bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative study of steroidal sapogenins content in leaves of five Agave species
Authors: García‐Morales Soledad , Corzo‐Jiménez Ilenia Janeth , Silva‐Córdova Natalina Frine , Soto‐Cordero Andrés Michelle , Rodríguez‐Mejía Diego Iván , Pardo‐Núñez Joaliné , León‐Morales Janet María
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

Agaves are mainly used to produce alcoholic beverages such as tequila, mezcal and bacanora. However, the leaves constitute more than 50% of the plant and are not used in the production process, so they are considered waste. This plant material can be used as a source of bioactive compounds such as terpenes, flavonoids and saponins. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the aglycone type of saponins and to quantify three steroidal sapogenins in leaves of five Agave species collected in different regions of Guerrero and Oaxaca, Mexico.

RESULTS

Analysis by gas chromatography–flame ionization detection of the hydrolyzed methanolic extracts showed that diosgenin and tigogenin were the most abundant sapogenins identified in the five Agave species. Differences in the content of these sapogenins were found in the same species collected in different localities.

The leaves of Agave americana var. oaxacensis L. (Oaxaca) had the highest diosgenin‐derived saponin content, while the leaves of A. angustifolia Haw. (Guerrero) had the highest tigogenin‐derived saponin content. Only in A. cupreata was sarsasapogenin identified, all three sapogenins occurring in the leaves of this species. For the first time, information is provided on the aglycones of the saponins produced in A. potatorum Zucc. and A. karwinskii Zucc.

CONCLUSION

This study made it possible to compare the content of diosgenin and tigogenin‐derived saponins in leaves of Agave species from Guerrero and Oaxaca. This information will be useful for better utilization of this plant material and add value to the process of mezcal elaboration. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Diagnostic Neurophysiologic Biomarkers for Task‐Specific Dystonia
Authors: Merchant Shabbir Hussain I. , Wu Tianxia , Hallett Mark
Published: April 2022

Background

Task‐specific dystonia (TSD) is a challenging clinical diagnosis with no objective diagnostic biomarkers.

Objective

The objective of this study was to test 2 neurophysiologic variables using transcranial magnetic stimulation as potential diagnostic biomarkers for TSD.

Methods

We tested (1) cortical silent period (CSP) and (2) dorsal inferior parietal lobule‐motor cortex (dIPL‐M1) physiologic connectivity in 9 patients with the writer's cramp form of TSD and 12 healthy volunteers on 2 separate sessions.

Results

CSP was significantly prolonged (P < 0.0001) in TSD and could classify TSD with high sensitivity and specificity with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) = 0.94 and 0.90, respectively, for 2 separate sessions with an intraclass correlation = 0.79. dIPL‐M1 interaction was notable for significant motor cortical inhibition in TSD compared with facilitation in healthy subjects (P < 0.0001) and could classify TSD with high sensitivity and specificity with AUCs = 0.96 and 0.86, respectively.

Conclusion

CSP and dIPL‐M1 physiologic connectivity can classify TSD with high sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and reliability.
Density functional theory‐nuclear magnetic resonance‐validated full structure elucidation of theionbrunonine C, an unstable N‐oxide theionbrunonine from Mostuea brunonis
Authors: Otogo N'Nang Elvis , Gallard Jean‐François , Champy Pierre , Le Pogam Pierre , Beniddir Mehdi A.
Published: April 2022

The structure elucidation of theionbrunonine C, a thioether‐bridged dimeric monoterpene indole alkaloid (MIA), and more generally, one of the very few sulfur‐containing MIA, is reported after its isolation from Mostuea brunonis (Gelsemiaceae). This unstable structure had already been targeted for isolation in our former, molecular network‐guided, investigation of this plant, but this compound had degraded before sufficient spectroscopic data could have been acquired for a complete structure assignment. With this constraint in mind, the rapid acquisition of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data enabled retrieving sufficient spectroscopic information for full structure elucidation, although from a partial set of spectroscopic information (1H and 13C NMR; COSY, HSQC, and HMBC). In conjunction with biosynthetic considerations, the cursory examination of 13C NMR data unambiguously defined the complete stereostructure of 1, as further supported by density functional theory (DFT)‐NMR calculations and subsequent DP4 probability score.
Gas Sensing and Thermoelectric Properties of Hybrid Composite Films Based on PEDOT:PSS and SnO or SnO2 Nanostructures
Authors: Vázquez-López Antonio , Bartolomé Javier , Maestre David , Cremades Ana
Published: April 2022

In this work poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) with ethylene glycol (EG) and SnO or SnO2 nanoparticles are mixed in a controlled way to create hybrid composites in form of thin films via spin coating. The potential applicability of these composites as gas sensors and as thermoelectric materials is tested, while insights are achieved in the comprehension of the underlying physical mechanisms. The addition of SnO in the composite promotes an enhancement in the chemoresistive response upon ethanol gas exposure at room temperature. Based on the Seebeck coefficient and Hall effect measurements, improvement of the power factor (PF) is achieved by the controlled addition of SnO nanoparticles in the composite. These results promise well for progress in the use of hybrid composites in these areas paving the way for future improvement in research on hybrid electronics, involving improved scalability and energy saving.
A Nontoxic and Low‐Cost Solution‐Processed CZTS Absorber Layer for Solar Photovoltaic Applications: Solvent Effects on the Physical Properties
Authors: El Mahboub Elyazid , El Hichou Ahmed , Mansori Mohammed
Published: April 2022

