bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Problems with modified commutators
Authors: Lake Matthew J. , Watcharapasorn Anucha
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this paper is to challenge the existing paradigm on which contemporary models of generalised uncertainty relations (GURs) are based, that is, the assumption of modified commutation relations. We review an array of theoretical problems that arise in modified commutator models, including those that have been discussed in depth and others that have received comparatively little attention, or have not been considered at all in the existing literature, with the aim of stimulating discussion on these topics. We then show how an apparently simple assumption can solve, or, more precisely, evade these issues, by generating GURs without modifying the basic form of the canonical Heisenberg algebra. This simplicity is deceptive, however, as the necessary assumption is found to have huge implications for the quantisation of space-time and, therefore, gravity. These include the view that quantum space-time should be considered as a quantum reference frame and, crucially, that the action scale characterising the quantum effects of gravity, β, must be many orders of magnitude smaller than Planck’s constant, β ∼ 10–61 × ℏ, in order to recover the present day dark energy density. We argue that these proposals should be taken seriously, as a potential solution to the pathologies that plague minimum length models based on modified commutators, and that their implications should be explored as thoroughly as those of the existing paradigm, which has dominated research in this area for almost three decades.
Physiological demands in simulated tennis matches and hitting tests take account of the translational and rotational kinetic energy ratio of the ball
Authors: Murata Munenori , Naito Takashi
Published: February 2023

Assessment of fatigue effect on hitting ability in tennis has been controversial in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between player fatigue and groundstroke type in tennis. We hypothesized that subjects with higher blood lactate concentration during play would apply heavier spin to the ball. We divided players into two groups based on their blood lactate concentration during a pre-measured hitting test (HIGH and LOW). Each group performed a simulated match-play protocol consisting of repeated running and hitting tests, which simulated a three-set match. Heart rate, percent of heart rate reserve, oxygen uptake, pulmonary ventilation, and respiratory exchange were measured. The distance between the ball's landing point and the target, and the ball's kinematics, were recorded during the hitting test between sets. We found no significant difference in ball kinetic energy between groups, but the HIGH group hit the ball with a greater ratio of rotational kinetic energy to total kinetic energy. However, the progression of the simulation protocol did not affect physiological responses (including blood lactate concentration) or hitting ability. Therefore, it is suggested that the type of groundstrokes used by players is one of the factors that should be considered when discussing fatigue in tennis.
Sustainable intensification of agriculture as a tool to promote food security: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Ajibade Sinazo , Simon Barbara , Gulyas Miklos , Balint Csaba
Published: February 2023

Sustainable intensification (SI) of agriculture is required to satisfy the growing populations' nutritional needs, and therefore food security while limiting negative environmental impacts. The study aims to investigate the global scientific output of sustainable intensification research from 2010 to 20 August 2021. The data was retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection and was analyzed using a bibliometric method and VOS viewer to determine the most productive countries and organizations by collaboration analysis, including the keywords to analyze the research hotspots and trends, and the most cited publications in the field. From the 1,610 studies published in the theme of sustainable agriculture by 6,346 authors belonging to 1,981 organizations and 115 countries, the study found an increased number of publications and citations in 2020, with 293 publications and 10,275 citations. The United States ranked highest in countries collaborating with the most publications in the field. The occurrence of keywords like “food security”, “climate change”, “agriculture”, “ecosystem services”, “conservation agriculture”, “Sub-Sahara Africa”, “Africa”, “biodiversity”, and “maize” in both author and all keywords (author and index) reveal the significance of sustainable intensification in Africa, as a solution to food insecurity under climate change conditions. The availability of funding agencies from big economies explains the growing interest by developing countries in the SI of agriculture research due to the growing population, food insecurity, and access to limited land for farming.
“Sedentarisation” of transhumant pastoralists results in privatization of resources and soil fertility decline in West Africa's cotton belt
Authors: Dossouhoui G. I. Anita , Yemadje Pierrot Lionel , Diogo Rodrigue V. Cao , Balarabe Oumarou , Tittonell Pablo
Published: February 2023

Transhumant pastoralism is an ancient natural resource management system traditionally connecting ecosystems across north-south precipitation gradients in West Africa. As rural population grew, several governments in the region have promoted their settlement, i.e., the “sedentarisation” of nomadic pastoral peoples to avoid conflict over land use and access to resources with local sedentary populations. Former transhumant pastoralists settled down and started growing crops using the manure of their livestock. This led to the dwindling of traditional agreements and exchanges (manure against crop residues) between pastoralists and agriculturalists, that resulted in less nutrients flowing between livestock, food crops and the main cash crop in the region: cotton. As a consequence, soil fertility declined, grazing areas are overexploited, and crop production is increasingly dependent on mineral fertilizers, which are produced outside the region, exposing the livelihood of local farmers to the volatility of international (oil) markets. How do local farmers perceive the effect of this virtual “privatization” of natural resources? Is the production of cotton, a main agricultural export of west African countries, a viable option in this new situation? What does this imply for the research and policy agendas to support agricultural development? We explored these questions through engaging in discussion with farmers, herders and extension agents in three cotton growing zones of Benin.
Clinicopathological characteristics of early gastric cancer with different level of undifferentiated component and nomogram to predict lymph node metastasis
Authors: Li Chenyu , Xie Suling , Chen Dan , Zhang Jingwen , Zhang Ning , Mu Jinchao , Gong Aixia
Published: February 2023

Background

Few studies showed that mixed type early gastric cancer (EGC) relates to higher risk of lymph node metastasis. We aimed to explore the clinicopathological feature of GC according to different proportions of undifferentiated components (PUC) and develop a nomogram to predict status of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in EGC lesions.

