bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rhinocerebral Mucormycosis in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus After a New Coronavirus Infection (COVID-19): СT and MRI Patterns Data
Authors: Gabdulganieva I. S. , Munirova N. R. , Zaripova A. R. , Anisimov V. I.
Published: October 2022

Objective: to study the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) manifestations of rhinocerebral mucormycosis (RCM) in patients with diabetes mellitus and new coronavirus infection, to develop attentive attitude of radiologists for early detection of this pathology, rapid surgery and followup examinations.Material and methods. Totally 53 head (facial skull, soft facial tissues and brain) CT and MRI studies were performed in 13 patients with RCM. The number of CT and MRI studies varied from 1 to 9 per one patient, depending on the severity of his condition and clinical indications; the follow-up period was 1–4 months. All patients received surgical aid; diagnosis was verified by microscopy of surgical samples of excised necrotic tissues. A detailed descriptive analysis of pathological changes on CT and MRI characterizing RCM was carried out. The sequence of pathological signs manifestations was described, the prevalence of the lesion was estimated for planning the scope of surgical intervention. A comparative analysis of the identified RCM signs with the literature data was performed.Results. Lesions of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses in RCM were found in 100% of our observations, with approximately equal single and bilateral lesions of 54% and 46%, respectively. Lesions of the perimaxillar fatty tissue and pterygoid fossa were determined in 77% of patients, unilateral orbital lesions – in 23%, superior orbital vein and cavernous sinus thrombosis – in 31%, facial soft tissue lesion – in 15.5%, intracranial spread through the perineural spaces – in 7.7%, internal carotid artery arteritis – in 15.5%. Brain substance and meninges involvement in the pathological process was observed in the form of cerebritis in 23% of patients and meningitis in 46%. The formation of brain abscess was noted in follow up examinations in 15.5% of patients, skull bones osteomyelitis was diagnosed in 46%. The mortality rate was 15%. In cases of long-term observation, the manifestations of pathological changes started from the nasal cavity, then spreaded in the perimaxillary adipose tissue and orbit, and were followed by the development of intracranial complications.Conclusion. The accumulated experience in identifying the combination of CT and MRI signs and patterns of RCM combined with clinical and anamnestic data allows to increase the alertness of clinicians and radiologists for earlier diagnosis and selection of the optimal volume of surgical intervention.
Prognostic Value of Radiological and Laboratory Biomarkers for Assessing Risk of Adverse Outcome in Patients with COVID-19
Authors: Strutynskaya А. D. , Karnaushkina M. А. , Dvoretskiy L. I. , Tyurin I. Е.
Published: October 2022

Objective: to study associations between laboratory and radiological biomarkers of COVID-19, to develop prognostic model of deterioration and lethal outcome in a patient with COVID-19.Material and methods. The study included 162 patients with COVID-19 stratified according to the presence or absence of deterioration during hospitalization. We evaluated chest computed tomography (CT) data, assessed empirically and using a semi-quantitative scale, blood cell counts and parameters of biochemical blood test. The predictive model was built using gradient boosting and artificial neural network with sigmoid activation function.Results. Both CT signs (crazy-paving pattern, bronchial dilatation inside a lesion, peripheral distribution of symptoms, absence of a predominant distribution pattern, lesion grade and extent), and most of laboratory markers were associated with deterioration and its criteria. The CT severity index correlated positively with the levels of leukocytes, neutrophils, urea, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase, glucose, C-reactive protein, and negatively with the concentrations of albumin, calcium and the number of lymphocytes. Based on the results of the selection and training of classifying models, the optimal method for stratifying patients with COVID-19 on the basis of deterioration during hospitalization, the need for transfer to the intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation, and adverse outcome was gradient boosting.Conclusion. The prognostic model obtained in our study, based on a combination of radiological and laboratory parameters, makes it possible to predict the nature of COVID-19 course with high reliability.
Caractériser l’environnement compétitif des arbres : dépassons la surface terrière !
Authors: Cordonnier Thomas
Published: October 2022

Dans le domaine forestier, la surface terrière est couramment utilisée pour caractériser la compétition entre les arbres d’un peuplement. Pourtant, les développements théoriques des deux dernières décennies permettent de conclure que cette approche est insuffisante, notamment vis-à-vis de la compétition pour la ressource lumière. La théorie nous indique même que la bonne performance, dans certains cas, de la surface terrière ne serait que fortuite et liée à des conditions bien spécifiques. C’est ce que nous présentons et discutons dans cette courte note. Nous appelons ainsi la communauté forestière française à développer et valoriser davantage les mesures des houppiers afin de mieux rendre compte de la compétition entre arbres au sein des peuplements forestiers.
La forêt usagère de la Teste-de-Buch : un fragile équilibre entre propriété et usage
Authors: Cinotti Bruno , Lavarde Françoise
Published: October 2022

