bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrative assessment of intraspecific diversification in Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) provides insight on the geographic pattern of phenotypic divergence and process of speciation
Authors: Chabot Amy A. , Lougheed Stephen C.
Published: June 2021

Integrated studies of the geographical, ecological, and historical factors that shape intraspecific phenotypic and genetic variation can help us to decipher the processes leading to geographic patterns of population divergence and speciation. We quantify and compare morphological and genetic variation in the Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus Linnaeus, 1766), a broadly distributed passerine in North America with both migratory and non-migratory populations that occupy a diversity of habitats and topographies. The geographic distributions and patterns of differentiation among subspecies suggest that migration has strongly impacted population divergence, including the habit of migrating itself, but also dispersal. Patterns of mitochondrial and nuclear genetic differentiation can be attributed to female-biased dispersal and to increased dispersal rates and distances in migratory populations. Weak phenotypic differentiation among migratory versus migratory and non-migratory populations suggest that migration may more strongly affect morphology than adaptation to local habitats. Our results generally support previous subspecific designations with two notable exceptions. We found little genetic differentiation between two subspecies (Lanius ludovicianus gambeli Ridgway, 1887 and Lanius ludovicianus mexicanus C.L. Brehm, 1854), but identify a new, distinct subspecies, which we refer to as Lanius ludovicianus centralis ssp. nov.
Deflection of light by a Coulomb charge in Born–Infeld electrodynamics
Authors: Kim Jin Young
Published: June 2021

We study the propagation of light under a strong electric field in Born–Infeld electrodynamics. The nonlinear effect can be described by the effective indices of refraction. Because the effective indices of refraction depend on the background electric field, the path of light can be bent when the background field is non-uniform. We compute the bending angle of light by a Born–Infeld-type Coulomb charge in the weak lensing limit using the trajectory equation based on geometric optics. We also compute the deflection angle of light by the Einstein–Born–Infeld black hole using the geodesic equation and confirm that the contribution of the electric charge to the total bending angle agree.
Bouquets revisited and equivariant elliptic cohomology
Authors: Vergne M.
Published: June 2021

Let [Formula: see text] be an even-dimensional spin manifold with action of a compact Lie group [Formula: see text]. We review the construction of bouquets of analytic equivariant cohomology classes and of [Formula: see text]-integration. Given an elliptic curve [Formula: see text], we introduce, as in Grojnowski, elliptic bouquets of germs of holomorphic equivariant cohomology classes on [Formula: see text]. Following Bott–Taubes and Rosu, we show that integration of an elliptic bouquet is well defined. In particular, this imply Witten’s rigidity theorem. Our systematic use of the Chern–Weil construction of equivariant classes allows us to reduce proofs to algebraic identities.
Twistor spaces on foliated manifolds
Authors: Mohseni Rouzbeh , Wolak Robert A.
Published: June 2021

The theory of twistors on foliated manifolds is developed. We construct the twistor space of the normal bundle of a foliation. It is demonstrated that the classical constructions of the twistor theory lead to foliated objects and permit to formulate and prove foliated versions of some well-known results on holomorphic mappings. Since any orbifold can be understood as the leaf space of a suitably defined Riemannian foliation we obtain orbifold versions of the classical results as a simple consequence of the results on foliated mappings.
Ex-vivo confocal Raman microspectroscopy of porcine skin with 633/785-NM laser excitation and optical clearing with glycerol/water/DMSO solution
Authors: Jaafar Ali , Mahmood Malik H. , Holomb Roman , Himics László , Váczi Tamás , Sdobnov Anton Y. , Tuchin Valery V. , Veres Miklós
Published: June 2021

Confocal Raman microspectroscopy (CRM) with 633- and 785-nm excitation wavelengths combined with optical clearing (OC) technique was used for ex-vivo study of porcine skin in the Raman fingerprint region. The optical clearing has been performed on the skin samples by applying a mixture of glycerol and distilled water and a mixture of glycerol, distilled water and chemical penetration enhancer dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) during 30[Formula: see text]min and 60[Formula: see text]min of treatment. It was shown that the combined use of the optical clearing technique and CRM at 633[Formula: see text]nm allowed one to preserve the high probing depth, signal-to-noise ratio and spectral resolution simultaneously. Comparing the effect of different optical clearing agents on porcine skin showed that an optical clearing agent containing chemical penetration enhancer provides higher optical clearing efficiency. Also, an increase in treatment time allows to improve the optical clearing efficiency of both optical clearing agents. As a result of optical clearing, the detection of the amide-III spectral region indicating well-distinguishable structural differences between the type-I and type-IV collagens has been improved.
Predicting Spatio-Temporal Phenomena of Mobile Resources in Sensor Cloud Infrastructure
Authors: Bose Sunanda , Paul Sumit Kumar , Mukherjee Nandini
Published: June 2021

