bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi affect early phenological stages of three secondary vegetation species in a temperate forest
Authors: Vázquez-Santos Yasmin , Castillo-Argüero Silvia , Montaño Noé Manuel , Espinosa-García Francisco Javier , Flores-Ortiz César Mateo , Martínez-Orea Yuriana
Published: April 2024

The relationship between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and secondary vegetation (SV) species at early phenological stages is critical for the successful establishment of these plants on disturbance sites in temperate forests. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the effect of AMF colonization on the early phenological stages (germination and early growth) of three shrub species present in the SV of a temperate forest in central Mexico. We collected soil from different sites in theAbies religiosaforest in central Mexico. We collected seeds ofAcaena elongata,Ageratina glabrata, andSolanum pubigerum. We used a controlled experimental design with pasteurized soil (-AMF treatments) and unpasteurized soil (+ AMF treatments). We monitored germination percentage, growth (shoot and root weight and total biomass), AMF root colonization, and the mycorrhizal response index (MRI) for each plant species. All three species tested benefited by AMF, showing higher germination rates. Shoot and root weight and total biomass were significantly higher in the + AMF treatment.Solanum pubigerumshowed greater stem length andAgeratina glabratashowed greater root development due to AMF.Ageratina glabrataandAcaena elongatawere the most responsive to AMF as indicated by MRI. This research underscores the critical role of AMF in the early phenological stages of SV and highlights the potential ecological benefits of AMF in supporting plant germination and plant growth. This information suggests the integration of mycorrhizal inoculation into restoration practices to enhance ecological resilience in temperate forest ecosystems.
Quinoa Proteins Isolate, a Candidate for Functional Ingredients Design
Authors: Rubinstein Alejandra , Pérez Oscar E.
Published: April 2024

The objective of the present contribution was to design and characterize resveratrol (RSV) and tocopherol (TOC) loaded quinoa protein (QP) nanocomplexes, their antioxidant and antiradical functionality were also evaluated. QP intrinsic fluorescence spectra showed a quenching effect exerted by RSV and TOC, demonstrating protein-bioactive compounds interactions. Stern-Volmer and Scatchard models application confirmed the static quenching effect and allowed to obtain parameters that described the QP-RSV or QP-TOC complexation process. Isothermal titration calorimetry allowed obtaining thermodynamic parameters to describe the interaction between RSV or TOC with QP. Protein aggregates up to 40 nm in diameter were induced by bioactive compounds as detected by atomic force microscopy. QP-RSV and QP-TOC nanocomplexes showed additive effect in their antioxidant capacity. These nanocomplexes could constitute a real platform for the design of functional ingredients.
A Pothole Can Be Seen with Two Eyes: An Ensemble Approach to Pothole Detection
Authors: Patawar Atharv , Mehdi Mohammed , Kore Bhaumik , Saval Pradnya
Published: April 2024

The issue of potholes and bad road quality is faced by nearly every developing country. These conditions often lead to accidents and traffic and cause the general public inconvenience. Significant research work has been performed in the field of effective pothole and road quality detection but due to several underlying issues like relying on only computer vision or sensor-based modeling, or requiring specialized equipment like LiDAR, implementing these solutions in the real world has never been feasible, especially for developing countries where a reliable system is required which works under any condition and more importantly, can be implemented with minimal resources and changes to the existing infrastructure. The proposed system is an end-to-end robust architecture that utilizes mobile devices mounted on government vehicles for data collection and features an innovative ensemble of a YOLOS and a YOLOv8 model resulting in a 97.34% mAP@0.50 score for pothole detection, in conjunction with state-of-the-art sensor based pothole detection and road quality detection models resulting in impressive accuracies of 98.5% and 95.4% respectively. This two-forked approach to pothole and road quality detection combined with innovative connected applications like an analytics dashboard for the government and a navigation application for the consumer make this entire system highly relevant while being scalable, reliable, and easily deployable using the existing infrastructure in developing countries.
Model-based Adversarial Imitation Learning with Self-adatpive Error Control
Authors: Wang Yi , Gong Shengrong , Du Xin , Zhong Shan , Si Yali
Published: April 2024

Generative Adversarial Imitation Learning (GAIL) presents the ability to learn policies without prior knowledge of the underlying reward function. However, it often suffers from limited sample efficiency due to its reliance on reinforcement learning for policy learning, mandating extensive real-time interactions with the environment. To address this challenge, this paper introduces a refined framework named TM-GAIL, which combines transition function model learning with GAIL. This approach capitalizes on the utility of neural networks to construct a transition function model, facilitating the generation of virtual samples to complement real data. The training of the discriminator is augmented by the inclusion of virtual samples alongside expert demonstration data. In the context of policy learning, the incorporation of virtual samples, real samples, and the reward derived from the discriminator enriches the policy learning. Furthermore, a self-adaptive error control module has been meticulously designed for the regions characterized by high returns and to mitigate model errors. Empirical findings demonstrate that TM-GAIL significantly improves sample efficiency in comparison to imitation learning and model-free methods. It achieves performance levels that closely align with those of domain experts across both continuous and discrete tasks.
Relationship estimation of hardened Concrete properties using SPSS for modified concrete with sustainable materials
Authors: Bahoria B. V. , Vairagade V. S. , Nandurkar B. P. , Raut J. M.
Published: April 2024

