bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analytical review of Recurring-window based time-varying portfolio crash risks
Authors: Malhotra Rohit
Published: September 2022

The current empirical work used the robust portfolio mechanism using time-varying (aka conditional) skewness and kurtosis on an arbitrary nearly 50-days recurring window. The comparison of the Top GDP nations (mainly 6 of them according to December 2019 data) was conducted applying the recurring windows based time-varying higher moments on both at individual stock indexes as well as towards covid data. The underline objective was to ensure that the time varying patterns at covid-related “crashes'' vis-a-vis market crashes are managed through an appropriate time-varying portfolio moments specifically for recurring windows since covid pandemic was a kind of “rolling crisis” and its impact was found to be heterogeneous in terms of its intensity and effect on the global financial markets. In the end, the principal component analysis was used to further investigate the orthogonality in reference to the rolling window time varying moments across the six economies in consideration.
JEL C180, G1, G 150
Sex and the estrous-cycle phase influence the expression of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER) in schizophrenia: translational evidence for a new target.
Authors: Silva Francisco Eliclécio Rodrigues da , Cordeiro Rafaela Carneiro , Lima Camila Nayane de Carvalho , Cardozo Pablo Leal , Vasconcelos Germana Silva , Monte Aline Santos , Sanders Lia Lira Olivier , Vasconcelos Silvânia Maria Mendes , de Lucena David Freitas , Cruz Breno Fiuza , Nicolato Rodrigo , Seeman Mary V. , Ribeiro Fabíola Mara , Macedo Danielle
Published: September 2022

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder with sex bias in disease onset and symptom severity. Recently, it was observed that females present more severe symptoms in the perimenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle. The administration of estrogen also alleviates schizophrenia symptoms. Despite this, little is known about symptom fluctuation over the menstrual cycle and the underlying mechanisms. To address this issue, we worked with the two-hit schizophrenia animal model induced by neonatal exposure to a virus-like particle, Poly I:C, in association with peripubertal unpredictable stress exposure. Prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex (PPI) in male and female mice was considered analogous to human schizophrenia-like behavior. Female mice were studied in the proestrus (high-estrogen estrous cycle phase) and diestrus (low-estrogen phase). Additionally, we evaluated the hippocampal mRNA expression of estrogen synthesis proteins, TSPO and aromatase, and estrogen receptors ERα, ERβ, and GPER. We also collected Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) from male and female patients with schizophrenia and converted them to induced microglia-like cells (iMGs) to evaluate the expression of GPER. We observed raised hippocampal expression of GPER in two-hit female mice at the proestrus phase without PPI deficits and higher levels of proteins related to estrogen synthesis, TSPO, and aromatase. In contrast, two-hit adult males with PPI deficits presented lower hippocampal mRNA expression of TSPO, aromatase, and GPER. iMGs from male and female patients with schizophrenia showed lower mRNA expression of GPER than controls. Therefore, our results suggest that GPER alterations constitute an underlying mechanism for sex influence in schizophrenia.
Realistic environmental exposure to secondary PET microplastics induces biochemical responses in freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca
Authors: Queiroz Lucas , Rani-Borges Bárbara , Prado Caio , Moraes Beatriz , Ando Rômulo , Paiva Teresa , Pompêo Marcelo
Published: September 2022

Aquatic environments are especially susceptible to microplastic contamination. This is mainly because these water bodies serve as a transport route for these particles from the terrestrial environment until they reach the oceans. Also, there is a lack of available data about the effects of this pollutant on freshwaters making difficult the conservation of these environments. Benthic species, such as the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca, have been superficially studied so far. Considering its essential role in the trophic chain as a primary consumer, it becomes a topic of great relevance to investigate the responses triggered by microplastics in these organisms. In this study, we analyzed whether polyethylene terephthalate microplastics could lead to reduced survival of H. azteca or changes in biochemical markers (SOD, CAT, MDA, and GST) at environmentally relevant concentrations (60 and 600 particles per treatment) after 7 days of exposure. The results showed that there was no significant mortality at any of the concentrations tested. The enzyme CAT showed no variation compared to the control group at any of the concentrations. SOD, MDA, and GST were statistically different (p < 0.05). Our study demonstrates that although there was no significant mortality after exposure at an environmentally realistic concentration, the macrobenthic invertebrate community may be under threat in environments where there is microplastic pollution since biochemical changes may be detected at such concentrations as low as 60 particles.
Exponential stabilization of stochastic complex networks with Markovian switching topologies via intermittent discrete-time state observations control
Authors: Zheng Naiqin , Han Naqin , Gunasekaran Nallappan
Published: September 2022

This paper is concerned with the exponential stability of the stochastic complex networks with Markovian switching topologies. It is worth emphasizing that the topological structure of the stochastic control system is Markovian switching and it is neither required that all switching subnetworks contain a spanning tree nor that they are strongly connected. Moreover, a new type of control, aperiodically intermittent discrete-time state observations control, is proposed. By using the Lyapunov method and graph theory, a theorem with the sufficient conditions for exponential convergence of the state to zero and two corollaries are established. In addition, our theoretical results are used to discuss exponential stability of stochastic coupled oscillators and a communication network model, respectively. Finally, two numerical examples are given to verify the effectiveness of the results.
Self-Oblivion Questionnaire Development and its Reliability and Validity
Authors: Mao Huapei , Zhang Ke , Lin Yingying , Wang Danni , Liao Chuanjing , Sun Daokai
Published: September 2022

