bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extraction of high quality cellulose from the stem of Calotropis procera
Authors: Maji Somnath , Mehrotra Rajesh , Mehrotra Sandhya
Published: August 2021

The stem of Calotropis procera (Vern. Aak) is a source of natural cellulosic bast fibres wherein the commercially valuable properties like cellulose content, fiber strength and fiber elongation are found to be intermediate between that of cotton and linen. Other than high tensile and abrasive strength, fibers from C. procera possess more weight per square meter than the cotton fibers. We have been trying to standardize protocol for isolation of high quality cellulose from Calotropis. We have compared the effects of alkali treatment and acid treatment on the yield and quality of cellulose fibers obtained. When the retted stems of C. procera were treated with 0.5N NaOH, the natural yield of cellulose fibers was approximately 6%. The efficiency of cellulose extraction was increased to 26% when the fibers were treated with 80% acetic acid and concentrated nitric acid (10:1). The percentage composition of cellulose was determined through infrared spectroscopy and acid detergent fiber method by refluxing. Acid treated fibers show higher percentage of cellulose content (85%) compared to the alkali treated method. The cellulose content in fibers obtained through acid treatment is comparable with that of cotton and better than linen. The acid treated method requires significantly less time compared to the alkali treated method. Since Calotropis is a wildly growing shrub in major parts of India, its use as a source of excellent cellulose fibers might have enormous economical implications.
Molecular detection and epidemiology of chicken infectious anaemia virus in India
Authors: Wani M. Y. , Dhama K. , Barathidasan R. , Gowthaman V. , Tiwari R. , Bhatt P. , Mahajan N. K. , Chawak M. M. , Singh S. D. , Kataria J. M.
Published: August 2021

Chicken infectious anemia (CIA) is an economically important disease affecting poultry, especially young chicks, characterized by poor weight gain, anemia, immunosuppression and production losses. Recent reports indicate that the virus is emerging and re-emerging worldwide.  Also, scarce reports regarding the molecular detection and epidemiology of virus from India are available. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the virus in the commercial poultry farms of the country employing polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of the suspected 424 field samples tested from 12 different states of the country during the last five years (2007-2012), 311 (73.3%) samples were found positive for CIAV-DNA indicating the wide prevalence of the virus in India. The age wise prevalence of the virus indicated high prevalence in young chicks of up to three weeks (80.3%) of age compared to 3-7 (66.6%) and 7-12 (25%) week age groups. Being an immunosuppressive emerging pathogen circulating among the poultry flocks of the country, suitable prevention and control measures need to be adopted timely. This is a first elaborative report on the molecular epidemiology of CIAV in poultry flocks of the country. Extensive epidemiological studies are suggested to know the magnitude of the virus affecting poultry industry of the country, and design and formulate effective disease prevention and control strategies to reduce economic losses being caused by emerging virus.
Immunomodulatory potential of Curcuma longa: A review
Authors: Mehrotra S. , Agnihotri G. , Singh S. , Jamal F.
Published: August 2021

Medicinal plants having immunomodulatory properties provide an alterna-tive potential to conventional chemotherapy for a variety of diseases espe-cially in relation to host defense mechanism. Curcumin one of major curcu-minoids of Curcuma longa, reportedly possess several pharmacological prop-erties including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, immunomodulatory activi-ties. Curcumin blocks inflammatory enzymes cyclooxygenase (COX), lipooxy-genase (LOX), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP). Curcumin suppresses the proliferation of a wide variety of tumour cells, including breast carcinoma, colon carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma through cell cycle arrest. It in-duced apoptosis by downregulation of antiapoptotic protein (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL). Curcumin modulates immune system by suppressing T-cells, proliferating number of B-cells and reducing proliferation of immature B-cell lymphoma cells. Curcumin treatment inhibited the production of cytokines (IL-8, MIP-1α, MCP-1, IL-1β, TNF-α) and dimerisation of TLR’s. Immunoregulatory activi-ty of curcumin is by inhibiting phosphorylation of IKKβ which ultimately leads to suppression of NF-κB (transcriptional activator protein). This activity of curcumin has renewed scientific interest in its potential to prevent and treat the diseases such as arthritis, allergy, asthma & cancer.
Comparative Evaluation of Moringa oleifera and Vacci-Boost Immuno-modulators in Chickens experimentally infected with Newcastle Disease Virus (Kudu 113 Strain)
Authors: Eze D. C. , Okwor E. C. , Ehirim C. H. , Ibu J. O. , Shoyinka S. V. O.
Published: August 2021

