bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Standing the test of COVID-19: charting the new frontiers of medicine
Authors: Cauchemez Simon , Cossu Giulio , Delzenne Nathalie , Elinav Eran , Fassin Didier , Fischer Alain , Hartung Thomas , Kalra Dipak , Netea Mihai , Neyts Johan , Rappuoli Rino , Pizza Mariagrazia , Saville Melanie , Tenaerts Pamela , Wright Gerry , Sansonetti Philippe , Goldman Michel
Published: May 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated research and innovation across numerous fields of medicine. It emphasized how disease concepts must reflect dynamic and heterogeneous interrelationships between physical characteristics, genetics, co-morbidities, environmental exposures, and socioeconomic determinants of health throughout life. This article explores how scientists and other stakeholders must collaborate in novel, interdisciplinary ways at these new frontiers of medicine, focusing on communicable diseases, precision/personalized medicine, systems medicine, and data science. The pandemic highlighted the critical protective role of vaccines against current and emerging threats. Radical efficiency gains in vaccine development (through mRNA technologies, public and private investment, and regulatory measures) must be leveraged in the future together with continued innovation in the area of monoclonal antibodies, novel antimicrobials, and multisectoral, international action against communicable diseases. Inter-individual heterogeneity in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 prompted the development of targeted therapeutics. Beyond COVID-19, medicine will become increasingly personalized via advanced omics-based technologies and systems biology—for example targeting the role of the gut microbiome and specific mechanisms underlying immunoinflammatory diseases and genetic conditions. Modeling proved critical to strengthening risk assessment and supporting COVID-19 decision-making. Advanced computational analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) may help integrate epidemic modeling, clinical features, genomics, immune factors, microbiome data, and other anthropometric measures into a “systems medicine” approach. The pandemic also accelerated digital medicine, giving telehealth and digital therapeutics critical roles in health system resilience and patient care. New research methods employed during COVID-19, including decentralized trials, could benefit evidence generation and decision-making more widely. In conclusion, the future of medicine will be shaped by interdisciplinary multistakeholder collaborations that address complex molecular, clinical, and social interrelationships, fostering precision medicine while improving public health. Open science, innovative partnerships, and patient-centricity will be key to success.
Review of the high bed–low ditch system as an alternative to lowland paddy in tropical and subtropical Asia
Authors: Zhao Fei , Luo Shiming , Zhang Jiaen
Published: May 2024

Many forms of traditional raised bed systems could be found around the world. Several of them have been identified as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) sites by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Unlike traditional raised bed systems with similar structures in the Americas, the high bed–low ditch (HBLD) system in tropical and subtropical Asia, which is originated and developed from rice production, has been playing an important role in enhancing food security and maintaining farmer livelihood for centuries. Moreover, products provided by HBLD system are not only important for the livelihood of the local farmers, but also important for people living in the nearby towns and cities especially for vegetable and fruit supply. In this system, the ditches or sunken beds can be used to lower the groundwater table, retain nutrients and soil particles washed from the bed, grow rice or aquatic vegetables, and raise fish or shrimp. The HBLD system can also help to reduce salinity in coastal lowlands due to the presence of ditches. The raised beds can be used to grow various upland crops. Compared with rice monocropping, the adoption of HBLD system significantly improves the cropping intensity, productivity, employment, and income of farmers. Famers’ long-term practices fully demonstrate that this system is a type of sustainable agriculture with strong adaptability to the changes of natural environment. However, it should also be noted that the large-scale development of HBLD systems is not simply dependent on natural conditions, but is also determined by specific socioeconomic factors, such as good transportation facilities, a well market system, and a sufficient supply of labor. As a model of equilibrium between food production and high levels of biodiversity maintenance, the HBLD system is an important agricultural heritage system with global significance, and it should be well preserved and utilized in new ways to realize its important multiple functions under conditions of rapid urbanization in lowland and coastal regions.
Are agroecological cooperative supermarkets an alternative for scaling sustainable food?
Authors: Sanz-Cañada Javier , Yacamán-Ochoa Carolina , Pérez-Campaña Rocío
Published: May 2024

