bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stakes of Neuromorphic Foveation: a promising future for embedded event cameras
Authors: Gruel Amélie , Hareb Dalia , Grimaldi Antoine , Martinet Jean , Perrinet Laurent , Linares-Barranco Bernabé , Serrano-Gotarredona Teresa
Published: October 2022

Foveation can be defined as the organic action of directing the gaze towards a visual region of interest, to acquire relevant information selectively. With the recent advent of event cameras, we believe that taking advantage of this visual neuroscience mechanism would greatly improve the efficiency of event-data processing. Indeed, applying foveation to event data would allow to comprehend the visual scene while significantly reducing the amount of raw data to handle.
In this respect, we demonstrate the stakes of neuromorphic foveation theoretically and empirically across several computer vision tasks, namely semantic segmentation and classification. We show that foveated event data has a significantly better trade-off between quantity and quality of the information conveyed than high or low resolution event data. Furthermore, this compromise extends even over fragmented datasets. Our code is publicly available online at: github.com/amygruel/FoveationStakes DVS/.
Adapting to Uncertainty: A Mixed Methods Study of Parents Whose Infants are in the NICU for Reasons Other than Prematurity
Authors: Rholl Erin , Leuthner Steven , Malin Kathryn , Lagatta Joanne , Olson Krisjon
Published: October 2022

Objectives: Parents of premature infants experience stress related to uncertainty. Less is known about the NICU experience of other parents. Our objectives were (1) describe the experience of parents whose infants are admitted to the NICU for reasons other than prematurity and (2) examine the impact of uncertainty and social factors.
Study Design: Mixed-methods study utilizing interviews, surveys, and chart review to assess parent experience in relation to uncertainty and social factors.
Results: 49 parents were enrolled. Themes included. 1. NICU Parents experienced uncertainty. Adaptation improved well-being. 2. Parents adapted by understanding their infant’s condition. While provider counseling helped parents adapt, uncertainty focused counseling increased distress. 3. Structural vulnerability impacted uncertainty. 4. Discrimination prevented adaptation.
Conclusion: The NICU produces uncertainty for parents. Communicating a team lead, expertise, and interventional plans promoted adaptation. Parents with structural vulnerability use prior skills to manage uncertainty. Parents experiencing discrimination report alienation prevented adaptation.
New diverse soliton solutions for the coupled Konno-Oono equations
Authors: Zahran Emad H.M. , Bekir Ahmet
Published: October 2022

The main aim of this article is to established new impressive diverse soliton solutions to the nonlinear Coupled Konno-Oono model (NCKOM) that represents current-field string interact with an external magnetic field. The achieved soliton solutions will give stretch study for this model and all related phenomena’s. Three different schemas have been called for this purpose. The first one is the extended direct algebraic method (EDAM), while the second is the Paul-Painlevé approach method (PPAM) and the third one is the Riccati-Bernoulli Sub-ODE method (RBSODM). Brief comparisons between our results and that achieved previously have been listed.
Efficacy of an Adjuvant Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Formula in Improving Skin Lesions as Assessed by Pasi in Patients With Plaque Psoriasis From a University-affiliated, Tertiary-referral Hospital in São Paulo (Brazil): a Parallel, Double-blind, Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Suriano Enrico Stefano , Souza Marília Diogo Moço , Kobata Clarice Marie , Santos Felipe Henrique Yazawa , Mimiça Marcelo Jenné
Published: October 2022

Background: psoriasis is an inflammatory disease of the skin, characterized by erythematous plaques. It is rather common, affecting 2–4% of the population in western countries. Psoriasis’ etiology encompasses both genetic and environmental factors. Evidence suggests that the latter reflect the importance of changes in the microbiome for developing the disease. Thus, it is hypothesized that gut microbiome manipulation may arise as a way of treating psoriasis. However, few trials assessed the use of probiotics in psoriasis, although promising results were detected in small studies.
Objectives: to assess the efficacy of adjuvant probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus) in treating plaque psoriasis patients.
Design, Setting and Participants: this was a randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial with two arms: experimental (n=50) and control (n=53). Inclusion of subjects and data gathering lasted from November 2020 to August 2021. Subjects were consecutive plaque psoriasis patients under regular follow-up in the Dermatology unit of a university-affiliated, tertiary-referral hospital in São Paulo (Brazil). Eligibility criteria included being over 18 years old, having plaque psoriasis and not having other skin diseases, neoplasms nor systemic inflammatory diseases.
Interventions: subjects received standard-of-care plus probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus formula). Controls received standard-of-care plus placebo.
Main Outcome Measure: primary outcome was skin lesion improvement as assessed by Psoriasis Area of Severity Index (PASI) at six months. Secondary outcome was quality-of-life as assessed by Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) at six months.
Results: regarding within-group analyses, changes in both PASI and DLQI were non-significant for the experimental group (mean PASI decreased by 1.58, p=0.105, and mean DLQI increased by 0.05, p=0.873) and significant for controls (mean PASI decreased by 1.90, p=0.019, and mean DLQI decreased by 3.33, p=0.031). Between-group analyses returned non-significant results (p=0.620).
Conclusions: our findings do not support the hypothesis that gut microbiome modulation via ingestion of Lactobacillus rhamnosusproduces clinical improvement in psoriasis patients. Further research is encouraged.
Trial Registration: retrospectively registered at the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (RBR-8js7t83) on 08/02/2022.
Effect of duodenal-jejunal bypass on diabetes in the early postoperative period
Authors: Okikawa Shohei , Kashihara Hideya , Shimada Mitsuo , Yoshikawa Kozo , Tokunaga Takuya , Nishi Masaaki , Takasu Chie , Wada Yuma , Yoshimoto Toshiaki
Published: October 2022

