bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sound Field Separation Method and Experiment based on Virtual Double Holographic Planes
Authors: Chai Kai , Lou Jingjun , Liu Shuyong , Yang Qingchao
Published: March 2023

Near-field acoustic holography is a cutting-edge sound field visualization technique that allows the acquisition of sound pressure amplitude and phase information in a region near a sound source to reconstruct the surface “acoustic highlights” of the sound source by means of area array, near-field measurements. Near-field acoustic holographic measurements in the free sound field, and the related algorithms to locate and identify noise sources, have many applications in engineering. However, there are still many problems to be studied for the accurate localization and identification of noise sources in non-free fields for large size underwater body sources. Firstly, the theoretical derivation of the sound field separation method based on the virtual double holographic planes is carried out. Secondly, to study the key parameters of the sound field separation method based on the virtual double holographic planes, the genetic algorithm is introduced to select the optimal number of expansion terms for the spherical waves, to give the regularized combination method, and to perform simulations. Then, the simulation studies of air acoustic field and water acoustic field in complex environment are conducted for the sound field separation method based on virtual double holographic planes, and to discuss the effects of measurement parameters on the sound field separation errors. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the sound field separation method based on the virtual double holographic planes are verified in the hydroacoustic tests. Moreover, the reconstruction error in the test is analyzed and a method to reduce the error is given. The results show that the sound field separation method based on virtual dual holographic planes only needs to measure the sound pressure value of a single holographic plane, and there is no requirement for the shape of the holographic plane. This method has the advantages of simple sound field testing, no requirement for the measurement array, and high accuracy of sound field separation compared with the traditional sound field separation method.
Selective and efficient removal of phosphate from aqueous solution using activated carbon-supported MgFe 2 O 4 -layered double hydroxide (LDH) hierarchically porous nanocomposite
Authors: Bezza Fisseha A , Chirwa Evans
Published: March 2023

In the face of the continuous development of novel adsorbents, it remains a scientific challenge to develop robust adsorbents with high efficiency, strong phosphate selectivity, high regenerability, and cost-effectiveness. In the current study, activated carbon-supported MgFe2O4-Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) nanocomposite was synthesized, and its potential application for phosphate adsorption was investigated. The nanocomposites demonstrated a hierarchical mesoporous structure with BET specific surface area of 193 m2/g and a narrow per-size distribution of ~2 nm. SEM observation revealed the formation of a cubic octahedral structure of the adsorbent with uniform dispersion on the porous activated carbon matrix. The activated carbon-supported MgFe2O4-Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) exhibited a high point of zero charge (pHzpc) value of 9.8 and robust phosphate adsorption potential over a wide pH range of 4 – 9 due to its high pH buffer capacity. The effect of adsorbent dose, initial phosphate concentration, contact time, and temperature on the phosphate adsorption capacity of the adsorbent was investigated. In the current study up to 99.0% removal of phosphate was achieved at 4 g/L adsorbent dosage in 4 hours at pH 7 and 30°C. The adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherm, and thermodynamics studies of the adsorbent revealed that the adsorption of phosphate by the activated carbon-supported MgFe2O4 LDH reaches equilibrium within 240 min, with the kinetic experimental data fitting well with the pseudo-first-order kinetics (r2 > 0.99). Langmuir adsorption isotherm model fitted the experimental data well with a maximum adsorption capacity of 25.81mg/g. The intraparticle diffusion model fitted the adsorption data well and demonstrated that the adsorption process is not only controlled by the intraparticle diffusion or micropore diffusion but also by the boundary layer diffusion or macro-pore diffusion effect. The adsorbent displayed strong selectivity of phosphate in the presence of competing anions, and the study demonstrated that AC@ MgFe2O4-LDH would have a promising potential for efficient adsorption of phosphate potential over a wide pH range.
Metal Artifact Reduction Around Cervical Spine Implant Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging at 3T: A Phantom Study
Authors: Tounekti Slimane , Alizadeh Mahdi , Middleton Devon , Harrop James S , Bassem Hiba , Krisa Laura , Mekkaoui Choukri , Mohamed Feroze B.
Published: March 2023

Diffusion MRI continues to play a key role in non-invasively assessing spinal cord integrity and pre-operative injury evaluation. However, post-operative Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) acquisition of a patient with a metal implant results in severe geometric image distortion. A method has been proposed here to alleviate the technical challenges facing the acquisition of DTI in post-operative cases and to evaluate longitudinal therapeutics. The described technique is based on the combination of the reduced Field-Of-View (rFOV) strategy and the phase segmented acquisition scheme (rFOV-PS-EPI) for significantly mitigating metal-induced distortions. A custom-built phantom based on spine model with metal implant was used to collect high-resolution DTI data at 3 Tesla scanner using a home-grown diffusion MRI pulse sequence, rFOV-PS-EPI, single-shot (rFOV-SS-EPI), and the conventional full FOV techniques including SS-EPI, PS-EPI, and the readout-segmented (RS-EPI). This newly developed method provides high-resolution images with significant reduced metal-induced artifacts. In contrast to the other techniques, the rFOV-PS-EPI allows DTI measurement at the level of the metal hardware whereas the current rFOV-SS-EPI is useful when the metal is approximately 20 mm away. The developed approach enables high-resolution DTI in patients with metal implant.
Aromatic Hydrocarbons as Molecular Propellants for Electric Propulsion Thrusters
Authors: Borrfors André Nyberg , Harding Dan J. , Weissenreider Jonas , Ciaralli Simone , Hallock Ashley , Brinck Tore
Published: March 2023

The aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) fluorobenzene, naphthalene, and 1fluoronaphthalene are introduced as promising alternatives to xenon as propellant for in-space electric propulsion (EP). These storable molecules have similar mass, lower cost, and lower ionization energies compared to xenon, as well as the critical advantage of low post-ionization fragmentation compared to other molecular propellant candidates. The ionization characteristics of AHs are compared with those of xenon and the diamondoid adamantane, previously evaluated as a molecular propellant for EP. Quantum chemical calculations and BEB theory together with 25 eV electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS) measurements have been used to predict the fragmentation of the AHs and adamantane when ionized in a plasma with an electron temperature of 7 eV (a typical electron temperature in EP plasmas). A high fraction (81 − 8 %) of the detected AH ions originate from intact molecules, compared to 3 % for adamantane. indicating extraordinarily low fragmentation for the selected AHs. The ionization potential of the AHs is similar to that of adamantane but lower compared to xenon (8.14–9.2 eV for the AHs, 9.25 for adamantane and 12.13 eV for xenon). BEB calculations have also been used to predict total ionization cross sections. The calculated ionization cross section of the AHs is comparable to that of adamantane but 3–5 times higher than that of xenon, which together with the low ionization potential can contribute to more efficient ionization. The AHs may have the potential to perform better than xenon, despite the absence of fragmentation in xenon.
Enhancement of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Performance with Nitrogen-Functionalized Graphite Felt Electrodes Etched by K2 FeO4
Authors: Li Hongwei , Wang Huina , Xie Yueyang , Wang Yukun , Yan Guanghong , Wang Bin , Xue Fei
Published: March 2023

Doping with oxygen and nitrogen in graphite felt (GF) is critical for enhancing the activity of the electrode material in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB). In this paper, we present a combined approach that utilizes Fe etching and nitrogen doping by means of K2FeO4 and NH3 to modify the surface structure of graphite fibers. The results show that the innovative approach enhances the disordered structure of the surface carbon of GF and substantially improves the oxygen and nitrogen functionalized groups. This modified GF is completely hydrophilic, and its assembled electrode energy efficiency is 80.08% at a current density of 80 mA∙cm− 2, compared with 69.87% for the pristine GF. The energy efficiency of the modified GF was maintained at 81.8% after 50 charge-discharge cycles. This can be attributed to the reduced internal resistance of these modified GF electrode as well as to the improved mass transport and charge redox exchange towards VO2+/VO2+ redox couple. The approach of combined Fe etching and nitrogen doping is a simple and effective technique that significantly boosts the performance of VRFB.
Multistep Ahead Forecasting of Electrical Conductivity in Rivers by Using a Hybrid Convolutional Neural Network-Long Short Term Memory (CNN-LSTM) Model Enhanced by Boruta-XGBoost Feature Selection Algorithm
Authors: Karbasi Masoud , Ali Mumtaz , Bateni Sayed M. , Jun Changhyun , Jamei Mehdi , Yaseen Zaher Mundeheer
Published: March 2023

Electrical conductivity (EC) is a key water quality metric for predicting the salinity and mineralization. In this study, the 10-day-ahead EC of two Australian rivers, Albert River and Barratta Creek, was forecasted using a novel deep learning algorithm, i.e., the convolutional neural network combined with long short-term memory (CNN-LSTM) model. The Boruta-extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost, XGB) feature selection method was used to determine the significant inputs (time series lagged data) for the model. The performance of the proposed Boruta-XGB-CNN-LSTM model was compared with those of three machine learning approaches: multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLP), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), and XGBoost, considering different statistical metrics such as the correlation coefficient (R), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Ten years of data for both rivers were extracted, with data for seven (2012–2018) and three years (2019–2021) used for training and testing the models, respectively. The Boruta-XGB-CNN-LSTM algorithm outperformed the other models in forecasting the 1-day-ahead EC in both stations over the test dataset (R = 0.9429, RMSE = 45.6896, and MAPE = 5.9749 for Albert River; and R = 0.9215, RMSE = 43.8315, and MAPE = 7.6029 for Barratta Creek). In addition, the Boruta-XGB-CNN-LSTM model could effectively forecast the EC for the next 3–10 days. Nevertheless, the performance of the Boruta-XGB-CNN-LSTM model slightly deteriorated as the forecasting horizon increased from 3 to 10 days. Overall, the Boruta-XGB-CNN-LSTM model is an effective soft computing method for accurately predicting the EC fluctuation in rivers.
Investigating the association of physical and psychological problems with the levels of interleukin-1 and -6 in Covid-19 patients
Authors: Molavynejad Shahram , Bahadori-birgani Galia , Rashidi Mahboobeh , Amiri Fereshteh , Maraghi Elham , Dashtbozorgi Bahman , Ulhaq Zulvikar Syambani , Alizadeh-attar Gholamreza
Published: March 2023

