bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbial inoculants alter resilience towards drought stress in wheat plants
Authors: Singh Madhulika , Sharma Jai Gopal , Giri Bhoopander
Published: June 2023

The present study aimed to investigate the role of Piriformospora indica, arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF), and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) in alleviating drought stress in the HD-2967 wheat cultivar. In a completely randomized design experiment, plants were subjected to different water regimes of 75 and 35% field capacity (FC) under greenhouse conditions. Under different water regimes, microbial inoculation significantly enhanced the morphological, physico-biochemical, and ultrastructural characteristics of the wheat plants. Plants inoculated with PGPB, P. indica, and AMF showed increased shoot and root length, shoot and root biomass, leaf area, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and internal CO2 as compared to uninoculated plants under all water regimes. The PGPB, P. indica, and AMF-inoculated wheat plants accumulated higher content of glycine betaine, total sugars, trehalose, proline, putrescine, spermidine, carotenoids, proteins, α-tocopherol, and a decrease in lipid peroxidation, relative membrane permeability, and lipoxygenase enzyme (LOX) activity as compared to uninoculated plants. Besides, microbes-inoculated wheat plants showed a higher level of antioxidant enzymes viz., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) than uninoculated plants. Microbial inoculation helped wheat plants to overcome water stress-induced deficiency of macro- (Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+) and micronutrient (Cu, Mn2+, Fe, and Zn2+), and reduced damage to the cell ultrastructure (plasma membrane and chloroplasts). Comparing the potential of microbial inoculants to increase growth and nutritional, biochemical, physiological, and ultrastructural changes, the PGPB-inoculated wheat plants showed greater drought resilience followed by AMF and P. indica inoculated plants. These microbial inoculants offer a significant potential to meet the challenges of sustainable agriculture under drought conditions.
Application of seismic attribute analysis techniques to multi-scale nature fractures description: A case study of the Longmaxi-Wufeng formation in H shale gas block, Yangtze plate, China
Authors: Xie Qinghui , Han Guosheng , Chen Junhao , Zhao Chunduan , Li Qingshan , Guan Shoujun
Published: June 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Agreement and Precision of Wide and Cube Scan Measurements between Swept-source and Spectral-domain OCT in Normal and Glaucoma Eyes
Authors: Hou Huiyuan , EI-Nimri Nevin W. , Durbin Mary K. , Arias Juan D. , Moghimi Sasan , Weinreb Robert N.
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to evaluate agreement of Wide scan measurements from swept-source optical coherence tomography(SS-OCT) Triton and spectral-domain OCT(SD-OCT) Maestro in normal/glaucoma eyes, and to assess the precision of measurements from Wide and Cube scans of both devices. Three Triton and three Maestro operator/device configurations were created by pairing three operators, with study eye and testing order randomized. Three scans were captured for Wide (12mm×9mm), Macular Cube (7mmx7mm–Triton; 6mmx6mm-Maestro), and Optic Disc Cube (6mmx6mm) scans for 25 normal eyes and 25 glaucoma eyes. Thickness of circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer(cpRNFL), ganglion cell layer+inner plexiform layer(GCL+), and ganglion cell complex(GCL++) was obtained from each scan. A two-way random effect analysis of variance model was used to estimate the repeatability and reproducibility; agreement was evaluated by Bland-Altman analysis and Deming regression. Precision limit estimates were low: <5µm for macular and <10µm for optic disc parameters. Precision for Wide and Cube scans of both devices were comparablein both groups. Excellent agreement between the two devices was found for Wide scans, with the mean difference<3µm across all measurements (cpRNFL<3µm, GCL+<2µm, GCL++<1µm), indicating interoperability. A single Wide scan covering the peripapillary and macular regions may be useful for glaucoma management.
Adjuvant chemotherapy in pathological node-negative non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Cheng Ya-Fu , Chen Yi-Ling , Liu Chia-Chi , Lin Ching-Min , Tong Shao-Syuan , Wang Bing-Yen
Published: June 2023

Non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with a poor survival rate, even for patients with early-stage cancer. Identifying patients with pathological N0 NSCLC who may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy treatment after surgery is essential. We conducted a retrospective cohort study used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and included 26,380 patients with pathological N0 NSCLC after surgery between January 2018, and December 2019. Among 26,380 patients, 24,273 patients received surgery alone and the other 2,107 patients received surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy. After 1:1 propensity score matching, both groups contained 2,107 patients. Adjuvant chemotherapy did not show significantly better 24-month survival in T2aN0 NSCLC patients (83.41% vs. 78.79%, p = 0.056), although it did for T2bN0 patients (84.07% vs. 66.93%, p < 0.001). Poorly-differentiated NSCLC remained a high-risk factor for pT2N0, and adjuvant chemotherapy provided better 24-month survival after matching (86.36% vs. 77.51%, p = 0.003). In conclusion, when treating pN0 NSCLC, adjuvant chemotherapy had a beneficial effect when the tumor size was larger than 4 cm. The effect when the tumor size was between 3 cm and 4 cm was not remarkable. Poorly-differentiated NSCLC was a high-risk factor in the pT2N0 stage.
Patient transfer patterns and the spread of hospital-acquired infections in subnetworks of a country: an example of federal states in Germany
Authors: Xia Hanjue , Horn Johannes , Piotrowska Monika J. , Sakowski Konrad , Karch André , Kretzschmar Mirjam , Mikolajczyk Rafael
Published: June 2023