This study compared the immunomodulatory effects of methanolic leaf ex-tract of Moringa oleifera and Vacci-Boost® in chickens experimentally chal-lenged with velogenic Newcastle Disease virus (vNDV) strain. One hundred 21 days old chicks were randomly divided into five equal groups designated A, B, C, D and E. Groups B and D were given 200mg/kg dose of M. oleifera extract from day 21 to day 35 of age in drinking water while group C was treated once with Vacci-Boost® during vaccination on day 21 of age accord-ing to the manufacturer’s instructions. Groups A, C and D chicks were vac-cinated on day 21 of age with Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine La Sota while groups B and E were not vaccinated. All the groups were challenged on day 35 of age. Haemagglutination Inhibition titer, relative organ weights, body weight and Packed Cell Volume were assessed. On days 28 and 35, HI titer of the immunomodulators supplemented groups were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher than those of the unsupplemented groups. The relative weights of the lymphoid organs of the supplemented groups were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher than those of the unsupplemented group. Also, Vacci-Boost® supple-mented group had higher mean body weight although they were not signifi-cantly (p ≥0.05) higher than those of the unsupplemented groups. There were no significant (p ≥ 0.05) differences in the body weight of the M. oleif-era treated and those of untreated groups.
Capsaicinoid: A potential antioxidant with close interactions against human iNOS in docking study
Authors: Hazarika R. , Sood K. , Neog B.
Published: August 2021

Capsicum chinense, popularly known as Bhut jolokia, was collected from three states of North-East India and was studied for variation in its pungency principal viz. capsaicinoid content and antioxidant activity as well as its inter-action affinity with human inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) active sites. HPLC fingerprinting analysis showed capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin as the major active compounds present in the capsaicinoid extract of C. chinense. In comparison to dihydrocapsaicin, capsaicin was found in high amount. The pungency range was observed between 3, 47,301 SHU to 8, 45,296 SHU in the collected samples. The capsaicinoid extract exhibited antioxidant activity with 46.24 ± 15.34% scavenging of DPPH free radical at 100 ppm. The dock-ing analysis showed that capsaicin interacted more with the active sites of iNOS compared to dihydrocapsaicin. Present investigation revealed considerable difference in capsaicinoid content among the samples collected from three states of North-East India. The capsaicinoid showed noticeable antioxidant activity with potent binding affinity to the active sites of iNOS in the molecular docking analysis.
Determination of the nutritional and functional metabolites of Nanochloropsis gaditana produced in Algeria and evaluation of its antioxidant activity
Authors: Kherraf Asmaa , Tehami Wafaa , Boufeldja Wahiba , Yahla ImÃ¨ne , Dra Ghislaine Amira , Mansour Insaf Fatima Zohra , Benali Mohammed
Published: August 2021

The aim of this work was to valorize the microalgae Nannochloropsis gaditana grown in Algeria for the purpose of producing human and animal food supplements as well as bioactive substances. The microalga had a fresh matter content of 9.33±1.15%. The amount of ash (6.4 ± 0.23%) was high and reflected mineral richness. Total sugars represented 7.13±0.23%. Proteins and lipids represented 13.38±0.2% and 7±1%, respectively. The ethanolic (EENg) and methanolic (MENg) extracts obtained from 10 g of lyophilisates of N. gaditana represented respectively 24±1.65% and 14.2±0.7%. The evalu-ation of the polyphenols in these extracts showed interesting rates repre-senting 41.53±0.41 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g of EENg dry extract and 38.72±0.33 mg GAE/g for the MENg. The flavonoid contents were 19.82±1.65 and 18.61±1.45 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/g respectively for the ethanol-ic and methanolic extracts of this microalgae. The condensed and hydrolyza-ble tannins represented respectively 0.35±0.04 and 0.63±0.09 mg of tannic acid/g of dry EENg. They also represented respectively 0.50±0.08 and 0.18±0.02 mg of tannic acid/g of dry MENg. The antioxidant activity generat-ed by the extracts EENg and MENg against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH ) and by the reducing power of iron (FRAP) seems appreciable com-pared to that of ascorbic acid. These results are in favor of the development of the microalgae sector constituting a futuristic vision to allow the development of the sector with a view to sustainability.
Autecology, Soil Characteristics and Floristic Study of Phlomis crinita Cav. Habitat: A Rare Phytotaxon of the Mounts of Tessala (Western Algeria)
Authors: Adjoudj Abdellatif , Latreche Ali
Published: August 2021

Phlomis crinita Cav. is a rare western Mediterranean species of the mounts of Tessala (Western Algeria). The study of its ecological habitat shows that it has a rich phytodiversity association. The taxonomic spectrum is dominated by Liliceae and Lamiaceae. The biological spectrum is dominated by Hemi-cryptophytes and Therophytes. The biogeographic spectrum is dominated by Mediterranean elements. The soils of Phlomis crinita Cav. are characterized by silty texture, neutral pH, rich in organic matter and poor of total lime-stone and active limestone. P. crinita Cav. population is characterized by reduced abundance, which is due to various threats, including prolonged drought, grazing, traditional phytotherapy use and fragmentation of its habi-tat, particularly by roads. The current study recounts the findings related to the ecological habitat of the species, its plant association, the characteristics of its physical environment and its population in situ. In addition, the causes of the local establishment of this taxon, its local distribution and its popula-tions are established. The data collected on the ecology of this rare endemic plant are useful for devising strategies for its conservation.
Shortest Microlensing Event with a Bound Planet: KMT-2016-BLG-2605
Authors: Ryu Yoon-Hyun , Hwang Kyu-Ha , Gould Andrew , Yee Jennifer C. , Albrow Michael D. , Chung Sun-Ju , Han Cheongho , Jung Youn Kil , Kim Hyoun-Woo , Shin In-Gu , Shvartzvald Yossi , Zang Weicheng , Cha Sang-Mok , Kim Dong-Jin , Kim Seung-Lee , Lee Chung-Uk , Lee Dong-Joo , Lee Yongseok , Park Byeong-Gon , Pogge Richard W.
Published: August 2021