La forêt usagère de la Teste-de-Buch, d’environ 3 900 hectares, est une pineraie-chênaie irrégulière, écosystème forestier original relique de l’activité de gemmage. Seule forêt privée française grevée de droits d’usage fondés en titre, elle constitue aussi une singularité juridique dont l’analyse approfondie montre que, loin d’être un système archaïque, elle a su évoluer au fil du temps en cohérence avec le Code forestier. Une fois rectifiées les erreurs d’interprétation qui s’étaient glissées au fil du temps, une réflexion commune à toutes les parties prenantes pourrait reprendre pour coconstruire l’avenir de cette forêt.
ENSINO DE GEOGRAFIA E O ESTUDO DA POPULAÇÃO BRASILEIRA
Authors: Manfio Vanessa
Published: October 2022

Na contemporaneidade, cada vez mais, o ensino de Geografia tem por desafio motivar os alunos a aprender, partindo da contextualização do conteúdo com a realidade dos estudantes.  Não é possível oferecer um ensino bancário como diz Paulo Freire, isto é, de repetição de conceitos, pois este não agrada mais os educandos. A Geografia tem na essência uma interconexão com o local e pode ser trabalhada em diferentes abordagens. Pensando no ensino da diversidade regional da cultura da população brasileira, buscou-se propor uma prática didática que dialoga com o conteúdo e as festas juninas, sendo proposta a construção de maquetes, para sinalizar o conhecimento e trazer o aluno para aula, para sua aprendizagem por meio de metodologias ativas. A intervenção pedagógica aconteceu em junho de 2020, com os alunos do 7º ano do Ensino Fundamental da Escola Municipal de Ensino Fundamental Professora Cândida Zasso de Nova Palma - RS. Com a atividade foi possível observar o interesse e participação dos alunos, a criatividade e conteúdo das produções e, por fim, articular o ensino de Geografia a realidade dos mesmos.
Nominate Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles miles at the Eastern Treatment Plant, Bangholme, Victoria, 1 January to 24 May 1981
Authors:   C/- Nature Advisory Pty Ltd, Suite 5, 61–63 Camberwell Road, Hawthorn East VIC 3123, Australia, Lansley P.S. , Bartram Kevin , Carter Mike
Published: October 2022

In Australia, the nominate subspecies of the Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles miles usually occurs in northern Australia. There have been only two reports of this taxon in Victoria: at Mildura, in 1968; and at the Eastern Treatment Plant at Bangholme, from 1 January to 24 May 1981. This paper details, with a photograph and field notes, the latter record.
Kabirian-based Optinalysis: Its Paradigm, Theorems, and Properties
Authors: Abdullahi Kabir Bindawa
Published: October 2022

The conceptual and theoretical backbones of symmetry/asymmetry detections or similarity/dissimilarity, and identity/unidentity study are automorphism or isomorphism respectively. However, the development of equations and methods for symmetry/asymmetry detections, similarity/dissimilarity, and identity/unidentity measures deviates from these backbones. In this article, an equation was proposed for symmetry/asymmetry detections, similarity/dissimilarity, and identity/unidentity measures, and proved that its isoreflective pairs-points are functionally bijective and inverse. The proposal, called Kabirian-based optinalysis, is based on the conceptual and theoretical frameworks of automorphism and isomorphism. The Kabirian-based optinalysis is also proven and characterized as invariant (robust) under translation (i.e., scaling and location shift), and rotation or reflection. Computing codes were written in python language for Kabirian-based optinalysis to serve as working codes for application and verification.
Protective Factors and Burnout Risk of Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Two-Step Cluster Analysis
Authors: Răducu Camelia-Mădălina , Stănculescu Elena
Published: October 2022

Teacher burnout has been shown to be one of the most common negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify distinct psychological resources and burnout risk profiles of teachers and examine their association with Kolb’s educator roles and their professional experience. Methods: The survey data were collected from 330 preschool and primary school (84 males, Mage = 38.3, SD = 9.14) teachers using a convenience sampling method. Results: The two-step cluster analysis revealed two distinct profiles. The first profile, “high psychological resources, no burnout risk,” was characterized by absent symptoms of burnout and increased levels of well-being, self-control, and positive emotionality. The second profile, “moderate psychological resources, mild burnout,” was associated with medium levels of well-being, self-control, and positive emotionality accompanied by mild burnout. Our findings highlighted that cluster one had a significantly higher score for the facilitator role and cluster two for the expert and coach roles. Additionally, teachers with less professional experience were more likely to belong to cluster one, considering their adequate skills in digital literacy. Conclusions: These findings provide new insights into the explanation of teacher burnout and the design of intervention programs.
Synthesis, Structure and Molecular Docking of New 4,5-Dihydrothiazole Derivatives Based on 3,5-Dimethylpyrazole and Cytisine and Salsoline Alkaloids
Authors: Ibrayev Marat K. , Nurkenov Оralgazy A. , Rakhimberlinova Zhanara B. , Takibayeva Altynaray T. , Palamarchuk Irina V. , Turdybekov Dastan M. , Kelmyalene Assel A. , Kulakov Ivan V.
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we present the interaction results of 1,2-dibromo-3-isothiocyanatopropane with some pyrazoles and cytisine and salsoline alkaloids. It has been shown that the reaction results in the one-step and rather mild method for the preparation of the corresponding 1,3-thiazoline bromomethyl derivatives. The yield of this reaction is affected by the presence of a base and the order in which the reagents are added. Molecular docking of the synthesized 1,3-thiazoline derivatives for putative antibacterial activity has been carried out using the penicillin-binding target protein (PBP4) of the bacteria E. coli “Homo sapiens” and S. aureus “Homo sapiens” as an example. Molecular docking shows that the compounds have insignificant binding energies at the level of selected reference drugs (Cephalotin and Chloramphenicol). The presence of natural alkaloids in the structure of thiazoline derivatives somewhat increases the affinity of these substrates for target proteins selected.
Implementation of the Hindmarsh–Rose Model Using Stochastic Computing
Authors: Camps Oscar , Stavrinides Stavros , De Benito Carol , Picos Rodrigo
Published: October 2022

