bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aquifer flow unit analysis using stratigraphic modified Lorenz plot: a case study of Edem, eastern Nigeria
Authors: Omeje Emmanuel T. , Obiora Daniel N. , Okeke Francisca N. , Ugbor Desmond O. , Ibuot Johnson C. , Akpan Aniefiok S.
Published: March 2022

The present study aimed at evaluating aquifer flow unit of Edem by means of stratigraphic modified Lorenz plot (SMLP) employing vertical electrical sounding. The results from the vertical electrical sounding field data analysis shows that resistivity and thickness of the aquifer layer ranges from 34.8 to 67561.2 Ωm and 29.7 to 147.6 m respectively having an average aquifer thickness value of 70.248 m. Aquifer layer permeability and fractional porosity range from 1.5942 to 1657444 mD and 0.2558 to 0.3265 respectively. Results from stratigraphic modified Lorenz plot delineated a total of eight flow-units, FU1, FU2, FU3, FU4, FU5, FU6, FU7, and FU8 for the aquifer units and three different process speeds. Aquifer flow units FU1, FU3, and FU8 fall within the speed zone, flow units FU5 and FU7 are associated with the baffle zone, while flow units FU2, FU4, and FU6 make up the barrier zone of the process speeds. The aquifer flow unit speed ranges from 265406.4 to 5076424 mD with an average value of 826310.2 mD. The contour maps generated revealed the western part of the study area as characterized with high values of aquifer storage capacity and aquifer flow capacity with the highest storage and flow capacities delineated along the northwestern part of the study area. The Dykstra-Parsons coefficient of 0.99 revealed an extremely heterogeneous aquifer in the study area. This flow unit analysis will serve as a guide in accurate design and management of the aquifers.
Data-driven reflection imaging based on seismic interferometry
Authors: Qiao Baoping , Lu Yunlong , Li Qingqing , Huang Yucheng , Liang Shanglin
Published: March 2022

In conventional land seismic exploration, shallow seismic reflections with low fold are usually contaminated by noise and most conventional acquisition geometries struggle to produce sufficient near-offset fold to process shallow seismic reflections based on the velocity model. Deep seismic reflections tend to occur as weak events due to seismic wave absorption and attenuation. To enhance the shallow and deep seismic reflections, we have developed a data-driven reflection imaging method based on seismic interferometry of cross-coherence type, which first retrieves coherent reflections by cross-coherence of full wavefields with zero-offset reflections and then achieves imaging results with high quality by summing all of the crosscorrelations of full wavefields with coherent reflections in a common-midpoint gather. The novel purely data-driven method does not require any velocity information and can flatten noisy interfering reflection events with no waveform distortions. The focusing effects, which represent the stack of all the seismic reflection events, increase the fold of weak seismic reflections and further significantly improve the signal-to-noise ratio of imaging results. In comparison with data-driven reflection imaging methods based on seismic interferometry of crosscorrelation type, our results illustrate that the data-driven reflection imaging method based on seismic interferometry of cross-coherence type can automatically compress the band-limited source signature and make full use of background noise to broaden the bandwidth of reflection signals for achieving imaging results with a higher resolution.
Algorithm to Identify Incident Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Cases Using Claims Data
Authors: Huepenbecker Sarah P. , Zhao Hui , Sun Charlotte C. , Fu Shuangshuang , He Weiguo , Giordano Sharon H. , Meyer Larissa A.
Published: March 2022

PURPOSE

To create an algorithm to identify incident epithelial ovarian cancer cases in claims-based data sets and evaluate performance of the algorithm using SEER-Medicare claims data.

METHODS

We created a five-step algorithm on the basis of clinical expertise to identify incident epithelial ovarian cancer cases using claims data for (1) ovarian cancer diagnosis, (2) receipt of platinum-based chemotherapy, (3) no claim for platinum-based chemotherapy but claim for tumor debulking surgery, (4) removed cases with nonplatinum chemotherapy, and (5) removed patients with prior claims with personal history of ovarian cancer code to exclude prevalent cases. We evaluated algorithm performance using SEER-Medicare claims data by creating four cohorts: incident epithelial ovarian cancer, a 5% random sample of cancer-free Medicare beneficiaries, a 5% random sample of incident nonovarian cancer, and prevalent ovarian cancer cases.

RESULTS

Using SEER tumor registry data as the gold standard, our algorithm correctly classified 89.9% of incident epithelial ovarian cancer cases (cohort n = 572) and almost 100% of cancer-free controls (n = 97,127), nonovarian cancer (n = 714), and prevalent ovarian cancer cases (n = 3,712). The overall algorithm sensitivity was 89.9%, the positive predictive value was 93.8%, and the specificity and negative predictive value were > 99.9%. Patients were more likely to be correctly classified as incident ovarian cancer if they had stage III or IV disease compared with early stage I or II disease (93.5% v 83.7%, P < .01), and grade 1-4 compared with unknown grade tumors (93.8% v 81.4%, P < .01).

