bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on Multi-Agent D2D Communication Resource Allocation Algorithm Based on A2C
Authors: Li Xinzhou , Chen Guifen , Wu Guowei , Sun Zhiyao , Chen Guangjiao
Published: January 2023

Device to device (D2D) communication technology is the main component of future communication, which greatly improves the utilization of spectrum resources. However, in the D2D subscriber multiplex communication network, the interference between communication links is serious and the system performance is degraded. Traditional resource allocation schemes need a lot of channel information when dealing with interference problems in the system, and have the problems of weak dynamic resource allocation capability and low system throughput. Aiming at this challenge, this paper proposes a multi-agent D2D communication resource allocation algorithm based on Advantage Actor Critic (A2C). First, a multi-D2D cellular communication system model based on A2C Critic is established, then the parameters of the actor network and the critic network in the system are updated, and finally the resource allocation scheme of D2D users is dynamically and adaptively output. The simulation results show that compared with DQN (deep Q-network) and MAAC (multi-agent actor–critic), the average throughput of the system is improved by 26% and 12.5%, respectively.
Differentially Private Timestamps Publishing in Trajectory
Authors: Yan Liang , Wang Hao , Wang Zhaokun , Wu Tingting , Fu Wandi , Zhang Xu
Published: January 2023

In recent years, location-based social media has become popular, and a large number of spatiotemporal trajectory data have been generated. Although these data have significant mining value, they also pose a great threat to the privacy of users. At present, many studies have realized the privacy-preserving mechanism of location data in social media in terms of data utility and privacy preservation, but rarely have any of them considered the correlation between timestamps and geographical location. To solve this problem, in this paper, we first propose a k-anonymity-based mechanism to hide the user’s specific time segment during a single day, and then propose an optimized truncated Laplacian mechanism to add noise to each data grid (the frequency of time data) of the anonymized time distribution. The time data after secondary processing are fuzzy and uncertain, which not only protects the privacy of the user’s geographical location from the time dimension but also retains a certain value of data mining. Experiments on real datasets show that the TDP privacy-preserving model has good utility.
Beamwidth-Reconfigurable Circularly Polarized Slot Antenna Based on Half-Mode Substrate-Integrated Waveguide
Authors: Park Jeong-Hun , Lee Moon-Que
Published: January 2023

Beamwidth-reconfigurable antennas are useful for the intersatellite link of low earth orbit formation flying and constellation, as they prevent unauthorized satellites from eavesdropping. In this article, a circularly polarized slot array antenna based on a half-mode substrate-integrated waveguide (HMSIW) for the K-band beamwidth reconfiguration is proposed using a new radio frequency (RF) switch structure and a pair of modified −45° and +45° linearly polarized HMSIW slot arrays for the dual operation of a single-pole double-throw (SPDT)/a power divider (PD) and easy integration with other components, respectively. The RF switch structure consists of a T-junction PD, λ/4 lines, and beam lead PIN diodes with current control resistors and without a DC block circuit for low DC power consumption and size reduction. The −45°/+45° linearly polarized HMSIW slot arrays providing linear and circular polarizations (LP and CP, respectively) are operated for CP. The use of a short-circuited termination instead of dissipative termination results in easier integration with other components because the 16 radiating slots consume most of the input power. The dimension of the beamwidth-reconfigurable antenna including the bottom metal layer is 157.2 × 23.3 × 0.254 mm3 (12.5λ0 × 1.86λ0 × 0.0202λ0). The RF switch for the SPDT shows the insertion losses of 1.8–2.3 and 16.7–24.2 dB and an isolation of 20.9–33.4 dB for both outputs within the 10-dB bandwidth. The RF switch for the PD has an insertion loss of 3.9–4.8 dB. The one- and two-antenna operation modes of the CP antenna provide the gains of 9.44 and 6.99 dBic, the axial ratios of 2.24 and 3.47 dB, and the horizontal beamwidths of 35.8° and 78.2°, respectively.
Task Offloading and Resource Allocation for Tasks with Varied Requirements in Mobile Edge Computing Networks
Authors: Dong Li , He Wenji , Yao Haipeng
Published: January 2023

Edge computing enables devices with insufficient computing resources to offload their tasks to the edge for computing, to improve the service experience. Some existing work has noticed that the data size of offloaded tasks played a role in resource allocation shares but has not delved further into how the data size of an offloaded task affects resource allocation. Among offloaded tasks, those with larger data sizes often consume a larger share of system resources, potentially even monopolizing system resources if the data size is large enough. As a result, tasks with small or regular sizes lose the opportunity to be offloaded to the edge due to their limited data size. To address this issue, we introduce the concept of an emergency factor to penalize tasks with immense sizes for monopolizing system resources, while supporting tasks with small sizes to contend for system resources. The joint offloading decision and resource allocation problem is formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem and further decomposed into an offloading decision subproblem and a resource allocation subproblem. Using the KKT conditions, we design a bisection search-based algorithm to find the optimal resource allocation scheme. Additionally, we propose a linear-search-based coordinate descent (CD) algorithm to identify the optimal offloading decision. Numerical results show that our proposed algorithm converges to the optimal scheme (for the minimal delay) when tasks are of regular size. Moreover, when tasks of immense, small and regular sizes coexist in the system, our scheme can exclude tasks of immense size from edge resource allocation, while still enabling tasks of small size to be offloaded.
Formal Verification of Robot Rotary Kinematics
Authors: Xie Guojun , Yang Huanhuan , Deng Hao , Shi Zhengpu , Chen Gang
Published: January 2023

