bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conversion of Knill–Laflamme–Milburn Entanglement to Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger Entanglement in Decoherence‐Free Subspace
Authors: Chen Lei , Xiu Xiao‐Ming , Dong Li , Zhang Shou , Su Shi‐Lei , Chen Shu , Liang Er‐Jun
Published: November 2021

In the process of quantum information processing, decoherence effect caused by the coupling between system and its environment will no doubt lead to the error of quantum information stored in the system. To decrease the influence of decoherence effect, decoherence‐free subspace (DFS) is introduced. In this work, several schemes to convert the polarized‐entangled Knill–Laflamme–Milburn (KLM) states into Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) states in DFS by using the weak cross‐Kerr nonlinearity are proposed. Numerical analysis shows that the proposed schemes have high fidelity and success probability. Due to the unique applications of multi‐qubit quantum entangled states in quantum information processing and the robust feature of DFS, the proposed schemes may play positive roles in the future development of quantum communication and quantum information processing tasks.
Measuring water affordability and the financial capability of utilities
Authors: Patterson Lauren A. , Doyle Martin W.
Published: November 2021

The cost of providing water services is increasing, placing greater financial burdens on individual households and utilities. Five metrics were calculated at multiple volumes of water usage and were applied to 1791 utilities, estimating bills from 2020 rates data, to gauge financial burdens in four states. More than a fifth of the population in 77% of utilities was experiencing poverty, suggesting widespread poverty is a major contributor to utility financial capability challenges. The Income Dedicated to Water Service metric was developed to understand how many households share a similar financial burden, exploring both the depth and prevalence of affordability challenges. Depending on water use, a tenth to a third of households work more than a day each month to afford water bills. This approach and an interactive visualization tool bring greater transparency to understand the scale of affordability and financial capability challenges (https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/water-affordability/water-affordability-dashboard).
Do children who exhibit food selectivity prefer to save the best (bite) for last?
Authors: Borrero John C. , Rosenblum Amy K. , Castillo Mariana I. , Spann Matthew W. , Borrero Carrie S. W.
Published: November 2021

Preference for patterns of outcomes that improve over time is termed negative time preference, in economics. In lay terms, this concept equates to “saving the best for last.” Generally, adults tend to prefer to postpone their more preferred outcomes when options are presented as a sequence of events. Event sequencing seems particularly relevant for children who exhibit food refusal or selectivity. Preference for the sequencing of bites when an array involved preferred and relatively non‐preferred foods was evaluated. Participants experienced pre‐programed bite sequences that improved, worsened, or remained fixed across trials, and we assessed participants' preference for each of the bite sequences. Three of the four participants preferred bite sequences that began with a highly preferred food and either worsened or remained fixed over time, whereas one participant preferred the improving sequence of bite presentation, or in other words, one participant preferred to “save the best for last.”
Comprehensive treatment experience of anal squamous cell carcinoma from a tertiary cancer center in South China
Authors: Yuan Yan , Xie Wei‐Hao , Li Rong‐Zhen , Chang Hui , Zeng Zhi‐Fan , Gao Yuan‐Hong , Wang Qiao‐Xuan , Xiao Wei‐Wei
Published: November 2021

Background

Anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) is a rare malignant tumor with increasing incidence. The goal of our study was to analyze the treatment outcome and prognostic factors of ASCC in South China in the past half‐century.

Methods

This study retrospectively included 59 patients with ASCC admitted from 1975 to 2018 in Sun Yat‐sen University cancer center. The clinical records and follow‐up information of all patients were collected. Survival analysis and univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed using the “survival” and “survminer” packages of R software.

Results

In 59 patients, 5 patients had distant metastasis at diagnosis. Among 54 M0 stage patients, 33 patients received chemoradiotherapy (CRT), 19 patients received local surgery, and 2 patients refused curative treatment and received the best supportive treatment (BST). The most common grade 3–4 acute toxicities during treatment were myelosuppression and radiation dermatitis. The median follow‐up time was 32 months. For the whole group, the 3‐year and 5‐year overall survival (OS) rates and disease‐free survival (DFS) were 71.1% and 63.6%, and 73.4% and 69.0%, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the T3–4 stage was an independent prognostic risk factor for OS, progression‐free survival (PFS), and DFS. And M1 was an independent prognostic risk factor for PFS and DFS. Patients in stage M0 mainly treated with CRT had better local control than those mainly treated with surgery (p = 0.027). For M0 patients, induction chemotherapy combined with CRT tends to prolong OS compared with CRT alone (p = 0.26). The 3‐year colostomy‐free survival for the whole group was 81.1%.