Introduction: The Covid-19 virus spreads at a high rate, exerting many physical, mental and psychological effects on patients. Patients with Covid-19 have been reported to have high levels of interleukin 1 and interleukin 6. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the association of physical, mental, and psychological problems with the levels of interleukin-1 and − 6 in Covid-19 patients. Methodology: This is cross-sectional descriptive-analytical research on 121 Covid-19 patients selected using simple random sampling method. The patients were hospitalized in university hospitals affiliated to Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences and Amir al-Momenin Hospital. Data collection tools included the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), a demographic questionnaire, and a checklist of physical problems. Blood sampling was also done to perform an ELISA test and measure the level of interleukin-1 and − 6. Data were analyzed based on independent t-tests, chi-square, regression, and Pearson's correlation coefficient, using SPSS ver. 22. Results: The average age of the 121 patients participating in this study was 53.31 ± 14.09. A direct and statistically significant correlation was observed between body temperature on the first day and interleukin 1 level. A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between blood oxygen saturation level and interleukin-1 and − 6 on the first, third and fifth days. Shortness of breath and coughing had a statistically significant correlation with the level of interleukin 1 on the third and fifth days. A direct and statistically significant correlation was observed between body temperature on the first, third and fifth days and interleukin 6 level. Coughing on the third and fifth days had a statistically significant relationship with interleukin 6 level. No direct and non-significant statistical correlation was found between depression and stress and the serum level of interleukin 1, but a significant correlation was observed between anxiety and serum level of interleukin 1. Finally, the results showed that depression, anxiety and stress had a direct and statistically significant correlation with the serum level of interleukin 6. Conclusion: Given the relationship between interleukin-1 and − 6 and most physical and psychological problems, level of the inflammatory biomarkers interleukin-1 and − 6 can be used to estimate the severity of physical and psychological symptoms in Covid-19 patients.
Population dynamics of whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius 1889) and characterization of their natural enemy community in transgenic Bt and non-Bt cotton
Authors: Kedar Santosh C. , Saini R. K. , Kumaranag K. M. , Bawaskar Datta M. , Bhamare Vijay , Navik Omprakash
Published: March 2023

WhiteflyBemisia tabaci(Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a major sucking pest of agricultural and horticultural crops. It causes economic damage directly by feeding plant foliage and indirectly serves as a vector for deadly plant viruses. We studied the population dynamics ofB. tabaciand the associated natural enemies in the Bt and non-Bt cotton ecosystems. Through three years of investigation, the population ofB. tabaciappeared and remained for 23 weeks both in Bt and non-Bt cotton. The population of adults and nymphs ofB. tabaciwere higher during the last week of July (30th week; 13.47 ± 8.03 adults leaf–1) and mid of August (33rd week; 91.16 ± 82.67 nymphs leaf–1), respectively in Bt cotton. In non-Bt cotton, the higher population of adults and nymphs was found during the last week of July (30th week; 7.73 ± 3.64 adults leaf–1) and the last week of August (34th week; 35.66 ± 33.37 nymphs leaf–1), respectively. We recorded, 25 species of natural enemies (NEs) ofB. tabaci, of which 23 were predators and one species of parasitoid and the entomopathogenic fungi in Bt and non-Bt cotton. The aphelinid parasitoidEncarsia lutea(Masi) was more abundant (71.29%) NEs, followed by coccinellidSerangium parcesetosumSicard (7.76%). We found no significant difference in the abundance of the NEs observed between the Bt and non-Bt cotton. In general, climatic variables such as maximum and minimum relative humidity, temperature and rainfall influenced the build upofB. tabacipopulation and NEs abundance both in Bt and non-Bt cotton. Our study recorded higher population ofB. tabaciin Bt cotton than the non-Bt cotton and the pest population was regulated by NEs and the prevailing climatic conditions of the region. Thus, the NEs community and population dynamics ofB. tabacineed to be taken into consideration for the development of IPM. Further conservation of these wide arrays of NEs could help in the management of this pest for sustainable cotton production.
Extreme Weather Expands Women’s Autonomy Where Households are Labor-Constrained: Evidence on the Impact of Droughts in Bangladesh
Authors: Brule Rachel , Dixit Akshay
Published: March 2023

Can climate-change induced extreme weather alter women's autonomy in patriarchal societies? We theorize that where households are constrained in male labor, the income shortfalls caused by droughts push women into paid work outside families, reducing women’s subordination in families. Using data on over 78,000 households in Bangladesh, a country at the leading edge of climate change, we find that exposure to droughts increases women’s average involvement in paid work. These effects are concentrated in urban areas, where women’s work outside the household rises by 37% and support for domestic violence drops by 34%. The opposite effects appear in rural areas, where women’s work decreases and support for domestic violence rises. Consistent with the theorized mechanism—labor constraints—the average urban household size remains unchanged following a drought, while rural households expand to additional male visitors. These findings illuminate the circumstances under which gendered power may be disrupted by weather shocks.
Novel pathogenic variants of SLC38A8 gene and literature review
Authors: Ren Xiaofang , Huang Lijuan , Cheng Shan , wang Jing , Li Ningdong
Published: March 2023

