bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FAS—A Fully Actuated Segment for Tendon-Driven Continuum Robots
Authors: Grassmann Reinhard M. , Rao Priyanka , Peyron Quentin , Burgner-Kahrs Jessica
Published: April 2022

We propose a segment design that combines two distinct characteristics of tendon-driven continuum robots, i.e. variable length and non-straight tendon routing, into a single segment by enabling rotation of its backbone. As a result, this segment can vary its helical tendon routing and has four degrees-of-freedom, while maintaining a small-scale design with an overall outer diameter of 7 mm thanks to an extrinsic actuation principle. In simulation and on prototypes, we observe improved motion capabilities, as evidenced by position redundancy and follow-the-leader deployment along spatially tortuous paths. To demonstrate the latter on a physical prototype, a simple, yet effective area-based error measure for follow-the-leader deployment is proposed to evaluate the performance. Furthermore, we derive a static model which is used to underpin the observed motion capabilities. In summary, our segment design extends previous designs with minimal hardware overhead, while either archiving similar accuracy in position errors and planar follow-the-leader deployment, or exhibiting superior motion capabilities due to position redundancy and spatial follow-the-leader deployment.
The Global Prevalence of Neospora caninum Infection in Sheep and Goats That Had an Abortion and Aborted Fetuses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Nayeri Tooran , Sarvi Shahabeddin , Moosazadeh Mahmood , Daryani Ahmad
Published: April 2022

Neospora caninum(N. caninum) can be a potential factor causing a significant rate of miscarriages in small ruminants (sheep and goats) worldwide. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the global status ofN. caninumin sheep and goats that had an abortion and aborted fetuses. Five English databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest) were searched for relevant scientific articles published from their inception until November 4, 2021. Finally, 21 studies conducted on sheep (1,671 aborted fetuses and 935 abortive sheep) and 10 studies on goats (130 aborted fetuses and 80 abortive goats) were included for the final meta-analysis. A random-effects meta-analysis model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Moreover, sensitivity analysis, publication bias test, and quality assessment were performed in this study. The pooled prevalence ofN. caninumin aborted fetuses of sheep and goats globally was estimated to be 15% (95% CI: 9–21%) and 7% (95% CI: 2–12%) using molecular methods. Besides, the seroprevalence ofN. caninumwas estimated to be 17% for aborted fetuses of sheep. The overall prevalence rate ofN. caninuminfection in sheep that had an abortion was 3%. The present results show a relatively high prevalence ofN. caninuminfection in sheep that had an abortion and aborted fetuses compared to goats. Therefore, further studies using different diagnostic techniques to more accurately estimate the rate of infection in sheep and goats may help provide adequate control measures and strategies to reduce the rate of abortion in sheep and goats and reduce economic damage to the livestock industry. This study was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; code: CRD42020216694).
Case Report: MRI, Clinical, and Pathological Correlates of Bromethalin Toxicosis in Three Dogs
Authors: Murthy Vishal D. , McLarty Ehren , Woolard Kevin D. , Parker Rell L. , Kortz Gregg , King Jamie N. , Poppenga Robert H. , Knipe Marguerite F. , Dickinson Peter J.
Published: April 2022

Bromethalin toxicosis is an increasingly common clinical presentation in dogs that may be fatal depending on the extent of intoxication. Antemortem diagnosis of bromethalin toxicosis was achieved in three dogs by demonstration of the active metabolite desmethylbromethalin in fat or serum. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were consistent with a diffuse leukoencephalopathy with restricted diffusion and prominent involvement of the corticospinal motor tracts on T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted sequences. Imaging findings were confirmed in one non-surviving dog at necropsy. Resolution of MRI abnormalities was demonstrated in one surviving dog that was consistent with the associated resolution of clinical signs. Initial findings in these dogs support further investigation of specific MRI patterns in cases of leukoencephalopathy to aid differential diagnosis. While antemortem detection of bromethalin and its metabolites confirms exposure, quantitation may be informative as a prognostic biomarker.
Simple Black-Box Universal Adversarial Attacks on Deep Neural Networks for Medical Image Classification
Authors: Koga Kazuki , Takemoto Kazuhiro
Published: April 2022

Universal adversarial attacks, which hinder most deep neural network (DNN) tasks using only a single perturbation called universal adversarial perturbation (UAP), are a realistic security threat to the practical application of a DNN for medical imaging. Given that computer-based systems are generally operated under a black-box condition in which only input queries are allowed and outputs are accessible, the impact of UAPs seems to be limited because well-used algorithms for generating UAPs are limited to white-box conditions in which adversaries can access model parameters. Nevertheless, we propose a method for generating UAPs using a simple hill-climbing search based only on DNN outputs to demonstrate that UAPs are easily generatable using a relatively small dataset under black-box conditions with representative DNN-based medical image classifications. Black-box UAPs can be used to conduct both nontargeted and targeted attacks. Overall, the black-box UAPs showed high attack success rates (40–90%). The vulnerability of the black-box UAPs was observed in several model architectures. The results indicate that adversaries can also generate UAPs through a simple procedure under the black-box condition to foil or control diagnostic medical imaging systems based on DNNs, and that UAPs are a more serious security threat.
Large-Scale Multimodal Piano Music Identification Using Marketplace Fingerprinting
Authors: Yang Daniel , Goutam Arya , Ji Kevin , Tsai TJ
Published: April 2022

