bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Penalty and Augmented Lagrangian Methods for Constrained DC Programming
Authors: Lu Zhaosong , Sun Zhe , Zhou Zirui
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we consider a class of structured nonsmooth difference-of-convex (DC) constrained DC programs in which the first convex component of the objective and constraints is the sum of a smooth and a nonsmooth function, and their second convex component is the supremum of finitely many convex smooth functions. The existing methods for this problem usually have a weak convergence guarantee or require a feasible initial point. Inspired by the recent work by Pang et al. [Pang J-S, Razaviyayn M, Alvarado A (2017) Computing B-stationary points of nonsmooth DC programs. Math. Oper. Res. 42(1):95–118.], in this paper, we propose two infeasible methods with a strong convergence guarantee for the considered problem. The first one is a penalty method that consists of finding an approximate D-stationary point of a sequence of penalty subproblems. We show that any feasible accumulation point of the solution sequence generated by such a penalty method is a B-stationary point of the problem under a weakest possible assumption that it satisfies a pointwise Slater constraint qualification (PSCQ). The second one is an augmented Lagrangian (AL) method that consists of finding an approximate D-stationary point of a sequence of AL subproblems. Under the same PSCQ condition as for the penalty method, we show that any feasible accumulation point of the solution sequence generated by such an AL method is a B-stationary point of the problem, and moreover, it satisfies a Karush–Kuhn–Tucker type of optimality condition for the problem, together with any accumulation point of the sequence of a set of auxiliary Lagrangian multipliers. We also propose an efficient successive convex approximation method for computing an approximate D-stationary point of the penalty and AL subproblems. Finally, some numerical experiments are conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of our proposed methods.
The Flexible Scheduled Service Network Design Problem
Authors: Hewitt Mike
Published: January 2022

The scheduled service network design problem (SSNDP) can support planning the transportation operations of consolidation carriers given shipment-level service commitments regarding available and due times. These available and due times impact transportation costs by constraining potential consolidation opportunities. However, such available and due times may be changed, either because of negotiations with customers or redesigned internal operations to increase shipment consolidation and reduce transportation costs. As changing these times can lead to customer service and operational issues, we presume a carrier seeks to do so for a limited number of shipments. We propose a new variant of the SSNDP, the flexible scheduled service network design problem, that identifies the shipments for which these times should be changed to minimize total transportation and handling costs. We present a solution approach for this problem that outperforms a commercial optimization solver on instances derived from the operations of a U.S. less-than-truckload freight transportation carrier. With an extensive computational study, we study the savings potential of leveraging flexibility and the operational settings that are fertile ground for doing so.
RESEARCH ROUNDUP
Authors: Dening Karen Harrison
Published: January 2022

Karen Harrison Dening provides a synopsis and brief review of a selection of recently published research articles that are of interest to neuroscience nurses, highlighting key points to keep you up to date; a full reference is provided for those who wish to read the research in more detail
Follow-up care in children and young people diagnosed with concussion: a commentary
Authors: Ramsay Scott
Published: January 2022

Background:

Follow-up visits after a concussion are important in the children and young people for ensuring good health outcomes.

Aims:

This commentary will briefly detail the factors associated with children and young people obtaining follow-up care, review the evidence supporting the benefits of follow-up care after concussion and discuss opportunities for improving follow-up care in the paediatric population.

Findings:

Data suggest that whether or not children and young people receive follow-up care varies. Children and young people are under-represented in investigations into follow-up care after concussion.

Conclusions:

More research is needed on how follow-up care after concussion affects health outcomes in children and young people. The form that follow-up care should take, particularly in light of the pandemic, also requires further research.
Effects of epilepsy education on the academic achievement and quality of life of children with epilepsy
Authors: Sari Hatice Yildirim , Uzun Özge , Dündar Nihal Olgaç
Published: January 2022

Background:

Epilepsy can have a huge impact on children's quality of life and participation and attainment at school, particularly if the condition is poorly managed.

Aims:

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of education about disease and drug management given to children, their family and teachers on the academic success and quality of life of the child.

Design:

The study was a single group, pre-test, post-test, semi-experimental research study.

Methods:

The study was carried out in the paediatric neurology outpatient clinic of the Tepecik Education and Research Hospital in Turkey. The study sample comprised 65 people (25 patients, 25 parents and 15 teachers) who completed the pre-test and post-test assessments. The Sociodemographic Characteristics Questionnaire, the Quality of Life Scale in Children with Epilepsy and an academic achievement form were completed before the epilepsy education was given. Parents and children had training at the hospital. The teachers had telephone training. Some 3 months after the training, the scores for the Quality of Life Scale in Children with Epilepsy and the academic achievement form were reassessed.

Findings:

The comparison of the pre- and post-training Quality of Life scale scores of the children (p=0.000) and academic achievement scores of the children (p=0.017; n=15) demonstrated a significant increase. There was a significant difference between the quality of life scores of the participating children who received special education and those of the children who did not receive special education (p=0.007 and p=0.004, respectively).

