bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE CEILING EFFECT AND FLIGHT INSIGHT OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES DURING PROXIMITY INSPECTION OF BRIDGES VIA COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS MODELING AND SIMULATIONS
Authors: JIAO PU , SHANG BO , LI LIUJUN , CHEN GENDA
Published: October 2022

UAVs face some critical challenges in pervasive applications, such as navigation in GPS-denying areas, obstacle avoidance, and tradeoff between payload and flight time. The INSPIRE UTC at Missouri S&T is developing a clamping UAV, a hybrid flying and traversing robot, to make it possible that the UAV flies under a bridge girder, grabs the girder, and moves along the girder for inspection. This heavy UAV is difficult to control underneath the deck when equipped with multiple cameras. In this study, CFD modeling and simulation are conducted to understand the flight behavior and ceiling effect of the UAV under the bridge deck. First, 3D scanning and reverse engineering are used to build CFD models. Second, a series of single propeller tests are conducted to validate the process of CFD modeling and the simulation results. Third, based on the workflow and technique validated through single propeller CFD analysis, the CFD model of an entire UAV is established and analyzed to predict the behavior of the UAV and understand its interaction with upper boundaries as it approaches the bridge ceiling vertically. The CFD simulation results show that the ceiling effect of the designed clamping UAV is insignificant when the UAV approaches the standard bridge deck with enough depth. These results provide a technical reference for the design and control of the clamping UAV for bridge inspection.
A NOTE ON AXIOMS OF STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING
Authors: DIXIT AKASH
Published: October 2022

In this paper, the axioms of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) presented by Worden et al. [2007] are discussed in detail. In many cases, the intent of the axioms is found to be correct, but the terminologies used are confusing. Also, it was found that some axioms could be derived from other axioms that were given in the paper. Based on the discussion presented in this paper, it is suggested to replace the seven axioms given by Worden et al. [2007] with a set of three new axioms. Counter-examples are presented to dispute the axioms where necessary. Similar to Worden et al. [2007], the term axiom is used outside its meaning in the field of mathematics and logic. In both the papers, the term axiom refers to the fundamental truths, which cannot be contradicted in the field of SHM.
MINIMIZING NOISE EFFECTS IN STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING USING HILBERT TRANSFORM OF THE CONDENSED FRF
Authors: HASSANI SAHAR , MOUSAVI MOHSEN , GANDOMI AMIR H.
Published: October 2022

A novel model updating-based damage detection method is proposed that uses the Unwrapped Instantaneous Hilbert Phase (UIHP) of the condensed frequency response function (CFRF) as input to the objective function of an optimisation problem. The novelty of the proposed method lies in two items: (1) using the CFRF instead of the FRF itself, and (2) using the UIHP associated with the columns of the CFRF as input. The proposed modifications bring about the following improvements in the damage detection practice as follows: (1) CFRF will reduce the number of required degrees of freedom (DOFs) to be measured, and (2) the UIHP mitigates the effect of the measurement noise on damage detection. The problem of damage detection in a laminated composite plate with different number of layers and ply orientation has been solved where the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
MONITORING OF THERMAL AGEING CYCLES OF A SILICONE ADHESIVE IN A SIMULATED SPACE ENVIRONMENT USING EMBEDDED TFBG SENSORS
Authors: FAZZI LUIGI , DIAS NUNO , HOLYNSKA MALGORZATA , TIGHE ADRIAN , RAMPINI RICCARDO , GROVES ROGER M.
Published: October 2022

This research demonstrates the promising abilities of a tilted Fibre Bragg Grating (TFBG) sensor for monitoring the status of a silicone adhesive during a simulated space environment exposure. The silicone is used as adhesive between two thin cover glasses and the TFBG is embedded into the polymer such that it is fully enclosed. Then, the sample is exposed to standard space environment conditions in a vacuum chamber simulated by creating a high vacuum (1.3×10-6 mbar) and thermal cycles between -120 ℃ to 190 ℃. The TFBG spectra recorded during the exposure were demodulated to obtain the wavelength shifts of the Bragg and Ghost peaks and the envelope area of the upper and lower cladding modes resonances peaks. This will allow the thermomechanical and the refractive index (RI) variations of the silicone to be measured during the testing. In particular, the silicone RI depends on the material chemical and physical state and its thermal history, and the TFBG envelope area is sensitive to these RI changes. Hence, the envelope area of the TFBG spectrum can be used to obtain information on the evolution of the silicone adhesive during the test. The resulting trend of the selected peak wavelengths variation and envelope area were used to detect a variation of the degradation state of the material.
STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF THERMAL STRESS ON PIEZOELECTRIC SENSORS FOR THE STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING
Authors: GAVÉRINA LUDOVIC , ROCHE JEAN-MICHEL , BEAUCHÊNE PIERRE , PASSILLY FRANÇOISE
Published: October 2022

