bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Joint photon-number splitting attack on semi-quantum key distribution
Authors: Mi Shang , Dong Shuang , Hou Qincheng , Wang Jindong , Yu Yafei , Wei Zhengjun , Zhang Zhiming
Published: November 2022

Semi-quantum key distribution is based on the basic principle of quantum mechanics, which allows a classical user and quantum user to use information theory to have a secure shared key. In 2021, our research group proved the first proof-of-principle experimental demonstration of semi-quantum key distribution and verified its feasibility. Due to the limitations of existing science and technology, the experimental system still features a combination of multiphoton signal source and loss in the transmission line. This makes semi-quantum key distribution as susceptible to a photon-number splitting attack as quantum key distribution, leading to limitations of secure transmission distance. It seems that practical single-state semi-quantum key distribution can overcome photon-number splitting attack due to the SIRT bits (also known as the “sifted key”). However, its dual-channel feature still opens up an observation window to Eve. We present two joint photon-number splitting attacks suitable for a single-state semi-quantum key distribution system and show that through the joint photon-number splitting attack, Eve can obtain key information without being detected by Alice or Bob.
Exploration of the genomic atlas of Dof transcription factor family across genus Oryza provides novel insights on rice breeding in changing climate
Authors: Tabassum Javaria , Raza Qasim , Riaz Awais , Ahmad Shakeel , Rashid Muhammad Abdul Rehman , Javed Muhammad Arshad , Ali Zulfiqar , Kang Fengyu , Khan Iqrar Ahmad , Atif Rana Muhammad , Luo Ju
Published: November 2022

DNA-binding with one finger (Dof) transcription factors have been demonstrated to regulate various stresses and developmental processes in plants. Their identification and comparative evolutionary analyses in cultivated and wild species of genus oryza were yet to be explored. In this context, we report a comprehensive genomics atlas of DNA-binding with one finger (Dof) family genes in 13 diverse rice genomes (five cultivated and eight rice wild-relatives) through a genome-wide scanning approach. A galore of 238 Dof genes, identified across the genus Oryza, are categorized into seven distinct subgroups by comparative phylogenetic analysis with the model plant Arabidopsis. Conserved motifs and gene structure analyses unveiled the prevalence of species- and subgroups-specific structural and functional diversity that is expediating with the evolutionary period. Our results indicate that Dof genes might have undergone strong purifying selections and segmental duplications to expand their gene family members in corresponding Oryza genomes. We speculate that miR2927 potentially targets the Dof domain to regulate gene expression under different climatic conditions, which are supported by in-silico and wet-lab experiments-based expression profiles. In a nutshell, we report several superior haplotypes significantly associated with early flowering in a treasure trove of 3,010 sequenced rice accessions and have validated these haplotypes with two years of field evaluation-based flowering data of a representative subpanel. Finally, we have provided some insights on the resolution of Oryza species phylogeny discordance and divergence highlighting the mosaic evolutionary history of the genus Oryza. Overall, this study reports a complete genomic landscape of the Dof family in cultivated and wild Oryza species that could greatly facilitate in fast-track development of early maturing and climate-resilient rice cultivars through modern haplotype-led breeding.
Genome-wide analysis of the WOX gene family and the role of EjWUSa in regulating flowering in loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
Authors: Yu Yuanhui , Yang Miaomiao , Liu Xinya , Xia Yan , Hu Ruoqian , Xia Qingqing , Jing Danlong , Guo Qigao
Published: November 2022

The WUSCHEL (WUS)-related homeobox (WOX) gene family plays a crucial role in stem cell maintenance, apical meristem formation, embryonic development, and various other developmental processes. However, the identification and function of WOX genes have not been reported in perennial loquat. In this study, 18 EjWOX genes were identified in the loquat genome. Chromosomal localization analysis showed that 18 EjWOX genes were located on 12 of 17 chromosomes. Gene structure analysis showed that all EjWOX genes contain introns, of which 11 EjWOX genes contain untranslated regions. There are 8 pairs of segmental duplication genes and 0 pairs of tandem duplication genes in the loquat WOX family, suggesting that segmental duplications might be the main reason for the expansion of the loquat WOX family. A WOX transcription factor gene named EjWUSa was isolated from loquat. The EjWUSa protein was localized in the nucleus. Protein interactions between EjWUSa with EjWUSa and EjSTM were verified. Compared with wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana, the 35S::EjWUSa transgenic Arabidopsis showed early flowering. Our study provides an important basis for further research on the function of EjWOX genes and facilitates the molecular breeding of loquat early-flowering varieties.
Insights into melatonin-induced photosynthetic electron transport under low-temperature stress in cucumber
Authors: Wu Pei , Ma Yadong , Ahammed Golam Jalal , Hao Baoyu , Chen Jingyi , Wan Wenliang , Zhao Yanhui , Cui Huimei , Xu Wei , Cui Jinxia , Liu Huiying
Published: November 2022