Conclusions

CRT is recommended as the first choice for the treatment of M0 stage ASCC. Induction chemotherapy may bring better survival benefits for some patients. Patients with ASCC in China seem to have a better local control rate, which suggested different treatment strategies may be needed in China.
Campus safety sees mission, duties expand in response to COVID‐19
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: November 2021

The Campus Security Report Advisory Board met to discuss the way that COVID‐19 has changed campus police duties, expectations, and the expansion of campus safety's mission amid student mental health crises on campus.
Did appeals court find university was negligent?
Authors: Lyerly Eric
Published: November 2021

A female student lived in a Northeastern University residence hall during her first year at the university.  Another first‐year student, A.G., lived in the same residence hall.
Report argues campus carry mandates should be federally overseen
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: November 2021

A report out of the left‐leaning think tank, The Center for American progress, argued that “to prevent shootings on college campuses, Congress should ban carrying guns at higher education institutions, like it already does on K‐12 school grounds, with similar exceptions such as for law enforcement and military programs.”
Consider training for peaceful interactions between police, students with disabilities
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: November 2021

Throughout their lifetime, people with disabilities, including students, are more likely to come into contact with police officers, either as victims or as perpetrators of a crime, and discrepancies in communication styles between the two groups might lead to higher rates of excessive force and incarceration. That finding comes from a recent study published in Intervention in School and Clinic.
Developing a high‐throughput method to screen soybean germplasm for hypoxia tolerance in a hydroponic system
Authors: Harrison Derrick , De Oliveira Maria Roberta , Wu Chengjun , Florez‐Palacios Liliana , Acuna Andrea , da Silva Marcos Paulo , Ravelombola Seconde Francia , Winter Joshua , Brye Kristofor , Dickson Ryan , Rojas Alejandro , Chen Pengyin , Nguyen Henry , Mozzoni Leandro Angel
Published: November 2021

Current field screening methods for soybean [Glycine max L. (Merr.)] flood tolerance are time‐ and labor‐intensive. The purpose of this research was to develop a method of screening soybean in a low‐O2 and CO2–rich treatment using hydroponic culture in a greenhouse setting. Growth media, solution, and plant response were evaluated at various days after termination of gas treatment (DAT). Initially, a flood‐susceptible genotype at early vegetative stage was subjected to a hypoxic treatment, displacing O2 by bubbling CO2 into the system for 5 d. The methodology was tested with 33 soybean genotypes, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil–plant analysis development (SPAD), and foliar damage score (FDS) were measured. Then, the reaction of 17 genotypes was compared between hydroponic and field conditions. Expanded clay pebbles were identified as the best substrate for the screening method, as germination rate was not different from control. Gas treatment was shown to affect the level of dissolved O2 in solution and to elicit phenotypic responses, of which NDVI was the most effective for differentiating germplasm, with an average of 0.29 and 0.69 for the CO2 treatment and ambient air control, respectively (p < .0001). Also, repeatability of NDVI response across genotypes was 94.5%. Finally, preliminary field validation supported the ability of this new hydroponic methodology to separate susceptible and tolerant genotypes under hypoxia and water‐logged conditions.
The feasibility of disposable video‐bronchoscopes, Ambu aScope3, for exploration of the common bile duct and extraction of stones
Authors: Kalipershad Sujala N. R. , Subar Daren A. , Date Ravindra S.
Published: November 2021

Introduction

The aim of this study was to assess and evaluate the feasibility of using the Ambu aScope3 (aScope) for common bile duct (CBD) explorations, stone detection and extraction, as well as to assess feasibility of its use through the laparoscopic ports in a low‐volume centre.

Methods

This is a dual centre prospective study, conducted between February 2015 and August 2019, of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy and common bile duct exploration. Ethical approval was obtained from the North West ‐ Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee. All patients were counselled on the use of the aScope in clinic, prior to surgery. The Primary endpoints were the ability of the aScope to identify CBD stones, perform a cholangiogram through the available channel, retrieve the stones using a Dormia basket and to visualise second generation biliary radicles satisfactorily. The secondary endpoint was the use of the aScope, via a laparoscopic port without a gas leak. The data collected included patient demographics, need for a CBD exploration, intraoperative confirmation of CBD stones and their safe extraction using an aScope.

Results

A total of nine patients were recruited. The aScope provided satisfactory views in eight of nine patients and enabled the safe extraction of CBD stones in six of nine cases. One patient had a bile leak, and another had a transected CBD prior to the use of the aScope.

Conclusion

We found that the aScope is a safe, feasible alternative to a choledochoscope, and in a low‐volume centre, it provides a financially viable option.
Conceptual and practical issues limit the utility of statistical estimators of phenological events
Authors: Iler Amy M. , Humphrey Parris T. , Ogilvie Jane E. , CaraDonna Paul J.
Published: November 2021