With the widespread application of robots in aerospace, medicine, automation, and other fields, their motion safety is essential for the well-being of humans and the accomplishment of vital socially beneficial programs. Conventional robot hardware and software designs mainly rely on experiential knowledge and manual testing to ensure safety, but this fails to cover all possible testing paths and adds risks. Alternatively, formal, mathematically rigorous verifications can provide predictable and reliable guarantees of robot motion safety. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, we formalize the mathematical coordinate transformation of a robot’s rigid-body kinematics using the Coq Proof Assistant to verify the correctness of its theoretical design. First, based on record-type matrix formalization, we define and verify a robot’s spatial geometry by constructing formal expressions of the matrix’ Frobenius norm, trace, and inner product. Second, we divide rotary motion into revolution and rotation construct and provide their formal definitions. Next, we formally verify the rotational matrices of angle conventions (e.g., roll–pitch–yaw and Euler), and we complete the formal verification of the Rodriguez formula to formally verify the correctness of the motion theory in specific rotating kinematics problems. The formal work of this paper has a variety of essential applications and provides a generalizable kinematics analysis framework for robot control system verification. Moreover, it paves the way for automatic programming capabilities.
Clarifying Optimum Setting Temperatures for In-Flight Personal Air Conditioning System Considering Individual Thermal Sensitivity Characteristics
Authors: Matsumoto Yuna , Kanamaru Manami , Tan Phan Xuan , Kamioka Eiji
Published: January 2023

The number of people who use airplanes has increased year by year. However, most passengers have a feeling of discomfort during a long-distance flight. One of the factors is the lack of temperature control in the cabin. If air conditioning control can be adjusted to each passenger’s thermal sensation, the whole comfort in the cabin would be improved. Therefore, a personal air conditioning control method is required for airplanes. In order to implement personal air conditioning adapted to individual thermal sensation, this study proposes a seat-type air conditioning system that adjusts the temperature to each part of the body and aims to clarify the appropriate temperature setting in consideration of individual thermal sensation. As a result, the appropriate degree of temperature setting change was clarified based on the thermal sensation index. It was found that changing the temperature setting by 2.5 °C per scale of the thermal sensation improved the passenger’s comfort. Furthermore, people who tend to feel cold were found to be more sensitive to temperature changes. It is concluded that personalized air conditioning is possible based on individual thermal sensitivity characteristics. For prospects, it is desirable to study a system that automatically predicts the thermal sensation taking into account individual thermal sensitivity characteristics.
Internal Flow Field and Loss Analysis of a Magnetic Drive Pump’s Cooling Circuit
Authors: Xu Zhenfa , Kong Fanyu , Zhang Kun , Wang Yinfeng , Wang Jiaqiong , Qiu Ning
Published: January 2023

The cooling circuit is an important component of the magnetic drive pump because it prevents demagnetization of the permanent magnet and damage to the containment shell owing to a high temperature increase. In this paper, the flow field and losses of the cooling circuit of the magnetic pump are discussed and experimentally verified based on numerical simulation methods. Five different lengths of magnetic couplings were designed, and the flow field distribution, cooling flow rate, and loss variation laws of the cooling circuit were analyzed. The results show that the pump flow rate and magnetic coupling length have a minimal effect on the velocity distribution in the cooling circuit. When the magnet length increases from 30 mm to 55 mm, the temperature rise of the cooling circuit and the pressure drop at the gap increase by 23.1% and 25.3%, respectively. When the length of the magnetic coupling remains constant, the cooling flow rate of the cooling circuit falls with an increasing pump flow rate, and it reduces by 8.4% when the pump flow rate increases from 0.7 Q to 1.3 Q. The water friction loss and eddy current loss of the cooling circuit increase with an increase in the magnetic coupling length, while the cooling flow rate decreases. When the magnet length increases from 30 mm to 55 mm, the eddy current losses in the coupling circuit and the water friction losses in the cooling circuit increase by 45% and 35%, respectively, while the cooling flow rate decreases by 13%.
Frequency Regulation of Electric Vehicle Aggregator Considering User Requirements with Limited Data Collection
Authors: Zeng Fei , Wei Zhinong , Sun Guoqiang , Wang Mingshen , Han Haiteng
Published: January 2023