Purpose This study aimed to analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of 6 Chinese Han patients with foveal hypoplasia (FH) caused by the variants of solute carrier family 38 member 8 (SLC38A8) gene, and to describe the genotype and phenotype of SLC38A8 gene variants from previous literature.
Methods All subjects underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations including slit lamp microscope, fundoscopy, and retinoscopy refraction. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed to evaluate the structural grade of foveal hypoplasia. Pathogenic variants of SLC38A8 gene were identified using panel-based next-generation sequencing, direct Sanger sequencing, and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) techniques. Further, all previously reported cases of SLC38A8 variants were re-analyzed together with the novel ones identified in this study.
Results Nystagmus and FH were present in 6 patients with variants of SLC38A8 gene, accompanied by a normal anterior segment. Grade 4 FH was identified in 4 patients who could cooperate with the OCT scan. A total of 12 variants of SLC38A8 gene were identified, including 9 novel variants. The missense variants were predicted to be pathogenic by the online programs. Systematical analysis revealed that half of the variants (30/60) were missense, and the majority of which (23/30) were distributed in the transmembrane (TM) domains. Grade 4 FH was detected in the majority of patients (66%, 23/35), and anterior segment dysgenesis (ASD)was found in 16.5% of patients (15/91). There was no statistical difference in the clinical features between the subgroups of patients with 0, 1 and 2 missense variants.
Conclusion Severe arrest of foveal development was identified in patients with variants of SLC38A8. The novel identified variants may expand the spectrum of pathogenic variants of SLC38A8. This study summarized the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of SLC38A8variants, which would help the FH patients with early diagnosis.
Organoleptic attributes and Tibia bone retention of broiler chickens fed Moringa oleifera and Allium sativum
Authors: Oluwafemi Agbetuyi
Published: March 2023

240 day-old cobb 500 broiler chickens was used to determine the organoleptic attributes and tibia bone mineral retention of broiler chicken fed Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) and Allium sativum bulb powder (ABP) based diet. The birds were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments with 4 replicates of 12 birds each. The treatments were T1 = control diet, T2 = MLP replaced with soya bean meal at 1%, T3 = MLP replaced with soya bean meal at 3%, T4 = MLP replaced with soya bean meal at 1% + 0.1% ABP and T5 = MLP replaced with soya bean meal at 3% + 0.3% ABP. The feeding trial lasted for a 28-day starter phase and another 28-day finisher phase. Data were collected on organoleptic attributes and tibia bone retention. Data collected were subjected to General Linear Model Procedure of SAS v13. Significant means were separated using Tukey’s Procedure tested at a 5% level of significance. At the starter phase, the results show that colour, taste and juiciness were significantly (P < 0.05) difference, while colour, taste, aroma, juiciness, tenderness and overall acceptability in the finisher phase were comparable (P > 0.05) to those fed the control diet. Weight and length of the bone were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by the dietary treatment, while calcium content was progressively higher with T5 showing the highest value (752.50 mg/100g). In finisher phase, weight, length, diameter and calcium revealed an improvement in their response to the dietary treatment. The treatments ensure meat acceptability and strong tibia bone formation.
Optimization of chemical conditions for metabolites production by Ganoderma lucidum using response surface methodology and investigation of antimicrobial as well as anticancer activities
Authors: Tajik Alireza , Samadlouie Hamid Reza , Farrokhi Amir Salek , Ghasemi Amir
Published: March 2023

Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) is a medical mushroom known for its tendency to produce physiologically active compounds with far-reaching effects on human health. Herein, the significance of titanium dioxide (TiO2 NPs), magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO2 NPs) and vitamin B6 along with various microelements in the rise of polysaccharide and ganoderic acid (GA) through One Factor At time were examined. TiO2 NPs, MgO2 NPs and B6 along with glucose syrup and CLS syrups were discovered to be best for GA productions. Wheat starch and whey protein along with MgO2 NPs and B6 vitamin stimulated polysaccharide production. After screening, the response surface method (RSM) statistically predicted that the media containing (g/l): 42.11 wheat starch with 22 whey protein and 50 glucose syrups with 30 CSL were optimal chemical conditions for polysaccharide (21.47 percent of dry weight biomass (DWB)) and GA (20.35 mg/g DWB) production respectively.The moss of the fruit body of G. lucidum produced under optimal condition of GA was of the highest diversity in flavonoids and phenolic acids with significant antimicrobial activity against Esherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Moss, stem and shell of G. lucidum aggravated the substantial MDA-MB-231 cell death at a dose of 500 µg/ml. The IC50 levels of shell and stem of G. lucidum were 465.3 and 485.7 µg/ml, while moss did not reach 50% inhibition.
Efficacy and Safety of Nuvastatic™ in Improving Cancer-related Fatigue: A Phase II Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Ng M , AMS Abdul , Yee S M , Natesan V , Ahamed Mohamed B K , Ashok G , Al- Fouad S.R. , Parish C. , Dalal M. , Long C M , V Mansoureh Nazari. , Khan Shamsuddin Sultan , STN Balkees , Sultan Hameed , Babu K Govind , Majid Abdul AS
Published: March 2023