Methods

Clinicopathological data of the 4,375 patients who underwent surgically resection for gastric cancer in our center were retrospectively evaluated and finally 626 cases were included. We classified mixed type lesions into five groups (M1:0% < PUC ≤ 20%, M2:20%<PUC ≤ 40%, M3:40%<PUC ≤ 60%, M4:60%<PUC ≤ 80%, M5:80%<PUC < 100%). Lesions with 0% PUC were classified as pure differentiated group (PD) and lesions with 100% PUC were classified as pure undifferentiated group (PUD).

Results

Compared with PD, LNM rate was higher in group M4 and group M5 (p < 0.05 after Bonferroni correction). Differences of tumor size, presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI), perineural invasion and invasion depth also exist between groups. No statistical difference of LNM rate was found in cases who met the absolute endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) indications for EGC patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size over 2 cm, submucosa invasion to SM2, presence of LVI and PUC level M4 significantly predicted LNM in EGC. With the AUC of 0.899(P < 0.05), the nomogram exhibited a good discrimination. Internal validation by Hosmer–Lemeshow test showed a good fitting effect in model (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

PUC level should be considered as one of the predicting risk factors of LNM in EGC. A nomogram that predicts the risk of LNM in EGC was developed.
Local Convergence Analysis of a One Parameter Family of Simultaneous Methods with Applications to Real-World Problems
Authors: Pavkov Tsonyo M. , Kabadzhov Valentin G. , Ivanov Ivan K. , Ivanov Stoil I.
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we provide a detailed local convergence analysis of a one-parameter family of iteration methods for the simultaneous approximation of polynomial zeros due to Ivanov (Numer. Algor. 75(4): 1193–1204, 2017). Thus, we obtain two local convergence theorems that provide sufficient conditions to guarantee the Q-cubic convergence of all members of the family. Among the other contributions, our results unify the latest such kind of results of the well known Dochev–Byrnev and Ehrlich methods. Several practical applications are further given to emphasize the advantages of the studied family of methods and to show the applicability of the theoretical results.
Quadratic Multilinear Discriminant Analysis for Tensorial Data Classification
Authors: Minoccheri Cristian , Alge Olivia , Gryak Jonathan , Najarian Kayvan , Derksen Harm
Published: February 2023

Over the past decades, there has been an increase of attention to adapting machine learning methods to fully exploit the higher order structure of tensorial data. One problem of great interest is tensor classification, and in particular the extension of linear discriminant analysis to the multilinear setting. We propose a novel method for multilinear discriminant analysis that is radically different from the ones considered so far, and it is the first extension to tensors of quadratic discriminant analysis. Our proposed approach uses invariant theory to extend the nearest Mahalanobis distance classifier to the higher-order setting, and to formulate a well-behaved optimization problem. We extensively test our method on a variety of synthetic data, outperforming previously proposed MDA techniques. We also show how to leverage multi-lead ECG data by constructing tensors via taut string, and use our method to classify healthy signals versus unhealthy ones; our method outperforms state-of-the-art MDA methods, especially after adding significant levels of noise to the signals. Our approach reached an AUC of 0.95(0.03) on clean signals—where the second best method reached 0.91(0.03)—and an AUC of 0.89(0.03) after adding noise to the signals (with a signal-to-noise-ratio of −30)—where the second best method reached 0.85(0.05). Our approach is fundamentally different than previous work in this direction, and proves to be faster, more stable, and more accurate on the tests we performed.
Union Models for Model Families: Efficient Reasoning over Space and Time
Authors: Alwidian Sanaa , Amyot Daniel , Lamo Yngve
Published: February 2023

A model family is a set of related models in a given language, with commonalities and variabilities that result from evolution of models over time and/or variation over intended usage (the spatial dimension). As the family size increases, it becomes cumbersome to analyze models individually. One solution is to represent a family using one global model that supports analysis. In this paper, we propose the concept of union model as a complete and concise representation of all members of a model family. We use graph theory to formalize a model family as a set of attributed typed graphs in which all models are typed over the same metamodel. The union model is formalized as the union of all graph elements in the family. These graph elements are annotated with their corresponding model versions and configurations. This formalization is independent from the modeling language used. We also demonstrate how union models can be used to perform reasoning tasks on model families, e.g., trend analysis and property checking. Empirical results suggest potential time-saving benefits when using union models for analysis and reasoning over a set of models all at once as opposed to separately analyzing single models one at a time.
Correction: Duan, E.; Bryant, M. Implications of Spatially Constrained Bipennate Topology on Fluidic Artificial Muscle Bundle Actuation. Actuators 2022, 11, 82
Authors: Duan Emily , Bryant Matthew
Published: February 2023