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of quarry dust and waste plastic as replacements for conventional sand in concrete, with a focus on sustainability. Sustainable utilization involves maximizing the effectiveness of quarry dust while minimizing environmental impact. Concrete mixes were prepared using ordinary river sand and varying percentages of quarry dust in combination with waste plastic. Notably, the inclusion of quarry dust with waste plastic significantly improved the concrete's strength. Regression analysis, conducted using SPSS software, was employed to predict the compressive strength of the concrete at different curing durations (7, 14, 28, and 90 days). The analysis revealed strong correlations between the variables, enabling the development of predictive models. These models were validated, and the results demonstrated that the addition of quarry dust, alongside waste plastic, positively influences the mechanical properties of concrete. Overall, this study highlights the efficacy of SPSS software in analyzing and predicting concrete strength, thus contributing to the advancement of sustainable construction practices.
Dynamic Variational Quantum Eigensolver: Incorporating Time-evolution for Ansatz Design and Ground State Simulation
Authors: Wang Rui , Zhao Runsheng , Ji Yuxin , Cheng Tao , Fan Xingkui , Ma Hongyang
Published: April 2024

Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) addresses challenges that conventional computation struggles to overcome. However, VQE lacks the ability to autonomously trend towards the direction of quantum advantage, leading to unnecessary consumption of time and resources during parameter optimization. In this work, we present a Simulating Dynamic VQE (D-VQE) that incorporates time evolution for achieving desired simulation accuracy and parameter optimization. Introducing causal cones for Parameterized Quantum Circuits (PQC) and establishing dynamic judgment rules. Consequently, we can reduce the overstacking of components in PQC ansatz. Based on the requirements of precision and circuit scale, a reasonable operator pool is set to deal with the parameters. Through numerical experiments, our method effectively simulates the search for the ground state in the transverse-field Ising model, achieving a relative energy error below 10^(-3) and improving ground state approximation capability. Moreover, in the context of optimized Boltzmann machine learning, the Kullback-Leibler divergence (KLD) value converges to 0.03. These results prove that our work provides an effective and feasible consideration for the improvement of variational quantum algorithms.
Understanding Cancer Disparities among African Americans in Los Angeles
Authors: Chintala Srikar , Sjogren-Black Charlie , Tang Willis
Published: April 2024

Background: In Los Angeles (LA), African Americans face significant disparities in cancer outcomes, particularly in prostate, breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancers. Addressing these disparities requires a comprehensive understanding of the root causes and effective interventions tailored to African American communities.
Methods: This paper employs a systematic review methodology to analyze existing literature on cancer disparities among African Americans in LA. A comprehensive search of the PubMed database was conducted the following keywords and other relevant synonyms: cancer, African American, and LA. Studies published up till March 2024 were included for review. The 21 (of 221) articles within our inclusion criteria that measured cancer disparities for African Americans within Los Angeles were retained.
Results: Among 21 articles that met inclusion criteria, prostate cancer was the most frequently examined type. The data had a significant focus on screening, treatment, survival, and research related to cancer disparities among African Americans in LA. Interventions aimed at reducing disparities often involved community health advisors or patient-centered care, with a focus on interventions within African American churches. Factors contributing to cancer disparities included geography, culture, socioeconomic status, and healthcare quality and inclusion.
Conclusions: Addressing cancer disparities among African Americans in LA necessitates a multifaceted approach. Economic, geographic, and cultural factors, alongside limited clinical trial participation, contribute to these disparities. Prioritizing culturally sensitive healthcare, promoting education, fostering community trust, and advocating for systemic changes are crucial steps. By targeting these root causes, progress toward health equity in cancer care for African Americans can be achieved.
A fast three-dimensional measurement method based on color fringe projection and background intensity calibration
Authors: Zhu Qian , Du Hubing , Tang Bo , Ma Yueyang
Published: April 2024

Phase-shifting profilometry (PSP) is one of the most widely available methods in three-dimensional (3D) measurement. However, PSP is not suitable for dynamic measurements due to multiple projections. The color fringe projection profilometry(CFPP) can encode three grayscale fringe patterns in a single color pattern, preserving the robustness of PSP while enabling dynamic measurements. But for the CFPP measurement system, color coupling and imbalance phenomena are inevitable between the RGB channels, which increases the measurement error. This paper proposes a background intensity calibration (BIC) method to correct the color imbalance and reconstruct 3D shapes by a single-shot projected-captured. First, capture a color fringe image and extract the background intensity by searching the upper and lower envelopes to get three background-free fringe images; Secondly, solve the normalized coefficient to balance the three background-free images. As a result, a color fringe image can be split into three phase-shifting fringe images with the normalized modulation intensity and good sinusoidal aiming to perform phase demodulation by three-step PSP; Thirdly, the demodulation phase is unwrapped using a simple solving fringe orders algorithm based on a positive and negative binarization (PNB) method. Several experiments on dynamic scenes were performed, verifying that the measurement speed and accuracy of the proposed BIC method are not limited by the object moving, which can achieve fast, dense, and accurate 3D measurements.
Image Classification for Defect Detection of Light Aircraft
Authors: Connolly Luke , Garland James , O'Gorman Diarmuid , Tobin Edmond
Published: April 2024