Pathogens typically responsible for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) constitute a major threat to healthcare systems worldwide. They spread via hospital (or hospital-community) networks by readmissions or patient transfers. Therefore, knowledge of these networks is essential to develop and test strategies to mitigate and control the HAI spread. Until now, no methods for comparing healthcare networks across different systems were proposed. Based on healthcare insurance data from four German federal states (Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Saxony and Thuringia), we constructed hospital networks and compared them in a systematic approach regarding population, hospital characteristics, and patient transfer patterns. Direct patient transfers between hospitals had only a limited impact on HAI spread. Whereas, with low colonization clearance rates, readmissions to the same hospitals posed the biggest transmission risk of all inter-hospital transfers. We then generated hospital-community networks, in which patients either stay in communities or in hospitals. We found that network characteristics affect the final prevalence and the time to reach it. However, depending on the characteristics of the pathogen (colonization clearance rate and transmission rate or even the relationship between transmission rate in hospitals and in the community), the studied networks performed differently. The differences were not large, but justify further studies.
WebRTC over 5G: A Study of Remote Collaboration QoS in Mobile Environment
Authors: Nakazato Jin , Tsukada Manabu , Nakagawa Kousuke , Ito Koki , Fontugne Romain , Esaki Hiroshi
Published: June 2023

The increasing demand for remote collaboration and remote working has become crucial to daily life owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and the development of internet-based video distribution services. Furthermore, low-latency remote collaboration, such as teleoperation and support applications designed for in-vehicle environments, has gained considerable attention. The 5G technology is considered as a key infrastructure for remote collaboration. This study aimed to evaluate the actual 5G capability to achieve high quality of service (QoS) for remote collaboration. We designed and implemented a measurement tool to monitor the QoS of remote collaboration under real-world 5G conditions. We performed measurements encompassing the various 5G frequency bands. During these experiments, we employed various tools to obtain detailed mobile signal conditions to analyze the relationship between various environmental factors (e.g. signal quality, band, handoff, geographic conditions, and mobility) and the QoS performance of remote collaboration in a real-world 5G environment. This study elucidated the correlation between the WebRTC performance and various environmental factors as well as the performance improvement potential by leveraging the communication technologies of multiple mobile carriers. The collected data has been made publicly available to foster research on QoS and 5G.
Blind 2-Microphone Acoustic Noise Reduction Algorithms Using Efficient Variable Step-Size Adapted by Minimizing the Intercorrelation Function
Authors: BENDOUMIA Redha
Published: June 2023

Recently, there have been advancements in adaptive reduction of noise signal using 2-microphones adaptive algorithms. Specifically, the normalized form of least-mean-square algorithm (NLMS) with fixed-step-size parameters (FS) has been combined with direct-and-recursive structures of source separation. Compared to conventional one-microphone methods, these combinations provide speech quality superiority. However, the main limitation of these 2-microphones adapting algorithms (Direct combination: Forward NLMS and Recursive combination: Backward NLMS) is their poor steady state regime with large FS value, while small step-sizes values result a slow speed of convergence. To address these issues, we presented in this study a new step-size approach (VS) based the intercorrelation function minimization in the time domain for the basic FNLMS and BNLMS algorithms. Our approach is proposed exactly to obtain an optimal value of VS parameters by intercorrelation minimization among the enhanced signal and noisy microphone ones. The proposition optimization improves both the steady state values and convergence speed simultaneously. The proposed 2-microphones adapting algorithms were evaluated through simulations conducted in highly noisy environments, using the system of mismatch criterion and output estimation of signal-to-noise ratio ones. The comparative simulations results confirmed that our approach outperforms existing methods in terms of effectiveness and efficiency.
A quantization of the Loday-Ronco Hopf algebra
Authors: Esteves João N.
Published: June 2023

We propose a quantization algebra of the Loday-Ronco Hopf algebra $k[Y^\infty]$, based on the Topological Recursion formula of Eynard and Orantin. We have shown in previous works that the Loday-Ronco Hopf algebra of planar binary trees is a space of solutions for the genus 0 version of Topological Recursion, and that an extension of the Loday Ronco Hopf algebra as to include some new graphs with loops is the correct setting to find a solution space for arbitrary genus. Here we show that this new algebra $k[Y^\infty]_h$ is still a Hopf algebra that can be seen in some sense to be made precise in the text as a quantization of the Hopf algebra of planar binary trees, and that the solution space of Topological Recursion is a sub-algebra $\mathcal{A}^h_{\text{TopRec}}\subset k[Y^\infty]_h$ that nevertheless doesn't inherit the Hopf algebra structure. We end the paper with a discussion on the cohomology of $\mathcal{A}^h_{\text{TopRec}}$ in low degree.
Potent mosquitocidal effect of ivermectin-treated nettings and sprayed walls on Anopheles gambiae
Authors: Hamid-Adiamoh Majidah , Muhammad Abdul Khalie , Assogba Benoit Sessinou , Soumare Harouna Massire , Jadama Lamin , Diallo Moussa , D’Alessandro Umberto , Ndiath Mamadou Ousmane , Erhart Annette , Amambua-Ngwa Alfred
Published: June 2023

