bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can Trema micranthum (L.) Blume (Cannabaceae) become a new source of cannabinoids? A UHPLC- HRMS/MS analysis
Authors: Ribeiro Rayssa , Silva Yasmin Cunha , Finotti Ricardo , Carneiro Gabriel Reis Alves , Santos Gustavo Ramalho Cardoso dos , Pereira Henrique Marcelo Gualberto , Padilha Monica Costa , Veiga-Junior Valdir F.
Published: November 2024

Trema micranthum (Cannabaceae) has emerged as a promising new source of cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD). Given the substantial medicinal demand for cannabinoids and the regulatory challenges associated with Cannabis sativa due to the presence of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), this study sought to explore the presence of CBD, THC, and their precursors, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA A) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), in various parts of Trema micranthum using UHPLC-HRMS/MS (Orbitrap). Extracts from fruits, leaves, inflorescences, and stems were obtained using a methanol/hexane (9:1, v/v) solvent mixture. UHPLC coupled with an Orbitrap mass spectrometer was employed for cannabinoid identification and quantification, with standard mixtures prepared in methanol. The extracts yielded significant quantities, such as 6.6%/g from leaves and 3%/g from fruits. Cannabinoids were detected in fruits, leaves, and inflorescences, with acidic forms (CBDA and THCA A) present in higher concentrations than their neutral counterparts. Notably, leaves contained 4.43 x 10⁻³ µg/g of CBD and 1.05 x 10⁻³ µg/g of THC. These findings, facilitated by high-resolution analytical methods, underscore the potential of Trema micranthum as an alternative source for cannabinoids, guiding future research in this area.
Design and characterization of allantoin-inducible expression systems in budding yeast
Authors: Wang Junyi , Ma Jaixue , Luo Xueyi , Wang Shuo , Cai Xinning , Yuan Jifeng
Published: November 2024

Background
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a eukaryotic model microorganism, has been extensively employed as a host for the production of various biochemicals and recombinant proteins. The expression systems employed in S. cerevisiae typically rely on constitutive or galactose-regulated promoters, and the limited repertoire of gene expression regulations imposes constraints on the productivity of microbial cell factories based on budding yeast.
Results
In this study, we designed and characterized a series of allantoin-inducible expression systems based on the endogenous allantoin catabolic system (DAL-related genes) in S. cerevisiae. We first characterized the expression profile of a set of DAL promoters induced by allantoin, and further combined with the galactose-inducible (GAL) system to create a highly responsive genetic switch that efficiently amplifies the output signals. The resulting allantoin-GAL system could give a ON/OFF ratio of 68.6, with 6.8-fold higher signal output over that of direct DAL2p-controlled gene expression after 96 h cultivation. Subsequently, we successfully demonstrated that allantoin-GAL system can be used to effectively regulate carotenoid production and cell flocculation in S. cerevisiae.
Conclusions
In summary, we have constructed an effective allantoin-inducible system for bioproduction applications. Considering there are limited microorganisms can directly utilize allantoin as an alternative nitrogen source, we envision that it will be possible to further develop contamination-resistant fermentation process by harnessing the competitive advantage on nitrogen source utilization.
Analysis of Atmospheric Complex Pollution Drama and Impact on Human Health under Sandstorms——Taking Gansu as an Example
Authors: Cao Yaqun , Ju Tianzhen , Li Bingnan , Wang Jiaqi , Li Jiachen
Published: November 2024

Gansu Province is one of the important corridors for the transmission of sand and dust storms in the world. Monitoring the spatial and temporal variations of atmospheric pollutants and health benefits under sand and dust storm weather in this region is important for the prevention and control of catastrophic weather. The article investigated the spatial and temporal distribution of five pollutants, HCHO, UVAI, NO2, SO2, and O3, under sand and dust weather based on OMI data, and measured the health hazards of the populations exposed to sand and dust weather in Gansu Province in 2021 using particulate matter concentrations and the BenMAP health model. The concentrations of all five pollutants were substantially altered under the sand and dust hazardous weather, in which the maximum and mean values of UVAI, NO2, SO2, and O3 showed an increase, while HCHO showed a decrease, and the areas of influence of the high concentrations of all five indicators were expanded with the sand and dust weather. Based on the BenMAP model, the ranking of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and lung cancer mortality risks from PM2.5 exposure under the influence of sand and dust weather in Gansu in 2021 was almost the same, and the risks were closely related to pollutant concentrations and the local population base, so that the concern of sand and dust weather is important for air quality evaluation and residents' health.
Assessing boscalid efficacy and resistance in large-spored Alternaria pathogens of potato and tomato crops
Authors: Kokaeva Lyudmila , Berezov Alexander A. , Pobedinskaya Marina , Balabko Petr , Elansky Sergey
Published: November 2024

