bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stock Prediction Based on Optimized LSTM and GRU Models
Authors: Gao Ya , Wang Rong , Zhou Enmin
Published: September 2021

Stock market prediction has always been an important research topic in the financial field. In the past, inventors used traditional analysis methods such as K-line diagrams to predict stock trends, but with the progress of science and technology and the development of market economy, the price trend of a stock is disturbed by various factors. The traditional analysis method is far from being able to resolve the stock price fluctuations in the hidden important information. So, the prediction accuracy is greatly reduced. In this paper, we design a new model for optimizing stock forecasting. We incorporate a range of technical indicators, including investor sentiment indicators and financial data, and perform dimension reduction on the many influencing factors of the retrieved stock price using depth learning LASSO and PCA approaches. In addition, a comparison of the performances of LSTM and GRU for stock market forecasting under various parameters was performed. Our experiments show that (1) both LSTM and GRU models can predict stock prices efficiently, not one better than the other, and (2) for the two different dimension reduction methods, both the two neural models using LASSO reflect better prediction ability than the models using PCA.
Incentive Measures for Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Control of Farmers Based on Choice Modelling: A Case Study on the Water Source Region of Xin’an River Reservoir
Authors: Lin Jie , Liu Bo , Huang Saihua
Published: September 2021

In water governance, the government, downstream residents, and upstream farmers are closely associated stakeholders. The participation willingness of upstream farmers directly bears on the success of environmental policies. Xin’an River Reservoir Water Protection Zone is the second water source region of Hangzhou, China. Taking this region, for example, this paper surveys the willingness to accept compensation of local rice farmers, mainly using Choice Modelling (CM) methodology. This paper assesses the farmers’ willingness of minimum compensation amount to adopt various ecological compensation means and, on this basis, discusses the key factors determining their willingness to accept compensation. It helps to confirm that the farmer participation mainly depends on whether the government could provide satisfactory compensation incentives to cover farmers’ losses. Hence, at the ending of the paper, we call for the relevant departments of the government fully understanding the farmers’ willingness to accept compensation before formulating compensation policies, so that the compensation at least reaches the minimum requirements of farmers. Only in this way could the water source region achieve the optimal efficiency in environmental governance.
Folie a Deux: Shared Psychotic Disorder in a Medical Unit
Authors: Bhutani Saumya , Huremovic Damir
Published: September 2021

Introduction. A shared psychotic disorder is a system of delusions shared by two or more individuals. Shared psychotic disorders typically develop in pairs or groups with a close relationship who are socially isolated. The function and affect of those inflicted with shared psychotic disorders usually remain intact. For these reasons, a shared psychotic disorder is seldom identified, diagnosed, and treated. This case describes a shared psychotic disorder incidentally discovered in a medical unit. Case. The patient was a 47-year-old woman with no known past psychiatric history who had been medically admitted for gastroenteritis. On the day of discharge, a psychiatric consult was requested for “paranoia and bizarre behavior.” The patient was seen making statements that she needed security and the FBI to escort her as she left the hospital. Another person in the patient’s room was discovered to be the patient’s mother who had been staying with her in the hospital. Evaluation of the patient along with observation of her mother revealed that the two shared a complex system of delusions revealing a diagnosis of shared psychotic disorder. Discussion. A shared psychotic disorder is a unique psychiatric diagnosis. It may be even rarer to diagnose in the inpatient medical setting because multiple individuals from a shared system are typically not seen. In this case, the patient and her mother had multiple clinical characteristics of a shared psychotic disorder, including an enmeshed relationship and social isolation. The treatment for shared psychotic disorders involves separation of the individuals and pharmacotherapy with antipsychotics. This case also presented a unique ethical dilemma as the psychiatric team was called to evaluate a patient and found a patient and another individual to have symptoms. Conclusion. A shared psychotic disorder is important to consider on the differential when cases of psychosis with delusional systems are seen on medical floors.
Extent, Distribution, and Causes of Soil Acidity under Subsistence Farming System and Lime Recommendation: The Case in Wolaita, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Laekemariam Fanuel , Kibret Kibebew
Published: September 2021