Conclusions:

The results of the present study suggest that providing training on epilepsy, not only for children but also for their families and teachers, would be beneficial.
Innovation and invention: the role of virtual occupational therapy in the management of motor neurone disease
Authors: Ghosh Malabika , Cox Diane
Published: January 2022

Background:

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a progressive neurological condition with no known cure. Supportive management and symptom control by a multidisciplinary team forms the mainstay of treatment. Caring for patients with MND throughout the COVID-19 required service providers to think of ways to adapt the service in order to meet the acute and constantly changing needs of their service users within pandemic guidelines.

Aims:

This paper explores innovative changes within the occupational therapy service provision during the pandemic and how it supports the multidisciplinary team (MDT) working. It also evaluates the merits and disadvantages of using virtual technology in specific areas of occupational therapy intervention.

Methods:

A set of prioritisation criteria was developed to understand the rationale for virtual versus face-to-face input. A reflective process has been used to identify and evaluate innovative service provision in occupational therapy in the management of motor neurone disease.

Findings:

Virtual consultations were an effective way of providing certain aspects of occupational therapy input. Virtual consultations were found to be less effective during moving and handling assessments, complex environmental adaptations assessment and when managing complex cognitive presentations. During the pandemic there was a rise in referrals for cognitive behavioural management, a specialist area of expertise for occupational therapy in this clinical area. A holistic approach was paramount in meeting the evolving needs of patients across functional domains. Occupational therapy complemented the caring and supportive role of nurses and other members of the MDT in the management of MND.

Conclusions:

Occupational therapy input can support an MDT by providing valuable assessment of functional decline, specialist equipment, supporting cognitive-behavioural performance, restoring life roles and minimising the challenges imposed by the environment. Using virtual technology discernibly can be an invaluable approach to occupational therapy practice within an MDT setting for managing a progressive neurological condition, such as MND, during a pandemic.
Effect of Kota Stone Slurry Powder in Fresh and Hardened Concrete: A Review
Authors: Ojha Arpita , Gupta Trilok
Published: January 2022

Concrete is highly used construction material with cement being its major ingredient. Also, the demand for good quality of concrete is increasing because of the fast-growing urbanization. But there are certain problems associated with the manufacturing of cement. One of the major problems being production of carbon dioxide causing pollution in environment, the manufacturing of cement is quite expensive and it also leads to the depletion of resources. In order to curtail the consumption of cement, it has become inevitable to replace cement by certain amount with substituent materials that are cheaper to produce in order to lower down the financial cost of concrete production by some extent. The review paper, elaborates many properties of concrete by the inclusion of Kota stone slurry after evaluating several research papers. The following paper discusses numerous properties of concrete including workability, compressive strength, split tensile strength, water absorption and modulus of elasticity. The paper demonstrates that when used appropriately, inclusion of Kota stone slurry in concrete had a positive impact on concrete by increasing the strength and durability.
Design, Fabrication and Development of House Hold Utensil Cleaning Machine
Authors: Desai Sumit , Choudhari Dilip
Published: January 2022

This work presents design and fabrication of efficient and economical ultrasonic utensil cleaning machine. Electrical energy is converted into Mechanical energy by transducer. Transducer vibrates with ultrasonic frequency supplied to it by the frequency producer. These vibrations produce cavitation bubbles in the solvent/water. The size of the bubbles is in micron range. The mass of the cavitation bubbles depend on the rate of recurrence of the transducer. These bubbles act as scrubber which scrub the surface of utensil thus removing the soils/dirt stick on it. The size of the bubble is so small it does not cause any damage to the surface of utensil. Higher the frequency, more homogeneous will be the cleaning. Rinsing is provided within the system which will make it more compact. To keep the contaminants away from the cleaned surface, sweep frequency is used. Rotation to the basket is given by the motor. This rotation helps to reduce the cycle time and also dry the surface of utensil by centrifugal action. So when the utensil is removed from the basket it is ready for use. By this technology cycle time will be reduced drastically. Without any human efforts it can clean the dirtiest stains from the oily utensils. All types of utensils can be cleaned whether it is ceramics, glass, copper, wood, aluminum, stainless steel, etc. This cleaning process is more hygienic and can clean more efficiently compared to conventional cleaning.
Failure Analysis of Wire Ropes Used in Multi-Wire Machines for Cutting Blocks of Stone
Authors: Baragetti Sergio
Published: January 2022

ABSTRACT: This paper reports the analyses carried out with the company Pedrini SpA ad unico socio, located in Carobbio degli Angeli, Bergamo (IT). Wire ropes with diamond beads, used as cutting tools in multi-wire machines for cutting blocks of stone, were considered and a failure analysis of the wire ropes was carried out. The aim of the paper is to highlight the damage mechanisms of the wire ropes to increase service life of these cutting tools. Microscope observations and the penetrating liquids method were used to analyze the damaged wire ropes. Fatigue, corrosion and contact fatigue problems were observed and the effect of the centering of the beads on the wire rope was studied.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of new pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives
Authors: Agrebi Asma , Allouche Fatma , Fetoui Hamadi , Chabchoub Fakher
Published: January 2022