The paper attempts to investigate the capacity of agroecological cooperative supermarkets in Spain to promote scaling of food products by means of a double perspective. We first employ a vertical scaling approach to analyze the issues affecting the governance and collective organization of the Cooperative Supermarket Network (CSN), set up in May 2022 and comprising eleven Spanish supermarkets. Secondly, we employ a perspective of horizontal scaling to investigate the potential for increased numbers of members, as well as the geographic and sociodemographic variables at play which limit the abovementioned scaling: to this end we use the case study of the cooperative supermarket La Osa, opened in Madrid in December 2020. We adopt a methodology based on participatory action research throughout the years 2022 and 2023, in which the research team was involved in the real processes of creation and development of the CSN or of La Osa. The study confirms the hypothesis that agroecological cooperative supermarkets constitute a formula for efficient retail distribution for scaling sustainable food in Spain. As opposed to the first-generation options for responsible consumption, these supermarkets appear to contribute to generating significant economies of scale and scope. In terms of vertical scaling, joint provision of services, as well as the gaining of political influence in society, constitute the main advantages in relation to the functioning of the CSN. While the recruitment of new members has heretofore been considered a priority in horizontal scaling, particular emphasis should also be placed on loyalty strategies targeting existing members.
Atmospheric Sound Propagation over Rough Sea: Numerical Evaluation of Equivalent Acoustic Impedance of Varying Sea States
Authors: Vecchiotti Andrea , Ryan Teresa J. , Vignola Joseph F. , Turo Diego
Published: May 2024

This work presents a numerical study on atmospheric sound propagation over rough water surfaces with the aim of improving predictions of sound propagation over long distances. A method for generating pseudorandom sea profiles consistent with sea wave spectra is presented. The proposed method is suited for capturing the logarithmic nature of the energy distribution of the waves. Sea profiles representing fully developed seas for sea states 2, 3, 4, and 5 are generated from the Elfouhaily et al. (ECKV) sea wave spectra. Excess attenuation caused by refraction and surface roughness is predicted with a parabolic equation (PE) solver. A novel method for estimating equivalent effective impedance based on PE predictions at different sea states is presented. Parametric expressions using acoustic frequency and significant wave height are developed for effective surface impedances. In this work, sea surface roughness is on a scale comparable with the acoustic wavelength. Under this condition, the acoustic scattering is primarily incoherent. This work shows the limitations of using an equivalent surface impedance in such incoherent scattering cases.
Amino Acid Changes during Maturation in Solanum Fruit
Authors: Staveckienė Jūratė , Medveckienė Brigita , Vaštakaitė-Kairienė Viktorija , Kulaitienė Jurgita , Jarienė Elvyra
Published: May 2024

The goal of this study is to assess the impacts of ripening stage of four Solanum fruit species: (Solanum melanocerasum, Solanum nigrum, Solanum villosum, and Solanum retroflexum) on the content of amino acids and protein. Our objective is to enhance comprehension of the maturity process, with a particular focus on Solanum fruits, in order to determine the most advantageous time for harvesting. Amino acids play a crucial role in human nutrition by serving as building blocks for various primary and secondary metabolites. They are either a source of nutraceutical substances or important dietary components. The studied Solanum fruit’s amino acid profiles were found essential and nonessential amino acids. Our findings showed that dominant amino acids were nonessential amino acids. Depending on the ripening stage, the nonessential amino acid content of the Solanum melanocerasum fruits varied from 8.22 to 9.25 g 100 g−1, Solanum villosum from 5.34 to 6.60 g 100 g−1, Solanum nigrum from 6.12 to 8.73 g 100 g−1, and Solanum retroflexum from 8.27 to 9.75 g 100 g−1. A differentiated level of total protein is found in Solanum fruits at different ripening stages. The interval was from 10.62 to 28.06 g 100 g−1 depending on species or ripening stages.
Evidence of Allelopathy among Selected Moss Species with Lettuce and Radish
Authors: Matić Nikolina A. , Ćosić Marija V. , Božović Djordje P. , Poponessi Silvia , Pavkov Sara D. , Goga Michal , Vujičić Milorad M. , Sabovljević Aneta D. , Sabovljević Marko S.
Published: May 2024

There is limited evidence on bryophyte-tracheophyte allelopathic interactions. Even less is known about such relationships among commercially important plants and mosses. With the aim of screening such interactions, various extract concentrations of nine different mosses were tested on the seed germination and seedlings, i.e., hypocotyl elongation and total chlorophyll content of lettuce and radish. The allelopathic effects are documented to be pairwise (moss-vegetable) and species-specific. Based on the results, the extracts of Leucodon sciuroides and Dicranum polysetum are not harmful to lettuce and radish. Lower extract concentrations of Leucodon sciuroides and Ctenidium molluscum have a positive effect on lettuce development, while those of Thuidium delicatulum, Ctenidium molluscum, and Dicranum polysetum showed to be effective on radish. Further, negative effects were noticed when applying higher extract concentration of Abietinella abietina, Isothecium alopecuroides, Dicranum polysetum, and Racomitrium elongatum to lettuce and Isothecium alopecuroides to radish. The dataset presented in this study offers numerous possibilities for further target pest/vegetable type applications since some of the moss extracts are shown to be positive, negative, or indifferent to the tested features in lettuce and radish.
Research on a Low-Cost High-Precision Positioning System for Orchard Mowers
Authors: Fei Ke , Mai Chaodong , Jiang Runpeng , Zeng Ye , Ma Zhe , Cai Jiamin , Li Jun
Published: May 2024