Integration of sensor and cloud technologies enable distributed sensing and data collection. We consider a scenario when sensing requests are originated from sensor aware applications that are hosted inside sensor-cloud infrastructures. These requests need to be satisfied using geographically distributed sensors. However, if the sensing resources are mobile, then sensing territory is not limited to a fixed region, rather spatially diverse. In this work, we present a generic scheme for integrating spatio-temporal information of mobile sensors for Internet of Things– (IoT) based environment monitoring system. A set of algorithms are proposed in this work to model spatial and temporal features of mobile resources and exploit resource mobility. We also propose probabilistic models to measure feasibility of a resource to sense a specific spatio-temporal phenomenon. We rank the resources based on their feasibility of satisfying the sensing requests and later use the information for efficient resource allocation and scheduling.
Mathematical Model Construction of the Production Workshop Based on the Complex Network and Markov Theory
Authors: Guo Gang , Shao Fengjing
Published: June 2021

Because of the advantages of the complex network in describing the interaction between nodes, the complex network theory is introduced into the production process of the modern workshop in this paper. According to the characteristics of the workshop, based on extracted key nodes, the complex network model of the workshop is constructed to realize the mathematical description of the production process of the workshop. Aiming at the multidisturbance factors in the production process of the workshop, the key disturbance factors are predicted based on the Markov method, and the propagation dynamics model close to the actual production of the workshop is established. Finally, the bottleneck prediction model of the workshop under the disturbance environment is established. The simulation results show that the proposed prediction model is in good agreement with the actual data, and the coincidence rate is as high as 93.7%.
Dynamic Parameters and Hysteresis Loop Characteristics of Frozen Silt Clay under Different Cyclic Stress Paths
Authors: Liu Furong , Zhou Zhiwei , Ma Wei , Zhang Shujuan , Sun Zhizhong
Published: June 2021

In cold regions, the long‐term stability of engineering facilities is unavoidably influenced by the negative temperature, freeze‐thaw process, dry‐wet process, and dynamic loading conditions induced by earthquakes and traffic loads. In order to investigate the effects of different cyclic stress paths on the evolution of dynamic mechanical properties of frozen silt clay, a series of cyclic triaxial tests with variation confining pressure (VCP) or constant confining pressure (CCP) were performed. Triaxial low‐temperature apparatus (MTS‐810) was taken advantage of to simulating various cyclic stress paths by changing cyclic loading conditions of axial stress and confining pressure. In this paper, the evolution features of the axial resilient modulus, damping ratios, and the shape of hysteresis loops with an increase in the number of load cycles under different dynamic stress paths are comprehensively studied. The results show that the loading angle of cyclic stress path and the phase difference between cyclic axial stress and confining pressure are the main factors that remarkably affect the development characteristics of the resilient modulus and damping ratio. With increasing of the loading angle and phase difference, the resilient modulus increases, but damping ratio increases with increasing of loading angle and with decreasing of phase difference. With the continuous increase in the number of loading cycles, the samples of frozen soil show compacting and hardening characteristics. With an increase in the number of load cycles, the shape of hysteresis loop becoming narrows, the resilient modulus decreases at the initial stage and then gradually increases, and the damping ratio stably decreases. According to contrastively analyzing the evolution of dynamic parameters and the shape features of hysteresis loops under various cyclic stress paths, it can be clearly discovered that the evolution of sample microstructure and the development of dynamic characteristics of frozen samples have obvious dependence on the cyclic stress path. Therefore, the effects of variable confining pressure (VCP) on dynamic behaviors of frozen soils are nonnegligible in practical cold region engineering.
Effects of Pharyngeal Electrical Stimulation on Swallow Timings, Clearance and Safety in Post-Stroke Dysphagia: Analysis from the Swallowing Treatment Using Electrical Pharyngeal Stimulation (STEPS) Trial
Authors: Everton Lisa F. , Benfield Jacqueline K. , Michou Emilia , Hamdy Shaheen , Bath Philip M.
Published: June 2021

Swallowing impairment (dysphagia) post-stroke results in poorer outcomes. Pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) is a potential treatment for post-stroke dysphagia. In a post hoc analysis, we investigated PES using videofluoroscopy swallow studies (VFSS) from the STEPS trial incorporating multiple measures of safety (penetration aspiration scale-PAS), speed and duration (timing), and efficiency (clearance), as opposed to the original trial which only measured PAS scores. 81 randomised participants (PES (

N
=
43

) versus sham (

N
=
38

)) were analysed at baseline and 2 weeks. Participants swallowed up to

6
×
5
 
ml

and

1
×
50
 
ml

of thin liquid barium at 40%

w
/
v

, images at ≥25 fps. Based on PAS, the 5 ml mode bolus (most frequently occurring PAS from

