bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness and Safety of Ultrasound-Guided Local Paricalcitol Injection in Treating Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in ESRD: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Xie Shuqin , Yu Yuan , Liu Yi , Zhang Siliang , Yuan Shiyi , Fan Kui , Tang Bin , Zhou Qin , Sun Yuqing , Liu Rui , Cao Dan , Chen Yong , Wang Yelei , Liu Guangjun , Ma Huan , Tao Chenghui , Zeng Li , Zhong Ling
Published: November 2022

Purpose: To compare the safety and efficacy of percutaneous paricalcitol injection with intravenously administered paricalcitol in treating parathyroid hyperplasia in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). Methods: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of our institution. We retrospectively collected data on patients who received percutaneous paricalcitol injection (24 patients) and intravenously administered paricalcitol (22 patients) based on their intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) level. Serum iPTH, calcium, phosphorus, and the volume of the parathyroid gland were measured at several indicated time points after treatment, and adverse events associated with the two treatments were evaluated. Results: After 6 months of follow-up, we found that patients from the percutaneous injection group had significantly decreased levels of iPTH (from 1887.81 ± 726.81 pg/mL to 631.06 ± 393.06 pg/mL), phosphate (from 1.94 ± 0.36 mmol/L to 1.71 ± 0.34 mmol/L), and volume of the parathyroid gland (from 0.87 ± 0.50 cm3 to 0.60 ± 0.36 cm3), with relief from ostealgia within 48–72 h. In the intravenously administered group, the levels of iPTH decreased from 686.87 ± 260.44 pg/mL to 388.47 ± 167.36 pg/mL; while there was no significant change in phosphate levels, the volume of the parathyroid gland and ostealgia relief were observed at the end of follow-up. The serum calcium level did not significantly change, and no severe complications were observed in both groups. In vitro fluorescence-activated single cell sorting (FACS) analysis indicated that paricalcitol induced parathyroid cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions: Percutaneous paricalcitol injection is a selective treatment for SHPT in ESRD.
Influence of Fracture Reduction on the Functional Outcome after Intramedullary Nail Osteosynthesis in Proximal Humerus Fractures
Authors: Hättich Annika , Harloff Tim Jodokus , Sari Hatice , Schlickewei Carsten , Cramer Christopher , Strahl André , Frosch Karl-Heinz , Mader Konrad , Klatte Till Orla
Published: November 2022

Background: Optimal treatment of proximal humeral fractures (PHF) is still controversial. Therefore, we aim to investigate the influence of fracture reduction after intramedullary nailing of a PHF on the clinical outcome. Methods: Patients treated with intramedullary nail for PHF from 2013–2018, (minimum follow-up 12 months) were retrospectively included. Constant Score (CS), DASH and Simple Shoulder Test (SST) were collected. Postoperative radiographs were used to determine head-shaft-alignment (HSA), head-shaft-displacement (HSD), integrity of the medial hinge and the cranialization of the greater tuberosity (CGT). The results of fracture reduction were categorized as either “anatomical”, “acceptable” or as “malreduction”. Malreduction exists when at least one of the following parameters are present: HSA > 150/< 110°, HSD >5 mm, CTM > 5 mm or lack of integrity of the medial hinge. Results: 42 patients (mean age 65.5 ± 14.1 years, 15 male, 27 female) with a mean follow-up time of 43 months were included. The average CS was 60 ± 30, DASH 49.8 ± 24.3 and SST 62.9 ± 26.9. There was an “anatomic” reduction in 9 (21.4%), “acceptable” in 7 (16.6%) and a “malreduction” in 26 (62%) patients. Comparing the combined “anatomical” and “acceptable” reduction group with the “malreduction” group, worse scores were observed in the “malreduction” group (CS 67.2 vs. 55.2, DASH 45.2 vs. 51.9, SST: 69.3 vs. 58.6) without statistical significance (CS: p = 0.095, DASH: p = 0.307, SST: p = 0.400). By means of multiple logistic regression analyses no statistically significant risk factors were identified for lower DASH, CS and SST scores. Conclusions: Anatomical fracture reduction using intramedullary nails has a positive effect on postoperative outcome for the 3 scores recorded, without reaching statistical significance.
Where Does Eureka Come From? The Effect of Unreportable Hints on the Phenomenology of Insight
Authors: Ammalainen Artur , Moroshkina Nadezhda
Published: November 2022

Insight interests researchers given its special cognitive mechanisms and phenomenology (an Aha! experience or Eureka moment). There is a considerable amount of research on the effect of hints on performance in insight problem solving. However, only a few studies address the effect of hints on the subjective experiences of solvers, and the picture their results provide is unclear. We analyze the effect of unreportable true and false hints on different dimensions of the Aha! experience (subjective suddenness, Aha! experience as an effect, and certainty). Using the processing fluency framework, we predict that true hints lead to more insights and stronger Aha! experience and certainty, while false hints lead to the opposite results due to the controlled inhibition of the inappropriate representation. The results showed that false hints decreased the chance of finding a correct solution. The true-hint condition did not lead to more correct solutions but made solutions feel sudden more often than the control condition. The ratings of the Aha! experience and certainty were higher for solutions obtained after true hints than after false hints. We obtained partial support for the effect of unreportable hints on “Eureka!” moments.
Numerical Investigation of Depressurization through Horizontal Wells in Methane-Hydrate-Bearing Sediments Considering Sand Production
Authors: Guo Xuyang , Jin Yan , Zi Jingyu , Lin Jiaying , Zhu Bolong , Wen Qian , Jing Qi
Published: November 2022