Metabolic surgery is an effective treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of duodenal-jejunal bypass (DJB) in a rat model of T2DM during the early postoperative period. A rat model of non-obese T2DM was allocated to two groups: a sham group and a DJB group. On postoperative day 1 (1POD), oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) was performed and the changes of glucose transporter expressions in the small intestine was evaluated. [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18]-FDG) uptake was measured in sham- and DJB-operated rats using positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT). DJB improved the glucose tolerance of the rats on 1POD. The expression of sodium-glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1) and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) was high, and that of GLUT2 was low in the alimentary limb (AL) of rats in the DJB group. PET-CT showed that [18F]-FDG uptake was high in the proximal jejunum of DJB-operated rats. These results suggest that DJB improve glucose tolerance in very early postoperative period as the result of glucose accumulation in the AL because of changes in glucose transporter expression.
Pedestrian Flow Identification and PredictingOccupancy of Indoor Areas
Authors: Tsiamitros Nikolaos , Mahapatra Tanmaya , Passalidis Ioannis , K Kailashnath , Pipelidis Georgios
Published: October 2022

Indoor localisation is used for locating the objects and people within the buildings where our outdoor tracking tools and technologies cannot provide precise results due to the unavailability of any visual contact with the satellites used by them. With the advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, indoor localisation in indoor buildings like airports, hotels, and tourist places is possible. This paper aims to improve the analytics research, focusing on data collected through indoor localisation methods. Our smart devices constantly try to improve the user experience by recurrently broadcasting automatic connectivity requests. These packets are known as Wi-Fi probe requests and can encapsulate various spatio-temporal information of the device carrier. The objective of this paper is to perform a detailed comparison between the Prophet model developed by Facebook and our implementation of the Auto Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) model. Prophet Model is an additive model that requires no manual effort and can easily detect and handle outliers or missing data.In contrast, the ARMA model may require more effort and deep statistical analysis but allows the user to tune it and reach a more personalised result. Second, we have attempted to understand human behaviour. We have used historical data to forecast using two different models, which we conclude by comparing. Subsequently, we mapped each probe request to the section of our place of interest where it was captured while also considering its uncertainty radius. Finally, we have performed pedestrian flow analysis by identifying the most common paths followed inside our place of interest.
Effects of cocktail combinations of antisense oligonucleotides on potency
Authors: Yanagidaira Mitsugu , Yoshioka Kotaro , Nagata Tetsuya , Nakao Shoichi , Miyata Kenichi , Yokota Takanori
Published: October 2022

Background: The co-administration of several therapeutic oligonucleotides targeting the same transcript is a beneficial approach. It broadens the target sites for diseases associated with various mutations or splice variants. However, little is known how a combination of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), which is one of the major modalities of therapeutic oligonucleotides, affects the potency. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the cocktail-effects of ASOs and the relationship between the target sites and potency of different combinations.
Method and Results: We designed 113 ASOs targeting human superoxide dismutase 1 pre-mRNA and found 13 ASOs that had comparable silencing activity in vitro. An analysis of cocktail-effects on the silencing potency of 38 pairs of two ASOs on HeLa cells revealed that 30 pairs had comparable potency to that of two ASOs; on the other hand, eight pairs had reduced potency, indicating a negative impact on the activity. A reduced potency was seen in pairs targeting the same intron, exon-intron combination, or two different introns. The sequence distance of target sites was not the major determinant factor of cocktail-effects. In addition, a cocktail of three ASOs preserving the potency could be designed by avoiding two-ASO pairs, which had a reduced potency.
Conclusions: This study revealed that more than half of the combinations retain their potency by paring two ASOs; in contrast, some pairs had a reduced potency. This could not be predicted only by the distance between the target sites.
PEDF peptide stimulates chondrocyte regeneration in rats with monoiodoacetate-induced articular cartilage injury
Authors: Lu Yung-Chang , Ho Tsung-Chuan , Huang Chang-Hung , Yeh Shu-I , Chen Show-Li , Tsao Yeou-Ping
Published: October 2022