6
×
5
 
ml

) and the worst 50 ml bolus were chosen for further analysis. Eight timing measures were performed, including stage transition duration (STD) and pharyngeal transit time (PTT). Clearance measures comprised oral and pharyngeal residue and swallows to clear. Comparisons of change of scoring outcomes between PES and sham were done at 2 weeks. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test was also used to evaluate longitudinal changes from both groups’ combined results at two weeks. Between-group analysis showed no statistically significant differences. Issues with suboptimal image quality and frame rate acquisition affected final numbers. At two weeks, both groups demonstrated a significant improvement in most safety scores (PAS) and STD, possibly due to spontaneous recovery or a combination of spontaneous recovery and swallowing treatment and usual care. A nonsignificant trend for improvement was seen in other timing measures, including PTT. This study, which conducted additional measurements of kinematic and residue analysis on the STEPS data did not detect “missed” improvements in swallowing function that the PAS is not designed to measure. However, more studies with greater numbers are required.
Epidemiologic Data of Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Implication in Cardio-Cerebrovascular Risk in a Southern Italian Population
Authors: Capuano Rocco , Marchese Federica , Sica Raffaella , Capuano Eduardo , Manilia Marzia , Iannone Anna Grazia , D’Ambrosio Alessandro , Bisecco Alvino , Tedeschi Gioacchino , Gallo Antonio , Capuano Vincenzo
Published: June 2021

Background. Vitamin D (25(OH)D) deficiency is a prevalent condition worldwide. However, the highest prevalence rates of 25(OH)D deficiency have been attributed to regions with higher latitude. A close association between 25(OH)D and cardio-cerebrovascular (CCV) risk factors and major health problems has been identified. Aim. To establish the prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency and to investigate the relationship between 25(OH)D levels and CCV risk factors (blood cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose concentrations, body mass index, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure) in a cohort representative of Southern Italy. Methods. The prevalence of 25(OH)D levels was evaluated in 1200 subjects aged 25–74 years (600 males and 600 females), enrolled in the “VIP” (from Italian for Irno Valley Prevention) Project, whereas multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between 25(OH)D levels and CCV risk factors. Results. Only 13.3% of females and 11.1% of males showed adequate serum concentrations of 25(OH)D (≥30 ng/ml), while 59.3% of females and 55.1% of males showed 25(OH)D deficient levels (<20 ng/ml). We observed an independent association between 25(OH)D concentrations and metabolic syndrome score, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and corrected QT (cQT). Conclusions. We report a high prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency across the largest Italian adult population studied so far and, in particular, the first across Southern Italy; furthermore, we provide data on the association between 25(OH)D deficiency and higher CCV risk factors.
A Solution of Fredholm Integral Inclusions via Suzuki-Type Fuzzy Contractions
Authors: Uddin Izhar , Perveen Atiya , Işık Hüseyin , Bhardwaj Ramakant
Published: June 2021

In this study, we introduce fuzzy weak

ϕ

-contraction and Suzuki-type fuzzy weak

ϕ

-contraction and employ these to prove some fuzzy fixed point results for fuzzy mappings in the setting of metric spaces, which is followed by an example to support our claim. Next, we deduce some corollaries and fixed point results for multivalued mappings from our main result. Finally, as an application of our result, we provide the existence of a solution for a Fredholm integral inclusion.
Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review
Authors: Asmerom Demoze , Kalay Tesfay Haile , Araya Tsgabu Yohannes , Desta Desilu Mahari , Wondafrash Dawit Zewdu , Tafere Gebrehiwot Gebremedhin
Published: June 2021

Background. Erectile dysfunction has remained as one of the major global health issues. Since the discovery of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, a significant portion of the patients has solved the issue of erectile dysfunction. However, the wide distribution of phosphodiesterase type 5 enzymes at various sites of the body led phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors to cause various unnecessary outcomes. Hence, it is vital to look for and find optional agents that could solve these limitations. The people of Ethiopia depend heavily on medicinal plants to ease their ailments, including erectile dysfunction. Aim of the study. The current study was carried out to systematically review the traditional medicinal plants used for the management of erectile dysfunction in Ethiopia. Method. A systematic and manual search was conducted to retrieve relevant articles published from 2000 to August 2020. Electronic databases of PubMed (Medline), Google Scholar, and grey literature were employed to access the studies. Accordingly, fifty‐four published articles and thesis papers were finally included in this study. Result. Seventy plant species have been reported for the management of erectile dysfunction in Ethiopia. The commonly recorded family was Fabaceae, followed by Asteraceae, Malvaceae, Convolvulaceae, and Solanaceae. The plant species that represented the highest number of citations were Asparagus africanus, succeeded by Ricinus communis and Carissa spinarum. The commonest plant part used was roots. Majority of the medicinal plants were administered orally. The growth forms of the reported species were primarily herbs followed by shrubs. Conclusion. The present review compiled medicinal plants utilized by the Ethiopian community to manage erectile dysfunction. The findings will serve as a reference for the selection of plants for further pharmacological, toxicological, and phytochemical investigations in developing new plant‐based drugs used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
VR/AR Technology in Human Anatomy Teaching and Operation Training
Authors: Zhou Yuan , Hou Jiejun , Liu Qi , Chao Xu , Wang Nan , Chen Yu , Guan Jianjun , Zhang Qi , Diwu Yongchang
Published: June 2021

