bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Eating Healthy and Daily Life Activities (EHDLA) Study
Authors: López-Gil José Francisco
Published: March 2022

Background: Childhood obesity is one of the greatest public health concerns facing advanced societies, Spain being one of the countries with the highest incidence. In this sense, the Region of Murcia has been pointed out as the Spanish autonomous community with the highest prevalence of excess weight among young people. More specifically, the Valle de Ricote has shown an even greater proportion of excess weight among young people. Several sociodemographic, environmental, lifestyle, health-related, cognitive, and psychological factors are related to excess weight. Based on the lack of information, this research project will try to provide relevant information to design intervention programs, as well as to implement effective public policies to try and reverse this alarming situation. Therefore, this research project aims (1) to obtain cross-sectional and longitudinal data on the excess weight and their potential sociodemographic, environmental, lifestyle, health-related, cognitive, and psychological factors associated among adolescents from the Valle de Ricote (Region of Murcia, Spain) (aged 12–17 years), and (2) to examine the association between excess weight and their potential sociodemographic, environmental, lifestyle, health-related, cognitive, and psychological factors associated among this population. Methods: A cross-sectional study and follow-up study will be performed. This research project will involve adolescents using a simple random sampling technique. A total of three secondary schools from the Valle de Ricote (Region of Murcia, Spain) will be included in this project. The minimum sample size will be 1138, establishing a 95% confidence interval, a 40% prevalence of excess weight, a 3% margin of error, and a non-response rate of 10%. Primary outcome measures will be: (1) anthropometric measurements, (2) sociodemographic factors, (3) environmental factors, (4) lifestyle factors, (5) health-related factors, (6) cognitive factors, and (7) psychological factors. Conclusion: This research project will aim to determine the prevalence of excess weight and interrelate their potential sociodemographic, environmental, lifestyle, health-related, cognitive, and psychological factors associated. The obtained results will help to manage and propose possible multidisciplinary interventions and strategies in order to prevent and reduce the excess weight in adolescents from the Valle de Ricote. Furthermore, orientations will be given to transfer the obtained results to the public sector to evaluate or change the adopted policies.
Meditation and Five Precepts Mediate the Relationship between Attachment and Resilience
Authors: DeMaranville Justin , Wongpakaran Tinakon , Wongpakaran Nahathai , Wedding Danny
Published: March 2022

Secure attachment is fundamental to the development of resilience among adolescents. The present study investigated whether meditation and precept practices influence the relationship between attachment and resilience. This study recruited 453 10th–12th-grade boarding school students who completed the Experience of Close Relationship Questionnaire (revised), Resilience Inventory, Inner Strength-Based Inventory, and Precept Practice to assess attachment, resilience, meditation practice, and precepts adherence. The participants’ mean age was 16.35 ± 0.96 years; 87.9% were females, and 89.2% were Buddhists. A parallel mediation model within the structural equation framework was used for an analysis of the indirect effect of attachment on resilience through meditation and precept practices. The indirect effects of attachment anxiety and avoidance on resilience were β = −0.086, 95% CI = −0.125, −0.054, p < 0.001, and β = −0.050, 95% CI = −0.088, −0.021, p = 0.006, respectively. The indirect effect size resulting from meditation was significantly higher than that resulting from observance of the precepts. The parallel mediation model explained the 33% variance of the resilience scores, compared with 23% from the direct effect of attachment anxiety and avoidance only. This work provides evidence that meditation and precepts significantly affect the relationship between attachment and resilience.
Risks to the Health of Russian Population from Floods and Droughts in 2010–2020: A Scoping Review
Authors: Grigorieva Elena , Livenets Alexandra
Published: March 2022

Climate change and natural disasters caused by hydrological, meteorological, and climatic causes have a significant and increasing direct and indirect impact on human health, leading to increased mortality and morbidity. Russia is a country that suffers from frequent climatic and weather disasters. This is mainly due to its vast territory, complex geographical and ecological environment, and widely varying climatic conditions. This review provides information on climatological and hydrological extremes in Russia in 2010–2020, floods and droughts, and their impact on the health and well-being of the country’s population. A literature search was conducted using electronic databases Web of Science, Pubmed, Science Direct, Scopus, and e-Library, focusing on peer-reviewed journal articles published in English and in Russian from 2010 to 2021. Four conceptual categories were used: “floods”, “droughts”, “human health”, and “Russia”. It is concluded that while most hazardous weather events cannot be completely avoided, many health impacts can potentially be prevented. The recommended measures include early warning systems and public health preparedness and response measures, building climate resilient health systems and other management structures.
Sedative–Hypnotic Activity of the Water Extracts of Coptidis Rhizoma in Rodents
Authors: Joung Hye-Young , Ye Minsook , Lee Miyoung , Hong Yunki , Kim Minji , Kim Kyung Soo , Shim Insop
Published: March 2022