Several new pyrazolopyrimidine compounds were achieved from aminocyanopyarazole 1. The starting material 1 was initially coupled with orthoester at refluxed with various primary amines, ammonia, hydrazines and hydroxylamine to furnish a series of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines. The reaction of imidate 2a-b with hydrazide derivatives led to the formation of pyrazolo[3,4-d][1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-c]pyrimidines. Some of the synthesized compounds 3a and 4c were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and nociceptive activities. We start by studing the toxicity of these two molecules by measuring the corresponding DL50. The DL50 of 3a and 4c are estimated to 1333.2mg / kg and 1593.5mg / kg respectively. Pharmacological evaluation showed that compounds 3a and 4c at doses (5.5-22.2 mg / Kg, i.p) exhibited anti-inflammatory activities compared to Ibuprofen (150 mg / Kg, i.p), used as a refer ence drug. Further, our study showed that the injection of derived pyrazolopyrimidines on hyperthermic animal leads to a decrease in temperature after 1 hours of treatment compared to paracetamol used as reference. In addition, the injection of derived pyrazolopyrimidines at different doses contains a potent nociceptive activity. This effect is dose-dependent compared to aspirin.
How did UK policymaking in the COVID-19 response use science? Evidence from scientific advisers
Authors: Atkinson Paul , Mableson Hayley , Sheard Sally , Martindale Anne-Marie , Solomon Tom , Borek Aleksandra , Pilbeam Caitlin
Published: January 2022

Background:

Responses to COVID-19 have invested heavily in science. How this science was used is therefore important. Our work extends existing knowledge on the use of science in the pandemic by capturing scientific advisers’ experiences in real time.

Aims and objectives:

Our aim was to present generalisable messages on key qualifications or difficulties involved in speaking of ‘following the science’.

Methods:

Ninety-three interviews with UK scientific advisors and government officials captured their activities and perceptions during the pandemic in real time. We also examined Parliamentary Select Committee transcripts and government documents. This material was analysed for thematic content.

Findings and discussion:

(1) Many scientists sought guidance from policymakers about their goals, yet the COVID-19 response demonstrated the absence of a clear steer, and a tendency to change course quickly; (2) many scientists did not want to offer policy advice, but rather to provide evidence; and (3) a range of knowledge informed the UK’s pandemic response: we examine which kinds were privileged, and demonstrate the absence of clarity on how government synthesised the different forms of evidence being used.

Conclusions:

Understanding the reasons for a lack of clarity about policy goals would help us better understand the use of science in policy. Realisation that policy goals sometimes alter rapidly would help us better understand the logistics of scientific advice. Many scientists want their evidence to inform policy rather than determine the options selected. Since the process by which evidence leads to decisions is obscure, policy cannot be said to be evidence-based.
Does substance use play a role in gender differences in residential independence and returns to the parental home?
Authors: Warner Cody , Cady Emily
Published: January 2022

Young adults are co-residing with their parents at higher rates now than in the past, and recent research has explored the correlates of both leaving and subsequently returning to the parental home. Of relevance here, females tend to leave home earlier than their male counterparts, and research finds that drinking and drug use are also linked to residential transitions. This research note explores if substance use during adolescence and young adulthood plays a role in gender differences in home-leaving and home-returning. We find that marijuana use plays a role in both home-leaving and home-returning, with adolescent females who use marijuana the most at risk for early exits from home, and marijuana using males the most at risk for home-returning.
Phase measuring deflectometry based on calibration of the entrance
pupil center of the camera lens
Authors: Ge Renhao , Li Dahai , Zhang Xinwei , Wang Ruiyang , Zheng Wanxing , Yu Linzhi , Li Xiaowei , Zhao Wuxiang
Published: January 2022

A camera calibration method for phase measuring deflectometry (PMD) based on the
entrance pupil center (EPC) of the camera lens is proposed. In our
method, the position of the entrance pupil of the camera lens is first
measured; next the absolute coordinates of the EPC are calibrated by
using a reference flat and an external stop that is mounted in front
of the camera lens; then the EPC as the camera coordinates is used for
PMD. The feasibility of the proposed method is verified by simulation.
The surface shapes of a planar optical element and a planar window
glass are separately measured in our experiments, and a subwavelength
accuracy level is achieved. Meanwhile, the effects of the camera lens
with different aperture settings on captured images are investigated
(including exposure time, image contrast, and measurement accuracy).
The experimental results show that the exposure time required declines
with the decrease in the f-number, and the measurement accuracy is
higher than others when the f-numbers are changed from f/5.6 to
f/11.
Pulsed light power stabilization of a semiconductor laser using a mixed analog-digital method with an acousto-optic modulator
Authors: Liu Chang , Prado Caio A. G. , Tang Chencheng , Zhong Zhipeng , Zhao Tian , Zhai Yueyang
Published: January 2022