During the in-service lifetime of an aircraft, the surface bond of any SHM transductor is submitted to thermal stresses, induced by aviation environmental conditions. In this paper, the influence of a disbond, whether willingly introduced or caused by thermal aging, on the ability of a PZT ultrasonic transducer to generate and receive Lamb waves is numerically and experimentally studied.
ACCURACY IMPROVEMENT OF A DEGRADATION MODEL FOR FAILURE PROGNOSIS OF MITER GATES
Authors: JIANG CHEN , VEGA MANUEL A. , TODD MICHAEL D. , HU ZHEN
Published: October 2022

Aims to address the issue that the degradation model may not accurately represent the underly true degradation physics in failure prognostics of miter gates, this paper presents a framework for degradation model correction using historical strain measurements. A stochastic gap growth model with uncertain model parameters is employed as the simplified degradation model to predict the gap evolution. A dynamic model discrepancy quantification framework is then proposed to correct the simplified model by representing the model bias term as a data-driven surrogate model. After that, a maximum likelihood estimation method is developed to estimate the parameters of the data-driven surrogate model using strain measurements. Additionally, the uncertainty in the model parameters of the simplified model is reduced using Bayesian method. The corrected and updated simplified degradation model is then employed for failure prognostics of a miter gate. Results of a case study show that the updated degradation model can accurately predict multi-step ahead gap growth while performing damage prognostics and remaining useful life estimation.
IMPACT DETECTION AND LOCATION IN OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT: AN ACOUSTIC EMISSION APPROACH
Authors: CALVO-ECHENIQUE ANDREA , ROYO JOSÉ MANUEL , CALVO SUSANA , ESCALERA FEDERICO MARTÍN DE LA , NÚÑEZ JOSÉ LUIS
Published: October 2022

Acoustic emission is a non-destructive inspection technique that has been used in a wide variety of applications. However, it has also shown the potential to be used as a structural health monitoring system when the sensors are permanently attached to the structure. For this purpose, PZT wafers (PWAS) have proved to be more suitable as they are less bulky and costly than the standard commercial transducers. Furthermore, some studies have recently shown the benefits of PWAS over encapsulated acoustic sensors, which mainly rely on the capability to measure in-plane (symmetric) and outof- plane (antisymmetric) guided wave motions. The possibility to capture all the elastic wave information opens the potential to identify, locate and characterize on-line the events which are taking place on the structure, e.g. impacts, delaminations, fatigue crack, etc. The normalization of the acquired signals under varying operational and environmental conditions is a common challenge shared among all the monitoring techniques and is strongly dependent upon the application. Some authors have shown the influence of temperature and simulated vibration in impact damage localization, however experimental demonstration of impact location in relevant operating conditions was lacking. In this study, the detection and location of a low energy impact event in thick aluminium plates using sparse sensor clusters have been implemented and demonstrated under a cruise vibration profile of a jet aircraft. As the time of flight (ToF) is unaffected by the external vibrations, a location algorithm based on ToF has been implemented, and its probability of detection and prediction error evaluated. It has been concluded that an acoustic emission system using PWAS could be a feasible solution for the passive monitoring of an in-flight aerostructure.
DETECTION AND EVALUATION OF IMPACT DAMAGE ON AIRCRAFT CONTROL SURFACE USING ACOUSTIC EMISSION AND CONVOLUTION NEURAL NETWORK
Authors: AI LI , ELBATANOUNY ELHUSSIEN , K. C. LAXMAN , BAYAT MAHMOUD , SOLTANGHARAEI VAFA , TORREN MICHEL VAN , ZIEHL PAUL
Published: October 2022

Impact damage is one of the major threats to the integrity of aircraft control surfaces such as wings and elevators. The conventional and widely applied inspection approach is visual inspection which is time-consuming and subject to human error. The innovation of this paper lies in developing a smart sensing system by leveraging acoustic emission (AE) for the real-time detection and evaluation of impact damage on aircraft elevators. The challenge of this system is to deploy a minimal number of AE sensors on the aircraft due to the environmental restriction during the operation of the aircraft while still effectively evaluate the impact damage. A convolutional neural network (CNN) is employed to localize the impact and evaluate the damage level by analyzing the wavelet of signals obtained by a single AE sensor. The proposed approach is verified by an impact test carried out on a thermoplastic aircraft elevator. The results demonstrate the efficacy and potential of the proposed approach.
Buddyzm: Tradycje i idee
Authors: Jakubczak Krzysztof
Published: October 2022

Zebrane w niniejszym tomie teksty mają charakter autorski. Różnie więc rozłożone zostały w nich akcenty. Jedyne wypowiedzi uwypuklają kwestie historyczne, inne filozoficzno-doktrynalne, a jeszcze inne zwracają uwagę na zagadnienia związane z formami buddyjskiej praktyki. Razem składają się one na bogaty obraz wielowarstwowej i wielowymiarowej buddyjskiej tradycji. Ze Wstępu Czytelnicy dysponujący zróżnicowanym zakresem wiedzy na temat buddyjskich tradycji i idei znajdą w tej książce zarówno coś, czego wcześniej nie znali, jak też inny obraz tego czegoś, co wcześniej poznali. Ten inny obraz sprawi, że ich dotychczasowe mniemanie zostanie poddane weryfikacji, a ich wiedza stanie się bardziej adekwatna. Teksty są napisane dobrym językiem literackim, dlatego przyswojenie ich treści nie powinno stanowić znaczącej trudności. Z recenzji wydawniczej prof. Krzysztofa Kosiora
Buddyzm koreański
Authors: Hyekyung Jee Lucy
Published: October 2022

