bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Enhanced RANSAC-RTK Algorithm in GNSS-Challenged Environments
Authors: Dai Wujiao , Wen Yaxin , Yu Wenkun , Chen Biyan , Pan Lin
Published: October 2023

Outliers significantly affect the accuracy and reliability of global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The outliers must be properly handled in real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning, particularly in GNSS-challenged environments. Otherwise, the accuracy and reliability of RTK positioning solutions cannot be guaranteed in these environments. To improve the usability of RTK positioning in GNSS-challenged environments, we propose an enhanced RANdom SAmple Consensus RTK (RANSAC-RTK) algorithm to handle multiple and continuous outliers. In the enhanced RANSAC algorithm, the threshold setting, sample prescreening and sample checking methods are improved considering the characteristics of GNSS data. Experiments are conducted using GNSS data collected in a GNSS-challenged environment with simulated continuous outliers for multiple satellites. The experimental results show that the standard RTK algorithm is vulnerable to outliers. In contrast, the enhanced RANSAC-RTK algorithm can effectively deal with multiple and continuous outliers, and the ambiguity fixing rate is increased by 33%. Therefore, it can significantly improve RTK performance in GNSS-challenged environments.
Comparative photoelectrochemical characteristics of heterostructure and composite films based on BiVO 4 andWO3
Authors: chemistry Vernadsky Institute of general and inorganic , Fomanyuk Sergii , Rusetskyi Ihor , Danilov Mihail , Kolbasov Genadyi
Published: October 2023

Films of heterostructure BiVO4/WO3, composite BiVO4 with WO3 and pure BiVO4 were obtained by electrochemical deposition. The analysis of the photoelectrochemical characteristics of such films showed that observed of changes in the photoelectrochemical parameters towards as the increase in photocurrent quantum yield and the decrease in overvoltage of oxygen evolution on the photoanode in the series of the pure BiVO4, heterojunction BiVO4/WO3 and composite BiVO4-WO3. The reason for such a positive effect in reducing the energy losses has associated with the decreases recombination of electrons and holes in the BiVO4 with WO3 composite as a result of the increase in the contact area of the two semiconductors BiVO4 with WO3 compared to the heterostructure. That to also contribute increase in the photoelectrocatalytic activity of the surface and the decrease in the electron transport resistance.
Keyed Watermarks: A Fine-grained Watermark Generation for Apache Flink
Authors: Yasser Tawfik , Arafa Tamer , El-Helw Mohamed , Awad Ahmed
Published: October 2023

Big Data Stream processing engines, exemplified by tools like Apache Flink, employ windowing techniques to manage unbounded streams of events. Aggregating relevant data within Windows is important for event-time windowing due to its impact on result accuracy. A pivotal role in this process is attributed to watermarks, unique timestamps signifying event progression in time. Nonetheless, the existing watermark generation method within Apache Flink, operating at the input stream level, exhibits a bias towards faster sub-streams, causing the omission of events from slower counterparts. Our analysis determined that Apache Flink's standard watermark generation approach results in an approximate 33% data loss when 50% of median-proximate keys experience delays. Furthermore, this loss exceeds 37% in cases where 50% of randomly selected keys encounter delays.
In this paper, we introduce a pioneering approach termed keyed watermarks to address data loss concerns and enhance data processing precision to a minimum of 99% in most scenarios. Our strategy facilitates distinct progress monitoring by creating individualized watermarks for each logical sub-stream (key). Within our investigation, we delineate the essential architectural and API modifications requisite for integrating keyed watermarks while also highlighting our experience in navigating the expansion of Apache Flink's extensive codebase. Moreover, we conduct a comparative evaluation between the efficacy of our approach and the conventional watermark generation technique concerning the accuracy of event-time tracking, the latency of watermark processing, and the growth of Flink's maintained state.
Modeling and Analysis of Nanosphere Structure for Bio-Sensing Application
Authors: Suryanarayana N K , Venkatesha M , Asha K , Krishnaswamy Narayan , Guha Koushik
Published: October 2023

Nanosphere structure are the suitable and efficient nanoparticle for the biological application in designing the refractive index-based sensors. Modeling and analysis of Nanosphere structure is simulated. Nanosphere structure acts as a surface plasmon device. The Gold nanospheres are commonly used nano devices. The UV visible spectrum wavelength from 300nm-900nm is applied. The Mie scattering algorithm and dipole approximation methods are the modeling methods used. The cross-section efficiency and sensitivity of the nanosphere based refractive index sensor is analyzed. The mathematical analysis is conducted using discrete dipole approximation method. These are the part of the theory of scattering of light by nano particles which has homogenous and spherical in size. The Riccati-Bessel functions are used in the Mie calculations.
Natural products fragment-based design and synthesis of a novel pentacyclic ring system as potential MAPK Inhibitor
Authors: Hou Bao-Long , Wu kenan , Liu Jianli , Liang Yanni , Wang Cuiling , Wang Zheng
Published: October 2023

