bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Link between Internet Activity and Community Experience in Rural Utah☆
Authors: Muirbrook Kayci M. , Cope Michael R. , Sanders Scott R.
Published: September 2022

The growth of high‐speed Internet access in rural communities is a relatively recent event. In this exploratory study, we contribute to the literature regarding the Internet and local community by analyzing the influence of Internet activity on community experience, measured through community satisfaction and attachment, using the systemic model as controls. After surveying 24 rural communities in Utah, USA once in 2008 and again in 2017 with a cumulative analytic sample size of 2,236, we find a negative association between increased use of the Internet for amenity purposes and community experience. While our models show mixed findings that community experience has decreased over time in rural areas, we find evidence that Internet activities can affect community experience, strengthening arguments that researchers should control for more than merely Internet access. Due to the associations between Internet activities and community experience, we argue that rural policymakers should find place‐based ways to strengthen community experience.
Introduction
Authors: Ro'i Yaacov
Published: September 2022

The Introduction provides the Soviet domestic backdrop to the Soviet-Afghan War. It outlines briefly the book's purpose and orientation and the methodology employed by the author in his research, dwelling particularly on the surveys of the war's veterans – the afgantsy – and of regular citizens. It also discusses the differences between the present book and previous literature relative to its topic.
The Position of the Soviet Political Establishment
Authors: Ro'i Yaacov
Published: September 2022

Those who decided to intervene in Afghanistan deluded themselves that the intervention would be short-lived and perhaps not even involve Soviet troops in fighting and so not lead to Soviet casualties. It was soon clear that the actual situation was very different. The Kremlin, however, refrained from seriously contemplating withdrawal. The three old and sick General-Secretaries of the early 1980s – Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko – were incapable of admitting their error Withdrawal began to be considered only after the accession to power in March 1985 of Mikhail Gorbachev, who had not been involved in the decision to intervene, and even then it took over three years to finally announce a timetable for implementation. The chapter looks in particular at the role of domestic public opinion in the decision to withdraw and in the condemnation of the intervention by the Congress of People's Deputies.
The Afgantsy
Authors: Ro'i Yaacov
Published: September 2022

The soldiers who returned from the war had a host of grievances against the state that had sent them to the war and on their return home failed to give them what they felt was their due. Their struggle to get recognition from the Establishment for what they had undergone in Afghanistan – acknowledgment of their status as war veterans, including the privileges traditionally bestowed on vets – and from the society into which they sought to reintegrate is the topic of this chapter. It surveys the mentalité of the afgantsy, the backdrop to their difficulty in acclimatizing in Soviet civilian life, their ways of trying to cope and the clashes that often occurred.
The War and the Demise of the Soviet Union
Authors: Ro'i Yaacov
Published: September 2022

The book's closing chapter outlines the place of the Soviet-Afghan War in the process that culminated in the Soviet Union's ultimate collapse. The war highlighted and exacerbated the Soviet system's weaknesses – political, social, economic and military –enhancing developments and trends in society and the body politic over which the Gorbachev leadership had no control. The war undercut the power of the Politburo and the military Establishment's sacrosanct nature, called into question using the army to quell the ethnic disturbances of Gorbachev's latter years and empowered calls for democratic accountability. Moreover, generals who fought it undertook leading roles in the country's politics and military. The momentum of events and the afgantsy's heterogeneity prevented their becoming a meaningful social and political force. Yet, their ubiquitous presence and the message they conveyed, together with that of the failed war they had been enlisted to fight, changed the Soviet domestic scene.
Incorporating Contextual Factors Into Engineering Design Processes: An Analysis of Novice Practice
Authors: Burleson Grace , Herrera Sean V. S. , Toyama Kentaro , Sienko Kathleen H.
Published: September 2022

Incorporation of contextual factors into design processes is important for successful engineering design outcomes. Through document analysis and semi-structured interviews, we investigated the types of contextual factors incorporated by novice engineering designers and their approaches during design processes. Our findings demonstrated that participants primarily considered technical and institutional contextual factors across all design stages, informed largely by contextual observations and interviews with stakeholders. Socio-political contextual factors were less frequently considered. We also found that a broader set of contextual factors were incorporated when projects were set in unfamiliar contexts. And, contextual factors that could be easily quantified were more readily applied to design decisions. We suggest that there are opportunities for more intentional approaches to incorporating contextual factors throughout design processes.
The Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of a Coupled Blade Dynamic Limit Response With Friction Contacts
Authors: Grant Kelly , Gastaldi Chiara , Berruti Teresa M. , Kellerer Rudolf
Published: September 2022