CONCLUSION

Our algorithm correctly identified most incident epithelial ovarian cancer cases, especially those with advanced disease. This algorithm will facilitate research in other claims-based data sets where cancer registry data are unavailable.
Reference Curves for Pediatric Endocrinology: Leveraging Biomarker Z-Scores for Clinical Classifications
Authors: Madsen Andre , Almås Bjørg , Bruserud Ingvild S , Oehme Ninnie Helen Bakken , Nielsen Christopher Sivert , Roelants Mathieu , Hundhausen Thomas , Ljubicic Marie Lindhardt , Bjerknes Robert , Mellgren Gunnar , Sagen Jørn V , Juliusson Pétur B , Viste Kristin
Published: March 2022

Context

Hormone reference intervals in pediatric endocrinology are traditionally partitioned by age and lack the framework for benchmarking individual blood test results as normalized z-scores and plotting sequential measurements onto a chart. Reference curve modeling is applicable to endocrine variables and represents a standardized method to account for variation with gender and age.

Objective

We aimed to establish gender-specific biomarker reference curves for clinical use and benchmark associations between hormones, pubertal phenotype, and body mass index (BMI).

Methods

Using cross-sectional population sample data from 2139 healthy Norwegian children and adolescents, we analyzed the pubertal status, ultrasound measures of glandular breast tissue (girls) and testicular volume (boys), BMI, and laboratory measurements of 17 clinical biomarkers modeled using the established “LMS” growth chart algorithm in R.

Results

Reference curves for puberty hormones and pertinent biomarkers were modeled to adjust for age and gender. Z-score equivalents of biomarker levels and anthropometric measurements were compiled in a comprehensive beta coefficient matrix for each gender. Excerpted from this analysis and independently of age, BMI was positively associated with female glandular breast volume (β = 0.5, P < 0.001) and leptin (β = 0.6, P < 0.001), and inversely correlated with serum levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) (β = −0.4, P < 0.001). Biomarker z-score profiles differed significantly between cohort subgroups stratified by puberty phenotype and BMI weight class.

Conclusion

Biomarker reference curves and corresponding z-scores provide an intuitive framework for clinical implementation in pediatric endocrinology and facilitate the application of machine learning classification and covariate precision medicine for pediatric patients.
RhoA/ROCK signaling antagonizes bovine trophoblast stem cell self-renewal and regulates preimplantation embryo size and differentiation
Authors: Pillai Viju Vijayan , Kei Tiffany G. , Gurung Shailesh , Das Moubani , Siqueira Luiz G. B. , Cheong Soon Hon , Hansen Peter J. , Selvaraj Vimal
Published: March 2022

Exponential proliferation of trophoblast stem cells (TSC) is crucial in Ruminantia to maximize numerical access to caruncles, the restricted uterine sites that permit implantation. When translating systems biology of the undifferentiated bovine trophectoderm, we uncovered that inhibition of RhoA/Rock promoted self-renewing proliferation and substantially increased blastocyst size. Analysis of transcripts suppressed by Rock inhibition revealed transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) as a primary upstream effector. TGFβ1 treatment induced changes consistent with differentiation in bTSCs, a response that could be replicated by induced expression of the bovine ROCK2 transgene. Rocki could partially antagonize TGFβ1 effects, and TGFβ receptor inhibition promoted proliferation identical to Rocki, indicating an all-encompassing upstream regulation. Morphological differentiation included formation of binucleate cells and infrequent multinucleate syncytia, features we also localize in the in vivo bovine placenta. Collectively, we demonstrate a central role for TGFβ1, RhoA and Rock in inducing bTSC differentiation, attenuation of which is sufficient to sustain self-renewal and proliferation linked to blastocyst size and preimplantation development. Unraveling these mechanisms augments evolutionary/comparative physiology of the trophoblast cell lineage and placental development in eutherians.
Src acts with WNT/FGFRL signaling to pattern the planarian anteroposterior axis
Authors: Bonar Nicolle A. , Gittin David I. , Petersen Christian P.
Published: March 2022