High penetration of renewable energy in the power grid causes serious frequency deviations. Large-scale integrations of electric vehicles (EVs) in the power grid provide considerable vehicle-to-grid potential for frequency regulation. Existing frequency regulation strategies with aggregated EVs realize accurate power control that relies on complete information interaction between the EV aggregator and individual EVs. However, the data collection for all EV parameters is not applicable due to privacy protection and the limited communication environment. Considering the limited data collection from grid-connected EVs, this paper provides a novel frequency regulation strategy and tends to address the uncertain influence from EV users’ charging requirements, the EV aggregator’s power regulation, and the frequency regulation performance. Firstly, considering the influence of the limited data collection by EVs on the users’ requirement of traveling and regulation preference, a probabilistic evaluation model for the available regulation capacity of the EV aggregator and the probabilistic control method for EVs are developed. Then, a frequency regulation strategy with error correction control and progressive regulation recovery is developed to simultaneously guarantee the system frequency regulation performance and the regulation requirements of EV users. Finally, case studies are carried out to validate the effectiveness of frequency regulation strategy for decreasing the uncertain influence from the limited data collection, ensuring the EV users’ requirements, and improving the system frequency stability.
Multilevel Dual Active Bridge Leakage Inductance Selection for Various DC-Link Voltage Spans
Authors: Khanzadeh Babak , Thiringer Torbjörn , Kharezy Mohammad
Published: January 2023

The leakage inductance of the transformer in a dual active bridge (DAB) dc–dc converter directly impacts the ac current waveforms and the power factor; thus, it can be considered a design requirement for the transformer. In the existing literature, a choice is made to either ensure soft switching in nominal power or to minimize the RMS current of the transformer. The inductance is typically obtained using optimization procedures. Implementing these optimizations is time-consuming, which can be avoided if a closed-form equation is derived for the optimum leakage inductance. In this paper, analytical formulas are derived to estimate the desired leakage inductance such that the highest RMS value of the current in the operation region of a DAB is kept to its minimum value. The accuracy and sensitivity of the analytical solutions are evaluated. It is shown that in a large design domain, the solution for the YY-connected MFT has a less than 3% error compared to the results obtained from an optimization engine. As an example of the importance of selecting the leakage inductance correctly, it is shown that for 11% deviations in the dc link voltages, a 10% deviation from the desired leakage inductance value can cause 2% higher RMS currents in the converter.
A Trendline and Predictive Analysis of the First-Wave COVID-19 Infections in Malta
Authors: Borg Mitchell G. , Borg Michael A.
Published: January 2023

Following the first COVID-19 infected cases, Malta rapidly imposed strict lockdown measures, including restrictions on international travel, together with national social distancing measures, such as prohibition of public gatherings and closure of workplaces. The study aimed to elucidate the effect of the intervention and relaxation of the social distancing measures upon the infection rate by means of a trendline analysis of the daily case data. In addition, the study derived a predictive model by fitting historical data of the SARS-CoV-2 positive cases within a two-parameter Weibull distribution, whilst incorporating swab-testing rates, to forecast the infection rate at minute computational expense. The trendline analysis portrayed the wave of infection to fit within a tri-phasic pattern, where the primary phase was imposed with social measure interventions. Following the relaxation of public measures, the two latter phases transpired, where the two peaks resolved without further escalation of national measures. The derived forecasting model attained accurate predictions of the daily infected cases, attaining a high goodness-of-fit, utilising uncensored government-official infection-rate and swabbing-rate data within the first COVID-19 wave in Malta.
Soil Nutrient Dynamics under Silviculture, Silvipasture and Hortipasture as Alternate Land-Use Systems in Semi-Arid Environment
Authors: Baradwal Hansa , Ghosh Avijit , Singh Amit K. , Jiménez-Ballesta Raimundo , Yadav Rajendra Kumar , Misra Sukanya , Siddanagouda Sannagoudar Manjanagouda , Kumar Sunil , Kumar Ram Vinod , Singh Sanjay K. , Yadav Dinesh K. , Mahala Deep Mohan
Published: January 2023

In order to support livelihoods, enhance food security, restore ecosystem services, and reduce pressure on forests, degraded land can be restored by utilising alternative land-use systems (ALUS), such as silviculture, silvipasture, and hortipasture techniques. ALUS significantly modify the dynamics of soil nutrients in both the surface and subsurface layers. Soils from the 0–15, 15–30, and 30–45 cm layers of Leucaena leucocephala (S)-, Hardwickia binata (H)-, Emblica officinalis (A)-, and Azadiracta indica (N)-based silviculture systems, Acacia nilotica-based silvipasture systems (SPS), natural grassland (NT), and fallow land (F) were sampled in order to better understand the nutrient dynamics of ALUS. Soils under S, H, and SPS had ~203%, 195%, and 129% higher organic carbon (SOC), respectively, than fallow land in the 0–15 cm soil layer. In the subsequent soil layer, those land-use systems had ~199%, 82%, and 110% higher SOC, respectively, than fallow land. Similarly, in the deeper layer, those land uses had ~232%, 23%, and 105% higher SOC, respectively, than fallow land. SPS and NT also improved the SOC concentration significantly over fallow land. Plots under S, H, and SPS had ~198%, 190%, and 125% higher available N, respectively, than fallow land in 0–15 cm soil layer. In the 15–30 cm soil layer, those land-use systems had ~19%9, 82%, and 110% higher available N, respectively, than fallow land. These systems also improved the P and K contents in subsurface soil. Micronutrient concentrations were also improved in soils under S, H, and SPS. Hence, ALUS’ adoption in degraded areas with trees provides a chance for C storage and improves the nutrient dynamics on degraded land.
Abstracting Data in Distributed Ledger Systems for Higher Level Analytics and Visualizations
Authors: Vinceslas Leny , Dogan Safak , Sundareshwar Srikumar , Kondoz Ahmet M.
Published: January 2023

