bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental Study on the Buffering Effects of Urban Trees Group in Dike-Break Floods
Authors: Liu Shuyu , Zhang Xiaolei , Xu Zhiheng , Zhao Jiankun , Dong Boliang
Published: July 2023

The process of dike-break flood propagation in typical urban street blocks is highly complex. The presence of buildings and trees groups in urban street blocks profoundly alters the flood dynamics, impacting the drainage capacity of the area. In this study, a generalized sink model representing a typical urban street block was established, including trees groups, buildings, sidewalks, and stormwater drainage systems. The study measured the fluctuation of water levels within the street block and the pressure variation in the pressurized stormwater drainage network during the dike-break flood propagation. Furthermore, it conducted a comparative analysis to assess the influence of different arrangements of trees groups on the maximum water depth in buildings and the discharge capacity of the pressurized stormwater drainage network. Dike-break floods give rise to large-scale water leaps and the formation of thin layer water sheets near the buildings under the influence of buildings, water tank sidewalls, and tree groups. The water leap zones exhibit lateral migration and superposition on the sidewalks during the flood propagation, gradually dissipating and disappearing in the longitudinal direction of the street block. In the presence of tree groups, the water levels significantly decrease in buildings and downstream street blocks, while the discharge capacity of the pressurized stormwater drainage network shows a slight improvement as the road's flood-carrying capacity increases. The pressure in the main pipes fluctuates due to the switching of the grate inlet drainage mode and the hydraulic transition process in the branch pipes. The research findings not only provide valuable validation data for numerical simulations but also offer theoretical guidance for urban flood management and landscape design.
Identification of Water Vapor Flux Convergence Layers and Estimation of Precipitation over Ethiopia
Authors: kebede Tegegne , kebede Abebe , ayele kefyalew
Published: July 2023

Abstract: This paper aimed to investigate the most important moisture-bearing layers in VIWVF among different monthly intervals over the Ethiopian atmosphere based European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) averaged reanalysis zonal and meridional wind data and specific humidity data with the time coverage from 1991-2019 with 0.25° by 0.25° spatial resolution in various types of pressure levels from 1000hpa to 300hpa and ERA5-Land monthly averaged reanalysis data for precipitation. The Ethiopian troposphere is classified into four layers clustering by the Euclidean Distance method. VIWVF and specific humidity are higher in the lower pressure levels and decrease at the higher altitude. The moisture source during the Belg season is the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea are the main sources; the ML1 and ML2 are the interesting layers and good moisture convergence cores for Belg season rainfall, especially in March and April. During the Kiremt season, VIWVF sources are from the South Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea through the Red Sea, with high moisture flux convergence observed in Lr. L and ML1 tropospheric layers (1000hpa-850hpa and 825hpa-750hpa), in July and August. Significant positive correlation between Belg VIWVF and precipitation were recognized in the layer 700hpa-600hpa over Northeastern highlands, Bale, Harar, and yirgacheffe, whereas significant positive correlation with Kiremt rainfall over central-western to northwestern Ethiopia in July and August at 1000-850hpa and 825-750hpa. This research targeted to identify the most important moisture-centered layers, especially in Summer (main) and Spring (second) rainy seasons through VIWVF and its association with precipitation in order to forecast climate and weather impacts over Ethiopia’s atmosphere.
Influence of Prior Shaking on Seismic Drift Demands
Authors: Shah Prateek Pratap , Monical Jonathan , Puranam Aishwarya , Pujol Santiago
Published: July 2023

Following the 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake, 60% of buildings in downtown Christchurch had to be demolished and reconstructed. Such practices are too costly both in terms of money and carbon emissions. Hence, structures need to be proportioned to survive more than one strong ground motion. To do so, it is important to understand the effect of previous shaking history on drift demands. Past studies conducted to investigate the effect of previous shaking on structural response were based almost exclusively on numerical analyses. To date, results from these numerical analyses have not been systematically vetted against measurements from structures tested in the laboratory or evidence from the field. To address this shortcoming, the effect of previous shaking history on drift demands was evaluated using 1) measurements from 220 experimental tests of structures subjected to repeated simulated base motions, and 2) evidence from 31 buildings surveyed after the 1985 and 2010 Chile earthquakes. Data from the experimental tests and field surveys showed that:
1) Repeats of medium or high-intensity ground motions strong enough to cause yielding in their first occurrence are unlikely to produce large relative increases in peak roof and story drift demands in structures with stable force-displacement relationships not susceptible to brittle failures.
2) Larger relative increases in peak drift demands are likely to occur if the first motion (in a sequence of motions containing a pair of repeated motions) is mild enough not to cause cracking and/or yielding, but the second instance of the same motion (repeat) is preceded by larger intensity motions causing cracking and/or yielding.
Numerical Solution of the Nonlinear Poisson- Boltzmann Equation Using the Difference Potentials Method
Authors: Tameh Mahboubeh Tavakoli , Shakeri Fatemeh
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we present a robust and accurate numerical algorithm for solving the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation, based on the difference potentials method (DPM). First, we remove singularity by a simple regular-ization technique and employ Newton’s method for linearizing the equation. Then we use the difference potentials method combined with a second-order finite difference scheme and curvilinear approach to solve the problem in the regions with a smooth general-shaped interface. Unlike many other methods, DPM does not need to treat the nonhomogeneous interface conditions resulting from the regularization and can handle discontinuity in the interface without loss of accuracy. In DPM the grid does not need to conform to the boundary or interfaces. This method approximates the resulting equation on a regular structured grid, which entails a low computational complexity, and does not face the challenge of reducing the order of accuracy near the nonconforming interfaces. Several numerical experiments are presented for illustrating the efficiency and accuracy of the developed numerical method.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2000) 41A58 · 82B24 · 65N06 · 35J66
Recovering precious metals from spent catalysts by peroxydisulfate-based advanced oxidation process
Authors: Xiao Chengliang , Ding Anting , Li Ming , Liu Chuanying , Yan Qibin , Lei Lecheng
Published: July 2023