To regulate the energy flow in orchard ecosystems and maintain the environment, weeding has become a necessary measure for fruit farmers, and the use of automated mowers can help reduce labor costs and improve the economic efficiency of orchards. However, due to the complexity of the geographic and spatial environment of the orchard, in particular, the loose and undulating road surface, the interference of satellite signals by large trees, etc., which decreases the positioning accuracy and stability of the positioning system of the mower, and the high cost of the sensor also affect the popularization of intelligent mowers for these applications. To address the above problems, this paper constructs a positioning system through a low-cost global navigation satellite system (GNSS), inertial measurement unit (IMU), and odometry, and utilizes the Kalman filter algorithm based on the error state for a combined GNSS/IMU positioning so that the inertial navigation system can maintain a more accurate positioning when the GNSS signals are poor. Considering the side-slip and error accumulation problems of the odometry of the traction mower, the combined GNSS/IMU positioning information is used to optimize the odometry model and improve the navigation and positioning accuracy. To reduce the measurement error of the IMU and the problem of error accumulation, this paper utilizes the nonholonomic constraint (NHC) of a lawn mower to suppress the dispersion of IMU measurement errors and constructs periodic and nonperiodic zero-velocity updating (ZUPT) strategies in combination with the travel paths of lawn mower navigation operations in the region to update the IMU data to improve the positioning accuracy and stability of the positioning system. The experiments show that the average error of the constructed positioning system is controlled within 0.15 m, the maximum error is maintained at approximately 0.3 m, and the positioning system constructed by using low-cost sensors can achieve a positioning accuracy similar to that of the differential global navigation satellite system (DGNSS), which is beneficial for the promotion and application of intelligent mowers in orchards.
Pharmacist-Led Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme in Two Tertiary Hospitals in Malawi
Authors: Nyoloka Nelson , Richards Charlotte , Mpute William , Chadwala Hope Michael , Kumwenda Hanna Stambuli , Mwangonde-Phiri Violet , Phiri Aggrey , Phillips Ceri , Makanga Charlotte
Published: May 2024

The ultimate goal of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes is to decrease the occurrence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In response to this, a pharmacist partnership was established between Malawi and Wales (UK) with the aim of strengthening antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) activities in Malawi, with the initial project focusing on two tertiary referral hospitals. The Global Point Prevalence Survey (GPPS) was undertaken for the first time in Malawi at these sites and demonstrated a prescribing rate slightly lower than the African average, with ceftriaxone indicated for almost every bacterial infection. An educational intervention was also delivered, with a train-the-trainer approach upskilling pharmacists at the two sites, who then cascaded co-produced training sessions to an additional 120 multidisciplinary health professionals. A toolkit to support AMS at an individual patient level was also developed and disseminated to provide an ongoing reference to refer to. Both the trainings and toolkit were well received. Over the course of this project, significant progress has been made with the AMS programmes at the two sites, with local staff empowered to implement AMS activities. These interventions could be easily replicated and scaled and support the delivery of some of the AMS elements of the Malawi Ministry of Health National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance.
Can Hediste diversicolor Speed Up the Breakdown of Cigarette Butts in Marine Sediments?
Authors: Conradi Mercedes , Sánchez-Moyano J. Emilio , Rodríguez-Martín Francisco J. , Bayo Javier
Published: May 2024

Cigarette butts (CBs) are non-biodegradable harmful residues of synthetic origin and are widespread in marine environments around the world. Although environmental factors are often primarily responsible for the fragmentation of microplastics in the marine environment, biotic factors have recently been shown to be equally important in plastic debris. This study evaluates the role of the Hediste diversicolor polychaete in the fragmentation of CBs in the marine environment. Polychaetes were exposed to three concentrations of CB (0 (as the control), 0.25, and 1 butt L−1) at two different temperatures (15 °C and 23 °C) for 28 days. At each temperature, aquaria without polychaetes were used to study the effect of the burrowing activity of the polychaete on CB fragmentation. Toxicants analysed from exposed sediments increased their concentration in a dose-dependent manner to the CB concentration at a temperature of 15 °C but not at 23 °C. CBs did not directly decrease Hediste survival, but prolonged elevated temperatures increased the polychaetes’ susceptibility. The negative effects of CBs on burial success and burrowing behaviour could not be offset by the reduced start time caused by elevated temperatures. Regardless of temperature, both the weight loss and physical fragmentation of CBs buried in polychaete-contaminated sediments were significantly higher than those without Hediste, with no differences between the two concentrations tested. FTIR-ATR analysis used to evaluate CB degradation in relation to cellulose acetate decomposition showed a greater degradation of this compound in treatments with Hediste than in those without polychaetes (~2.75 times), but these differences were not significant. This study is a promising initial step for future research, as any factor that facilitates the fragmentation of this prevalent and hazardous waste must be carefully studied to extract the maximum benefit to help to reduce CBs in the marine environment.
Impact of Exposure to Commonly Used Carbamide Peroxide on Dental Pulp Stem Cells
Authors: Shayegan Amir , Vozza Iole , Bossù Maurizio , Malikzade Nihad
Published: May 2024

