bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of mixed biocrusts on soil nutrients and bacterial community structure：A case study from Hilly Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Zhang Lei
Published: August 2023

In this paper, 16S rRNA sequencing analysis was carried out on the mixed crust and the surface layer of bare soil and soil under the crust in this area, and combined with the soil physical and chemical factors, the influence of the mixed crust on the bacterial community structure in the loess hilly area was explained. The results show that mixed crusts can significantly increase the conventional nutrient content of the soil in terms of fast acting phosphorus, total nitrogen and organic matter. In addition, the mixed crust layer develops its own specific bacterial community structure, with Rubrobacteria and Cyanobacteriia specifically enriched in the mixed crust layer. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that these particularly enriched species could be involved in the process of photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation, thereby increasing the levels of organic matter and organic nitrogen in the soil. The results of the study provide an important theoretical basis for the microbiology of ecological restoration in the hilly and gully areas of the Loess Plateau.
Risk factors for venous thromboembolism in hospitalized patients: A cross sectional study
Authors: Zhang Shu-wen , Liu Wen-Tao , Yang Zhi-Chao , Wang Xiao-Hui , Yang Yuan-Jiao , Zhang Ya-Nan , Wang Jun , Yan Han-Bing , He Hui
Published: August 2023

Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a multifactorial disease that is associated with long-term morbidity, dysfunction, and mortality. Although numerous studies have reported on the incidence and risk factors of VTE in hospitalized patients, the reported results vary due to the complexity of the disease and differences in genetic characteristics, social environment, and disease spectrum. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, clinical features, and risk factors for VTE in hospitalized patients. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at Benxi Central Hospital to select patients hospitalized between January and December 2021. All patients underwent Doppler ultrasound, and medical data, including demographic characteristics, past medical history, comorbidities, and hematologic indicators, were collected from the Benxi Clinical Biobank. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis were employed to identify independent risk factors. Results A total of 1200 in-patients were eligible for inclusion in the study. The prevalence of venous thromboembolism was 21.4%. 224 patients developed DVT alone, 12 patients developed PE alone, and 14 patients developed both DVT and PE. Of the 238 patients with DVT in the lower limbs (with or without PE), distal DVT was more common than proximal DVT (64.7%vs20.2%). In multifactorial analysis, six variables are independent risk factors for VTE:Diabetes,OR,1.659,(1.100-2.501,P = 0.016);History of confirmedVTE,OR,6.497,(3.505–12.041,P = 0.000);Central venous catheterization,OR,2.605,(1.583–4.289,P = 0.000);Age,OR,1.035,(1.022–1.048,P = 0.000);HGB,OR,0.993,(0.987-1.000,P = 0.042);Unilateral limb pitting oedema,OR,5.307,(3.506–8.033,P = 0.000);Bilateral limb pitting oedema,OR,1.701,(1.081–2.676,P = 0.022). Conclusion The incidence of VTE among hospitalized patients in Benxi region is relatively high. Identifying relevant risk factors allows for early screening of at-risk populations. In order to reduce prevalence, and more prospective studies are needed to comprehensively develop individualised clinical prediction tools for VTE.
Recent variations of water area in the Middle Atlas lakes (Morocco): A response to drought severity and land use changes
Authors: EL-BOUHALI Abdelaziz , AMYAY Mhamed , ECH-CHAHDI Khadija EL OUAZANI
Published: August 2023

The lakes represent important surface water resources and form an integral part of wetlands. The most concerning aspect of the degradation of these areas is the complete drying up of the lakes. In the Mediterranean basin, successive changes in land use practices in the context of climate change have strongly influenced wetland areas. In this study, we opted to use Landsat satellite images to monitor the extent of the water surface in two representative lakes (Aoua and Ifrah) of the tabular Middle Atlas (TMA). The results obtained from the processing of satellite images show a significant regression in the surface area of the lakes, with periods of complete drying for Aoua lake, endangering their fragile ecosystems and biodiversity. This very critical situation of the two lakes is linked to the conjunction of natural and anthropogenic factors. The analysis of climatic data shows a significant climate change from the 1980s, with long periods of drought. In parallel, the study area has undergone remarkable modifications in land use, mainly characterized by a significant extension of irrigated agricultural areas to the detriment of grazing and rainfed crop lands. In three decades, the area of irrigated crops has increased from approximately 1300 hectares in 1985 to 7070 hectares in 2022, representing an increase of 542%. The findings presented in this study reveal the extent of lake degradation in the TMA and reflect the alarming decline in groundwater levels. This indicates that the development of a strategy for the protection of water resources should be considered as a matter of urgency.
Application of tip-bendable ureteral access sheath in flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy: an initial experience of 224 cases
Authors: Liang Hui , Liang Lijian , Lin Yiwei , Yu Yin , Xu Xiaoling , Liang Zihao , Sheng Jinmin , Shen Baihua
Published: August 2023