Ivermectin (IVM) has been proposed as a new tool for malaria control as it is toxic on vectors feeding on treated humans or cattle. Nevertheless, IVM may have a direct mosquitocidal effect when applied on bed nets or sprayed walls. Laboratory-reared, insecticide-susceptible Kisumu Anopheles gambiae were exposed to IVM on impregnated netting materials and sprayed plastered- and mud walls using cone bioassays. All mosquitoes died within 6 hours when exposed to IVM-treated nettings, and within 18 hours for both sprayed walls. Mosquito mortality rate on the IVM-treated nettings was similar to that of positive control (100% mortality at 2 hour) while survival was significantly longer on both IVM-sprayed walls (100% mortality at 18 hour) (Log rank X2 = 36.28, p<0.001). Adjusted Cox model predicted a significant interaction between IVM treatment and surface type, as well as significantly higher mosquito mortality on IVM-treated nettings [HR=12.92 (95% CI: 7.69-18.14), p<0.001] compared to plastered- and mud walls. IVM also inhibited mosquito blood feeding and oviposition. Our results show a direct mosquitocidal effect of IVM on An. gambiae Kisumu strain and suggest its potential application as a new insecticide for effective vector control strategies.
Prolonged Exposure to Plant Volatiles Does Not Significantly Affect Pban Expression and Mating Behavior in Diamondback Moth [plutella Xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)]
Authors: TIAN HOUJUN , XU RUIBIN , LI HENG , LIN SHUO , CHEN YIXIN , CHEN YONG , YANG GUANG , WEI HUI
Published: June 2023

Via plant volatiles, herbivorous insects locate hosts, find food, and release spawn for better survival and reproduction. Moreover, plant volatiles not only regulate the synthesis and release of sex pheromones in insects but also help them in the search and orientation of sources of sex pheromones. However, after prolonged exposure to plant volatiles, the changes mediating the mating behavior of diamondback moth (DBM) [Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)] are unclear. DBMs were treated with allyl isothiocyanate, a volatile from cruciferous vegetables; however, it did not improve the mating rate and had a limited effect on mating rhythm. Moreover, the treatment inhibited mating behaviors in 3-day-old DBMs and decreased mating time in 5-day-old DBMs. After prolonged exposure to allyl isothiocyanate, the total mating time of DBM was not significantly different from that after prolonged exposure to n-hexane (control). However, the longest mating time after emergence in DBM after prolonged exposure to allyl isothiocyanate was delayed by 1 day compared with the exposure to n-hexane. Prolonged exposure to plant volatiles intensified the response behavior of DBM to sex pheromones; however, the content of Z11-16: Ald, a major component of sex pheromones, in female DBM gonads exhibited no change. Pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide gene (PBAN) was downregulated in DBMs after prolonged exposure to plant volatiles. These findings suggested that prolonged exposure (6 h) to plant-derived volatiles has little effect on the mating behavior of DBM. The study provided practical guidance for applying phytochemicals in pest control by regulating insect behavior.
Sleep, eating habits and socioeconomic changes in children: Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Hermes Fernanda Nascimento , Silva Amanda Caroline Queiroz da , Ribeiro Willian Silva , Bruzi Alessandro Teodoro , de Melo Camila Maria
Published: June 2023

Introduction: The current pandemic scenario has brought consequences for the health of the child population, including changes in sleep and eating behavior.
Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate changes in sleep, eating habits and socioeconomic status during the pandemic outbreak.
Methods: A longitudinal study with 37 children between 4-10 years old from a public school. Sleep habits were evaluated through the Questionnaire of Sleep Habits for Children (QSTC), food ingestion, through the 24-hour Recall, and collected socioeconomic data.
Results: There was an increase in total sleep time (p<0.01) and a decrease in the overall sleep quality (p<0.01). A reduction in the number of meals consumed was observed (p<0.01). Higher consumption of ultraprocessed food was observed in relation to in natura, with no changes after pandemic. A socioeconomic decline was observed in 43.2% of families (p<0.01).
Conclusion: Improvements in children's sleep quality and duration, a reduction in the number of meals per day and the loss of access to school meals was observed.
WITHDRAWN: Preparation of Lycium barbarum active glycopeptide and investigate its apoptotic effects on melanoma
Authors: Qi Jinghua , Qi Xingli , Huang Dan , Yuan Meng , Xu Xia , Guo Wenlong , Lu Lili , Meng Mingjie , Rao Guirong , Chen Hongyuan , Rui Wen
Published: June 2023

