bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Late Cretaceous–Paleocene transition from calcareous platform to basinal deposition in western Chiapas, Mexico: Opening of the Chiapanecan embayment
Authors: Martens* Uwe C. , Sierra-Rojas Maria Isabel
Published: November 2021

Tracing the evolution of the Cretaceous shelf margin of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico reveals a relatively stable area in northeastern Chiapas, Mexico, northern Guatemala and Belize, and the Yucatán Peninsula, where carbonate and evaporite platform conditions prevailed from the Aptian until at least the Paleocene. The area was flanked by zones of greater subsidence, where platform thickness reached several thousand meters and where foredeep depocenters were established due to collision of the Great Antilles arc with the passive margin of North America. Foredeep deposition initiated as early as the Maastrichtian in central Guatemala and in the Paleocene in Chiapas and south Petén, Guatemala. Northwestern Chiapas was characterized by a relatively deep basin and by southward retreat of the shelf break from the Albian to Maastrichtian. The retreat can be traced by the occurrence of periplatform slope facies. During the Santonian–early Campanian lowstand, the periplatform slope is thought to have become a bay, herein called the Chiapanecan embayment. Slope conditions reached the Tuxtla area (western Chiapas) in the Campanian, ultimately connecting Paleocene foreland basins with the Gulf of Mexico basin. Whereas the foredeep in Guatemala and Belize (Sepur and Toledo formations) was constrained by a backstop produced by the southernmost stable Yucatán platform (Lacandón Formation), the Tuxtla basin (Soyaló and Nanchital formations) was connected to the Gulf of Mexico, potentially allowing Paleocene bypass of sediment sourced in the colliding Great Antilles arc.
A graphic method for depicting basin evolution and changes in the dominant hydrodynamic process from paleocurrent data
Authors: Chiarella Domenico , Gioia Dario
Published: November 2021

Paleocurrent data measured on depositional elements and sedimentary structures (e.g., channels, cross-strata) are commonly utilized in the description of sedimentary strata. Paleocurrent data provide information about the depositional setting and in some cases can be useful for immediately detecting specific depositional processes (e.g., herringbone cross-strata for bimodal tidal currents). The typical graphical representation used to report paleocurrent data is the rose diagram. However, rose diagrams are not able to disclose all information contained in paleocurrent data, limiting the potentiality of such a representation method. In particular, there is presently no method to highlight changes in the paleogeographic configuration that can ultimately have an impact on the evolution of depositional processes and paleocurrent direction through time. Here, we present a graphic method that permits instant visualization of anomalies in paleocurrent distributions of the stratigraphic record that can be linked to changes in the paleogeography due to tectonic evolution or in the dominant hydrodynamic process. It is important to highlight that the proposed method does not aspire to replace rose diagrams but to provide an additional tool to be used before and in combination with rose diagrams in order to extrapolate as much information as possible from paleocurrent data.
Analysis of mental and physical disorders associated with COVID-19 in online health forums: a natural language processing study
Authors: Patel Rashmi , Smeraldi Fabrizio , Abdollahyan Maryam , Irving Jessica , Bessant Conrad
Published: November 2021

Objectives

Online health forums provide rich and untapped real-time data on population health. Through novel data extraction and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, we characterise the evolution of mental and physical health concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic among online health forum users.

Setting and design

We obtained data from three leading online health forums: HealthBoards, Inspire and HealthUnlocked, from the period 1 January 2020 to 31 May 2020. Using NLP, we analysed the content of posts related to COVID-19.

Primary outcome measures

(1) Proportion of forum posts containing COVID-19 keywords; (2) proportion of forum users making their very first post about COVID-19; (3) proportion of COVID-19-related posts containing content related to physical and mental health comorbidities.

Results

Data from 739 434 posts created by 53 134 unique users were analysed. A total of 35 581 posts (4.8%) contained a COVID-19 keyword. Posts discussing COVID-19 and related comorbid disorders spiked in early March to mid-March around the time of global implementation of lockdowns prompting a large number of users to post on online health forums for the first time. Over a quarter of COVID-19-related thread titles mentioned a physical or mental health comorbidity.

Conclusions

We demonstrate that it is feasible to characterise the content of online health forum user posts regarding COVID-19 and measure changes over time. The pandemic and corresponding public response has had a significant impact on posters’ queries regarding mental health. Social media data sources such as online health forums can be harnessed to strengthen population-level mental health surveillance.
Breathlessness dimensions association with physical and mental quality of life: the population based VASCOL study of elderly men
Authors: Cristea Lucas , Olsson Max , Currow David , Johnson Miriam , Sandberg Jacob , Ekström Magnus
Published: November 2021

Background

Breathlessness is a multidimensional symptom prevalent in elderly affecting many aspects of life. We aimed to determine how different dimensions of breathlessness are associated with physical and mental quality of life (QoL) in elderly men.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional, population-based analysis of 672 men aged 73 years in a Swedish county. Breathlessness was assessed using Dyspnoea-12 (D-12) and Multidimensional Dyspnoea Profile (MDP), and QoL using the Short Form 12 physical and mental scores. Scores were compared as z-scores across scales and analysed using multivariable linear regression, adjusted for smoking, body mass index and the presence of respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