Increasing demand for turbine power and efficiency requires larger and higher loaded turbine blades, which in turn requires the consideration of aeromechanical interactions. Whilst CFD tools can reliably predict stability using aerodynamic damping as an indicator, the component of mechanical damping also needs consideration. An understanding of the mechanical damping in the system becomes key to a robust blade design. Mechanical damping for such a part comes predominantly from friction occurring at the coupling contact faces. It is well established and published that such contact forces are nonlinear in relation to the relative movement at the contact interface. Moreover, contact area, the rigidity in the contact, friction coefficient, and normal contact force must also be considered and included as parameters that influence the result. Consequently, the level of system damping is not a constant and depends highly on the system response itself, as well as the other aforementioned parameters. In the case of self-excited vibrations such as flutter, the evaluation of the damped limit response is a part of the blade design process. A tool has been developed to numerically simulate contact friction forces with the intention of parametrically evaluating the limit response and relating this to the mechanical integrity of the part. This paper presents the modeling of a coupled blade system with friction contact forces, results coming from this evaluation, and a comparison with test data.
Bayesian Calibration of Kinetic Parameters in the CH Chemistry Toward Accurate Prompt-NO Modelling
Authors: Durocher Antoine , Bourque Gilles , Bergthorson Jeffrey M.
Published: September 2022

Significant efforts made by the gas turbine industry have helped reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions considerably. To meet and surpass the increasingly stringent regulations, accurate and robust thermochemical mechanisms are needed to help design future sub-10 ppm combustion systems. Uncertainty in kinetic modeling, however, can result in large prediction uncertainty and significant discrepancy between models that hinder the identification of promising combustors with confidence. Direct reaction rate measurements are seldom available for some reactions, especially when involving short-lived radicals such as methylidyne, CH. As the main precursor to the prompt-NO formation pathway, its large parametric uncertainty directly propagates through the nitrogen chemistry preventing accurate and precise emissions predictions. Recent independent CH concentration measurements obtained at various operating conditions are used as indirect rate measurements to perform statistical, or Bayesian, calibration. A subset of important reactions in the CH chemistry affecting peak-CH concentration is identified through uncertainty-weighted sensitivity analysis to first constrain the parametric space of this prompt-NO precursor. Spectral expansion provides the surrogate model used in the Markov-Chain Monte Carlo method to evaluate the posterior kinetic distribution. The resulting constrained CH-chemistry better captures experimental measurements while providing smaller prediction uncertainty of a similar order as the uncertainty of the measurements, which can increase the confidence in simulation results to identify promising future low-emissions configurations. For the quasi-steady-state species CH, fuel decomposition reactions leading to CH production are constrained while little impact is observed for intermediate reactions within the CH-chemistry. The reduction in prediction uncertainty results mainly from the constrained correlations between parameters which greatly limit the set of feasible reaction rate combinations. Additional independent direct and indirect measurements would be necessary to further constrain rate parameters in the CH chemistry, but this calibration demonstrates that predictions of radical species can be improved by assimilating enough data.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Investigation of a Novel Bi-Directional Axial Flow Turbine for Wave Energy Conversion
Authors: Uddin Mohammad Nasim , Atkinson Michael , Das Tapas K. , Esau Simon
Published: September 2022

Wave energy conversion devices incorporating the Oscillating Water Column (OWC) principle are the most extensively used wave energy converting technologies to date. In this paper, we explore the effect of a fixed blade Denniss-Auld turbine that is representative of the maximum pivot points which occur during OWC inhalation and exhalation. Whereas conventional Denniss-Auld turbines are mounted on an intricate hub system that allows for controlled blade rotation to optimize performance, we investigate the possibility of removing the mechanical complexity while maintaining good aerodynamic performance. The assessment of turbine performance is carried out using non-dimensional coefficients, i.e., torque, pressure drop, and efficiency. The simulations are completed by solving the incompressible, steady-state Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations with the k-ω SST turbulence model using ANSYS™ CFX. Validation of our numerical approach was completed by comparing existing experimental and numerical data of a Wells turbine. Furthermore, a grid independence study was conducted to achieve accurate numerical results. Overall, the modified Denniss-Auld turbine does not stall at high flow coefficients and has an extended operating range similar to an impulse turbine; however, with a much lower maximum efficiency of 12%. Future work should explore a larger design space with blade optimization using parametric studies to improve device efficiency.
CRIB: A Novel Method for Device-Based Physical Behavior Analysis
Authors: Hibbing Paul R. , Creasy Seth A. , Carlson Jordan A.
Published: September 2022

Physical behaviors (e.g., sleep, sedentary behavior, and physical activity) often occur in sustained bouts that are punctuated with brief interruptions. To detect and classify these interrupted bouts, researchers commonly use wearable devices and specialized algorithms. Most algorithms examine the data in chronological order, initiating and terminating bouts whenever specific criteria are met. Consequently, the bouts may encapsulate or overlap with later periods that also meet the activation and termination criteria (i.e., alternative bout solutions). In some cases, it is desirable to compare these alternative bout solutions before making a final classification. Thus, comparison-focused algorithms are needed, which can be used in isolation or in concert with their chronology-focused counterparts. In this technical note, we present a comparison-focused algorithm called CRIB (Clustered Recognition of Interrupted Bouts). It uses agglomerative hierarchical clustering to facilitate the comparison of different bout solutions, with the final classification being made in favor of the smallest number of bouts that comply with user-specified criteria (i.e., limits on the number, individual duration, and cumulative duration of interruptions). For demonstration, we use CRIB to assess bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity in accelerometer data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and we include a comparison against results from two established chronology-focused algorithms. Our discussion explores strengths and limitations of CRIB, as well as potential considerations and applications for using it in future studies. An online vignette (https://github.com/paulhibbing/PBpatterns/blob/main/vignettes/CRIB.pdf) is available to assist users with implementing CRIB in R.
Addressing gain-bandwidth trade-off by a monolithically integrated photovoltaic transistor
Authors: Li Yuanzhe , Chen Guowei , Zhao Shenghe , Liu Chuan , Zhao Ni
Published: September 2022