Puropse
We evaluated the efficacy and safety of Nuvastatic™ in improving cancer-related fatigue (CRF) among cancer patients.
Methods
This multicenter randomized double-blind placebo-controlled phase-2 trial included 110 solid malignant tumor patients (stage I–IV) undergoing chemotherapy. They were randomly selected and provided oral Nuvastatic™ 1000 mg (N = 56) or placebo (N = 54) thrice daily for 9 weeks. The primary outcomes were fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory [BFI]) and Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue [VAS-F]) scores measured before and after intervention at baseline and weeks 3, 6, and 9. The secondary outcomes were mean group difference in the vitality subscale of the Medical Outcome Scale Short Form-36 (SF-36) and urinary F2-isoprostane concentration, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scores, and biochemical and hematologic parameters. Clinical outcomes were assessed using two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance on intention-to-treat population.
Results
The Nuvastatic™ group exhibited an overall decreased fatigue score compared with the placebo group. The BFI estimated mean difference (eMD) was 15.29 (95% CI: 12.77–17.82) and VAS-F eMD was 11.19 (95% CI: 8.06–14.32) were significantly different between two groups at week 9 (p < 0.001). The overall treatment effect was significant for BFI (p < 0.001) and VAS-F (p < 0.001). Within group assessment showed significant fatigue improvement in both the groups (p < 0.001). Quality of life was significantly improved in the Nuvastatic™ group with eMD of 70.81, (95% CI: 58.34–83.28; p < 0.001) SF-36 scores. Additionally, F2-isoprostane concentrations significantly decreased in the Nuvastatic™ group (p = 0.006). Reported adverse events were vomiting (0.9%), fever (5.4%), and headache (2.7%).
Conclusion
Nuvastatic™ is an effective adjuvant for CRF in solid tumor patients.
Spatial patterns suggest movement of the filbert bud mite (Phytoptus avellanae) between plants and overwintering infestations in a hazelnut (Corylus spp.) orchard
Authors: Shanovich Hailey N. , Chediack Ariadna , Fischbach Jason A. , Aukema Brian H.
Published: March 2023

Phytoptus avellanae is an eriophyid mite that feeds on and damages the vegetative and floral buds of hazel (Corylus) species by forming galls that impact hazelnut yield. Phytoptus avellanaehas been identified on hybrid hazels (European hazel, Corylus avellana × American hazel, Corylus americana) that have been developed for hazelnut production in the eastern United States and Canada, but year-to-year variation in distribution and severity of P. avellanae damage within a field has not been studied. Additionally, whether P. avellanae differentially infests and damages the hybrid hazel plants vs. native Corylus americana plants is unknown. We assessed the spatial trends and species preferences of P. avellanae within a mixed-species field of hazels over a four-year period. All hazels were surveyed for galls caused by P. avellanae each spring and assigned a qualitative damage rating. We found that damage from P. avellanaewas higher on hybrid hazel plants than on C. americana in each year of the study. In general, P. avellanae ratings increased towards the center of the field in most years. Our results showed that plants surrounded by infested neighbors often had higher damage ratings, suggesting that P. avellanae moves between adjacent plants. Understanding the within field distribution and host-plant preferences of P. avellanae will contribute to the development of scouting and management recommendations, provide insight on risk of mite movement between wild hazels and hybrid plantings in North America, and inform breeding efforts for this harmful pest.
Effects of Epoxide Content and Blend Ratios on Properties of Dynamically Cured Epoxidized Natural Rubber/Poly(ether-block-amide) Copolymer Blends
Authors: Kaesaman Azizon , Romin Rawviyanee , Nakason Charoen
Published: March 2023

ENR with varying levels of epoxide groups ranging from 10 to 50 mol% was prepared in-house and later dynamically phenolic vulcanized by blending it with poly(ether-block-amide) copolymer (PEBA) at 160°C. The results revealed that the thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) of ENR/PEBA blends exhibited a sea-island morphology. Increasing the epoxide content and PEBA proportion improved the strength properties, including higher Young's modulus (stiffness), toughness, tensile properties, and hardness. Additionally, increasing the epoxide content and ENR proportion in the TPVs resulted in decreased tension set values, indicating improved elastic properties. This is attributed to the interaction between the polar groups present in the phenolic-cured ENR domains and the PEBA molecules. This also caused a decrease in the size of the ENR domains dispersed in PEBA matrix as the content of epoxide groups increased. This effect, in turn, contributed to the enhancement of interfacial adhesion between the ENR domains and PEBA interfaces, leading to the observed improvements in the strength and elastic properties of the TPVs. Additionally, an increase in the epoxide content correlated with a decrease in Tan δ and tension set, further supporting the observed improvements in strength and elasticity. In addition, a single glass transition temperature (Tg) was observed in the ENR/PEBA blends, whereas two Tgs were observed in pure PEBA. The presence of a single Tg in the ENR/PEBA blend is attributed to the overlapping of the Tg of the ENR and PEBA immiscible blend components.
Multichannel Sensorimotor Integration with a Dexterous Artificial Hand
Authors: Abd Moaed A. , Engeberg Erik D.
Published: March 2023