Sand production has been identified as a key reason limiting sustained and commercial gas production in methane-hydrate-bearing sediments. Production tests in Canada and Japan were terminated partially because of excessive sand production in pilot wells. It is meaningful to carry out numerical investigations and sensitivity analyses to improve the understanding of sand production mechanisms during the exploitation of methane hydrates. This study introduces a numerical model to describe the coupled thermal–hydraulic–mechanical–chemical responses and sand production patterns during horizontal well depressurization in methane-hydrate-bearing sediments. The model is benchmarked with a variety of methane hydrate reservoir simulators. Results show that the spatial and temporal evolution patterns of multi-physical fields are different and the hydromechanical evolutions are the fastest. Gas production and sand production rates are oscillatory in the early stages and long-term rates become stable. Gas production is sensitive to rock physical and operational parameters and insensitive to rock mechanical properties such as cohesion. In contrast, sand production is sensitive to cohesion and insensitive to rock physical and operational parameters. Although cohesion does not directly affect gas productivity, gas productivity can be impaired if excessive sand production impedes production operations. This study provides insights into the sand production mechanism and quantifies how relevant parameters affect sand production during the depressurization in methane-hydrate-bearing sediments.
A Fully Coupled CFD-DMB Approach on the Ship Hydroelasticity of a Containership in Extreme Wave Conditions
Authors: Wei Yujia , Incecik Atilla , Tezdogan Tahsin
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we present a fully coupled computational fluid dynamic (CFD) and discrete module beam (DMB) method for the numerical prediction of nonlinear hydroelastic responses of a ship advancing in regular and focused wave conditions. A two-way data communication scheme is applied between two solvers, whereby the external fluid pressure exported from the CFD simulation is used to derive the structural responses in the DMB solver, and the structural deformations are fed back into the CFD solver to deform the mesh. We first conduct a series of verification and validation studies by using the present CFD–DMB method to investigate the global ship motion, vertical bending moments (VBMs), and green water phenomenon of the ship in different regular wave conditions. The numerical results agreed favourably with the CFD–FEA model and experimental measurements. Then, the extreme ship motions are studied in focused wave conditions to represent extreme sea conditions that a ship may experience in a real sea state. According to the conclusion drawn from the numerical simulations, it is founded that the focused wave case will lead to the increase of the longitudinal responses of the hull compared to regular wave condition, i.e., the heave, pitch, and total VBMs rise about 25%, 20% and 9%, respectively. In focused wave conditions, intensive ship responses and severe waves cause stronger slamming phenomena. It is found that the instantaneous impact pressure from the focused wave is higher and sharper compared to the regular waves and comes along with the obvious green-water-on-deck phenomena.
Sea-Breeze Front Research Based on Remote Sensing Methods in Coastal Baltic Sea Climate: Case of Lithuania
Authors: Dailidė Remigijus , Dailidė Greta , Razbadauskaitė-Venskė Indrė , Povilanskas Ramūnas , Dailidienė Inga
Published: November 2022

Sea breezes, as one of the most important local varieties of daily wind dynamics, are responsible for the formation of the climate by coasts of large bodies of water. In recent decades, due to climate change, the air temperature is rising, causing larger temperature gradients to form and the dynamics of the atmosphere to change globally and locally. This research investigated the spread of sea breezes in the years 2018–2019 during the warm period of the year (June, July, and August) to the mainland territory of the southeastern Baltic and coastal Lithuania by applying in situ and remote methods. The results of the study showed that sea-breeze fronts are better identified by the formation line of convective clouds in the continental part seen in remote images. During the first half of the day (until noon), the effect of sea breezes extends on average about 20–30 km from the coast of the sea. However, maximum extension of the breeze fronts can penetrate the continent much further than previously thought. During the summer, when the westward movement of air masses prevails, the band of cumulus (Cu) clouds formed by the sea breeze marks the front of the sea breeze, and at the time of the most extended spread (around 5 pm) in the continental part of Lithuania, the sea-breeze front is an average of around 60 km away from the seacoast. Until noon, the area covered by sea breezes in the western part of Lithuania extends over 1886.2 km2. During the second half of the day, the spatial spread of the breeze impacts an average area of about 6445.2 km2 by around 5 pm. Hence, the sea breeze affects not only the coastal climate region of Lithuania, as previously recognized, but it also affects the climate of part of the region of the Samogitian (Žemaitijos) Uplands of Lithuania. Remote-sensing methods helped to identify sea-breeze fronts and evaluate the limits of marine climate expansion along the seashore. The methods used in this work can play a role in answering the question of how climate change can affect the coastal climate.
Guidance-Based Path Following of an Underactuated Ship Based on Event-Triggered Sliding Mode Control
Authors: Zhang Yuxi , Liu Yong
Published: November 2022