The authors wish to make the following corrections in Section 3 [...]
Design Exploration for Sustainable Regional Hybrid-Electric Aircraft: A Study Based on Technology Forecasts
Authors: Marciello Valerio , Di Stasio Mario , Ruocco Manuela , Trifari Vittorio , Nicolosi Fabrizio , Meindl Markus , Lemoine Bruno , Caliandro Priscilla
Published: February 2023

The environmental impact of aviation in terms of noise and pollutant emissions has gained public attention in the last few years. In addition, the foreseen financial benefits of an increased energy efficiency have motivated the transport industry to invest in propulsion alternatives. This work is collocated within the Clean Sky 2 project GENESIS, focused on the environmental sustainability of 50-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft from a life-cycle-based perspective to support the development of a technology roadmap for transitioning towards sustainable and competitive electric aircraft systems. While several studies have already focused on the definition of possible aircraft designs combining several propulsion systems, the novelty of the present work is to consider technology forecasts and more comprehensive indicators in the design phase. These include the performance and emissions on a 200 nmi typical mission, which reflects the most economically attractive range for aircraft in the regional class. The work proposes a complete exploration of three major technology streams for energy storage: batteries, fuel cells, and turbine internal combustion engine generators, also including possible combinations of those technologies. The exploration was carried out through the execution of several designs of experiments aiming at the identification of the most promising solutions in terms of aircraft configuration for three different time horizons: short-term, 2025–2035; medium-term, 2035–2045; and long-term, 2045–2050+. As a result, in the short-term scenario, fuel energy consumption is estimated to be reduced by around 24% with respect to conventional aircraft with the same entry-into-service year thanks to the use of hybrid propulsive systems with lithium batteries. Fuel saving increases to 45% in the medium-term horizon due to the improvement in the energy density of storage systems. By the year 2050, when hydrogen fuel cells are estimated to be mature enough to completely replace kerosene-based engines, the forthcoming hybrid-electric aircraft promise no NOx and CO2 direct emissions, while being approximately 50% heavier than conventional ones.
Effects of Nutrient Supply and Seed Size on Germination Parameters and Yield in the Next Crop Year of Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Kristó István , Vályi-Nagy Marianna , Rácz Attila , Irmes Katalin , Szentpéteri Lajos , Jolánkai Márton , Kovács Gergő Péter , Fodor Mária Ágnes , Ujj Apolka , Valentinyi Klára Veresné , Tar Melinda
Published: February 2023

Winter wheat is one of the most important crops globally and also in Hungary. Hungary has excellent crop production potential including seed production. The aim of our experiment is to determine the effects of different amounts and proportions of nutrients and those of the seed size of winter wheat in laboratory seed tests on the seed parameters (germination percentage, germination power, seedling health and vigour), as well as in field tests of the seed parameters (emergence percentage and yield of next crop year). Laboratory seed tests of winter wheat variety GK Petur were conducted with seeds that underwent ten nutrient treatments and of three seed size fractions over four crop years, together with field experiments in three growing seasons. Compared to the untreated control group, N treatments significantly decreased the health of the seedlings in the next generation of winter wheat. PK treatments without N increased the germination percentage, vigour value and emergence percentage significantly, but the health of the seedlings decreased. In contrast, NPK treatments with a ratio of 2:1:1 improved all the tested parameters compared to those of the control group. The increase in seed sizes significantly increased the germination power, seedling health, vigour value, emergence percentage and the yield of the next crop year. It can be concluded that the factors of nutrient supply, crop year of the seed production and the seed size significantly influence the quality of the seed (germination percentage, germination power, seedling health, vigour and emergence percentage), thus also the yield of the next generation.
Optimization-Design and Atomization-Performance Study of Aerial Dual-Atomization Centrifugal Atomizer
Authors: Yang Zhou , Yu Jiaxiang , Duan Jieli , Xu Xing , Huang Guangsheng
Published: February 2023