This paper studies the problem of identifying piano music in various modalities using a single, unified approach called marketplace fingerprinting. The key defining characteristic of marketplace fingerprinting is choice: we consider a broad range of fingerprint designs based on a generalization of standard n-grams, and then select the fingerprint designs at runtime that are best for a specific query. We show that the large-scale retrieval problem can be framed as an economics problem in which a consumer and a store interact. In our analogy, the runtime search is like a consumer shopping in the store, the items for sale correspond to fingerprints, and purchasing an item corresponds to doing a fingerprint lookup in the database. Using basic principles of economics, we design an efficient marketplace in which the consumer has many options and adopts a rational buying strategy that explicitly considers the cost and expected utility of each item. We evaluate our marketplace fingerprinting approach on four different sheet music retrieval tasks involving sheet music images, MIDI files, and audio recordings. Using a database containing approximately 375,000 pages of sheet music, our method is able to achieve 0.91 mean reciprocal rank with sub-second average runtime on cell phone image queries. On all four retrieval tasks, the marketplace method substantially outperforms previous methods while simultaneously reducing average runtime. We present comprehensive experimental results, as well as detailed analyses to provide deeper intuition into system behavior.
Squeezing Backbone Feature Distributions to the Max for Efficient Few-Shot Learning
Authors: Hu Yuqing , Pateux Stéphane , Gripon Vincent
Published: April 2022

In many real-life problems, it is difficult to acquire or label large amounts of data, resulting in so-called few-shot learning problems. However, few-shot classification is a challenging problem due to the uncertainty caused by using few labeled samples. In the past few years, many methods have been proposed with the common aim of transferring knowledge acquired on a previously solved task, which is often achieved by using a pretrained feature extractor. As such, if the initial task contains many labeled samples, it is possible to circumvent the limitations of few-shot learning. A shortcoming of existing methods is that they often require priors about the data distribution, such as the balance between considered classes. In this paper, we propose a novel transfer-based method with a double aim: providing state-of-the-art performance, as reported on standardized datasets in the field of few-shot learning, while not requiring such restrictive priors. Our methodology is able to cope with both inductive cases, where prediction is performed on test samples independently from each other, and transductive cases, where a joint (batch) prediction is performed.
Diversity Characterization of Soybean Germplasm Seeds Using Image Analysis
Authors: Kim Seong-Hoon , Jo Jeong Won , Wang Xiaohan , Shin Myoung-Jae , Hur On Sook , Ha Bo-Keun , Hahn Bum-Soo
Published: April 2022

Soybean (Glycine max) is a native field crop in Northeast Asia. The National Agrobiodiversity Center (NAC) in Korea has conserved approximately 26,000 soybean germplasm and distributed them to researchers and growers. The phenotype traits of soybean were investigated during periodic multiplication. However, it is time-consuming to collect sufficient data, especially on the width and height of seeds. During the last decade, the development of phenomics efficiently assisted the analysis of high-throughput phenotyping seed morphology. This study collected and analyzed seed morphological traits of 589 germplasm (53,909 seeds) from diverse origins using a digital camera and a computer-based seed phenotyping program. Measured traits included size and shape, 100-seed weight, height, width, perimeter, area, aspect ratio (AR), solidity, circularity, and roundness. The diversity of soybean germplasm seeds was analyzed based on 8-seed morphological traits and 100-seed weight, as determined by image phenotyping and direct weighting, respectively. The data obtained from 589 soybean germplasm were divided into five clusters by k-means clustering. Orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were performed to compare clusters. The major differences between clusters were in the order of area, perimeter, 100-seed weight, width, and height. Based on cultivar origins, the seed size of US origin was the largest, followed by Korea and China. We classified size, shape, and color according to the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) guidelines. In particular, we postulated that shape could be distinguished based on the AR and roundness values as secondary parameters. High-throughput phenotyping could make a decisive contribution to resolving the phenotyping bottleneck. In addition, rapid and accurate analysis of a large number of seed phenotypes will assist breeders and enhance agricultural competitiveness.
Food and Medicinal Uses of Ancestral Andean Grains in the Districts of Quinua and Acos Vinchos (Ayacucho-Peru)
Authors: Anaya Roberta Brita , De La Cruz Eusebio , Muñoz-Centeno Luz María , Cóndor Reynán , León Roxana , Carhuaz Roxana
Published: April 2022