In this paper, the path following of an underactuated ship as a fundamental application for autonomous sailing in seaways is studied. First, the guidance system based on the line of sight (LOS) method is established to handle underactuated dynamics of ship motion. Then, path following control is converted to heading control with fewer dimensions. Second, the extended state observer (ESO) is used to observe unknown dynamics of ship motion. Third, the sliding mode control method is highly robust to external disturbance and is employed to design the controller. Fourth, the event-triggered mechanism (ETM) is included to reduce the trigger time. All the closed-loop signals are shown to be bounded by the Lyapunov theory. Simulations are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Adaptive Second-Order Fast Terminal Sliding-Mode Formation Control for Unmanned Surface Vehicles
Authors: Wang Duansong , Kong Min , Zhang Gang , Liang Xiaoling
Published: November 2022

The formation control of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) while considering communication topology, dynamic model uncertainties, environmental disturbances, and a fast convergence rate is addressed in this paper. First, graph theory is introduced to describe the connective relationships and establish generalized formation errors among USVs. Then, a second-order fast nonsingular terminal sliding-mode control (SOFNTSMC) is designed to guarantee that the system converges quickly and without chatter. An adaptive update law is designed in order to estimate the model uncertainties and external disturbances without the requirement of the boundary information of the system uncertainties. With the application of the adaptive SOFNTSMC (ASOFNTSMC) and graph theory, a distributed control is developed for every USV to perform the desired formation pattern. Finally, the results of simulations and comparisons demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Multi-Scale Object Detection Model for Autonomous Ship Navigation in Maritime Environment
Authors: Shao Zeyuan , Lyu Hongguang , Yin Yong , Cheng Tao , Gao Xiaowei , Zhang Wenjun , Jing Qianfeng , Zhao Yanjie , Zhang Lunping
Published: November 2022

Accurate detection of sea-surface objects is vital for the safe navigation of autonomous ships. With the continuous development of artificial intelligence, electro-optical (EO) sensors such as video cameras are used to supplement marine radar to improve the detection of objects that produce weak radar signals and small sizes. In this study, we propose an enhanced convolutional neural network (CNN) named VarifocalNet * that improves object detection in harsh maritime environments. Specifically, the feature representation and learning ability of the VarifocalNet model are improved by using a deformable convolution module, redesigning the loss function, introducing a soft non-maximum suppression algorithm, and incorporating multi-scale prediction methods. These strategies improve the accuracy and reliability of our CNN-based detection results under complex sea conditions, such as in turbulent waves, sea fog, and water reflection. Experimental results under different maritime conditions show that our method significantly outperforms similar methods (such as SSD, YOLOv3, RetinaNet, Faster R-CNN, Cascade R-CNN) in terms of the detection accuracy and robustness for small objects. The maritime obstacle detection results were obtained under harsh imaging conditions to demonstrate the performance of our network model.
Toxicity of Antifouling Biocides and Wastes from Ships’ Surfaces during High-Pressure Water-Blasting Cleaning Activities in the Nauplii and Eggs of the Estuarine Copepod Paracalanus parvus sl
Authors: Hyun Bonggil , Jang Pung-Guk , Shin Kyoungsoon , Kim Moonkoo , Jung Ju-Hak , Cha Hyung-Gon , Jang Min-Chul
Published: November 2022

Copepods, the dominant member of zooplankton and major grazers of phytoplankton in the pelagic ecosystem, are at risk from exposure to antifouling biocides. To evaluate the developmental toxicity of antifouling biocides (Diuron, Irgarol 1051, Sea-nine 211) and wastewater (from high-pressure water blasting (WHPB) and its MeOH extract (WHPB-MeOH)) in the copepod Paracalanus parvus sl, we investigated the chemical concentration, egg-hatching rate, and nauplius mortality. WHPB samples were obtained through hull-cleaning activities involving WHPB in a dry dock. Among the biocides, Sea-nine 211 had the strongest effects on hatching rates and nauplius mortality, which was followed by Diuron and Irgarol 1051. In the WHPB and WHPB-MeOH samples, there was no significant difference between the experimental groups in terms of the egg-hatching rate; however, WHPB was found to be more toxic in terms of nauplius mortality, suggesting that metals in WHPB may also adversely affect nauplius survival in P. parvus sl. A comparison of the LC50 results of Sea-nine 211 and WHPB revealed that WHPB had a negative effect on nauplius mortality even at a 100-fold lower concentration. Therefore, if chemical contaminants generated during in-water cleaning activity are discharged continuously into the ports without being properly collected through a post-treatment system, they are expected to negatively impact the population of copepods near the port. Although verification is needed through additional experiments, our results could be used for a baseline study concerning the toxicity of antifouling biocides on marine copepod species.
Simulating the Interconnected Eastern Mediterranean–Black Sea System on Climatic Timescales: A 30-Year Realistic Hindcast
Authors: Petalas Stamatios , Tragou Elina , Mamoutos Ioannis G. , Zervakis Vassilis
Published: November 2022