In this study, the differences in chlorophyll fluorescence transient (OJIP) and modulated 820 nm reflection (MR820) of cucumber leaves were probed to demonstrate an insight into the precise influence of melatonin (MT) on cucumber photosystems under low temperature stress. We pre-treated cucumber seedlings with different levels of MT (0, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μmol · L-1) before imposing low temperature stress (10 °C/6 °C). The results indicated that moderate concentrations of MT had a positive effect on the growth of low temperature-stressed cucumber seedlings. Under low temperature stress conditions, 100 μmol · L-1 (MT 100) improved the performance of the active photosystem II (PSII) reaction centers (PIabs), the oxygen evolving complex activity (OEC centers) and electron transport between PSII and PSI, mainly by decreasing the L-band, K-band, and G-band, but showed differences with different duration of low temperature stress. In addition, these indicators related to quantum yield and energy flux of PSII regulated by MT indicated that MT (MT 100) effectively protected the electron transport and energy distribution in the photosystem. According to the results of WO-I ≥ 1 and MR820 signals, MT also affected PSI activity. MT 100 decreased the minimal value of MR/MRO and the oxidation rate of plastocyanin (PC) and PSI reaction center (P700) (Vox), while increased △MRslow/MRO and deoxidation rates of PC+ and P700+ (Vred). The loss of the slow phase of MT 200 and MT 400-treated plants in the MR820 kinetics was due to the complete prevention of electron movement from PSII to re-reduce the PC+ and P700 +. These results suggest that appropriate MT concentration (100 μmol · L-1) can improve the photosynthetic performance of PS II and electron transport from primary quinone electron acceptor (QA) to secondary quinone electron acceptor (QB), promote the balance of energy distribution, strengthen the connectivity of PSI and PSII, improve the electron flow of PSII via QA to PC+ and P700+ from reaching PSI by regulating multiple sites of electron transport chain in photosynthesis, and increase the pool size and reduction rates of PSI in low temperature-stressed cucumber plants, All these modifications by MT 100 treatment promoted the photosynthetic electron transfer smoothly, and further restored the cucumber plant growth under low temperature stress. Therefore, we conclude that spraying MT at an appropriate concentration is beneficial for protecting the photosynthetic electron transport chain, while spraying high concentrations of MT has a negative effect on regulating the low temperature tolerance in cucumber.
Functional study of CYP90A1 and ALDH3F1 gene obtained by transcriptome sequencing analysis of Brassica napus seedlings treated with brassinolide
Authors: Gan Qingqin , Luan Mingbao , Hu Maolong , Liu Zhongsong , Zhang Zhenqian
Published: November 2022

Sclerotinia disease and weeds of Brassica napus greatly reduce crop yields. However, brassinolides can improve the resistance of plants to sclerotinia diseases and herbicides. In this study, we investigated the effects of brassinolide on the occurrence, physiological indices, yield, and gene expression of Fanming No. 1 seeds under sclerotinia and glufosinate stress. The results showed that soaking of the seeds in 0.015% brassinolide for 6 h reduced the incidence of sclerotinia by 10%. Additionally, in response to glufosinate stress at the seedling stage, the enzyme activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase increased by 9.6 and 19.0 U/gFW/min, respectively, and the soluble sugar content increased by 9.4 mg/g, increasing the stress resistance of plants and yield by 2.4%. LHCB1, fabF, psbW, CYP90A1, ALDH3F1, ACOX1, petF, and ACSL were screened by transcriptome analysis. ALDH3F1 and CYP90A1 were identified as key genes. Following glufosinate treatment, transgenic plants overexpressing ALDH3F1 and CYP90A1 were found to be resistant to glufosinate, and the expression levels of the ALDH3F1 and CYP90A1 were 1.03–2.37-fold as high as those in the control. The expression level of ATG3, which is an antibacterial gene related to sclerotinia disease, in transgenic plants was 2.40–2.37-fold as high as that in the control. Our results indicate that these two key genes promote plant resistance to sclerotinia and glufosinate. Our study provides a foundation for further studies on the molecular mechanisms of rapeseed resistance breeding and selection of new resistant varieties.
A corpus-based study of modal verbs in Chinese–English governmental press conference interpreting
Authors: Zhang Yifan , Cheung Andrew K. F.
Published: November 2022

This study investigates the use of modal verbs in Chinese–English government press conference (GPC) interpretation. Modal verbs mark the speaker’s opinion of or attitude toward the event described in a sentence. Interpreters also use modal verbs to indicate the stances of the source language speakers. The use of modal verbs has been examined in such contexts as research papers, textbooks, and second language learners’ output; however, studies that compare differences in modal verbs between source and target languages in the context of interpreting are sparse. The investigation being reported is based on a comparable corpus—an original Chinese GPC and its English-translated version—and a parallel corpus—a translated English GPC and the original English version from the US. The results of the comparable corpus analysis indicate that the frequency of modal verbs in translated English is significantly higher than in original Chinese, in which only 40% of the modal verbs in translated English are consistent with their Chinese counterparts, while others are employed through amplification and value variation. The results of the parallel corpus analysis suggest that the increase of modal verbs in the target texts may help to achieve certain types of pragmatic functions in English.
Disengaged response behavior when the response button is blocked: Evaluation of a micro-intervention
Authors: Persic-Beck Lothar , Goldhammer Frank , Kroehne Ulf
Published: November 2022