Diffraction beams produced by an acousto-optic modulator are widely used in various optical experiments, some of which need to modulate the radio-frequency drive signal to change the diffraction beams from continuous light to pulsed light. The generation of such pulsed light is open-loop, and long-term stability of the power is disregarded. In this paper, we introduce a method to suppress the pulsed light power drift of a semiconductor laser. By using the servo system, the low frequency power drift of 1–60 kHz pulsed light can be suppressed. This pulsed light power stabilization method can be applied to optical rotation detection and pulse pumping.
All-day thin-lens computational imaging with scene-specific learning recovery
Authors: Qi Bingyun , Chen Wei , Dun Xiong , Hao Xiang , Wang Rui , Liu Xu , Li Haifeng , Peng Yifan
Published: January 2022

Modern imaging optics ensures high-quality photography at the cost of a complex optical form factor that deviates from the portability. The drastic development of image processing algorithms, especially advanced neural networks, shows great promise to use thin optics but still faces the challenges of residual artifacts and chromatic aberration. In this work, we investigate photorealistic thin-lens imaging that paves the way to actual applications by exploring several fine-tunes. Notably, to meet all-day photography demands, we develop a scene-specific generative-adversarial-network-based learning strategy and develop an integral automatic acquisition and processing pipeline. Color fringe artifacts are reduced by implementing a chromatic aberration pre-correction trick. Our method outperforms existing thin-lens imaging work with better visual perception and excels in both normal-light and low-light scenarios.
Giant anisotropic photocurrent modulated by strain in Weyl semimetal Td-MoTe2
Authors: Wang Xinru , Ding Ying , Chen M. N. , Siu Z. B. , Jalil Mansoor B. A. , Li Yuan
Published: January 2022

We built a Cu–MoTe2–Cu device model and used first-principles density functional theory to study the transport properties of the T
d
-MoTe2 heterojunction. We obtained the effect of strain on the energy band structure of the bulk T
d
-MoTe2, the transport properties, and photocurrent of the Cu–MoTe2–Cu device. The strain-induced photocurrent shows an anisotropy that reflects the modulation of the energy bands, including the Weyl point, by strain. The photocurrent can be suppressed to almost zero when the strain is applied along the vacuum direction. In contrast, the photocurrent can be significantly increased when the strain is applied along the transport direction. The transport properties and magnitude of the photocurrent in the MoTe2-based device can be effectively modulated by adjusting the strength and direction of the strain.
Do-it-yourself three-dimensional large core multimode fiber splitters through a consumer-grade 3D printer
Authors: Oliveira Ricardo , Nogueira Rogério , Bilro Lúcia
Published: January 2022

We report the design, fabrication and characterization of 3D large core (1 mm) multimode fiber splitters using a low-cost stereolithography 3D printer. The results were accomplished for symmetrical 1 × 2 and 1 × 4 splitters, where the angle between the output arms was varied from 10 to 180°, showing good uniformity between the splitting ratios. Asymmetrical 1 × 2 splitters were also studied to achieve different splitting ratios. This was done by fixing one arm at a specific angle, while varying the other. Results were quite satisfactory, paving the way for simple and customizable manufacturing of passive optical elements.
Sub-50  fs pulses at 2050  nm from a picosecond Ho:YLF laser using a two-stage Kagome-fiber-based compressor
Authors: Murari Krishna , Cirmi Giovanni , Cankaya Hüseyin , Stein Gregory J. , Debord Benoit , Gérôme Frederic , Ritzkosky Felix , Benabid Fetah , Muecke Oliver , Kärtner Franz X.
Published: January 2022

The high-energy few-cycle mid-infrared laser pulse beyond 2 μm is of immense importance for attosecond science and strong-field physics. However, the limited gain bandwidth of laser crystals such as Ho:YLF and Ho:YAG allows the generation of picosecond (ps) long pulses and, hence, makes it challenging to generate few-cycle pulse at 2 μm without utilizing an optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier (OPCPA). Moreover, the exclusive use of the near-infrared wavelength has limited the generation of wavelengths beyond 4 μm (OPCPA). Furthermore, high harmonic generation (HHG) conversion efficiency reduces dramatically when driven by a long-wavelength laser. Novel schemes such as multi-color HHG have been proposed to enhance the harmonic flux. Therefore, it is highly desirable to generate few-cycle to femtosecond pulses from a 2 μm laser for driving these experiments. Here, we utilize two-stage nonlinear spectral broadening and pulse compression based on the Kagome-type hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF) to compress few-ps pulses to sub-50 fs from a Ho:YLF amplifier at 2 μm at 1 kHz repetition rate. We demonstrate both experimentally and numerically the compression of 3.3 ps at 140 μJ pulses to 48 fs at 11 μJ with focal intensity reaching

10

13

  
W
/

cm

2

. Thereby, this system can be used for driving HHG in solids at 2 μm. In the first stage, the pulses are spectrally broadened in Kagome fiber and compressed in a silicon-based prism compressor to 285 fs at a pulse energy of 90 μJ. In the second stage, the 285 fs pulse is self-compressed in air-filled HC-PCF. With fine-tuning of the group delay dispersion (GDD) externally in a 3 mm window, a compressed pulse of 48 fs is achieved. This leads to a 70-fold compression of the ps pulses at 2050 nm. We further used the sub-50 fs laser pulses to generate white light by focusing the pulse into a thin medium of YAG.
Ultrafast photocarrier and coherent phonon dynamics in type-II Dirac semimetal PtTe2 thin films probed by optical spectroscopy
Authors: Suo Peng , Yan Shengnan , Pu Ruihua , Zhang Wenjie , Li Di , Chen Jiaming , Fu Jibo , Lin Xian , Miao Feng , Liang Shi-Jun , Liu Weimin , Ma Guohong
Published: January 2022