Background People use their hands to perform sophisticated tasks like playing a musical instrument by integrating manifold and diverse sensations of touch with motor control strategies. In contrast, prosthetic hands lack the capacity for multichannel haptic feedback and multitasking functionality remains rudimentary. There is a dearth of research exploring the potential of upper limb absent (ULA) people to integrate multiple channels of haptic feedback into dexterous prosthetic hand control strategies. Methods In this paper, we designed a novel experimental paradigm for three ULA people and nine additional subjects to investigate their ability to integrate two simultaneously activated channels of context-specific haptic feedback into their dexterous artificial hand control strategies. Artificial neural networks (ANN) were designed for pattern recognition of the array of efferent electromyogram signals that controlled the dexterous artificial hand. ANNs were also used to classify the directions that objects were sliding across two tactile sensor arrays on the index (I) and little (L) fingertips of the robotic hand. The direction of sliding contact at each robotic fingertip was encoded by different stimulation frequencies of wearable vibrotactile actuators for haptic feedback. The subjects were tasked with implementing different control strategies with each finger simultaneously depending upon the perceived directions of sliding contact. This required the 12 subjects to concurrently control individual fingers of the artificial hand by successfully interpreting two channels of simultaneously activated context-specific haptic feedback. Results Subjects were able to accomplish this complex feat of multichannel sensorimotor integration with an overall accuracy of 95.53% ± 0.23%. While there was no statistically significant difference in the classification accuracy between ULA people and the other subjects, the ULA people required more time to correctly respond to the simultaneous haptic feedback slip signals, suggesting a higher cognitive load required by the ULA people. Conclusion ULA people can integrate multiple channels of simultaneously activated and nuanced haptic feedback with their control of individual fingers of an artificial hand. These findings provide a step toward empowering amputees to multitask with dexterous prosthetic hands, which remains an ongoing challenge.
Preliminary Exploration of Structure‒Function Crosstalk in Glioma: Protein Structuromics
Authors: Xiao Nan , Yang Wenming , Wang Jin , Li Jiarong , Zhao Ruoxuan , Li Muzheng , Li Chi , Liu Kang , Li Yingxin , Chen Zhibo , Yin Chaoqun , Li Xingqi , Jiang Yun
Published: March 2023

Glioma is a type of tumour that starts in the glial cells of the brain or the spine. Since the 1800s, when the disease was first named, survival rates have always been unsatisfactory. Despite great advances in molecular biology and traditional treatment methods, many questions remain to be answered regarding cancer occurrence and the underlying mechanism. Medical doctors remain stymied regarding tumour recurrence and worsening disease after effective treatment. To better understand the relevant questions, in this study, 20 oncogenes and 20 anti-oncogenes were examined in relation to protein structure, from protein structure analysis and dynamic analysis methods to 3D structure analysis and systematic analysis of the structure‒ function relationships of proteins. We hope that these analyses will help promote mechanistic research and the development of new treatments for glioma.
Academic self-efficacy mediates the relationship between Student teacher interaction and students university Academic achievement in Ethiopia
Authors: Gebresilase Bereket Merkine , Zhao Wei
Published: March 2023

The foundation of every societal growth and in emerging nations like Ethiopia in particular, is the quality of education. It should be remembered that good teachers and students are essential for high-quality education. The major goal of this study was to demonstrate the direct and indirect effects of student-teacher interaction and student academic self-efficacy on the academic achievement of Ethiopian university students and to develop the scale to Ethiopian culture. A sample of 313 students from seven colleges and three schools, including 192 male and 121 female, answered questionnaires to gauge their level of interaction with their teachers and their academic self-efficacy to carry out university learning activities. Academic achievement and students' academic self-efficacy were significantly correlated with reports of student interaction with their teacher. The academic achievement of university students in Ethiopia was also highly correlated with students' reports of their academic self-efficacy. In addition, University students' academic self-efficacy played a partial mediating role in the association between student teacher interactions and academic achievement. According to the study's findings, student teacher interaction and academic self-efficacy are major determinants of academic success in universities. Limitations and the useful contributions of this study were discussed.
Graph Neural Network-Based Knowledge Graph Embedding for Personalized Recommendation Systems
Authors: Almeida  , Miranda Enzo , Ferreira Bruna , Teixeira Gael
Published: March 2023

With the increase in online content, recommendation systems have become an important tool to filter information overload and provide users with personalized experiences. Collaborative filtering is a classical recommendation technique that represents users and items as vectors. However, recent studies have shown that item attributes, represented as a Knowledge Graph (KG), can provide rich auxiliary information for recommendation systems. This paper proposes a Graph Neural Network (GNN) based on KGs to improve the accuracy, diversity, and interpretability of recommendation systems. The GNN fuses semantic related information in KG to achieve user as well as item representation habits. Neighboring nodes have different weights, which can be aggregated to obtain a more accurate representation of the current entity and improve the accuracy of recommendations. The learning process can be extended to more contents related to user interests, which can improve the diversity of recommendations. This paper proposes a graph neural network based on knowledge graphs, fusing semantic related information in KG to achieve user as well as item representation habits. Neighboring nodes have different weights, which can be aggregated to obtain a more accurate representation of the current entity and improve the accuracy of recommendations. Due to the influence of user preferences, the learning process can be extended to more contents related to user interests, which can improve the diversity of recommendations.
An Ultra-Low-Power and Wide-Operating-Voltage-Window Capacitive Piezo-tronic Sensor for Tactile Sensing
Authors: Liang Hsiao Yu , Jang Chen , Lin Yi-Miao , Wang Chao-Hung , Liu Chuan-Pu
Published: March 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Local excision versus thrombectomy in thrombosed external hemorrhoids: A multicenter, prospective, observational study
Authors: Yalcinkaya Ali , Yalcinkaya Ahmet , Atici Semra Demirli , Sahin Can , Leventoglu Sezai
Published: March 2023