Visual inspections of aircraft are a vital part of routine procedures for maintenance personnel in the aviation industry. However, visual inspections take up a considerable amount of time to perform and are susceptible to human error. To mitigate this, utilising image classification for detecting defects is proposed. This approach utilises transfer learning of ResNet-50 within MATLAB to determine whether a defect is present in an image taken of the aircraft. The proposed method offers a solution for improving the efficiency and accuracy of defect detection during a general visual inspection in the aviation industry. Targeted defects here are damaged_skin and missing_rivets alongside a class denoting no_defect. Validation and testing accuracies achieved in this study are 88.33 % and 65.55 %, respectively.
Selection and Guidance: High-dimensional Identity Consistency Preservation for Face Inpainting
Authors: li qian , Zhan Xin , Li Haibin , zhang wenming
Published: April 2024

This paper primarily investigates the issue of identity inconsistency resulting from facial inpainting. In the current facial image inpainting process, most low-frequency information is learned directly from the uncovered areas, while high-frequency information, including texture details, is generated from the dataset. The averageness of low-frequency features and the unreliability of high-frequency features result in identity deviations in the inpainted faces. To address this problem, a two-stage generative model is proposed, which includes structural prior guidance and multidimensional consistency guidance. Firstly, a parsing inpainting module was designed to predict structural information. Subsequently, a multidimensional information guidance module was constructed, which, based on semantic consistency guidance, extracts low-frequency confidence information of the inpainted image to suppress the averageness of facial inpainting. Frequency-domain information is extracted from the inpainted image, combined with a facial recognition network, and the frequency-domain identity feature consistency loss is calculated to aid in the inpainting of high-frequency information, including identity features, thus achieving identity consistency in facial inpainting. Furthermore, to evaluate the consistency of the identity information of inpainted faces and real, identity features generated by the inpainting network are extracted, and the distribution of these features is utilized as a measure of inpainting quality. We conducted experiments on the CelebAMask-HQ dataset, and both qualitative and quantitative studies indicate that our proposed algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art methods.
A new kind of hierarchical porous zirconium phosphonate: preparation and application on oxidation catalysis
Authors: Fu Shan , Tian Yi , Long Xin , Shao Qian , Wang Kefeng , Lei Junyu , Hao Haijun , Xu Qinghong
Published: April 2024

A kind of new zirconium phosphonate material (named as ZrDP) with multilevel porous structure and high surface area (about 408.6 m2/g) was synthesized by the reaction between 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetrayl- tetrakis(methylphosphonic acid) (DOTMP) and zirconium dichloride oxide octahydrate. Microporous structure (diameter about 0.64 nm) from 1,4,7,10- Tetraazacyclododecane in DOTMP and structural pores with diameter about 1.68 nm were found in the material. A series of metal coordination structures were synthesized basing on the coordination skeleton in ZrDP and Cu@ZrDP (Cu2+ ions coordinated with N atoms in ZrDP) exhibited high catalytic activity in the selective oxidation reaction from benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde with 90.2% selectivity.
Modulation of Astroglial Glutamate Transporters by CB1 Receptor Shapes Endocannabinoid-Mediated Long-Term Depression in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Vaz Sandra , Gonçalves-Ribeiro Joana , Rodrigues-Freitas Leandro , Nanclares Carmen , Sebastião Ana , Araque Alfonso
Published: April 2024

Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters (EAATs), prominently expressed in astrocytes, are dynamic proteins crucial for synaptic function and plasticity, notably in long-term depression (LTD). However, the precise adaptations in glutamate uptake during LTD remain elusive. Within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling assumes a central role in synaptic plasticity, ultimately affecting memory and mood regulation. In astrocytes, CB1R activation increases intracellular Ca2+. We therefore hypothesize that astroglial CB1R could shape eCBD-LTD through EAATs modulation. By performing ex vivo Ca2+ imaging and electrophysiological recordings we could conclude that LTD in mPFC is astroglial Ca2+-dependent, through a mechanism that involves a CB1R-mediated inhibition of glutamate transport activity. Importantly also, we were able to rescue LTD under deficient Ca2+ levels in astrocytes. Our findings provide evidence that CB1R-mediated decrease of EAATs activity through astroglial Ca2+-dependent mechanism is crucial for LTD maintenance.
A computational Analysis of the Proton Affinity and the Hydration of TEMPO and Its Piperidine Analogs
Authors: Shiroudi Abolfazl , Śmiechowski Maciej , Czub Jacek , Abdel-Rahman Mohamed A.
Published: April 2024