The synthesis of compounds based on fragments derived from natural products (NPs) serves as a source of inspiration for the design of pseudo-natural products (PNPs), to identify bioactive molecules that exhibit similar characteristics to NPs. These novel molecular scaffolds exhibit previously unexplored biological activities as well. This study reports the development and synthesis of a novel pentacyclic ring system, theindole-pyrimidine-quinoline (IPQ) scaffold. The design of this scaffoldwas based on the structural characteristics of four natural products, namelytryptanthrin, luotonin A, rutaecarpine, and camptothecin. Several successive steps accomplished the effective synthesis of the IPQ scaffold. The constituent componentsof the pentacycle, containingthe indole,quinazolinone, pyrimidone, and quinoline units, possess significant biological significance. Compound 1a demonstrated noteworthy anti-cancer efficacy against several human cancer cell lines among the tested compounds. The compound 1a was observed to elicit cell cycle arrest in both the G2/M and S phases, as well as trigger apoptosis in A549 cells. These effects were attributed to its ability to modulate the activation of mitochondrial-related mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways.
On the Utility of Ordered Incremental Attribute Learning based Variance and mRMR Techniques
Authors: Gorrab Siwar , Rejab Fahmi Ben , Nouira Kaouther
Published: October 2023

From the major issues of machine learning and data mining is Feature Selection, picking only the pertinent features to further emphasize the learning search. One relaxed category of feature selection is feature ranking which orders the features according to their relevance. However, numerous feature selection techniques are still rarely used in unsupervised tasks as well as for incrementally clustering continuously emerging mixed data streams with added features. This paper provides a better insight into one particular machine learning algorithm: the Unsupervised Incremental Attribute Learning based on k-prototypes with further analysis on the impact of feature ranking on Incremental K-prototypes. Our approach firstly selects the most relevant features from the new emerging ones with ranking them. Then, a proposed Incremental K-prototypes algorithm is applied on this subset of important features. To do so, two techniques have been proposed. One is the mRMR Feature Selection technique, designed to determine the smallest relevant subset of features with standing for minimum Redundancy and Maximum Relevance. Two is sorting the added features with respect to their calculated variances. The comparative study between the different orders, batch k-prototypes and well-known method reveals that our method is skilled and efficient according to the run time, the Sum of Squared Error and the Davies-Bouldin index evaluation measures.
Investigation of optical, dielectric properties and conduction mechanism of LiCo 0.7 Mn 0.3 O 2
Authors: Moufida Krimi , Altarifi Saleh M. , Rhaiem Abdallah Ben
Published: October 2023

The development of a multifunctional material with variety in its properties is a powerful research project. The electrochemical properties of LiCo0.7Mn0.3O2 material have attracted our attention to search electrical characterization and the optical properties of this material. The synthesis of this compound is based on a solid state method. The X-ray powder diffraction analysis shows that the compound crystallizes in the hexagonal system with the R -3m space group. Moreover, the homogenous distribution of grain is revealed by the EDX study, thus the grain size is about 2.5 µm calculated from the scanning electron microscopy data. The band gap energy was established and seems to be equal to 1.88 eV which confirms the semiconductor character of this compound. Impedance spectroscopy was performed in the temperature ranging from 363 K to 473 K and frequency varying between 0.1 to 106Hz. The Nyquist plots confirm the presence of grains and grain boundary contribution instead of electrode polarization. The obtained conductivity properties indicates the semiconductor behavior of our compound, also it confirms its reliability for electrochemical application. Ac conductivity has been adjusted using the Jonsher power law, which allows us to confirm that the dc conductivity is thermally activated with activation energy of 400 meV and 500meV for 363–423 K, 423–473 K regions, respectively. Temperature dependence of the exponent s reveals that the conduction process is governed by the correlated barrier hopping model (CBH). Besides, the temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) affirmed that LiCo0.7Mn0.3O2 is a good candidate for bolometric applications.
Acute kidney injury following treatment with CD19-specific CAR T-cell therapy in children, adolescent and young adult patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Petgrave Yonique P , Selukar Subodh , Epperly Rebecca , Naik Swati , Santos Noel DeLos , Triplett Brandon M , Gottschalk Stephen , Bissler John , Talleur Aimee C
Published: October 2023

CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has shown promising disease responses in patients with high-risk B-cell malignancies. Treatment with CD19-CAR T-cell therapy is also associated with the risk of morbidity and mortality, primarily related to immune-mediated complications (cytokine release syndrome [CRS] and neurotoxicity [NTX]), infections, and end-organ dysfunction. Despite these well-described systemic toxicities, the incidence of post-CAR T-cell therapy acute kidney injury (AKI) in the children, adolescent and young adult (CAYA) patient population is largely unreported. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of AKI in CAYA patients with high-risk B-cell malignancies treated with CD19-CAR T-cell therapy, evaluate potential risk factors for developing AKI, and determine patterns of kidney function recovery. In this retrospective analysis of 34 CAYA patients treated with CD19-CAR T-cell at a single institution, we found a cumulative incidence of any grade AKI by day 30 post-infusion of 20% (n=7), with 4 cases being severe AKI (Stage 2-3) and one patient requiring kidney replacement therapy. All episodes of AKI developed within the first 14 days after receiving CAR T-cell therapy and 50% of patients with AKI recovered kidney function to baseline within 30 days post-infusion. No evaluated pre-treatment risk factors were associated with the development of subsequent AKI; there was an association between AKI and CRS and NTX. We conclude that the risk of developing AKI following CD19-CAR T-cell therapy is highest early post-infusion, with most cases of AKI being severe. Although most patients with AKI in our cohort had recovery of kidney function, frequent monitoring to facilitate early recognition and subsequent management of kidney complications after CD19-CAR T-cell therapy may reduce the severity of AKI in the CAYA patient population.
Managing itchgrass and morningglory in plant cane: a strong decision on associating herbicides for pre-emergence control
Authors: de Castro Rosilaine Araldi , de Castro Sérgio Gustavo Quassi , de Castro Saulo Augusto Quassi , Piassa Alexandre , Soares Gabriella Onila do Nascimento , Tropaldi Leandro , Christofoletti Pedro Jacob
Published: October 2023

