bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes of tree species diversity in peatland impacted by moderate fire severity at Teluk Meranti, Pelalawan, Riau Province, Indonesia
Authors: Syaufina Lailan , Abi Hamzah Annas
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Syaufina L, Hamzah AA. 2021. Changes of tree species diversity in peatland impacted by moderate fire severity at Teluk Meranti, Pelalawan, Riau Province, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 2899-2908. Riau is one of the fire-prone provinces in Indonesia, which contributes to environmental problems not only in the country but also in neighboring countries. Peatland fire occurs annually in the province that causes transboundary haze pollution. Despite being an important threat to biodiversity, study on peatland fire impacts seems limited. The aims of this study are to analyze changes in tree species diversity due to fire and to assess fire severity. The study was conducted at Teluk Meranti Sub-district, Pelalawan District, Riau Province, Indonesia by establishing 18 sample plots in six transect lines for both burned and unburned areas. Fire severity classification was assessed by aggregate scoring of vegetation condition (individual tree damages, burned vegetation severity, and biodiversity) and soil condition (physical properties, chemical properties, and burned peat depth) indicators. The research revealed a significant change in tree species diversity from 24 species (unburned area) to 2 species (burned area) from high diversity index (2.86) to low diversity index (0.57); only 29% of burned trees can survive; average burned peat depth was about 33 cm; a significant difference of soil condition for both areas was observed. The severity of forest fires in Teluk Meranti, Pelalawan, Riau was classified as the moderate category, with a total score of 58.80%.
Biological and environmental profiling of three Philippines Tetrastigma species (Vitaceae) in northeastern Cagayan, Luzon, Philippines
Authors: OPEÑA JEFF M. , MARAMAG CHARLOT L. , ALICAY CALIXTO B. , BALOLOY MARVIN V. , GASPAR CLARIBEL A. , PACRIS JR. FROILAN A. , TORRES JEAN S. , SUMER LYLE B. , BAYANI GERLIE U. , SOTTO RACHEL C.
Published: May 2021