Results

Worse breathlessness was related to worse physical and mental QoL across all the D-12 and MDP dimension scores. Physical QoL was most strongly associated with perceptional breathlessness scores, D-12 total and physical scores (95% CI −0.45 to −0.30). Mental QoL was more strongly influenced by affective responses, MDP emotional response score (95% CI −0.61 to −0.48). Head-to-head comparison of the instruments confirmed that D-12 total and physical scores most influenced physical QoL, while mental QoL was mostly influenced by the emotional responses captured by the MDP.

Conclusion

Breathlessness dimensions and QoL measures are associated differently. Physical QoL was most closely associated with sensory and perceptual breathlessness dimensions, while emotional responses were most strongly associated with mental QoL in elderly men. D-12 and MDP contribute complimentary information, where affective and emotional responses may be related to function, deconditioning and QoL.
Nutritional status and primary tumour site in incurable cancer
Authors: De Oliveira Livia Costa , Wiegert Emanuelly Varea Maria , Santos Lara Azevedo dos , Calixto-Lima Larissa
Published: November 2021

Objectives

We aimed (1) to assess the nutritional status (NS) using different methods, according to the primary tumour site and (2) to evaluate the performance of these methods in patients with incurable cancer from a reference centre in Brazil.

Methods

Cross-sectional analysis of data from patients admitted to the palliative care unit of a reference cancer centre in Brazil, between July 2016 and March 2020. The primary tumour site was the independent variable and the NS using different methods were the dependent variables. Logistic regressions were performed.

Results

A total of 2,144 patients were included in the study. The most common primary tumour site was the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract (18.0%), followed by gynaecological (17.6%) and head and neck (HN) (13.5%). Our results showed that patients with tumours of the upper GI tract followed by HN presented significantly higher risk of worse NS.In contrast,breast tumours, bone and connective tissues and melanoma presented inverse association.The gynaecological cancer was variably associated with nutritional impairment, according to the assessment method.

Conclusions

Patients with incurable cancer present high prevalence of NS impairment, depending on the tumour site, shown to be elevated in patients with tumour in the upper GI tract.
Cerebral oximetry monitoring using near-infrared spectroscopy during adult procedural sedation: a preliminary study
Authors: Carlson Krista R , Driver Brian E , Satpathy Rajesh , Miner James R
Published: November 2021

Background and objectives

We sought to evaluate the effect of adult procedural sedation on cerebral oxygenation measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (rSo2levels), and to assess whether respiratory depression occurring during procedural sedation was associated with decreases in cerebral oxygenation.

Methods

We performed a prospective, observational preliminary study on a convenience sample of adult patients (>18 years) undergoing unscheduled procedural sedation in the ED from August 2017 to September 2018 at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The primary outcome measures were rSo2values by level of sedation achieved and the incidence of cerebral hypoxaemia during procedural sedation (absolute rSo2≤60 or decrease ≥20% from baseline). The secondary outcome is the decrease in rSo2during episodes of respiratory adverse events (AEs), defined by respiratory depression requiring supportive airway measures.

Results

We enrolled 100 patients (53% female). The median (IQR) rSo2values (%) by each level of sedation achieved on the Observer Assessment of Alertness and Sedation (OAAS) scale 1–5, respectively, were 74 (69–79), 74 (70–79), 74 (69–79), 75 (69–80), 72 (68–76). The incidence of cerebral hypoxaemia at any point within the sedation (absolute rSo2<60%) was 10/100 (10%); 2 out of 10 had rSo2reduction more than 20% from baseline value; the median (IQR) observed minimum rSo2in these patients was 58 (56–59). We observed respiratory depression in 65 patients via standard monitoring; of these, 39 (60%) required at least one supportive airway measure, meeting the definition of a respiratory AE. During these AEs, 15% (6/39) demonstrated cerebral hypoxaemia with a median (IQR) minimum rSo2of 58 (57–59). Four patients (4%) had cerebral hypoxaemia without a respiratory AE.

Conclusion

Cerebral oximetry may represent a useful tool for procedural sedation safety research to detect potential subclinical changes that may be associated with risk, but appears neither sensitive nor specific for routine use in clinical practice.
Chronic immune sensory polyradiculopathy (CISP)
Authors: Ong Stephanie , Cassidy Adam
Published: November 2021