Previous studies have shown that the L. barbarum fruit polysaccharides could inhibit the growth of cancer cells, but the active ingredient and mechanism of melanoma inhibition are unknown. The preparation of L. barbarum active glycopeptide (LBAG) and its composition was studied to investigate its mechanisms of action on melanoma. LBAG from L. barbarum was extracted and isolated using aqueous-alcoholic precipitation and identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry. Then，how LBAG affected the apoptosis and cell cycle of B16 cells was explored by colony formation assay, cell scratch test, flow cytometry, and Western blot. LBAG had a molecular weight of 10-15 kDa and contained Man, Rha, GlcA, Glc, Gal, and Ara as well as 18 amino acids. Treatment with LBAG significantly decreased B16 cell proliferation and induced cycle arrest at phase G0/G1, which was accompanied by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Western blot revealed that LBAG induced the apoptosis and cycle arrest of B6 cells by decreasing the phosphorylation of p38-MAPK and Akt, and the effects were inhibited by N-acetyl-L-cysteine. In mouse xenografts, LBAG inhibited tumor growth via p38-MAPK and AKT signaling. LBAG induces apoptosis in B16 cells through ROS-mediated activation of p38-MAPK and Akt signaling pathways.
Establishment and validation of lung adenocarcinoma aging-related genes prognostic model based on TCGA database
Authors: Xing Long , Wu Shuangli , Wu Tiecheng , Xu Jingxuan , Li Xingya
Published: June 2023

Background To explore the differentially expressed aging-related genes (ARGs) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and develop a prognostic model for LUAD based on aging-related genes.Methods RNA high-throughput transcriptome data of LUAD were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and ARGs were obtained from the Aging Atlas database. A prognostic model for LUAD was constructed based on differentially expressed aging-related genes in LUAD and validated. A nomogram chart and calibration curve were further constructed to explore the clinical application value of the model.Results A total of 80 differentially expressed aging-related genes were obtained by Venn diagram analysis. Seven differentially expressed ARGs with independent prognostic significance were screened by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. LASSO regression analysis was performed on the seven genes to construct a prognostic model for LUAD. Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that compared with the low-risk group, the high-risk group was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for 1, 3, and 5 years were 0.706, 0.725, and 0.642 respectively, indicating that the risk model had high sensitivity and specificity. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor for LUAD. The calibration curve and nomogram chart of gene risk score were further constructed, and the overall consistency of the calibration curve nomogram chart was 0.729, indicating that the model had high accuracy in predicting outcomes.Conclusion The risk model constructed based on differentially expressed ARGs in this study can serve as a prognostic feature for LUAD, providing a reference for individualized treatment of LUAD patients.
Influence of the COVID-19 outbreak in vulnerable patients (pediatric patients, pregnant women, and elderly patients) on an emergency medical service system: a pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic comparative study using the population-based ORION registry
Authors: Ota Koshi , Nitta Masahiko , Komeya Tomonobu , Matsuoka Tetsuya , Takasu Akira
Published: June 2023

Background
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread all over the world.
Objective
To assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency medical services (EMS) for vulnerable patients transported by ambulance.
Methods
This study was a retrospective, descriptive study with a study period from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021 using the Osaka Emergency Information Research Intelligent Operation Network (ORION) system. We included all pediatric patients, pregnant women, and elderly patients ≥65 years of age transported by ambulance in Osaka Prefecture. The main outcome of this study was difficult-to-transport cases. We calculated the rate of difficult-to-transport cases under several conditions.
Results
For the two year-long periods of 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019 and 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021, a total of 887,647 patients were transported to hospital by ambulance in Osaka Prefecture. The total number of vulnerable patients was 579,815 (304,882 in 2019 and 274,933 in 2021). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that difficult-to-transport cases were significantly more frequent in 2021 than in 2019. Difficult-to-transport cases were significantly less frequent in the vulnerable population than in the non-vulnerable population (adjusted odds ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.80–0.83; P < 0.001).
Conclusion
During the pandemic (2021), difficult-to-transport cases were more frequent compared to pre-pandemic (2019), however, vulnerable patients were not the cause of difficulties in obtaining hospital acceptance for transport.
Usefulness of Endoscopic Ultrasound Elastography and Contrast-Enhanced Endoscopic Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer of 10 mm or Less
Authors: Ishikawa Takuya , Ohno Eizaburo , Yamao Kentaro , Mizutani Yasuyuki , Iida Tadashi , Kataoka Kunio , Yamamura Takeshi , Furukawa Kazuhiro , Nakamura Masanao , Hirooka Yoshiki , Kawashima Hiroki
Published: June 2023

Background
Pancreatic cancers (PCs) are often detected late, limiting patient prognosis. Early detection and accurate diagnosis, especially for small PCs, are thus crucial. This study investigated the use of endoscopic ultrasound elastography (EUS-EG) and contrast-enhanced harmonic EUS (CH-EUS) in diagnosing PCs of 10 mm or less.
Methods
This retrospective study at Nagoya University Hospital included 11 patients with pathologically confirmed PCs less than 10 mm. The patients underwent EUS with EUS-EG and/or CH-EUS between May 2005 and January 2022. The performance of these techniques and the interobserver variability was evaluated, with subsequent histopathological comparison. Survival outcomes were estimated using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis.
Results
The patients were predominantly male (63.6%) with a median age of 69 years and median tumor diameter of 9 mm. The EUS-EG showed excellent interobserver concordance (k-coefficient 0.815), with 80% of lesions classified as stiff. CH-EUS revealed a PC pattern that became hypovascular within 40 seconds during 1 minute of continuous observation in 63.6% of cases, with good to excellent interobserver concordance. Survival rates were 77.1% and 64.3% at 3 and 5 years, respectively. Differences in enhancement patterns on CH-EUS were observed based on histological type, differentiation, and tumor stage.
Conclusions
EUS-EG and CH-EUS demonstrated good concordance among observers and could distinguish stiffness and vascular patterns in small PCs. These techniques may aid early detection and accurate diagnosis of PCs less than 10 mm. Further larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Trial registration
This study was retrospectively registered in the ethics committee of Nagoya University Hospital (Approval number: 2015 − 0316, date of approval: December 8th, 2015).
Decoding sex-specific vocal repertoire and syntactic usage in the Fragile X mouse model of autism
Authors: Giua Gabriele , Iezzi Daniela , Caceres-Rodriguez Alba , Strauss Benjamin , Chavis Pascale , Manzoni Olivier J.
Published: June 2023

