bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hemiepiphysiodesis for Treating Lower Limb Deformities in Children with Hypophosphatemic Rickets: Can Diaphyseal Angular Deformities Be Corrected Concurrently?
Authors: Zhuang Hanjie , Guo Ruoyi , Zheng Danfeng , Li Qiang , Ben Yulong , Zheng Pengfei
Published: June 2024

Aims: This study was conducted to explore the ability of hemiepiphysiodesis to correct mechanical axis deformities of the long bones and concurrently improve diaphyseal angular deformities, and further analyze the correlation between corrections of mechanical and diaphyseal anatomical axis angular deformities.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 11 pediatric patients with hypophosphatemic rickets who underwent hemiepiphysiodesis at our hospital from July 2017 to July 2022. General clinical data were collected, and parameters of radiographs were measured and statistically analyzed.
Results: At the last follow-up, the correction of TMag1 was statistically significant (P=0.002) compared to preoperative values, while corrections of FMag1, FMag2, and TMag2 were not statistically significant (P>0.05). There was a positive correlation between FMag2 and mLPFA (0.43). FMag1 showed a weak correlation with mLDFA (0.38) and mMPTA (0.35). For each degree correction in mLPFA, FMag2 corrected by an average of 1.2°. For each degree correction in mLDFA, FMag1 corrected by an average of 0.6°. For each degree correction in mMPTA, FMag1 corrected by an average of 1.2°.
Conclusion: Hemiepiphysiodesis in children with hypophosphatemic rickets can correct mechanical axis deformities of the lower limbs and partially improve diaphyseal anatomical axis angular deformities.
Level of Evidence:Retrospective comparative study, III
Identification of Phytomolecules as Isoform and Mutation specific PI3K-α inhibitor for protection against Breast Cancer using e-Pharmacophore modeling and Molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Mili Ajay , Birangal Sumit , Giridhar Jyothi , Nandakumar Krishnadas , Lobo Richard
Published: June 2024

Mutations in PI3K-α contribute to a substantial proportion of breast cancer cases, particularly in HR+/HER2- subtypes. Inhibition of mutated PI3K-α will result in decrease in the progression of tumor growth. Nature has been a source of drug for numerous with compounds like Vincristine or Trabectedin, being use in cancer therapy. Therefore by using computational techniques like e-pharmacophore and molecular dynamics simulation, was used to identify natural compounds as an inhibitor of mutant and isoform specific PI3K-α. e-Pharmacophore was generated using Inavolisib drug (PDB:8EXV) and phase screening was done using Molport database for Natural compounds. After ligand docking, induced-fit docking, and ADMET analysis, Seven compounds were shortlisted for molecular dynamics simulation analysis. Out of those seven compounds, only three compounds, namely STOCK1N-85097, STOCK1N-85998, and STOCK1N-86060, show good RMSD, RMSF, Rg, SASA, PCA, FEL, and Total energy.
Clinical trial to verify the efficacy and safety of an automatic electric airway suction system: A multicenter prospective randomized study
Authors: Lee Han Young , Park Hoonsung , Baik Seungmin , Lee Jae-myeong
Published: June 2024

Background: Acute lung injury and respiratory failure in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) present challenges owing to varied factors. Manual suctioning, which is the current standard, burdens healthcare professionals and poses risks. The Lmeca.A1000 automatic suction device offers an innovative solution to this problem. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this device.
Methods: This prospective, multicenter, randomized trial compared automatic and manual suction in ICU patients. Mucosal injury and pneumonia were assessed using bronchoscopy and monitoring. Mechanical stability and adverse events were also evaluated.
Results: In total, 117 critically ill adults were screened: 56 in the experimental group and 53 in the control group completing the study. No significant difference in mucosal injury was found at 3 or 7 days after treatment (p=0.871, and 0.750). The incidence of VAP over 2 weeks was 5.36% in the experimental group and 1.89% in the control group, not significantly different (p=0.582). Adverse events occurred in 14.3% and 13.2%, respectively, with no significant difference (p=0.870). The incidence of clinical trial device malfunction within 3 days of application was 0.03% and within 2 weeks of follow-up was 0.02%.
Conclusions: This study evidenced the non-inferiority of the automatic suction device to the manual method in terms of efficacy and safety. The adoption of an automated system could alleviate the workload of healthcare professionals while maintaining effective airway management.
Positioning error compensation method for industrial robots based on stacked ensemble learning
Authors: Chen Qizhi , Zhang Chengrui , Ma Wei , Yang Chen
Published: June 2024

