bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rice growth response to CRF fertilizer and biochar in rainfed land under two continuous seasons
Authors: Pratiwi G R , Hanudin E , Purwanto B H , Sulistyaningsih E , Hayashi K
Published: May 2021

Rainfed rice productivity in Indonesia is generally lower than irrigated paddy fields. The low productivity is likelihood caused by poor soil fertility and low rainfall during the dry season. This research aims to determine the role of controlled release fertilizer (CRF) and rice husk biochar (RHB) for the rice growth in two continuous seasons. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with three replicates and plot size was 5m x 6m. In wet season (WS), rice planted under direct seeded system. In dry season (DS), the rice was transplanted from seed bed. RHB rates were 0, 5, 10 t ha−1, and CRF Urea (42% N) rates were 0, 50 and 100 % of recommended dosage or equal to 0;142.5; 285 kg/ha respectively. As a positive control was 100 % dosage of recommended NPK fertilizers, namely: urea (45% N) 266 kg/ha, SP36 125 kg/ha and KCl 100 kg/ha. Agronomic traits such as plant height, tiller number, leaf greenness under DS and WS increase significantly as treated with a combination of RHB and CRF, while the distribution of roots and N uptake only increases under DS as such. Optimal plant growth and N uptake in rainfed rice were obtained at treatment of 5 t ha−1 RHB and 50% CRF. Therefore, the dosage is recommendable for developing rice production in rainfed areas both in the dry and wet season.
Vegetation Analysis of the Middle Slope Geomorphic Units on the Southern Flank of Mount Merapi
Authors: Budiyanto G , Ainunnisa  , Trisnawati D W , Aisyah S N
Published: May 2021

Merapi is an active volcano located in the border between DIY and Central Java. The eruption of Mount Merapi has changed the soil conditions as well as the surrounding vegetation. This study was aimed to identify the vegetation distribution shaped after the 2010 eruption in the geomorphic units of the middle slopelocated in the southern flank of Mount Merapi. This study was carried out through survey followed by descriptive and spatial analysis. Vegetation distribution was evaluated by determining density value, frequency, dominance, importance value index and diversity index. Middle slope geomorphic units, Southern flankconsidered as disaster-prone areas zone II and III, were covered by 33 species composed of 209 individuals. Of all species found, the most abundant species were chinese albizia (so-called sengon) (Albizia chinensis), mahogany (Swietenia mahogany) and green wattle (Acacia decurens). The abundance of these three species was indicated by its high importance value index associated with high adaptability of the species, even grown in the eruption-affected areas.
Optimization of 2,4-D and Cytokinin Combination for The Growth of Vanda tricolor in Solid and Liquid Medium
Authors: Rineksane I A , Juliarachmi A F , Putri R K , Astuti A , Samidjo G S
Published: May 2021

Vanda tricolor orchid is an endemic plant. Yogyakarta is one of the distribution areas of the V. tricolor Lindl Suavis varieties in Indonesia, besides East Java, West Java, Bali and Sulawesi. The existence of the V. tricolor orchid on the slopes of Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta is threatened with extinction due to eruption and exploitation by humans. The existence of the diminishing V. tricolor orchid encourages efforts to conserve V. tricolor orchids into their natural habitat through conservation. One of the conservations carried out through in vitro propagation is somatic embryogenesis. The aim of this study is to determine the best combination of 2,4-D and cytokinin in solid and liquid medium for the growth of pro embryo V. tricolor. This research is a laboratory experiment using a single factor experimental method arranged in a completely randomized design. The treatments tested were a combination of 2,4-D (0, 2, 4 mg L−1), cytokinin (Benzyl Amino Purine and Thidiazuron, 0 and 0.5 mg L−1) and the type of medium (solid and liquid). The basic medium used is New Dogashima Medium (NDM). Activated charcoal 0.2 g L−1 and Plant Preservative Mixture 0.5 ml L−1 were added to all treatments. The observed parameters included: Percentage of viable, contaminated and vitrified explants (%), number of leaves, number of pro embryos and number of roots. The results showed that treatment of New Dogashima Liquid medium without 2,4-D with the addition of 0.5 mg L−1 Thidiazuron was chosen as the best medium for the growth of V. tricolor shoots.
Citrus stem rot disease (Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griff. & Maubl) problem and their control strategy in Indonesia
Authors: Dwiastuti M E , Aji T G
Published: May 2021