Aim：Develop Self Oblivion trait questionnaire, explore its structure and examine its reliability and validity.
Method：Thematic keywords were extracted to form a preliminary questionnaire and an actual questionnaire through literature reviews of Taoism’s Self Oblivion literature and interview with relevant parties. Preliminary test was administered to 303 tertiary students and working adults, where questionnaire items were analyzed for their quality and structure of the questionnaire was examined. The actual test was administered on other 361 tertiary students and working adults, of which went through confirmatory factor analysis and criterion analysis.
Results：Exploratory factor analysis showed that Oblivion of Self questionnaire is made up of 3 factors (15 items in total). Confirmatory factor analysis results support the trifactor structure, where fit indices were reasonable. Self Oblivion trait scores are negatively related to anxiety trait (-0.374), but positively related to peace of mind and mindful attention awareness (0.348 and 0.247 respectively). The overall questionnaire has an internal consistency coefficient of 0.849, and the three factors have an internal consistency coefficient of 0.828-0,904. Retest reliability of the overall questionnaire is 0.738, and the retest reliability of the three factors range between 0.694 and 0.785.
Conclusion：The Self-Oblivion questionnaire developed in this study possess good reliability and validity, which can be used as an assessment instrument for further study and in practice.
Brassica seed meal fumigation restores beneficial bacterial communities by enriching taxa with high resistance and resilience
Authors: Peng Junwei , Shen Minchong , Chen Ruihuan , Liu Hong , Sun Yang , Liu Qin , Dong Yuanhua , Li Jiangang
Published: September 2022

Purpose
Brassica seed meals (BSMs) are widely used as biofumigants to control various soil-borne plant diseases. However, the mechanism of bacterial community reconstruction following fumigation with BSMs remains poorly understood.
Methods
In the present study, to decipher the mechanism of bacterial community reconstruction in fumigated soil and to understand the effect of bacterial communities in fumigated soil on rhizosphere recruitment and subsequent disease control, we investigated the bulk soil and rhizosphere bacterial communities using field experiments in soils treated with various fumigants (Brassica campestris seed meal, Brassica juncea seed meal, and the chemical fumigant dazomet) in two greenhouses subsequently used to grow tomato and cantaloupe, respectively.
Results
This study revealed that bulk soil bacterial community composition changed significantly after fumigation extinction and recovery. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, showing high resistance and resilience in the extinction and recovery processes, respectively, represented the key microorganisms for community reconstruction and rhizosphere recruitment. Moreover, nutrients supplied by BSMs, especially available phosphorus (AP), in fumigated soils determined the post-restoration changes in bacterial community composition. Additionally, BSMs showed greater potential than chemical fumigant dazomet in rebuilding beneficial bacterial communities and controlling potential soil pathogens by enriching gram-positive bacteria (Firmicutes and Actinobacteria) and genera Bacillus and Streptomyces.
Conclusion
These results provide a clear understanding of the response of soil-inhabiting microbes to fumigation and the reconstruction of soil beneficial bacterial communities after BSM fumigation. Thus, this study improves the understanding of the effects of biofumigants on soil-borne plant disease control in agriculture.
Whole-Transcriptome Sequencing Analysis Reveal Mechanisms of Yiqi Huoxue Yangyin (YHY) Decoction in Ameliorating D-gal-induced Cardiac Aging
Authors: Wang Xue , Xiu ChengKui , Yang Jing , Liu YiQing , Zhang Jiaqi , Lei Yan
Published: September 2022

Background
Aging is a major factor for cardiovascular disease, and cardiac aging is closely related to the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Clarifying the mechanism of cardiac aging and finding reliable intervention is critical for preventing cardiovascular diseases and achieving healthy longevity. Traditional Chinese medicine Yiqi Huoxue Yangyin (YHY) decoction has unique advantages in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and aging. However, the associated molecular mechanisms remain unknown.
Purpose
The present study aimed to verify the efficacy of YHY decoction against cardiac aging in D-gal-induced mouse model, and explore the potential mechanisms of YHY decoction treatment through whole-transcriptome sequencing technique, providing novel insights into the molecular basis of YHY decoction in treating cardiac aging.
Methods
The component of YHY decoction was identified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). D-gal-induced aging mouse model was established for this study. HE and Masson staining were applied to determined pathological changes of heart; telomere length, telomerase activity, AGEs and p53 were used to evaluated the degree of heart aging. Transcriptome sequencing, GO, KEGG, GSEA and ceRNA network were applied to analyzing the potential mechanisms of YHY decoction treatment of cardiac aging.
Results
In this study, we found that YHY decoction not only improved the pathological structure of aging heart, but also regulated the expression of aging-related markers, telomere length, telomerase activity, AGEs and p53, in the myocardial tissue, suggesting that it has a specific effect in delaying cardiac aging. Whole-transcriptome sequencing showed that the total of 433 mRNAs, 284 lncRNAs, 62 miRNAs, and 39 circRNAs were significantly differentially expressed after YHY decoction treatment. According to the analysis results of KEGG and GSEA, the differentially expressed mRNAs were found significantly involved in immune system, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and cell adhesion molecules. The ceRNA network showed that miR-770, miR-324, and miR-365 are localized in the center, mainly affecting the immune system, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway.
Conclusion
In conclusion, our results evaluated the ceRNA network of YHY decoction in treating cardiac aging for the first time, which could provide a better understanding of the potential mechanisms of YHY decoction treatment of cardiac aging.
A High-Order Hybrid Numerical Scheme for Hypersonic Flow Over A Blunt Body
Authors: Chen Xingxing , Fang Jian , Moulinec Charles , Emerson David
Published: September 2022