Pup-dam ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) contribute to the formation of neural circuits and behaviors essential for standard cognitive and socio-emotional development. In conditions like autism and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), disruptions in pup-dam USV communication hint at a possible connection between abnormal early developmental USV communication and the later emergence of communication and social deficits. Syntax, a crucial element of rodent "language," has rarely been investigated in FXS mice, let alone in specimens of both sexes. Therefore, in this study, we gathered USVs from PND 10 FXS pups during a short period of separation from their mothers, encompassing animals of all possible genotypes and both sexes (i.e., Fmr1-/yvs. Fmr1+/y males and Fmr1+/+, +/-, and -/-females). This allowed us to compare, for the first time, the relative influence of sex and gene dosage on their communication capabilities. Leveraging DeepSqueak and analyzing vocal patterns, we examined intricate vocal behaviors such as call structure, duration, frequency modulation, and temporal patterns. The results demonstrate that FMRP-deficient pups of both sexes display an increased inclination to vocalize when separated from their mothers, and this behavior is accompanied by significant sex-specific changes in the main features of their USVs as well as in body weight. Moreover, the decoding of the vocal repertoire and its syntactic usage revealed that the silencing of the Fmr1 gene primarily alters the qualitative composition of ultrasonic communication in males. These findings highlight the fascinating interplay between Fmr1 gene dosage and sex in shaping communication during infancy.
Image-Based Virtual Try-On: Fidelity and Simplification
Authors: Islam Tasin , Miron Alina , Liu Xiaohui , Li Yongmin
Published: June 2023

We introduce a novel image-based virtual try-on model designed to replace a candidate's garment with a desired target item. The proposed model comprises three modules: segmentation, garment warping, and candidate-clothing fusion. Previous methods have shown limitations in cases involving significant differences between the original and target clothing, as well as substantial overlapping of body parts. Our model addresses these limitations by employing two key strategies. Firstly, it utilises a candidate representation based on an RGB skeleton image to enhance spatial relationships among body parts, resulting in robust segmentation and improved occlusion handling. Secondly, truncated U-Net is employed in both the segmentation and warping modules, enhancing segmentation performance and accelerating the try-on process. The warping module leverages an efficient affine transform for ease of training. Comparative evaluations against state-of-the-art models demonstrate the competitive performance of our proposed model across various scenarios, particularly excelling in handling occlusion cases and significant differences in clothing cases. This research presents a promising solution for image-based virtual try-on, advancing the field by overcoming key limitations and achieving superior performance.
A Model and Exact Algorithm for Minimum Set Covering Problem
Authors: Yuan Kaiyou , Wang Yinglong , Li Heng
Published: June 2023

The minimum set covering problem with a wide application background is a classical NP problem in the combinatorial optimization and theoretical computing, which defect is at exponential time complexity. Therefore, based on the compatible relations in set theory，this paper constructed the minimum set cover search model, designed an exact algorithm (MSCPT) to solve the minimum set cover on the maximum simple cover, and conducted its time complexity analysis, proof and time performance test. Finally, MSCPT is applied to the optimal location of express service points. The test results show that the MSCPT with sub exponential time complexity can effectively solve the exact solution in small-scale set cover, and its practical application is simple, feasible and steady.
How seams alter boundary layer separation points on baseballs
Authors: Smith Barton , Garrett John , Dufour Patrick , Francis Erica
Published: June 2023

In this study, we examine the location of boundary layer separation for air flowing over baseballs that are not spinning and the extent to which these locations are modified by seams (i.e. The Seam Shifted Wake). This is an extension of an earlier study based upon a much smaller data set. In both studies, the baseball is propelled in room air and the flow around the ball is measured with particle image velocimetry. In this study, we avoid the assumption that the results are deterministic. We find that the separation location depends on 1) the boundary layer state (whether laminar or turbulent) as well as 2) seams near the separation location. The boundary layer state, in turn, is found to depend on the Reynolds number, the height of the seams (which vary from one ball to the next), and, most importantly, whether a seam lies downstream of the stagnation point and in a region where the favorable pressure gradient is not so strong as to damp the disturbance from the seam. As a result, the separation becomes dependent on the location of two seams, one on the front of the ball and another near the separation location.
Longitudinal assessment of fatigue and health-related quality of life in adults with immune thrombocytopenia in China
Authors: Zhang Wenhui , Xie Shitong , Fu Rongfeng , Chen Yunfei , Liu Wei , Sun Ting , Ju Mankai , Li Huiyuan , Xue Feng , Zhang Lei , Liu Xiaofan , Yang Renchi
Published: June 2023

