bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fast dynamic softening of hydrogels increases endogenous cell forces by accumulating mechanical signalling molecules
Authors: Yang Jiapeng , Wang Peng , Zhang Yu , Zhang Man , Sun Qian , Chen Huiyan , Dong Liang , Chu Zhiqin , Xue Bin , Hoff Wouter , Zhao Changsheng , Wang Wei , Wei Qiang , Cao Yi
Published: May 2023

The rigidity of extracellular matrices (ECMs) is an important factor defining cellular mechanotransduction. Under static conditions, cells typically generate higher endogenous forces on stiff substrates than on soft substrates. However, as ECMs are characteristic of a nonlinear mechanical response, their rigidities constantly change upon tissue deformation. It remains largely unknown the mechanisms by which cells respond to dynamic rigidity changes. In this study, we develop a photoresponsive protein hydrogel in which its mechanical properties are rapidly and reversibly switched between stiff and soft states. Counterintuitively, we discover that the cyclic softening of the substrate at appropriate frequencies increases the endogenous forces and the mechanical transduction. These results are reconciled by a quantitative model considering the kinetic coupling of both the dynamics of the molecular clutch and the engagement of the mechanical signalling proteins. Our findings suggest that dynamic rigidity changes are important design parameters for synthetic biomaterials engineered for cell culture and tissue engineering applications.
Selective Exposure Reduces Voluntary Contributions: Experimental Evidence from the German Internet Panel
Authors: Innocenti Federico , Rohde Linnéa Marie
Published: May 2023

Can strategic information acquisition harm the provision of a public good? We investigate this question in an incentivized online experiment with a large sample of the German population. The marginal returns of the public good are uncertain: it is either socially efficient to contribute or not. In the information treatment, participants can choose between two information sources with opposite biases. One source is more likely to report low marginal returns, whereas the other is more likely to report high marginal returns. We find that information avoidance is a minor phenomenon. Most participants select the source biased towards reporting low marginal returns, independent of their prior beliefs. As a result, the information treatment reduces contributions and increases free-riding. When contributing is socially efficient, the information treatment reduces social welfare. We find that social preferences guide information acquisition: socially-oriented participants are more likely to acquire information and select the source that is biased towards reporting low marginal returns.
JEL Classification: C99, D12, D61, D83, H41
Avoiding overestimations of mitigation potential and costs of CCUS in China’s steel industry
Authors: Wen Zongguo , Wang Yihan , Chen Lei , Xu Mao , Dinga Christian Doh , Li Jia
Published: May 2023

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is promising for carbon neutrality vision in steel industry. Previous work has overestimated both mitigation potentials and economic costs, hindering the long-term planning of CCUS. Here, we propose a soft-linking approach, combining the industry decarbonization pathway and emission source-sink matching models, to avoid both overestimations in China’s steel industry. Results show the emissions of China’s steel industry are estimated to decrease by 38.9-55.2% under three scenarios before retrofitted by CCUS. The optimized CCUS layouts have mitigation effects of 438.01-529.02 Mt, meeting the requirements of the industrial –level decarbonization pathways. The specific costs of CCUS are 138-150 CNY/t, 29-65% lower than the unselected sources. CCUS will increase the energy and water consumption by 25%+ with uneven distribution, exacerbating local resource scarcity problems. The methodology and findings can clarify the mitigation effects and costs of the CCUS technology to set proper long-term planning for its promotion.
Acute kidney injury induced by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor in a kidney transplant recipient: a case report
Authors: Meng Yang , Hongwen Zhao , Dongkai Xiao , Xiaosong Xu
Published: May 2023

Background: We described our medical records in details combined with some published literature, to discuss the suitable population and timing of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor (ACEI) in kidney transplant recipients(KTRs), and summarize the diagnosis and treatment of acute kidney injury in KTRs caused by ACEI provides a reference for the more rational application of ACEI in kidney transplant recipients in the future.
Case presentation: This study describes a rare case of acute kidney injury in a kidney transplant recipient with an ACEI. A 37-year-old man underwent a kidney allograft from a brain-dead donor 7 months ago. The operation was succeed, and the postoperative serum creatinine fluctuation was 200-300umol/L. One week before admission, the patient adjusted the antihypertensive drugs under the guidance of the doctor, and changed the nifedipine to the benazepril due to his poor blood pressure control. The next day after the change, he developed gastrointestinal symptoms dominated by nausea. On the sixth day after the change, his gastrointestinal symptoms were aggravated, the nausea, vomiting, and decreased urine output happened. The patient rushed to our hospital for seeking help. There were no obvious abnormality found when physical examination. Laboratory examination showed that creatinine grow to 859.13 umol/L. The transplanted kidney under ultrasound didn’t showe any abnormality. After screening his medical history, we considered that the acute kidney injury induced by ACEI benazepril might happen. After we stop the administration of benazepril, the serum creatinine gradually decreased to 241.20umol/L. This is the first report of acute kidney injury caused by ACEI in a KTR.
Conclusion: In KTRs, non-early use of ACEI/ARB requires regular monitoring of serum creatinine levels. These drugs should not be administered once creatinine levels have risen.
A Higher Radix Architecture for Quantum Carry-lookahead Adder
Authors: Wang Siyi , Baksi Anubhab , Chattopadhyay Anupam
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we propose an efficient quantum carry-lookahead adder based on the higher radix structure. For the addition of two n-bit numbers, our adder uses O(n)-O(n/r) qubits and O(n)+O(n/r) T gates to get the correct answer in T-depth O(r)+O(log(n/r)), where r is the radix.

