bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic Parameter Estimates of Growth Curve and Feed Efficiency Traits in Japanese Quail
Authors: Kaya Başar Ebru , Narinç Doğan
Published: May 2023

This study aimed to estimate heritabilities for weekly body weight traits, the Gompertz growth curve parameters, and feed efficiency characteristics, as well as genetic correlations among characteristics. A total of 700 Japanese quails with pedigree records were used in this study. Body weight and feed consumption were measured individually on a weekly basis. Using weekly body weight data, the growth model parameters were estimated for each bird using the Gompertz nonlinear regression model. Multi-trait variance-covariance matrices were obtained with Bayesian inference using the Gibbs sampler. While estimates of high heritability (0.59 to 0.61) were found for weekly body weight traits, estimates of moderate heritability (0.23 to 0.37) were determined for feed intake and feed conversion efficiency traits. The estimated heritabilities for the parameters of the Gompertz model and inflection point coordinates were moderate (0.37 to 0.47). While genetic correlations between feed intake and body weight characteristics were positive and moderate (0.28 to 0.49), the genetic correlations between feed conversion efficiency and body weight traits were positive and strong (0.52 to 0.83). It has been concluded that the moderate negative genetic relationship between feed conversion efficiency and body weight may constrain selection studies. Due to the weak genetic correlation between the asymptotic body weight parameter of the Gompertz model and the feed conversion efficiency, it is thought that the total genetic gain will be greater if the mature weight parameter is also used as a selection criterion in genetic improvement studies.
Natural Evolution of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Viruses Isolated from Maternally Immunized Piglets
Authors: Ge Yufang , Jiang Feiyang , Wang Sibei , Wu Heqiong , Liu Yuan , Wang Bin , Hou Wei , Yu Xiuju , Wang Haidong
Published: May 2023

The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) can cause severe piglet diarrhea or death in some herds. Genetic recombination and mutation facilitate the continuous evolution of the virus (PEDV), posing a great challenge for the prevention and control of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED). Disease materials of piglets with PEDV vaccination failure in some areas of Shanxi, Henan and Hebei provinces of China were collected and examined to understand the prevalence and evolutionary characteristics of PEDV in these areas. Forty-seven suspicious disease materials from different litters on different farms were tested by multiplex PCR and screened by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. PEDV showed a positivity rate of 42.6%, infecting the small and large intestine and mesenteric lymph node tissues. The isolated strains infected Vero, PK-15 and Marc-145 multihost cells and exhibited low viral titers in all three cell types, as indicated by their growth kinetic curves. Possible putative recombination events in the isolates were identified by RDP4.0 software. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that compared with the classical vaccine strain, PEDV SX6 contains new insertion and mutations in the S region and belongs to genotype GIIa. Meanwhile, ORF3 has the complete amino acid sequence with aa80 mutated wild strains, compared to vaccine strains CV777, AJ1102, AJ1102-R and LW/L. These results will contribute to the development of new PEDV vaccines based on prevalent wild strains for the prevention and control of PED in China.
Cardiorespiratory and Neuroprotective Effects of Caffeine in Neonate Animal Models
Authors: Mota-Rojas Daniel , Villanueva-García Dina , Hernández-Ávalos Ismael , Casas-Alvarado Alejandro , Domínguez-Oliva Adriana , Lezama-García Karina , Miranda-Cortés Agatha , Martínez-Burnes Julio
Published: May 2023

Caffeine is widely used to improve neonatal health in animals with low vitality. Due to its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, caffeine stimulates the cardiorespiratory system by antagonism of adenosine receptors and alteration in Ca+2 ion channel activity. Moreover, the availability of intracellular Ca+2 also has positive inotropic effects by increasing heart contractibility and by having a possible positive effect on neonate vitality. Nonetheless, since neonatal enzymatic and tissular systems are immature at birth, there is a controversy about whether caffeine is an effective therapy for newborns. This review aims to analyze the basic concepts of caffeine in neonatal animal models (rat and mouse pups, goat kids, lambs, and piglets), and it will discuss the neuroprotective effect and its physiological actions in reducing apnea in newborns.
Stray and Owner-Relinquished Cats in Australia—Estimation of Numbers Entering Municipal Pounds, Shelters and Rescue Groups and Their Outcomes
Authors: Chua Diana , Rand Jacquie , Morton John
Published: May 2023