Due to the advantages of low cost, high flexibility and large workspace, industrial robot has been considered to be the most promising plan to replace traditional CNC machine tool. However, the low absolute positioning accuracy of robot is a key factor that restricts further application in high-precision metal cutting scenarios. In order to improve the absolute positioning accuracy of robot, a positioning error compensation method based on the stacked ensemble learning is proposed. Firstly, the sources of positioning errors and compensation strategies are clarified by analyzing the kinematic model and structural composition of industrial robot. Then, based on the stacked ensemble learning algorithm, robot positioning error prediction model containing multi-layer learners is constructed. And a discrete grid optimization method is presented for model hyper-parameters optimization calculation. Next, predicted positioning errors are adopted to the realize the positioning compensation by offline compensation method. Finally, by set up a robotic milling platform based on MOTOMAN ES165D robot, a series of error compensation experiments have been implemented to verify the proposed method. After compensation, the maximum absolute position error and average position error have decreased by 83% and 89% respectively in the compensation experiments of single point. Moreover, the error compensation of the end milling experiments has also brought significant accuracy improvement, which proved the effectiveness of the proposed method in robotic machining.
Health services Equity in less developed areas of China: Evidence from Gansu Province
Authors: Zhou Jiaxian , Li Jianmiao , Mao Ningwen , Li Shuyi , Chen Xi , Wang Dan , Zhang Yanxia , Shi Xiaoru , Gao Xin , Tao Shengxin , Pu Xuhong , Lu Jie , Hu Xiaobin
Published: June 2024

Background Equity is a key issue in the utilization of health services. All countries in the world are constantly exploring the reform of health system to promote the equality of residents' utilization of health services.
Methods Using the data of the 7th National Health Service Survey of Gansu Province in 2023 as an example, based on the Anderson model, the equity of health services utilization and its influencing factors were evaluated by using the concentration index(CI) and its decomposition method. On this basis, we screened patients who had used outpatient or inpatient services from the survey subjects and extracted their out-of-pocket(oop) expenditures incurred by using the above services. RIF regression and its decomposition method based on counterfactual analysis were used to analyze the differences in the equity of health service utilization level between urban and rural residents, and the contributing factors were discussed.
Results The concentration index of outpatient service utilization (two-week visit rate) of urban and rural residents were 0.0422 and -0.0268, and the concentration index of inpatient service utilization (hospitalization rate) were 0.1462 and -0.1294, respectively. Both outpatient and inpatient services tend to be utilized by high-income residents in cities, while in rural areas, the lower the economic level of residents, the higher the utilization rate. Further analysis of the level of health service utilization showed that the Gini coefficients of out-of-pocket expenditures for urban and rural patients were 0.703 and 0.748, respectively, indicating high inequality. RIF regression and its decomposition results show that rural patients have greater inequality than urban patients in outpatient and inpatient out-of-pocket expenditures, and there is discrimination effect.
Conclusion At present, there are still inequities in the utilization of health services in less developed areas of China, especially in the utilization of hospitalization services, but the degree of inequity is lower than that in previous studies. In terms of the fairness of health service utilization level, the inequality of degree of rural residents is greater than that of urban residents, and there is a greater discrimination effect.
A train trajectory optimization method based on the safety reinforcement learning with a relaxed dynamic reward
Authors: Cheng Ligang , Cao Jie , Yang Xiaofeng , Wang Wenxian , Zhou Zijian
Published: June 2024

Train trajectory optimization (TTO) is an effective way to address energy consumption in rail transit. Reinforcement learning (RL), an excellent optimization method, has been used to solve TTO problems. Although traditional RL algorithms use penalty functions to restrict the random exploration behavior of agents, they cannot fully guarantee the safety of the process and results. This paper proposes a proximal policy optimization based safety reinforcement learning framework (S-PPO) for the train trajectory optimization, including a safe action rechoosing mechanism (SARM) and a relaxed dynamic reward mechanism (RDRM) combining a relaxed sparse reward and a dynamic dense reward. SARM guarantees that the new states generated by the agent consistently adhere to the environmental security constraints, thereby enhancing sampling efficiency and facilitating algorithm convergence. RDRM is composed of a relaxed sparse reward and a dynamic dense reward, offering a better balance between exploration and exploitation. The experimental results show that S-PPO can significantly improve the exploration ability of the algorithm, obtain better train operation trajectories than soft constraint algorithms, and the convergence process is smoother. Finally, it was demonstrated that S-PPO exhibits good adaptability across various speed limit tracks.
Ideal Body Image and Socioeconomic Status: Exploring the Perceptions of Kenyan Women
Authors: Waltsgott Linette , Adedeji Adekunle , Buchcik Johanna
Published: June 2024