Andean grains are key elements in the construction of family production systems. These seeds speak of the history of a people, their customs and ancestral knowledge. The general objective of the work was to evaluate the food use, crop management and traditional knowledge about the medicinal use of ancestral Andean grains among the inhabitants of the districts of Quinua and Acos Vinchos (Ayacucho-Peru). Basic descriptive research, carried out by means of convenience sampling, the sample size determined by the Law of Diminishing Returns, after signing an informed consent form. Semi-structured individual interviews were applied to 96 informants. A total of 96.9% of the informants reported that they obtained quinoa grain from their own crops, and 24.0% obtained achita grain that they sowed directly on their land; no cañihua was cultivated. A total of 58.3% use quinoa and achita in their diet. The variability of the food use of ancestral grains, specifically quinoa and achita, constitute a natural source of vegetable protein of high nutritional value, which represents one of the main foods of the inhabitants of Quinua and Acos Vinchos. Traditional medicine derived from the ancestral knowledge of Andean grains is barely preserved, but this is not the case for other medicinal plants in the area, as this knowledge is still preserved.
Persistent Hyper IgA as a Marker of Immune Deficiency: A Case Report
Authors: Hopp Russell J. , Niebur Hana B.
Published: April 2022

An elevated IgA level obtained in a 10-year-old male a year after an episode of pneumococcal sepsis led to the discovery of a broad-based IgG-specific antibody deficiency syndrome. The specifics of the case and pertinent literature are presented, including a discussion of the hyper-IgD syndrome. An elevated IgA, greater than two standard deviations above the expected age range should prompt a complete workup for selective antibody deficiency syndrome and adds an additional associated marker of an indolent hyper-IgD syndrome in a different clinical circumstance, although the lack of antibody response to vaccines is atypical of the hyper-IgD syndrome.
ESBL/pAmpC-Producing Escherichia coli Causing Urinary Tract Infections in Non-Related Companion Animals and Humans
Authors: Belas Adriana , Marques Cátia , Menezes Juliana , da Gama Luís Telo , Cavaco-Silva Patrícia , Pomba Constança
Published: April 2022

Urinary tract infections (UTI) caused by Escherichia coli are frequently diagnosed in humans and companion animals. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)- and cephalosporinase (pAmpC)-producing Escherichia coli are worldwide-disseminated and frequently multidrug-resistant, hence leading to treatment failure and public health concerns. This study aimed to characterize and compare ESBL/pAmpC-producing E. coli strains causing community-acquired UTI in companion animals and non-related humans. Third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant E. coli (companion animals n = 35; humans n = 85) isolated from patients with UTI were tested against 14 antimicrobials following CLSI guidelines. PCR-based assays were used to detect the major E. coli phylogenetic groups, pathogenicity associated-islands (PAIs), virulence genes, and ESBLs/pAmpC resistance genes. ESBL/pAmpC-producing E. coli isolates were typed by multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and PCR. E. coli strains from companion animals and humans shared two MDR high-risk clonal lineages: ST131 and ST648. To the best of our knowledge, this study reports the first description of E. coli ST131 clade C1-M27 and the clonal lineage ST131 clade A in humans with community-acquired UTI in Portugal. Considering that companion animals with UTI are generally treated at home by the owners, measures should be implemented to avoid the spread of multidrug-resistant high-risk clones to humans and their household environment.
Antibiotic Stewardship in Disaster Situations: Lessons Learned in Lebanon
Authors: Shallal Anita , Lahoud Chloe , Zervos Marcus , Matar Madonna
Published: April 2022

A post-prescription review and feedback program was implemented as an antimicrobial stewardship intervention in Lebanon as the country grappled with complete economic collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a large blast in Beirut. We describe the implications of antimicrobial use in disaster preparedness and crisis situations, the sequelae related to increasing antimicrobial resistance, and our lessons learned in Lebanon. We explore opportunities and potential solutions for future disaster preparedness.
A Multicentre, Prospective, and Retrospective Registry to Characterize the Use, Effectiveness, and Safety of Dalbavancin in German Clinical Practice
Authors: Hanses Frank , Dolff Sebastian , Trauth Janina , Seimetz Michael , Hagel Stefan
Published: April 2022

The antibiotic dalbavancin is approved for intravenous treatment of adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. This study aimed to observe the use, effectiveness, and safety of dalbavancin in clinical practice in Germany. It was a multicentre, prospective, and retrospective registry and consecutively enrolled patients treated with dalbavancin. Each patient was observed from the first to the last dose of dalbavancin, with a 30-day follow-up. Patient inclusion was planned for 2 years, but was terminated early due to low recruitment. All analyses were descriptive. Between November 2018 and December 2019, nine patients were enrolled. Only three patients were treated for the approved indication. Outcome was assessed by the physicians as ‘success’ in five (55.6%) patients, ‘failure’ in one (11.1%) patient, and non-evaluable in three (33.3%) patients. Although the success rate of dalbavancin was lower than reported previously, this may be due to the severity of underlying infections and patients’ high Charlson Comorbidity Index. None of the two reported adverse events were considered related to dalbavancin. These findings were in line with real-world data for dalbavancin from other countries, supporting the drug’s positive benefit–risk profile and suggesting frequent off-label use in German routine practice.
Characterization of the p.L145F and p.S135N Mutations in SOD1: Impact on the Metabolism of Fibroblasts Derived from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients
Authors: Perciballi Elisa , Bovio Federica , Rosati Jessica , Arrigoni Federica , D’Anzi Angela , Lattante Serena , Gelati Maurizio , De Marchi Fabiola , Lombardi Ivan , Ruotolo Giorgia , Forcella Matilde , Mazzini Letizia , D’Alfonso Sandra , Corrado Lucia , Sabatelli Mario , Conte Amelia , De Gioia Luca , Martino Sabata , Vescovi Angelo Luigi , Fusi Paola , Ferrari Daniela
Published: April 2022