Access to comprehensive municipal pound, animal welfare shelters, and rescue group data for admissions and outcomes for stray and owner-relinquished cats in Australia is currently lacking. This hinders effective assessment of existing management strategies for domestic cats by animal management agencies. Our study aimed to estimate the numbers of cat admissions and intakes to Australian municipal council pounds, animal welfare organizations (excluding smaller animal welfare organizations thought to have annual cat intakes of less than 500), and animal rescue groups and their respective outcomes for 2018–2019 (pre-COVID). Unavailable municipal council data were imputed based on known data and council human populations. Only Victoria and New South Wales had publicly available municipal data, and only RSPCA had publicly available data in all states. We estimated a total of 179,615 (7.2/1000 human residents) admissions to pounds, shelters, and rescue groups in 2018–2019, with an estimated 5% reclaimed, 65% rehomed, and 28% euthanized. Reclaim rates were low across all the agencies. Councils operating their own pound had nearly double the euthanasia rate (estimated at 46%) compared to animal welfare organizations (25%). Rescue groups rehomed an estimated 35% of the total number of cats rehomed by all agencies. The upper quartiles of councils with intakes of >50 cats in Victoria and New South Wales had estimated euthanasia rates from 73% to 98%, and 67% to 100%, respectively. We recommend that comprehensive municipal pound, shelter, and rescue statistics be routinely calculated using standardized methods and made available publicly in a timely fashion. This would inform management strategies to optimize live outcomes and therefore reduce the negative mental health impacts on staff tasked with euthanizing healthy and treatable cats and kittens.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Commensal E. coli Isolated from Wild Birds in Umbria (Central Italy)
Authors: Musa Laura , Stefanetti Valentina , Casagrande Proietti Patrizia , Grilli Guido , Gobbi Marco , Toppi Valeria , Brustenga Leonardo , Magistrali Chiara Francesca , Franciosini Maria Pia
Published: May 2023

The role of wildlife, including birds, in antimicrobial resistance is nowadays a speculative topic for the scientific community as they could be spreaders/sources of antimicrobial resistance genes. In this respect, we aimed to investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility of 100 commensal Escherichia coli strains, isolated from wild birds from an Umbrian rescue centre and admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Perugia (Central Italy) mainly for traumatic injuries. The possible presence of Salmonella spp. and ESBL-producing E. coli was also estimated. The highest prevalence of resistance was observed for ampicillin (85%) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (47%), probably due to their extensive use in human and veterinary medicine. Seventeen out of the one hundred E. coli isolates (17%) displayed a multidrug-resistance profile, including the beta-lactam category, with the most common resistance patterns to three or four classes of antibiotics. Resistance to ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime and ceftazidime exhibited values of 18%, 17% and 15%, respectively. Eight out of the hundred E. coli isolates (8%) were ESBL and seven showed multidrug resistance profiles. Salmonella spp. was not isolated. Resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, also detected in long-distance migratory birds, suggests the need for monitoring studies to define the role of wild birds in antimicrobial resistance circuits.
An Outbreak of Limping Syndrome Associated with Feline Calicivirus
Authors: Lanave Gianvito , Buonavoglia Alessio , Pellegrini Francesco , Di Martino Barbara , Di Profio Federica , Diakoudi Georgia , Catella Cristiana , Omar Ahmed H. , Vasinioti Violetta I. , Cardone Roberta , Santo Giacinto , Martella Vito , Camero Michele
Published: May 2023

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a common viral pathogen found in domestic cats. FCV is highly contagious and demonstrates a high genetic variability. Upper respiratory tract disease, oral ulcerations, salivation, and gingivitis–stomatitis have been regarded as typical clinical signs of FCV infection. Ulcerative dermatitis, abortion, severe pneumonia, enteritis, chronic stomatitis, and virulent systemic disease have been reported more sporadically. Limping syndrome has been also described either in naturally or experimentally FCV-infected cats. In this study, we monitored a small outbreak of FCV infection in two household cats, in which limping disease was monitored with a 12-day lag time. The complete genome sequence was determined for the viruses isolated from the oropharyngeal and rectal swabs of the two animals, mapping up to 39 synonymous nucleotide mutations. The four isolates were sensitive to low pH conditions and trypsin treatment, a pattern usually associated with viruses isolated from the upper respiratory tract. Overall, the asynchronous pattern of infections and the results of genome sequencing suggest that a virus of respiratory origin was transmitted between the animals and that the FCV strain was able to retain the limping disease pathotype during the transmission chain, as previously observed in experimental studies with FCV strains associated with lameness.
Effects of Climate Change on the Distribution of Threatened Fishing Bat Myotis pilosus in China
Authors: Guo Wei , Li Zixuan , Liu Tong , Feng Jiang
Published: May 2023