The recovery of precious metals from discarded wastes is an attractive potential remedy for their supply disruption risk. Nevertheless, the use of conventional solvents in metallurgical processes has significant negative environmental effects. Here, we report peroxydisulfate (PDS)-based advanced oxidation process (AOPs) to develop a novel and efficient leaching process for recovering precious metals from spent catalysts. The PDS/NaCl photochemical system could fully dissolve palladium (Pd) and gold (Au) in 300 min. By introducing Fe(II), the PDS/FeCl2·4H2O solution functioned as Fenton-like system, which enhanced the leaching efficiency and required no xenon (Xe) lamp light irradiation. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and 18O isotope tracing experiments revealed the reactive oxidation species of SO4·-, ·OH and Fe(IV)=O were responsible for the oxidative dissolution of precious metals. Density functional theory calculations showed that the total energy barrier for the three species were 7.62, 18.46 and 17.52 kcal mol-1, respectively. Solvent leaching and one-step electrodeposition recovered high-purity precious metals and maintained solvent dissolution and electrochemical stability after 5 cycles. Strong acids, poisonous cyanide, volatile organic solvents, light irradiation, and photocatalysts were not used during recovery. This work will enable a green and sustainable precious metal recovery approach and encourage AOPs technology for secondary resource recycling.
Clinical outcomes and challenges of surgical extirpation for carotid body tumor: A single- center case series
Authors: Shin Jiyoung , Yun Ji-sup , Kim Young-Wook
Published: July 2023

Background:Carotid body tumor (CBT) is a highly vascularized, slow-growing tumor of neurovascular origin with very low incidence. Our study aimed to document the characteristics of CBTs and examine the clinical outcomes of patients’ post-surgical extirpation of CBT.
Methods: This is a single-center retrospective review of patients who underwent extirpation of CBTs. We documented information concerning patient demographic characteristics, preoperative clinical features, location and size of the tumor, serum and urine catecholamine and metabolite levels, surgical procedures, and postoperative complications.
Results: From September 2020 to February 2023, we examined 21 cases of CBT-removal surgery in 19 patients. The most common clinical symptom was painless swelling of the neck (n=12, 57.1%). Seven cases (33.3%) were discovered incidentally; two cases (9.6%) were discovered during the evaluation of neurologic symptoms. One female patient with bilateral CBTs had breast, bone, and lung metastases. During surgery, external carotid artery resection was performed in two cases; one primary repair of the internal carotid artery (ICA) was performed due to an ICA tear during CBT dissection. Bovine patch angioplasty with shunt insertion in the ICA was performed once. All were classified as Shamblin Ⅲ. One patient underwent incomplete resection because the CBT completely surrounded the ICA. Aspiration and hoarseness occurred most frequently as postoperative complications, followed by ipsilateral lower lip drooping, Horner’s syndrome, and first bite syndrome. Hoarseness persisted permanently in two cases (9.5%).
Conclusions: Surgeons must understand the relationship between blood vessels and nerves when treating CBTs. Patients should be informed of possible cranial neuropathy resulting from surgery.
Exploration of potential miRNA biomarkers in coronary heart disease and their correlation with clinical symptoms: cross-sectional study
Authors: Cheng Nuo , Wang Jie , Liu Chao , Chen Cong , Hu Jun , Liu Lanchun , Liu Yongmei
Published: July 2023