To enhance weed control in sugarcane systems, the application of herbicide association is widely practiced. This approach broadens the spectrum of weed control and ensures a successful sugarcane yield. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of herbicide combinations in controlling Rottboellia exaltata (itchgrass) and Ipomoea quamoclit (morningglory) during pre-emergence while also evaluating the potential impact on the sugarcane variety RB85 5156. The experimental design employed a randomized block structure with seven treatments and four replications. The treatments were as follows: 1 - no herbicide application; 2 - indaziflam + sulfentrazone (120 + 750 g i.a ha− 1); 3 - indaziflam + diclosulam (120 + 110 g i.a ha− 1); 4 - indaziflam + tebuthiuron (120 + 900 g i.a ha− 1); 5 - flumioxazin + diclosulam (150 + 110 g i.a ha− 1), 6 - flumioxazin + pyroxasulfone (200 + 200 g i.a ha− 1) and 7 - clomazone + sulfentrazone (1,080 + 750 g i.a ha− 1). The following parameters were evaluated: percentage of itchgrass and morningglory control, green coverage percentage (Canopeo® system), weed biomass (g m− 2), and itchgrass height. Tiller counts were also assessed to characterize the effects of the herbicides on sugarcane plants. Several herbicide associations have been proven effective alternatives for managing itchgrass and morningglory. The most successful treatments for itchgrass control were indaziflam + tebuthiuron and indaziflam + diclosulam, whereas for morningglory, the top performers were indaziflam + sulfentrazone, indaziflam + diclosulam, indaziflam + tebuthiuron, flumioxazin + diclosulam, and clomazone + sulfentrazone. All treatments significantly reduced the weed biomass, with indaziflam + tebuthiuron being the safest option for protecting sugarcane.
Predicting Cardiovascular Disease Risk with recommendation of Precision Medicine Approaches
Authors: TCHAGAFO NAZIF , Ez-zahout Abderrahmane , AHIOD Belaid
Published: October 2023

La précision en médecine cardiovasculaire s'efforce de fournir des traitements individualisés aux patients au bon moment pour optimiser les résultats. Il englobe toutes les étapes du développement de la maladie et comprend une prévision précise des risques, des stratégies de prévention personnalisées et des interventions thérapeutiques ciblées. Dans cet article, nous explorons l’utilisation d’algorithmes d’apprentissage automatique pour la prédiction des maladies cardiovasculaires et l’analyse de la latence. L’objectif principal de la recherche est de fournir un aperçu des outils Big Data et des modèles d’apprentissage automatique permettant de prédire avec une grande précision certaines maladies, comme le diabète. L’étude a appliqué six algorithmes d’apprentissage automatique tels que RandomForest, Adaboost, SVM, KNN, ANN et Decision Tree pour prédire les maladies cardiovasculaires et comparer leurs performances. Les résultats montrent que le modèle Support Vector Machine (SVM) est la meilleure approche, avec un RAPPEL de 99% et un F1 de 91%. Nos travaux montrent que le modèle SVM est fiable à 76 % pour effectuer une prédiction optimale. En outre, l’étude a analysé les délais de combat pour prédire les retards dans les combats et a produit un tableau de bord pouvant faciliter la prise de décision. La recherche a conclu que pour les mêmes ensembles de données, il convient de réfléchir attentivement au modèle à utiliser pour la prédiction. L’étude jette les bases de travaux futurs visant à tester différents modèles dans d’autres domaines, tels que la prévision du risque de maladie liée au diabète dans le cadre d’approches de médecine de précision. il convient de réfléchir attentivement au modèle à utiliser pour la prévision. L’étude jette les bases de travaux futurs visant à tester différents modèles dans d’autres domaines, tels que la prévision du risque de maladie liée au diabète dans le cadre d’approches de médecine de précision. il convient de réfléchir attentivement au modèle à utiliser pour la prévision. L’étude jette les bases de travaux futurs visant à tester différents modèles dans d’autres domaines, tels que la prévision du risque de maladie liée au diabète dans le cadre d’approches de médecine de précision.
Final Dietary Manuscript
Authors: Khalid Bakhtawar , Afzal Zubia , Mahmood Haris , Gul Abdul Rehman , Ali Mohsan
Published: October 2023