Citrus stem rot disease caused by Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griff. & Maubl is a serious disease in citrus orchards in Indonesia. The geographical distribution of these diseases is very broad, almost found in all citrus centers of more than 22 provinces, districts, and cities. Plants of more than 10 years with less intensive maintenance often seriously affected. Alertness and control must be more intensive in productive plants aged more than 5 years old. The disease epidemic problem occurs because of the presence of sensitive citrus varieties, poorly maintained plants, the source of inoculum throughout the year, wide range of host plants, and contamination of agricultural equipment. Sensitive plants in citrus genus including pummelo, orange, tangerine, lime, and lemon. The control strategy is formulated by considering the effectiveness, logical and environmentally friendly to support the development of citrus areas in 24 main citrus centers in Indonesia. Stem rot control strategies include: (1) monitoring of disease incidents in the field, presence of inoculum sources in citrus plants and other hosts, (2) maintaining the cleanliness of the field, sanitation by pruning the branches, (3) optimum maintenance, (4) disinfecting agricultural tools (pruning shears, grafting knives, machetes, saws) with 70% alcohol, (5) Weaning of stems with sulfur lime 2 times a year, (6) Biological control (Trichoderma harzianum, T. asperellum, T. viride, Bacillus subtilis, Gliocladium sp) and or botanical control using cashew nut shell waste (Anacardium occidentale L.), red ginger extract (Zingiber officinale var. rubrum).
The Effect of Plant Growth Regulators and Planting Density against Viral Infection and the Production from Bulbs of True Shallot Seed in the Highlands
Authors: Gunaeni N , Adiyoga W , Rosliani R , Sulastrini I
Published: May 2021

In general shallots are cultivated using bulbs (vegetatively). The problem is the cost of controlling bulbs is quite high, which is around 40% of the total. One way to increase the productivity of shallots is by using healthy plant material through using of True Shallot Seeds (TSS). TSS is one of the generative propagation methods of shallots from seed. The research was carried out at the Indonesia Vegetable Research Institute in Lembang (plateau 1250 asl). Time of implementation from August 2017 to April 2018. Research is conducted in the Field and laboratory. The experimental design used is a factorial randomized completely block design with two factors repeated 3 times. The first factor type of Plant Growth Regulators consists of: A.1=BAP concentration of 50 ppm, A.2=NAA concentration of 50 ppm, A.3=GA3 concentration of 50 ppm, A.4=Control. The second factor is planting density: B.1. Planting density of 5 gram of seeds/m2, B.2=Planting density of 7 gram of seeds/m2, B.3=Planting density of 9 gram of seeds/m2. The results of the study show that: (1). The giving of Plant Growth Regulators (BAP, NAA and GA3) does not affect the germination of True Shallot Seed and plant growth, the number of living plants and tuber yields in the field. (2). planting density affects plant growth in the field and green houses are 5 gram of seeds and 7 gram of seeds/m2 land area. (3). The results of the Elisa test on leaf samples not detected SYSV, OYDV and LYSV viruses. (4). Planting density of 7 gram of seeds/m2 land area has a good effect on tuber yields in the field. The number of cloves produced in the field is 1 to 5 clove.
Land Suitability for kemenyan cultivation in Sari Laba Jahe Village, Sibiru-biru Sub-district, Deli Serdang District, North Sumatra Province
Authors: Rahmawaty  , Marpaung R M E , Batubara R , Rauf A
Published: May 2021

Kemenyan (Styrax spp.) is commonly found in North Sumatra, especially in the Tapanuli and Dairi Regions. This study aimed to determine the suitability class of kemenyan at agroforestry land in Sari Laba Jahe Village, Sibiru-biru Sub-district, Deli Serdang District, North Sumatra Province. This study was conducted from August 2019 to April 2020. Soil survey was conducted in order to collect the characteristics of the land at the study site. Soil sampling was collected based on land units. Soil samples were analyzed in the central laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara. Land suitability was evaluated based on the matching method between data from laboratory analysis and data from survey in the field with the available land suitability criteria. The results showed that the actual land suitability classes for kemenyan in Sari Laba Jahe Village, were not suitable (N) with erosion hazard (er), and root zone medium (rc) limiting factors which accounted for 62.78%), marginally suitable (S3) with root zone medium (rc) limiting factor which accounted for 8.21%, and moderately suitable (S2) with limiting factors water availability (wa), root zone medium (rc), nutrient retention (nr) limiting factors which accounted for 29.01%. The erosion hazard (eh) limiting factors can be overcome, so that the potential land suitability in Sari Laba Jahe Village can be increased to Moderately suitable (S2) which accounted for 31.99% and marginally suitable (S3) which accounted for 67.98%. Based on the potential land suitability in Sari Laba Jahe Village only 0.03% was not suitable (N) in Sari Laba Jahe Village.
Biological Control of Strawberry Crown Rot Disease (Pestalotiopsis sp.) using Trichoderma harzianum and Endophytic Bacteria
Authors: Widyaningsih S , Triasih U
Published: May 2021

Strawberry crown rot is one of the diseases caused by several soil-borne pathogens. Control of the disease is quite difficult, especially on unhealthy soil condition. The study was conducted to examine the potential of Trichoderma harzianum and consortium endophytic bacteria application to control strawberry crown rot disease and resistance of strawberry varieties to crown rot disease based on control treatment. The research stages were isolation and identification of the pathogen, antagonist test of T. harzianum against the pathogen, potency test of both biological control agents to control crown rot disease on three strawberry varieties (Dorit, Rosalinda and the hybrid of Early Bright and Tokii varieties). This study used a Randomized Block Design. The results indicated that Pestalotiopsis sp. was one of the pathogens causing strawberry crown rot. The pathogen was inhibited by T. harzianum using antagonistic mechanism. Although, based on the percentage inhibition of radial growth, only 32 % of inhibition of T. harzianum against Pestalotiopsis sp. when both isolates laid out on PDA in same time. Application of both biological controls lead to the increasing resistance of three strawberry varieties against crown rot disease. The hybrid of Early Bright and Tokii variety was the most resistant varieties compared than 2 others varieties after biological control application.
Heavy metals contamination assessment in agricultural soil for shallot in Wanasari, Brebes Regency, Central Java Province
Authors: Dewi T , Martono E , Hanudin E , Harini R
Published: May 2021