Many medicinal plants have been used in Asia for treating a variety of mental diseases, including insomnia and depression. However, their sedative–hypnotic effects and mechanisms have not been clarified yet. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to investigate the sedative–hypnotic effects of water extracts of five medicinal plants: Coptidis Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus, Angelicae sinensis Radix, Bupleuri Radix, and Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg. The binding abilities of five medicinal plant extracts to the GABAA–BZD and 5-HT2C receptors were compared. Their abilities to activate arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT), a melatonin synthesis enzyme, in pineal cells were also determined. Following in vitro tests, the sedative and hypnotic activities of extracts with the highest activities were determined in an animal sleep model. In the binding assay, the water extracts of Coptidis Rhizoma (WCR) showed high binding affinity to the GABAA–BZD and 5-HT2C receptors in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, WCR increased the AANAT activity up to five times compared with the baseline level. Further animal sleep model experiments showed that WCR potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep by prolonging the sleep time. It also decreased the sleep onset time in mice. In addition, WCR reduced wake time and increased non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep without EEG power density (percentages of δ, θ, and α waves) during NREM sleep in rats. WCR could effectively induce NREM sleep without altering the architectural physiologic profile of sleep. This is the first report of the sedative–hypnotic effect of Coptidis Rhizoma possibly by regulating GABAA and 5-HT2C receptors and by activating AANAT activity.
The Relationship between Acceptance and Sleep–Wake Quality before, during, and after the First Italian COVID-19 Lockdown
Authors: Fabbri Marco , Simione Luca , Martoni Monica , Mirolli Marco
Published: March 2022

Several studies have reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has had deleterious effects on sleep quality and mood, but the mechanisms underlying these effects are not clearly understood. Recently, it has been shown that the acceptance component of mindfulness reduces anxiety, and, in turn, lower anxiety improves sleep quality. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess changes in mindfulness traits, sleep–wake quality, and general distress, before, during, and after the first COVID-19 wave, testing the model in which acceptance influences sleep through anxiety in each period. A total of 250 participants were recruited before (Pre-Lockdown group: 69 participants, 29 females, 33.04 ± 12.94 years), during (Lockdown group: 78 participants, 59 females, 29.174 ± 8.50 years), and after (After-Lockdown group: 103 participants, 86 females, 30.29 ± 9.46 years) the first Italian lockdown. In each group, self-report questionnaires, assessing mindfulness facets, distress, and sleep–wake quality, were administered and assessed. The Lockdown group reported lower acceptance and higher depression, while the After-Lockdown group reported lower sleep–wake quality and higher anxiety. The results of the path analysis confirmed that higher acceptance reduced anxiety and higher anxiety decreased sleep–wake quality in all groups. Our results confirm that acceptance influences sleep through the mediating role of anxiety.
Influence of Flow and Pressure of Carburising Mixture on Low-Pressure Carburising Process Efficiency
Authors: Wołowiec-Korecka Emilia , Korecki Maciej , Klimek Leszek
Published: March 2022

Low-pressure carburising (LPC) of steel is an industrially accepted method for improving the properties of a steel surface. LPC is environmentally friendly, does not cause intergranular oxidation and consumes less energy. Its effectiveness depends on the correct choice of process inputs. This paper aims to determine the effect of this type of carboniferous gas, pressure and flow rate on the efficiency of carbon transfer to the surface layer under low-pressure carburisation. A total of 40 disks of 16MnCr5 steel were carburised using pure acetylene or a mixture of acetylene, ethylene and hydrogen as a carboniferous gas, pressures of 2 or 6 hPa and two gas flow rates. The specimens were gravimetrically tested for the increase in the mass of carbon in the carburised layer. The results were analysed with U Mann–Whitney analysis and t-Student test. It was evidenced that carburising with pure acetylene resulted in a higher increase in carbon mass than carburising with the mixture (p < 0.05). Pressure and gas flow rates are important for carburising efficiency (p < 0.05).
Hydrogen Inhibition as Explosion Prevention in Wet Metal Dust Removal Systems
Authors: Zheng Xin , Wang Huiyu , Hao Tengteng , Xu Kaili , Wang Yantong
Published: March 2022

Hydrogen energy attracts an amount of attention as an environmentally friendly and sustainable energy source. However, hydrogen is also flammable. Hydrogen fires and explosions might occur in wet-dust-removal systems if accumulated aluminum dust reacts with water. Hydrogen inhibition is a safe method to address these issues. For this purpose, we used sodium citrate, a renewable and nontoxic raw material to inhibit H2 formation. Specifically, hydrogen inhibition experiments with sodium citrate were carried out using custom-built equipment developed by our research group. When the concentration of sodium citrate solution was in the range of 0.4–4.0 g/L, a protective coating was formed on the surface of the Al particles, which prevented them from contacting with water. The inhibitory effect was achieved when the concentration of sodium citrate was in a certain range, and too much or too little addition may reduce the inhibitory effect. In this paper, we also discuss the economic aspects of H2 inhibition with this method because it offers excellent safety advantages and could be incorporated on a large scale. Such an intrinsic safety design of H2 inhibition to control explosions in wet-dust-removal systems could be applied to ensure the safety of other systems, such as nuclear reactors.
Effect of Pre-Set Coating Thickness on the Quality of Electron Beam Cladding Forming of Aluminum Alloys
Authors: Zeng Zhuangji , Liu Hailang , Tang Jie , Peng Zhiguo , Gong Yubing
Published: March 2022