The aerial atomizer is the most essential component of the plant protection UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). However, the structural optimization of existing aerial atomizers lacks comprehensive consideration of spray parameters and structural parameters, and there is a shortage of available atomizer spray models, resulting in the unstable effect of UAV application. In our previous work, an aerial dual-atomization centrifugal atomizer was developed. In order to obtain an aerial atomizer with good atomization effect and its atomization model, structural optimization at different rotation speeds and flow rates of the atomizer, and its atomization performance, are studied in this paper. Firstly, with the droplet volume median diameter (VMD) and spectral width (SRW) as the evaluation index, through the single-factor, Plackett–Burman and Box–Behnken tests, the influence of rotation speed, flow rate, tooth number and tooth shape were studied. The regression models of the droplet VMD and SRW were established using multiple quadratic regression fitting of the test data. Secondly, in order to achieve the lowest droplet VMD and SRW, the response surface method and post-hoc multiple comparison method were used to obtain the optimized structure of the atomizer’s rotation ring at different rotation speeds (600–7000 r/min) and flow rates (500–1000 mL/min). Lastly, with the effective swath width (ESW) of the optimized atomizer as the evaluation index, through the Box–Behnken test, the influence of rotation speed, flow rate and spray height were studied. The multiple quadratic regression model of ESW was established with the test data. The test results indicated that rotation speed, flow rate and tooth number had a significant effect on droplet VMD and SRW; tooth shape had no significant effect on the droplet VMD and SRW, however, the square tooth shape had the best atomization effect; and rotation speed, flow rate and spray height had a significant effect on ESW. The optimized structural parameters were tooth shape: square, and tooth number: 20. The determination coefficient R2 of the regression model of VMD, SRW and ESW were 0.9976, 0.9770 and 0.9974, respectively, which indicates that the model was accurate, and can evaluate and predict the spray effect. This paper provides an optimized dual-atomization centrifugal atomizer, and its regression models of VMD, SRW and ESW for UAV applications can provide a reference for efficient UAV spraying.
Genetic Variations among Fleabane (Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronquist) Populations in Jordan and Their Susceptibility Levels to Contact Herbicides
Authors: Qasem Jamal Ragheb , Alfalahi Ayoob Obaid , Alsubeie Moodi Saham , Almehemdi Ali Fadaam , Synowiec Agnieszka
Published: February 2023

A field demonstration and pot experiments were implemented to assess the effect of paraquat, oxadiazon, and oxyfluorfen herbicides in controlling selected populations of fleabane Conyza bonariensis (L.), grown in the central valley of Jordan. Conyza mature seeds were collected from six investigated sites (five from Jordan valley named P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and one from the University of Jordan Campus named P6). Only populations proved to be C. bonariensis via ITS assessment were involved in the glasshouse experiments at the University of Jordan in 2017 and 2019. Results showed that recommended or two-fold higher rates (2.5 and 5 kg ha−1) of paraquat failed to affect weed plants in a date palm orchard located at Tal-al-Ramel in the Central Jordan Valley. Paraquat, oxyfluorfen, and oxadiazon (2.5, 3.3, and 5 kg ha−1, respectively), failed to control plants of the same weed population grown in pot experiments. Treated plants at Tal-al-Ramel grew similarly to untreated control, mostly due to different genetic backgrounds. The other C. bonariensis populations (University Research Station, al-Twal, and University Campus) were effectively controlled with all herbicides. The application of recommended or 10-fold higher rates of herbicides failed to control or slightly injured the resistant population. Seed DNA analysis of the ITS region showed genetic differences among the investigated populations. It indicated that four populations are C. bonariensis (P1, P3, P4, and P6). At the same time, two are C. canadensis (a closely related species) collected from the University Research Station (P2) and al-Twal sites (P5), and also that the population of C. bonariensis in the date palm orchard was genetically distinct from the other C. bonariensis populations. It is concluded that C. bonariensis population in the Tal-al-Ramel site developed resistance to paraquat, oxadiazon, and oxyfluorfen herbicides. Thus, novel alternative practices in controlling the resistant weed population are necessary to prevent its possible spread to other regions in the country and obstruct the development of new herbicide-resistance weed populations.
Agroclimatic Requirements of Traditional European Pear (Pyrus communis L.) Cultivars from Australia, Europe, and North America
Authors: Fadón Erica , Espiau María Teresa , Errea Pilar , Alonso Segura José Manuel , Rodrigo Javier
Published: February 2023

Flowering in temperate fruit trees depends on the temperatures during the previous months; chill is required to overcome endodormancy, and then heat exposure is needed. These agroclimatic requirements are cultivar-specific and determine their adaptability to the growing area and their response to climate change. We aim to estimate the agroclimatic requirements of 16 traditional cultivars of European pears grown in Zaragoza (Spain). We used Partial Least Squares regression analysis to relate 20-year records of flowering dates to the temperatures of the 8 previous months. This approach allowed us to establish the chilling and forcing periods, through which we quantified temperatures with three models for chill accumulation (Chilling Hours, Utah model, and Dynamic model) and one model for heat accumulation (Growing Degree Hours). The results indicated very little difference in the chilling and forcing periods. Chill requirements ranged from 43.9 to 49.2 Chill Portions; from 1027 to 1163 Chilling Units; and from 719 to 774 Chilling Hours. Heat requirements ranged from 6514 to 7509 Growing Degree Hours. Flowering dates were mainly determined by the temperatures during the chilling period. This means that reductions in winter chill caused by global warming in many regions could cause flowering delays or even failures in the fulfillment of chill requirements.
A Novel Tandem Zinc Finger Protein in Gossypium hirsutum, GhTZF2, Interacts with GhMORF8 to Regulate Cotton Fiber Cell Development
Authors: Li Yang , Xi Wei , Hao Jianfeng , Zhang Li , Wen Xingpeng , Wu Zhiguo , Zhu Yuxian
Published: February 2023