A hybrid scheme is developed for direct numerical simulations of hypersonicflows over a blunt body. The scheme switches to the first-order AUSMPW+ scheme near the bow shock to provide sufficient dissipationto handle the carbuncle phenomenon. In the smooth part of the computationaldomain, a sixth-order central scheme with an eighth-orderlow-pass filter is adopted to provide high spatial accuracy to resolve turbulence.The hybrid scheme is shown to be able to obtain smooth andaccurate predictions of laminar hypersonic flows over a blunt body. Usingthe hybrid scheme, a direct numerical simulation of a Mach 6 hypersonicflow over a circular cylinder is conducted. The result shows the turbulentstructures in the near-wall region are well resolved by the hybrid scheme,and the bow shock is also captured without introducing any numericaloscillations. With the boundary layer transition on the cylinder’s surface,the simulation indicates that the heat flux peak shifts from the stagnationpoint to the transitional zone and its peak value is increased by 50%.
Accurate prediction by AlphaFold2 for ligand binding in a reductive dehalogenase: Implications for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance) biodegradation
Authors: Guo Hao-Bo , Varaljay Vanessa , Kedziora Gary , Taylor Kimberly , Farajollahi Sanaz , Lombardo Nina , Harper Eric , Hung Chia , Gross Marie , Perminov Alexander , Dennis Patrick , Kelley-Loughnane Nancy , Berry Rajiv
Published: September 2022

Despite the success of AlphaFold2 (AF2), it is unclear how AF2 models accommodate for ligand binding. Here, we start with a protein sequence from Acidimicrobiaceae TMED77 (T7RdhA) with potential for catalyzing the degradation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). AF2 models and experiments identified T7RdhA as a corrinoid iron-sulfur protein (CoFeSP) which uses a norpseudo-cobalamin (BVQ) cofactor and two [4Fe4S] iron-sulfur clusters (SF4) for catalysis. Docking and molecular dynamics simulations suggest that T7RdhA uses perfluorooctanoic acetate (PFOA) as a substrate, supporting the reported defluorination activity of its homolog, A6RdhA. We showed that AF2 provides processual (dynamic) predictions for the binding pockets of ligands (cofactors and/or substrates). Because the pLDDT scores provided by AF2 reflect the protein native states in complex with ligands as the evolutionary constraints, the Evoformer network of AF2 predicts protein structures and residue flexibility in complex with the ligands, i.e., in their native states.
Assessment of early wound healing, pain experience, life quality and related influenced factors during periodontal surgery: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Yuan Hongmei , Liu Qian , Tang Tian , Qin Huan , Zhao Lei , Chen Wen , Guo Shujuan
Published: September 2022

Background
This cross-sectional study was to assess the early wound healing, pain experience, life quality, surgical satisfaction and the related factors during periodontal surgery.
Methods
369 enrolled patients undergoing periodontal surgery completed the questionnaire before (baseline) and after operation immediately (phase I), on the day of suture removal (phase II) and one month later (phase III). The Early Wound Healing Score (EHS), short-form-McGill-Pain-Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) and tooth hypersensitivity visual analogue scales (VAS), oral-health-related-quality-of-life measure (OHQoL-UK) and surgical satisfaction VAS were detected and analysed.
Results
The EHS was 8.41 ± 2.74 and influenced by disease severity and surgical factors. SF-MPQ, pain intensity and OHQoL-UK were significantly increased in phase I and decreased later. The tooth sensitivity decreased significantly after periodontal surgery. Psychological factors positively related with these scores during periodontal surgery. Besides, disease severity and surgical factors were contributed in baseline or in phase I/II/III. Surgical acceptance and re-operation willing were continuously decreased after surgery and related to various and complicated factors.
Conclusions
EHS was good after periodontal surgery and related to disease severity and surgical factors. Pain experience and life quality were deteriorating in phase I but significantly improved later, which were influenced by disease severity, psychological and surgical factors. All these scores related to the surgical satisfaction.
Trial registration:
This cross-sectional study article reported the results without any intervention on human participants and all the experimental procedures involving human in this study were approved by the Ethics Committee of West China college of stomatology, Sichuan University (WCHSIRB-D-2020-284).
Design and modeling of self-organizing manufacturing system in digital twin shop-floor
Authors: Song Jiaye , Zhang Zequn , Tang Dunbing , Zhu Haihua , Wang Liping , Nie Qingwei
Published: September 2022