Assessment of heavy metals contamination was carried out in agricultural soil in Wanasari, Brebes Regency, Central Java Province. The study purposed to assess the level of metal contamination using statistical analysis, contamination factor (CF), geo-accumulation index (I-geo), and load pollution index (PLI). In this research, a total of 18 topsoil samples were taken and analyzed for the several metal concentrations are Pb, Cd, Cr, Co, and Ni. The concentration of heavy metals in soil samples was in the order of Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > Cd. The I-geo values of Pb, Co, Ni, and Cr indicated uncontaminated soils, while I-geo values for Cd showed level contamination in soil was uncontaminated to moderately contaminated. The values of pollution load index (PLI) indicated that these observed samples in agricultural soils for shallot in Wanasari, Brebes Regency were uncontaminated.
Multiple excitations and temperature study of the disorder-induced Raman bands in MoS2
Authors: Gontijo Rafael N , Zhang Tianyi , Fujisawa Kazunori , Elías Ana Laura , Pimenta Marcos A , Righi Ariete , Terrones Mauricio , Fantini Cristiano
Published: May 2021

Raman spectroscopy has been extensively used to probe disorder in graphene and other carbon-related materials, and disorder-induced (DI) Raman bands are prominent even for low defect densities. The DI bands in MoS2 have been studied in the last years, but a multiple excitation study using laser excitation energies near the excitonic energies was still lacking. In this work, we investigate the low-frequency defect-induced Raman bands in MoS2 coming from the acoustic phonon branches near the Brillouin zone edge using samples produced by mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition, recorded with different laser excitation energies close to the resonance with the excitonic transitions, and measured at different temperatures, from 100 K to 400 K. Our results show that the defect-induced Raman processes are affected by both excitation energy and temperature. We find that the temperature of measurement affects the linear dependence between the intensities of the DI peaks and the defect concentration. In particular, we observed that the ratio of intensities of the DI longitudinal acoustic (LA) and transversal acoustic (TA) modes with respect to the first-order E′ mode is about the same for the two different samples when results are corrected by the defect density. We show in this work that the largest intensity of the DI peaks occurs for laser energies in the resonance with the excitonic transitions. Finally, we introduce a general expression that provides the parameters for the quantification of defects in MoS2 samples based on the intensity of the DI Raman bands, measured at different laser energies across the excitonic transitions.
Modifying mechanical properties of silicon dioxide using porous graphene: molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Zhao Yutao , Xie Guihua , Zhao Junlin , Wang Chengyuan , Tang Chun
Published: May 2021

Graphene or other 2D materials are often used as agents to reinforce engineering structures because they possess extremely high mechanical strength and structural flexibility. This is however not cost effective and the reported enhancement is often limited although the mechanical properties of graphene is often several orders higher than cements or concretes. Defective graphene is mechanically weaker than pristine graphene but stronger than engineering structures, moreover, it is cheaper because the synthesis condition is low. In this work we perform systematic molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate the effect of porous graphene (PG), a type of defective graphene, on reinforcing mechanical properties of silicon dioxide (SiO2) which is the key components of engineering structures. Our results show that PG is mechanically weaker than pristine graphene but stronger than SiO2, therefore, with certain amount of PG encapsulation into SiO2, the mechanical properties can be improved under tensile, shear and compressive loadings, although not as significant as the effective of pristine graphene. The modification mechanism is found to depend both on the intrinsic mechanical properties of GP and the interface induced surface stress redistribution in SiO2. The effects of defect concentration, volume fraction, loading methods and interface roughness are found to be influential on the reinforcing effect. Our findings are expected to offer new strategies for rational design of low-cost but high-strength engineering composite structures.
Non-equilibrium coupling of a quartz resonator to ions for Penning-trap fast resonant detection
Authors: Berrocal Joaquín , Lohse Steffen , Domínguez Francisco , Gutiérrez Manuel J , Fernández Francisco J , Block Michael , García-Ripoll Juan J , Rodríguez Daniel
Published: May 2021

The coherent coupling between a quartz electro-mechanical resonator at room temperature and trapped ions in a 7 T Penning trap has been demonstrated for the first time. The signals arising from the coupling remain for integration times in the orders of seconds. From the measurements carried out, we demonstrate that the coupling allows detecting the reduced-cyclotron frequency (ν
+) within times in the order of the decay-time constant of the energized resonator (below 10 ms), regardless of the data-acquisition time-window in use, and providing an improved resolution compared to conventional electronic detection schemes. A resolving power ν
+/Δν
+ = 2.4 × 107 has been reached in single measurements. In this publication we present the first results, emphasizing the novel features of the quartz resonator as fast non-destructive ion-trap detector together with different ways to analyze the data and considering aspects like precision, resolution and sensitivity.
Recent progress and future perspectives for the development of micro-supercapacitors for portable/wearable electronics applications
Authors: Rani Shalu , Kumar Nagesh , Sharma Yogesh
Published: May 2021