Background: Intra-articular injection of monoiodoacetate (MIA) has shown to induce extensive chondrocyte degeneration/death in articular cartilage (AC), resulting in destruction of the AC in animals. This has been used often as model of osteoarthritis (OA). Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) and its derived short peptide 29-mer have been shown to heal tissue injury by activating various types of stem/progenitor cells localized near the lesions. Here we investigated whether the 29-mer is able to evoke chondrogenesis in rats with MIA-injured AC.
Methods: AC destruction was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by a single intra-articular injection of MIA (1 mg) in the right knee. After MIA injection for 7 days, the 29-mer infused with 5% hyaluronic acid (HA) was injected intra-articularly twice, at 4-day intervals. Also, BrdU was injected intraperitoneally into the rats to detect cell proliferation in the damaged AC. The histopathology of AC was determined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Safranin O staining. The regeneration of chondrocytes in the AC was detected by dual-immunostaining of BrdU and chondrocyte markers, including aggrecan, collagen type 2 and Sox9. Changes in hind paw weight distribution were measured to evaluate the MIA-induced joint discomfort. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were used to detect chondrogenic differentiation. The involvement of the PEDF receptor and STAT3 signaling on the 29-mer effects was evaluated using specific inhibitors.
Results: MIA injection caused chondrocyte death throughout the AC, with cartilage degeneration thereafter. The 29-mer/HA treatment induced extensive chondrocyte regeneration in the damaged AC, accompanied by the partial recovery of the cartilaginous matrix. The 29-mer/HA also exerted an antinociceptive effect in rats. In culture, the 29-mer promoted chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs with evidence of increased expression of chondrogenic marker genes and proteoglycans, as well as the phosphorylation of STAT3. Pharmacological inhibitors of PEDF-R and STAT3 signaling dramatically blocked the 29-mer effects on cultured MSCs and chondrogenesis in the injured AC.
Conclusions: The 29-mer/HA formulation has the ability to stimulate chondrocyte regeneration in the MIA damaged AC. The 29-mer may be a novel agent for the development of future OA treatments.
SARWAS Recommendation Framework Using Deep Learning
Authors: Choudhary Chaitali , Singh Inder , Biju Soly Mathew , Kumar Manoj
Published: October 2022

Sentiment-based recommendation systems are growing very fast nowadays , as users cannot express their opinion on the Likert scale from 1 to 5. Most of the current techniques work on either one of the parameters (ratings or reviews), mainly on reviews. This paper explored a new algorithm, SARWAS, involving both ratings and reviews for the recommendation system. This paper proposed a deep learning model using a sentiment and rating weighted association score (SARWAS) framework for combining ratings and reviews. We scraped reviews from e-commerce sites and calculated polarity and subjectivity for each review. Then a neural network model is further applied to calculate the weights and determine a combined score for a product. We evaluated the proposed model in terms of correlation between rating, review, and recommendation. It is being observed from the experiment that the proposed method produced satisfactory results in terms of accuracy. The correlation of reviews and recommendations is estimated to be more than ratings and recommendations with improved accuracy and precision of 95 percent and 89 percent.
Application of KNN-based Isometric Mapping and Fuzzy C-Means Algorithm to Predict Short-term Rockburst Risk in Deep Underground Projects
Authors: Kamran Muhammad , Ullah Barkat , Ahmad Mahmood , Sabri Mohanad Muayad Sabri
Published: October 2022

The rockburst phenomenon is the major source of the high number of casualties and fatalities during the construction of deep underground projects. Rockburst poses a severe hazard to the safety of employees and equipment in subsurface mining operations. It is a hot topic in recent years to examine and overcome rockburst risks for the safe installation of deep urban engineering designs. Therefore, for a cost-effective and safe underground environment, it is crucial to determine and predict rockburst intensity prior to its occurrence. A novel model is presented in this study that combines unsupervised and supervised machine learning approaches in order to predict rockburst risk. The database for this study was built using authentic microseismic monitoring occurrences from the Jinping-II hydropower project in China, which consists of 93 short-term rockburst occurrences with six influential features. The prediction process was succeeded in three steps. Firstly, the original rockburst database's magnification was reduced using a state-of-the-art method called isometric mapping (ISOMAP) algorithm. Secondly, the dataset acquired from ISOMAP was categorized using the fuzzy c-means algorithm (FCM) to reduce the minor spectral heterogeneity impact in homogenous areas. Thirdly, K-Nearest neighbour (KNN) was employed to anticipate different levels of short-term rockburst datasets. The KNN's classification performance was examined using several performance metrics. The proposed model correctly classified about 96% of the rockbursts events in the testing datasets. Hence, the suggested model is a realistic and effective tool for evaluating rockburst intensity. Therefore, the proposed model can be employed to forecast the rockburst risk in the early stages of underground projects that will help to minimize casualties from rockburst.
Seropositivity for toxocariasis is associated with worse cognitive functioning in older adults: The national health and nutrition examination survey 2011 to 2014
Authors: Li Chunmei
Published: October 2022