Objective: Coronary heart disease, a prevalent cardiovascular disorder, has a well-established pathogenesis. However, uncertainty exists regarding the cellular response's chemical process. miRNAs are essential in silencing target genes and reducing the synthesis of corresponding proteins, thereby influencing cell functions. This study aims to explore potential miRNA biomarkers in coronary heart disease and their correlation with clinical manifestations.
Methods: Based on prior research by our team, 16 miRNAs were selected for qPCR detection. The differentially expressed independent sample t-tests identified miRNAs in patients with coronary heart disease. To assess diagnostic performance, ROC curve analysis was carried out, and the diagnostic model for coronary heart disease was established using logistic regression. Quantitative correlation analysis between miRNAs and clinical manifestations was conducted, and miRNAs associated with clinical manifestations were subjected to enrichment analysis. Additionally, linear regression was used to analyze the correlation between miRNAs and the blood stasis syndrome questionnaire score of coronary heart disease.
Results: 12 miRNAs, including the miR-144-5p, miR-15b-5p, miR-3591-3p, miR-4459, miR-190a-5p, miR-3158-5p, miR-1268b, miR-499a-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-4448, miR-146b-5p, and miR-223-3p, were found to exhibit differential expression in patients with coronary heart disease. The diagnostic model established in this study could classify 86.5% of the study subjects correctly. Although several miRNAs were found to have associations with clinical manifestations, the degree of correlation was weak. However, both miR-15b-5p and miR-3158-5p showed linear correlations with the blood stasis syndrome questionnaire score in patients who have coronary heart disease.
Conclusion: The 12 miRNAs identified in this study have great potential as biomarkers for the diagnosis of coronary heart disease, and the diagnostic model developed in this research could assist in diagnosing this cardiovascular disorder. Several miRNAs were found to regulate vascular endothelial function, vascular smooth muscle transformation, neuronal apoptosis, inflammation, and other pathways, with implications for various clinical manifestations of coronary heart disease. Furthermore, there is a positive correlation between the expression of miR-15b-5p and miR-3158-5p and the blood stasis syndrome score, which exhibits an ascending trend.
Molecular detection of Alpha toxin in local Staphylococcus aureus isolates
Authors: Alkhafaji Marwa , Musafer Hadeel , Faqri Ayoob , Hussein Nadheema , Salman Karam
Published: July 2023

Bacterial toxins are the most important virulence factors that could hurt humans causing serious health problems. Staphylococcus aureus have a wide range of extracellular toxins; one of them is alpha toxin; haemolysin that degrade red blood cells. Thirty S. aureus isolates were isolated from clinical and animal-origin foods sample. Staphylococcus aureus isolates were chosen for the phenotypic and genotypic detection of alpha toxin. Bacterial deoxy ribonucleic acid was extracted and specific primers were designated for this study. Polymerase chain reaction was depended to detect the prevalence of haemolysin coding gene in local isolates in Iraq. On the other hand, silver nanoparticles were biosynthesized using food origin bacterial isolate of Salmonella. The biosynthesis was done in optimized conditions, purified, and tested for their antimicrobial activity. Phenotypic detection methods revealed the ability of 70% to produce alpha toxin. Whereas the genetic tool was very precise in detecting the genetic content (93.33%) of alpha toxin gene in clinical and animal-origin foods. The biosynthesized nanoparticles were with an average diameter of 44.89 nm. They have an antimicrobial activity against haemolysin producing S. aureus isolates. Monitoring and understanding the hemolysin production by S. aureus strains in food samples can aid in implementing effective food safety measures to prevent contamination and ensure the safety of food products.
Morphological and molecular characteristics of a Trypanosoma sp. from breeding Triatomines (Triatoma rubrofasciata) in China
Authors: Shi Yunliang , Lai Dehua , Liu Dengyu , Du Liyan , Li Yuanyuan , Fu Xiaoyin , Deng Peichao , Tang Lili , He Shanhan , Liu Xiaoquan , Li Yanwen , Liu Qin
Published: July 2023

Background
Triatomines (kissing bugs) are natural trypanosome vectors that transmit trypanosome species, including Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma conorhini and Trypanosoma rangeli. Here we reported the first solid record of Trypansoma conorhini from Triatomia rubrofaciata in China.
Methods
The intestinal contents of the Triatomine rubrofasciata were collected to prepare smears and examined by microscopy. The morphological indices of trypanosome species were measured and calculated. The genomic DNA fragment of trypanosomes was extracted, and the genes of 18S rRNA gene, HSP70 and glycosomal glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes (gGAPDH) were PCR amplified and sequenced. The obtained sequences were subjected to a BLAST search in NCBI and followed by phylogenetic analysis with other homologous trypanosomes. To investigate the prevalence of this trypanosome, 135 T. rubrofasciata samples from different regions of Guangxi were collected and assayed. Moreover, laboratory infection was conducted to test the possible transmission between Tr. rubrofasciata and rats (or mice) though Tr. Rubrofasciata bite.
Results
The parasite found in the intestinal contents of Tr. rubrofaciata, which were collected in the Guangxi region of southern China, exhibits the typical characteristics of epimastigotes, such as the presence of a nucleus, a free flagellum and a kinetoplast. The body length ranged from 6.3–33.9 µm, and flagellum length ranged from 8.7–29.8 µm; the nucleus index was 0.6, and the kinetoplast index was − 4.6. The BLAST analysis showed that the 18S rRNA, HSP70, and gGAPDH sequences of the Trypanosoma sp. exhibit the highest degree of similarity with T. conorhini (99.7%, 99.0%, 99.0%), and formed a well-supported clade close to T. conorhini and T. vespertilionis, while exhibiting a significant distance from T. rangeli and T. cruzi. Our investigation uncovered a high prevalence of Trypanosoma sp. infection in Tr. rubrofaciata up to 36.3% in the field. The laboratory experiments showed that both rats and mice could get Trypansoma sp. infected through bites from wild Tr. rubrofaciata, and lab-feeding Tr. rubrofaciat can get Trypansoma sp. infected through bloodmeals of infected mice.
Conclusion
Trypanosoma conorhini was found in Tr. rubrofasciata in China, as judged by morphology and molecular markers. This parasite had a high prevalence in T. rubrofasciata, and lab experiment showed Trypanosoma conorhini in China could be transmitted between Tr. rubrofasciata and rat(mice) through Tr. rubrofasciata bites; whether this parasite is pathogenic to human need to be future research.
Design and Development of Variable Frequency Modulation based Isolated DC-DC Converter with Green Mode of Operation
Authors: Kumar Sanjay , Kumar Shailendra , Singh Sanjeev , Das Anupam
Published: July 2023