Quantum carry-lookahead adder has already attracted some attention because of its low T-depth. Our work further reduces the overall cost by introducing a higher radix layer. By analyzing the performance in T-depth, T-count, and qubit count, it is shown that the proposed adder is superior to existing quantum carry-lookahead adders. Even compared to the Draper out-of-place adder which is very compact and efficient, our adder is still better in terms of T-count.
The effect of whole blood logistics on neutrophil non-specific activation and kinetics ex vivo
Authors: Li Chao , Farooqui Mehtab , Yada Ravi Chandra , Cai Joseph B. , Huttenlocher Anna , Beebe David J.
Published: May 2023

While the exquisite sensitivity of neutrophils enables their rapid response to infection in vivo; this same sensitivity complicates the ex vivo study of neutrophils. Handling of neutrophils ex vivo is fraught with unwanted heterogeneity and alterations that can diminish the reproducibility of assays and limit what biological conclusions can be drawn. There is a need to better understand the influence of ex vivo procedures on neutrophil behavior to guide improved protocols for ex vivo neutrophil assessment to improve inter/intra-experimental variability. Here, we investigate how whole blood logistics (i.e., the procedure taken from whole blood collection to delivery of the samples to analytical labs and storage before neutrophil interrogation) affects neutrophil non-specific activation (i.e., baseline apoptosis and NETosis) and kinetics (i.e., activation over time). All the experiments (60+ whole blood neutrophil isolations across 36 blood donors) are performed by a single operator with optimized isolation and culture conditions, and automated image analysis, which together increase rigor and consistency. Our results reveal: i) Short-term storage (<8 h) of whole blood does not significantly affect neutrophil kinetics in subsequent two-dimensional (2D) cell culture; ii) Neutrophils from long-term storage (>24 h) in whole blood show significantly higher stability (i.e., less non-specific activation) compared to the control group with the isolated cells in 2D culture. iii) Neutrophils have greater non-specific activation and accelerated kinetic profiles when stored in whole blood beyond 48 h.
Study on the Law of Surface Subsidence in Layered Mining of Thick Coal Seam with Medium Hard Roof
Authors: Liu Xiugang , Wei Fei , Tan Zhixiang , Jiang Zaibing , Wang Yi , Zhang Jie
Published: May 2023

The thick coal seam carried out by layered mining, the influence range of the overlying rock layer is relatively larger than that of the single-layer mining, and the surface deformation is more intense. At present, the research of thick coal seam mining is mainly concentrated within 15m, and there are relatively few studies on coal seams with a cumulative mining thickness greater than 15m. In order to study the surface sinking law of coal seam mining with a cumulative mining thickness greater than 15m, this paper takes the Mengba as the research object to simulate the change of the surface sinking coefficient after layered mining under the condition that the thickness of the medium hard roof plate and single-layer mining is 5m. In order to verify the correctness of the model, the simulation results are combined with the measured data after the first and second layers of the 1210 working surface of the surface observation station, and the maximum relative error between the simulation results and the measured results was 2.7%, which was less than the specified limit difference of 5%.It shows that the surface sinking coefficient q of stratified mining has the characteristics of segmentation. When the cumulative mining thickness is less than 25m, q is positively correlated with the mining thickness. When the cumulative mining thickness is greater than 25m, the q value will tend to be a fixed value and will no longer change with the increase of mining thickness. Finally, the calculation formula between the ground subsidence coefficient and cumulative mining thickness of layered mining under the condition of medium-hard roof is fitted,which provides a parameter basis for the mining of coal seams in similar mines.
Solar-to-Chemical Conversion in the Near-Infrared Region for H2O2 Production via a One-Step Two-Electron Transfer Pathway
Authors: Yang Guidong , Ou Honghui , Zhao Chao , Li He , Li Yang , Yan Xiaoqing , Lin Bo
Published: May 2023

Solar-to-chemical conversion by semiconductor photocatalysis is a sustainable strategy to produce renewable energy. Here, we demonstrate that the generation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via a typical one-step two-electron reduction of O2 by light-induced electrons could provide a new pathway for near-IR light catalysis. The proof-of-concept material is an oxygen-enriched borocarbonitride ceramic photocatalyst (BCNO). Density functional theory analysis suggests that the intermediates of O2 reduction of BCNO can be reasonably adjusted by the incorporation of O atoms. Consistent with the theoretical results, BCNO can generate H2O2 through a typical one-step two-electron reduction of O2 under near-infrared light. Together with the loading of a Co single atom cocatalyst for enhanced water oxidation rate, the apparent quantum efficiency values at 850 nm of the optimal BCNO for H2O2 evolution were estimated to be ~0.8 %, and the solar-to-chemical conversion (SCC) efficiency can reach 0.6 %. Our research reveals an important reaction pathway for the generation of H2O2, emphasizing that precise control of the energy band structure and surface structure of the photocatalyst is essential for achieving efficient conversion of solar-to-chemical.
Evaluation of children between 6-12 years of age with vitamin B12 deficiency in terms of slow cognitive tempo
Authors: Kilicaslan Cengizhan , Saglam Ebru
Published: May 2023

