bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The complex hexaploid oil‐Camellia genome traces back its phylogenomic history and multi‐omics analysis of Camellia oil biosynthesis
Authors: Zhu Huaguo , Wang Fuqiu , Xu Zhongping , Wang Guanying , Hu Lisong , Cheng Junyong , Ge Xianhong , Liu Jinxuan , Chen Wei , Li Qiang , Xue Fei , Liu Feng , Li Wenying , Wu Lan , Cheng Xinqi , Tang Xinxin , Yang Chaochen , Lindsey Keith , Zhang Xianlong , Ding Fang , Hu Haiyan , Hu Xiaoming , Jin Shuangxia
Published: June 2024

Oil‐Camellia (Camellia oleifera), belonging to the Theaceae family Camellia, is an important woody edible oil tree species. The Camellia oil in its mature seed kernels, mainly consists of more than 90% unsaturated fatty acids, tea polyphenols, flavonoids, squalene and other active substances, which is one of the best quality edible vegetable oils in the world. However, genetic research and molecular breeding on oil‐Camellia are challenging due to its complex genetic background. Here, we successfully report a chromosome‐scale genome assembly for a hexaploid oil‐Camellia cultivar Changlin40. This assembly contains 8.80 Gb genomic sequences with scaffold N50 of 180.0 Mb and 45 pseudochromosomes comprising 15 homologous groups with three members each, which contain 135 868 genes with an average length of 3936 bp. Referring to the diploid genome, intragenomic and intergenomic comparisons of synteny indicate homologous chromosomal similarity and changes. Moreover, comparative and evolutionary analyses reveal three rounds of whole‐genome duplication (WGD) events, as well as the possible diversification of hexaploid Changlin40 with diploid occurred approximately 9.06 million years ago (MYA). Furthermore, through the combination of genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics approaches, a complex regulatory network was constructed and allows to identify potential key structural genes (SAD, FAD2 and FAD3) and transcription factors (AP2 and C2H2) that regulate the metabolism of Camellia oil, especially for unsaturated fatty acids biosynthesis. Overall, the genomic resource generated from this study has great potential to accelerate the research for the molecular biology and genetic improvement of hexaploid oil‐Camellia, as well as to understand polyploid genome evolution.
Long‐Term Outcomes After Lung Transplantation in Children With Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Lee James Y. , Mullis Danielle M. , Zawadzki Roy S. , Nilkant Riya , Kuhan Sangkavi , Kidambi Sumanth , Sharir Amit , Ma Michael
Published: June 2024

Background

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) started recording data on intellectual disability status in 2008. This study aimed to characterize the long‐term outcomes for children with intellectual disabilities (IDs) undergoing lung transplantation.

Methods

All pediatric patients (under 18 years old) undergoing bilateral lung transplantation were identified using the UNOS database. The patients were grouped into the following categories: no cognitive delay, possible cognitive delay, and definite cognitive delay. The primary endpoint was graft survival at 3‐year posttransplantation. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate the independent effect of cognitive disability on graft survival.

Results

Five hundred four pediatric patients who underwent lung transplantation between March 2008 and December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. 59 had a definite cognitive delay (12%), 23 had a possible delay (5%), and 421 had no delay (83%). When comparing these three groups, there was no significant difference in 60‐day graft survival (p = 0.4), 3‐year graft survival (p = 0.6), 3‐year graft survival for patients who survived at least 60‐day posttransplantation (p = 0.9), distribution of causes of death (p = 0.24), nor distribution treatment of rejection within 1‐year posttransplantation (p = 0.06).

Conclusions

Intellectual disability does not impact long‐term outcomes after bilateral lung transplantation. Intellectual disability should not be a contraindication to bilateral lung transplantation on the basis of inferior graft survival.
Benthic communities influence coral seeding success at fine spatial scales
Authors: Page Cathie A. , Giuliano Christine , Randall Carly J.
Published: June 2024

The deployment of engineered substrates seeded with newly settled corals is a technique being developed to increase the numbers of juvenile corals on reefs with the goal of improving reef resilience in response to climate warming. Using a hierarchical sampling design, we explored the spatial scales at which seeded coral (spat) survival and growth varied in situ and investigated the environmental drivers of seeded spat success in the southern inshore Great Barrier Reef. After 10 months, variation in spat survival and size was greatest at the smallest spatial scale (1–2 m) (27 and 11% of variation, respectively), indicating the scale at which the main drivers of post‐settlement survival and growth are occurring. Crustose coralline algae (CCA) cover on seeding units prior to deployment was a significant driver of short‐ and long‐term spat survival (22% of variation). Survival of Acropora millepora and A. muricata spat did not differ according to benthic community variation. Increasing cover of branching Acropora corals was correlated with decreased survival and the size of Montipora aequituberculata spat, although CCA cover on plugs remained the most influential factor determining survival. Interspecific variation in spat survival and size and higher survival and size in the side‐facing orientation of the seeding units suggest natural variation in response to the seeding method, warranting further experiments to refine species selection and deployment methods prior to upscaling. High within‐site variation in seeded spat survival and size highlights the need for future studies of ecological factors driving post‐settlement mortality at fine spatial scales.
Rab GTPases, Active Members in Antigen‐Presenting Cells, and T Lymphocytes
Authors: Moreno‐Corona Nidia Carolina , de León‐Bautista Mercedes Piedad , León‐Juárez Moises , Hernández‐Flores Araceli , Barragán‐Gálvez Juan Carlos , López‐Ortega Orestes
Published: June 2024