The gain-bandwidth trade-off limits the development of high-performance photodetectors; i.e., the mutual restraint between the response speed and gain has intrinsically limited performance optimization of photomultiplication phototransistors and photodiodes. Here, we show that a monolithically integrated photovoltaic transistor can solve this dilemma. In this structure, the photovoltage generated by the superimposed perovskite solar cell, acting as a float gate, is amplified by the underlying metal oxide field-effect transistor. By eliminating deep-trap defects through processing optimization, we achieved devices with a maximum responsivity close to 6 × 10
4
A/W, a specific detectivity (
D
*) of 1.06 × 10
13
Jones, and an
f
3dB
of 1.2 MHz at a low driving voltage of 3 V. As a result, a record gain-bandwidth product is achieved. The device further exhibits the advantage in photoplethysmography detection with weak illuminations, where our device accurately detects the detailed features that are out of the capability of conventional photodetectors.
Self-assembling peptide nanofiber HIV vaccine elicits robust vaccine-induced antibody functions and modulates Fc glycosylation
Authors: Chen Jui-Lin , Fries Chelsea N. , Berendam Stella J. , Rodgers Nicole S. , Roe Emily F. , Wu Yaoying , Li Shuk Hang , Jain Rishabh , Watts Brian , Eudailey Joshua , Barfield Richard , Chan Cliburn , Moody M. Anthony , Saunders Kevin O. , Pollara Justin , Permar Sallie R. , Collier Joel H. , Fouda Genevieve G.
Published: September 2022

To develop vaccines for certain key global pathogens such as HIV, it is crucial to elicit both neutralizing and non-neutralizing Fc-mediated effector antibody functions. Clinical evidence indicates that non-neutralizing antibody functions including antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) contribute to protection against several pathogens. In this study, we demonstrated that conjugation of HIV Envelope (Env) antigen gp120 to a self-assembling nanofiber material named Q11 induced antibodies with higher breadth and functionality when compared to soluble gp120. Immunization with Q11-conjugated gp120 vaccine (gp120-Q11) demonstrated higher tier 1 neutralization, ADCP, and ADCC as compared to soluble gp120. Moreover, Q11 conjugation altered the Fc N-glycosylation profile of antigen-specific antibodies, leading to a phenotype associated with increased ADCC in animals immunized with gp120-Q11. Thus, this nanomaterial vaccine strategy can enhance non-neutralizing antibody functions possibly through modulation of immunoglobulin G Fc N-glycosylation.
Restricted Recruitment of NK Cells with Impaired Function Is Caused by HPV-Driven Immunosuppressive Microenvironment of Papillomas in Aggressive Juvenile-Onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis Patients
Authors: Wang Wei , Xi Yue , Li Shilan , Liu Xiangjun , Wang Guixiang , Wang Hui , Pei Mengmiao , Zhang Jie , Gui Jingang , Ni Xin
Published: September 2022

Frequent relapse and aggressive disease progression of juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JO-RRP) pose a great challenge to the complete remission of HPV 6/11 related laryngeal neoplasia. Local immune responses in papillomas are more relevant to the disease control considering the locale infected restriction of HPV virus in epitheliums.
ATF1 Restricts Human Herpesvirus 6A Replication via Beta Interferon Induction
Authors: Aktar Salma , Arii Jun , Nguyen Thi Thu Huong , Huang Jing Rin , Nishimura Mitsuhiro , Mori Yasuko
Published: September 2022

Human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, although its role in its pathogenesis has not been confirmed. Here, we showed that the transcription factor ATF1 restricts HHV-6A replication, mediated by IFN-β induction. Our study provides new insights into the role of ATF1 in innate viral immunity and reveals the importance of IFN-β for regulation of HHV-6A replication, which possibly impairs HHV-6A pathogenesis.
Outer Membrane Vesicles: Biogenesis, Functions, and Issues
Authors: Juodeikis Rokas , Carding Simon R.
Published: September 2022

This review focuses on nonlytic outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), a subtype of bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) produced by Gram-negative organisms focusing on the mechanisms of their biogenesis, cargo, and function. Throughout, we highlight issues concerning the characterization of OMVs and distinguishing them from other types of BEVs.
Draft Genome Sequences of
Chromobacterium
Strains Isolated from Water Systems in Central Western Brazil
Authors: Gomes Raylane Pereira , Kikuda Renata , Vieira José Daniel Gonçalves , Pires Debora de Jesus , Dunlap Christopher , Carneiro Lilian Carla
Published: September 2022

We report the draft genome sequences of four
Chromobacterium
strains. This report includes the draft genome sequences of four environmental strains, isolated from surface waters in Brazil.
Draft Genome Sequences of Three Streptomycetes Isolated from Frobisher Bay Marine Sediments
Authors: Kuznetsova Anna I. , Haltli Bradley A. , Kerr Russell G.
Published: September 2022