The increasing personalized product demands bring reformation to the manufacturing paradigm. Traditional manufacturing systems seldom analyze and give feedback on the data collected during production. The bottleneck between the physical and digital worlds of manufacturing systems is the lack of interoperability. In this paper, a digital twin-based self-organizing manufacturing system (DT-SOMS) is presented under the individualization paradigm. On the basis of interconnection between smart workpieces and smart resources via decentralized digital twin models, a decentralized self-organizing network is established to achieve intelligent collaboration between tasks and resources. The mechanism of job-machine optimal assignment and adaptive optimization control is constructed to improve the capabilities of reconfiguration and responsiveness of the DT-SOMS. An implement case is designed to illustrate that the proposed DT-SOMS can realize synchronized online intelligence in the configuration of resources and response to disturbances.
Dynamic survivability in oscillator systems
Authors: Sun Zhongkui , Wang Yuexin
Published: September 2022

Whether the dynamic systems can display normal performance or complete key mission is the hot spot in recent years. In accordance with this, dynamic survivability is defined for the first time and mission-completion-probability is given as an index in this study. Taking the behavior of globally and diffusively coupled oscillator systems with ER and BA network structures as examples, we show the network structures, systems’ parameters and attack strategies exhibit a profound influence on the dynamic survivability. ER and BA systems display better or worse dynamic survivability under different attack strategies respectively. Our outcomes fill the gap in the survivability study and are helpful for enhancing the dynamic survivability of systems.
Carbon stable isotope analysis of amino acids and glucose - A new technique to study the nutrient flow in host-parasite systems.
Authors: Hesse Tobias , Nachev Milen , Khaliq Shaista , Jochmann Maik A. , Franke Frederik , Scharsack Jörn P. , Kurtz Joachim , Sures Bernd , Schmidt Torsten C.
Published: September 2022

Stable isotope analysis of individual compounds is emerging as a powerful tool to study nutrient origin and conversion in host-parasite systems. We measured the carbon isotope composition of amino acids and glucose in the cestode Schistocephalus solidus and in liver and muscle tissues of its second intermediate host, the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), over the course of 90 days in a controlled infection experiment. Similar linear regressions of δ13C values over time and low trophic fractionation of essential amino acids indicate that the parasite assimilates nutrients from sources closely connected to the liver metabolism of its host. Biosynthesis of glucose in the parasite might occur from the glucogenic precursors alanine, asparagine and glutamine and with an isotope fractionation of -2 to -3‰ from enzymatic reactions, while trophic fractionation of glycine, serine and threonine could be interpreted as extensive nutrient conversion to fuel parasitic growth through one-carbon metabolism. Trophic fractionation of amino acids between sticklebacks and their diets was slightly increased in infected compared to uninfected individuals, which could be caused by increased (immune)metabolic activities due to parasitic infection. Our results show that compound-specific stable isotope analysis has unique opportunities to study host and parasite physiology.
Applicability of Noninteger Bessel Type Orbital Basis Sets: Numerical and Analytical Approaches
Authors: Coşkun M. , Ertürk M.
Published: September 2022

Recently, usefulness of the noninteger principal quantum numbers for Bessel type orbitals was discussed by Weniger [1]. In this study, we analyzed the applicability and numerical accuracy of basis sets of noninteger Bessel type orbitals to electronic structure calculations. Both numerical and analytical approaches are applied to two-electron atomic systems. The results of the numerical test demonstrated the potential of the noninteger values of principal quantum number for the improving of Bessel type functions approach in use of LCAO methods. Nevertheless, the analytical approach is still not suitable and in development and needs to be investigated further. The performance of the presented basis functions is also compared to the numerical Hartree–Fock results.
The Organization of Frontostriatal Brain Wiring in Non-Affective Early Psychosis Compared with Healthy Subjects Using a Novel Diffusion Imaging Fiber Cluster Analysis
Authors: Levitt James , Zhang Fan , Vangel Mark , Nestor Paul , Rathi Yogesh , Cetin-Karayumak Suheyla , Kubicki Marek , Coleman Michael , Lewandowski Kathryn , Holt Daphne , Keshavan Matcheri , Ongur Dost , Breier Alan , Shenton Martha , O'Donnell Lauren
Published: September 2022