In large-scale assessments, disengaged participants might rapidly guess on items or skip items, which can affect the score interpretation’s validity. This study analyzes data from a linear computer-based assessment to evaluate a micro-intervention that blocked the possibility to respond for 2 s. The blocked response was implemented to prevent participants from accidental navigation and as a naive attempt to prevent rapid guesses and rapid omissions. The response process was analyzed by interpreting log event sequences within a finite-state machine approach. Responses were assigned to different response classes based on the event sequence. Additionally, post hoc methods for detecting rapid responses based on response time thresholds were applied to validate the classification. Rapid guesses and rapid omissions could be distinguished from accidental clicks by the log events following the micro-intervention. Results showed that the blocked response interfered with rapid responses but hardly led to behavioral changes. However, the blocked response could improve the post hoc detection of rapid responding by identifying responses that narrowly exceed time-bound thresholds. In an assessment context, it is desirable to prevent participants from accidentally skipping items, which in itself may lead to an increasing popularity of initially blocking responses. If, however, data from those assessments is analyzed for rapid responses, additional log data information should be considered.
Self-concept 6 months after traumatic brain injury and its relationship with emotional functioning
Authors: Mascialino Guido , Cañadas Viviana , Valdiviezo-Oña Jorge , Rodríguez-Lorenzana Alberto , Arango-Lasprilla Juan Carlos , Paz Clara
Published: November 2022

This is an observational exploratory study assessing self-concept and its association with depression, anxiety, satisfaction with life, and quality of life 6 months after experiencing a traumatic brain injury. Participants were 33 patients who suffered a traumatic brain injury 6 months before the assessment. The measures used in this study were the Repertory Grid Technique, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the Quality of Life after Brain Injury. We calculated Euclidean distances to assess differences in pre-and post-injury self-perception, as well as the proportion of opposed pole construct rating and polarization to understand how they are associated with the scores of the other offered measures. We found that the distance between the present and ideal self, as well as the distance between the present self and the self before the lesion showed moderate positive correlations with depression, and negative correlations with satisfaction with life and quality of life. Also, for the present and self before the lesion, the proportion of opposed pole ratings was correlated with depression symptoms, quality, and satisfaction with life, while for the present self and the ideal self this proportion was correlated with all the measures. The proportion of polarization of the present self and the total polarization was negatively correlated with symptom measures. The repertory grid might facilitate a greater understanding of self-concept after traumatic brain injury. This information could be used to guide treatments that address the emotions related to distances observed in the perception of the self.
TikTok and YouTube as sources of information on anal fissure: A comparative analysis
Authors: Chen Zeyang , Pan Shaorong , Zuo Shuai
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Anal fissure is a common colorectal disease impacting patients' life quality with high incidence. Social media platforms are becoming a kind of health information source nowadays. This study aims to evaluate and compare the quality of anal fissure-related videos on TikTok and YouTube.

Materials and methods

One hundred videos were sourced from TikTok and YouTube, respectively and videos were screened further. The completeness of six types of content within the videos is assessed, including the definition of disease, symptoms, risk factors, evaluation, management and outcomes. Finally, the DISCERN instrument, Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool and Global Quality scale are used to assess video display quality and content. A correlation analysis is undertaken considering the video features, DISCERN, PEMAT and GQS scores.

Results

Physicians and non-profit organizations contributed almost all video content among selected videos. A statistically significant correlation between DISCERN classification and duration, PEMAT understandability, PEMAT actionability and GQS scores is recorded. DISCERN total scores were significantly positively correlated with video duration, PEMAT understandability, PEMAT actionability and GQS scores. GQS scores were significantly positively correlated with duration, PEMAT understandability and PEMAT actionability scores. For content, the videos mainly described management and symptoms while containing limited information on the disease evaluation, and outcomes.

Conclusions

The sources of uploaders on YouTube are more diverse than TikTok, and the quality of videos is also relatively higher on YouTube. Even so, the video quality of the two platforms still needs to be further improved. Health information without integrity, reliability and practicability impacts patients' disease perception and health-seeking behavior, leading to serious consequences. Much effort must be taken to improve the quality of videos regarding anal fissures on the two platforms, which will facilitate the development of public health education on this issue.
Evaluating new simplified assays for harm reduction from methanol poisoning using chromotropic acid kits: An analytical study on Indian and Iranian alcoholic beverages
Authors: Rafizadeh Ali , Bhalla Ashish , Sharma Neha , Kumar Kuldeep , Zamani Nasim , McDonald Rebecca , Roberts Darren M. , Hassanian-Moghaddam Hossein
Published: November 2022

Background

Ingestion of methanol can result in severe irreversible morbidity, and death. Simple and easy methods to detect methanol and other hazardous additives prior to consumption can prevent fatalities. This form of harm reduction is analogous to the widely practiced “pill testing” of recreational drugs in various countries. We aimed to evaluate the performance of two qualitative and quantitative kits to simultaneously identify the presence of methanol and formaldehyde in alcoholic beverages, and compare this to the standard gas chromatographic (GC) method.