Background Slow cognitive tempo (SCT) is a disorder characterized by two symptomatic dimensions: motor symptoms such as sluggishness and slow movement, and such cognitive problems as daydreaming, appearing sleepy, slowed behavior/thinking, and confusion. Albeit its unclear etiology, SCT is considered multifactorial, as in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here, we aimed to investigate the relationship between vitamin B12 deficiency, one of the conditions causing neurodevelopmental retardation, and SCT.Methods Diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency, 52 patients without additional vitamin deficiency and psychiatric diseases, and 52 controls without vitamin deficiency and any diseases were included in the study. While the Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised Long (CPRS-R:L) and the Barkley Child Attention Scale (BCAS) were performed with cases’ parents, their teachers underwent the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale-Revised Long (CTRS-R:L) and BCAS. The scores were also evaluated statistically.Results Among B12 deficiency patients, parental education was found lower, and the number of siblings was higher than controls. The risk of patients’ daydreaming scores with vitamin B12 deficiency was 1.4 times higher than that of the controls. Given the investigation of SCT concerning sluggishness and daydreaming scores, a significant difference was detected in terms of sex difference (p = 0.008), and girls were seen to have a higher total score.Conclusion In families with a higher number of siblings and a lower level of parental education, vitamin B12 deficiency is more commonly witnessed, and the symptoms of SCT should be considered to develop in those with B12 deficiency, without severe neurological and hematological findings.
Natural product Shi-Bi-Man regulates lactic acid metabolism and drives hair follicle stem cell activation to promote hair regeneration
Authors: Du Haojie , Zhang Tao , Wang Qiao , Cao Xinran , Zheng Huiwen , Li Jiabin , Qu Jiao , Guo Lehang , Sun Yang
Published: May 2023

Background : As a supplement for promoting hair health, Shi-Bi-Man (SBM) is a natural product comprising various traditional Chinese medicines. Though SBM has been reported to promote hair regeneration, its molecular mechanisms remains unclear. Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) are non-human primates with a gene expression profile similar to that of humans. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effect of SBM on promoting hair regeneration in cynomolgus monkeys and to reveal the underlying mechanism.
Methods : The effect of SBM on hair regeneration was observed by skin administration on 6 cynomolgus monkeys with artificial back shaving. The molecular mechanism of SBM was studied using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in combination with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) detection for gene transcription level, and immunofluorescence staining verification for protein level.
Results : SBM significantly promoted hair regeneration on cynomolgus monkeys, increased hair follicle number and facilitated hair follicle development. Single-cell RNA revealed an increase in the number of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) with a higher activation state, as evidenced by the higher expression of activation marker LDHA related to metabolism and the proliferation marker MKI67. Immunofluorescence analysis at the protein level and qPCR at the mRNA level have confirmed the sequencing data. Cellchat analysis revealed an enrichment of ligand-receptor pairs involved in intercellular communication in Laminin-related pathways.
Conclusion : SBM significantly promoted hair regeneration on cynomolgus monkeys. Mechanically, SBM could promote LDHA expression and drive HFSC activation. The cell level analysis suggested that SBM promoted the proliferation and differentiation of HFSCs by affecting interaction between HFSCs and others on Laminin-related pathways. Keywords : Hair follicle stem cell activation, Shi-Bi-Man, cynomolgus monkey, single-cell RNA sequencing, LDHA, Laminin pathway.
Evaporation-induced hydrodynamics control plasmid transfer during surface-associated microbial growth
Authors: Johnson David , Ruan Chujin , Borer Benedict , Ramoneda Josep , Wang Gang
Published: May 2023

Droplet evaporation is a general process in unsaturated environments that results in micro-scale hydrodynamic flows that determine the spatial distributions of microbial cells across surfaces. These spatial distributions can have significant effects on the development and functioning of surface-associated microbial communities, with consequences on important processes such as the spread of plasmids. Here, we experimentally quantified how evaporation-induced hydrodynamic processes modulate the initial deposition patterns of microbial cells (via the coffee ring effect and Marangoni convection) and how these patterns control the spread of an antibiotic resistance-encoding plasmid during surface-associated growth. We found that plasmid spread is a function of the initial density of cells deposited along the droplet periphery, which is a manifestation of the coffee ring effect. Using an individual-based computational model, we systematically linked how the different initial cell deposition patterns caused by different relative strengths of the coffee ring effect and Marangoni convection determine the extent of plasmid transfer during surface-associated growth. Our study demonstrates that evaporation-induced hydrodynamic processes that are common in nature can alter crucial ecological properties of surface-associated microbial communities and control the proliferation of plasmids, with consequences on the spread of antibiotic resistance and other plasmid-encoded traits.
Control of Polymers’ Amorphous-crystalline Transition for Hydrogel Bioelectronics Miniaturization and Multifunctional Integration
Authors: Rao Siyuan , Huang Sizhe , Liu Xinyue , Lin Shaoting , Glynn Christopher , Felix Kayla , Sahasrabudhe Atharva , Maley Collin , Xu Jingyi , Chen Weixuan , Hong Eunji , Crosby Alfred , Wang Qianbin
Published: May 2023