Inter-basin water exchanges can be quite important in climatic-scale numerical studies simulating the circulation and hydrographic characteristics of neighboring oceanic basins connected through narrow straits. The crucial role of the interaction between the Mediterranean and the Black Seas is often overseen in simulations, which rely mostly on parameterizations to describe the exchange, essentially decoupling the two basins. In this study, the fully interconnected Eastern Mediterranean–Black Sea system is simulated for the historical period (1985–2015) using realistic boundary conditions (lateral, atmospheric and hydrological), with a hydrodynamic fully three-dimensional ocean modeling system. The setup of such a configuration is thoroughly described and the performance of the 30-year hindcast product is validated exhaustively against observations and model results, by evaluating the representation of surface fields, circulation, three-dimensional hydrographic characteristics, volumetric water exchanges, and the spatio-temporal variability of the above. The comparison shows exceptional performance, minimal drift, and substantial improvement compared to modeling studies that do not include the interaction. Moreover, due to the free-run configuration of the simulation (i.e., absence of assimilation schemes) no additional input is required other than the respective boundary conditions, making it possible to reliably extend the same setup for scenarios where observational data are not available, such as in future projections.
Marine Archaeal Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Halococcus AMS12, Their Characterization, and Biological Properties
Authors: Kannan Kamala , Pitchiah Sivaperumal , Joseph Jeevankumar Guduri , Ganapathy Dhanraj , Sundarrajan Subramanian , Ramakrishna Seeram
Published: November 2022

In the present study, halophilic archaea were isolated from a marine sediment sample. Totally, 15 isolates (AMS 1–15) were identified by molecular identification as belonging to the ten genera. Further, their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were extracted (3.172 g/L), and their bioactivity was determined in terms of biosurfactant, emulsification, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, and anticancer activity. The highest amount of EPS has been produced by Halococcus sp., AMS12. It is made up of 54.28% carbohydrates, 32.91% proteins, 2.41% lipids, and other compounds. Further, EPS has 43.69 ± 1.89 U/mg of gelatinase enzyme by degrading the substrate. The potential total antioxidant activity of 103.80 ± 0.02 (ascorbic acid equivalence (AAE)), total reducing power of 86.1 ± 0.25 AAE, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity of 97.23 ± 0.21%, the hydrogen peroxide scavenging of 60.8 ± 0.21%, and nitric oxide scavenging activity of 89.37 ± 0.24% were observed at 100 μg/mL of EPS. Hence, we conclude that the archeal EPS is multifunctional and useful for developing natural polymers for industrial, food, and pharmaceutical applications.
Marine-Hydraulic-Oil-Particle Contaminant Identification Study Based on OpenCV
Authors: Wang Chenyong , Yang Chao , Zhang Hongpeng , Wang Shengzhao , Yang Zhaoxu , Fu Jingguo , Sun Yuqing
Published: November 2022

Particulate pollutants mixed in hydraulic oil will lead to the failure of the marine hydraulic system. Nowadays, the current identification methods of particulate pollutants in oil make it challenging to obtain the specific parameters of pollutants. For this reason, this paper proposes a recognition method of marine-hydraulic-oil-particle pollutants based on OpenCV. The image of particles in the marine hydraulic oil was preprocessed by OpenCV software and using the Canny operator edge detection algorithm to extract the contour of particle pollutants to obtain their area and perimeter. The recognition accuracy reached 95%. Using the Douglas–Peucker algorithm for fit polygons, then image moments to obtain the angle-distance waveform of particulate pollutants, the shape of marine-hydraulic-oil particulate pollutants was successfully identified. The designed method has the advantages of fast calculation efficiency, high accuracy, and real-time detection of various parameters of particulate pollutants in marine hydraulic oil. It has great significance for the fault diagnosis of hydraulic systems and prolonging the working life of hydraulic equipment. This research provides a new idea for the condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of ships and offshore engineering equipment.
Silencing of ROT2, the Encoding Gene of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Glucosidase II, Affects the Cell Wall and the Sporothrix schenckii–Host Interaction
Authors: López-Ramírez Luz A. , Martínez-Duncker Iván , Márquez-Márquez Anayeli , Vargas-Macías Ana P. , Mora-Montes Héctor M.
Published: November 2022