Methods

Two-hundred samples of Indian and Iranian alcoholic drinks were examined by two new qualitative and quantitative chemical kits designed based on a modified chromotropic acid (CA) method, as well as a gold standard GC method.

Results

Methanol levels were similar when evaluated by GC and quantitative method (Z = – 0.328, p = 0.743). The 75th percentile of methanol level detection was 4,290 mg L−1 (range; 0–83,132) using GC compared to that of 4,671 mg L−1 (range; 0–84,960) using the qualitative kit (predefined color intensity reflecting the methanol/ethanol ratio). The quantitative kit was able to detect all methanol-contaminated and non-contaminated samples (110 and 60 cases, respectively: 100% sensitivity). In 25 samples, GC analysis showed no methanol; but the qualitative kit detected possible toxic substances. Formaldehyde measurement by UV/Vis analysis showed the presence of formaldehyde in 23 samples (92%) with a median 912 [IQR 249, 2,109; range 112–2,742] mg L−1.

Conclusion

Methanol and formaldehyde can be easily detected using these simple CA chemical kits. Qualitative positive results may indicate the risk of poisoning if the beverage is consumed. CA kits can be used in community setting by public health units and community organizations to monitor for methanol contamination and inform a public health response to reduce methanol-related harms to the public.
Investigating features in augmented visual feedback for virtual reality rehabilitation of upper-extremity function through isometric muscle control
Authors: Sanford Sean , Collins Brian , Liu Mingxiao , Dewil Sophie , Nataraj Raviraj
Published: November 2022

Previous studies have demonstrated how augmented feedback can accelerate motor learning. Still, how specific feedback features of complexity and intermittency can influence learning a challenging, force-driven motor task remains largely unknown. This study is an initial investigation of how variations in the complexity and intermittency of augmented visual guidance affect the performance of an isometric muscle control task with a computerized platform. This novel platform has been developed to rehabilitate upper-extremity function after neuromuscular dysfunction (e.g., spinal cord injury, stroke) while utilizing: 1) a position-adjustable arm brace for gravity support; 2) a myoelectric command interface; 3) virtual reality (VR) for motor training. Results from this study elucidate new motor control principles and suggest how augmented guidance may be leveraged in designing VR motor rehabilitation programs, which are highly flexible and customizable to individual users. This study demonstrated that simpler and more intermittent feedback typically resulted in better performance (i.e., shorter computerized motion pathlengths). Supplementary results suggested these feedback modes also reduced cognitive loading (i.e., alpha/beta band magnitudes in electroencephalography) but increased physical arousal (i.e., higher skin conductance). In sum, this study indicates that for complex, force-driven tasks, augmented guidance must be presented selectively to accelerate gains in motor performance. This study suggests that simple and intermittent feedback avoids cognitively overwhelming the user while encouraging physical engagement that supports better performance.
A conceptual model for adaptation to climate variability in rangelands
Authors: Abedi Mohsen , Hayati Dariush , Valizadeh Naser
Published: November 2022

Exploiting medicinal plants on rangelands is a climate-sensitive strategy in Iran. In other words, there is an urgent need for the transition toward resilience under current climatic pressures and risks. In addition, a deep understanding about awareness, risk perceptions, and adaptation strategies of different rural groups can play a significant role in the mitigation of climate change impacts and the development of the adaptation capacity. Therefore, the development of a conceptual model for adaptation to climate variability in rangelands was determined as the main purpose of the present study. To this end, we used analysis of awareness, risk perceptions, and adaptation strategies of medicinal plant exploiters toward climate variability. This research was carried out in Sought Khorasan province of Iran, which is one of the climate-sensitive and leading areas for the exploitation of medicinal plants in the country. Required data for this study were gathered through 13 focus group discussions. The number of members of these focus groups was between 4 and 12 people. The total number of participants in the focus groups was 91 medicinal plant exploiters. The results revealed that exploiters have a relatively favorable awareness of the current climate situation. However, they perceived huge constraints in financial supports and resources which lead to increasing social conflicts, decreasing social relations, leaving the job, increasing migration, unemployment, and psychological impacts. As expected, various adaptation strategies were used aiming at conserving, developing, improving, and managing income resources, but many of them are short of resilience orientation. Finally, research findings were articulated in the form of a conceptual model and some practical recommendations were presented to enhance adaptation of rangelands' exploiters.
Multidimensional impacts from international agricultural research: Implications for research priorities
Authors: Fuglie Keith , Wiebe Keith , Sulser Timothy B. , Cenacchi Nicola , Willenbockel Dirk
Published: November 2022