The resistance of large-spored Alternaria species in the Porri section to boscalid was evaluated through laboratory assays. Most isolates had EC50 values above 100 µg/mL, indicating widespread fungicide resistance. Only isolates of A. solani demonstrated sensitivity, with EC50 values below 7 µg/mL. Isolates of A. linariae, A. protenta and A. alternariacida were resistant. A moderate level of resistance to the fungicide was detected in A. grandis (mean EC50 = 76,8 µg/mL). Although the resistance levels varied among strains, sampling location did not appear to be a significant factor. One of the primary targets of boscalid within fungal cells is the succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) enzyme complex, which consists of several subunits. Mutations in these genes have been identified as a key mechanism of boscalid resistance in various fungal pathogens. Our study revealed the absence of H134R and H278Y mutations within the SdhB gene among the Alternaria isolates. We further analysed the sequences of Sdh gene subunits B, C, and D in isolates originating from potato, including A. alternariacida, A. grandis, A. linariae, A. protenta, and A. solani. This analysis identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that effectively distinguished these isolates from tomato-derived A. linariae ones.
Exploring Predictors of Personalized Advertising Avoidance from the Perspective of Consumer Privacy and Control Agency
Authors: Chen Yun Bo , Zhang Yi Xiang , Huang Jing
Published: November 2024

Drawing on advertising avoidance theory, control agency theory and privacy calculus theory, this study develops a model of factors affecting personalized advertising avoidance, which include consumers’ perceptions of privacy, encompassing their internal views, perception of the external privacy environment, perceived personalization of personalized advertising, and personal experiences of privacy. The study conducts an online survey, collecting 502 valid questionnaires. Following verification through structural equation modeling analysis, the research reveals that privacy concerns, privacy fatigue, the perceived effectiveness of privacy-protective technology, the perceived effectiveness of laws, perceived personalization, and prior negative experiences directly impact precision advertising avoidance. Perceived risk, plays a mediating role between privacy concern and advertising avoidance, between the perceived effectiveness of industry self-regulation and advertising avoidance, and between prior negative experiences and advertising avoidance. Lastly, this research proposes suggestions aimed at establishing a more secure network privacy protection environment and enhancing the appeal of personalized advertising content to reduce consumers’ avoidance and promote its future development.
Preparation and characterization of fetal rat renal cell peptides for their antitumor activity
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Cao Yuan , Du Jing , Zhang Ying , Wang Junxia , Yuan Ying , Sun Lianqing
Published: November 2024

Background
The therapeutic efficacy of traditional chemotherapies and advanced targeted therapies is unsatisfactory due to systemic adverse effects. Bioactive peptides are attractive therapeutic reagents because of their high antitumor activity and safety profiles. Currently, antitumor bioactive peptides can be derived from various organisms. This study aimed to prepare and characterize fetal rat renal cell peptides (RCPs) for their antitumor activities in vitro.
Methods
The kidneys were dissected from fetal SD rats and digested with collagenase to obtain renal cells, which were further digested with trypsin, alkaline protease, papain, and protamex, respectively. Following filtration with 3 and 10-K filters, the enzyme-digested products were measured for protein concentrations and tested for their cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells. The bioactive peptides in individual enzyme products were predicted using http://distilldeep.ucd.ie/PeptideRanker. The top predicted bioactive peptides were synthesized and tested for their cytotoxicity against different types of tumor cells in vitro by CCK-8 assays. Finally, their IC50 values were calculated and accuracy for antitumor activity was estimated by ROC curve.
Results
Digestion with collagenase resulted in renal cells with epithelial morphology and digestion of renal cells with trypsin, papain, protamex, or alkaline protease led to different percentages of products with a molecular weight of < 3k, 3-10k, or > 10k. Preliminary screening revealed that treatment with different concentrations of trypsin, papain, or protamex, but not alkaline protease-digested < 3k protein products reduced the viability of MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Functionally, many bioactive peptides were predicted and the top ten peptides (RCPs 1–10) were synthesized. Interestingly, the RCP1, 5, and 6 displayed preferable cytotoxicity against human cancer MCF-7, A549, HCT-116, Hela, HepG2, and SGC-7901 cells and their cytotoxicity was time- and dose-dependent.
Conclusion
RCPs prepared from embryonic rat renal cells displayed potent cytotoxicity preferably against different types of cancer cells in vitro in a time- and dose-dependent manner. These peptides may be valuable for the treatment of malignant tumors.
Clump-fed black hole growth in the first billion years of the universe
Authors: Kataria Manish , Saha Kanak , Elmegreen Bruce
Published: November 2024

Understanding how supermassive black holes (SMBHs) form in the early universe is one of the most challenging problems in astrophysics. Their high abundance in the first billion years, as observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, hints towards black hole seeds that accrete mass rapidly. The origin of this accreted mass is not known. Here, we consider a billion solar mass clumpy galaxy at z=5.48 with a 30 million solar mass black hole in the center. We show that the clumps should migrate to the central region because of torques from dynamical friction with the halo, funneling in at least 14 solar masses per year. This is fast enough to grow the observed SMBH, with only 1% of the accreted mass getting in and the rest going to a bulge. Clump-fed accretion could explain most young SMBHs because young galaxies are highly irregular with massive star-forming clumps.
Effects of Erosion Gully Drainage on Soil Organic Carbon Spatial Differentiation Pattern in Alpine Peatlands
Authors: Ma Xinyu , zhao chengzhang , Zhao Xiawei , Zhang Lu , Li Haolin , Wang Yan
Published: November 2024

