiency of solar cells. The process of numerical simulation has also helped the solar cell’s efficiency to grow rapidly from 3.8% in 2009 to around 11% in 2010 in such a short period. This was a great achievement at that time and from then it kept on improving. Not only its rapid increase in efficiency attracted the researchers but also its low manufacturing cost and high Voc. In this work, we will discuss the Lead-Free Perovskite Solar Cell (PSC) due to its non-toxic nature. A lot of research has already been done on Perovskite Solar Cell that has led to an increase in its efficiency. Despite the truth that they are toxic and can harm us anyway. The prime motive of producing electricity by using solar cells is to provide a cleaner way to produce electricity but if we are using toxic materials in the manufacturing of the cell, we are getting diverted. That’s why this research paper will focus on the cell having Sn in its absorber layer. The model we are discussing here will have CH3NH3SnI3 (Absorber) as the Perovskite Layer which is non-toxic also the following different layers were also used in simulating our device such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) as the front contact, ZnO (Zinc Oxide) as electron transporting layer (ETL), CuI is acting as Hole transport layer (HTL) and we are using Gold (Au) as a back contact. The motive of this research is to make it non-toxic that we have already achieved and to make it highly efficient and the efficiency of the proposed device is 24.72%.
Numerical and CFD analysis of a heat transfer enhancement in turbulent flow through a circular pipe using nanofluid
Authors: Gupta S , Singh J , Gill B K
Published: February 2022

This paper presents numerical and CFD simulation of an Al2O3-water nanofluid turbulent flow in a circular pipe which has a 36 mm diameter with a constant heat flux at the pipe wall using ANSYS FLUENT 2020 R2. The turbulent flow under different Reynolds numbers, from Re = 10000 to 50000 was used to process the numerical experiments. Different concentrations of nanoparticles, ranging from 1% to 4%, were used. The results were computed utilizing the single-phase approach. The coefficient of transfer of heat of nanofluids is found to be greater than that of base liquid. Enhancement in transfer of heat is also observed with rising in volume concentration of particles.
Impact of 3% Molybdenum(Mo) nanoparticles on the interfacial and shear properties of lead-free Sn58Bi/Cu solder joint
Authors: Singh Amares , Durairaj Rajkumar , Ganesh Kumar K , Kuan Seng How
Published: February 2022

The research investigates the impact of 3 % molybdenum (Mo) nanoparticles onthe interfacial properties and shear stress of the leadfree Sn58Bi (SB) solder joint. The research aims to providea resemblance between the interfacial and shear properties withthe additions of Mo nanoparticles. The interfacial between Mo added to the solder joint comprises of the common intermetallic (IMC) layer of Cu6Sn5andadditional IMCs of MoSn2. that acted as further strengthening mechanism for the joint. Therefore, the shear strength of Mo reinforced solder joint was 32% higher compared to the pristine solder. The introduction of Mo into the SB solder resulted in an advantageous outcome.
Characterization of Plastics and Polymers: A Comprehensive Study
Authors: Hassan Tarik , Srivastwa A K , Sarkar Subhasis , Majumdar Gautam
Published: February 2022

Since the beginning of polymer synthesis, a huge modification and development have taken place in this field which resulted in a world where people cannot think of a single day without a polymer product. They are light in weight, affordable and have the potential to provide a similar strength like the traditional metallic objects. As the demand for polymer products is increasing rapidly, its characterization and evaluation of mechanical properties become essential for making a reliable, scientific and cost-effective product design. Recently the incorporation of biopolymers in the global market has made this industry more attractive to consumers and government bodies. But the main challenge lies in its characterization as plastics and polymers found in nature or synthesized artificially have a wide range of physical and chemical properties. So, a particular set of instruments that can evaluate the properties of a group of polymers, may not be usable for a different group with the same accuracy and technique. Researchers are working incessantly to find out effective methods for this purpose and many of them are successful in finding some crucial properties of polymers like strength, elastic modulus, viscosity, hardness etc. The present work briefly discusses the superiority of polymer materials and the research work that has been carried out so far for the characterization of the same. Study on the biopolymer, its characterization and necessity in the context of environmental sustainability are also included in this literature.
Finite Element Modelling for Bending and Vibration Analysis of Composite and Sandwich Spherical Shells
Authors: Parmar Vikram , Rahman Najeeb ur , Alam Naushad , Sharma Varun , Alam Aftab
Published: February 2022