Widespread shifts in phenological events in response to climate change have inspired phenological monitoring programs and new methods for analyzing sparse phenological data. For example, the Weibull distribution is increasingly used to estimate the dates of hard‐to‐observe phenological events, such as first and last flowering dates, in sparsely or unsystematically sampled data sets. In contrast, recent application of the Weibull estimator to an intensely and systematically sampled flowering phenology data set unexpectedly found different results than a previous analysis of the observed dates; at issue is whether different aspects of phenological curves shift uniformly or disparately. We used this case study to (1) raise conceptual and technical issues around when and how to infer phenological events using Weibull (or other) estimates, and (2) re‐analyze the data set in question with these considerations in mind. Our re‐analysis using the Weibull estimator shows that first, peak, and last flowering dates shift disparately through time, supporting the original analysis of the observed dates. We show that off‐the‐shelf usage of statistical estimators to generalize about an unsampled population may be inappropriate without considering how well sampled the focal study population is and how biological features such as habitat heterogeneity influence the natural scope of the unsampled population.
Snow hardness impacts intranivean locomotion of arctic small mammals
Authors: Poirier Mathilde , Fauteux Dominique , Gauthier Gilles , Domine Florent , Lamarre Jean‐François
Published: November 2021

Fossorial locomotion is often considered as the most energetically costly of all terrestrial locomotion. Small arctic rodents, such as lemmings, dig tunnels not only in the soil but also through the snowpack, which is present for over 8 months of the year. Lemmings typically dig in the softest snow layer called the depth hoar but with climate change, melt‐freeze and rain‐on‐snow (ROS) events are expected to increase in the Arctic, leading to a higher frequency of hardened snowpacks. We assessed the impacts of snow hardness on the locomotion of two lemming species showing different morphological adaptations for digging. We hypothesized that an increase in snow hardness would (1) decrease lemming performance and (2) increase their effort while digging, but those responses would differ between lemming species. We exposed four brown lemmings (Lemmus trimucronatus) and three collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus) to snow of different hardness (soft, hard, and ROS) during 30‐min trials (n = 63 trials) in a cold room and filmed their behavior. We found that the digging speed and tunnel length of both species decreased with snow hardness and density, underlining the critical role of snow properties in affecting lemming digging performance. During the ROS trials, time spent digging by lemmings increased considerably and they also started using their incisors to help break the hard snow, validating our second hypothesis. Overall, digging performance was higher in collared lemmings, the species showing more morphological adaptations to digging, than in brown lemmings. We conclude that the digging performance of lemming is highly dependent on snowpack hardness and that the anticipated increase in ROS events may pose a critical energetic challenge for arctic rodent populations.
Passive acoustic monitoring complements traditional methods for assessing marine habitat enhancement outcomes
Authors: Van Hoeck Rebecca V. , Paxton Avery B. , Bohnenstiehl DelWayne R. , Taylor J. Christopher , Fodrie F. Joel , Peterson Charles H.
Published: November 2021

Habitat enhancement, often accomplished through the introduction of artificial structures, is a common strategy used by marine resource managers to provide habitat subsidies, protect sensitive habitat, and create new fishing opportunities. Traditional monitoring methods for assessing habitat enhancement outcomes face numerous limitations, including dependence on environmental conditions and trade‐offs between sampling frequency and duration. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is not subject to these same limitations and offers many advantages as a complement to traditional monitoring methods. Our team opportunistically monitored the soundscape and community development of a newly deployed artificial reef and compared it to that of a nearby established artificial reef using PAM and underwater time‐lapse videos. Specifically, we compared the sound pressure level (SPL) timeseries, dusk peak in SPL, and dusk power spectrum between the two artificial reefs to evaluate whether and on what timescale the soundscapes converged. Additionally, we tracked temporal patterns in species‐specific vocalizations to identify the trajectory of community development on the new reef. Lastly, we compared the qualitative conclusions drawn from PAM to previously published results from video monitoring of the same two artificial reefs. PAM identified minimal difference in mean low‐frequency SPL between the two reefs at the onset of monitoring. Though the timeseries correlation, dusk SPL, and dusk power spectra all varied across sampling periods, there were periods of low‐frequency soundscape alignment at four and eleven months following artificial reef deployment, associated with the presence of fish chorusing. The high‐frequency timeseries on each reef were well correlated during all sampling periods, despite an initial SPL difference of 17 dB. Throughout monitoring, high‐frequency sound levels became more similar between the reefs but did not converge. While video monitoring suggested that demersal species did not colonize the reef until five months post‐deployment, patterns in species‐specific vocalizations suggested that toadfish (Opsanus sp.) a cryptic, demersal species may have colonized the new reef within two weeks. Our findings demonstrate that passive acoustic monitoring is a useful complement to traditional methodologies and can provide a more holistic view of community development than visual monitoring alone.
Mild Heating Process and Antioxidant Incorporation Increase Quality and Oxidation Stability of Oil from Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) Eyeball
Authors: Pudtikajorn Khamtorn , Sae‐leaw Thanasak , Singh Avtar , Benjakul Soottawat
Published: November 2021