Chronic immune sensory polyradiculopathy (CISP) is a rare variant of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). We describe a man with isolated sensory ataxia whose initial investigations included normal nerve conduction studies and normal non-enhanced MR imaging of whole spine, but whose subsequent investigations showed delayed somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) responses of the lower limbs, elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein and lumbosacral nerve roots enhancement on MR imaging. We diagnosed CISP and he improved following intravenous immunoglobulin. Proposed diagnostic criteria for CISP are sensory symptoms with a polyneuropathic distribution without weakness, and normal motor and sensory nerve conduction and electromyography (EMG) studies, plus at least two of: abnormal SSEPs not due to central nervous system (CNS) involvement, MRI showing gadolinium enhancement or hypertrophy of the nerve roots, cauda equina or plexuses, and elevated CSF protein with normal cell count. Intravenous immunoglobulin is an effective treatment.
SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination from hospitalised patients with COVID-19 receiving aerosol-generating procedures
Authors: Winslow Rebecca L , Zhou Jie , Windle Ella F , Nur Intesar , Lall Ranjit , Ji Chen , Millar Jonathan Edward , Dark Paul M , Naisbitt Jay , Simonds Anita , Dunning Jake , Barclay Wendy , Baillie John Kenneth , Perkins Gavin D , Semple Malcolm Gracie , McAuley Daniel Francis , Green Christopher A
Published: November 2021

Background

Continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) and high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) are considered ‘aerosol-generating procedures’ in the treatment of COVID-19.

Objective

To measure air and surface environmental contamination with SARS-CoV-2 virus when CPAP and HFNO are used, compared with supplemental oxygen, to investigate the potential risks of viral transmission to healthcare workers and patients.

Methods

30 hospitalised patients with COVID-19 requiring supplemental oxygen, with a fraction of inspired oxygen ≥0.4 to maintain oxygen saturation ≥94%, were prospectively enrolled into an observational environmental sampling study. Participants received either supplemental oxygen, CPAP or HFNO (n=10 in each group). A nasopharyngeal swab, three air and three surface samples were collected from each participant and the clinical environment. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses were performed for viral and human RNA, and positive/suspected-positive samples were cultured for the presence of biologically viable virus.

Results

Overall 21/30 (70%) participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the nasopharynx. In contrast, only 4/90 (4%) and 6/90 (7%) of all air and surface samples tested positive (positive for E and ORF1a) for viral RNA respectively, although there were an additional 10 suspected-positive samples in both air and surfaces samples (positive for E or ORF1a). CPAP/HFNO use or coughing was not associated with significantly more environmental contamination than supplemental oxygen use. Only one nasopharyngeal sample was culture positive.

Conclusions

The use of CPAP and HFNO to treat moderate/severe COVID-19 did not appear to be associated with substantially higher levels of air or surface viral contamination in the immediate care environment, compared with the use of supplemental oxygen.
Passive leg cycling increases activity of the cardiorespiratory system in people with tetraplegia
Authors: Soriano Jan Elaine , Romac Rinaldo , Squair Jordan W. , Barak Otto F. , Sarafis Zoe K. , Lee Amanda H.X. , Coombs Geoff B. , Vaseghi Bita , Grant Christopher , Charbonneau Rebecca , Mijacika Tanja , Krassioukov Andrei V. , Ainslie Philip N. , Larkin-Kaiser Kelly A. , Phillips Aaron A. , Dujic Zeljko
Published: November 2021

Individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Exercise is well-established for preventing cardiovascular disease; however, there are limited straightforward and safe exercise approaches for increasing the activity of the cardiorespiratory system after cervical SCI. The objective of this study was to investigate the cardiorespiratory response to passive leg cycling in people with cervical SCI. Beat-by-beat blood pressure, heart rate, and cerebral blood flow were measured before and throughout 10 minutes of cycling in 11 people with SCI. Femoral artery flow-mediated dilation was also assessed before and immediately after passive cycling. Safety was monitored throughout all study visits. Passive cycling elevated systolic blood pressure (5 ± 2 mm Hg), mean arterial pressure (5 ± 3 mm Hg), stroke volume (2.4 ± 0.8 mL), heart rate (2 ± 1 beats/min) and cardiac output (0.3 ± 0.07 L/min; all p < 0.05). Minute ventilation (0.67 ± 0.23 L/min), tidal volume (70 ± 30 mL) and end-tidal PO2 (2.6 ± 1.23 mm Hg) also increased (all p < 0.05). Endothelial function was improved immediately after exercise (1.62 ± 0.13%, p < 0.01). Passive cycling resulted in an incidence of autonomic dysreflexia. Therefore, passive leg cycling increased the activity of the cardiorespiratory system and improved endothelial function, indicating it may be a beneficial exercise intervention for the cardiovascular and respiratory systems in people with cervical SCI.