Finite element modelling is used to illustrate the bending and vibration response of composite and sandwich spherical shells. ABAQUS is used to model the shell as a three-dimensional deformable solid part. Composites are modelled using mixed modelling technique. The quadrilateral continuum shell element, which has eight nodes, is used for finite element meshing. For a three-layered composite spherical shell with simply supported boundary conditions, the accuracy of the employed element is first evaluated. After that, three potential end conditions are evaluated for further analysis: cantilever (CFFF), two opposing sides clamped (CFCF), and all sides clamped (CCCC). Bending response is produced by applying two types of pressure loads to the exterior surfaces of composite and sandwich spherical shells: uniformly distributed load (UDL) and sinusoidal load (SINO). For various span to thickness ratios, free vibration response and forced vibration response (Time History) are provided under step pressure (UDL and SINO) loading. The element type being used is found to be quite precise and sturdy.
A Study on Milk Adulteration and methods of detection of various Chemical Adulterants qualitatively
Authors: Chugh Riya , Kaur Gurmeet
Published: February 2022

The food Adulteration now becomes a worldwide issue as the emergent nations are at very high risk associated with this Adulteration. The milk is an important part of our daily life and is consumed on the daily basis but, now a days milk is being adulterated by several chemicals due to lack of monitoring, unhygienic conditions and for financial gain. Unfortunately, various chemical Adulterants can pose danger health risks that lead to many lethal diseases including heart problems, diarrhoea, CNS disorders, irritation and gastrointestinal disorders. Various common Adulterants like benzoic acid, urea, water, skimmed milk powder, sugar, detergent were detected in the pure milk samples which concludes that the milk samples doesn’t meet the expected quality accepted as standard. Many studies have been carried out on milk Adulteration and detection techniques. This Present work gives a clear view of the quality of milk. This article gives a comprehensive review of the common Adulterants added in milk along with the various methods of detection qualitatively.
IoT based Resuscitation and Hypoxemia Diagnosis System using Embedded Microcontroller Architecture and IFTTT Implementation
Authors: Mohanty N , Ghosh A , Jindal S K
Published: February 2022

In recent times, the World has taken a critical blow from the novel Coronavirus. Moreover, with its research ongoing and multiple variants emerging, uncertainty is on the rise. Lung damage and cardiac issues occur during and post recovery which is why there is a requirement to constantly monitor the patient’s vitals. This also applies to patients suffering from other lung diseases and heart conditions. They need immediate attention to avoid complications and further deterioration in their health. The proposed system aims to do so by observing the health parameters such as oxygen saturation in blood and heartbeat constantly and making the data available for the user by displaying it. In case of abnormality, it alerts the person related to the patient about the developments and relays the required information to help like symptom details and the patient’s location, this ensures that actions are taken quickly. Simultaneously, it provides assistance in breathing during the interlude till professional help arrives and the patient receives the necessary treatment. This is achieved with a combination of sensors, modules and other components integrated with a microcontroller as well as the implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) using a web service.
Electrochemical Corrosion Behaviour Analysis of Mg-Alloys Used for Orthopaedics and Vascular Implants
Authors: Kumar Rohit , Katyal Puneet , Gupta Munish , Singh Vijender
Published: February 2022

Mg-alloys having bone liked mechanical properties are biodegradable, biocompatible and osteoconductive metallic materials are potential candidates used for orthopaedics and vascular implants. Therefore, present experimentation is an effort to analyse the corrosion behaviour of Mg based alloys such as AZ81 and ZM21 for their usage as bio-degradable implant materials. The corrosion behaviour is analysed using the electrochemical workstation. SEM and EDS are used for high-resolution images and composition of magnesium-based alloys. Using Potentiodynamic polarization curves and Nyquist plots, corrosion rates were observed for 3.0 hours studies on ZM21(193.53 mm/year) and AZ81 (24.22 mm/year) for Mg-alloys. AZ81 shows higher corrosion resistance than ZM21. The results of these experimental findings may be helpful for the designers and researchers in selecting and improving the clinical performance of Mg-based implants for biomedical applications.
Study on Defect Reduction in Casting of Ni-Cr alloy (UNS N06003)
Authors: Samvatsar Kaustubh , Dave Harsh
Published: February 2022