Three
Streptomyces
strains (RKAG290, RKAG293, and RKAG337) were isolated from intertidal marine sediments of Frobisher Bay (Canada).
The Complete Nucleotide Sequence of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus-PAV from Wheat in Turkey
Authors: Ilbağı Havva , Masonbrink Rick E. , Miller W. Allen
Published: September 2022

We report the sequence of an assembled genome of
Barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV
(BYDV-PAV) from Turkey. This 5,672 nucleotide RNA encodes seven known open reading frames and a possible eighth. This genome from wheat is closely related to BYDV-PAVs in Pakistan, Brazil, and Australia, including one sequenced 34 years ago.
Complete Genome Sequences of Mycobacterium smegmatis Phages MelsMeow, Yorick, Virgeve, and Mikro
Authors: Frost Victoria J. , Fogle Jada E. , Harris Ryan N. , Jewell Brooke , Mills Kaylee E. , Morgan Jessica E. , Thompson Precious T. , Umemoto Emi , Westover Kristi M.
Published: September 2022

Mycobacterium
phages Mikro, Yorick, Virgeve, and MelsMeow were isolated from soil in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Mikro is a myovirus with a comparatively large genome of 157,166 bp. The remainder are siphoviruses with genome lengths ranging from 59,227 bp to 68,563 bp. All phages were isolated on
Mycobacterium smegmatis
.
Halogenated Indoles Decrease the Virulence of Vibrio campbellii in a Gnotobiotic Brine Shrimp Model
Authors: Zhang Shanshan , Yang Qian , Defoirdt Tom
Published: September 2022

Bacterial diseases are a major problem in the aquaculture industry. In order to counter this problem, farmers have been using antibiotics, and this has led to the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance.
Cocultivation of White-Rot Fungi and Microalgae in the Presence of Nanocellulose
Authors: Reyes Carolina , Sajó Zsófia , Lucas Miriam Susanna , Sinha Ashutosh , Schwarze Francis W. M. R. , Ribera Javier , Nyström Gustav
Published: September 2022

Depending on the conditions used to grow fungi and algae in the lab, they can interact in a mutually beneficial or negative way. These interactions could stimulate the organisms to produce enzymes in response to the interaction.
Impact of different nebulisation systems on patient comfort in bronchiolitis: a randomised controlled cross-over trial
Authors: Valencia-Ramos Juan , Ochoa Sangrador Carlos , García María , Oyagüez Pablo , Arnaez Juan
Published: September 2022

Objective

To test the hypothesis that greater comfort is achieved using a nebuliser integrated into a high-flow nasal cannula (nebulisation system integrated in high-flow nasal cannula (NHF)) than using a jet nebuliser (JN), and to explore differences in analgesia requirement and the possibility of feeding during nebulisation.

Design

Randomised cross-over trial.

Setting

Paediatric intensive care unit.

Patients

Children aged <24 months diagnosed with bronchiolitis between November 2016 and May 2017.

Interventions

Nebulisations using NHF and JN.

Main outcome measures

COMFORT–Behaviour Scale (CBS) and Numerical Rating Comfort Scale (NRSc) were used to measure comfort, and Numerical Rating Satisfaction Scale (NRSs) was used to assess satisfaction before, during and after nebulisation. Other variables included feeding, analgesia, need for being held and respiratory and heart rates.

Results

Thirty-three children with 233 nebulisations were included in the study. The median age was 3.0 (IQR 2–9) months. Comfort and satisfaction were greater with NHF than with JN. The median staff-recorded CBS, NRSc and NRSs scores for NHF versus JN were 13 (IQR 9–15) vs 17 (IQR 13–23), 8 (IQR 7–0) vs 7 (IQR 4–8), and 4 (IQR 3–4) vs 2 (IQR 2–3), respectively; and caregiver-recorded scores were 12 (IQR 10–15) vs 19 (IQR 13–24), 9 (IQR 7–10) vs 4 (IQR 1–6), and 4 (IQR 3–4) vs 2 (IQR 1–3), respectively (p<0.001). Children who received NHF had lower cardiac and respiratory rates, needed to be held less often during therapy and required less analgesia (p<0.001).

Conclusion

Nebulisation through NHF appears to be a better alternative to JN in terms of comfort and satisfaction as well as making feeding possible during nebulisation.
Complex chest wall reconstruction after excision of malignant phyllodes tumour
Authors: Gupta Komal , Puri Gopal , Kataria Kamal , Jayaram Jnaneshwari
Published: September 2022

Phyllodes tumour is a rare breast tumour which is locally invasive, and full thickness chest wall involvement by phyllodes is rarely reported. A woman presented with recurrent phyllodes tumour and multilobulated exophytic mass of size 18.5×5.3 cm in anterior chest wall which was abutting the right 2nd−7th rib, left 3rd−5th rib and costal cartilages. She underwent wide excision of the left chest wall tumour with excision of left 3rd−5th rib, with polypropylene mesh and pedicled lattismus dorsi myocutaneous flap reconstruction. After recovery, 3 weeks later, she underwent wide excision of the phyllodes tumour on the right chest wall with excision of 2nd–7th rib, lateral border of sternum, right crus of the diaphragm and the lower lobe of the right lung. Anterior chest wall was reconstructed using scaffold made from Steinmann pins and polypropylene mesh with greater omentum pedicled flap and split thickness skin graft.
Against visitor bans: freedom of association, COVID-19 and the hospital ward
Authors: McTernan Emily
Published: September 2022