Thin films of copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) are synthesized by sol–gel and then coated on glasses substrate by spin coating. They are synthesized with different solvents: 2‐methoxyethylamine, ethanol (30%) + distilled water (70%), and ethanol. All the samples are annealed in air without any sulfurization at a temperature of 340 °C. The X‐Ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show the existence of the three main characteristic peaks of CZTS (112), (220), and (312) which exhibit the formation of kesterite structure of CZTS. The composition analysis indicates the formation of Cu‐poor and Zn‐rich samples. The transmittance and reflectance results are used to determine the bandgap which changes from 1.38 to 1.59 eV. A high absorption coefficient is observed (> 104 cm−1) in the visible region. The sample CZTS‐3 deposited with ethanol as solvent exhibits higher crystallinity and better optical performance among the others. The parameters obtained in this study are injected theoretically in a solar cell CZTS/Zn(S,O)/ZnO:i, using SCAPS1D simulation, which shows an efficiency of 10.55%.
Kink Migration along 30° Si‐Core Partial Dislocations in 4H‐SiC
Authors: Yakimov Eugene E. , Yakimov Eugene B.
Published: April 2022

Single‐layer Shockley‐type stacking fault (SSF) expansion in 4H‐SiC due to irradiation by a focused e‐beam in the scan mode with a different rate and at fixed points has been studied. It is shown that the focused e‐beam enhances the 30° Si‐core partial dislocation glide at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures only at distances smaller than about 10 μm. The dislocations are found to glide as straight lines with a velocity independent of their length even when this length essentially exceeds the size of excitation volume and the diffusion length. The results obtained show that the dislocation velocity under irradiation is mainly determined by the double kink generation rate and allow to conclude that kink migration can occur without any excitation. The kink velocity in 4H‐SiC is estimated for the first time and the lower limit for the kink velocity is of 2 × 10−4 cm s−1 at room temperature and about 2 times smaller at liquid nitrogen temperature that confirming the small activation energy for the kink migration in 4H‐SiC.
Robust trocar identification and its application in robotic minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Dong Lin , Morel Guillaume
Published: April 2022

Background

In minimally invasive surgery (MIS), instruments pass through trocars which are installed through the incision points. This forms a fulcrum effect and imposes significant constraint. For robotic manipulative operations, the real‐time trocar information is a prerequisite. Systems acquire this knowledge either with a prior registration procedure or through coordinated control of their joints.

Methods

A robust and real‐time trocar identification algorithm based on least square (LS) algorithm was proposed in the context of human–robot co‐manipulation scenario.

Results

Both in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The estimated trocar coordinates expressed in the robot base frame were further leveraged to implement an instrument gravity compensation function.

Conclusions

An LS based approach can be employed to robustly estimate the real‐time trocar information so as to implement more practical robotic functions.
Selenium: A Unique Member in the Chalcogen Family for Conjugated Materials Used in Perovskite and Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Qi Feng , Lin Francis R. , Jen Alex K.‐Y.
Published: April 2022

Organic conjugated materials play an extremely important role in the development of perovskite and organic solar cells (PVSCs and OSCs). Among different molecular design strategies, the introduction of selenium is an efficient way to optimize material properties and improve the performance of solar cells. The benefits can be attributed to the looser electron cloud delocalization and more polarizable nature of selenium, which help enable stronger intermolecular Se···Se interaction and extended conjugation length, leading to enhanced charge carrier mobility and redshifted absorption in selenium‐incorporated organic conjugated materials. Herein, the design of the selenium‐incorporated materials applied in the PVSCs and OSCs to provide a systematic study on the relationship between chemical structures, material properties, and device performance is focused on. The future direction for further development of selenium‐incorporated organic conjugated materials is also provided.
Improvement in the Performance of Inverted 3D/2D Perovskite Solar Cells by Ambient Exposure
Authors: Wang Yantao , Lin Jingyang , He Yanling , Zhang Yi , Liang Qiong , Liu Fangzhou , Zhou Zhiwei , Chan Christopher C. S. , Li Gang , Feng Shien-Ping , Ng Alan Man Ching , Wong Kam Sing , Popović Jasminka , Djurišić Aleksandra B.
Published: April 2022