Background
Toxocariasis is an important broad-spectrum zoonotic parasite linked with poorer cognitive functioning in animals. However, this relationship is rarely studied in humans.
Method
A total of 3,188 older adults aged 60 and above from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 to 2014 were included. IgG antibody against Toxocara sapp. was tested by a Luminex assay using recombinant rTc-CTL-1 antigen. A value > 23.1 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) indicated positive for toxocariasis, ≤ 23.1 MFI as negative. The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Word Learning subtest (CERAD-WL) immediate and delayed memory, the Animal Fluency test (AFT), and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) were used to assess cognitive functioning. Cognitive test-specific and global cognitive z scores were computed using means and standard deviations. Multivariate linear regression models were constructed to examine the association between toxocariasis and each cognitive test-specific and global cognitive standardized z score. All models were controlled for age, race/ethnicity, education, depressive symptoms, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), prevalent coronary heart disease, stroke, and systolic blood pressure.
Results
Most of the 3188 participants (mean age 70.0) were female (51.3%), non-Hispanic White (47.1%), and completed some college or above (48.1%). A total of 288 participants were seropositive for toxocariasis (9.0%). Adjusted linear regression showed that compared with participants with negative toxocariasis, those with positive toxocariasis had a lower CERAD W-L immediate recall (beta [β] -0.19, 95% Confidence interval [CI] -0.32, -0.06), AFT (β -0.16, 95% CI -0.29, -0.03), DSST (β -0.22, 95% CI -0.36, -0.09) as well as global cognition (β -0.20, 95% CI -0.33, -0.06) standardized z scores after controlling for covariates.
Discussions
In our study, seropositive toxocariasis was significantly associated with test-specific and global cognition in older adults. Public health measures to prevent human toxocariasis might help protect older adults’ cognitive function.
THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE STUDY OF SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN RURAL AREAS
Authors:   Institute of Economics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm branch, Perm, Fedoseeva S.
Published: October 2022

This article deals with some theoretical and methodological aspects of the study of trends and patterns of pro-spatial development of infrastructure of rural areas. The object of the research is rural areas of the Russian Federation. The subject of the research is the methods of scientific knowledge used in the process of studying the spatial development of infrastructure of rural territories. The aim of the research is to generalize theoretical and methodological provisions of the study of spatial development of infrastructure in rural areas of Russia for justification of adaptive solutions in the new reality. Methods of research of spatial economic systems, dialectical and empirical methods of knowledge were used as methodological bases. In the course of the research the postulates of the theory of spatial and regional economics were generalized, and also the stages of evolution of theoretical views of the leading figures of science about the purposes and tasks of development of rural territories, such as socio-economic, sustainable, spatial and spatial-branch development were systematized. The article considers reproductive, functional and spatial-branch approaches to the study of rural infrastructure and presents their classification. The main conceptual approaches to the development of rural infrastructure have been studied. The interpretation of the definition "infrastructure of rural areas" that reflects the role of rural infrastructure in reproduction processes, its spatial aspect and significance in the development of inter-branch and inter-territorial interaction was clarified. The considered theoretical and methodological aspects of the study of rural infrastructure in the context of spatial development allow improving the tools and methods of management with the development of appropriate adaptive mechanisms to the conditions of the new reality. The article is addressed to the scientific community and practitioners of regional and municipal management
INVESTIGATION OF THE ICE FORMATION DYNAMICS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF EASTERN TRANSBAIKALIA TERRITORY USING EARTH REMOTE SENSING DATA
Authors:   Transbaikal State University, Chita, Zvyagintsev V. , Zvyagintseva О. ,   Transbaikal State University, Chita
Published: October 2022

Small and large ice masses are found annually on the territory of Russia. They are common in eastern Russia, and are one of the problems of the Transbaikal Territory. In the winter period of 2018-2019, the Chita region of the Transbaikal Territory was the most active in terms of icing. The aim of the work is to study the dynamics of ice formation in the conditions of the Eastern Transbaikal Territory in order to prevent their development in an emergency situation. The object of the research is the ice near the village Smolenka, Chita District, Transbaikal Territory. To study the process of ice formation in this area, a method for studying ice from space surveys from the Sentinel-2 satellite has been chosen with checking the data obtained by the route method. The application of this method enables to see the change in the area and the dynamics of the ice movement in the period 2016-2020. Satellite images from the Sentinel-2 satellite have shown that in the selected study area during the period from 2016 to 2019, the maximum size of ice has been recorded on March 18-March 21, and the beginning of the ice formation – on February 10–18. During the route studies, it has been revealed that the ice layering lasted from mid-November to the end of February, as a result of this, on February 21, 2020, there was a threat of flooding of residential buildings on the street Lugovaya and the "Emergency" regime was introduced within the boundaries of this street. The route studies that took place during the emergency recovery operations confirmed the data, obtained from the satellite images from the Sentinel-2 satellite. The measurement error has been within acceptable limits. It is revealed that the combined use of remote sensing of space images from the Sentinel-2 satellite and route research allows more accurately identifying the unfavorable dynamics of ice formation, including small ones, making forecasts and promptly taking action in case of emergencies
CARTOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THE DIGITAL INEQUALITY IN A GLOBAL ARRAY OF JOURNAL ARTICLES
Authors:   V. B. Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS,, Blanutsa, V.
Published: October 2022