Numerical simulations combined with electron beam melting were adopted to study the effect of the thickness of the preset coating on the quality of electron beam melting and forming of aluminum alloys. The research was carried out using ANSYS19.0 finite element analysis software to perform the numerical simulation of the temperature field and stress field during the process of electron beam melting of the Ni60 coating on 6061 aluminum alloy. The results show that the thicker the preset coating, the higher the surface temperature and the greater the melting depth and width of the melt pool, but the smaller the substrate melting depth, and the highest surface temperature obtained was 2536.05 °C. When the coating thickness reached 1.5 mm, the substrate essentially showed no change; otherwise, the thicker the preset coating, the greater the residual stress, and the maximum residual stress on the coating surface along the scanning direction appeared at the position near the boundary. Moreover, the maximum residual stress along the depth direction occurred at the interface. The electron beam cladding experiments showed that the 0.5 mm thickness of the coating resulted in a cracking phenomenon at the interface with the substrate, and the surface of the molten layer had more defects such as pores and pits; the 1 mm thickness of the coating had a good metallurgical bond with the substrate, and the surface of the molten layer was dense and flat; the 1.5 mm thickness of the aluminum alloy substrate did not melt, and the surface of the molten layer had more cracks. The numerical simulation was essentially consistent with the electron beam cladding experiment, and the forming quality was better when the preset coating thickness was 1 mm.
Optical and Laser-Induced Damage Characterization of Porous Structural Silicon Oxide Film with Hexagonal Period by Nanoimprint Lithography
Authors: Li Yuan , Su Junhong , Xu Junqi , Yang Lihong , Yang Guoliang
Published: March 2022

We designed and fabricated a porous nanostructured film with a hexagonal period for a high-power laser system. The proposed nanostructure exhibits polarization-independent, infrared, and antireflective properties. The measured transmittance of the structural film does not drop below 93% between 948 nm and 2500 nm (exceeding 95% from 1411–2177 nm), and this performance is maintained for incident angles ranging from 0–30°. The laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of the structural film (17.94 J/cm2) is much higher than that of the single layer of SiO2 film (7.06 J/cm2). These results show that the preparation process is an effective technique to obtain a large-scale structural surface for high-power laser systems.
A Compound Damage Constitutive Model Considering Deformation of Nonpersistent Fractured Rock Masses
Authors: Li Lielie , Yao Xianhua , Wang Jialiang , Zhang Yiying , Zhang Longfei
Published: March 2022

This paper describes a study on the interaction between joint fissures in a nonpersistent jointed rock mass by introducing a self-consistent methodology, amending the traditional method of self-consistency by increasing the number of joints one by one, and deducing a new compound mesoscale and macroscale constitutive damage model based on the Betti energy reciprocity theorem. By analyzing the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion and generalized von Mises yield criterion and their impact on the calculation result of macroscopic damage, the generalized von Mises criterion is proven to be more appropriate, and it is, thus, chosen for this compound damage constitutive model. Comparing the theoretical calculation and laboratory results of the compound damage model with the existing theoretical calculation results indicates the following: 1. The compound damage model in this paper provides a better fit of the stress–strain curves from the laboratory tests. 2. The theoretical calculative results for the compound damage model in this paper are consistent with the experimental results; that is, the peak load decreases as the connectivity rate increases. 3. For different joint angles and connectivity rates, the overall absolute deviations and relative deviations of the peak stress from the theoretical calculations and the laboratory tests are less than those from the theoretical calculations provided in the original literature. The theoretical calculations of the compound damage model in this paper are more aligned with the experimental results, verifying its correctness and rationality.
Receding Contact Problem of Multi-Layered Elastic Structures Involving Functionally Graded Materials
Authors: Yan Jie , Wang Cong
Published: March 2022

This paper studies a receding contact problem of a functionally graded layer laminate pressed against a functionally graded coated homogeneous half-plane substrate by a rigid flat indenter. The shear modulus of the functionally graded materials with a constant Poisson’s ratio is modeled by an exponential function which varies along the thickness direction. Both the governing equations and the boundary conditions of the receding contact problem are converted into a pair of singular integral equations using the Fourier integral transforms, which are numerically integrated by the Chebyshev–Gauss quadrature. The contact pressure and the contact size at both contact interfaces are eventually obtained iteratively, as developed from the steepest descent algorithm. Extensive parametric studies suggest that it is possible to regulate the contact pressure and contact size by constructing the top layer from a soft functionally graded material.
Repeated Multimodality Ablative Therapies for Oligorecurrent Pulmonary Metastatic Disease
Authors: Macagno Alban , de Nonneville Alexandre , Annede Pierre , Piana Gilles , Pougnet Isabelle , Daidj Nassima , Moureau-Zabotto Laurence , Darreon Julien , Padovani Laetitia , Bertucci Francois , Salem Naji
Published: March 2022