Bioelectronic devices made of soft elastic materials exhibit motion-adaptive properties suitable for brain-machine interfaces and for investigating complex neural circuits. While two-dimensional microfabrication strategies enable miniaturizing devices to access delicate nerve structures, creating 3D architecture for expansive implementation requires more accessible and scalable manufacturing approaches. Here we present a fabrication strategy through the control of metamorphic polymers’ amorphous-crystalline transition (COMPACT), for hydrogel bioelectronics with miniaturized fiber shape and multifunctional interrogation of neural circuits. By introducing multiple cross-linkers, acidification treatment, and oriented polymeric crystalline growth under deformation, we observed about an 80% diameter decrease in chemically cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel fibers, stably maintained in a fully hydrated state. We revealed that the addition of cross-linkers and acidification facilitated the oriented polymetric crystalline growth under mechanical stretching, which contributed to the desired hydrogel fiber diameter decrease. Our approach enabled the control of hydrogels’ properties, including refractive index (RI 1.37-1.40 at 480 nm), light transmission (> 96%), stretchability (95% - 111%), and elastic modulus (10-63 MPa). To exploit these properties, we fabricated step-index hydrogel optical probes with contrasting RIs and applied them in optogenetics and photometric recordings in the mouse brain region of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) with concurrent social behavioral assessment. To extend COMPACT hydrogel multifunctional scaffolds to assimilate conductive nanomaterials and integrate multiple components of optical waveguide and electrodes, we developed carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-PVA hydrogel microelectrodes for hindlimb muscle electromyographic and brain electrophysiological recordings of light-triggered neural activities in transgenic mice expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2).
Micro-CT analysis of the incidence and treatment of mandibular first premolars with C-shaped canal system in a Chinese population
Authors: Zhang Yimeng , Weng Xunben , Fu Yu , Qi Xuekai , Pan Yihuai , Zhao Yu
Published: May 2023

Objectives
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of C-shaped root canal system in mandibular first premolar in Chinese population and to analyze the anatomical characteristics by Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and Micro–computed tomography (Micro-CT) together.
Methods and materials
CBCT images of 760 patients (1520 mandibular first premolars) were evaluated for the prevalence of C-shaped root canal system and the correlation with gender, age and position. 66 mandibular first premolars with C-shaped root canal system were scanned by Micro-CT and analyzed for morphologic features of the root canal anatomy (radicular groove, C-shaped root canal categories, accessory and connecting canals, apical foramina and accessory foramina).
Results
C-shaped root canal system was found in 16.9% of mandibular first premolars. The minimum mesial wall thickness was mostly measured at the lingual site (69.7%). Among the cross-sectional C-shaped root canal system classifications, the highest prevalence was C2 type (41.5%). In the 3D C-shaped root canal system classification, the highest prevalence was S type (34.8%). Accessory canals were observed in 48.5% of the samples, mostly in the middle region. The presence of 1-3 variable connecting canals was observed in 42.4% of the samples. The number of apical foramina was predominantly 1 (40.9%).
Conclusions
The incidence of C-shaped root canal system in mandibular first premolars was 16.9% in the Chinese population. It mostly had anatomical features such as deep root surface grooves, with C2 type and S type being the most prevalent.
Ultracompact mirror device for forming 20-nm achromatic soft-X-ray focus toward multimodal and multicolor nanoanalyses
Authors: Shimamura Takenori , Takeo Yoko , Moriya Fumika , Kimura Takashi , Shimura Mari , Senba Yasunori , Kishimoto Hikaru , Ohashi Haruhiko , Shimba Kenta , Jimbo Yasuhiko , Mimura Hidekazu
Published: May 2023

Nanoscale soft-X-ray microscopy is a powerful analysis tool in biological, chemical, and physical sciences. To enhance its probe sensitivity and leverage multimodal soft-X-ray microscopy, precise achromatic focusing devices, which are challenging to fabricate, are essential. Here, we develop an ultracompact Kirkpatrick-Baez (ucKB) mirror, which is ideally capable of high-performance nanofocusing for broadband-energy X-rays. We apply our advanced fabrication techniques and short-focal-length strategy to realize diffraction-limited focusing over the entire soft-X-ray range. We achieve a focus size of 20.4 nm at 2 keV, representing a significant improvement in achromatic soft-X-ray focusing. The ucKB mirror extends soft-X-ray fluorescence microscopy by producing a bicolor nanoprobe with a 1- or 2-keV photon energy. We propose a subcellular chemical mapping method allowing a comprehensive analysis of specimen morphology and the distribution of light elements and metal elements. ucKB mirrors will improve soft-X-ray nanoanalyses by facilitating photon-hungry, multimodal, and polychromatic methods, even with table-top X-ray sources.
Efficient combinatorial optimization by quantum-inspired parallel annealing in analogue memristor crossbar
Authors: Li Can , Jiang Mingrui , Shan Keyi , He Chengping
Published: May 2023