Climate change and biodiversity loss are two severe challenges that the world is facing. Studying the distribution shifts of species in response to climate change could provide insights into long-term conservation and biodiversity maintenance. Myotis pilosus is the only known fishing bat in East Asia, whereas its population has been decreasing in recent years and it is listed as a “Vulnerable” species. To assess the impact of climate change on the distribution of M. pilosus, we obtained 33 M. pilosus occurrence records within China where they are mainly distributed, and extracted 30 environmental variables. MaxEnt was applied to assess the habitat suitability, recognize the important environmental variables, predict future distribution changes, and identify the potential future climate refugia. The prediction result based on eleven dominant environmental variables was excellent. The Jackknife test showed that the “minimum temperature of coldest month”, “precipitation of wettest quarter”, “percent tree cover”, and “precipitation of driest month” were the main factors affecting the distribution of M. pilosus. The current suitable areas were predicted to be mainly located in southwest and southeast China with a total area of about 160.54 × 104 km2, accounting for 16.72% of China’s land area. Based on the CCSM4, it was predicted that the future (2050 and 2070) suitable areas of M. pilosus will expand and shift to high latitudes and altitudes with global warming, but the area of moderately and highly suitable habitats will be small. Considering the dispersal capacity of M. pilosus, the area of colonized suitable habitats in 2050 and 2070 was predicted to be only ca. 94 × 104 km2 and 155 × 104 km2, respectively. The central and southern parts of Hainan, southern Guangdong, central Guizhou, and southern Beijing were identified as potential climate refugia and could be considered as priority conservation areas for M. pilosus. Thus, we suggest long-term monitoring of the priority conservation areas, especially the areas at high latitudes and altitudes. These results contribute to our knowledge of the possible spatial distribution pattern of M. pilosus under current and future climate scenarios, which is important for the population protection and habitat management of this special piscivorous bat species.
Comparing Insect Predation by Birds and Insects in an Apple Orchard and Neighboring Unmanaged Habitat: Implications for Ecosystem Services
Authors: Nagari Moshe , Charter Motti
Published: May 2023

Preserving ecosystem services, such as natural enemies that can provide pest control, can positively impact crops without compromising agricultural yield. Even though controlling pests by natural enemies has been suggested to reduce pests in agriculture, growers continue using conventional pesticides that kill beneficial predators. Here we studied whether the predation of avian and insect-beneficial predators varies in an apple orchard with conventional insecticide use compared to a bordering tree stand without insecticides. We studied the predation rates of mealworm pupae as a proxy to coddling moth pupae at 42 stations in both an apple orchard and a Eucalyptus stand at three distances (0 m, 50 m, and 100 m) from the border. Half of the stations were netted to prevent bird predation but were accessible to insects. The other half were non-netted and accessible to birds. We conducted six trials, each lasting two weeks, during which we recorded the predation of 504 stations with 5040 pupae. To validate which species predated the pupae, we added video cameras that took RGB videos during the day and IR videos at night in 45 stations and found that in net-free stations, birds preyed in 94.1% of stations in the orchard and 81.8% in the Eucalyptus stand. However, ants predated 70% of the pupae in stations with nets in the orchards and 100% in stations in the Eucalyptus strands. In addition, we found a significant rise in predation by birds as the distance into the orchard increased. Conversely, insect predation declined within the orchard but escalated in the adjacent unmanaged area. These findings suggest that the orchard’s environment negatively affects beneficial insect activity, specifically predatory ants. This study demonstrates that birds can play an essential role in predating insect pests inside the orchard. In addition, we believe that the decreased predation of ants within the orchard was due to intense insecticide use.
Isolation and Characterization of Swinepox Virus from Outbreak in Russia
Authors: Koltsov Andrey , Sukher Mikhail , Kholod Natalia , Namsrayn Sanzhi , Tsybanov Sodnom , Koltsova Galina
Published: May 2023

Swinepox virus (SWPV) is the only member of the Suipoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family and is an etiologic agent of a worldwide disease specific for domestic and wild pigs. SWPV outbreaks are sporadically recorded in different regions of Russia. In 2013, an outbreak of the disease causing skin lesions was registered on a pig farm in Russia. The presence of SWPV in the scab samples was assessed by in-house real-time PCR, reference PCR amplification, and nucleotide sequencing of the viral late transcription factor-3 (VLTF-3) gene and was then confirmed by virus isolation. Thus, the in-house real-time PCR proposed in this study could serve as a useful tool for the rapid specific detection of the swinepox virus. In the study, it has been demonstrated for the first time that nasal and oral swabs can be used for PCR diagnosis of the disease and for swinepox virus isolation. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolated virus was closely related to SWPV isolates registered in Germany, USA, and Brazil, and slightly differed from the Indian isolates. During experimental infection of pigs, a low pathogenicity of the Russian isolate was observed. Our data provides the first report on the isolation and characterization of swinepox virus in Russia.
Bacterial Species and Antibiotic Resistance—A Retrospective Analysis of Bacterial Cultures in a Pediatric Hospital
Authors: Prajescu Bianca , Gavriliu Liana , Iesanu Mara Ioana , Ioan Andreea , Boboc Anca Andreea , Boboc Catalin , Galos Felicia
Published: May 2023