Background
Currently, there are few studies focusing on fatigue and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) longitudinally among immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) adults, especially in China. We aimed to evaluate changes in fatigue and HRQoL and identify the associated factors from admission to three months after discharge in Chinese adult ITP patients.
Methods
Patients’ characteristics, and the self-reported answers of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT-F) and the ITP-specific Patient Assessment Questionnaire (ITP-PAQ) at admission (T0), at discharge (T1), and three months after discharge (T2) were collected. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine overall changes over time and associated factors in FACIT-F and ITP-PAQ scores at T0, T1, T2.
Results
The data of 175 ITP adults were included. The mean score of FACIT-F at T0 was 37.2 and increased to 39.0 at T1, while then tended to decrease to the level of baseline at T2 (34.7). Patients who were single, retired, had persistent ITP, splenomegaly had more severe fatigue, whereas those who had not received any prior treatment and had a bleeding score of 0 at admission had milder fatigue. The mean score of ITP-PAQ was 57.7 at T0, then gradually increased to 60.3 at T1 and 62.8 at T2. Patients with persistent ITP and those who have never received treatment for ITP have better HRQoL.
Conclusion
Adult ITP patients in China have non-negligible impairment in fatigue and HRQoL. Patients' fatigue improved at discharge but worsened at three months after discharge, while HRQoL gradually improved over time.
Estrogen activates its receptors to improve lymphatic contractility through suppression of endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by hemorrhagic shock
Authors: Zhao Zi-Gang
Published: June 2023

Lymphatic contractility dysfunction is associated with the deterioration of hemorrhagic shock (HS). Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) has been demonstrated to be involved in HS-induced organ injury, while estrogen alleviates HS-induced ERS and organ injury. However, whether estrogen improves lymphatic contraction through inhibition of HS-induced ERS remains unclear. We hypothesized that estrogen activation of its receptors (ERs) promoted mesenteric lymphatic contractility through suppression of HS-induced ERS in lymphatic smooth muscle cells (LSMCs). In a rodent model of HS, 17β-estradiol (E2) administration abrogated HS-induced upregulation of GRP78 in lymphatic tissues. Either E2 or ERS inhibitor 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) promoted the survival HS rats in the first 72 hours after resuscitation. E2, ER-α agonist PPT, ER-β agonist DPN, GPR30-selective agonist G-1, 4-PBA significantly enhanced the contractility of mesenteric lymphatics following HS in vivo and in vitro. In contrast, ICI 182,780 (ERα and ERβ selective inhibitor) and G-15 (GPR30-selective inhibitor) partly abolished the beneficial effects of E2. Furthermore, ERS agonist XCT-790 abolished the beneficial effects of E2, PPT, DPN, and G-1 on lymphatic contractility. Additionally, E2, PPT, DPN, and G-1 inhibited ERS, and thus ameliorate ERS agonist tunicamycin-induced hypo-contractility in primary LSMCs. Taken together, the data indicates that E2 promotes the lymphatic contractility after HS by inhibiting ERS and estrogen receptor activation mediates the beneficial effect of E2.
Qualitative Review of Academic Advising Perceptions: Some Students Satisfied and Need It, Some Don’t
Authors: Sherlywati Sherlywati , Kristine Fanny , Junita Imelda
Published: June 2023

The research presented experiences in seeking academic advising patterns that produce satisfaction, urgency, and students’ academic and personal development at a university in Bandung, Indonesia. Data were collected using the story circle method. Four questions, including the meaning of advising, memorable experiences, perception of the process and advisors, and student expectations, were asked to answer the two main research questions. The two main questions involved the meaning and benefits of advising and satisfaction. A total of 57 respondents divided into seven groups of story circles were selected as participants using a purposive sampling method. Data were analyzed using a hierarchical Cresswell approach, starting from transcription, coding, categorizing, and developing themes. The results show that some students are satisfied with academic advising, but others feel dissatisfied even though it is important. The results also show that most advisors have created meaningful and memorable stories supporting student academic achievement. However, the relationship between lecturers and undergraduates determines the satisfaction level. The managers suggest from the research that it is necessary to hold coaching and counseling, training for advisors, and set a minimum procedural standard, including equating online communication channels because it minimizes the inequality of students’ satisfaction.
Indonesian Students’ Prejudice Against Homosexuals: Religious Fundamentalism and Intergroup Threat as Predictors
Authors: Chandra Jessica , Sampe Tondok Marselius , Balgies Soffy
Published: June 2023