Arginine-rich Tandem Zinc Finger (RR-TZF) proteins make up a plant-specific superfamily that participates in plant development, while their roles in cotton fiber development remain to be explored. In this study, we identified an RR-TZF protein-coding gene, GhTZF2, containing two CCCH domains (C-X7-C-X5-C-X3-H-X16-C-X5-C-X4-C-X3-H) and one RR domain at the N-terminus of the two CCCH domains, by comparing the differences of chromatin H3K4me3 modifications between wild-type upland cotton (WT) and the fuzzless-lintless mutant (fl) ovules. GhTZF2 was highly expressed in ovule cells near anthesis, and multiple experiments revealed that GhTZF2 could interact directly with GhMORF8. Homozygotic GhTZF2-knockout cotton lines produced significantly shorter fibers with thinner cell walls. Additionally, comparative transcriptome analysis confirmed that many differentially expressed transcripts contain adenine- and uridine-rich (AU-rich) elements (AREs) in their 3’ untranslated regions (UTR). Together, this study indicated that GhTZF2 may regulate cotton fiber cell development through interacting with GhMORF8, or may be involved in mRNA turnover.
Maize Leaf Disease Identification Based on YOLOv5n Algorithm Incorporating Attention Mechanism
Authors: Ma Li , Yu Qiwen , Yu Helong , Zhang Jian
Published: February 2023

Maize diseases are reported to occur often, and are complicated and difficult to control, which seriously affects the yield and quality of maize. This paper proposes an improved YOLOv5n model incorporating a CA (Coordinate Attention) mechanism and STR (Swin Transformer) detection head, CTR_YOLOv5n, to identify common maize leaf spot, gray spot, and rust diseases in mobile applications. Based on the lightweight model YOLOv5n, the accuracy of the model is improved by adding a CA attention module, and the global information acquisition capability is enhanced by using TR2 as the detection head. The average recognition accuracy of the algorithm model can reach 95.2%, which is 2.8 percent higher than the original model, and the memory size is reduced to 5.1MB compared to 92.9MB of YOLOv5l, which is 94.5% smaller and meets the requirement of being light weight. Compared with SE, CBAM, and ECA, which are the mainstream attention mechanisms, the recognition effect we used is better and the accuracy is higher, achieving fast and accurate recognition of maize leaf diseases with fewer computational resources, providing new ideas and methods for real-time recognition of maize and other crop spots in mobile applications.
Early-Season Mapping of Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), Common Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium) and Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) in Corn Fields Using Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery
Authors: Martín María Pilar , Ponce Bernarda , Echavarría Pilar , Dorado José , Fernández-Quintanilla Cesar
Published: February 2023

Accurate information on the spatial distribution of weeds is the key to effective site-specific weed management and the efficient and sustainable use of weed control measures. This work focuses on the early detection of johnsongrass, common cocklebur and velvetleaf present in a corn field using high resolution airborne hyperspectral imagery acquired when corn plants were in a four to six leaf growth stage. Following the appropriate radiometric and geometric corrections, two supervised classification techniques, such as spectral angle mapper (SAM) and spectral mixture analysis (SMA) were applied. Two different procedures were compared for endmember selections: field spectral measurements and automatic methods to identify pure pixels in the image. Maps for both, overall weeds and for each of the three weed species, were obtained with the different classification methods and endmember sources. The best results were achieved by defining the endmembers through spectral information collected with a field spectroradiometer. Overall accuracies ranged between 60% and 80% using SAM for maps that do not differentiate the weed species while it decreased to 52% when the three weed species were individually classified. In this case, the SMA classification technique clearly improved the SAM results. The proposed methodology shows it to be a promising prospect to be applicable to low cost images acquired by the new generation of hyperspectral sensors onboard unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Metabolic Responses and Resilience to Environmental Challenges in the Sedentary Batrachoid Halobatrachus didactylus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Authors: Molina Juan Manuel , Kunzmann Andreas , Reis João Pena , Guerreiro Pedro Miguel
Published: February 2023

In the context of climate change, warming of the seas and expansion of hypoxic zones are challenges that most species of fish are, or will be subjected to. Understanding how different species cope with these changes in their environment at the individual level can shed light on how populations and ecosystems will be affected. We provide first-time estimates on the metabolic rates, thermal, and oxygen-related limits for Halobatrachus didactylus, a coastal sedentary fish that lives in intertidal environments of the Northeast Atlantic. Using respirometry in different experimental designs, we found that this species is highly resistant to acute thermal stress (CTmax: 34.82 ± 0.66 °C) and acute hypoxia (Pcrit: 0.59–1.97 mg O2 L−1). We found size-specific differences in this stress response, with smaller individuals being more sensitive. We also quantified its aerobic scope and daily activity patterns, finding this fish to be extremely sedentary, with one of the lowest standard metabolic rates found in temperate fish (SMR: 14.96 mg O2 kg−1h−1). H. didactylus activity increases at night, when its metabolic rate increases drastically (RMR: 36.01 mg O2 kg−1h−1). The maximum metabolic rate of H. didactylus was estimated to be 67.31 mg O2 kg−1h−1, producing an aerobic scope of 52.35 mg O2 kg−1h−1 (77.8% increase). The metrics obtained in this study prove that H. didactylus is remarkably resilient to acute environmental variations in temperature and oxygen content, which might enable it to adapt to the extreme abiotic conditions forecasted for the world’s oceans in the near future.
The Effect of BSCL2 Gene on Fat Deposition Traits in Pigs
Authors: Piórkowska Katarzyna , Sroka Julia , Żukowski Kacper , Zygmunt Karolina , Ropka-Molik Katarzyna , Tyra Mirosław
Published: February 2023