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are known to be sensitive to the exposure to ambient humidity, which typically results in the degradation and deterioration of performance, although positive effects of exposure to moisture have also been reported, due to recrystallization of the perovskite. Common approach to improve stability is to use 3D/2D perovskite active layer, where 2D capping layer is prepared by spin coating the bulky organic cation halide. Herein, it is shown that optimizing the exposure of the capping layer prepared by spin coating phenylethylammonium iodide (PEAI) to ambient atmosphere results in substantial improvement of the PSC performance. Furthermore, the initial effects of PEAI treatment are dependent on the NiO
x
/perovskite interface, but in all cases except at very high humidity (80–85% RH) optimized exposure to ambient results in improved performance. The variations in device performance with PEAI treatment and ambient exposure can be attributed to defect passivation and changes in the charge extraction due to energy‐level alignment at the interfaces. The best performing devices have passivation of NiO
x
/perovskite interface and PEAI treatment of top surface followed by exposure to ambient atmosphere at RH of 40–45%, which results in the power conversion efficiency increase from 20.3% to 22.4%.
Amphipathic Molecules Endowing Highly Structure Robust and Fast Kinetic Vanadium‐Based Cathode for High‐Performance Zinc‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhu Mengyu , Wang Huibo , Lin Wang , Chan Dan , Li Heng , Wang Kexuan , Tang Yu , Hao Tianwei , Chen Shi , Malyi Oleksandr I. , Tang Yuxin , Zhang Yanyan
Published: April 2022

Layered vanadium oxides with high theoretical capacity and long cycle life are promising cathode materials to achieve the high energy density of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs). However, the unstable layered structure and slow Zn2+ diffusion in vanadium oxide during cycling still hinder their practical application. To this end, amphiphilic quaternary ammonium salt cationic surfactant with different chain lengths into V2O5·0.8H2O (HVO) to modulate the desolvation process of Zn2+ and layer space of HVO is introduced. Benefitting from the rational design, the assembled Zn//[N(C4H9)4]0.11V2O5·0.6H2O (TBAVO) battery owns a higher capacity (445 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1), better rate‐performance, and superior cycling life (e.g., 142 mAh g−1 at 8.0 A g−1 with a capacity retention rate of 91% after 3600 cycles) than that of others due to the reduced desolvation energy barriers, less water molecular insertion, and optimized layer space with the smallest (001) peak variations during cycling. Even at −40 °C, the capacity can reach 125 mAh g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 with almost no capacity decay after 1600 cycles. The strategy offers a new solution to develop high‐performance ZIBs by regulating the desolvation process in cathodes with amphipathic molecules.
New Advances in Nanomaterial‐Based Antiviral Strategies
Authors: Xu Xican , Zhang Jin , Liu Shuang , Wang Chaohui , Wang Hongyu , Fan Huahao , Tong Yigang , Liu Huiyu , Zhou Dongsheng
Published: April 2022

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic and other major viral infectious diseases have become a significant threat to people's life and economic/social development. In recent years, with the development of nanotechnology, nanomaterial‐based antiviral agents have been extensively studied. However, the clinical applications of antiviral nanomaterials are still limited. Herein, the recent advances in nanomaterial‐based antiviral strategies, mainly including antiviral nanodrugs, drug nanocarriers, and nanovaccines, are summarized. The clinical challenges and prospects of nanomaterial‐based antiviral strategies are also discussed.
Population Reproductive Structure of Rainbow Trout Determined by Histology and Advancing Methods to Assign Sex and Assess Spawning Capability
Authors: Crossman James A. , Webb Molly A. H. , Korman Josh , Yard Michael D.
Published: April 2022

Rainbow TroutOncorhynchus mykisshave been intensively studied and gametogenesis has been described, but the use of reproductive indices in field studies has not been widely applied when assessing variability in growth or recruitment dynamics. We integrated descriptions for gametogenesis within the framework of standardized terminology for reproductive development in teleosts to develop sex‐specific criteria for assignment of reproductive phases. We used these descriptions and histological analysis of gonad tissue collected from Rainbow Trout in the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam to quantify season‐, size‐, and sex‐specific variation in population reproductive structure. The accuracy of nonlethal methods (manual expression and ultrasonography) was evaluated for assigning sex by comparing estimates with those determined by histology. Rainbow Trout were sampled through an annual spawning cycle from October 2018 to April 2019. Spawning capable males were available across the entire period, with a higher proportion earlier in the season compared to later. Females were spawning capable in October, with a peak in February; by April, they were in the early developing phase, indicating that spawning had ended. Elevated levels of atresia (19% for fall spawners) and evidence for delayed maturation were identified, suggesting energetic limitations on the reproductive potential of the population. For both sexes, the probability of being spawning capable increased with fork length, with minimum sizes of ≥283 mm for females and ≥187 mm for males. Sex assignment using ultrasonography was more accurate (46%) than manual expression of gametes (9%), as only a small proportion of males and females expressed gametes. Probabilities of correct sex assignment using ultrasonography were strongly influenced by reproductive phase, with spawning capable fish (females: 100%; males: 77%) having significantly higher probabilities of correct sex assignment compared to immature fish. Furthermore, probabilities of correct sex assignment increased with fish size and were higher for females than for males. Results provide a framework for quantifying spawning capability and population reproductive structure in ongoing research to better understand the drivers of recruitment variability in aquatic ecosystems.
Satisfaction with Singlehood and Sexual Activity
Authors: Træen Bente , Kvalem Ingela Lundin
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which Norwegians are satisfied with their singlehood, and to determine the association between being single and sexual activity. Data were obtained from a questionnaire survey of a representative web sample of 1076 unpartnered individuals (568 women, 508 men) aged 18–89 years. A total of 45.2% of the single respondents reported being satisfied with being single, while 33.9% reported being unsatisfied. There was no difference between the age groups in men, but more women aged 45 years or older than women under the age of 45 were satisfied with being single. A higher percentage of gay, bisexual, and transmen than heterosexual men was satisfied with being single. More women who had not been sexually active with a partner in the past year were satisfied with being single than were women who had been sexually active. The men who were most satisfied with being single were those who had masturbated and/or had sexual intercourse, and least satisfied were those with no sexual activity, or exclusively masturbation activity. The results are discussed in terms of biological, psychological, and social positions.
Efficient Skyline Computation on Massive Incomplete Data
Authors: He Jingxuan , Han Xixian
Published: April 2022