Processes such as cell migration, phagocytosis, endocytosis, and exocytosis refer to the intense exchange of information between the internal and external environment in the cells, known as vesicular trafficking. In eukaryotic cells, these essential cellular crosstalks are controlled by Rab GTPases proteins through diverse adaptor proteins like SNAREs complex, coat proteins, phospholipids, kinases, phosphatases, molecular motors, actin, or tubulin cytoskeleton, among others, all necessary for appropriate mobilization of vesicles and distribution of molecules. Considering these molecular events, Rab GTPases are critical components in specific biological processes of immune cells, and many reports refer primarily to macrophages; therefore, in this review, we address specific functions in immune cells, concretely in the mechanism by which the GTPase contributes in dendritic cells (DCs) and, T/B lymphocytes.
Cutibacterium acnes contamination does not enhance the proinflammatory profile of platelet concentrates
Authors: Kumaran Dilini , Ramirez‐Arcos Sandra
Published: June 2024

Background

Cutibacterium acnes, a common anaerobic platelet concentrate (PC) contaminant, has been associated with rare mild adverse transfusion reactions and is often considered a harmless commensal. Notably, C. acnes can cause chronic infections and has been shown to induce the release of proinflammatory cytokines by immune cells. Since elevated concentrations of proinflammatory factors in PCs have been linked to noninfectious adverse reactions, this study aimed to assess whether C. acnes could elicit the release and accumulation of proinflammatory factors during PC storage, thereby enhancing the risk of such reactions.

Study Design/Methods

Four ABO‐matched buffy coat PCs were pooled and split into six units, each were inoculated with either saline (negative control), a Staphylococcus aureus isolate (positive control, 30 colony forming units [CFU]/unit), or four C. acnes PC isolates (10 CFU/mL) and stored at 20–24°C with agitation. Bacterial counts, platelet activation, and concentration of proinflammatory factors were assessed on days 0, 3, and 5. N = 3.

Results

C. acnes counts remained stable, while S. aureus proliferated reaching 108CFU/mL by the end of PC storage. By day 5, no significant differences in platelet activation or proinflammatory cytokine profiles were observed in C. acnes‐contaminated PCs compared to the negative control (p > .05), while there was a significant increase (p ≤ .05) in sCD40L concentration (day 3), and platelet activation and IL‐8 concentration (day 5) in S. aureus‐contaminated units.

Discussion

C. acnes contamination does not promote the accumulation of proinflammatory factors in the absence of proliferation during storage and may not enhance the risk of inflammatory reactions when transfused to patients.
Digitalization and Dependence: Evaluating the Impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 9 and Shaping Digital Autonomy
Authors: Hu Haisheng
Published: June 2024

This study explores the impact of China's "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI) on the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 9 in participating developing countries, with a particular focus on the moderating role of digitalization and its long-term effect on the reliance of these countries on Chinese digitalization. Rigorous statistical methods, including parallel trend tests, regression analysis, propensity score matching (PSM), and placebo tests, ensure the reliability of the results. The findings indicate that after implementation, the BRI significantly advanced sustainable development goals in participating countries. Countries with higher levels of digitalization utilized the BRI more effectively to promote sustainable development. Further research suggests that while the initiative may increase digital dependence, higher levels of digitalization can mitigate this reliance. This study highlights the positive impact of the BRI on sustainable development, especially in digitally advanced developing countries, and offers a new perspective on reducing dependence on China.
ReqNet and ReqSim: A Network and Semantic Similarity Dataset of Requirements from the Tree Structure of System Requirement Specifications
Authors: Sahu Chandan Kumar , Rai Rahul , Wiecek Margaret , Gorsich David
Published: June 2024

Systems are developed as a solution to the problem space defined by their requirements. The requirements are acquired during the elicitation process. The creative nature of the elicitation process, proprietary nature of requirements, the need of extensive preprocessing and the diverse techniques for analysis restricts the development of a requirement dataset. There exists no standard method to create a requirement dataset. Thus, we devise a semi-formal method to create a multi-purpose requirement dataset that harnesses human knowledge in the system requirement specification documents (SyRSDs) to facilitate the deployment of modern computing algorithms. Our dataset has three forms. (1) ReqList, a list of requirements from 86 distinct systems with their document structure in pure text form. The 12701 requirements are ready to leverage natural language processing techniques and unsupervised machine learning techniques. (2) ReqNet, a large network of requirements consisting of 17375 nodes to deploy graph-theoretic algorithms for requirement engineering. ReqNet portrays small-world network characteristics with an average distance of 9.5619 links. (3) ReqSim, a dataset consisting of 10933 pairs of requirements annotated with their similarity scores. ReqSim enables sentence-level supervised learning tasks to exploit the semantics of requirements. The similarity scores are coherent with human knowledge. Our dataset is grounded by the tree structure of SyRSDs. We devise a method to extract a tree from the SyRSDs. The tree structure resonates with the hierarchical nature of the requirement allocation process. The ReqList, ReqNet and ReqSim dataset is available at https://github.com/ChandanKSahu/ReqList_ReqNet_ReqSim.
A Microchannel Heat Exchanger Produced From a Metal Matrix Composite by Hybrid Laser Powder Bed Fusion and Inkjet Printing
Authors: Lee Kijoon , Ghayoor Milad , Doddapaneni V. Vinay K. , Noma Kenta , Pasebani Somayeh , Chang Chih-Hung , Fronk Brian , Paul Brian K.
Published: June 2024