Introduction:
During the last decades, the advent of flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy has revolutionized the management of upper urinary tract stones. We designed a patented tip-bendable ureteral access sheath to facilitate stone clearance. Our current study reported our initial experience of 224 cases.
Material and methods:
The study is a descriptive, retrospective analysis. The initial 224 cases, operated consecutively by one surgeon during 16 months, were reviewed. The novel tip-bendable ureteral access sheath was applied in the procedure. Demographics, laboratory tests, and peri- and postoperative findings (operation duration, stone-free rate (SFR), utilization of flexible instruments and complications) were analyzed.
Resutls:
The median age of the patients was 56 years and the mean stones size was 2.3 ± 1.3cm. There were 63 cases of upper ureteral stone, 93cases of renal stone and 68 cases of ureteral-renal stones. The mean operative time was 69.2 ± 65.2 minutes. The immediate stone-free rate was 76.8% and the 1 month post-operative stone-free rate was 97.3%. Most cases(95.5%)were success in single session. Two patient experienced post-operative fever. There was no unplanned readmission. The frequency of post-operative complications was estimated at 0.89% (Clavien I).
Conclusion:
Flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy with tip-bendable ureteral access sheath is a safe and effective procedure, which can achieve excellent stone clearance.
Permeability evolution of Bentheim Sandstone at simulated georeservoir conditions
Authors: Fazio Marco , Chandler Michael R. , Sauter Martin
Published: August 2023

Bentheim Sandstone is considered suitable conventional georeservoir rock even at great depth because of its mineral composition, homogeneity, micro- and macrostructure, and is also used as a reference material in rock deformation tests. However, a full characterization of the permeability at representative depths has never been performed. Here we report new experimental data where the permeability of Bentheim Sandstone is measured both with simultaneous variation and with sequential variation of three different variables in order to simulate georeservoir conditions. The results indicate a decrease in permeability with simulated increasing depth until 2–3 km, followed by a partial permeability recovery until 4–5 km depth. During the exhumation path, initially permeability is unaffected, but at shallow depths a sharp increase in permeability is observed, likely due to microcracking. These variations are a consequence of a complex interaction between stress, pore pressure and temperature, highlighting the importance of experiments considering all three variables when studying the evolution of permeability at depth. These results will aid with the accurate estimation of permeability at different georeservoir conditions.
Natural history model predicts benefits associated with screening for lung cancer by detecting circulating tumor DNA
Authors: Plevritis Sylvia , Simoni Giulia , Avanzini Stefano , Pashayan Nora , Reiter Johannes
Published: August 2023

Current US screening guidelines recommend low dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans for high-risk individuals of lung cancer, however, only 13% of the eligible population adhere to the recommendation. Using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a blood-based cancer biomarker for screening may increase the adherence to screening programs while simultaneously decreasing radiation exposure and invasive follow-up procedures due to false-positives of LDCT. To estimate the health benefits of annual lung cancer screening with ctDNA, we built and applied a multi scale model of the natural history of lung cancer that includes clinical stage progression and ctDNA shedding, and models ctDNA detection. Our multi-scale model integrates data on lung cancer including clinical data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and molecular data on tumor growth, ctDNA shedding and ctDNA detection. The ctDNA detection function is based on a sequencing panel enriched for recurrent point mutations associated with lung cancer and leverages The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. Using the model, we generated individual patient trajectories in term of the natural history of lung cancer and aggregated the results at the population level to compare overall health outcomes in the presence vs absence of an annual ctDNA screening. These outcomes include the tumor size and stage at detection, 5-year survival, age-specific incidence-based mortality rate, and cure fraction, which is identified by patients who would have died from lung cancer but instead died from other causes due to screen detection. Our work shows that annual ctDNA screening detected 35% of lung cancer patients while asymptomatic with 99% specificity. Among screen-detected patients, 36% were curable due to early detection but would have been uncurable without screening. Compared to not screening, annual ctDNA screening reduced the median tumor size at detection (from 3.2 cm to 2.2 cm), increased the proportion of early-stage cases (from 36% to 56%), increased 5-year survival (from 20% to 33%), and reduced the average age-specific mortality rate by 21%. In conclusion, an annual ctDNA screening program, even with low sensitivity but high specificity, is expected to provide measurable health benefits and warrants further consideration
Simulation study on the impact of ecological water recharge on the riverine environment based on Mike21
Authors: Zhang Xianqi , Chen Peng , Han Yonghua , Chang Xing , Dai Shengnan
Published: August 2023

Through the simulation study of river ecological recharge, it reveals the law of water quality change under different ecological recharge scenarios of the White River, and provides theoretical basis for optimizing the recharge scheme and improving the recharge effect. Based on Mike21, a water environment model for ecological recharge of the river was established to simulate the evolution of DO,CODMn, COD, NH3-N and TP in the Baihe River under different scenarios, to analyze the water quality characteristics of the river, to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different recharge strategies, to explore the optimization scheme of ecological recharge of the Baihe River, and to analyze the drivers of the impact on the water environment. The results show: Among the three recharge scenarios, the scenario with 2 times the flow rate and 1/2 the recharge duration had the best recharge effect, and the river was upgraded from Class IV water quality standard to Class III water standard; The White River has better water quality conditions under non-flood conditions because it is less subject to confluence, while flood conditions tend to have poorer water quality conditions due to the effects of multiple sources of pollutant pooling; Water quality conditions during the recharge period of the river were better than during the non-recharge period, and water quality indicators showed a spatial pattern of upstream being better than downstream.
Thermal damage evolution of granite under different thermal conditions based on Two-Scale tessellation via discrete element method
Authors: Ma Qianchi , Liu Xiaoli , Song Danqing , Wang Enzhi , Zhang Jianmin , Yao Wenli , Wang Mingyang
Published: August 2023