Soil acidity is one of the most important environmental threats to the Ethiopian highlands where the livelihood of the majority of people is reliant on agriculture. Yet, information regarding its extent, distribution, causes, and lime requirement at a scale relevant to subsistence farming systems is still lacking. This study (1) investigates the extent and spatial distribution of soil acidity, (2) identifies factors attributing to soil acidification, and (3) predicts the lime requirement for major crops. A total of 789 soil samples were collected from arable lands in the Wolaita area which is mainly characterized by poor soil fertility and soil degradation in southern Ethiopia. Results revealed that the landscape is characterized by a gentle slope followed by strongly sloppy > flat > hilly topographies. Clay is the dominant soil textural class. A soil pH map, which is generated using geospatial analysis, demonstrates that 3.3, 78.0, and 18.7% of the total area were under strongly acidic, moderately acidic, and neutral soil reactions, respectively. The exchangeable acidity (Cmol(+)/kg) varied from nil to 5.1, whereas exchangeable Al ranged from 1.4 to 19.9 Cmol(+)/kg. The soil pH has shown a significantly (p < 0.001) negative association with clay content (r = −0.33), exchangeable Al (r = −61), exchangeable acidity (r = −0.58), and inorganic fertilizer application (r = −0.33). Increased rates of diammonium phosphate (DAP) (r2 = 0.91) and urea (r2 = 0.88) markedly elevated soil acidity. Conversely, manuring showed a significant (p < 0.001) and positive relationship with pH (r = 0.37) in which the increasing rate of manure significantly reduced acidification (r2 = 0.98). DAP and urea applications above 75 kg/ha lowered soil pH units by 0.56 and 0.48, respectively, <25 kg/ha while at the same time farmyard manure (FYM) at 4 t/ha raised pH by 0.75 units over the unfertilized field. Residue management significantly (p < 0.001) influenced soil pH wherein it ranged from 6.09 (complete residue removal) to 6.61 (residue incorporation). Changes in land use, cropping intensity, and socioeconomic status were also significantly attributed to soil acidification. To curb the effects of soil acidity, the lime requirement for common bean growing fields varied from zero to 6.6 t/ha, while for maize it was between zero and 4.3 t/ha. It is concluded that soil management interventions such as maintaining and incorporating crop residues, integrated use of organic and inorganic fertilizers, liming, and enhancing farmers’ awareness should be advocated to overcome soil acidification and improve soil fertility. In addition, introducing crops with traits that tolerate acidity and Al toxicity is also suggested.
E2F1-Induced lncRNA BAIAP2-AS1 Overexpression Contributes to the Malignant Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via miR-361-3p/SOX4 Axis
Authors: Yang Yan , Ge Hong , Li De-qing , Xu Ai-xia
Published: September 2021

Currently, plenty of researches have revealed that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can act as crucial roles during the progression of various tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we measured the expression of lncRNA BAIAP2 antisense RNA 1(BAIAP2-AS1) as well as its contribution to the developments of HCC. In this study, the expressions of BAIAP2-AS1 and SOX4 were distinctly upregulated in HCC cells and tissues, and high BAIAP2-AS1 may be a novel biomarker for HCC. E2F1 activated BAIAP2-AS1 expression. The silence of BAIAP2-AS1 inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of HepG2 and PLC5 cells. Assays for relationship verification showed that BAIAP2-AS1 regulated the expression of SOX4 and miR-361-3p. Rescue experiments further confirmed the positive interaction between miR-361-3p and BAIAP2-AS1 as well as between miR-361-3p and SOX4. Overall, BAIAP2-AS1 modulated the miR-361-3p/SOX4 axis to promote the development of HCC. Thus, our study offers a potential therapeutic target for treating HCC.
A Method of Enterprise Financial Risk Analysis and Early Warning Based on Decision Tree Model
Authors: Wei Xianfu
Published: September 2021

At present, the domestic and foreign financial crisis early-warning model research will provide only prediction accuracy as the only standard of success for early-warning model, ignoring an important problem, namely, will the financial crisis early-warning model for normal business, compared with the normal enterprise, forecast the financial crisis? This paper reviews the research situation at home and abroad from the perspective of the definition of the enterprise financial crisis, the form of expression, and so on. From the theoretical level, the relationship between the cause of the financial crisis and the change of financial indicators is established by explaining the early-warning theory, early-warning theory of financial crisis, and cost-sensitive learning theory, and the framework of early warning modeling of financial crisis based on decision tree is put forward. The decision tree model is constructed on several training subsets as the base learner so that the decision tree base learner can learn the characteristics of the healthy sample and crisis sample roughly equally. Taking the bond issuing enterprises of manufacturing industry as samples, the empirical comparison shows that the financial warning model based on decision tree integration is more accurate, which indicates that the model can improve the correct identification rate of financial crisis enterprises under the premise of higher overall warning accuracy.
Synthesis of Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) from Brewer’s Spent Grain Using Acid Hydrolysis: Characterization and Optimization
Authors: Matebie Bisrat Yihun , Tizazu Belachew Zegale , Kadhem Aseel A. , Venkatesa Prabhu S.
Published: September 2021

This study is aimed at utilizing brewery’s spent grain (BSG) byproduct for the synthesis of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) using acid hydrolysis and optimizing the hydrolysis parameters (hydrolysis time, temperature, liquid-solid ratio, and acid concentration). Alkali and bleaching treatment were done to remove hemicellulose and lignin from BSG. Optimization process was performed using central composite design (CCD) to obtain optimum value of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) yield. The maximum cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) yield of 43.24% was obtained at optimum hydrolysis conditions of 50°C, 51 wt% acid concentration, 41 min, and liquid-solid ratio of 19 ml/g. The raw brewery spent grain; alkali-treated fiber, bleached fiber, and obtained CNC were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), XRD, particle analyzer, FTIR, and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The characterization results indicated that the obtained cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) has rod-like whisker shape with crystallinity of 76.3% and an average particle size of 309.4 nm.
Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet Transform-Based Direction Correlation for Face Forgery Detection
Authors: Gao Shichao , Xia Ming , Yang Gaobo
Published: September 2021