The study investigated the impact of protonation and hydration on the geometry of nitroxide radicals using B3LYP and M06-2X methods. Results indicated that TEMPO exhibited the highest proton affinity in comparison to TEMPOL and TEMPONE. Two pathways contribute to hydrated protonated molecules. TEMPONE shows lower first enthalpies of hydration (ΔH1-M), indicating stronger H-bonding interactions, while TEMPO shows higher values, indicating weaker interactions with H2O. Solvent effects affect charge distribution by decreasing their atomic charge. Spin density (SD) is primarily concentrated in the NO segment, with minimal water molecule contamination. Protonation increases SD on N-atom, while hydration causes a more pronounced redistribution for water molecules. The stability of the dipolar structure (>N·+-O-) is evident in SD redistributions. The frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis of TEMPONE reveals a minimum EHOMO-LUMO gap (EH-L), enhancing the piperidine ring's reactivity. TEMPO is the most nucleophilic species, while TEMPONE exhibits strong electrophilicity. Transitioning from NO radicals to protonated forms increases the EH-L gap, indicating protonation stabilizes FMOs. Increased water molecules make the molecule less reactive, while increasing hydration decreases this energy gap, making the molecule more reactive. A smaller EH-L gap indicates the compound becomes softer and more prone to electron density and reactivity changes.
An In-depth Study of Sustainable Packaging Strategies in Supply Chains: Perspectives from Industry Experts
Authors: Gupta Reena
Published: April 2024

This qualitative study delves into the complex landscape of sustainable packaging strategies within supply chains, drawing insights from in-depth interviews with industry experts. With mounting pressure to address environmental concerns, businesses are increasingly compelled to reassess their packaging practices. Through purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews, diverse perspectives emerged, highlighting the multifaceted nature of sustainability considerations in packaging design and decision-making. The findings underscored the importance of balancing environmental objectives with functional requirements, cost considerations, and consumer preferences. Collaboration and partnerships emerged as critical enablers of sustainable packaging innovation, emphasizing the need for cross-sector collaboration to develop holistic solutions. Regulatory requirements and consumer preferences were identified as significant drivers of sustainable packaging adoption, underlining the interconnectedness of policy, market forces, and consumer behavior. Despite growing momentum, challenges such as cost considerations, technological limitations, and supply chain complexities persist, necessitating continued innovation and investment. Moreover, the study emphasized the role of consumer education and behavior change in driving sustainable packaging adoption, highlighting the need for targeted communication campaigns. Overall, the findings contribute to theory, practice, and policy by deepening our understanding of the dynamic interplay between sustainability imperatives, business objectives, and stakeholder dynamics within supply chains.
Modelling of PSM to predict the stress in sheet drawing
Authors: Rui-bin MEI , Li BAO , Tan-qiu CHEN , Qun-jiao WANG , Xiang-hua LIU
Published: April 2024

The solution of stress and load of metal sheet deep drawing serves as a primary basis for guiding production, verifying strength of molds, and optimizing processes. Based on the differential equations, boundary conditions, and model simplification, the stress distribution functions and load solution equations for the drawing deformation process with a blank holder were established and compared with finite element method (FEM) results under the same conditions. Due to the thickness of the flange in deformation zone remains basically unchanged under the action of blank holder, it is reasonable to simplify the solution of deformation to plane strain problem. The PSM and FEM predict that the radial tensile stress and circumferential compressive stress in the flange zones remain basically consistent trends, and the relative error of most of predicted results is less than 5%. The PSM model is unable to consider the influence of the die fillet bending on the stress state of inner and outer sides, leads to the calculated stress and load slightly higher than that of FEM. The solution of stress and load solution by PSM model is reliable and convenient, and the FEM predicts more detailed and accurate results but need consume much larger calculating time. This research is of great significance for improving the teaching efficient and engineering applications of PSM in sheet deep drawing deformation.
Spatiotemporal distributions of animal rabies disease outbreaks from 2018–2023 in western Amhara region, Ethiopia
Authors: Demil Endehsaw , Shime Alemineh
Published: April 2024