This paper explores the production of an oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) 304L stainless steel microchannel heat exchanger (HX) using a hybrid additive manufacturing process of laser powder bed fusion and inkjet printing. The study investigates the capabilities and economics of the hybrid inkjet-laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process and evaluates the dimensional accuracy, functionality, and mechanical properties of the resulting ODS alloy. The effectiveness and pressure drop of the ODS heat exchangers produced by the hybrid LPBF tool are also determined. Results show that the inkjet-doped samples have a lower mean channel height with higher standard deviation than samples produced by LPBF alone. This is attributed to greater absorption of laser energy for the powder coated with the oxide precursor. The economic analysis shows that the hybrid process has a potential for reducing the unit cost of the heat exchanger based on cost modeling assumptions.
Supplemental Material: Mud cohesion governs unvegetated meander migration rates and deposit architecture
Authors: Douglas Madison M. , al. et
Published: June 2024

Supplemental Text S1–S2.2, Figures S1–S3, Movies S1–S3, and Tables S1–S4.
Growth of Silicene by Molecular Beam Epitaxy on CaF2/Si(111) Substrates Modified by Electron Irradiation
Authors: Zinovieva A. F. , Zinovyev V. A. , Katsyuba A. V. , Volodin V. A. , Muratov V. I. , Dvurechenskii A. V.
Published: June 2024

For the first time, the possibility of producing silicene on CaF2/Si(111) substrates modified by electron irradiation is experimentally demonstrated. It is shown that areas of the planar surface of CaSi2 with hexagonal packing formed under an electron beam can be used as a natural template for the subsequent growth of silicene. Silicon is deposited on such surfaces and the formation of silicene islands is confirmed by atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy.
Synchronous Comparison of Two Thulium Optical Clocks
Authors: Golovizin A. , Mishin D. , Provorchenko D. , Tregubov D. , Kolachevsky N.
Published: June 2024

The experimental comparison of two thulium optical lattice clocks in a time interval of up to one hour has been carried out. The synchronous comparison of a clock transition in two independent atomic ensembles using a single ultrastable laser has allowed us to eliminate fluctuations of the laser frequency from the measured frequency difference and to reach a relative measurement error of 10–16 after 500-s averaging, which corresponds to a relative instability of $$2 \times {{10}^{{ - 15}}}{\text{/}}\sqrt \tau $$. The successful demonstration of the long-term operation of two systems using the synchronous comparison of clock transitions opens the possibility of studying systematic shifts in thulium optical clocks with an uncertainty of 10–17.
Investigation of Synchronization Control of the Memristive/Resistive-Coupled Neural Network with Noise Effect
Authors: Abdalla Obeid , Baran Ahmet Yasin , Korkmaz Nimet , Kılıç Recai
Published: June 2024

This study comprehensively investigates synchronization control of the memristive- and resistive-coupled neural network with noise effect. In this context, a sub-network is constructed with three chaotic memristive Hindmarsh–Rose neurons coupled by the memristive synapses. Then, two equivalent sub-networks are linked by the diffusive resistive synapse under a distinctive global network structure including two sub-networks. Thus, a double (memristive/resistive) control mechanism is used to achieve the synchronization state. The first mechanism is the memristive synaptic coupling in each sub-network, and the second one is the diffusive resistive coupling between two sub-networks constructing the global network. The synchronization between the neurons is proven theoretically through the Lyapunov stability and Lipschitz theorems and this proof process is verified with numerical experiments. According to the theoretical and numerical results, by adjusting memristive/resistive synaptic coupling weights, a synchrony behavior is generated successfully in these sub-networks and global networks. Additionally, this paper also handles the Gaussian white noise effect on the global network to examine continuity capability and stability of synchronization. Two different frameworks are built by applying the noise with multiple noise power levels and periods to (i) one of the resistive coupling neurons in each sub-network directly and (ii) one neuron in a sub-network without direct contact with the other sub-network. With these two characteristic designs, it is proven that the second design provides more robust characteristics since it utilizes the double control mechanism, which enhances the stability throughout external interferences enabling the network to sustain synchronous states.
Enhanced Power Law Transformation for Histopathology Images of Breast Cancer
Authors: Nagdeote Sushma , Prabhu Sapna , Chaudhari Jayashri
Published: June 2024