With the rapid development of face synthesis techniques, things are going from bad to worse as high-quality fake face images are unnoticeable by human eyes, which has brought serious public confidence and security problems. Thus, effective detection of face image forgeries is in urgent need. We observe that some subtle artificial artifacts in spatial domain can be easily recognized in transformation domain, and most facial features have an inherent directional correlation, and generative models would ruffle this kind of distribution pattern. Inspired by this, we propose a two-stream dual-tree complex wavelet-based face forgery network (DCWNet) to expose face image forgeries. Specifically, dual-tree complex wavelet transform is exploited to obtain six directional features (±75°, ±45°, ±15°) of different frequency components from original images, and a direction correlation extraction (DCE) block is presented to capture the direction correlation. Then, the direction pattern-aware clues and the original image are taken as two complementary network inputs. We also explore how specific frequency components work in face forgery detection and propose a new multiscale channel attention mechanism for features fusion. The experimental results prove that the proposed DCWNet outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in open datasets such as FaceForensics++ and achieves high robustness against lossy image compression.
Assessment of International Competitiveness of AI Industry Based on Positive and Negative Ideal Points Weighting Method
Authors: Dong Tianyu , Meng Lingxing
Published: September 2021

China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other major AI superpowers as research objects, this paper establishes the assessment index system with the diamond model, weights the international competitiveness indexes of AI industry in the four countries based on positive and negative ideal points, and applies the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm to obtain the final weights. Then, the TOPSIS assessment method is used to score and rank their international competitiveness of AI industry. It is concluded that the United States is on the leading position in the human factor, knowledge factor, capital factor, enterprise strategy structure/competitors, and policy laws and regulations. China has a complete infrastructure system and huge market demand. The leading of these indicators is also the reason why China can catch up in the development of some industries when it participates in the global value division. Europe also performs well in knowledge factors, capital factors, strategic structure/competitors, and policies and regulations but needs to invest more in AI industry infrastructure. Finally, this paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the countries and reasons to provide comparative reference among different countries for AI industry.
Adaptive In-Network Collaborative Caching for Enhanced Ensemble Deep Learning at Edge
Authors: Qin Yana , Wu Danye , Xu Zhiwei , Tian Jie , Zhang Yujun
Published: September 2021

To enhance the quality and speed of data processing and protect the privacy and security of the data, edge computing has been extensively applied to support data-intensive intelligent processing services at edge. Among these data-intensive services, ensemble learning-based services can, in natural, leverage the distributed computation and storage resources at edge devices to achieve efficient data collection, processing, and analysis. Collaborative caching has been applied in edge computing to support services close to the data source, in order to take the limited resources at edge devices to support high-performance ensemble learning solutions. To achieve this goal, we propose an adaptive in-network collaborative caching scheme for ensemble learning at edge. First, an efficient data representation structure is proposed to record cached data among different nodes. In addition, we design a collaboration scheme to facilitate edge nodes to cache valuable data for local ensemble learning, by scheduling local caching according to a summarization of data representations from different edge nodes. Our extensive simulations demonstrate the high performance of the proposed collaborative caching scheme, which significantly reduces the learning latency and the transmission overhead.
OATP1B1 Plays an Important Role in the Transport and Treatment Efficacy of Sorafenib in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Wen Jinhua , Zhao Menghua
Published: September 2021

Background. Sorafenib is an anticancer drug used in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma and advanced renal cell carcinoma. It is a substrate for the human OATP1B1. This study is aimed at assessing the role of OATP1B1 in transportation and uptake of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma and how OATP1B1 affects the pharmacodynamics of sorafenib in vitro and in vivo. Methods. Sorafenib transport was measured in HepG2, HepG2-OATP1B1

∗

1a, HepG2-OATP1B1

∗

1b, HepG2-OATP1B1

∗

15, LO2, LO2-OATP1B1

∗

1a, LO2-OATP1B1

∗

1b, and LO2-OATP1B1

∗

15 cells, as well as in HepG2 cells transfected with miR-148a mimics. The viability and apoptosis rate of cells treated with sorafenib were evaluated. A liver cancer rat model was established to explore the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of sorafenib after overexpression of Oatp2. Results. Changes in expression and genetic mutations of OATP1B1 significantly affected the uptake of sorafenib in HepG2 and LO2 transgenic cells, and the uptake of sorafenib was higher in HepG2 than LO2. Genetic mutations of OATP1B1 significantly affected the cell viability and apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells after sorafenib treatment. Compared to control group, the uptake of sorafenib in miR-148a mimic-transfected HepG2 cells was decreased, and the cell viability was increased. PCN significantly increased the expression of Oatp2 and affected the pharmacokinetics of sorafenib. Vascular endothelial growth factor levels and microvascular density in tumor-adjacent tissues decreased significantly, suggesting that increased Oatp2 expression improves the treatment effect of sorafenib in a rat model of liver cancer. Conclusions. OATP1B1 plays an important role in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma.
The Application Design of an Improved PLC Linked Network Communication in the Production Line
Authors: Tang Fanghong , Zhu Feihu , Hu Huarong
Published: September 2021