Background: This study investigated the contact between adult dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and carbamide peroxide (CP), a bleaching agent that is a popular choice for at-home whitening products, using an in vitro model. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of exposure to different concentrations and timings of a commonly used peroxide-based home tooth-whitening product on DPSCs. Materials and methods: Human DPSCs obtained from impacted third molars were cultured and exposed to various concentrations of carbamide peroxide (0.1%, 0.5%, and 1%). The effects of CP on DPSC proliferation and apoptosis were investigated by MTT assay and flow cytometry. Migration was investigated by micrographs of wound healing. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IL-6 and IL-8) was used to investigate the CP-stimulated cytokine production of DPSCs. Each experiment was performed three times with independent batches of DPSCs. Statistical analysis of the collected data was performed using one-way and two-way ANOVAs with the significance threshold set at p < 0.05. Tukey’s post hoc multiple comparison test was used to identify differences between groups. Results: Cell viability and adherence were lower in the CP-exposed cells compared to the non-stimulated cells, probably due to increased cell death (** p ≤ 0.01, **** p ≤ 0.0001). CP-stimulated DPSCs exhibited a dose-dependent release of IL-6 and IL-8 (**** p ≤ 0.0001). CP did not affect wound healing at any concentration tested. Conclusions: Human DPSCs were able to sense CP. Consequently, CP contributed significantly to cell apoptosis and local inflammatory responses through cytokine release.
FungiRegEx: A Tool for Pattern Identification in Fungal Proteomic Sequences Using Regular Expressions
Authors: Terrón-Macias Victor , Mejia Jezreel , Canseco-Pérez Miguel Angel , Muñoz Mirna , Terrón-Hernández Miguel
Published: May 2024

In the context of proteomic-scale research, it is imperative to automatically analyze numerous species and subspecies to discern distinctive characteristics present in multiple species of the fungi kingdom that contain sequences of interest that could fulfill a specific biological function. To achieve this, complex sequences must be recognized within an organism’s entire set of proteomes. Our study presents FungiRegEx, a piece of software that facilitates the identification of regular expressions of proteomes of fungal organisms and uses real-time data retrieval of the different species from the JGI Mycocosm database without the need to download any file. Integrating a graphical user interface that makes it easy to use, the tool offers regular expression searches on 2402 fungal species from the JGI Mycocosm portal. The tool was validated with the AXSXG sequence and the RXRL effector, demonstrating the effectiveness of FungiRegEx in identifying user-defined patterns in the recovered sequences. This tool allows customization and filtering, and it can save results if required, combining speed, adaptability, and ease of use. It provides an experience without a console and programming, displaying the results in a GUI and making them easier to read. Its architecture guarantees optimized use of resources, time consumption, and implementation flexibility, allowing the customization of specific software parameters for resource management. The tool’s potential for future research and exploration is emphasized, providing a nuanced perspective on its practical use within the fungal genomics community. The tools are available at the addresses mentioned in the text.
Electrical Heating of Carbon Textile Reinforced Concrete—Possible Effects on Tensile Load-Bearing Behavior
Authors: Dahlhoff Annette , Raupach Michael
Published: May 2024

Carbon-textile-reinforced concrete (CTRC) is currently used as a high-performance composite material in the construction industry, comprising concrete and a non-metallic reinforcement. In addition to remarkable material properties such as tensile-load-bearing behavior, durability and density, this innovative material features high electrical conductivity, offering the potential for electrical heat generation within building components. This paper contributes to the field by exploring the unique combination of properties exhibited by carbon-textile reinforcements (CTR) electrically heated up to 80 °C. The impact of the electrical heating of CTR was evaluated by conducting stationary tests on load-bearing behavior. The tests were conducted on two different CTRs: one impregnated with polystyrene, and the other with epoxy resin additionally surface-modified with quartz sand. In order to quantify the influence of individual material parameters, tensile tests were conducted on the components comprising CTR and mortar, as well as the composite CTRC. The analysis focused on electrically heated carbon-textile reinforcements, comparing them through experiments conducted at varying ambient temperatures. This study presents pioneering findings on heated CTRC, determining that electrical heating decreases tensile strength with increasing temperature for the investigated reinforcement materials. The softening of the impregnation materials proved to be a decisive factor. This interdisciplinary approach bridges materials science with thermal management in construction, offering insights into the practical applications of CTR in innovative building designs.
VR Simulation and Implementation of Robotics: A Tool for Streamlining and Optimization
Authors: Špirková Simona , Straka Martin , Saniuk Anna
Published: May 2024