BSCL2 encodes seipin, a transmembrane endoplasmic reticulum protein associated with lipodystrophy and severe metabolic complications, including diabetes and hepatic steatosis. In pigs, BSCL2 expression increases during adipocyte differentiation. In the present study, we identified significant gene variants associated with fat deposition (FD)-related processes based on subcutaneous fat tissue RNA-seq data. In the association study, to prove our hypothesis, three Polish pig breeds were included: Złotnicka White (ZW, n = 72), Polish Landrace (PL, n = 201), and Polish Large White (PLW, n = 169). Based on variant calling analysis and χ2 tests, BSCL2 mutations showing significantly different genotype/allele distribution between high- and low-fat pigs were selected for a comprehensive association study. Four interesting BSCL2 variants (rs346079334, rs341493267, rs330154033, and rs81333153) belonging to downstream and missense mutations were investigated. Our study showed a significant decrease in minor allele frequency for two BSCL2 variants (rs346079334 and rs341493267) in PL pigs in 2020–2021. In ZW, BSCL2 mutations significantly affected loin and ham fats, meat redness, and growth performance traits, such as feed conversion and daily feed intake. Similar observations were noted for PLW and PL, where BSCL2 mutations influenced fat depositions and meat traits, such as loin eye area, loin mass and fat, carcass yield, and growth performance traits. Based on the observation in pigs, our study supports the theory that BSCL2 expressed in subcutaneous fat is involved in the FD process.
Comparison of the Rostral Epidural Rete Mirabile and the Patterns of Its Blood Supply in Selected Suiformes and Hippopotamuses
Authors: Zdun Maciej
Published: February 2023

The rostral epidural rete mirabile (rete mirabile epidurale rostrale) is built of considerable small arterial vessels that anastomose with each other. This structure is formed as a result of the division of a large arterial vessel into many small arteries. Furthermore, on the other side of the rete mirabile, these small arteries are joined together to form one large artery, through which blood flows out of the rete mirabile. This system participates in decreasing the temperature of the brain and thus protects the body from thermal stress. Moreover, it influences body–water balance and has a crucial role in the retrograde transfer of neuropeptides. The goal of this study was to describe the rostral epidural rete mirabile and pathways that provide blood to this structure as well as compare it in selected Suiformes and hippopotamuses. The study was performed on desert warthogs (Phacochoerus aethiopicus), Eurasian wild boars (Sus scrofa), collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu), pygmy hippopotamuses (Choeropsis liberiensis), and common hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius). Preparations were made using the latex method and corrosion cast. An elongated shape characterizes its anatomy with a much wider rostral part than caudal part in the Eurasian wild boars, desert warthogs, and collared peccaries. The main source of blood was the branch to the rostral epidural rete mirabile branched off from the internal carotid artery. Moreover, blood enters the rete by the caudal branch and rostral branch to the rostral epidural rete mirabile. In hippopotamuses, the major source of blood was the rostral branches to the rostral epidural rete mirabile.
Species Discrimination of Stomoxys Flies S. bengalensis, S. calcitrans, and S. sitiens (Diptera: Muscidae) Using Wing Geometric Morphometrics
Authors: Changbunjong Tanasak , Chaiphongpachara Tanawat , Weluwanarak Thekhawet
Published: February 2023

The flies of the genus Stomoxys Geoffroy, 1762 (Diptera: Muscidae), are regarded as pests of veterinary and medical importance. In Thailand, Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus, 1758) is the most abundant species and is widely distributed throughout the country. This Stomoxys species can coexist with two other morphologically similar species: Stomoxys bengalensis Picard, 1908, and Stomoxys sitiens Rondani, 1873. Hence, discriminating using morphological characteristics is difficult, especially if the specimen is damaged or loses its diagnostic characteristics. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the landmark-based geometric morphometric (GM) approach to discriminate among the three Stomoxys spp.: S. bengalensis, S. calcitrans, and S. sitiens. Left-wing images of S. bengalensis (n = 120), S. calcitrans (n = 150), and S. sitiens (n = 155) were used for the GM analyses. The results of the wing shape analyses revealed that the GM approach was highly effective for discriminating three Stomoxys, with high accuracy scores ranging from 93.75% to 100%. This study adds to the evidence that landmark-based GM is an excellent alternative approach for discriminating Stomoxys species.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bloodstream Infection, Resistance, and Mortality: Do Solid Organ Transplant Recipients Do Better or Worse?
Authors: Herrera Sabina , Morata Laura , Sempere Abiu , Verdejo Miguel , Del Rio Ana , Martínez Jose Antonio , Cuervo Guillermo , Hernández-Meneses Marta , Chumbita Mariana , Pitart Cristina , Puerta Pedro , Monzó Patricia , Lopera Carles , Aiello Francesco , Mendoza Scarleth , Garcia-Vidal Carolina , Soriano Alex , Bodro Marta
Published: February 2023