Novelty: Passive leg cycling increases the activity of the cardiorespiratory system and improves markers of cardiovascular health in cervical SCI. Passive leg cycling exercise is an effective, low-cost, practical, alternative exercise modality for people with cervical SCI.
Intraspecific structure of the Coregonus lavaretus complex in water bodies of Siberia: a case of postglacial allopatric origin of Yukagirian whitefish
Authors: Bochkarev Nickolai A. , Zuykova Elena I. , Pestryakova Lyudmila A. , Ushnitskaya Lena A. , Zakharov Evgeny S. , Politov Dmitry V. , Andree Karl B. , Solovyev Mikhail M.
Published: November 2021

The results of morphological and genetic analyses of forms/species of the Coregonus lavaretus pidschian (Gmelin, 1789) complex from the Indigirka and Kolyma river basins are presented in the context of there being recent postglacial speciation events. It has been found that the studied whitefishes belong to the sparsely rakered and low lateral-line forms and have previously been described as Coregonus lavaretus pidschian n. jucagiricus Drjagin (Berg), 1932. Based on these characters, this whitefish does not differ from most Arctic whitefish populations (in particular from Coregonus lavaretus glacialis Kirillov, 1972). Analysis of variability of the ND1 gene (mtDNA) showed that whitefishes from the Indigirka and Kolyma basins belong to a distant phylogenetic lineage, which is significantly different from all previously studied whitefish lineages from the Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Anadyr, and Amur river basins. Analysis of variability of the ITS1 fragment (nDNA) showed that all studied forms/species (from Ob River to Amur River basins), including C. l. pidschian n. jucagiricus, have a tandem arrangement of two identical nucleotide fragments and very similar nucleotide composition of the ITS1 region. Based on contemporary data, this phylogenetic lineage of the C. pidschian complex could be considered a young postglacial allopatric species.
Admissible Poisson bialgebras
Authors: Liang Jinting , Liu Jiefeng , Bai Chengming
Published: November 2021

An admissible Poisson algebra (or briefly, an adm-Poisson algebra) gives an equivalent presentation with only one operation for a Poisson algebra. We establish a bialgebra theory for adm-Poisson algebras independently and systematically, including but beyond the corresponding results on Poisson bialgebras given in [27]. Explicitly, we introduce the notion of adm-Poisson bialgebras which are equivalent to Manin triples of adm-Poisson algebras as well as Poisson bialgebras. The direct correspondence between adm-Poisson bialgebras with one comultiplication and Poisson bialgebras with one cocommutative and one anti-cocommutative comultiplications generalizes and illustrates the polarization–depolarization process in the context of bialgebras. The study of a special class of adm-Poisson bialgebras which include the known coboundary Poisson bialgebras in [27] as a proper subclass in general, illustrating an advantage in terms of the presentation with one operation, leads to the introduction of adm-Poisson Yang–Baxter equation in an adm-Poisson algebra. It is an unexpected consequence that both the adm-Poisson Yang–Baxter equation and the associative Yang–Baxter equation have the same form and thus it motivates and simplifies the involved study from the study of the associative Yang–Baxter equation, which is another advantage in terms of the presentation with one operation. A skew-symmetric solution of adm-Poisson Yang–Baxter equation gives an adm-Poisson bialgebra. Finally, the notions of an [Formula: see text]-operator of an adm-Poisson algebra and a pre-adm-Poisson algebra are introduced to construct skew-symmetric solutions of adm-Poisson Yang–Baxter equation and hence adm-Poisson bialgebras. Note that a pre-adm-Poisson algebra gives an equivalent presentation for a pre-Poisson algebra introduced by Aguiar.
On the classification of non-big Ulrich vector bundles on surfaces and threefolds
Authors: Lopez Angelo Felice , Muñoz Roberto
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we classify Ulrich vector bundles that are not big on smooth complex surfaces and threefolds.
Hybrid big bang–big crunch with ant colony optimization for email spam detection
Authors: Natarajan Rathika , Mehbodniya Abolfazl , Ganapathy Murugesan , Neware Rahul , Pahuja Swimpy , Vives Luis , Asha
Published: November 2021

Electronic mails (emails) have been widely adapted by organizations and individuals as efficient communication means. Despite the pervasiveness of alternate means like social networks, mobile SMS, electronic messages, etc. email users are continuously growing. The higher user growth attracts more spammers who send unsolicited emails to anonymous users. These spam emails may contain malware, misleading information, phishing links, etc. that can imperil the privacy of benign users. The paper proposes a self-adaptive hybrid algorithm of big bang–big crunch (BB–BC) with ant colony optimization (ACO) for email spam detection. The BB–BC algorithm is based on the physics-inspired evolution theory of the universe, and the collective interaction behavior of ants is the inspiration for the ACO algorithm. Here, the ant miner plus (AMP) variant of the ACO algorithm is adapted, a data mining variant efficient for the classification. The proposed hybrid algorithm (HB3C-AMP) adapts the attributes of B3C (BB–BC) for local exploitation and AMP for global exploration. It evaluates the center of mass along with the consideration of pheromone value evaluated by the best ants to detect email spam efficiently. The experiments for the proposed HB3C-AMP algorithm are conducted with the Ling Spam and CSDMC2010 datasets. Different experiments are conducted to determine the significance of the pre-processing modules, iterations, and population size on the proposed algorithm. The results are also evaluated for the AM (ant miner), AM2 (ant miner2), AM3 (ant miner3), and AMP algorithms. The performance comparison demonstrates that the proposed HB3C-AMP algorithm is superior to the other techniques.
Optimality of Approximate Quasi-Weakly Efficient Solutions for Vector Equilibrium Problems via Convexificators
Authors: Yu Guolin , Li Siqi , Pan Xiao , Han Wenyan
Published: November 2021