Amongst many applications of DC-DC isolated converters, power supplies, renewable energy sources, and electric vehicles are prominent. These converters are the basic, easy to use, low component count and being used in industry from a few decades. In this study, a unique operation mode of DC-DC isolated converter called "green mode" is proposed to increase the efficiency of converter under light load conditions. Switching losses of the converter can be reduced by using the converter's secondary-side control method, which enables a reduction in the primary-side switches' switching frequency and turn-off duration. The converter also uses a soft switching mechanism to further minimize the switching losses. The efficiency of the converter has significantly improved, due to reduced power losses under light load conditions, which has been demonstrated through experimental data that validates the green-mode operation. These DC-DC converters shall enhance the range of electric vehicle (EV) and shall be a boon to EV technology.
Development and comparative study of biodegradable packaging film from groundnut shell powder
Authors: Kaur Sukhdeep , Sidhu Gagandeep Kaur , Kaur Gurveer
Published: July 2023

The present study was conducted for the development of biodegradable film from groundnut shell. Different physico-chemical properties viz. moisture content, ash content, bulk density, true density, cellulose content, hemicelluloses content and lignin content were measured using standard methods. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of different process parameters viz. shaker time (6, 12 & 18h), shaker speed (160, 180 & 240rpm) and enzyme concentration (80, 100 & 120mg) on lignin content and drying time (10,20 & 30h), drying temperature (50, 70 & 90◦C), dark or light condition (-1, 0 &1) on cellulose content, lignin content and moisture content on the composition of groundnut shell powder. The results of isolation of lignin from groundnut shell powder The optimization of process parameter was done using response surface methodology (RSM) design trial version 7 Box- Behnken Technique. The biodegradable film from groundnut shell powder was developed by solution casting method. The three types of films viz. agar powder based, mixture of agar powder and peanut shell powder and mixture of agar powder and cellulose microfiber was developed at optimized conditions. The different physico- mechanical properties of different types of films were measured. The maximum thickness was achieved by the cellulose microfiber-based film. The agar-based film had a minimum thickness of 0.18 mm. The transmittance value of agar film was lesser than that of CMF film and PSP. The CMF film's WS percentage decreased in comparison to that of the other two films. CMF film which is made with cellulose and agar, has a higher tensile strength than the other two films. CMF and PSP films had a higher opacity value than agar films. AG films show less weight loss, and when compared to PSP films, It was observed that PSP loses less weight than CMF film in the soil burial degradation test because lignin was present.
Oral antipsychotic medication use in children and adolescents in Japan between 2013 and 2021
Authors: Tanaka-Mizuno Sachiko , Suga Motomu , Matsushita Rie , Ohashi Hiroshi , Takeuchi Masato , Kawakami Koji
Published: July 2023

Objective
Many antipsychotics have been marketed for adults, whereas they are often used off-label for children and adolescents. Some antipsychotics became newly available in the past decade, but no recent study has investigated prescription patterns, including beyond 2020. Here, we aimed to evaluate prescription patterns of antipsychotics in children and adolescents from 2013 to 2021.
Methods
The study was designed as a descriptive epidemiology study using a large-scale nationwide claims database. Patients aged 0–17 years with first-time prescriptions for antipsychotics between 2013 and 2021 were included. Incidence rate and prescribing patterns of antipsychotics were described for all patients and by calendar year, age, and sex.
Results
Of 30,054 patients, 8.4% were aged 0–5 years, 36.4% were 6–11 years, and 55.2% were 12–17 years. 41.6% were girls. The incidence rate of antipsychotic prescription increased from 2.46 per 1,000 person-years in 2013 to 3.90 in 2021. Atypical drugs (98.3%) were more frequently prescribed than typical drugs or their combination. First-time prescriptions were most frequently monotherapy (90.3%) and low-dose (< 50 mg/day chlorpromazine equivalent) (53.2%). Aripiprazole and risperidone were more likely to be prescribed in all age groups. In the latter period, adolescents aged ≥ 13 years often received newly marketed drugs.
Conclusion
This real-world database study for antipsychotics in Japan for 2013–2021 showed that the number of patients initiating antipsychotics has increased. Prescription of antipsychotics was initiated cautiously, such as with atypical monotherapy and low doses. Most drugs remain off-label for children and adolescents, suggesting the ongoing need for clinical caution in antipsychotic use.
A Qualitative Study of the Nursing Student Perception of Nursing Skill: It's Like a Key to a Lock
Authors: Gencbas Dercan , Boztepe Handan
Published: July 2023