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic viral disease that can be transmitted mostly by bites from an infected rabid dog. Every year, rabies kills many humans and animals in the western Amhara region due to the widespread nature of the disease and inadequate rabies prevention and control efforts. However, there is limited sub-regional level information on the extent of the disease. Therefore, we studied the sub-regional burden and distribution of rabies among animals. We conducted a retrospective descriptive study on rabies using data from the Bahir Dar animal health investigation and diagnostic laboratory over six years (2018–2023). We analyzed the incidence, mortality rates, and temporal and regional trends. Microsoft Excel and qGIS version 2.18 were used for descriptive and spatial analysis, respectively. The whole study showed that 152 outbreaks with 666 probable cases and 510 deaths occurred within six years of record keeping. There were 93 outbreaks in dogs, followed by 35 in cattle. The highest number of outbreaks, 37, happened in 2019. In comparison to other zones in the western Amhara region, the East Gojjam zone experienced the most outbreaks (60). In conclusion, rabies is a problem in western Amhara region, causing sickness and death of animals. It is recommended that the suspected case be confirmed and that the dog population be broadly vaccinated in order to prevent and control infections in the region.
A regime shift in soil moisture triggered by selective logging in Bornean lowland tropical rainforests
Authors: Qin Qianning , Aoyagi Ryota , Takeshige Ryuichi , Kitayama Kanehiro
Published: April 2024

Context
Aboveground biomass removal and canopy opening by selective logging modifies soil moisture in the main root zone, impacting soil aeration and various biogeochemical processes in tropical production forests.
Objectives
This study investigated the relationship between canopy damages and topsoil (10 cm) moisture in logged-over forests in Malaysian Borneo, controlling for logging intensity, time elapsed from logging, and spatial autocorrelation.
Methods
Volumetric soil water content (VSWC), canopy height model (CHM), leaf area index (LAI), and historical logging data were collected from 84 transects in 15 sites exhibiting varying canopies. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to canopy structure metrics (CSM) derived from CHM and LAI for each transect. The first principal component (PC1) quantified canopy structural degradation and was analyzed in comparison to topography for the relationship with VSWC across logging periods. VSWC spatial autocorrelation was examined in relation to canopy conditions.
Results
VSWC increased from 0.27 m3 m− 3 to over 0.4 m3 m− 3 after logging. In the study area, PC1 was a stronger predictor of VSWC than topography was. Wettest soils were found underneath the most degraded canopies, despite of a higher evaporative demand combined with higher vapor pressure deficit.
Conclusions
This study revealed soil wetting after selective logging in humid tropical forests, driven by reduced transpiration from biomass loss rather than increased evaporative demand from canopy opening. The elevated soil water regime could disrupt carbon and nitrogen cycling and impede forest succession, and its coupling with increased evaporative demand increases the overall vulnerability of disturbed tropical rainforests.
rs140926439 variant in the Fibronectin FN1 gene protects against Alzheimer’s disease in APOEε4 carriers in the UK Biobank cohort
Authors: Lehrer Steven , Rheinstein Peter
Published: April 2024

Background: A protective genetic variant in the fibronectin FN1 gene reduces the odds of developing AD by up to 70%. This variant, rs140926439, seems to prevent the buildup of excess fibronectin at the blood brain barrier. Increased fibronectin levels are typically observed in people with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), but the protective variant appears to counteract its effects.
Methods: In the current study, we analyzed the relationship of FN1 SNP rs140926439, APOEε4, and AD in the UK Biobank cohort.
Results: When rs140926439 was absent, 0.10% of APOEε2/3 carriers had AD while 0.40% of APOEε4 carriers or homozygotes had AD. This difference was significant (p < 0.001, 2 tail Fisher exact test). When rs140926439 was present, 0.10% of APOEε2/3 carriers had AD while 0.10% of APOEε4 carriers or homozygotes had AD. This difference was insignificant (p = 1). To examine the overall relationship of rs140926439 and APOE isoform to AD, we used the univariate general linear model, AD (present or absent) dependent variable, rs140926439 (present or absent) and APOE isoform (APOEε2/3 or APOEε4 carrier or homozygote) as fixed factors. The effect of rs140926439 was significant (p = 0.030). The effect of APOE isoform was significant (p = 0.034). There was also a significant interaction between rs140926439 and APOE isoform (p = 0.030).
Conclusion: Fibronectin is an adhesive molecule that is essential to wound healing, especially to the production of extracellular matrix and reepithelialization. Some cases of AD may be due to the initiation of the brain wound healing process, often in the absence of any actual wound. NSAIDS may reduce risk of AD because they potently inhibit wound healing. FN1 appears to be a key player in AD, and its protective variant could offer insights into potential therapeutic targets. However, further research is needed to fully understand the intricate mechanisms underlying AD and to develop effective treatments.
Vergleichende Analysen zur Interaktion von Plasminogen mit dem Vlp15/16 und GlpQ Protein von Borrelia miyamotoi
Authors:   , Schmidt Frederik
Published: April 2024