By design, distributed ledger technologies persist low-level data, which makes conducting complex business analysis of the recorded operations challenging. Existing blockchain visualization and analytics tools such as block explorers tend to rely on this low-level data and complex interfacing to provide an enriched level of analytics. The ability to derive richer analytics could be improved through the availability of a higher level abstraction of the data. This article proposes an abstraction layer architecture that enables the design of high-level analytics of distributed ledger systems and the decentralized applications that run on top. Based on the analysis of existing initiatives and identification of the relevant user requirements, this work aims to establish key insights and specifications to improve the auditability and intuitiveness of distributed ledger systems by leveraging the development of future user interfaces. To illustrate the benefits offered by the proposed abstraction layer architecture, a regulated sector use case is explored.
Correction: Wells et al. Remotely Sensed Fine-Fuel Changes from Wildfire and Prescribed Fire in a Semi-Arid Grassland. Fire 2021, 4, 84
Authors: Wells Adam G. , Munson Seth M. , Sesnie Steven E. , Villarreal Miguel L.
Published: January 2023

Working with the source data presented in the original article [...]
Glycine-Induced Phosphorylation Plays a Pivotal Role in Energy Metabolism in Roots and Amino Acid Metabolism in Leaves of Tea Plant
Authors: Li Yuchen , Fan Kai , Shen Jiazhi , Wang Yu , Jeyaraj Anburaj , Hu Shunkai , Chen Xuan , Ding Zhaotang , Li Xinghui
Published: January 2023

Phosphorylation is the most extensive post-translational modification of proteins and thus regulates plant growth. However, the regulatory mechanism of phosphorylation modification on the growth of tea plants caused by organic nitrogen is still unclear. In order to explore the phosphorylation modification mechanism of tea plants in response to organic nitrogen, we used glycine as the only nitrogen source and determined and analyzed the phosphorylated proteins in tea plants by phosphoproteomic analysis. The results showed that the phosphorylation modification induced by glycine-supply played important roles in the regulation of energy metabolism in tea roots and amino acid metabolism in tea leaves. In roots, glycine-supply induced dephosphorylation of proteins, such as fructose-bisphosphate aldolase cytoplasmic isozyme, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, resulted in increased intensity of glycolysis and decreased intensity of tricarboxylic acid cycle. In leaves, the glycine-supply changed the phosphorylation levels of glycine dehydrogenase, aminomethyltransferase, glutamine synthetase, and ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase, which accelerated the decomposition of glycine and enhanced the ability of ammonia assimilation. In addition, glycine-supply could improve the tea quality by increasing the intensity of amino acids, such as theanine and alanine. This research clarified the important regulatory mechanism of amino acid nitrogen on tea plant growth and development through protein phosphorylation.
Metaheuristic Solution for Stability Analysis of Nonlinear Systems Using an Intelligent Algorithm with Potential Applications
Authors: Hamidi Faiçal , Jerbi Houssem , Alharbi Hadeel , Leiva Víctor , Popescu Dumitru , Rajhi Wajdi
Published: January 2023

In this article, we provide a metaheuristic-based solution for stability analysis of nonlinear systems. We identify the optimal level set in the state space of these systems by combining two optimization phases. This set is in a definite negative region of the time derivative for a polynomial Lyapunov function (LF). Then, we consider a global optimization problem stated in two phases. The first phase is an external optimization to search for a definite positive LF, whose derivative is definite negative under linear matrix inequalities. The candidate LF coefficients are adjusted using a Jaya metaheuristic optimization algorithm. The second phase is an internal optimization to ensure an accurate estimate of the attraction region for each candidate LF that is optimized externally. The key idea of the algorithm is based mainly on a Jaya optimization, which provides an efficient way to characterize accurately the volume and shape of the maximal attraction domains. We conduct numerical experiments to validate the proposed approach. Two potential real-world applications are proposed.
Synthesis and Characterization of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Stabilized with Biopolymers for Application in Wound-Healing Mixed Gels
Authors: Blinov Andrey V. , Kachanov Maksim D. , Gvozdenko Alexey A. , Nagdalian Andrey A. , Blinova Anastasiya A. , Rekhman Zafar A. , Golik Alexey B. , Vakalov Dmitriy S. , Maglakelidze David G. , Nagapetova Anzhela G. , Pokhilko Alexander D. , Burkina Irina V.
Published: January 2023