Tissue identity determination is crucial for regeneration, and the planarian anteroposterior (AP) axis uses positional control genes expressed from body wall muscle to determine body regionalization. Canonical Wnt signaling establishes anterior versus posterior pole identities through notum and wnt1 signaling, and two Wnt/FGFRL signaling pathways control head and trunk domains, but their downstream signaling mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we identify a planarian Src homolog that restricts head and trunk identities to anterior positions. src-1(RNAi) animals formed enlarged brains and ectopic eyes and also duplicated trunk tissue, similar to a combination of Wnt/FGFRL RNAi phenotypes. src-1 was required for establishing territories of positional control gene expression in Schmidtea mediterranea, indicating that it acts at an upstream step in patterning the AP axis. Double RNAi experiments and eye regeneration assays suggest src-1 can act in parallel to at least some Wnt and FGFRL factors. Co-inhibition of src-1 with other posterior-promoting factors led to dramatic patterning changes and a reprogramming of Wnt/FGFRLs into controlling new positional outputs. These results identify src-1 as a factor that promotes robustness of the AP positional system that instructs appropriate regeneration.
Impact of Morphology and Transition Metal Doping of Vanadate Nanowires without Surface Modification on the Performance of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries
Authors: Nguyen Mai Thanh , Muramatsu Tatsuki , Kheawhom Soorathep , Wattanakit Chularat , Yonezawa Tetsu
Published: March 2022

This research evaluates the impact of nanowire morphology and transition-metal doping to vanadium oxides as the positive electrode material on the performance of rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries. It was found that both the wire morphology and Cu doping enhanced the cycle stability and specific capacity of the cathode. The improvement is ascribed to the wire morphology and Cu doping for attaining more mechanical stability, less morphology change and fewer parasitic reactions, and more facile Zn2+ insertion/extraction.
La naturaleza extracontractual de la responsabilidad civil por los daños causados en la prestación del servicio público de salud en Colombia
Authors: Giraldo Gómez Luis Felipe
Published: March 2022

El presente artículo analiza la viabilidad de aplicar las reglas de la responsabilidad civil contractual, a los eventos de daños generados en la prestación del servicio público de salud obligatorio en Colombia. Para ello partiremos de la regulación vigente sobre el sistema de seguridad social en salud, con el fin establecer si entre los afiliados y el sistema de salud, existe un contrato, es decir, una relación voluntaria, concreta y particular, o se genera una relación legal y reglamentaria. Definir lo anterior resulta de importancia si se tienen en cuenta la distinción entre responsabilidad civil contractual y extracontractual, y la prohibición de elegir de forma arbitraria por cuál de estas vías se debe demandar, vigente en nuestro ordenamiento. Finalmente se intentará sustentar la tesis de que los daños causados en la prestación del servicio público de salud deben ser analizados bajo las reglas de la responsabilidad extracontractual, y no con las de la responsabilidad contractual.
Superior Knowledge, Price Discrimination, and Customer Inspection
Authors: Li Xi , Xu Zibin
Published: March 2022

Firms in many industries obtain superior knowledge of customer preferences through industry experience or data analytics, whereas customers often need costly efforts to learn their match values. In this paper, we examine the situations under which a customer chooses whether to inspect upon observing her personalized price from a firm with superior knowledge. On the surface, it seems that the firm can use personalized prices to directly communicate the customers’ match value, and thus there is no need for customers to expend inspection efforts. However, we find that in equilibrium the firm may trick low-preference customers into overpaying more than their match value, even when the inspection cost is low. The opportunistic incentives induce customer suspicions, which may lead to excessive customer inspection that would be avoided if the firm were not capable of price discrimination. Therefore, personalized pricing cannot obviate customer inspection. Since inspection cost raises a deadweight loss in social welfare, public policies that prevent firms from price-discriminating against customers may benefit both firms and customers.

History: Yuxin Chen served as the senior editor for this article and Zsolt Katona served as associate editor for this article.

Funding: This work was supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council [Grant 21500920] and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 72172089].

Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2022.1355 .
Entrepreneurial Learning and Disincentives in Crowdfunding Markets
Authors: Xu Yan , Ni Jian
Published: March 2022

Reward-based crowdfunding has enabled entrepreneurs to interact with consumers even before product launches. However, this market persistently suffers from a high failure rate; that is, entrepreneurs fail to launch and deliver their products as promised. We investigate the extent to which this high failure rate is because of information distortion—entrepreneurs have uncertainty about consumers’ evaluation of the new products. We model the product launch decisions of different types of entrepreneurs who raise funds through preselling on reward-based crowdfunding platforms and subsequently decide whether to continue with the product launch. To do so, we collect structured and unstructured data from Kickstarter’s digital video game category and classify attributes using supervised learning methods. We develop and estimate an integrated model of crowdfunding demand and entrepreneurs’ product launch decisions. We find that the information entrepreneurs gather from crowdfunding sales has sizable impacts on the product launch decisions of entrepreneurs with low managerial capital or new to the crowdfunding platform. Our counterfactual simulations suggest that platform policy regulating overfunded projects can reduce the product launch failure rate by about 13%.