The rapid development of ultra-thin, lightweight, and flexible energy storage systems for portable/wearable electronic devices has been significantly stimulated due to an increase in the demand for flexible and wearable electronic systems in various sectors. Various energy storage systems such as batteries and supercapacitors (SCs) are widely used in portable/wearable electronics applications, but SCs have attracted considerable attention due to their long cyclability, high power density, and fast charge–discharge rate. Moreover, flexible micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) with their unique merits like flexibility, their light weight, and shape conformability have fulfilled the current requirement for portable and flexible wearable electronics systems in energy storage markets. Further, in-plane interdigitated electrode designs based on various material systems such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, and transition metal oxides and sulfides for MSCs provide the flexibility and ease with which to integrate them with portable and flexible wearable electronics systems. In this review, various material systems, active electrode fabrication techniques, integration and applications of flexible MSCs in portable/wearable electronics systems along with their current challenges and future perspectives have been comprehensively analyzed.
Everting of tubular net structures based on Shape Memory Alloys
Authors: Hensel Sebastian , Boxberger Lukas , Weisheit Linda , Schellnock Julia , Thielsch Juliane , Riedel Frank , Drossel Welf-Guntram
Published: May 2021

Foldable technical structures can be used to provide a temporary additional volume. In nature, a tubular folding application is the extension of the snail eye. The present study uses this approach. A transformation into a technical application is only successful if the high eversion loads are considered. The study aims to develop a method to realize such structures based on a metallic wire net structure. The tube consists of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) pieces connected by developed crimp elements produced by additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing was used to provide a fast and effective way to make several crimp element geometries available to define a preferred variant. In a preliminary building study, the printing parameters for crimp element production were improved. The tubular structure development is assisted by numerical simulation of the eversion process. The SMA material model parameters were identified with experimental tension tests. A feasible way to connect additively manufactured crimp elements with SMA wire was found within a joining method study. Tension tests of the connections protect against pull-out failure. The eversion process was investigated using a high-speed camera system. Multiple eversion of the developed structure is possible without failure.
Fast derivation of Shapley based feature importances through feature extraction methods for nanoinformatics
Authors: Liu Tommy , Barnard Amanda S
Published: May 2021

This work presents an alternative model-agnostic attribution method to compute feature importance rankings for high dimensional data requiring dimension reduction. We make use of Shapley values within the Shapley additive explanation framework to determine the importance values of each of the feature in the data set. We then demonstrate that it is possible to significantly reduce the computational complexity of ranking features in high dimensional spaces by first applying principal component analysis. This transformation into lower dimensional spaces in conjunction with our normalisation approach does not yield a significant loss of information when performing feature selection tasks beyond a threshold. The efficacy of our approach is demonstrated on several examples of nanomaterial data, in particular graphene oxide. Our approach is ideal for the applied physical science communities where datasets are of high dimensionality and computational complexity is a matter for concern.
Nano-gap planar metal electrodes: fabrication and I-V characteristics
Authors: Singh Abhishek Kumar , Kumar Jitendra
Published: May 2021

The nanowires/bars and nano-gap electrodes are vital components for emerging electronics and have wide ranging applications in flat-panel displays, sensors, sub-100 nm transistor circuits, and miniaturized computers/devices. Focused ion beam (FIB) has emerged as a powerful and unique tool for nanofabrication. The research work described here is concerned with (a) the FIB fabrication of planar metallic (copper and gold) nanostructures, (b) their current-voltage (I–V) measurements in situ, and (c) a viable method for extracting the realistic values of emission parameters. The planar electrodes with gap of 80-100 nm are realized by FIB milling of thin metal films. The difficulties faced in objective interpretation of their I-V data (based on known mechanisms) are highlighted. For determining the parameters (namely, effective emission area α
eff, apparent work function ф, and the field enhancement factor β), Fowler-Nordheim [ln(I/V2) versus 1/V] plots showing a minimum with straight line of negative slope can be used. The striking findings demonstrated are (i) occurrence of emission from a tiny region (<1 nm2) vis-à-vis physical area (400 μm × 200 nm), (ii) significant lowering of barrier height, and (iii) enhancement of local field due to protrusions present. Typical values of α
eff, ϕ, and β deduced are 52.3 Å2, 1.62 eV, and 39.3, respectively for copper planar electrodes (gap ∼100 nm); the corresponding data for the case of gold (gap ∼80 nm) are 29.1 Å2, 1.97 eV, and 12.1, respectively. Moreover, β lowering observed with bias is accompanied by increase in the emission area due to progressive smoothening of protrusions at the cathode surface. The electrodes are found rough/rocky at the nanoscale with protrusions and varying separations at places. These features make the electron emissive region small and pointed with an enhanced local electric field and effectively of a lower barrier height. The current discrepancy in the Child-Langmuir’s space charge regime is attributed to the emission occurring from a restricted area only. These findings are important for futuristic nano-devices like thermo-tunnelling refrigerator, energy harvester, etc.
Ultrathin transparent Copper(I) oxide films grown by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition for Back-end-of-line p-Type transistors
Authors: Bae Hagyoul , Charnas Adam , Chung Wonil , Si Mengwei , Lyu Xiao , Sun Xing , Park Joon , Wang Haiyan , Zemlyanov Dmitry , Ye Peide D
Published: May 2021