A method for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) gels was developed. ZnO NPs were obtained through a sol–gel method with zinc acetate usage as a precursor. Optimization of the method of synthesis of ZnO NPs gel has been carried out. It was observed that the most stable ZnO NPs gels are formed at room temperature, pH = 8 and molar concentration of zinc C(Zn2+) = 0.05–0.2 M. It was shown that the addition of polysaccharide significantly affects the rheological properties and microstructure of ZnO NPs gels. We found that the optimal polysaccharide for the synthesis of ZnO NPs gels is hydroxyethyl cellulose. It is shown that the microstructure of a gel of ZnO NPs stabilized with hydroxyethyl cellulose is represented by irregularly shaped particles that are assembled into aggregates, with sizes ranging from 150 to 1400 nm. A significant hysteresis region is observed in a gel of ZnO NPs stabilized with hydroxyethyl cellulose. The process of interaction of ZnO NPs with polysaccharides was investigated. It was shown that the interaction of ZnO NPs with polysaccharides occurs through a charged hydroxyl group. In the experiment, a sample of a gel of ZnO NPs modified with hydroxyethyl cellulose was tested. It was shown that the gel of ZnO NPs modified with hydroxyethyl cellulose has a pronounced regenerative effect on burn wounds, which is significantly higher than that of the control group and the group treated with a gel of ZnO microparticles (MPs) and hydroxyethyl cellulose. It is also shown that the rate of healing of burn wounds in animals treated with gel of ZnO nanoparticles with hydroxyethyl cellulose (group 3) is 16.23% higher than in animals treated with gel of ZnO microparticles with hydroxyethyl cellulose (group 2), and 24.33% higher than in the control group treated with hydroxyethyl cellulose. The average rate of healing of burn wounds for the entire experimental period in experimental animals of group 3 is 1.26 and 1.54 times higher than in animals of group 2 and control group, respectively. An experimental study of a gel of ZnO NPs modified with hydroxyethyl cellulose has shown the effectiveness of its use in modeling the healing of skin wounds through primary tension.
Genetic Insights from Consanguineous Cardiomyopathy Families
Authors: Maurer Constance , Boleti Olga , Najarzadeh Torbati Paria , Norouzi Farzaneh , Fowler Anna Nicole Rebekah , Minaee Shima , Salih Khalid Hama , Taherpour Mehdi , Birjandi Hassan , Alizadeh Behzad , Salih Aso Faeq , Bijari Moniba , Houlden Henry , Pittman Alan Michael , Maroofian Reza , Almashham Yahya H. , Karimiani Ehsan Ghayoor , Kaski Juan Pablo , Faqeih Eissa Ali , Vakilian Farveh , Jamshidi Yalda
Published: January 2023

Inherited cardiomyopathies are a prevalent cause of heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Both hypertrophic (HCM) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are genetically heterogeneous and typically present with an autosomal dominant mode of transmission. Whole exome sequencing and autozygosity mapping was carried out in eight un-related probands from consanguineous Middle Eastern families presenting with HCM/DCM followed by bioinformatic and co-segregation analysis to predict the potential pathogenicity of candidate variants. We identified homozygous missense variants in TNNI3K, DSP, and RBCK1 linked with a dilated phenotype, in NRAP linked with a mixed phenotype of dilated/hypertrophic, and in KLHL24 linked with a mixed phenotype of dilated/hypertrophic and non-compaction features. Co-segregation analysis in family members confirmed autosomal recessive inheritance presenting in early childhood/early adulthood. Our findings add to the mutational spectrum of recessive cardiomyopathies, supporting inclusion of KLHL24, NRAP and RBCK1 as disease-causing genes. We also provide evidence for novel (recessive) modes of inheritance of a well-established gene TNNI3K and expand our knowledge of the clinical heterogeneity of cardiomyopathies. A greater understanding of the genetic causes of recessive cardiomyopathies has major implications for diagnosis and screening, particularly in underrepresented populations, such as those of the Middle East.
Effective smMIPs-Based Sequencing of Maculopathy-Associated Genes in Stargardt Disease Cases and Allied Maculopathies from the UK
Authors: Mc Clinton Benjamin , Corradi Zelia , McKibbin Martin , Panneman Daan M. , Roosing Susanne , Boonen Erica G. M. , Ali Manir , Watson Christopher M. , Steel David H. , Cremers Frans P. M. , Inglehearn Chris F. , Hitti-Malin Rebekkah J. , Toomes Carmel
Published: January 2023

Macular dystrophies are a group of individually rare but collectively common inherited retinal dystrophies characterised by central vision loss and loss of visual acuity. Single molecule Molecular Inversion Probes (smMIPs) have proved effective in identifying genetic variants causing macular dystrophy. Here, a previously established smMIPs panel tailored for genes associated with macular diseases has been used to examine 57 UK macular dystrophy cases, achieving a high solve rate of 63.2% (36/57). Among 27 bi-allelic STGD1 cases, only three novel ABCA4 variants were identified, illustrating that the majority of ABCA4 variants in Caucasian STGD1 cases are currently known. We examined cases with ABCA4-associated disease in detail, comparing our results with a previously reported variant grading system, and found this model to be accurate and clinically useful. In this study, we showed that ABCA4-associated disease could be distinguished from other forms of macular dystrophy based on clinical evaluation in the majority of cases (34/36)
Wide-Range Portrayal of AP2/ERF Transcription Factor Family in Maize (Zea mays L.) Development and Stress Responses
Authors: Cheng Cheng , An Likun , Li Fangzhe , Ahmad Wahaj , Aslam Muhammad , Ul Haq Muhammad Zia , Yan Yuanxin , Ahmad Ramala Masood
Published: January 2023