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden die Proteine Vlp15/16 und GlpQ aus B. miyamotoi hinsichtlich ihrer Eigenschaft, mit Plasminogen zu interagieren, charakterisiert. Da einige Fälle von ZNS-Beteiligungen bei B. miyamotoi-Infektionen berichtet wurden, ist anzunehmen, dass diese Borrelienspezies über molekulare Mechanismen zur Überwindung der Blut-Hirn-Schranke verfügt. Eine solche Strategie könnte die Bindung wirtseigener Proteasen wie z.B. Plasminogen sein, um Komponenten der extrazellulären Matrix zu degradieren und dadurch die Dissemination des Erregers zu erleichtern. Während Vmps, zu welchen auch Vlp15/16 gehört, als membranständige Proteine durch Variation der antigenen Oberflächenmatrix zur Immunevasion des Erregers beitragen, ist GlpQ bei der Hydrolyse von Phospholipiden in den Zellstoffwechsel eingebunden. Trotz dieser unterschiedlichen Funktionen, die den beiden Proteinen zukommen, binden beide Moleküle Plasminogen. Die Eigenschaften dieser Interaktion wurden in dieser Arbeit im Detail untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Vlp15/16 und GlpQ Plasminogen konzentrationsabhängig binden und die Dissoziationskonstanten (Vlp15/16:Kd = 354 nM ± 62 nM; GlpQ: Kd = 413 nM ± 72 nM) für beide Proteine im Bereich der Serumkonzentration von 2 µM liegen. Darüber hinaus konnte gezeigt werden, dass den beiden Proteinen unterschiedliche Mechanismen zugrunde liegen, Plasminogen zu binden. Während die erhobenen Daten für Vlp15/16 darauf hindeuten, dass Lysin-Reste essenziell für die Interaktion sind, scheinen bei GlpQ ionische Wechselwirkungen von Bedeutung zu sein. Um die Beteiligung von C-terminal lokalisierten Lysin-Resten für die PlasminogenBindung von GlpQ nachzuweisen, wurden Varianten mit einzelnen Lysin-Substitutionen an zwei unterschiedlichen Positionen (333 und 334) sowie eine Variante mit einer Zweifach-Substitution (GlpQ-K333A-K334A) generiert. Die Bindungsanalysen ergaben, dass insbesondere der Lysin-Rest an Position 334 bei der Interaktion mit Plasminogen beteiligt ist. Die funktionellen Analysen zeigten, dass das an Vlp15/16 beziehungsweise GlpQ gebundene Plasminogen zu Plasmin aktiviert werden konnte und darüber hinaus dazu in der Lage war, das physiologische Substrat Fibrinogen zu degradieren. Abschließend wurde die Plasminogen-Bindung an nativen B. miyamotoi-Zellen mittels Immunfluoreszenz-Mikroskopie nachgewiesen. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit weisen Vlp15/16 und GlpQ als Plasminogen-bindende Proteine aus, mit deren Hilfe B. miyamotoi befähigt ist, Komponenten der extrazellulären Matrix zu degradieren und somit prinzipiell zur Dissemination des Erregers beizutragen.
Electromyographic Analysis of Upper- and Lower-extremity Muscles in Adults during Agro-healing Activities
Authors: Park Kyoung-Hee , Park Sin-Ae
Published: April 2024

This study investigated the activity of upper- and lower-extremity muscles for 15 agricultural tasks of agro-healing. For the development of an agro-healing program using farm resource types, 15 selected agro-healing activities (namely, digging, raking, fertilizing, planting transplants, tying plants to stakes, watering, harvesting, washing, cutting, cooking, collecting natural objects, decorating natural objects, interacting with dogs, walking dogs, and feeding fish) were extracted and performed in a total of 21 adults (average age: 42.29 ± 14.76 years) at D Care Farm in Cheongju, Korea, from June to July 2022. Before these activities, informed consent was obtained from participants and muscle activity of the upper and lower extremities was measured. Muscle activation during activity performance was measured using electromyography (EMG), and the rating of perceived exertion for each activity was investigated. Bipolar surface EMG electrodes were attached at 16 locations on the left and right upper-extremity muscles (anterior deltoid, biceps brachialis, brachioradialis, and flexor carpi ulnaris) and lower-extremity muscles (vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius). The results indicated that the activity of the lower-extremity muscles was higher than that of the upper-extremity muscles during 15 agricultural activities. During plant-mediated activity and animal-assisted activities, the rate of right muscle use was higher than that of left muscle use among the upper-extremity muscles, whereas the rate of right and left muscle use showed a similar tendency among the lower-extremity muscles. During plant-mediated activities, agricultural activities involving the use of heavy tools highly activated the right forearm muscle (flexor carpi ulnaris), whereas holding and interacting with animals highly activated the left forearm muscles (biceps brachialis, brachioradialis, and flexor carpi ulnaris). It is expected that the EMG data obtained in this study can be used as basic biomechanical data when designing an agro-healing program to improve physical function.
A Study on Perceptions of the Reform Towards a 6-Year Integrated Medical Education System
Authors:   Human Engagement Institute, Park GyuMi , Song Hae Deok , Hong Ah Jeong , Son Daun , Han Soojin , Jeon Hoseong
Published: April 2024