Different image enhancement techniques are applied to improve the visual quality of an image on a display device. Contrast stretching, intensity level slicing with and without background, histogram equalization, logarithmic transformation and power law transformation are some image enhancement techniques. Most of the research work focuses on adaptive gamma correcting factors for better visualization of extremely low contrast images, giving less importance to the constant for enhanced visualization. This research proposes an efficient and less complex enhanced power law transformation (EPLT) approach to improve the contrast of dimmed and extremely bright images. The approach is a quick way to compute the value of C, i.e. constant for enhanced visualization. For better picture quality, it is very important to determine C automatically and the gamma correcting factor. This technique offers a novel and unique perspective on image contrast manipulation. The proposed enhancement technique is experimented on histopathology images of breast cancer, bright images and extremely dark images. The average peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) for clinical data and BreakHis dataset is high for the proposed method are 16.52487 and 17.69335 respectively. The average RMSE for clinical data and BreakHis dataset is low for the proposed method are 40.88251 and 44.2546 respectively. It is observed that the proposed method yields the most satisfactory contrast enhancements based on performance comparison with other state-of-art enhancement algorithms and works efficiently on all types of images.
Artificial Intelligence-Based Brain Tumor Segmentation Using Adaptive Hybrid CNN and Classification by Multi-Scale Dilated MobileNet with Attention Mechanism for MRI Images
Authors: Subhashini K. , Thangakumar J.
Published: June 2024

In the medical field, the demanding task is predicting the type of cancer cell, and the analysis to reduce the death rate. MRI technique is used for capturing the brain image because of its high-quality performance and non-ionizing radiation. These collected input images carry only the area of tissues as bright and remove the cerebrospinal fluid to increase the quality of the image. The supervised learning method indicates marvelous performances in solving the problems related to the segmentation and detection of medical images. In the existing model, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is used, and the execution of CNN is carried out in different layers. This network consists of different layers that lead to various challenges, such as execution cost and time being high, fetching the wrong input, arising misdiagnosis of the disease. Prediction using different datasets is difficult and creates an overfitting problem, and large memory is needed in the existing method. To overcome this entire issue, an advanced model is developed. Input images collected from online sources are given to the Brain tumor segmentation stage, where the Adaptive Hybrid Convolutional Neural Network (AHCNN) is utilized. Here, the TransResUNet and Fully Convolutional Network (FCN) is utilized to construct the AHCNN for effectively segmenting brain tumors. Here, the parameters are optimized using Flock Member Movement-Based Hybrid Coati with Tomtit Flock Optimization (FMM-HCTFO). The TransResUNet and FCN outcomes are fed to the prediction stage. Here, the brain tumor classification is done using the Multi-scale Dilated Adaptive MobileNet with Attention Mechanism (MSDM-AM) technique. Here, also the parameters are optimized using FMM-HCTFO. Finally, the brain tumor will be classified using the MSDM-AM technique. The achievement of the developed model for the prediction of the brain is increased by tuning the variables using the proposed algorithms.
Influence of Different Jumping Gaps on Socket-Shield Technology: Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Chen Guangneng , Ye Bin , Luo Siyang , Liu Yin , Chen Jiawen , He Xianyu , Zuo Yuwen , Ma Minxian
Published: June 2024

Socket-shield technique expands the indications for immediate implant placement and effectively maintains the contour of the labial bone. However, due to its relatively high incidence of complications, the technique has not become routine. Understanding the biomechanical characteristics among different structures in socket-shield technique has clinical significance. In this study, finite element analysis was conducted to investigate the biomechanical correlations with the exposure, migration and fracture of the root shield. Seven three-dimensional finite element models were constructed with jumping gaps of 0[Formula: see text]mm, 0.5[Formula: see text]mm, 1[Formula: see text]mm, 1.5[Formula: see text]mm, 2[Formula: see text]mm, 2.5[Formula: see text]mm and 3[Formula: see text]mm, respectively. The results illustrate deep overbite loading induces unfavorable biomechanical reactions in various structures in socket-shield technique. For normal occlusion, the jumping gap that is too small leads to stress exceeding the yield strength of the root shield and comparatively large displacement in the root shield, possibly causing fracture and migration of the root shield. The jumping gap that is too large causes micro-damages to the cortical bone around the implant, potentially leading to cortical bone resorption and exposure of the root shield. Therefore, the technique should be avoided in patients with deep overbite loading, and the jumping gap of 1.5–2[Formula: see text]mm may be a suitable choice.
Near space detection technology combining van der Waals heterojunction photodetectors with long-range infrared target detection algorithms
Authors: Yang Jia
Published: June 2024

To test the target detection accuracy of infrared detectors in practical applications, this study proposes a near space detection (NSD) technology that integrates van der Waals heterojunction photodetectors with long-range infrared target detection algorithms (ITDAs). A van der Waals heterojunction infrared photodetector (MoS˙2/CdTe) is prepared by combining molybdenum disulfide thin film and cadmium telluride substrate, and depositing gold electrodes on both substrates. A fusion algorithm of spatiotemporal target detection network and local contrast method is proposed for long-distance detection of weak infrared targets, and a near-space infrared detection system is designed. The data showed that the MoS2/CdTe heterojunction photodetector had a detection range of 200-1700 nm and a response of 36.7 mA/W, demonstrating excellent optoelectronic performance. The false alarm rates of the long-distance ITDA were 0.006% and 0.009%, respectively, which are significantly better than the target detection algorithm based on local contrast. In the testing of the near-space infrared detection system, the errors in the shortwave and longwave field of view tests were 2.5% and 5.2%, respectively, and the resolution test errors were 3.6% and 3.7%. The infrared detection system meets the performance standards, has high detection ability and stability, and provides a more effective solution for NSD.
The Benefits and Challenges of a Quantum Computing Concept Inventory
Authors: McGinness Lachlan
Published: June 2024