Background Alterations in brain connectivity may underlie neuropsychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia. We here assessed the degree of convergence of frontostriatal fiber projections in 56 young adult healthy controls (HCs) and 108 matched Early Psychosis-Non-Affective patients (EP-NAs) using our novel fiber cluster analysis of whole brain diffusion magnetic resonance imaging tractography. Methods Using whole brain tractography and our fiber clustering methodology on harmonized diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data from the Human Connectome Project for Early Psychosis we identified 17 white matter fiber clusters that connect frontal cortex (FC) and caudate (Cd) per hemisphere in each group. To quantify the degree of convergence and, hence, topographical relationship of these fiber clusters, we measured the inter-cluster mean distances between the endpoints of the fiber clusters at the level of the FC and of the Cd, respectively. Results We found 1) in both groups, bilaterally, a non-linear relationship, yielding convex curves, between FC and Cd distances for FC-Cd connecting fiber clusters, driven by a cluster projecting from inferior frontal gyrus; however, in the right hemisphere, the convex curve was more flattened in EP-NAs; 2) that cluster pairs in the right (p = 0.03), but not left (p = 0.13), hemisphere were significantly more convergent in HCs vs EP-NAs; 3) in both groups, bilaterally, similar clusters projected significantly convergently to the Cd; and, 4) a significant group by fiber cluster pair interaction for 2 right hemisphere fiber clusters (numbers 5, 11; p = .00023; p = .00023) originating in selective PFC subregions. Conclusions In both groups, we found the FC-Cd wiring pattern deviated from a strictly topographic relationship and that similar clusters projected significantly more convergently to the Cd. Interestingly, we also found a significantly more convergent pattern of connectivity in HCs in the right hemisphere and that 2 clusters from PFC subregions in the right hemisphere significantly differed in their pattern of connectivity between groups.
Path integration deficits with phosphorylated tau accumulation in the entorhinal cortex in mice and humans
Authors: Koike Riki , Soeda Yoshiyuki , Kasai Atsushi , Fujioka Yusuke , Ishigaki Shinsuke , Yamanaka Akihiro , Takaichi Yuta , Chambers James K. , Uchida Kazuyuki , Watanabe Hirohisa , Takashima Akihiko
Published: September 2022

Background
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating disease that is accompanied by dementia, and its incidence increases with age. However, no interventions have exhibited clear therapeutic effects. We aimed to develop and characterize behavioral tasks that allow the earlier identification of signs preceding dementia that would facilitate the development of preventative and therapeutic interventions for AD.
Method
To this end, we developed a 3D virtual reality task sensitive to the activity of grid cells in the entorhinal cortex, which is the region that first exhibits neurofibrillary tangles in AD. We investigated path integration (assessed by error distance) in a spatial navigation task sensitive to grid cells in the entorhinal cortex in 177 volunteers without dementia between 20 and 89 years old.
Results
In each age group, the percentage of subjects showing impaired path integration correlated with the percentage of subjects showing neurofibrillary tangles in the entorhinal cortex (based on previously published autopsy data) (correlation coefficient = 0.96). To confirm the underlying mechanisms, we investigated a tauopathy mouse model (P301S mutant tau-overexpressing mice; PS19 mice) at 6 months of age, which showed a noticeable accumulation of phosphorylated tau only in the entorhinal cortex, associated with impaired path integration without impairments in spatial cognition or novel object recognition.
Conclusion
These data suggest that path integration deficit is caused by the accumulation of phosphorylated tau in the entorhinal cortex. This method may allow the early identification of individuals who are likely to develop AD.
An insight into the essential role of carbohydrate-binding modules in enzymolysis of xanthan
Authors: Ni Xin , Fu Tong , Wang Xueyan , Yu Zhimin , Zhao Jingjing , Li Xianzhen , Yang Fan
Published: September 2022

To date, due to the low accessibility of enzymes to xanthan substrates, the enzymolysis of xanthan remains deficient, which hinders the industrial production of functional oligoxanthan. To enhance the enzymatic affinity against xanthan, the essential role of two carbohydrate binding modules MiCBMx and PspCBM84, respectively derived from Microbacterium sp. XT11 and Paenibacillus sp. 62047, in catalytic properties of endotype xanthanase MiXen were investigated for the first time. Basic characterizations and kinetic parameters of different recombinants revealed that, compared with MiCBMx, PspCBM84 dramatically increased the thermostability of endotype xanthanase, and endowed the enzyme with higher substrate affinity and catalytic efficiency. Notably, the activity of endotype xanthanase was increased by 16 times after being fused with PspCBM84. In addition, the presence of both two CBMs obviously enabled endotype xanthanase to produce more oligoxanthan, and xanthan digests prepared by MiXen-CBM84 showed better antioxidant activity due to the higher content of active oligosaccharides. The results of this work lay a foundation for the rational design of endotype xanthanase and the industrial production of oligoxanthan in the future.
Can we predict neurological complications in patients with metastatic spinal tumors?
Authors: Shin Hee Tae , Bae Cho Rong , Lee Joon Hee , Chee Choong Guen , Jeon Jae Yong
Published: September 2022

Purpose
This study aimed to identify predictors of the occurrence and severity of neurological symptoms in patients with metastatic spinal tumor who still had no neurological symptoms.
Methods
We retrospectively examined patients with metastatic spinal tumor (regardless of tumor type) who visited the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine between 2017 and 2021. Using the patients’ magnetic resonance imaging and clinical data, we investigated whether epidural spinal cord compression (ESCC) scale, spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS), and pain character were related to the occurrence and severity of neurological symptoms within 1 year.
Results
Of the 70 included patients, 40 showed neurological symptoms, and 30 did not. Multivariable analysis showed that ESCC (2 or 3) (P = 0.002), SINS (P = 0.007), and radiating pain (P = 0.015) were associated with neurological complications. None of the factors was associated with neurological symptom severity. Notably, neurological symptoms progressed rapidly in patients with high ESCC (P = 0.003).
Conclusion
ESCC, SINS, and radiating pain were related to the occurrence of neurological symptoms, but not to severity. Only ESCC was associated with the rapid progression of neurological symptoms. This retrospective study provides useful insights in predicting a patient's functional prognosis and determining management using radiology and clinical data.
An anonymous and fair auction system based on blockchain
Authors: Ye Zongli. , Chen Chin-Ling , Weng Wei , Sun Hongyu , Tsaur Woei-Jiunn , Deng Yong-Yuan
Published: September 2022