Buddhism has a long history in Korea and is deeply rooted in the thought of the Korean people. It introduced rebirth and karma theory and changed Korean people’s worldviews. From its transmission period to the Goryeo dynasty, it served the royal family and supported the kingship. In the Unified Silla period, it became prevalent among the common people through the teaching of equal salvation. In the Goryeo dynasty, it became completely a part of Korean culture. In the Joseon dynasty, however, the country became neo-Confucian, and Buddhism lost its political influence. Officially, it was suppressed, but it still played a role as a crucial religion among the people. In modern times, Buddhism has revived and survives in competition with Christianity. Among the various denominations, the Hwaeom and Seon schools remained major Buddhist schools in Korea. Hwaeom Buddhism proposed the interconnected worldview, Buddha mind in human mind, and the power of mind. Seon Buddhism taught the way to recover Buddha mind. Korean Buddhist scholars developed their mind-cultivation tradition on the basis of those two teachings. Currently Seon school is the biggest order in Korea and the mind cultivation tradition keeps transforming in the context of contemporary Korea.
Designing Business Process Model and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of Integrated Laboratory Management At XYZ University
Authors: Abdullah Amalia Ika Nur Fauziati , Atrinawati Lovinta Happy , Wiranti Yuyun Tri
Published: October 2022

Business processes and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are an integral part of organizations as a guideline to do activities to achieve their objectives. However, the integrated laboratory, established in 2020 as one of XYZ University’s facilities to support learning and research activities, does not have an SOP yet. Thus, this study aims to design and develop business process models and SOP documents of integrated laboratory management as instructed in the Regulation of Minister of Research, Technology, and Higher Education Number 71 of 2017. The information regarding the business process was gathered by analyzing other laboratories’ SOP and interviewing stakeholders. The interviewees were the Head of Integrated Laboratory Center of XYZ and the Head and Secretary of LPPM. After being developed, the business process models and SOP were presented to and approved by the process owner. These study outcomes are 25 business process models and 25 SOP documents of integrated laboratory management that have been verified by the Head of the Integrated Laboratory Center of University XYZ. The SOP documents have been handed over to the Quality Assurance Center of University XYZ to be formalized.
Student Integrative Islamic Boarding School Education Management Model
Authors: Apriyanto Nur , Hidayati Dian
Published: October 2022

The rapid development of higher education if not balanced with an intense spirituality, will be dangerous. Higher education integrated with pesantren attempts to balance technological progress and spiritual strength. Pesantren integrated with universities as part of the modern world and proved that the pesantren program is no longer considered old and backward. The existence of tertiary institutions that integrate pesantren is a form of public service in responding to various challenges in implementing education in Indonesia in a complete and balanced form between character and cognitive. The research method used to describe the integrity management model of pesantren education for students in Yogyakarta is qualitative descriptive with Data collection techniques in interviews, documentation, and observation. This study shows that: (1) The integration model of universities and pesantren in Yogyakarta is not carried out in one model. (2) Management of Islamic boarding school education carried out by the Tarbiyah Madani School of Science is linear integration management. (3) Educational Management Islamic boarding school conducted by Stikes Surya Global is a non-linear, fully integrated management type. (4) Management of Islamic boarding schools carried out by Unires Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta is a type of partial integration management (5) In implementing the management of Islamic boarding schools, Students in Yogyakarta are seen using good modern management. (6) Management of islamic boarding school students shows professional and accountable management in all elements.
Periodos de confinamiento y factores personales que condicionan la transferencia de la formación del profesorado.
Authors: Pamies Berenguer Marcial , Cascales-Martínez Antonia , Gomariz Vicente Mª Ángeles
Published: October 2022

La crisis provocada por el COVID-19 ha supuesto un gran reto para la formación del profesorado, siendo las tecnologías el motor de transformación del sistema educativo. Si bien el uso de este tipo de recursos  esta mediatizado por diferentes factores, entre ellos los personales.  La presente investigación analiza la influencia de los periodos de confinamiento sobre los factores personales que condicionan el proceso de transferencia de la formación continua del profesorado no universitario en el ámbito de aplicación de las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. La muestra estuvo formada por 1826 docentes no universitarios de la Región de Murcia, cuyo muestreo ha sido no probabilístico por conveniencia. El tratamiento de datos siguió un enfoque cuantitativo-correlacional. Los resultados evidencian que los factores internos que influyen en el proceso de transferencia de la formación permanente en el uso de las TIC del profesorado de niveles no universitarios se han visto reforzados tras el periodo de confinamiento. Por tanto, el confinamiento provocado por la pandemia de la COVID-19 ha permitido a los docentes desarrollar competencias tras la formación que les han permitido adaptarse a la complejidad del contexto.
Estudio sobre los valores del alumnado de nuevo ingreso en Grados de ciencias jurídicas y políticas de la Universidad de Barcelona
Authors: Madrid Pérez Antonio , Viola Isabel , Blanco Guadalupe , Bueno Marta , Peñalver Àlex
Published: October 2022