In world science, there is no generalization of geographical studies of digital inequality and visualization of inequality using socio-economic maps. Therefore, the purpose of our study is such a generalization to identify the features of the use of cartographic methods in the image of digital inequality. The object of the study is a worldwide array of journal articles devoted to digital inequality. In eight bibliographic databases, using the author's semantic search algorithm, about ninety journal articles containing more than two hundred and sixty schematic maps of digital inequality have been identified. The change in the annual number of articles with a cartographic image of digital inequality published in geographical and other scientific journals around the world in the XXI century is shown. The analysis of the identified cartographies on three levels (“access”, “use”, “results”) and two combinations of levels of digital inequality, as well as synthetic indices and clusters of inequality, has been carried out. It has been found that most of the cartograms displayed digital inequality in Europe, consisted of administrative-territorial and postal divisions of the state, and the main image methods were a cartogram and a qualitative background. The examples of cartographic representation of digital inequality are given. The possibilities and limitations of cartographic methods are shown. The disadvantage of the analyzed cartographic schemes is the weak application or refusal to use other methods of cartographic imaging in cases where cartograms, qualitative backgrounds and areas are not enough to visualize the features of digital inequality. The key problems of cartographic visualization of digital inequality are identified – the “digital gap” between neighboring territories, the functional structure of inequality, the dynamics of indicators, the territorial structure of inequality, the lack of connection between levels of inequality, the display of positive and negative offline results on one cartographic chart. The necessity of cartographic representation of the future digital inequality in the transition to 5G and 6G communication networks is noted. To solve all the problems, it is proposed to use a wider set of methods of cartographic image. The results obtained can be taken into account when drawing up new schematic maps. Seven directions of further research are proposed
Bioprospecting and Diversity of Yeast Producing Ethanol Isolated from Indonesia
Authors:   Indonesian Centre for Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Research and Development, Jl. Tentara Pelajar No 3A, Bogor 16111, West Java, Indonesia, Riyanti Eny Ida , Yuniawati Rafika ,   Indonesian Centre for Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Research and Development, Jl. Tentara Pelajar No 3A, Bogor 16111, West Java, Indonesia, Listanto Edy ,   Indonesian Centre for Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Research and Development, Jl. Tentara Pelajar No 3A, Bogor 16111, West Java, Indonesia
Published: October 2022

Bioethanol is considered the most environmentally friendly as renewable fuels. Indonesia has abundant microbe diversity which is potential for bioprospecting such as fermenting agents using agriculture product as raw materials for producing bioethanol. This study aims to isolate, characterise and molecular identify of 15 isolates of bioethanol-producing yeasts from various sources. Characterisation based on ethanol production, cell morphology and various substrate utilisation has been carried out. Molecular characterisation of 15 yeast isolates using tree sets of primers had been carried out. Amplification in the internal area of transcribe spacers (ITS) was successfully carried out with an amplitude of 400 bp–900 bp. Amplifiers in the D1/D2 26s rDNA domain are 250 bp. Amplification with ScerF2 and ScerR2 specific primers was carried out successfully and proved that there were two isolates which were not Saccharomyces cerevisiae analysis of yeast genetic diversity showed 12 yeast isolates classified as S. cerevisiae and the rest belonged to the genus Clavispora, Candida and Kodamaea (Pichia).
The Distribution and Community’s Perception of Flying Fox, Pteropus vampyrus in Limbang, a Transboundary Area in Sarawak
Authors:   Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia, Mohd-Azlan Jayasilan , Kaicheen Sally Soo ,   Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia, Lok Lisa ,   Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
Published: October 2022

Flying foxes are threatened throughout their geographic range, and there are large gaps in the understanding of their landscape-scale habitat use. This study identified potential habitats in Limbang, Sarawak and informed potential distribution based on dispersal and interview surveys. Here, biological surveys were combined with interviews of local communities in Limbang Mangrove National Park (LMNP), Sarawak to illustrate distribution and the communities' perception on the protected flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus). Mangrove forest areas were surveyed for for the presence of flying foxes and villagers were interviewed regarding the use by flying foxes of agricultural areas and instances of conflict. Boat and questionnaire surveys were conducted for nine days from 18 to 27 February 2021. The surveys did not record any flying fox roosting sites within the national park and was instead observed to fly from Menunggul Island, Brunei into the national park in the evenings and back to Brunei in the mornings. A total of 27 flying foxes were recorded during the boat survey. Flying foxes were detected from 8/154 survey points and their spatial distribution appeared to be concentrated along Sungai Limpaku Pinang. Most respondents were aware of the species while some have directly observed them in fruit orchards, mangroves, rivers and mixed dipterocarp forests. Eleven perception-based questions were presented, and results showed that locality and income were the most influential parameters exhibiting conservation awareness through Boosted Regression Trees (BRT) analysis. Most respondents believe that flying foxes can uplift the local economy through ecotourism opportunities. However, these findings need to be carefully interpreted as the species has a large home range. Hence, long-term monitoring should be established to generate a larger dataset for stronger analysis to better represent the distribution and occurrence of this species in LMNP.
First Report on Wild Ginger (Family: Zingiberaceae) Species Composition with New Records in Limestone Forests of Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia
Authors:   Institute of Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus, 17600 Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia, Appalasamy Suganthi ,   Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus, 17600 Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia, Arumugam Nivaarani ,   Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus, 17600 Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia, Ahmad Zamri Nor Syahaiza ,   Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus, 17600 Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia, Fadhlina Anis ,   Institute of Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus, 17600 Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia, Kumaran Jayaraj Vijaya ,   Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus, 17600 Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia, Subramaniam Sreeramanan ,   School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM Pulau Pinang, Malaysia,   Chemical Centre Biology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Published: October 2022