Combinatorial optimization problems are prevalent in various fields, but obtaining exact solutions remains challenging due to the combinatorial explosion with increasing problem size. Special-purpose hardware such as Ising machines, particularly memristor-based analog Ising machines, have emerged as promising solutions. However, existing simulate-annealing-based implementations have not fully exploited the inherent parallelism and analog storage/processing features of memristor crossbar arrays. This work proposes a quantum-inspired parallel annealing method that enables full parallelism and improves solution quality, resulting in significant speed and energy improvement when implemented in analog memristor crossbars. We experimentally solve tasks, including unweighted and weighted Max-Cut and traveling salesman problem, using our integrated memristor chip. The quantum-inspired parallel annealing method implemented in memristor-based hardware has demonstrated significant improvements in time- and energy-efficiency compared to previously reported simulated annealing and Ising machine implemented on other technologies. This is because our approach effectively exploits the natural parallelism, analog conductance states, and all-to-all connection provided by memristor technology, promising its potential for solving complex optimization problems with greater efficiency.
Clinical characteristics of polymyositis-like hypothyroid myopathy in 10 cases
Authors: Qiang Fuyong , Xuan Dan , Chen Lanfang , Li Zhi , Sheng Jun
Published: May 2023

Objectives
To investigated the clinical characteristics and prognosis of hypothyroid myopathy
Methods
The clinical characteristics were analyzed in 10 patients diagnosed with polymyositis-like hypothyroid myopathy. Symptoms and indicators at baseline and after levothyroxine replacement therapy were compared. The correlations of muscle enzyme levels with thyroid function were analyzed.
Results
A total of 10 patients, including 3 males and 7 females, were enrolled. The average onset age was 46.1 ± 10.3 years and duration of disease was 2.1 ± 0.9 months. The first manifestation comprised proximal muscle weakness and myalgia or arthralgia. Liver dysfunction, hyperlipidemia, muscle enzyme increased, pericardial effusion, pleural effusion, and fatty liver was common. All patients were Hashimoto's thyroiditis and negative for myositis antibodies. Pathological muscle biopsies revealed myxoid degeneration and muscle atrophy. The proportion of patients who experienced proximal muscle weakness, myalgia, and/or arthralgia, ALT increased, AST increased, CHOL increased, TG increased, CK increased , CK-MB increased, LDH increased, fT3 decreased, and fT4 decreased were significantly lower after treatment(all P<0.05). Levels of ALT, AST, CHOL, CK, CK-MB, LDH, and TSH were significantly lower while levels of fT3 and fT4 were significantly higher after treatment(all P<0.05). CK, CK-MB, and LDH levels negatively correlated with fT3 and fT4, but positively correlated with TSH (all P<0.05).
Conclusion
Hypothyroid myopathy was more common in female. Most patients had liver dysfunction, hyperlipidemia and abnormal muscle enzyme levels, serous cavity effusion and fatty liver. Electromyography and muscle pathology had no specific alterations. The prognosis was well after levothyroxine replacement therapy.
Fisher Pruning for Developing Real-Time UAV Trackers
Authors: Zhong Pengzhi , Wu Wanying , Dai Xiaowei , Zhao Qijun , Li Shuiwang
Published: May 2023

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based tracking has shown large potential in various domains such as transportation, logistics, public safety, and more. However, deploying deep learning (DL)-based tracking algorithms on UAVs is challenging because of limitations in computing resources, battery capacity, and maximum load. Discriminative correlation filter (DCF)-based trackers have become a popular choice in the UAV tracking community owing to their ability to provide superior efficiency while consuming fewer resources. However, the limited representation learning ability of DCF-based trackers leads to lower precision in complex scenarios compared to DL-based methods. Filter pruning is a prevalent practice for deploying deep neural networks on edge devices with constrained resources, and it may be an effective way to solve problems encountered when deploying deep learning trackers on UAVs. However, the application of filter pruning to UAV tracking is underexplored, and a straightforward and useful pruning standard is desirable. This paper proposes using Fisher pruning to reduce the SiamFC++ model for UAV tracking, resulting in the F-SiamFC++ tracker. The proposed tracker achieves a remarkable balance between precision and efficiency, as demonstrated through exhaustive experiments on four popular UAV benchmarks: UAVDT, DTB70, UAV123@10fps, and Vistrone2018, showing state-of-the-art performance.
Simulation of irrotational planar flows in the regions with a rectilinear obstacle using conformal mappings
Authors: Lu Yibin , Zhao Xin , Wu Kang
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we simulate the irrotational planar flows in the region with a rectilinear obstacle using conformal mappings. Firstly, conformal mappings from an unbounded multiply connected region with a rectilinear slit onto three canonical slit domains are calculated using the premap function and the charge simulation method. Secondly, to accurately approximate the conformal mapping functions, we propose an iterative method based on the Adams prediction-correction method for solving the constraint equations generated by the charge simulation method. Finally, the numerical examples illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Isolation and molecular characterization of root nodules bacteria on inoculated Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc) Accessions
Authors: Bitire Tope Daniel , Abberton Michael , Oyatomi Olaniyi , Babalola Olubukola Oluranti
Published: May 2023