Background
Available guidelines describing the procedural treatment of thrombosed external hemorrhoids (TEH) rely solely on expert opinion. We aimed to compare local excision (LE) and thrombectomy (incision) in terms of treatment success, factors affecting success, and outcomes.
Methods
This was a multicenter, prospective, observational study conducted in eight centers from September 2020 to September 2021. A total of 96 patients (58 LE, 38 thrombectomy) were included. Risk factors, demographics and clinical characteristics were recorded. Follow-up studies were scheduled for the 1st week, 1st, 3rd and 6th months. Surgical success was assessed at 1 month. Hemorrhoidal Disease Symptom Score (HDSS) and Short Health Scale (SHS) were applied at baseline and the 6th month. Wexner fecal incontinence score was applied at all follow-up studies.
Results
Overall mean age was 41.5 ± 12.7 years. At baseline, groups were similar with regard to demographics and disease severity (HDSS) (p > 0.05 for all). Success was relatively higher in the thrombectomy group (86.8%) compared to the LE group (67.2%) (p = 0.054). Constipation and travel history were significantly associated with lower likelihood of LE success. Symptoms during follow-up were similarly distributed in the groups. Both methods yielded significant improvements in HDSS, SHS and Wexner scores; however, SHS scores (6 months) and Wexner scores (all time points) were significantly better in the thrombectomy group.
Conclusion
The in-office thrombectomy procedure may have better short-term outcomes compared to LE in terms of relative success, recurrence and quality of life. LE may yield particularly worse results in patients with constipation and travel history; thus, thrombectomy appears to be especially advantageous in these patient subsets.
Microcanonical and canonical fluctuations in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates – Fock state sampling approach
Authors: Kruk Maciej Bartłomiej , Hryniuk Dawid , Kristensen Mick , Vibel Toke , Pawłowski Krzysztof , Arlt Jan , Rzążewski Kazimierz
Published: March 2023

The fluctuations of the atom number between a Bose-Einstein
condensate and the surrounding thermal gas have been the subject of a
long standing theoretical debate. This discussion is centered around the
appropriate thermodynamic ensemble to be used for theoretical
predictions and the effect of interactions on the observed fluctuations.
Here we introduce the so-called Fock state sampling method to solve this
classic problem of current experimental interest for weakly interacting
gases. A suppression of the predicted peak fluctuations is observed when
using a microcanonical with respect to a canonical ensemble. Moreover,
interactions lead to a shift of the temperature of peak fluctuations for
harmonically trapped gases. The absolute size of the fluctuations
furthermore depends on the total number of atoms and the aspect ratio of
the trapping potential. Due to the interplay of these effect, there is
no universal suppression or enhancement of fluctuations.
Cover your bases: asymptotic distributions of the profile likelihood ratio when constraining effective field theories in high-energy physics
Authors: Bernlochner Florian Urs , Fry Daniel C. , Menary Stephen Burns , Persson Eric
Published: March 2023

We investigate the asymptotic distribution of the profile likelihood
ratio (PLR) when constraining effective field theories (EFTs) and show
that Wilks’ theorem is often violated, meaning that we should not assume
the PLR to follow a \chi^2χ2-distribution.
We derive the correct asymptotic distributions when either one or two
real EFT couplings modulate observable cross sections with a purely
linear or quadratic dependence. We then discover that when both the
linear and quadratic terms contribute, the PLR distribution does not
have a simple form. In this case we provide a partly-numerical solution
for the one-parameter case. Using a novel approach, we find that the
constants which define our asymptotic distributions may be obtained
experimentally using a profile of the Asimov likelihood contour. Our
results may be immediately used to obtain the correct coverage when
deriving real-world EFT constraints using the PLR as a
test-statistic.
Los eneagramas como estrategia para clasificar la personalidad
Authors: Sáenz Botero Ana Maria
Published: March 2023

Cada persona tiene características y actitudes representativas, lo que nos hace distintos a todos, como lo es la forma de pensar, expresarse, actuar, todo este conjunto forma la esencia de cada ser. Desde la psicología, la cual tiene como objetivo el estudio de lo que es el ser humano, sus procesos mentales, percepciones, sensaciones y comportamientos en relación con el medio en que este se desarrolla, podemos encontrar una herramienta que nos permite encajar cada uno de estos aspectos en unos tipos generales, unas clasificaciones bastante detalladas con explicaciones en diversas áreas o aspectos muy importantes en el desarrollo de cada ser humano esta herramienta es conocida como “eneagramas”. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar y profundizar todo lo relacionado con ella (objetivos, posibilidades, clasificaciones, métodos de estudio y efectividad), según diversas fuentes que nos permitirán un acercamiento y conclusión certera al respecto.
Derechos sexuales y reproductivos en la mira de mujeres y niñas africanas: la ablación
Authors: Ruiz Alcaraz Ana Sofia
Published: March 2023