Background: The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients is higher than that of the general population. However, the literature supporting this statement is scarce. Identifying patients at risk of carbapenem resistance (CR) is of great importance, as CR strains more often receive inappropriate empiric antibiotic therapy, which is independently associated with mortality in bloodstream infections (BSIs). Methods: We prospectively recorded data from all consecutive BSIs from January 1991 to July 2019 using a routine purpose-designed surveillance database. The following variables were included: age, sex, type of transplant, use of vascular and urinary catheters, presence of neutropenia, period of diagnosis, treatment with steroids, origin of BSI, source of bacteremia, septic shock, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, previous antibiotic treatment, treatment of bacteremia, and 30-day all-cause mortality. Results: We identified 2057 episodes of P. aeruginosa BSI. Of these, 265 (13%) episodes corresponded to SOT recipients (130 kidney transplants, 105 liver, 9 hearts, and 21 kidney–pancreas). Hematologic malignancy [OR 2.71 (95% CI 1.33–5.51), p = 0.006] and prior carbapenem therapy [OR 2.37 (95% CI 1.46–3.86), p < 0.001] were associated with a higher risk of having a CR P. aeruginosa BSI. Age [OR 1.03 (95% CI 1.02–1.04) p < 0.001], urinary catheter [OR 2.05 (95% CI 0.37–3.06), p < 0.001], shock at onset [OR 6.57 (95% CI 4.54–9.51) p < 0.001], high-risk source [OR 4.96 (95% CI 3.32–7.43) p < 0.001], and bacteremia caused by CR strains [OR 1.53 (95% CI 1.01–2.29) p = 0.036] were associated with increased mortality. Correct empirical therapy was protective [OR 0.52 (95% CI 0.35–0.75) p = 0.001]. Mortality at 30 days was higher in non-SOT patients (21% vs. 13%, p = 0.002). SOT was not associated with a higher risk of having a CR P. aeruginosa BSI or higher mortality. Conclusions: In our cohort of 2057 patients with P. aeruginosa BSIs, hematologic malignancies and previous carbapenem therapy were independently associated with a risk of presenting CR P. aeruginosa BSI. Age, urinary catheter, high-risk source, bacteremia caused by carbapenem-resistant strains, and severity of the infection were independently associated with mortality, whereas correct empirical therapy was a protective factor. An increasing trend in the resistance of P. aeruginosa was found, with >30% of the isolates being resistant to carbapenems in the last period. SOT was not associated with a higher risk of carbapenem-resistant BSIs or higher mortality.
The Battle between Bacteria and Bacteriophages: A Conundrum to Their Immune System
Authors: Teklemariam Addisu D. , Al-Hindi Rashad R. , Qadri Ishtiaq , Alharbi Mona G. , Ramadan Wafaa S. , Ayubu Jumaa , Al-Hejin Ahmed M. , Hakim Raghad F. , Hakim Fanar F. , Hakim Rahad F. , Alseraihi Loojen I. , Alamri Turki , Harakeh Steve
Published: February 2023

Bacteria and their predators, bacteriophages, or phages are continuously engaged in an arms race for their survival using various defense strategies. Several studies indicated that the bacterial immune arsenal towards phage is quite diverse and uses different components of the host machinery. Most studied antiphage systems are associated with phages, whose genomic matter is double-stranded-DNA. These defense mechanisms are mainly related to either the host or phage-derived proteins and other associated structures and biomolecules. Some of these strategies include DNA restriction-modification (R-M), spontaneous mutations, blocking of phage receptors, production of competitive inhibitors and extracellular matrix which prevent the entry of phage DNA into the host cytoplasm, assembly interference, abortive infection, toxin–antitoxin systems, bacterial retrons, and secondary metabolite-based replication interference. On the contrary, phages develop anti-phage resistance defense mechanisms in consortium with each of these bacterial phage resistance strategies with small fitness cost. These mechanisms allow phages to undergo their replication safely inside their bacterial host’s cytoplasm and be able to produce viable, competent, and immunologically endured progeny virions for the next generation. In this review, we highlight the major bacterial defense systems developed against their predators and some of the phage counterstrategies and suggest potential research directions.
Adaptive Fractional-Order Anti-Saturation Synchronous Control for Dual-Motor Systems
Authors: Zhong Yongbin , Gao Jian , Zhang Lanyu
Published: February 2023

The synchronization error of a dual-motor system will seriously affect the motion profile accuracy. To solve this problem, an adaptive fractional-order anti-saturation synchronous control method based on fractional-order frequency-domain control theory is proposed in this paper. On the one hand, the proposed method performs a compensation on the closed-loop feedback control loop to unify the frequency-domain characteristics for a dual-motor system. With the frequency-domain characteristics’ unification module, the dual-motor system will have the same response performance regarding the input signal. On the other hand, considering that the nonlinear problem of control voltage saturation will also cause the asynchronization problem of the dual-motor system, the proposed method involves an adaptive fractional-order anti-saturation module to prevent voltage saturation and eliminate the nonlinear effects. The experimental results verify that the proposed method can accurately avoid the saturation effect and effectively reduce the synchronization error of the dual-motor system, with a root-mean-square synchronization error reduction of 80.974%. Hence, the proposed method provides an effective solution for the high-precision synchronous motion of a dual-motor system.
Design Procedure of a Mono-Anchor Head for 2360 MPa High-Strength Steel Strand
Authors: Ko Sang-Woo , Kim Jin-Kook
Published: February 2023