This paper mainly introduces an improved PLC communication program based on PLC link network communication. Read and write corresponding production data at different time periods through the shared link area, and use link location soft elements as interactive handshake signal. The main station download module and slave station upload module are designed to complete the large range of data transmission interaction between master and slave stations, and the control system is realized in the automatic production line for drum brake pad processing.
A Novel Medical Image Denoising Method Based on Conditional Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Li Yuqin , Zhang Ke , Shi Weili , Miao Yu , Jiang Zhengang
Published: September 2021

Medical image quality is highly relative to clinical diagnosis and treatment, leading to a popular research topic of medical image denoising. Image denoising based on deep learning methods has attracted considerable attention owing to its excellent ability of automatic feature extraction. Most existing methods for medical image denoising adapted to certain types of noise have difficulties in handling spatially varying noise; meanwhile, image detail losses and structure changes occurred in the denoised image. Considering image context perception and structure preserving, this paper firstly introduces a medical image denoising method based on conditional generative adversarial network (CGAN) for various unknown noises. In the proposed architecture, noise image with the corresponding gradient image is merged as network conditional information, which enhances the contrast between the original signal and noise according to the structural specificity. A novel generator with residual dense blocks makes full use of the relationship among convolutional layers to explore image context. Furthermore, the reconstruction loss and WGAN loss are combined as the objective loss function to ensure the consistency of denoised image and real image. A series of experiments for medical image denoising are conducted with the denoising results of

PSNR
=
33.2642

and

SSIM
=
0.9206

on JSRT datasets and

PSNR
=
35.1086

and

SSIM
=
0.9328

on LIDC datasets. Compared with the state-of-the-art methods, the superior performance of the proposed method is outstanding.
Immune-Mediated Uveitis and Lifestyle Factors: A Review
Authors: Guo Xiaoyu , Chen Zhen , Xing Yiqiao
Published: September 2021

Uveitis is a leading cause of sight-threatening disease worldwide and is characterized by inflammation of the uvea, retina, and optic nerve. Among the forms of uveitis, immune-mediated uveitis represents the majority of cases in developed countries, while infectious uveitis is more common in developing countries. A Western lifestyle is thought to be one of the factors contributing to the difference and is responsible for the increasing incidence of immune-mediated uveitis. A vast range of studies have reported the importance of lifestyle factors, including smoking, gut microbiome, diet, and physical activity on immune-mediated uveitis patients and animal models of uveitis; however, there is a lack of an expert-led consensus initiative for the management of immune-mediated uveitis patients in the area of lifestyle. Herein, we summarize the advancements in the role of lifestyle factors in immune-mediated uveitis based on clinical and experimental evidence and make suggestions for patients to ameliorate inflammation and improve the prognosis, including quitting smoking, engaging in regular physical activity, consuming a personalized anti-inflammatory diet, and optimizing the gut microbiome.
A checklist of orthopteran fauna (Insecta: Orthoptera) with some new records in the cold arid region of Ladakh, India
Authors: M. Ali  , M. Kamil Usmani  , Hira Naz  , Tajamul Hassan Baba  , Mohsin Ali
Published: September 2021

The study is mainly focused on the Orthopteran fauna of Ladakh. In the current field survey and literature survey, 29 species, 24 genera, 11 subfamilies, and five families belonging to four super families of Tettigonioidea (Krauss, 1902), Acridoidea (MacLeay, 1821), Eumastacoidea (Burr, 1899), and Pyrgomorphoidea (Burnner von Wattenwyl, 1847) are reported. The subfamily Gomphocerinae, and the following species Leva indica, Stenohippus mundus, Calliptamus italicus, Phaneroptera gracilis, Conocephalus longipennis, and C. maculatus are recorded for the first time from the region.
Birds of Barandabhar Corridor Forest, Chitwan, Nepal
Authors: Lamichhane Saneer , Lamichhane Babu Ram , Pokharel Kapil , Regmi Pramod Raj , Dahal Tulasi Prasad , Bhattarai Santosh , Pokheral Chiranjibi Prasad , Gotame Pabitra , Rayamajhi Trishna , Kandel Ram Chandra , Gurung Aashish
Published: September 2021

Long term monitoring of bird species was conducted in Barandabhar Corridor Forest, one of the important bird areas of Nepal (IBA). Bird species were identified by the point count method in transect surveys in two-time frames from 2002–2012 and 2015–2016 to obtain the bird species list. We compared our bird list with previously published (after 2000) checklists and compiled the updated checklist of birds of Barandabhar Corridor Forest. We documented 372 bird species belonging to 80 families in Barandabhar, including five Critically Endangered, three Endangered, eight Vulnerable, and 15 Near Threatened species. The Accipitridae family included the highest number of species (n= 32), followed by Muscicapidae (n= 30) and Anatidae (n= 18). Approximately, half of the total confirmed bird species were insectivorous. The list included 63% resident, 27% winter migratory, 7.5% summer migratory, and 2.9% passage migrant species. According to the habitat type, there were 181 species of forest, 74 species of wetland, 24 species of grassland, 70 species of open field, and 23 species of partially wetland birds. This updated checklist of bird species will serve as a reference guide for bird watchers, biodiversity researchers, and support managers for conservation effort; and can be used to track any changes in the composition of bird species in the future.
New distribution records of two Begonias to the flora of Bhutan
Authors: Gyeltshen Phub , Jamtsho Sherab
Published: September 2021