This paper was accepted by Matthew Shum, marketing.
Online Pricing with Offline Data: Phase Transition and Inverse Square Law
Authors: Bu Jinzhi , Simchi-Levi David , Xu Yunzong
Published: March 2022

This paper investigates the impact of pre-existing offline data on online learning in the context of dynamic pricing. We study a single-product dynamic pricing problem over a selling horizon of T periods. The demand in each period is determined by the price of the product according to a linear demand model with unknown parameters. We assume that before the start of the selling horizon, the seller already has some pre-existing offline data. The offline data set contains n samples, each of which is an input-output pair consisting of a historical price and an associated demand observation. The seller wants to use both the pre-existing offline data and the sequentially revealed online data to minimize the regret of the online learning process. We characterize the joint effect of the size, location, and dispersion of the offline data on the optimal regret of the online learning process. Specifically, the size, location, and dispersion of the offline data are measured by the number of historical samples, the distance between the average historical price and the optimal price, and the standard deviation of the historical prices, respectively. For both single-historical-price setting and multiple-historical-price setting, we design a learning algorithm based on the “Optimism in the Face of Uncertainty” principle, which strikes a balance between exploration and exploitation and achieves the optimal regret up to a logarithmic factor. Our results reveal surprising transformations of the optimal regret rate with respect to the size of the offline data, which we refer to as phase transitions. In addition, our results demonstrate that the location and dispersion of the offline data also have an intrinsic effect on the optimal regret, and we quantify this effect via the inverse-square law.

This paper was accepted by Omar Besbes, revenue management and market analytics.

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4322 .
Better security through diversity – a personal perspective
Authors: Iranmanesh Leila
Published: March 2022

While there have been huge strides towards better representation and inclusion of women in the technology sector in recent years, it’s also true that a persistent gender gap remains. In fact, a recent report from business management company New View Strategies found that one in three women working in tech say they experience gender bias at their workplace. 1
Why we need more women in cyber security
Authors: Babbs Andrea
Published: March 2022

The cyber security industry has accelerated due to the pandemic, as the numbers of cyber attacks continues to increase – with new and innovative methods of hacking affecting businesses of all kinds. 1 A study by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) DCMS revealed that the UK's cyber security industry is now worth an estimated £8.3bn – yet there is still a lack of female representatives in this high-demand industry. 2
Bacterial Diversity and Pathogenicity of Pine Wood Nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) from Two Diff erent Sources
Authors:   College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China, Dong Wanyu , Du Guicai ,   College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China, Zhang Tingting ,   College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China, Yang Hong ,   College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China, Guo Qunqun ,   College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China, Li Ronggui ,   College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Published: March 2022

Pine wilt disease is a devastating disease of pine trees caused by a pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner & Buhrer) Nickle. We studied the bacteria carried by B. xylophilus from Fushan Mountain and Qingdao University Campus (F and Q samples) and the pathogenicity of the two PWN samples to explore the relationship between PWN companion bacteria and its pathogenicity. Based on metagenomic analysis, the distribution of the bacteria from the two samples was signifi cantly different. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria is the largest phylum in the two samples, 85 and 65% in F and Q samples, respectively. At the family level, Enterobacteriaceae and Rhizobiaceae were dominant in F sample with the total relative abundance of 55% while the two bacterial families only accounted for 15% in Q sample. Moreover, Burkholderiaceae was only detected in F sample. PICRUSt analysis based on KEGG database showed that the bacteria carried by B. xylophilus from F sample had stronger metabolic abilities. In addition, BugBase analysis predicted that the bacteria from F sample had stronger effect on pathogenicity and antioxidant stress. Furthermore, we tested the feeding ability and pathogenicity of F and Q samples, and found that the B. xylophilus of F sample had stronger feeding ability and pathogenicity, which was consistent with the results of PICRUSt analysis based on KEGG database and BugBase analysis. Our research indicated that the pathogenicity of B. xylophilus could be closely related to the vitality of its associated bacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae, Rhizobiaceae and Burkholderiaceae belonging to Proteobacteria phylum were important pathogenicity-related bacterial families, which is valuable for the study on the pathogenesis of B. xylophilus.
Possibility of Hydrogen Production from Glutamate- Acetate Medium by Rhodopseudomonas palustris TN1 under a Closed-Light System Combined with the Solar Light Energy Systems
Authors:   Department of Agro-Industry and Management, Faculty of Agro-Industry, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Prachinburi Campus, Prachinburi 25230, Thailand, Phanuthat Phithak , Thanakittisaed Natchapan ,   Department of Agro-Industry and Management, Faculty of Agro-Industry, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Prachinburi Campus, Prachinburi 25230, Thailand, Savedboworn Wanticha ,   Department of Agro-Industry and Management, Faculty of Agro-Industry, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Prachinburi Campus, Prachinburi 25230, Thailand, Rittisak Sriwiang ,   Department of Innovation and Product Development Technology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Prachinburi Campus, Prachinburi 25230, Thailand, Siammai Atipan ,   Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Phuket Rajabhat University, Phuket 83000, Thailand, Dikit Paweena ,   Program Biology and Applied Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Songkhla Rajabhat University, Muang Songkhla, 90000 Thailand, Riansa-ngawong Wiboon ,   Department of Agro-Industry and Management, Faculty of Agro-Industry, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Prachinburi Campus, Prachinburi 25230, Thailand
Published: March 2022

