Large Pieces Research Articles

Sculpting Air In The Sub Habitat

Sculpting Air in The Sub Habitat (subtitle: Texture and Form in Composition for Larger Ensemble of Improvisers) is an exploration and unfolding of creative processes in composing for a larger ensemble (6+ musicians) of improvisers as well as the processes in the ensemble rehearsals and concerts. In Sculpting Air, I am both composer and performer. I work with an ensemble created for this project: Sub Habitat. Sub Habitat members are: Lotte Anker (DK), Mazen Kerbaj (GER/LBN), Katt Hernandez (S/USA), Nina de Heney (S), Sten Sandell (S), Andrea Neumann (GER), Burkhard Beins (GER) Sculpting Air grew out of a need to deepen, (re)examine and challenge my compositional practice (including aesthetic preferences and inclinations) within a larger ensemble of improvisers, and I went into the project looking for something: more or less vague, fragmented notions of particular sonic and textural qualities and structural concepts. Notions of a higher degree of connectedness between predetermined and undetermined elements in composition etc. The project is based on my own compositional work and 4 ensemble Sessions and Session concerts during 2020-22. It includes examples and reflections from these processes, and through them I try to articulate answers to the following research questions: Based on the concepts of texture, MODE and LIBRARY, how can I develop new compositional tools for a larger ensemble of improvisers in a music that reflects the sonic palette and expression of the individual musician, the expression and identity of the ensemble as an entity, and my artistic intention? Including: How can these tools be deployed as sculpting materials in a large form piece, where the predetermined and indeterminate elements mutually reinforce each other and thus help to extend the musical space? How can I explore the sonic potential of the ensemble in dialogue with the musicians? How does the ensemble's overall expression inform my compositional work and vice versa? In score form, how can I develop a specific vocabulary, concepts and notational forms that clarify my artistic intention and convey the balance between the predetermined and indeterminate elements of the composition?

Characterisation of lignins isolated from Bamboo organosolv and kraft black liquor

Bamboo biomass was pulped using organosolv methods: Acetic acid and formic acid; hydrogen peroxide and formic acid; ethanol and water and kraft process with varying concentrations of the cooking chemicals. The properties of the isolated lignin were influenced by the black liquor pH as well as the pulping method. Highest pH (12,8) was recorded for kraft at 70:30 liquor concentration while lowest pH of 2,5 was recorded for both Aceticformic (70:30) and Ethanol/water (70:30 and 60:40). There were obvious differences in the characteristic colours, shapes and sizes of the lignin samples. Bamboo kraft lignin samples formed large pieces much easier than that of Organosolv. Aceticformic (70:30) had the best filteration properties (FC) while Ethanol/water had the poorest. Generally, kraft recorded the highest lignin yield while all the organosolv processes recorded reduced yield. Highest yield (119,25 g/L) was gotten from kraft (50:50) while Peroxyformic (60:40) had the lowest yield of 8,20 g/L. The results showed that higher liquor pH favours total dissolved solid as well as lignin precipitation. As the pH increases, total dissolved solid, yield, Klason and low molecular weight (LMW) lignin content increases while FC decreases. The Klason and LMW lignin content increased with incresing lignin yield.

Cranial trephination and infectious disease in the Eastern Mediterranean: The evidence from two elite brothers from Late Bronze Megiddo, Israel

Here we present the paleopathological profiles of two young adult males, identified as brothers through ancient DNA analysis, who were buried together beneath the floor of an elite early Late Bronze Age I (ca. 1550–1450 BC) domestic structure at the urban center of Megiddo (modern Israel). Both individuals displayed uncommon morphological variants related to developmental conditions, and each exhibited extensive bone remodeling consistent with chronic infectious disease. Additionally, one brother had a healed fracture of the nose, as well as a large square piece of bone cut from the frontal bone (cranial trephination). We consider the potential etiologies for the appearance of the skeletal anomalies and lesions. Based on the bioarchaeological context, we propose that a shared epigenetic landscape predisposed the brothers to acquiring an infectious disease and their elite status privileged them enough to endure it. We then contextualize these potential illnesses and disorders with the trephination procedure. The infrequency of trephination in the region indicates that only selected individuals could access such a procedure, and the severity of the pathological lesions suggests the procedure was possibly intended as curative to deteriorating health. Ultimately, both brothers were buried with the same rites as others in their community, thus demonstrating their continued integration in society even after death.