This paper presents a numerical modeling method that integrates a grain-growth model and Voronoi polygon configuration to investigate the thermal damage characteristics and fracture mechanism of granite under three distinct thermal conditions: rapid heating, slow heating, and cycle heating. The proposed method accurately simulates the intra-grain damage modes of mineral particles and the mechanical responses of granite. Through the simulation, it was observed that slow heating induces more significant deterioration compared to rapid heating, while cycle heating leads to wider crack openings and apparent brittle damage during the cooling phase. Furthermore, the peak strength and elastic modulus of granite demonstrate a significant decrease with increasing temperature under all three heating conditions. Notably, slow heating exhibits ductility characteristics in its post-peak residual strength. This study also analyzes the effects of different thermal conditions on the damage evolution pattern and cracking mechanism of rocks. It is found that slow heating generates a higher number of cracks with a broader distribution and intra-grain damage, whereas cycle heating results in severe cracks and fractures. The findings of this study have practical implications for preventing and controlling thermal disasters in deep rock engineering.
Variation in the levels of Anisakis spp. infection in the European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus (L. 1758) from the Bay of Biscay in the period 2000-2023 (ICES Subarea 8)
Authors: Díez Guzmán , Santos Maria , Boyra Guillermo , Chust Guillem , Santurtún Marina , Maceira Arantza , Mendibil Iñaki , Bilbao Elisabette , Abaroa Carmen
Published: August 2023

The European anchovy Engraulis encrasicholus is one of the most commercial important species in the Bay of Biscay (ICES Subarea 8). We analysed the temporal mean abundance of Anisakis spp. larvae species in anchovies from ICES subarea 8 in 2000, 2001, 2014-2016, 2019-2023. Prevalence, mean abundance and intensity were examined by length classes. Prevalence in adults was only 1% in 2000 but increased to 90% in 2014. Since 2015 prevalence has decreased; and 17.6 % of individuals were affected in 2023. Mean abundance showed a similar trend, with a peak of 3.79 nematodes/anchovy in 2014, which fell to 0.21 in 2023. The species A. simplex (s.s.) and A. pegreffii were identified by the PCR/SANGER sequencing and PCR/RLFP size ITS fragments techniques in 2019 and 2020. Anisakis simplex sensu stricto was the most abundant species, accounting by these two techniques for 61 to 64 % of total nematodes in 2019 and 52% in 2020.
A Spatial Downscaling Method for Solar-induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence Product Using Random Forest Regression and Drought Monitoring
Authors: Zhang Zhaoxu , Chen Jiale , Sun Yuanheng , Shi Zhenwei , Xu Wei
Published: August 2023

Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), an electromagnetic signal that has been proven to be an efficient tool for monitoring and assessing gross primary productivity (GPP) and drought. To solve the problem of sparse resolution of SIF based on satellites, researchers have developed different downscaling algorithms. Recently, the SIF products frequently used is 0.05° spatial resolution. This study selected global ‘OCO-2’ SIF, normalized difference vegetation index, and land surface temperature products, obtained downscaled SIF data with 1km resolution using random forest method. Using the downscaled SIF results with 1km resolution, SIF anomaly index was established and calculated to monitor drought. Results showed that the RF-based downscaled SIF result had the same trend with GOSIF value. Subsequently, the correlation coefficients among SIF and GPP were calculated. The downscaled SIF had a higher correlation with GPP from MODIS than 0.05° GOSIF. The correlation coefficients were 0.74 and 0.68 in May 2018. Moreover, SIF anomaly index had positive correlations with crops yield, the correlation coefficients were 0.93 (wheat) and 0.89 (maize) respectively. Drought index had negative correlation with areas affected by drought and correlation coefficient was − 0.58. The SIF index based on RF method will be helpful for studying regional drought.
Resistive Switching Transparent SnO2 Thin Film Sensitive to Light and Humidity
Authors: Kalateh Asiyeh , Jalali Ali , Ashtiani Mohammad Javad Kamali , Masoudi Mohammad Mohammadi , Bastami Hajieh , Mohseni Majid
Published: August 2023