A partir de una encuesta realizada a 983 estudiantes de nuevo ingreso en Grados de estudios jurídicos y políticos de la Universidad de Barcelona se analiza cómo se posicionan ante temas presentes en el debate público y regulados en el ordenamiento jurídico actual. Los resultados obtenidos indican que su posicionamiento respecto de algunas cuestiones coincide en la posición adoptada por el ordenamiento jurídico; sin embargo, en otras, se da una discordancia significativa. Conocer los valores de los estudiantes de nuevo ingreso permite que la educación universitaria mejore el objetivo de reforzar el sistema de valores democráticos como parte integral de su proceso de aprendizaje y formación.
Evaluación del uso de la animación de pizarra en el proceso de aprendizaje
Authors: Mathew Jain , Nair Sridevi , Gomes Roseline , Mulasi Ankita , Yadav Preksha
Published: October 2022

Un gran desafío para los formadores y profesores de hoy en día es atraer y retener la atención de los estudiantes y participantes. En la era de las redes sociales y los teléfonos inteligentes, los estudiantes tienen varias cosas que pueden distraerlos durante el proceso de aprendizaje y la responsabilidad de encontrar formas de involucrarlos de manera efectiva recae en el maestro. Con base en una revisión de la literatura sobre desarrollos tecnológicos, los investigadores del presente estudio proponen el uso de multimedia de animación de pizarra como una herramienta para mejorar la experiencia de aprendizaje. En el presente estudio se evalúa la efectividad de esta técnica a través de un diseño de grupo control pretest postest y la muestra conformada por estudiantes del curso de maestría en administración de empresas. Los hallazgos brindan evidencia empírica que respalda el uso de videos de animación de pizarra para complementar el aprendizaje en el aula.
Evolución, importancia y actual tratamiento de la educación fiscal en España y la Unión Europea
Authors: Enríquez Rodríguez Ana María
Published: October 2022

El presente artículo trata de analizar cuál es el grado de importancia de la educación fiscal dentro del marco de la lucha contra el fraude fiscal y cómo influye en la moralidad del contribuyente que repercute en el grado y forma del cumplimiento de sus obligaciones tributarias.
Asimismo, se analiza cuál es su grado normativo básico y, especialmente atendiendo a los derechos fundamentales o básicos pueden estar involucrados.
Finalmente, se analizan las últimas medidas realizadas en materia de educación fiscal tanto por la Agencia Estatal de la Administración Tributaria (AEAT) como a nivel de la Unión Europea. A raíz de todo lo expuesto, se llega a concluir cómo esta materia, la educación fiscal, a pesar de no ser totalmente novedosa sí que ha ido cogiendo protagonismo con el transcurso del tiempo porque tiene una especial vinculación en la conducta del contribuyente.
Caustic of colors in Newton’s prism
Authors: Berry M. V.
Published: October 2022

A single ray of white light, incident on a glass prism, emerges as a
family of diverging rays, parameterized by their colors. These
originate from a virtual caustic (envelope of colored rays) inside the
prism, rather than a focal point. The “caustic of colors” is a
singularity different from the familiar colored caustics (incoherent
superpositions of monochromatic ray/wave families that themselves
possess caustics). Weak dispersion enables analytical approximations:
completely describing the virtual caustic, and rendering to simulate
its visual colors. The caustic region is very small; observing it with
a beam narrow enough to resolve its colors would require a meter-sized
prism. Observability depends on the third power of dispersion, so the
caustic, though not its colors, might be detectable by extension
outside the visual range.
Generation of single circularly polarized attosecond pulses from near-critical density plasma irradiated by a two-color co-rotating circularly polarized laser
Authors: Li Qianni , Xu Xinrong , Wu Yanbo , Zou Debin , Yin Yan , Yu Tongpu
Published: October 2022

In this paper, a new method is proposed to efficiently generate a single intense attosecond pulse with circular polarization (CP) through the interaction of an intense driving laser with a near-critical density plasma target. The driving laser is composed of two co-rotating CP lasers with similar frequencies but different pulse widths. When the matching condition is satisfied, the combined field is modulated to a short intense pulse followed by a weak tail. The resulting laser falling edge becomes steeper than the initial sub-pulses, which induces a quick one-time oscillation of the target surface. Meanwhile, the tail guarantees the energy to be compressed simultaneously in both polarization directions to the same extent, so that a single CP attosecond pulse can be produced efficiently and robustly via our method, which has been confirmed through extensive numerical simulations. In addition, our method makes it possible to generate a single CP attosecond pulse even for multi-cycle pulses that are already available for existing laser systems. This provides a novel way to advance the investigation of chiral-sensitive light-matter interactions in attosecond scales.
Multifunctional high-performance position sensitive detector based on a Sb2Se3-nanorod/CdS core-shell heterojunction
Authors: Liang Zidong , Liu Jihong , Ma Jikui , Li Zhiqiang , Wang Shufang , Qiao Shuang
Published: October 2022