Two species of Begonia are collected and described for the flora of Bhutan—panchtharensis and gemmipara. A detailed description, ecology, distribution, notes and photographs of the recorded species are provided.
First record of Spotted Linsang Prionodon pardicolor (Mammalia: Carnivora: Prionodontidae) with photographic evidence in Meghalaya, India
Authors: Khatonier Papori , Lyngdoh Adrian
Published: September 2021

The record of Spotted Linsang Prionodon pardicolor from Nongpoh, Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya on 29 October 2019 is the first record from the state with photographic evidence, thus extending its distribution range up to the state of Meghalaya, India.
The diel activity pattern of small carnivores of Western Ghats, India: a case study at Nelliampathies in Kerala, India
Authors: Sanghamithra Devika , P.O. Nameer
Published: September 2021

The diel activity pattern of small carnivores was studied using the camera trap technique at Nelliampathy Reserve Forest, Kerala, India. Six species of small carnivores were recorded during the study. These include Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni, Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica, Stripe-necked Mongoose Herpestes vitticollis, Brown Mongoose Herpestes fuscus, Nilgiri Marten Martes gwatkinsii, and Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis.  The maximum diel activity overlap was detected between the Brown Palm Civet and Small Indian Civet, while the activity overlap was minimal between the Stripe-necked Mongoose and Small Indian Civet.
First record of the Eastern Cat Snake Boiga gocool (Gray, 1835) (Squamata: Colubridae) from Tripura, India
Authors: Nath Sumit , Singh Biswajit , Debnath Chiranjib , Majumder Joydeb
Published: September 2021

The Eastern cat snake Boiga gocool (Gray, 1835) was recorded for the first time in the state of Tripura. The mildly venomous snake was documented by the authors in an opportunistic survey on 12 July 2020 near the Khowai river bridge, Khowai district, Tripura (24.064N & 91.596E; 129m). This new record will help in updating the status of the herpetofauna of Tripura, India.
On some additions to the amphibians of Gunung Inas Forest Reserve, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Shahrudin Shahriza
Published: September 2021

A survey on amphibian fauna was conducted in compartments 15, 16, and 17 of Gunung Inas Forest Reserve (GIFR), Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia for a period of two-and-a-half years, starting from January 2016 to May 2018, with a total of 20 visits. Observations and collections of amphibian species were carried out in and along the rivers, forest streams, forest pools, rock pools, cascade areas, waterfalls, ditches, temporary pools, forest floors, and forest trails. In total, 41 species of amphibians, belonging to 25 genera, and seven families were collected over the survey period. Of these, 11 species were ranids, followed by 10 dicroglossids, seven rhacophorids, six microhylids, four bufonids, two megophryids, and a single ichthyophiids (Ichthyophis sp.). From these observations, it is being pointed out that 15 species of amphibians represent new records for GIFR, while two species were not detected. This increases the known amphibian diversity of Gunung Inas Forest Reserve from 28 to 41 species.
Austroborus cordillerae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from central Argentina: a rare, little-known land snail
Authors: Gordillo Sandra
Published: September 2021

In the central region of Argentina, there is a diverse land snail fauna dominated by endemic species. Among them, Austroborus cordillerae (Doering) is a little-known species that could be on the verge of extinction. This work therefore provides updated information on the records of shells by incorporating new field findings.
Dryopteris lunanensis (Dryopteridaceae) - an addition to the pteridophytic diversity of India
Authors: Chhandam Chanda  , Fraser-Jenkins Christopher Roy , Rawat Vineet Kumar
Published: September 2021

The occurrence of the very rare and little-known fern, Dryopteris lunanensis (Christ) C.Chr., in India is reported for the first time. A detailed description and photographs of the species are provided along with notes on its distribution. A second-step lectotype has also been designated.
Resource availability influences global social network properties in Gunnison’s prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni)
Authors: Jordán Ferenc , Kovács Bálint , Verdolin Jennifer L.
Published: September 2021

Increasingly we are discovering that the interactions between individuals within social groups can be quite complex and flexible. Social network analysis offers a toolkit to describe and quantify social structure, the patterns we observe, and evaluate the social and environmental factors that shape group dynamics. Here, we used 14 Gunnison’s prairie dogs networks to evaluate how resource availability and network size influenced four global properties of the networks (centralization, clustering, average path length, small word index). Our results suggest a positive correlation between overall network cohesion and resource availability, such that networks became less centralized and cliquish as biomass/m2 availability decreased. We also discovered that network size modulates the link between social interactions and resource availability and is consistent with a more ‘decentralized’ group. This study highlights the importance of how individuals modify social cohesions and network connectedness as a way to reduce intragroup competition under different ecological conditions.
Producing New Spatial(Ized) (Hi)Stories on Congolese Cities: Reflections on Ten Years of Collaboration Between Ugent and Unikin
Authors: Lagae Johan , Kivilu Jacob Sabakinu
Published: September 2021