Soils in the tropics have often shown diverse reduction in the population of bacteria due to the pressure on the agricultural system with the nature of the climatic conditions, which eventually affect soil health. High priority has been placed on rhizobia inoculants over the inorganic fertilizer by farmers and this has led to the onset of great research on tropical rhizobia strains. In this study, bacteria isolates from root nodules of inoculated Bambara groundnut (BGN) were characterized using 16S rRNA gene, nitrogen fixing gene (nifH) and nodulating gene (nod A and nodC ). The result of the 16S rRNA revealed that the root of BGN are mostly associated with Bradyrhizobium spp (B. spp), which include: B. diazoefficiens, B. japonicum and Rhizobium spp in the screenhouse. The nifH, nod A and nod C gene analysis revealed that Streptomyces bacillaris, Pseudomonas knackmussi, B. ekanii, Sinorhizobium meliloti, Mesorhizobium spp, Bradyrhizobium spp and Rhizobium spp were isolated from the field in two locations (Ibadan and Ikenne). The rhizobia isolates have been previously confirmed to be playing an important role in nodulation and nitrogen fixation of BGN. The result of the study, therefore, revealed the isolation of bacteria species from the root nodules of BGN accessions using molecular techniques.
Tolerance to ethanol: cerebellar apoptotic parameters and circulating miRNAs in senile UChB rats (voluntary ethanol consumers)
Authors: Martinez M. , Rossetto I. M. U. , Lizarte F. S. N. , Tirapelli L. F. , Tirapelli D. P. C. , Fioravante V. C. , Martinez Francisco Eduardo
Published: May 2023

Background Despite the absence of scientific data supporting the real impact of drinking on elderly individuals, alcohol abuse is a common feature of older people. Because aging is associated with biological changes that include reduced water volume in the body, lower efficiency of liver enzymes and hepatic blood flow, and altered brain responsiveness due to drug interactions, elderly individuals are more prone to the harmful effects of alcohol consumption. The adverse effects of acute or chronic exposure to ethanol have been extensively recognized on cerebellar circuits, with impairment in movement and balance. In addition to motor deterioration, cerebellar degeneration contributes to distinct neuropsychological deficits in chronic alcoholics and children with prenatal exposure to ethanol. However, the effects on senile individuals are unclear. This study determines the pattern of MicroRNAs, gene expressions, apoptotic and anti-apoptotic protein levels, and ultrastructural analysis of neurons to contribute to the understanding of the consequences of alcohol abuse on the senile cerebellum.Methods and Results The results of immunohistochemical and gene expressions for Caspase-3, XIAP, and IGFR-1 were similar in both groups. Serum levels of miR-9-3p, -15b-5p, -16-5p, -21, − 200a, and − 222-3p were upregulated in the presence of ethanol with aging.Conclusions The results suggest an important tolerance development by the UChB rats to chronic ethanol consumption in the aged cerebellum, and miRNAs may be potentially involved with this mechanism.
Application to Assist People with Low or No Visual Capacity:DiceApp
Authors: Hernández-Díaz Nicolás , Pañaloza Yersica C , Rios Y. Yuliana , Martinez-Santos Juan Carlos , Puertas Edwin
Published: May 2023

This work presents the development of an application designed in Python using the Kivy and KivyMD libraries (for cross-platform) to identify the result of two six-sided dice in an environment with uncontrolled lighting to amplify the visual adequacy of people with low or no visual capacity; as an environment, we propose the use of a template similar to the casino game known as Craps. We structure the developed software in four stages. The first stage consists of linking the APP with a digital camera either connected to a local network through an IP address or wired via USB; the second stage consists of determining the right time to process the image of interest through the acquisition and comparison of features such as color and position of the dice; the third stage seeks to perform the segmentation, and non-binary classification of the value reported by each die through intelligent computer vision algorithms such as color space conversion, Euclidean distance, and CNN; and the last stage presents the results obtained after the classification through a loudspeaker to inform people with no visual ability and through enlarged digital text for people with low visual capability. The possible expected result is a system that integrates the four stages mentioned above through an intuitive and accessible low-cost APP designed in Python, aimed primarily at people with low or no visual capability. Due to the characteristics of board games that make use of 6-sided dice, people with low or no visual capacity face a problem of quality or interpretation of results after a pair of dice have been thrown, which generates a situation of indirect exclusion by inhibiting this part of the population from accessing this type of recreation or social interaction regularly.
How to control municipal solid waste incineration pollution? Exploration of the third-party supervision.
Authors: Li Huijie , Tan Deqing
Published: May 2023