AR/VR technology can fuse the clinical imaging data and information to build an anatomical environment combining virtual and real, which is helpful to improve the interest of teaching and the learning initiative of medical students, and then improve the effect of clinical teaching. This paper studies the application and learning effect of the VR/AR system in human anatomy surgery teaching. This paper first shows the learning environment and platform of the VR/AR system, then explains the interface and operation of the system, and evaluates the teaching situation. This paper takes the VR/AR operation simulation system of an Irish company as an example and evaluates the learning effect of 41 students in our hospital. Research shows that the introduction of the feature reweighting module in the VR/AR surgery simulation system improves the accuracy of bone structure segmentation (IOU value increases from 79.62% to 83.56%). For real human ultrasound image data, the IOU value increases from 80.21% to 82.23% after the feature reweighting module is introduced. Therefore, the dense convolution module and feature reweighting module improve the learning ability of the network for bone structure features in ultrasound images from two aspects of feature connection and importance understanding and effectively improve the performance of bone structure segmentation.
Parental Age and the Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease in Offspring: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Szejko Natalia , Macul Ferreira de Barros Pedro , Avila-Quintero Victor J. , Lombroso Adam , Bloch Michael Howard
Published: June 2021

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia worldwide, accounting for 50–75% of all cases. While older maternal and paternal age at childbirth are established risk factors for Down syndrome which is associated with later AD, it is still not entirely clear whether parental age is a risk factor for AD. Previous studies have suggested contradictory findings. Objectives: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine whether parental (maternal and paternal) age at birth was associated with AD and whether individuals born to younger or older parents were at an increased risk for AD. Methods: Two reviewers searched the electronic database of PubMed for relevant studies. Eligibility for the meta-analysis was based on the following criteria: (1) studies involving patients with AD and an adequate control group, (2) case control or cohort studies, (3) studies investigating parental age. All statistical analyses were completed in STATA/IC version 16. Results: Eleven studies involving 4,371 participants were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Meta-analysis demonstrated no significant association between maternal (weighted mean difference [WMD] 0.49, 95% CI –0.52 to 1.49, p = 0.34) and paternal age and AD (WMD 1.00, 95% CI –0.55 to 2.56, p = 0.21). Similarly, individuals born to younger (<25 years) or older parents (>35 years) did not demonstrate a differential risk for AD. Conclusions: Overall, this meta-analysis did not demonstrate an association between parental age and the risk of AD in offspring. These findings should be interpreted with caution given the limited power of the overall meta-analysis and the methodological limitations of the underlying studies as in many cases no adjustment for potential confounders was included.
Dominance of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a Japanese Infant with Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa
Authors: Kondo Makoto , Takashima Shota , Goto Hiroyuki , Habe Koji , Natsuga Ken , Yamanaka Keiichi
Published: June 2021

A male infant had the very fragile skin and easily formed bullas by rubbing and scratching from his birth. He was diagnosed with severe recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) due to the lack of type VII collagen by performing an immunofluorescence mapping method from a skin biopsy specimen of the patient’s bulla. We analyzed the skin microbiome using next-generation sequencer. The species from the patient’s skin revealed the dominance of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) similar to the reports from Austria and Chile severe RDEB patients, and these results are same as the pattern isolated from the skin of atopic dermatitis (AD) patients with flares. The interaction of microbiome and skin microenvironment may be similar between RDEB and AD worldwide.
A Core Difference! The Varying Hoplite Shield Designs and their Effects on Economic Value, Performance and Combat Effectiveness
Authors: De Groote Kevin Rowan
Published: June 2021

Despite the vast research undertaken on hoplite warfare, surprisingly little is known about how hoplite shields were made, the very technology underpinning the transformative military reforms of hoplite warfare. The few forays that have explored the manufacturing process have been isolated and unintegrated studies leading to an often simplistic and superficial uniformity of production model which does not reflect the evidence. This article analyses the physical remains of extant hoplite shields and finds a plurality of different designs in concurrent use with core compositional differences that likely impacted combat performance and economic value with some designs performing better than others. Moreover, the use and availability of different shield designs of variable quality and economic value suggests a wider range of socioeconomic diversity in hoplite armies and among hoplites than is generally assumed.
Getting to work
Authors: Hamlett Alexandra
Published: June 2021

This article discusses how following graduation, students often enter the job market unprepared to find, evaluate, and use information in the digital environment effectively. Essentially, there is a disparity between the skills students attain in college coursework, including information literacy (IL) skills, and those required in the workplace, which impacts graduates’ success as new members of the labour market. The article highlights how collaboration between a librarian and an instructor of a career centered course influenced instructional design for IL instruction in their courses. Librarians and instructors will benefit from practical examples from Guttman Community College’s innovative IL Program and the professional courses, get creative ideas for instructional design, and learn new and exciting ways to deliver IL instruction.
A new species of Boiga (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Southern Western Ghats of India with a molecular phylogeny and expanded characterisation of related species
Authors: GANESH S.R. , MALLIK ASHOK KUMAR , ACHYUTHAN N.S. , SHANKER KARTIK , VOGEL GERNOT
Published: June 2021