Investors in international agricultural research seek sustainable agri-food technologies that can potentially serve multiple objectives, including economic growth, food security, and sustainable use of natural resources. We employ quantitative economic models to examine the potential multi-dimensional impacts of agricultural productivity gains in the Global South. These models take into account behavior responses to agricultural technological change, i.e., how productivity changes may affect decisions on what to produce, trade, and consume. We compare potential impacts of productivity growth in different commodities and regions and assess implications along several impact dimensions, including economic and income growth, the population at risk of hunger, adequacy of protein and micronutrients in human diets, land and water use, and greenhouse gas emissions. Potential impacts vary widely by commodity group and by region. These results reveal strengths and potential tradeoffs of different R&D spending allocations, and can help inform decision-making about an optimal R&D portfolio that takes into account the multiple objectives of agricultural investments.
The value of Canadian agriculture: Direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts
Authors: Windfeld Emma , Lhermie Guillaume
Published: November 2022

While the value of agriculture to the Canadian economy is well established, its extensive indirect and induced value through upstream and downstream industries is not. Input-Output (I/O) analyzes are a common tool that measure the direct, indirect and induced impacts of an industry to the entire economy. We reviewed I/O analyzes that used economic multipliers to estimate the total contribution of agricultural industries to Canada's economy. Reports underwent data extraction for output, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), jobs, labor income and taxes generated. We found that when indirect and induced economic impacts are considered, the value of agricultural industries is much greater than traditional valuations indicate. Beef and canola were the two largest industries in terms of GDP and jobs, with direct impacts constituting less than half of their total impacts. Recent and thorough I/O analyzes are available for only a limited number of agricultural industries. There is a need for I/O analyzes covering key agricultural industries at the regional and national level using uniform methodology and recent data and multipliers. This information is essential to gain a systemic understanding of the true economic value of agriculture and to inform policies and investment that maximizes the potential of agricultural industries.
Nitrogen and Phosphorus Replacement Value of Three Representative Livestock Manures Applied to Summer Maize in the North China Plain
Authors: Xu Jiukai , Yuan Liang , Wen Yanchen , Zhang Shuiqin , Li Yanting , Mi Guohua , Zhao Bingqiang
Published: November 2022

Land application of livestock manure may reduce the use of mineral fertilizers and alleviate the environmental degradation associated with mineral fertilizers application. However, how to optimize utilization of livestock manure value is not well understood and documentation regarding the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer replacement values (NFRV and PFRV, respectively) needs further scrutiny. Therefore, three representative livestock manures, i.e., pig, chicken, and cattle manure, were applied at different usages to assess their N and P availability in comparison to reference mineral fertilizers over summer maize growing seasons. The results show that the average NFRVs of pig, chicken, and cattle manures were 41.7–58.4%, 27.5–44.4%, and −3.6–36.1%, respectively, when based on different references (grain yield, total dry matter yield, grain N uptake, total N uptake), at different N application levels. The NFRV increased with the elevated N application rate for cattle manure treatment. In the P trials, livestock manure had a higher PFRV at a low P application level, and the average PFRVs of pig, chicken, and cattle manures were 80.3–164.8%, 77.9–143.7%, and 94.1–168.0%, respectively, at different P application levels. We conclude that livestock manure produced the lowest NFRV and highest PFRV at a low fertilizer application rate; pig manure had the highest N availability; and cattle manure had the highest P availability.
An AI Based Approach for Medicinal Plant Identification Using Deep CNN Based on Global Average Pooling
Authors: Azadnia Rahim , Al-Amidi Mohammed Maitham , Mohammadi Hamed , Cifci Mehmet Akif , Daryab Avat , Cavallo Eugenio
Published: November 2022

Medicinal plants have always been studied and considered due to their high importance for preserving human health. However, identifying medicinal plants is very time-consuming, tedious and requires an experienced specialist. Hence, a vision-based system can support researchers and ordinary people in recognising herb plants quickly and accurately. Thus, this study proposes an intelligent vision-based system to identify herb plants by developing an automatic Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The proposed Deep Learning (DL) model consists of a CNN block for feature extraction and a classifier block for classifying the extracted features. The classifier block includes a Global Average Pooling (GAP) layer, a dense layer, a dropout layer, and a softmax layer. The solution has been tested on 3 levels of definitions (64 × 64, 128 × 128 and 256 × 256 pixel) of images for leaf recognition of five different medicinal plants. As a result, the vision-based system achieved more than 99.3% accuracy for all the image definitions. Hence, the proposed method effectively identifies medicinal plants in real-time and is capable of replacing traditional methods.
Thermal Stability of Self-Assembled 3-Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane Diffusion Barrier Terminated by Carboxyl Groups
Authors: Liu Hongjin , Fu Mingkun , Wang Zhe , Pang Shaozhi , Zhu Huaiqing , Zhang Chen , Ming Lijun , Liu Xinyu , Ding Minghui , Fu Yudong
Published: November 2022