Little is known about how nursing students perceived “nursing skills” concept. The purpose of the study was to examine nursing students' perceptions of nursing skills. This study adopted a descriptive qualitative approach. Participants were recruited using random from each class. The sample consisted of a total of 19 students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted through three focus group discussions. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Two main themes emerged from the participants' narratives: 1) meaning of the nursing and 2) sufficiency. The first theme describes competence, psychomotor skills, and soft skills sub-themes. The second theme describes course content, classroom content, and clinical environment sub-themes. It was revealed that the students did not comprehend the importance of soft skills sufficiently, especially in the first years of their education life, and they realized their importance during the hospital internship.
First report of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani in Ethiopia
Authors: Amare Gashaw Azanaw , Mekonnen Gebeyaw Getnet , Kassa Mekibib , Addisu Ayenew , Kendie Desalegn Adane , Tegegne Banchamlak , Abera Adugna , Tadesse Dagimawie , Getahun Seid , Wondmagegn Yenesew Mihret , Merdekios Behailu , Asres Mezgebu Silamsaw , Griensven Johan van , Auwera Gert Van der , Henten Saskia van , Pareyn Myrthe
Published: July 2023

Background
Leishmaniasis is a common neglected tropical disease in Ethiopia. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania donovani presents in the lowlands, while cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) affects people living in the highlands. Although CL is described to be caused by L. aethiopica, there is also evidence of L. tropica and L. major isolated from a patient, sand flies and potential reservoirs. Information on species causing CL in Ethiopia is patchy and no nation-wide study has ever been done. Understanding which species are causing CL in Ethiopia can have important implications for patient management and disease prevention.
Methods
We analyzed stored routine samples and biobanked DNA isolates from previously conducted studies of CL patients from different centers in the north, center and south of Ethiopia. Species typing was performed using ITS-1 PCR with high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis, followed by HSP70 amplicon sequencing on a selection of the samples. Additionally, socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory data of patients were analyzed.
Results
Of the 226 CL samples collected, the Leishmania species could be determined for 105 (45.5%). Leishmania aethiopica was identified in 101 (96.2%) samples from across the country. In four samples originating from Amhara region, northwestern Ethiopia, L. donovani was identified by ITS-1 HRM PCR, of which two were confirmed with HSP70 sequences. While none of these four patients had symptoms of VL, two originated from known VL endemic areas.
Conclusions
The majority of CL was caused by L. aethiopica, but CL due to L. tropica and L. major cannot be ruled out. Our study is the first to demonstrate CL patients caused by L. donovani in Ethiopia. This should spark future research to investigate where, how and to which extent such transmission takes place, how it differs genetically from L. donovani causing VL and whether such patients can be diagnosed and treated successfully with the currently available tools and drugs.
Semi-analytical solution of hyperbolic heat conduction of a semi-infinite functionally graded body with a time dependent laser heat source
Authors: YARIMPABUÇ Durmuş , MERT Kübra Songül
Published: July 2023

In this study, the hyperbolic heat conduction of a semi-infinite functionally graded body isolated under the effect of a time-dependent laser heat source is solved semi-analytically. Except for the thermal relaxation parameter, which is considered to be constant, it is assumed that the material properties of the body change with the force rule in the axial direction. These conditions produce a linear non-homogeneous partial differential equation.It is converted into an ordinary differential equation by removing the time dependence with Laplace transform. Then, after this ordinary differential equation is solved analytically in Laplace space, the values of the final results in time-space are obtained using the modified Durbin method. The benchmark solution is used to validate the semi-analytical solution for the homogeneous material. For two different laser heat sources: constant strength and instantaneous source, temperature distributions of functionally graded material are discussed on graphs.
Evidential apple classification model based on combination of Gaussian mass functions
Authors: Bi Shuhui , Li Xue , Chen Lisha , Qu Xinhua , Shen Tao , Ma Liyao
Published: July 2023