The wild gingers in the family Zingiberaceae have a wide range of habitat distribution. The species growing in Malaysian forests are the most studied. Nevertheless, the aromatic perennial herb family found in limestone forests is the least studied. The present study identified the ginger species compositions, determined the conservation status of the identified ginger species, and compared the distribution of the ginger species in selected limestone forests of Kelantan due to the lack of intensive study focusing on wild gingers in Malaysian limestone forests, especially in the state of Kelantan, to date. In various months, wild ginger species observation was conducted at four limestone forests in Kelantan. From the survey performed during the present study, Gua Setir and Gua Ikan recorded 16 species with 12.5% overlapping species. Gua Setir comprised 61.5% more ginger species than Gua Ikan. In total, 13 species (81.25%) were evaluated based on the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Three wild ginger species listed as high conservation value (HCV), Zingiber aurantiacum, Zingiber petiolatum and Zingiber wrayi, were identified at the limestone karst valley of Gua Setir. The current study presented updated and new records of the limestone wild ginger flora in Kelantan. The research also demonstrated that each limestone forest consisted of different combinations of ginger species. Consequently, conservation efforts and sustainable management currently enforced in the limestone forests would lead to long-term protection of the plants. Furthermore, the wild gingers could become a tourist attraction for limestone forests located in recreational areas.
Comprehensive Structure of the Female Marine Water-Strider Asclepios annandalei Distant, 1915 from Pranburi River Estuary, Thailand: New Information for the Genus Asclepios
Authors:   Faculty of Science and Technology, Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, Phitsanulok, 65000 Thailand, Poolprasert Pisit , Senarat Sinlapachai ,   Department of Marine Science and Environment, Faculty of Science and Fisheries Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya, Trang Campus, Sikao, Trang 92150, Thailand, Kettratad Jes ,   Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 Thailand, Kaneko Gen ,   College of Natural and Applied Science, University of Houston-Victoria, Victoria, Texas 77901, USA, Mongkolchaichana Ezra ,   Department of General Education, Faculty of Science and Health Technology, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok 10300 Thailand, Charoenphon Natthawut ,   Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, 65000 Thailand, Thaochan Narit ,   Agricultural Innovation and Management Division (Pest Management), Faculty of Natural Resources, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, 90110 Thailand
Published: October 2022

The objective of this study was to describe the structure and histochemistry of the systemic organs in the female marine water-strider Asclepios annandalei from Pranburi river estuary, Thailand. Results from this study revealed for the first time that the integumentary system of this species consisted of three layers including epicuticle, exocuticle and endocuticle. The muscular system apparently contained only skeletal muscle along the body. In the urinary system, we observed well-developed Malpighian tubules, each of which was covered with the simple cuboidal epitheliums. These epitheliums also contained the secretory granules that were reacted positively with periodic acid Schiff (PAS). The digestive system of this species was composed of three distinct parts including foregut, midgut and hindgut. The respiratory system was composed of the respiratory organ, which was rarely found near the integument system. This organ was lined with a simple squamous epithelium. Two regions of nervous system, i.e., frontal ganglion connected to the eye structure and ventral nerve cord, were found. Each ganglion basically consisted of two layers, outer cortex and inner medullae. The outer cortex contained three types of cells, including neurosecretory cells, neuroglial cells and neurons. The cytoplasmic inclusion of neurosecretory cells contained secretory granules, which reacted positively with PAS, indicating the presence the glycoprotein. The neuroglia and neuron were also observed in the inner medullae layer. The female reproductive system (the ovarian structure, the reproductive tract and the accessory organ) of this gerrid species was seen under histological sections. The well-developed integument system and Malpighian tubule as well as the abundant respiratory organ is a characteristic of this species, which might be useful for the adaption to the estuarine condition.
A rare sekaninaite occurrence in the Nenana Coal Basin, Alaska Range, Alaska
Authors: Reidel Stephen P. , Ross Martin E.
Published: October 2022