We report the ultrafast photocarrier dynamics and coherent phonon excitation in type-II Dirac semimetal platinum ditelluride (

PtTe

2

) thin films via femtosecond (fs) pump-probe spectroscopy at room temperature. Quantitative analysis revealed that the incoherent electronic relaxation consists of two components: a subpicosecond fast relaxation process and a slow component with a time constant of hundreds of picoseconds (ps). Furthermore, the launch of a coherent acoustic phonon (CAP) in the 20 nm film but absence in the 6.8 nm film uncovers the dominant role of temperature gradient in producing a strain wave. The sound velocity and Young’s modulus in the thick

PtTe

2

are determined to be 1.736 km/s and 29.5 GPa, respectively. In addition, the coherent optical phonon (COP) with a frequency of 4.7 THz corresponding to Te atoms out-of-plane

A

1
g

vibration has been well resolved in all films, which is ascribed to displacive excitation of coherent phonon (DECP). The observation of a strong probe-wavelength dependent COP amplitude reveals the resonant feature of the optical excitation-induced atomic displacement in

PtTe

2

. Our findings provide deep insight into the excitation and dynamics of CAP and COP as well as the photocarriers’ recovery pathway and lifetimes in

PtTe

2

. Our study also demonstrates that the COP spectroscopy is a powerful tool to reveal the modulation of frequency-dependent optical constants induced by atomic vibrations, which may find applications in the fields of optoelectronics and ultrafast photonics.
Transgenic overexpression of CTRP3 does not prevent alcohol induced hepatic steatosis in female mice
Authors: Thomas Kristy L. , Root Callie L. , Peterson Jonathan M.
Published: January 2022

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality from hepatic complications. C1q/TNF-related protein 3 (CTRP3) is an adiponectin paralog and, in male mice, increased levels of circulating CTRP3 prevents ALD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to replicate the observed hepatoprotective effect of elevated circulating CTRP3 levels in female mice. Twelve-week-old female wildtype and CTRP3 overexpressing transgenic mice were fed the Lieber-DeCarli alcohol-containing liquid diet (5% vol/vol) for 6 weeks. Unlike the previous study with male mice, CTRP3 overexpression provided no attenuation to alcohol-induced hepatic lipid accumulation, cytokine production, or overall mortality. In conclusion, there appears to be a clear sex-specific effect of CTRP3 in response to alcohol consumption that needs to be explored further.
Efficiency and bacterial diversity of an improved anaerobic baffled reactor for the remediation of wastewater from alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding technology
Authors: Wei Dong , Zhang Xinxin , Li Chunying , Zhao Min , Wei Li
Published: January 2022

Alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding technology is used to maximize crude oil recovery. However, the extensive use of alkaline materials makes it difficult to treat the water used. Here, an improved multi-zone anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) using FeSO4 as electron acceptor was employed to treat the wastewater from ASP flooding technology, and the effects on major pollutants (hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, petroleum substances, surfactants suspended solids) and associated parameters (chemical oxygen demand, viscosity) were evaluated. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to follow the degradation and evolution of organic compounds while high-throughput DNA sequencing was used to determine the bacterial diversity in the ABR. The results obtained after 90 d of operation showed decreases in all parameters measured and the highest mean removal rates were obtained for petroleum substances (98.8%) and suspended solids (77.0%). Amounts of petroleum substances in the ABR effluent could meet the requirements of a national standard for oilfield reinjection water. GC-MS analysis showed that a wide range of chemicals (e.g. aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, alcohols, ketones) could be sequentially removed from the influent by each zone of ABR. The high-throughput DNA sequencing showed that the bacteria Micropruina, Saccharibacteria and Synergistaceae were involved in the degradation of pollutants in the anaerobic and anoxic reaction zones, while Rhodobacteraceae and Aliihoeflea were the main functional microorganisms in the aerobic reaction zones. The results demonstrated that the improved ABR reactor had the potential for the treatment of wastewater from ASP flooding technology.
Assessment of soil quality for guided fertilization in 7 barley agro-ecological areas of China
Authors: Zhou Yu , Fan Yingcheng , Lu Guang , Zhang Anyong , Zhao Ting , Sun Genlou , Sun Daokun , Yu Qi , Ren Xifeng
Published: January 2022