Background
Non-communicable diseases are an increasing threat in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and overweight and obesity are affecting people across all socioeconomic groups. Some studies suggest that big body sizes may be perceived as desirable among women in SSA and that high prevalences of obesity and overweight are especially present in low soccioecnomic societies. This study explores the role of socio-economic factors in the perception of the ideal body among Kenyan women and whether perceptions and beliefs about the ideal body should be considered relevant when targeting the prevention of obesity and overweight.
Method
In-depth interviews were conducted with 8 Kenyan women with varying educational backgrounds, aged between 21 and 48, using a qualitative study design. The interviews were conducted in December 2022 and January 2023 in Nairobi, audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed through qualitative content analysis and a coding system using deductive and inductive codes.
Results
The participants reported that conclusions about a person’s health and wealth status are drawn based on different body sizes. Furthermore, traditional views about the ideal body size, societal pressure, as well as the women’s own experience with their body size play a role in the perception of an ideal body.
Conclusion
Small-sized women desire to gain weight as society may view them as weak and sick. Big-sized women aim to reduce weight primarily due to health complications. Nevertheless, traditionally, a big-sized woman is considered strong and wealthy, creating external pressure on women to fulfil this body image—these findings emphasise traditional aspects in designing culturally sensitive prevention and intervention methods to address overweight and obesity.
The Neural Bases of Language Processing During Social and Non-Social Contexts: A fNIRS Study of Autistic and Neurotypical Preschool-Aged Children
Authors: Pecukonis Meredith , Gerson Javier , Gustafson-Alm Hailey , Wood Maegan , Yücel Meryem , Boas David , Tager-Flusberg Helen
Published: June 2024

Background: Little is known about how the brains of autistic children process language during real-world “social contexts,” despite the fact that challenges with language, communication, and social interaction are core features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Methods: We investigated the neural bases of language processing during social and non-social contexts in a sample of N=20 autistic and N=20 neurotypical (NT) preschool-aged children, 3 to 6 years old. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure children’s brain response to “live language” spoken by a live experimenter during an in-person social context (i.e., book reading), and “recorded language” played via an audio recording during a non-social context (i.e., screen time). We examined within-group and between-group differences in the strength and localization of brain response to live language and recorded language, as well as correlations between children’s brain response and language skills measured by the Preschool Language Scales.
Results: In the NT group, brain response to live language was greater than brain response to recorded language in the right temporal parietal junction (TPJ). In the ASD group, the strength of brain response did not differ between conditions. The ASD group showed greater brain response to recorded language than the NT group in the right inferior and middle frontal gyrus (IMFG). Across groups, children’s language skills were negatively associated with brain response to recorded language in the right IMFG, suggesting that processing recorded language required more cognitive effort for children with lower language skills. Children’s language skills were also positively associated with the difference in brain response between conditions in the right TPJ, demonstrating that children who showed a greater difference in brain response to live language versus recorded language had higher language skills.
Limitations: Findings should be considered preliminary until they are replicated in a larger sample.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that the brains of NT children, but not autistic children, process language differently during social and non-social contexts. Individual differences in how the brain processes language during social and non-social contexts may help to explain why language skills are so variable across children with and without autism.
Biological effective dose as a predictor of local tumor control in stereotactic radiosurgery treated parasellar meningioma patients
Authors: Shaaban Ahmed , Pham Duy , Tos Salem M , Mantziaris Georgios , Schlesinger David , Sheehan Jason P.
Published: June 2024

Purpose: The radio-surgical literature increasingly uses biological effective dose (BED) to replace absorbed dose to analyze outcome of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). There are as yet no studies which specifically investigate the association of BED to local tumor control in para-sellar meningioma.
Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for para-sellar meningioma during the period of 1995-2022. Demographic, clinical, SRS parameters, and outcome data were collected. The target margin BED with and without a model for sub-lethal repair was calculated, as well as a ratio of BED at the target margin to the absorbed dose at the target margin. Factors of local control were further analyzed
Results: The study was comprised of 91 patients. The median age was 55. 34 (37%) patients had a resection of their meningioma prior to SRS. The median clinical follow up was 89 months. 13 (14.3%) patients were found to have progression. 3-, 5- and 10-years local tumor control were 98%, 92% and 77%, respectively. In cox univariate analysis, the following factors were significant: Number of prior surgical resections (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.08-3.05, p = 0.024), BED (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.92-1.00, p=0.03), and BED/margin (HR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.21-0.92, p=0.028). A BED threshold above 68 Gy was associated significantly with tumor control (P=0.04).
Conclusion: BED and BED /margin absorbed dose ratio can be predictors of local control after SRS in parasellar meningioma. Optimizing the BED above 68Gy2.47 may afford better long-term tumor control.
Realization of normal temperature detection through visible light images by Retinex-CNN
Authors: Zhu Jiayi , He Zhimin , Huang Cheng , Zeng Jun , Lin Huichuan , Chen Fuchang , Yu Chaoqun , Li Yan , Zhang Yongtao , Chen Huanting , Pu Jixiong
Published: June 2024

Contactless detection of a target’s temperature of normal range (30°C ~ 150°C), which is based on its visible light images rather than infrared images, is a promising technology. Visible light imaging is primarily based on the visible light reflected from a target, rather than the thermal radiation of its own. The main challenge of contactless normal temperature detection through visible light images exists in the interference introduced by the variation of incident illumination. To solve this, a Retinex convolutional neural network (Retinex-CNN) was proposed in this paper, which was based on the convolutional neural network and Retinex algorithm. This network reduces the interference introduced by illumination variations and effectively improves the accuracy of the temperature detection based on visible light images. The temperature detection results of the Retinex-CNN shows that this network exhibits favorable generalization capability in terms of illumination variations, that is, it is still able to accurately detect temperature as a target is imaged in an illumination condition which is significantly different from that of the images in the training set. In this case, the Retinex-CNN obtains an average absolute error of 2.6°C, a value that is 6.89°C lower than that obtained by the CNN.
Quantification of tuberculosis exposure in a high-burdened setting: a modelling study
Authors: Patterson Benjamin , Hermans Sabine , Wood Robin , Cobelens Frank
Published: June 2024