The study aims to examine the necessity and effectiveness of integrating medical education system into a 6-year curriculum combing premedical and medical education. To this end, focus group interview questions were developed based on the review of literature on medical education system. Interviews were then conducted with 10 faculty members and 4 medical students. The findings are as follows. The participants held a positive perception of the 6-year integrated medical education curriculum. The 6-year integrated curriculum are anticipated to address issues inherent in the 2+4 medical education system, including a fragmented curriculum, diminished learning motivation, heightened learning burden, and biased career choices. Also, the education of transfer students, the development of a physician-scientist system, and the suitability of the new curriculum were suggested as discussion issues. Based on the results, practical implications are proposed for the 6-year integrated medical education system.
IT Governance Design in XY University using Cobit 2019 Framework
Authors: Mangoki Willson , Manongga Danny , Iriani Ade
Published: April 2024

The management and control of information and technology at the university were required for IT's finest use, but in line with organization goals, they can be realized with the use of IT governance. This research uses a qualitative approach with techniques such as interviews, observation, expert judgment, and literature studies that are relevant to the concept of IT governance with the COBIT framework and its application in various fields. This research presents an IT governance design that is considered suitable to be applied at XY University using COBIT 2019 Framework. 10 design factors and 40 IT processes listed in COBIT 2019 are used as parameters. The results obtained from four processes with scores ranging from 50 to 100 with capability levels 3 and 4, namely APO04-Managed Innovation, APO03-Managed Enterprise Architecture, APO07-Managed Human Resources, and BAI07-Managed IT Change Acceptance and Transitioning, are translated into recommendations for actions that need to be taken in implementing IT governance.
Analisis Kesuksesan Layanan Digital Perguruan Tinggi Menggunakan Model Delone & McLean untuk Meningkatkan Kepuasan Pengguna
Authors: Wulansari Anita , Kartika Dhian Satria Yudha , Najaf Abdul Rezha Efrat , Suryanto Tri Lathif Mardi , Faroqi Asif
Published: April 2024

Implementation of ICT in various services in tertiary institutions needs to be accompanied by good quality. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate to ensure the success of the service. The study aims to analyze the relationship between system quality, information quality and service quality to user satisfaction and then the relationship between user satisfaction to net benefit. In addition, three different system, namely academic information system, student portal and credit point system were evaluated to obtain broader understanding on those relationship. Survey data were collected from 451 students using those systems. SEM-PLS was applied to the obtained data. According to the empirical results, factors affected user satisfaction on academic information system was different than student portal and credit point system. However, it was found that user satisfaction affected net benefit. As a result, the successful factors on academic information system, student portal and credit point system were different. Thus, it was necessary to put a careful attention on the improvement aspect on each of those system. This paper aims to analyze factors affecting online services success to increase user satisfaction.
Antioxidant Potential Optimization of Mixed Vegetable Juice: A Chemometric Approach
Authors: Silva Jiuliane , Hussein Zeinab , Chiavelli Lucas , Santos Oscar
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to develop a healthy and antioxidant-rich mixed juice. The effect of the vegetables combination on the juice characteristics was evaluated and, to optimize the proportion components of the mixture, chemometric modeling was used. The maximum antioxidant activity was considered as a variable response. The mixed juice was evaluated for technological parameters (content of soluble solids, titratable acidity, density, viscosity, sedimentation, and color parameters). The phenolic compounds present in the vegetables were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectometry (UHPLC-MS) technique. The special cubic model was considered significant (p < 0.05), with low dispersion and homogeneous antioxidant activity data (coefficient of variation (C.V.) = 3.73%) and the most appropriate for statistical data analysis (R2 = 0.9937). The optimal formulation consisted of a blend (m/m) with orange (73.37%), apple (20.45%), kale (5.58%), and ginger (0.59%) with greater desirability, 12534.2 µmol mL-1 of validated antioxidant activity and adequate physicochemical characteristics. The addition of orange juice resulted in a product with better functionality, due to the increased antioxidant capacity. This innovative study resulted in a functional formulation that involves the combination of low-cost vegetables with the maximum possible antioxidant action, capable of helping to protect against damage caused by free radicals.
Synthetic data generation methods for training neural networks in the task of segmenting the level of crop nitrogen status on UAV images of agricultural fields
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Molin Alexander E. , Blekanov Ivan S. ,   St. Petersburg State University, Mitrofanov Evgenii P. ,   St. Petersburg State University, Mitrofanova Olga A. ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: April 2024

This study is devoted to the automatization of the image masks’ construction of large sized agricultural objects in precision farming tasks for training neural network methods for crop’s nitrogen status analysis using georeferenced images. The scientific direction is extremely relevant because it allows to automate and replace the manual process of data labeling, significantly reducing the cost of preparing training samples. In the paper, four new synthetic data generation methods are proposed for training neural networks aimed at UAV image segmentation by the level of crop nitrogen supply on an agricultural field. In particular, the paper gives a description of synthetic data generation algorithms based on nitrogen covering with lines, parabolas, and areas. Experiments were carried out to test and evaluate the quality of these algorithms using eight modern image segmentation methods: two classical machine learning methods (Random Forest and XGBoost), four convolutional neural network methods based on U-Net architecture, and two transformers (TransUnet and UnetR). The results showed that two algorithms based on areas gave the best accuracy for convolutional neural networks and transformers — 98–100 %. Classical machine learning methods showed very low values for all quality metrics — 27–44 %.
Combining dynamic and static host intrusion detection features using variational long short-term memory recurrent autoencoder
Authors:   Le Quy Don Technical University, Nguyen Viet Hung , Tran Nguyen Ngoc ,   Le Quy Don Technical University
Published: April 2024