Sporothrix schenckii is a member of the Sporothrix pathogenic clade and one of the most common etiological agents of sporotrichosis, a subcutaneous fungal infection that affects both animal and human beings. Like other fungal pathogens, the Sporothrix cell wall is composed of structural polysaccharides and glycoproteins that are covalently modified with both N-linked and O-linked glycans. Thus far, little is known about the N-linked glycosylation pathway in this organism or its contribution to cell wall composition and interaction with the host. Here, we silenced ROT2, which encodes the catalytic subunit of the endoplasmic reticulum α-glucosidase II, a processing enzyme key for the N-linked glycan core processing. Silencing of ROT2 led to the accumulation of the Glc2Man9GlcNAC2 glycan core at the cell wall and a reduction in the total content of N-linked glycans found in the wall. However, the highly silenced mutants showed a compensatory mechanism with increased content of cell wall O-linked glycans. The phenotype of mutants with intermediate levels of ROT2 silencing was more informative, as they showed changes in the cell wall composition and exposure of β-1.3-glucans and chitin at the cell surface. Furthermore, the ability to stimulate cytokine production by human mononuclear cells was affected, along with the phagocytosis by human monocyte-derived macrophages, in a mannose receptor-, complement receptor 3-, and TLR4-dependent stimulation. In an insect model of experimental sporotrichosis, these mutant cells showed virulence attenuation. In conclusion, S. schenckii ROT2 is required for proper N-linked glycosylation, cell wall organization and composition, and interaction with the host.
The Mitochondrial Alternative Oxidase in Ustilago maydis Is Not Involved in Response to Oxidative Stress Induced by Paraquat
Authors: Romero-Aguilar Lucero , Vázquez-Meza Héctor , Guerra-Sánchez Guadalupe , Luqueño-Bocardo Oscar Ivan , Pardo Juan Pablo
Published: November 2022

It has been shown that the alternative oxidase in mitochondria of fungi and plants has important functions in the response against stress conditions, although their role in some organisms is still unknown. This is the case of Ustilago maydis. There is no evidence of the participation of the U. maydis Aox1 in stressful conditions such as desiccation, high or low temperature, and low pH, among others. Therefore, in this work, we studied the role of the U. maydis Aox1 in cells exposed to oxidative stress induced by methyl viologen (paraquat). To gain insights into the role of this enzyme, we took advantage of four strains: the FB2 wild-type, a strain without the alternative oxidase (FB2aox1Δ), other with the Aox1 fused to the Gfp under the control of the original promoter (FB2aox1-Gfp), and one expressing constitutively de Aox1-Gfp (FB2Potef:aox1-Gfp). Cells were incubated for various times in the presence of 1 mM paraquat and growth, replicative capacities, mitochondrial respiratory activity, Aox1 capacity, and the activities of several antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase) were assayed. The results show that (1) the response of U. maydis against oxidative stress was the same in the presence or absence of the Aox1; (2) the activities of the antioxidant enzymes remained constant despite the oxidative stress; and (3) there was a decrease in the GSH/GSSG ratio in U. maydis cells incubated with paraquat.
Stress Responses Elicited by Glucose Withdrawal in Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Emri Tamás , Antal Károly , Gila Barnabás , Jónás Andrea P. , Pócsi István
Published: November 2022

Glucose is a widely used carbon source in laboratory practice to culture Aspergillus fumigatus, however, glucose availability is often low in its “natural habitats”, including the human body. We used a physiological–transcriptomical approach to reveal differences between A. fumigatus Af293 cultures incubated on glucose, glucose and peptone, peptone (carbon limitation), or without any carbon source (carbon starvation). Autolytic cell wall degradation was upregulated by both carbon starvation and limitation. The importance of autolytic cell wall degradation in the adaptation to carbon stress was also highlighted by approximately 12.4% of the A. fumigatus genomes harboring duplication of genes involved in N-acetyl glucosamine utilization. Glucose withdrawal increased redox imbalance, altered both the transcription of antioxidative enzyme genes and oxidative stress tolerance, and downregulated iron acquisition, but upregulated heme protein genes. Transcriptional activity of the Gliotoxin cluster was low in all experiments, while the Fumagillin cluster showed substantial activity both on glucose and under carbon starvation, and the Hexadehydro-astechrome cluster only on glucose. We concluded that glucose withdrawal substantially modified the physiology of A. fumigatus, including processes that contribute to virulence. This may explain the challenge of predicting the in vivo behavior of A. fumigatus based on data from glucose rich cultures.
Four New Wood-Inhabiting Fungal Species of Peniophoraceae (Russulales, Basidiomycota) from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, China
Authors: Zou Lei , Zhang Xiaolu , Deng Yinglian , Zhao Changlin
Published: November 2022

Four new fungi of the family Peniophoraceae, viz., Peniophora roseoalba, P. yunnanensis, Vararia daweishanensis, and V. fragilis are herein proposed, based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Peniophora roseoalba is characterized by resupinate, membranaceous basidiomata with a rose pink to pale pinkish grey hymenophore, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, the presence of cystidia, and ellipsoid basidiospores. However, P. yunnanensis differs in being tuberculate, with a pale cream to cream hymenial surface, small lamprocystidia (18–29 × 4.5–7 µm), and subcylindrical basidiospores. Vararia daweishanensis is characterized by resupinate, membranous basidiomata with a pale yellowish hymenial surface, a dimitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, strongly dextrinoid dichohyphae, and allantoid basidiospores; V. fragilis is characterized by resupinate, brittle basidiomata, with a buff to ochraceous hymenial surface and small ellipsoid basidiospores measuring 3.5–5.5 × 2.5–3.5 µm. Sequences of the ITS and nLSU rRNA markers of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with the maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The nLSU analysis revealed that the four new species can be clustered into the family Peniophoraceae (Russulales), in the genera Peniophora and Vararia. Further studies based on the ITS dataset showed that four fungi of the family Peniophoraceae were new to science.
Automated Machine Learning in Predicting 30-Day Mortality in Patients with Non-Cholestatic Cirrhosis
Authors: Yu Chenyan , Li Yao , Yin Minyue , Gao Jingwen , Xi Liting , Lin Jiaxi , Liu Lu , Zhang Huixian , Wu Airong , Xu Chunfang , Liu Xiaolin , Wang Yue , Zhu Jinzhou
Published: November 2022