Designing and manufacturing memristor devices with simple and cheap methods is very promising for its development. Here, an Ag/SnO2 /FTO(F-SnO2) structure is used through the deposition of the SnO2 layer attained by its sol via the air-brush method on an FTO substrate. This structure was investigated in terms of the memristive characteristics. The Negative differential resistance(NDR) effect was also observed in environment humidity conditions. In this structure, we have valance change memory (VCM) and electrometalization change memory (ECM) mechanisms that cause the current peak in the NDR region by forming an OH− conductive filament(CF). In addition, the photoconductivity effect has been found under light illumination and this structure shows the positive photoconductance (PPC) effect by increasing the conductivity. This effect has the highest value at wavelengths close to the absorption wavelength of SnO2 (~ 340 nm). Also, the device was examined for up to 100 cycles and significant stability was observed. This behavior is a valuable advantage because the stability of memristors is critical for their use in neuromorphic computing. The coexistence of the NDR effect and resistive switching (RS) memory behavior is useful for achieving high-level simulations of biomimetic or neuromorphic computing. This combination can lead to the creation of artificial synapses that can mimic the behavior of biological synapses.
Effective Hybrid Search Technique Based Constraint Mixed-Integer Programming for Smart Home Residential Load Scheduling
Authors: Abdelhameed Esam , Abdelraheem Samah , Mohamed Yehia , Diab Ahmed
Published: August 2023

In this study, the problem of scheduling smart homes (SHs) residential loads is considered aiming at minimizing the electricity bills and enhancing the user comfort. The problem is addressed as a multi-objective constraint mixed-integer optimization problem (CP-MIP) to model the constrained load operation. As the CP-MIP optimization problem is non-convex, a novel hybrid search technique, that combines Relaxation and Rounding (RnR) approach and metaheuristic algorithms to enhance the accuracy and relevance of decision variables, is proposed. This search technique is implemented through two stages: relaxation stage in which a metaheuristic technique is applied to get the optimal rational solution of the problem. Whereas, the second stage is the rounding process which is applied via stochastic rounding approach to provide a good-enough feasible solution. The scheduling process has been done under time-of-use (ToU) dynamic electricity pricing scheme and two powering modes (i.e. powering from the main grid only or powering from grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) residential power system), in addition, four metaheuristics (i.e. Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (BPSO), Self-Organizing Hierarchical PSO (SOH-PSO), JAYA algorithm, and Comprehensive Learning JAYA algorithm (CL-JAYA)) have been utilized. The results reported in this study verify the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
The Causal Relationship between Gut Microbiota and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Li Liwei , Cai Fuqing , Xiong Guang , Qin Jiamin , Geng Yan , Huang Jie-an
Published: August 2023

Aims
The association between the gut microbiota and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been documented; however, the causal relationship between them remains unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the causal relationship between the gut microbiota and NAFLD using Mendelian randomization.
Methods
We conducted a Mendelian randomization study, using gut microbiota data (n = 18340) from MiBioGen consortium as the exposure and the NAFLD dataset from FinnGen R9 release data (n = 377,277) as the outcome. Inverse variance weighted was employed as the primary analysis method, and sensitivity analysis was performed. Additionally, a network graph resembling a phylogenetic tree was created to further reveal the evolutionary relationships among gut microbiota.
Results
Six bacterial features exhibited causal relationships with NAFLD: Actinomycetales (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.01–2.21, p = 0.043), Actinomycetaceae (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.01–2.20, p = 0.043), Actinomyces (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.09–1.71, p = 0.006), Prevotella 7 (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.01–1.39, p = 0.039) exhibited potential detrimental effects on NAFLD, whereas Anaerofilum (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.72–0.99, p = 0.042) and Gordonibacter (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.72–0.98, p = 0.024) exhibited potential protective effects. Furthermore, Actinomycetales, Actinomycetaceae, and Actinomyces are located on the same evolutionary branch.
Conclusions
Our study revealed a causal relationship between six gut bacteria and NAFLD. These findings shed light on the role of specific gut bacteria in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and offer valuable insights into future therapeutic interventions and preventive strategies.
The morphological and functional rationale for the potential compensatory role of disseminated postsplenectomy splenosis in an experiment
Authors: Klyuev Sergey , Gorodkov Sergey
Published: August 2023

Aim
to investigate disseminated post-splenectomy splenosis (DPSS) by creating an experimental model and analysing the timing, frequency, morphological features, and functional capabilities of splenosis nodules.
Materials and methods
The experiment involved surgical modelling of DPSS in white laboratory rats and a sham operation group. The rats were euthanized at different time points after the surgery, and the DPSS foci were examined histologically. Functional assessments were conducted by evaluating phagocytic parameters and morphological examination of erythrocytes.
Results
DPSS foci were observed in the majority of rats (79%) at various time points after the surgery. The foci appeared as dark cherry-coloured round formations of different sizes and were commonly found on the greater omentum, stomach serous membrane, colon serous membrane, and root of the mesentery. Histological examination revealed a cell composition similar to the spleen, including white pulp components and a high number of plasma cells. However, the typical histological architecture of the spleen was not preserved in the DPSS nodules. The phagocytic index and phagocytic number were within normal range in rats with DPSS after 30 days, indicating normal phagocytic activity. However, after splenectomy, these parameters were lower compared to the DPSS group. The opsonic index was significantly below normal levels in the early stages after splenectomy but reached normal values later on. Morphological examination of erythrocytes showed poikilocytic deviations and increased Howell-Jolly bodies, indicating inadequate utilization of degenerative forms of erythrocytes by DPSS nodules.
Conclusion
The DPSS showed partial functional activity in experiment, including phagocytic capabilities, although the histological architecture of the spleen was not fully preserved. The study provides valuable insights into the characteristics of DPSS nodules and their potential functional role.
An acoustic feedback canceller using probe noise and informative data
Authors: Eren Yusuf , Güvenç Buket Çolak , Mengüç Engin Cemal
Published: August 2023