The research aimed to examine and explain the relationship between religious fundamentalism and intergroup threats toward undergraduate students’ prejudice against gays and lesbians. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, a slogan about tolerance, is supposed to protect and enhance diversity in Indonesia. On the contrary, sexual minority groups, gays and lesbians, often accept stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination from the majority of Indonesian because they are considered against the religious values and morality of Indonesian. The research used a cross-sectional survey design with accidental sampling methods. The research subjects were students aged 18 to 24 years who studied at universities in Surabaya, identified as heterosexuals, and with diverse religious backgrounds (N = 414). The instruments used were the Attitudes Towards Lesbians and Gay Men (ATLG), the Revised Religious Fundamentalism Scale (RFS-12), and the Perceived Threat of Homosexuals (PTHS) Scale. Multiple regression analysis shows that religious fundamentalism and intergroup threat plays a significant role in explaining prejudice against gays and lesbians (R = 0,872; R² = 0,761; F = 654,817; p < 0,001). The role of intergroup threat as a predictor of prejudice against gays and lesbians is higher than religious fundamentalism.Additional analysis shows that academic discipline, contact, empathy, religion, and university characteristics affect students’ prejudice.
Experiências, estratégias e práticas de professoras alfabetizadoras
Authors: De Andrade Elizete Oliveira , Amorim Marília Godinho Martins
Published: June 2023

Trata-se de uma pesquisa sobre o processo de alfabetização de crianças dos três primeiros anos do Ensino Fundamental (Ciclo Inicial de Alfabetização). O objetivo principal da pesquisa foi compreender e analisar como é realizado esse processo, levando em consideração as narrativas de professoras alfabetizadoras sobre suas experiências e vivências no cotidiano escolar. Como procedimento metodológico, utilizamos a abordagem qualitativa, com a técnica da observação participante e da entrevista semiestruturada. Para a pesquisa, foi selecionada uma escola estadual situada no município de Carangola/MG, com a participação de três professoras alfabetizadoras. Como resultado, apontamos que as experiências docentes definem a forma como as professoras desenvolvem o processo de ensino-aprendizagem, e que suas ações são primordiais para o sucesso na alfabetização, deixando marcas significativas na sua vida dos estudantes.
Formação de instrutores/as de trânsito e de condutores/as de veículos: uma proposta para EJA e Proeja
Authors: Camillo Eliane Juraski , Kuhn Valdecir
Published: June 2023

A partir de pesquisa de campo, em que foram produzidas informações sobre o perfil acadêmico e a capacitação pedagógica de instrutores de trânsito dos Centros de Formação de Condutores da Região Metropolitana do Extremo-Oeste de Santa Catarina, o presente estudo discute a importância do domínio de conhecimentos de didática, métodos e técnicas de ensino-aprendizagem e o processo de avaliação para a qualidade e eficiência na formação de condutores para o trânsito brasileiro. Concepções pedagógicas de vertente socioconstrutivista servem de base à reflexão. O estudo não esgota o tema, no entanto, vai além da ótica de educação para o trânsito. Busca incentivar o aprofundamento da discussão acerca do modelo de formação de condutores atual diante do crescente indicador anual de vítimas fatais no trânsito. Finalmente, visando a contribuir com alternativas práticas, apresenta proposta para a instituição do curso de formação teórica de condutores como disciplina extracurricular, concomitante ao Ensino Médio, na modalidade Educação de Jovens e Adultos, curso já regulamentado pelo Conselho Nacional de Trânsito, considerado viável diante das demais legislações pertinentes à educação.
 Palavras-chave: Educação. Trabalho. Formação de instrutores/as e condutores/as de trânsito. Currículo.
Surgical Excision and Reconstruction in Oral Cavity Cancer
Authors: Ahn Soon-Hyun
Published: June 2023

The primary treatment of oral cavity cancer is still surgery. By discussing the surgical treatment of oral cavity cancer, the basic concept of head and neck surgery could be thoroughly reviewed. The oral cavity is defined as the hard palate and the anterior 2/3 of the tongue. With appropriate reconstruction, most defects can be repaired without a significant change in quality of life, unlike in the oropharynx or hypopharynx, where aspiration problems frequently occur. The selection of a surgical approach that can provide an appropriate field of view to obtain a resection margin of 5 mm or more has become the core of head and neck surgery. The role of prophylactic neck dissection is also well established in oral cavity cancer patients. Mandibulotomy for access to the oral cavity or mandibulectomy due to cancer invasion requires bony surgical techniques, and reconstruction also requires bone tissue reconstruction techniques as well as soft tissue. Therefore, oral cancer surgery is the most important primary area where all techniques of head and neck surgery are mobilized.
A Case of Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma (MALT Lymphoma) in Hypopharynx: A Case Report
Authors: Kang Min-Ju , Park Youn-Sun , Lee Ju-Eun , Kim Hyun-Bum
Published: June 2023

Malignant lymphoma rarely occurs in the larynx and hypopharynx. Few cases of malignant lymphoma in the larynx were reported in Korea. However, malignant lymphoma in the hypopharynx had been not reported in Korea. A 68-year-old woman came to the outpatient clinic with a foreign body sensation in her throat. A round, smooth margin, bright pink-colored mass was confirmed by the laryngoscopy. The patient took neck computer tomography. A small bulging of mucosa was observed, but there was no peripheral infiltration or abnormally enlarged lymph nodes. We did excision using CO2 LASER. She was finally diagnosed with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALT lymphoma). After diagnosis, several image studies confirmed that there was no metastatic lesion. She got only radiotherapy after that and kept a complete response state for over 2 years.
A Case of Intra-thyroidal Schwannoma Diagnosed by Preoperative Core Needle Biopsy
Authors: Choi Dong Gyu , Kim Young-Ok , Jung Min Jung , Lee Hyoung Shin
Published: June 2023