Hydrogen productions by photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) have been widely studied as it is a clean energy with high energy content potentials. PSB is a popular microorganism that utilizes solar energy to produce hydrogen which could lead to reduction in production costs. However, production that relies on solar energy has many limitations including; instability of weather, daylight limitation, and season changes. The main objective of this study was to produce hydrogen gas using Rhodopseudomonas palustris TN1 under 4 light systems. In this study, Glutamate-Acetate (GA) was used as the medium. Results show that the highest hydrogen production of 352.18±37.12 mL/L was achieved after 72 h of cultivation using a tungsten lamp as a light source. The solar indoor system, and the combination of solar indoor light used during daytime with tungsten lamp used at night produced the second and third highest volumes of hydrogen gas of 206.76±41.72 and 175.35±20.74 mL/L after 60 and 96 h of cultivation, respectively. However, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between these results. Based on hydrogen productivity, tungsten lamp system and the combination of solar indoor light and tungsten lamp resulted in the highest volumes of 9.04 and 8.40 mL/L/h, respectively. These results were accounted for 91-96% of the produced hydrogen. As per the electricity costs, tungsten lamp system and the combination of solar indoor light and tungsten lamp system required 0.30 and 0.36 baht/mL respectively. On the other hand, the solar indoor light system did not incur any electricity cost.
Novel and Surprising Host Associations of Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) Species from Italy
Authors:   Centre of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, Abeywickrama Pranami D. ,   School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand,   Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment-Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of agriculture and forestry sciences, Beijing 100097, People’s Republic of China, Camporesi Erio ,   A.M.B. Gruppo Micologico Forlivese ‘‘Antonio Cicognani’’, Via Roma 18, Forlý`, Italy,   A.M.B. Circolo Micologico ‘‘Giovanni Carini’’, C.P. 314, Brescia, Italy,   Societa` per gli Studi Naturalistici della Romagna,C.P. 144, Bagnacavallo, RA, Italy, Jayawardena Ruvishika S. ,   Centre of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand,   School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, Hyde Kevin D. ,   Centre of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand,   Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia (KLPB), Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China,   World Agroforestry Centre, East, and Central Asia, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China, Yan Jiye ,   Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment-Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of agriculture and forestry sciences, Beijing 100097, People’s Republic of China, Zhang Wei ,   Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment-Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of agriculture and forestry sciences, Beijing 100097, People’s Republic of China, Li Xinghong ,   Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment-Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of agriculture and forestry sciences, Beijing 100097, People’s Republic of China
Published: March 2022

Diaporthe species are known to be mostly saprobic and pathogenic to numerous hosts in plantations, forests, and urban areas worldwide. Their relationship with host plants and distribution is poorly discussed. Combined morpho-molecular data have resulted in ten Diaprothe strains from ten host species in genera Acer, Alianthus, Artemisia, Aster, Ballota, Dittrichia, Euonymus, Eupatorium, Laburnum and Scabiosa. The isolates were identifi ed as Diaporthe arctii, D. eres, D. foeniculina, D. novem and D. rudis which are new records of host associations from Italy. Detailed descriptions and phylogenetic placements for the above fi ve species are provided. This study provides an updated list of Diaporthe species related to their host associations in Italy.
Determination of Both Total Phenolic Compound and Antioxidant Capacity of Herbal Teas Using Smartphone Digital Imaging
Authors:   Innovative Green Chemistry Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand, Nguyen Hau Van , Jakmunee Jaroon ,   Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Youngvises Napaporn ,   Innovative Green Chemistry Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand, Preechaburana Pakorn ,   Applied Optics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
Published: March 2022