One of the important issues encountered in acoustic feedback canceller (AFC) systems is the bias occurring in the estimation of the acoustic feedback (AF) path. In the literature, a common solution is to inject the probe noise into the loudspeaker to reduce the correlation between the input signal and the loudspeaker signal, that is, to remove the bias occurring in the estimation of the AF path. This approach significantly improves the performance of the AFC systems. However, when considering high filter orders and large-scale input signals, such systems designed by probe noise injection suffer from the data processing cost, and thus their real-time implementations on a chip generally become challenging. To this end, in this paper, we propose an AFC system using jointly probe noise and informative data, named the probe noise-online censoring-least mean square (PN-OC-LMS) based AFC. Thanks to both the OC mechanism and the probe noise injection approach, the proposed PN-OC-LMS based AFC system significantly not only reduces the data processing cost but also effectively removes the bias effect in the AF path. The mentioned effectiveness of the proposed AFC system is supported by two comprehensive different experiments on a real-world AF path measured from a behind-the-ear hearing aid. As a result, in the proposed AFC system, the use of both informative data and the injection of probe noise will enable the design of a long-term working wearable hearing aid device that provide slow data processing cost and correctly estimates the AF path.
Bioinformatic analysis reveals CCNA2 as Lung Adenocarcinoma hub gene and is associated with cell proliferation and epithelial- mesenchymal transition
Authors: Tan Juofang , Sun Siying , Meng Wangyang , Han Yichao , Guo Wei , Wu Xuefeng , Li Hecheng
Published: August 2023

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the malignant tumors worldwide. The purpose of this study is to identify the hub genes related to LUAD using bioinformatics analysis. Three gene expression datasets (GSE27262, GSE74706, GSE75037) were obtained from GEO database. Identification of DEGs was performed using GEO2R and constructed protein-protein interaction network using STRING and cytoscape. GO, KEGG and GSEA analysis were carried out through R package “clusterprofiler”. GEPIA was used to verify the survival of hub genes, UALCAN database and HPA database were used to determine protein expression, complemented by IHC staining results. Lastly, CCK-8 and colony formation assays were used to verify PC9 cell growth ability and we used western blot, Transwell and scratch wound assays for validation of PC9 cells migration and EMT markers. We identified 107 up-regulated genes and 344 down-regulated genes. Thirty hub genes were identified and the 12 hub genes with a rank of degrees > 30 are as follow: CCNA2, AURKA, HMMR, EZH2, TTK, TPX2, CCNB1, ANLN, ECT2, CEP55, MAD2L1 and PBK. CCNA2 as one of the genes having the highest node degree of 35 was chosen for subsequent analysis. Our findings indicated that high expression of CCNA2 had the highest enrichment effects on cell cycle and was associated with poor prognosis. CCK-8 and colony formation analysis further verified that CCNA2 contributed to the progression of LUAD and the protein expression was significantly elevated in tumor tissues compared to the normal lung tissues. In addition, high expression of CCNA2 is related to the EMT process and may play a role in EMT-induced metastasis in LUAD. Briefly, CCNA2 was identified as one of the hub genes and can promote lung cancer cell growth, migration and invasion via epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Moreover, could avail as a biomarker or therapeutic target to judge the prognosis of LUAD.
EI-StyleGAN: A High Quality Face Cartoon Style Transfer Model
Authors: Li Rui , Fu Fenli
Published: August 2023

Cartoonization of face images is a new art forms applicable to various scenes, but there are problems in the research of incomplete extraction of image details after style transfer, simple superposition between domains, and poor generation quality. Since StyleGAN has better results in the generation of artistic images, on this basis, this paper proposes a new EI-StyleGAN to construct a network model applicable to face style migration, in which the inner and outer style restriction modules are introduced to obtain different detailed features in the images of the two domains, respectively. Meanwhile, the latent space coding is obtained by image inversion before inputting into the generated model, which can perform the transformation between images between the source and target domains. The whole process adopts an incremental generation strategy to smoothly transform the generation space of the model to the target domain, and gradually generates high-quality face cartoon style transfer result image. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the method in improving the image quality after style transfer and the smooth conversion between different styles.
Why Do Some Adult Who are Smoking Perceive E-cigarettes to be More Harmful than Combustible Cigarettes?
Authors: McKeganey Neil , Notley Sophie , Coyle Joanne , Barnard Gabriel
Published: August 2023