The establishment of stable and highly precise prediction models is of great theoretical and practical significance for the research of the nondestructive testing of the internal quality of fruits with NIR technology. In this paper, focused on Yantai red Fuji apples, probabilistic neural networks (PNN) and partial least squares (PLS) prediction models are developed based on sample data of apple NIR spectra and soluble solid content (SSC). In order to solve the problems of poor adaptability, model instability and uncertainty caused by the hard partitioning of classification in the current research, the two models established in this paper are fused using DS evidence theory. To improve the prediction accuracy of the fusion models, within the framework of DS evidence theory, mass function generation and combination rule selection are discussed. According to the distance between the SSC prediction value and the classification boundary, a Gaussian-based mass function generation approach is designed. Besides, considering Dempster’s rule of combination, Yager’s rule, Sun Quan’s rule and Li-Bicheng’s rule, the effects of combination rules on the apple classification results are investigated. The results show that the classification accuracies of the PLS model and PNN model are 93.9394% and 90.1515% respectively, while the classification accuracy of the fusion model reaches 96.2121%. Compared with our previously proposed linear triangular mass function generation method, the Gaussian-based mass function can better represent the SSC value’s support degree of class prediction. In addition, compared with Dempster’s rule, Dempster’s rule achieves fusion results that are more consistent with the actual situation of apple classification. The proposed combination of Gaussian-based mass function and Li-Bicheng’s rule of combination can not only improve the mass function and make the classification process closer to the practical application, but also increase the prediction accuracy of the fusion model based on DS evidence theory.
SPH simulations of water flow through a Venturi meter of rectangular cross-section: Comparison with experiments
Authors: Sigalotti Leonardo Di G. , Alvarado-Rodríguez Carlos E. , Aragón Fernando , Salazar Valeriano S. Álvarez , Mariscal Ignacio Carvajal , Ramírez César A. Real , Trejo Jesús González , Klapp Jaime
Published: July 2023

We present three-dimensional simulations of water flow through a horizon- tal, small-scale Venturi tube of rectangular cross-section at Reynolds numbers between 13272 and 33180, using the method of Smoothed Particle Hydrody- namics (SPH) for solving the conservation laws. Water is simulated using the Murnaghan-Tait equation of state so that weak compressibility is allowed. The hydrodynamics is coupled to a Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) model for tur- bulence. Comparison with experimental measurements is provided in terms of centerline streamwise velocity and pressure profiles along the extent of the Ven- turi meter and cross-sectional velocity profiles at given stations. The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data, with root-mean square errors from 4.3% to 7.1% and from 1.4% to 6.8% for the centerline streamwise velocity (in units of m s−1) and differential pressure (in psi) along the Venturi tube, respectively, and ≲ 5.5% for the cross-sectional velocity profiles (in m s−1) within the throat and divergent sections. These errors increase with increasing volumetric flow rates. In general, it is shown that the SPH model can provide an efficient and accurate method for recalibrating flowmeters at moderately high Reynolds numbers instead of using costly experimental tests.
In Vivo Confocal Microscopy Changes in Patients with Ocular Surface Neoplasia Following Treatment
Authors: Aggarwal Shruti , Shukla Anita , Cruzat Andrea , Cavalcanti Bernardo M. , Stacy Rebecca , Hamrah Pedram , Ciolino Joseph B.
Published: July 2023

Purpose: To examine the changes in ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) treated with interferon alpha-2b (IFN alpha-2b) and/or surgical excision by in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM).
Methods: This is a retrospective interventional case series. Six patients with suspected unilateral ocular surface neoplasia were examined by color photographs and IVCM before and 1, 2 and 6-12 months after treatment with either interferon (IFN) alpha-2b and/or surgical excision. In cases of surgical excision, pathological examination for ocular surface squamous neoplasia was obtained. IVCM images were focused on the epithelial layer, and cell area and hyperreflectivity of the superficial epithelium (SE) layer was quantified and compared to 6 age- and sex-matched control eyes.
Results: In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) done at the pre-treatment visits revealed both quantitative and qualitative changes in the epithelial layers of all the patients. Significant increase in cell area (1589.5 ± 246.4 µm2) vs. controls (431.0 ± 24; P<0.001) and hyperreflectivity (50.7 ± 5.2%) vs. controls (2.2 ± 0.2%; P<0.001) were noted. The patients showed improvement in the epithelial configuration post-treatment. A significant decrease was seen in both cell area (601.0 ± 34.8; p=0.001) and hyperreflectivity (11.1 ± 0.4%; P<0.001) Conclusion: IVCM reveals significant quantitative and morphological changes in the epithelium of patients with OSSN, which can be reversed with topical and surgical treatment. Our findings suggest that IVCM is a noninvasive method that allows monitoring the efficacy of OSSN treatment with IFN alpha-2b and/or surgical excision.
Discovery of prevalent Ciliophora, Discoba and Copepoda protists in deep sea water by in situ nucleotide extraction
Authors: Xu Peikuan , Yang Ming , Li Jun , Gao Zhaoming , He Lisheng , Jiang Yuelu , Wang Yong
Published: July 2023

Deep-sea eukaryotic microorganisms play an important role in degradation of deep-sea organic matter and geochemical cycle of various elements. However, whether sampling methods can affect detection of eukaryotic microbial community under high hydrostatic pressure in deep ocean remains a question. In this study, we compared traditional water sampling method using a Niskin bottle, an in situ microbial filtration and fixation method (ISMIFF) and a multiple in situ nucleic acid collection method (MISNAC) to exhibit differences in the community structures in the samples collected at ~ 590-3,100 m depths in the South China Sea (SCS). The MISNAC samples were separated into lysed cells on filtration membranes in a chamber and subsequent precipitated DNA attached on silica resin columns connected to the chamber. The classification and biodiversity indices of 18S rDNA Illumina sequencing reads from V9 variation region showed that the diversity of samples collected by MISNAC DNA absorption columns was much higher than that of other samples. More importantly, the relative abundance of Ciliophora, Copepoda and Diplonemea in the MISNAC adsorption column samples was significantly higher than that in the others, while Retaria were dominant in the MISNAC membrane samples. This indicates that MISNAC columns might in situ collect more DNA for the naked protists, while Retaria with a carbonate shell were more likely retained on the membrane. We therefore report a group of dominant protists in deep-sea water column, which have been missed by previous sampling methods probably due to environmental changes that may damage the naked protist cells.
P-ConvLSTM: An Effective Parallel ConvLSTM-based model for Short-term Electricity Load Forecasting
Authors: Kshetrimayum Nilakanta , Singh Khumukcham Robindro , Hoque Nazrul
Published: July 2023