Transaction volumes are growing rapidly, demonstrating how well-liked online auctions are with shoppers. Bidders can access a wider variety of products and sellers can reach a larger audience through online auction platforms. However, privacy concerns have reduced users' trust in auction platforms, and difficult disputes have caused consumers to question the fairness of online auctions, negatively impacting the market growth. The emergence of blockchain technology has brought a new approach to solving these problems. Blockchain is a new generation of information technology that is decentralized, transparent, traceable, anti-tampering, and unforgeable, following big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. In this paper, we present a blockchain-based online auction solution as well as an auction protocol that uses ring signatures to guarantee anonymity. Three features summarize this essay: (1) Making use of blockchain technology to ensure that the auction transaction process is transparent, traceable, tamper-proof, and unforgeable. (2) The ring signature-based anonymous auction protocol allows for the concealment of bidders' public keys in a group of public keys. Because malicious individuals are prevented from evaluating data by tracking numerous transactions of a single public key, this significantly protects the privacy of bidders. (3) The proposed scheme promotes auction fairness and effectively resolves disputes.
Species traits and invasion history as predictors of freshwater fish’s invasion success in Europe
Authors: Marcolin Fabio , Branco Paulo , Santos José Maria , Reino Luís , Santana Joana , Ribeiro Joana , Segurado Pedro
Published: September 2022

Despite the growing literature on the topic of freshwater fish invasion, few studies employed a comprehensive analysis of the stages characterizing the invasion process (i.e. invasion pathway), thereby demanding a deeper knowledge to avoid incomplete and unbiased conclusions and give support to adequate management strategies. The aim of the present study was to provide a complete analysis of the species traits and invasion history leading an alien freshwater fish species to successfully pass through the invasion pathway stages in European river basins. To predict how likely a freshwater fish species moves from each stage of the invasion pathway - release, establishment, spread and impact - to the next one, Generalized Linear Mixed Models were run, using as predictors 23 functional and ecological species traits, and seven variables describing introduction history for 127 established alien freshwater fish species in Europe. Results showed that the release and spread stages were primarily driven by variables related to the invasion history (i.e. the type and number of causes of introduction). The establishment stage was mainly driven by functional and ecological traits, while the impactstage was driven both by functional and ecological traits and invasion history. By identifying the main drivers of alien species success at a given invasion stage, this study provides scientific knowledge to design target management actions to specific stages of the invasion thus contributing to control their populations more effectively.
Chronic myeloid leukemia: A qualitative interview study exploring disease impact from patient and practitioner perspectives
Authors: Hewison Ann , Roman Eve , Smith Alexandra , McCaughan Dorothy , Sheridan Rebecca , Patmore Russell , Atkin Karl , Howell Debra
Published: September 2022

PurposeImprovements in chronic myeloid leukaemia treatment mean it is now relevant to examine the experiences of living with this cancer over a lifetime. This qualitative study aimed to investigate the impact of chronic myeloid leukaemia, from patient and healthcare practitioner perspectives.MethodsThe research was set within the UK’s Haematological Malignancy Research Network; a population-based cohort of patients newly diagnosed with blood cancer, treated at one of fourteen hospitals. Purposive sampling led to interviews with seventeen patients and thirteen health care practitioners. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsTwo analytical themes, “Significant impact of disease and treatment” and “Mediators of the impact of disease and treatment”, were derived from patient interviews, and supported with data from practitioners. Chronic myeloid leukaemia was described by patients as having significant and widespread impact, which could be mediated by their knowledge, social support networks, and the quality of healthcare systems. Practitioners reflected patient accounts, but could underestimate the impact of this cancer. They generally viewed chronic myeloid leukaemia as less complex, severe and impactful than acute blood cancers; a message that reassured patients at diagnosis, but could later unintentionally contribute to difficulties discussing side effects and struggles to cope.ConclusionChronic myeloid leukaemia may significantly impact individuals, particularly as it is experienced over the lifetime. Greater understanding and discussion of the breadth and extent to which patients are affected, including potential mediators, could enhance clinical care.
Novel eco-friendly bio-nanocomposite including metal ferrites nanoparticles from hemp biomass: Its thermal, optical, magnetic, electrolytic conductivity and catalytic properties
Authors: Coşkun Ramazan , Delibaş Ali , Karanfil Devlet Yeter
Published: September 2022