Recent studies using sensitive aerosol sampling and detection methodologies, have enumerated aerosolized Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) across a spectrum of tuberculosis states in a high-burdened setting. To estimate the Mtb exposure rate we used a Bayesian inference approach to fit a reversible catalytic model to age-specific, respiratory bioaerosol Mtb prevalence data. Longitudinal monitoring of symptomatic sputum-negative, untreated clinic attendees informed a prior for the Mtb bioaerosol clearance rate. Based on an observed bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence of 62.6% and a clearance half-life of 83 days, the estimated exposure rate was 5.1/year. This result was extremely sensitive to bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence but including a simulated rate of exposure of zero until the age of 10-years did not influence the overall estimate for rate of exposure. A catalytic model without reversion was a poorer fit to the prevalence data than the primary reverse catalytic model. Mtb bioaerosol sampling findings imply an extremely high rate of Mtb exposure within TB endemic communities with rapid cycling between bioaerosol carriage and clearance. Even assuming a much lower bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence, the estimated exposure rate is an order of magnitude greater than published annual rates of Mtb infection.
“Gut first” is a safe and feasible surgical approach for Crohn’s disease patients with internal fistulas
Authors: Qi Weilin , Liu Wei , Ge Xiaolong , Zhou Wei
Published: June 2024

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of the "gut first" approach in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients with internal fistulas based on our institutional experience.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary referral teaching hospital in China from January 2018 to December 2022. Consecutive CD patients undergoing surgery for internal fistulas were categorized by surgical approach: conventional versus gut-first. Demographic data, fistula characteristics, and perioperative details were recorded and analyzed.
Results: The study included 122 patients, 91 of whom were treated conventionally and 31 via the gut-first approach. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics. The gut-first approach was associated with a higher prevalence of severe mesenteric thickening (58.1% vs. 24.2%, p < 0.001). The conversion to open surgery (p=0.81), the operation time (p=0.39), the blood loss (p=0.52), the length of the intestinal resection (p=0.09), the stoma formation (p= 0.93), the postoperative stay (p=0.10) and the rate of severe morbidity (p=0.72) were comparable between the two approaches.
Conclusion: The gut-first approach is a safe and feasible alternative in the surgical management of fistulizing CD, particularly in patients with severe mesenteric involvement.
PDA-assisted immobilization of nZVI on cotton fabric for the removal of Rhodamine B and Chromium (VI) ion
Authors: Liu Lei , Hu Yufan , Yang Yuhui , Cheng Hongbin , Xiao Shili
Published: June 2024

Printing and dyeing wastewater can cause serious environmental pollutant and must be treated to meet the emission standards before discharge. In this study, we report a method to prepare nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) particle-immobilized cotton (nZVI@cotton) fabrics assisted by polydopamine (PDA) deposition using cotton fabrics as the substrate. The nZVI@cotton fabric was systematically characterized using SEM, EDS, FTIR and TEM. The mechanical property tests of cotton fabric revealed a significant improvement in the breaking strength after deposition of PDA. The pollutant removal capability of nZVI@cotton fabric was evaluated using rhodamine B and Cr(VI) as models. The decolorization efficiency of rhodamine B could be up to 79.45% and Cr(VI) removal efficiency was 70.74% within 60 min, respectively. In addition, the iron content, different nZVI@cotton fabric system, the effect of pollutant composition and reusability of nZVI@cotton fabric were systematically investigated. Results showed that nZVI@cotton fabric prepared with the assistance of PDA was a kind of comparable wastewater purification material with the advantages of high removal efficiency to rhodamine B and Cr(VI) ions and easy to be recycled.
Antagonistic potential of Pasteuria penetrans based oil dispersion formulation against Meloidogyne incognita in medicinal coleus, Coleus forskohlii
Authors: N Swarnakumari , Geethalakshmi I. , Srisha S. , Jothi G.
Published: June 2024