With a planet–host mass ratio q = 0.012 ± 0.001, KMT-2016-BLG-2605 has the shortest Einstein timescale, t
E = 3.41 ± 0.13 days, of any planetary microlensing event to date. This prompts us to examine the full sample of seven short (t
E < 7 days) planetary events with good q measurements. We find that six have clustered Einstein radii θ
E = 115 ± 20 μas and lens–source relative proper motions μ
rel ≃ 9.5 ± 2.5 mas yr−1. For the seventh, these two quantities could not be measured. These distributions are consistent with a Galactic bulge population of very low mass (VLM) hosts near the hydrogen-burning limit. This conjecture could be verified by imaging at first adaptive optics light on next-generation (30 m) telescopes. Based on a preliminary assessment of the sample, “planetary” companions (i.e., below the deuterium-burning limit) are divided into “genuine planets,” formed in their disks by core accretion, and VLM brown dwarfs, which form like stars. We discuss techniques for expanding the sample, which include taking account of the peculiar “anomaly-dominated” morphology of the KMT-2016-BLG-2605 light curve.
Confirmation of a Second Propeller: A High-inclination Twin of AE Aquarii
Authors: Garnavich Peter , Littlefield Colin , Wagner R. M. , van Roestel Jan , Jaodand Amruta D. , Szkody Paula , Thorstensen John R.
Published: August 2021

For decades, AE Aquarii (AE Aqr) has been the only cataclysmic variable star known to contain a magnetic propeller: a persistent outflow whose expulsion from the binary is powered by the spin-down of the rapidly rotating, magnetized white dwarf. In 2020, LAMOST J024048.51+195226.9 (J0240) was identified as a candidate eclipsing AE Aqr object, and we present three epochs of time-series spectroscopy that strongly support this hypothesis. We show that, during the photometric flares noted by Thorstensen, the Balmer and He i emission lines reach velocities of ∼3000 km s−1, well in excess of what is observed in normal cataclysmic variables. This is, however, consistent with the high-velocity emission seen in flares from AE Aqr. Additionally, we confirm beyond doubt that J0240 is a deeply eclipsing system. The flaring continuum, He i and much of the Balmer emission likely originate close to the WD because they disappear during the eclipse that is centered on inferior conjunction of the secondary star. The fraction of the Balmer emission remaining visible during eclipse is likely produced in the extended outflow. Most enticingly of all, this outflow produces a narrow P Cygni absorption component for nearly half of the orbit, and we demonstrate that this scenario closely matches the outflow kinematics predicted by Wynn et al. While an important piece of evidence for the magnetic-propeller hypothesis—a rapid WD spin period—remains elusive, our spectra provide compelling support for the existence of a propeller-driven outflow viewed nearly edge-on, enabling a new means of rigorously testing theories of the propeller phenomenon.
Anomalous Intensities in the Infrared Emission of CH+ Explained by Quantum Nuclear Motion and Electric Dipole Calculations
Authors: Changala P. Bryan , Neufeld David A. , Godard Benjamin
Published: August 2021

The unusual infrared emission patterns of CH+, recently detected in the planetary nebula NGC 7027, are examined theoretically with high-accuracy rovibrational wavefunctions and ab initio dipole moment curves. The calculated transition dipole moments quantitatively reproduce the observed J-dependent intensity variation, which is ascribed to underlying centrifugal distortion-induced interference effects. We discuss the implications of this anomalous behavior for astrochemical modeling of CH+ production and excitation, and provide a simple expression to estimate the magnitude of this effect for other light diatomic molecules with small dipole derivatives.
Threads, Ribbons, and Rings in the Radio Galaxy IC 4296
Authors: Condon J. J. , Cotton W. D. , White S. V. , Legodi S. , Goedhart S. , McAlpine K. , Ratcliffe S. M. , Camilo F.
Published: August 2021

The nearby elliptical galaxy IC 4296 has produced a large (510 kpc) low-luminosity radio source with typical FR i core/jet/lobe morphology. The unprecedented combination of brightness sensitivity, dynamic range, and angular resolution of a new 1.28 GHz MeerKAT continuum image reveals striking new morphological features, which we call threads, ribbons, and rings. The threads are faint narrow emission features originating where helical Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities disrupt the main radio jets. The ribbons are smooth regions between the jets and the lobes, and they appear to be relics of jets powered by earlier activity that have since come into pressure equilibrium. Vortex rings in the outer portions of the lobes and their backflows indicate that the straight outer jets and ribbons are inclined by