A Quantum Computing Concept Inventory is needed for the acceleration of uptake of best practice in quantum computing education required to support the quantum computing workforce for the next two decades. Eight experts in quantum computing, quantum communication or quantum sensing were interviewed to determine if there is substantial nonmathematical content to warrant such an inventory and determine a preliminary list of key concepts that should be included in such an inventory. Developing such an inventory is a challenging task requiring significant international ‘buy-in’ and creativity to produce jargon-free valid questions which are accessible to students who are yet to study quantum mechanics.
LSDN Empowers the Metaverse Communication to Achieve High-Resolution Visuals with Lower Bandwidth
Authors: Guo Kehua , Tan Xuyang , Chen Liang , Zhu Xiangyuan , Zhang Jian , Zhou Xiaokang
Published: June 2024

Deploying super-resolution models on metaverse terminal devices can enhance visual effects without increasing network bandwidth. However, deploying most current super-resolution networks on metaverse terminal devices with limited hardware resources poses a challenge due to their large volumes and high computing power consumption. In this paper, we present a lightweight separation and distillation network (LSDN) aimed at reducing the model complexity by prioritizing network structure. Specifically, we initially present the blueprint separable convolution (BSConv) to decrease model complexity and utilize the BSConv and information distillation mechanism building the channel separation distillation block (CSDB). Subsequently, we develop the enhanced spatial attention block (ESA) and Fused-MBConv (FMBConv) to explore latent information. In addition, we employ three CSDBs, an ESA, and an FMBConv to construct the residual attention unit (RAU). Finally, we concatenate several RAUs and amalgamate their hierarchical results, and transmit them to the upsampler for reconstructing the high-resolution images. We carried out comprehensive experiments on a range of datasets and found conclusive evidence that the LSDN outperforms state-of-the-art approaches, exhibiting notable enhancements in quantitative and qualitative terms.
Microbial Succession Law of the Daqu‐Making Environment in Jiang‐Flavor Daqu
Authors: Fan Endi , Yao Shangjie , You Xiaolong , Wu Cheng , Yang Junlin , Yin Yanshun , Zhang Jian , Cheng Pingyan , Hu Feng , Hu Jianfeng
Published: June 2024

Jiang‐flavor Daqu is the starter used in the production of Jiangxiangxing Baijiu, as it is the primary source of microorganisms. The production of Jiangxiangxing Baijiu heavily relies on the use of Jiang‐flavor Daqu, wherein the quality of the latter is intricately associated with the surrounding environment during the Daqu‐making process. The objective of this study was to investigate the evolution pattern of microbial communities in the Daqu‐making environment as the Daqu room application period increased and determine their role in shaping Jiang‐flavor Daqu microbial communities. There was a certain level of overlap observed in the dominant microbial genera between the Daqu‐making environment of Jiang‐flavor Daqu and Jiang‐flavor Daqu itself. Consequently, this may explain the close relationship observed in both bacterial life activities. And there was also a strong correlation between the ground and air fungal communities in the Daqu‐making house during various usage periods. Furthermore, the composition of microbial communities in the air, the composition of microbial communities in the ground, the bacterial function in the air, and the bacterial function in the ground displayed varying degrees of similarity. However, it is worth noting that the microbial community structure undergoes changes with the gradual increase in the usage time of the fermentation chamber, leading to differences in microbial markers between various fermentation chambers. Most importantly, the quantity of bacteria, molds, and yeasts in the production environment during the initial use stage of the Daqu room was generally advantageous. Additionally, the microbial community in Jiang‐flavor Daqu primarily originates from the initial production environment in the Daqu room. The study demonstrated that the microbial community structure in the Daqu room during the early stage significantly contributes to the formation of the microbial community structure in Jiang‐flavor Daqu. These findings provide novel insights for improving the quality of Jiang‐flavor Daqu.
Comprehensive Literature Review on Metal Nanoparticle for Enhanced Shelf Life of Mango Fruit
Authors: Yiblet Yalew , Abdu Indiris , Belew Basaznew
Published: June 2024

The purpose of this review was to investigate the application of metal nanoparticles in fruit shelf life extension. Despite growing interest in nanoparticles and their potential applications, there are currently few effective methods for prolonging the shelf life of fruits. The study concentrated on the principles underlying the shelf life extension of metallic nanoparticles, including copper oxide, zinc oxide, silver, and titanium oxide. The biological properties of nanoparticles, especially those with antibacterial qualities, have drawn interest as possible fruit preservation solutions. Many conventional preservation methods have drawbacks, including expensive production costs, short shelf lives, undesirable residues, and the incapacity to properly keep perishable fruits in their natural environments. Techniques for extending shelf life based on nanotechnology have the potential to get around these problems. The review focused on the effective use of environmentally benign, green synthesis‐produced nanoparticles to extend the fruit shelf life. The ability of these nanoparticles to successfully preserve fresh fruits was established. The results imply that fruit preservation by the use of nanoparticle synthesis techniques may be a viable strategy, offering a more effective and sustainable substitute for traditional procedures.
Optimal Topology Management for Software‐Defined Networks Minimizing Latency and Using Network Slicing
Authors: Viveros Andrés , Adasme Pablo , Dehghan Firoozabadi Ali
Published: June 2024