Hydrothermal pattern and vegetation community structure are key factors affecting the soil organic carbon (SOC) formation and accumulation in alpine peatlands. Research on the influence of vegetation and soil factors on SOC spatial differentiation pattern under the thaw slump erosion gullies drainage gradient, can help understand the alpine peatlands carbon sequestration mechanism under the climate change. In this paper, experiments were conducted in drainage alpine peatlands on Zoige Plateau. From undisturbed peatland to the edge of the erosion gully formed by thaw slump, according to the water level changes. Four drainage gradient sample plots were set up successively, namely undrained (Ⅰ), lightly drained (Ⅱ), moderately drained (Ⅲ) and heavily drained (Ⅳ), the effects of community characteristics and soil factors on the SOC content at different drainage gradients were studied. The results show that: Horizontally, the dominant species succession from Carex muliensis (I) to Blysmus sinocompressus (II, III) and Kobresia tibetica (IV), the SOC, soil water content (SWC), C/N, community biomass (TB), litter count (LC), and root/shoot (R/S) decreased, the soil bulk density (BD), pH and temperature (ST) increased. Vertically, the SOC in Sample plot I decreased, in Sample plot II, III, and IV firstly decreased and then increased. The SOC was highly significant positive correlation with TB, LC, and R/S (p < = 0.01). Path analysis indicated that the order of soil factors affecting SOC was SWC > C/N > ST > BD. Drainage affects the peatlands ecohydrological processes, disrupts the balance of material input and decomposition, changes the SOC horizontal and vertical patterns, causing alpine peatlands degradation.
MSANet: Mamba-Based Multi-Scale Attention for RGBT Tracking
Authors: zhao yuhan , wu yue , cao kehan , zhao jixing , liu bingyou , wan guoyang
Published: November 2024

RGBT (visible and thermal imaging) tracking offers a robust solution for all-weather target tracking by integrating RGB and thermal imaging data. However, traditional fusion methods often struggle in complex scenes with varying conditions. In this paper, we propose a Visual State-Space Module that leverages Mamba's linear complexity long-range modeling capabilities to significantly enhance the robustness of feature extraction. Our method introduces an innovative Multi-Scale Fusion Mechanism that improves the efficiency and accuracy of feature fusion in RGBT tracking. This mechanism captures multi-scale feature information more effectively by generating comprehensive feature maps through the summation of various convolution results, thereby enhancing the model's overall feature representation and discriminative capabilities. We conducted extensive experiments on five publicly available datasets to assess the performance of our method. Experimental results show that our method has certain advantages over existing methods, especially in challenging scenes with background clutter and illumination variations, resulting in more stable and reliable target tracking. It provides a more efficient and robust solution for complex tracking tasks under different environmental conditions.
AU-guided Feature Aggregation for Micro-Expression Recognition
Authors: 谭 小慧 , 吴 嘉正 , 庚 琦川
Published: November 2024

Micro-expressions (MEs) are spontaneous and transient facial movements that reflect real internal emotions and they have been widely applied in various fields. Recent deep learning-based methods have been rapidly developing in the area of micro-expression recognition (MER), but it is typical to focus on one-sided nature of MEs, covering only representational features or low-ranking Action Unit (AU) features. The subtle changes in MEs characterize its feature representation to be weak and inconspicuous, which makes it tough to analyze MEs only from single piece or a small amount of information to achieve a considerable recognition effect. In addition, the lower-order information can only distinguish MEs from a single low-dimensional perspective and neglects the potential of corresponding MEs and AU combinations to each other. To address these issues, we first explore that the higher-order relations of different AU combinations have correspondence with MEs through statistical analysis. Afterwards, based on this attribute, we propose an end-to-end multi-stream model that integrates global feature learning and local muscle movement representation guided by AU semantic information. The comparative experiments were carried out on benchmark datasets, with better performance than the state-of-art methods. Also, the ablation experiments demonstrate the necessity of our model to introduce the information of AU and its relationship to MER.
Acaricidal and repellent activities of essential oils against the two-spotted spider mite
Authors: Loyola-Zapata Patricia , Silva-Aguayo Gonzalo , Rodríguez-Maciel J. C. , Cabrera-Barjas Gustavo , Figueroa-Cares Inés , Oyarce-Meléndez Gabriela
Published: November 2024