This article explores the significance of simulation-based analysis in understanding the effectiveness of material handling strategies. By utilizing simulation models, businesses can optimize production processes, streamline flows, and enhance overall logistics efficiency. In today’s competitive market landscape, the significance of product manipulation cannot be overstated. It directly influences consumer perception and plays a pivotal role in gaining a competitive advantage. Simulation-based analysis has emerged as a powerful tool for optimizing production processes and enhancing logistics efficiency. Robotics sorting and loading offer increased accuracy, speed, and efficiency over manual processes. Their implementation boost productivity, cuts costs, and enhances working conditions. In today’s competitive market, effective product handling shapes consumer perception and competitiveness. VR simulation-based analysis optimizes manufacturing, logistics, and robotics, driving efficiency. Through advanced VR simulation models, businesses streamline operations, adapt to market dynamics, and embrace automation, enhancing competitiveness.
Solvent Bar Microextraction Method Based on a Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent and Multivariate Optimization for Determination of Steroid Hormones in Urine and Water
Authors: AL-Hashimi Nabil N. , Abed Alfattah Husam , El-Barghouthi Musa I. , El-Sheikh Amjad H. , Ale-nezi Hanan M. , Sunjuk Mahmoud S. , Fahelelbom Khairi M.
Published: May 2024

Steroid hormones may pose potential risks to both human health and wildlife, primarily through the consumption of medication or polluted food and water; efforts are being made to monitor their levels in the human body and regulate and minimize their releases to the environment. In this study, a simple and environmentally friendly sample preparation method was developed to simultaneously determine three steroid hormones in urine and water samples. A monoterpene (menthol) and a fatty acid (lauric acid) were combined in various ratios to form a hydrophobic deep eutectic (HDE) solvent as an extraction solvent in solvent bar microextraction (SBME). Using a univariate strategy, a menthol-to-lauric acid HDE ratio of 4:1 and a pH 7 of the sample solution resulted in the highest extraction efficiency (EE%) of the selected steroids. The computational methods have been employed to predict a 4:1 HDE interaction with chosen steroids. Additionally, chemometric approaches suggested that the optimal extraction conditions involved HDEs as extract solvent confined within three SBME devices directly immersed into a 20 mL sample solution with a 30 min extraction time, followed by ultrasonication within 200 μL of elution solvent for a 5 min elution time. Under optimized conditions, the method calibration graph for the spiked selected steroids in the water and urine samples showed good linearity with R2 ≥ 0.994 with limits of detection/quantification lower than 0.40/1.35 μg L−1 and repeatability/reproducibility (RSD%, n = 5) lower than 5.09/7.11. The developed method allows a safe, rapid, and reliable analysis of three steroid hormones in human urine and water samples without using toxic volatile organic solvents.
A Few-Shot Object Detection Method for Endangered Species
Authors: Yan Hongmei , Ruan Xiaoman , Zhu Daixian , Kong Haoran , Liu Peixuan
Published: May 2024

Endangered species detection plays an important role in biodiversity conservation and is significant in maintaining ecological balance. Existing deep learning-based object detection methods are overly dependent on a large number of supervised samples, and building such endangered species datasets is usually costly. Aiming at the problems faced by endangered species detection, such as low accuracy and easy loss of location information, an efficient endangered species detection method with fewer samples is proposed to extend the few-shot object detection technique to the field of endangered species detection, which requires only a small number of training samples to obtain excellent detection results. First, SE-Res2Net is proposed to optimize the feature extraction capability. Secondly, an RPN network with multiple attention mechanism is proposed. Finally, for the classification confusion problem, a weighted prototype-based comparison branch is introduced to construct weighted category prototype vectors, which effectively improves the performance of the original classifier. Under the setting of 30 samples in the endangered species dataset, the average detection accuracy value of the method, mAP50, reaches 76.54%, which is 7.98% higher than that of the pre-improved FSCE method. This paper also compares the algorithm on the PASCOL VOC dataset, which is optimal and has good generalization ability compared to the other five algorithms.
The Development of a Cold-Chain-Packaging Risk Management Model Based on Fuzzy Bayesian Network
Authors: Ren Tianran , Ren Jun , Matellini Dante Ben
Published: May 2024

Cold chain packaging faces high levels of uncertainty due to its complex nature and dynamic environments during transportation, and the importance of safety and risk management. This study aims to propose a risk assessment model for cold chain packaging based on a fuzzy Bayesian Network. A case study on vaccine cold chain shipping containers is conducted for the illustration of the risk management model, and risk factors like container risk, packaging risk, monitoring risk and handling risk, occupational and product safety risk have been identified and assessed. This paper will add new knowledge to the field of cold chain packaging, which still lacks research attention, and will be useful for industry managers to gain a better understand of the dynamics and risks of cold chain packaging.
Chemical Gas Source Localization with Synthetic Time Series Diffusion Data Using Video Vision Transformer
Authors: Jang Hee-Deok , Kwon Seokjoon , Nam Hyunwoo , Chang Dong Eui
Published: May 2024