In this work, a low cost and portable optical sensor using a smartphone camera for antioxidant analysis was demonstrated. A platform was designed and installed on a smartphone as an attachment for the assay solution, a macro lens, and a white LED. The proposed confi guration allowed the illumination from the white LED to pass through the solution before entering the smartphone camera. After the color of the solution was captured by the camera, the image was sent to a laptop by Bluetooth and the Red, Green and Blue (RGB) intensity values were determined using ImageJ software. The proposed platform was used to assess the antioxidant capacity of standard Trolox, gallic acid, and a range of herbal teas using 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) assay, and then calculated as an IC50 value. The total phenolic compounds (TPC) of these samples were also evaluated using Folin-Ciocalteu (FC) assay, and presented as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). The results of the three assays when using the smartphone were in good agreement with those from a commercial UV-Vis spectrophotometer. For the three assays, a good linearity and precision were obtained R2 > 0.995, and % RSD was lower than 2% (n = 5), respectively. For FC assay, the linear range and the limit of detection were 0.0-7.0 mg/L and 0.20 mg/L, consequently.
Microstructural Evaluation And Eff ect of Heat Generation in FSW of AA1100
Authors:   Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr.N.G.P Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641048, India, Ramanathan Thirumalai , Sekar Karthick ,   Department of Mechanical Engineering, AVS College of Technology, Salem, Tamilnadu 636106, India, Shanmugam Nandhakumar ,   Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr.N.G.P Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641048, India
Published: March 2022

In this work the joining AA1100 aluminium alloy using friction stir welding (FSW) is demonstrated. The process parameters used in this research work are welding speed, rotational speed and axial load. The responses considered in this work include tensile strength and hardness of the welded specimen. The microstructural analysis are investigated to identify the HAZ and TMAZ in the FSW of AA1100 Aluminium sheet metals. The thermal analysis is also carried out using ANSYS software and it is observed that the maximum temperature is maximum at the centre and the maximum deformations will take place at centre of the welded plate when subjected to the external loads.
Location Prediction of Rogue Access Point Based on Deep Neural Network Approach
Authors: Ketkhaw Apisak , Thipchaksurat Sakchai
Published: March 2022

One of the serious security problems in wireless local networks (WLAN) is the existence of the rogue access points (RAPs). To prevent our network from the RAP attacks, we need to identify the RAPs by using the RAP detection methods. However, the identification of RAP location is also a challenging task. The objective of this paper is to propose the location prediction scheme for the RAP. We call our proposed scheme as the location prediction of rogue access point (LPRAP). The LPRAP scheme consists of two mechanisms, the RAP detection mechanism and the RAP location prediction mechanism. We apply the concept of the fingerprint in the RAP detection mechanism by considering the SSID, time duration of broadcasting beacon frame and MAC address. We show that this mechanism can detect the number of RAP. For the RAP location prediction mechanism, we utilize the deep neuron network (DNN) to predict the location of RAPs and evaluate its effectiveness. We evaluate the performance of LPRAP by comparing with those of other machine learning methods such as Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Naive Bayes, and Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP). We also compare with particle swarm optimization algorithm. The results show that LPRAP can accurately predict the location of RAP up to 99.29%.
Fusion of Information in Indoor Localization Techniques
Authors: Kanakaraja P. , Kotamraju Sarat K. , Kavya K. Ch Sri
Published: March 2022

In this work, a study of location systems in indoor environments is carried out, starting with the measurement techniques used, the different types of methodologies that can be applied to obtain the position of a device, and the technologies most used to solve these kinds of problems. Lately, it has been an expansion in utilizing location-based services, which builds the investigation of this framework. Also, while the outdoor location is substantially more progressed, the indoor location is continually under audit and, by its inclination, requires a lot tighter precision. The indoor environment can lead the communication from global navigation system and GPS system. The ultrawide band and WLAN techniques are many communication protocols those applications need proper techniques to guide indoor environment. The main objective of this article is based on making a review of the state of the art of location systems in indoor environments, analysing the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems and analysing the possibility of proposing, from a theoretical point of view, the use of information fusion techniques to improve existing systems. Specifically, the possibility of using a system architecture in which several technologies are merged to achieve a more precise result will be analysed. To compare various existing Indoor Navigational methods advantages, disadvantages, and applications. All proposed Indoor Methods based on the requirement the user utilizes required localization techniques. This article mainly focuses on sensor fusion techniques. Moreover, this research introduces an architecture with different layers based on sensor fusion techniques to smooth indoor navigations. The novel methodology providing efficient outcomes like sensitivity 98.34%, accuracy 97.89%, Recall 96.78% and F measure 96.73%.
Incentives, Wages, and Retention Among Direct Support Professionals: National Core Indicators Staff Stability Survey
Authors: Pettingell Sandra L. , Houseworth James , Tichá Renáta , Kramme Julie E. D. , Hewitt Amy S.
Published: March 2022

Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide a range of supports in a variety of settings to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who count on these supports to live, work, and contribute in their communities. Despite this, high annual DSP turnover rates are problematic. DSP turnover is disruptive to people who receive supports as the lack of stable, reliable supports can negatively impact their important day-to-day outcomes (e.g., safety, community participation, and choice). Turnover also comes at a cost to provider organization in the hiring and training of new employees. To retain DSPs, organizations offer incentives (e.g., bonuses, retirement plans, health insurance). This study utilized National Core Indicators® (NCI®) Staff Stability Survey 2018 data to examine the relationships between wages, different types of incentives, including benefits (e.g., paid time off, access to health insurance, disability insurance, wage bonuses, health incentives programs, etc.) to annual turnover in participating states in the United States. Results indicated that incentives were not positively associated with DSP retention. Staff wages were the most notable factor associated with differences in DSP retention rates, along with the state in which the organization was located as well as organization vacancy rates.
Transition Planning: Knowledge and Preferences of Latinx Families of Youth With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Aleman-Tovar Janeth , Rios Kristina , Burke Meghan M.
Published: March 2022

