bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EARLY JURASSIC BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL ECOLOGY FROM THE CENTRAL HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS, MOROCCO
Authors: FONVILLE TANNER , MARTINDALE ROWAN C. , STONE TRAVIS N. , SEPTFONTAINE MICHEL , BODIN STÉPHANE , KRENCKER FRANÇOIS-NICOLAS , KABIRI LAHCEN
Published: August 2024

The Central High Atlas Mountains of Morocco have an extensive record of Lower Jurassic deposits from the Tethyan Ocean. In the Amellago region, Ziz Valley, and Dadès Valley several fossilized reef outcrops preserve benthic foraminifera spanning the Pliensbachian and Toarcian stages. This study analyzes benthic foraminiferal assemblage changes across the bi-phased extinctions at the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary and the Jenkyns Event (also referred to as the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event). In Pliensbachian samples, assemblages with abundant Glomospira sp., Glomospirella sp., Siphovalvulina sp., Haurania deserta, Placopsilina sp., Mesoendothyra sp., and Everticyclammina praevirguliana are observed. Following both the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary event and the Jenkyns Event, benthic foraminiferal density, evenness, and species richness decreased, indicating these communities underwent ecologic stress; however, loss of diversity was most substantial between samples that pre-date and post-date the Jenkyns Event. Whereas the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary event coincides with the demise of the large benthic foraminifera Mesoendothyra sp. and Everticyclammina praevirguliana, the Jenkyns Event was detrimental for most clades of benthic foraminifera, including many small, resilient taxa. Based on the evidence provided, we suggest that the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary and the Jenkyns Event were distinct events, potentially caused by distinct environmental perturbations.
WITHDRAWN: A Multi-Graph Neural Networks Based on Dynamic Spatio-temporal for Urban Traffic Flows Prediction
Authors: Ali Ahmad , Zakarya Muhammad , Qazani Mohammad Reza Chalak , Khan Ayaz Ali , Ahmed Aftab , Al-Bahri Mahmood
Published: August 2024

The full text of this preprint has been withdrawn by the authors due to author disagreement with the posting of the preprint. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference. Questions should be directed to the corresponding author.
Insight into the Rutin Biosynthesis in the Unique Flavonol Synthesis Pathway of Tartary Buckwheat Based on the Enzymatic Functions of FLSs
Authors: Li Chenglei , Sun Jiayi , Shi Guanlan , Zhao Xuerong , Gu Jun , Shi Jiaqi , Ma Qihan , Zeng Daoping , Wang Tao , Tang Zizhong , Bu Tongliang , Chen Hui , Wu Huala , Wu Qi , Zhao Haixia , Wang An’hu
Published: August 2024

The flavonol biosynthesis branch generates the main flavonoids in Tartary buckwheat (TB), with rutin serving as a representative flavonol compound. Flavonol synthase (FLS) is a vital enzyme involved in this metabolic pathway. Out of the five known FLS genes in the TB genome, FtFLS1 is the only gene identified, while information about the remaining four genes is limited. In this study, we cloned the five FtFLS genes from TB and performed molecular identification. The results showed that FtFLS1-3 exhibit high homology and similar molecular characteristics, categorizing them as FLS-like enzymes, while FtFLS4 and FtFLS5 show a certain degree of similarity to other 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases. Further investigation revealed a significant correlation between expression of FtFLS1 and the rutin content during the flowering stage of TB (p < 0.05). The promoter sequences of FtFLS1-3 (PFtFLS1-3) displayed distinctive cis-elements, transcriptional activities, and expression patterns, exhibiting different sensitivities to cold, UV-B, and drought stresses. The overexpression of FtFLS1-3 in Arabidopsis led to a significant elevation in total flavonoid and rutin levels, providing evidence for the FLS activity of FtFLS1-3 in plants. The enzymatic analysis showed that the recombinant FtFLS1-3 were capable of catalyzing the formation of their respective products from dihydroflavanols. FtFLS1 exhibited a superior specific activity, Vmax and affinity for dihydroquercetin (DQ) in terms of enzyme catalytic characteristics compared to FtFLS2 and FtFLS3. In summary, our study establishes the FLS activity of FtFLS1-3 and suggests that the metabolic flow of the flavonol biosynthesis branch in TB involves the conversion from dihydrokaempferol (DK) to DQ and subsequently to quercetin (Q), ultimately glycosylated to rutin. In this process, FtFLS1 plays a predominant role.
Strategic Method to Enhancing the Formability of Nitinol Foils via Micro- Incremental Sheet Forming Processes and Evaluation of Structure – Property
Authors: Yoganjaneyulu Gunda , Perumal Vigneshwaran Soundararaja , Sivasankaran Subbarayan , Annamalai Bhaskar , Niranjan Thiruchinapalli
Published: August 2024