Oil from skipjack tuna eyeballs is produced by wet rendering method under mild conditions (70–90 °C for 30–60 min). Suitable condition (70 °C for 30 min) provides the oil having yield of 13.95% and acceptable color (L* = 92.26, a* = −2.17, and b* = 22.37) along with less hydrolytic and oxidative deteriorations. To increase oxidative stability, lecithin (200 and 400 ppm), α‐tocopherol (200 and 400 ppm), and their combination (1:1 ratio) at the same concentrations are added in the oil and stored for 30 d at 30 °C. Oil added with α‐tocopherol at 400 ppm shows the highest stability within the first 2 d (peroxide value = 339.28 mEq peroxide kg−1, anisidine value = 34.15, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances = 0.74 mg of MDA kg−1 of oil). However, at day 30, oil incorporated with α‐tocopherol at 400 ppm shows no differences in n‐3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid from the control. Also, no significant differences in FTIR spectral intensity between both samples at day 30 at wavenumbers 3013 and 1743 cm−1, representing cis‐double bond and carbonyl group, respectively, are observed. Therefore, other appropriate techniques, e.g., packaging or additives are still required for enhancement of oxidative stability of oil from skipjack tuna eyeball.

Practical Applications: Wet rendering method is an environmental friendly method for tuna oil production. However, high temperature of extraction can generate darker color and induce lipid oxidation. To increase the qualities of rendered oil, milder temperature and shorter time for oil extraction should be applied. Moreover, the use of high potential antioxidant in combination with other techniques such as packaging, etc., should be implemented for extending the shelf‐life of oil having high susceptibility toward oxidation.
Significantly enhanced mid Holocene fluvial activity in a globally important, arid‐zone wetland: The Okavango Delta, Botswana
Authors: Tooth Stephen , McCarthy Terence S. , Duller Geoff A. T. , Assine Mario L. , Wolski Piotr , Coetzee Grace
Published: November 2021

Information on past dryland environments is commonly derived from geomorphological landforms and sediments (‘geoproxies’). The Okavango Delta in the middle Kalahari, Botswana, has been subject to a long history of arid–humid transitions but its potentially rich archive of fluvial geoproxies is largely untapped. Previous palaeoenvironmental studies in the Delta region have focused mainly on aeolian dunes, lacustrine beach ridges, and rare pollen sequences in surrounding locations, and the Delta's channel dynamics have remained poorly constrained, both chronologically and in quantitative palaeohydrological terms. Focusing on the Delta's Xugana region, we present the first optically stimulated luminescence ages for palaeochannel fills and scroll bars, revealing significantly enhanced fluvial activity in the ~7–4 ka interval. Along 120–150 m‐wide, sand‐bed, sinuous palaeochannels, lateral migration and bend cutoffs were driven by palaeodischarges up to ~350–450 m3 s−1, at least nine times those of the present‐day channels. These palaeochannels represent the last major phase of meander activity in the middle and lower Delta. The palaeodischarges imply significantly higher rainfall over the catchment in the mid Holocene, possibly resulting from a southwards shift of the African tropical rainbelt. Over the last few thousand years, diminished fluvial activity in the Xugana region has continued; <20 m‐wide channels with discharges typically <40 m3 s−1 have been more laterally stable, albeit subject to local avulsions. These findings provide the ‘missing link’ between evidence for past intervals of enhanced rainfall in the Delta's tributary catchments in the northwest and west and the filling of large lacustrine basins to the southeast and east. The findings contribute to improved understanding of changing Kalahari hydroclimates and support growing evidence indicating that the mid to late Holocene was a time of significant fluvial transformation across many of the world's drylands.
A new method to predict the content changes of aroma compounds during the aging process of Niulanshan Baijiu using the GM (1,1) gray model
Authors: Wang Zhen , Wei Jinwang , Wang Ying , Zhu Tingting , Huang Mingquan , Wu Jihong , Xu Youqiang , Zhang Jinglin , Wang Bowen
Published: November 2021

Niulanshan Baijiu (NLS), a kind of light‐flavor Baijiu, is very popular in China. The gray model [GM (1,1)], a mathematical model, is used to predict the content changes of key odorants in NLS during the aging process. First, the smell experiment of NLS was carried out by gas chromatography‐olfactometry‐mass spectrometry (GC‐O‐MS). Then, 34 aroma compounds in NLS aged four different years were identified and quantitated, calculated the OAVs of these aroma compounds, there were 18 compounds with OAVs >1, which were considered as important aroma compounds in NLS, and finally, the gray prediction was carried out by modeling the content of these compounds. The correlations between the predicted values and actual values were as high as 0.9969. This is the first time that GM (1,1) is used in liquor content analysis, and the good prediction results show the applicability of GM (1,1) in predicting the content change of compounds during Baijiu aging.
Pyrrolic, pyridinic, and graphitic sumanene as metal‐free catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction – A density functional theory study
Authors: Thiruppathiraja Thangaraj , Arokiyanathan Agnes Lincy , Lakshmipathi Senthilkumar
Published: November 2021