In this paper we present a successful implementation of the Hindmarsh–Rose model within a SC environment. The merits of the proposed approach are design simplicity, due to stochastic computing, and the ease of implementation. Simulation results showed that the approximation achieved is equivalent to introducing a noise source into the original model. A study for the level of noise introduced, according to the number of bits in the stochastic sequence, has been performed. Additionally, we demonstrate that such an approach, even though it is noisy, it reproduces the behaviour of biological systems, which are intrinsically noisy. It is also demonstrated that a speedup of x2 compared to biological systems is easily achievable, with a very small number of gates, thus paving the road for the in silico implementation of large neuron networks.
Embedded Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring: Methodologies and Applications Review
Authors: Ferreira Pedro M. , Machado Miguel A. , Carvalho Marta S. , Vidal Catarina
Published: October 2022

Sensing Technology (ST) plays a key role in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems. ST focuses on developing sensors, sensory systems or smart materials that monitor a wide variety of materials properties aiming to create smart structures and smart materials, using Embedded Sensors (ESs), and allowing continuous and permanent measurements of the structural integrity. The integration of ESs is limited to the processing technology to embed the sensor due to its high-temperature sensitivity and the possibility of damage during its insertion into the structure. In addition, the technological process selection is dependent on the base material composition, either metallic or composite parts. The selection of smart sensors or the technology underlying them is fundamental to the monitoring mode. This paper presents a critical review of the fundaments and applications of sensing technologies for SHM employing ESs, focusing on the actual developments and innovation of these, as well as analysing the challenges that these technologies present, to build a path that allows a connected world through distributed measurement systems.
Circulating Levels of Ferritin, RDW, PTLs as Predictive Biomarkers of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation Risk after Cardiac Surgery in Extracorporeal Circulation
Authors: Altieri Claudia , Pisano Calogera , Labriola Vincenzo , Ferrante Maria Sabrina , Porreca Anna Maria , Nardi Paolo , Bassano Carlo , Buioni Dario , Greco Ernesto , Ruvolo Giovanni , Balistreri Carmela Rita
Published: October 2022

Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common arrhythmia after cardiac surgery in conventional extracorporeal circulation (CECC), with an incidence of 15-50%. The POAF pathophysiology is not known, and no blood biomarkers exist. However, an association between increased ferritin levels and increased AF risk, has been demonstrated. Based on such evidence, here, we evaluated the effectiveness of ferritin and other haemato-chemical parameters as a POAF onset biomarker in subjected to cardiac surgery. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 90 patients (mean age= 66.9±2.8 years; 40 men and 20 females) with diverse heart pathologies and subjected to cardiothoracic surgery. Their blood samples were collected and used to determine haemato-chemical parameters. The tree test approach was used to detect the best data-driven ferritin cuff-off value (=141 ng/ml) to predict POAF risk. Results: The data obtained demonstrated significant higher concentrations, absolute values, and percentages, of ferritin, RDW, PLTs, in POAF patients. However, the ferritin resulted to be the independent factor associated with the onset POAF risk. Thus, we detected the ferritin cut-off value, which, when ≥ 141 ng/ml identifies the subjects at the highest POAF risk. Conclusions: Ferritin values≥ 141 ng/ml might be used as predictive POAF biomarker.
Neurocognitive Dynamics of Prosodic Salience over Semantics during Explicit and Implicit Processing of Basic Emotions in Spoken Words
Authors: Lin Yi , Fan Xinran , Chen Yueqi , Zhang Hao , Chen Fei , Zhang Hui , Ding Hongwei , Zhang Yang
Published: October 2022

How language mediates emotional perception and experience is poorly understood. The present event-related potential (ERP) study examined the explicit and implicit processing of emotional speech to differentiate the relative influences of communication channel, emotion category and task type in the prosodic salience effect. Thirty participants (15 women) were presented with spoken words denoting happiness, sadness and neutrality in either the prosodic or semantic channel. They were asked to judge the emotional content (explicit task) and speakers’ gender (implicit task) of the stimuli. Results indicated that emotional prosody (relative to semantics) triggered larger N100 and P200 amplitudes with greater delta, theta and alpha inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) values in the corresponding early time windows, and continued to produce larger LPC amplitudes and faster responses during late stages of higher-order cognitive processing. The relative salience of prosodic and semantics was modulated by emotion and task, though such modulatory effects varied across different processing stages. The prosodic salience effect was reduced for sadness processing and in the implicit task during early auditory processing and decision-making but reduced for happiness processing in the explicit task during conscious emotion processing. Additionally, across-trial synchronization of delta, theta and alpha bands predicted the ERP components with higher ITPC values significantly associated with stronger N100, P200 and LPC enhancement. These findings reveal the neurocognitive dynamics of emotional speech processing with prosodic salience tied to stage-dependent emotion- and task-specific effects, which can reveal insights to research reconciling language and emotion processing from cross-linguistic/cultural and clinical perspectives.
Interactive Video-Based Passive Drinking and Forced Drinking Education to Reduce Intention to Drink in Adolescents: A Pre-Post Intervention Study
Authors: Chau Siu Long , Wu Yongda , Wang Man Ping , Ho Sai Yin
Published: October 2022