To ban or significantly restrict visitors for patients in hospital could seem to be simply a sensible and easy precaution to take during a pandemic: a policy that is unpopular, perhaps, and even unfortunate, but not something that wrongs anyone. However, I argue that in fact such restrictions on visitors infringe upon a fundamental right, to freedom of association. While there may still be permissible restrictions on visitors, making the case for these becomes highly demanding. One common way to understand the purpose of the fundamental liberties is as protecting us from interference in a core set of freedoms, even when such interference would be to our benefit or would promote the general good. This reframing of the importance of visitors in terms of a right also has implications for how to run hospitals beyond the pandemic era: it supports a rapid expansion of visitor access and suggests that any decision to significantly restrict visitors ought not be left in the hospital, or hospital trust’s, hands.
Prospective validation of the BOADICEA multifactorial breast cancer risk prediction model in a large prospective cohort study
Authors: Yang Xin , Eriksson Mikael , Czene Kamila , Lee Andrew , Leslie Goska , Lush Michael , Wang Jean , Dennis Joe , Dorling Leila , Carvalho Sara , Mavaddat Nasim , Simard Jacques , Schmidt Marjanka K , Easton Douglas F , Hall Per , Antoniou Antonis C
Published: September 2022

Background

The multifactorial Breast and Ovarian Analysis of Disease Incidence and Carrier Estimation Algorithm (BOADICEA) breast cancer risk prediction model has been recently extended to consider all established breast cancer risk factors. We assessed the clinical validity of the model in a large independent prospective cohort.

Methods

We validated BOADICEA (V.6) in the Swedish KARolinska Mammography Project for Risk Prediction of Breast Cancer (KARMA) cohort including 66 415 women of European ancestry (median age 54 years, IQR 45–63; 816 incident breast cancers) without previous cancer diagnosis. We calculated 5-year risks on the basis of questionnaire-based risk factors, pedigree-structured first-degree family history, mammographic density (BI-RADS), a validated breast cancer polygenic risk score (PRS) based on 313-SNPs, and pathogenic variant status in 8 breast cancer susceptibility genes:BRCA1,BRCA2,PALB2,CHEK2,ATM,RAD51C,RAD51DandBARD1. Calibration was assessed by comparing observed and expected risks in deciles of predicted risk and the calibration slope. The discriminatory ability was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC).

Results

Among the individual model components, the PRS contributed most to breast cancer risk stratification. BOADICEA was well calibrated in predicting the risks for low-risk and high-risk women when all, or subsets of risk factors are included in the risk prediction. Discrimination was maximised when all risk factors are considered (AUC=0.70, 95% CI: 0.66 to 0.73; expected-to-observed ratio=0.88, 95% CI: 0.75 to 1.04; calibration slope=0.97, 95% CI: 0.95 to 0.99). The full multifactorial model classified 3.6% women as high risk (5-year risk ≥3%) and 11.1% as very low risk (5-year risk <0.33%).

Conclusion

The multifactorial BOADICEA model provides valid breast cancer risk predictions and a basis for personalised decision-making on disease prevention and screening.
Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for immune-mediated neurological diseases: what, how, who and why?
Authors: Brittain Gavin , Coles Alasdair J , Giovannoni G , Muraro Paolo Antonio , Palace Jacqueline , Petrie Jennifer , Roldan Elisa , Scolding N J , Snowden John A , Sharrack Basil
Published: September 2022

In carefully selected patients, autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a safe, highly effective and cost-saving treatment modality for treatment-resistant, and potentially treatment-naïve, immune-mediated neurological disorders. Although the evidence base has been growing in the last decade, limited understanding has led to confusion, mistrust and increasing use of health tourism. In this article, we discuss what autologous HSCT is, which immune-mediated conditions can be treated with it, how to select patients, what are the expected outcomes and potential adverse effects, and how cost-effective this treatment is.
Correlation between SAP2 and CAP1 in clinical strains of Candida albicans at planktonic and biofilm states
Authors: Feng Wenli , Yang Jing , Ma Yan , Liu Yinglu , Yin Rong , Qiao Zusha , Ji Ying , Zhou Yong'an
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to explore the influences of SAP2 and CAP1 on itraconazole (ITR) resistance of Candida albicans at different states. A total of 10 ITR-resistant strains and 10 ITR-sensitive strains were used for SAP2 sequencing and CAP1 sequencing. SAP2 sequencing showed no missense mutation, and three synonymous mutations. CAP1 gene sequencing identified two missense mutations M140I (8) and K191Q (4), and 14 synonymous mutations G201A (1), A246C (5), C282T (6), G288A (6), C321T (7), A399C (16), C432T (16), C465T (11), G552A (16), G669T (1), G672A (1), G681T (2), T783C (1), and T819A (2). The biofilm formation capacity of resistant C. albicans strains, including the CAP1∆/∆ strain, was stronger. Afterward, real-time quantitative PCR was used to analyze the expression of SAP2 and CAP1. Compared with the sensitive strains, SAP2 and CAP1 expressions were both significantly upregulated in resistant strains at planktonic and biofilm states ( P < 0.05). Compared with the strains at planktonic state, SAP2 was significantly upregulated, while CAP1 was significantly downregulated at biofilm states ( P < 0.05). Additionally, SAP2 expression in the CAP1 knocked down strain of C. albicans was significantly upregulated, and SAP2 expression was evidently downregulated in the CAP1∆/∆ strain at biofilm states compared with that at planktonic states ( P < 0.05). Loss of CAP1 can increase SAP2 level and may influence the biofilm formation of C. albicans, thus increasing ITR resistance of C. albicans.
Solution of stochastic Allen–Cahn equation in the framework of soliton theoretical approach
Authors: Iqbal Muhammad S. , Seadawy Aly R. , Baber Muhammad Z. , Yasin Muhammad W. , Ahmed Nauman
Published: September 2022