Daily lifestyle and dietary patterns are among the preliminary predictors of multiple diseases such as cardiovascular events and stroke. They can give fairly accurate predictions of longevity and quality of life. This study was conducted with the primary goal of identifying the prevalence of the above-mentioned patterns among students in medical universities in Lahore, Pakistan.
Objectives
The objectives of the study include:
● Estimation of the prevalence of obesity in Medical Students
● Assessing the association of eating habits and lifestyle with the prevalence of obesity/overweight in medical students.
● Assessing the perception of a balanced diet amongst medical students.
Methods
379 medical university students filled an online questionnaire focused on the dietary habits of the students and their current body mass index (BMI). Data collected were analyzed by IBM SPSS Statistics version 21.0 for Windows. The eating habits and lifestyle practices of overweight/obese university students were compared with that of non-overweight/obese university students with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and chi-square test.
Results
The results showed 18.46% of students were overweight and 17.52% of students were found to be obese. The prevalence was more in males (25.53%) than in females (11.51%).
Conclusion
These findings can be due to insufficient guidance in medical universities leading to a failure to attain a healthy lifestyle. Further studies with a greater sample size, awareness campaigns, and programs are required to deal with this alarming situation and find solutions.
Effect of Ticagrelor or Clopidogrel Treatment on 1-Year Cardiovascular Outcomes in Anemic Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Onuk Tolga , Polat Fuat , Yaylak Barış , Akyüz Şükrü , Kolak Zeynep , Durak Furkan
Published: October 2023

Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential impact of ticagrelor and clopidogrel treatment on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with anemia and acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and to discern the optimal therapeutic approach for this vulnerable patient population.
Methods A retrospective research design was employed, involving patients diagnosed with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) between 2014 and 2021. Inclusion criteria necessitated a hemoglobin level below 12 mg/dL and a minimum 12-month P2Y12 inhibitor treatment. Comprehensive clinical, biochemical, and echocardiographic data were collected from the hospital's electronic repository. The primary efficacy endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), encompassing total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, reinfarction, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke. Major hemorrhage was the primary safety endpoint. Secondary outcomes included total mortality, CV mortality, reinfarction, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke.
Results Patients treated with ticagrelor (n = 118) and clopidogrel (n = 538) were compared. No significant difference was observed in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major bleeding between ticagrelor and clopidogrel treatment groups (MACE: clopidogrel 10.0% vs. ticagrelor 11.0%, p=0.75; major bleeding: clopidogrel 2.8%, ticagrelor 2.5%, p=0.88). Patients with hemoglobin levels ≤8 mg/dL demonstrated significantly higher MACE and major bleeding rates in the ticagrelor group (p=0.008 and p=0.002, respectively). Among patients aged ≥75 years, ticagrelor treatment was associated with a higher risk of major bleeding (p=0.04).
Conclusion Ticagrelor and clopidogrel demonstrated similar efficacy and safety outcomes in anemic ACS patients over a one-year period. Ticagrelor showed superiority in reducing ischemic events in anemic ACS patients. However, specific caution is warranted in patients with hemoglobin ≤8 mg/dL and those aged ≥75 years, where ticagrelor treatment may confer a higher risk of adverse events. This study provides insights into tailoring antiplatelet therapy for anemic ACS patients and offers guidance for personalized treatment strategies.
Face-to-face versus 360 VR video: a comparative study of two teaching methods in nursing education
Authors: Babaita Abdulfatai Olamilekan , Kako Mayumi , Teramoto Chie , Okamoto Miho , Hayashi Yoko , Ohshimo Shinichiro , Sadamori Takuma , Hattori Minoru , Moriyama Michiko
Published: October 2023

Background The practical sessions during skills laboratory simulation or clinical simulation are cores of nursing education. For this, different modalities have been devised to facilitate psychomotor skills learning. One of the commonly used educational material or instructional method to supplement skills learning across various disciplines is video-based teaching method. The opportunities of traditional two-dimensional (2D) video might be limitless and maximized with 360 virtual reality (VR) video, which offers immersive experience. This study incorporates 360 VR video into skills laboratory training as an alternative approach to face-to-face procedure demonstration.Methods An open-label, parallel (1:1), comparative study design was conducted among third-year undergraduate nursing students at Hiroshima University, Japan. The nursing students were block-randomized into 360 virtual reality (VR) video and face-to-face demonstration group. After a 3-hour theoretical class of patient management on ventilator and closed-suction principles of mechanically ventilated patients in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) focused class, the 360 VR group watched the 360 VR video of closed tracheal suction (including oral) using the Head Mounted Display (HMD) of Meta Quest 2 individually, while the face-to-face group attended the instructor’s demonstration. A week after the skills laboratory, the students’ psychomotor skills, knowledge, satisfaction, confidence were evaluated, in addition to the 360 VR video groups’ perception; Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the two groups.Results A total of 57 students were analyzed; 27 students in the 360 VR video group and 30 students in face-to-face group. There were no statistically significant differences between both groups in skills, knowledge, and confidence. However, the face-to-face group had higher satisfaction level than the 360 VR group; this difference was statistically significant. In the 360 VR video group, 62% agreed that VR makes learning more interesting; more than half of students (62.5%) experienced VR sickness symptoms, and “feeling of drunk” is the highest. The students appreciated the ready to use, immersiveness, and realism; however, symptoms and discomfort, difficult perspective and production limitations were improvements recommended.Conclusion Although face-to-face demonstration is the established method of teaching psychomotor skills to nursing students, the use of 360 VR video could achieve similar learning effect as an alternative approach.
Design & Implementation of a Meta-Material Based Ultra-Wide Band Microstrip Patch Antenna for Vehicular Communication
Authors: Sharma Purnima K , Szymański Jerzy R. , Żurek-Mortka Marta , Sathiyanarayanan Mithileysh , sharma dinesh
Published: October 2023