Passive and forced drinking harm was prevalent but less recognized in Chinese adolescents. We educated adolescents on such harm to reduce their intention to drink. Students (n=1244) from 7 secondary schools in Hong Kong participated in a video-based health talk on passive and forced drinking harm. Paired t-test was used to assess their change in knowledge of passive and forced drinking, health and social harm of drinking after the health talk. McNemar's chi-squared test and adjusted multivariable logistic regression (AOR) were used to assess their change in intention to drink and intention to quit. Students were less likely to drink (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.19-0.42) and more likely to quit drinking (OR 3.50, 1.10-14.6) after the health talk. Increased knowledge of passive drinking was associated with less intention to drink (AOR 0.93, 0.90-0.97), increased knowledge of health harm (adjusted b 0.06, 0.05-0.08), and social harm of drinking (adjusted b 0.12, 0.10-0.16). Similar associations were observed in forced drinking (intention to drink: AOR 0.87, 0.79-0.96; health harm: adjusted b 0.16, 0.12-0.19; social harm: adjusted b 0.36, 0.28-0.43). We showed preliminary evidence that the health talk on passive and forced drinking reduced the intention to drink in adolescents.
Freed, Frederick Barbarossa: The Prince and the Myth (Yale University Press, 2016)
Authors: Donnachie Stephen
Published: October 2022

Review of John B. Freed, Frederick Barbarossa: The Prince and the Myth (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2016).
Mielke, The Archaeology and Material Culture of Queenship in Medieval Hungary, 1000–1395 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021)
Authors: Minieri Jessica L.
Published: October 2022

Review of Christopher Mielke, The Archaeology and Material Culture of Queenship in Medieval Hungary, 1000–1395 (Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021).
Questioning Terminologies: Homosocial and “Homosexual” Bonds in the Royal Bedchamber and Kingship in Medieval England and France
Authors: Storey Gabrielle
Published: October 2022

In medieval Western Europe, the sharing of a bed between the king and a close noble or friend was not uncommon, often seen as an example of a strong homosocial bond. Henry II and Richard I of England are known examples of kings who reportedly shared their beds with a male friend. The line between homosocial and what modern scholars would term homosexual bonds is often blurred when it comes to analysing close male relationships between a king and his subjects. These instances usually occurred outside the courtly residence, whilst journeying or in the midst of warfare, leaving little room for privacy and separation, thus enabling them to be reported by the contemporary chroniclers. This paper seeks to address three matters. Firstly, it outlines the terminological issues when discussing medieval masculinities and sexualities. Secondly, it investigates the nature of homosocial and “homosexual” bonds and how we attempt to differentiate these within a medieval, Western European context (here focusing on England and France). It then examines the case studies of Henry II and William Marshal, and Richard I and Philip Augustus. This article contributes to our understanding of the intersections between privacy, sexuality, and friendship. It seeks to enhance knowledge surrounding the balance of friendships and power, and how homosocial and “homosexual” bonds could impact the monarch’s relationship with their consort, and, in some cases, their ability to rule.
Gilleir and Defurne (eds.), Strategic Imaginations: Women and the Gender of Sovereignty in European Culture (Leuven University Press, 2020)
Authors: Woodacre Dr Elena
Published: October 2022

A review of Gilleir and Defurne (eds.), Strategic Imaginations: Women and the Gender of Sovereignty in European Culture (Leuven University Press, 2020).
WITHDRAWN: Temperature modeling and experimental analysis of high speed milling titanium alloy
Authors: Zhao Na , Su Yingxin , Liu Jianping , Liu Kuo , Liu Changfu
Published: October 2022

Titanium alloy is widely used in aerospace and other fields because of its high strength, low density, good corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance. In high speed milling titanium alloy, due to the poor thermal conductivity of titanium alloy and the change of cutting mechanism caused by high speed machining, it is great significance to study the cutting temperature in high speed milling process. Based on the moving heat source method, the temperature field model of milling workpiece considering spiral edge was established, and the influence of milling speed on workpiece temperature was analyzed through the change of heat flux during milling. The thermocouple wireless temperature acquisition system was used to record the change of workpiece surface temperature in the milling process, and MATLAB was used for the simulation analysis of milling temperature. The results showed that the cutting speed mainly affected the heat flux of the heat source, thereby caused temperature rise of the workpiece. The peak temperature and response speed of measuring point are different in varying spindle speeds and measuring point positions.
Bioconcentration and Tolerance Mechanism of a Trichoderma Strain Exposed to Cobalt, Strontium, and Uranium
Authors: Li Jian , Lai Jinlong , Li Zhanguo , Xi Hailing
Published: October 2022