The Nitinol alloy foils were deformed incrementally using the Single point micro incremental forming (SPMIF), in which the foils are deformed with the help of a hemispherical end tool, where no specific die is required and the forming limits are more due to the local deformation. Micro incremental forming is much needed process to develop the miniature components. The present study reveals the formability and fracture behaviour of Nitinol alloy foils under the SPMIF process. The formability studies are carried out with the spindle speeds. At higher forming speeds the formability is more as compared to the lower spindle speeds due to the presence of shear strains during the incremental forming. The XRD analysis is carried out for the phase fractions. EBSD and TEM analysis is carried out for texture analysis and dislocation density. The fracture behaviour is investigated through the void coalescence method and the parameters of void coalescence such as void (L/W) ratio, void size (µm), d-factor and thickness of ligament (LT) are measured through the ImageJ software. The relation between spindle speed and void coalescence parameters is studied.
Effect of nitrogen application rate on its fate in “wheat-soil” under different fertility soil conditions
Authors: Ma Ruiqi , Changxuhong Xuhong , Wang Demei , Tao Zhiqiang , Wang Yanjie , Yang Yushuang , Zhao Guangcai
Published: August 2024

In order to study the nitrogen application rate in farmland with different fertility levels and the main destination and wheat absorption of N-fertilizer, to improve nitrogen use efficiency, three soils with different fertility levels were selected: chernozems soils (CS)、fluvo-aquic soils (FS) and rougi-limestone soils (RS), were used to study the effects of soil and nitrogen application rate on nitrogen fate of “wheat-soil” under the same ecological environment by isotope tracer technique in this experiment. The results showed that grain yield and nitrogen absorption of wheat in CS which with high fertility and nutrient content were significantly higher than that in FS and RS. Nitrogen fertilizer has a greater impact on the nitrogen content of FS and RS than on black soil. The ability of wheat to utilize residual fertilizer nitrogen in soil is less affected by the amount of nitrogen applied in the last season and is more affected by soil conditions, as CS > FS > RS. After planting two-season wheat, the proportion of nitrogen recovered by the wheat-soil is 37–68%, of which the nitrogen fixed by the soil accounts for 13–32% of the applied nitrogen. The average nitrogen loss of CS is 77.4 kg N·ha− 1, that of FS is 102.9 kg N·ha− 1 and that of RS is 153.1 kg N·ha− 1, indicating that the CS condition is conducive to the absorption of N-fertilizer by wheat, with the least nitrogen loss and the least impact on the environment. When nitrogen application rate from 120 kg·ha− 1 increased to 360 kg·ha− 1, the nitrogen loss rate increased by 6.58 percentage points, but the nitrogen loss increased from 51.5 kg·ha− 1 to 178.2 kg·ha− 1, and the impact on the environment increased significantly. Therefore, we should pay attention to improve soil fertility and structure, and select the appropriate amount of nitrogen according to the actual situation of soil, so as to realize the synergistic improvement of wheat yield and nitrogen utilization, reduce resource consumption and the impact of nitrogen fertilizer on the environment in wheat production.
Privacy-Preserving Distributed Learning: Collaborative Training on Principal Components and Orthogonal Projections of Datapoints
Authors: Huang Lu , Zou Beijia , Shan Dongjing
Published: August 2024

Data privacy has become a popular trend in deep learning, and improving model performance through collaborative training without sharing data is a promising area of research. This paper introduces a novel privacy-preserving learning approach that utilizes Pseudo-siamese networks and mutual knowledge distillation. The two branches are trained collaboratively without sharing private data based on contrast loss with knowledge distillation, allowing them to learn from each other's knowledge and improve their overall performance. During training, back-propagated gradients are found to be heavily influenced by the principal components of input data. To address this issue, an alternating iterative method is proposed for parameter updates in stochastic gradient descent, where both principal components and orthogonal projections of datapoints are used for model training alternatively. This learning approach can be easily extended to incorporate multiple distributed models, and optimizations are performed on two of them in a circular manner. Experiments on convolutional and Pseudo-siamese networks demonstrate that gradients for updating are dominated by principal component data, and the proposed approach can improve model performance without compromising privacy or sharing private data or parameters.
UVR prediction over Lagos Ibadan and New Richmond for Public Health and Renewable Energy Applications
Authors: OYEDOKUN Sherifdeen M. , OLATONA Gbadebo I. , Adisa Shuaib A.
Published: August 2024

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a significant environmental factor influencing various biological and chemical processes, including photosynthesis in plants, vitamin D synthesis in humans, and microbial sterilization. However, excessive UVR exposure can lead to adverse effects such as skin cancer and DNA damage. This study applies the ARIMA (AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average) model to predict UVR levels over Lagos and Ibadan in Nigeria, and New Richmond in the United States, utilizing a 21-year dataset spanning from 2000 to 2020. By analysing the autocorrelation function (ACF) and partial autocorrelation function (PACF) with a significance level of 0.25, the stationarity and appropriate parameters for the ARIMA model were identified. The model is then used to predict daily UVR values for the last day of each month from January 2021 to December 2022. Results indicate that the ARIMA model effectively captures the temporal patterns in UVR data, with validation metrics such as RMSE, MAE, and MAPE confirming its predictive accuracy. This predictive capability can inform public health advisories, agricultural practices, and environmental management, emphasizing the need for ongoing monitoring and prediction of UVR levels to mitigate potential health risks.
Time-resolved surface-sensitive waveguide scattering microscopy of single extracellular vesicles reveals content and biomarker heterogeneity
Authors: Höök Fredrik , Parkkila Petteri , Sjöberg Mattias , Olsén Erik , Agnarsson Björn , Härkönen Kai , Impola Ulla , Laitinen Saara
Published: August 2024