i
=
60
°
±
5
°

from the line of sight, in agreement with photometric, geometric, and gas-dynamical estimates of inclination angles near the nucleus.
Methods of Error Estimation for Delay Power Spectra in 21 cm Cosmology
Authors: Tan Jianrong , Liu Adrian , Kern Nicholas S. , Abdurashidova Zara , Aguirre James E. , Alexander Paul , Ali Zaki S. , Balfour Yanga , Beardsley Adam P. , Bernardi Gianni , Billings Tashalee S. , Bowman Judd D. , Bradley Richard F. , Bull Philip , Burba Jacob , Carey Steven , Carilli Christopher L. , Cheng Carina , DeBoer David R. , Dexter Matt , de Lera Acedo Eloy , Dillon Joshua S. , Ely John , Ewall-Wice Aaron , Fagnoni Nicolas , Fritz Randall , Furlanetto Steve R. , Gale-Sides Kingsley , Glendenning Brian , Gorthi Deepthi , Greig Bradley , Grobbelaar Jasper , Halday Ziyaad , Hazelton Bryna J. , Hewitt Jacqueline N. , Hickish Jack , Jacobs Daniel C. , Julius Austin , Kerrigan Joshua , Kittiwisit Piyanat , Kohn Saul A. , Kolopanis Matthew , Lanman Adam , La Plante Paul , Lekalake Telalo , MacMahon David , Malan Lourence , Malgas Cresshim , Maree Matthys , Martinot Zachary E. , Matsetela Eunice , Mesinger Andrei , Molewa Mathakane , Morales Miguel F. , Mosiane Tshegofalang , Murray Steven G. , Neben Abraham R. , Nikolic Bojan , Nunhokee Chuneeta D. , Parsons Aaron R. , Patra Nipanjana , Pieterse Samantha , Pober Jonathan C. , Razavi-Ghods Nima , Ringuette Jon , Robnett James , Rosie Kathryn , Sims Peter , Singh Saurabh , Smith Craig , Syce Angelo , Thyagarajan Nithyanandan , Williams Peter K. G. , Zheng Haoxuan
Published: August 2021

Precise measurements of the 21 cm power spectrum are crucial for understanding the physical processes of hydrogen reionization. Currently, this probe is being pursued by low-frequency radio interferometer arrays. As these experiments come closer to making a first detection of the signal, error estimation will play an increasingly important role in setting robust measurements. Using the delay power spectrum approach, we have produced a critical examination of different ways that one can estimate error bars on the power spectrum. We do this through a synthesis of analytic work, simulations of toy models, and tests on small amounts of real data. We find that, although computed independently, the different error bar methodologies are in good agreement with each other in the noise-dominated regime of the power spectrum. For our preferred methodology, the predicted probability distribution function is consistent with the empirical noise power distributions from both simulated and real data. This diagnosis is mainly in support of the forthcoming HERA upper limit and also is expected to be more generally applicable.
A Deep-learning Approach for Live Anomaly Detection of Extragalactic Transients
Authors: Villar V. Ashley , Cranmer Miles , Berger Edo , Contardo Gabriella , Ho Shirley , Hosseinzadeh Griffin , Lin Joshua Yao-Yu
Published: August 2021

There is a shortage of multiwavelength and spectroscopic follow-up capabilities given the number of transient and variable astrophysical events discovered through wide-field optical surveys such as the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory and its associated Legacy Survey of Space and Time. From the haystack of potential science targets, astronomers must allocate scarce resources to study a selection of needles in real time. Here we present a variational recurrent autoencoder neural network to encode simulated Rubin Observatory extragalactic transient events using 1% of the PLAsTiCC data set to train the autoencoder. Our unsupervised method uniquely works with unlabeled, real-time, multivariate, and aperiodic data. We rank 1,129,184 events based on an anomaly score estimated using an isolation forest. We find that our pipeline successfully ranks rarer classes of transients as more anomalous. Using simple cuts in anomaly score and uncertainty, we identify a pure (≈95% pure) sample of rare transients (i.e., transients other than Type Ia, Type II, and Type Ibc supernovae), including superluminous and pair-instability supernovae. Finally, our algorithm is able to identify these transients as anomalous well before peak, enabling real-time follow-up studies in the era of the Rubin Observatory.
An Assessment of the LEISA Spectrometer for Extragalactic Background Light Measurements
Authors: Houlihan Dennis , Symons Teresa , Zemcov Michael
Published: August 2021

The extragalactic background light (EBL) is the summed emission from sources beyond the Milky Way. An accurate measurement of the EBL can be used as a benchmark to search for any diffuse components in excess of the integrated light from galaxies. We have studied archival data from the Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array (LEISA) aboard the New Horizons spacecraft to assess its capability to measure the near-IR EBL at wavelengths between 1.2 and 2.5 μm. We estimate LEISAs sensitivity to diffuse brightness to be ∼105 nW m−2 sr−1 in 1.5 s exposures, which precludes the possibility of reaching EBL signals at the level of 10 nW m−2 sr−1.
Evidence for a Recent Collision in Saturn’s Irregular Moon Population
Authors: Ashton Edward , Gladman Brett , Beaudoin Matthew
Published: August 2021