We conducted a molecular phylogenetic study on the Boiga ceylonensis group from the Western Ghats of India, building on a recent morphology-based study. Our analysis supports previous work in elucidating the phylogenetic position of B. nuchalis and B. beddomei s. str. (of Matheran, Western Ghats) as clustering closely with B. ceylonensis, while B. flaviviridis clustered with the Sri Lankan taxon close to B. ranawanei. Additionally, our phylogenetic study revealed the presence of an undescribed taxon in the Southern Western Ghats, more closely related to B. ceylonensis than to any other sampled taxon, including sympatric congeners. This new taxon is described here as a new species Boiga whitakeri sp. nov. from the Devar Malai–Anaimalai hill complex. Based on molecular and morphometric studies, we expand the description of the recently described B. thackerayi as inhabiting almost the entire stretch of the Western Ghats. We also complement the diagnoses of B. nuchalis and B. flaviviridis, and determine the phylogenetic position of B. thackerayi with molecular data.
New species of latest Eocene/earliest Oligocene microgastropods (Heterobranchia: Orbitestellidae and Omalogyridae) from the Gries Ranch Formation, Lewis County, Washington State, USA
Authors: CHERNYSHEV ALEXEI V. , GOEDERT JAMES L.
Published: June 2021

Continued sampling of the latest Eocene to earliest Oligocene Gries Ranch Formation in Lewis County, Washington State, has yielded new heterobranch microgastropod species. Orbitestella kieli sp. nov., is the third fossil species of this genus and family Orbitestellidae from western North America. Two new species of Ammonicera, A. rolani sp. nov. and A. danieli sp. nov., are together only the second fossil record of this genus and the family Omalogyridae from the northeastern Pacific Ocean. New specimens of two previously recorded species, O. palaiopacifica Squires & Goedert and A. benhami Squires & Goedert, from early Eocene rocks of the Crescent Formation provide new data regarding shell morphology. The fossil record of both Ammonicera and Orbitestella in western North America is restricted to early Eocene to earliest Oligocene age rocks in Washington State.
Description of five new species of Epitola sensu lato (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Poritiinae) from West and Central Africa
Authors: SÁFIÁN SZABOLCS , COLLINS STEVE , WARREN-GASH HAYDON , BELCASTRO CLAUDIO
Published: June 2021

Five new species of Epitola s.l. (Lycaenidae: Poritiinae) are described in the genera Stempfferia Jackson, 1962 and Cephetola Libert, 1999. Stempfferia salonga sp. n. was found in the ‘Cuvette Centrale’ of the Democratic Republic of Congo and a single specimen was identified also from southern Cameroon. The similar S. buea sp. n. is known only from the unique holotype collected at the foothills of Mount Cameroon, while S. michelliberti sp. n. is distributed in lowland rainforest between southeast Ivory Coast and Guinea. The new species of Cephetola were found only in Liberia. Cephetola praecox sp. n. is known from a single upland forest locality in the Putu Range, whereas C. wologizi sp. n. was collected also in upland forest in the Wologizi Mountains.
Gain-Based Double Feedforward Compensation for Multi-Stage Amplifiers
Authors: Xiaojia Feng , Jun-An Zhang
Published: June 2021

A gain-based double feedforward compensation (GBDFC) for multi-stage amplifiers is proposed, which could be used in multi-stage OTA design. The proposed compensation technique provides two left-plane zeros to counteract with the first and second non-dominant poles of the OTA without
reducing the dominant pole obviously. Meanwhile, a high slew-rate is presented in the condition of large step input signal. A three-stage Opamp prototype with the proposed technique is realized in a 0.18 yitm CMOS process. The post simulation results show that it provides a unity-gain bandwidth
(GBW) of 103 MHz and phase margin (PM) of 70° with power consumption of 0.328 mW and small compensation capacitors, implying a better FOM compare with the state-of-the-art.
An Optical Fiber Sensing Network Supporting Weak Optical Signal Detection and a Neural Network Method for Information Collection
Authors: Liu Keyuan , Li Haibin , Wang Ya
Published: June 2021

The weak direct current (DC) signals detected and converted by the photodetector are output to the mobile phone by voltage/frequency switching, and the signals are processed by the mobile phone APP and audio conversion module. The photodetector is equipped with the automatic switching
function to design an optical power meter and detect weak signals. Meanwhile, the optical cable identification system is analyzed and combined with the optical power meter to generate an optical fiber sensing network to improve the weak alternating current (AC) signal detection. This network
needs data fusion in sensor nodes’ data collection. The cluster routing protocol is introduced and combined with the back propagation neural network (BPNN) to propose a method suitable for this photoelectric transmission and improve the information fusion and accuracy. In the experiment,
the optical power meter is output in gears first, and the output waveforms are normal. The photodiode’s optical power is adjusted to obtain different frequencies on the oscilloscope. In the proposed optical fiber sensing network, weak AC signals are amplified significantly, and different
optical fiber lines can be distinguished in the optical cables. The proposed information collection method can reduce network communication and node energy consumption.
Sinterability and Luminescence Property of the MgO-YAG:Ce Phosphor Ceramic with Sintering Aids
Authors: Yu Huaqian , Zhao Huanyu , Zhang Mu , Peng Haijun , Sun Xudong
Published: June 2021