Schwannoma is a slow growing benign tumor that can occur anywhere in our body. About 25~45% cases of schwannomas occur in the head and neck, but intra-thyroidal schwannomas are very rare, and mostly are diagnosed by post-thyroidectomy pathologic study. In this article, we present a case of intra-thyroidal schwannoma diagnosed preoperatively with core needle biopsy. The patient underwent enucleation of the thyroid tumor, and the pathology of the tumor was confirmed as schwannoma. Few cases of intra-thyroidal schwannomas have been reported in the literature, but none of them have been diagnosed through core needle biopsy preoperatively. Preoperative diagnosis of intra-thyroidal schwannoma can be helpful when determining appropriate surgical extent and avoid unnecessary thyroidectomy.
Determining the thermal diffusivity and principal directions of anisotropic materials in motion by laser-spot thermography
Authors: Mendioroz arantza , Colom mateu
Published: June 2023

We present a methodology to determine the in-plane principal thermal diffusivities and principal directions of anisotropic materials moving at constant speed using laser-spot thermography. From analytical expressions of the surface temperature, we show that the radial profiles through the center of the spot are straight lines whose slopes depend on the profile orientation and on the principal diffusivities and directions. The methodology involves fitting these slopes as a function of the angle with the direction of motion. Experimental data on calibrated samples validate the method. This approach can be useful for on-line assessment of fibre orientation in CFRP.
Induction thermography with automated defect detection in comparison with magnetic particle inspection
Authors: Müller david , Finckbohner michael , lugin Sergey , Netzelmann udo
Published: June 2023

A study with in total 200 forged steel parts was performed in order to compare the testing reliability of automated thermographic testing and magnetic particle inspection. A robot supported thermographic inspection station was built up. The thermographic phase images obtained were analysed by an automatic defect detection procedure based on machine learning techniques. Results of magnetic particle inspection served as a reference. A good testing reliability was found.
Toward deep learning fusion of flying spot thermography and visible inspection for surface cracks detection on metallic materials
Authors: Helvig kevin , Gaverina ludovic , Trouvé-Peloux pauline , Roche jean-Michel , Abeloos baptiste , Pradere christophe , Le Besnerais guy
Published: June 2023

“Flying spot” laser infrared thermography (FST) is a non destructive testing technique able to detect small defects through scanning surfaces with a laser heat source. Defects such as cracks can indeed be detected by the disturbance of heat propagation measured by an infrared camera. However this examination method is limited to small regions of interest and the measurement might be affected by heterogeneous surface properties. Moreover, visible spectrum enables the location of variations of properties on the surface and an inspection within large field of view in a single snapshot. The aim of the present work is to couple FST with visible inspection using deep learning techniques. This paper presents our preliminary work toward this fusion, from experimental bench realization, to sample examination in both spectra. A performance comparison of our dedicated convolutional defect detection neural network trained on each spectrum separately concludes the paper.
Experimental verification of non-Fourier heat transfer in a multilayer skin tissue structure by IR temperature measurement
Authors: Strąkowska maria , De Mey gilbert , Wiecek boguslaw
Published: June 2023

The paper presents experimental verification of the Dual-Phase-Lag (DPL) heat transfer model of a skin tissue. The simulation for Fourier- Kirchhoff and the DPL thermal models was performed for the same set of the parameters. These models were solved analytically in frequency domain using the Laplace transform. The non-Fourier heat transfer should be considered in a tissue as it is a multilayer structure where the perfusion plays an important role in heat transfer. The DPL effect can be visualize in the high frequency range of the Nyquist plot of thermal impedance. Because of that the experiment for living skin tissue was performed using a fast cooled single-detector IR head with the high sampling rate. Based on the obtained data, the DPL model parameters were identified. It confirmed that such model fits well to measurements results and the values of the parameters are agreed with the literature.
The use of machine learning for face regions detection in thermograms
Authors: Kaczmarek mariusz , Guzik J
Published: June 2023

The aim of this study is to analyze the methods of detecting characteristic points of the face in thermographic images. As part of the implementation an extensive analysis of scientific publications covering similar issues both for the analysis of images made in visible light and thermographic images was carried out. On the basis of this analysis, 3 models were selected and then they were implemented and tested on the basis of test images. Finally, two models were selected, the operation of which was documented on thermographic images - DAN and AAM, as well as one model that was tested for RGB images - the ERT model. Satisfactory detection parameters were achieved in the experiment.
Moisture diffusion assessment in porous media by IR Thermography
Authors: Bison paolo , Cadelano gianluca , Ferrarini giovanni , Girotto mario , Gomez Serito maurizio , Peron fabio , Volinia monica
Published: June 2023

In this work, we propose to monitor the diffusion of water in the porous material, both in time and space by collecting a sequence of IR images, after the application of the contact sponge. The first experimentation was done in situ during a restoration campaign. To improve the understanding of the phenomena, it was planned to carry on some experiments on porous materials that are homogeneous as much as possible. A fired clay brick and a sand stone pietra serena have been used to apply the contact sponge technique and to monitor the induced effects by IRT in a controlled environment