Deciphering the extracellular vesicle (EV) heterogeneity is essential for understanding their biological functions and enhancing their utility in drug development and medical diagnostics. Here, we demonstrate the efficacy of label-free surface-based waveguide scattering microscopy, coupled with multiplexed fluorescence readout, for quantifying size, inner cargo concentration, and surface protein markers at the individual EV level. By modulating the optical contrast between EVs and the surrounding medium using membrane-permeable and -impermeable solutes, we identify subpopulations of low-cargo EVs and cell-specific markers for EVs derived from platelets and red blood cells. Time-resolved label-free antibody binding to single blood-derived EVs reveals variations in binding rates and facilitates the quantification of surface protein marker density. Additionally, we observe that the presence of tetraspanins, well-known EV markers, correlates with biomolecular content but not size. These findings highlight the crucial role of time-resolved surface-based quantitative EV analysis in complementing current methodologies, offering unparalleled insights into EV characterization.
Detecting latent gene-environment interaction when analyzing binary traits
Authors: Zhang Ziang , Lawless Jerald , Paterson Andrew , Sun Lei
Published: August 2024

In genome-wide association studies (GWAS), it is desirable to test for interactions (GxE) between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs,G's) and environmental variables (E's). However, directly accounting for interaction is often infeasible, because E is latent. For quantitative traits (Y) that are approximately normally distributed, it has been shown that indirect testing on GxE can be done by testing for heteroskedasticity of Y between genotypes. However, when traits are binary, the existing methodology based on testing the heteroskedasticity of the trait across genotypes cannot be generalized.
In this paper, we propose an approach to indirectly test GxE for binary traits based on the non-additive effect G, and subsequently propose a joint test that accounts for the main and interaction effects of each SNP during GWAS. We illustrate the statistical features including type-I-error control and power of the proposed method through extensive numerical studies. Applying our method to the UK Biobank dataset, we showcase the practical utility of the proposed method, revealing SNPs and genes with strong potential for latent interaction effects.
Analysis Of Selected Major Airlines’ Financial Performance And Sustainable Development Goals Investment Post COVID-19
Authors: Dube Kaitano
Published: August 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the airline sector, leading to loss of life and the closure of several airlines globally. Credit rating agencies downgraded most airlines due to a lack of business confidence. The pandemic also intensified the demand for sustainability in a struggling aviation tourism industry. As businesses recover from the pandemic, they face numerous challenges that further complicate the situation. This study examines the financial health and commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, particularly from a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) perspective, of two major global airlines: Qatar Airways and Delta Air Lines. The focus of the study is on climate change action and pollution control. An in-depth analysis of financial, ESG, and Sustainability Reports for both airlines was carried out for this study. Data analysis employed content and thematic analysis. A thorough evaluation of critical financial metrics reveals that the airlines under study are recovering, with some metrics surpassing pre-pandemic levels from 2019. The study found that while there are concerns about airlines’ debt, the airlines are using the debt to acquire new-generation fuel-efficient aircraft. Moreover, the study found that the airlines are equally committed to addressing environmental challenges such as climate change and pollution. The airline industry is actively documenting its efforts in climate change mitigation and investing in socioeconomic SDGs, which indicates progress towards global welfare. The study recommends continuous efforts to address global challenges, strengthen the sector, and amplify its positive impact in addressing its negative aspects.
Cytotoxicity and antioxidant activities of bacteriocins extracted from novel marine lactic acid bacteria Lactococcus lactis NAN6399
Authors: Ameen Fatma A. , Soliman Mahmoud E. , Hammad Sherif F. , Hamadan Amira M.
Published: August 2024

This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxicity, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of the bacteriocins produced by novel marine lactic acid bacteria, specifically Lactococcus lactis NAN6399, isolated from the Mediterranean Sea coast of Alexandria. Additionally, comprehensive sequencing, analyses, and protein identification of this bacteriocin was conducted. The results indicated that this isolate has a broad antimicrobial spectrum against the tested bacterial indicators. Bacteriocin purified from NAN6399 had a molecular weight of approximately 20 kDa and was designated as “lactococcin972”. Furthermore, cytotoxicity and antioxidant activities were conducted on bacteriocin by 3(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl),2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Diphenyl picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, respectively. The results showed that “lactococcin972” exhibited distinguished cytotoxic activity with inhibition rates of 80% against breast cancer (MCF-7) and 30% against lung cancer (A549). Additionally, “lactococcin972” exhibited reduction activity of 72% against DPPH. These findings suggest that lactococcin972 has significant potential as therapeutic agents due to their notable antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and antioxidant properties.
Downregulation of AdipoR1 in the hippocampus impairs synaptic function and structure and causes depression-like behavior
Authors: Tang Yong , Zhu Peilin , Luo Yanmin , Li Yue , Tang Jing , Liu Li , Deng Yuhui , Li Jing , Jiang Lin , Yang Wenyu , xiao qian , Wang Shun , Zhou Yuning , Chao Fenglei , Zhang Lei , Zhou Chunnu , Liang Xin
Published: August 2024