Tetrastigma species have considerable attention because of their medicinal importance, but little is known about these Philippine species. This study provides information on the biological (morphological, phytochemicals, nutritional, antimicrobial characterization) and environmental (diversity, distribution, growing environment, soil characteristics) profiles of the three Philippine Tetrastigma species namely, Tetrastigma ellipticum Merr., Tetrastigma harmandii Planch., and Tetrastigma loheri Gagnep. Tetrastigma harmandii growing in various habitats were widely distributed throughout northeastern Cagayan, while T. ellipticum and T. loheri were found only in the mountain forests of the northernmost part of northeastern Cagayan. Tetrastigma ellipticum was found only in Mt. Cagua forests and volcano, while T. loheri was found growing in the forests of Palaui Island, Buwacag mountain, and Mt. Cagua. Most of the plant species growing within the Tetrastigma environments were native and endemic trees. Mountain species of Tetrastigma (T. ellipticum and T. loheri) grew in extremely acidic soils with high organic matter content. More secondary metabolites were detected in T. ellipticum, which was the only species among the three Tetrastigma species to contain alkaloids, flavonoids, and anthocyanin. Saponins were detected only in T. harmandii. Steroids were not detected in the three species. Moreover, T. harmandii was the only species to have an antibacterial property against Staphylococcus aureus and a slight inhibiting activity against Klebsiella aerogenes. Between the two edible Tetrastigma species, T. harmandii contains more macronutrients and micronutrients, while T. loheri contains higher crude protein, crude fat, and crude fiber
Cordia africana but not Juniperus procera and Podocarpus falcatus respond positively to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at the early stages of seedling development
Authors: Asmelash Fisseha , Bekele Tamrat , Belay Zerihun , Kebede Fassil
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Asmelash F, Bekele T, Belay Z, Kebede F. 2021. Cordia africana but not Juniperus procera and Podocarpus falcatus respond positively to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at the early stages of seedling development. Biodiversitas 22: 2971-2980. AMF (Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) inoculation could be an important technology to improve the growth and field survival of trees. Hence, we evaluated the mycorrhizal responsiveness of Cordia africana Lam., Juniperus procera (Hoechst. ex Endl.), and Podocarpus falcatus (Thumb.) Mirb. seedlings. Seedlings germinated on sterile sand were transplanted to 1-liter plastic pots filled with sterile and non-sterile degraded bulk soil. Rhizospheric soil from adult C. africana and J. procera were used as whole-soil AMF inocula. Cordia africana and J. procera received conspecific whole-soil AMF inocula while P. falcatus received J. procera inoculum. Hence, in the two-by-two factorial experiment, we also evaluated the growth effects of AMF inoculation, soil type, and their interaction. On the sterile potting soil, MRi (mycorrhizal responsiveness due to AMF inoculation) of C. africana was positive and significantly (p<0.05) greater than the MRi of J. procera and P. falcatus. However, on the non-sterile potting soil, it was significantly greater than the MRi of P. falcatus only. MRs (MR due to the existing potting soil inocula) and considering all growth variables were mostly positive for C. africana but negative for J. procera and P. falcatus. AMF inoculation significantly increased most growth variables of C. africana seedlings and no significant “inoculation” x “soil type” interaction effects were detected. Hence, AMF inoculation of C. africana seedlings could be merited and under wide range of field conditions. In the case of J. procera and P. falcatus, after-planting care could be more appropriate
Diversity and zonation of mangrove flora in Belitung Island, Indonesia
Authors: Irawan Afri , Chikmawati Tatik , SULISTIJORINI Sulistijorini
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Irawan A, Chikmawati T, Sulistijorini. 2021. Diversity and zonation of mangrove flora in Belitung Island, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 2981-2992. Mangrove is an important ecosystem located in the coastal tidal zone in tropical and sub-tropical regions. This ecosystem is characterized by the presence of plant species that can survive in brackish and inundated zone of seawater. There are many mangrove forests in Belitung Island, Indonesia, but the data of mangrove flora diversity and zonation in this island have not been described. This study aims to reveal the diversity and analyze the zonation of mangrove flora in Belitung Island. This research was conducted using a cruising method to explore the diversity of mangrove flora species and a line transect to analyze the zonation of mangrove flora. The exploration locations for diversity of mangrove flora were Kuale Tambak Beach, Asam Beach, Belitung Mangrove Park Area, Manggar River, Sentigi Beach, Sabong Beach, and Kembiri Beach. Mangrove flora zonation was observed in Asam Beach (north), Kembiri Beach (south), and Kuale Tambak Beach (east). The result showed that mangrove flora in Belitung Island consisted of 12 families, 16 genera, and 24 species. Species found were dominated by 8 species from the Rhizophoraceae family with the largest number of species were from the genera of Bruguiera and Rhizophora. The species of Bruguiera included Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Bruguiera sexangula, Bruguiera cylindrica and Bruguiera parviflora. Meanwhile, the Rhizophora species that have been found were Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, and Rhizophora stylosa. The Kembiri beach had the highest number of species of the mangrove flora with 18 species. The zonation of mangrove flora at each research location showed a different zonation pattern. The mangrove vegetation on Kulae Tambak Beach was behind the Casuarina equisetifolia vegetation, while the mangrove vegetation on the Asam and Kembiri Beaches directly faced the sea. The difference in zonation patterns is likely caused by local topography on Belitung Island, substrate conditions and salinity factors on the mangroves of Belitung Island
Bioaccumulation and phytoremediation of some heavy metals (Mn, Cu, Zn and Pb) by bladderwort and duckweed
Authors: AZEEZ NAYYEF M.
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Azeez NM. 2021. Bioaccumulation and phytoremediation of some heavy metals (Mn, Cu, Zn and Pb) by bladderwort and duckweed. Biodiversitas 22: 3093-3098. This paper discussed the changes in some heavy metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, and Pb) in Utricularia vulgaris L. (Bladderwort) and Lemna minor L. (Duckweed) in the sewage treatment unit at the University of Basrah Campus, Iraq. For all examined heavy metals, the better accumulator was U. vulgaris than L. minor. This study proved that both plants significantly reduced the concentrations of heavy metals in wastewater. The efficiency of removing heavy metals was more than 68%. For both species, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) values of the tested metals were <1, and the BCFvalues decreased in the following order in both species: Pb>Mn>Cu>Zn. Reduction rates of pH, TSS, TDS, and conductivity were significant at the end of the experiment. The results showed that the tested macrophytes exhibit a good characteristic as bioaccumulators and could be effectively used in phytoremediation techniques.
Morphogenetic identification, description and pathogenicity of novel pathogens on Iraqi wheat plant (Triticum aestivum) causing head blight and crown rot diseases
Authors: MOHAMMED-AMEEN MOHANAD KHALAF , Minati Mohammed Hussein , Abbas Mohammed
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Mohammed-Ameen MK, Minati MH, Abbas MH. 2021. Morphogenetic identification, description and pathogenicity of novel pathogens on Iraqi Wheat Plant (Triticum aestivum) causing head blight and crown rot diseases. Biodiversitas 22: 2999-3005. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plant suffers from several fungal diseases, such as Fusarium head blight, root rot, and crown rot diseases that reduce the quality and quantity of grains. Two Fusarium species (Fusarium brachygibbosum and F. falciforme) have been isolated from wheat roots and rhizosphere regions showing disease symptoms in wheat fields in Al-Hwuir and Al-Qurna districts at Basra province. Each fungal species had been characterized morphologically and molecularly based on DNA sequence data for the translation elongation factor 1- ? (TEF-1 ?). Results of pathogenicity test showed that F. falciforme and F. brachygibbosum at the third week of inoculation induced head bleached symptoms with the severity of 12.46% (with significant differences P > 0.05) and 7.14%, respectively on Abu Ghraib 3 cultivar. Yellowing and necrosis symptoms were recorded in stem and crown region. The mean of disease severity (as necrosis on basal stem and crown) was 5% and 3.34% for F. falciforme and F. brachygibbosum, respectively. The two Fusarium species were identified as new pathogens on wheat plants in Iraq, causing head bleaching, stem and crown necrosis.
Angular spectrum influence and entanglement characterization of Gaussian-path encoded photonic qudits
Authors: Borges G. F. , Baldijão R. D. , Matoso A. A. , Pádua S.
Published: May 2021