Using CFHT imaging data, we searched a 1.1 deg2 field on each side of Saturn down to magnitude m

w
≃ 26.3, corresponding to diameters of D ≃ 3 km. We detected 120 objects, which were comoving with Saturn and are nearly certainly irregular moons. For example, all but one of our detections brighter than magnitude 25.5 link to known Saturnian irregulars, with 40 linkages that thus extend the orbital arc of previous discoveries. Extrapolating our sample's characterized detections (those for which we can debias the search) to the entire Saturnian irregular population, we estimate that there are 150 ± 30 moons down to D = 2.8 km, which is approximately three times as many irregular moons as Jupiter down to the same size. At the smallest sizes, from D = 3.8 down to 2.8 km, we find that the Saturnian irregular population exhibits a steep size distribution of the differential power-law index

q
=

4.9

−
0.6

+
0.7

. We believe this steep size distribution is the signature of a relatively recent (few hundred Myr ago) collisional event in Saturn's retrograde irregular population.
A Case for a Small to Negligible Influence of Dust Charging on the Ionization Balance in the Coma of Comet 67P
Authors: Vigren E. , Eriksson A. I. , Johansson F. L. , Marschall R. , Morooka M. , Rubin M.
Published: August 2021

A recent work aided by Rosetta in situ measurements set constraints on the dust-to-gas mass emission ratio and the size distribution of dust escaping the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko near perihelion. Here we use this information along with other observables/parameters as input into an analytical model aimed at estimating the number density of electrons attached to dust particles near the position of Rosetta. These theoretical estimates are compared to in situ measurements of the degree of ionization. The comparison proposes that Rosetta, while near perihelion, was typically not in electron-depleted regions of the inner coma of 67P. Our work suggests a typical level of electron depletion probably below 10% and possibly below 1%. In line with previous studies, we find, again with certain assumptions and other observables/parameters as input, that the observed negative spacecraft charging to a few tens of volts does not significantly impact the detection of charged dust grains, with a possible exception for grains with radii less than ∼10 nm.
No Activity among 13 Centaurs Discovered in the Pan-STARRS1 Detection Database
Authors: Lilly Eva , Hsieh Henry , Bauer James , Steckloff Jordan , Jevčák Peter , Weryk Robert , Wainscoat Richard J. , Schambeau Charles
Published: August 2021

Centaurs are small bodies orbiting in the giant planet region that were scattered inward from their source populations beyond Neptune. Some members of the population display comet-like activity during their transition through the solar system, the source of which is not well understood. The range of heliocentric distances where the active Centaurs have been observed and their median lifetime in the region suggest that this activity is driven neither by water-ice sublimation nor entirely by supervolatiles. Here we present an observational and thermodynamical study of 13 Centaurs discovered in the Pan-STARRS1 detection database aimed at identifying and characterizing active objects beyond the orbit of Jupiter. We find no evidence of activity associated with any of our targets at the time of their observations with the Gemini North telescope in 2017 and 2018, or in archival data from 2013 to 2019. Upper limits on the possible volatile and dust production rates from our targets are 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than production rates in some known comets and are in agreement with values measured for other inactive Centaurs. Our numerical integrations show that the orbits of six of our targets evolved interior to r ∼ 15 au over the past 100,000 yr, where several possible processes could trigger sublimation and outgassing, but their apparent inactivity indicates that either their dust production is below our detection limit or the objects are dormant. Only one Centaur in our sample—2014 PQ70—experienced a sudden decrease in semimajor axis and perihelion distance attributed to the onset of activity for some previously known inactive Centaurs, and therefore it is the most likely candidate for any future outburst. This object should be a target of high interest for any further observational monitoring.
Phylogeography of the Poecilimon ampliatus species group (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) in the context of the Pleistocene glacial cycles and the origin of the only thelytokous parthenogenetic phaneropterine bush-cricket
Authors: Borissov Simeon Borislavov , Hristov Georgi Hristov , Chobanov Dragan Petrov
Published: August 2021

Abstract

Parthenogenetic lineages are known to rapidly colonize large areas that become available after glacial periods as parthenogenetic reproduction is beneficial over mating when the favorable season is very short. The only obligatory parthenogenetic species of the largest bush-cricket subfamily Phaneropterinae is Poecilimon intermedius. It belongs to the Anatolio-Balkan lineage Poecilimon ampliatus species group and in contrast has a remarkably broad distribution from Central Europe to China, following the pattern of geographical parthenogenesis. In this study we provide a systematic revision of the P. ampliatus group based on mitochondrial (ND2) and nuclear (ITS) phylogeny. We estimate divergence times by applying secondary calibration on the ND2 tree to test for congruence between recent splits in the group and the Pleistocene climatic oscillations. We use ecological niche modelling to analyze the ecological requirements of the parthenogenetic P. intermedius and its sexually reproducing sister species P. ampliatus. By projecting on the conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum we outline the suitable areas for both species during the glacial cycles and discuss range shifts in response to climate change. Based on all results we hypothesize that the drought-tolerant P. intermedius originated during the recent glaciations in the southwestern part of its current range and rapidly radiated in a northeastern direction. Its sister species P. ampliatus, which is adapted to higher levels of precipitation, remained in the western Balkans, where populations retreated to higher altitudes during warming.
Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species of the genus Burmoniscus (Isopoda, Philosciidae) from the Xuefeng Mountains, China
Authors: Zeng Xue-Gang , Wang Jin , Yang Jingbo , Li Wei-Chun
Published: August 2021