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of automated machine learning (AutoML) in predicting 30-day mortality in non-cholestatic cirrhosis. Methods: A total of 932 cirrhotic patients were included from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between 2014 and 2020. Participants were divided into training and validation datasets at a ratio of 8.5:1.5. Models were developed on the H2O AutoML platform in the training dataset, and then were evaluated in the validation dataset by area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC). The best AutoML model was interpreted by SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) Plot, Partial Dependence Plots (PDP), and Local Interpretable Model Agnostic Explanation (LIME). Results: The model, based on the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm, performed better (AUC 0.888) than the other AutoML models (logistic regression 0.673, gradient boost machine 0.886, random forest 0.866, deep learning 0.830, stacking 0.850), as well as the existing scorings (the model of end-stage liver disease [MELD] score 0.778, MELD-Na score 0.782, and albumin-bilirubin [ALBI] score 0.662). The most key variable in the XGBoost model was high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, followed by creatinine, white blood cell count, international normalized ratio, etc. Conclusion: The AutoML model based on the XGBoost algorithm presented better performance than the existing scoring systems for predicting 30-day mortality in patients with non-cholestatic cirrhosis. It shows the promise of AutoML in its future medical application.
Genome-Wide Gene-Set Analysis Approaches in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Vasilopoulou Christina , Duguez Stephanie , Duddy William
Published: November 2022

The rapid increase in the number of genetic variants identified to be associated with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has created an emerging need to understand the functional pathways that are implicated in the pathology of ALS. Gene-set analysis (GSA) is a powerful method that can provide insight into the associated biological pathways, determining the joint effect of multiple genetic markers. The main contribution of this review is the collection of ALS GSA studies that employ GWAS or individual-based genotype data, investigating their methodology and results related to ALS-associated molecular pathways. Furthermore, the limitations in standard single-gene analyses are summarized, highlighting the power of gene-set analysis, and a brief overview of the statistical properties of gene-set analysis and related concepts is provided. The main aims of this review are to investigate the reproducibility of the collected studies and identify their strengths and limitations, in order to enhance the experimental design and therefore the quality of the results of future studies, deepening our understanding of this devastating disease.
The Effectiveness of Management Ability on Firm Value and Tax Avoidance
Authors: Seifzadeh Maryam
Published: November 2022

The current study investigates the relationship between tax avoidance, management ability, and firm value. Three hypotheses are proposed to meet the paper’s objective. For conducting such a practical study based on a post-event descriptive correlational approach, data are gathered from the website of the Tehran Stock Exchange during 2014–2020. A total of 183 companies were selected through the systematic elimination method and analyzed using the R statistical software. The results indicated a negative relationship between managerial ability and tax avoidance. Moreover, we find a significant negative relationship between tax avoidance and firm value. Finally, the findings argue that in companies with high-ability managers, the intensity of the negative relationship between tax avoidance and firm value is mitigated.
A Comparative Analysis of Reputation in Enlisted Firms on the Iraq Stock Exchange
Authors: Al-Maliki Hind Shafeeq Nimr
Published: November 2022

This paper aims to assess the impact of ISIS’s presence in Iraq on the reputation of listed firms on the Iraq Stock Exchange. This paper’s method is descriptive–correlational, and the selected sample includes 35 listed firms on the Iraq Stock Exchange during 2014–2019. This study measures the reputation of listed firms on the Iraq Stock Exchange. The presence of ISIS in Iraq is analyzed using a regression model and a dummy variable. Research hypotheses were tested using a multivariate regression model based on panel data. The obtained results show a significant relationship between the presence of ISIS in Iraq and the reputation of listed firms on the Iraq Stock Exchange, which means the presence of ISIS in Iraq has declined listed firms’ reputation on the Iraq Stock Exchange. Since the present study is a pioneer in examining this issue in an emerging economy, especially ISIS’s existence, the current study results may give academia and practitioners a profound insight.
Multi-Scenario Prediction of Landscape Ecological Risk in the Sichuan-Yunnan Ecological Barrier Based on Terrain Gradients
Authors: Gao Binpin , Wu Yingmei , Li Chen , Zheng Kejun , Wu Yan , Wang Mengjiao , Fan Xin , Ou Shengya
Published: November 2022