This paper presents an innovative microstrip antenna of compact dimensions, constructed utilizing advanced meta-materials tailored specifically for Ultra-Wideband (UWB) applications. The antenna design features two distinct meta-material surfaces, each intricately fabricated with engraved pi-shaped slits on the radiating plane and cross-shaped slits on the ground plane. The distinctive left-handed behavior exhibited by this meta-material originates from the collaborative interplay of capacitive and inductive effects engendered by the radiating and ground planes. The proposed antenna structure assumes the form of 30.8 x 27.6 x 0.8 mm³ and interfaces seamlessly with a 50Ω feed line via an SMA connector. Its electrical resistance encompasses a range extending from 3.5GHz to significantly beyond 14.5GHz, characterized by pronounced emission along the reference axis and a focused radiation pattern, distinctly enhancing frequency-related attributes. The fundamental objective driving the design of this antenna lies in its potential to facilitate uninterrupted communication among vehicles, a crucial aspect in vehicular communication applications. This goal necessitates a broad frequency spectrum to establish seamless connectivity in vehicular contexts. A thorough analysis of the research techniques, findings, and consequences was also provided, providing insights into the bright future of metamaterial-based antennas in vehicular communication.
Perception-Enhanced Generative Adversarial Network for Synthesizing Tau Positron Emission Tomography images from Structural Magnetic Resonance Images: a cross-center and cross-tracer study
Authors: Jiang Jiehui , Sun Jie , Xue Le , Lu Jia-Ying , Zhang Qi , Zhang Shuoyan , Wang Luyao , Wang Min , Zuo Chuan-Tao , Tian Mei
Published: October 2023

Different tau positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer holds promises for monitoring the accumulation of tau pathology in vivo. However, the low availability relative to the massive demand for tau-PET has ultimately hinders the potential benefits for the majority of patients. Here, we developed a unified deep learning model for synthesizing tau positron emission tomography (PET) images from the more available structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI). A total of 1387 subjects from two different cohorts were included in this study, involving tau-PET with 18F-flortaucipir and 18F-florzolotau. The tracer-specific models were trained independently and cross-validated internally and externally. The overall evaluations and regional-specific quantitative evaluations of the synthetic tau-PET have verified that the synthetic tau-PET followed a uniform distribution of reality and could accurately quantifying regional tau deposition, and the proposed method achieved the state-of-the-art performances on commonly used metrics and satisfies the reconstruction needs for clinical standards.
Applying intrinsic principle of cell collectives to program robot swarms
Authors: Yang Yongliang , Pan Mengyun , Liu Lianqing , Qin Xiaoyang , Li Guangyong , Long Min , Xi Ning
Published: October 2023

Many control algorithms for formation of robot swarms are often inspired from animal swarms. However, these algorithms are derived by simply imitating the behaviors of animal swarms instead of directly applying intrinsic principles because of the capability gaps between animals and robots. Here we experimentally proved that the principle of differential adhesion hypothesis in cell biology can be directly applied to the formation of robot swarms. Like cell collectives, swarms of sensor-less robots aggregated and sorted in a self-organized manner. Based on this finding, we programmed robot swarms to form functional morphologies via tuning their adhesion. This work advances swarm robotics in forming functional morphologies and enables us to quantitatively investigate morphogenesis in cell collectives using robot swarms.
Opium cultivation imperilling endangered species in northern Laos
Authors: White Jay , Khamphui Invixay , Rasphone Akchousanh , Nijman Vincent
Published: October 2023

Scant research has been conducted concerning the impacts of opium cultivation on endangered fauna in Southeast Asia. Remote sensing and ranger patrolling in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has revealed an alarming growth of opium poppy cultivation inside the park. To avoid government eradication efforts, these fields are cleared in remote areas of the forest overlapping critical habitat for northern white-cheeked gibbon, Asiatic elephant, dhole and clouded leopard. We used satellite imagery, ranger patrol data and social media to (a) measure opium clearings in a section of the park’s totally protected zone and (b) assess its impact on these endangered species and others. We found, from 2018 to 2022, a > 2000% increase in protected forest annually cleared for the crop. Ranger patrol data revealed a ten-fold increase of encounters with cable snares in the same area over this time and videos online reveal cultivators hunting protected species near these fields. Our findings reveal that the displacement of illicit cultivation into protected areas is a side-effect of eradication efforts and has negative ecological impacts beyond deforestation alone. We also report on a strategy in 2022 by the park to reduce the use of these forests for opium cultivation through community outreach and police collaboration. We recommend continued coordination between the park, local communities, and law enforcement and suggest neglecting the eradication of opium poppy in designated agricultural areas before the successful eradication of all opium poppy inside protected areas can be achieved.
Free Radical Assisted Photocatalytic Degradation of Antibiotics in aqueous medium: Kinetics, Transformation Products, and Toxicity Assessment
Authors: Patidar Aditya , Dugyala V.R. , Chakma Sankar , Galodiya M.N. , Giri Ardhendu Sekhar
Published: October 2023