Three species of the genus Burmoniscus are identified from the Xuefeng Mountains, central China, by integrating morphological and molecular approaches. Burmoniscus chuanyanensis Li, sp. nov. is described. Morphological photographs of the new species are provided.
Global classical and weak solutions of the prion proliferation model in the presence of chaperone in a banach space
Authors: Choudhary Kapil Kumar , Kumar Rajiv , Kumar Rajesh
Published: August 2021

The present work is based on the coupling of prion proliferation system together with chaperone which consists of two ODEs and a partial integro-differential equation. The existence and uniqueness of a positive global classical solution of the system is proved for the bounded degradation rates by the idea of evolution system theory in the state space \begin{document}$ \mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{R} \times L_{1}(Z,zdz). $\end{document} Moreover, the global weak solutions for unbounded degradation rates are discussed by weak compactness technique.
Holonomy transformations for Lie subalgebroids
Authors: Zambon Marco
Published: August 2021

Given a foliation, there is a well-known notion of holonomy, which can be understood as an action that differentiates to the Bott connection on the normal bundle. We present an analogous notion for Lie subalgebroids, consisting of an effective action of the minimal integration of the Lie subalgebroid, and provide an explicit description in terms of conjugation by bisections. The construction is done in such a way that it easily extends to singular subalgebroids, which provide our main motivation.
Prediction of conotoxin type based on long short-term memory network
Authors: Wang Feng ,   Changzhou University Huaide College, China, Chang Shan , Wei Dashun ,   Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
Published: August 2021

Aiming at the problems of the wet experiment method in identifying the types of conotoxins, such as the complexity, low efficiency and high cost, this study proposes a method that uses the sequence information of the conotoxin peptides combined with long short term memory networks (LSTM) models to predict the Methods of spirotoxin category. This method only needs to take the conotoxin peptide sequence as input, and adopts the character embedding method in text processing to automatically map the sequence to the feature vector representation, and the model extracts features for training and prediction. Experimental results show that the correct index of this method on the test set reaches 0.80, and the AUC value reaches 0.817. For the same test set, the AUC value of the KNN algorithm is 0.641, and the AUC value of the method proposed in this paper is 0.817, indicating that this method can effectively assist in identifying the type of conotoxin.
Optimal model for the aircraft arrival and departure scheduling problem with fuzzy runway incursion time
Authors: Sun Bo ,   Key Laboratory of wide area surveillance and safety control technology of civil aviation flight, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin 300300, China, Wei Ming , Jing Binbin ,   School of Air traffic Management, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin 300300, China,   School of Transportation and Civil Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226000, China
Published: August 2021

This paper presents an optimization model for assigning a set of arrival and departure flights to multiple runways and determining their actual times with consideration of incursions. Due to the lack of data, fuzzy incursion time is used to describe the uncertainty with the help of artificial experience. Moreover, the multiple-goal priority considerations of air traffic controllers are also fully considered in this model. The two objectives are to simultaneously minimize delays in arrival and departure flights. Since this problem is NP-hard, a novel polynomial algorithm based on queuing theory is also proposed to obtain acceptable solutions efficiently. Finally, a real-world example is provided to analyze the effect of different times and places of incursion events on the scheduling scheme, which can verify the correctness of the model. Results show that higher runway incursion times lead to longer queue lengths for take-off and landing flights, resulting in more flight delays.
Lead Contamination Differences in the Muscle of Wild Turkeys Harvested with Lead and Copper-Plated Lead Shot
Authors: Tisdale Cody A. , Martin James A. , Beasley James C.
Published: August 2021

Despite the known deleterious effects lead exposure can have on humans, lead remains the most common type of ammunition used to harvest big game and upland game birds. We sampled wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo breast muscle shot with standard lead and copper-plated lead pellets to quantify lead residue concentrations within the wound channel, and we sampled multiple adjacent locations to measure the extent lead contamination spreads through tissue of harvested turkeys. We found that samples taken from the wound channel contained more lead (mean = 3.76 μg/g dry weight) than both samples taken adjacent to the wound channel (mean = 0.20 μg/g dry weight) and samples taken from >5 cm away (mean = 0.15 μg/g dry weight). Additionally, we found that birds harvested with standard lead ammunition did not differ in lead concentrations from those shot with copper-plated lead, suggesting that copper plating does not aid in reducing lead exposure. Our findings suggest that wild turkeys harvested with either lead or copper-plated lead shot have the potential to expose consumers, especially children due to their lower tolerance, to low levels of lead that could exceed daily consumption limits set by the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control. However, elevated lead levels were confined to the wound channel, and thus proper preparation of game to remove tissue surrounding wound channels may eliminate or substantially reduce lead exposure from harvested game birds.
Refugees, Mass Uncontrolled Immigration, and NATO
Authors: Everett Judas , Zajac Kacper
Published: August 2021

The issue of migration to Europe is one which has experienced increased salience in recent years. The symbol of this is undoubtedly the image of small, often improvised, vessels attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea. In some cases, there have even been attempts to traverse the English Channel. The issue of securitisation is one which can best be understood through the work of the Copenhagen School and particularly the work of Bary Buzan. Therefore, this chapter analyses the various legal regimes applicable to the different NATO countries whilst operating on the high seas where the application of such regimes is more questionable. Based on the analysis of relevant areas of law, it appears that the US is better situated, at least from a legal perspective, to conduct naval operations for the protection of the European southern border than the European states themselves. However, what is legally possible is only part of the consideration, as the political will is also an important consideration.
Hybrid Warfare and the Threat to NATO
Authors: Everett Judas
Published: August 2021