Land use changes induced by human activities change landscape patterns and ecological processes, threatening regional and global ecosystems. Terrain gradient and anthropogenic multi-policy regulation can have a pronounced effect on landscape components. Forecasting the changing trend of landscape ecological risk (LER) is important for national ecological security and regional sustainability. The present study assessed changes in LER in the Sichuan-Yunnan Ecological Barrier over a 20-year period using land use data from 2000, 2010, and 2020. The enhanced Markov-PLUS (patch-generating land use simulation) model was used to predict and analyze the spatial distribution pattern of LER under the following three scenarios. These were business-as-usual (BAU), urban development and construction (UDC), and ecological development priority (EDP) in 2030. The influence of terrain conditions on LER was also explored. The results showed that over the past 20 years, the LER index increased and then decreased and was dominated by medium and low risk, accounting for more than 70% of the total risk-rated area. The highest and higher risk areas for the three future scenarios have increased in spatial extent. The UDC scenario showed the largest increase of 3341.13 km2 and 2684.85 km2, respectively. The highest-risk level has a strong selectivity for low gradients, with high-level risks more likely to occur at low gradients. The response of ecological risk to gradient changes shows a positive correlation distribution for high-gradient areas and a negative correlation distribution for low-gradient areas. The influence of future topographic gradient changes on LER remains significant. The value of multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) for identifying the spatial heterogeneity of terrain gradient and LER is highlighted. It can play an important role in the formulation of scientific solutions for LER prevention and of an ecological conservation policy for mountainous areas with complex terrain.
Contested Living with/in the Boeng Chhmar Flooded Forests, Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia
Authors: Linh Vu Thi Phuong , Shannon Kelly , De Meulder Bruno
Published: November 2022

The paper is based on empirical research of a territorial transect in Cambodia’s Tonle Sap floodplain. The flooded forests of the Tonle Sap Lake are determined by a significant seasonal flood of up to 13 m, where a large gradient of wetness and alluvia flow and dramatically transform the territory. The paper zooms into a case study of the inhabited RAMSAR area of Boeng Chhmar with its five floating villages, which are dispersed along seasonal waterways. Boeng Chhmar is one of the richest symbiotic habitats in the world and its inhabitants completely rely on the flooded forest’s natural cycles for settling, subsistence fishing, and forest−gathering activities. From two opposite landscape transformation processes, Khmer indigenous practices and State development procedures, the paper unravels the logics of settling, coexistence, and contestation. On the one hand, local daily practices are embedded in seasonal floods and forest lifecycles, coexisting, and reconfiguring the inhabited wild for subsistence living. On the other hand, State development through history has centered on (de)−(re)forestation and modern landscape construction for commercially exploitative practices. Forest logging and large−scale fishing lots extracted enormous quantities of natural resources and compromised the health and natural regenerative capacity of the ecological system. This also undermined the ago−old legacy of inhabitant’s ways of settling in and with the landscape. Today, State operations face challenges from both nature itself and cultural resistance. The findings for the paper are based on multi−scalar interpretive mapping. The tracing of morpho−typologies and landscape transformation processes allows multiple narratives to be translated into spatial terms. The coexistence and contestation in Boeng Chhmar and the Tonle Sap can provide spatial insights into contemporary forest and water urbanisms, especially concerning local material cultural practices and landscape transformation.
Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics of Carbon Emissions from Industrial Land in Anhui Province, China
Authors: Zhang Ting , Chen Longqian , Yu Ziqi , Zang Jinyu , Li Long
Published: November 2022

Carbon emissions (CE) in Anhui Province are closely related to carbon emissions from industrial land (CEIL). In this study, based on industrial land, industrial energy consumption, and related statistical data in Anhui Province from 2000 to 2016, the carbon emissions coefficient method and the standard deviational ellipse were used to measure and analyze the CEIL and their spatial and temporal evolution characteristics, aiming to provide a basis for the relevant government departments to formulate CE policies. The main results showed that: (1) The total amount of CEIL followed an inverted U-shaped trend of rapid increase followed by a decrease, while the overall carbon emission intensity from industrial land (CEIIL) followed a downward trend. (2) The CE had an evident spatial differentiation, with those from resource-based cities being much higher than those of industrial and tourism-based cities; (3) The overall pattern of CEIL in Anhui Province showed that the increase in the north-south direction is significantly higher than that in the east-west direction, and mainly expanded in the north-south direction. The overall industrial growth rate of Southern Anhui, represented by the Wanjiang City Belt, was higher than that of Northern Anhui, although its CEIL center showed to move towards Northern Anhui.
Opportunity Costs of In Situ Carbon Storage Derived by Multiple-Objective Stand-Level Optimization—Results from Case Studies in Portugal and Germany
Authors: Kindu Mengistie , Bingham Logan Robert , Borges José G. , Marques Susete , Nahorna Olha , Eggers Jeannette , Knoke Thomas
Published: November 2022