The APETALA2/Ethylene-Responsive Transcriptional Factors containing conservative AP2/ERF domains constituted a plant-specific transcription factor (TF) superfamily, called AP2/ERF. The configuration of the AP2/ERF superfamily in maize has remained unresolved. In this study, we identified the 229 AP2/ERF genes in the latest (B73 RefGen_v5) maize reference genome. Phylogenetic classification of the ZmAP2/ERF family members categorized it into five clades, including 27 AP2 (APETALA2), 5 RAV (Related to ABI3/VP), 89 DREB (dehydration responsive element binding), 105 ERF (ethylene responsive factors), and a soloist. The duplication events of the paralogous genes occurred from 1.724–25.855 MYA, a key route to maize evolution. Structural analysis reveals that they have more introns and few exons. The results showed that 32 ZmAP2/ERFs regulate biotic stresses, and 24 ZmAP2/ERFs are involved in responses towards abiotic stresses. Additionally, the expression analysis showed that DREB family members are involved in plant sex determination. The real-time quantitative expression profiling of ZmAP2/ERFs in the leaves of the maize inbred line B73 under ABA, JA, salt, drought, heat, and wounding stress revealed their specific expression patterns. Conclusively, this study unveiled the evolutionary pathway of ZmAP2/ERFs and its essential role in stress and developmental processes. The generated information will be useful for stress resilience maize breeding programs.
The Power of Clinical Diagnosis for Deciphering Complex Genetic Mechanisms in Rare Diseases
Authors: Shu Li , Maroilley Tatiana , Tarailo-Graovac Maja
Published: January 2023

Complex genetic disease mechanisms, such as structural or non-coding variants, currently pose a substantial difficulty in frontline diagnostic tests. They thus may account for most unsolved rare disease patients regardless of the clinical phenotype. However, the clinical diagnosis can narrow the genetic focus to just a couple of genes for patients with well-established syndromes defined by prominent physical and/or unique biochemical phenotypes, allowing deeper analyses to consider complex genetic origin. Then, clinical-diagnosis-driven genome sequencing strategies may expedite the development of testing and analytical methods to account for complex disease mechanisms as well as to advance functional assays for the confirmation of complex variants, clinical management, and the development of new therapies.
Miyoshi Muscular Dystrophy Type 1 with Mutated DYSF Gene Misdiagnosed as Becker Muscular Dystrophy: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Park Joonhong , Moon Young Jae , Kim Dal Sik
Published: January 2023

Dysferlinopathy covers a spectrum of muscle disorder categorized by two major phenotypes, namely Miyoshi muscular dystrophy type 1 (MMD1, OMIM #254130) and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy autosomal recessive 2 (LGMDR2, OMIM #253601), and two minor symptoms, including asymptomatic hyperCKemia and distal myopathy with anterior tibial onset (DMAT, OMIM #606768). We report the first Korean MMD1 misdiagnosed as Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), which was caused by a combination of compound heterozygous c.663 + 1G > C and p.Trp992Arg of the DYSF gene. A 70-year-old male previously diagnosed with BMD was admitted for genetic counseling. Since he was clinically suspected to have dysferlinopathy but not BMD, targeted panel sequencing was performed to discover the potential hereditary cause of the suspected muscular dystrophy in the proband. Consequently, two pathogenic single nucleotide variants of the DYSF gene, c.663 + 1G > C (rs398123800) and p.Trp992Arg (rs750028300), associated with dysferlinopathy were identified. These variants were previously reported with variant allele frequencies of 0.000455 (c.663 + 1G > C) and 0.000455 (c.2974T > C; p.Trp992Arg) in the Korean population. This report emphasizes the need for common variant screening in the diagnostic algorithms of certain muscle disorders or gene panels with potential pathogenic effects and high rates of recurrent variants.
Translation in Digital Times: Omid Tofighian on Translating the Manus Prison Narratives
Authors: Tofighian Omid
Published: January 2023

On 12 February 2020, while on an international tour promoting Behrouz Boochani’s No Friend but the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison, the translator of the book, Omid Tofighian, participated in a seminar at Utrecht University, organised by Australian academic, Anna Poletti (associate professor of English language and culture, Utrecht University). Poletti is also co-editor of the journal Biography: an interdisciplinary quarterly, which published a special issue on No Friend but the Mountains in 2020 (Vol. 43, No. 4). The seminar involved Poletti, Tofighian and translation scholar, Onno Kosters (assistant professor of English literature and translation studies, Utrecht University) in conversation. Iranian–Dutch filmmaker, Arash Kamali Sarvestani, co-director with Boochani of the film Chauka, Please Tell Us the Time (2017), was in attendance, as well as the Dutch publisher, Jurgen Maas (Uitgeverij Jurgen Maas, Dutch translation based on the English translation). The event was titled ‘No Friend but the Mountains: Translation in Digital Times’. The following dialogue, ‘Translation in Digital Times: Omid Tofighian on Translating the Manus Prison Narratives’, is derived from this seminar and focuses on Tofighian’s translation of the book from Persian/Farsi into English. The topics covered also include the Dutch translation from Tofighian’s English translation, genre and anti-genre, horrific surrealism, Kurdish elements and influences, the Kurdish translation (from Tofighian’s English translation), publication of the Persian/Farsi original, translation as activism, process and technology.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises as a Treatment for Urinary Incontinence in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: López-Pérez María Paz , Afanador-Restrepo Diego Fernando , Rivas-Campo Yulieth , Hita-Contreras Fidel , Carcelén-Fraile María del Carmen , Castellote-Caballero Yolanda , Rodríguez-López Carlos , Aibar-Almazán Agustín
Published: January 2023