In this paper, the Allen–Cahn equation with time noise is under consideration. The extended fan-sub technique is used to find the exact solutions. The solutions are successfully extracted in the form of hyperbolic, trigonometric and mixed forms of solitons. Importantly, the physical unique value problems of the solutions are discussed using the different values of parameters. The 2D, 3D, and their corresponding contour behaviors of these solutions are depicted by choosing the different values of parameters. The stability is controlled through the Borel coefficient in the noise term.
Numerical analysis of concentration-dependent physical properties and bioconvection for Williamson nanofluid flow due to stretching/ shrinking sheet
Authors: Ali Liaqat , Abdal Sohaib , Hussain Sajjad , Salamat Nadeem , Mariam Amna
Published: September 2022

In this paper, an investigation into Williamson nanofluid stagnation point flow of nano-biofilm over a stretching/ shrinking sheet with chemical reaction is performed. Moreover, the impact of cylindrical-shaped nanoparticles, activation energy, and bioconvection has been considered. The fluid’s fluctuating transport properties (dynamic viscosity, heat conductivity, nanoparticle mass diffusivity) and microorganism diffusivity are evaluated. The nonlinear systems of partial differential equations are transformed into nonlinear differential equations via the implementation of similarity transformations. The shooting approach and RK-4 technique are used for this investigation. The impacts of various fluid transport characteristics and various factors on patterns of velocity, temperature, the concentration of nanoparticles, and motile density are described. The Brownian motion, heat source and thermophoresis parameters all lead to a more consistent temperature profile being observed. It is seen that concentration-dependent properties decrease the velocity profile while the temperature, concentration, and motile density profiles increase. Also, the physical quantities decrease with the rising values of concentration-dependent properties.
CHAOTIC BEHAVIOR OF MODIFIED STRETCH–TWIST–FOLD FLOW UNDER FRACTAL-FRACTIONAL DERIVATIVES
Authors: DLAMINI A. , DOUNGMO GOUFO EMILE F. , KHUMALO M.
Published: September 2022

The application of the recently proposed integral and differential operators known as the fractal-fractional derivatives and integrals has opened doors to ongoing research in different fields of science, engineering, and technology. These operators are a convolution of the fractal derivative with the generalized Mittag-Leffler function with Delta-Dirac property, the power law, and the exponential decay law with Delta-Dirac property. In this paper, we aim to extend the work in the literature by applying these operators to a modified stretch–twist–fold (STF) flow based on the STF flow related to the motion of particles in fluids that naturally occur in the dynamo theorem. We want to capture the dynamical behavior of the modified STF flow under these operators. We will present the numerical schemes that can be used to solve these nonlinear systems of differential equations. We will also consider numerical simulations for different values of fractional order and fractal dimension.
LAGUERRE WAVELET METHOD FOR FRACTIONAL PREDATOR–PREY POPULATION MODEL
Authors: ALZAID SARA S. , KUMAR RANBIR , CHAUHAN R. P. , KUMAR SUNIL
Published: September 2022

The adaptation of fractional calculus (FC) in biological mathematical model takes the research in the area of the public health to a new level. The fractional definitions and related mathematical tools have had a significant impact on biological models analysis. The main goal of this paper is to examine the dynamical behavior of a predator–prey model under Caputo derivative. We analyze some special results such as convergence analysis, stability and operational matrix for the proposed Caputo model. For solution of the model, we present a new numerical technique-based Laguerre wavelet. In addition, we graphically compare the numerical results obtained using Laguerre wavelets and Lagrange polynomial interpolation.
Hybrid Grasshopper and Chameleon Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Text Feature Selection with Density Peaks Clustering
Authors: Purushothaman R. , Selvakumar S. , Rajagopalan S. P.
Published: September 2022