Despite the many advantages offered by Host Intrusion Detection Systems (HIDS), they are rarely adopted in mainstream cybersecurity strategies. Unlike Network Intrusion Detection Systems, a HIDS is the last layer of defence between potential attacks and the underlying OSs. One of the main reasons behind this is its poor capabilities to adequately protect against zero-day attacks. With the rising number of zero-day exploits and related attacks, this is an increasingly imperative requirement for a modern HIDS. In this paper variational long short-term memory — recurrent autoencoder approach which improves zero-day attack detection is proposed. We have practically implemented our model using TensorFlow and evaluated its performance using benchmark ADFA-LD and UNM datasets. We have also compared the results against those from notable publications in the area.
A note on cooperative differential games with pairwise interactions
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, He Yang , Petrosyan Leon A. ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: April 2024

In this paper, a differential game with pairwise interaction in a network is proposed. For explicitly, the vertices are players, and the edges are connections between them. Meanwhile, we consider the cooperative case. One special characteristic function is introduced and its convexity is proved. The core is used as a cooperative optimality principle. The characteristic function allows the construction of a time-consistent (dynamically stable) solutions, such as the Shapley value and the core. Finally, the results are illustrated by an example.
Texts of Patriotic Songs as an Object of Analysis in Russian Language Lessons in High School
Authors:   Ryazan State University named after S. A. Yesenin, Bogdanova Elena S.
Published: April 2024

The article discusses the possibility of using the texts of the Russian military patriotic song in the Russian language (native) lessons in order to form the civic identity of the student, to understand the connection between the language and the history of the people, the peculiarities of the Russian mentality, to enrich students’ ideas about the ways of expressing thoughts and feelings in words. Assuming that the genre, language and content-semantic aspects of the texts of Russian patriotic songs have a rich educational potential, the author emphasizes that their use reduces the shortage of patriotic texts in Russian language textbooks for high school. The author analyzes the possibilities of comparative linguistic and cognitive and axiological analysis of these texts and offers methodological recommendations regarding its implementation. The article emphasizes that the attention of students is drawn to the content core of Russian patriotic songs from different eras, the images of a warrior-soldier, native land, home, symbols that speak of the state and the Orthodox faith, adherence to the traditions of the fathers. An interesting aspect of the analysis of such texts can be the observation of the dynamics and continuity of language changes, which are reflected in the grammar and lexical structure of texts. Among the methods and devices of working on the texts of Russian patriotic songs, the author names close reading with marks, lexical analysis using dictionaries, observation of unusual syntactic constructions (figures of speech), creating associative chains, verbal drawing, highlighting national linguistic concepts, analyzing the figurative side of the text, creating their texts based on the author’s song text. As an example, the author proposes the texts of such military patriotic songs as “Soldier’s Song” by Fedor N. Glinka (1812), “The Holy War” by Vasily I. Lebedev-Kumach (1941), “Sky of the Slavs” by Konstantin E. Kinchev (2000) and others, and the methodology for working on them.
Specificity of Dictionary Description of Abbreviation Appellatives and Onyms
Authors:   Donetsk State University, Riazanova Valeria A.
Published: April 2024

The article is focused on the comparison of abbreviations-appellatives and abbreviations onyms, units that are abbreviated equivalents of divided common nouns and proper nouns respectively. It is not customary in Russian language studies to differentiate abbreviations according to the above categories, and, as a consequence, abbreviated appellatives and onyms are considered to be identical language units in terms of their origin and purpose. The aim of this work is to establish the basic differences between abbreviated appellatives and onyms and to substantiate the obligatory nature of this distinction in their research and description. The relevance of the research is determined by the need to develop a new approach to the lexicographic description of abbreviations, which emerged in connection with the modern trend to create multi-informative dictionaries of abbreviations. The study’s novelty stems from its identification of the specific features of abbreviations-appellatives and abbreviations-onyms as lexicographic units for the first time. The article contains a brief review of theoretical studies and dictionaries of abbreviations, which form a general idea of the established tradition of studying abbreviations. Different mechanisms of abbreviations appellatives and abbreviations-onyms formation and their influence on the functioning of linguistic units in texts are considered. On the basis of the published dictionaries of abbreviations the peculiarities of the dictionary description of abbreviations apellatives and abbreviations-onyms are established. The author reviews dictionary entries from specialized dictionaries, which can be offered as models of differentiated vocabulary description of abbreviated appellatives and onyms.