Medicinal coleus (Coleus forskohlii) is an important herbal plant of Indian Medicine. Root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita. is the predominant pest of medicinal coleus that causes yield reduction upto 72 per cent. Nematode affects the medicinal property of the tubers by producing root-knot galls on them. Chemical nematicides are not suitable as the molecule, forscholin is extracted from the tubers. Biological control is the only suitable solution to prevent pesticide residual issues. Pasteuria penetrans is a potential antagonistic bacterium of M. incognita. The current investigation, an oil dispersion formulation (ODF) of P. penetrans was developed and tested for its effectiveness against M. incognita. The formulation was water soluble and the spores were viable at 60 days of incubation that was confirmed through juvenile parasitization. Various concentrations of this formulation were prepared and screened against M. incognita infection in C. forsksholii under glasshouse conditions. Soil drenching of the formulation at the rate of 400 µL in 1000 mL of water recorded 86 per cent reduction in egg mass production. P. penetrans endospores were recovered from treated plants that confirms the efficiency of the formulation. Based on this result, field trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of ODF for two seasons. The results showed that the application of ODF @ 4 L/ha in 200L of water significantly reduced nematode infection to a tune of 74.9–84.8% and 61-66.5% reduction in egg mass production and gall index. The same formulation promoted tuber yield, that was 16.7–21.5 per cent increase over control.
The short-chain fatty acid propionate exacerbates anxiety and cognitive deficits in high-fat diet-induced obese mice by impairing hippocampal neurogenesis and neuroinflammation
Authors: Zuo Xiang , Bai Huijuan , Zhao Qili , Zhao Xin , Feng Xizeng
Published: June 2024

Short-chain fatty acid propionate is a frequently used food preservative. However, excessive use of preservatives can pose environmental and public health risks. In addition, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a significant global public health concern. This study investigates whether propionate exposure affects the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of insulin resistance and neurobehavioral effects in high-fat diet mice. In this study, six-week-old male Balb/c mice were divided into four groups: standard diet (SD), propionate (15 mg/kg) (Pro), high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD supplemented with propionate (15 mg/kg) (HFD + Pro). After six weeks, the results indicated that exposure to HFD + Pro led to exacerbated weight gain, and fatty liver pathological changes, and affected glucose metabolism and insulin resistance compared to HFD mice. Furthermore, the HFD + Pro mice displayed heightened anxiety and depression behaviors in the elevated plus maze and forced swim tests, as well as cognitive and social impairments in the novel object recognition and social interaction tests. Additionally, HFD + Pro affects neuronal morphology and results in hippocampal loss, activates microglia, and leads to upregulation of neuroinflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-1β, and downregulation of IL-4 and IL-10. In conclusion, propionate exacerbates insulin resistance, impairs hippocampal neurogenesis and produces neuroinflammation, leading to behavioral deficits in HFD mice, this study provides evidence supporting the involvement of propionate in the pathogenesis of T2DM and brain neurobehavioral abnormalities. Further assessment of propionate safety is warranted.
Innovations in the Acquisition and Simulation of EEG Signals An Integrated Study of Literature Review and Application of Biomedical Technology
Authors: Sanclemente María Fernanda Rivera , Vega Carlos Ferney Alarcon , Olarte Jorge Andrés Cristancho
Published: June 2024

In this research the search for information is carried out in which the multiple applications that biomedical uses in brain signals can be made known. The main objective is to provide the information obtained in the web database that collects the creation of multiple projects based on the arrest and management of a wide variety of electroencephalographic signals, developed in devices comprising BCI systems that control the processing of signals generated by the human brain, in which it is possible to carry out an analysis of multiple information through which one can even get to know disorders and brain diseases that cause a destabilization that prevents the correct functioning of different organs and even in its entirety the peripheral nervous system. Through the feedback of the information is sought to give the creation of a device that meets the fusion of neural signal capture through multiple channels containing filtering stages that allow the reading of the signal obtained from different brain hemispheres
Assessing Earth System Responses to Climate Mitigation and Intervention with Scenario-Based Simulations and Data-Driven Insight
Authors: Gay Bradley , Miller Charles , Miner Kimberley , Mandrake Lukas
Published: June 2024

Given a world increasingly dominated by climate extremes, large-scale geoengineering interventions to modify the Earth’s climate appears inevitable. However, geoengineering faces a conundrum: accurately forecasting the consequences of climate intervention in a system for which we have incomplete observations and an imperfect understanding. We evaluate the potential implications of mitigation and intervention strategies with a set of experiments utilizing historical reanalysis data and scenario-based model simulations to examine the global response to deploying these strategies. Key findings included a global mean surface temperature and total precipitation increases of 1.374\(\pm\)0.481\(^\circ\)C and 0.045\(\pm\)0.567 mm day−1 respectively over the observed period (i.e., 1950–2022). Mitigation and intervention simulations reveal pronounced regional anomalies in surface temperature and erratic interannual variability in total precipitation, with surface temperatures up to 7.626\(^\circ\)C in Greenland, Northern Siberia, and the Horn of Africa down to -2.378ºC in Central Africa and Eastern Brazil, and total precipitation increases of 1.170 mm day−1 in Southern Alaska down to -1.195 mm day− 1 in Colombia and East Africa. Furthermore, [CH4] dynamics indicated the potential to alter global and regional climate metrics but presented significant regional and global variability based on scenario deployment. Collectively, intervention and mitigation simulations tended to overestimate the variability and magnitude of surface temperature and total precipitation, with substantial regional deviations and scenario-dependent estimation heterogeneity for [CH4]. Furthermore, forward projections indicate that both mitigation and intervention scenarios can lead to varied climate responses, emphasizing the complexity and uncertainty in predicting exact outcomes of different geoengineering strategies. By constraining our investigation scope to include monthly surface temperature, total precipitation, and atmospheric methane concentration [CH4], we find these simulations were capable of accurately capturing departures but unable to perfectly represent patterns of warming and precipitation teleconnections clearly identified in the observational record.
The Role of Nanotubes in Modulating Colony Spreading and Autolysis in Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms
Authors: Ahmed Faraz , Urooj Shaista , Ahmed Ayaz , Hudda Hafiza Noor , Mirani Zulfiqar Ali , Malakar Pradeep K.
Published: June 2024