It has become increasingly popular in recent years to create improved functionalized nanomaterials in an effort to enhance their physicochemical, catalytic, and biological capabilities. In this study, eco-friendly, especially water dispersible bio-nanocomposites containing metal ferrite, MFe2O4 (M: Cu, Ni, Cd, Mn and Co) nanoparticle were synthesized low-cost method from hemp biomass and characterized by ATR-FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM (STEM), EDX, VSM, Uv-Vis and TG/DTG analyses. The variation of their ionic conductivity with temperature and concentration and also their catalytic effects against cationic dyes such as methylene blue (MB), crystal violet (CrV) and malachite green oxalate (MGO) were investigated. XRD patterns and FTIR spectra of the AHB-MFe2O4, especially the stretching of Fe-O and M-O, showed the formation of metal ferrite bio-nanocomposites. Also, interaction between the biomass and metal ferrite nanoparticles was obviously seen from XRD patterns and FTIR spectra of the AHB-MFe2O4. It was determined that AHB-MFe2O4 bio-nanocomposites have high thermal stability, high ionic conductivity and negative surface charge. Moreover, they exhibited high catalytic performance against cationic dyes such as MB, CrV and MGO.
Competent Radiogenomics Features for the Prediction of glioma Mutations
Authors: Tarek Alaa , Rady Sherine , Badr Nagwa
Published: September 2022

Glioma is a type of brain tumor, mostly diagnosed through biopsy or surgery. The prediction of glioma is still challenging to offer the required accurate solution for the diagnosis process. The challenge lies more at the edge of finding a solid feature representation rather than employing well-tuned classifiers. This paper proposes a solution to improve glioma prediction and diagnosis by proposing a rich combination of radiomic and genomic features. A novel feature extraction mechanism is proposed relying on the triple combination CNN-GLCM-DWT for MRI images and PCA for the genomics data. Several classical and deep learning classifiers are trained on the data. The proposed feature extraction is tested for validation on a dataset of 422 patients with low- or high-grade gliomas to predict three mutation statuses. Experiments prove the competency of the proposed mechanism when trained with an SVM classifier, which achieves high accuracy values of 97.5%, 96%, and 92% for the three mutations IDH1 mutation status, 1p/19q codeletion, and MGMT promotor methylation status, respectively. CNN as a deep learning method comes second with accuracy values of 95%,94.2%, and 88%, while the Random Forest comes last with values of87.5%, 80.7%, and 76%. Compared to existing related works that apply a single feature extraction method, the proposed triple combination CNN-GLCM-DWT feature extraction excels in classification accuracyfor the three mutation types by approximately 3.7%, 3.3%, and 10% inaccuracy. It is faster in average classification time by approximately 50%.
Performance enhancement of UAV-FSO communication links with pointing errors
Authors: Hayal Mohammed R. , Elsayed Ebrahim E. , Kakati Dhiman , Singh Mehtab , Alfikky Abdelrahman A. , Boghdady Ayman I. , Grover Amit
Published: September 2022

This paper investigates and enhances unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) relay-assisted free-space optical (FSO) communication under the effects of pointing errors (PEs) and atmospheric turbulences. The incorporation of UAVs as buffer-aided moving relays in the conventional FSO (CFSO) relay-assisted systems is proposed for enhancing the performance of PEs through AT. Using M-PSK (phase shift keying) and M-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation), the impact of PEs on transmission quality is evaluated in this work. We examine and enhance the symbol error rate, outage probability (OP), and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the UAV-to-ground station-based FSO communications systems. The spatial diversity-based relay-assisted CFSO systems can enhance the performance of the UAV-UAV FSO links. Numerical results show that to achieve a bit-error-rate (BER) of ≤10-5, the required SNR is ≥ 23 dB when the wind variance of the UAVs 𝜎𝛼2 increases from 0 to 7 mrad with FSO link distance L = 2000 m. The required SNR is ≥ 25 dB when the wind variance 𝜎𝛼2 is 1 mrad at a OP of 10-6. To obtain an average BER of 10−6, the SNR should be 16.23 dB, 17.64 dB, and 21.45 dB when 𝜎𝛼2 is 0 mrad, 1 mrad, and 2 mrad, respectively. Using 8-PSK modulation without PEs requires 23.5 dB at BER of 10-8 while 16-QAM without PEs requires 26.5 dB to maintain the same BER of 10-8. Compared with 16-QAM without PEs, the SNR gain of 8-PSK without PEs is 3 dB.
Carbon fiber fabrics functionalized with monoclinic CuO nanostructures using seed-assisted hydrothermal growth treatment
Authors: rai Ravi shankar , bajpai Vivek
Published: September 2022

The woven carbon fibers (WCF) fabrics were functionalized by growing CuO nanostructures using Seed-assisted hydrothermal technique. The effective growth of CuO nanostructures on surface hydrolyzed WCF samples were achieved by seeding followed by the growth treatment in the prepared precursor solution. The impact of hydrothermal process parameters such as number of seeding cycles, duration of growth treatment and molar concentration of growth solution were studied by performing 96 set of experiments with three repetitions. In this work detailed analysis of structural, morphological, and elemental attributes of the CuO-coated WCF fabrics samples have been done. The WCF fabrics were uniformly coated with monoclinic CuO nanostructures having nanopellets, nanoflakes, nanowires, and nanoflowers morphologies by adjusting the seed-assisted hydrothermal process parameters. A field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) study, energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis, X-ray diffraction study, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study, TGA thermograms and FT-IR spectroscopy techniques were used to study different attributes of CuO-modified WCF samples. The number of seeding treatments and the length of the growth treatment had a significant impact on the growth of CuO nanostructures on WCF. The detailed analysis exhibits that the developed CuO-modified WCF samples may enhance interfacial surface area, bonding capacity and reduce void content by allowing nanostructures to cross-link together and with polymer matrix while fabricating composite materials.
Finding The Potential Accepted Answer On Stack Overflow: a Text Mining Approach
Authors: Tehrani Masoud Jamshidiyan , Arjomand Parham
Published: September 2022