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and percutaneous thermal ablation (TA) are alternatives to surgery for the management of pulmonary oligometastases. In this collaborative work, we retrospectively analyzed patients who had undergone iterative focal ablative treatments of pulmonary oligometastases. We hypothesized that repeated ablative therapies could benefit patients with consecutive oligometastatic relapses. Patients treated with SBRT and/or TA for pulmonary oligometastases in two French academic centers between October 2011 and November 2016 were included. A total of 102 patients with 198 lesions were included; 45 patients (44.1%) received repeated focal treatments at the pulmonary site for an oligorecurrent disease (the “multiple courses” group). Median follow-up was 22.5 months. The 3-year overall survival rates of patients who had a single treatment sequence (the “single course” group) versus the “multiple courses” were 73.9% and 78.8%, respectively, which was not a statistically significant difference (p = 0.860). The 3-year systemic therapy-free survival tended to be longer in the “multiple courses” group (50.4%) than in the “single course” group (44.7%) (p = 0.081). Tolerance of repeated treatments was excellent with only one grade 4 toxicity. Thereby, multimodality repeated ablative therapy is effective in patients with pulmonary oligorecurrent metastases. This strategy may delay the use of more toxic systemic therapy.
Photobacterium halophilum sp. nov. and a Salt-Loving Bacterium Isolated from Marine Sediment
Authors: Kim Minji , Lee Ki-Eun , Cha In-Tae , Park Soo-Je
Published: March 2022

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, and facultatively anaerobic bacterium named strain GJ3T was isolated from coastal sediment of Jeju Island, South Korea. Catalase and oxidase activity were detected in the cell of strain GJ3T, as well as white pigmented colony and motility with polar flagellum. The cell grew optimally at 30 °C, pH 7.0, in the presence of 4% (w/v) sodium chloride. Phylogenetic analysis using the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain GJ3T was classified to the genus Photobacterium, with high sequence similarity to Photobacterium galatheae S2753T (98.30%), Photobacterium halotolerans MACL01T (97.90%), and Photobacterium panuliri LBS5T (96.55%). Strain GJ3T possessed only ubiquinone-8 (Q-8) as a respiratory quinone and summed feature 8 as the major fatty acid (38.18%). Additionally, the dominant polar lipids phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine were identified. The complete genome size and G + C content of strain GJ3T was estimated to be 3,603,274 bp in length and 50.70%, respectively. Polyphasic approach and genomic analyses (e.g., ANI and digital DDH) revealed that strain GJ3T (=KCTC 72816T = KMM 6822T) represented a novel species within the genus Photobacterium, and the name Photobacterium halophilum sp. nov., is proposed for this novel bacterium.
Damage and Tolerability Thresholds for Remaining Trees after Timber Harvesting: A Case Study from Southwest Romania
Authors: Cântar Ilie-Cosmin , Ciontu Cătălin-Ionel , Dincă Lucian , Borlea Gheorghe Florian , Crişan Vlad Emil
Published: March 2022

The present study analyses the damage of remaining trees after timber harvesting from 24 logging sites from southwest Romania. The purpose was to establish tolerability thresholds within which damaged trees recover in a short amount of time, reducing the possibility of further rot apparition and tree health deterioration. Observations were resumed after the growing season had passed. Healed damage was analysed in regard to damage type, width, orientation and tree circumference. By using the ratio between the width of healed damage and the circumference of trees as experimental variants, equations were elaborated to determine the tolerance threshold of trees in logging. This is expressed as a maximum value between the damage width and the damaged tree circumference for which the damage is curable. The correlation between the circumference and the abovementioned relation was analysed, and differences between the values of the analysed relation for different cardinal orientations of the damage were statistically tested. The value of this ratio, which can be considered a tolerance threshold for trees in logging, records values of 0.09 (for thinnings, for cuttings to increase the light availability for regeneration and for final cuttings from shelterwood systems) and 0.10 (for first-intervention cuttings, as well as preparatory and seed cutting from shelterwood systems or selections systems).
Biodiversity of Nematode Communities Associated with Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Southern Morocco and Their Contribution as Soil Health Bioindicators
Authors: Laasli Salah-Eddine , Mokrini Fouad , Lahlali Rachid , Wuletaw Tadesse , Paulitz Timothy , Dababat Abdelfattah A.
Published: March 2022

Soil nematodes are major soil organisms known to reduce wheat production worldwide. However, they are a crucial part of soil biodiversity. Due to the limited data available regarding nematode biodiversity associated with cereal crops in Morocco, a survey was conducted in 2019 across 80 wheat fields. Thirty-three nematode taxa were obtained with different trophic groups: 11 bacterivores (i.e., Rhabditis and Cephalobus spp.), 11 herbivores (i.e., Pratylenchus and Heterodera spp.), 6 fungivores (i.e., Ditylenchus and Aphelenchoides spp.), 4 omnivores (i.e., Dorylaimus and Aporcelaimus spp.) and one predator (Mononchus spp.). For each locality, the diversity of nematode communities was assessed through multiple diversity indices. Three areas (Ait Melloul, Oulad Dahou, and Sidi Boushab) were more diversified and had pronounced nematode occurrence. Moreover, few localities (e.g., Ait Amira and Lqliaa) were shown to be disturbed. Our study underlined that several nematode taxa were significantly correlated with edaphic and climatic/geographic properties. On the other hand, the spatial and parsimony analyses revealed that plant feeders were most associated with bacterial feeders in disturbed soils. This work revealed that the soil nematodes associated with wheat crops are diverse and can serve as an important tool for soil biomonitoring at a large scale.
Preoperative Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Values for Differentiation between Low and High Grade Meningiomas: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Tsai Yueh-Ting , Hung Kuo-Chuan , Shih Yun-Ju , Lim Sher-Wei , Yang Cheng-Chun , Kuo Yu-Ting , Chen Jeon-Hor , Ko Ching-Chung
Published: March 2022