Transport Dynamics of Large Wood in a Stream Channel Affected by Spur Dikes

Abstract The damage to river engineering structures induced by large‐wood (LW) jams is one of the significant problems in river management. For example, typical bridge damage in alluvial areas in Japan, such as wash away, is often caused by the accumulation of large wood materials. The densely transported large wood pieces are an important factor in the accumulation process. We investigated the influence of local flows generated by hydraulic structures on the initial stage of the concentration of large wood pieces. First, we experimentally investigated the flow structures generated by spur dikes in a 0.6 m wide channel and the trajectory of large wood pieces. Then, we numerically investigated the influence of external force on the transport mechanisms of large wood pieces. We employed a simplified Basset‐Boussinesq‐Oseen model to evaluate each term of the momentum equation of the particles and calculated the trajectories of the wood pieces previously observed experimentally. The results showed that the transported large wood pieces were concentrated in low‐vorticity regions of the water surface. This tendency was more prevalent in short pieces (10 mm) than in long pieces (40 mm) because the influence of the relatively small‐scale patterns of the pressure gradient of the surrounding water surface might be spatially averaged for long pieces. This tendency has not been explicitly elucidated in previous works; thus, this knowledge is expected to be key in controlling LW transport, such as detecting the possible regions where LW jams occur or designing efficient inlet sections of LW retention facilities.

The Technologist's Dilemma

The Technologist's Dilemma

An efficient in‐gel digestion method on small amounts of protein sample from large intact gel pieces

Abstract In‐gel digestion is an essential method, but there has been concern that a large ratio of gel volume to protein volume will reduce digestion efficiency and make it difficult to recover peptides after digestion. Few methods for handling large gel pieces have been established. Therefore, we optimized the in‐gel digestion method to handle large intact gel pieces containing small amounts of proteins.As a model for large intact gel pieces containing small amounts of protein, gel pieces of 7 × 10 mm in size obtained by short‐range sodium dodecyl‐sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of 150 ng of total protein extracted from Arabidopsis cells were used. The use of a positive pressure manifold and 96‐well filter enabled rapid and uniform liquid exchange and gel drying, even when handling multiple gel pieces, and reduced the labor required for a liquid exchange. This facilitated the study of conditions using multiple gels and enabled a detailed study of the enzyme solution permeation and elution methods. By using the optimized method, we were able to establish a method for recovering small amounts of protein from large intact gel pieces without compromising reproducibility or recovery rate.

Three-dimensional genomic mapping of human pancreatic tissue reveals striking multifocality and genetic heterogeneity in precancerous lesions

Pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) is a precursor to pancreatic cancer and represents a critical opportunity for cancer interception. However, the number, size, shape, and connectivity of PanINs in human pancreatic tissue samples are largely unknown. In this study, we quantitatively assessed human PanINs using CODA, a novel machine-learning pipeline for 3D image analysis that generates quantifiable models of large pieces of human pancreas with single-cell resolution. Using a cohort of 38 large slabs of grossly normal human pancreas from surgical resection specimens, we identified striking multifocality of PanINs, with a mean burden of 13 spatially separate PanINs per cm3 of sampled tissue. Extrapolating this burden to the entire pancreas suggested a median of approximately 1000 PanINs in an entire pancreas. In order to better understand the clonal relationships within and between PanINs, we developed a pipeline for CODA-guided multi-region genomic analysis of PanINs, including targeted and whole exome sequencing. Multi-region assessment of 37 PanINs from eight additional human pancreatic tissue slabs revealed that almost all PanINs contained hotspot mutations in the oncogene KRAS, but no gene other than KRAS was altered in more than 20% of the analyzed PanINs. PanINs contained a mean of 13 somatic mutations per region when analyzed by whole exome sequencing. The majority of analyzed PanINs originated from independent clonal events, with distinct somatic mutation profiles between PanINs in the same tissue slab. A subset of the analyzed PanINs contained multiple KRAS mutations, suggesting a polyclonal origin even in PanINs that are contiguous by rigorous 3D assessment. This study leverages a novel 3D genomic mapping approach to describe, for the first time, the spatial and genetic multifocality of human PanINs, providing important insights into the initiation and progression of pancreatic neoplasia.