Entangled quantum states play an important role in quantum information science and also in quantum mechanics fundamental investigations. Implementation and characterization of techniques allowing for easy preparation of entangled states are important steps in such fields. Here we generated entangled quantum states encoded in photons’ transverse paths, obtained by pumping a nonlinear crystal with multiple transversal Gaussian beams. This approach allows us to generate entangled states of two qubits and two qutrits encoded in a Gaussian transversal path of twin photons. We make a theoretical analysis of this source, considering the influence of the pump angular spectrum on the generated states, further characterizing those by their purity and entanglement degree. Our experimental results reveal that the generated states present both high purity and entanglement, and the theoretical analysis elucidates how the pump beams profile can be used to manipulate such photonic states.
Cubic nonlinearities of borate and related crystals with wide band gaps
Authors: Li Rukang
Published: May 2021

Borate crystals are traditional nonlinear optical (NLO) materials with superior properties: a wide transparency range, large NLO coefficients, and high resistance to laser damage. More recently, their higher-order nonlinearity, namely cubic nonlinearities (

χ

i
j
k
l

(
3
)

), is getting noticed for applications in supercontinuum generation, producing extra-short, few-circle laser pulses, limiting the Gauss pulse to a flat-top shape and directly generating efficient third harmonic generation. The lack of knowledge of the individual tensor element of

χ

i
j
k
l

(
3
)

hinders the optimization of the efficiency of the high-order process, which in principle is a much weaker optic field–matter interaction. Using a recent released CRYSTAL code based on a coupled perturbed Kohn–Sham approximation and a linear combination of atomic orbitals approach, the most important properties of the band gaps, and linear and nonlinear properties of well-known borate and related crystals are calculated. For most of them, the full tensor elements of the calculated cubic nonlinear coefficients

χ

i
j
k
l

(
3
)

are obtained for the first time, to the best of my knowledge. The full knowledge of

χ

i
j
k
l

(
3
)

of each optical crystal may serve as the basis for their use as third harmonic generation (THG) materials and help researchers find promising new THG materials for increasingly important applications in the control of optic field–matter interactions.
Improving the performance of OLEDs by controlling the molecular orientation in charge carrier transport layers
Authors: Cui Dongyue , Wang Shuai , Li Shuhong , Liu Yunlong , Gao Xuexi , Wang Wenjun , Dong Xiaochen
Published: May 2021

The transition dipole moment (TDM) orientation in the emission layer (EML) of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have attracted increasing attention from many researchers. But the study point at the molecular orientation in the hole transport layer (HTL) and electron transport layer (ETL) was not reported widely. In this paper, the molecular orientation of HTLs and ETLs were controlled by the deposition rate. The angle-dependent PL spectra and the variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) were used for evaluating the molecular orientation of B3PYMPM and TAPC, respectively. We found that fast deposition rate can boost preferentially vertical molecular orientation in both molecules and facilitate the hole and electron mobility, which was tested by the current density-voltage and capacitance-voltage curves of HODs and EODs. Moreover, the HTLs and ETLs were employed in OLED devices to verify the influence of molecular orientation on charge carrier mobility, which determined the performance of OLEDs significantly.
Highly efficient ultra-low blaze angle multilayer grating
Authors: Voronov D. L. , Park S. , Gullikson E. M. , Salmassi F. , Padmore H. A.
Published: May 2021

We have developed an advanced process for blaze angle reduction of x-ray gratings for the soft, tender, and EUV spectral ranges. The process is based on planarization of an anisotropically etched Si blazed grating followed by a chemically selective plasma etch. This provides a way to adjust the blaze angle to any lower value with high accuracy. Here we demonstrate the reduction of the blaze angle to an extremely low value of 0.04°±0.004°. For a 100 lines/mm grating with a Mo/Si multilayer coating, the grating exhibits diffraction efficiency of 58% in the 1st diffraction order at a wavelength of 13.3 nm. This technique will be applicable to a wide range of uses of high efficiency gratings for synchrotron sources, as well as for Free Electron Lasers (FEL).
Chiral interaction of an atom in a sandwiched waveguide
Authors: Jiang Hanwen , Xu Jingping , Li Na , Wang Jianshan , Zhu Chengjie , Yang Yaping
Published: May 2021

The chiral interaction between light and matter is mainly caused by the spin-momentum locking and makes the chiral quantum optics enter a vigorous development stage. Here, we explore the condition of the perfect chiral interaction between an atom possessing circular dipole and the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) mode. The realization of the perfect chiral interaction must satisfy the following two conditions at the same time. First, the SPP mode should possess the transverse circular polarization; and second, the atom decays mainly into the SPP mode, while the decay through other channel can be ignored. In this paper, we adopt a simple but effective structure to satisfy both of requirements, which is the sandwiched waveguide made of metal. We found that the transverse circular polarization of SPP mode might be achieved within the structure possessing multiple interfaces instead of the interface separating two semi-infinite materials. In our model, the decay rate into SPP mode overwhelms that through traveling wave, which provides higher quantum efficiency. What’s more, we found that only the symmetric TM-polarized SPP mode might get the transverse circular polarization. For the sandwiched structure containing metal, the existence of two SPP modes weakens the overall chiral interaction. However, the structure containing left-handed materials (LHMs), which can only support one symmetric TM-polarized SPP mode, can get the nearly perfect chiral interaction. We measure the chiral interaction through the decay rate, radiation field distribution and the unidirectional rate through the energy flux. Our work provides a reference for exploring the perfect chiral interaction in more complex structures and has potential and wide applicability to other optical processes.
Intra-oscillator broadband THz generation in a compact ultrafast diode-pumped solid-state laser
Authors: Hamrouni Marin , Drs Jakub , Modsching Norbert , Wittwer Valentin J. , Labaye François , Südmeyer Thomas
Published: May 2021