Soil quality is the basis for the development of sustainable agriculture and may be used for evaluating the sustainability of soil management practices. Soil quality status and integrated soil quality index (SQI) in sampled 97 farmlands distributed in 7 barley agro-ecological areas of China were analyzed by using 13 soil chemical parameters. The results showed six principal components totally explained 72% variability for the 13 parameters and identified 9 parameters (includes pH, NH4+-N, NO3--N, available P, available K, exchangeable Mg, DTPA-Fe, DTPA-Cu and Cl-) with high factor loading values as the minimum data set (MDS) for assessing soil quality. Average soil quality of all farmlands is moderate (SQI = 0.62). The SQI of barley farmlands in 7 agro-ecological areas showed the following order: Inner Mongolia Plateau (0.75 ± 0.02) > Yunnan-Kweichow Plateau (0.72 ± 0.06) > Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (0.63 ± 0.08) > Yangtze Plain (0.62 ± 0.10) > Huanghuai Region (0.58 ± 0.09) > Northeast China Plain (0.56 ± 0.07) > Xinjiang Province (0.54 ± 0.07). Total 29 out of 97 farmlands in 7 areas have low SQI level (< 0.55). Hence, these farmlands require urgent attention for soil quality improvement through modification of the soil parameters in the MDS.
Cognitive cascades: How to model (and potentially counter) the spread of fake news
Authors: Rabb Nicholas , Cowen Lenore , de Ruiter Jan P. , Scheutz Matthias
Published: January 2022

Understanding the spread of false or dangerous beliefs—often called misinformation or disinformation—through a population has never seemed so urgent. Network science researchers have often taken a page from epidemiologists, and modeled the spread of false beliefs as similar to how a disease spreads through a social network. However, absent from those disease-inspired models is an internal model of an individual’s set of current beliefs, where cognitive science has increasingly documented how the interaction between mental models and incoming messages seems to be crucially important for their adoption or rejection. Some computational social science modelers analyze agent-based models where individuals do have simulated cognition, but they often lack the strengths of network science, namely in empirically-driven network structures. We introduce acognitive cascademodel that combines a network science belief cascade approach with an internal cognitive model of the individual agents as in opinion diffusion models as apublic opinion diffusion(POD) model, adding media institutions as agents which begin opinion cascades. We show that the model, even with a very simplistic belief function to capture cognitive effects cited in disinformation study (dissonance and exposure), adds expressive power over existing cascade models. We conduct an analysis of the cognitive cascade model with our simple cognitive function across various graph topologies and institutional messaging patterns. We argue from our results that population-level aggregate outcomes of the model qualitatively match what has been reported in COVID-related public opinion polls, and that the model dynamics lend insights as to how to address the spread of problematic beliefs. The overall model sets up a framework with which social science misinformation researchers and computational opinion diffusion modelers can join forces to understand, and hopefully learn how to best counter, the spread of disinformation and “alternative facts.”
Development of an artificial intelligence-based algorithm to classify images acquired with an intraoral scanner of individual molar teeth into three categories
Authors: Eto Nozomi , Yamazoe Junichi , Tsuji Akiko , Wada Naohisa , Ikeda Noriaki
Published: January 2022

Background

Forensic dentistry identifies deceased individuals by comparing postmortem dental charts, oral-cavity pictures and dental X-ray images with antemortem records. However, conventional forensic dentistry methods are time-consuming and thus unable to rapidly identify large numbers of victims following a large-scale disaster.

Objective

Our goal is to automate the dental filing process by using intraoral scanner images. In this study, we generated and evaluated an artificial intelligence-based algorithm that classified images of individual molar teeth into three categories: (1) full metallic crown (FMC); (2) partial metallic restoration (In); or (3) sound tooth, carious tooth or non-metallic restoration (CNMR).

Methods

A pre-trained model was created using oral-cavity pictures from patients. Then, the algorithm was generated through transfer learning and training with images acquired from cadavers by intraoral scanning. Cross-validation was performed to reduce bias. The ability of the model to classify molar teeth into the three categories (FMC, In or CNMR) was evaluated using four criteria: precision, recall, F-measure and overall accuracy.

Results

The average value (variance) was 0.952 (0.000140) for recall, 0.957 (0.0000614) for precision, 0.952 (0.000145) for F-measure, and 0.952 (0.000142) for overall accuracy when the algorithm was used to classify images of molar teeth acquired from cadavers by intraoral scanning.

Conclusion

We have created an artificial intelligence-based algorithm that analyzes images acquired with an intraoral scanner and classifies molar teeth into one of three types (FMC, In or CNMR) based on the presence/absence of metallic restorations. Furthermore, the accuracy of the algorithm reached about 95%. This algorithm was constructed as a first step toward the development of an automated system that generates dental charts from images acquired by an intraoral scanner. The availability of such a system would greatly increase the efficiency of personal identification in the event of a major disaster.
Working memory guidance of visual attention to threat in offenders
Authors: Satmarean Tamara S. , Milne Elizabeth , Rowe Richard
Published: January 2022