Incomplete skyline query is an important operation to filter out pareto-optimal tuples on incomplete data. It is harder than skyline due to intransitivity and cyclic dominance. It is analyzed that the existing algorithms cannot process incomplete skyline on massive data efficiently. This paper proposes a novel table-scan-based TSI algorithm to deal with incomplete skyline on massive data with high efficiency. TSI algorithm solves the issues of intransitivity and cyclic dominance by two separate stages. In stage 1, TSI computes the candidates by a sequential scan on the table. The tuples dominated by others are discarded directly in stage 1. In stage 2, TSI refines the candidates by another sequential scan. The pruning operation is devised in this paper to reduce the execution cost of TSI. By the assistant structures, TSI can skip majority of the tuples in phase 1 without retrieving it actually. The extensive experimental results, which are conducted on synthetic and real-life data sets, show that TSI can compute skyline on massive incomplete data efficiently.
From small to large-scale: a review of recombinant spider silk and collagen bioproduction
Authors: Gomes Vasco , Salgueiro Sancha P.
Published: April 2022

Advancements in material science have led to the development of new composites and biomaterials. Spider silk and human collagen are examples of animal-derived polymers for which sourcing has been challenging. Interest in strong, sustainable products derived from these biopolymers and increasing demand in bio-based solutions are driving forces for investments in non-animal-based production processes namely for use in biomedical applications. An outline of the current landscape of microbial-based bioprocesses is a useful tool to guide further development of novel biomaterials based on these proteins. While bioproduction can deliver a sustainable source for human collagen and for spider silk, it has been challenging to obtain the desired products via microbial-based bio-industrial processes. Optimization through improvements in upstream processes and better adapted large-scale downstream process steps, including replacing chromatography steps with freeze drying and autoclaving for endotoxin removal (silk) and filtration (collagen) has enabled large-scale production and recent capacity expansion of manufacturing, aiming to deliver hundreds of tonnes of product per year. This article reviews the considerable advances that were made in microbial processes for production of human collagen and spider-silk based biomaterials in the past 30 years in translating the laboratory results into scalable processes. Main challenges for successful large-scale implementation—such as recombinant silk durability and the continuous need to improve process economics—and main opportunities such as demand growth of recombinant spider silk and human collagen are outlined.
Long‐Term Study of Quasi‐16‐day Waves Based on ERA5 Reanalysis Data and EOS MLS Observations From 2005 to 2020
Authors: Fan Yi , Huang Chun Ming , Zhang Shao Dong , Huang Kai Ming , Gong Yun
Published: April 2022

This study uses the latest ERA5 reanalysis data and Earth Observing System microwave limb sounder (MLS) observations to investigate the climatological characteristics of quasi‐16‐day waves (Q16DWs) with different zonal wavenumbers. The fitted temperature amplitudes deduced from ERA5 reanalysis data and from MLS observations are highly consistent with each other, even in fine spatial‐temporal structures. The westward‐propagating wave with wavenumber 1 (W1) and the eastward‐propagating waves with wavenumbers 1 (E1) and 2 (E2) are identified as the most dominant propagating components according to the statistical analyses of their fitted temperature and wind amplitudes. All three waves exhibit significant intra‐annual and interannual variations. Their amplitudes in winter/spring and autumn/summer are strong, moderate, or weak. The W1 wave is more intense in boreal winter than in austral winter, while the E2 wave is the opposite, and the E1 wave is equally strong in boreal and austral winters. Their interannual variabilities measured by the ratios of peak amplitudes in temperature, zonal wind, and meridional wind range from 1.64 to 2.15, indicating significant variability. The presence of intense wave activities is always accompanied by a positive squared refractive index. We suggest that the squared refractive index contributes greatly to the global distribution characteristics of the Q16DWs. The W1 wave in the troposphere is more likely to travel upward and reach the stratosphere and mesosphere, while the intense E1 and E2 waves in the stratosphere and mesosphere may come from the upper atmosphere or be excited in situ.
Investigation of Internal Tides Variability in the Andaman Sea: Observations and Simulations
Authors: Yadidya B. , Rao A. D. , Latha G.
Published: April 2022

The Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean is known for the presence of large‐amplitude Internal waves (IW). Internal tides (IT) are IW of tidal frequency whose temporal variability is unknown in this region. Therefore, we used in‐situ observations collected at (10.5°N, 94°E) from March 2017 to February 2018. The analysis shows that the kinetic energy of semidiurnal IT is dominant to that of diurnal IT by a factor of 4–5. The ellipticity of both semidiurnal and diurnal motions is dominated by rectilinear zonal flow, indicating generation at the slopes of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Maximum isopycnal displacement reached 46 m for semidiurnal IT. The semidiurnal IT displayed significant seasonal variability—Stronger in summer and autumn but weaker in spring and winter, whereas the diurnal IT are relatively stronger in summer and winter. Furthermore, salinity plays a dominant role in controlling the near‐surface stratification, whereas the temperature variations control the subsurface stratification. This led to the formation of a strong double pycnocline during autumn and winter. Baroclinic coherent semidiurnal (diurnal) variance accounts for 49% (27%) of the semidiurnal (diurnal) motions. Model simulations carried out for March, June, September, and December of 2017 using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology General Circulation Model showed significant seasonal variability in the generation and dissipation of IT. The isopycnal displacement near the generation sites is about 88 m. The experiments suggest that the presence of the Andaman Nicobar Ridge contributes nearly 89% to the total IT generation.
Prediction of Global Ionospheric TEC Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Chen Zhou , Liao Wenti , Li Haimeng , Wang Jinsong , Deng Xiaohua , Hong Sheng
Published: April 2022

The accurate prediction of ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) is important for global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), satellite communications and other space communications applications. In this study, a prediction model of global IGS‐TEC maps are established based on testing several different long short‐term memory (LSTM) network (LSTM)‐based algorithms to explore a direction that can effectively alleviate the increasing error with prediction time. We find that a Multi‐step auxiliary algorithm based prediction model performs best. It can effectively predict the global ionospheric IGS‐TEC in the next 6 days (the mean absolute deviation (MAD) and root mean square error (RMSE) are 2.485 and 3.511 TECU, respectively) compared to the IRI (the MAD and RMSE are 4.248 and 5.593 TECU). The analyses of four geomagnetic storm events are completely separate from the time range of the training set, so as to further validate the performance of the model. The International Reference Ionosphere model is used as a reference for the performance of our predictive model, and a rotated persistence is estimated by time‐shift algorithm of IGS‐TEC. The result suggests that the Multi‐step auxiliary prediction model has a good generalization performance and can have a relatively good stability and low error during a geomagnetic storm and quiet time.
Vision‐oriented algorithm for fast decision in 3D video coding
Authors: Lin Jie‐Ru , Chen Mei‐Juan , Yeh Chia‐Hung , Lin Shinfeng D. , Sue Kuen‐Liang , Kau Lih‐Jen , Ciou Yi‐Sheng
Published: April 2022

This paper designs a novel method to reduce the coding complexity of 3D‐HEVC encoder by utilizing the properties of human visual perception. Two vision‐oriented edge detections are proposed: for colour texture detection, the authors adopt the Just‐Noticeable Distortion (JND); for depth map, the authors combine the Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) and the Just Noticeable Depth Difference (JNDD) model. The authors also analyse the properties of colour texture and depth map to classify the coding tree unit (CTU) into various kinds of types, including complex‐edge CTU, moderate‐edge CTU and homogeneous CTU. Besides, fast mode decisions and early termination criteria are performed individually on each type of CTUs according to their characteristics. Especially for those CTUs with more edge information, the proposed projection‐based fast mode decision and residual‐based early termination preserve important colour texture while speeding up the coding at the same time. The proposed vision‐oriented algorithm reduces 31.981% of the overall average coding time with only 1.580% BD‐Bitrate increase. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can provide considerable time‐saving while still maintain the video quality, which outperforms the previous researches.
CFN: A coarse‐to‐fine network for eye fixation prediction
Authors: Xu Binwei , Liang Haoran , Liang Ronghua , Chen Peng
Published: April 2022

Many image‐to‐image computer vision approaches have made great progress by an end‐to‐end framework with the encoder–decoder architecture. However, the same image‐to‐image eye fixation prediction task is not the same as those computer vision tasks in that it focuses more on salient regions rather than precise predictions for every pixel. Thus, it is not appropriate to directly apply the end‐to‐end encoder–decoder to the eye fixation prediction task. In addition, although high‐level feature is important, the contribution of low‐level feature should also be kept and balanced in computational model. Nevertheless, some low‐level features that attract attention are easily neglected while transiting through the deep network. Therefore, the effective way to integrate low‐level and high‐level features for improving eye fixation prediction performance is still a challenging task. In this paper, a coarse‐to‐fine network (CFN) that encompasses two pathways with different training strategies are proposed: coarse perceiving network (CFN‐Coarse) can be a simple encoder network or any of the existing pretrained network to capture the distribution of salient regions and generate high‐quality feature maps; fine integrating network (CFN‐Fine) uses fixed parameters from the CFN‐Coarse and combines features from deep to shallow in the deconvolution process by adding skip connections between down‐sampling and up‐sampling paths to efficiently integrate deep and shallow features. The saliency map obtained by the method is evaluated over 6 standard benchmark datasets, namely SALICON, MIT1003, MIT300, Toronto, OSIE, and SUN500. The results demonstrate that the method can surpass the state‐of‐the‐art accuracy of eye fixation prediction and achieves the competitive performance to date under most evaluation metrics on SALICON Saliency Prediction Challenge (LSUN2017).
A most enigmatic mouse: additional information on collection of blue-grey mouse (
Authors: Lavery Tyrone H. , Dickman Christopher R. , Lindenmayer David B.
Published: April 2022