Previous studies have indicated that impaired synaptic plasticity is a main pathological alteration in depression. However, the mechanism underlying this pathological change has not been clarified. Adiponectin, an adipokines, crosses the blood-brain barrier to function in special brain regions. Previous studies have suggested that the downregulation of adiponectin signaling is involved in the occurrence of depression. Adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs), AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, which serves as the main receptors for adiponectin in the central nervous system, mediate the downstream biological effects of this compound, which has been reported to have positive effects on synaptic plasticity. However, it is not clear whether alternations in adiponectin/AdipoRs signaling are associated with impaired synaptic plasticity in depression. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether changes in the adiponectin/AdipoRs pathway in the hippocampus during depression are involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity damage. We detected reduced plasma concentrations of adiponectin and lower expression levels of AdipoR1 but not of AdipoR2 in the hippocampus in mice exposed to the chronic unpredictable stress. Then, an adeno-associated virus was used to knockdown hippocampal AdipoR1 to further verify the effects of decreased expression levels of this receptor on depressive-like behaviors and hippocampal synaptic plasticity. We found that the mice in which hippocampal AdipoR1 was knocked down presented with anhedonia and passive stress-coping behaviors as well as a decreased number of dendritic spines and density of excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Our results suggest that the downregulation of AdipoR1 expression might be an important factor that causes impaired synaptic plasticity in depression. These results may provide new insights into the pathogenesis of depression and new therapeutic targets or treating the disease.
Evaluation of UAV-based 3D modeling methods for landslides under different route plans
Authors: wang Yunchuan , Li Jia , Sun Long , Duan Ping , Wang Rui
Published: August 2024

Currently, aerial photographs are acquired by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) along preplanned flight routes, and a 3D model is constructed to investigate and measure the features of geological disasters. This work studies and evaluates the effectiveness and quality of three kinds of UAV routes used for landslide investigations by surveying a landslide in Luquan County, Kunming city, Yunnan Province. The advantages and disadvantages of 3D models based on the "horizontal round-trip route (HRr)", "terrain follow route (TFr)" and "inclined route (Ir)" methods were studied and compared through quality evaluation of the final products. The results show that the 3D models based on HRr and TFr have different degrees of distortion and blurring, while the 3D model based on Ir has a finer surface resolution, offers the best performance among the three routes, and can more truly capture the true surface of the survey features. Correspondingly, the checkpoint accuracies of the HRr, TFr, and Ir methods are 0.155 m, 0.064 m and 0.033 m, respectively, of which the 3D model based on Ir is the most accurate. This research indicate that inclined routes have better applicability in the investigation and monitoring of landslides.
Kinetics and Isotherm Studies of Dyes Degradation from Aqueous Solution by Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) from Smooth Pigweed (AmaranthuS hybridus)
Authors: Bamigbade Akeem Adesina , Oduntan Kayode D. , Bamgbose Janet Titilayo
Published: August 2024

Malachite green adsorption from aqueous solution using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was investigated and is reported in this study. AgNPs prepared was characterized by Fourier transform Infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), UV-visible spectrophotometer and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystalline nature of the AgNP was revealed with XRD. This was supported by the observed sharp four diffraction peaks with peaks intense appeared at 2θ = 38.09°, 44.15°, 64.67°, and 77.54°. However, the SEM micrograph of the synthesized AgNPs revealed the spherical shape of AgNPs with a non-uniform granular shape attributed to bio-mediated process. Whereas, FTIR spectra of AgNPs exhibits, 3407, 2956, 2834, 2725, 1660, 1358 and 1096 cm-1, which represent free OH molecules, stretching C-H modes, stretching alkenes C = O bonds, carbonyl group stretching C-OH band, stretching C-O alcohols and ethers, respectively. The adsorption study was carried out under different conditions such as, pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, temperature and initial concentration of dye to determine the ideal conditions and the maximum adsorption capacities. The results indicated that increase in temperature had very minimal effect on the adsorption process. The silver nanoparticle was effective in the removal of malachite green in acidic medium. Langmuir, Freundlich and Tempkin model gave a better fit to adsorption isotherms while Dubinin Radushkevich model is not appropriate for the adsorption process. Adsorption kinetics of malachite green onto AgNPs adsorbents followed both the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order rate. The results indicate that AgNPs could be utilized as effective adsorbents for the removal of dyes from aqueous solution.
The six-minute walk test in community-dwelling older adult women: influence of physical activity levels and age-related factors.
Authors: Peña Rocío Cogollos de la , Espí-López Gemma Victoria , Fuentes-Aparicio Laura , Monzani Lucas , Pavlu Dagmar , Arnal-Gómez Anna
Published: August 2024