We demonstrate broadband and powerful terahertz (THz) generation at megahertz repetition rate based on intra-oscillator optical rectification (OR) in gallium phosphide (GaP). By placing the nonlinear crystal directly inside the cavity of a Kerr-lens mode-locked ultrafast diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL) oscillator, we demonstrate a compact and single-stage THz source. Using only 7 W of diode-pump power, we drive OR in a GaP crystal with 22 W of average power at ∼80 MHz repetition rate. In a first configuration, using a 0.3-mm-thick GaP and 105 fs driving pulses, we generate up to 150 µW of THz radiation with a spectrum extending to 5.5 THz. In a second configuration allowing for sub-50-fs pulse duration, we generate up to 7 THz inside a 0.1-mm-thick GaP crystal. This performance is well suited for THz time-domain spectroscopy and THz imaging. Intra-oscillator THz generation in sub-100-fs DPSSLs is a promising way to scale down footprint, complexity and cost of powerful broadband THz sources.
Chaos synchronization based on cluster fusion in asymmetric coupling semiconductor lasers networks
Authors: Liu Shiqin , Jiang Ning , Zhang Yiqun , Zhao Anke , Peng Jiafa , Qiu Kun , Zhang Qianwu
Published: May 2021

A novel cluster fusion method is proposed, based on which chaos synchronization in asymmetric coupling semiconductor lasers (ACSLs) networks is systematically demonstrated. Take the cluster fusion of a mutually-coupled network composed of 7 semiconductor lasers (SLs) for instance, the characteristics of chaos synchronization as well as the influences of coupling strength, bias current, and mismatches of intrinsic parameters and injection strength on the quality of chaos synchronization in hybrid clusters composed of ACSLs are thoroughly investigated. The results show that by using cluster fusion, the ACSLs which originally belong to different clusters can form three types of new hybrid clusters, namely, trivial-hybrid cluster, trivial-nontrivial-hybrid cluster, and nontrivial-hybrid cluster. Compared with the low-correlation inter-cluster ACSLs of original SLs network, high-quality chaos synchronization is achieved in three types of newly generated hybrid clusters over a wide parameter range. Moreover, the cluster fusion and synchronization of side-SLs clusters of star-type SLs networks are also verified, which indicate the universality of the proposed method. This work provides a new way to realize the chaos synchronization among ACSLs of different clusters.
Terahertz subwavelength edge detection based on dispersion-induced plasmons
Authors: Huang Tie-Jun , Zhao Jin , Yin Li-Zheng , Liu Pu-Kun
Published: May 2021

Terahertz imaging has recently attracted great attention owing to the abilities of high penetration and low ionizing damages. However, the low resolution and low contrast resulting from the diffraction limit and unwanted background illumination significantly hinder the extensive usage. In this Letter, we propose and numerically demonstrate a terahertz subwavelength imaging method capable of extracting only the edges and fine features of the targets. The underlying physics is the efficient transmission of the scattering evanescent waves related to key geometric information while blocking the propagating components. By exploiting the structurally induced plasmons in a bounded metallic waveguide, the transmission channel for evanescent waves is realized by hyperbolic metamaterials through periodically stacking dielectric layers. On this basis, high-contrast edge detection with a resolution up to

0.1

λ

is demonstrated at terahertz wavelengths. The proposed terahertz imaging method may find important applications in non-destructive testing, weak scattering object detection, and high-contrast microscopy.
Enhanced and unidirectional photonic spin Hall effect in a plasmonic metasurface with S4 symmetry
Authors: Liu Jiaqing , Li Xiao , Tao Jiaqi , Dong Daxing , Liu Youwen , Fu Yangyang
Published: May 2021

In this Letter, we report the significant enhancement of the photonic spin Hall effect (SHE) in a plasmonic metasurface with

S

4

symmetry. We find that an enhanced SHE of reflected light can occur in both horizontally and vertically polarized incident beams, and the maximum transverse displacement can approach half of the beam waist. Such a large displacement is caused by the non-resonant and near-zero pseudo-Brewster angles in the plasmonic metasurface. Owing to

S

4

symmetry, a unidirectional SHE is obtained in the metasurface, i.e., large and tiny transverse displacements are realized for a linearly polarized beam incident from the opposite side. This Letter provides a new, to the best of our knowledge, way to achieve an enhanced photonic SHE and offers more opportunities for designing spin-based nanophotonic devices.
Inverse design of photonic nanostructures using dimensionality reduction: reducing the computational complexity
Authors: Zandehshahvar Mohammadreza , Kiarashi Yashar , Chen Michael , Barton Reid , Adibi Ali
Published: May 2021

In this Letter, we present a deep-learning-based method using neural networks (NNs) for inverse design of photonic nanostructures. We show that by using dimensionality reduction in both the design and the response spaces, the computational complexity of the inverse design algorithm is considerably reduced. As a proof of concept, we apply this method to design multi-layer thin-film structures composed of consecutive layers of two different dielectrics and compare the results using our techniques to those using conventional NNs.
Temporal Talbot effect in free space
Authors: Hall Layton A. , Ponomarenko Sergey , Abouraddy Ayman F.
Published: May 2021