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a major healthcare concern having a rising incidence, especially in pediatric patients who are more susceptible to infections. The aim of our study was to analyze the bacterial species isolated from patients admitted to our tertiary hospital and their AMR profiles. We conducted a retrospective observational study by examining the bacterial cultures collected from pediatric patients admitted to our hospital over a period of one year. We identified the most common bacterial species from 1445 clinical isolates and their AMR patterns using standard microbiological techniques. Our analysis revealed that the most frequently isolated bacterial species were Escherichia coli (23.73%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.64%), Klebsiella species (12.04%), and Pseudomonas species (9.96%). Additionally, these species exhibited varying levels of resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Notably, we observed high rates of resistance among Gram-negative bacteria, including extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species. Among Gram-positive bacteria, we observed a high level of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Our findings highlight the urgent need for effective antibiotic management programs and infection control measures to address the rising incidence of AMR in pediatric hospitals. Further research is needed to identify the mechanisms of resistance in these bacterial species and to develop new strategies for preventing and treating infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in pediatric patients.
Duration of Neonatal Antibiotic Exposure in Preterm Infants in Association with Health and Developmental Outcomes in Early Childhood
Authors: Deianova Nancy , de Boer Nanne K. , Aoulad Ahajan Hafsa , Verbeek Cilla , Aarnoudse-Moens Cornelieke S. H. , Leemhuis Aleid G. , van Weissenbruch Mirjam M. , van Kaam Anton H. , Vijbrief Daniel C. , Hulzebos Chris V. , Giezen Astrid , Cossey Veerle , de Boode Willem P. , de Jonge Wouter J. , Benninga Marc A. , Niemarkt Hendrik J. , de Meij Tim G. J.
Published: May 2023

Over 90% of preterm neonates are, often empirically, exposed to antibiotics as a potentially life-saving measure against sepsis. Long-term outcome in association with antibiotic exposure (NABE) has insufficiently been studied after preterm birth. We investigated the association of NABE-duration with early-childhood developmental and health outcomes in preterm-born children and additionally assessed the impact of GA on outcomes. Preterm children (GA < 30 weeks) participating in a multicenter cohort study were approached for follow-up. General expert-reviewed health questionnaires on respiratory, atopic and gastrointestinal symptoms were sent to parents of children > 24 months’ corrected age (CA). Growth and developmental assessments (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID) III) were part of standard care assessment at 24 months’ CA. Uni- and multivariate regressions were performed with NABE (per 5 days) and GA (per week) as independent variables. Odds ratios (OR) for health outcomes were adjusted (aOR) for confounders, where appropriate. Of 1079 infants whose parents were approached, 347 (32%) responded at a mean age of 4.6 years (SD 0.9). In children with NABE (97%), NABE duration decreased by 1.6 days (p < 0.001) per week of gestation. Below-average gross-motor development (BSID-III gross-motor score < 8) was associated with duration of NABE (aOR = 1.28; p = 0.04). The aOR for constipation was 0.81 (p = 0.04) per gestational week. Growth was inversely correlated with GA. Respiratory and atopic symptoms were not associated with NABE, nor GA. We observed that prolonged NABE after preterm birth was associated with below-average gross-motor development at 24 months’ CA, while a low GA was associated with lower weight and stature Z-scores and higher odds for constipation.
A Comprehensive Review on Significance and Advancements of Antimicrobial Agents in Biodegradable Food Packaging
Authors: Bose Ipsheta , Roy Swarup , Pandey Vinay Kumar , Singh Rahul
Published: May 2023

Food waste is key global problem and more than 90% of the leftover waste produced by food packaging factories is dumped in landfills. Foods packaged using eco-friendly materials have a longer shelf life as a result of the increased need for high-quality and secure packaging materials. For packaging purposes, natural foundation materials are required, as well as active substances that can prolong the freshness of the food items. Antimicrobial packaging is one such advancement in the area of active packaging. Biodegradable packaging is a basic form of packaging that will naturally degrade and disintegrate in due course of time. A developing trend in the active and smart food packaging sector is the use of natural antioxidant chemicals and inorganic nanoparticles (NPs). The potential for active food packaging applications has been highlighted by the incorporation of these materials, such as polysaccharides and proteins, in biobased and degradable matrices, because of their stronger antibacterial and antioxidant properties, UV-light obstruction, water vapor permeability, oxygen scavenging, and low environmental impact. The present review highlights the use of antimicrobial agents and nanoparticles in food packaging, which helps to prevent undesirable changes in the food, such as off flavors, colour changes, or the occurrence of any foodborne outcomes. This review attempts to cover the most recent advancements in antimicrobial packaging, whether edible or not, employing both conventional and novel polymers as support, with a focus on natural and biodegradable ingredients.
Is Everyone an Artist? A Study on User Experience of AI-Based Painting System
Authors: Xu Junping , Zhang Xiaolin , Li Hui , Yoo Chaemoon , Pan Younghwan
Published: May 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in different fields are developing rapidly, among which AI painting technology, as an emerging technology, has received wide attention from users for its creativity and efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence user acceptance of the use of AIBPS by proposing an extended model that combines the Extended Technology Acceptance Model (ETAM) with an AI-based Painting System (AIBPS). A questionnaire was administered to 528 Chinese participants, and validated factor analysis data and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to test our hypotheses. The findings showed that Hedonic Motivation (HM) and Perceived Trust (PE) had a positive effect (+) on users’ Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), while Previous Experience (PE) and Technical Features (TF) had no effect (−) on users’ Perceived Usefulness (PU). This study provides an important contribution to the literature on AIBPS and the evaluation of systems of the same type, which helps to promote the sustainable development of AI in different domains and provides a possible space for the further extension of TAM, thus helping to improve the user experience of AIBPS. The results of this study provide insights for system developers and enterprises to better motivate users to use AIBPS.
Study on Damage Behavior and Its Energy Distribution of Deep Granite at High-Temperature Conditions
Authors: Zhou Ming , Qiao Lan , Li Qingwen , Yang Jianming
Published: May 2023