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is gradually rising along with residents' living conditions, which boosts the demand of the waste incineration. However, environment and public health are seriously threatened by incineration pollution. In this study, we present a model of third-party enterprise supervision and build a differential game model among the government, third-party supervision enterprise, and waste incinerator. We investigate how to encourage third-party enterprises to increase their supervision and avoid the collision. The results show that: (1) In the long run, the third-party supervision mode is more conducive to reducing incineration pollution. (2) The governments must set a higher penalty for third-party enterprises to avoid the collision. Meanwhile, compared with the supervision approach, we suggest governments in large cities implement penalty mechanisms to prevent collusion. (3) As the amount of MSW increases, compared with the supervision of third-party enterprises on incinerators, the government's punishment policy is more effective in promoting incineration plants to increase pollution control input. The paper offers policy recommendations to the government that can assist to lessen waste incineration pollution and improve MSW management efficiency.
Distribution of Suspended Sediment in Flow through Rigid Vegetation
Authors: LYU Shengqi , CHEN Junzhou , TANG Hongwu , LIANG Dongfang , CHEN Jun , CHEN Jieren
Published: May 2023

This paper studies the influence of rigid vegetation on the vertical distribution of the Suspended Sediment Concentration (SSC) through a series of flume experiments. Acoustic Doppler Velocimetry (ADV) and a carefully designed water sampling device were used to measure the turbulent velocities and the SSC in non-vegetated, submerged vegetated, and emergent vegetated flows. The results reveal the differences in vertical distributions of the SSC in these three vegetation situations. The vertical distribution of the SSC in non-vegetated and submerged vegetated flows exhibits a reverse "S" shape, while, in emergent vegetated flows, it shows a hyperbolic concave shape. The non-uniformity of the vertical distributions differs greatly under the three hydraulic conditions, with the greatest in non-vegetated flow, followed by emergent vegetated flow and the smallest in submerged vegetated flow. By analyzing the turbulence characteristics, the concept of Turbulent Diffusion Potential (TDP) is proposed, which refers to the movement tendency of sediment particles because of the turbulent diffusion. The value of TDP is defined as the skewness coefficient of the turbulent velocity fluctuation. In turbulent flows, the non-uniformity of the vertical distribution of the SSC is closely related to the vertical distribution of TDP.
Analysis of the effect of Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy and McKeown esophagectomy on perioperative anxiety and depression in patients with esophageal cancer
Authors: Du Jun , Kang Zhuangzhuang , Zhao Zhili , Wu Han , Chen Yimin , Zhang Chensong , Chen Yuzhong , Liang Wanqing , wang Qingkang , Ma Jiachi
Published: May 2023

Purpose To compare the effects of Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy and McKeown esophagectomy on perioperative anxiety and depression in patients with esophageal cancer and to analyze the influencing factors.Methods Sixty-three patients with stage I-III middle and lower esophageal carcinoma who visited the Department of Oncology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from June 2021 to December 2022 were randomly divided into observation group (n = 32) treated with laparoscopic Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy and control group (n = 31) treated with laparoscopic McKeown esophagectomy. The Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were administered on the second day following admission and the fifth day after surgery to assess the presence of depression and anxiety. The preoperative and postoperative clinical data of both groups were compared, and multivariate analysis was used to identify risk factors associated with depression and anxiety in patients with esophageal cancer.Results There were no significant differences in the general clinical data between the two groups before surgery (P > 0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in patients who underwent radical resection of esophageal carcinoma using Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy was significantly lower than that in the McKeown esophagectomy group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in SDS and SAS standard scores of depression between the observation group and the control group (P > 0.05). The postoperative SDS and SAS scores in the control group were significantly higher than those before and after operation in the observation group (P < 0.01). According to univariate analysis, patients with TNM stage III, tumor diameter greater than 3 cm, postoperative complications, radical McKeown esophagectomy, and C-reactive protein levels above 10 mg/L had a higher incidence of depression and anxiety (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that TNM stage III, postoperative complications, surgical approach, and C-reactive protein were all independent factors for depression and anxiety in patients after esophageal cancer surgery (P < 0.05).Conclusion Laparoscopic Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy and McKeown esophagectomy are both effective treatments for middle and lower thoracic esophageal cancer. However, Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy offers significant advantages in preventing complications and improving postoperative recovery efficiency. The Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy has the advantages of fewer complications and low inflammatory response, which can help alleviate anxiety and depression and improve patients' quality of life and prognosis.
Development, budget and environmental policy in Brazil's Amazon interior: the case study of Alenquer, Pará
Authors: Bandeira Felipe de Lima , de Jesus Marieia Sousa , Leão Andréa Simone Rente , Santos Marco Aurélio Oliveira , Soares Francisco Igo Leite
Published: May 2023

The purpose of this research is to understand how public spending has been used to promote sustainable development and finance environmental management policies in Brazil's Amazon interior and, particularly, in the city of Alenquer-PA. Thus, our debates are based on sustainable development and its implications for the Amazon, having the city of Alenquer/PA as a case study. From this analysis, it was found that public management and budgeting are fundamental tools in this process. The public accounts of Alenquer were analyzed as a means to capture the environmental dimension of sustainable development at the local level and the fiscal scope of environmental management policies. An interview was conducted with the representative of the Municipal Department of Environment (SEMA) to complement the analysis and have a more accurate view of the process.
Optimizing fluorine labelling for 19F solid-state NMR in oriented biological systems II: a Solution
Authors: Cockburn Kieran T. , Sykes Brian D.
Published: May 2023