This paper is devoted to the investigation of optimality conditions for approximate quasi-weakly efficient solutions to a class of nonsmooth Vector Equilibrium Problem (VEP) via convexificators. First, a necessary optimality condition for approximate quasi-weakly efficient solutions to problem (VEP) is presented by making use of the properties of convexificators. Second, the notion of approximate pseudoconvex function in the form of convexificators is introduced, and its existence is verified by a concrete example. Under the introduced generalized convexity assumption, a sufficient optimality condition for approximate quasi-weakly efficient solutions to problem (VEP) is also established. Finally, a scalar characterization for approximate quasi-weakly efficient solutions to problem (VEP) is obtained by taking advantage of Tammer’s function.
Baryogenesis in f(P) gravity
Authors: Bhattacharjee Snehasish
Published: November 2021

In this work, we investigate gravitational baryogenesis in the framework of [Formula: see text] gravity to understand the applicability of this class of modified gravity in addressing the baryon asymmetry of the universe. For the analysis, we set [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the model parameter. We found that in [Formula: see text] gravity, the CP-violating interaction acquires a modification through the addition of the nontopological cubic term [Formula: see text] in addition to the Ricci scalar [Formula: see text] and the mathematical expression of the baryon-to-entropy ratio depends not only on the time derivative of [Formula: see text] but also the time derivative of [Formula: see text]. Additionally, we also investigate the consequences of a more complete and generalized CP-violating interaction proportional to [Formula: see text] instead of [Formula: see text] in addressing the baryon asymmetry of the universe. For this type of interaction, we report that the baryon-to-entropy ratio is proportional to [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. We report that for both of these cases, rational values of [Formula: see text] generate acceptable baryon-to-entropy ratios compatible with observations.
A comparative analysis of self-consistent charged anisotropic spheres
Authors: Ahmad Mushtaq , Mustafa G. , Shamir M. Farasat
Published: November 2021

This study is devoted to exploring the charged stellar structures under embedded space–time using the Karmarkar condition. For this, spherically symmetric space–time with the anisotropic source of fluid possessing an electric charge has been incorporated. Further, the Bardeen and Reissner–Nordstrom geometries have been employed as exterior space–time to calculate the values of the involved constants. The interior solutions of a stellar object have been worked out with the observational mass [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] km. It is argued that the acquired solutions accomplish all the necessary conditions for self-consistent charged stars. It has been noted through the detailed graphical analysis that our obtained solutions are physically stable and self-consistent with the best degree of accuracy for [Formula: see text], where parameter [Formula: see text] is involved in the model under discussion. Beyond this bound [Formula: see text], the realistic solutions of stellar models under discussion could not be found. After perceiving the marginal dissimilarities between our proposed models in both cases, Andreasson’s limit [Formula: see text], critically important for the stellar structures, has been achieved in both the models under investigation. Lastly, it is established that the parameter [Formula: see text] has a substantial effect on worked-out solutions under the employment of Bardeen and Reissner–Nordstrom’s stellar structures.
Phase profile of the wave function of canonical tensor model and emergence of large space—times
Authors: Sasakura Naoki
Published: November 2021

In this paper, to understand space–time dynamics in the canonical tensor model of quantum gravity for the positive cosmological constant case, we analytically and numerically study the phase profile of its exact wave function in a coordinate representation, instead of the momentum representation analyzed so far. A saddle point analysis shows that Lie group symmetric space–times are strongly favored due to abundance of continuously existing saddle points, giving an emergent fluid picture. The phase profile suggests that spatial sizes grow in “time,” where sizes are measured by the tensor-geometry correspondence previously introduced using tensor rank decomposition. Monte Carlo simulations are also performed for a few small [Formula: see text] cases by applying a re-weighting procedure to an oscillatory integral which expresses the wave function. The results agree well with the saddle point analysis, but the phase profile is subject to disturbances in a large space–time region, suggesting existence of light modes there and motivating future computations of primordial fluctuations from the perspective of canonical tensor model.
Influence of ZnO nanoadditives on the structural characteristics and dielectric properties of PVA
Authors: Abdeltwab E. , Atta A.
Published: November 2021

In this study, different percentages of semiconducting zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) are mixed with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to create flexible ZnO/PVA polymer nanocomposite films. The characteristics of the prepared films are investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The XRD pattern shows that the ZnO/PVA composite films were successfully synthesized; while the SEM images show that the ZnONPs are homogeneously dispersed in the PVA polymer chain. Moreover, the DSC indicates an improvement in the thermal stability behavior with increased of ZnONPs concentration. The electrical conductivity, dielectric properties, electric modulus behavior, and the energy density efficiency of the pristine PVA and ZnO/PVA composite films are determined using an LCR meter in the frequency range 102–106 Hz. The dielectric constant of the composite film increased from 0.185 for pristine PVA to 1.389 for 9%ZnO/PVA, and the conductivity is improved from [Formula: see text] S/cm to [Formula: see text] S/cm. This work would open the road for utilizing ZnO/PVA flexible nanocomposite films for wide range of applications such as batteries, super-capacitor and energy storage devices.
A transportation network evolution model based on link prediction
Authors: Gu Shuang , Li Keping , Liang Yan , Yan Dongyang
Published: November 2021