The phenomenon of surrounding rock damage and rupture caused by high temperatures is widespread, and has become a potential threat to the safety of nuclear waste disposal repositories. In order to reveal the energy distribution pattern of fractured granite during the failure process under different confining pressures, triaxial compression tests were carried out on rocks with different initial thermal damage. Firstly, the rock was treated at a high temperature to analyze the change rule of the porosity of the rock after high-temperature treatment, define the equivalent damage coefficient, and analyze the influence of confining pressure and equivalent damage coefficient on the peak stress and peak strain of the rock. The results show that, after high-temperature treatment, the porosity increases with the increase in temperature. The peak stress and corresponding strain of rock samples with similar equivalent damage factors increase with the increase in confining pressure. By comparing the rock samples with the same confining pressure and different initial thermal damage, the larger the confining pressure, the smaller the difference of peak stress of different initial thermal damage specimens. Then, the energy density of rock in a triaxial compression test is quantitatively analyzed by energy theory. The results show that, as long as the confining pressure is the same, the proportion of the dissipated energy of the specimen has a similar evolution trend with the strain. When the confining pressure is the same, the proportion of dissipated energy decreases rapidly with the change of strain due to the increase in equivalent damage factor, but the rate of decline will gradually slow down; however, when the confining pressure increases, the difference caused by the equivalent damage factor will gradually decrease, because the fracture is bound by the confining pressure. Finally, we analyze the maximum dissipated energy during rock deformation and failure. According to the inflection point of maximum dissipated energy, the optimum time for critical support of the key rock mass is determined.
Extraction of Building Information Based on Multi-Source Spatiotemporal Data for Earthquake Insurance in Urban Areas
Authors: Zhang Pan , Li Xiaojun , He Qiumei
Published: May 2023

Establishing a database of building exposures is an important basic work in earthquake insurance research. How to efficiently, accurately, and scientifically construct the risk exposure database of buildings has become a hot topic these days. Based on multi-source data, a system for extracting seismic information from urban buildings was constructed in the Tangshan urban area, and a perfect earthquake insurance risk database was established in this study. In the extraction system, the U-net identification method, spatial overlay and kernel density estimation method, Kriging interpolation method, statistical analysis, and multi-temporal land cover data analysis were used, respectively, to extract the information of footprint areas, use function, story number, structure type, and construction age of the urban buildings. The extraction results are stratified and randomly sampled, and the confusion matrix is introduced to verify the extraction effect. The results show that the building covers an area of about 50 million square meters in the urban area of Tangshan City. With the training and validation of the U-net model, the global accuracy of the building footprint areas recognition model is 71%. By comparing the results of manually determined real data with the extraction results of this study for a sample of 660 buildings, it was found that the overall accuracy rates of the extraction results of building function, story number, structure type, and construction age were 88.62%, 86.65%, 86.49%, and 85.58%, respectively, and kappa coefficients were all over 0.8. These indicate that the information on buildings extracted by the method of this study is accurate and reliable. This study can provide data and methods for the establishment of the exposure database of earthquake insurance and provide strong data support for pre-earthquake disaster prevention, post-earthquake emergency rescue, and disaster loss assessment.
Review of Studies on User Research Based on EEG and Eye Tracking
Authors: Zhu Ling , Lv Jiufang
Published: May 2023

Under the development of interdisciplinary fusion, user research has been greatly influenced by technology-driven neuroscience and sensory science, in terms of thinking and methodology. The use of technical methods, such as EEG and eye-tracking, has gradually become a research trend and hotspot in this field, in order to explore the deep cognitive states behind users’ objective behaviors. This review outlines the applications of EEG and eye-tracking technology in the field of user research, with the aim of promoting future research and proposing reliable reference indicators and a research scope. It provides important reference information for other researchers in the field. The article summarizes the key reference indicators and research paradigms of EEG and eye-tracking in current user research, focusing on the user research situation in industrial products, digital interfaces and spatial environments. The limitations and research trends in current technological applications are also discussed. The feasibility of experimental equipment in outdoor environments, the long preparation time of EEG experimental equipment, and the accuracy error of physiological signal acquisition are currently existing problems. In the future, research on multi-sensory and behavioral interactions and universal studies of multiple technology fusions will be the next stage of research topics. The measurement of different user differentiation needs can be explored by integrating various physiological measurements such as EEG signals and eye-tracking signals, skin electrical signals, respiration, and heart rate.
Physical Differences between Injured and Non-Injured Elite Male and Female Futsal Players
Authors: Ruiz-Pérez Iñaki , Raya-González Javier , López-Valenciano Alejandro , Robles-Palazón Francisco Javier , Ayala Francisco
Published: May 2023