This study investigated and characterized S. aureus biofilm dynamics. Transmission electron micrographs revealed the presence of connecting nanostructures, here referend to as nanotubes, among cells in close vicinity in S. aureus biofilms. It was further known that the nanotubes had significant implications for colony spreading and autolysis. Cell clumps producing nanotubes exhibited slower growth rates and a lack of colony spreading, suggesting that nanotube formation may hinder the cells' ability to spread and colonize new areas. In contrast, the planktonic population, which lacked significant nanotube formation, displayed faster growth and colony spreading. Furthermore, Triton (T) X100-induced autolysis assays demonstrated that cell clumps and surface-attached cells, which exhibited prominent nanotube structures, were more susceptible to autolysis. In contrast, planktonic cells, which did not show significant nanotube formation, displayed higher resistance to autolysis. These findings suggest that nanotube formation may render cells more vulnerable to autolysis. The presence or absence of nanotubes in different cell populations within the biofilm influenced their ability to spread, colonize, and survive in challenging environments.
Boundary scenario generation method of the autonomous system based on adaptive Poisson disk sampling
Authors: Lu Hui , Wang Xirui , Wang Shiqi
Published: June 2024

Generation of boundary scenario is a common approach used to test and evaluate the autonomous system. It can generate amount number of test cases in regions that demonstrate critical transitions in performance modes. However, getting sufficient test cases within boundaries in a short time remains a huge challenge for a system under test. The choice of sampling method has a great influence on efficiency and accuracy of the test. This paper proposed a new black-box test method based on adaptive Poisson disk sampling to search the test cases in decision boundary of system under test. Firstly, the idea of sequential sampling and optimization are borrowed to guide Poisson disk sampling to sample in the boundary region of the black-box system. In order to improve the convergence speed of the algorithm, an adaptive search strategy based on dichotomous method is adopted. In addition, an elimination criterion is proposed to further decrease the calculation cost and the introduction of invalid samples. Finally, two state-of-art methods were compared on nine different categories of benchmarks and two actual autonomous systems to demonstrate the validation and efficiency of proposed method. The result shows that the proposed method can obtain more information of the system with fewer samples.
Linalool as a Potential Agent for Inhibiting Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation and Exopolysaccharide Production
Authors: Wang Lei , Wang Jiamian , Zhang Kang , Zhang Jingyan , Wang Junyan , Ji Peng , Wei Yanming , Li Jianxi
Published: June 2024

Linalool—a compound commonly found in various plant essential oils—exhibits multiple biological activities, encompassing anti-bacterial, inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant properties. However, the linalool implications on Escherichia coli (E. coli) biofilm (BF) remain underexplored. We proposed to ascertain the linalool implications on the development of E. coli BF and its extracellular polysaccharides, as well as to assess the implications of linalool on E. coli in both suspension and BF states. We discovered that the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBICs) of linalool versus E. coli were twice as high as the lowest inhibitory concentrations. Linalool had a deadly impact on clinical E. coli strains obtained from cows with clinical endometritis, regardless of whether they were in a planktonic or BF condition. Linalool suppressed the BF development in a way that was dependent on the dosage, with an MBIC of 4 µL/mL. This was verified by the use of the crystal violet test and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, the CCK-8 assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) manifested significant hindrances in live bacteria within the BF. The concentration of extracellular polymeric compounds in the E. coli BF was also mitigated. Furthermore, CLSM and RT-qPCR analysis confirmed that linalool (2 µL/mL) significantly suppressed exopolysaccharide (EPS) and the pgaABCD gene expression, regulating an essential exopolysaccharide expression in BF formation. These findings revealed that linalool effectively suppressed viable bacteria, EPS production, and E. coli BF formation, presenting a new method for preventing BF-related infections.
An inverter fault diagnosis method based on ISMO and average log-likelihood ratio
Authors: Han Sumin , Zhao Guoshuai , Gao Jingli , Jia Jiaoxin
Published: June 2024