MgO-YAG:Ce phosphor ceramics with the addition of Y2O3, SiO2, TiO2 and ZrO2 as sintering aids were developed from commercial powders by hot-pressing. In this work, the effects of Y2O3, SiO2, TiO2,
ZrO2 on the phase composition, microstructure, sinterability and luminescence intensity of MgO-YAG:Ce phosphor ceramic were investigated. By comparison, the relative density of MgO-YAG:Ce phosphor ceramic with 2 wt.% SiO2 was satisfying, reaching 98.4%, and the luminescence
intensity reached the maximum. Because SiO2 and MgO react to form interstitial solid solution Mg2SiO4, which leads to the increase of the grain boundary energy of the MgO matrix, thereby increasing the sintering performance of MgO-YAG:Ce phosphor ceramics.
And SiO2 does not react with YAG, maintaining the excellent luminescence properties of YAG itself.
Seasonal Forecast of Non-monsoonal Winter Precipitation over the Eurasian Continent using Machine Learning Models
Authors: Qian QiFeng , Jia XiaoJing , Lin Hai , Zhang Ruizhi
Published: June 2021

In this study, four machine learning (ML) models (gradient boost decision tree (GBDT), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), categorical boosting (CatBoost) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost)) are used to perform seasonal forecasts for non-monsoonal winter precipitation over the Eurasian continent (30-60°N, 30-105°E) (NWPE). The seasonal forecast results from a traditional linear regression (LR) model and two dynamic models are compared. The ML and LR models are trained using the data for the period of 1979-2010, and then, these empirical models are used to perform the seasonal forecast of NWPE for 2011-2018. Our results show that the four ML models have reasonable seasonal forecast skills for the NWPE and clearly outperform the LR model. The ML models and the dynamic models have skillful forecasts for the NWPE over different regions. The ensemble means of the forecasts including the ML models and dynamic models show higher forecast skill for the NWEP than the ensemble mean of the dynamic-only models. The forecast skill of the ML models mainly benefits from a skillful forecast of the third empirical orthogonal function (EOF) mode (EOF3) of the NWPE, which has a good and consistent prediction among the ML models. Our results also illustrate that the sea ice over the Arctic in the previous autumn is the most important predictor in the ML models in forecasting the NWPE. This study suggests that ML models may be useful tools to help improve seasonal forecasts of the NWPE.
Tornadoes in Hurricane Harvey
Authors: Nowotarski Christopher J. , Spotts Justin , Edwards Roger , Overpeck Scott , Woodall Gary R.
Published: June 2021

Tropical cyclone tornadoes pose a unique challenge to warning forecasters given their often marginal environments and radar attributes. In late August 2017 Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Texas coast and produced 52 tornadoes over a record-breaking seven consecutive days. To improve warning efforts, this case study of Harvey’s tornadoes includes an event overview as well as a comparison of near-cell environments and radar attributes between tornadic and nontornadic warned cells. Our results suggest that significant differences existed in both the near-cell environments and radar attributes, particularly rotational velocity, between tornadic cells and false alarms. For many environmental variables and radar attributes, differences were enhanced when only tornadoes associated with a tornado debris signature were considered. Our results highlight the potential of improving warning skill further and reducing false alarms by increasing rotational velocity warning thresholds, refining the use of near-storm environment information, and focusing warning efforts on cells likely to produce the most impactful tornadoes.
Connecting to Place, People, and Past: How Products Make Us Feel Grounded
Authors: Eichinger Isabel , Schreier Martin , van Osselaer Stijn M.J.
Published: June 2021

Consumption can provide a feeling of groundedness or being emotionally rooted. This can occur when products connect consumers to their physical (place), social (people), and historic (past) environment. The authors introduce the concept of groundedness to the literature and show that it increases consumer choice; happiness; and feelings of safety, strength, and stability. Following these consequential outcomes, the authors demonstrate how marketers can provide consumers with a feeling of groundedness through product designs, distribution channels, and marketing communications. They also show how marketers might segment the market using observable proxies for consumers’ need for groundedness, such as high computer use, high socioeconomic status, or life changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Taken together, the findings show that groundedness is a powerful concept providing a comprehensive explanation for a variety of consumer trends, including the popularity of local, artisanal, and nostalgic products. It seems that in times of digitization, urbanization, and global challenges, the need to feel grounded has become particularly acute.
The investigation of fracture pattern effect on fluid transport and production prediction in M field
Authors: Zhang Jinlin , Wang Ruifeng , Xu Qingyan , Lei Cheng , Yang Xuanyu , Zheng Xuerui
Published: June 2021