Whilst e-cigarettes have been characterised by respected public health bodies as being substantially less harmful than combustible tobacco products, nevertheless research has shown that a significant minority of adults, including those who are smoking, perceive e-cigarettes to be as harmful or more harmful than combustible cigarettes. In this paper we draw upon qualitative data from interviews with U.K. adults who are smoking to look at the reasons why e-cigarettes may be viewed as more harmful than combustible cigarettes. The belief that e-cigarettes may be more harmful than combustible cigarettes was based on a complex array of knowledge, belief, reasons, fears, predictions, reactions, and judgements covering such topics as the technological i.e. non-natural nature of e-cigarettes, uncertainties as to the content of e-liquids, perceptions that these devices expose the user to greater harm resulting from their being used with greater frequency than combustible tobacco products, fear around long-term harm of e-cigarettes, scare stories in the media and concerns around addiction. There is an important need for clear communication from responsible public health bodies and the media conveying the important information to those adults who are continuing to smoke that e-cigarettes are substantially less harmful than combustible tobacco products, and that those adults who are unable or unwilling to quit smoking using validated means of smoking cessation should consider switching to e-cigarettes or other non-combustible tobacco products as a way of reducing the harms they are being exposed to as a result of continuing to smoke.
Approximate Moment Functions for Logistic Stochastic Differential Equations
Authors: Çetin Coşkun , Ðordević Jasmina
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we introduce an iterative procedure for approximate moment functions of logistic stochastic differential equations. We first reduce the solutions of the moment functions of such an equation to an infinite system of linear ordinary differential equations. Then, we determine certain upper and lower bounds on the moment functions, and utilize these bounds to solve the corresponding systems approximately via some truncations, iterations and a local improvement step. By focusing on the stochastic Verhulst systems, we compare these moment approximations with numerical solutions via simulation-based methods that include discretizations of the pathwise solutions as well as convergent numerical procedures like partially implicit Euler methods. In particular, we discuss performance of these approximations for certain parameter values.
Green access to flavonols by one-pot serial aldol-condensation/Algar-Flynn- Oyamada reaction catalyzed by new bio-based catalyst of alkaline-amylopectin
Authors: Tamaddon Fatemeh , Rashidi Hossein
Published: August 2023

Herein, alkaline-amylopectin (AAp) was prepared under chemo-mechanically dry conditions, characterized by base capacity, FT-IR, FESEM, TEM, and TGA analyses, and held as a new bio-organic base catalyst in the one-pot synthesis of flavonols. With a base capacity of 7.3 mmolHO-/g, AAp catalyzed initial aldol condensation and co-operated with the aqueous hydrogen peroxide in the further Algar-Flynn-Oyamada reaction to give high yield of flavonol anti-oxidants. So, either the first aldol-condensation or the latter oxidative cyclization/hydroxylation of the in situ formed 2´-hydroxy-chalcons proceeded successfully in a pot and flavonol products formed with no aurone side product. The structure of the supra-molecular base catalyst AAp was found to be well preserved after five times reusing. This protocol rewards the simple available reactants, no aurone side product, short reaction time, high yield, and catalyst reusability.
FED-AT-VIDEO NETS - A Federated Capsule – Self Gated Learning Architecture for the Multi-View Video Summarization Technique.
Authors: KANDASWAMY VIJAY ANAND , BALACHANDER BHUVANESWARI
Published: August 2023

Video analytics using the huge amount of data from the surveillance networks has become a core function for multiple applications such as object detection, human activity recognition, health care diagnosis and so on. Due to its massive nature, achieving efficient video summarization has become a vital challenge for constructing video analytics architecture. Moreover, these video contains private information, and security against different intruders has also added fuel to the existing challenges. In recent years, a number of architectures have been proposed to achieve better and secured multi-view summarization (MVS) techniques that can aid in better video analytics. Unfortunately, existing architecture needs brighter light of research to eradicate the aforementioned challenges. In this article, federated deep gated attention architecture (FDGAA) is proposed for attaining the secured MVS by organizing the computing and networking resources of cloud and edge cameras collectively. The proposed architecture is modeled as a three-tier framework which is precisely given as 1) Video collection unit (VDU) that collects the videos from the different views of the camera installed. 2) Distributed Training network(DTN) which consists of federated learning self-attention saliency Gated recurrent units(SAS-GRU) in which the training is collaboratively shared among the edges without sacrificing the privacy of video information. 3) Finally the extracted deep features are summarized in the cloud for further processing. Utilizing a variety of datasets and NVIDIA Nano Boards as edge nodes, substantial research is conducted to develop the Google Federated Tensorflow Libraries-based federated learning architecture. Performance has been compared with other MVS systems that are currently based on deep learning to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed framework. In comparison to other state-of-the-art MVS approaches, the experimental evaluation shows that the suggested model performs better.
Multi-feature output deep network ensemble learning for face recognition and verification
Authors: Li Chaorong
Published: August 2023