Due to systemic barriers, Latinx parents of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) report having limited involvement in transition planning. To facilitate parent involvement in transition planning, it is critical to solicit feedback from Latinx families to inform the content and mode of a transition planning intervention. The purpose of this study was to explore Latinx parents' knowledge and preferred mode for a transition planning intervention. Twenty-eight Latinx parents of transition-aged youth with IDD completed surveys and focus groups. Participants reported wanting an intervention to focus on school-based transition planning and adult services; to a lesser extent, participants wanted information about natural supports. Regarding modality, participants desired in-person or online training (versus a brochure). Implications for research and practice are discussed.
3D printing of optical materials by processes based on photopolymerization: materials, technologies, and recent advances
Authors: Geisler Emma , Lecompère Maxime , Soppera Olivier
Published: March 2022

3D printing technologies have expanded beyond the research laboratories where they were used solely for prototyping and have become widely used in several industries. The production of custom 3D objects has significant potential in optical applications. However, this necessitates extremely specific material properties, such as transparency, homogeneity, birefringence, and surface finish. Currently, the majority of optical objects are manufactured using plastics. Moreover, the 3D printing processes using polymers to produce optical objects have significant advantages, such as limited wastage, short manufacturing time, and easy customization. However, despite extensive efforts, no technology has achieved the production of objects perfectly suited for optical applications. The objective of this review is to summarize recent advances in the field of 3D printing for optics, with an emphasis on specific developments for dedicated applications, and to explore new candidate processes.
Dynamic changes in brain lateralization correlate with human cognitive performance
Authors: Wu Xinran , Kong Xiangzhen , Vatansever Deniz , Liu Zhaowen , Zhang Kai , Sahakian Barbara J. , Robbins Trevor W. , Feng Jianfeng , Thompson Paul , Zhang Jie
Published: March 2022

Hemispheric lateralization constitutes a core architectural principle of human brain organization underlying cognition, often argued to represent a stable, trait-like feature. However, emerging evidence underlines the inherently dynamic nature of brain networks, in which time-resolved alterations in functional lateralization remain uncharted. Integrating dynamic network approaches with the concept of hemispheric laterality, we map the spatiotemporal architecture of whole-brain lateralization in a large sample of high-quality resting-state fMRI data (N = 991, Human Connectome Project). We reveal distinct laterality dynamics across lower-order sensorimotor systems and higher-order associative networks. Specifically, we expose 2 aspects of the laterality dynamics: laterality fluctuations (LF), defined as the standard deviation of laterality time series, and laterality reversal (LR), referring to the number of zero crossings in laterality time series. These 2 measures are associated with moderate and extreme changes in laterality over time, respectively. While LF depict positive association with language function and cognitive flexibility, LR shows a negative association with the same cognitive abilities. These opposing interactions indicate a dynamic balance between intra and interhemispheric communication, i.e., segregation and integration of information across hemispheres. Furthermore, in their time-resolved laterality index, the default mode and language networks correlate negatively with visual/sensorimotor and attention networks, which are linked to better cognitive abilities. Finally, the laterality dynamics are associated with functional connectivity changes of higher-order brain networks and correlate with regional metabolism and structural connectivity. Our results provide insights into the adaptive nature of the lateralized brain and new perspectives for future studies of human cognition, genetics, and brain disorders.
Impact of nonrandom selection mechanisms on the causal effect estimation for two-sample Mendelian randomization methods
Authors: Yu Yuanyuan , Hou Lei , Shi Xu , Sun Xiaoru , Liu Xinhui , Yu Yifan , Yuan Zhongshang , Li Hongkai , Xue Fuzhong
Published: March 2022