Tetranychus urticae Koch, is a harmful pest and its control is usually performed with synthetic acaricides. However, T. urticae has developed resistance. Hence, control alternatives such as essential oils are needed. This research aimed to assess, under laboratory conditions, the acaricidal and repellent activities of essential oils of Eucalyptus globulus, Salvia officinalis, Mentha × piperita, Thymus vulgaris, Foeniculum vulgare and Dysphania ambrosioides against T. urticae. The main components were 1,8-cineole (92.57%) in E. globulus, thujone (25.44%) in S. officinalis, menthol (63.52%) in M. piperita, thymol (37.91%) in Thymus vulgaris, anethol (45.44%) in F. vulgare and ascaridole (33.23%) in D. ambrosioides. Thymus vulgaris achieved the highest mortality by contact toxicity with a CL50 = 1.71 µL mL− 1 water, but its contact toxicity did not significantly differ from that of F. vulgare (CL50 = 1.80 µL mL− 1), D. ambrosioides (CL50 = 1.99 µL mL− 1 water), M. piperita (CL50 = 2.73 µL mL− 1 water) or S. officinalis (CL50 = 2.82 µL mL− 1 water). In the fumigant bioassay, D. ambrosioides was the most toxic treatment, with an LC50 = 1.83 µL L− 1 air, although it did not significantly differ from that of M. piperita (LC50 = 2.10 µL L− 1 air) or T. vulgaris (LC50 = 2.58 µL L− 1 air). All the treatments resulted in at least 30% repellent activity at the lowest concentration assessed (5.0%), and as the concentration of essential oil increased, the repellency potency also increased. Thymus vulgaris, Dysphania ambrosioides and Mentha × piperita essential oils are promising for managing Tetranychus urticae.
Characterizing Ionospheric TEC Gradients over Nigerian Longitudes During Increasing Phase of Solar Cycle #24
Authors: Abe Oladipo E. , Olawuyi J. S. , Fakomiti M. O. , Ojo Olakunle L. , Olumodimu O. O. , Abimbola O. A. , Akinyemi G. A , Chukwu Jonathan O.
Published: November 2024

Over the last decades, there has been growing interest in the characterization of ionospheric total electron content (TEC) for the effective planning, implementation and optimum performance of the satellite-based technology applications. This paper essentially examines the ionospheric TEC gradients using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) data during the increasing phase of solar cycle 24, years 2011–2013. The data used were mined from the African GNSS Network of stations (AFREF, www.afrefdata.org) and Nigeria GNSS ground-based Network Observation Stations (NIGNET) located within the belt of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) region. The ionospheric TEC gradients were analysed during distinct geomagnetic conditions. The monthly mean results have shown that ionospheric TEC gradients are dominant during the disturbed conditions when the ionospheric storm has positive phase leading to an increase in the ionization, while the ionospheric TEC gradients are lower during the quiet conditions when the ionospheric storm is in the negative phase and this is evidenced in the decreased ionization at the disturbed conditions. The study records that the magnitude of ionospheric gradients increases with solar activities and could be as high as 300 mm/km within the Nigeria longitudes at the high of solar activity and the conjugate distance may not solely be responsible for the magnitude ionospheric gradient observe spatially. The results of the bounding errors revealed that the ionospheric TEC gradients are not well bounded over the Nigerian longitudes during moderate to high solar activities, which could pose a serious challenge to the seamless GNSS critical applications in terms of navigation and positioning.
Horses and ADHD: The ASTride intervention for Cognitive and Emotional Growth
Authors: Helmer Anne , Delore Elaina , Bart Orit
Published: November 2024

Background
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Attention Skill Training (ASTride) protocol, an Equine-Assisted Occupational Therapy (EAOT) intervention, for children diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in enhancing and promoting cognitive and emotional aspects including executive functions, self-efficacy, anxiety and hope perception.
Methods
A prospective cohort study with an Interrupted Time-Series design was conducted. Fifty participants (mean age = 9.51 years, SD = 1.52) were assessed at four time points: baseline, pre-test (following a 12-week waiting period), post-test (after 12 weeks of intervention), and after three-month follow-up. The intervention was administered by a licensed equine assisted occupational therapists, and assessments were conducted by a blinded occupational therapist. Measures included The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) for executive functions, and the Hope, Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and The New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSE) questionnaires for emotional factors.
Results
Significant improvements were found in executive functions, hope perception, and self-efficacy. Anxiety levels significantly decreased post-intervention.
Conclusion
The ASTride intervention showed efficacy in improving executive functions, hope, and self-efficacy, while reducing anxiety in children with ADHD, supporting its potential as a comprehensive therapeutic approach.
Trial registration
The research is registered at Clinical Trials.gov, identifier number NCT05869253, first registration at 22/5/2023.
Face Recognition Based on Deep Learning Convolutional Neural Network in Cloud Internet of Things Environment
Authors: Ghahremani Yaser , Maihami Vafa
Published: November 2024

Through the domain of remote medical engineering, the implementation of online facial recognition and intelligent routing has facilitated significant transformations across numerous sectors. In order to harness these functionalities, it is imperative that algorithms are both optimized and rendered efficient. Facial recognition within the contexts of the Internet of Things can be leveraged in domains such as security, healthcare, and surveillance. Nonetheless, in uncontrolled environments, the accuracy of facial recognition typically does not reach its full potential due to factors such as lighting conditions, angles of view, and the extent to which the face is occluded. For applications in healthcare and real-time systems, it is critical to achieve facial recognition that operates instantaneously and with high precision. The present study proposes the adoption of a deep learning-based algorithm structured in a tree configuration to sustain the actual accuracy of facial recognition in uncontrolled scenarios. Within such environments, this algorithm enhances recognition accuracy by partitioning the input volume into numerous smaller segments. The sequence in which the volume is divided is determined by the outputs of the deep learning algorithm, leading to a reduction in error rates in subsequent feedback iterations. This methodology supports deep learning processes and enhances the speed of algorithmic iteration cycles. The findings suggest that the proposed algorithm, which holds utility for real-time applications in security, healthcare, and surveillance, yields superior facial recognition accuracy in uncontrolled environments when compared to alternative methodologies.
A morphological, morphometric and geochemical characterization of the El Jobo projectile points – diversity and significance in early human populations across the Americas
Authors: Vargas Diego , Verger Kévin Le , Wiesenberg Guido L.B. , von Büren Carlos , Carrillo-Briceño Jorge Domingo , Jaimes Arturo , R. Sánchez-Villagra Marcelo
Published: November 2024