The carboxyl-terminated 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) diffusion barrier was prepared onto a Si substrate via molecular self-assembly and graft modification technology. The SAM was afterward coated with a copper film via radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. In order to study the thermal stability of the diffusion barrier, the sample was subsequently annealed for 60 min in an Ar environment at the temperatures of 350 °C, 400 °C, 450 °C, 500 °C, and 550 °C. The results revealed that carboxyl modification enabled one to increase the barrier breakdown temperature of the APTMS diffusion barrier layer by about 100 °C, which was sufficient to effectively inhibit the copper diffusion at 500 °C.
Evaluation of Gasket Surface Contact Stress Uniformity Based on Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix
Authors: Chen Jiayan , Zhang Zhenyu , Wang Lu , Wang Qiang
Published: November 2022

Due to the high demand for compression recovery tests of metal gaskets, it is difficult to provide and evaluate uniform stress on metal gaskets. To effectively evaluate the uniformity of surface stress on a metal gasket, we propose a method of evaluating gasket surface stress based on gray-level co-occurrence matrix theory. Angular second moment and entropy are selected as the main characteristic parameters, and the evaluation indexes (f1 and f2) are proposed. The analysis is based on finite element calculation under different parameters of a gasket test rig. The angular second moment and entropy curve of the stress distribution cloud map are drawn according to the result of finite element calculation. The results show that the method can evaluate the uniformity of stress distribution. The best parameters of the gasket testing rig are obtained by analyzing the uniformity evaluation index. The method can realize rapid comparison and accurate evaluation of the gasket surface stress.
An Interpretable Machine Learning Approach for Hepatitis B Diagnosis
Authors: Obaido George , Ogbuokiri Blessing , Swart Theo G. , Ayawei Nimibofa , Kasongo Sydney Mambwe , Aruleba Kehinde , Mienye Ibomoiye Domor , Aruleba Idowu , Chukwu Williams , Osaye Fadekemi , Egbelowo Oluwaseun F. , Simphiwe Simelane , Esenogho Ebenezer
Published: November 2022

Hepatitis B is a potentially deadly liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. It is a serious public health problem globally. Substantial efforts have been made to apply machine learning in detecting the virus. However, the application of model interpretability is limited in the existing literature. Model interpretability makes it easier for humans to understand and trust the machine-learning model. Therefore, in this study, we used SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), a game-based theoretical approach to explain and visualize the predictions of machine learning models applied for hepatitis B diagnosis. The algorithms used in building the models include decision tree, logistic regression, support vector machines, random forest, adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and they achieved balanced accuracies of 75%, 82%, 75%, 86%, 92%, and 90%, respectively. Meanwhile, the SHAP values showed that bilirubin is the most significant feature contributing to a higher mortality rate. Consequently, older patients are more likely to die with elevated bilirubin levels. The outcome of this study can aid health practitioners and health policymakers in explaining the result of machine learning models for health-related problems.
Deep Learning Based Improvement in Overseas Manufacturer Address Quality Using Administrative District Data
Authors: Soeng Saravit , Bae Jin-Hyun , Lee Kyung-Hee , Cho Wan-Sup
Published: November 2022

Validating and improving the quality of global address data are important tasks in a modern society where exchanges between countries are due to active Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and e-commerce. Addresses may be constructed with different systems for each country; therefore, to verify and improve the quality of the address data, it is necessary to understand the address system of each country in advance. In the event of food risk, it is important to identify the administrative district from the address in order to take safety measures, such as predicting the contaminated area by tracking the distribution of food in the area. In this study, we propose a method that applies a deep learning approach to verify and improve the quality of the global address data required for imported food-safety management. The address entered by the user is classified to the administrative division levels of the relevant country and the quality of the address data is verified and improved by converting them into a standardized address. Finally, the results show that the accuracy of the model is found to be approximately 90% and the proposed method is able to verify and evaluate the overseas address data quality significantly.
Automated Detection and Classification of Returnable Packaging Based on YOLOV4 Algorithm
Authors: Glučina Matko , Baressi Šegota Sandi , Anđelić Nikola , Car Zlatan
Published: November 2022

This article describes the implementation of the You Only Look Once (YOLO) detection algorithm for the detection of returnable packaging. The method of creating an original dataset and creating an augmented dataset is shown. The model was evaluated using mean Average Precision (mAP), F1score, Precision, Recall, Average Intersection over Union (Average IoU) score, and Average Loss. The training was conducted in four cycles, i.e., 6000, 8000, 10,000, and 20,000 max batches with three different activation functions Mish, ReLU, and Linear (used in 6000 and 8000 max batches). The influence train/test dataset ratio was also investigated. The conducted investigation showed that variation of hyperparameters (activation function and max batch sizes) have a significant influence on detection and classification accuracy with the best results obtained in the case of YOLO version 4 (YOLOV4) with the Mish activation function and max batch size of 20,000 that achieved the highest mAP of 99.96% and lowest average error of 0.3643.
Review of Electrochemical Biosensors for Food Safety Detection
Authors: Wang Ke , Lin Xiaogang , Zhang Maoxiao , Li Yu , Luo Chunfeng , Wu Jayne
Published: November 2022