Due to the discontinuity and multi-scale of fracture porous media (FPM), fluid transport in the naturally fractured reservoir (NFR) is more complex than in the conventional reservoirs. Based on the embedded discrete fracture model (EDFM), the effect of fracture pattern (i.e. fracture orientation, intersection relationship, numbers and distribution) on fluid transport is investigated, and the paper also conducts research on pressure distribution and flow behavior. A series of fracture models are built to get a detailed analysis of fracture pattern influences. Results show that when the fracture orientation tends to parallel the main stream direction, the seepage flow through the fracture is more distinct and the pressure drop at two sides of fracture becomes larger. As the intersecting fracture cannot serve as part of main-stream channels, the intersection is almost invalid. In the multi-scale fracture model, the pressure drop in the large-scale fractures network is higher than in the small-scale fractures. Thus, the simulation results show that the fracture pattern has a significant impact on the seepage flow and pressure distribution. Also, this model is simulated for M field which has random natural fracture network to study the flow and transport characteristics in fractured porous media. The comprehensive simulation results the fracture patterns have impact effect on production.
A Tale of Two Professions: The Impact of SOX and the Global Economic Crisis on Public Accounting and Law Firms’ Performance
Authors: Amin Keval , Banker Rajiv D. , Whang Eunyoung
Published: June 2021

We examine the impact of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) and the global economic crisis of 2008 on revenue generation patterns of public accounting and law firms. Using a sample of firm-year observations from both industries, we show that since the enactment of SOX, public accounting firms have significantly increased leveraging of partner time and decreased charge-out rates to boost their revenue per partner. While law firms also exhibit an increase in revenue per partner in the post-SOX era, their increase is rooted in higher average charge-out rates and lower leveraging. During the crisis, the public accounting industry was insulated by the relatively inelastic nature of its services. By contrast, law firms suffered a decline in demand for their services, which reduced their revenue generation by reducing their charge-out rates. We also consider cross-sectional variations within each industry and find significant differences across firms in the impact of SOX and the economic crisis. Notably, large firms in both industries were more significantly impacted by SOX and the Big 4 accounting firms were adversely impacted during the crisis. Our study sheds light on the revenue generation and human resource consequences of two significant macroeconomic events for two professional service industries that serve as watchdogs in our capital markets.
Dissemination and Acceptance of COVID-19 Misinformation in Iran: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Taghipour Faezeh , Ashrafi-rizi Hasan , Soleymani Mohammad Reza
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Misinformation refers to unclear information from unreliable resources, and it is a common phenomenon of society; it can even constitute a part of family and social conversations due to the relative damages. Misinformation dissemination under the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic can be considered a cause of health-related anxieties and severe harm to the countries. The present study aims to explain factors related to the dissemination and acceptance of coronavirus misinformation in Iran.

Material and Methods

This qualitative study was carried out through content analysis in the year 2020. The population included Iranian experts in Information and Communication Sciences, among whom 19 experts were selected through the purposive sampling method. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through Continuous Thematic Analysis. Such criteria authenticated data trustworthiness as credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability proposed by Guba and Lincoln.

Findings

Based on the experiences of participants, six major categories and 18 subcategories were identified regarding the major theme. The major categories included the official news and informing system, misinformation nature, users, media, misinformation source, and social determinants.

Conclusion

Concurrent with the Covid-19 outbreak, a sort of information tsunami occurs. Unavoidably, a significant amount of misinformation regarding the various aspects of the virus, such as its origin, transmission methods, control, and treatment, are published. In many cases, the spreading information is not checked and verified in terms of accuracy and authenticity. The spread and acceptance of Covid-19 related misinformation happen under the impact of various factors. Being familiar with these factors will boost the culture of health and pave the path toward establishing evidence-based information public awareness schemes.
Choosing a Metamodel of a Simulation Model for Uncertainty Quantification
Authors: de Carvalho Tiago M. , van Rosmalen Joost , Wolff Harold B. , Koffijberg Hendrik , Coupé Veerle M. H.
Published: June 2021

Background

Metamodeling may substantially reduce the computational expense of individual-level state transition simulation models (IL-STM) for calibration, uncertainty quantification, and health policy evaluation. However, because of the lack of guidance and readily available computer code, metamodels are still not widely used in health economics and public health. In this study, we provide guidance on how to choose a metamodel for uncertainty quantification.

Methods

We built a simulation study to evaluate the prediction accuracy and computational expense of metamodels for uncertainty quantification using life-years gained (LYG) by treatment as the IL-STM outcome. We analyzed how metamodel accuracy changes with the characteristics of the simulation model using a linear model (LM), Gaussian process regression (GP), generalized additive models (GAMs), and artificial neural networks (ANNs). Finally, we tested these metamodels in a case study consisting of a probabilistic analysis of a lung cancer IL-STM.

Results

In a scenario with low uncertainty in model parameters (i.e., small confidence interval), sufficient numbers of simulated life histories, and simulation model runs, commonly used metamodels (LM, ANNs, GAMs, and GP) have similar, good accuracy, with errors smaller than 1% for predicting LYG. With a higher level of uncertainty in model parameters, the prediction accuracy of GP and ANN is superior to LM. In the case study, we found that in the worst case, the best metamodel had an error of about 2.1%.