Futsal is one of the most harmful sports due to its great physical demands. The asymmetries have been proposed as one of the most important risk factors of suffering an injury. However, no study has analysed the relationship between neuromuscular assessment and its implication on the likelihood of suffering injuries comparing male and female players. The purpose of the study was to analyse the physical fitness differences between elite futsal players (both male and female) who suffered an injury in the following four months after being evaluated with those who did not suffer the injuries. Twenty-six and twenty-two male and female elite futsal players were recruited from four different teams and underwent an evaluation of different neuromuscular assessments (isometric hip abduction and adduction peak torque, flexion-rotation trunk test, hop test, countermovement jump (CMJ), drop vertical jump (DVJ), leg stiffness, 15 m sprint, Y-balance test, and Illinois test) that have been considered potential sport-related injury risk factors during the pre-season. Statistical analysis only showed differences between injured and non-injured players in isometric hip adduction strength and unilateral ratio for the non-dominant leg (p < 0.05). Neuromuscular performance scores showed significant differences (p < 0.001) between male and female futsal players in several variables (hip abduction non-dominant leg, hops, CMJ, DVJ, leg stiffness, sprint, and Illinois test) but not in ratio or asymmetry. Isometric hip adduction and abduction–adduction unilateral ratio deficits for the non-dominant leg might be an important factor toward suffering an injury. Male and female futsal players showed different neuromuscular performances and consequently different training programs should be implemented for them.
Machine Learning-Based Adaptive Synthetic Sampling Technique for Intrusion Detection
Authors: Zakariah Mohammed , AlQahtani Salman A. , Al-Rakhami Mabrook S.
Published: May 2023

Traditional firewalls and data encryption techniques can no longer match the demands of current IoT network security due to the rising amount and variety of network threats. In order to manage IoT network risks, intrusion detection solutions have been advised. Even though machine learning (ML) helps the widely used intrusion detection techniques currently in use, these algorithms struggle with low detection rates and the requirement for extensive feature engineering. The deep learning model for IoT network intrusion detection is a method for traffic anomaly detection that is suggested by this study. To extract the sequence properties of data flow through a CNN, it combines an attention mechanism with a Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network. This method uses adaptive synthetic sampling (ADASYN) to increase the size of minority-class samples. The proposed models demonstrated acceptable precision and recall for each class when used for binary-class classification, proving their stability and capacity to identify all classes correctly. The MLP classifier’s accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 value were 87%, 89%, 87%, and 89%, respectively, with an AUC score of 0.88. Overall, the proposed models performed well. The attack and all-class models exhibited good AUCs and macro metrics, the same as the proposed MLP classifier, which had an F1 score of 83% and an AUC score of 0.94. Additionally, it trained the MLP classifier and integrated the ADAM optimizer and category cross-entropy loss function for all-class classification. With an AUC value of 94%, it possessed 84% accuracy, 87% precision, 84% recall, and an 83% F1 score. A further indication of the hybrid model’s ability to combine the benefits of both models to improve overall performance was that it regularly outperformed the MLP model. This model’s accuracy and F1 score are better than those of earlier comparable algorithms, according to experimental results using the publicly accessible benchmark dataset for network intrusion detection (NSL–KDD).
Analysis of Key Storage Mechanism of Asymmetric Key-Related Functions in CNG Crypto Library
Authors: Lee Kyungroul , Yim Kangbin
Published: May 2023

During the implementation of a crypto system, distributed cryptographic libraries are unable to endure situations where the execution environment rapidly changes because of a structural vulnerability that is by design. For this reason, Microsoft announced a CNG library to solve this problem; however, the CNG does not comprise verification tools regarding the execution results for developers, users, or experts to assess the crypto system. In addition, the CNG design means that it is difficult to ensure that the encryption or decryption keys can be found in real-time processing because almost all cryptographic functions are processed by handles. This paper analyzes the way that key information is found to assure the security of the implemented products or to debug them in the development process. For this reason, we analyze the key storage mechanism of asymmetric-key-related functions in the CNG library. This study provides more convenient ways to identify key-related information, such as debugging and evaluation, when a crypto system is implemented using the CNG library.
Concept Drift Adaptation Methods under the Deep Learning Framework: A Literature Review
Authors: Xiang Qiuyan , Zi Lingling , Cong Xin , Wang Yan
Published: May 2023