The temporal Talbot effect refers to the periodic revivals of a pulse train propagating in a dispersive medium and is a temporal analog of the spatial Talbot effect with group-velocity dispersion in time replacing diffraction in space. Because of typically large temporal Talbot lengths, this effect has been observed to date in only single-mode fibers, rather than with freely propagating fields in bulk dispersive media. Here we demonstrate for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the temporal Talbot effect in free space by employing dispersive space-time wave packets, whose spatiotemporal structure induces group-velocity dispersion of controllable magnitude and sign in free space.
Hybridization of circular and rectangular transverse profiles of nanophotonic modes for nonlinear optics
Authors: Lu Xiyuan , Jiang Wei C. , Srinivasan Kartik
Published: May 2021

Nanophotonic modes within rectangular cross sections are typically
considered to have transverse rectangular field profiles. In this
work, we show that, despite the rectangular cross section of most
integrated waveguides and microring resonators, there exists
considerable hybridization of transverse rectangular modes and
transverse circular modes. These hybridized modes can be advantageous
in nonlinear wave mixing processes. We use third-harmonic generation
as an example to confirm that such a hybridized mode is advantageous
in combining reasonable mode overlap and waveguide coupling to a
fundamental mode in a silicon nitride microring. Our work illuminates
the potential of using transverse circular modes in nanophotonic
applications.
Infrared photoconductor based on surface-state absorption in silicon
Authors: Wang Zhao , Liu Haiyi , Zhang Ziyu , Zou Kai , Hu Xiaolong
Published: May 2021

We report on a normal-incidence infrared photoconductor based on surface-state absorption in silicon, featuring broad-spectrum photoresponse, sensitivity of

−

46

d
B
m

enabled by lock-in readouts, CMOS-compatible fabrication process, and near transparency to incident light. Its applications in infrared imaging and measuring the beam profiles are demonstrated and presented. Future extension from this single-pixel element to a many-pixel camera is discussed.
Efficient method for the calculation of the optical force of a single nanoparticle based on the quasinormal mode expansion
Authors: Qi Zhe , Tao Can , Rong Sheng , Zhong Ying , Liu Haitao
Published: May 2021

An efficient method for the calculation of the optical force of a single nanoparticle is proposed based on the expansion of quasinormal modes (QNMs), which are eigensolutions of source-free Maxwell’s equations with complex eigenfrequencies. In this method, the optical force is calculated by integrating the Maxwell stress tensor (MST) over a closed surface encompassing the nanoparticle. The electromagnetic (EM) field required for evaluating the MST is computed by a rigorous modal analysis, in which the EM field is expanded onto a small set of QNMs. Once the QNMs of the nanoparticle are solved, their excitation coefficients are obtained analytically. This means that additional full-wave computations are not required if the nanoparticle’s location and the wavelength or distribution of the excitation field vary. Comparisons with full-wave numerical calculations of optical force evidence the high efficiency and accuracy of our formalism.
Spatio-temporal evolution of urban thermal environment and its driving factors: Case study of Nanjing, China
Authors: Zhang Menghan , Dong Suocheng , Cheng Hao , Li Fujia
Published: May 2021

In recent years, with rapid urbanization, the underlying urban surface has changed dramatically. Various urban eco-environmental problems have emerged globally, among which the urban heat island effect has become one of the most obvious urban eco-environmental problems. In this study, Nanjing, China, was chosen as the study area. Based on Landsat 8 remote sensing image data collected in Nanjing from 2014 to 2018, land surface temperatures were retrieved, the spatiotemporal variation track and characteristics of the thermal environment pattern were systematically depicted, and the driving factors of these variations were revealed. The results show that over the past five years, the spatial pattern of the heat field in Nanjing changed from a scattered distribution in the periphery of the city to a centralized distribution in the centre of the city, and the heat island intensity increased annually. Changes in administrative divisions, changes in the layout of the transportation trunk lines, transfer of industrial centres, and ecological construction projects are important driving factors for the evolution of the land surface thermal environment patterns of these regions. These research results will provide scientific and technological support for similar cities with typical heat island effects elsewhere in the world to formulate urban development plan, and to improve the urban ecological environment.
Detection of new drivers of frequent B-cell lymphoid neoplasms using an integrated analysis of whole genomes
Authors: Mosquera Orgueira Adrián , Ferreiro Ferro Roi , Díaz Arias José Ángel , Aliste Santos Carlos , Antelo Rodríguez Beatriz , Bao Pérez Laura , Alonso Vence Natalia , Bendaña López Ággeles , Abuin Blanco Aitor , Melero Valentín Paula , Peleteiro Raindo And´res , Cid López Miguel , Pérez Encinas Manuel Mateo , González Pérez Marta Sonia , Fraga Rodríguez Máximo Francisco , Bello López José Luis
Published: May 2021