Black carbon emissions from modern automated cordwood stoves for space heating

Abstract Wood burning stove design is improving as regulation become stricter for particulate matter emissions. This study describes results of black carbon (BC) emissions from three modern automated wood stoves when tested in common failure modes using a test protocol that included cold‐starts, high and low fuel loading densities, and use of overly large pieces of fuel. Emission sampling was performed using a dilution sampling system in tandem with an aethalometer to measure BC with high time resolution. Results show that the time‐weighted average BC emission rates were 0.91, 4.30, and 1.74 g/h for the three stoves tested (A, B, and C respectively), the values, both higher and lower than the United States 2020 certification test emission limit of 2.5 g/h. The results demonstrate good performance overall, given the rigorous nature of the testing protocol used. The aethalometer data showed that the performance was relatively poor during cold‐start, when the fuel was ignited and combusted without a coalbed, and when stoves failed to optimize air delivery due to specific loading and output conditions. During the cold‐start test section, the average BC emission rate was seven times higher than the overall average for Stove A, 10 times above the average for Stove B, and two times above the average emission rate for Stove C. Calculations of the Average Angstrom Absorption Exponent (AAE) of the exhaust aerosol showed little correlation with BC concentration. The results show that automation results in a quantifiable reduction in particular BC emissions.

Impact of different kernel grades on volatile compounds profile, fatty acids and oxidative quality of cashew nut oil

Impact of different kernel grades on volatile compounds profile, fatty acids and oxidative quality of cashew nut oil

Adhesives free bark panels: An alternative application for a waste material.

The proportion of bark in tree trunks is in the range of ~ 10-20%. This large amount of material is currently mainly considered as a by- or even waste-product by the timber processing industry. Recently, efforts towards the use of bark have been made, e.g. as a raw material to harvest different chemical compounds or as an additive for wood particle boards. Our motivation for this work was to keep the bark in an almost natural state and explore alternative processes and applications for use. The traditional method of de-barking tree trunks by peeling was used to harvest large bark pieces. Two pieces of peeled bark were placed crosswise, with the rhytidom side (outer bark) facing each other. After different conditioning steps, bark pieces were hot pressed to panels without adding adhesives. These experiments on bark samples of different Central European tree species suggest that production of panels with species dependent properties is possible and feasible. This is a step towards producing sustainable panels by using a natural waste material, while retaining its beneficial structure and its natural chemical composition.

Adhesives free bark panels: An alternative application for a waste material

The proportion of bark in tree trunks is in the range of ~ 10–20%. This large amount of material is currently mainly considered as a by- or even waste-product by the timber processing industry. Recently, efforts towards the use of bark have been made, e.g. as a raw material to harvest different chemical compounds or as an additive for wood particle boards. Our motivation for this work was to keep the bark in an almost natural state and explore alternative processes and applications for use. The traditional method of de-barking tree trunks by peeling was used to harvest large bark pieces. Two pieces of peeled bark were placed crosswise, with the rhytidom side (outer bark) facing each other. After different conditioning steps, bark pieces were hot pressed to panels without adding adhesives. These experiments on bark samples of different Central European tree species suggest that production of panels with species dependent properties is possible and feasible. This is a step towards producing sustainable panels by using a natural waste material, while retaining its beneficial structure and its natural chemical composition.

Tracing the cryptic Sardic (Ordovician) metamorphism across Alpine Europe: the Krndija region in the Slavonian Mountains, Croatia