The meta-analysis aimed to compare the preoperative apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values between low-grade meningiomas (LGMs) and high-grade meningiomas (HGMs). Medline, Cochrane, Scopus, and Embase databases were screened up to January 2022 for studies investigating the ADC values of meningiomas. The study endpoint was the reported ADC values for LGMs and HGMs. Further subgroup analyses between 1.5T and 3T MRI scanners, ADC threshold values, ADC in different histological LGMs, and correlation coefficients (r) between ADC and Ki-67 were also performed. The quality of studies was evaluated by the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS-2). A χ2-based test of homogeneity was performed using Cochran’s Q statistic and inconsistency index (I2). Twenty-five studies with a total of 1552 meningiomas (1102 LGMs and 450 HGMs) were included. The mean ADC values (×10−3 mm2/s) were 0.92 and 0.79 for LGMs and HGMs, respectively. Compared with LGMs, significantly lower mean ADC values for HGMs were observed with a pooled difference of 0.13 (p < 0.00001). The results were consistent in both 1.5T and 3T MRI scanners. For ADC threshold values, pooled sensitivity of 69%, specificity of 82%, and AUC of 0.84 are obtained for differentiation between LGMs and HGMs. The mean ADC (×10−3 mm2/s) in different histological LGMs ranged from 0.87 to 1.22. Correlation coefficients (r) of mean ADC and Ki-67 ranged from −0.29 to −0.61. Preoperative ADC values are a useful tool for differentiating between LGMs and HGMs. Results of this study provide valuable information for planning treatments in meningiomas.
Prognostic Value of Chemotherapy Response Score (CRS) Assessed on the Adnexa in Ovarian High-Grade Serous Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Santoro Angela , Travaglino Antonio , Inzani Frediano , Straccia Patrizia , Arciuolo Damiano , Valente Michele , D’Alessandris Nicoletta , Scaglione Giulia , Angelico Giuseppe , Piermattei Alessia , Cianfrini Federica , Raffone Antonio , Zannoni Gian Franco
Published: March 2022

Background: chemotherapy response score (CRS) is widely used to assess the response of ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) to chemotherapy and is based on pathological examination of omental specimens. We aimed to assess the prognostic value of CRS assessed on the uterine adnexa. Methods: a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed by searching three electronic databases from 2015 inception to September 2021. We included all studies reporting either hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for progression-free survival (PFS) or primary PFS data, for both adnexal and omental CRS in HGSC. HRs with 95% CI were extracted and pooled by using a significant p-value < 0.05. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed by using Higgins’ I2. Results: six studies with 691 HGSC patients were included. Adnexal CRS3 vs. CRS1-2 significantly stratified PFS, with a HR of 0.572 (0.447–0.733; p < 0.001). Omental CRS3 vs. CRS1-2 significantly stratified PFS with a similar HR (HR = 0.542; 95% CI 0.444–0.662; p < 0.001). Statistical heterogeneity was 0% in both analyses. Conclusions: adnexal CRS significantly stratifies PFS in HGSC and might be used when omental CRS is not assessable.
Computer-Assisted Pterygium Screening System: A Review
Authors: Abdani Siti Raihanah , Zulkifley Mohd Asyraf , Shahrimin Mohamad Ibrani , Zulkifley Nuraisyah Hani
Published: March 2022

Pterygium is an eye condition that causes the fibrovascular tissues to grow towards the corneal region. At the early stage, it is not a harmful condition, except for slight discomfort for the patients. However, it will start to affect the eyesight of the patient once the tissues encroach towards the corneal region, with a more serious impact if it has grown into the pupil region. Therefore, this condition needs to be identified as early as possible to halt its growth, with the use of simple eye drops and sunglasses. One of the associated risk factors for this condition is a low educational level, which explains the reason that the majority of the patients are not aware of this condition. Hence, it is important to develop an automated pterygium screening system based on simple imaging modalities such as a mobile phone camera so that it can be assessed by many people. During the early stage of automated pterygium screening system development, conventional machine learning techniques such as support vector machines and artificial neural networks are the de facto algorithms to detect the presence of pterygium tissues. However, with the arrival of the deep learning era, coupled with the availability of large training data, deep learning networks have replaced the conventional networks in screening for the pterygium condition. The deep learning networks have been successfully implemented for three major purposes, which are to classify an image regarding whether there is the presence of pterygium tissues or not, to localize the lesion tissues through object detection methodology, and to semantically segment the lesion tissues at the pixel level. This review paper summarizes the type, severity, risk factors, and existing state-of-the-art technology in automated pterygium screening systems. A few available datasets are also discussed in this paper for both classification and segmentation tasks. In conclusion, a computer-assisted pterygium screening system will benefit many people all over the world, especially in alerting them to the possibility of having this condition so that preventive actions can be advised at an early stage.
Role of Ultrasound in the Assessment and Differential Diagnosis of Pelvic Pain in Pregnancy
Authors: Caruso Martina , Dell’Aversano Orabona Giuseppina , Di Serafino Marco , Iacobellis Francesca , Verde Francesco , Grimaldi Dario , Sabatino Vittorio , Rinaldo Chiara , Schillirò Maria Laura , Romano Luigia
Published: March 2022