Hybrid warfare has become increasingly prominent since the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The phenomenon may become more and more of a concern for security and defense. This chapter provides some explanation of what the phenomenon itself is, a mode of warfare which embraces conventional capabilities, as well as irregular forces, irregular tactics, and formations, but also includes information warfare and involves both state and nonstate actors. It also outlines some of the steps which NATO and NATO member states have taken since the annexation of Crimea and considers some of the potential future hybrid threats and how they could be defended against. It is noted that in order to counter many threats of hybrid warfare a societal level response is required.
New Wars, Globalization, and Failed States
Authors: Lukasik Przemyslaw
Published: August 2021

The future of challenges for NATO related to new wars, failed states, and globalization are the subject of the emerging analyses, and the sources for them are, among others, the experience of military operations in Afghanistan and Libya. For the current and future alliance, the most geographically important places of uncertainty in this area are North Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine. Due to the complex political, military, and social conditions, NATO must seek allies globally and regionally in the fight against security problems generated by new wars, failed states, and globalization. The military nature of the organization requires it to have soft power resources that enable the development of human capital resources in troubled regions, which is crucial for their stabilization.
NATO Without the USA
Authors: Lukasik Przemyslaw
Published: August 2021

The NATO without the United States concept seems to be on the verge of futurological discourse and science fiction. This does not change the fact that the discourse on the possible duration of the North Atlantic alliance with the limited participation of the American partner existed in the past and will probably continue in the future. The discourse conducted by politicians, political scientists, and journalists reveals questions for Europe not only about the quality of the transatlantic agreement in the 21st century, but also about the shape of the European integration project and the political, economic, and defense condition of the old continent in general. The aim of this chapter is to look at the projects of European defense sovereignty from the perspective of the concepts, means, and political will needed to implement them. The analysis is designed to take into account the perspectives from both sides of the Atlantic.
Nature-Inspired Nanoflower Structures on Titanium Surface via Alkali Treatment for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Vishnu Jithin , Manivasagam Geetha
Published: August 2021

Titanium based metallic biomaterials for orthopedic implant applications are often associated with biocompatibility problems which can be ameliorated via proper surface modification strategies. Improving the hydrophilic nature of the titanium surface offers an effective strategy to sort out such limitations by intensifying the cellular activity. Development of titania as well as titanate layers on the titanium surface via alkali treatment represents an effective strategy to improve the hydrophilicity of native titanium surface. Inspired from nature, in the present work, we report the formation of three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical nanoflowers resembling Gomphrena globosa flowers developed on commercially pure titanium (cp-Ti) surface via a facile alkali treatment technique. X-ray diffraction studies evidenced anatase and rutile phases of TiO2 confirming the development of titania on the surface. In addition to the TiO2 phase, presence of titanate (Na2Ti3O7) has also been observed as alkali treatment was conducted in NaOH solution. The hydrophilicity of the Ti surface has been enhanced after the alkali treatment as evidenced from wettability studies using static contact angle measurements. This increase in hydrophilicity is due to the enrichment of the surface by TiO2 and titanate and increased roughness of nanoflower surface based on classical Wenzel law. In addition, the alkali-treated surface demonstrated an increased polar surface energy beneficial for biocompatible surfaces.
Spark Plasma Synthesis and Tribological Behaviour of Ti-Ni-TiCN Nanocomposite
Authors: Rominiyi Azeez Lawan , Shongwe Mxolisi Brendon , Jeje Samson Olaitan , Olubambi Peter Apata
Published: August 2021

The conventional method of producing titanium components introduces defects into the matrix of the materials, thus resulting in poor microstructure, tribological properties and performance of the materials in service. To overcome these challenges, a Ti-Ni-TiCN nanocomposite was developed using the novel spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The morphology and the phases present in the initial powders and the sintered specimen were investigated using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The dry sliding wear behaviour of the sintered samples was studied at ambient temperature by ball-on-disc tests, under an applied normal load of 25 N. The presence of unreacted TiCN, in-situ formed TiN and Ti2Ni intermetallic phases were revealed by the SEM/EDS analysis and confirmed by the XRD results. The developed titanium matrix nanocomposite displayed a much lower coefficient of friction and wear resistance than the CP-Ti. The strong interface between the matrix and the reinforcements prevents the reinforcements from pulling out of the matrix. Ti-Ni-TiCN nanocomposite showed the predominance of abrasive wear while mixed wear mode was observed, in the CP-Ti. The developed material has the capacity to replace CP-Ti and perform admirably in a tribo-system.
Experimental Evaluation of Oil Extraction from South African Melia azedarach Seeds as Feedstock for Biodiesel Synthesis
Authors: Ogunkunle Oyetola , Ahmed Noor A. , Mputsoe Tsepo S.
Published: August 2021