Short-term Load Forecasting (STLF) is a challenging task for an Energy Management System (EMS) that depends on highly unpredictable and volatile factors, making it difficult to predict the electricity load demand accurately. Despite the challenges, it is an essential component, as it helps to ensure energy demand-supply equilibrium, prevents blackouts, reduces the need for expensive peak power generation, and improves the efficiency and reliability of the EMS. Motivated by these factors, we have proposed a novel STLF framework using a multi-input parallel ConvLSTM model. The effectiveness of the proposed model is verified using two publicly available load-series datasets. On the Malaysia dataset, the proposed model yields 998.12, 2.59%, 1590.34, and 0.987 for MAE, MAPE, RMSE, and R2, respectively. Similarly, on the Tetouan dataset, this model yields 1737.32, 2.49%, 2254.91, and 0.976 for MAE, MAPE, RMSE, and R2, respectively. These outperforming results found in the comparative experiments are further statistically verified using Friedman's test. The presenting framework of STLF can help EMS to make informed decisions about resource allocation and system operations.
Beliefs, Concerns, Attitudes and Adaptation Strategies of Farmers Towards Climate Change in Cagayan Valley, Philippines
Authors: Bassiag Flordeliza R.
Published: July 2023

The study aimed to determine the climate change beliefs, concerns, attitudes and adaptation practices or strategies of farmers in Cagayan Valley, Philippines.
A total of 205 farmers from lowland and upland were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Based on the results, respondents believed that local water availability has decreased (96%) while summer temperature has increased (98%). The respondents are highly concerned about the various climate-related risks and future impacts of climate change on their farms. As to their local climate change sensitivity both global and local, they strongly agreed to the different statements.
Based on the statements on the practices of the respondents to the risks and effects of climate change on local water availability, they accounted that they “moderately likely” to adapt to it.
Likewise, statements on cropping practices as strategies to abate climate change risks and impacts in their farms were “moderately likely” to adapt by the respondents while for energy and efficiency adaptation strategies, they “unlikely” adapt to it.
There were a number of practices mentioned by the respondents that they adapted during prolonged drought and rainy periods. These were ranked accordingly. Generally, farmers are apt to adapt to the changes in climate conditions however, risks and impacts cannot be underestimated or left aside. The farmers need support from all concerned sectors for them to continue to produce more food amidst extreme conditions.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of prognostic indicators in patients with head and neck malignancy treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Authors: Kang Deng Xiong , liu Siping , Yuan Xin , Liu Shenxiang , Zhang Zhengrong , He Zhilian , Yin Xudong , Mao Haiyan
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Tumor immunotherapy has recently emerged as a crucial focal point in oncology treatment research. Among tumor immunotherapy approaches, tumor immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have attracted substantial attention in clinical research. However, this treatment modality has benefitted only a limited number of patients. We conducted a meta-analysis of various biomarkers to decipher their prognostic implications in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who are treated with ICIs and thus identify predictive markers with practical clinical relevance.
Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted to identify clinical studies that examined the correlation between biomarkers and treatment outcomes in the HNSCC patients. The included articles were screened and analyzed to extract data regarding overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS).
Results: The relationship between the biomarkers included in the summary and prognosis was as follows: HPV positivity was associated with improved OS (HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.58–1.99), PFS (HR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.81–1.67), and response (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.37–2.99). PD-L1 positivity was associated with OS (HR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.59–0.85), PFS (HR = 0.56 95% CI = 0.43–0.73), and response (OR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.51–3.10). Neither HPV positivity nor PD-L1 positivity was associated with DCR. The following markers were collected for OS and PFS data and were associated with longer OS: lower Glasgow prognostic score (GPS/mGPS) grading, lower PS grading, high body mass index (BMI), low neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), low platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), high albumin (Alb), low lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Factors associated with better PFS were lower GPS/mGPS grading, lower PS grading, high BMI, low NLR, high absolute lymphocyte count, and low LDH. Hyperprogressive disease was associated with worse OS and PFS. Fewer clinical studies have been completed on the tumor microenvironment and hypoxia, microsatellite instability/DNA mismatch repair, and microbiome and systematic analysis is difficult.
Conclusions: In our meta-analysis, different immune checkpoint factors were associated with different prognoses in HNSCC patients receiving immunotherapy. HPV, PD-L1, BMI, Alb, HPD, PS, GPS/mGPS, LDH, NLR, and PLR predicted the ICI outcome in HNSCC patients.
Does charitable donation affect corporate environmental information disclosure? -- Moderating effect based on institutional investors' shareholding
Authors: song xinrong
Published: July 2023