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of the upper and lower motor neurons (MNs). About 10% of patients have a family history (familial, fALS); however, most patients seem to develop the sporadic form of the disease (sALS). SOD1 (Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase-1) is the first studied gene among the ones related to ALS. Mutant SOD1 can adopt multiple misfolded conformation, lose the correct coordination of metal binding, decrease structural stability, and form aggregates. For all these reasons, it is complicated to characterize the conformational alterations of the ALS-associated mutant SOD1, and how they relate to toxicity. In this work, we performed a multilayered study on fibroblasts derived from two ALS patients, namely SOD1L145F and SOD1S135N, carrying the p.L145F and the p.S135N missense variants, respectively. The patients showed diverse symptoms and disease progression in accordance with our bioinformatic analysis, which predicted the different effects of the two mutations in terms of protein structure. Interestingly, both mutations had an effect on the fibroblast energy metabolisms. However, while the SOD1L145F fibroblasts still relied more on oxidative phosphorylation, the SOD1S135N fibroblasts showed a metabolic shift toward glycolysis. Our study suggests that SOD1 mutations might lead to alterations in the energy metabolism.
Oxidative-Induced Angiogenesis Is Modulated by Small Extracellular Vesicle miR-302a-3p Cargo in Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cells
Authors: Oltra Maria , Martínez-Santos Miriam , Ybarra María , Rowland Hugo , Muriach María , Romero Javier , Sancho-Pelluz Javier , Barcia Jorge M.
Published: April 2022

Extracellular vesicles are released from cells under diverse conditions. Widely studied in cancer, they are associated with different diseases playing major roles. Recent reports indicate that oxidative damage promotes the release of small extracellular vesicle (sEVs) from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), with an angiogenic outcome and changes in micro-RNA (miRNA) levels. The aim of this study was to determine the role of the miRNA miR-302a-3p, included within RPE-released sEVs, as an angiogenic regulator in cultures of endothelial cells (HUVEC). ARPE-19 cell cultures, treated with H2O2 to cause an oxidative insult, were transfected with a miR-302a-3p mimic. Later, sEVs from the medium were isolated and added into HUVEC or ARPE-19 cultures. sEVs from ARPE-19 cells under oxidative damage presented a decrease of miR-302a-3p levels and exhibited proangiogenic properties. In contrast, sEVs from miR-302a-3p-mimic transfected cells resulted in control angiogenic levels. The results herein indicate that miR-302a-3p contained in sEVs can modify VEGFA mRNA expression levels as part of its antiangiogenic features.
Experimental Thermofluidic Characterization of Different Metallic Regenerators Crossed by Alternating Air Flow
Authors: Kahaleras Mohamed Said , Layes Guillaume , Lanzetta François , Djetel-Gothe Steve
Published: April 2022

The regenerator is one of the most important elements of a thermal machine operating in an alternating flow regime. The present study constituted an experiment on the dynamic characterization of different metallic regenerators crossed by alternating air flow. During an experiment, gas temperature, velocity, and pressure were measured at both ends of the regenerator. The acquisition frequency was set at 1 kHz for each temperature, pressure, and velocity signal. This enabled us to fully characterize an oscillating flow cycle. Experiments were performed for different regenerators (structures and porosities), frequencies, temperature gradients, and displaced air volumes. The experimental results showed that the density ratio is significant at high frequencies for all structures. The friction coefficient is determined based on a classical correlation at the time of maximum velocity. The friction factor f seems to decrease with the kinetic Reynolds number Reω for a 30% porosity regenerator. For the other tested regenerators (35% and 40% porosity), we observed that it is almost constant with a little dispersion. To minimize the dispersion effects, another definition was proposed to calculate the friction factor at the time of maximum pressure drop. The results showed that for all regenerators a single clear trend is the function of the kinetic Reynolds number. A significant phase shift was observed between the velocity and pressure drop. It increases with the increasing kinetic Reynolds number. It was found that the phase shift only depends on frequency. Finally, a correlation equation was proposed to predict the phase shift of different regenerator structures. It was found that the effect of the kinetic Reynolds numberReω on the phase shift is more dominant than that of the hydraulic diameter to length ratio  Dh/L.
Image Classification of Pests with Residual Neural Network Based on Transfer Learning
Authors: Li Chen , Zhen Tong , Li Zhihui
Published: April 2022