Coal-seam fires are not uncommon and occur in coal deposits of all ages. Coal-seam fires have been noted in Alaska, but this paper is the first to describe the mineralogy and petrology of a coal-seam fire in the Mystic Creek coal basin in the remote eastern part of the Nenana Coal Basin, Alaska Range. The coal is Miocene and part of the Healy Creek Formation of the Usibelli Group. The coal-fire products were studied optically and analyzed using XRF, XRD, and electron microprobe. The host rock is a silty sandstone consisting mainly of quartz, feldspar, and minor hematite and clay. The coal-seam fire fused and melted the country rock producing a metasediment-clinker and paralava. Sekaninaite (Fecordierite), plagioclase, and fayalite are the main minerals that formed along with titanomagnetite, mullite, augite, and an unidentified Al-Fe-Ti oxide mineral. Petrographic analysis shows there are at least three distinct lithologies in the paralava at thin section scale: a vesicular, holocrystalline sekaninaiteplagioclase ± olivine bearing area; holocrystalline areas dominated by plagioclase and quartz ± minor sekaninaite; glassy bodies; and a bulbous, lenticular body of coarse-grained sekaninaite and lesser olivine. The paralava is an andesite with rhyolitic residual glass. Oxidation and fusion of the sediment was the first phase of pyrometamorphism, where the sediment becomes brown-red and sekaninaite begins to form. The metasediment melts forming vesicles in a black glass; sekaninaite formation is well underway. The melt separates from the host and coalesces to form the paralava. As the paralava cools, fayalite and sekaninaite precipitate, accompanied by plagioclase, quartz, titanomagnetite, and an Al-Fe-Ti oxide. Proximity to the surface allowed quenching of the remaining liquid to rhyolitic glass. Numerical modeling was employed to calculate the liquidus temperature (1140 to 1200 °C) and understand the crystallization pathway to the rhyolitic glass. In all models, sekaninaite precipitation is the most important mineral leading to the rhyolitic glass.
Microcapsulation and evaluation of subchronic toxicity of peptides extracted from cow colostrum and peptides of Fabricius bursa extract of broiler chickens
Authors: Tikhonov S. L. , Tikhonova N. V. , Kolberg N. A. , Ozhgikhina A. S. , Shikhalev S. V.
Published: October 2022

Peptides have high biological activity and are used in the composition of medicines. Peptides are not widely used in food technology as they are sensitive to the action of proteolytic enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract and are characterized by rapid decomposition reducing their effectiveness. Colostrum of cows is a promising source of peptides with different functional orientations. One of the ways contributing to the expansion of using peptides when administered orally is their microcapsulation. The aim of the research is to develop a technology and method for microcapsulating peptides extracted from cow colostrum after calving and to assess their subchronic toxicity. The development of an installation for microencapsulation of peptides was carried out taking into account the diameter of the wide part of the cone of the working chamber and the speed of soaring of small particles of peptide conglomerates. For the experiment on the comparative assessment of the subchronic toxicity of encapsulated and free peptides, 4 groups of nonlinear mice were formed, 10 in each. Group 1 of mice was a control, group 2 (experimental) received an extract of the fabricium bag of broiler chickens containing peptides of various molecular weights at a dose of 15,000 mg/kg, group 3 - free peptides extracted from cow colostrum serum in an amount of 1,500 mg/kg, group 4 - encapsulated peptides in an amount of 15,000 mg/kg. Hematological blood analysis was performed using the analyzer PCE-90Vet. The mice were weighed on the 7th, 9th, 14th, 21st and 28th days of the experiment. Biochemical analysis of animal blood sera was carried out using the analyzer StatFax 3300. During the study, it has been found that the treatment of peptides with maltodextrin solution for 1.0-1.5 minutes forms a protective coating with a thickness of more than 2 microns. The diameters of the wide and narrow parts of the cone of the device and the velocity of the gushing streams for the smallest and largest particles of the peptide conglomerate have been calculated. The absence of toxicity of microcapsulated peptides has been proven.
Investigation of the effect of structure-regulating additives on the properties of minced fish systems
Authors: Bogdanov V. D. , Simdyankin A. A. , Pankina A. V. , Mostovoy V. D.
Published: October 2022

The search for new effective structure-forming agents of natural origin in order to improve the technology of fish molded products is an urgent scientific and industrial problem. In the course of the study, to obtain minced fish systems, frozen pollock and pink salmon have been used that meet the technical requirements of the current regulatory documentation. Mixtures of cryoconcentrates from seafood, rice and wheat flour, and the enzyme transglutaminase are used as structure-regulating additives. Cryoconcentrates have been made from cucumaria, squid, Pacific herring milt, octopus skin, seaweed, and scallop mantle. The introduction of dry powdered cryoconcentrates of seafood, containing a significant amount of protein substances, has contributed to the binding of water and an increase in the water-retaining capacity of minced pink salmon and pollock. Based on the results of studying the physical, chemical, rheological and organoleptic properties of dispersed minced fish systems, rational amounts of structure-regulating additives have been established: seafood cryoconcentrates - 4.0-5.0 %; transglutaminase - 0.5 %; rice flour - 2.0 %; wheat flour - 1.0-2.0 %. Molded fish products (cutlets, sausages) containing structure-regulating additives had high organoleptic properties after heat treatment. The results of the research should be used in the development of formulations of fish dispersed compositions in the technologies of molded, emulsion and structured products. The established high water-binding capacity of seafood cryoconcentrates justifies the need to study them as natural cryoprotectors in refrigeration technologies.
Effect of dietary fiber on yoghurt quality
Authors: Rysmukhambetova G. Y. , Ushakova Yu. V. , Beloglazova K. E. , Kozhushko S. Y. , Karpunina L. V.
Published: October 2022