In modern times, selection criteria of materials are solely based on its utilization. The characteristics of materials like high temperature sustainability with regard to its strength and corrosion resistance is the primary requirement to satisfy its operations. Industries categorised in sectors like energy, manufacturing, electronics etc. greatly rely on input materials and their purity decides their performance. Amongst many developed alloys, nickel-based alloys find their position in applications having temperatures from cryo to nuclear ranges. One of such unique materials, being used from minute components of semiconductor industry to huge components of marine industry is UNS N06003. It is basically Ni-Cr based alloy having greater than three-fourth fraction of nickel. For major applications wrought material is widely used, but cast material marks their positions in selected applications. This paper deals with casting of UNS N06003 and improving its quality. The reasons associated with cast defects and drawbacks of defects in terms of performance have been discussed. To minimize casting defects and produce a sound casting, this research adopts a novel approach of removal of unwanted gaseous elements. In degassing stage, molten metal is introduced with the combination of calcium-based fluxes which mainly remove the entrapped gases and lighter impurities in the form of slag. It has been found that the addition of quicklime (CaO) in combination with calcium carbide (CaC2) resulted in reduction of gaseous elements like nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur. Up to 33% reduction of gaseous elements has been detected.
Wear and Corrosion Behaviour of Wire Electrical Discharge Machined Ti-6A1-4V alloy
Authors: Manderna Sanyukt Kumar , Katyal Puneet , Gupta Munish , Singh Vijender
Published: February 2022

The objective of the current research work is to study the wear and corrosion behavior of Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy. WEDM is preferred over conventional machining for Ti alloys, as they are hard-to-machine materials. Wear and corrosion tests were performed using wear and friction monitor (Ducom Model TR20-LE) and electrochemical workstation (Autolab PGSTAT204) respectively. SEM and EDS were also carried out on each sample for evaluating the surface morphology and to know the exact composition of the material. WEDM rough and trim-cut modes improve the surface hardness of Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy and hence affects their c.o.f. and wear rates. The outcomes of the present research work promote WEDM trim-cut mode over rough-cut mode because it results in lower values of c.o.f., wear and corrosion rates.
Hydrophobicity changes of polluted silicone rubber introduced by spatial and dose distribution of plasma jet
Authors: LI Shuang , GUO Xinzheng , FU Yongqiang , LI Jianjun , ZHANG Ruobing
Published: February 2022

The hydrophobicity of polluted silicone rubber was improved rapidly under plasma jet treatment. It is an important phenomenon of the interaction between the plasma jet and the porous surface, and shows a wide application prospect in the power system. In this process, the spatial characteristics and dose of plasma jet are very important. Therefore, the variation of hydrophobicity of polluted silicone rubber under plasma jet treatment was studied, and the spatial characteristics and dose of plasma jet on polluted silicone rubber were also investigated in the work. The results show that the surface property (hydrophilic or hydrophobic) depended on the dose of plasma applied to the surface. The effective treated area was a circle, and the contact angles changed along the radial direction of the circle. This was attributable to the diffusion of plasma bullets on the surface and the distribution of plasma species. The plasma dose could be characterized by the energy density of the plasma applied on the surface. With the increase of plasma dose, the surface contact angles first increased rapidly and then decreased gradually.
Sustainable electrodes for the next generation of redox flow batteries
Authors: Thielke Michael W , Tian Gengyu , Jorge Sobrido Ana
Published: February 2022

The development of alternative energy storage technologies is key to advance renewable energy resources. Among them, redox flow batteries (RFBs) have been identified to be one of the most promising technologies in the field of stationary batteries. The carbon-based electrodes in these batteries are a crucial component and play an important part in achieving high efficiency and performance. A further leap into this direction is the design of fossil-free materials by incorporating sustainable alternative resources as the carbon component in the processing of the electrodes. The use of biomass as carbon precursor for electrode applications has also been a focus of research for other energy storage devices and in the case of RFBs, it has become an emergent topic in recent years. This short review presents the recent advances in the design of biomass-derived carbon materials as electrodes in RFBs, strategies to enhance their electrocatalytic properties, challenges, and future outlook in the design of sustainable electrode materials.
A note on the propagation dynamics in a nonlocal dispersal HIV infection model
Authors: Yang Yu , Hsu Cheng-Hsiung , Zou Lan , Zhou Jinling
Published: February 2022