Clustering consists of various applications on machine learning, image segmentation, data mining and pattern recognition. The proper selection of clustering is significant in feature selection. Therefore, in this paper, a Text Feature Selection (FS) and Clustering using Grasshopper–Chameleon Swarm Optimization with Density Peaks Clustering algorithm (TFSC-G-CSOA-DPCA) is proposed. Initially, the input features are pre-processed for converting text into numerical form. These preprocessed text features are given to Grasshopper–Chameleon Swarm Optimization Algorithm, which selects important text features. In Grasshopper–Chameleon Swarm Optimization Algorithm, the Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm selects local feature from text document and Chameleon Swarm Optimization Algorithm selects the best global feature from local feature. These important features are tested using density peaks clustering algorithm to maximize the reliability and minimize the computational time cost. The performance of Grasshopper–Chameleon Swarm Optimization Algorithm is analyzed with 20 News groups dataset. Moreover, the performance metrics, like accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, execution time and memory usage are analyzed. The simulation process shows that the proposed TFSC-G-CSOA-DPCA method provides better accuracy of 97.36%, 95.14%, 94.67% and 91.91% and maximum sensitivity of 96.25%, 87.25%, 93.96% and 92.59% compared to the existing methods such as TFSC-BBA-MCL, TFSC-MVO-K-Means C, TFSC-GWO-GOA-FCM and TFSC-WM-K-Means C, respectively.
FNN Based-Virtual Screening Using 2D Pharmacophore Fingerprint for Activity Prediction in Drug Discovery
Authors: Hadiby Seloua , Ali Yamina Mohamed Ben
Published: September 2022

Drug discovery remains a hard field that faces from the beginning of its process to the end many difficulties and challenges in order to discover a new potential drug. The use of technology has helped a lot in achieving many goals at the lowest cost and in the shortest possible time. Machine learning methods have proven for many years their performance although their limitations in some cases. The use of deep learning for virtual screening in drug discovery allows to process efficiently the huge amount of data and gives more precise results. In this paper, we propose a procedure for virtual screening (VS) based on Feedforward Neural Network in order to predict the biological activity of a set of chemical compounds on a given receptor. we have proposed a distance interval and it divisions to describe the chemical compound by the 2D pharmacophore fingerprint. Our model was trained on a dataset of active and inactive chemical compounds on cyclin A kinase1 receptor (CDK1), a very important protein family which has a role in the regulation of the cell cycle and cancer development. The results have proven that the proposed model is efficient and comparable with some widely used machine learning methods in drug discovery.
Effect of Aid for Trade and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows on the Utilization of Unilateral Trade Preferences Offered by the QUAD Countries
Authors: Gnangnon Sena Kimm , Iyer Harish
Published: September 2022

This paper investigates the effect of Aid for Trade (AfT) flows and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, as well as their interplay on the utilization of non-reciprocal trade preferences (NRTPs) offered by the Quadrilaterals (i.e., QUAD countries, which are Canada, the European Union, Japan, and the United States). Two major blocks of NRTPs provided by the QUAD countries have been considered, namely, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programs and other NRTPs. The analysis has covered 114 beneficiary countries of these NRTPs and the period of 2002–2018. Several findings have emerged from the analysis. Total AfT flows and FDI inflows contribute to enhancing the utilization rate of both GSP programs and other NRTPs, and are strongly complementary in affecting positively the utilization of both types of NRTPs. Finally, beneficiary countries’ level of export product diversification matters for the effect of both AfT flows and FDI inflows on the utilization of NRTPs. The conclusion section discusses the implications of these findings.
DELINEATION OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY IN FINANCE: A SCIENTOMETRIC VIEW
Authors: JAISWAL RACHANA , GUPTA SHASHANK , TIWARI AVIRAL KUMAR
Published: September 2022

Blockchain technology has attracted a lot of attention due to its revolutionary potential to upend the established economic structures, leading to a deluge of literature on the topic. Academics and business leaders alike are eager to see this technology used in the financial industry, although its full potential and limitations are currently unknown. To bridge this knowledge gap, 3312 records from the Dimensions database were obtained between 2014 and 2022 and used for bibliometrics and network analysis on the subject of blockchain technology in the financial sector. This analysis articulates the various potentials of blockchain literature as well as its adoption by various countries and authors, collaboration patterns, and applications of blockchain in finance using the visual mapping technique provided by VOSviewer. The top two innovators in the field, China and the USA, have used blockchain more extensively in financial research. Furthermore, the results show that the coverage of blockchain in finance has exploded in the last three years. Although India ranks third in documentation, behind China and the USA, it is lacking in citations and networking opportunities. The results, which identify important journals and authors in this field, will aid future researchers in better understanding the literature and conducting a PRISMA-based systematic review. This research is unique because it is the first bibliometric study to use the Dimensions AI database to look into how blockchain technology can be used in the financial sector.
The Rise of Fully Homomorphic Encryption
Authors: Creeger Mache
Published: September 2022

Once commercial FHE is achieved, data access will become completely separated from unrestricted data processing, and provably secure storage and computation on untrusted platforms will become both relatively inexpensive and widely accessible. In ways similar to the impact of the database, cloud computing, PKE, and AI, FHE will invoke a sea change in how confidential information is protected, processed, and shared, and will fundamentally change the course of computing at a foundational level.
A Computational Geometry-based Approach for Planar
k
-Coverage in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Ammari Habib M.
Published: September 2022