In the context of ecological civilization construction, this paper takes China's Ashare listed companies from 2010 to 2021 as the research sample to study the impact of listed companies' charitable donations on environmental information disclosure, and analyzes the moderating role played by institutional investors. The results show that the larger the scale of charitable donation of listed companies is, the higher the level of environmental information disclosure is, and the improvement of non-monetary environmental information disclosure is more obvious, and there is a masking phenomenon. Institutional investors' shareholding has an inhibitory effect on the relationship between charitable donation and environmental information disclosure, and the inhibitory effect of pressure resistant institutional investors is more significant. Further research shows that the moderating effect of institutional investors is different in the internal and external characteristics of enterprises. Based on the internal characteristics of enterprises, the moderating effect of institutional investors is stronger in non-state-owned enterprises and heavy pollution industries. At the same time, it is found that in the external characteristics of enterprises, the inhibition effect of institutional investors on the positive correlation between charitable donation and environmental information disclosure quality is more obvious for enterprises with lower competition degree and enterprises located in the eastern or western regions.
Numerical Inference on the Weibull Distribution
Parameters Using Picard’s Method
Authors: Maswadah M.
Published: July 2023

Recently, numerical analysis has been used effectively for estimating the lifetime distribution parameters in the literature. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to introduce a new numerical estimation technique, such as Picard’s method. This method has been used to estimate the Weibull model parameters and compare them with the most common estimation method in statistical inference, which is the Bayes’ method based on the informative gamma and kernel priors, via Monte Carlo simulations. The simulation results indicated that Picard’s method outperformed Bayes’ method using different loss functions. Finally, two real data sets have been analyzed for illustrations and TO compare the proposed methods.
Dimorphic Fungal Infections in HIV/AIDS Patients with non-TB Chronic Cough at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
Authors: Kiconco Prossy , Achan Beatrice , Najjingo Irene , Sanya Moses , Okeng Alfred , Binoga Winnie , Musinguzi Benson , Bwanga Freddie
Published: July 2023

Introduction:
Dimorphic fungi cause infection following inhalation of spores into the pulmonary system. In the lower respiratory tract, the conidia transform into the yeast phase which are engulfed by alveolar macrophages and may be destroyed without disease manifestation. However, in some cases they may persist and cause fungal disease characterized by formation of granulomas in the infected tissues, which may mimic MTB.
Objective
To explore if dimorphic fungi play any role in pulmonary disease among XpertTB/RIF Negative HIV Patients with chronic cough attending ISS Clinic at Mulago hospital Uganda.
Methods
Sputum samples were collected from 175 consented HIV infected patients attending ISS Clinic. Upon Xpert/RIF test at ISS Clinic 21 of these tested positive, the 154 negative sputum samples were then subjected to PCR for dimorphic fungi at MBN Clinical Laboratories. Singleplex PCR using specific primers was used to detect a target sequency in the gene of each dimorphic fungi of interest, the resulting amplicons were electrophoresed on a 2% gel then visualized under UV light.
Results
Blastomyces dermatitidis and Tarolomyces marneffei were detected in 16.4% of the studied participants, with 9.1% and 7.1% respectively and 83.8% of the participant sample had no dimorphic fungi. Coccidiodes immitis, Paracoccidiodes brasiliensis and Histoplasma capsulatum were not detected in any of the participants
Conclusion
Dimorphic fungi play a role in pulmonary disease among the HIV/AIDS with non- TB chronic in Uganda.
Comparision of Romberg and Fixed Tolerance Gaussian Quadrature Over Complex Exponent Functions
Authors: Kumar Tanmay
Published: July 2023

This research paper presents an extensive comparative investigation of two numerical integration techniques: Romberg1and Fixed Tolerance Gaussian quadrature,2 when applied to functions with complex exponents. The main objective is to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of these methods in approximating definite integrals over functions with imaginary/complex powers. The study involves systematic analyses of the computational requirements and precision achieved by each method over multiple intervals. QUADPACK's3 adaptive quadrature is utilized as a benchmark. Through this study, valuable insights are offered into the performance of these quadrature techniques when dealing with integrals involving complex exponents.
Bioinformatic analysis of a MALDI-TOF in-house library of viral and cell cultures. Understanding strengths and limitations.
Authors: Martin Gabriel , Alba Jose María González , Ochoa Cristina , Martínez Zulema Pérez , Boga Jose Antonio , Melón Santiago , Alba Susana Rojo , Argüelles Marta Elena Álvarez
Published: July 2023

The use of the MALDI-TOF system for viral identification is a technique that continues on the development stage, and it advances above all to the research and development of in-house libraries.
In this work, we analyse by two different bioinformatics tools our own in-house library of viral and no-infected cell cultures, performing a clustering analysis and two different marker discovery assays, that lead as to the detection, first, of the limitations to differentiate cultures and to the discovery of different unique markers for the recognition of HSV and ADV cultures.