Microbial enrichment of radionuclides has the advantages of low cost, simple operation, and no secondary pollution, but the enrichment abilities of radionuclides differ. In this study, a Trichoderma fungus with high tolerance to a variety of radionuclides [i.e., cobalt (Co), strontium (Sr), and uranium (U)] was screened from radioactive contaminated soil by analyzing the enrichment characteristics. Combined with non-targeted metabolomics technology, the physiological response mechanism of Trichoderma fungus metabolism to cobalt, strontium and uranium exposure was revealed from the metabolic level. The results showed that the Trichoderma grew well under multi-nuclides exposure, and the Co, Sr, and U accumulated on the mycelium surface of the strain. Their enrichment reached 36.4–96.6 mg/kg, 76.7–239.7 mg/kg, and 268.5–667.0 mg/kg, respectively. With the increase in the multi-nuclides exposure concentration, the element metabolism of the strain changed, and U, Co, and Sr showed a cooperative absorption relationship. The gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) non-targeted metabolome analysis showed that the amino acid metabolic pathway and the carbohydrate pathway of the strain changed when the Co, Sr, and U concentrations were 100 mg/L. The results showed that Trichoderma has strong enrichment potential and tolerance to Co, Sr, and U and can be used for radionuclide removal.
Improvementof small scale dolomite mine blast fragmentation efficiency using hybrid artificial intelligence and soft computing approaches-A case study
Authors: Taiwo Blessing Olamide
Published: October 2022

Blast fragmentation efficiency prediction can improve blast productivity, but it is capital intensive when done with available software. Soft computing models based on artificial intelligence approaches and multivariate regression techniques were proposed in this study to predict small diameter hole blast fragmentation efficiency at the Akoko Edo dolomite quarry. WipFrag software was used to analyze and evaluate blast fragmentation performance based on images of blast muck piles. The proposed model's performance was evaluated using five model performance indices, comprising the average bias error, root mean square error, correlation coefficient, and average absolute error. The obtained results indicate that the proposed model of the Adaptive Neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is proficient of accurate prediction of blast fragmentation efficiency when compared to artificial neural networks and multivariate regression models.
N-space (NS)-Framework: a generalized solution for soft continuum robots via reinforcement learning
Authors: Wei Dehao , Zhou Jiaqi , Zhu YInheng , Ma Jiabin , Ma Shaohua
Published: October 2022

Soft continuum robots undergoes nonlinear spatial deformation. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) suffers from large training dataset and high time consumption. This paper reports a generalized principle, N-space (NS) framework, that employs on value-based reinforcement learning algorithms (e.g. DQN and DDQN), to overcome the challenge of local minima associated with sample efficiency or limited time consumption in online training. The performance of NS-augmented DRL (NS-DRL) was examined on controlling a self-design rope-driven soft continuum robot with 5-degrees of freedom (DoF). In this framework, the action space of the robot was divided to 6 sub-action spaces. Subsequently, the target position was divided into six sub-target positions, determined by the volumetric vector projection in each sub-action space. The action sequence was determined by actions of vector projection of the target on each sub-action space. NS-DDQN increased the convergence speed by more than 100-fold, from over 100,000 steps to approximately a thousand steps, and reduced the positioning error by over 10-fold, from over 20 mm to less than 1 mm, compared with non-NS enabled DRL positioning. The performance augmentation was also tested in DQN, implying the generalization of NS strategy in controlling soft continuum robots.
Probabilistic assessment of cereal-rye impacts on regional crop yield and soil carbon
Authors: Rai Teerath Singh
Published: October 2022

Field research for exploring the impact of winter cover crops (WCCs) integration into cropping systems is resource intensive, time consuming and offers limited application beyond the study area. To bridge this gap, we used the APSIM model, to simulate corn (Zea mays L.) – rye – corn – rye and corn – rye – soybean (Glycine max L.) – rye rotations in comparison to corn – corn and corn – soybean rotations across the state of Illinois at a spatial resolution of 5 km × 5 km from 2000–2020 to study the impact of WCCs on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and crop production. By propagating the uncertainty in model simulations associated with initial conditions, weather, soil, and management practices, we estimated the probability and the expected value of change in crop yield and SOC following WCC integration. Our results suggest that integrating cereal rye into the crop rotations did not incur any yield penalties, and on the contrary, imparted greater yield stability for corn across the state. It was found that the areas with low probability of increase in SOC (p < 0.75) respond equally well for soil carbon sequestration through long-term adoption of WCCs. Furthermore, the average simulated soil carbon sequestration rate was found to be higher than 0.4% as set by Lima Paris Action Agenda to meet sustainable development goals. This study presents the most complete uncertainty accounting of WCC benefits across broad region and provides greater insight into the spatiotemporal variability of WCCs benefits for increasing WCC adoption rate.
Application value of transcranial direct current Stimulation In stroke patients
Authors: Haq Usman , Aftab Alishba , Malik Mohammad Hamza Bin Abdul , Haq Ali , Malik Muhammad Awais Bin Abdul , Rashid Amna
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Poststroke consequences
including sensorimotor and cognitive impairments impose a stressful
situation and a great burden to the victims, their families, and
the society.