With the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, data-driven decision making has also become an integral part of decision making. At the same time, deep learning is one of the core technologies of the fourth industrial revolution that have become vital in decision making. However, in the era of epidemics and big data, the volume of data has increased dramatically while the sources have become progressively more complex, making data distribution highly susceptible to change. These situations can easily lead to concept drift, which directly affects the effectiveness of prediction models. How to cope with such complex situations and make timely and accurate decisions from multiple perspectives is a challenging research issue. To address this challenge, we summarize concept drift adaptation methods under the deep learning framework, which is beneficial to help decision makers make better decisions and analyze the causes of concept drift. First, we provide an overall introduction to concept drift, including the definition, causes, types, and process of concept drift adaptation methods under the deep learning framework. Second, we summarize concept drift adaptation methods in terms of discriminative learning, generative learning, hybrid learning, and others. For each aspect, we elaborate on the update modes, detection modes, and adaptation drift types of concept drift adaptation methods. In addition, we briefly describe the characteristics and application fields of deep learning algorithms using concept drift adaptation methods. Finally, we summarize common datasets and evaluation metrics and present future directions.
A Study of the Mechanical Properties of Naturally-Inspired Tubular Structures Designed for Lightweight Applications
Authors: Liu Lili , Li Longhai , Guo Ce , Ge Yizheng , Zhang Lei
Published: May 2023

Inspired by the macro/microstructures of starfish and beetle elytra, a series of bio-inspired structures (BSs) with improved comprehensive mechanical performance were proposed and fabricated. In the BS design, the principle of the branching structure of starfish was borrowed and each arm was endowed with calcified exoskeletons that can bend autonomously, enabling the starfish to move flexibly and adapt to changing shapes. At the same time, inspiration was taken from the concave-convex structure design principle of beetle elytra to enhance the internal complexity and mechanical performance of the BS. By increasing the number of polygons inside the thin-walled tubes, the performance of the BS in torsion and three-point bending was effectively improved. To evaluate the mechanical properties of the BS, finite element models were constructed using ANSYS and verified through experimental measurements. Universal testing machines and electronic torsion testers controlled by a microcomputer were used to study the compression, bending, and torsion properties of the BS. The results indicated that the differences in maximum compressive load-bearing capacity between each BS were small, and their lightweight compression values (LWN-C) remained unchanged, around 310 N/g. Increasing the number of polygons inside the thin-walled tubes effectively improved the performance of the BS in torsion and three-point bending. Moreover, the crashworthiness behaviors of the bio-inspired lightweight tube were also studied using a drop hammer impact tester. These findings have significant implications for the development of bio-inspired designs, particularly in the fields of machine arms, vehicle shafts, and bumpers, where lightweight yet high-strength structures are highly desirable.
Comparing Speaker Adaptation Methods for Visual Speech Recognition for Continuous Spanish
Authors: Gimeno-Gómez David , Martínez-Hinarejos Carlos-D.
Published: May 2023

Visual speech recognition (VSR) is a challenging task that aims to interpret speech based solely on lip movements. However, although remarkable results have recently been reached in the field, this task remains an open research problem due to different challenges, such as visual ambiguities, the intra-personal variability among speakers, and the complex modeling of silence. Nonetheless, these challenges can be alleviated when the task is approached from a speaker-dependent perspective. Our work focuses on the adaptation of end-to-end VSR systems to a specific speaker. Hence, we propose two different adaptation methods based on the conventional fine-tuning technique, the so-called Adapters. We conduct a comparative study in terms of performance while considering different deployment aspects such as training time and storage cost. Results on the Spanish LIP-RTVE database show that both methods are able to obtain recognition rates comparable to the state of the art, even when only a limited amount of training data is available. Although it incurs a deterioration in performance, the Adapters-based method presents a more scalable and efficient solution, significantly reducing the training time and storage cost by up to 80%.
Hierarchical Two-Stage Robust Planning for Demand-Side Energy Storage with Dynamic Carbon Incentive Mechanism
Authors: Feng Jieran , Nan Junpei , Sun Ke , Deng Xu , Guan Li , Zhou Hao
Published: May 2023

Demand-side energy storage is an important foundation for enhancing load flexibility to accommodate renewable energy. With the widespread adoption of renewable energy, demand-side energy storage planning, and its incentive mechanism have also attracted the attention of a large number of scholars. However, there are still few studies on incentives from a carbon perspective. To fill the gap, a dynamic carbon incentive mechanism is proposed in this study. In addition, a hierarchical two-stage robust planning model for demand-side energy storage that incorporates the proposed carbon incentive mechanism is developed. At the first level, the economic dispatch is performed, and bus carbon intensities are calculated based on the carbon emission flow theory. The second level is a two-stage robust planning model to obtain the optimal capacities of demand-side energy storage, which is solved based on the nested column and constraint generation algorithm. The proposed model is implemented and evaluated on the MATLAB/YALMIP platform using IEEE 24-bus power systems. The results validate the efficacy of the model in promoting carbon-oriented demand-side energy storage planning, leading to a substantial reduction of carbon emissions by 8.44%. Notably, when compared to existing incentive mechanisms, the proposed carbon incentive mechanism exhibits distinct advantages in achieving carbon reduction with less both subsidy costs and fixed investments.
Dynamic Malware Analysis Based on API Sequence Semantic Fusion
Authors: Zhang Sanfeng , Wu Jiahao , Zhang Mengzhe , Yang Wang
Published: May 2023