Agriculture is regarded as one of the key food sources for humans throughout history. In some countries, more than 90% of the population lives on agriculture. However, pests are regarded as one of the major causes of crop loss worldwide. Accurate and automated technology to classify pests can help pest detection with great significance for early preventive measures. This paper proposes the solution of a residual convolutional neural network for pest identification based on transfer learning. The IP102 agricultural pest image dataset was adopted as the experimental dataset to achieve data augmentation through random cropping, color transformation, CutMix and other operations. The processing technology can bring strong robustness to the affecting factors such as shooting angles, light and color changes. The experiment in this study compared the ResNeXt-50 (32 × 4d) model in terms of classification accuracy with different combinations of learning rate, transfer learning and data augmentation. In addition, the experiment compared the effects of data enhancement on the classification performance of different samples. The results show that the model classification effect based on transfer learning is generally superior to that based on new learning. Compared with new learning, transfer learning can greatly improve the model recognition ability and significantly reduce the training time to achieve the same classification accuracy. It is also very important to choose the appropriate data augmentation technology to improve classification accuracy. The accuracy rate of classification can reach 86.95% based on the combination of transfer learning + fine-tuning and CutMix. Compared to the original model, the accuracy of classification of some smaller samples was significantly improved. Compared with the relevant studies based on the same dataset, the method in this paper can achieve higher classification accuracy for more effective application in the field of pest classification.
The Minóy Machine
Authors: Nechvatal Joseph
Published: April 2022

The author provides a first-hand account, as a founding editor of Tellus Audio Cassette Magazine and contributing writer with Punctum Press, of his discovery of the early noise music of Minóy (pseudonym of the sound artist Stanley Keith Bowsza), and its significance within the history of Machine Art.
Determination of Gaseous and Particulate Secondary Amines in the Atmosphere Using Gas Chromatography Coupled with Electron Capture Detection
Authors: Mai Thu Thi Hoai , Kim Hekap
Published: April 2022

The aim of this study was to develop and optimize methods for the determination of gaseous and particulate (PM2.5) secondary amines (SAs) in the atmosphere using gas chromatography coupled with electron capture detection (GC-ECD) following chemical derivatization. The methods employed the liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) of pentafluorobenzenesulfonyl derivatives of the SAs before analytical samples were injected into GC-ECD. The optimized methods were applied to the determination of SAs in gaseous and particulate samples at two sites (urban and rural areas) from June to September in 2021. Gaseous samples were collected into an SPE cartridge containing a mixture of silica gel and sulfamic acid at a flow rate of 2 L·min−1 for 48 h. Particulate samples were collected onto 47 mm filters by a cyclone sampler at a flow rate of 16.7 L·min−1 for 48 h. The linearity of calibration curves, accuracy, and precision of the methods were satisfactory. In most of the field samples, dimethylamine (DMA), methylethylamine (MEA), diethylamine (DEA), and dipropylamine (DPA) were found to be the most frequently encountered compounds at the sampling sites.
Controlling Cancer Cell Death Types to Optimize Anti-Tumor Immunity
Authors: Oliver Metzig Marie , Hoffmann Alexander
Published: April 2022

Over several decades, cell biology research has characterized distinct forms of regulated cell death, identified master regulators such as nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB), and contributed to translating these findings in order to improve anti-cancer therapies. In the era of immunotherapy, however, the field warrants a new appraisal—the targeted induction of immunogenic cell death may offer personalized strategies to optimize anti-tumor immunity. Once again, the spotlight is on NFκB, which is not only a master regulator of cancer cell death, survival, and inflammation, but also of adaptive anti-tumor immune responses that are triggered by dying tumor cells.
The Role of Neuregulin-1 in Steatotic and Non-Steatotic Liver Transplantation from Brain-Dead Donors
Authors: Micó-Carnero Marc , Casillas-Ramírez Araní , Sánchez-González Alfredo , Rojano-Alfonso Carlos , Peralta Carmen
Published: April 2022

Background. Brain death (BD) and steatosis are key risk factors to predict adverse post-transplant outcomes. We investigated the role of Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) in rat steatotic and non-steatotic liver transplantation (LT) from brain death donors (DBD). Methods: NRG1 pathways were characterized after surgery. Results: NRG1 and p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) levels increased in steatotic and non-steatotic grafts from DBDs. The abolishment of NRG1 effects reduced PAK1. When the effect of either NRG1 nor PAK1 was inhibited, injury and regenerative failure were exacerbated. The benefits of the NRG-1-PAK1 axis in liver grafts from DBDs were associated with increased vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF1) levels, respectively. Indeed, VEGFA administration in non-steatotic livers and IGF1 treatment in steatotic grafts prevented damage and regenerative failure resulting from the inhibition of either NRG1 or PAK-1 activity in each type of liver. Exogenous NRG1 induced greater injury than BD induction. Conclusions: This study indicates the benefits of endogenous NRG1 in liver grafts from DBDs and underscores the specificity of the NRG1 signaling pathway depending on the type of liver: NRG1-PAK1-VEGFA in non-steatotic livers and NRG1-PAK1-IGF1 in steatotic livers. Exogenous NRG1 is not an appropriate strategy to apply to liver grafts from DBD.
Factors Affecting Residential End-Use Energy: Multiple Regression Analysis Based on Buildings, Households, Lifestyles, and Equipment
Authors: Xie Yixuan , Noor Azlin Iryani Mohd
Published: April 2022