Gas source localization is vital in emergency scenarios to enable swift and effective responses. In this study, we introduce a gas source localization model leveraging the video vision transformer (ViViT). Utilizing synthetic time series diffusion data, the source grid is predicted by classifying the grid with the highest probability of gas occurrence within the diffusion data coverage. Through extensive experimentation using the NBC-RAMS simulator, we generate large datasets of gas diffusion under varied experimental conditions and meteorological environments, enabling comprehensive model training and evaluation. Our findings demonstrate that the ViViT outperforms other deep learning models in processing time series gas data, showcasing a superior estimation performance. Leveraging a transformer architecture, the ViViT exhibits a robust classification performance even in scenarios influenced by weather conditions or incomplete observations. Furthermore, we conduct an analysis of accuracy and parameter count across various input sequence lengths, revealing the ability of the ViViT to maintain high computational efficiency while achieving accurate source localization. These results underscore the effectiveness of the ViViT as a model for gas source localization, particularly in situations demanding a rapid response in real-world environments, such as gas leaks or attacks.
Overcoming the Technological Barriers in the Blockchain Supply Chain for Small Carriers
Authors: Gogola Marian , Rovnanikova Dominika , Cerny Mikulas
Published: May 2024

The current trend in supply chain development requires the application of new knowledge to meet the challenges posed by new technologies. One such technology is blockchain, which facilitates supply chain solutions through the use of innovative data transfer, storage, and verification systems. However, the use of blockchain can be challenging for certain stakeholders, such as small carriers, who may lack the necessary technical expertise or access to the technology. In this paper, we explore the potential for engaging small carriers that provide services within the blockchain supply chain but face technological barriers. We identify the technological barriers and opportunities for these carriers to participate, focusing on a case study of a small carrier that transports temperature-sensitive cargo. As one of the innovations, we proposed a classification according to three types of control levels, which are of fundamental importance in blockchain applications. In addition, we tested in-vehicle temperature measurement for use in cold chains and stored the transaction in a distributive ledger application in blockchain.
Knowledge Graph Completion Using a Pre-Trained Language Model Based on Categorical Information and Multi-Layer Residual Attention
Authors: Rao Qiang , Wang Tiejun , Guo Xiaoran , Wang Kaijie , Yan Yue
Published: May 2024

Knowledge graph completion (KGC) utilizes known knowledge graph triples to infer and predict missing knowledge, making it one of the research hotspots in the field of knowledge graphs. There are still limitations in generating high-quality entity embeddings and fully understanding the contextual information of entities and relationships. To overcome these challenges, this paper introduces a novel pre-trained language model-based method for knowledge graph completion that significantly enhances the quality of entity embeddings by integrating entity categorical information with textual descriptions. Additionally, this method employs an innovative multi-layer residual attention network in combination with PLMs, deepening the understanding of the joint contextual information of entities and relationships. Experimental results on the FB15k-237 and WN18RR datasets demonstrate that our proposed model significantly outperforms existing baseline models in link prediction tasks.
Finite Element Analysis on the Behavior of Solidified Soil Embankments on Piled Foundations under Dynamic Traffic Loads
Authors: Guo Qianqian , Li Bingyi , Ye Zi , Xu Jie
Published: May 2024

Most research conducted so far has primarily focused on pile-supported gravel embankments. The ability of solidified soil used as an embankment filling material has been verified, and a clear view on the performance of solidified soil embankments on piled foundations is rather limited. The three-dimensional unit cell models of pile-supported embankments are conducted to investigate the performance of solidified soil embankments in comparison to gravel embankments under static and dynamic loads. Then, a systematic parametric analysis is performed to investigate the effects of various factors, including the cohesion and friction of solidified soil, the velocity and wheel load of vehicles, the pile spacing, the height of embankments. The results show that, compared with the results of gravel embankments, the heights of the outer soil arch plane in solidified soil embankments reduces under static and dynamic loads, and the piles bear more load. In addition, the total settlements of solidified soil embankments decrease with increasing cohesions, and there is an economical cohesion of 25 kPa. The vehicle wheel load, pile spacing, and the height of embankment significantly influence the load transfer mechanism and total settlement of solidified soil embankment, while the friction angles and velocities have little effect on the total settlements and vertical stress. The relationship between the soil arch height and various parameters in solidified soil embankments is established by multiple regression analysis. This investigation highlights the advantage of solidified soil in reducing total settlement and provides an insightful understanding of the load transfer mechanism of solidified soil embankment on piled foundation.
GreenRu: A Russian Dataset for Detecting Mentions of Green Practices in Social Media Posts
Authors: Zakharova Olga , Glazkova Anna
Published: May 2024