The focus of this project is to take advantage of the large chemical shift anisotropy of 19F to determine the orientation of fluorine labeled biomolecules in situ in oriented biological systems such as muscle. The utility of a labeling approach with two fluorine labels in a fixed molecular framework where one of the labels has an axially symmetric chemical shift anisotropy such as a CF3 group and the other has a fully asymmetric chemical shift anisotropy such as 5-fluorotryptophan is evaluated.
Improved SSD for Door Panel Missed Installations Inspection Using PASSD
Authors: Yuan Hao , Okpor Samuel , Kong Xiao
Published: May 2023

In the context of made in china 2025 and industry 4.0, the application research of intelligent manufacturing and process design of intelligent workshop are in a full swing, traditional manual inspection methods are time consuming, inconsistent and prone to error, so this research proposes the use of PASSD for Automatic inspection of Missed installation on Car Door panels. The proposed custom inspection algorithm is a modified Single Shot Detector (SSD) with a ResNet50 backbone, then We used the Residual Convolutional Block Attention Module (RCBAM) to reduce the influence of background factors. Then added a multi-branch dilated convolution module (MDCM) to obtain information on multi-scale receptive fields and get more contextual information, and finally we added a Progressive Attention Module (PAM) to further refine the feature representations. The PAM module takes the output of the MDCM as input and progressively refines it through a series of a three stage attention mechanism. A focal loss is used as the loss function. These improvements are done to improve the detection algorithm detection rate and reduce false positives at modest speed. A Jaka robot arm is also used to move the camera across the panel to perform multiple inspections per-cycle. The experiments conducted show promising results, improving the quality inspection process in the car door panel production industry. This research provides a foundation for future studies in the application of Computer vision for car parts inspection.
An Analysis of Domestic Research Trends related to Early Intervention through Keyword Network Analysis - Based on the Korea Academic Journals -
Authors:   Korean Journal Of Early Childhood Special Education, Moon SoYoung , Lee SoHyun
Published: May 2023

The purpose of his study was to analyze research trends related to early intervention for infants and toddlers through keyword network analysis. To do this, this study investigated the tendency of articles published in domestic journals by year and journal. The research conducted network analysis on the keywords that appeared in studies. Results First, 142 studies related to early intervention for infants and toddlers were published by 2022 since 1993. The largest number of studies were published in the journal of Korean Journal of Early Childhood Special Education. Secondly, the main keywords were identified as ‘infants and toddlers’, ‘disabilities’, ‘early intervention’, ‘developmental delays’, ‘young children’, ‘autism spectrum disorder’ in order of high frequency. The result of keyword network analysis showed that ‘developmental delays’ and ‘autism spectrum disorder’ were identified as important group keywords having high connection centrality. This study’s implications for the research trends of domestic journals related to early intervention with infants and toddlers were examined through keyword network analysis.
Gauging Lie group symmetry in (2+1)d topological phases
Authors: Cheng Meng , Hsin Po-Shen , Jian Chao-Ming
Published: May 2023

We present a general algebraic framework for gauging a 0-form compact, connected Lie group symmetry in (2+1)d topological phases. Starting from a symmetry fractionalization pattern of the Lie group GG, we first extend GG to a larger symmetry group \tilde{G}G̃, such that there is no fractionalization with respect to \tilde{G}G̃ in the topological phase, and the effect of gauging \tilde{G}G̃ is to tensor the original theory with a \tilde{G}G̃ Chern-Simons theory. To restore the desired gauge symmetry, one then has to gauge an appropriate one-form symmetry (or, condensing certain Abelian anyons) to obtain the final result. Studying the consistency of the gauging procedure leads to compatibility conditions between the symmetry fractionalization pattern and the Hall conductance. When the gauging can not be consistently done (i.e. the compatibility conditions can not be satisfied), the symmetry GG with the fractionalization pattern has an ’t Hooft anomaly and we present a general method to determine the (3+1)d topological term for the anomaly. We provide many examples, including projective simple Lie groups and unitary groups to illustrate our approach.
Natural boundaries for scattering amplitudes
Authors: Mizera Sebastian
Published: May 2023

Singularities, such as poles and branch points, play a crucial role in investigating the analytic properties of scattering amplitudes that inform new computational techniques. In this note, we point out that scattering amplitudes can also have another class of singularities called natural boundaries of analyticity. They create a barrier beyond which analytic continuation cannot be performed. More concretely, we use unitarity to show that 2 \to 22→2 scattering amplitudes in theories with a mass gap can have a natural boundary on the second sheet of the lightest threshold cut. There, an infinite number of ladder-type Landau singularities densely accumulates on the real axis in the center-of-mass energy plane. We argue that natural boundaries are generic features of higher-multiplicity scattering amplitudes in gapped theories.
A gauge theory for shallow water
Authors: Tong David
Published: May 2023

The shallow water equations describe the horizontal flow of a thin layer of fluid with varying height. We show that the equations can be rewritten as a d=2+1d=2+1 dimensional Abelian gauge theory. The magnetic field corresponds to the conserved height of the fluid, while the electric charge corresponds to the conserved vorticity. In a certain linearised approximation, the shallow water equations reduce to relativistic Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory. This describes Poincaré waves. The chiral edge modes of the theory are identified as coastal Kelvin waves.