Nonrandom selection in one-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) results in biased estimates and inflated type I error rates only when the selection effects are sufficiently large. In two-sample MR, the different selection mechanisms in two samples may more seriously affect the causal effect estimation. Firstly, we propose sufficient conditions for causal effect invariance under different selection mechanisms using two-sample MR methods. In the simulation study, we consider 49 possible selection mechanisms in two-sample MR, which depend on genetic variants (G), exposures (X), outcomes (Y) and their combination. We further compare eight pleiotropy-robust methods under different selection mechanisms. Results of simulation reveal that nonrandom selection in sample II has a larger influence on biases and type I error rates than those in sample I. Furthermore, selections depending onX+Y,G+Y, orG+X+Yin sample II lead to larger biases than other selection mechanisms. Notably, when selection depends onY, bias of causal estimation for non-zero causal effect is larger than that for null causal effect. Especially, the mode based estimate has the largest standard errors among the eight methods. In the absence of pleiotropy, selections depending onYorGin sample II show nearly unbiased causal effect estimations when the casual effect is null. In the scenarios of balanced pleiotropy, all eight MR methods, especially MR-Egger, demonstrate large biases because the nonrandom selections result in the violation of the Instrument Strength Independent of Direct Effect (InSIDE) assumption. When directional pleiotropy exists, nonrandom selections have a severe impact on the eight MR methods. Application demonstrates that the nonrandom selection in sample II (coronary heart disease patients) can magnify the causal effect estimation of obesity on HbA1c levels. In conclusion, nonrandom selection in two-sample MR exacerbates the bias of causal effect estimation for pleiotropy-robust MR methods.
Biallelic variants in TRAPPC10 cause a microcephalic TRAPPopathy disorder in humans and mice
Authors: Rawlins Lettie E. , Almousa Hashem , Khan Shazia , Collins Stephan C. , Milev Miroslav P. , Leslie Joseph , Saint-Dic Djenann , Khan Valeed , Hincapie Ana Maria , Day Jacob O. , McGavin Lucy , Rowley Christine , Harlalka Gaurav V. , Vancollie Valerie E. , Ahmad Wasim , Lelliott Christopher J. , Gul Asma , Yalcin Binnaz , Crosby Andrew H. , Sacher Michael , Baple Emma L.
Published: March 2022

The highly evolutionarily conserved transport protein particle (TRAPP) complexes (TRAPP II and III) perform fundamental roles in subcellular trafficking pathways. Here we identified biallelic variants in TRAPPC10, a component of the TRAPP II complex, in individuals with a severe microcephalic neurodevelopmental disorder. Molecular studies revealed a weakened interaction between mutant TRAPPC10 and its putative adaptor protein TRAPPC2L. Studies of patient lymphoblastoid cells revealed an absence of TRAPPC10 alongside a concomitant absence of TRAPPC9, another key TRAPP II complex component associated with a clinically overlapping neurodevelopmental disorder. The TRAPPC9/10 reduction phenotype was recapitulated in TRAPPC10-/- knockout cells, which also displayed a membrane trafficking defect. Notably, both the reduction in TRAPPC9 levels and the trafficking defect in these cells could be rescued by wild type but not mutant TRAPPC10 gene constructs. Moreover, studies of Trappc10-/- knockout mice revealed neuroanatomical brain defects and microcephaly, paralleling findings seen in the human condition as well as in a Trappc9-/- mouse model. Together these studies confirm autosomal recessive TRAPPC10 variants as a cause of human disease and define TRAPP-mediated pathomolecular outcomes of importance to TRAPPC9 and TRAPPC10 mediated neurodevelopmental disorders in humans and mice.
Initiatives to address leprosy as a human rights issue through the mandate of UN Special Rapporteur: Achievements and challenges
Authors: Nanri Takahiro
Published: March 2022

Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is one of the oldest infectious diseases in the world. It has long been associated with stigma and discrimination, but only in recent years has this aspect been formally recognized by the international community as a human rights issue. The UN Human Rights Council first adopted a resolution on leprosy in 2008, and this was later followed by a UN General Assembly resolution in 2010. Nonbinding principle and guidelines on elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members accompanied the 2010 resolution, but these have yet to be fully implemented. In 2017, the Human Rights Council appointed a Special Rapporteur on leprosy to investigate the extent to which the principles and guidelines have been implemented, and her term was extended for a further 3 years in 2020. Considering the proper implementation of the principles and guidelines to be key to eliminating the discrimination that persons affected by leprosy and their families face in various parts of the world, this paper looks at the contribution the Special Rapporteur can make. Based on an assessment of her activities to date, it concludes that the Special Rapporteur has actively worked to build networks with persons affected by leprosy and related organizations and gain their trust, but has faced challenges in organizing official country visits. It goes on to analyze what sort of legacy the Special Rapporteur should aim to leave behind after completing her second term and how she can go about doing so in the time remaining. To this end, it makes 5 suggestions: (1) gather information systematically on the actual situation of discrimination; (2) compile a collection of success stories; (3) ensure that there is consistency between legally binding international covenants and treaties and the principles and guidelines; (4) present proposals for concrete actions that can be taken after the Special Rapporteur’s second term ends; and (5) initiate a feasibility study on creating an “index” and “indicators” to measure the current status of stigma and discrimination and the extent to which the principles and guidelines have been implemented.