In this paper, we analyze the problem of managing users from different slices connecting to a software‐defined network (SDN). We seek to minimize the propagation latency between switches and controllers as well as between controllers themselves. We also minimize the connection latency between users and their network access nodes. Thus, the main highlights of the paper are to formally represent the problem utilizing two equivalent mixed‐integer quadratic programming models. The first one represents the user requirements of each slice by using a membership matrix. The second one consists of subsets of users separated within each slice requirement. Subsequently, the above models are analyzed in a standard linearized version. Finally, they are compared with a proposed local search math‐heuristic algorithm. The proposed models and algorithm are solved with the CPLEX solver with default options. To the best of our knowledge, this journal paper constitutes a first attempt to incorporate network slicing in SDN allowing flexibility, resource efficiency, security, and effective management of the network facilitating the deployment of customized and adaptive services. Besides, our models allow us to deal with the management of connecting users to either controller or switch‐type nodes depending on the slice to which each user belongs. For security reasons, a certain slice could only have access to the network controllers, while the rest of the users that belong to the other slices can connect to the switch‐type nodes of the network. From the numerical experiments, we observe that the linear models show a better performance in terms of CPU times and the best solutions obtained. Similarly, our proposed approximation algorithm achieves near‐optimal solutions in significantly shorter CPU times, for all the input graph networks, when compared to the proposed exact models which allows for finding the optimal solutions.
Multiobjective Optimization of Yokeless Axial‐Field Flux‐Switching Permanent Magnet Motor Using the Hybrid Taguchi Genetic Algorithm for Expanded Speed Range
Authors: Rahmani-Fard Javad , Hasanzadeh Saeed
Published: June 2024

This paper proposes a multiobjective hybrid Taguchi genetic algorithm (HTGA) to optimize the speed range of a yokeless axial‐field flux‐switching permanent magnet (YASA‐AFFSPM) motor. HTGA combines Taguchi’s local optimization with the global optimization of traditional genetic algorithms (GAs), facilitating faster and more accurate solutions. The Taguchi method is employed to generate offspring individuals within GA; it inherits parameter characteristics from stronger offspring, saving considerable computation time. The objective is to achieve a motor with low cogging torque, high average torque, and an expanded speed range in the field weakening area. Various parameters of the motor, such as the split ratio, stator axial length, pole angles, PM arc, and number of conductors per slot, are selected as optimization variables. The optimization constraints include the field‐weakening rate, saliency rate, cogging torque, and average torque. The optimized motor parameters are determined, and the speed range before and after optimization is evaluated. Cosimulation analysis using a 3‐D finite element method (FEM) is performed under no‐load and full‐load conditions to compare the motor’s speed regulation range. The optimized motor exhibits a maximum speed that is almost 1.5 times higher than the initial design, with improvements of 11.3% in average torque and 9% in cogging torque. Experimental results compared to 3‐D FEM simulations demonstrate the superior performance of the optimized motor in terms of speed, torque, power, and efficiency.
Detecting Small Cell Transformation in Patients with Advanced EGFR Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma through Epigenomic cfDNA Profiling
Authors: El Zarif Talal , Meador Catherine B. , Qiu Xintao , Seo Ji-Heui , Davidsohn Matthew P. , Savignano Hunter , Lakshminarayanan Gitanjali , McClure Heather M. , Canniff John , Fortunato Brad , Li Rong , Banwait Mandeep K. , Semaan Karl , Eid Marc , Long Henry , Hung Yin P. , Mahadevan Navin R. , Barbie David A. , Oser Matthew G. , Piotrowska Zofia , Choueiri Toni K. , Baca Sylvan C. , Hata Aaron N. , Freedman Matthew L. , Berchuck Jacob E.
Published: June 2024

Purpose:

Histologic transformation to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a mechanism of treatment resistance in patients with advanced oncogene-driven lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) that currently requires histologic review for diagnosis. Herein, we sought to develop an epigenomic cell-free DNA (cfDNA)-based approach to noninvasively detect small cell transformation in patients with EGFR mutant (EGFRm) LUAD.

Experimental Design:

To characterize the epigenomic landscape of transformed (t)SCLC relative to LUAD and de novo SCLC, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) to profile the histone modifications H3K27ac, H3K4me3, and H3K27me3; methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-seq); assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing; and RNA sequencing on 26 lung cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors. We then generated and analyzed H3K27ac ChIP-seq, MeDIP-seq, and whole genome sequencing cfDNA data from 1 mL aliquots of plasma from patients with EGFRm LUAD with or without tSCLC.