B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders exhibit a diverse spectrum of diagnostic entities with heterogeneous behaviour. Multiple efforts have focused on the determination of the genomic drivers of B-cell lymphoma subtypes. In the meantime, the aggregation of diverse tumors in pan-cancer genomic studies has become a useful tool to detect new driver genes, while enabling the comparison of mutational patterns across tumors. Here we present an integrated analysis of 354 B-cell lymphoid disorders. 112 recurrently mutated genes were discovered, of whichKMT2D,CREBBP,IGLL5andBCL2were the most frequent, and 31 genes were putative new drivers. Mutations inCREBBP,TNFRSF14andKMT2Dpredominated in follicular lymphoma, whereas those inBTG2,HTA-AandPIM1were more frequent in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Additionally, we discovered 31 significantly mutated protein networks, reinforcing the role of genes such asCREBBP,EEF1A1,STAT6,GNA13andTP53, but also pointing towards a myriad of infrequent players in lymphomagenesis. Finally, we report aberrant expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressors associated with novel noncoding mutations (DTX1andS1PR2), and new recurrent copy number aberrations affecting immune check-point regulators (CD83,PVR) and B-cell specific genes (TNFRSF13C). Our analysis expands the number of mutational drivers of B-cell lymphoid neoplasms, and identifies several differential somatic events between disease subtypes.
Streptococcus suis serotyping by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Chaiden Chadaporn , Jaresitthikunchai Janthima , Kerdsin Anusak , Meekhanon Nattakan , Roytrakul Sittiruk , Nuanualsuwan Suphachai
Published: May 2021

Streptococcus suis, particularly S. suis serotype 2 (SS2), is an important zoonotic pathogen causing meningitis in humans worldwide. Although the proper classification of the causative and pathogenic serotype is salutary for the clinical diagnosis, cross-reactions leading to the indistinguishability of serotypes by the current serotyping methods are significant limitations. In the present study, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis of extracted peptides was developed to improve the classification of serotype of S. suis. The peptide mass fingerprint (PMFs) database of S. suis was generated from the whole-cell peptides of 32 reference strains of S. suis isolates obtained from pigs. Thirty-two human S. suis isolates from clinical cases in Thailand were used to validate this alternative serotyping method in direct comparison to the multiplex (m)PCR approach. All reference strains, representing 32 serotypes of S. suis, exhibited their individual PMFs patterns, thus allowing differentiation from one another. Highly pathogenic SS2 and SS14 were clearly differentiated from the otherwise serologically closely related SS1/2 and SS1, respectively. The developed MALDI-TOF-MS serotyping method correctly classified the serotype in 68.8% (22/32) of the same serotype isolates generated from the PMFs database; while the validity for the clinical human isolates was 62.5% (20/32). The agreement between the MALDI-TOF-MS and mPCR serotyping was moderate with a Kappa score of 0.522, considering that mPCR could correctly serotype up to 75%. The present study demonstrated that PMFs from the developed MALDI-TOF-MS-based method could successfully discriminate the previously indistinguishable highly pathogenic SS2 and SS14 from SS1/2 and SS1, respectively. Moreover, this serotyping method distinguished pathogenic SS6, and so is an alternative approach of choice to rapidly and reliably serotype clinically pathogenic S. suis isolates.
Assessment of circulating microRNA specific for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis
Authors: Yamano Tomoki , Kubo Shuji , Sonoda Emiko , Kominato Tomoko , Kimura Kei , Yasuhara Michiko , Kataoka Kozo , Son Jihyung , Babaya Akihito , Takenaka Yuya , Matsubara Takaaki , Beppu Naohito , Ikeda Masataka
Published: May 2021

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are considered promising biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment efficacy of diseases. However, usefulness of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers for hereditary gastrointestinal diseases have not been confirmed yet. We explored circulating miRNAs specific for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) as a representative hereditary gastrointestinal disease. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) indicated that plasma miR-143-3p, miR-183-5p, and miR-885-5p were candidate biomarkers for five FAP patients compared to three healthy donors due to moderate copy number and significant difference. MiR-16-5p was considered as an internal control due to minimum difference in expression across FAP patients and healthy donors. Validation studies by real-time PCR showed that mean ratios of maximum expression and minimum expression were 2.2 for miR-143-3p/miR-16-5p, 3.4 for miR-143-3p/miR-103a-3p, 5.1 for miR-183-5p/miR-16-5p, and 4.9 for miR-885-5p/miR-16-5p by using the samples collected at different time points of eight FAP patients. MiR-143-3p/16-5p was further assessed using specimens from 16 FAP patients and 7 healthy donors. MiR-143-3p was upregulated in FAP patients compared to healthy donors (P = 0.04), but not significantly influenced by clinicopathological features. However, miR-143-3p expression in colonic tumors was rare for upregulation, although there was a significant difference by existence of desmoid tumors. MiR-143-3p transfection significantly inhibited colorectal cancer cell proliferation compared to control microRNA transfection. Our data suggested regulation of miR-143-3p expression differed by samples (plasma or colonic tumors) in most FAP patients. Upregulation of plasma miR-143-3p expression may be helpful for diagnosis of FAP, although suppressive effect on tumorigenesis seemed insufficient in FAP patients.
A novel investigation of the influence of corporate governance on firms’ credit ratings
Authors: Alkhawaldeh Abdullah A. K. , Jaber Jamil J. , Boughaci Dalila , Ismail Noriszura
Published: May 2021