Objectives: The main objective of the study is
to analyze the aapplication value of transcranial direct current
Stimulation (TDCS) In stroke patients. Material and
methods: This pilot study was conducted in Rawal Institute
of Health Sciences during June 2019 to June 2020. The components
required for TDCS include a Constant Current Stimulator and surface
electrodes soaked in normal saline. A Constant Current Stimulator
provides a steady flow of direct current (e.g., 0 – 4mA) while
constantly monitoring the resistance in the system.
Results: The study was completed by 136 patients.
Their mean age was 53.2 ± 8.4 years (range: 36-61 years). There
were more males than females (60% vs. 40%). Their demographic and
clinical characteristics are summarized in table 1.
Conclusion: It is concluded that TDCS combined
with VR can reduce motor impairment, improve function, increase ADL
in the affected upper limb in patients with subacute or chronic
ischemic stroke than VR alone.
Urbanization and CO2 emissions in Belt and Road Initiative Economies: Analysis of the mitigating effect of human capital in Asian countries
Authors: Gnangoin Thierry Y. , Kassi Diby Francois , Kongrong OuYang
Published: October 2022

Balanced and sustainable development is one of the main objectives of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Therefore, considering the role of urbanization and human capital as critical elements for sustainable economic development, we analyze the moderating effect of human capital on the relationship between urbanization and CO2 emissions in Asian member countries of the Belt and Road Initiative. Using the STIRPAT framework and Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, we also analyze human capital's linear and nonlinear effects on CO2 emissions in multivariate models, including urbanization, gross domestic product per capita, energy use, and foreign direct investment. We employ the pooled OLS robust standard errors estimator Driscoll-Kraay, the Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS), and the two-stage least square (2SLS) estimators in the case of 30 BRI countries for the period 1980–2019. The results show positive effects of energy and urbanization on CO2 emissions. Moreover, this study reveals that human capital annihilates the positive impact of urbanization on CO2 emissions. We also find that human capital has an inverted U-shaped effect on CO2 emissions. Accordingly, we provide policy implications on the conditional influence of human capital in the urbanization-CO2 emissions nexus for sustainable development in these countries.
JEL code: C21, Q01, Q56
Continued fractions and the Thomson Problem
Authors: Moscato Pablo , Haque Mohammad Nazmul , Moscato Anna
Published: October 2022

We introduce new analytical approximations of the minimum electrostatic energy configuration of n electrons, E(n), when they are constrained to be on the surface of a unit sphere. Using 454 putative optimal configurations we searched for approximations of the form E(n) = (n2/2) e g(n) where g(n) was obtained via a memetic algorithm that searched for truncated analytic continued fractions finally obtaining one with Mean Squared Error equal to 4.5744×10^(-8).
Using the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, we searched over 350,000 sequences and, for small values of n, we identified a strong correlation of the highest residual of our best approximations with the sequence of integers n defined by the condition that n2 +12 is a prime. We also observed an interesting correlation with the behaviour of the smallest angle α(n), measured in radians, subtended by the vectors associated with the nearest pair of electrons in the optimal configuration. When using both √n and α(n) as variables a very simple approximation formula for E(n) was obtained with MSE = 7.9963×10^(-8). When expanded as a power series in infinity, we observe that an unknown constant of an expansion as a function of n-1/2 of E(n) first proposed by Glasser and Every in 1992 as -1.1039, and later refined by Morris, Deaven and Ho as -1.104616 in 1996, may actually be very close to -1-π/30.
Lightweight convolutional neural network models for semantic segmentation of in-field cotton bolls
Authors: Singh Naseeb , Tewari V. K. , Biswas P. K. , Dhruw L. K.
Published: October 2022

Robotic harvesting of cotton bolls will incorporate the
benefits of manual picking as well as mechanical harvesting. For
robotic harvesting, in-field cotton segmentation with minimal
errors is desirable which is a challenging task. In the present
study, three lightweight fully convolutional neural network models
were developed for the semantic segmentation of in-field cotton
bolls. Model 1 does not include any residual or skip connections,
while model 2 consists of residual connections to tackle the
vanishing gradient problem and skip connections for feature
concatenation. Model 3 along with residual and skip connections,
consists of filters of multiple sizes. The effects of filter size
and the dropout rate were studied. All proposed models segment the
cotton bolls successfully with the cotton-IoU
(intersection-over-union) value of above 88%. The highest
cotton-IoU of 91.03% was achieved by model 2. The proposed models
achieved F1-score and pixel accuracy values greater than 95% and
98%, respectively. The developed models were compared with existing
state-of-the-art networks namely VGG19, ResNet18, EfficientNet-B1,
and InceptionV3. Despite having a limited number of trainable
parameters, the proposed models achieved mean-IoU (mean
intersection-over-union) of 93.84%, 94.15%, and 94.65% against the
mean-IoU values of 95.39%, 96.54%, 96.40%, and 96.37% obtained
using state-of-the-art networks. The segmentation time for the
developed models was reduced up to 52% compared to state-of-the-art
networks. The developed lightweight models segmented the in-field
cotton bolls comparatively faster and with greater accuracy. Hence,
developed models can be deployed to cotton harvesting robots for
real-time recognition of in-field cotton bolls for harvesting.
iPSC-derived cells lack immune tolerance to autologous NK-cells due to imbalance in ligands for activating and inhibitory NK-cell receptors
Authors: Bogomiakova Margarita E. , Sekretova Elizaveta K. , Anufrieva Ksenia S. , Khabarova Polina O. , Kazakova Anastasia N. , Bobrovsky Pavel A. , Grigoryeva Tatiana V. , Eremeev Artem V. , Lebedeva Olga S. , Bogomazova Alexandra N. , Lagarkova Maria A.
Published: October 2022