Background: Stack Overflow has been the first website developers look for to find their answers. Many questions asked on Stack Overflow has several answers but doesn’t have an accepted answer. This leaves all the answers untrustworthy and makes people doubt their correctness. In these scenarios, mostly the questioner hasn’t found their desired answer. But, in some cases, the questioner either somehow forgets to mark an answer as the accepted answer or just doesn’t know how to do so. This causes people with the same question to lose their trust in the existing unaccepted answers and spend more time searching online for the solution.
Aim: We aim to improve Stack Overflow by detecting the potential solution to questions with no accepted answers. Specifically, our proposed method looks through all submitted answers and marks one as the potential solution. This helps the questioner find and Stack Overflow to suggest the best answer.
Method: In this paper, we used text mining to extract 13 different features from 15464 questions, 37275 answers, and 72025 comments of Stack Overflow posts and then learned them by machine learning models and predicted if an answer is the accepted answer or not. This approach only used English texts from a post.
Results: Our method resulted best with the Adaboost ensemble model with 71% accuracy and 70% F1-score. The results show this problem can be addressed and Stack Overflow posts can be learned by machine learning and lead us to find the best answer.
Detection of Multiple Closely Spaced Targets in Low SNR Conditions using MUSIC Algorithm
Authors: B Neeraja , N.V Koteswara Rao , B Rajendra Naik
Published: September 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Study of cumulative damage to a solid rocket motor grain during highway transportation
Authors: cui jiayuan , Qiang Hongfu , Wang Xueren , wang jiaxiang
Published: September 2022

Due to strategic requirements, tactical missiles need to be transported several times before they are launched. For this reason, this study examined the cumulative damage that occurs in a solid rocket motor grain during road transportation. Constant-stress reciprocating tensile tests of a composite solid propellant were designed and carried out, and the characteristic fatigue curve of the propellant was fitted and analyzed. By processing power spectral density data for equipment transportation tests, a vibration acceleration load spectrum for a solid rocket motor grain in the process of highway transportation was obtained. A three-dimensional finite-element calculation model of a solid rocket motor was established, and the stress response of the motor grain was simulated. After this, cyclic loads were obtained using a rainflow counting method. The cumulative damage to the solid rocket motor grain during highway transportation was calculated according to Miner’s linear cumulative-damage model and evaluated. It was concluded that during transportation, the maximum stress of the solid rocket motor is 0.2 MPa, the maximum strain is 0.03, and the maximum displacement is 19.32 mm, all of which are found in the front stress-release boot. After 4000 km driving on the highway, the damage to the front stress-release boot of the grain is thus the greatest, with a value of 0.0796. The damage to the inner hole of the grain was found to be the smallest, with a value of 0.0438.
Histone methyltransferases inhibitors against Babesia in vitro
Authors: Li Xiaoyun , Wang Jinming , Wang Yanbo , Nian Yueli , Zhao Shuaiyang , Liu Junlong , Luo Jianxun , Yin Hong , Guan Guiquan
Published: September 2022

Babesiosis causes negative impact on health of human, domestic animals and wildlife. Currently, the limited strategies of immunoprophylaxis and chemotherapy hinder effective control of babesiosis. In this study, an in vitro screening assay was performed to identify compounds targeting to histone methyltransferase and showing high performance against growth of Babesia sp. Xinjiang (Bxj). We also evaluated their cytotoxicity on MDOK cell line. Eight compounds showed variable degrees of antibabesial activity. Among these, Furamidine showed outstanding activity at nanomolar level of half inhibitive concentration (IC50) in vitro. It also showed low cytotoxicity, of which 50% growth inhibition (CGI50) on MDOK cell line was ~ 100 µM at 24 h, ~ 45 µM at 48 h and ~ 40 µM 72 h. The selective index (SI) (calculated by CGI50/IC50) was higher than 1,500. Our findings support that histone methyltransferases are potential targets for developing alternative drugs to control babesiosis.
Synthesis of solid acid catalysts of MgO–Al2O3 mixed oxide containing oxyanions by thermal decomposition of anion-exchanged hydrotalcites
Authors: Matsuhashi Hiromi
Published: September 2022

Solid acid catalysts of MgO–Al2O3mixed oxides containing B4O72−, HPO42−, Mo7O246−, MoO42−, WO42−, and SO42−were synthesized by anion exchange with Cl−located in the space between anionic layers of hydrotalcite, followed by heat treatment at 773 K. The distance between the hydroxide layers of hydrotalcite was expanded by the intercalation of oxyanions larger than Cl−. The exchange of oxyanions in the interlayer space was confirmed by IR spectroscopy. Acid sites were generated on the obtained mixed oxides of MgO–Al2O3by the electron withdrawing effect of the oxyanions. The effect of exchanged anions in the generation of acid sites was the largest in SO42−.