Results:

Analysis of 126 epigenomic libraries from the lung cancer PDXs revealed widespread epigenomic reprogramming between LUAD and tSCLC, with a large number of differential H3K27ac (n = 24,424), DNA methylation (n = 3,298), and chromatin accessibility (n = 16,352) sites between the two histologies. Tumor-informed analysis of each of these three epigenomic features in cfDNA resulted in accurate noninvasive discrimination between patients with EGFRm LUAD versus tSCLC [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) = 0.82–0.87]. A multianalyte cfDNA-based classifier integrating these three epigenomic features discriminated between EGFRm LUAD versus tSCLC with an AUROC of 0.94.

Conclusions:

These data demonstrate the feasibility of detecting small cell transformation in patients with EGFRm LUAD through epigenomic cfDNA profiling of 1 mL of patient plasma.
Demandas judiciais por medicamentos oncológicos: experiência do Núcleo de Apoio Técnico do Judiciário do Estado do Tocantins
Authors: Andrade Elizangela Braga , Oliveira Neilton Araujo de , Moreira Luis Fernando , Nakano Luis Carlos Uta
Published: June 2024

Lawsuits for medicines have their own peculiarities as they cover medical matters and implications on the Brazilian National Public Health System that are unknown or little understood by judges and legal practitioners. This article aimed to analyze legal demands for oncological medicines and their technical and economic aspects. To this end, it was realized an exploratory documentary research in 130 legal cases of oncological drugs
sent to the Center of Technical Support of the Judiciary of the State of Tocantins from 2013 to 2019. It was found that the State Public Defender’s Office handled 68% of the cases; prescription and report were present in 87 (67%) and absence of exams in 69 (53%); high-complexity oncology units were those that prescribed the most drugs, with oncology and hematology being the most frequent specialties; the most requested drugs were abiraterone, bicalutamide, capecitabine, and anastrozole, and there were also requests for drugs without registration in Brazil. Access to medicines occurred in 64 cases, of which 44 (34%) via BacenJud. Eighty-eight cases had their request granted and 60 (46%) were extinguished. Death occurred in 37 actions. It was concluded that treatment monitoring and acquisition data via BacenJud are scarce and that it is necessary to qualify and rationalize actions, making medical documents mandatory at the beginning and during the action, proof of use of the BacenJud system, invoices, immediate communication of deaths, and change of prescription.
Heterogeneous Thresholds, Social Ranking, and the Emergence of Vague Categories
Authors: Lawry Jonathan
Published: June 2024

Threshold models in which an individual’s response to a particular state of the world depends on whether an associated measured value exceeds a given threshold are common in a variety of social learning and collective decision-making scenarios in both natural and artificial systems. If thresholds are heterogeneous across a population of agents, then graded population level responses can emerge in a context in which individual responses are discrete and limited. In this article, I propose a threshold-based model for social learning of shared quality categories. This is then combined with the voting model of fuzzy categories to allow individuals to learn membership functions from their peers, which can then be used for decision-making, including ranking a set of available options. I use agent-based simulation experiments to investigate variants of this model and compare them to an individual learning benchmark when applied to the ranking problem. These results show that a threshold-based approach combined with category-based voting across a social network provides an effective social mechanism for ranking that exploits emergent vagueness.
Outsourcing Control Requires Control Complexity
Authors: Langer Carlotta , Ay Nihat
Published: June 2024

An embodied agent influences its environment and is influenced by it. We use the sensorimotor loop to model these interactions and quantify the information flows in the system by information-theoretic measures. This includes a measure for the interaction among the agent’s body and its environment, often referred to as morphological computation. Additionally, we examine the controller complexity, which can be seen in the context of the integrated information theory of consciousness. Applying this framework to an experimental setting with simulated agents allows us to analyze the interaction between an agent and its environment, as well as the complexity of its controller. Previous research revealed that a morphology adapted well to a task can substantially reduce the required complexity of the controller. In this work, we observe that the agents first have to understand the relevant dynamics of the environment to interact well with their surroundings. Hence an increased controller complexity can facilitate a better interaction between an agent’s body and its environment.
New insights into the morphology, taxonomy and geographical distribution of Pleurotaenium subcoronulatum (Zygnematophyceae, Desmidiales)
Authors: LEVANETS ANATOLIY , JANSE VAN VUUREN SANET
Published: June 2024

This study investigates the morphology and distribution of infraspecific taxa of P. subcoronulatum. Research identified taxonomic issues and discrepancies in prior literature concerning morphological similarities among infraspecific taxa. The consolidation of two closely related taxa into a single variety, P. subcoronulatum var. majus, is suggested as a possible solution. This paper presents the first comprehensive morphological description (including dimensions) along with the first-ever images in the form of scanning electron micrographs of P. subcoronulatum var. majus. In addition, a new known geographical location for this taxon in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, expands its known distribution beyond previous records.
Limonium ophioides and L. nichoriense (Plumbaginaceae), two new diploid species from Peloponnisos, Greece
Authors: APOSTOLOPOULOS EFSTATHIOS , CONSTANTINIDIS THEOPHANIS
Published: June 2024