Pelvic pain (PP) is common in pregnant women and can be caused by several diseases, including obstetrics, gynaecological, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and vascular disorders. Timely and accurate diagnosis as well as prompt treatment are crucial for the well-being of the mother and foetus. However, these are very challenging. It should be considered that the physiological changes occurring during pregnancy may confuse the diagnosis. In this setting, ultrasound (US) represents the first-line imaging technique since it is readily and widely available and does not use ionizing radiations. In some cases, US may be conclusive for the diagnosis (e.g., if it detects no foetal cardiac activity in suspected spontaneous abortion; if it shows an extrauterine gestational sac in suspected ectopic pregnancy; or if it reveals a dilated, aperistaltic, and blind-ending tubular structure arising from the cecum in suspicious of acute appendicitis). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), overcoming some limits of US, represents the second-line imaging technique when an US is negative or inconclusive, to detect the cause of bowel obstruction, or to characterize adnexal masses.
A Case of Non-Irradiated Balloon Cell Melanoma of the Choroid: Expanding the Morphological Spectrum of Primary Uveal Melanomas
Authors: Failla Maria , Caltabiano Rosario , Longo Antonio , Russo Andrea , Reibaldi Michele , Avitabile Teresio , Piombino Eliana , Colarossi Cristina , Colarossi Lorenzo , Tirrò Elena , Vigneri Paolo , Foti Pietro Valerio , Broggi Giuseppe
Published: March 2022

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular tumor in adults and usually has a very poor prognosis. Histologically, UMs have been classified in epithelioid cell type, spindle cell type, and mixed cell type. Balloon cells are large pale cells that contain small, hyperchromatic, central nuclei with vesiculated, clear, and lipid-rich cytoplasm. A balloon cell morphology is infrequently observed in naevi and even less frequently in malignant melanomas of the skin, conjunctiva, ciliary body and choroid. In this regard, UMs that exhibit balloon cell features are generally those previously treated with proton beam irradiation and then enucleated, rather than those that directly underwent primary surgery. To the best of our knowledge, very few cases of primary UM showing extensive balloon cell morphology have been reported in scientific literature to date. We herein present an unusual case of primary UM with diffuse balloon cell changes in a 69-year-old woman.
Evaluation of FAST COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test Kit for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Respiratory Samples from Mildly Symptomatic or Asymptomatic Patients
Authors: Polvere Immacolata , Voccola Serena , D'Andrea Silvia , Zerillo Lucrezia , Varricchio Romualdo , Madera Jessica Raffaella , Stilo Romania , Vito Pasquale , Zotti Tiziana
Published: March 2022

Molecular tests are the gold standard to diagnose severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection but are associated with a diagnostic delay, while antigen detection tests can generate results within 20 min even outside a laboratory. In order to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the FAST COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test Kit (Ag-RDT), two respiratory swabs were collected simultaneously from 501 patients, with mild or no coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related symptoms, and analyzed with both the Reverse Transcriptase-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) and the FAST COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test. Results were then compared to determine clinical performance in a screening setting. We measured a precision of 97.41% (95% CI 92.42–99.15%) and a recall of 98.26% (95% CI 93.88–99.25%), with a specificity of 99.22% (95% CI 97.74–99.74%), a negative predictive value of 99.48% (95% CI 97.98–99.87%), and an overall accuracy of 99.00% (95% CI 97.69–99.68%). Concordance was described by a Kappa coefficient of 0.971 (95% CI 0.947–0.996). Considering short lead times, low cost, and opportunities for decentralized testing, the Ag-RDT test can enhance the efforts to control SARS-CoV-2 spread in several settings.
Investigation of the Molecular Profile of Granular Cell Tumours and Schwannomas of the Oral Cavity
Authors: Rogala Benjamin , Khan Zia Ali , Jackson-Boeters Linda , Darling Mark Roger
Published: March 2022