Building characteristics, household compositions, lifestyles, and home equipment are recognized as the main factors influencing residential energy consumption, which has been a subject of extensive exploration for many years now. However, the quantitative correlation models between the above factors and residential end-use energy have not been fully studied. This paper aims to explore the determinants of residential end-use energy consumption by a comprehensive analysis based on the factors of building characteristics, household compositions, lifestyles, and home equipment. For this purpose, we investigated and collected the building information of 66 households and obtained the data through an installed measurement system of the annual residential end-use energy from July 2019 to June 2020. Subsequently, six multiple regression models were used to quantitatively analyze the valid determinants of each end-use energy. The main results were as follows: for cooling energy consumption, the greatest effective variable was FM_no (22–59, number of family members aged 22 to 59); the most influential variable was found to be FM_no (number of family members) for DHW and appliances energy consumption; for lighting and cooking energy consumption, the most effective variables were AREA (floor area) and Cooking (average daily cooking hours), respectively. Moreover, the order of influence of building characteristics, household compositions, lifestyles, and home equipment over each end-use energy consumption is as follows: households > equipment > lifestyles for cooling and DHW, households > buildings > equipment for lighting, equipment > lifestyles for appliances and cooking.
Comparison of Model Complexities in Optimal Control Tested in a Real Thermally Activated Building System
Authors: Arroyo Javier , Spiessens Fred , Helsen Lieve
Published: April 2022

Building predictive control has proven to achieve energy savings and higher comfort levels than classical rule-based controllers. The choice of the model complexity needed to be used in model-based optimal control is not trivial, and a wide variety of model types is implemented in the scientific literature. This paper shares practical aspects of implementing different control-oriented models for model predictive control in a building. A real thermally activated test building is used to compare the white-, grey-, and black-box modeling paradigms in prediction and control performance. The experimental results obtained in our particular case reveal that there is not a significant correlation between prediction and control performance and highlight the importance of modeling the heat emission system based on physics. It is also observed that most of the complexity of the physics-based model arises from the building envelope while this part of the building is the most sensitive to weather forecast uncertainty.
Transcriptomic, Hormonomic and Metabolomic Analyses Highlighted the Common Modules Related to Photosynthesis, Sugar Metabolism and Cell Division in Parthenocarpic Tomato Fruits during Early Fruit Set
Authors: Kusano Miyako , Worarad Kanjana , Fukushima Atsushi , Kamiya Ken , Mitani Yuka , Okazaki Yozo , Higashi Yasuhiro , Nakabayashi Ryo , Kobayashi Makoto , Mori Tetsuya , Nishizawa Tomoko , Takebayashi Yumiko , Kojima Mikiko , Sakakibara Hitoshi , Saito Kazuki , Hao Shuhei , Shinozaki Yoshihito , Okabe Yoshihiro , Kimbara Junji , Ariizumi Tohru , Ezura Hiroshi
Published: April 2022

Parthenocarpy, the pollination-independent fruit set, can raise the productivity of the fruit set even under adverse factors during the reproductive phase. The application of plant hormones stimulates parthenocarpy, but artificial hormones incur extra financial and labour costs to farmers and can induce the formation of deformed fruit. This study examines the performance of parthenocarpic mutants having no transcription factors of SlIAA9 and SlTAP3 and sldella that do not have the protein-coding gene, SlDELLA, in tomato (cv. Micro-Tom). At 0 day after the flowering (DAF) stage and DAFs after pollination, the sliaa9 mutant demonstrated increased pistil development compared to the other two mutants and wild type (WT). In contrast to WT and the other mutants, the sliaa9 mutant with pollination efficiently stimulated the build-up of auxin and GAs after flowering. Alterations in both transcript and metabolite profiles existed for WT with and without pollination, while the three mutants without pollination demonstrated the comparable metabolomic status of pollinated WT. Network analysis showed key modules linked to photosynthesis, sugar metabolism and cell proliferation. Equivalent modules were noticed in the famous parthenocarpic cultivars ‘Severianin’, particularly for emasculated samples. Our discovery indicates that controlling the genes and metabolites proffers future breeding policies for tomatoes.
Quantitative MR in Paediatric Patients with Wilson Disease: A Case Series Review
Authors: Janowski Kamil , Shumbayawonda Elizabeth , Kelly Matt , Ferreira Carlos , Pronicki Maciej , Grajkowska Wieslawa , Naorniakowska Magdalena , Pawliszak Piotr , Chełstowska Sylwia , Jurkiewicz Elżbieta , Banerjee Rajarshi , Socha Piotr
Published: April 2022