Australia has suffered more modern mammal extinctions than any nation. Among the list of extinct species is the blue-grey mouse (Pseudomys glaucus), a rodent known from just three specimens (two from southern Queensland and one from northern New South Wales). We investigated circumstances of collection for the three specimens referred to this species to better illuminate optimal habitats and climatic conditions for continuing rediscovery efforts. No additional information could be found on two specimens from southern Queensland sent to the Natural History Museum, London. However, we recorded a first-hand account of how the northern New South Wales specimen was collected and have established that the collection year was 1956. We also obtained a copy of correspondence from Ellis Le G. Troughton thanking the collector for the contribution. The northern New South Wales specimen was from a pastoral property formerly dominated by woodland vegetation communities on alluvial soils. It was captured during a mouse plague following consecutive seasons of above average rainfall. Pseudomys glaucus is likely already extinct, but our results help better direct any future survey efforts. Surveys should be targeted in woodland communities on alluvial floodplains in the Darling Riverine Plains bioregion, following periods of above average rainfall conducive to the irruption of rodent populations.
Transit along the vas deferens results in a high percentage of filiform spermatozoa with compacted chromatin in the rooster (
Authors: Bernal B. , Behnamifar A. , Álvarez-Rodríguez C. , Toledano-Díaz A. , Castaño C. , Velázquez R. , Gil M. G. , Gutiérrez-Adán A. , Woelders Henri , Blesbois E. , Santiago-Moreno J.
Published: April 2022

The present work aimed to evaluate the chromatin compaction of rooster spermatozoa along the male reproductive tract, and to study the vas deferens lining cells, potentially involved in sperm maturation. Chromomycin A3 (CMA3) was used to determine the chromatin compaction of spermatozoa from testis (T), proximal (including epididymis, V1), intermediate (V2) and distal (V3) vas deferens, and ejaculate (E). Six Birchen Leonesa roosters were used. E was obtained in vivo by dorso-ventral massage. V1, V2 and V3 sperm were obtained post mortem (six pairs of vasa deferentia), by flushing. T was obtained by washing the testes, cut in halves. The fixed cells were stained with CMA3 and propidium iodide for flow cytometry assessment. Results showed higher (P < 0.01) median fluorescence intensity (lower chromatin compaction) of T (693.8 ± 30.2) than V1 (546.3 ± 17.7), V2 (515.1 ± 12.1), V3 (517.6 ± 12.3) and E (491.4 ± 16.1). Regarding the percentage of intensely stained cells, T differs (P < 0.05) from V2, V3 and E, V1 differs (P < 0.05) from V3 and E, while V2, V3 and E do not differ. The histological analysis revealed secretory capacity of the vas deferens. Our findings specified that the transit though the vas deferens results in high percentage of compacted chromatin spermatozoa in E.
Transcriptome analyses of potential regulators of pre- and post-ovulatory follicles in the pigeon (
Authors: Lu Lizhi , Zhang Long , Zeng Tao , Du Xue , Tao Zhengrong , Li Guoqin , Zhong Shengliang , Wen Jihui , Zhou Caiquan , Xu Xiaoqin
Published: April 2022

To identify the dominant genes controlling follicular maturation, ovulation and regression for pigeon, we used RNA-seq to explore the gene expression profiles of pre- and post-ovulatory follicles of pigeon. We obtained total of 4.73 million (96% of the raw data) high-quality clean reads, which could be aligned with 20 282 genes. Gene expression profile analysis identified 1461 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the pre- (P4) and post-ovulatory follicles (P5). Of these, 843 genes were upregulated, and 618 genes were down-regulated. Furthermore, many DEGs were significantly enriched in some pathways closely related to follicle maturation, ovulation and regression, such as ECM–receptor interaction, vascular smooth muscle contraction, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, phagosome. Importantly, the DGEs in ECM–receptor interaction pathway included COL1A1, COL1A2, COL4A1, COL4A2, ITGA11, ITGB3 and SDC3, in the progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation pathway involved CDK1, CDC25A, CCNB3, CDC20 and Plk1, and in the vascular smooth muscle contraction covered CALD1, KCNMA1, KCNMB1, CACNA1, ACTA2, MYH10, MYL3, MYL6, MYL9, closely related to promoting follicular maturation and ovulation in pre-ovulatory follicles. Moreover, it seems that the lysosomal cathepsin family has a decisive role in the regression of early stage of post-ovulatory follicle. Taken together, these data enrich the research of molecular mechanisms of pigeon follicular activities at the transcriptional level and provide novel insight of breeding-related physiology for birds.
Evaluating the impact of integrating SMART goal setting in preceptor development using the Habits of Preceptors Rubric
Authors: Afolabi Titilola M , Pogge Elizabeth K , Early Nicole K , Larson Suzanne , Stein Jane , Hanson Laura , Storjohann Tara , Raney Erin , Davis Lindsay E
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The impact of goal setting in pharmacy preceptor development was evaluated using the Habits of Preceptors Rubric (HOP-R), a criterion-referenced assessment developed to assess, quantify, and demonstrate growth across 11 preceptor habits.