Background: Dozens of transplants generated from pluripotent stem cells are currently in clinical trials. The creation of patient-specific iPSCs makes personalized therapy possible due to their main advantage of immunotolerance. However, some reports have claimed recently that aberrant gene expression followed by proteome alterations and neoantigen formation can result in iPSCs recognition by autologous T-cells. Meanwhile, the possibility of NK-cell activation has not been previously considered. This study focused on the comparison of autologous and allogeneic immune response to iPSC-derived cells and isogeneic parental somatic cells used for reprogramming.
Methods: We established an isogeneic cell model consisting of parental dermal fibroblasts, fibroblast-like iPSC-derivatives (iPS-fibro) and iPS-fibro lacking beta-2-microglobulin (B2M). Using the cells obtained from two patients, we analyzed the activation of autologous and allogeneic T-lymphocytes and NK-cells cocultured with target cells.
Results: Here we report that cells differentiated from iPSCs can be recognized by NK-cells rather than by autologous T-cells. We observed that iPS-fibro elicited a high level of NK-cell degranulation and cytotoxicity, while isogeneic parental skin fibroblasts used to obtain iPSCs barely triggered an NK-cell response. iPSC-derivatives with B2M knockout did not cause an additional increase in NK-cell activation, although they were devoid of HLA-I, the major inhibitory molecules for NK-cells. Transcriptome analysis revealed a significant imbalance of ligands for activating and inhibitory NK-cell receptors in iPS-fibro. Compared to parental fibroblasts, iPSC-derivatives had a reduced expression of HLA-I simultaneously with an increased gene expression of major activating ligands, such as MICA, NECTIN2, and PVR. The lack of inhibitory signals might be due to insufficient maturity of cells differentiated from iPSCs. In addition, we showed that the ligand imbalance could be reversed to normal. Longer cultivation and passaging of iPS-fibro or pretreatment with proinflammatory cytokines boosted HLA class I expression, which reduced the degranulation and cytotoxicity of NK-cells.
Conclusion: In summary, we showed that iPSC-derived cells can be sensitive to the cytotoxic potential of autologous NK-cells regardless of HLA-I status. Thus, the balance of ligands for NK-cell receptors should be considered prior to iPSC-based cell therapies.
Trial registration: Not applicable.
Responses of burial characteristics of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Poyang Lake, China to changes in organic matter inputs from 1886 to 2019
Authors: Tian Jiaming , Chen Yan , Zhao Zihan , Zhu Wangyue , Wu Hanzhi , Zhang Mingli , Wang Yanhua
Published: October 2022

The potential influences of the increased anthropogenic stress during the Anthropocene have led to a focus on the sedimentary record in lake and estuary environments. In this study, the spatio-temporal occurrence of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the n-alkanes from nC12–nC37 associated with organic groups (i.e., organic nitrogen (ON), organic carbon (OC), organic hydrogen (OH), and organic sulfur (OS)) in the 210Pb-dated estuary sediments of Poyang Lake were investigated and their sources and impacts were traced. The ON, OC, OS, and OH contents in the sediment cores ranged between 0.12 − 0.65%, 1 − 7.95%, 0.01 − 0.82%, and 0.03 − 1%, respectively. The age of estuarine sediment cores in Poyang Lake was measured to be 1885–2019 by the 210Pb-dating method. The 133-year sediment deposition occurred over different stages, each with its own characteristics. The PAH fluxes were in the range of 787.65–11269.18 ng cm− 2 a− 1. The high-ring PAHs were dominant, accounting for 74.02% of the total, and the main sources were biomass combustion and automobile exhaust emissions from 1885–2019 without marked change. On a centennial scale, the main n-alkane peaks were nC15, nC31, and nC33, which had an obvious odd-even predominance. The deposition flux of Σn-alkanes varied within the range of 10.33 − 213.86 µg cm− 2 a− 1. The long-chain monomers were dominant, and were found to originate from herbs. The environmental indicator analysis revealed that the restoration of forests and eutrophication of water bodies caused by human activities and a climate change from wet to drought conditions contributed to the relative contribution of autochthonous organisms and vascular plants during 1886–2019.
Long-term effects of meteorological factors and extreme weather on daily outpatient visits for conjunctivitis from 2013 to 2020: a time-series study in Urumqi, China
Authors: Gui Si-Yu , Qiao Jian-Chao , Wang Xin-Chen , Yang Fan , Hu Cheng-Yang , Tao Fang-Biao , Yi Xiang-Long , jiang zhengxuan
Published: October 2022