This study investigates the nitrogen (N)‐doped sumanene (SUMA) molecule's catalytic behavior for the four‐electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) process. Accordingly, the N atom is doped at three different positions on the SUMA molecule to obtain the pyrrolic, pyridinic, and graphitic SUMA. The free energy value for the individual reaction processes in the four‐electron reduction reaction shows high exothermicity and feasibility for the N‐doped SUMA molecules. Moreover, the free energy for the entire four‐electron reduction reaction lies well below the value of O2 reduction into two water (H2O) molecules –474.71 kJ/mol. The N‐doped SUMA molecules exhibit stronger adsorption energy despite being metal‐free. The physisorption of the final product (H2O molecule) over the SUMA molecules suggests the possibility of regeneration of the catalyst, thereby controlling catalytic poisoning. Specifically, the graphitic SUMA shows a prominent catalytic behavior due to a lower highest occupied molecular orbital‐lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gap, which arises due to the increased charge density of the carbon atoms present near the graphitic N site. Besides, doping carbon‐based materials with N at the central benzene ring significantly enhances their catalytic efficiency due to localized π‐orbitals. Overall, the results reveal that N‐doped SUMA molecules are a promising metal‐free catalyst for ORR activity.
Low‐cost graphite coated copper as bipolar plates of proton exchange membrane fuel cells for corrosion protection
Authors: Wu Sida , Yan Hua , Zuo Xiahua , Cao Zibo , Li Haoyang , Yang Weimin , Zhan Jin
Published: November 2021

The aim of this essay is to explore a new method to prepare a graphite coating on the surface of copper foil. In our study, we find that when the treated copper foil is buried in natural flake graphite powder and heated to 900°C for 1 h, the surface of copper foil grows a graphite coating. The graphite coating on the surface of copper foil increases the corrosion resistance under the simulated proton exchange membrane fuel cell environment. At the same time, graphite coating also increases corrosion potential and is higher than the anode working potential. This keeps the anode in a cathodic protection state and avoids the generation of metal ions. Compared to the substrate, the coated potentiostatic polarization for 4 h shows that it is not only corrosion current density can get reduced by an order of magnitude but also can quickly reach a steady state. The value of the copper with graphite coating in interfacial contact resistance is ∼18.4 mΩ cm2 under 1.4 MPa, which is also reaching the Department of Energy targets.
CEBPA are independent good prognostic factors in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Liao Xiong‐yu , Fang Jian‐pei , Zhou Dun‐hua , Qiu Kun‐yin
Published: November 2021

To evaluate the outcome and prognostic significance of CEBPA mutations among pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from TARGET dataset. A total of 1803 pediatric patients who were diagnosed with AML were classified into two groups based on the CEBPA status by using a retrospective cohort study method from September 1996 to December 2016. The incidence of CEBPA mutations was 18%. CEBPA mutations were significantly associated with elder age (p < 0.001), higher WBC (p = 0.004), higher proportion of peripheral blood blast (p < 0.001), normal karyotype (p < 0.001), low risk (p < 0.001) and higher complete remission induction rates (p < 0.05). Overall, CEBPA mutations patients had a significantly better 5‐year EFS (p < 0.001) and OS (p < 0.001) compared to CEBPA wild‐type patients, and this favorable impact was maintained even in the presence of FLT3/ITD mutations. Stem cell transplantation had no significant impact on the survival of patients with coexistence of CEBPA and FLT3/ITD mutations. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that mutated CEBPA were an independent favorable indicators of better outcome in terms of EFS (p = 0.007) and OS (p = 0.039). Our study demonstrate mutated CEBPA have an excellent outcome in pediatric AML patients. Furthermore, pediatric AML patients with coexistence of CEBPA and FLT3/ITD mutation appear to have favorable prognoses and might not required stem cell transplantation.
Metacognition and the development of self‐directed learning in a problem‐based engineering curriculum
Authors: Marra Rose M. , Hacker Douglas J. , Plumb Carolyn
Published: November 2021

Background

Developing self‐directed learning (SDL) skills in engineering students is critical to support life‐long learning. This research was conducted at Iron Range Engineering (IRE), an innovative, problem‐based learning (PBL) engineering program, which has suffused the concept of metacognition throughout its curriculum.

Purpose/Hypotheses

Using measures of metacognition obtained from think‐aloud problem‐solving activities, to what extent do students change their use of SDL strategies from the beginning of their junior year to the end of their senior year of the 2‐year PBL engineering program?

Using evidence obtained from interview data, how do students' conceptualizations of metacognition and use of SDL strategies change from the beginning of their junior year to the end of their senior year of the 2‐year PBL engineering program?

What is the relationship between think‐aloud and interview measures of metacognition, and how could the two types of measures better inform us about the potential impact of the IRE program on students' use of SDL strategies?

Design/Method

Twelve students participated in both think‐aloud problem‐solving tasks and interviews.

Results

Data from think‐aloud problem‐solving activities showed that nearly one‐half of students' verbalizations were metacognitive and that they talked more about strategies and made more use of domain knowledge by the end of their program. Interview data showed that one‐half of the students showed an increase in the complexity of their understanding of SDL.