Sb2Se3 exhibits fascinating optical and electrical properties owing to its unique one-dimensional crystal structure. In this study, a Sb2Se3-nanorod/CdS core-shell heterostructure was successfully constructed, and the lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE), as well as the lateral photocurrent and photoresistance effects, were first studied. The measurements indicate that this heterojunction exhibits excellent lateral photoelectric performance in a broad range of 405-1064 nm with the best position sensitivities (PSs) of 525.9 mV/mm, 79.1 µA/mm, and 25.6 kΩ/mm for the lateral photovoltage, photocurrent, and photoresistance, respectively, while the nonlinearity is maintained below 7%, demonstrating its great potential in a novel high-performance multifunctional position sensitive detector (PSD). Moreover, this PSD could work well at different frequencies with good stability and repeatability, and the rise and fall times were deduced to be 48 and 180 µs, respectively. Besides, large linear working distances are achieved in this heterojunction PSD, and the PS can still reach 75.5 mV/mm even at an ultra-large working distance of 9 mm. These outstanding performances can be attributed to the high-quality Sb2Se3 nanorod arrays and the fast charge-carrier separation and transport properties of this core-shell heterojunction. This study provides important ideas for developing high-performance, broadband, large working distances, and ultrafast multifunctional PSDs based on the new core-shell heterostructure.
Simultaneous ground-state cooling of multiple degenerate mechanical modes through the cross-Kerr effect
Authors: Wen Pengyu , Mao Xuan , Wang Min , Wang Chuan , Li Gui-Qin , Long Gui-Lu
Published: October 2022

Simultaneous ground-state cooling of multiple degenerate mechanical modes is a difficult issue in optomechanical systems, owing to the existence of the dark mode effect. Here we propose a universal and scalable method to break the dark mode effect of two degenerate mechanical modes by introducing cross-Kerr (CK) nonlinearity. At most, four stable steady states can be achieved in our scheme in the presence of the CK effect, unlike the bistable behavior of the standard optomechanical system. Under a constant input laser power, the effective detuning and mechanical resonant frequency can be modulated by the CK nonlinearity, resulting in an optimal CK coupling strength for cooling. Similarly, there will be an optimal input laser power for cooling when the CK coupling strength stays fixed. Our scheme can be extended to break the dark mode effect of multiple degenerate mechanical modes by introducing more than one CK effect. To fulfill the requirement of the simultaneous ground-state cooling of N multiple degenerate mechanical modes, N − 1 CK effects with different strengths are needed. Our proposal provides new, to the best of our knowledge. insights into dark mode control and might pave the way to manipulating multiple quantum states in a macroscopic system.
Microbubble end-capped fiber-optic Fabry–Perot sensors
Authors: Defas-Brucil Ricardo , Cano-Velázquez Mildred S. , Velázquez-Benítez Amado M. , Hernández-Cordero Juan
Published: October 2022

We report on a simple fabrication technique for Fabry–Perot (FP) sensors formed by a microbubble within a polymer drop deposited on the tip of an optical fiber. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) drops are deposited on the tips of standard single-mode fibers incorporating a layer of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs). A microbubble inside this polymer end-cap, aligned along the fiber core, can be readily generated on launching light from a laser diode through the fiber, owing to the photothermal effect produced in the CNP layer. This approach allows for the fabrication of microbubble end-capped FP sensors with reproducible performance, showing temperature sensitivities as large as 790 pm/°C, larger than those reported for regular polymer end-capped devices. We further show that these microbubble FP sensors may also prove useful for displacement measurements, with a sensitivity of ∼5.4 nm/µm.
In-fiber duplex optical antenna and its programmable spectral filter application: publisher’s note
Authors: Song Qingguo , Dai Yuze , Xiao Xiangpeng , Liu Chen , Chen Haoshuo , Sun Qizhen , Zhang Lin , Yan Zhijun
Published: October 2022

This publisher’s note contains corrections to Opt. Lett.
47, 4937 (2022)10.1364/OL.468940.
Supermode noise mitigation and repetition rate control in a harmonic mode-locked fiber laser implemented through the pulse train interaction with co-lased CW radiation: publisher’s note
Authors: Ribenek V. A. , Korobko D. A. , Fotiadi A. A. , Taylor J. R.
Published: October 2022

This publisher’s note contains corrections to Opt. Lett. 47, 5236 (2022)10.1364/OL.472780.
Cell shape anisotropy contributes to self-organized feather pattern fidelity in birds
Authors: Curantz Camille , Bailleul Richard , Castro-Scherianz María , Hidalgo Magdalena , Durande Melina , Graner François , Manceau Marie
Published: October 2022