The El Jobo projectile points represent a distinctive ballistic innovation of Late Pleistocene Neotropical groups. This technology, characterized by its fusiform/lanceolate shape, has been recorded mainly in northwestern Venezuela in a variety of geographical areas and in association with megafauna killing/butchering sites. To address its significance and possible continental relationships, broader characterization and analysis are needed. Four consecutive approaches were conducted on a representative sample of El Jobo projectile points: A morphological classification, a technological approximation, an outline-based geometric morphometric analysis, and an elemental composition analysis. Six morphological types were recognized, for which no major differences in manufacture techniques were observed. Mainly collateral and irregular flaking patterns were identified, also recording new basal variability, including fluting, fluting-like and reconfiguration techniques. Due to fragmentation of the material, only the four most representative morphological types could be subjected to morphometric analysis. Elliptic Fourier and Principal Component analyses identified at least three clusters, with width variation mainly distinguishing their shapes, and statistical tests determined significative differences between the main morphological types. The elemental analysis revealed the main use of quarzitic rocks, with variations in elemental composition indicative of diverse sources. The observed variability and cumulative evidence of El Jobo projectile points suggests their adaptation to diverse hunting strategies and leads us to consider long-distance connections with other projectile point technologies across the continent.
The phase-specific dynamics in gene expression of Salmonella Typhimurium during Acanthamoeba castellanii infection
Authors: Balkin Alexander , Cherkasov Sergey , Gogolev Yuri , Plotnikov Andrey
Published: November 2024

Being facultative intracellular pathogens, the bacterium often is found in the environment. In natural habitats Salmonella are able to survive and multiply inside free-living protists that support preservation and distribution of the pathogen, its virulence and resistance to antimicrobial agents. At the same time, the expression profile of Salmonella genes in the eukaryotic cells has been shown not to be stable, but changes dramatically according to sequential stages of infection. Previously, we had described the gene expression profile of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium 14028S cells at the early stage of their interaction with Acanthamoeba castellanii. In this study, we have assessed the phase-specific dynamics in expression of key clusters and functional groups of S. Typhimurium 14028S genes simultaneously with enumeration viable bacteria in co-culture. The early stage of invasion is characterized by a maximum response to oxidative stress, and is accompanied by activation of SPI-1 and chemotaxis genes that are necessary for successful internalization into the host cell. At the second stage increase in expression of virulence (SPI-2 and SPI-3) is observed, accompanied with a maximum expression of iron uptake genes and lysozyme inhibitors. At the third stage of persistence, downregulation of carbon metabolism and oxidative stress response genes, as well as a decrease in the expression of all other genes is observed that may be an evidence of adaptation of Salmonella to intracellular conditions. The obtained results might be useful further for search of factors reducing persistence of pathogens like Salmonella in the environment.
Molecular detection of Wolbachia sp. and cytoplasmic incompatibility factors (CifA/B) in wild caught mosquitoes in Côte d'Ivoire
Authors: YAO Raymond Karlhis , GOMGNIMBOU Michel Kiréopori , COULIBALY Ibrahima Zanakoungo , ESSOH Christiane You , Traoré Issouf , AMARA Miriam Félicité , AKO Berenger Aristide , DIABATE Abdoulaye , BILGO Etienne
Published: November 2024

Background: Wolbachia is an endosymbiont bacterium known to stimulate host immunity against arboviruses and protozoa. Côte d'Ivoire is in a malaria-endemic region, and has experienced several dengue epidemics in recent decades as well. In order to help reduce the transmission of pathogens by mosquito vectors, we studied the prevalence of Wolbachia and the distribution of Cif genes in different mosquito species caught in the wild in Cote d’Ivoire.
Methods and Results:Mosquitoes of the genera Anophele, Aedes, Culex and Mansonia were captured in five cities. Mosquitoes were collected at larval stage in breeding sites and adults were captured using BG sentinel traps. The mosquitoes were identified morphologically and Wolbachia and cytoplasmic incompatibility factors were screened using qPCR targeting the 16s rRNA gene and the CifA,B genes. A total of 518 mosquito samples belonging to 15 species and 4 genera were examined. Sixty percent of the species were infected with Wolbachia. The three medically important mosquito species Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Culex quinquefasciatus had a prevalence of 12.84%, 13.46% and 72.64% respectively. The Wolbachia strains infecting the different mosquito species of the genus Culexencoded 98.46% for the CifA gene and 88.46 % for the CifB gene.
Conclusion: The presence of Wolbachia and CifA,B genes in mosquitoes of different species in Côte d'Ivoire offer a promising opportunity to reduce the competence of mosquito vectors. Characterization of Wolbachia strains and cytoplasmic incompatibility factors will provide a better understanding of these endosymbionts, enabling the development of vector control strategies.
Performance of Generative AI Used by Chatgpt and Attention Mechanism for Remote Sensing Image Captioning (RSIC): a Comparative and Comprehensive Analysis
Authors: A Dhinesh , P Sumathy , A Vadivel
Published: November 2024