This paper is concerned with propagation dynamics in a nonlocal dispersal HIV infection model. The existence and asymptotic behavior of traveling waves with wave speeds not less than a critical speed were derived in the recent work of Wang and Ma [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 457 (2018), pp. 868–889]. However, the asymptotic behavior of the critical traveling wave and minimum wave speed were not clarified completely. In this article, we first affirm the asymptotic behavior of the critical traveling wave at negative infinity. Then we prove the non-existence of traveling waves when either the basic reproduction number

R

0

>
1

\mathcal {R}_0>1

or the wave speed is less than the critical spreed and

R

0

>
1

\mathcal {R}_0>1

. Our result provides a complete complement for the wave propagation in the infection model.
Curvature-free linear length bounds on geodesics in closed Riemannian surfaces
Authors: Cheng Herng Yi
Published: February 2022

This paper proves that in any closed Riemannian surface

M
M

with diameter

d
d

, the length of the

k
k

th-shortest geodesic between two given points

p
p

and

q
q

is at most

8
k
d

8kd

. This bound can be tightened further to

6
k
d

6kd

if

p
=
q

p = q

. This improves prior estimates by A. Nabutovsky and R. Rotman [J. Differential Geom. 89 (2011), pp. 217–232; J. Topol. Anal. 5 (2013), pp. 409–438].
Saturated Majorana representations of 𝐴₁₂
Authors: Franchi Clara , Ivanov Alexander , Mainardis Mario
Published: February 2022

Majorana representations have been introduced by Ivanov [Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2009] in order to provide an axiomatic framework for studying the actions on the Griess algebra of the Monster and of its subgroups generated by Fischer involutions. A crucial step in this programme is to obtain an explicit description of the Majorana representations of

A

12

A_{12}

(by Franchi, Ivanov, and Mainardis [J. Algebraic Combin. 44 (2016), pp. 265-292], the largest alternating group admitting a Majorana representation) for this might eventually lead to a new and independent construction of the Monster group (see A.A Ivanov [Group theory and computation, Indian Stat. Inst. Ser., Springer, Singapore, 2018, Section 4, page 115]).

In this paper we prove that

A

12

A_{12}

has two possible Majorana sets, one of which is the set

X

b

\mathcal X_b

of involutions of cycle type

2
2

2^2

, the other is the union of

X

b

\mathcal X_b

with the set

X

s

\mathcal X_s

of involutions of cycle type

2
6

2^6

. The latter case (the saturated case) is most interesting, since the Majorana set is precisely the set of involutions of

A

12

A_{12}

that fall into the class of Fischer involutions when

A

12

A_{12}

is embedded in the Monster. We prove that

A

12

A_{12}

has a unique saturated Majorana representation and we determine its degree and decomposition into irreducibles. As consequences we get that the Harada-Norton group has, up to equivalence, a unique Majorana representation and every Majorana algebra, affording either a Majorana representation of the Harada-Norton group or a saturated Majorana representation of

A

12

A_{12}

, satisfies the Straight Flush Conjecture (see A. A. Ivanov [Contemp. Math., Amer. Math. Soc., Providence, RI, 2017, pp. 11-17] and A. A. Ivanov [Group theory and computation, Indian Stat. Inst. Ser., Springer, Singapore, 2018, pp. 107-118]). As a by-product we also determine the degree and the decomposition into irreducibles of the Majorana representation induced on

A
8

A_8

, the four point stabilizer subgroup of

A

12

A_{12}

. We finally state a conjecture about Majorana representations of the alternating groups

A
n

A_n

,

8
≤
n
≤
12

8\leq n\leq 12

.
Evaluation of Combinations of Nudging, Pricing, and Labeling Strategies to Improve Diet Quality: A Virtual Grocery Store Experiment Employing a Multiphase Optimization Strategy
Authors: Shin Soye , Chakraborty Bibhas , Yan Xiaoxi , van Dam Rob M , Finkelstein Eric A
Published: February 2022

Background

Several intervention strategies have been shown to improve diet quality. However, there is limited evidence on the increase in effectiveness that may be achieved through select combinations of these strategies.

Purpose

This study aimed to identify an effective multicomponent intervention to improve diet quality of a grocery basket by applying a Multiphase Optimization Strategy framework and testing various combinations of four promising strategies using a fully functional web-based grocery store: (i) front-of-pack food labels and real-time feedback of the healthiness of the shoppers’ grocery basket, (ii) a tax, (iii) ordering products by a nutritional quality score, and (iv) healthier substitute offers.