Aggression and trait anger have been linked to attentional biases toward angry faces and attribution of hostile intent in ambiguous social situations. Memory and emotion play a crucial role in social-cognitive models of aggression but their mechanisms of influence are not fully understood. Combining a memory task and a visual search task, this study investigated the guidance of attention allocation toward naturalistic face targets during visual search by visual working memory (WM) templates in 113 participants who self-reported having served a custodial sentence. Searches were faster when angry faces were held in working memory regardless of the emotional valence of the visual search target. Higher aggression and trait anger predicted increased working memory modulated attentional bias. These results are consistent with the Social-Information Processing model, demonstrating that internal representations bias attention allocation to threat and that the bias is linked to aggression and trait anger.
Utilization of preconception care and associated factors in Hosanna Town, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Wegene Meron Admasu , Gejo Negeso Gebeyehu , Bedecha Daniel Yohannes , Kerbo Amene Abebe , Hagisso Shemsu Nuriye , Damtew Solomon Abrha
Published: January 2022

Introduction

There is substantial body of evidence that portrays gap in the existing maternal and child health continuum of care; one is less attention given to adolescent girls and young women until they get pregnant. Besides, antenatal care is too late to reduce the harmful effects that a woman’s may have on the fetus during the critical period of organogenesis. Fortunately, preconception care can fill these gaps, enhance well-being of women and couples and improve subsequent pregnancy and child health outcomes. Therefore, the main aim of the current study was to assess preconception care utilization and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics of public health facilities in Hosanna town.

Methods

A facility based cross-sectional study design was carried out from July 30, 2020 to August 30, 2020. Data were collected through face-to-face interview among 400 eligible pregnant women through systematic sampling technique. Epi-data version 3.1 and SPSS version 24 was used for data entry and analysis respectively. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify association between dependent and independent variables. Crude and adjusted odds ratio with respective 95% confidence intervals was computed and statistical significance was declared at p-value <0.05.

Result

This study revealed that 76 (19%, 95% Cl (15.3, 23.2) study participants had utilized preconception care. History of family planning use before the current pregnancy (AOR = 2.45; 95% Cl (1.270, 4.741), previous history of adverse birth outcomes (AOR = 3.15; 95% Cl (1.650, 6.005), poor knowledge on preconception care (AOR = 0.18; 95% Cl (0.084, 0.379) and receiving counseling on preconception care previously (AOR = 2.82; 95% Cl (1.221, 6.493) were significantly associated with preconception care utilization.

Conclusions

The present study revealed that nearly one-fifth of pregnant women have utilized preconception care services. History of family planning use before the current pregnancy, previous history of adverse birth outcomes, poor knowledge on preconception care and receiving counseling on preconception care previously were significantly associated with preconception care utilization. Integrating preconception care services with other maternal neonatal child health, improving women’s/couples knowledge & strengthening counseling services is pivotal.
Identification of an early-stage Parkinson’s disease neuromarker using event-related potentials, brain network analytics and machine-learning
Authors: Hassin-Baer Sharon , Cohen Oren S. , Israeli-Korn Simon , Yahalom Gilad , Benizri Sandra , Sand Daniel , Issachar Gil , Geva Amir B. , Shani-Hershkovich Revital , Peremen Ziv
Published: January 2022

Objective

The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of developing a biomarker that can discriminate early-stage Parkinson’s disease from healthy brain function using electroencephalography (EEG) event-related potentials (ERPs) in combination with Brain Network Analytics (BNA) technology and machine learning (ML) algorithms.

Background

Currently, diagnosis of PD depends mainly on motor signs and symptoms. However, there is need for biomarkers that detect PD at an earlier stage to allow intervention and monitoring of potential disease-modifying therapies. Cognitive impairment may appear before motor symptoms, and it tends to worsen with disease progression. While ERPs obtained during cognitive tasks performance represent processing stages of cognitive brain functions, they have not yet been established as sensitive or specific markers for early-stage PD.

Methods

Nineteen PD patients (disease duration of ≤2 years) and 30 healthy controls (HC) underwent EEG recording while performing visual Go/No-Go and auditory Oddball cognitive tasks. ERPs were analyzed by the BNA technology, and a ML algorithm identified a combination of features that distinguish early PD from HC. We used a logistic regression classifier with a 10-fold cross-validation.

Results

The ML algorithm identified a neuromarker comprising 15 BNA features that discriminated early PD patients from HC. The area-under-the-curve of the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.79. Sensitivity and specificity were 0.74 and 0.73, respectively. The five most important features could be classified into three cognitive functions: early sensory processing (P50 amplitude, N100 latency), filtering of information (P200 amplitude and topographic similarity), and response-locked activity (P-200 topographic similarity preceding the motor response in the visual Go/No-Go task).