Background and objectives
This study aimed to analyze cardiorespiratory variations in the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in older adult women based on their level of physical activity and age-related variables such as pain, sarcopenia, frailty, or motivation to exercise.
Methods
A total of 163 older adult women without cardiac or respiratory pathology and with musculoskeletal pain were included. They were classified according to their physical activity: high (HPA), moderate (MPA) and low (LPA). They performed the 6MWT test and their heart rate (HR), dyspnoea, and oxygen saturation (SaO2) were monitored. Their musculoskeletal pain, sarcopenia, frailty, and motivation to exercise were also assessed. A multivariate analysis of (co)variance with repeated measures (RM-MANCOVA) was performed.
Results
The results showed differences depending on their level of physical activity on HR, conditioned by sarcopenia (p < .05) and walked distance (p < .001), and in dyspnoea conditioned by pain perception (p < .01) and social (p < .001) and psychological motivation to exercise (p < .05). There were also differences in SaO2 depending on their level of physical activity (p < .0001). Differences were between HPA with both the MPA and LPA who had higher HR, higher dyspnoea, and lower SaO2 when conducting the 6MWT test.
Conclusions
When interpreting the results of a 6MWT in older adult women there are other factors that can interfere, and must be considered, in addition to their level of physical activity, such as pain, sarcopenia, and motivation to exercise, thus, influencing their cardiorespiratory outcomes.
Heart rate variability, a potential assessment tool for identifying anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders in elderly individuals
Authors: Liu Wenna , Wang Shutong , Gu Hanyang , Li Rong
Published: August 2024

Background
This study investigates how anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders impact heart rate variability (HRV) in the elderly, exploring the clinical implications of HRV changes.
Methods
We examined 355 patients (163 men, 192 women) at Xijing Hospital from July 2021 to December 2022 during health check-ups. Demographics were recorded, and emotional status was assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale (PSQI) evaluated sleep quality. Patients were categorized into groups A-G based on the presence of emotional states and sleep disorders. HRV indices—SDNN, SDANN, RMSSD, PNN50, LF/HF, LF, and HF—were analyzed using ANOVA and multivariate logistic regression.
Results
No statistically significant differences were observed in demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors across the eight groups. Variables assessed included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood lipids, blood pressure, heart rate, and histories of smoking and alcohol consumption. Additionally, the presence of hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, marital status, income, and education level were evaluated, with all showing equivalence (P > 0.05). Significant differences in HRV indices were observed across groups, particularly in group G (patients with anxiety, depression and sleep disorders), which showed decreased HRV parameters except LF/HF, and group H (control group), which showed increased parameters, also except LF/HF (P < 0.01). Anxiety was an independent risk factor for reduced SDNN, SDANN, and LF (P ≤ 0.01), and increased LF/HF ratio (P < 0.01). Depression was linked to decreased SDNN, RMSSD, PNN50, and HF (P < 0.05). Sleep disorders independently predicted reduced PNN50 and SDANN (P < 0.01).
Conclusion
HRV indices of individuals with varying emotional states and sleep disorders exhibited varying degrees of decrease. Anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders presented a superimposed effect on HRV. Among these factors, sleep disorders have the least impact on HRV.
PerFedHypID: A Personalized Federated Hypernetworks based aggregation approach for Intrusion Detection Systems
Authors: Abhijit Chunduru , Jerusha Y Annie , P Syed Ibrahim S , Varadharajan Vijay
Published: August 2024

Traditional Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS) face scalability challenges due to the vast amount of data generated by Internet of Things (IoT) devices, coupled with growing privacy concerns. Federated Learning (FL) emerges as a distributed, privacy-preserving learning paradigm that trains deep learning models locally, mitigating privacy risks associated with centralized data processing. However, conventional FL strategies entail limitations. First, they require all clients to use the same model architectures. This makes personalized learning harder, especially when there is non-IID (independent and identically distributed) heterogeneous data. Secondly, the weight aggregation process in FL introduces communication overhead, potentially slowing down aggregation. Also, even though there are encryption methods like homomorphic encryption and differential privacy, encrypted weights take more time to process and can be hacked to see how the data is distributed. This is especially true in dynamic IoT environments where attack types cause data distributions to change all the time. To address these challenges, we propose PerFedHypID: A Personalized Federated Hypernetworks-based aggregation strategy for Intrusion Detection Systems. Our approach incorporates embedding vectors instead of weights, which are lighter and offer enhanced personalization capabilities. PerFedHypID leverages personalized layers and hypernetwork aggregation for efficient and personalized model aggregation. We extensively evaluated our proposed system on the CSE-CICIDS-2018 dataset under various non-IID heterogeneous settings. Our results demonstrate robust performance compared to state-of-the-art personalized federated learning algorithms.
Comparative study of surgical management for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws
Authors: Curra Cláudia , Curi Marcos Martins , Koga Daniel Henrique , Almeida Gustavo de Paula , Silva Julia França da , Cardoso Camila Lopes
Published: August 2024