Results of a combined petrological, geochemical and geochronological study suggest that metasedimentary rock units in the Krndija region of the Slavonian Mountains, Croatia, were affected by at least three major tectonometamorphic imprints: during the Middle Ordovician (Sardic event), the early Carboniferous (Variscan event), and the Cretaceous (Alpine event). All three metamorphic phases are established by electron microprobe-based in-situ U–Th–Pb dating of monazite grains. The Sardic metamorphic event is additionally confirmed by a precise Lu–Hf garnet-whole-rock isochron age of 466.0 ± 2.3 Ma. Taken together, the data unveil a relatively large and well-preserved piece of the cryptic Sardic orogen in central Krndija, that we name the Kutjevo Zone. A Sardic subduction-related metamorphic event (ca. 540-580 ℃, 8–11 kbar) at ca. 466 Ma is manifested in the mineral paragenesis Ca-rich garnet plus rutile. A low degree of retrograde reequilibration suggests a subsequent fast exhumation. Low-Ca cores in some garnets and staurolite relics record a pre-HP metamorphic event that involves isobaric heating from 570 to 610 ℃ at ~ 7 kbar. We attribute this (so far undated) event to mid-crustal contact metamorphism caused by early Sardic magmatism. Southern parts of Krndija (the Gradište Zone) experienced an (additional?) clockwise PT evolution in Variscan times at ca. 350 Ma. Garnet formed with ilmenite during a PT increase from 580 ℃/5 kbar to 600 ℃/6 kbar and underwent later strong retrograde resorption. Slow Variscan exhumation resulted in andalusite formation at < 550 ℃/ < 3.8 kbar. Penetrative Alpine metamorphism was observed in low-grade phyllites in the north. The lithology and metamorphic history of the Kutjevo Zone is similar to what has been reported from the Sardic Strona-Ceneri Zone in the western Alps. Both areas expose metapelitic (metagreywacke) rocks with a pre-middle Ordovician formation age. These metasedimentary rocks are inter-layered with numerous small amphibolitic units as well as metagranitoids and were likely deposited along the active Gondwana margin, perhaps in a fore-arc position, prior to their subduction during the middle Ordovician. According to recent palaeogeographic reconstructions, both the Kutjevo Zone and the Strona-Ceneri Zone have once resided in an eastern sector of the northern Gondwana margin (i.e., in E-Armorica). We conclude that in the Middle Ordovician, important subduction activities took place in this E-Armorican segment of north Gondwana, which is today exposed in the Alps. The W-Armorican segment of north Gondwana (now exposed in the French, German, and Czech Variscides) had probably already mutated from a (Cadomian) subduction setting to an extensional (transtensional–transpressional) setting by the late Cambrian.

Head-Mounted Augmented Reality Support for Assemblers of Wooden Trusses

Wooden-house assembly is an area where still a big part of the work is done manually. In this case study, pairs of operators compose large wooden pieces together based on paper-print instructions complemented by visual guidance in the shape of laser marks projected from lasers mounted in the ceiling, based on Computer-aided design (CAD) data. Augmented Reality (AR) head-mounted displays (HMD) offer a unique platform for providing instructions and additional information superimposed in the work environment and thus can provide guidance in a cognitively ergonomic way. A particular advantage compared to other computing platforms is that the operators have free hands and can perform the manual work and follow guidance simultaneously. We present an evaluation of a prototype that dynamically transforms a CAD data file with design and measurements of wooden trusses to be manufactured, into an AR-based guidance system developed in Unity for Microsoft HoloLens 2 devices. We used an iterative participatory design process for prototyping and think-aloud protocol combined with observations for evaluation, involving professional assemblers in different stages of the process. Participants found the solution to potentially save time in their everyday work and simplify the task by offering increased visibility of the marks compared to the existing laser projection. Large-scale deployment of the system is still facing design challenges of which some are also discussed in the paper.

James E. Talmage and the Selenite Crystals

James E. Talmage and the Selenite Crystals

PASTE Expands CRISPR Toolbox by Inserting Large Pieces of DNA

Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology NewsVol. 43, No. 1 News & AnalysisPASTE Expands CRISPR Toolbox by Inserting Large Pieces of DNAPublished Online:11 Jan 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/gen.43.01.04AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View articleFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 43Issue 1Jan 2023 Information© 2023 by GEN PublishingTo cite this article:PASTE Expands CRISPR Toolbox by Inserting Large Pieces of DNA.Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News.Jan 2023.14-14.http://doi.org/10.1089/gen.43.01.04Published in Volume: 43 Issue 1: January 11, 2023PDF download

Personalized Multi-document Text Summarization using Deep Learning Techniques

Personalized Multi-document Text Summarization using Deep Learning Techniques

Communications Channel Characteristics Due to Aircraft Body Blockage in Urban Air Mobility

In urban air mobility, a large piece of conductive airframe with extended carbon fiber blades is an obstructing factor for aircraft-ground communications. In this letter, we conduct outdoor measurements of propagation channels on a giant multi-rotor drone. Channel impulse response and received power level are recorded and utilized for investigation, from which root mean square delay spread and frame outage probability are derived. These measurement results demonstrate that high speed rotating propellers and the airframe of the urban air mobility (UAM) have obvious negative impact on the communications link. The position of antennas should be chosen properly to reduce the blocking effect.