Green practices are social practices that aim to harmonize the relations between people and the natural environment. They may involve minimizing the use of resources and the generation of waste and emissions. Detecting green practices in social media posts helps to understand which green practices are currently common and to develop recommendations on the scaling of green practices to reduce environmental problems. This paper describes GreenRu, a novel Russian social media dataset for detecting the mentions of green practices related to waste management. It has a sentence-level markup and consists of 1326 posts collected in Russian online communities. The total number of mentions of green waste practices is 3765. The paper assessed the effectiveness of the multi-label and one-versus-rest BERT-based models for detecting the mentions of green practices in social media posts and compared several data augmentation methods in terms of both classification metrics and human evaluation. To augment the dataset, a backtranslation method and generative language models, such as RuGPT, RuT5, and ChatGPT, were used in this study. The results enable researchers to monitor the green waste practices on social networks and develop environmental policies. Additionally, GreenRu can support machine learning models to analyze social media content, assess the prevalence and effectiveness of green waste practices, and identify ways to expand them.
Do Hand Exercises Influence Physiological Hand Tremor? An Observational Cohort Study on Healthy Young Adults
Authors: Papale Olga , Di Rocco Francesca , Festino Emanuel , Gammino Viviana , Cortis Cristina , Fusco Andrea
Published: May 2024

Physiological hand tremors appear to be one of the most common types of tremors that occur during the lifespan. Activities most prominently affected by hand tremors are those involving the movement of small muscles, such as fine motor skills, which in turn could be influenced by several factors, including lateral dominance. The difference in skills due to lateral dominance is defined as inter-limb imbalance or inter-limb asymmetry. When this asymmetry is attributed to the tremor and the difference in tremor between the limbs, it could be defined as the inter-limb asymmetry of tremors. This study aimed to evaluate the acute effects of wobble-board hand exercise training on the inter-limb asymmetry of tremors. Thirty-two (eighteen males and fourteen females) participants (age: 25.2 ± 2.6 years, weight: 63.9 ± 10.5 kg, height: 1.66 ± 0.8 m, and BMI: 22.8 ± 2.3 kg/m2) were involved in the study. Before (PRE) and after (POST) the wobble-board hand exercises, postural hand tremor was evaluated using a tri-axial accelerometer fixed under the palm. Recordings were taken for 15 s. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the effects of hand exercises on inter-limb (dominant vs. non-dominant) asymmetry of tremor in testing time (PRE vs. POST) in relation to sex (male vs. female). The statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Significant differences were found in physiological hand tremors between limbs (dominant vs. non-dominant) in the PRE evaluation (p = 0.03) independently from sex while no differences were found in the POST evaluation. A significant difference emerged in the PRE evaluation for males (p = 0.04) and females (p = 0.03) in relation to the testing time and preferred hand. This difference was no longer present in the POST evaluation. In conclusion, wobble-board hand exercises could represent an effective strategy to reduce inter-limb asymmetry. These results emphasize the importance of task-specific training to maximize the reduction in inter-limb asymmetry of tremors following wobble-board hand exercises.
TRI14 Is Critical for Fusarium graminearum Infection and Spread in Wheat
Authors: Hao Guixia , Proctor Robert H. , Brown Daren W. , Rhoades Nicholas A. , Naumann Todd A. , Kim HyeSeon , Gutiėrrez Santiago , McCormick Susan P.
Published: May 2024

Trichothecenes are sesquiterpenoid toxins produced by diverse ascomycetes, including Fusarium. The trichothecene analog deoxynivalenol (DON) produced by the Fusarium head blight (FHB) pathogen Fusarium graminearum is a virulence factor on wheat and a major food and feed safety concern. In Fusarium, the trichothecene biosynthetic gene (TRI) cluster consists of 7–14 genes. Most TRI cluster genes are conserved and their specific roles in trichothecene biosynthesis have been determined. An exception is TRI14, which is not required for DON synthesis in vitro but is required for spread of F. graminearum in wheat heads. In the current study, gene expression analyses revealed that TRI14 was highly induced in infected wheat heads. We demonstrated that TRI14 was not only required for F. graminearum spread but also important for initial infection in wheat. Although a prior study did not detect DON in infected seeds, our analyses showed significantly less DON and fungal biomass in TRI14-mutant (designated ∆tri14)-inoculated heads than wild-type-inoculated heads. Gene expression comparison showed that the level of expression of TRI genes was similar in the wheat tissues infected with ∆tri14 or the wild type, indicating the reduced toxin levels caused by ∆tri14 may be due to less fungal growth. ∆tri14 also caused less lesion and grew less in wheat coleoptiles than the wild type. The growth of ∆tri14 in carboxymethylcellulose medium was more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide than the wild type. The data suggest that TRI14 plays a critical role in F. graminearum growth, and potentially protects the fungus from plant defense compounds.
The Influence of Sudden Stratospheric Warming on the Development of Ionospheric Storms: The Alma-Ata Ground-Based Ionosonde Observations
Authors: Gordiyenko Galina , Yakovets Artur , Litvinov Yuriy , Andreev Alexey
Published: May 2024