Purpose
The aim of the trial was to assess whether the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) improves surgical outcomes for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) compared with treatment without PRP.
Methods
We evaluated the clinical outcomes of two surgical treatment modalities for MRONJ. Group 1 (15 patients/18 sites with MRONJ) underwent bone resection with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Group 2 (16 patients/18 sites with MRONJ) underwent bone resection without the use of PRP. We analyzed the medical records of patients in both groups. The following information was collected: Patient age and sex, primary tumour/disease, type and duration of bisphosphonate, clinical staging of MRONJ, outcome of surgical treatment.
Results
There was no significant difference in treatment success between the groups (p = 0.221). No significant differences were found for other variables (duration of drug use, gender, clinical stage).
Conclusion
These results definitively show that the use of PRP at the surgical site is not a critical factor in the successful treatment of MRONJ.
An updated report of Phlebotomine sand fly fauna from Kousseri, visceral Leishmaniasis focus in Northern Cameroon
Authors: aime Tateng Ngouateu , Rostand Tebo Nzesseu Thierry , Bebe Ngouateu Omer , Cedrick Yamssi , Emmanuel Elanga N'dille , Cyrille Ndo , Michel Lontsi-Demano , Vincent Khan Payne , Andreas Krueger , Blaise Dondji
Published: August 2024

Data on the species composition of sand flies of Kousseri is out of date and there is no information on their role in disease transmission. In this context, a one-year survey, from September 2020 to August 2021 was conducted to update the species composition and detect Leishmania sp. infection in sand fly specimens. The checklist and distribution map of sand fly species from Cameroon are also mentioned. Sand fly specimens were collected monthly in five selected sites across Kousseri town using Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) miniature light traps. Only female specimens were morphologically identified to the species level based on valid diagnostic keys and tested for Leishmania donovani infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting ITS1 at 350 bp using species-specific primers. A total of 2150 females were caught. Of these, eleven species belonging to three genera were identified: the genus Sergentomyia constituted 81.44% of collected sand flies versus 17.49% and 1.07% for the genera Grassomyia and Phlebotomus, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Gr. inermis in Cameroon. Furthermore, five species including Se. clydei, Se. adleri, Se. schwetzi, Se. affinis vorax, and Gr. squamipleuris are herein listed for the first time in Kousseri. None of the female specimens tested for ITS-1 PCR were positive for Leishmania donovani infection. Further investigations are needed for a better assessment of the ecology of these sand fly species in order to provide reliable data for leishmaniases control and prevention in northern Cameroon.
National-Scale Analysis of Transit-Oriented Development Levels at High-Speed Rail Stations in China
Authors: Deng Jialin , Cheng Long , Wu Chuanlong , Jin Tanhua , Witlox Frank
Published: August 2024

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), a sustainable urban development strategy emphasizing integration between transportation and land-use planning centered around public transportation hubs, is increasingly employed around High-Speed Rail (HSR) stations. Despite this trend, there is a lack of quantitative evaluation on factors affecting TOD levels around HSR stations, and quantitative assessment on TOD levels around HSR stations at a national scale remains limited. This study investigates TOD around HSR stations in 31 Chinese provincial capital cities. Utilizing open-source data and linear regression analysis, we measure TOD levels and identify key influencing factors, specifically focusing on economic, policy, and resident population variables. Results show higher TOD levels in eastern coastal regions compared to central and western inland regions, with a disparity between inner-city and suburban HSR stations. Inner-city TOD is influenced by provincial economic structure, while suburban TOD is primarily impacted by HSR-supportive policies. Given the trend of constructing HSR stations in suburban areas, the study highlights the potential for improving TOD around suburban HSR stations through flexible policy guidance, emphasizing the need for aligned policies to harness HSR stations for urban expansion and multi-polar urban development.
Temporal Dependency Modeling in Lane- Changing Decisions Using Long Short-Term Memory Networks
Authors: Parthasarathy Kavya Murali
Published: August 2024

Decision-making is a multifaceted event because the action sequences inherent in human decision-making are shaped by complex cognitive processes, including but not limited to beliefs, desires, intentions, and the ability to infer the mental states of others (theory of mind) Lin et al. (2022). These situations introduce substantial obstacles to accurately forecasting human decisions, especially when fundamental psychological mechanisms are not considered. Addressing this, this study explores the temporal evolution of lane-changing decisions among drivers through the application of sequence models. By examining how decision-making patterns develop when drivers encounter a series of scenarios or familiarise themselves with the task, this study provides insights into time-sensitive decision-making. This study presents an LSTM-based model for predicting lane-changing decisions in road scenarios. Utilising the strength of LSTMs in capturing temporal dependencies, our model demonstrates high accuracy in training and validation phases, suggesting robust generalisation and potential for real-world Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
The Mechanism of Cistanche Yishen Granules in Treating Parkinson's Disease Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking
Authors: Bao Wanwan , Lin Ming , Cao Mei , Cheng Jielong , Tu Huaijun
Published: August 2024