Food safety issues are directly related to people’s quality of life, so there is a need to develop efficient and reliable food contaminants’ detection devices to ensure the safety and quality of food. Electrochemical biosensors have the significant advantages of miniaturization, low cost, high sensitivity, high selectivity, rapid detection, and low detection limits using small amounts of samples, which are expected to enable on-site analysis of food products. In this paper, the latest electrochemical biosensors for the detection of biological contaminants, chemical contaminants, and genetically modified crops are reviewed based on the analytes of interest, electrode materials and modification methods, electrochemical methods, and detection limits. This review shows that electrochemical biosensors are poised to provide miniaturized, specific, selective, fast detection, and high-sensitivity sensor platforms for food safety.
A Smartphone-Based Low-Cost Inverted Laser Fluorescence Microscope for Disease Diagnosis
Authors: Ormachea Omar , Villazón Alex , Rodriguez Patricia , Zimic Mirko
Published: November 2022

Fluorescence microscopy is an important tool for disease diagnosis, often requiring costly optical components, such as fluorescence filter cubes and high-power light sources. Due to its high cost, conventional fluorescence microscopy cannot be fully exploited in low-income settings. Smartphone-based fluorescence microscopy becomes an interesting low-cost alternative, but raises challenges in the optical system. We present the development of a low-cost inverted laser fluorescence microscope that uses a smartphone to visualize the fluorescence image of biological samples. Our fluorescence microscope uses a laser-based simplified optical filter system that provides analog optical filtering capabilities of a fluorescence filter cube. Firstly, we validated our inverted optical filtering by visualizing microbeads labeled with three different fluorescent compounds or fluorophores commonly used for disease diagnosis. Secondly, we validated the disease diagnosis capabilities by comparing the results of our device with those of a commercial fluorescence microscope. We successfully detected and visualized Trypanosoma cruzi parasites, responsible for the Chagas infectious disease and the presence of Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies of the ANCA non-communicable autoimmune disease. The samples were labeled with the fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) fluorophore, one of the most commonly used fluorophores for disease diagnosis. Our device provides a 400× magnification and is at least one order of magnitude cheaper than conventional commercial fluorescence microscopes.
Vital Signs Sensing Gown Employing ECG-Based Intelligent Algorithms
Authors: Ko Li-Wei , Chang Yang , Lin Bo-Kai , Lin Dar-Shong
Published: November 2022

This study presents a long-term vital signs sensing gown consisting of two components: a miniaturized monitoring device and an intelligent computation platform. Vital signs are signs that indicate the functional state of the human body. The general physical health of a person can be assessed by monitoring vital signs, which typically include blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, and respiration rate. The miniaturized monitoring device is composed of a compact circuit which can acquire two kinds of physiological signals including bioelectrical potentials and skin surface temperature. These two signals were pre-processed in the circuit and transmitted to the intelligent computation platform for further analysis using three algorithms, which incorporate R-wave detection, ECG-derived respiration, and core body temperature estimation. After the processing, the derived vital signs would be displayed on a portable device screen, including ECG signals, heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), and core body temperature. An experiment for validating the performance of the intelligent computation platform was conducted in clinical practices. Thirty-one participants were recruited in the study (ten healthy participants and twenty-one clinical patients). The results showed that the relative error of HR is lower than 1.41%, RR is lower than 5.52%, and the bias of core body temperature is lower than 0.04 °C in both healthy participant and clinical patient trials. In this study, a miniaturized monitoring device and three algorithms which derive vital signs including HR, RR, and core body temperature were integrated for developing the vital signs sensing gown. The proposed sensing gown outperformed the commonly used equipment in terms of usability and price in clinical practices. Employing algorithms for estimating vital signs is a continuous and non-invasive approach, and it could be a novel and potential device for home-caring and clinical monitoring, especially during the pandemic.
Novel Heterostructures of Noble Plasmonic Metals/Ga-Substituted Hydrotalcite for Solar Light Driven Photocatalysis toward Water Purification
Authors: Ignat Eugenia Corina , Lutic Doina , Ababei Gabriel , Carja Gabriela
Published: November 2022