Granular cell tumours (GCTs) are rare submucosal lesions, thought to develop from Schwann cells, characterised by large polygonal cells with abundant lysosomes. The objectives of this study are to investigate whether GCTs have an antigen-presenting cell (APC) phenotype or a neural crest phenotype using immunohistochemistry and to compare expression profiles with Schwannomas. Immunoreactivity to CD68, HLA-DR, CD163, CD40 and CD11c (APC phenotype) and markers of neural crest cell (NCC) origin S100, SOX10, NSE and GAP43 in 23 cases of GCTs and 10 cases of Schwannomas were evaluated. RT-qPCR was used to identify a possible NCC developmental phenotype in 6 cases of GCTs. GAP43 was identified as a new NCC marker for GCTs, and some evidence was found for an APC phenotype from CD68 and HLA-DR immunoreactivity. RT-qPCR failed to identify an NCC developmental phenotype of GCTs, likely due to technical issues.
A Spatio-Temporal Motion Network for Action Recognition Based on Spatial Attention
Authors: Yang Qi , Lu Tongwei , Zhou Huabing
Published: March 2022

Temporal modeling is the key for action recognition in videos, but traditional 2D CNNs do not capture temporal relationships well. 3D CNNs can achieve good performance, but are computationally intensive and not well practiced on existing devices. Based on these problems, we design a generic and effective module called spatio-temporal motion network (SMNet). SMNet maintains the complexity of 2D and reduces the computational effort of the algorithm while achieving performance comparable to 3D CNNs. SMNet contains a spatio-temporal excitation module (SE) and a motion excitation module (ME). The SE module uses group convolution to fuse temporal information to reduce the number of parameters in the network, and uses spatial attention to extract spatial information. The ME module uses the difference between adjacent frames to extract feature-level motion patterns between adjacent frames, which can effectively encode motion features and help identify actions efficiently. We use ResNet-50 as the backbone network and insert SMNet into the residual blocks to form a simple and effective action network. The experiment results on three datasets, namely Something-Something V1, Something-Something V2, and Kinetics-400, show that it out performs state-of-the-arts motion recognition networks.
Portfolio Optimization with a Mean-Entropy-Mutual Information Model
Authors: Novais Rodrigo Gonçalves , Wanke Peter , Antunes Jorge , Tan Yong
Published: March 2022

This paper describes a new model for portfolio optimization (PO), using entropy and mutual information instead of variance and covariance as measurements of risk. We also compare the performance in and out of sample of the original Markowitz model against the proposed model and against other state of the art shrinkage methods. It was found that ME (mean-entropy) models do not always outperform their MV (mean-variance) and robust counterparts, although presenting an edge in terms of portfolio diversity measures, especially for portfolio weight entropy. It further shows that when increasing return constraints on portfolio optimization, ME models were more stable overall, showing dampened responses in cumulative returns and Sharpe indexes in comparison to MV and robust methods, but concentrated their portfolios more rapidly as they were more evenly spread initially. Finally, the results suggest that it was also shown that, depending on the market, increasing return constraints may have positive or negative impacts on the out-of-sample performance.
A TOPSIS-Inspired Ranking Method Using Constrained Crowd Opinions for Urban Planning
Authors: Chatterjee Sujoy , Lim Sunghoon
Published: March 2022

Crowdsourcing has become an important tool for gathering knowledge for urban planning problems. The questions posted to the crowd for urban planning problems are quite different from the traditional crowdsourcing models. Unlike the traditional crowdsourcing models, due to the constraints among the multiple components (e.g., multiple locations of facilities) in a single question and non-availability of the defined option sets, aggregating of multiple diverse opinions that satisfy the constraints as well as finding the ranking of the crowd workers becomes challenging. Moreover, owing to the presence of the conflicting nature of features, the traditional ranking methods such as the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) cannot always be feasible as the optimal solutions in terms of multiple objectives cannot occur simultaneously for the conflicting cases (e.g., benefit and cost criteria) for urban planning problems. Therefore, in this work, a multi-objective approach is proposed to produce better compromised solutions in terms of conflicting features from the general crowd. In addition, the solutions are employed to obtain a proper ideal solution for ranking the crowd. The experimental results are validated using two constrained crowd opinion datasets for real-world urban planning problems and compared with the state-of-the-art TOPSIS models.
Stability of Gene Regulatory Networks Modeled by Generalized Proportional Caputo Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Almeida Ricardo , Agarwal Ravi P. , Hristova Snezhana , O’Regan Donal
Published: March 2022

A model of gene regulatory networks with generalized proportional Caputo fractional derivatives is set up, and stability properties are studied. Initially, some properties of absolute value Lyapunov functions and quadratic Lyapunov functions are discussed, and also, their application to fractional order systems and the advantage of quadratic functions are pointed out. The equilibrium of the generalized proportional Caputo fractional model and its generalized exponential stability are defined, and sufficient conditions for the generalized exponential stability and asymptotic stability of the equilibrium are obtained. As a special case, the stability of the equilibrium of the Caputo fractional model is discussed. Several examples are provided to illustrate our theoretical results and the influence of the type of fractional derivative on the stability behavior of the equilibrium.
A Review of the Asymmetric Numeral System and Its Applications to Digital Images
Authors: Hsieh Ping Ang , Wu Ja-Ling
Published: March 2022