Conventional methods for diagnosing open-circuit faults in three-phase voltage-source inverters (TP-VSI) suffer from limited diagnostic diversity and slow response times. Addressing this issue, this paper proposes a fault diagnosis method based on an improved sliding mode observer (ISMO). Initially, the construction of the SMO is grounded in the mathematical model of TP-VSI. Additionally, the integration of the power switching function into the SMO aims to mitigate jitter. Subsequently, a novel fault feature is extracted, leveraging the average log-likelihood ratio based on the observer-estimated current and the actual current. Finally, a delayed switching adaptive threshold (DSAT) is devised using logical operations. The DSAT aims to fulfill the requirements for diagnosing two IGBT faults while enhancing adaptability to dynamic operating conditions. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed fault diagnosis method can effectively identify 21 types of open-circuit faults, achieving a diagnosis time of less than 75% of the current cycle. The method exhibits high accuracy and robustness.
AI-driven convolutional neural networks for accurate identification of yellow fever vectors
Authors: Araújo Taís Oliveira , Miranda Vinicius Lima , Gurgel-Gonçalves Rodrigo
Published: June 2024

Background
Identifying mosquito vectors is crucial for controlling diseases. Automated identification studies using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) have been conducted for some urban mosquito vectors but not yet for sylvatic mosquito vectors that transmit the yellow fever and other arboviruses. Here, we evaluated the ability of the AlexNet CNN to identify four mosquito species: Aedes serratus, Aedes scapularis, Haemagogus leucocelaenus and Sabethes albiprivus and whether there is variation in AlexNet's ability to classify mosquitoes based on pictures of four different body regions.
Methods
The specimens were photographed using a cell phone connected to a stereoscope. Photographs were taken of the full-body, pronotum and lateral view of the thorax, which were pre-processed to train the AlexNet algorithm. The evaluation was based on the confusion matrix, the accuracy (10 pseudoreplicates) and the confidence interval for each experiment.
Results
Our study found that the AlexNet can accurately identify mosquito pictures of the genus Aedes, Sabethes and Haemagogus with over 90% accuracy. Furthermore, the algorithm performance did not change according to the body regions submitted. It is worth noting that the state of preservation of the mosquitoes, which were often damaged, may have affected the network's ability to differentiate between these species and thus accuracy rates could have been even higher.
Conclusions
Our results support the idea of applying CNNs for AI-driven identification of mosquito vectors of tropical diseases. This approach can potentially improve the surveillance of yellow fever vectors by health services and the population as well.
Post-selection inference for quantifying uncertainty in changes in variance
Authors: Carrington Rachel , Fearnhead Paul
Published: June 2024

Quantifying uncertainty in detected changepoints is an important problem. However it is challenging as the naive approach would use the data twice, first to detect the changes, and then to test them. This will bias the test, and can lead to anti-conservative p-values. One approach to avoid this is to use ideas from post-selection inference, which conditions on the information in the data used to choose which changes to test. As a result this produces valid p-values; that is, p-values that have a uniform distribution if there is no change. Currently such methods have been developed for detecting changes in mean only. This paper presents two approaches for constructing post-selection p-values for detecting changes in variance. These vary depending on the method use to detect the changes, but are general in terms of being applicable for a range of change-detection methods and a range of hypotheses that we may wish to test.
Towards robust corridors – a novel validation framework to more efficiently create corridors
Authors: Poor Erin E. , Schieck Brian , Cox John , Guthrie Joe , Mullinax Jennifer M.
Published: June 2024

Context
Ecological corridors are one of the most recommended ways to mitigate biodiversity loss. With growing recognition of corridor importance, robust, quantitative validation methods lag behind the use of corridor modeling.
Objective
We propose a post-hoc corridor validation framework, considering the range of methods across data needs and statistical intensity. We aim to demonstrate the importance of post-hoc corridor validation by testing several validation methods on different corridor model outputs, using the same input data.
Methods
We used three different transformations on a Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floidanus) habitat suitability model to create different resistance grids, independent GPS collar data from a Florida black bear study population, and Circuitscape to create corridor models. We used several validation methods, including a novel method, to compare resulting corridors with management objectives.
Results
Transformed resistance grids were all correlated, yet differing validation and resistance grids resulted in different corridor recommendations. The use of one resistance surface and one validation category can result in the selection of inefficient or ineffective corridors. At a minimum, modelers should determine what proportion of an independent population falls within resulting corridors and should move towards more robust, documented methods as resources allow. The use of multiple validation methods can ensure greater confidence of modeling results.
Conclusions
We encourage the addition and development of the framework presented here to create more robust, effective corridors. If validation methods are not improved, the ecological and economic cost of poor corridor science will continue to increase with increasing biodiversity loss.
The Effect of Whole Body Vibration Exercise Applied at Different Environment Temperatures on Distribution of Irisin Hormone in Muscle Tissue
Authors: OZCAN Nadir Tayfun , DEMIRBAG Emel , BASKURT Zeliha , TONGAL Alper
Published: June 2024