Methods

This study retrospectively evaluated initial and follow-up survey responses from the 2019-2020 Clinician Educators Program cohort at Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, Glendale Campus. Enrollees in this teaching and learning curriculum (TLC) were invited to assess their precepting habits using the HOP-R after attending the first seminar and again toward the end of the longitudinal program. Using online surveys, participants rated their precepting capabilities as developing, proficient, accomplished, or master level for each habit. In the initial survey, each participant selected a habit of focus for deliberate development and established an individualized goal using the specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) framework. In the follow-up survey, participants indicated their satisfaction with and progress toward accomplishing their precepting goal.

Results

Initial survey results from 55 study participants identified developing as the most frequently self-reported habit level (53%; n = 605 ratings), while master was the least frequently reported (1%). In the follow-up assessment, accomplished (45%) was the most frequently self-reported habit level, while master (5%) remained the least reported. The cohort reported a median progress in SMART goal accomplishment of 69% (range, 12% to 100%; n = 54).

Conclusion

Preceptor and resident pharmacists reported perceived advancement in precepting capabilities within the conceptual framework of the HOP-R encompassing both their self-selected habit of focus and adjacent habits while enrolled in a TLC. SMART goals facilitated qualitative and quantitative assessment of development.
Recent progress of proteomic analysis on spermatogenesis
Authors: Zhang Haotian , Situ Chenghao , Guo Xuejiang
Published: April 2022

Testis, the only organ responsible for generating sperm, is by far the organ with the largest variety of proteins and tissue-specific proteins in humans. In testis, spermatogenesis is a multi-step complex process well-accepted that protein and mRNA are decoupled in certain stages of spermatogenesis. With the fast development of mass spectrometry-based proteomics, it is possible to systemically study protein abundances and modifications in testis and sperm to help us understand the molecular mechanisms of spermatogenesis. This review provides an overview of the recent progress of proteomics analysis on spermatogenesis, including protein expression and multiple post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation, glycosylation, ubiquitylation, and acetylation.
Use of anti-inhibin monoclonal antibody for increasing the litter size of mouse strains and its application to in vivo-genome editing technology
Authors: Hasegawa Ayumi , Mochida Keiji , Nakamura Ayaka , Miyagasako Rico , Ohtsuka Masato , Hatakeyama Masahiko , Ogura Atsuo
Published: April 2022

The litter size of mouse strains is determined by the number of oocytes naturally ovulated. Many attempts have been made to increase litter sizes by conventional superovulation regimens (e.g., using equine or human gonadotropins, eCG/hCG but had limited success because of unexpected decreases in the numbers of embryos surviving to term. Here, we examined whether rat-derived anti-inhibin monoclonal antibodies (AIMAs) could be used for this purpose. When C57BL/6 female mice were treated with an AIMA and mated, the number of healthy offspring per mouse increased by 1.4-fold (11.9 vs. 8.6 in controls). By contrast, treatment with eCG/hCG or anti-inhibin serum resulted in fewer offspring than in nontreated controls. The overall efficiency of production based on all females treated (including nonpregnant ones) was improved 2.4 times with AIMA compared with nontreated controls. The AIMA treatment was also effective in ICR mice, increasing the litter size from 15.3 to 21.2 pups. We then applied this technique to an in vivo genome-editing method (improved genome-editing via oviductal nucleic acid delivery, i-GONAD) to produce C57BL/6 mice deficient for tyrosinase. The mean litter size following i-GONAD increased from 4.8 to 7.3 after the AIMA treatment and genetic modifications were confirmed in 80/88 (91%) of the offspring. Thus, AIMA treatment is a promising method for increasing the litter size of mice and may be applied for the easy proliferation of mouse colonies as well as in vivo genetic manipulation, especially when the mouse strains are sensitive to handling.
Effects of dehydration speed on the metabolism of membrane lipids and its relation to the browning of the Thompson seedless grape
Authors: Liu Fengjuan , Huang Wei , Fan Yingying , He Weizhong , Tao Yongxia , Wang Cheng
Published: April 2022

Xinjiang is the main producing area of raisins and the largest green raisins production base in China. The browning of Thompson seedless grape raisin is extremely serious during the drying process, and has become the key issue in the development of Xinjiang raisin industry. Previous studies have shown that dehydration speed has a great impact on the browning of Thompson seedless grape, but few relevant mechanisms have been studied. Here, we demonstrate the effect of dehydration speed on lipid metabolism and its relation to the browning of the Thompson seedless grape during drying. Compared to slow dehydration treatment, rapid dehydration treatment of the Thompson seedless grape exhibited a lower degree of browning and activities of lipoxygenase (LOX), a higher index of unsaturated fatty acids and degree of unsaturated fatty acid. Moreover, the Thompson seedless grape treated with rapid dehydration resulted in a lower rate of superoxide anion production, hydrogen peroxide content, membrane permeability, and malondialdehyde content. These findings demonstrate that rapid dehydration inhibiting the browning of Thompson seedless grapes might be due to the inhibiting activities of LOX and the lower accumulation of reactive oxygen species. These activities can inhibit lipid peroxidation and slow the decomposition of unsaturated fatty acid in the membrane in Thompson seedless grapes, protecting the cellular membrane structural integrity, which may result in less contact of polyphenol oxidase with phenolic substrates and less enzymatic browning during drying. The results provide a theoretical basis for the application of rapid dehydration in drying Thompson seedless grapes.
Italy's embrace of the Belt and Road Initiative: populist foreign policy and political marketing
Authors: Pugliese Giulio , Ghiretti Francesca , Insisa Aurelio
Published: April 2022