Developing tissues can self-organize into a variety of patterned structures through the stabilization of stochastic fluctuations in their molecular and cellular properties. While molecular factors and cell dynamics contributing to self-organization have been identified in vivo, events channeling self-organized systems such that they achieve stable pattern outcomes remain unknown. Here, we described natural variation in the fidelity of self-organized arrays formed by feather follicle precursors in bird embryos. By surveying skin cells prior to and during tissue self-organization and performing species-specific ex vivo drug treatments and mechanical stress tests, we demonstrated that pattern fidelity depends on the initial amplitude of cell anisotropy in regions of the developing dermis competent to produce a pattern. Using live imaging, we showed that cell shape anisotropy is associated with a limited increase in cell motility for sharp and precisely located primordia formation, and thus, proper pattern geometry. These results evidence a mechanism through which initial tissue properties ensure stability in self-organization and thus, reproducible pattern production.
Structured random receptive fields enable informative sensory encodings
Authors: Pandey Biraj , Pachitariu Marius , Brunton Bingni W. , Harris Kameron Decker
Published: October 2022

Brains must represent the outside world so that animals survive and thrive. In early sensory systems, neural populations have diverse receptive fields structured to detect important features in inputs, yet significant variability has been ignored in classical models of sensory neurons. We model neuronal receptive fields as random, variable samples from parameterized distributions and demonstrate this model in two sensory modalities using data from insect mechanosensors and mammalian primary visual cortex. Our approach leads to a significant theoretical connection between the foundational concepts of receptive fields and random features, a leading theory for understanding artificial neural networks. The modeled neurons perform a randomized wavelet transform on inputs, which removes high frequency noise and boosts the signal. Further, these random feature neurons enable learning from fewer training samples and with smaller networks in artificial tasks. This structured random model of receptive fields provides a unifying, mathematically tractable framework to understand sensory encodings across both spatial and temporal domains.
The notable global heterogeneity in the distribution of COVID-19 cases and the association with pre-existing parasitic diseases
Authors: Chang Taehee , Jung Bong-Kwang , Chai Jong-Yil , Cho Sung-il
Published: October 2022

Background

The coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease that has caused extensive ravages worldwide since being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Unlike initially predicted by WHO, the incidence and severity of COVID-19 appeared milder in many Low-to-Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). To explain this noticeable disparity between countries, many hypotheses, including socio-demographic and geographic factors, have been put forward. This study aimed to estimate the possible association of parasitic diseases with COVID-19 as either protective agents or potential risk factors.

Methods/Principal findings

A country-level ecological study using publicly available data of countries was conducted. We conceptualized the true number of COVID-19 infections based on a function of test positivity rate (TPR) and employed linear regression analysis to assess the association between the outcome and parasitic diseases. We considered demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic confounders previously suggested. A notable heterogeneity was observed across WHO regions. The countries in Africa (AFRO) showed the lowest rates of COVID-19 incidence, and the countries in the Americas (AMRO) presented the highest. The multivariable model results were computed using 165 countries, excluding missing values. In the models analyzed, lower COVID-19 incidence rates were consistently observed in malaria-endemic countries, even accounting for potential confounding variables, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, the population aged 65 and above, and differences in the duration of COVID-19. However, the other parasitic diseases were not significantly associated with the spread of the pandemic.

Conclusions/Significance

This study suggests that malaria prevalence is an essential factor that explains variability in the observed incidence of COVID-19 cases at the national level. Potential associations of COVID-19 with schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases (STHs) are worthy of further investigation but appeared unlikely, based on this analysis, to be critical factors of the variability in COVID-19 epidemic trends. The quality of publicly accessible data and its ecological design constrained our research, with fundamental disparities in monitoring and testing capabilities between countries. Research at the subnational or individual level should be conducted to explore hypotheses further.
The role of internet use in the relationship between occupational status and depression
Authors: Zhang Yujie
Published: October 2022

Background

The emerging information and communications technology (ICT) and society 5.0 have integrated digital innovation and imaginative creativity to solve social problems and create social value in an aging society. Especially in China, the penetration rate of internet use has become more prominent. Nevertheless, the role of internet use in the relationship between occupational status and depression remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to estimate how internet use moderates the relationship between occupational status and depression in a sample of older adults in China.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was used to assess the relationship between occupational status, internet use and depression. This study employed data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) conducted in 2017. The full sample size of this study is 2,403. OLS regression was adopted to explore the correlation between occupational status and depression and the moderating role of internet use. Meanwhile, a heterogeneity analysis based on residence registration was implemented to explore the difference between rural and urban sample groups.

Results

The findings suggested that higher occupational status was related to lower depression level. By playing an inhibitory moderating role between the association of occupational status and depression, internet use and occupational status formed a substituting effect. Meanwhile, the above moderating effect was only significant in urban group and insignificant in rural group. Besides, being male and having higher social class were significantly and negatively correlated with depression.