The problem of coverage is one of the most crucial issues among the problems in the lifecycle of the development of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). It is still open and stirs as much concern in the research community in this area. The problem of
k
-coverage in WSNs is even more challenging. In this article, we investigate the
k
-coverage problem in planar (or two-dimensional) WSNs, where each point in a field of interest (FoI) is covered by at least
k
sensors simultaneously, where
k
≥ 1. Our contribution is four-fold: First, we determine the optimal planar convex tile that maximizes the usage of the sensors’ sensing range. Then, we propose a few sensor placement strategies based on the degree of coverage
k
using a hexagonal tiling-based approach. In addition, we compute the sensor density (i.e., number of sensors per unit area) for each of the above sensor placement strategies. Second, we propose a generalized one using irregular hexagons, which are denoted by
IRH(r/n)
, where
r
stands for the radius of the sensors’ sensing range and
n
≥ 2 is a natural number. Also, we derive the corresponding sensor density. Moreover, we prove that
IRH(r/n)
are capable of tiling the Euclidean plane using a mathematical induction proof. Third, we compute the relationship between the sensing range
r
of the sensors and their communication range
R
for the above sensor placement strategies. Fourth, we corroborate our analysis with simulation results.
Application Mapping and Control-system Design for Microfluidic Biochips with Distributed Channel Storage
Authors: Chen Zhisheng , Guo Wenzhong , Liu Genggeng , Huang Xing
Published: September 2022

Continuous-flow microfluidic biochips have emerged as a potential low-cost and fast-responsive lab-on-chip platform. They have attracted much attention due to their capability of performing various biochemical applications concurrently and automatically within a coin-sized chip area. To improve execution efficiency and reduce fabrication cost, a distributed channel-storage architecture can be implemented in which the same channels can be switched between the roles of transportation and storage. Accordingly, fluid transportation, caching, and fetch can be performed simultaneously through different flow paths. Such a flow-path planning needs to be considered carefully in the mapping procedure from a biochemical application to a given biochip architecture. Moreover, all the on-chip valves should be actuated correctly and promptly to temporally block the fluid transportation in unwanted directions and seal the fluids in caching channels. Such an exact control of the valves needs to be considered systematically in control-system design to support the mapping scheme for bioassay execution. In this article, we formulate the practical mapping-control co-design problem for microfluidic biochips with distributed channel storage, considering application mapping, valve synchronization, and control-system design simultaneously, and present an efficient synthesis flow to solve this problem systematically. Given the protocol of a biochemical application and the corresponding chip layout in the flow layer, our goal is to map the biochemical application onto the chip with short execution time. Meanwhile, a practical control system considering the real valve-switching requirements can be constructed efficiently with low fabrication cost. Experimental results on multiple real-life bioassays and synthetic benchmarks demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design flow.
Progress in Understanding Short-Range Structure in Nuclei: An Experimental Perspective
Authors: Arrington John , Fomin Nadia , Schmidt Axel
Published: September 2022

High-energy electron scattering is a clean, precise probe for measurements of hadronic and nuclear structure and plays a key role in understanding the role of high-momentum nucleons (and quarks) in nuclei. Jefferson Lab has dramatically expanded our knowledge of the high-momentum nucleons generated by short-range correlations, providing sufficient insight to model much of their impact on nuclear structure in neutron stars and in low- to medium-energy scattering observables, including neutrino oscillation measurements. These short-range correlations also seem related to the modification of the quark distributions in nuclei, and efforts to improve our understanding of the internal structure of these short-distance and high-momentum configurations in nuclei will provide important input on a wide range of high-energy observables.
On the Relationship Between h-index and Citations: An ECS Fellows Case Study
Authors: Kusoglu Ahmet
Published: September 2022

The ever-expanding number of publications in the science community has motivated many investigations on methodologies to assess the impact of the papers and of researchers as authors, with the tradeoff between quality vs. quantity not far behind. This article provides a simple analysis of h-index vs. citations for the field of electrochemistry based on the total publication infometric of ECS fellows selected based on their available Google Scholar profiles. Providing a critical review of h-index is beyond the scope of this article, yet with the availability of online bibliographic information and publication databases, such investigations could be undertaken in the future.
Free Radicals Random Connections: Spices and Interfaces
Authors: Rajeshwar Krishnan
Published: September 2022

Have you ever wondered why food tastes good or bad? In other words, what makes a given dish delectable to the palate? In my own forays into the kitchen, some culinary creations have turned out exceptionally well while others were less successful. Yet, the raw materials that went into these dishes were not drastically different, except perhaps for the relative proportions and the spices. I posit that the key lies in the complex interfaces between the dish constituents; these interact in a manner that we don’t yet fully understand.
E-Chem Education
Authors: Arges Christopher G.
Published: September 2022

The case for making Electrochemical Science and Engineering part of the core chemical engineering curriculum
Batteries in Service of Human Health
Authors: Takeuchi Esther S. , Bock David C. , Housel Lisa M. , Marschilok Amy C. , Takeuchi Kenneth J.
Published: September 2022

Advances in treatment and diagnosis of human health demand advances in energy storage providing small, adaptable, predictable, and reliable systems. This article summarizes key milestones in the adoption of batteries used for implantable medical applications, provides details about several of the dominant battery chemistries currently powering medical devices, and provides comment on the future impact of advances in the battery field on medical devices.