Conclusions

Our data show an increased use of strategies during problem‐solving at the end of the program. The results are promising, but further research is needed to understand the development of SDL in engineering students.
Macrowear effects of external quartz abrasives of different size and concentration in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Authors: Martin Louise F. , Ackermans Nicole L. , Richter Henning , Kircher Patrick , Hummel Jürgen , Codron Daryl , Clauss Marcus , Hatt Jean‐Michel
Published: November 2021

External quartz abrasives are one of the driving forces of macrowear in herbivorous animals. We tested to what extent different sizes and concentrations influence their effect on tooth wear. We fed seven pelleted diets varying only in quartz concentration (0%, 4%, and 8%) and size (fine silt: ∼4 μm, coarse silt: ∼50 μm, fine sand: ∼130 μm) to rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus, n = 16) for 2 weeks each in a randomized serial experiment. Measurements to quantify wear and growth of incisors and the mandibular first cheek tooth, as well as heights of all other cheek teeth, were performed using calipers, endoscopic examination, and computed tomography scans before and after each feeding period. Tooth growth showed a compensatory correlation with wear. Absolute tooth height (ATH) and relative tooth height (RTH); relative to the 0% quartz “control” diet) was generally lower on the higher concentration and the larger size of abrasives. The effect was more pronounced on the maxillary teeth, on specific tooth positions and the right jaw side. When offered the choice between different sizes of abrasives, the rabbits favored the silt diets over the control and the fine sand diet; in a second choice experiment with different diets, they selected a pelleted diet with coarse‐grained sand, however. This study confirms the dose‐ and size‐dependent wear effects of external abrasives, and that hypselodont teeth show compensatory growth. The avoidance of wear did not seem a priority for animals with hypselodont teeth, since the rabbits did not avoid diets inducing a certain degree of wear.
The mammalian brain under domestication: Discovering patterns after a century of old and new analyses
Authors: Balcarcel A. M. , Geiger M. , Clauss M. , Sánchez‐Villagra M. R.
Published: November 2021

Comparisons of wild and domestic populations have established brain reduction as one of the most consistent patterns correlated with domestication. Over a century of scholarly work has been devoted to this subject, and yet, new data continue to foster its debate. Current arguments, both for and against the validity of brain reduction occurring in domestic taxa, have repeatedly cited a small set of reviews on this subject. The original works, their sampling, methodological details, and nuances of results that would be key to establishing validity, particularly in light of new data, have not been investigated. To facilitate and encourage a more informed discussion, we present a comprehensive review of original brain reduction literature for four mammalian clades: Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla, Carnivora, and Glires. Among these are studies that generated the most cited brain reduction values in modern domestication literature. In doing so, we provide a fairer stage for the critique of traits associated with domestication. We conclude that while brain reduction magnitudes may contain error, empirical data collectively support the reduction in brain size and cranial capacity for domestic forms.
Developmental instability in domesticated mammals
Authors: Wilson Laura A. B.
Published: November 2021

Measures of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) have been adopted widely as an estimate of developmental instability. Arising from various sources of stress, developmental instability is associated with an organism's capacity to maintain fitness. The process of domestication has been framed as an environmental stress with human‐specified parameters, suggesting that FA may manifest to a larger degree among domesticates compared to their wild relatives. This study used three‐dimensional geometric morphometric landmark data to (a) quantify the amount of FA in the cranium of six domestic mammal species and their wild relatives and, (b) provide novel assessment of the commonalities and differences across domestic/wild pairs concerning the extent to which random variation arising from the developmental system assimilates into within‐population variation. The majority of domestic mammals showed greater disparity for asymmetric shape, however, only two forms (Pig, Dog) showed significantly higher disparity as well as a higher degree of asymmetry compared to their wild counterparts (Wild Boar, Wolf). Contra to predictions, most domestic and wild forms did not show a statistically significant correspondence between symmetric shape variation and FA, however, a moderate correlation value was recorded for most pairs (r‐partial least squares >0.5). Within pairs, domestic and wild forms showed similar correlation magnitudes for the relationship between the asymmetric and symmetric components. In domesticates, new variation may therefore retain a general, conserved pattern in the gross structuring of the cranium, whilst also being a source for response to selection on specific features.
Evaluation of statistical downscaling methods for climate change projections over Spain: Future conditions with pseudo reality (transferability experiment)
Authors: Hernanz Alfonso , García‐Valero Juan Andrés , Domínguez Marta , Rodríguez‐Camino Ernesto
Published: November 2021