Methods

We conducted a hypothetical shopping study (N = 756) with a randomized full factorial design (16 conditions) to estimate main and interaction effects of the four interventions.

Results

The “food labels & real-time feedback” and “ordering” strategies had significantly positive main effects on overall diet quality of the shopping basket (both at p < .001). We found no effects on diet quality for the “tax” and “healthier substitute offers.” None of the two-way interaction effects for different strategies on overall diet quality and nutrients were significant.

Conclusions

Having “food labels & real-time feedback” and “ordering” simultaneously seemed to be more effective at improving diet quality, compared to having only one of these interventions. These results suggest that a combination of food labels with real-time feedback and ordering interventions can be part of a promising multicomponent strategy to improve diet quality in online shopping platforms.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04632212.
Systemic Inflammation Contributes to the Association Between Childhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Midlife Cardiometabolic Risk
Authors: Natale Brianna N , Manuck Stephen B , Shaw Daniel S , Matthews Karen A , Muldoon Matthew F , Wright Aidan G C , Marsland Anna L
Published: February 2022

Background

Childhood socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with increased risk for chronic inflammation and cardiometabolic disease at midlife.

Purpose

As it is presently unknown whether inflammation mediates the relationship between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and adulthood cardiometabolic risk, we investigated associations between retrospectively reported childhood SES, circulating levels of inflammatory markers, and a latent construct of cardiometabolic risk in midlife adults.

Methods

Participants were 1,359 healthy adults aged 30–54 (Adult Health and Behavior I&II; 52% women, 17% Black) who retrospectively reported childhood SES (parental education, occupational grade). Measures included plasma interleukin (IL)-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), and cardiometabolic risk factors. Structural equation modeling was conducted, with cardiometabolic risk modeled as a second-order latent variable with adiposity, blood lipids, glucose control, and blood pressure as first-order components.

Results

Lower childhood SES was associated with greater risk for cardiometabolic disease at midlife (β = −0.08, CI[−0.04, −0.01], p = .01) in models adjusted for demographics, but this association was attenuated in models that adjusted for adulthood SES and health behaviors. In fully-adjusted models, the relationship between lower childhood SES and adult cardiometabolic risk was partially explained by higher circulating levels of CRP (β = −0.05, CI[−0.02, −0.01], p = .001), but not by IL-6. In an exploratory model, lower adulthood SES was also found to independently contribute to the association between childhood SES and adult cardiometabolic risk (β = −0.02, CI[−0.01, −0.001], p = .02).

Conclusions

The current study provides initial evidence that systemic inflammation may contribute to childhood socioeconomic disparities in cardiometabolic risk in midlife. Future work would benefit from prospective investigation of these relationships.
Law and Contemporary Global Fiction
Authors: Naimou Angela
Published: February 2022

Law and literature both involve storytelling theory and practice. The study of law and literature takes legal and literary narrative acts to be complex, interrelated, and formative for institutional and political systems. While this interdisciplinary project at times has presumed a national frame, it also has questioned the relationship between nationalism and the global scale, highlighting links between the formation and circulation of literature, the transnational political order, and the contestations of international law. That the modern state itself is a legal form of political sovereignty that arose within an imperial international order serves to remind us that any national literature and any legal system has been shaped from the beginning through encounters across political geographies and epistemologies. Contemporary fiction—whether categorized as global, postcolonial, world, or transnational literature within a national tradition—uses narrative form in fashioning characters and storyworlds that contend, even implicitly, with the world we inhabit; one organized through legal decisions about which entities shall hold what set of rights, how movement and emplacement get practiced, who shall be excluded from which forms of legal recognition, and under what conditions shall exploitation and criminality be defined. Law and contemporary global fiction, then, raise basic questions about how we read and what reading does in the world. They also pose new questions about the relations of law, jurisprudence, and imaginative fiction to some of the most pressing challenges for humanity and the planet in the 21st century.
Race and Renaissance Literature
Authors: Britton Dennis Austin
Published: February 2022