Women frequently suffer from urinary incontinence due to atrophic changes in the urogenital tract. Recommended conservative treatment includes evaluation of pelvic-floor strength and the functional use of pelvic-floor-muscle (PFM) training. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a search was conducted in the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for articles with at least one group performing PFM exercises in post-menopausal women with urinary incontinence. Eight articles were included, and each study had at least one group of PFM exercise-based intervention alone or combined. The volume or duration, frequency, and number of sessions were heterogeneous. All the studies reported significant differences in favor of PFM exercise in strength, quality of life, and/or severity of urinary incontinence. PFM exercise is a highly recommended intervention to treat urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women. However, more research is needed to establish specific factors such as dose–response relationships and to standardize methods for measuring effects.
Physiological State Evaluation in Working Environment Using Expert System and Random Forest Machine Learning Algorithm
Authors: Butkevičiūtė Eglė , Bikulčienė Liepa , Žvironienė Aušra
Published: January 2023

Healthy lifestyle is one of the most important factors in the prevention of premature deaths, chronic diseases, productivity loss, obesity, and other economic and social aspects. The workplace plays an important role in promoting the physical activity and wellbeing of employees. Previous studies are mostly focused on individual interviews, various questionnaires that are a conceptual information about individual health state and might change according to question formulation, specialist competence, and other aspects. In this paper the work ability was mostly related to the employee’s physiological state, which consists of three separate systems: cardiovascular, muscular, and neural. Each state consists of several exercises or tests that need to be performed one after another. The proposed data transformation uses fuzzy logic and different membership functions with three or five thresholds, according to the analyzed physiological feature. The transformed datasets are then classified into three stages that correspond to good, moderate, and poor health condition using machine learning techniques. A three-part Random Forest method was applied, where each part corresponds to a separate system. The obtained testing accuracies were 93%, 87%, and 73% for cardiovascular, muscular, and neural human body systems, respectively. The results indicate that the proposed work ability evaluation process may become a good tool for the prevention of possible accidents at work, chronic fatigue, or other health problems.
Smart Learning Environments during Pandemic
Authors: Mutizwa Melissa Rutendo , Ozdamli Fezile , Karagozlu Damla
Published: January 2023

Education was one of the many day-to-day activities affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). When countries began to shut down in April 2020, nationwide lockdowns, self-isolation, or quarantine became the new normal for everyone. The education sector was kept alive by smart learning environments. Now, more than ever, online learning and tools were implemented. This study aims to systematically review the literature on the impact of the pandemic on smart learning environments. The method adopted in this paper is a systematic literature review, and it will use the PRISMA technique. A qualitative approach was applied in the data collection process to achieve the aim. The essential advantage was that smart learning environments were convenient and easily adapted by students during the pandemic. The main challenge was connectivity issues and failure to adapt to non-traditional methods. The paper concluded a rise in the usage of smart learning environments, and educators and students adapted quickly to the shift.
Genetics and Breeding of Fruit Trees
Authors: Zhang Dong , Xing Libo
Published: January 2023

“Genetics and Breeding of Fruit Trees”, published in Horticulturae, is a collection of 11 manuscripts focusing on commercially important fruit crops, such as apple, peach, pear, kiwi, persimmon, blueberry, and red bayberry [...]
Characterization of Juice Extracted from Ultrasonic-Treated Red Pitaya Flesh
Authors: Tan Chin Xuan , Lim See Wen , Tan Seok Shin , Tan Seok Tyug
Published: January 2023

Red pitaya is a tropical fruit rich in phytonutrients essential for human health. The fruit is savored either through its processed products or raw consumption. This study aimed to assess the physicochemical properties of red pitaya juice extracted from ultrasonic-pretreated flesh. The red pitaya flesh was cut into cubes and subjected to different durations (20, 40, and 60 min) of ultrasonic treatment. The total soluble solids, pH, and titratable acidity of the juice were unaffected by pretreatment durations. Compared with the non-ultrasonic pretreated sample, the levels of organic acids, phenolics, and anthocyanins in red pitaya juice increased (p < 0.05) following 60 min of ultrasonic pretreatment. The duration of sonication pretreatment influenced the antioxidant activity of red pitaya juice. This pilot study shows that pretreatment of the red pitaya flesh using ultrasound enhances the quality of its juice.
Green Spaces with Fewer People Improve Self-Reported Affective Experience and Mood
Authors: Honey-Rosés Jordi , Zapata Oscar
Published: January 2023

Calm and quiet green spaces provide health benefits for urban residents. Yet as cities become more densely populated, increasing public users to green spaces may reduce or moderate these benefits. We examine how increased pedestrian density in a green street changes self-reported wellbeing. We use a between subject experimental design that added public users as confederates in randomly selected periods over three weeks. We collect data on mood and affective response from pedestrians moving through the green street (n = 504), with and without our public user treatment in randomly selected periods. Mood and affective response are improved when experiencing the green street with fewer people. We find that an increased number of public users in the green space has a negative effect on mood, especially among women. We provide experimental evidence that self-reported wellbeing in urban green spaces depends on social context, and that there are gender inequities associated with changes in affective response. Although we only measure immediate impacts, our results imply that the health benefits of green spaces may be limited by the total number of users. This research contributes additional evidence that greener cities are also healthier cities, but that the benefits may not be equally shared between women and men and will depend on the social context of use.
Predictors of Re-Engagement after Relapse in a Tobacco Quit Line Intervention: Secondary Analysis from a Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Wiseman Kara P. , Aycock Chase A. , Mallawaarachchi Indika , Wang Xin-Qun , Cassidy Daniel G. , Patience Marc A. , Little Melissa A. , Talcott G. Wayne , Klesges Robert C.
Published: January 2023