The existing dynamic malware detection methods based on API call sequences ignore the semantic information of functions. Simply mapping API to numerical values does not reflect whether a function has performed a query or modification operation, whether it is related to network communication, the file system, or other factors. Additionally, the detection performance is limited when the size of the API call sequence is too large. To address this issue, we propose Mal-ASSF, a novel malware detection model that fuses the semantic and sequence features of the API calls. The API2Vec embedding method is used to obtain the dimensionality reduction representation of the API function. To capture the behavioral features of sequential segments, Balts is used to extract the features. To leverage the implicit semantic information of the API functions, the operation and the type of resource operated by the API functions are extracted. These semantic and sequential features are then fused and processed by the attention-related modules. In comparison with the existing methods, Mal-ASSF boasts superior capabilities in terms of semantic representation and recognition of critical sequences within API call sequences. According to the evaluation with a dataset of malware families, the experimental results show that Mal-ASSF outperforms existing solutions by 3% to 5% in detection accuracy.
Antioxidant and Hypoglycemic Activity of Sacha Inchi Meal Protein Hydrolysate
Authors: Shu Tianyu , Wang Kai , Zhang Xuewu
Published: May 2023

Sacha inchi meal (SIM) is the residue from the processing of the oil crop sacha inchi. In the present study, biological enzymolysis was performed on SIM protein to obtain hydrolysates, and then the antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities were evaluated. The results showed that the scavenging rates of alkaline protease hydrolysate (SAl) and protamex hydrolysate (SPr) to ABTS free radicals were close to that of vitamin C at 5 mg/mL, amounting to 99.83 ± 0.33% and 100.00 ± 0.09%, respectively. The dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP-IV) inhibitory activities of SPr and SAl were also the highest, at the concentration of 2.5 mg/mL, their inhibition rates were 74.15 ± 0.68% and 56.38 ± 1.51%, respectively, with the IC50 values of 1.007 mg/mL and 2.130 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, compared with the model group, all the hydrolysates increased the glucose consumption by 187.01–348.79% (at 800 μg/mL) in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells, which were better than positive drug Metformin. In conclusion, SIM protein hydrolysates have significant antioxidant and hypoglycemic activity in vitro; therefore, the hydrolysates could be used as for functional food and pharmaceutical development.
On the Spatial Response of Electromagnetic Flowmeters
Authors: Fox Colin , Morrison Malcolm E. K.
Published: May 2023

This paper investigates the spatial response of electromagnetic flowmeters, which are commonly used to measure bulk flow in various industrial applications. While most flowmeters focus on measuring the overall flow rate, this paper explores the response of a flowmeter to the spatial distribution of the flow and develops a new dipole form of the forward map. By writing the Neumann Green’s function and using the dipole form, we investigate reconstruction of the distribution of flow within the pipe. The paper presents examples of flow tomography using a truncated singular value reconstruction, which enables accurate visualization of the flow field. By examining the spatial response of electromagnetic flowmeters and presenting a new dipole form of the forward map, this paper contributes to the ongoing effort to improve the accuracy and informativeness of flow measurements in industrial settings.
Evaluation of Table Grape Flavor Based on Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Liu Zheng , Zhang Yu , Zhang Yicheng , Guo Lei , Wu Chase , Shen Wei
Published: May 2023

With the rapid development of agriculture and the continuous improvement of people’s living standards, an increasing amount of attention has been paid to the quality of fresh produce such as table grapes, which are always in high demand [...]
An Innovative System of Deep In Situ Environment Reconstruction and Core Transfer
Authors: Peng Xiaobo , Li Xiongjun , Yang Shigang , Wu Jinjie , Wu Mingwei , Wan Langhui , Zhang Huaiyu , Xie Heping
Published: May 2023

The reconstruction of deep in situ environment up to 95 °C and 70 MPa using water is critical for the fidelity testing of deep Earth rocks. The temperature and pressure of the water have strong coupling in such an environment, which makes the control of temperature and pressure very difficult. The paper firstly presents the design of the system of deep in situ environment reconstruction and core transfer (SERCT); secondly, for the problem of high temperature and pressure control, a pressure-temperature (P-T) interpolation control algorithm based on the iso–density P-T curves of water is proposed. A P-T coupling control path is decomposed into two independent interpolation paths: an iso–thermal pressure control and an iso–mass temperature control, which realizes the decoupling control of temperature and pressure. Then, a fuzzy-PID dual mode method is adopted for the pressure control after decoupling, which reduces the overshoot and the dynamic response time of the system. For temperature control, a segmented and grouped electric heating mode is designed to improve the uniformity of the temperature field. A fuzzy PID temperature control algorithm based on grey prediction is proposed to achieve high precision temperature control with small overshoot. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified by experiments.