The production of yoghurts and yoghurt drinks is one of the fastest growing segments of the dairy industry. The range of this type of dairy products is constantly updated. In the course of the experiments, the use of functional bamboo and apple fibers in the amount of 0.1-1.5 % in the formulation of yogurts made by the thermostatic method based on cow's milk has been studied. According to organoleptic, physicochemical and microbiological parameters, yogurt has been selected with the addition of bamboo fibers at a concentration of 0.3 %. In a sample of this yogurt, compared with the control sample (cow's milk without fibers), the mass fraction of sugar is slightly higher (by 0.1 %), the mass fraction of solids does not differ from the control, and the acidity is 2.5 % less. The amount of lactic acid bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus in the sample with the addition of bamboo fibers at a concentration of 0.3 % is less than in the control, but is within the normal range for this product. In the course of determining the nutritional and energy value, slight changes in the main nutrients in the experimental yogurt sample have been noted in comparison with the initial raw material and control, which caused a slight decrease in calorie content (by 7.49 and 3.61 %, respectively). The high nutritional value of the developed yogurt allows it to be positioned as a functional product. Economic calculations have shown the feasibility of introducing this development into the food industry.
Development and Validation of a 3-Dimensional Flexible Laryngoscopy Training Simulator
Authors: Gillespie Amanda I. , Shelly Sandeep , Tucker Sarah Jo , Hollister Scott J. , Tkaczuk Andrew , Klein Adam
Published: October 2022

The objective of this study was to validate the use of a 3-Dimensional Flexible Laryngoscopy Training Simulator. This is a simulation device development and validation study. Anonymized CT scan data from a head/neck CT of a patient with normal anatomy was imported and a head/neck digital model was created. A 3D simulation model was printed using a stiff (Stratasys Vero) and flexible (Stratasys Agilus) material combination with a ShoreA hardness value of 60. Novices and experts were instructed and provided 5 trials to pass the laryngoscope. The videos of the first and the last trial were recorded and evaluated by three different evaluators. Performances were measured by the amount of time spent and precision of the task. Repeated measures of ANOVA and generalized linear model with binomial proportion was used were utilized to analyze the data. The post training scores were statistically significantly higher than pre training scores (Mean: 15.57 vs. 13.01, p  <0.0001) controlling for trainee experience. The time taken to complete a successful pass post training was statistically significantly lesser than pre training (Mean: 62.55 secs vs. 36.36 secs, p-value = 0.0007) controlling for individual’s experience. The odds of becoming skilled at the task was 4 times higher post training in comparison to pre training, controlling for individual’s experience (OR: 4.05, p-value: 0.0026). The 3-Dimensional Flexible Laryngoscopy Training Simulator is a valid trainer for both novice and experienced individuals. The simulator can improve technical skill performance and is critical for medical training.
Conhecimentos, atitudes e consumo de drogas ilícitas pelos/as estudantes do ensino superior
Authors: Ferreira Alves Regina , Precioso José Alberto Gomes Precioso
Published: October 2022

O problema do consumo de substâncias psicoativas ilícitas por estudantes no Ensino Superior não é novo, e é nesta faixa etária que se continua a registar a maior prevalência de consumo destas substâncias. Neste sentido, o objetivo deste estudo visa a relacionar os conhecimentos, as atitudes e o consumo de drogas ilícitas dos/as estudantes universitários/as de uma universidade pública do norte de Portugal. Trata-se de um estudo de caráter transversal com uma amostra representativa de 840 estudantes universitários/as, estratificada em razão da área científica e do ano de estudo. Utilizou-se um inquérito por questionário validado e composto por variáveis independentes: sociodemográficas, itens sobre conhecimentos e atitudes ante o consumo deste tipo de drogas e variáveis dependentes: consumo de drogas ilícitas (marijuana, cocaína e alucinógenos). Os resultados mostraram que 22.2% dos/as estudantes consumiram pelo menos uma das drogas ilícitas listadas nos últimos 12 meses, sendo a marijuana a mais consumida. Os/as estudantes inquiridos/as revelaram um nível de conhecimentos moderado e concordaram que a experimentação de drogas ilícitas se deve à curiosidade, à influência de amigos/as e, por último, a problemas emocionais. Os conhecimentos acerca das drogas ilícitas apresentaram uma correlação positiva ante o consumo de drogas. As conclusões deste estudo evidenciam a importância de se continuar a investir em ações que promovam o desenvolvimento de competências pessoais e sociais que previnam a influência de pares.