Wilson disease (WD) is a liver disorder characterized by improper copper metabolism. Although non-invasive tools are currently used to support diagnosis and management, this is still an area of unmet need, as patients present with a wide range of symptoms. Our aim was to investigate the potential utility of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and quantitative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP+) to support patient management. MRI examinations of 7 children and young adults aged 8–16 years (six at diagnosis) were performed alongside a standard of care clinical and histological examination. Images were quantitatively analyzed to derive metrics of liver (corrected T1 (cT1; fibro-inflammation), MR liver fat (proton density fat fraction; PDFF)), and biliary health (MRCP+). MRI–PDFF provided a more dynamic characterization of fat compared with that provided by ultrasound. Those with elevated histological scores of fibrosis, inflammation, and steatosis had elevated mpMRI values. MRCP+ managed to identify dilatations in the biliary tree which were not observed during the standard of care examination. mpMRI and MRCP+ metrics show early promise as markers to assess both liver and biliary health in Wilson disease. Investigations to understand and explore the utility of these markers are warranted and should be performed.
Certificate Management Scheme for VANETs Using Blockchain Structure
Authors: Perera Maharage Nisansala Sevwandi , Nakamura Toru , Hashimoto Masayuki , Yokoyama Hiroyuki , Cheng Chen-Mou , Sakurai Kouichi
Published: April 2022

Vehicular Ad-hoc NETworks (VANETs), a special kind of Mobile Ad-hoc NETworks (MANETs), play an important role in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Via wireless technology, vehicles exchange information related to road conditions and their status, and, thereby, VANETs enhance transportation safety and efficiency. A critical aspect of VANETs is providing privacy for the vehicles. The employment of pseudonym certificates is a well-known solution to the privacy problems in VANETs. However, certificate management faces challenges in renewing certificates and revoking vehicles. The centralized certificate management, especially resulting in the delay of the revocation process, harms the nodes of VANETs. This paper proposes a blockchain structure-based certificate management for VANETs and voting-based revocation to halt misbehaving vehicles’ actions. Moreover, this paper presents extended privacy for the participants of the voting process using ring signatures.
A Facile Centrifuge Coating Method for High-Performance CsPbBr3 Compact and Crack-Free Nanocrystal Thin Film Photodetector
Authors: Tran Phuong-Nam , Tran Ba-Duc , Nguyen Duy-Cuong , Nguyen Thi-Lan , Tran Van-Dang , Duong Thanh-Tung
Published: April 2022

All-inorganic perovskite quantum dots (QDs), a promising semiconductor material, is suitable for new generation optoelectronic application. While there are many kinds of coating procedures for producing perovskite QDs peorovskite film, those methods require post-treatments and an additional dispersion support agent while still retaining pinholes and cracks. In this work, we report a facile method to produce CsPbBr3 film on a pre-patterned Pt electrode using a centrifuge coating method for photodetector (PD) application. Compact and crack-free films with ~500 nm thick from various particle sizes of 8 nm, 12 nm, and >30 nm were achieved with a suitable ratio of toluene/ethyl acetate solvent for visible light photodetector application. The optimized device has an on/off ratio of 103, detectivity of 3 × 1012 Jones, and responsivity of 6 A/W. In comparison, the on/off ratio of the device fabricated by the centrifuge coating method was 102 times higher than by the drop-coating method. The PD performance exhibited considerable moisture stability at mild high ambient temperature with no encapsulation for more than two weeks. The results suggest that this is a potential method for fabricating all inorganic perovskite nano-semiconductor films for further optoelectronic application in photodetectors, LEDs, and solar cells.
Study of the Creep Behavior of Nickel-Based Single Crystal Superalloy Micro Specimens with Dimensional Effects
Authors: Xiong Wangjiao , Ai Xing , Wang Jianfang , Wang Quanzhong , Zhao Yanyun , Zhu Haiyan , Cheng Hao , Zhang Sheng
Published: April 2022

Nickel-based single-crystal superalloys are widely used in aeroengine hot-end components, owing to their unique crystal structure and outstanding high-temperature mechanical properties. In the present study, round rod specimens of different sizes were subjected to high temperature creep tests at 980 °C/300 MPa of a second-generation nickel-based single crystal superalloy. The effect of size on the creep behavior of nickel-based single-crystal superalloys was studied with reference to the creep curves and microstructure morphologies. Creep interruption tests of 3-mm micro-round rod specimens were performed for 30, 60, and 90 h until creep fracture occurred. It was found that for nickel-based single crystal superalloys, the smaller the diameter of the specimen, the longer its creep life. Furthermore, the creep fracture morphology showed obvious creep cavitation in the fracture region. The law of organization evolution was used to analyze the rafting phenomena during the creep process. A typical “N”-type drifting strip structure was found during the creep process. Meanwhile, the width of the γ-phase channel increases continuously with creep, and the rate of change of the width of the matrix phase was fastest at the earliest stage of creep, slowing significantly during the middle and late stages of creep with the completion and appearance the rafting phenomenon.
The Impact of a Severe El Niño Event on Vascular Epiphytes in Lowland Panama
Authors: Einzmann Helena J. R. , Weichgrebe Letizia , Zotz Gerhard
Published: April 2022