The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) is responsible for the elaboration of downscaled climate projections over Spain to feed the Second National Plan of Adaptation to Climate Change (PNACC‐2) and this is the last of three papers aimed to evaluate and intercompare five empirical/statistical downscaling (ESD) methods developed at AEMET: (a) Analog, (b) Regression, (c) Artificial Neural Networks, (d) Support Vector Machines and (e) Kernel Ridge Regression, in order to decide which methods and under what configurations are more suitable for that purpose. Following the framework established by the EU COST Action VALUE, in this experiment we test the transferability of these methods to future climate conditions with the use of regional climate models (RCMs) as pseudo observations. We evaluate the marginal aspects of the distributions of daily maximum/minimum temperatures and daily accumulated precipitation, over mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, analysed by season. For maximum/minimum temperatures all methods display certain transferability issues, being remarkable for Support Vector Machines and Kernel Ridge Regression. For precipitation all methods appear to suffer from transferability difficulties as well, although conclusions are not as clear as for temperature, probably due to the fact that precipitation does not present such a marked signal of change. This study has revealed how an analysis over a historical period is not enough to fully evaluate ESD methods, so we propose that some type of analysis of transferability should be added in a standard procedure of a complete evaluation.
Linking perceived price fairness, customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty: A structural equation modeling of Facebook‐based e‐commerce in Bangladesh
Authors: Hride Fabliha Tasnim , Ferdousi Farhana , Jasimuddin Sajjad M.
Published: November 2021

The data from the current research forms part of a broader study that analyzes the association between perceived price fairness, customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty among social‐commerce users. This study examines their relationship in the context of Facebook‐based e‐commerce in Bangladesh. Based on data obtained from 171 respondents to a self‐administered questionnaire, it uses structural equation modeling and AMOS 21 software to test a research model and seven hypotheses. The study also tests and validates a Western instrument in the Asian context. In line with previous work, it reveals that perceived price fairness is positively related to customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, and trust, and that customer loyalty is also positively related to customer satisfaction and trust. However, it shows that customer satisfaction and trust do not mediate the relationship between perceived price fairness and customer loyalty. It provides practitioners with an understanding of key constructs in various forms that are causing the variation in customer loyalty. The research also provides useful insights for managers who wish to increase customer loyalty and offers guidance to those that intend to attract customers toward shopping, particularly via Facebook.
Prediction of the ripening stages of papayas using discriminant analysis and support vector machine algorithms
Authors: Zulkifli Nurazwin , Hashim Norhashila , Harith Hazreen Haizi , Mohamad Shukery Mohamad Firdza , Onwude Daniel I.
Published: November 2021

BACKGROUND

Evaluation of the quality properties of papaya becomes essential due to the acceleration of the fruit shelf‐life senescence and the deterioration factor of the expected postharvest operations. In this study, the colour features in RGB, normalised RGB, HSV and L*a*b* channels were extracted and correlated with mechanical properties, moisture content (MC), total soluble solids (TSS) and pH for the prediction of quality properties at five ripening stages of papaya (R1–R5).

RESULTS

The mean values of colour features in RGB , normalised RGB HSV , and L*a*b* were the best estimator for predicting TSS with R2 ≥ 0.90. All colour channels also showed satisfactory accuracies of R2 ≥ 0.80 in predicting the bioyield force, apparent modulus and mean force. The highest average classification accuracy was obtained using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) with an average accuracy of more than 82%. The study showed that LDA, linear support vector machine, quadratic discriminant analysis and quadratic support vector machine obtained the correct classification of up to 100% for R5, whereas R1, R2, R3 and R4 gave classification accuracies in the range 83.75–91.85%, 85.6–90.25%, 85.75–90.85% and 77.35–87.15%, respectively. This indicates that R5 colour information was obviously different from R1–R4. The mean values of the HSV channel indicated the best performance to predict the ripening stages of papaya, compared to RGB, normalised RGB and L*a*b* channels, with an average classification accuracy of more than 80%.

CONCLUSION

The study has shown the versatility of a machine vision system in predicting the quality changes in papaya. The results showed that the machine vision system can be used to predict the ripening stages as well as classifying the fruits into different ripening stages of papayas. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Warming combined with experimental eutrophication intensifies lake phytoplankton blooms
Authors: Salk Kateri R. , Venkiteswaran Jason J. , Couture Raoul‐Marie , Higgins Scott N. , Paterson Michael J. , Schiff Sherry L.
Published: November 2021

Phytoplankton blooms are a global water quality issue, and successful management depends on understanding their responses to multiple and interacting drivers, including nutrient loading and climate change. Here, we examine a long‐term dataset from Lake 227, a site subject to a fertilization experiment (1969–present) with changing nitrogen:phosphorus (N:P) ratios. We applied a process‐oriented model, MyLake, and updated the model structure with nutrient uptake kinetics that incorporated shifting N:P and competition among phytoplankton functional groups. We also tested different temperature and P‐loading scenarios to examine the interacting effects of climate change and nutrient loading on phytoplankton blooms. The model successfully reproduced lake physics over 48 yr and the timing, overall magnitude, and shifting community structure (diazotrophs vs. non‐diazotrophs) of phytoplankton blooms. Intra‐ and interannual variability was captured more accurately for the P‐only fertilization period than for the high N:P and low N:P fertilization periods, highlighting the difficulty of modeling complex blooms even in well‐studied systems. A model scenario was also run which removed climate‐driven temperature trends, allowing us to disentangle concurrent drivers of blooms. Results showed that increases in water temperature in the spring led to earlier and larger phytoplankton blooms under climate change than under the effects of nutrient fertilization alone. These findings suggest that successful lake management efforts should incorporate the effects of climate change in addition to nutrient reductions, including intensifying and/or expanding monitoring periods and incorporating climate change into uncertainty estimates around future conditions.
Air Purification Using Polymer Fiber Filters
Authors: Chai Mengnan , Tong Wangshu , Wang Zhihao , Zhao Shifeng , Zhang Yihe
Published: November 2021