To evaluate the potential pharmacological effects of bioactive components in Citanche Yishen Granules (CYSG) on Parkinson's disease (PD) using network pharmacology methods.
Method: The effective active ingredients in CYSG were retrieved using the TCMSP database, and the potential gene targets of these active ingredients were predicted using the Swiss Target Prediction database. The PD gene was obtained from three databases. Then, we intersect the targets of CYSG active ingredients with PD targets. At the same time, these common targets were subjected to Drug-active ingredient-common target network construction, protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, gene ontology (GO) analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Finally, molecular docking studies further confirmed the results of these analyses.
Result: CYSG has 68 active ingredients that meet the screening criteria. These 68 active ingredients have a total of 799 potential gene targets, of which 635 are shared with PD. The biological process (BP) in GO enrichment analysis of these common targets includes protein autophotography, peptide tyrosine pharmacology, and peptide tyrosine modification. The Cellular Component (CC) mainly includes the membrane raft, membrane microdomain, and membrane region. The molecular function (MF) mainly includes protein tyrosine kinase activity, protein serine/threonine kinase activity, and neuron receptor activity. The KEGG pathway mainly includes related pathways such as Neuroactive light receiver interaction, Calcium signaling pathway, Lipid and atherosclerosis and Apoptosis. The molecular docking results showed that the top three active components of CYSG had good binding activity with four core targets. In summary, this study provides a deep understanding of the potential pharmacological effects of the active components of CYSG on PD, supporting it as the most promising treatment method for this disease.
Mitigating Self Echo in Public Cellular AccessNetworks Using Counter Propagating Light wave Interferometry
Authors: Chandrasenan Archa , Zacharias Joseph
Published: August 2024

Public Cellular Access Networks based on Radio over Fiber technology (PCN-RoF) seamlessly integrate connections among individuals, devices, and servicesacross diverse sectors. The proposed PCN-RoF, using in-band full duplex technol-ogy (IBFD), allows simultaneous signal transmission and reception between userstations (US) and central office stations (COS) within the same frequency band.However, a drawback of IBFD-based PCN-RoF systems is the self-echo (SE)interference caused by simultaneous transmission and reception. To address this,we propose a self-echo cancellation (SEC) system based on Counter-PropagatingLight wave Interferometry (CPLI). The system employs a dual parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator (DPMZM) for SEC, with a frequency downconverting systemusing an electrical local oscillator (ELO) and an FBG-based sensor to mitigatedispersion effects. Achieving cancellation depths of 52.99 dB to 56.74 dB andconversion efficiency from 23.55 dB to 27.70 dB, this SEC technique can enhancesmart city implementations by enabling efficient communication among diversedevices, infrastructure, and sensors.
Study on Liquid-Liquid Equilibrium Experiments and Correlation of Cyclohexane +Toluene + Imidazole Ionic Liquids Systems at several temperatures
Authors: Li Xia , Liu Shuyan , Yin Yahui , Zhang Weilian , Sun Chenglong , Xu Xianzhen
Published: August 2024

In today's increasingly strong concept of sustainable development and environmental protection, it is of great significance to seek more environmentally friendly and safe separation technology. Toluene and cyclohexane are important organic solvents, and their separation and purification play important role in chemical industry, environmental protection, food, drug preparation and other fields. In this work, two ionic liquids (ILs) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF6]) and 1-Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([HMIM][PF6]) were screened as extractants by COSMOthermX 2021 to separate toluene from cyclohexane. The liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) data of the ternary system for cyclohexane + toluene + [BMIM][PF6]/[HMIM][PF6] were measured at T = 298.15, 308.15 and 318.15 K, and the effect of the alkyl chain length on LLE was revealed. To assess the separation efficiency, we calculated the distribution coefficient (D) and selectivity (S) at different temperatures. Additionally, the Othmer-Tobias equation was used to test the reliability of the experimental data. The nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL) model is used to correlate the LLE data, and the model parameters were obtained using Matlab tools, and root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) values less than 0.018, indicating that experimental data agree with the regressed by the NRTL model.
Enhancing stock price prediction with CommentGCN and OPERA for stock comments from social media
Authors: Zhu Changsheng , Yang Chen , Feng Wenfang , Yuan Peiwen
Published: August 2024