Conclusion

To obtain good prediction accuracy, in an efficient way, we recommend starting with LM, and if the resulting accuracy is insufficient, we recommend trying ANNs and eventually also GP regression.
High retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor A gene expression in peripheral blood leukocytes may be related to acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Meng Heyu , Ruan Jianjun , Tian Xiaomin , Li Lihong , Chen Weiwei , Meng Fanbo
Published: June 2021

Objective

This study aimed to investigate whether differential expression of the retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor A ( RORA) gene is related to occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods

This was a retrospective study. White blood cells of 93 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 74 patients with stable coronary artery disease were collected. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to measure RORA mRNA and protein expression, respectively.

Results

RORA mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood leukocytes in patients with AMI were 1.57 times higher than those in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Protein RORA levels in peripheral blood of patients with AMI were increased. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that high expression of RORA was an independent risk factor for AMI, and it increased the risk of AMI by 2.990 times.

Conclusion

RORA expression levels in patients with AMI is significantly higher than that in patients with stable coronary artery disease. High expression of RORA is related to AMI and it may be an independent risk factor for AMI.
Regression of lumbar disc herniation with non-surgical treatment: a case report
Authors: Wang Rui , Luo Huasong
Published: June 2021

To date, only a few reports have described the regression of lumbar disc herniation, which may be because of a failure to follow up patients treated conservatively. We report a case of a 25-year-old man who presented with a 2-month history of pain and soreness owing to lumbar disc herniation. He was managed conservatively, and his presenting symptoms and scoliosis gradually decreased over approximately 5 months. Two years later, he returned unexpectedly and was advised to undergo magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed regression of the disc herniation; the patient also confirmed that the pain had not recurred. After 8 months, he underwent repeat magnetic resonance imaging, and the findings pertaining to disc herniation were normal. Our findings suggest that previous cases should be retrospectively studied to establish a prediction model for the outcomes of conservative treatment in patients with lumbar disc herniation. We also emphasize the significance of selecting suitable patients for conservative treatment to obtain the best therapeutic outcomes. The CARE guidelines have been followed in the reporting of this case.
Skeletal class II malocclusion caused by mouth breathing in a pediatric patient undergoing treatment by interceptive guidance of occlusion
Authors: Lyu Lihua , Zhao Zheshan , Tang Qianwei , Zhao Jingjing , Huang Hua
Published: June 2021

A 7-year 10-month-old boy was evaluated for mouth breathing and snoring habits. Examination revealed soft convex tissues, maxillary protrusion, mandibular retrusion, and a class II sagittal osteofascial pattern. The patient failed a water holding test. He was clinically diagnosed with skeletal class II malocclusion caused by mouth breathing. Under interceptive guidance of occlusion (iGo), the malocclusion improved with fixed maxillary expansion using functional appliances and interventional treatment of mouth breathing by lip closure exercises. These treatments enabled the patient to gradually return to nasal breathing and guided him to develop physiological occlusion for a coordinated jaw-to-jaw relation. At the 5-year 2-month post-correction follow-up visit (at the age of 13 years), the patient had stable occlusion, a coordinated osteofascial pattern, and normal dentition, periodontium, and temporomandibular joints.
Minimum 10-Year Outcomes of Primary Arthroscopic Transosseous-Equivalent Double-Row Rotator Cuff Repair
Authors: Johannsen Adam M. , Arner Justin W. , Elrick Bryant P. , Nolte Philip-C. , Rakowski Dylan R. , Horan Marilee P. , Millett Peter J.
Published: June 2021

Background:

Modern rotator cuff repair techniques demonstrate favorable early and midterm outcomes, but long-term results have yet to be reported.

Purpose:

To determine 10-year outcomes and survivorship after arthroscopic double-row transosseous-equivalent (TOE) rotator cuff repair.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence 4.

Methods:

The primary TOE rotator cuff repair procedure was performed using either a knotted suture bridge or knotless tape bridge technique on a series of patients with 1 to 3 tendon full-thickness rotator cuff tears involving the supraspinatus. Only patients who were 10 years postsurgery were included. Patient-reported outcomes were collected pre- and postoperatively, including American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), shortened version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH), and satisfaction. Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis was performed. Failure was defined as progression to revision surgery.

Results:

A total of 91 shoulders (56 men, 31 women) were included between October 2005 and December 2009. Mean follow-up was 11.5 years (range, 10.0-14.1 years). Of 91 shoulders, 5 (5.5%) failed and required revision surgery. Patient-reported outcomes for patients who survived were known for 80% (69/86). Outcomes scores at final follow-up were as follows: ASES, 93.1 ± 10.8; SANE, 87.5 ± 14.2; QuickDASH, 11.1 ± 13.5; and SF-12 physical component summary (PCS), 49.2 ± 10.1. There were statistically significant declines in ASES, SANE, and SF-12 PCS from the 5-year to 10-year follow-up, but none of these changes met the minimally clinically important difference threshold. Median satisfaction at final follow-up was 10 (range, 3-10). From this cohort, Kaplan-Meier survivorship demonstrated a 94.4% survival rate at a minimum of 10 years.

Conclusion:

Arthroscopic TOE rotator cuff repair demonstrates high patient satisfaction and low revision rates at a mean follow-up of 11.5 years. This information may be directly utilized in surgical decision making and preoperative patient counseling regarding the longevity of modern double-row rotator cuff repair.