This paper examines the response of the ionosphere to the impact of two moderate geomagnetic storms observed on January 17 and 26–27, 2013, under conditions of strong sudden stratospheric warming. The study uses data from ground-based ionosonde measurements at the Alma-Ata ionospheric station (43.25 N, 76.92 E) combined with optical observation data (The Spectral Airglow Temperature Imager (SATI)). Ionosonde data showed that the geomagnetic storms under consideration do not generate ionospheric storms but demonstrate some unusual types of diurnal foF2 variations with large (up to 60%) deviations in foF2 from median values observed during the night/morning periods on 13–15 and 20–23 January, which do not have any relation to solar or geomagnetic activity. Wave-like disturbances in ΔfoF2, Δh’F, and daily averaged foF2 values with a quasi-period of 5–8 days and peak-to-peak amplitude from about 1 MHz to 2 MHz (~from 20% to ~40%) and ~40 km are observed during the period 9–28 January, after registration of the occurrence of the major SSW event on 6–7 January. The observed variations in the OH emission rate are found to be quite similar to those observed in the ionospheric parameters that assume a community of processes in the stratosphere/mesosphere/ionosphere system. The study shows that the F region of the ionosphere is influenced by processes in the lower ionosphere, in this case by processes associated with sudden stratospheric warming SSW-2013, which led to modification of the structure of the ionosphere and compensation of processes associated with the development of the ionospheric storms.
Battery Management in Electric Vehicles—Current Status and Future Trends
Authors: Das Prodip K.
Published: May 2024

Rechargeable batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries (LiBs), have emerged as the cornerstone of modern energy storage technology, revolutionizing industries ranging from consumer electronics to transportation [...]
A Novel Approach for the Detection and Severity Grading of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Based on Transformed Volumetric Capnography
Authors: Mou Xiuying , Wang Peng , Sun Jie , Chen Xianxiang , Du Lidong , Zhan Qingyuan , Xia Jingen , Yang Ting , Fang Zhen
Published: May 2024

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), as the third leading cause of death worldwide, is a major global health issue. The early detection and grading of COPD are pivotal for effective treatment. Traditional spirometry tests, requiring considerable physical effort and strict adherence to quality standards, pose challenges in COPD diagnosis. Volumetric capnography (VCap), which can be performed during natural breathing without requiring additional compliance, presents a promising alternative tool. In this study, the dataset comprised 279 subjects with normal pulmonary function and 148 patients diagnosed with COPD. We introduced a novel quantitative analysis method for VCap. Volumetric capnograms were converted into two-dimensional grayscale images through the application of Gramian Angular Field (GAF) transformation. Subsequently, a multi-scale convolutional neural network, CapnoNet, was conducted to extract features and facilitate classification. To improve CapnoNet’s performance, two data augmentation techniques were implemented. The proposed model exhibited a detection accuracy for COPD of 95.83%, with precision, recall, and F1 measures of 95.21%, 95.70%, and 95.45%, respectively. In the task of grading the severity of COPD, the model attained an accuracy of 96.36%, complemented by precision, recall, and F1 scores of 88.49%, 89.99%, and 89.15%, respectively. This work provides a new perspective for the quantitative analysis of volumetric capnography and demonstrates the strong performance of the proposed CapnoNet in the diagnosis and grading of COPD. It offers direction and an effective solution for the clinical application of capnography.
Resveratrol and (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate Regulate Lipid Metabolism by Activating the AMPK Pathway in Hepatocytes
Authors: Wang Huanbin , An Yu , Rajput Shahid Ali , Qi Desheng
Published: May 2024

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of Res and EGCG on cell growth, cellular antioxidant levels, and cellular lipid metabolism in hepatocytes. In this experiment, leghorn male hepatoma (LMH) cells were used as hepatocytes. The results showed that 6.25–25 μM Res and EGCG had no adverse effects on cell viability and growth. Meanwhile, with the increasing dosage of Res and EGCG, the contents of total cholesterol (TC), total glyceride (TG), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in hepatocytes decreased significantly (p < 0.05), while the contents of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and catalase (CAT) increased significantly (p < 0.05). In addition, western blot results showed that Res and EGCG could significantly increase the expression of p-AMPK protein and reduce the expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) protein in hepatocytes (p < 0.05). Moreover, q-PCR results showed that with the increase in Res and EGCG, the expression of cholesterol- and fatty acid synthesis-related genes decreased significantly (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Res and EGCG can increase the antioxidant capacity of hepatocytes and reduce the synthesis of TC and TG in hepatocytes by activating AMPK, thereby regulating lipid metabolism in hepatocytes.