Stock price prediction is an important research topic in the financial field. However, there are two challenges, modeling the graph-structured stock comments effectively and tackling the severe distribution shift of the stock price data. To exploit the structural characteristics of stock comments and address the issue of data distribution shift, this study proposes a novel model, CommentGCN-OPERA, for stock price prediction. In terms of the social media textual data, to effectively process the inherently graph-structured stock comments and their interrelationships, we propose the CommentGCN module for modeling the information contained in these comments. Regarding the stock price data, the OPERA (OPEning pRice normAlization) module alleviates the issue of data distribution shift by employing input normalization and output denormalization operations, thereby reducing the bias of the stock price data. Experimental results on 6 stocks demonstrate that CommentGCN-OPERA outperforms 5 baseline models in most cases. Additionally, the ablation study further validates the independent effectiveness of the CommentGCN and OPERA modules within the model.
Modelling Realistic Generator Circuits of Spontaneous Activity of the Mouse Spinal Cord
Authors: Garcia-Ortiz Juan Pedro , Lucas-Romero Javier , Rivera-Arconada Ivan , Lopez-Garcia J. A.
Published: August 2024

Collective spontaneous activity is a commonly reported phenomenon in electrophysiological studies of many areas of the central nervous system; however, the mechanisms underlying the emergence of such activity have received little attention. Recent studies in the spinal cord dorsal horn report collective events in which groups of neurons fire action potentials in a quasi-synchronic way producing population bursts. We proposed that this coordinated activity should originate at neurons with the intrinsic capacity of firing action potentials. Neurons of this kind are found in the dorsal horn, but they tend to produce action potential at regular intervals and high frequency whereas collective events occur at irregular intervals and lower frequencies. The goal of the present research was to test the hypothesis that irregular collective events could be generated by synaptic interactions between neurons with intrinsic firing properties. To this end, we used popular modeling tools to create in silico neurons with similar electrophysiological behavior to that reported in the dorsal horn. Then we formed circuits with these elements and tested the ability of such circuits to produce collective events. Results obtained show that only a few circuits can produce such events. Many of these circuits share common structural and functional elements. These circuits showed a robust behavior which was not affected by external inputs or by changing the number of neurons of the ensemble. The present work supports the hypothesis that collective events as those recorded in the dorsal horn, emerge from neuronal generators formed by neurons with intrinsic firing capacity.
System Usability Scale for Gamified E-learning Courses: Cross-cultural Adaptation and Measurement Properties of the Spanish Version
Authors: Roncal-Belzunce Victoria , Gutiérrez-Valencia Marta , Martínez-Velilla Nicolás , Ramírez-Vélez Robinson
Published: August 2024

Objective: This work aimed to translate and culturally adapt the system usability scale for gamified e-learning courses (SUS-G scale) for Spanish population and evaluate its factor structure.
Methods: A single-measure, cross-sectional study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the SUS-G scale was translated and culturally adapted. In the second phase, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with a development sample of 103 participants, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with a training sample of 201 participants to evaluate the scale's structure. Several goodness-of-fit indices were used to assess model fit.
Results: A total of 304 students from the University of Navarra School of Medicine (189 females and 115 males) participated. The EFA was performed because of the good results offered by the sampling adequacy indices (Bartlett’s test = 1846.22; df = 406.0; p < 0.001; and KMO test = 0.857). The factor solution comprised three correlated factors: User Experience (16 items), Educational Usability (9 items) and Usability (4 items). The 29-item factor structure demonstrated adequate-to-excellent goodness-of-fit indices and good internal consistency in the CFA.
Conclusion: The SUS-G scale-Sp version for adults, obtained through back-translation, was validated and found to be reliable through EFA and CFA analyses. The final instrument consists of the same 29 items, reorganized into three dimensions. This instrument can be used to assess the perception of usability for gamified e-learning courses among Spanish-speaking university adults.
Using high-fidelity discrete element simulation to calibrate an expeditious terramechanics model in a multibody dynamics framework
Authors: Zhang Yuemin , Dai Junpeng , Hu Wei , Negrut Dan
Published: August 2024

The wheel-soil interaction has great impact on the dynamics of off-road vehicles in terramechanics applications. The Soil Contact Model (SCM), which anchors an empirical method to characterize the frictional contact between a wheel and soil, has been widely used in off-road vehicle dynamics simulations because it quickly produces adequate results for many terramechanics applications. The SCM approach calls for a set of model parameters that are obtained via a bevameter test. This test is expensive and time consuming to carry out, and in some cases difficult to set up, e.g., in extraterrestrial applications. We propose an approach to address these concerns by conducting the bevameter test in simulation, using a model that captures the physics of the actual experiment with high fidelity. To that end, we model the bevameter test rig as a multibody system, while the dynamics of the soil is captured using a discrete element model (DEM). The multibody dynamics--soil dynamics co-simulation is used to replicate the bevameter test, producing high-fidelity ground truth test data that is subsequently used to calibrate the SCM parameters within a Bayesian inference framework. To test the accuracy of the resulting SCM terramechanics, we run single wheel and full rover simulations using both DEM and SCM terrains. The SCM results match well with those produced by the DEM solution, and the simulation time for SCM is two to three orders of magnitude lower than that of DEM. All simulations in this work are performed using Chrono, an open-source, publicly available simulator. The scripts and models used are available in a public repository for reproducibility studies and further research.