Remote Sensing Image Captioning (RSIC) is a challenging research area that generates descriptive captions of Remote Sensing Images (RSI). Recent advances in Deep Learning have contributed in RSIC and improved the capability to generate captions. In this paper, we present a comparative analysis of two prominent approaches: Channel Attention Mechanism and Generative AI. The channel attention mechanism emphasises on learning channel-wise with encoding-decoding, feature extraction and channel attention mechanism. On the other hand, Generative AI, particularly models like GPT, leverages large-scale pretraining to diverse datasets for generates coherent and contextually relevant captions. It extracts vision-based feature and contains auto-tokenizer within the Vi Encoder-Decoder. The objective of this study is to analytically understand the performance of Generative AI and other well-known schemes. The performance is evaluated in terms of caption quality, relevance, diversity, etc., and BLEU, METEOR, ROUGE and CIDEr are used as metrics in addition to Precision, Recall, F1-Score, F2-Score and Accuracy. We have used RSICD datasets and conducted experiments using Channel Attention Mechanism and Generative AI models. The experiment and analysis shed light on the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. It is observed that Generative AI performs well in terms of Precision, Recall, F1-Score, F2-Score and Accuracy. However, It has failed in describing the quantity of objects present in RSI and their Coordinates.
EHHO-EL: Hybrid Method for Software defect Detection in Software Product Lines using Extended Harris Hawks Optimization and Ensemble Learning
Authors: khameneh Mehdi Habibzadeh , Nabiollahi-Najafabadi Akbar , Tavoli Reza , Rastegari Hamid
Published: November 2024

Software Product Line (SPL) aims to reduce development costs and time while improving quality, but the complexity and involvement of multiple design teams often lead to defects and delays. Detecting and resolving defects in large-scale industrial SPLs remains a significant research area. This study proposes a hybrid approach that combines the Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO) algorithm with stacking-based ensemble learning for defect detection in SPLs. Enhanced by the Chaos Optimization Algorithm (COA) to avoid local optima and improve accuracy, the approach is evaluated on two datasets, LVAT and NASA, This study incorporates four datasets from each of these repositories. The experiment results show that the proposed method achieves detection accuracy rates of 92.7%, 91.1%, 96.3%, 98.4% for the LTS1, LTM2, LTL3, LTV4 and 97.91%, 99.01%, 94.21%, 90.93% for the CM1, JM1, KC1, PC1. Statistical tests confirm that this method offers superior accuracy and faster convergence compared to existing methods.
WITHDRAWN: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence-Powered Writing Assistance Systems on Metacognitive Writing Strategies
Authors: Berk Ece Hatice , Aydin Selami
Published: November 2024

While writing plays an important role in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context as it is a tool to express ideas, apply what has been learned, stimulate higher-order skills, and be a measurement of writing proficiency, metacognitive writing strategies involve planning, monitoring, and evaluating stages, learners can improve writing performance and encourage self-regulation so that learners can control their learning process. As a facilitator for self-directed learning, AI-powered systems in writing may help learners manage their learning process and empower their metacognitive skills for writing. However, there has been a limited number of studies carried out on the impact of AI-powered writing assistance systems on metacognitive writing strategies in the EFL learning context. This study aims to examine the possible effects of integrating AI-powered writing tools on EFL learners’ metacognitive writing strategies. It also compares AI-powered tools and conventional activities regarding the use of metacognitive strategies. In a quasi-experimental design, the study was conducted with 40 EFL learners. The study used a background questionnaire and the Metacognitive Writing Strategies Scale to collect data. The findings revealed that there was no significant difference between the use of traditional activities and AI-powered systems in terms of using metacognitive writing strategies. Therefore, it is recommended that the advantages and disadvantages of both means should be taken into consideration and that AI systems should be used as a supplementary tool to provide interaction, and immediate suggestions, and to address individual learning needs to enhance metacognitive strategy use.
Perception of agroindustrial engineering students on global innovation indices
Authors: -Tarazona Vitelio Asencios , Medrano Segundo Edilberto Vergara- , Salazar Edilberto Valencia – , –Yance Iris Olivia Ruíz , Díaz-Gonzales Eudualdo
Published: November 2024

The objective was to evaluate the level of conceptual perception of higher education students on the Global Innovation Indices. The sample consisted of 77 agro-industrial engineering students from UNIA, divided into three groups: group I students of cycle III; group II, cycle VI; and group III, cycles VII and X, which were selected by intentional non-probabilistic sampling. The Kruskal Wallis non-parametric test was extracted, which showed the non-significance of the differences between groups and within each group. 57.4% of students presented a perception in the values that they do not understand and do not give importance to the Global Innovation Indices, compared to 42.7% who indicate the values do understand and give importance to it. No significant statistical difference was demonstrated between the groups and within each reference group at the levels of perception of the Global Innovation Indices.
Global warming facilitated environmental change effects on CO2 releasing microbes in Antarctic sediments
Authors: Aromokeye David A. , Willis-Poratti Graciana , Wunder Lea C. , Yin Xiuran , Richter-Heitmann Tim , Otersen Carolin , Maeke Mara D. , Henkel Susann , Neder Camila , Vázquez Susana , Elvert Marcus , Cormack Walter Mac , Friedrich Michael W.
Published: November 2024