This article presents the context and some of the results of ten years of collaboration in the field of African urban history between researchers from Ghent University (UGent), and mainly its Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, and scholars of the Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), which, in part, has benefited from the forum created by the Ghent African Platform (GAP). What ties together this collaborative work, is the conviction that ‘History matters’ when thinking not only about the past, but also about the present and the future of cities in today’s DR Congo. Moreover, we argue, it is the combination of our complementary expertise in socio-demographic history and architectural/ urban planning history that has enabled us to develop new narratives on space and society in these urban environments. These, we believe, hold a relevance for the historiography of Congo’s colonial past as well as for current discussions on colonial heritage and urban development. By demonstrating that we have gained much through stimulating a cross-disciplinary and inter-generational conversation that brings together (the expertise from) scholars working on Congo/Africa and coming from different backgrounds, academic cultures and age, we explicitly want to advocate setting up forms of relationship between the ‘North’ and ‘South’ that go beyond the common trope of ‘Capacity Building’. A number of specific pieces of work related to the cities of Kinshasa and Matadi will be discussed, illustrating how we have also deliberately sought to target different audiences by producing different kinds of output, from academic publications to exhibitions, reports for policy makers to outreach activities in the cultural arena. As such, we believe that this ten years of collaboration on African Urban History is fully in tune with GAP’s main agenda of creating a cross-disciplinary forum where scholars from North and South, and from different generations can meet and exchange ideas, and we hope to embed our future collaboration in an even broader community, both at UGent and UNIKIN.
Twenty Five Years Fighting for Women’s Health and Rights: Some Progress But Still a Long Way to Go
Authors: Temmerman Marleen
Published: September 2021

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of 25 years women’s health and rights, a difficult journey with steps forward and backwards since the landmark conference in 1994 when reproductive rights were for the first time on the menu. However, although great strides have been made in reducing maternal and child mortality since then, among others by the United Nations with the establishment of the Millennium Development Goals for 2015, showing that change is possible, many countries are still lagging behind in reaching the goals. While the new global architecture, in particular with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, ensures that these issues remain high on the political agenda, this paper argues that we must move from political commitment to action, via the creation and dissemination of research evidence. As the Founding President of the Ghent Africa Platform (GAP) at Ghent University, I still believe GAP has an important role to play regarding this international collaboration and dissemination of scientific knowledge.
Valorization of Research and Scientific Innovation Results as Factor of Sustainable Development of African Agriculture: the Example of Burkina Faso
Authors: Banhoro Abdoulazize , Nana Rasmata , Ouedraogo Mahamadi Hamed , Sawadogo Mahamadou
Published: September 2021

During the 1980s, many development partners in Africa were preoccupied by the application of research results to agricultural development. In Burkina Faso, this awareness led to set structures and mechanisms for the promotion of research results. From the synthesis of critical analyses of the valorization system, it appears that the valorization concept is polysemous. In addition, there has been strong evolution in the mechanisms for promoting research results, development has also been hampered by certain shortcomings. Thus we propose, as a main track for a successful valorization policy, the creation of start-ups constituted of young professionals who possess skills that are specific and complementary. Young university-educated professionals are equipped to understand the new technologies of production and agricultural transformation. With an effective management plan the start-ups they represent could foster an effective application of research results, to improve food security and enhance the competitiveness of Burkina’s agricultural products on international markets.
New species and host plants of Anastrepha (Diptera: Tephritidae) primarily from Suriname and Pará, Brazil
Authors: NORRBOM ALLEN L. , Muller Alies , GANGADIN ANIELKOEMAR , SUTTON BRUCE D. , RODRIGUEZ ERICK J. , SAVARIS MARCOANDRE , LAMPERT SILVANA , CLAVIJO PEDRO A. RODRIGUEZ , STECK GARY J. , MOORE MATTHEW R. , NOLAZCO NORMA , TROYA HENRY , KEIL CLIFFORD B. , PADILLA ANABEL , WIEGMANN BRIAN M. , CASSEL BRIAN , BRANHAM MARC , RUIZ-ARCE RAUL
Published: September 2021