We demonstrate p-type thin-film transistors (TFTs) on copper(I) oxide (Cu2O) grown by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) with bis(N,N′-di-sec-butylacetami-dinato)dicopper(I) as the Cu precursor and oxygen (O2) plasma as an oxidant. PEALD provides many if the advantages of other ALD processes, including uniformity and conformality, but with the additional ability to actively generate reactants and to add substantial energy from the plasma which may be important in defect control, low-temperature deposition. In this letter, Cu2O films were grown on SiO2/Si substrates under different substrate temperatures (160 ∼ 240 °C) and post-deposition annealing was carried out under various temperatures (300 ∼ 1100 °C) to improve the growth rate and crystallinity of the Cu2O films. The fabricated p-channel bottom-gate Cu2O transistors with a controlled thickness of 12 nm have high transparency over 90% and exhibit a subgap density of states (g(E)) of 7.2 × 1018 eV−1·cm−3 near the valence band (E
V), contact resistivity (R
C) of 14 kΩ·mm, I
ON/I
OFF ratio of 2 × 103, and field-effect mobility of 0.1 cm2/V·s.
Invited Commentary: The Promise and Pitfalls of Causal Inference With Multivariate Environmental Exposures
Authors: Zigler Corwin M
Published: May 2021

The accompanying article by Keil et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2021;190(12):2647–2657) deploys Bayesian g-computation to investigate the causal effect of 6 airborne metal exposures linked to power-plant emissions on birth weight. In so doing, it articulates the potential value of framing the analysis of environmental mixtures as an explicit contrast between exposure distributions that might arise in response to a well-defined intervention—here, the decommissioning of coal plants. Framing the mixture analysis as that of an approximate “target trial” is an important approach that deserves incorporation into the already rich literature on the analysis of environmental mixtures. However, its deployment in the power plant example highlights challenges that can arise when the target trial is at odds with the exposure distribution observed in the data, a discordance that seems particularly difficult in studies of environmental mixtures. Bayesian methodology such as model averaging and informative priors can help, but they are ultimately limited for overcoming this salient challenge.
Development, implementation, and evaluation of a clinical decision support tool to improve naloxone coprescription within Military Health System pharmacies
Authors: Rittel Alexander G , Highland Krista B , Maneval Mark S , Bockhorst Archie D , Moreno Agustin , Sim Alan , Easter Peter S , Nichols Chris E , Costantino Ryan C
Published: May 2021

Purpose

To describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a pharmacy clinical decision support tool designed to increase naloxone coprescription among people at risk for opioid overdose in a large healthcare system.

The Military Health System Opioid Registry and underlying presentation layer were used to develop a clinical decision support capability to improve naloxone coprescription at the pharmacy point of care. Pharmacy personnel use a patient identification card barcode scanner or manually enter a patient’s identification number to quickly visualize information on a patient’s risk for opioid overdose and medical history related to pain and, when appropriate, receive a recommendation to coprescribe naloxone. The tool was made available to military treatment facility pharmacy locations. An interactive dashboard was developed to support monitoring, utilization, and impact on naloxone coprescription to patients at risk for opioid overdose.

Conclusion

Initial implementation of the naloxone tool was slow from a lack of end-user awareness. Efforts to increase utilization were, in part, successful owing to a number of enterprise-wide educational initiatives. In early 2020, the naloxone tool was used in 15% of all opioid prescriptions dispensed at a military pharmacy. Data indicate that the frequency of naloxone coprescription to patients at risk for opioid overdose was significantly higher when the naloxone tool was used than when the tool was not used.
The case for moral empiricism
Authors: Nichols Shaun
Published: May 2021

It is an old and venerable idea in philosophy that morality is built into us, and this nativist view has seen a resurgence of late. Indeed, the prevailing systematic account of how we acquire complex moral representations is a nativist view inspired by arguments in Chomskyan linguistics. In this article, I review the leading argument for moral nativism – the poverty of the moral stimulus. I defend a systematic empiricist alternative that draws on the resources of statistical learning. Such an empiricist account, I argue, promises to explain much of the complexity of people’s moral and other normative attitudes.
Clinical Relevance of Elastin in the Structure and Function of Skin
Authors: Baumann Leslie , Bernstein Eric F , Weiss Anthony S , Bates Damien , Humphrey Shannon , Silberberg Michael , Daniels Robert
Published: May 2021