The Asymmetric Numeral System (ANS) is a new entropy compression method that the industry has highly valued in recent years. ANS is valued by the industry precisely because it captures the benefits of both Huffman Coding and Arithmetic Coding. Surprisingly, compared with Huffman and Arithmetic coding, systematic descriptions of ANS are relatively rare. In 2017, JPEG proposed a new image compression standard—JPEG XL, which uses ANS as its entropy compression method. This fact implies that the ANS technique is mature and will play a kernel role in compressing digital images. However, because the realization of ANS involves combination optimization and the process is not unique, only a few members in the compression academia community and the domestic industry have noticed the progress of this powerful entropy compression approach. Therefore, we think a thorough overview of ANS is beneficial, and this idea brings our contributions to the first part of this work. In addition to providing compact representations, ANS has the following prominent feature: just like its Arithmetic Coding counterpart, ANS has Chaos characteristics. The chaotic behavior of ANS is reflected in two aspects. The first one is that the corresponding compressed output will change a lot if there is a tiny change in the original input; moreover, the reverse is also applied. The second is that ANS compressing an image will produce two intertwined outcomes: a positive integer (aka. state) and a bitstream segment. Correct ANS decompression is possible only when both can be precisely obtained. Combining these two characteristics helps process digital images, e.g., art collection images and medical images, to achieve compression and encryption simultaneously. In the second part of this work, we explore the characteristics of ANS in depth and develop its applications specific to joint compression and encryption of digital images.
Characterizing Meteorological Droughts in Nepal: A Comparative Analysis of Standardized Precipitation Index and Rainfall Anomaly Index
Authors: Aryal Anil , Maharjan Manisha , Talchabhadel Rocky , Thapa Bhesh Raj
Published: March 2022

Drought is an environmental disaster related to the extremes (on a drier side) in hydrometeorology. The precipitation amount modulates drought in Nepalese river basins. It is vital for efficient water resources management to quantify and understand drought. This paper aims to characterize the droughts in Nepal based on standard precipitation index (SPI) and rainfall anomaly index (RAI) using daily precipitation data and assess their impacts on annual crop yields. We used 41 years (1975–2015) of daily precipitation data to compute monthly means and then the drought indices, namely, SPI and RAI, at 123 stations across Nepal. Results showed that the northwest and eastern regions experienced drought compared to other regions, although the severity and duration were shorter. For stations 101 and 308, we found extreme drought events after 2005 for SPI-1, SPI-3, and SPI-6. However, for SPI-6, extreme drought was also observed in 1989 and 1994 at both stations. The year 1992 was one of the severest drought years for the western and northwest regions, where the severity crossed more than −2.0 for all SPI months. Similar to SPI, RAI also revealed a similar degree of drought in the country. RAI showed that the eastern region depicted a higher degree of severity of drought compared to other areas beyond 2004. The lesser severity is also seen in the far west part beyond 2005. The results showed that SPI and RAI could equally be used to analyze drought severity. More frequent drought incidents have been observed after 2010 at all the considered precipitation stations. With the increase in the drought severity, the crop yield (such as paddy, maize, barley, millet, and wheat) has been directly impacted. These results might be significant for planning water resource and irrigation water management systems.
Understanding the Profitability, Supply, and Input Demand of Tobacco Farms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Authors: Sajjad  , Haq Zahoor ul , Iqbal Javed , Shahzad Muhammad Faisal
Published: March 2022

Several studies investigate the various aspects of tobacco at the processing and cigarette manufacturing levels, but the profitability, supply response, and input demand of tobacco farms in Pakistan remain unknown. Our study fills this gap by examining farm-level profitability, input demand, and output supply using survey data of 140 tobacco farms by employing a profit function approach. The results show that tobacco production is not very lucrative at the farm level and farmers are responsive to changes in market prices for the inputs and output. The price of tobacco is the most important determinant of the output supply and demand for inputs, and farmers’ response to increasing tobacco prices is positive but inelastic in the study area. The use of variable inputs such as fertilizers, labor, mechanical power, pesticides, and farmyard manure is important in resource allocation decisions in tobacco production. As a result, a price increase for green tobacco leaves would significantly increase the demand for farm inputs such as fertilizers, labor, mechanical power, pesticides, and farmyard manure. Tobacco production is negatively affected by the increasing input prices in the study area. Among the fixed factors, land area has a significant impact on tobacco productivity in the province. The present study is the first to quantify the farm-level input demand and output supply; therefore, based on the findings, the increasing tobacco production requires higher output prices and reasonable input prices.
Impacts of GPS Spoofing on Path Planning of Unmanned Surface Ships
Authors: Wang Jia , Xiao Yang , Li Tieshan , Chen C. L. Philip
Published: March 2022

The Artificial Potential Field (APF) method is a classical path planning method for unmanned ships, relying on Global Positioning System (GPS) positioning information for path planning. Unfortunately, once the path planning algorithm uses inaccurate or even fake data, it will lead to ship collision, grounding, or deviation from the course, causing severe economic losses and causing significant security risks to other sailing ships. This paper aims to study the impacts of GPS spoofing on the path planning of unmanned ships. We propose a GPS attack and study GPS spoofing of path planning based on the APF method for an unmanned ship by a low-cost software-defined radio, which causes the unmanned ship to deviate from the course. Our simulation tests show that this method has significant impacts on the path planning results of the APF method.