Rapid melting of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) glaciers is a compelling piece of evidence of how climate change affects our planet. This study investigated the impact of global warming-facilitated environmental change on microbial community structure and function by subjecting sediments sampled near the Fourcade Glacier in Potter Cove, WAP, to a temperature gradient and supply of metabolic nutrients relevant for the fate of carbon in marine ecosystems. We found that (i) temperature as a key environmental change driver will significantly impact microbial community structure, but ecological functions supported by fresh supply of nutrients from glacial meltwater will prevail; (ii) keystone species responsible for specialized functions are metabolically flexible, persisting from 2°C to 25°C; and (iii) in addition to keystone species, global warming will activate certain hitherto inactive but endogenous microorganisms in response to either changes in temperature or nutrient flux to sustain ecosystem functions. Our study presents evidence of sediment microbiome resilience in response to strong temperature or nutrient flux shifts, thereby adding another layer of evidence of nature’s adaptability to global warming.
A Systematic Review About Moral Implications in Autonomous Vehicles Between 2005 and 2023
Authors: Davar Mohamad Mahdi , Khojasteh MM , Zaemi Mahdi , Mamourian Shahrzad , Jalali Hanieh
Published: November 2024

Background: With the expansion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the contemporary era and the emergence of autonomous vehicles as a result, different ethical challenges have also arisen. Further, these challenges can be answered and investigated with different ethical and moral approaches. Therefore, we will find that this is a significant issue and also reviewing the researches that have been done in this regard is also of great importance.
Methods: Using the four-steps method to conduct a systematic review, we first extracted related documents by searching for relevant keywords in the Web of Science (WoS) databases, and also conducted a systematic review using the VOSviewer (version 1.6.20).
Results: After extracting these documents and using the VOSviewer, active countries in this field have been examined in terms of the number of documents and citations, active journals, active publishers, documents in terms of the number of citations, and also active authors in this field, as well as keywords and terms.
Comparative Analysis of Linear Regression, Decision Tree, Xgboost, Catboost, and Artificial Neural Network Machine Learning Algorithms for
Authors: Agaji Augustine Alul , Igah Godspower Charles
Published: November 2024

The compressive strength of concrete was predicted using various machine learning algorithms: Linear Regression (LR), Decision Tree (DT), Xgboost, Catboost, and Artificial Neural Network (ANN), to determine the best performant for concrete compressive strength prediction. From the analysis report, the best-performing model was the Catboost model, followed by the Xgboost model, with mean absolute errors of 2.72 N/mm2 and 3 N/mm2 respectively. The least performing models for concrete prediction from the research are the LR and the ANN with very high mean absolute errors of 7.75 N/mm2 and 4.9 N/mm2 respectively. The dataset from which the models were built, and insights drawn was obtained from kaggle.com.
Patterns of seasonal plasticity in evaporative water loss and preferred temperature in three geckos of the wet–dry tropics
Authors: Day Kimberley , Weitzman Chava , Skelton Kade , Rachmansah Angga , Christian Keith
Published: November 2024

Seasonal physiological plasticity (acclimatisation) facilitates homeostasis in changing environments and has been studied extensively with respect to thermal biology and metabolism. Less is known about seasonal changes in evaporative water loss (EWL) in response to changing water availability and humidity. The wet–dry tropics of northern Australia experiences moderate seasonal temperature changes, but substantial changes in rainfall and humidity. We studied three gecko species (Amalosia rhombifer, Heteronotia binoei and Hemidactylus frenatus) in the wet and dry seasons with respect to their EWL, preferred body temperatures (Tpref), and their choice between a dry and humid refuge at and below Tpref. EWL was significantly lower in the dry season (66% of wet season values). Tpref for two of the species did not change seasonally, but A. rhombifer selected lower Tpref during the warmer wet season. Given a choice of refugia, the humid refuge at low temperatures was never preferred over the warm microhabitat. When both refugia were at preferred temperature, only A. rhombifer showed a significant preference for the humid microhabitat. These results demonstrate that although thermoregulation is prioritised in the short term, hydroregulation (physiological plasticity in EWL) is adjusted in the longer term, with shifts occurring on a seasonal scale. However, previous studies suggest shifts in EWL may occur in response to prevailing weather conditions on an even shorter timescale. Before broad generalisations can be drawn about the phenomenon of EWL plasticity, measurements need to be taken from more species in different climatic regions at ecologically relevant timescales.
The Osinsky reservoir as a model of a geofluidodynamic system: hydrocarbon generation centres, migration routes and accumulation sites
Authors: Rapatskaya L. A.
Published: November 2024