Elastin is the main component of elastic fibers, which provide stretch, recoil, and elasticity to the skin. Normal levels of elastic fiber production, organization, and integration with other cutaneous extracellular matrix proteins, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans are integral to maintaining healthy skin structure, function, and youthful appearance. Although elastin has very low turnover, its production decreases after individuals reach maturity and it is susceptible to damage from many factors. With advancing age and exposure to environmental insults, elastic fibers degrade. This degradation contributes to the loss of the skin’s structural integrity; combined with subcutaneous fat loss, this results in looser, sagging skin, causing undesirable changes in appearance. The most dramatic changes occur in chronically sun-exposed skin, which displays sharply altered amounts and arrangements of cutaneous elastic fibers, decreased fine elastic fibers in the superficial dermis connecting to the epidermis, and replacement of the normal collagen-rich superficial dermis with abnormal clumps of solar elastosis material. Disruption of elastic fiber networks also leads to undesirable characteristics in wound healing, and the worsening structure and appearance of scars and stretch marks. Identifying ways to replenish elastin and elastic fibers should improve the skin’s appearance, texture, resiliency, and wound-healing capabilities. However, few therapies are capable of repairing elastic fibers or substantially reorganizing the elastin/microfibril network. This review describes the clinical relevance of elastin in the context of the structure and function of healthy and aging skin, wound healing, and scars and introduces new approaches being developed to target elastin production and elastic fiber formation.
The effect of autocrine motility factor alone and in combination with methyl jasmonate on liver cancer cell growth
Authors: Jeoung Nam Ho , Jo Ae Lim , Park Hee Sung
Published: May 2021

Neoplastic cells secrete autocrine motility factor (AMF) to stimulate the motility of cancer cells. In this study, AMF secreted from HT-29 colorectal cancer cells selectively suppressed liver cancer cells by downregulating pAKT and β-catenin. In addition, HT-29 AMF significantly augmented the activity of methyl jasmonate against liver cancer cells and is a promising alternative for liver cancer therapy.
One town’s invasion by the pest slug Arion vulgaris (Gastropoda: Arionidae): microsatellites reveal little introgression from Arion ater and limited gene flow between infraspecific races in both species
Authors: Hutchinson John M C , Schlitt Bettina , Reise Heike
Published: May 2021

The terrestrial slug Arion vulgaris has recently spread across most of Europe, often causing the local extinction of resident populations of Arion ater s.l. The species hybridize, which leads to the prediction of massive introgression of A. ater genes into A. vulgaris. To test this, we used 16 microsatellite markers applied to samples of both species collected around Görlitz, Germany, during the invasion. Amongst A. vulgaris individuals with typical genitalia, an analysis using structure suggested that only 6% were appreciably admixed with local A. ater; admixture did not increase over the course of the invasion. Amongst the ~4% of slugs with intermediate genitalia, microsatellites confirmed that they were often hybrids, their anatomy correlating with the estimated share of ancestry from each species. The microsatellites also distinguished the three subspecies of A. ater previously recognized on the basis of genital anatomy and mitochondrial DNA. The subspecies were not well mixed spatially, with A. a. ater in wilder places and A. a. rufus never found in the Polish part of the town; nevertheless, hybridization between them was occurring. Unexpectedly, the microsatellites indicated three genetic races amongst A. vulgaris; these occurred in different districts and are mixing spatially and genetically only slowly.
Metachronal Swimming of Mantis Shrimp: Kinematics and Interpleopod Vortex Interactions
Authors: Garayev Kuvvat , Murphy David W
Published: May 2021

Mantis shrimp swim via metachronal rowing, a pattern in which the pleopods (swimming limbs) stroke sequentially, starting with the last pair and followed by anterior neighbors. A similar swimming pattern is used at various sizes, Reynolds numbers, and advance ratios by diverse organisms including ciliates, ctenophores, copepods, krill, and lobsters. Understanding this type of locomotion is important because it is widespread and may inspire the design of underwater vehicles where efficiency, robustness, and maneuverability are desired. However, detailed measurements of the flow around free-swimming, metachronally rowing organisms are scarce, especially for organisms swimming in a high Reynolds number regime (Re ≥ 104). In this study, we present time-resolved, planar PIV measurements of a swimming peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus). Simultaneous kinematics measurements of the animal, which had body and pleopod lengths of 114 and 20 mm, respectively, reveal mean swimming speeds of 0.2–1.9 m s−1 and pleopod beat frequencies of 3.6–13 Hz, corresponding to advance ratios of 0.75–1.84 and body-based Reynolds numbers of 23,000–217,000. Further, the animal’s stroke is not purely metachronal, with a long phase lag between initiation of the first and fifth pleopod power strokes. Flow measurements in the sagittal plane show that each stroking pleopod pair creates a posteriorly moving tip vortex which evades destruction by the recovery strokes of other pleopod pairs. The vortex created by the anteriormost pleopod pair is the strongest and, owing to the animal’s high advance ratio, is intercepted by the power stroke of the posteriormost pleopod pair. The vortex strength increases as a result of this interaction, which may increase swimming speed or efficiency. A relationship for vortex interception by the posterior pleopod is proposed that relates the phase lag between the interacting pleopods to the beat frequency, distance between those pleopods, and speed of the vortex relative to the animal. We describe this interaction with a novel parameter called the interpleopod vortex phase matching Strouhal number StIVPM which is equal to the phase lag between interacting pleopods. This new nondimensional parameter may be useful in predicting the conditions where a constructive interaction may occur in other species or in physical models. Finally, we relate the advance ratio to the Reynolds number ratio, the ratio between the body-based Reynolds number and the pleopod-based Reynolds number. The importance of these parameters in promoting the interpleopod vortex interactions identified here, in dynamically scaled experiments, and in wake signatures behind schooling metachronal swimmers is discussed.
Impact of local terminology on the design of a community-based diagnostic and management algorithm for postpartum sepsis: findings of formative research
Authors: Ariff Shabina , Mir Fatima , Aftab Wafa , Raza Farrukh , Zaidi Shujaat , Memon Sheraz , LeFevre Amnesty , Bartlett Linda A , Winch Peter , Soofi Sajid Bashir , Bhutta Zulfiqar A
Published: May 2021