A Lightweight and Multisource Information Fusion Method for Real‐Time Monitoring of Lump Coal on Mining Conveyor Belts

Since the underground transportation of coal mainly relies on the mine conveyor belt to complete, the mine conveyor belt with large pieces of coal will affect transportation safety. Therefore, to address the problem of real‐time monitoring of lump coal, the method Ghost‐ECA‐Bi FPN (GEB) YOLOv5 for lump coal in the process of mining conveyor belt transportation is proposed based on a lightweight neural network and multisource information fusion. First, the image preprocessing is performed by adaptive histogram equalization, which reduces the influence of coal dust, dust, and uneven lighting on target monitoring. Second, the redundancy of the convolution process is exploited, and a lightweight neural network GhostNet is introduced to optimize the feature extraction process. In addition, combined with the efficient channel attention mechanism, the 1D convolution enables local cross‐channel information interaction, which can solve the problem of imbalance between model complexity and performance. Finally, the feature information of the three stages is fused using a weighted bidirectional feature pyramid network to enhance the generalization ability of the model. The experimental results show that the improved GEB YOLOv5 algorithm has obvious advantages. In terms of model structure, the number of network layers reduces by 36.97%, and the number of model structure parameters and floating‐point operations reduce by 64.53% and 69.14%, respectively. Moreover, the model volume reduces from 92.7 M to 33.0 M. Regarding the monitoring performance, the precision and recall rates improve by 1.19% and 1.11%, respectively. Furthermore, the real‐time performance improves from 68.34 FPS to 110.70 FPS. It can be seen that the problem of the model performance against the model complexity is effectively solved in this experiment and the real‐time monitoring of lump coal is realized.

Research and comparative analysis of the qualitative parameters of food powders produced from grain raw materials using an improved jet mill

The object of the study is samples of food powders obtained by grinding the products of the collection and processing of a number of grain crops, using air-grinding technology in an improved jet mill. One of the most important problems of the modern food industry is that for the production of flour from cereals endosperm is used while the most important nutrients are found in shells and the germ of the grain. As a result of its grinding in conventional mills, common at existing mills, large pieces of bran and a large variation in the particle size of the grinding products are obtained, and this method is energy-intensive. According to the authors, the best solution to ensure truly whole grain grinding – that is, grinding grains with shells – is air grinding in jet mills. An improved jet mill makes it possible to grind both endosperm and grain shells into flour of the same consistency. From the same amount of raw material, therefore, it is possible to produce approximately 30 % more final grinding products. It is also important that the improved jet mill, under proven conditions, spends no more energy for grinding than a conventional mill. For research, the most popular products ground in such a mill were taken – wheat flour (black grain), buckwheat flour (from roasted buckwheat) and wheat bran. The first two products are whole grain milled, and the bran is produced from the collapse of wheat grown in accordance with the requirements of organic farming. Samples of powders obtained by grinding these products in an improved jet mill were compared with control samples – produced from similar raw materials in a roller mill – the most common design in service with mills. Physical indicators of the powders, thermophysical properties and biotechnological parameters were carried out. The obtained results allow to state that whole grain grinding produced on an improved jet mill has the characteristics better or close to standard types of flour produced on conventional mills. It allows them to be used without significant changes in the formulation of products with their addition (bakery, pasta, etc.), and also to create new dietary, healthy products rich in biologically active substances.

Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in meat products during 2017–2019 depending on technological factors and seasons

Microbiological examination of contamination of imported and domestic meat products with pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes depending on a meat type, technology and season was carried out during 2017–2019. In total, 2777 product samples were analyzed; the presence of this pathogen was revealed in 8.8% of products (244 positive samples). It was found that the prevalence of L. monocytogenes in meat products increased over three years of observation (2017–2019). The highest occurrence of this pathogen was found in poultry meat (on average 18.7%) followed by products from beef (13.2%). Meat products from mixed raw materials (beef and pork) accounted for 5.3% of tested samples, while in pork semi-finished products L. monocytogenes was found only in 3.2% of cases. It was noted that the technology of semi-finished products significantly affected the level of contamination of meat products with L. monocytogenes. Various technological approaches are used in the production process increasing the risk of contamination of the finished product since there is no timely data on Listeria contamination of raw materials used for production of a particular product. It has been established that a significant role in microbiological studies is played by various approaches to sample preparation of analyzed samples of meat cuts, semi-finished products in large and small pieces, as well as minced semi-finished products. Not knowing the real level of surface contamination with L. monocytogenes of carcasses, half-carcasses, semi-finished products in large pieces, manufacturers use such raw materials for the subsequent production of other types of semi-finished meat products, increasing the risk of manufacturing unsafe products with following contamination of equipment, work surfaces and other objects of the production environment. The highest occurrence of L. monocytogenes in meat products during three years of observation was found in the summer period (14.2%). The proportions of positive samples in the winter, spring and autumn months varied on average within 6.7–7.1%.