The objective of the study is to present the analysis results of the distribution patterns of hydrocarbon accumulations for the case of the Osinsky productive horizon as a regional hydrocarbon reservoir and an independent geofluidodynamic system. The work uses the drilling and geophysical operation data, as well as research materials published in the open press. The Osinsky oil and gas horizon occurring in the lower parts of the Cambrian section is a widespread productive horizon in the area of oil and gas-bearing regions in the south of a number of tectonic structures of the Siberian platform (Angara-Lena bench, Baikit anteclise, southwestern part of the Nepa-Botuoba anteclise, Angara fold zone). The obtained oil exploration results showed that the Osinsky horizon is the only stratigraphic level of the Vendian-Lower Cambrian carbonate complex characterized by regional oil and gas potential. The formation conditions of the fluid dynamic system of the Osinsky mega-reservoir are determined by the nature of the lithological-facies formation environment, which determined its geological heterogeneity, features of its lithological composition, wide areal distribution in the structures of oil and gas bearing regions, possible migration routes of hydrocarbons from generation centres. Each geofluidodynamic system consists of oil and gas generation centres, migration route channels, natural containers of hydrocarbons – reservoirs and traps, reservoir rocks and seal rocks, and is also controlled by a favourable combination of these factors in geological time and space. The ordinary fluid dynamic system is represented by hydrocarbon solutions in the oil and gas generation centres, which are the defluidization places of oil and gas source rocks of the sedimentary oil and gas basin. The Osinsky horizon in the central regions of the Lena-Tunguska oil and gas province is associated with the deposits of various phase composition of hydrocarbons of the Markovskoye, Danilovskoye, Pilyudinskoye, Yaraktinskoye, Chayandinskoye, Srednebotuobinskoye, Talakanskoye, Kovyktinskoye and other fields, where its industrial productivity has been proven. The Sredne-Usolsky Osinsky reservoir is regionally oil and gas bearing in the oil and gas bearing areas of the Baikitskaya and Nepa-Botuoba anteclise as well as the Angara-Lena bench and the zone of the Angara folds. Today, the Osinsky horizon is associated with further growing prospects of hydrocarbon resources in the Vendian-Lower Cambrian carbonate complex.
Codebase release 4.0 for QSpace
Authors: Weichselbaum Andreas
Published: November 2024

This is the documentation for the tensor library QSpace (v4.0) that provides a toolbox to exploit ‘quantum symmetry spaces’ in tensor network states in the quantum many-body context. QSpace permits arbitrary combinations of symmetries including the Abelian symmetries \mathbb{Z}_nℤn and U(1)U(1), as well as all non-Abelian symmetries represented by the simple classical Lie algebras: A_nAn, B_nBn, C_nCn, and D_nDn, or respectively, the special unitary group SU(nn), the odd orthogonal group SO(2n+12n+1), the symplectic group Sp(2n2n), and the even orthogonal group SO(2n2n). The code (C++ embedded via the MEX interface into Matlab) is available (https://bitbucket.org/qspace4u) under the Apache 2.0 license. QSpace is designed as a bottom-up approach for non-Abelian symmetries. It starts from the defining representation and the respective Lie algebra. By explicitly computing and tabulating generalized Clebsch-Gordan coefficient tensors, QSpace is versatile in its operations across all symmetries. At the level of an application, much of the symmetry-related details are hidden within the QSpace C++ core libraries. Hence when developing tensor network algorithms with QSpace, these can be coded (nearly) as if there are no symmetries at all, despite being able to fully exploit general non-Abelian symmetries.
Modern aspects of treatment of acute tonsillopharyngitis
Authors: Vladimirova T. Yu. , Lazareva L. A. , Martynova A. B.
Published: November 2024

Introduction. Primary referral for infectious and inflammatory diseases of the pharynx reaches 30%.

Aim. To study the effectiveness of ambazon in patients with acute tonsillopharyngitis.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted at the SCDC Clinics of the Samara State Medical University and the CDC “Persona-Med” LLC in 75 patients (45.9 ± 11.2 years old) with acute tonsillopharyngitis (ATP). The main group (Group I, n = 48) additionally received ambazon, 1 tablet for resorption 15 minutes after meals 4 times a day for 4 days. The control group (Group II, n = 27) received symptomatic therapy. On the 1st, 2nd and 4th day, the complaint of sore throat was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS), the frequency of additional complaints, and the pharyngoscopic picture using a 4-point scale.

Results and discussion. On the 2nd day, the severity of sore throat according to VAS in group I was 3.5 ± 0.2 points, in group II 4.9 ± 0.3 points (p < 0.05). On the 4th day, the severity of sore throat in group I had lower values 1.1 ± 0.1 points, in group II 2.9 ± 0.1 points (p < 0.05). On the 2nd day, complaints of a sensation of a foreign body in the oropharynx and discomfort when swallowing in group I amounted to 27.1% and 45.8%, and in group II 77.8% and 66.7%, respectively. The pharyngoscopic picture in group I was characterized by a decrease in the severity of edema and hyperemia of the pharyngeal mucosa (score of 1.3 ± 0.3 points and 1.1 ± 0.2 points), in group II 2.1 ± 0.3 points and 2.9 ± 0.4 points, respectively. On the 4th day, the pharyngoscopic picture in group I returned to normal, while in group II, hyperemia and edema of the mucosa and an increase in regional lymph nodes persisted.

Conclusions. The use of ambazon in the treatment of ATP allows to reduce the severity of the pain symptom, reduce the frequency of additional complaints and normalize the pharyngoscopic picture.