As climate change leads to increasing temperatures, tropical dry seasons are expected to become more severe. An overall intensification of drought events may strongly affect vascular epiphytes. Especially at the community level, the response of epiphytes to intense drought events is still poorly understood. Therefore, the severe El Niño event of 2015/16 was used to assess the impact of prolonged drought on an epiphyte community on Annona glabra host trees, around Barro Colorado Island. Prior census data from 2002 and 2015 served as a reference for background community dynamics. Net species changes and net population changes at the species level were determined for both periods. While the total abundance of the community almost doubled during the 13 years of the reference period, individual numbers decreased by c. 17% within the year of the El Niño event. Overall, the El Niño event strongly affected the epiphyte community and led to a strong decrease in epiphyte numbers and species. These findings contrast with most previous studies in tropical lowlands that found epiphyte populations to be rather resistant to similarly severe drought events.
En-Mass Retraction of Maxillary Anterior Teeth with Severe Proclination and Root Resorption—A Case Report
Authors: Li Chenshuang , Jiang Wenlu , Chen Shih-Chin , Borenstein Krisena , Tanna Nipul , Chung Chun-Hsi , Moon Won
Published: April 2022

Molar distalization has been a validated method to correct dental sagittal relationships and create space to relieve mild to moderate crowding. In the current case report, an adult female patient had a mild skeletal Class III relationship and dental Class III molar relationship. Four premolars and one lower incisor were extracted during the previous two rounds of orthodontic treatments, and the maxillary anterior teeth were left with severe proclination and root resorption. Limited by the available teeth, extraction was not an option for her. Thus, molar distalization with TADs was the best option used in the treatment to address her chief complaint. In addition, a proper bite opening was performed to eliminate occlusion trauma. Utilizing the mid-palatal TADs, the maxillary central incisors were retracted 7.9 mm and retroclined 33 degrees, and the molar distalization was achieved as much as 8 mm. The cross-section slices of CBCT images confirmed the proper retraction of maxillary incisors and well-positioned roots in the alveolar bone. Moreover, the root resorption was not worsened from the treatment. Clinically, the maxillary anterior teeth were preserved esthetically and functionally. This case report illustrates that with proper diagnosis and treatment mechanics, significant tooth movement can be achieved even on extremely proclined maxillary incisors with severe root resorption.
A Predictive Nomogram of Early Recurrence for Patients with AFP-Negative Hepatocellular Carcinoma Underwent Curative Resection
Authors: Li Wencui , Han Lizhu , Xiao Bohan , Li Xubin , Ye Zhaoxiang
Published: April 2022

Background: Alpha-fetoprotein-negative (<20 ng/mL) hepatocellular carcinoma (AFP-NHCC) cannot be easily diagnosed in clinical practice, which may affect early treatment and prognosis. Furthermore, there are no reliable tools for the prediction of AFP-NHCC early recurrence that have been developed currently. The objective of this study was to identify the independent risk factors for AFP-NHCC and construct an individual prediction nomogram of early recurrence of these patients who underwent curative resection. Methods: A retrospective study of 199 patients with AFP-NHCC who had undergone curative resection and another 231 patients with AFP-positive HCC were included in case-controlled analyses. All AFP-NHCC patients were randomly divided into training and validation datasets at a ratio of 7:3. The univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were applied to identify the risk factors, based on which the predictive nomogram of early recurrence was constructed in the training dataset. The area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve was used to evaluate the predictive performance and discriminative ability of the nomogram, and the results were validated in the validation dataset. Results: Compared to AFP-positive patients, the AFP-negative group with lower values of laboratory parameters, lower tumor aggressiveness, and less malignant magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features. AST (HR = 2.200, p = 0.009), tumor capsule (HR = 0.392, p = 0.017), rim enhancement (HR = 2.825, p = 0.002) and TTPVI (HR = 5.511, p < 0.001) were independent predictors for early recurrence of AFP-NHCC patients. The nomogram integrated these independent predictors and achieved better predictive performance with AUCs of 0.89 and 0.85 in the training and validation datasets, respectively. The calibration curve and decision curve analysis both demonstrated better predictive efficacy and discriminative ability of the nomogram. Conclusions: The nomogram based on the multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis presented accurate individual prediction for early recurrence of AFP-NHCC patients after surgery. This nomogram could assist physicians in personalized treatment decision-making for patients with AFP-NHCC.
MTS-Stega: Linguistic Steganography Based on Multi-Time-Step
Authors: Yu Long , Lu Yuliang , Yan Xuehu , Yu Yongqiang
Published: April 2022

Generative linguistic steganography encodes candidate words with conditional probability when generating text by language model, and then, it selects the corresponding candidate words to output according to the confidential message to be embedded, thereby generating steganographic text. The encoding techniques currently used in generative text steganography fall into two categories: fixed-length coding and variable-length coding. Because of the simplicity of coding and decoding and the small computational overhead, fixed-length coding is more suitable for resource-constrained environments. However, the conventional text steganography mode selects and outputs a word at one time step, which is highly susceptible to the influence of confidential information and thus may select words that do not match the statistical distribution of the training text, reducing the quality and concealment of the generated text. In this paper, we inherit the decoding advantages of fixed-length coding, focus on solving the problems of existing steganography methods, and propose a multi-time-step-based steganography method, which integrates multiple time steps to select words that can carry secret information and fit the statistical distribution, thus effectively improving the text quality. In the experimental part, we choose the GPT-2 language model to generate the text, and both theoretical analysis and experiments prove the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.