Global increase in fuel prices and the associated problem of harmful emissions from combustion of fossil fuels has necessitated the need for more energy sources to sustain energy security and mitigate the negative environmental implications from the continuous use of petroleum diesel. This research is primarily focused on the production of biodiesel from Melia azedarach oil, which has not been much explored as a feedstock for diesel substitute. In consideration of the nutritional demands for edible oil seeds, the use of edible vegetable stock to produce biodiesel raises major ethical concerns with non-edible oil seeds presenting more feasible solution to energy crises. Oil was extracted from Melia azedarach seeds by exploring both mechanical and chemical methods. Biodiesel was produced from the extracted oil via alkali alcoholysis. An innovative Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-VIS) was adopted as a process tracking mechanism for biodiesel production. An oil yield of 4.32% of crude oil was extracted using n-hexane under an extraction time of 24h and temperature of 55°C. Esterification parameters of 45:1 Molar concentration of alcohol to oil, reaction temperature of 53°C, a reaction time of 50 mins and concentrated sulphuric acid weight fraction of 5% gave a free fatty acid conversion of 89.37%. Based on the results obtained, the seed oil has been established as a promising feedstock with promising efficiency for biodiesel production. However, large scale extraction of oil from the seed for industrial production of biodiesel must be further investigated.
An Electrohydraulic Direct Current Discharge for Inactivation of Escherichia coli in High-Bacterial Density Wastewaters
Authors: Gwanzura Emmanuel , Awolusi Oluyemi O. , Kumari Sheena , Ramjugernath Deresh , Iwarere Samuel A.
Published: August 2021

The United Nations, through its Sustainable Development Goals, have identified access to clean water as one of the challenges facing society. With reported global deaths exceeding 1 million annually linked to untreated water consumption, which is usually contaminated by pathogenic micro-organisms, further research continues in water disinfection. The direct generation of non-thermal plasma in water is a promising method for the inactivation of disease-causing bacteria present in the wastewater. This study explored the efficacy of plasma in the inactivation of different bacterial densities (4.0×104, 1.5×105, and 2.5×107 CFU/mL) using a 500 mL plasma batch reactor operating at atmospheric pressure. The plasma discharge was generated in water by a Technix-SR-10R-5000 high voltage direct current power supply in negative polarity with a set current of 0.45 A and a maximum pre-set ignition voltage of 9 kV. The electrodes used in the discharge was a copper material. A bacterial culture of Escherichia coli ATCC® 25922TM (E.coli) was used as a model for the direct plasma discharge. The study further investigated the contribution of copper ions (0.4 and 0.7 mg/L) released into the water during treatment by having two control reactors that were not exposed to plasma. The results show a complete inactivation at 180 seconds for the bacterial densities from 4.0×104 to 2.5×107 CFU/mL. The results from this study indicated the potential of a direct electric discharge in handling water source with high-bacteria densities.
Basic Study on the Durability of Mortar Containing Blast Furnace Slag Fine Powder with Different Basicity
Authors: Subpa-Asa Prang , Ta Yasutaka , Matsunaga Hisahiro , Date Shigeyuki
Published: August 2021

Chloride ions penetrated reinforced concrete structures. Corrosion of reinforcing bars occurs because of cracks due to corrosion expansion, which is a problem of chloride damage deteriorating structures' performance. Blast furnace slag (from now on referred to as "BFS") is the inevitable by-product of steel product manufacturing as sustainable materials. BFS is more effective in preventing corrosion of reinforcing bars in concrete due to the denser cured and its high ability to immobilize chloride ions. Thus, the influence of BFS on the durability of mortar using BFS powder with different basicity was studied by using "Standard on Test Methods for Chloride Ion Diffusion Coefficients in Concrete" by electrophoresis (Draft) (JSCE-G571-2003)" and the total chloride ion amount was measured following JIS R 5202. The result confirmed that the immobilization performance could be greatly improved by increasing the basicity. It was remarkable in the case of air curing, a curing method for available precast products.
Research on Weibull Distribution Theory for Cubic Compressive Strength Test Method of Raw Earth Materials with Different Curing Methods and Time
Authors: Zhang Kun , Lu Bai Ru , Zhang Xun An , Wang Yi Hong , Qu Zhan
Published: August 2021

Cube compressive strength of raw-soil based mater is an important index of mechanical property. Because the test results vary by different curing modes and trial curing time, compressive strength test on 160 cubic raw-soil test-pieces which were made by 4 curing modes (natural curing, indoor curing, indoor+ preservative film curing, curing in standard curing chamber) and 4 Curing period (4d, 14d, 21d, 28d) was designed.In this study,the failure mechanism, failure mode, force mechanism of test were analyzed.Using Weibull distribution theory, the influence of different environmental factors on material strength is discussed.The research revealed that the different curing methods and curing time had remarkable effect on failure mode of material, but the load displacement curves had not affected. The compressive strength with 21d and 28d ‘s indoor curing and standard curing method were same in the test.The strength of raw soil increases with time, and the curing temperature had a significant effect on the early strength of raw soil materials, but had little effect on the later strength. The humidity had a great influence on the later growth of material strength. Constant temperature and humidity could effectively ensure the full response of internal water loss hardening of raw soil-based materials, and the strength of specimens increases obviously.The recommended curing mode and standard curing time for standard test of raw-soil test-pieces were temperature of 25-30oC, humidity of 50%-55%, and 28day, respectively.