Background

Postpartum sepsis is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity in developing countries. This formative research elicits local terms used for postpartum illnesses and symptoms of postpartum sepsis with the aim of improving postpartum diagnosis and management in Pakistan.

Methods

We conducted 34 in-depth interviews with recently delivered women (RDW), traditional birth attendants (TBAs), healthcare providers and family members of RDW from rural Sindh to explore local Sindhi terms used to describe postpartum sepsis and related symptoms. During interviews, all participants were asked to orally free list common symptoms of postpartum illnesses; those who were aware of the concept were asked to free list possible symptoms of postpartum sepsis. The responses were recorded by the interviewer. Free listing data were analyzed for frequency and salience.

Results

Most participants, including TBAs, were not familiar with the concept of postpartum sepsis as a distinct disease or of a local term denoting the concept. Almost all could identify and report symptoms related to postpartum sepsis in the local language. Only physicians were able to recognize the term postpartum sepsis and related symptoms. Multiple local terms were used for a particular symptom; still others were used to denote gradations of severity. ‘Bukhar’ (fever) was the most commonly named symptom although it was often considered a normal part of puerperium. Many postpartum illnesses were related to the highly non-specific local term ‘kamzori’ (weakness).

Conclusions

Better awareness about local terminology used in rural areas related to postpartum sepsis could improve communication, care-seeking patterns, diagnosis and management.
Constraints on the Ecomorphological Convergence of Zooplanktivorous Butterflyfishes
Authors: Hodge J R , Song Y , Wightman M A , Milkey A , Tran B , Štajner A , Roberts A S , Hemingson C R , Wainwright P C , Price S A
Published: May 2021

Synopsis

Whether distantly related organisms evolve similar strategies to meet the demands of a shared ecological niche depends on their evolutionary history and the nature of form–function relationships. In fishes, the visual identification and consumption of microscopic zooplankters, selective zooplanktivory, is a distinct type of foraging often associated with a suite of morphological specializations. Previous work has identified inconsistencies in the trajectory and magnitude of morphological change following transitions to selective zooplanktivory, alluding to the diversity and importance of ancestral effects. Here we investigate whether transitions to selective zooplanktivory have influenced the morphological evolution of marine butterflyfishes (family Chaetodontidae), a group of small-prey specialists well known for several types of high-precision benthivory. Using Bayesian ancestral state estimation, we inferred the recent evolution of zooplanktivory among benthivorous ancestors that hunted small invertebrates and browsed by picking or scraping coral polyps. Traits related to the capture of prey appear to be functionally versatile, with little morphological distinction between species with benthivorous and planktivorous foraging modes. In contrast, multiple traits related to prey detection or swimming performance are evolving toward novel, zooplanktivore-specific optima. Despite a relatively short evolutionary history, general morphological indistinctiveness, and evidence of constraint on the evolution of body size, convergent evolution has closed a near significant amount of the morphological distance between zooplanktivorous species. Overall, our findings describe the extent to which the functional demands associated with selective zooplanktivory have led to generalizable morphological features among butterflyfishes and highlight the importance of ancestral effects in shaping patterns of morphological convergence.
Assessment of Bioanalytical Method Validation Data Utilizing Heteroscedastic Seven-Point Linear Calibration Curves by EZSTATSG1 Customized Microsoft Excel Template
Authors: Sofalvi Szabolcs , Schueler Harold E
Published: May 2021

Bioanalytical methods developed in accredited forensic toxicology laboratories need to be validated according to the ISO/IEC 17025 standards to demonstrate that a method is fit for the intended use. The evaluation of the validation data can be a time-consuming process without a streamlined procedure on a common platform or the aid of a specific software package. The objective of this work was to develop a Microsoft (MS) Excel (Redmond, WA, USA) template, which can rapidly generate all the required numerical and statistical validation results of a quantitative bioanalytical assay with minimal data entry and to provide documented traceability of the validation data directly to the instrument raw data. Evaluation of method validation data can be done easily by taking advantage of the power of statistical tools available within Excel. The three key features of the template were the development of six pertinent weighted linear calibration models, the variance in instrument response as a function of concentration and integrated one-way analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) tables. None of the ANOVA tables in this template need to be recreated whenever the source data changes, which is a major time savings when a method contains several dozen analytes. It takes ∼60 minutes per analyte to enter all the instrument raw data manually from the chromatograms. The final method validation results are summarized in a two-page validation summary report, whereas the associated data tables and graphs are presented in an additional 65 pages of digital information, which can be saved for electronic records using portable document format (PDF). This EZSTATSG1.xltm customized MS Excel method validation template and a completed PDF example are being provided as downloadable files in the Supplementary data link to offer an option to the scientific community for expediting the evaluation of validation data.
pH-regulated chaperone function of cyanobacterial Hsp90 and Hsp70: implications for light/dark regulation
Authors: Akter Tahmina , Nakamoto Hitoshi
Published: May 2021