In this paper, a design procedure for a mono-anchor head anchoring a 2360 MPa high-strength steel strand is proposed. The performance criteria of the existing anchor head based on PTI (Post-Tensioning Institute) have been reorganized so that they can be evaluated based on the plastic hoop strain appearing at the top of the wedge hole. In order to design a mono-anchor head that does not exceed the permissible performance standard, the stress and deformation mechanisms of the mono-anchor head were investigated. It was confirmed that the external force was locally concentrated at the top of the wedge hole due to the interaction between the components of the anchorage device. An investigation based on the finite element method was conducted to identify the degree of external force concentration at the location and establish the relationship with the plastic hoop strain. An analytical investigation was conducted according to the design variables of the mono-anchor head, and in this process, static load tests and material tests were conducted to create an analytical model that reflects the actual behavior of the anchorage system. An equation was established regressionally so that the plastic hoop strain, which is a performance criterion, can be calculated according to the configuration and yield strength of the anchor head. Following the proposed design procedure, the configuration can be properly determined when the yield strength determination is limited due to material supply and demand. In addition, when space is limited during the construction of an anchorage device, the dimensions of an anchorage device in a small size can be determined, and the yield strength appropriate for that size can be determined.
Software Portfolio Optimization: Access Rejection versus Underutilization
Authors: Kogan Konstantin , Perlman Yael , Kelner Galit
Published: February 2023

Several types of network and non-network licenses control users’ access to software. The literature on efficient selection of software licenses has mostly addressed queuing models intended to estimate the probability of denial of access for a user. Under that approach, however, the lower one sets the rejection probability, the greater the likelihood that licenses will be underused. We follow the literature in describing demand for software access with an Erlang queuing model and present a general integer program for optimizing mixed-license software portfolios under constraints on two types of risk: access rejection and license underutilization. The program, in which the number of licenses of each type is a decision variable, minimizes the total licensing cost while satisfying constraints on access denial and license underutilization. We evaluate and illustrate the ability of an efficient enumerative algorithm to solve the common problem of selecting an appropriate mix of floating and network named user licenses. Our case-study analysis indicates the potential for reducing the cost of licensing while also limiting problems associated with lack of access and underutilization.
A Joint Channel Estimation and Compression Method Based on GAN in 6G Communication Systems
Authors: Du Ying , Li Yang , Xu Mingfeng , Jiang Jiamo , Wang Weidong
Published: February 2023

Due to the increasing popularity of communication devices and vehicles, the channel environment becomes more and more complex, which makes conventional channel estimation methods further increase the pilot overhead to maintain estimation performance. However, it declines the throughput of communication networks. In this paper, we provide a novel two-stage based channel estimation method by using generative adversarial networks (GANs) to handle this problem in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. Specifically, the first stage aims to learn the mapping from a low-dimensional latent variable to the real channel sample. During the second stage, an iterative algorithm method is designed to find the optimal latent variable by matching the pilot channels of a real channel and generated channel. Then, the data channels are recovered based on the learned mapping relationship between the latent variable and the real channel sample. The simulation results show that our proposed method can achieve a performance gain of more than 2 dB with a pilot reduction by 75% when SNR is 10 dB, by comparing with the widely used Wiener filter interpolation method. In addition, as the low-dimensional latent variable can be obtained simultaneously, it can also be used for reducing the feedback overhead.
Study on Cyber Common Operational Picture Framework for Cyber Situational Awareness
Authors: Kim Kookjin , Youn Jaepil , Yoon Sukjoon , Kang Jiwon , Kim Kyungshin , Shin Dongkyoo
Published: February 2023

The remarkable development of the Internet has made our lives very convenient, such as through the ability to instantaneously transmit individual pictures. As a result, cyber-attacks are also being developed and increasing, and the computer/mobile devices we use can become infected with viruses in an instant. Rapid cyber situational awareness is essential to prepare for such cyber-attacks. Accelerating cyber situational awareness requires Cyber Common Operational Pictures, which integrate and contextualize numerous data streams and data points. Therefore, we propose a Cyber Common Operational Pictures framework and criteria for rapid cyber situation awareness. First, the system reaction speed based on the user’s request and the standard for easily recognizing the object shown on the screen are presented. Second, standards and frameworks for five types of visualization screens that can directly recognize and respond to cyber-attacks are presented. Third, we show how a system was constructed based on the proposed framework, as well as the results of an experiment on the response time of each visualization screen. As a result of the experiment, the response speed of the 5 visualization screens was about 0.11 s on average for inquiry (simple) and 1.07 s on average for inquiry (complex). This is consistent with the typical response times of the studies investigated in this paper. If CyCOP is developed in compliance with the framework items (UI, object symbol, object size, response speed) presented in this paper, rapid situational awareness is possible. This research can be used in cyber-attack and defense training in the military field. In the private sector, it can be used in cyber and network control.