Considering in situ carbon storage in forest management has gained momentum under increasing pressure to decarbonize our economies. Here, we present results from case studies in Portugal and Germany showing the opportunity costs of in situ carbon storage derived by multiple-objective optimization. We used a stand-level model to optimize land expectation value under uncertainty as a reference, then derived opportunity costs by including the enhancement of the average carbon storage in aboveground biomass as a second objective. Using the optimal (compromise) solution when considering both objectives simultaneously, we show opportunity costs of EUR 119 (Portugal) and EUR 68 (Germany) per Mg CO2eq. These opportunity costs are higher than conservative, but lower than alternative cost estimates for future damages caused by current CO2 emissions. An important result was that suggested reference solutions in both countries (though only for low discount rates in Portugal) were mixed forests without clearfelling. In Germany, this implicitly elevated carbon storage. Such “closer-to-nature-forest-management” systems were also mostly suggested by the optimization tool when carbon storage was an objective.
Correlation between Urban Commercial Nodes and the Development of Sci-Tech Enterprises in Hangzhou West High-Tech Corridor, China
Authors: Wu Yue , Li Xiangyi , Yang Yue , Xu Weishun
Published: November 2022

Single-function industrial parks are transforming into innovation districts which combine innovation elements with urban elements. As one of the urban elements, the urban commercial nodes (UCNs) have exhibited a co-evolution phenomenon with sci-tech enterprises (STEs) in innovation districts. However, the urban planning practice of many innovation districts still falls behind in converting industrial land to commercial land use after construction, and the problem of mismatching commercial resources with consumer demand persists. This study aimed to explore how to rationalize the planning of UCNs to make them better fulfill the mission of serving economic growth by analyzing the correlation between UCNs and the development of STEs. The Hangzhou West High-Tech Corridor was adopted as a typical research sample which represents the latest development trend occurring in China’s most innovative districts and leads China in the coordinated development of sci-tech industries and urban life. Using point-of-interest data, Internet assessment data, and corporate business information data, a spatial correlation test and partial least squares regression analysis were performed. The results show that there was a significant spatial correlation between UCNs and STEs. The scale of UCNs had a significant positive correlation with the degree of agglomeration, development scale, and comprehensive development level of the STEs. The catering; hotel; and culture, sports, and entertainment industries correlated the most with STE development. The commercial complex was one of the physical forms that were conducive to the development of surrounding STEs. This study provides references for rational planning of UCNs and STE clusters, and for optimizing the allocation of commercial resources and physical commercial forms in the urban planning process of innovation districts.
Impact of Human Disturbances on the Spatial Heterogeneity of Landscape Fragmentation in Qilian Mountain National Park, China
Authors: Ren Baifei , Park Keunhyun , Shrestha Anil , Yang Jun , McHale Melissa , Bai Weilan , Wang Guangyu
Published: November 2022

Qilian Mountain National Park (QLMNP) is a biodiversity hotspot with great agriculture and tourism resources. With the expansion of human activities, a few areas of the park are experiencing massive landscape transformation, and these areas are also highly ecologically sensitive. Nevertheless, there are substantial differences in the human activities and natural resources of various communities around QLMNP, resulting in heterogeneous landscape degradation. Hence, this study explores the extent and drivers of spatial heterogeneity in landscape fragmentation associated with ecologically vulnerable communities in QLMNP. Multiple ring buffer analysis and geographically weighted regression (GWR) were used to analyze the relationships between landscape fragmentation and variables of human activities and facilities to identify the main factors influencing landscape fragmentation in different regions. The results reveal that human disturbance had a stronger relationship with landscape fragmentation in QLMNP than natural factors do. Among the drivers of landscape fragmentation, the distribution of residential areas and the extension of agricultural land were found to have more significant impacts than tourism. Expansion of cropland had a greater impact on the eastern part of the national park, where overgrazing and farming require further regulation, while tourism affected the landscape fragmentation in the central area of the national park. The point-shaped human disturbance had a larger impact than the linear disturbance. The study findings can be used to formulate a comprehensive plan to determine the extent to which agriculture and tourism should be developed to avoid excessive damage to the ecosystem.
Regional Planning, Land-Use Management, and Governance in German Metropolitan Regions—The Case of Rhine–Neckar Metropolitan Region
Authors: Yan Simin , Growe Anna
Published: November 2022

German cities and their hinterlands have a long tradition of cooperation; however, there remains considerable challenges when developing integrated governance models, especially in those metropolitan regions that cross state-boundaries. The Rhine–Neckar Metropolitan Region (MRN), with its unique location of a tri-state intersection, explored ways out of the governing dilemma and has pioneered cooperative federalism in Germany. To determine how the cross-jurisdictional cooperation is organized and realized in the MRN, and how well this model has worked in terms of regional planning, attributing land resources, and the reality of long-term governance, a series of interviews with involved officials and planners and MAXQDA software were employed to decode the transcribed text content. A second-hand qualitative database, including, but not limited to, meeting memos, protocols, and published works were added to examine our findings. The results indicated that diversified actors, a combined instrument, multiple collaborative contents, and the networked joint decision-making structure have strengthened the governance of the MRN. However, their public association-centered structure raised concerns in terms of inadequate participation of private agents and an excessive pursuit of regional balance as well. Ultimately, this paper discusses the inefficiency challenges facing the MRN and further reflects on the need for, and impacts of, high-level government participation in constituting a regional identity.