Are populist governments harbingers of foreign policy disruption? The foreign policy of western Europe's first all-out populist coalition government constitutes a good window to address this question. Italy's ‘Yellow–Green’ government's decision to embrace China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2019 has been understood as an important rupture from Italy's traditional Euro-Atlantic foreign policy. On the basis of substantial empirical research, especially elite interviews and official documentation, this article finds instead continuity with previous administrations' overtures to Beijing, including non-opposition from the EU and active engagement by the bureaucratic establishment. This article makes a contribution to the study of populism and foreign policy by positing that political marketing constitutes the key intervening variable that accounts for populist governments' rhetorical differentiation to local electorate and international counterparts alike. The Italian case demonstrates that populist ‘ruptures’ may well be about style and electioneering tactics, over substance and policy strategy. Considering the still growing number of governments that decide to sign into the BRI, most lately that of Argentina, policy-makers and observers ought to assess to what extent these are real commitments, or rather a smokescreen of marketing practices that does not change the relationship between China and the target country in any substantial manner.
Rethinking armed groups and order: Syria and the rise of militiatocracies
Authors: Voller Yaniv
Published: April 2022

In recent years, the relations between weak central governments and armed groups in the periphery have attracted great attention. Rebels, warlords and other actors have not only undermined the authorities' grip on power, but gradually come to shape the nature of governance and political system in their countries. Warlordism, rebelocracies and aliocracies are just a few of the political systems identified by students of conflict and armed groups. However, the literature has generally overlooked one category of armed groups and their implications on political order: pro-government militias (PGMs). As PGMs have become ubiquitous in civil wars, this article identifies a new political order emerging in countries where central governments have become reliant on PGMs in counter-insurgency operations. The article defines this order as a militiatocracy. Unlike armed groups in other political orders, PGMs do not seek to overthrow, undermine or replace the central government. Instead, in militiatocracies, PGMs and central governments develop symbiotic relations, which on the one hand help the government to survive an insurgency, but on the other allow militia leaders to secure an increasing presence in politics. The article illustrates the emergence and nature of militiatocracies by employing the case of Syria during the civil war.
Nuclear weapon-free zones and the issue of maritime transit in Latin America
Authors: Rodriguez J Luis , Mendenhall Elizabeth
Published: April 2022

Why did Latin American states exclude a prohibition on maritime nuclear transit from their regional nuclear weapon-free zone (NWFZ)? Latin American countries and nuclear powers shared common anxieties about the dangers of the nuclear arms race in the early 1960s. Thus, they decided to craft a regional nuclear non-proliferation mechanism. Latin American states favoured limiting maritime nuclear transit as part of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, known as the Treaty of Tlatelolco. However, they disagreed on defining transit and the zone of application of a ban, and they faced US opposition. This article identifies issue bracketing as a negotiating tactic Latin America used to ensure a successful treaty codification. It argues that Latin American states bracketed the maritime nuclear transit issue out of the NWFZ discussions and onto the agenda of the negotiations establishing ocean governance rules in the 1970s. The Latin American construction of a NWFZ questions assumptions in international law and nuclear politics studies about the agency of the global South in the global nuclear order. Latin American concessions in Tlatelolco were not impositions from nuclear powers. Their compromises were strategic decisions that helped them promote their governance preferences.
In silico target-based strain engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for terpene precursor improvement
Authors: Paramasivan Kalaivani , Abdulla Aneesha , Gupta Nabarupa , Mutturi Sarma
Published: April 2022

Systems-based metabolic engineering enables cells to enhance product formation by predicting gene knockout and overexpression targets using modeling tools. FOCuS, a novel metaheuristic tool, was used to predict flux improvement targets in terpenoid pathway using the genome-scale model of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, iMM904. Some of the key knockout target predicted includes LYS1, GAP1, AAT1, AAT2, TH17, KGD-m, MET14, PDC1 and ACO1. It was also observed that the knockout reactions belonged either to fatty acid biosynthesis, amino acid synthesis pathways or nucleotide biosynthesis pathways. Similarly, overexpression targets such as PFK1, FBA1, ZWF1, TDH1, PYC1, ALD6, TPI1, PDX1 and ENO1 were established using three different existing gene amplification algorithms. Most of the overexpression targets belonged to glycolytic and pentose phosphate pathways. Each of these targets had plausible role for improving flux toward sterol pathway and were seemingly not artifacts. Moreover, an in vitro study as validation was carried with overexpression of ALD6 and TPI1. It was found that there was an increase in squalene synthesis by 2.23- and 4.24- folds, respectively, when compared with control. In general, the rationale for predicting these in silico targets was attributed to either increasing the acetyl-CoA precursor pool or regeneration of NADPH, which increase the sterol pathway flux.