Heterostructures formed by close conjunctions of plasmonic metal nanoparticles and non-plasmonic (2D) lamellar nanostructures are receiving extensive interest as solar-light-driven photocatalysts for environmental pollutant remediation. Herein, the conjunction of plasmonic Au or Ag and Ga-substituted hydrotalcite are obtained by exploiting the manifestation of the structural “memory effect” of Ga-substituted hydrotalcite in the aqueous solutions of Au(CH3COO)3 and Ag2SO4, respectively. The 2D layered matrix of MgGaAl plays a dual function; it is involved in the synthesis of the plasmonic metal nanoparticles, and further, is acting as a support. The compressive investigations using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UVDR), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM/HRTEM), high-angle annular dark-field imaging/scanning transmittance electron microscopy (HAADF/STEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) describe structural, composition and nano/micromorphology characteristics of the novel heterostructures, while UVDR analysis afforded to study the features of their plasmonic responses. Results reveal that the catalysts are formed by close conjunction of small nanoparticles of Au or Ag (with a mean size less than 20 nm) that are formed on the larger particles of MgGaAl and own plasmonic features within the visible range. The catalysts performances were tested towards photocatalytic degradation of p-dichlorobenzene and 4-nitrophenol under solar light irradiation. Results revealed that the degradation of the pollutants is entangled to the plasmonic response of the heterostructured catalysts that is the key functionality in promoting photocatalysis and degrading the pollutants, under solar light irradiation. MgGaAl showed a very low photocatalytic activity when irradiated by UV or solar light. Notably, the heterostructured catalysts proceeded in good to excellent yield to remove the tested pollutants, under solar light irradiation. The sustainability of the novel catalysts was assessed through the kinetic analysis of the degradation processes of the tested pollutants and their mixture.
Biotransformation of Oleanolic Acid Using Rhodococcus rhodochrous IEGM 757
Authors: Luchnikova Natalia A. , Grishko Victoria V. , Kostrikina Nadezhda A. , Sorokin Vladimir V. , Mulyukin Andrey L. , Ivshina Irina B.
Published: November 2022

Using the bioresources of the Regional Specialised Collection of Alkanotrophic Microorganisms (acronym IEGM, Perm, Russia; WFCC # 285), R. rhodochrous IEGM 757 was selected, which catalyzed the C5, C22, and C23 functionalization of pentacyclic triterpenoid oleanolic acid (OA, 3β-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid, 1.0 g/L) to form a new 5α,22α-dihydroxy derivative of gypsogenic acid (3β,5α,22α-trihydroxyolean-12-ene-23,28-dioic acid) for 5 days. In silico analysis showed that, compared to the native triterpenoid, the OA metabolite may be more soluble in water and less ecotoxic, act as an apoptosis agonist and insulin promoter, and have chemopreventive and analgesic effects. Phase-contrast, fluorescent, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy demonstrated the high resistance of R. rhodochrous IEGM 757 to OA. This creates opportunities for further research and development of a method for the production of the OA metabolite. New-generation sequencing of the R. rhodochrous IEGM 757 whole genome, annotation and bioinformatics analysis of the obtained sequences, and real-time PCR were applied. As a result, 24 genes encoding CYP450 enzymes were found, which are highly likely to be involved in the process of OA oxidation.
Genome Assessment of Carbapenem- and Colistin-Resistant Escherichia coli from Patients in a Sentinel Hospital in China
Authors: Ma Jiangang , Tang Biao , Lin Jiahui , Ed-Dra Abdelaziz , Lin Hui , Wu Jing , Dong Yuzhi , Yang Hua , Yue Min
Published: November 2022

Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) pathogens are a significant threat to public health worldwide. However, the primary carrier of AMR genes, particularly against last-resort antibiotics, is still only partially studied in Chinese hospitals. In a sentinel hospital in China, we collected 157 E. coli strains from patients between January and July 2021. One blaNDM-1-, nine blaNDM-5-, and one mcr-1-positive E. coli recovered from inpatients were identified as resistant to meropenem and colistin. There are 37 virulence genes discovered in the 11 strains, including astA in strain EC21Z-147 (O128: H4), which belongs to the enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC). The blaNDM gene is distributed into distinct ST types, including ST48, ST616, ST410, ST711, and ST2003, while the mcr-1 gene was identified in ST117. The conjugative plasmids IncX3, IncI1-I, and IncI2 mediated the blaNDM-5 and mcr-1 genes detected among inpatients. Notably, the youngest age at which mcr-1-positive E. coli has been reported was at one day old, in a child in which the strain is closely related to strains with animal origins. Hospitals are major environments for the spread and dissemination of critical virulence and AMR genes, which requires active monitoring systems at the genome level to surveil the spread of virulence and AMR.
Choice Factors When Vietnamese High School Students Consider Universities: A Mixed Method Approach
Authors: Le Tri D. , Le Nhi V. , Nguyen Tan T. , Tran Khoa T. , Hoang Huong Q.
Published: November 2022

Higher education around the world and especially in Vietnam is becoming increasingly competitive. Universities apply marketing strategies to student recruitment and get to know their students and prospective students more closely, just as businesses learn about consumer attitudes and behavior. Therefore, studying students’ behavior of choosing a university is necessary, but most research about this topic has been conducted by a single approach. In order to examine the choice factors such as characteristics of institutions and information sources students consider when selecting universities, this research applies a mixed method approach, including both quantitative and qualitative data. Data were collected from questionnaire surveys with 670 responses from final-year high school students, and from 20 interviews with freshmen university students. Findings indicate the rankings of characteristics of institutions and information sources and the qualitative analysis explained how students consider them during their decision-making process. The research results provide important findings to help universities understand more about the factors that students are interested in and search for during the decision-making process.