Conclusion

This study began with the theory of social stratification and social mobility, added the theory of social capital, constructed an analytical framework of regulatory effect, put forward two basic assumptions, selected measurement indicators taking into account Chinese cultural factors, and conducted empirical tests using authoritative statistical software and national representative data, providing a new theoretical contribution to our understanding of the impact of occupational status and depression in developing countries.
The impact of agricultural insurance on farmers’ income: Guangdong Province (China) as an example
Authors: Bhuiyan Miraj Ahmed , Davit Mkhitaryan , XinBin Zeng , Zurong Zhang
Published: October 2022

This paper aims to test whether agricultural insurance significantly impacts farmers’ income increase or not. We have used the ordinary least squares method (OLS), panel fixed effects, and system generalized moment estimation (GMM) for the test. The results show that the increase in agricultural insurance density and the increase in agricultural insurance per capita compensation positively impact farmers’ income growth significantly. Agricultural insurance density and per capita compensation are the indicators used in this article to measure agricultural insurance development. Therefore, it can be considered that the development of agricultural insurance in Guangdong Province (China) can effectively increase the income level of farmers. Based on the results of theoretical and empirical analysis, combined with the current situation of agricultural insurance development in Guangdong Province, this paper finally puts forward relevant countermeasures and suggestions. It provides some ideas for giving full play to the role of agricultural insurance in promoting farmers’ income from the perspectives of pertinent system design, subsidy methods, insurance innovation, service level, and publicity.
Development of InDel markers for Oryza sativa ssp. javanica based on whole-genome resequencing
Authors: Long Weixiong , Li Yonghui , Yuan Zhengqing , Luo Lihua , Luo Laiyang , Xu Weibiao , Cai Yaohui , Xie Hongwei
Published: October 2022

Oryza sativa ssp. javanica rice varieties exhibit a wide variation in the phenotypes of several important agronomic traits, including grain quality, grain shape, plant architecture, disease resistance, and high adaption to an unfavorable environment, indicating a great potential for rice improvement. DNA molecular markers are basic and critical tools in genetic analysis and gene mining. However, only a few whole-genome variation analyses have been performed in Oryza sativa ssp. Javanica (tropical japonica rice), and this has hampered the utilization of such an important resource. In this study, the length of insertions/deletions variation greater larger than 10 bp from 10 Oryza sativa ssp. indica rice and 10 Oryza sativa ssp. tropical japonica rice were extracted by using the Nipponbare genome as a reference. A total of 118 primer pairs which were almost evenly distributed on each chromosome corresponding to the loci of InDels were designed by the Primer 5 program. We confirmed 85 InDel markers from 60 rice varieties, including indica and tropical japonica, by running polyacrylamide gels. The InDel markers function like SSRs in identifying hybrids, calculating genetic distance, constructing the genetic linkage map, and gene mining. The InDel markers developed in this study might help in genetic studies and to investigate the tropical japonica rice varieties.
The combined effect of institutional quality and capital flows on food and nutrition security and undernourishment in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Cassimon Danny , Fadare Olusegun , Mavrotas George
Published: October 2022

Issues related to malnutrition, broadly defined, have received a growing attention in recent years, not only in connection with the Sustainable Development Goals but also recently with the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, there exists a complex interaction between institutions, capital flows, and food and nutrition security that has received less attention in the relevant literature. In this paper we estimate a series of dynamic panel data models to examine the impact of institutional quality and capital flows on food security, nutrition security and undernourishment by using panel data for 25 SSA countries over the period 1996 to 2018. One of the key contributions of the paper is the use of both aggregate and disaggregated capital flows to examine the impact on both food and nutrition security, a dimension that has been surprisingly neglected in most of the relevant literature. We combine this with the interaction of various types of capital flows with an institutional quality index we constructed from various governance indicators to examine the impact of institutions on the overall nexus. Finally, we examine the impact not only on food and nutrition security but also on undernourishment. Our findings clearly demonstrate the importance of a heterogeneity approach and reflect on earlier work regarding the role of institutional quality in the overall nexus between external capital flows and various measures of food and nutrition security which leads, and as expected, to an interesting variation in the results obtained, depending on the type of capital flows and the interaction with the governance indicators.
Rolling circle reverse transcription enables high fidelity nanopore sequencing of small RNA
Authors: Maguire Sean , Guan Shengxi
Published: October 2022

Small RNAs (sRNAs) are an important group of non-coding RNAs that have great potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for treatment of a wide variety of diseases. The portability and affordability of nanopore sequencing technology makes it ideal for point of care and low resource settings. Currently sRNAs can’t be reliably sequenced on the nanopore platform due to the short size of sRNAs and high error rate of the nanopore sequencer. Here, we developed a highly efficient nanopore-based sequencing strategy for sRNAs (SR-Cat-Seq) in which sRNAs are ligated to an adapter, circularized, and undergo rolling circle reverse transcription to generate concatemeric cDNA. After sequencing, the resulting tandem repeat sequences within the individual cDNA can be aligned to generate highly accurate consensus sequences. We compared our sequencing strategy with other sRNA sequencing methods on a short-read sequencing platform and demonstrated that SR-Cat-Seq can obtain low bias and highly accurate sRNA transcriptomes. Therefore, our method could enable nanopore sequencing for sRNA-based diagnostics and other applications.
Acupuncture for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kim Jung Tae , Kim Kibong , Ang Lin , Lee Hye Won , Choi Jun-Yong , Lee Myeong Soo
Published: October 2022

Background

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients often use complementary and alternative medicine to treat symptoms, and acupuncture is one option. This systematic review aims to assess whether acupuncture is an effective treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods

We will search nine databases from their inception: PubMed, AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, RISS, KoreaMed, KISS, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database. Two investigators will independently review the selected studies, extract the data, and analyze them. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool will be used to assess the risk of bias.