In recent years, the effect of vibration applications on the endocrine system is a subject which has been discussed. Studies have shown that muscle contractions cause some responses in the endocrine system. This study aimed to determine the effects of whole body vibration (WBV) exercise applied at different environmental temperatures on the distribution of the irisin in muscle tissue. In our study, 30 healthy and adult female rats were used. Rats were divided into four groups as a control group (n = 6) and three different experimental groups (n = 8). 1st experimental group at 15 ± 0.5˚C, 2nd experimental group in normal room conditions, 3rd the experimental group at 35 ± 0.5˚C applied WBV exercise 5 sessions a week, 20 minutes in each session for 4 weeks. The control group rats were kept in vibration cassettes at normal room temperature, with the same number and duration of sessions, without WBV exercise. After all experimental procedures were completed, samples of skeletal muscle (M.gastrocnemius) tissue taken from the rats in the groups were used as material. When the localization and distribution of irisin in the skeletal muscle tissue were examined, it was determined that irisin was secreted from both muscle fibers and connective tissue in all groups, and the concentration of irisin synthesized from muscle fiber was the highest in the 3rd experimental group (p < 0.05). As a result, in this study, WBV exercise applied in a hot environment increases the level of irisin in muscle tissue more than WBV exercise applied in a cold environment and at room temperature.
Soil breaking mechanisms increase the efficiency of phosphorus, potassium and water use in soybean under dry season in a paddy field in southern Brazil
Authors: Cunha Italo Machado , Reis Robson Bosa , Silveira Ruan Borges , Sousa Rogério Oliveira , Carlos Filipe , Lima Claudia Liane Rodrigues
Published: June 2024

In the last 20 years there has been a significant expansion of soybean cultivation in the southern Brazil, reaching almost 2 million ha. A significant amount of this area (~500 thousand ha) has been cultivated in lowlands in rotation with rice. This rotation allows for the reduction of weeds and higher nitrogen availability. However, as rice cultivation is by flooding causes numerous physical changes in the soil that impose limitations on development of rainfed crops. In addition to these limitations, soils in the subtropical regions of southern Brazil have low levels of phosphorus and potassium. The aim of this study was to assess the response of the soybean to different soil-breaking mechanisms and doses of phosphorus and potassium in the Southern Brazil. The treatments consisted of using a subsoiler, scarifier and harrow under doses of phosphorus and potassium in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 crop seasons. In the second crop season under water restriction conditions, the scarifier and the subsoiler increased the soybean grain yield by 46% and 28%, respectively. In the same crop season, on average for the scarifier and subsoiler, an increase in the efficiency of phosphorus use (+ 62%), potassium (+ 20%) and water use (+ 47%) was observed in relation to harrow management. With adequate distribution and volume of rainfall, the breaking mechanism did not influence grain yield in soybean. The response of the soybean in terms of grain yield to phosphorus was higher than that of potassium in Entisol in the average of the two crop seasons. Thus, the use of breaking mechanisms is an important strategy for the adequate development of soybean in rotation with irrigated rice in lowlands.
Lump solution, lump and soliton interaction solution, breathing solution, and interference wave solution for the (3+1)-dimensional fourth-order nonlinear equation by bilinear neural network method
Authors: Chen Bohan , Ma Zhimin , Liu Yuanlin , Bi Quanming
Published: June 2024

In this article, the bilinear neural network method(BNNM) is used for the first time to investigate the (3+1)-dimensional fourth-order nonlinear equation. Various bilinear neural network models are created by building diverse layers of neural networks. The precise analytical solutions of this equation consists of lump solution, lump and soliton interaction solution, breathing solution, and interference wave solution. To better reveal the dynamic behavior and physical characteristics of these solutions, constructed 3D maps, contour maps, and density maps. The method adopted in this article helps study nonlinear partial differential equations in nonlinear dynamics, oceanography, and fluid mechanics. Finally, we hope these solutions we obtained can explain some nonlinear phenomena of high-order equations.
A Novel Preparation Approach for Supervised ML Membership Determination of Open Clusters
Authors: Rahimpour Omid , Salek Mohsen , Khakian Mehdi
Published: June 2024

Machine Learning methods have emerged as powerful tools for analyzing stellar clusters, which pose significant challenges. techniques such as DBSCAN and GMM have advanced remarkably in this domain. However, these clustering techniques exhibit imperfections and limitations, highlighting the need for careful data tuning and consideration of data characteristics to ensure meaningful result.
The utilization of supervised Machine Learning techniques for membership determination of the stellar clusters, especially open clusters, can lead to more accurate results. However, the absence of dataset for training on an open cluster presents a significant hurdle. To address the problem, we've introduced a novel approach to generate a labeled dataset for training the supervised Machine Learning models. Our approach leverages data from Gaia DR3 Catalog, which provides precise astrometric and photometric measurements for millions stars in Milky Way, to construct a comprehensive dataset.
Our findings have significant implications for future astronomical research. By using Supervised machine learning techniques, we can achieve more accurate and efficient membership determination for stellar clusters, which can lead to a better understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies. Our method not only enhances the accuracy of membership determination but also provides insights into the underlying data characteristics that influence cluster analysis.