An effective and reliable evolution model can provide strong support for the planning and design of transportation networks. As a network evolution mechanism, link prediction plays an important role in the expansion of transportation networks. Most of the previous algorithms mainly took node degree or common neighbors into account in calculating link probability between two nodes, and the structure characteristics which can enhance global network efficiency are rarely considered. To address these issues, we propose a new evolution mechanism of transportation networks from the aspect of link prediction. Specifically, node degree, distance, path, expected network structure, relevance, population and GDP are comprehensively considered according to the characteristics and requirements of the transportation networks. Numerical experiments are done with China’s high-speed railway network, China’s highway network and China’s inland civil aviation network. We compare receiver operating characteristic curve and network efficiency in different models and explore the degree and hubs of networks generated by the proposed model. The results show that the proposed model has better prediction performance and can effectively optimize the network structure compared with other baseline link prediction methods.
Study on the (3+1)-dimensional KP equation with lump solution and its collision phenomena
Authors: Zhang Ling-Ling , Wang Xin
Published: November 2021

The (3+1)-dimensional Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) equation is studied in this paper by constructing the Hirota bilinear form. The lump solution of the equation is obtained by bilinear form, and the conditions for the existence of the solution are obtained. The picture description of lump solution is further given. On the other hand, we also give the collision phenomena of lump solution, periodic wave solution and a single-kink soliton solution when the (3+1)-dimensional KP equation reduces to [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] by means of the Hirota method. The collision phenomenon is shown in the 3D plot description, the dynamic characteristics of the collision are also analyzed.
Effect of contact barrier height on performances of BaSi2 heterojunction and homojunction solar cells
Authors: Liao Hui , Cheng Chuanmeng , Wang Geming , Wang Shenggao , Li Pengfei , Deng Quanrong
Published: November 2021

The effects of contact barrier height on performances of Si/BaSi2 p–n heterojunction, BaSi2 p–n homojunction and Si/BaSi2/Si p–i–n heterojunction were numerical calculated. Band energy diagram, built-in electric field, carrier generation and carrier transportation distributed in the devices are comprehensively investigated. BaSi2 p–n homojunction solar cells are very sensitive to front contact barrier height due to the high light absorption coefficient of front p-BaSi2 layer. Si/BaSi2 p–n heterojunction and BaSi2 p–n homojunction solar cells with donor concentration [Formula: see text] less than [Formula: see text] are apparently affected by back contact barrier height. The ideal [Formula: see text]-Si/BaSi2/[Formula: see text]-Si p–n solar cell achieves a high [Formula: see text] of 1.131 V, suggesting a promising and alternative structure to gain excellent BaSi2-based solar cells once the Urbach tail states and defects can be effectively eliminated. The results help to fundamentally understand operation mechanism and provide intuitive guidance for achieving high-efficiency BaSi2 solar cells.
The Investigation of Behavior Change in EEG Signals During Induction of Anesthesia
Authors: Li Shangkun , Dan Wei , Chen Lihao , Wu Bin , Ren Li , Wei Yu , Chen Qibin , Min Su
Published: November 2021

Anesthesiology aims to make anesthesia safer and increase the precision of prognoses. Correct assessment of the anesthesia depth is crucial to its safety. At present, intraoperative electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring is the primary mode of anesthesia depth monitoring and judgment. However, most clinical anesthesiologists rely on commercial anesthesia depth monitors to judge anesthesia depth, such as bispectral index (BIS) and patient state index (PSI). This may lack an understanding of associated changes in brain wave quantization. Therefore, this study conducts quantitative analyses of EEG signals during anesthesia induction. EEG signals are processed within specific time windows and extracted brainpower density spectrum arrays with different frequency bands, brain electrical signal spectra, source frequencies and other key indicators. Analysis and comparison of these indicators clarifies patterns of variation in EEG signals during early anesthesia induction. The spectral edge frequencies (SEFs) of EEG signals within different time windows can be modeled accurately, from which the specific time points of EEG signal changes are derived. Furthermore, the relationship between patient age and the effect of anesthetic drugs is preliminarily investigated by analyzing the SEF variations of different age groups. This study quantifies changes in the EEG signals of patients at the initial stage of anesthesia induction and drug-related effects are observed, which opens a way for further exploration of EEG changes in patients under general anesthesia.
Compact Charge-Controlled Memristance Simulator with Electronic/Resistive Tunability
Authors: Bhardwaj Kapil , Srivastava Mayank
Published: November 2021