El tema que nos convoca en este artículo es la violación y vulneración a los derechos humanos; derechos sexuales, reproductivos, a la vida misma, a una educación y a una niñez protegida, mediante prácticas de mutilación genital femenina. La ablación femenina en África se ha vivido desde hace mucho tiempo, ha pasado por generaciones completas y en dicho país se considera algo normal que debería suceder en el momento en que la niña ya es apta para ser una “mujercita”; sin embargo, cortar sus genitales les causa traumas en un principio y problemas al crecer, infecciones e impedimentos para hacer su vida normalmente; sin duda, llega a ser un problema de salud y derechos que mundialmente nos incumbe y nos debe importar, ya que como lo podemos inferir se ven vulnerados derechos, bien sea por razones religiosas o solo de cultura; nos queda poder empatizar con estas mujeres y niñas y poner en práctica diferentes maneras para que ellas logren ser puestas en un lugar sano y protegido.
Centrifugal Trend in News Comments in Social Networks
Authors: Golev Nikolay , Sushkina Mariya
Published: March 2023

The article considers the ratio of centripetal and centrifugal tendencies in comments to online news. The authors focused on the consistency of commenting and the centrifugal aspect. The hypothesis proved in this article refers to the self-developing nature of communication in social networks. It makes it possible to assess the extent of subjectivity of news discussion transmitted to the dialogue through the comments. Any online text becomes a basis for comments, which are also independent texts. The text that triggers further discussion is heterogeneous and ambiguous in its topics, issues, accents, and modalities. This heterogeneity is the source and potential of the centrifugal nature of further discussion. Comments to the original text form chains and branches of discussions. They are analyzed according to criteria that demonstrate a centrifugal tendency. The research featured an Internet text from the Vkontakte social network, comments to this message, and a mental map of the discussion. The analysis proved the consistency of the original text and the comments, as well as the consistency of the two opposing trends. This article continues the topic started in the publication on the Centripetal Trend in News Comments in Social Networks. It will be of interest to a wide range of readers, especially those engaged in social network studies and Internet linguistics.
Modern Lexicographic Interpretation of Psychic Vocabulary: A Standard Explanatory Dictionary
Authors: Zamanova I. V.
Published: March 2023

This article describes the lexicography of psychic vocabulary in a diachronic aspect. For a long time, synonymic chains were the most common way of its interpretation, examples being a more recent lexicographic invention. However, both methods are concept-oriented. Unfortunately, neither of them solved the problems of a dictionary aimed at intercultural relations. The current globalization and informatization triggered non-traditional interpretations that describe not the concept, but a prototypical situation, which is associated with it. This study introduces several principles of interpreting the psychic vocabulary. These principles relate to the language, semantics, parameters, and structure of the semanteme. The approach is based on the connection between language and perception. For instance, the psychic vocabulary encodes the reaction of the heart as an organ ( love, rage, serenity, peace, disgust ). Therefore, the psychic vocabulary is different from the abstract vocabulary (good, evil, justice, democracy ), which does not encode bodily reactions. The author believes that the seme ‘heart’ is implicitly present in the semantic structure of the psychic vocabulary. Scientific literature features the lexeme of  heart in comparative, conceptual, and metaphorical aspects, but not as an implicit component. Thus, the denotative space of the psychic vocabulary is a complex cognitive construct structured as ‘assessment / reaction of the heart / desire’, represented by the archisemes of feelings, emotions, and states. Words united by these archisemes demonstrate different valency, word-building, and pragmatic properties. In terms of the structure of the psychic polysemy, feelings and traits have the potential to develop the meaning of states, and words that denote physiological states generate figurative meanings of mental states.
Current Perspectives on Nanoparticle-based Targeted Drug Delivery
Approaches in Breast Cancer Treatment
Authors: Pandey Pratibha , Khan Fahad , Maqsood Ramish , Upadhyay Tarun Kumar
Published: March 2023

Breast cancer is avertible yet one of the most widespread carcinomas globally. Though periodic screening and monitoring have resulted in reduced incidences, the malignancy claims in-creased death rates across the globe. Due to the non-specific and aggressive nature of available conventional cancer therapeutics, there is a crucial need for better treatment paradigms. Recent advancements in nanotechnology have aided in this by utilizing nanocarriers in targeted drug de-livery approaches. Optimized nanoparticles have been used to enhance the circulation time and target the efficacy of conventional therapeutic drugs. Passive targeting comprises surface modula-tion to avoid drug elimination via a standard body defense system. Active targeting includes chem-ical interaction with various genes, receptors, and antigens overexpressed during cancer progres-sion. Therefore, the present review recapitulates drug delivery approaches and nanoparticle-based targeting that can potentially overcome the limitations of conventional drug therapies.