Conclusions

This pilot study found that BNA can identify patients with early PD using an advanced analysis of ERPs. These results need to be validated in a larger PD patient sample and assessed for people with premotor phase of PD.
Scalable in vitro production of defined mouse erythroblasts
Authors: Francis Helena S. , Harold Caroline L. , Beagrie Robert A. , King Andrew J. , Gosden Matthew E. , Blayney Joseph W. , Jeziorska Danuta M. , Babbs Christian , Higgs Douglas R. , Kassouf Mira T.
Published: January 2022

Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) can be manipulated in vitro to recapitulate the process of erythropoiesis, during which multipotent cells undergo lineage specification, differentiation and maturation to produce erythroid cells. Although useful for identifying specific progenitors and precursors, this system has not been fully exploited as a source of cells to analyse erythropoiesis. Here, we establish a protocol in which characterised erythroblasts can be isolated in a scalable manner from differentiated embryoid bodies (EBs). Using transcriptional and epigenetic analysis, we demonstrate that this system faithfully recapitulates normal primitive erythropoiesis and fully reproduces the effects of natural and engineered mutations seen in primary cells obtained from mouse models. We anticipate this system to be of great value in reducing the time and costs of generating and maintaining mouse lines in a number of research scenarios.
Retrospective study of toxoplasmosis prevalence in pregnant women in Benin and its relation with malaria
Authors: Dambrun Magalie , Dechavanne Célia , Guigue Nicolas , Briand Valérie , Candau Tristan , Fievet Nadine , Lohezic Murielle , Manoharan Saraniya , Sare Nawal , Viwami Firmine , Simon François , Houzé Sandrine , Migot-Nabias Florence
Published: January 2022

Background

Globally distributed with variable prevalence depending on geography, toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. This disease is usually benign but poses a risk for immunocompromised people and for newborns of mothers with a primary infection during pregnancy because of the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT). CT can cause severe damage to fetuses-newborns. To our knowledge, no study has been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa on toxoplasmosis seroprevalence, seroconversion and CT in a large longitudinal cohort and furthermore, no observation has been made of potential relationships with malaria.

Methods

We performed a retrospective toxoplasmosis serological study using available samples from a large cohort of 1,037 pregnant women who were enrolled in a malaria follow-up during the 2008–2010 period in a rural area in Benin. We also used some existing data to investigate potential relationships between the maternal toxoplasmosis serological status and recorded malaria infections.

Results

Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence, seroconversion and CT rates were 52.6%, 3.4% and 0.2%, respectively, reflecting the population situation of toxoplasmosis, without targeted medical intervention. The education level influences the toxoplasmosis serological status of women, with women with little or no formal education have greater immunity than others. Surprisingly, toxoplasmosis seropositive pregnant women tended to present lower malaria infection during pregnancy (number) or at delivery (presence) and to have lower IgG levels to Plasmodium falciparum Apical Membrane Antigen 1, compared to toxoplasmosis seronegative women.

Conclusions

The high toxoplasmosis seroprevalence indicates that prevention against this parasite remains important to deploy and must be accessible and understandable to and for all individuals (educated and non-educated). A potential protective role against malaria conferred by a preexisting toxoplasmosis infection needs to be explored more precisely to examine the environmental, parasitic and/or immune aspects.
Communities’ perceptions towards cervical cancer and its screening in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia: A qualitative study
Authors: Demissie Birhanu Wondimeneh , Azeze Gedion Asnake , Asseffa Netsanet Abera , Lake Eyasu Alem , Besha Befekadu Bekele , Gelaw Kelemu Abebe , Mokonnon Taklu Marama , Gebeyehu Natnael Atnafu , Obsa Mohammed Suleiman
Published: January 2022

Background

Cervical cancer is a malignant neoplasm from cells originating in the cervix uteri. Any woman who is sexually active is at risk of getting HPV. Women in sub-Saharan Africa region have higher chance of developing the disease. There are nearly 26 million Ethiopian women who are over the age of 15 and believed to be at risk of getting HPV. Regrettably, Ethiopian women typically present for cervical cancer care at a late stage in the disease, where treatment is most ineffective.

Objectives

To explore communities’ perceptions of cervical cancer and screening among women in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia.

Methods

A qualitative research using focused group discussions and in-depth interviews was used to explore communities’ perceptions of cervical cancer and screening among women in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia from March 2018-November 2019. The study participants were men, women and communities who were residents of the study settings and were not health professionals. All focused group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews were transcribed and entered into Microsoft Word and thematic content analysis was done.

Results

A total of fifty-nine participants participated in both FGD (three with men and six with women) and in-depth interviews (IDIs). Most participants have not heard about cervical cancer but know cancer in general. Participants mentioned that the disease usually relates to many births and unprotected sexual intercourse but none mentioned HPV infection. Most of the participants perceive that cervical cancer is incurable and assume that it could be prevented but they think they are not vulnerable to the disease and screening is not necessary.

Conclusion

This study indicates that rural communities in the zone had limited knowledge about cervical cancer and even less about risk factors, screening, treatment and prevention. There is a great need for cancer education and prevention in Ethiopia.
An approximation of one-dimensional nonlinear Kortweg de Vries equation of order nine
Authors: Saleem Sidra , Hussain Malik Zawwar , Aziz Imran
Published: January 2022

This research presents the approximate solution of nonlinear Korteweg-de Vries equation of order nine by a hybrid staggered one-dimensional Haar wavelet collocation method. In literature, the underlying equation is derived by generalizing the bilinear form of the standard nonlinear KdV equation. The highest order derivative is approximated by Haar series, whereas the lower order derivatives are attained by integration formula introduced by Chen and Hsiao in 1997. The findings are shown in the form of tables and a figure, demonstrating the proposed technique’s convergence, robustness, and ease of application in a small number of collocation points.