Limonium ophioides and L. nichoriense, two newly discovered species from south Peloponnisos (Greece) are described and illustrated based on their sole known populations at the Maleas Peninsula and Petalidi Messinias, respectively. Both species are diploid (2n=2x=18) and exhibit sexual breeding systems, featuring dimorphic pollen and stigmas alongside high pollen viability. Their karyological, reproductive, and morphological traits align them with the informal “L. cancellatum-dictyophorum” group, with L. coronense and L. pylium showing the closest morphological resemblance. Detailed observations on their morphological features, chromosomes, distribution, ecological preferences, conservation status, and an analytical key for all diploid Limonium species found in Peloponnisos are presented.
Dendrobium tetrapterum, a cryptic species in the D. lindleyi alliance (Orchidaceae; Dendrobiinae): evidence from morphological and molecular data
Authors: WEI CHUN-YI , LI RU-YI , WU YU-WEI , HUANG MING-ZHONG , LI MING-HE
Published: June 2024

Dendrobium tetrapterum, a cryptic species in the D. lindleyi alliance, is described and illustrated. Detailed morphological comparisons indicate that it is similar to D. lindleyi and D. jenkinsii but can be distinguished by four morphological characters, namely petals without (vs. with) claw, slit (vs. entire) transverse septum at lip base, anther cap with (vs. without) indentation on each side and a rhombic (vs. pentagonal–octagonal or oblong) pseudobulb cross-section. Combined with the geographical distribution and whole plastid genome data, we confirm that D. tetrapterum is not a natural hybrid of the other two species, but a separate species.
New record of Engyprosopon macrolepis (Regan, 1908) from Taiwan (Pleuronectiformes: Bothidae)
Authors: SU YO , HO HSUAN-CHING , AMAOKA KUNIO
Published: June 2024

Specimens of the largescale dwarf flounder, Engyprosopon macrolepis (Regan, 1908) (Pleuronectiformes: Bothidae), were collected from the fishery landing of Chi-kan, Peng-hu Islands, western Taiwan. Although this species has been recorded from western Pacific Ocean including the Philippines and Japan, it has never been recorded from Taiwanese waters. Therefore, our specimens represent the first record for Taiwanese waters and fill a gap in the distribution of this species between the two countries. A detailed description of the specimens, including coloration of the fresh condition is provided and compared to the data of specimens collected in other regions. With the addition of E. macrolepis, a total of 11 species of Engyprosopon are recorded from Taiwanese waters, and we suggest that more species are expected to occur off Taiwan.
One new species of the genus Acosmetides Chang, Wang & Shi, 2021 (Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae) from Chongqing, China
Authors: WANG YANG , DUAN YUETING , CHANG YANLIN
Published: June 2024

This paper reports one new species of the genus Acosmetides from Chongqing, China, i.e. Acosmetides furcutusa sp. nov. Morphological photographs of the new species are provided.
Impact of soil moisture regimes on greenhouse gas emissions, soil microbial biomass, and enzymatic activity in long-term fertilized paddy soil
Authors: Shah Asad , Huang Jing , Han Tianfu , Khan Muhammad Numan , Tadesse Kiya Adare , Daba Nano Alemu , Khan Sajeela , Ullah Sami , Sardar Muhammad Fahad , Fahad Shah , Zhang Huimin
Published: June 2024

Two potent greenhouse gases that are mostly found in agricultural soils are methane and nitrous oxide. Therefore, we investigated the effect of different moisture regimes on microbial stoichiometry, enzymatic activity, and greenhouse gas emissions in long-term paddy soils. The treatments included a control (CK; no addition), chemical fertilizer (NPK), and NPK + cattle manure (NPKM) and two moisture regimes such as 60% water-filled pore spaces (WFPS) and flooding. The results revealed that 60% water-filled pore spaces (WFPS) emit higher amounts of N2O than flooded soil, while in the case of CH4 the flooded soil emits more CH4 emission compared to 60% WFPS. At 60% WFPS higher N2O flux values were recorded for control, NPK, and NPKM which are 2.3, 3.1, and 3.5 µg kg−1, respectively. In flooded soil, the CH4 flux emission was higher, and the NPKM treatment recorded the maximum CH4 emissions (3.8 µg kg−1) followed by NPK (3.2 µg kg−1) and CK (1.7 µg kg−1). The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was increased by 15–27% under all flooded treatments as compared to 60% WPFS treatments. The microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (MBC, MBN, and MBP) significantly increased in the flooded treatments by 8–12%, 14–21%, and 4–22%, respectively when compared to 60% WFPS. The urease enzyme was influenced by moisture conditions, and significantly increased by 42–54% in flooded soil compared with 60% WFPS while having little effect on the β-glucosidase (BG) and acid phosphatase (AcP) enzymes. Moreover DOC, MBC, and pH showed a significant positive relationship with cumulative CH4, while DOC showed a significant relationship with cumulative N2O. In the random forest model, soil moisture, MBC, DOC, pH, and enzymatic activities were the most important factors for GHG emissions. The PLS-PM analysis showed that soil properties and enzymes possessed significantly directly impacted on CH4 and N2O emissions, while SMB had indirect positive effect on CH4 and N2O emissions.