In facial recognition systems, the sample size of face data is often limited, making it difficult to improve recognition performance through transfer learning using pre-trained deep neural network models (DCNNs). Furthermore, in complex environments, the recognition performance of a single DCNN is greatly weakened. To address these issues, this paper proposes a multi-feature DCNN ensemble learning method based on machine learning for facial recognition and verification. First, the characterization ability of face details is enhanced by expanding the output feature dimension of the DCNN model. Then, machine learning methods with few or no parameters are used for secondary learning on small sample databases to improve recognition/verification performance.In this work, we utilized several mainstream network models such as ResNet50 and SENet to expand and integrate features. The experimental results show that our proposed method can improve the recognition/validation accuracy of existing DCNN models by up to 10%. Moreover, this method does not require training the network, has relatively low computational costs, and has a wide range of practical applications.
An Efficient Multi-Step Framework for Malware Packing Identification
Authors: Kim Jong-Wouk , Moon Yang-Sae , Choi Mi-Jung
Published: August 2023

Packing is a disruptive factor in the field of cybersecurity, as it obstructs the analysis of packed malware and prolongs the lifespan of malware samples. Malware equipped with anti-analysis technologies evades antivirus software and analysis tools. Therefore, detecting and analyzing packed malware is a technically challenging and resource-intensive task. The situation becomes even worse when malware classifiers are trained on the characteristics of packers instead of malware itself. Training models with numerous inadequate data inadvertently renders them impractical for classifying actual malware. Therefore, researchers should consider packetizing to construct practical malware classifier models. In this paper, we aim to propose an opportunity to reconcile the problem of packetizing with identifying it. We present a dataset consisting of over 200K actual malware samples. We propose a multi-step framework for classifying and identifying packed samples. The framework includes pseudo-optimal feature selection, machine learning-based classifiers, and packer identification steps. The framework preselects the top 20 important features using the CART algorithm and permutation importance in the first step. In the second step, each model trains on the preselected 20 features to classify the packed files with the highest performance. The XGBoost algorithm, trained on the features preselected by XGBoost with the permutation importance, demonstrated the best performance among all experimental scenarios, achieving an accuracy of 99.67%, an F1-Score of 99.46%, and an area under the curve of 99.98%. The proposed framework identifies the packer only for samples classified as Well-Known Packed in the third step.
Analysis of FctB3 crystal structure and insight into its structural stabilization and pilin linkage mechanisms
Authors: Takebe Katsuki , Suzuki Mamoru , Sangawa Takeshi , Kreikemeyer Bernd , Yamaguchi Masaya , Uzawa Narikazu , Sumitomo Tomoko , Kawabata Shigetada , Nakata Masanobu
Published: August 2023

Streptococcus pyogenes harboring an FCT type 3 genomic region display pili composed of three types of pilins. In this study, the structure of the base pilin FctB from a serotype M3 strain (FctB3) was determined at 2.8 Å resolution. In accordance with the previously reported structure of FctB from a serotype T9 strain (FctB9), FctB3 was found to consist of an immunoglobulin-like domain and proline-rich tail region. Data obtained from structure comparison reveled main differences in the omega loop structure and the proline-rich tail direction. In the omega loop structure, a differential hydrogen bond network was observed, while the lysine residue responsible for linkage to growing pili was located at the same position in both structures, which indicated that switching of the hydrogen bond network in the omega loop without changing the lysine position is advantageous for linkage to the backbone pilin FctA. The difference in direction of the proline-rich tail is potentially caused by a single residue located at the root of the proline-rich tail. Also, the FctB3 structure was found to be stabilized by intramolecular large hydrophobic interactions instead of an isopeptide bond. Comparisons of the FctB3 and FctA structures indicated that the FctA structure is more favorable for linkage to FctA. Additionally, the heterodimer formation of FctB with Cpa or FctA was shown to be mediated by the putative chaperone SipA. Together, these findings provide an alternative FctB structure as well as insight into the interactions between pilin proteins.
On the Exact analytical solution and Van der Pol like equation of infectious diseases model with the time-dependent total population
Authors: Zakia Zulfa Siti , Nurmala Intan , Wijayanto Mirda Prisma , Sulaiman Albertus
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we derive the exact analytical solution in the parametric form of the infectious diseases (SIR) model, taking into account the population migration and vaccines SIRVN. By applying derivatives and substitutions, we convert the SIRVN equation into nonlinear third-order differential equation, and get an approximate semi-analytical solution in the form of a parametric function. The long-time oscillatory behavior of SIRVN model studies reduces to Van der Pol like equation with nonlinear damping. An analytic solution is obtained by multi-scale analysis and the Laplace transform methods. The result shows the comparison between the exact solution and the Jakarta outbreak data correlate of about R2 = 0.99. We also found that the vaccine effectively reduces the outbreak’s peak, and the asymptotic stability implies that Jakarta will change from the pandemic to the endemic. Finally, the solutions of Van der Pol-like equation show that the existence of multiple outbreak waves can be explained by this model.
Technical-economic evaluation to integrate a solar photovoltaic with biomass thermoelectric plants
Authors: Geris César André Alessio , Silva Sergio Batista , Souto Olívio Carlos Nascimento , Hunt Julian David , Belchior Fernando Nunes , Freitas Marcos Aurélio Vasconcelos
Published: August 2023