The degradation of an antibiotic drug was investigated by low-cost nanocomposite material. The visible light responsive non-metal activated carbon (AC) doped TiO2 nanocomposite (AC/TiO2 NC) photocatalyst with wide band gap energy was synthesized via the co-precipitation method with an equal mass ratio of AC and TiO2. Under optimal conditions, the photocatalytic experiment was carried out in a batch reactor in the presence of irradiation of 15W UV light. A significant effect of AC caused a notable reduction in the optical band gap of doped with TiO2. The composite AC/TiO2 showed the maximum removal of 87.6% TCL drug in 45 min. The optimal catalyst dose and drug concentration were found to be 1.25 g and 100 mg/L, respectively, but the optimal reaction time, 45 min, and pH = 6.5 are very significant in presence of UV light. The kinetic experimental data showed the best fitting for both pseudo-first-order (ka = 21.83 min− 1) and pseudo-second-order (0.23 g/g.min) models with a high accuracy based on R2 values. Freundlich model showed a maximum adsorption capacity (qm) of 94.87 (mg/g) for TCL drug removal on the heterogeneous surface with high accuracy (R2 = 0.999) than the Langmuir model. Adsorption followed by degradation was shown at optimized pH while intraparticle diffusion phenomena acts as the rate-limiting step. Moreover, a proposed drug degradation mechanism based on the formation of HO. radical is suggested and LC-MS analysis identified fourteen intermediate products during TLC degradation. While the antibacterial activity test showed that the generated degradation products were less toxic compared to the TCL molecule.
Non-rigid Interest Object Extraction Using Minimum Convex Coverage
Authors: Yang Xubing , Zhang Yao , Zhang Li , Fan Xijian , Ye Qiaolin , Fu Liyong
Published: October 2023

Interest object (IO) extraction, or called region of interest (ROI) selection, is a fundamental task in remote sensing (RS), computer vision, and machine learning. Due to the non-rigidity, e.g., shapelessness and color-uncertainty, of interest objects like fires, smokes, clouds, or top-view tree canopies in a RS image, an unideal results usually occurs in IO detection tasks because the model-training is carried on the pixels drawn from an inaccurate ROI, e.g., a bounding-box or convex region. Although it is simple, it fails to capture a complete interest object or sub-object, especially at the requirement of high-precision. In this work, we focus on the non-convex ROI and develop a method for the accurate pixel extraction. To speed pixel extraction, the given non-convex ROI is first decomposed into a minimum convex coverage, and then the ROI pixels can be quickly extracted out from the coverage by using convex operation. For the decomposition , we provide two strategies, named inner decomposition and outer decomposition. Computationally, batch-decision for pixel selection and logical operation for the decomposition are also presented to speed extraction. Theoretically , the existence of minimum coverage for both decompositions is proved. Finally, extensive experimental verifications are carried out on public and our collected RS images, and the results show the superiority of our method in terms of ease of use, rapidity and pixel-precision.
Screening cataract patients in a public hospital for a multifocal intraocular lens implantation
Authors: Halkiadakis Ioannis , Ntravalias Thomas , Kollia Elpida , Chatzistefanou Klio , Kandarakis Stelios , Patsea Eleni
Published: October 2023

Purpose
To identify the rate and characteristics of cataract surgery candidates suitable for multifocal intraocular lens (MIOL) implantation among patients undergoing preoperative evaluation in a public hospital.
Materials and Methods
Screening was performed based on patient’s medical record, comprehensive ophthalmic examination, optical biometry (Zeiss, IOL Master 700) and Optical Coherence Tomography (Heidelberg, OCT Spectralis) in accordance with the relative indications and contraindications as mentioned in pertinent literature.
Results
The study evaluated 1200 consecutive patients. Four hundred and thirty -two patients (36%) were not eligible for bilateral surgery and were excluded from the study. Of 768 patients included in the present study 346 (45.1%) were considered suitable candidates. Four hundred twenty-two patients (54.9%) had reasons of exclusion in one or both eyes. Among them 121 (28.7%) were excluded because of retinal disease, 120 (28.4%) due to regular astigmatism (> 1.0 D of corneal astigmatism), 32 (7.5%) due to pseudoexfoliation or zonular instability, 30 (7.1%) because of glaucoma or ocular hypertension while in 90 (21.3%) patients there were multiple reasons of exclusion. Suitable candidates were significantly younger (70 and 75 years respectively (p < 0.001). After being informed about potential risks and benefits of MOIL implantation 212 of 346 (83.8%) eligible patients would consent for it.
Conclusion
Close to half of cataract patients in a public hospital are eligible for MOIL implantation and the majority would procced with the operation. The most prevalent contraindication is macular disease.
Deep Variational Autoencoders for Population Genetics
Authors: Geleta Margarita , Montserrat Daniel Mas , Giro-i-Nieto Xavier , Ioannidis Alexander G.
Published: October 2023