Seventeen new species of Anastrepha, primarily from Suriname, French Guiana and Pará, Brazil, are described and illustrated: A. aithogaster Norrbom from Brazil (Pará), French Guiana, and Suriname; A. aliesae Norrbom from Suriname; A. brownsbergiensis Norrbom from Suriname; A. crassaculeus Norrbom & Rodriguez Clavijo from Colombia (Magdalena, Norte de Santander) and Suriname; A. curvivenis Norrbom from Brazil (Amazonas), Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe), Peru (San Martín), and Suriname; A. fuscoalata Norrbom from Brazil (Pará), French Guiana, and Suriname; A. gangadini Norrbom from Suriname; A. juxtalanceola Norrbom from Brazil (Pará) and Suriname; A. microstrepha Norrbom from Brazil (Bahia) and Suriname; A. mitaraka Norrbom from French Guiana; A. neptis Norrbom from Brazil (Pará), Ecuador (Orellana), Peru (Loreto) and Suriname; A. sobrina Norrbom from Brazil (Pará), French Guiana, and Suriname; A. surinamensis Norrbom from Suriname; A. tenebrosa Norrbom from Brazil (Pará) and Peru (Loreto); A. triangularis Norrbom from Suriname; A. wachiperi Norrbom from French Guiana and Peru (Cusco); and A. wittiensis Norrbom from Suriname. The following host plant records are reported: A. aithogaster from fruit of Parahancornia fasciculata (Poir.) Benoist (Apocynaceae); A. aliesae from fruit of Passiflora coccinea Aubl. and P. glandulosa Cav. (Passifloraceae); A. crassaculeus from fruit of an undetermined species of Pouteria (Sapotaceae); A. fuscoalata from fruit of Trymatococcus oligandrus (Benoist) Lanj. (Moraceae); A. sobrina from fruit of Eugenia lambertiana DC. (Myrtaceae); and A. wittiensis from fruit of Manilkara bidentata (A. DC.) A. Chev. (Sapotaceae).
The Phalangopsidae crickets (Orthoptera, Grylloidea) of the Seychelles Archipelago: Taxonomy of an ecological radiation
Authors: HUGEL SYLVAIN , WARREN BEN H. , DESUTTER-GRANDCOLAS LAURE
Published: September 2021

The Phalangopsidae crickets (Grylloidea) of the Seychelles are examined following extensive field sampling on several main islands of the archipelago (Mahé, Silhouette, Praslin, La Digue). Despite the small area of these islands, six genera (12 species) are documented, including one new genus and five new species. The type species of the genus Seychellesia Bolivar, 1912 is transferred to the genus Paragryllodes Karny, 1909 as Paragryllodes nitidula (Bolivar, 1912) n. comb. The other species described in Seychellesia are transferred to the genus Seselia Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. gen., as Seselia longicercata (Bolivar, 1912) n. comb. and Seselia patellifera (Bolivar, 1912) n. comb. Two new species are also described in the genus Seselia Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. gen., Seselia coccofessei Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. gen., n. sp. (type species of the genus) and Seselia matyoti Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. gen., n. sp. The genera Phaeogryllus Bolivar, 1912 and Phalangacris Bolivar, 1895 are redescribed, including Phalangacris ferlegro Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. sp. and Phalangacris sotsote Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. sp. that are new to science. The genus Gryllapterus Bolivar, 1912 is redescribed and transferred from the Landrevinae (Gryllidae) to the Cachoplistinae (Phalangopsidae). New tribes are defined for the genus Paragryllodes (Paragryllodini Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. tribe) on the one hand, and for Seselia Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. gen., Phalangacris, Phaeogryllus and Gryllapterus (Seselini Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. tribe) on the other, using morphological characters and the results of molecular phylogenetic studies (Warren et al. 2019). Phaloria (Papuloria) insularis (Bolivar, 1912) (Phaloriinae) is redescribed and restricted to Mahé, and its calling song is documented for the first time, while Phaloria (Papuloria) bolivari Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. sp. is newly described from Silhouette. Identification keys are proposed for the genera of Seselini Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. tribe, and for the species of Seselia Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, n. gen. and Phalangacris. The confusion between the Mogoplistidae Ornebius succineus Bolivar, 1912 and the Phalangopsidae Heterotrypus succineus Bolivar, 1910 is discussed, and the name Subtiloria succineus (Bolivar, 1912) considered a nomen nudum.
Between-country inequalities in health lifestyles
Authors: VanHeuvelen Tom , VanHeuvelen Jane S
Published: September 2021

How does engagement in multiple health behaviors consolidate into health promoting health lifestyles, and how does economic development provide a broadly shared living condition to enable participation in health promoting health lifestyles? To answer these questions, we harmonize information from the 2011 International Social Survey Programme and the 2014 European Social Survey to examine patterns of health lifestyles and subsequent associations with self-rated health in representative samples of 52 country-years nested in 35 countries, with repeated observations from 17 countries. We find individuals engage more frequently in health promoting behaviors in countries with higher levels of economic development. Moreover, we find a tighter connection between health lifestyles and health in countries with higher levels of economic development. Critically, we move health lifestyles research forward by testing the consequences of within country changes in economic development, finding that growth in economic development increases the engagement of health promoting health behaviors. Policy and theoretical implications are discussed.
Separating the Novel Speech Sound Perception of Lexical Tone Chimeras From Their Auditory Signal Manipulations: Behavioral and Electroencephalographic Evidence
Authors: Jeng Fuh-Cherng , Hart Breanna N. , Lin Chia-Der
Published: September 2021

Previous research has shown the novelty of lexical-tone chimeras (artificially constructed speech sounds created by combining normal speech sounds of a given language) to native speakers of the language from which the chimera components were drawn. However, the source of such novelty remains unclear. Our goal in this study was to separate the effects of chimeric tonal novelty in Mandarin speech from the effects of auditory signal manipulations. We recruited 20 native speakers of Mandarin and constructed two sets of lexical-tone chimeras by interchanging the envelopes and fine structures of both a falling/yi4/and a rising/yi2/Mandarin tone through 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32, and 64 auditory filter banks. We conducted pitch-perception ability tasks via a two-alternative, forced-choice paradigm to produce behavioral (versus physiological) pitch perception data. We also obtained electroencephalographic measurements through the scalp-recorded frequency-following response (FFR). Analyses of variances and post hoc Greenhouse-Geisser procedures revealed that the differences observed in the participants’ reaction times and FFR measurements were attributable primarily to chimeric novelty rather than signal manipulation effects. These findings can be useful in assessing neuroplasticity and developing speech-processing strategies.
Drop Attack Treated by Microvascular Decompression of the Superior Vestibular Nerve
Authors: Kim Sanghoon , Kong Soo-Keun , Lee Jae Meen , Oh Se-Joon
Published: September 2021