Biomass used to be a serious problem and caused several environmental impacts but it is currently lacking in some industrial units. Along with this condition, the accelerated growth of photovoltaic technology in the country due to its strong environmental appeal, cheaper equipment and the prominent position of Brazil in terms of solar potential has made this energy source a very competitive option for use in a hybrid way with other generation forms. This study presents a data analysis of a Biomass Thermoelectric Power Plant operating in Araporã, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Herein, a photovoltaic system is dimensioned with the plant working within its project conditions and analyzes are carried out on electricity generation from this technology and its impacts on the company’s financial income, focusing on correcting or mitigating a large part of the deficit problems in electric power generation faced by the company. This article conducts a study on the economic feasibility of installing a photovoltaic solar plant to operate in conjunction with a Biomass Thermoelectric Power Plant, presenting data that proves that this investment is capable of reducing the biomass consumption from sugarcane bagasse and reaching minimum export surpluses.
Screening of keloid immune microenvironment-related genes and their effects on keloid proliferation and migration
Authors: Pei Yongyan , Wu Yikai , Zhang Mengqi , Su Xuemin , Cao Hua , Zhao Jiaji
Published: August 2023

Keloid is a kind of proliferative scar with continuous growth, no restriction and easy recurrence, which cannot be cured and bring serious physical injury and psychological burden to patients. The main reason is that the pathological mechanism is not clear. Therefore, this project is expected to reveal the immune microenvironment-related genes and their functions in keloid progression, and provide effective targets for the treatment of keloid. Firstly, 8 kinds of immune infiltrating cells and 19 potential characteristic genes were identified by immune infiltration analysis, ssGSEA, LASSO regression (glmnet algorithm and lars algorithm) and WGCNA, indicating that keloid is closely related to the changes of immune microenvironment. Then, 4 pathological biomarkers of keloid (MAPK1, PTPRC, STAT3 and IL1R1) were identified by differentially analysis, univariate analysis, LASSO regression (lars algorithm), support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-REF) algorithm, multivariate logical regression analysis and six machine learning algorithms. Based on the 4-characteristic genes, the risk prediction model and nomogram are constructed. Calibration curve and ROC analysis (AUC = 0.930) show that the model has reliable clinical value. Subsequently, consistent cluster analysis was used to find that there were 2 immune microenvironment subsets in keloid patients, of which subgroup Ⅱ was immune subgroup. Multiple independent datasets and RT-qPCR showed that the expression trend of the 4 genes was consistent with the analysis. Cell gain-loss experiment confirmed that 4 genes regulate the proliferation and migration of keloid cells. The above data shows that MAPK1, PTPRC, STAT3 and IL1R1 may be personalized therapeutic targets for keloid patients.
Fine root distribution and soil physicochemical properties variations in four contrasting urban land use types in South Korea
Authors: Tran Lan Thi Ngoc , An Ji Young , Carayugan Mark Bryan , Hernandez Jonathan O. , Rahman SK Abidur , Yoon Woo Bin , Jo Min Seon , Carvalho Julia Inacio , Han Si Ho , Nguyen Hai-Hoa , Park Byung Bae
Published: August 2023

Fine root distribution patterns across land use types and their relationships with soil physicochemical properties are crucial for sustainable management of vegetated urban land uses amid urbanization and increasing demands for green spaces. Thus, we investigated soil properties and spatial distribution of fine roots mass in two diameter classes of fine roots (0–2 and 2–5 mm) at six soil depths across different land use types in urban areas, including grassland (ZJ), apple orchards (MP), pine forest (PD) and oak forest (QA). Soil pH, organic matter (OM), potassium, calcium varied significantly across land use types. Available P, Ca2+, Mg2+, pH, and NO3-N were higher in ZJ and MP, while CEC, C/N ratio, and OM were higher in PD and QA. Total fine root biomass and necromass (0-5cm) across the 0–30 cm soil profile in ZJ, MP, PD, QA were 440.09, 98.30, 487.21, 700.30 g m− 2 and 88.49, 1.06, 34.33, 64.49 g m− 2, respectively. Results revealed that fine root vertical distribution varied among land use types and most of fine roots were found in the topsoil layers (0–10 cm), except for MP. Fine root biomass in the upper soil layer (0–10 cm) across land use types followed the order ZJ > QA > PD > MP. In conclusion, fine root biomass/necromass differed significantly, primarily explained by variations in soil physicochemical properties and depth. Findings of the study can enhance understanding of the factors influencing spatial distribution of fine roots of various plants and provide implications for sustainable management of different vegetated land uses in urban areas.
Maximum-norm a posteriori error bounds for an extrapolated upwind scheme applied to a singularly perturbed convection-diffusion problem
Authors: Linss Torsten , Radojev Goran
Published: August 2023

Richardson extrapolation is applied to a simple first-order upwind difference scheme for the approximation of solutions of singularly perturbed convection-diffusion problems in one dimension. Robust α posteriori error bounds are derived for the proposed method on arbitrary meshes. It is shown that the resulting error estimator can be used to stear an adaptive mesh algorithm that generates meshes resolving layers and singularities. Numerical results are presented that illustrate the theoretical findings.
AMS subject classification (2020): 65L11, 65L50, 65L70