Motivation: Modern biobanks provide numerous high-resolution genomic sequences of diverse populations. These datasets enable a better understanding of genotype-phenotype interactions with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and power a new personalized precision medicine with polygenic risk scores (PRS). In order to account for diverse and admixed populations, new algorithmic tools are needed in order to properly capture the genetic composition of populations. Here we explore deep learning techniques, namely variational autoencoders (VAEs), to process genomic data from a population perspective. We hope this work will encourage the adoption of deep neural networks in the population genetics community.
Results: In this paper, we show the power of VAEs for a variety of tasks relating to the interpretation, classification, simulation, and compression of genomic data with several worldwide whole genome datasets from both humans and canids and evaluate the performance of the proposed applications with and without ancestry conditioning. The unsupervised setting of autoencoders allows for the detection and learning of granular population structure and inferring of informative latent factors. The learned latent spaces of VAEs are able to capture and represent differentiated Gaussian-like clusters of samples with similar genetic composition on a fine-scale from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), enabling applications in dimensionality reduction, data simulation, and imputation. These individual genotype sequences can then be decomposed into latent representations and reconstruction errors (residuals) which provide a sparse representation useful for lossless compression. We show that different population groups have differentiated compression ratios and classification accuracies. Additionally, we analyze the entropy of the SNP data, its effect on compression across populations, its relation to historical migrations, and we show how to introduce autoencoders into existing compression pipelines.
FericipXT-Coated PEGylated Rutile TiO2 Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery: In-vitro Assessment of Imatinib Release
Authors: Bhullar Shilpy , Goyal Navdeep , Gupta Shikha
Published: October 2023

Study presents a facile synthesis strategy for magnetic field-responsive PEGylated iron-supplement-coated rutile TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) for stimuli-responsive drug delivery. Imatinib, an anticancer drug, was successfully loaded onto the NPs, and its in-vitro release was investigated under different pH conditions. XRD analysis confirmed the successful synthesis of PEGylated iron supplement-coated rutile titania NPs. HR-TEM studies revealed increased NP size due to coating, PEGylation, and drug-loading. FTIR spectra confirmed the drug loading onto the NPs, while DLS provided hydrodynamic diameter and polydispersity index, indicating appropriate NP synthesis. The PEGylated NPs exhibited negative Zeta Potential, indicating high stability. In-vitro drug-release studies demonstrated controlled release with maximum efficiency under acidic conditions. Hemolysis assay confirmed the safety and biocompatibility of PEGylated NPs. All drug-loaded nanoformulations followed the Peppas-Sahlin model, suggesting Fickian diffusion and Case II relaxation mechanism of drug release. These NPs have potential for targeted delivery and controlled release of chemotherapeutics, minimizing side effects.
An artificial visual neuron with multiplexed rate and time-to-first-spike coding
Authors: Zhu Bowen , Li Fanfan , Li Dingwei , Wang Chuanqing , Liu Guolei , Wang Rui , Ren Huihui , Tang Yingjie , Wang Yan , Chen Yitong , Liang Kun , Huang Qi , Sawan Mohamad , Qiu Min , Wang Hong
Published: October 2023

Human visual neurons rely on event-driven, energy-efficient spikes for communication, while silicon image sensors do not. The energy-budget mismatch between biological systems and machine vision technology has inspired the development of artificial visual neurons for use in spiking neural network (SNN). However, the lack of multiplexed data coding schemes reduces the ability of artificial visual neurons in SNN to emulate the visual perception ability of biological systems. Here, we present an artificial visual spiking neuron that enables rate and temporal fusion (RTF) coding of external visual information. The artificial neuron can code visual information at different spiking frequencies (rate coding) and enables precise and energy-efficient time-to-first-spike (TTFS) coding. This multiplexed sensory coding scheme could improve the computing capability and efficacy of artificial visual neurons. A hardware-based SNN with the RTF coding scheme exhibits good consistency with real-world ground truth data and achieves highly accurate steering and speed predictions for self-driving vehicles in complex conditions. The multiplexed RTF coding scheme demonstrates the feasibility of developing highly efficient spike-based neuromorphic hardware.
Evolution of protective SARS-CoV-2-specific B- and T-cell responses upon vaccination and Omicron breakthrough infection
Authors: Ahmed Mohamed I.M. , Einhauser Sebastian , Peiter Clemens , Senninger Antonia , Baranov Olga , Eser Tabea M. , Huth Manuel , Olbrich Laura , Castelletti Noemi , Rubio-Acero Raquel , Carnell George , Heeney Jonathan , Kroidl Inge , Held Kathrin , Wieser Andreas , Janke Christian , Hoelscher Michael , Hasenauer Jan , Wagner Ralf , Geldmacher Christof
Published: October 2023