Background
Conjunctivitis is a common multifactorial inflammatory ocular surface disease characterized by symptoms such as congestion, edema, and increased secretion of conjunctival tissue, and the potential effects of meteorological factors as well as extreme meteorological factors on conjunctivitis and their lagging effects have not been fully evaluated.
Materials and Methods
We obtained the electronic case information of 59,731 outpatients with conjunctivitis from the Ophthalmology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University (Urumqi, Xinjiang, China) for the period from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2020. Meteorological data for daily mean temperature (°C), daily relative humidity (%), daily average wind speed (m/s), and atmospheric pressure (hPa) were obtained from the China Meteorological Data Sharing Service. The air pollutant data were obtained from 11 standard urban background fixed air quality monitors. A time-series analysis design and a quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with a distributed lagged nonlinear model (DLNM) were used to fit the effects of exposure to different meteorological factors and extreme weather on conjunctivitis outpatient visits. Subgroup analyses were performed on gender, age and season, and type of conjunctivitis.
Results
Univariate and multifactorial model results indicated that each 10-unit increase in mean temperature and relative humidity was associated with an increased risk of conjunctivitis outpatient visits, while each 10-unit increase in atmospheric pressure was associated with a decreased risk. The results of the extreme weather analysis suggested that extremely low levels of atmospheric pressure and relative humidity as well as extreme levels of temperature were associated with an increased risk of outpatient conjunctivitis visits, and extreme wind speeds were associated with a decreased risk. The results of the subgroup analysis suggested gender, age, and seasonal differences.
Conclusions
We conducted the first large sample size time series analysis in the large city furthest from the ocean in the world and confirmed for the first time that elevated mean temperature and extreme low levels of relative humidity in Urumqi were risk factors for local conjunctivitis outpatient visits, while elevated atmospheric pressure and extreme low levels of wind speed were protective factors, and there were lagged effects of temperature and atmospheric pressure. Multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are needed.
Deposition of ultra-thin coatings by a nature-inspired Spray-on-Screen technology
Authors: kumar Rachith nithyananda , Rameirez Andrea , verding Pieter , Nivelle Philippe , Renner Frank , D'Haen Jan , Deferme Wim
Published: October 2022

Nanometer-thick, ultrathin coatings applied over a large area are of paramount importance for various application fields such as biomedicine, space and automotive, organic electronics, memory devices, or energy storage devices. So far wet chemical deposition as a cost-effective, scalable, and versatile method can only be used for thicker deposits. Here the formation of uniform ultra-thin coatings with thicknesses below 15nm using a nature-inspired, roll-to-roll compatible Spray-on-Screen (SoS) technology is reported. For this, the finite micro-droplet generation of Ultrasonic Spray Coating (USSC) is combined with the coating formation from a screen printing mesh. Hydrophobic micro-threads of the mesh, resembling the micro-hair on the legs of water striders, produce millidroplets from microdroplets, and when applying external pressure to the mesh, dynamic wetting is enforced. The proposed technology is applicable for a wide variety of substrates and applications. It is shown by theory and experiment that ultra-thin coatings below 5nm homogeneous over a large area can be deposited without the use of extended ink formulation or high substrate temperatures during or after deposition. This simple yet effective technique enables the deposition of ultra-thin films on any substrates, and is very promising to fabricate the organic, inorganic electronics devices and batteries cost effectively.
Evaluation the potential of recovering various valuable elements from a vanadiferous titanomagnetite tailing based on chemical and process mineralogical characterization
Authors: Liu Jinsheng , Xing Zhenxing , Liu Jianxing , Ding Xueyong , Xue Xiangxin
Published: October 2022

In order to evaluate the potential of recovering various valuable elements from vanadiferous titanomagnetite tailing (VTMT), the chemical and process mineralogical characterization of VTMT were investigated in this study by various analytical techniques such as XRF, XRD, optical microscope, SEM, EDS and AMICS et al. It was found that VTMT is coarser powder in general, about 50% of the particle size is greater than 54.30 µm. The total iron content of the VTMT was 22.40 wt.%, and its TiO2 grade is 14.45 wt.%, even higher than those found in natural ilmenite ores. The majority of iron and titanium were located in ilmenite and hematite, 62.84% of hematite and 90.27% of ilmenite were present in monomeric form. However, there is still a portion of ilmenite and hematite embedded in gangue such as anorthite, diopside, and serpentite et al. For the recovery of valuable fractions such as Fe and TiO2 from VTMT, a treatment process including ball milling – high-intensity magnetic separation – one roughing and three refining flotation was proposed. Finally, a concentrate with TiO2 grade of 47.31% and TFe grade of 35.44% was produced, TiO2 and TFe had recovery rates of 57.71% and 28.23%, respectively. The recovered product is absolutely adequate as a raw material for the production of rutile. This study provides a reference and a new research direction for the recycling and comprehensive utilization of VTMT.