Corporate governance is the way of governing a firm in order to increase its accountability and to avoid any massive damage before it occurs. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of capital structure, firms’ size, and competitive advantages of firms as control variables on credit ratings. We investigate the role of corporate governance in improving the firms’ credit rating using a sample of Jordanian listed firms. We split firms into four categories according to WVB credit rating. We use both the binary logistic regression (LR) and the ordinal logistic regression (OLR) to model credit ratings in Jordanian environment. The empirical results show that the control variables are strong determinants of credit ratings. When we evaluate the relationship between the governance variables and credit ratings, we found interesting results. The board stockholders and board expertise are moderately significant. The board independence and role duality are weakly significant, while board size is insignificant.
Home birth preference, childbirth, and newborn care practices in rural Peruvian Amazon
Authors: Del Mastro N. Irene , Tejada-Llacsa Paul J. , Reinders Stefan , Pérez Raquel , Solís Yliana , Alva Isaac , Blas Magaly M.
Published: May 2021

Home birth is very common in the Peruvian Amazon. In rural areas of the Loreto region, home to indigenous populations such as the Kukama-Kukamiria, birth takes place at home constantly. This study aims to understand the preference for home births as well as childbirth and newborn care practices among Kukama-Kukamiria women in rural Loreto. Following a case study approach, sixty semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with recent mothers who experienced childbirth within one year prior to the interview, female relatives of recent mothers who had a role in childbirth, male relatives of recent mothers, community health workers, and traditional healers. We found that for women from these communities, home birth is a courageous act and an intimate (i.e. members of the community and relatives participate in it) and inexpensive practice in comparison with institutional birth. These preferences are also linked to experiences of mistreatment at health facilities, lack of cultural adaptation of birthing services, and access barriers to them. Preparations for home births included handwashing and cleaning delivery surfaces. After birth, waiting for the godparent to arrive to cut the cord can delay drying of the newborn. Discarding of colostrum, lack of skin-to-skin contact as well as a range of responses regarding immediate breastfeeding and immediate drying of the baby were also found. These findings were used to tailor the educational content of the Mamas del Rio program, where community health workers are trained to identify pregnancy early, perform home visits to pregnant women and newborns, and promote essential newborn care practices in case institutional birth is not desired or feasible. We make recommendations to improve Peru’s cultural adaptation of birthing services.
Forward optic flow is prioritised in visual awareness independently of walking direction
Authors: Motyka Paweł , Akbal Mert , Litwin Piotr
Published: May 2021

When two different images are presented separately to each eye, one experiences smooth transitions between them–a phenomenon called binocular rivalry. Previous studies have shown that exposure to signals from other senses can enhance the access of stimulation-congruent images to conscious perception. However, despite our ability to infer perceptual consequences from bodily movements, evidence that action can have an analogous influence on visual awareness is scarce and mainly limited to hand movements. Here, we investigated whether one’s direction of locomotion affects perceptual access to optic flow patterns during binocular rivalry. Participants walked forwards and backwards on a treadmill while viewing highly-realistic visualisations of self-motion in a virtual environment. We hypothesised that visualisations congruent with walking direction would predominate in visual awareness over incongruent ones, and that this effect would increase with the precision of one’s active proprioception. These predictions were not confirmed: optic flow consistent with forward locomotion was prioritised in visual awareness independently of walking direction and proprioceptive abilities. Our findings suggest the limited role of kinaesthetic-proprioceptive information in disambiguating visually perceived direction of self-motion and indicate that vision might be tuned to the (expanding) optic flow patterns prevalent in everyday life.
Detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis infections in pregnant women by multiplex recombinase polymerase amplification
Authors: Zhai Jingjing , Wang Limin , Qiao Xiaoliang , Zhao Jianping , Wang Xuexia , He Xiaohong
Published: May 2021

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) are the main pathogenic microorganisms causing sexually transmitted infections. In this study, a multiplex thermostable recombinase polymerase amplification-lateral flow detection (RPA-LFD) assay was established, and the reaction conditions such as the ratio of primer concentration, magnesium ion concentration, amplification time and template DNA concentration in the multiplex RPA reaction were optimized. The optimized multiplex RPA-LFD method was used to detect both CT and NG positive control plasmids, and it was found that the LFD could be used to obtain visible results when the plasmid copy number was only 200. The sensitivity of the multiplex RPA-LFD method used for clinical samples was 85.62 (95% CI at 53.66–97.29) for NG detection and 90.90 (95% CI at 57.12–99.52) for CT detection.
Empagliflozin ameliorates symptoms of diabetes and renal tubular dysfunction in a rat model of diabetes with enlarged kidney (DEK)
Authors: Domon Ayaka , Katayama Kentaro , Sato Touko , Tochigi Yuki , Tazaki Hiroyuki , Suzuki Hiroetsu
Published: May 2021

Background

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are widely used to reduce hyperglycemia. The present study investigated the effects of a SGLT2 inhibitor, empagliflozin, on hyperglycemia in a novel rat model of non-obesity type 2 diabetes with enlarged kidney (DEK).

Methods

Male DEK rats with non-fasting blood glucose concentrations ≤300 mg/dl and >300 mg/dl were classified as nondiabetic and diabetic, respectively. Groups of nondiabetic (control) and diabetic (DM-cont) rats were fed standard chow for 12 weeks, whereas another group of diabetic (DM-empa) rats was fed standard chow containing empagliflozin (300 mg/kg/day) for 12 weeks. Blood glucose, body weight, glucose tolerance, food and water intake, urinary volume, plasma and urinary biochemical parameters, and bone mineral density were measured, and their kidneys and pancreas histologically analyzed.