Vaccine breakthrough infections with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron induced a higher level of protection compared to triple vaccination and contributed to herd immunity on a population level. To address the underlying immunological mechanisms, we studied the evolution of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody and Tcell responses during vaccination and upon breakthrough infection in Bavarian residents between February 2021 and December 2022. Further, we investigated the temporal distance between completed vaccination and break-through infection, as well as any occurring re-infection. Each vaccination significantly increased peak neutralization titers against Wuhan, Delta, and Omicron BA.5 with simultaneous increases in circulating spike-specific Tcell frequencies. After vaccination, Omicron BA.5 neutralization titers were most significantly associated with a reduced hazard rate for SARS-CoV-2 infection, also when accounting for spikespecific Tcell responses. Yet, 97% of triple vaccinees became SARS-CoV-2 infected, often within a few months after their third vaccination. Breakthrough infections further boosted neutralization magnitude and breadth, broadened virusspecific Tcell responses to non-vaccine-encoded antigens and protected with an efficiency of 88% from further infections by December 2022. This effect was then assessed by utilizing mathematical modelling, which accounted for time-dependent infection risk in Bavaria, as well as the antibody and Tcell concentration at any time point after breakthrough infection. Our findings suggest that cross-variant protective hybrid immunity induced by vaccination and breakthrough infection was an important contributor to the reduced virus transmission observed in Bavaria in late 2022 and thereafter.
Increasing risks of extreme salt intrusion events across European estuaries in a warming climate
Authors: Lee Jiyong , Biemond Bouke , de Swart Huib , Dijkstra Henk A.
Published: October 2023

Estuaries are the semi-enclosed transition zones between river and open sea, where saline and fresh water mix. Over the last decade, many estuaries worldwide have faced increased salt intrusion as a result of human activities and a changing climate, leading to lower food production and reduced accessibility to drinking water. Despite its socio-economic importance, our current projections on the statistics of future salt intrusion are limited to case studies in certain regions. Here, we show that, compared to present-day conditions, river discharge in the summer months is projected to be reduced by 10 - 60 % in 22 major European river basins at the end of the 21st century under a high CO2 emission scenario. We find that the reduced future river discharge in the summer months, in turn, increases salt intrusion lengths by 10 - 30 % in 8 representative European estuaries at low and mid latitudes. Our analysis further indicates that the representative European estuaries are projected to experience more than eight times more frequent extreme salt intrusion events at the end of the century as compared to present day. Hence, urgent and drastic mitigation measures are required to guarantee sustainable future freshwater supplies in low-lying coastal regions.
The Effective Followership Scale for faculty: Development and initial validation
Authors: Kusumowardhani Retno P. Arum , Handoyo Seger , Fajrianthi Fajrianthi , Ardi Rahkman
Published: October 2023

The followership among faculty in higher education institutions is inherently different from those among members of business organizations and other non-academic organizations. This article describes developing and validating the Effective Followership Scale (EFS), the first measure of followership behaviors for faculty, based on a theoretically and empirically grounded definition of followership. This article includes four studies. Study 1 was a qualitative analysis aimed at empirically confirming the definition of followership and developing an initial pool of items. Study 2 identified the initial factor structure using exploratory factor analysis. In Study 3, the confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm the factor structure and to obtain evidence of convergent and discriminant validity, and the internal consistency reliability was analyzed. Finally, in Study 4, the scale validity was evaluated using criterion-related validity. A four-factor structure of the scale was supported by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis of two independent samples. The EFS scores were significantly correlated with individual performance measures. The analyses presented herein show that the scale has good psychometric properties and is suitable for research purposes.
The QCD deconfinement transition in Nf = 2 LQCD using Wilson fermions
Authors:   , Schön Alena
Published: October 2023

In this thesis, we use lattice QCD to study a part of the QCD phase diagram, specifically the QCD phase transition at mu=0, where the QCD matter changes from hadron gas to quark-gluon plasma (QGP) with increasing temperature. This phase transition takes place as a crossover, but when theoretically changing the masses of the quarks, the order of the phase transition changes as well. We focus on the region of heavy quark masses with Nf=2 flavours, where we investigate the critical quark mass at the second order phase transition in the form of a Z2 point between the first-order and the crossover region. The first-order region is positioned at infinitely heavy quarks. As the quark masses decrease, the associated Z3 centre symmetry breaks explicitly, causing the first-order phase transition to weaken until it turns into the Z2 point and finally into a crossover. We study this Z2 point using simulations at Nf=2 and lattices of the sizes Nt = {6, 8, 10, 12}, partially building on previous work, in which the simulations for Nt = {6, 8, 10} were started. The simulations for Nt=12 are not finished yet though, but we were able to draw some preliminary conclusions. These simulations are run on GPUs and CPUs, using the codes Cl2QCD and open-QCD-FASTSUM, respectively. Afterwards, the data goes through a first analysis step in the form of the Python program PLASMA, preparing it for the two techniques we use to analyse the nature of the phase transition. As a first, reliable analysis method, we perform a finite size scaling analysis of the data to find the location of the Z2 point. Since we are using lattice QCD, performing a continuum extrapolation is necessary to reach the continuum result. In regard to this, the finite size scaling analysis method is hampered by the excessive amount of simulated data that is needed regarding statistics and the total number of simulations, which is why this thesis is only an intermediate step towards the continuum limit. This also leads to the second analysis technique we explore in this thesis. We start to design a Landau theory which describes the phase boundary for heavy masses at Nf=2 based on the simulated data. We develop a Landau functional for every Nt we have simulation data for. Albeit the results are not at the same precision as the ones from the finite size scaling analysis, we are able to reproduce the position of the Z2 point for every Nt. Even though we are not able to take a continuum extrapolation right now, after more development takes place in future works, this approach might, in the long run, lead to a continuum result that won't need as many simulations as the finite size scaling analysis.