Polymer fiber filters, with their high surface area, low cost, and easy large‐scale manufacturing, are widely used in air purification. These filters have been combined with various types of functional nanoparticles to endow them with electrostatic adsorption, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, photoelectrocatalysis, or antibacterial properties, and improve their filtering performance. In this study, a summary of the research on single polymer and polymer composite filters for highly efficient air purification is presented. In single polymer filters, polar groups in the polymer chains, a rich porous structure, and electret process improve their removal capability. In polymer composite filters, metal–organic frameworks, porous particles, and electret materials as fillers improve the physical adsorption of the materials, while the use of photocatalysts, electrocatalysts, photoelectrocatalysts, and antibacterial agents as functional fillers endows the filters with additional chemical reactions for the complete degradation of gas and microorganism pollutants. Finally, the challenges that remain in the development of polymer filters for use in air purification are also discussed in terms of material type and fabrication technology. It is expected that polymer filters with tunable surface properties and multifunctions can realize highly efficient air purification with low energy consumption.
Targeting AMPK Signaling by Dietary Polyphenols in Cancer Prevention
Authors: Hu Zuomin , Li Mengyuan , Cao Yunyun , Akan Otobong Donald , Guo Tianyi , Luo Feijun
Published: November 2021

Cancer is a serious public health problem in the world and a major disease affecting human health. Dietary polyphenols have shown good potential in the treatment of various cancers. It is worth noting that cancer cells usually exhibit metabolic abnormalities of high glucose intake and inefficient utilization. AMPK is the key molecule in the regulation of energy metabolism and is closely related with obesity and diabetes. Recent studies indicate that AMPK also plays an important role in cancer prevention and regulating cancer‐related genes and pathways, and dietary polyphenols can significantly regulate AMPK activity. In this review, the progress of dietary polyphenols preventing carcinogenesis via AMPK pathway is systemically summarized. From the viewpoint of interfering energy metabolism, the anti‐cancer effects of dietary polyphenols are explained. AMPK pathway modulated by different dietary polyphenols affects pathways and target genes are summarized. Dietary polyphenols exert anti‐cancer effect through the target molecules regulated by AMPK, which broadens the understanding of polyphenols anti‐cancer mechanisms and provides value reference for the investigators of the novel field.
Disposable point‐of‐care portable perfusion phantom for quantitative DCE‐MRI
Authors: Holland Martin D. , Morales Andres , Simmons Sean , Smith Brandon , Misko Samuel R. , Jiang Xiaoyu , Hormuth David A. , Christenson Chase , Koomullil Roy P. , Morgan Desiree E. , Li Yufeng , Xu Junzhong , Yankeelov Thomas E. , Kim Harrison
Published: November 2021

Purpose

To develop a disposable point‐of‐care portable perfusion phantom (DP4) and validate its clinical utility in a multi‐institutional setting for quantitative dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (qDCE‐MRI).

Methods

The DP4 phantom was designed for single‐use and imaged concurrently with a human subject so that the phantom data can be utilized as the reference to detect errors in qDCE‐MRI measurement of human tissues. The change of contrast‐agent concentration in the phantom was measured using liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry. The repeatability of the contrast enhancement curve (CEC) was assessed with five phantoms in a single MRI scanner. Five healthy human subjects were recruited to evaluate the reproducibility of qDCE‐MRI measurements. Each subject was imaged concurrently with the DP4 phantom at two institutes using three 3T MRI scanners from three different vendors. Pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters in the regions of liver, spleen, pancreas, and paravertebral muscle were calculated based on the Tofts model (TM), extended Tofts model (ETM), and shutter speed model (SSM). The reproducibility of each PK parameter over three measurements was evaluated with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and compared before and after DP4‐based error correction.

Results

The contrast‐agent concentration in the DP4 phantom was linearly increased over 10 min (0.17 mM/min, measurement accuracy: 96%) after injecting gadoteridol (100 mM) at a constant rate (0.24 ml/s, 4 ml). The repeatability of the CEC within the phantom was 0.997 when assessed by the ICC. The reproducibility of the volume transfer constant, Ktrans, was the highest of the PK parameters regardless of the PK models. The ICCs of Ktrans in the TM, ETM, and SSM before DP4‐based error correction were 0.34, 0.39, and 0.72, respectively, while those increased to 0.93, 0.98, and 0.86, respectively, after correction.

Conclusions

The DP4 phantom is reliable, portable, and capable of significantly improving the reproducibility of qDCE‐MRI measurements.