We report a case of cochleovestibular neurovascular compressive syndrome (CVCS)-induced drop attack treated with microvascular decompression (MVD) of the superior vestibular nerve. This report discusses the merits of surgical intervention through a review of related literature. A 58-year-old woman was referred to our clinic with a chief complaint of intermittent, strong, right-sided tinnitus lasting for a few seconds immediately prior to drop attack. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed bilateral neurovascular contact between the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) and the vestibulocochlear nerve. Based on MRI findings, history of present illness, and response to anticonvulsants, CVCS was suspected, and surgical decompression on the right side was subsequently performed. The patient became asymptomatic immediately after the surgery, and the vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials were normalized. No recurrence was reported during a 1-year follow-up period.
Book review: Inshah Malik, Muslim Women, Agency and Resistance Politics: The Case of Kashmir
Authors: Parey Firdous Hameed
Published: September 2021

Inshah Malik, Muslim Women, Agency and Resistance Politics: The Case of Kashmir (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), 130 pp.
Book review: Max Katz, Lineage of Loss: Counternarratives of North Indian Music
Authors: Altaf Kabir
Published: September 2021

Max Katz, Lineage of Loss: Counternarratives of North Indian Music (Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2017), xii + 201 pp.
Book review: Ananth Krishnan, India’s China Challenge: A Journey Through China’s Rise and What It Means for India
Authors: Yousuf Muneeb
Published: September 2021

Ananth Krishnan, India’s China Challenge: A Journey Through China’s Rise and What It Means for India (Noida: HarperCollins, 2020), xvi + 419 pp.
Brucella prostatic abscess: a retrospective study of eight cases and a literature review
Authors: Lan Siqin , Guo Zhaoxing , He Yuanlin , Liu Wenya , Guo Hui
Published: September 2021

Objective

To present the clinical characteristics, diagnostics, and treatments for Brucella prostatic abscess (BPA).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed eight BPA patients according to their vocations, age, clinical manifestations, laboratory test results, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and treatments.

Results

The median age was 59 years. The most common clinical symptom was fever, followed by dysuria, erectile dysfunction, frequent urination, and urodynia. C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were significantly elevated in all patients, and in all by one patient, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was high. Prostate enlargement occurred in 87.5% of the patients. Lesions were located in the prostate peripheral (87.5%) and central zones (100%), with homogenous signals on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and a hyperintense signal on short tau inversion recovery (STIR). Patients had a small nodule or multiple nodules, with slight hyperintense to hyperintense signals on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Three patients had pelvic effusion, and seminal vesicle (37.5%), epididymis (12.5%), and bladder (12.5%) infections occurred. All patients received rifampicin and doxycycline with levofloxacin; all lesions had resolved at follow-up ultrasonography.

Conclusion

Even in epidemic areas, the incidence of BPA is relatively rare. Our findings may increase the understanding of BPA and reduce misdiagnosis and mistreatment.
Biomedical omics: first insights of a new MSc degree of the University of Milan
Authors: Alcalay Myriam , Jereczek-Fossa Barbara Alicja , Pepa Matteo , Volpe Stefania , Zaffaroni Mattia , Fiore Francesca , Marvaso Giulia , Pravettoni Gabriella , Curigliano Giuseppe , Santaguida Stefano , Pelicci Pier Giuseppe
Published: September 2021

The advent of technologies allowing the global analysis of biological phenomena, referred to as "omics" (genomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, microbiomics, radiomics, and radiogenomics), has revolutionized the study of human diseases and traced the path for quantitative personalized medicine. The newly inaugurated Master of Science Program in Biomedical Omics of the University of Milan, Italy, aims at addressing the unmet need to create professionals with a broad understanding of omics disciplines. The course is structured over 2 years and admits students with a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology, biology, chemistry, or pharmaceutical sciences. All teaching activities are fully held in English. A total of nine students enrolled in the first academic year and attended the courses of radiomics, genomics and epigenomics, proteomics, and high-throughput screenings, and their feedback was evaluated by means of an online questionnaire. Faculty with different backgrounds were recruited according to the subject. Due to restrictions imposed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, laboratory activities were temporarily suspended, while lectures, journal clubs, and examinations were mainly held online. After the end of the first semester, despite the difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the course overall met the expectations of the students, specifically regarding teaching effectiveness, interpersonal interactions with the lecturers, and courses organization. Future efforts will be undertaken to better calibrate the overall workload of the course and to implement the most relevant suggestions from the students together with omics science evolution in order to guarantee state-of-the-art omics teaching and to prepare future omics specialists.