People who smoke often make several quit attempts before successfully maintaining abstinence. Therefore, incorporating re-engagement for people who fail to initially quit could increase quit attempts and ultimately increase cessation rates. Within the context of quit line-based interventions, it remains unknown what characteristics are associated with re-engagement. The purpose of this study was to assess associations between demographic and motivational characteristics, tobacco use, and initial intervention engagement with re-engagement in a tobacco quit line intervention. Among 372 adults who reported smoking three months after initiating a quit line-facilitated quit attempt as part of a larger randomized clinical trial, associations between personal characteristics (e.g., age, gender, nicotine dependence, and confidence in their ability to quit smoking) and initial intervention engagement (number of completed counseling sessions and use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)) with re-engagement (accepting an offer to re-initiate the quit line intervention) were determined using multivariable logistic regression modeling. Compared to non-White participants, White participants had lower odds of re-engaging (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.75). Number of initial counseling sessions completed was associated with re-engaging. NRT use during the initial intervention was not associated with re-engaging. Initial intervention engagement is important in the process of re-engagement, specifically attending counseling sessions. Exploration of associations between initial intervention engagement and potentially modifiable motivational factors is needed to be potentially leveraged in future interventions to maintain continued engagement in cessation among adults who smoke.
Workers’ Health under Algorithmic Management: Emerging Findings and Urgent Research Questions
Authors: Vignola Emilia F. , Baron Sherry , Abreu Plasencia Elizabeth , Hussein Mustafa , Cohen Nevin
Published: January 2023

Algorithms are increasingly used instead of humans to perform core management functions, yet public health research on the implications of this phenomenon for worker health and well-being has not kept pace with these changing work arrangements. Algorithmic management has the potential to influence several dimensions of job quality with known links to worker health, including workload, income security, task significance, schedule stability, socioemotional rewards, interpersonal relations, decision authority, and organizational trust. To describe the ways algorithmic management may influence workers’ health, this review summarizes available literature from public health, sociology, management science, and human-computer interaction studies, highlighting the dimensions of job quality associated with work stress and occupational safety. We focus on the example of work for platform-based food and grocery delivery companies; these businesses are growing rapidly worldwide and their effects on workers and policies to address those effects have received significant attention. We conclude with a discussion of research challenges and needs, with the goal of understanding and addressing the effects of this increasingly used technology on worker health and health equity.
Effects of the Implementation of an Intervention Based on Falls Education Programmes on an Older Adult Population Practising Pilates–A Pilot Study
Authors: Campos-Mesa María del Carmen , Rosendo Marta , Morton Kevin , DelCastillo-Andrés Óscar
Published: January 2023

Age brings consequent physical deterioration of body balance, strength, flexibility and agility. It has been demonstrated that daily physical activity (PA), managed by professionals, is fundamental to ageing with increased quality and to reducing the number of falls, which are a consequence of factors highlighted above. This has been most evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to determine and analyse the effects of a multidisciplinary intervention based on the Safe Fall, Safe Schools, adapted utilitarian judo (JUA) and Pilates programmes in a population of older people. After an intervention of 60 min, 2 days a week for 12 weeks, the changes produced in variables such as quality of life, balance, lower body strength, flexibility and agility were analysed. A p-value ≤ 0.05 is accepted. The data show that the intervention can help to improve quality of life, especially two of its dimensions: pain (increases 12 points) and health transition (increases 13 points). It also helped to improve balance, lower body strength, flexibility and agility to a lesser extent. It is concluded that this type of intervention has positive effects for the sample in all the variables mentioned above.
Knowledge about Vitamin D among Women in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: AlBlooshi Sharifa , Al Anouti Fatme , Hijazi Rafiq
Published: January 2023

Vitamin D deficiency is a significant public health issue as it affects almost 90% of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population. A bigger portion of this percentage is women due to the physiological changes throughout their life cycle. This study aims to assess the knowledge about vitamin D among women in the UAE. This is a quantitative cross-sectional study. Using snowball sampling, an electronic questionnaire was sent to women aged 18 years and above. Overall, 1537 women completed the questionnaire. The participants had mean scores of 49.4 ± 10.7 and 59.6 ± 14.6 for general and nutritional knowledge, respectively. Factors associated with higher scores included older age, marriage, higher educational level, and having tested their vitamin D levels. Factors associated with lower scores included the history of a chronic illness and being employed. Findings indicate that women in this study showed a low level of vitamin D knowledge specifically regarding the non-skeletal benefits of vitamin D and factors that affect vitamin D synthesis. Therefore, health education and promotion programs must be implemented across the UAE to improve overall awareness about vitamin D.