Results

Treatment with empagliflozin reduced blood glucose concentration and food intake in diabetic rats, but inhibited loss of adeps renis and led to body weight gain. Empagliflozin attenuated polyuria and polydipsia but increased plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, sodium and total protein toward normal level. Empagliflozin also significantly reduced urinary excretion of proteins and electrolytes and restored bone mineral density and plasma concentrations of valine and isoleucine to normal levels. Moreover, dilation of renal tubules and kidney enlargement were not attenuated in the DM-empa group.

Conclusion

The response of DEK rats to empagliflozin differed from that of other diabetic animal models, suggesting that DEK rats have unique characters for studying and evaluating the multiple biological effects of SGLT2 inhibitors. These findings also indicted that empagliflozin could ameliorate systemic metabolism and improve renal tubule function in diabetic condition.
Refractive prediction of four different intraocular lens calculation formulas compared between new swept source optical coherence tomography and partial coherence interferometry
Authors: Song Mi Yeon , Noh Sung Rae , Kim Kook Young
Published: May 2021

Purpose

To compare the biometry and prediction of postoperative refractive outcomes of four different formulae (Haigis, SRK/T, Holladay1, Barrett Universal II) obtained by swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) biometers and partial coherence interferometry (PCI; IOLMaster ver 5.4).

Methods

We compared the biometric values of SS-OCT (ANTERION, Heidelberg Engineering Inc., Heidelberg, Germany) and PCI (IOLMaster, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany). Predictive errors calculated using four different formulae (Haigis, SRKT, Holladay1, Barrett Universal II) were compared at 1 month after cataract surgery.

Results

The mean preoperative axial length (AL) showed no statistically significant difference between SS-OCT and PCI (SS-OCT: 23.78 ± 0.12 mm and PCI: 23.77 ± 0.12 mm). The mean anterior chamber depth (ACD) was 3.30 ± 0.04 mm for SS-OCT and 3.23 ± 0.04 mm for PCI, which was significantly different between the two techniques. The mean corneal curvature also differed significantly between the two techniques. The difference in mean arithmetic prediction error was significant in the Haigis, SRKT, and Holladay1 formulae. The difference in mean absolute prediction error was significant in all four formulae.

Conclusions

SS-OCT and PCI demonstrated good agreement on biometric measurements; however, there were significant differences in some biometric values. These differences in some ocular biometrics can cause a difference in refractive error after cataract surgery. New type SS-OCT was not superior to the IOL power prediction calculated by PCI.
Music, Sound and Architecture in Islam, ed. Michael Frishkopf And Federico Spinetti (2018)
Authors: Salois Kendra
Published: May 2021

Review of: Music, Sound and Architecture in Islam, ed. Michael Frishkopf And Federico Spinetti (2018)

Austin: University of Texas Press, 480 pp., 79 b&w illus., ISBN: 9781477312469 (paperback), $29.95

Aural Architecture in Byzantium: Music, Acoustics, and Ritual, ed. Bissera V. Pentcheva (2018)

London: Routledge, 258 pp., 87 b&w illus., ISBN: 9781472485151 (hardback), $165; ISBN: 9780367231842 (paperback), $49.95
For the War Yet to Come: Planning Beirut’s Frontier, Hiba Bou Akar (2018)
Authors: Nucho Joanne Randa
Published: May 2021

Review of: For the War Yet to Come: Planning Beirut’s Frontier, Hiba Bou Akar (2018)

Stanford: Stanford University Press, 264 pp., 31 b&w illus., ISBN: 9781503605602 (paperback), $28
Módulo Gerador de Trajetórias Aplicado no Eixo de um Servomecanismo
Authors: Decol Gustavo , Ramirez Alejandro
Published: May 2021

Several sectors, and especially the industrial environment, havebecome increasingly automated. Their processes end up need moresophisticated applications and, through a feedback control system,they seek to obtain a better performance, as in the case of servomechanisms.In addition, in certain applications, it is necessary to generate movements to provide a desired behavior in the mechanical axis, simplifying the operation of the controller. In this sense, trajectory generating algorithms assist in the configuration and implementation of the position, speed and acceleration profilewith unique characteristics for each situation. Considering the relevance of this theme, this work describes the development of a trajectory generating module, responsible for the generation of the movements of a servomechanism. The trajectory generation algorithms, known as cubic polynomial, fifth order polynomial and trapezoidal, were studied and implemented. A hardware based on the Arduino Mega, a power driver and a servomotor, was designedto validate these algorithms. The position, speed and acceleration profiles generated for a one axis servosystem and the feedback obtained by an encoder, allowed to validate the proposed strategy. It is hoped that the designed platform would become an important resource in a discipline of Robotics.
Notícias Falsas, Dano Real: Levantamento, Análise e Discussão de Phishing, Malware e Fake News sobre COVID-19
Authors: Beppler Tamy , Yada Natalia , De Bona Luis Carlos , Grégio André
Published: May 2021

Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has been one of the most trendingtopics in 2020’s overall media. The virus’ first registers dateback to December 2019 in China, and its spread has affected morethan 50 million people around the world. Since social distance is themost advisable recommendation by health organizations, companiesmassively adopted remote work. The Internet became a hugeallied for several jobs maintenance, but it also increased social engineeringattacks based on the COVID-19 topic to steal sensitiveinformation and/or spread malicious code. In this paper, we reviewthe literature about phishing, malware and fake news that takeadvantage of COVID-19 to distress users and organizations in orderto accomplish cyber attacks, and discuss their implications.