The work endeavors to realize a single Voltage Differencing Current Conveyor (VDCC)-based current-controlled memristor emulator with charge-dependent linear memristance function. Such current-controlled memristors closely model the current ([Formula: see text])–voltage ([Formula: see text]) relationship of the popular TiO2-based physical memristor architecture constructed by Hewlett–Packard (HP). The presented emulator circuit comprises only two grounded passive elements and two external MOS transistors along with a VDCC active element and provides the facility of electronic/resistive tunability. It is found through the detailed literature survey that the presented circuit is the most compact design to realize a charge-controlled memristance simulator as compared to any previously reported structure. The designed configuration has been verified through presented simulation results generated using PSPICE based on 0.18[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m CMOS technology. It has also been validated through relaxation and chaotic oscillators developed using the proposed VDCC-based memristor emulator and output waveforms have been shown. Furthermore, the discussed memristor emulator has been implemented and verified through commercial ICs, AD844 and LM13700.
A Novel Facial Expression Recognition System using BMCSA Based Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System
Authors: Banerjee Rudranath , De Sourav , Dey Shouvik
Published: November 2021

In Emotion Recognition (ER), automatic Facial Expression Recognitions (FER) is actually a dynamically emerging research. Recently, the focus is given to two main issues (i.e.) overfitting because of the devoid of adequate training data as well as expression-unassociated variations, for instance, head pose, illumination, along with identity bias. Here, Brownian motion based Crow Search Algorithm for Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (BMCSA-ANFIS) is proposed for doing the FER of human images. It mostly concentrates on recognizing an individual’s Facial Expressions (FE) as of a single image. The proposed method comprises ‘4’ stages. Initially, the inputted facial images are taken from a database that is openly available. Then, the images (inputted) are pre-processed by performing filtering (noise removal) along with energy normalization. After that, the feature extraction is performed utilizing Local directional patterns (LDP) along with Appearances Model (AAM) centered Scale Invariants Features Transform (SIFT) that extracts the features as of the preprocessed images for doing FER. Then, the system utilizes the Information Gain based Linear Discriminants Analysis (IG-LDA) to lessen the extracted features (dimensionality reduction). Subsequent to Feature Reduction (FR), the reduced features are rendered to BMCSA-ANFIS for classification that classifies the result of the inputted images into ‘6’ fundamental emotions: happy, angry, disgust, surprise, sad, together with neutral by considering the reduced features. The experimentation’s outcomes are evaluated and that clearly exhibited that the proposed techniques perform superiorly to other existent algorithms for FER.
Surveil and Prediction of Pandemic Disease by Fine-Tuning Hyperparameters in Deep Learning
Authors: Shanthini A. , Vinodhini G.
Published: November 2021

The major issue that is being faced by the medical professional in the world of health care is the accurate diagnosis of conditions and diseases of the affected patient. In the current scenario, Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections are major challenging in the health care sector. The medical diagnosis for COVID-19 prediction is done with the support of X-ray images. Detection of COVID-19 with X-ray images is an effective method but it is critical for diagnosis, evaluation, and medication. Since the X-ray images are of low contrast, the accuracy will be low while using the traditional feature extraction in machine learning. The proposed method uses a novel technique by combining multiple CNN (Convolutional Neural network) for classification. The samples for multiple CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) are divided into n-subsets by using the bootstrap sampling method. The n-subset samples are finely tuned with Adaptive momentum technique (Adam) optimizer, the output of this layer is fed into CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) model as input, still hyper-tuning at each layer with Bayesian optimizer. This technique avoids de-noising, and features are also enhanced when compared to conventional methods. Experimental results of this technique provide an accuracy of 97.35% for the prediction of COVID-19 from X-ray images.
Image Copy–Move Forgery Detection Using Combination of Scale-Invariant Feature Transform and Local Binary Pattern Features
Authors: Shahrokhi Marziye , Akoushideh Alireza , Shahbahrami Asadollah
Published: November 2021

Today, manipulating, storing, and sending digital images are simple and easy because of the development of digital imaging devices from hardware and software points of view. Digital images are used in different contexts of people’s lives such as news, forensics, and so on. Therefore, the reliability of received images is a question that often occupies the viewer’s mind and the authenticity of digital images is increasingly important. Detecting a forged image as a genuine one as well as detecting a genuine image as a forged one can sometimes have irreparable consequences. For example, an image that is available from the scene of a crime can lead to a wrong decision if it is detected incorrectly. In this paper, we propose a combination method to improve the accuracy of copy–move forgery detection (CMFD) reducing the false positive rate (FPR) based on texture attributes. The proposed method uses a combination of the scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) and local binary pattern (LBP). Consideration of texture features around the keypoints detected by the SIFT algorithm can be effective to reduce the incorrect matches and improve the accuracy of CMFD. In addition, to find more and better keypoints some pre-processing methods have been proposed. This study was evaluated on the COVERAGE, GRIP, and MICC-F220 databases. Experimental results show that the proposed method without clustering or segmentation and only with simple matching operations, has been able to earn the true positive rates of 98.75%, 95.45%, and 87% on the GRIP, MICC-F220, and COVERAGE datasets, respectively. Also, the proposed method, with FPRs from 17.75% to 3.75% on the GRIP dataset, has been able to achieve the best results.
Ramanujan continued fractions of order sixteen
Authors: Park Yoon Kyung
Published: November 2021