We have shown that cyanobacterial chaperonins have pH-dependent anti-aggregation activity. The pH in cyanobacterial cytosol increases by one pH unit following a shift from darkness to light. In this study, we examined whether other major chaperones such as Hsp90 (HtpG) and Hsp70 (DnaK2) from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 also display pH-dependent activity. Suppressing aggregation of various heat-denatured proteins, especially lactate dehydrogenase, at an equimolar ratio of cyanobacterial Hsp90 to protein substrate was found to be pH-dependent. Hsp90 showed the highest activity at pH 8.5 over the examined pH range of 7.0 to 8.5. pH affected the anti-aggregation activity of DnaK2 in a similar manner to that of Hsp90 in the presence of half equimolar DnaK2 to the protein substrate. The ATPase activity of cyanobacterial Hsp90 was pH-dependent, with a fourfold increase in activity when the pH was raised from 7.0 to 8.5. The ATPase activity of DnaK2 was also regulated by pH in a similar manner. Finally, an increase in pH from 7.0 to 8.5 enhanced activities of both Hsp90 and Hsp70 in protein-folding assistance by two- to threefold. These results suggest that changes in pH may regulate chaperone function during a light–dark cycle in cyanobacterial cells.
Disjunction in Negative Contexts: A Cross-Linguistic Experimental Study
Authors: Lungu Oana , Fălăuș Anamaria , Panzeri Francesca
Published: May 2021

This squib reports experimental findings from a study investigating the interpretation of simple disjunction in negative contexts in four languages: Italian, French, English, Romanian. We provide evidence that casts doubt on the robustness of the distinction between PPI disjunction languages and non-PPI disjunction languages. The difference turns out to be less clear-cut than assumed in the theoretical (e.g., Szabolcsi 2002, Spector 2014, Nicolae 2017) or experimental literature (e.g., Crain 2012, Guasti et al. 2017). The results reported here inform current accounts of positive polarity and flesh out some methodological issues raised by the various tasks used in experimental investigations of the polarity sensitivity of disjunction.
The use of Indocyanine green fluorescent in patients with abdominal trauma for better intraoperative decision-making and less bowel anastomosis leak: case series
Authors: Afifi Ibrahim , Abdelrahman Husham , El-Faramawy Ahmed , Mahmood Ismail , Khoschnau Sherwan , Al-Naimi Noof , El-Menyar Ayman , Al-Thani Hassan , Rizoli Sandro
Published: May 2021

Despite technological advances in the management of blunt abdominal trauma, the rate of bowel anastomotic leakage (AL) remains high. The etiology of AL is multifactorial, but insufficient blood perfusion is considered to play a substantial role in the pathogenesis. In recent years, angiography with Indocyanine green (ICG), a fluorescent dye, has been introduced in the clinical practice to assess organ perfusion in several conditions. Given the scarcity of publications describing the use of ICG in trauma patients as a potentially useful strategy that may facilitate intraoperative decisions and limit the extent of bowel resection, we presented the utility of intraoperative ICG fluorescent in abdominal trauma patients in a level 1 trauma center. The use of ICG fluoroscopy in patients with abdominal trauma is feasible and useful; however, large prospective studies in trauma patients are warranted.
Primary omental torsion diagnosed and treated laparoscopically: a case report
Authors: Imanishi Kentaro , Iga Norichika , Mizuno Daisuke , Nishi Hideyuki , Miyoshi Shinichiro
Published: May 2021

Omental torsion, a rare cause of acute abdomen in children and adults, is difficult to correctly diagnose before surgery because it mimics the common causes of acute surgical abdomen. We present a case of greater omental torsion that was diagnosed by laparoscopy. A 37-year-old man presented with right lower abdominal pain and was suspected to have appendicitis. Blood tests revealed elevated C-reactive protein and white blood cell count, whereas computed tomography revealed a nodular mass and high-density lesions in the fat tissue. As the patient’s abdominal symptoms were severe and a clear diagnosis could not be made, we performed exploratory laparoscopy. Laparoscopy revealed omental torsion, and an omentectomy was performed. The patient’s pain had significantly reduced post-surgery, and post-operative recovery was uneventful. Thus, laparoscopic examination is useful for accurately diagnosing omental torsion and is less invasive than surgery.
A tough 3D puzzle in the walnut shell
Authors: Elbaum Rivka , Elbaum Michael
Published: May 2021

This article comments on:

Antreich SJ, Xiao N, Huss JC, Gierlinger N. 2021. A belt for the cell: cellulosic wall thickenings and their role in morphogenesis of the 3D puzzle cells in walnut shells. Journal of Experimental Botany 72,4744–4756.