There is no single understanding of race to which everyone subscribes; it is a protean concept, accommodating various notions of human difference at the historical moments in which they emerge. Literary texts therefore do not represent a singular racial epistemology shared among Renaissance authors, readers, and audiences; rather, they demonstrate conflicting views about race, how it is determined, and what it tells us about individuals and groups of people. Scholars of Renaissance literature have explored what concepts of race do in specific cultural contexts, and the various ways racial differences were represented and understood before the advent of racial science in the late 17th century. Renaissance usages of the words race, raza, razza, and their linguistic equivalents denote, in their most benign sense, genealogy and lineage. Usages of these terms, nevertheless, locate individuals within genealogical and biological networks and insist that such networks are important to social organization. Race works as a tool for social organization that justifies varied types of domination, and in the Renaissance it drew from and informed established discourses of power—primarily religion, gender, and class. The concept bares vestiges of the word’s original definitions, asserting that certain aspects of identity are inheritable and inalterable, and then uses those aspects of identity to naturalize social hierarchies—White over Black, Christian over non-Christian, European over non-European. Race thus is a concept that intersects with cultural, somatic, sexual, and religious difference, and the Renaissance may be understood as a moment when race competes for dominance as a system of classification, justifying the rights of individuals and groups to rule over, disenfranchise, violate, and enslave others.
Chinese Workers’ Literature in the 20th and 21st Centuries
Authors: Iovene Paola , Picerni Federico
Published: February 2022

“Chinese workers’ literature” is an umbrella term that comprises diverse writings by workers, for workers, and about workers. In the 1930s, roughly at the same time that an international proletarian arts movement was flourishing, a factory-based reportage literature—mostly written by leftist intellectuals and partly inspired by Russian and Japanese experiments—developed in semicolonial Shanghai. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, writings by workers themselves were officially promoted and published in state-supported venues. Largely consisting of edifying stories, poems, and plays, workers’ literature from the 1950s to the 1970s provided models of behavior and contributed to a shared sense of dignity among industrial workers; it was, however, severely limited in its expressive range. Along with the implementation of market reforms beginning in the 1980s and the privatization and contracting out of most state-owned industry, a new literature emerged in the Special Economic Zones of South China and has grown into a heterogeneous phenomenon encompassing poetry and prose written by countless rural-to-urban migrant workers, the mainstay of the country’s new workforce. These writings have been appreciated for their intimate portrayals of the human costs of economic development, for giving voice to the silent majority of precarious laborers who have made it possible, and for potentially restituting a measure of dignity to a social group whose members were once considered “masters of the country” but who, in the early 21st century, enjoy little job security and few rights.

While it is possible to hear resonances across these disparate times and locations, much has changed along the way, including the social position of the worker and the groups associated with this term, the forms they have experimented with and the media through which their writings circulate, and the extent to which the workers have actively contributed to its production and circulation.
Literature and News in the Renaissance
Authors: Rolfe Kirsty
Published: February 2022

The news culture of early modern England was complex and shifting: news moved via printed and manuscript texts, sometimes over wide distances and across national and confessional borders. “News” might cover a range of topics, from “high politics” and reports of military action, to grisly “true crime,” prodigies, and natural disasters—and even to the scandalous doings of one’s neighbors. News was (and is) difficult to delineate as a genre, slipping into gossip, rumor, propaganda, and history. England’s news market—especially its printed news market—changed markedly in the years before the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and this was reflected in literary texts. Authors drew on topical events; they mocked and satirized figures associated with news dissemination and consumption, and they drew on the processes by which newsreaders acquired and evaluated information.
From Decision Support to Analytics
Authors: Heavin Ciara , Adam Frederic
Published: February 2022

Since the 1960s, information technology (IT)/information systems (IS) professionals, data practitioners, and senior managers have focused on developing decision support capabilities to enhance organizational decision making. Initially, this quest was mostly driven by successive generations of technological advances. However, in the last decade, the pace at which large volumes of diverse data can be collected and processed, new algorithmic advances, and the development of computational infrastructure such as graphics processing units (GPUs) and tensor processing units (TPUs) have created new opportunities for global businesses in areas such as financial services, manufacturing, retail, sports, and healthcare. At this point, it seems that most industries and public services could potentially be revolutionized by these new techniques.

The word analytics has replaced the previous individual components of computerized decision support technologies that have been developed under various labels in the past (). Much of the traditional researcher and practitioner communities who were concerned with decision support, decision support systems (DSSs), and business intelligence (BI) have reoriented their attention to innovative tools and technologies to derive value from new data streams through artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics. Identifying the main areas of focus for decision support and analytics provides a stimulus for new ideas for researchers, managers, and IS/IT and data professionals. These stakeholders need to undertake new empirical studies that explain how analytics can be used to develop and enhance new forms of decision support while considering the dilemmas that may arise due to the data capture and analyses of new digital data streams.