We study the continued fractions [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] of order sixteen by adopting the theory of modular functions. These functions are analogues of Rogers–Ramanujan continued fraction [Formula: see text] with modularity and many interesting properties. Here we prove the modularities of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] to find the relation with the generator of the field of modular functions on [Formula: see text]. Moreover we prove that the values [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are algebraic integers for certain imaginary quadratic quantity [Formula: see text].
Modeling Movement Times and Success Rates for Acquisition of One-dimensional Targets with Uncertain Touchable Sizes
Authors: Usuba Hiroki , Yamanaka Shota , Miyashita Homei
Published: November 2021

In touch interfaces, a target, such as an icon, has two widths: the visual width and the touchable width. The visual width is the target's appearance, and the touchable width is the area in which users can touch a target and execute an action. In this study, we conduct two experiments to investigate the effects of the visual and touchable widths on touch pointing performance (movement time and success rate). Based on the results, we build candidate models for predicting the movement time and compare them by the values of adjusted R^2 and AIC. In addition, we build a success rate model and test it through cross-validation. Existing models can be applied only to situations where the visual and touchable widths are equal, and we show that our refined model achieves better model fitness, even when such widths are different. We also discuss the design implications of the touch interfaces based on our models.
(Don't) Mind the Step
Authors: Albarrak Luluah , Metatla Oussama , Roudaut Anne
Published: November 2021

It is well established that the presence of other people and the physical traces of their activities impact our navigation decisions, e.g. following a path in a park where trails are worn by frequent passage. Here we investigate such effect within a digital setup where social cues are displayed on the floor. We contribute the first lab study (n=24) investigating how social cues, presented as footprints on an interactive floor display, can impact navigation decisions. We particularly explore two task-based scenarios: exploration and search. A direct comparison of path choices did not reveal significant effects in both tasks but a further qualitative analysis showed that social cues affected path choices depending on how participants interpreted them. Additionally, results revealed a pattern of direct decision-making behaviours when social cues were present. We discuss how these insights can contribute to designing engaging floor interfaces that guide navigation decisions using social cues.
Inclusive Adaptation of Existing Board Games for Gamers with and without Visual Impairments using a Spatial Augmented Reality Framework for Touch Detection and Audio Feedback
Authors: Thevin Lauren , Rodier Nicolas , Oriola Bernard , Hachet Martin , Jouffrais Christophe , Brock Anke M.
Published: November 2021

Board games allow us to share collective entertainment experiences. They entertain because of the interactions between players, physical manipulation of tokens and decision making. Unfortunately, most board games exclude people with visual impairments as they were not initially designed for players with special needs. Through a user-centered design process with an accessible game library and visually impaired players, we observed challenges and solutions in making existing board games accessible through handcrafted solutions (tactile stickers, braille labels, etc.). In a second step, we used Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR), to make existing board games inclusive by adding interactivity (GameARt). In a case study with an existing board game considered as not accessible (Jamaica), we designed an interactive SAR version with touch detection (JamaicAR). We evaluated this prototype in a user study with 5 groups of 3 players each, including sighted, low vision and blind players. All players, independent of visual status, were able to play the Augmented Reality game. Moreover, the game was rated positively by all players regarding attractiveness, play engrossment, enjoyment and social connectivity. Our work shows that Spatial Augmented Reality has the potential to make board games accessible to people with visual impairments when handcrafted adaptations fall short.
Molecular Pathogenesis of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor: A Paradigm for Personalized Medicine
Authors: Dermawan Josephine K. , Rubin Brian P.
Published: November 2021

Over the past three to four decades, the molecular pathogenesis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) has been elucidated in great detail. In this review, we discuss the biological genesis of GISTs, identification of the various primary activating driver mutations (focusing on KIT and PDGFRA), oncogene addiction and targeted therapies with imatinib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and the subsequent characterization of the various mechanisms of drug resistance. We illustrate how GIST has become a quintessential paradigm for personalized medicine.
Effects of Causes and Causes of Effects
Authors: Dawid A. Philip , Musio Monica
Published: November 2021

We describe and contrast two distinct problem areas for statistical causality: studying the likely effects of an intervention (effects of causes) and studying whether there is a causal link between the observed exposure and outcome in an individual case (causes of effects). For each of these, we introduce and compare various formal frameworks that have been proposed for that purpose, including the decision-theoretic approach, structural equations, structural and stochastic causal models, and potential outcomes. We argue that counterfactual concepts are unnecessary for studying effects of causes but are needed for analyzing causes of effects. They are, however, subject to a degree of arbitrariness, which can be reduced, though not in general eliminated, by taking account of additional structure in the problem.