Discussion

Because this is a systematic review, no ethical approval is needed. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated both electronically and in print. The review will be updated to support health policy and practice.

Trial registration number

Reviewregistry1345.
Cocaine use associated gut permeability and microbial translocation in people living with HIV in the Miami Adult Study on HIV (MASH) cohort
Authors: Hernandez Jacqueline , Tamargo Javier A. , Sales Martinez Sabrina , Martin Haley R. , Campa Adriana , Sékaly Rafick-Pierre , Bordi Rebeka , Sherman Kenneth E. , Rouster Susan D. , Meeds Heidi L. , Khalsa Jag H. , Mandler Raul N. , Lai Shenghan , Baum Marianna K.
Published: October 2022

Objective

Determine if cocaine use impacts gut permeability, promotes microbial translocation and immune activation in people living with HIV (PLWH) using effective antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods

Cross-sectional analysis of 100 PLWH (ART ≥6 months, HIV-RNA <200 copies/mL) from the Miami Adult Studies on HIV (MASH) cohort. Cocaine use was assessed by self-report, urine screen, and blood benzoylecgonine (BE). Blood samples were collected to assess gut permeability (intestinal fatty acid-binding protein, I-FABP), microbial translocation (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), immune activation (sCD14, sCD27, and sCD163) and markers of inflammation (hs-CRP, TNF-α and IL-6). Multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the relationships of cocaine use.

Results

A total of 37 cocaine users and 63 cocaine non-users were evaluated. Cocaine users had higher levels of I-FABP (7.92±0.35 vs. 7.69±0.56 pg/mL, P = 0.029) and LPS (0.76±0.24 vs. 0.54±0.27 EU/mL, P<0.001) than cocaine non-users. Cocaine use was also associated with the levels of LPS (P<0.001), I-FABP (P = 0.033), and sCD163 (P = 0.010) after adjusting for covariates. Cocaine users had 5.15 times higher odds to exhibit higher LPS levels than non-users (OR: 5.15 95% CI: 1.89–13.9; P<0.001). Blood levels of BE were directly correlated with LPS (rho = 0.276, P = 0.028), sCD14 (rho = 0.274, P = 0.031), and sCD163 (rho = 0.250, P = 0.049).

Conclusions

Cocaine use was associated with markers of gut permeability, microbial translocation, and immune activation in virally suppressed PLWH. Mitigation of cocaine use may prevent further gastrointestinal damage and immune activation in PLWH.
Cognitive and behavioral functioning in two neurogenetic disorders; how different are these aspects in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Neurofibromatosis type 1?
Authors: Hellebrekers Danique M. J. , van Abeelen Sandra A. M. , Catsman Coriene E. , van Kuijk Sander M. J. , Laridon Annick M. , Klinkenberg Sylvia , Hendriksen Jos G. M. , Vles Johan S. H.
Published: October 2022

The presence of neurocognitive and behavioral problems are common features in various neurogenetic disorders. In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), these problems have been linked to mutations along the dystrophin gene affecting different brain dystrophin isoforms. However, comparable cognitive and behavioral problems have been found in Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). This study aims to assess disorder specific differences in cognition and behavior between DMD and NF1. Retrospective data of 38 male patients with DMD were aged-matched with data of 38 male patients with NF1. Patients of both groups underwent neurocognitive assessment for regular clinical care. Intellectual abilities, sequential and simultaneous processing, verbal memory and sustained attention were evaluated. In addition, parents and teachers completed behavioral questionnaires. Males with DMD exhibited low intellectual abilities and sequential processing problems, but these outcomes not significantly differed from males with NF1. Simultaneous processing, verbal memory and sustained attention outcomes were equal for both groups. Outcomes of questionnaires displayed higher rates of aggressive behavior (13.2%) in DMD, whereas in NF1 higher rates of problems with thinking (15.8%), withdrawn (10.5%) and social behavior (10.5%) were noticed. In the neurogenetic disorders DMD and NF1, on average overlapping cognitive and behavioral problems are noticed, suggesting that these are not only caused by gene mutations resulting in a lack of one specific protein.
Exploration of ecological restoration of saline-alkali land based on NbS——Study on the salt resistance and desalination performance of three cash crops
Authors: Li Jing , Diao Youjiang , Jiang Lihua , He Qiuyue , Wang Fangzhi , Hao Wenfeng
Published: October 2022

Soil salinization is one of the current global environmental problems. Current research on crops in saline-alkali land focuses on salt tolerance, but less on its ecological benefits. However, plants and the environment can interact and influence each other, which is the theory used to carry out Nature-based Solutions (NbS). Therefore, the research on crop plants with both ecological and economic benefits is novel and valuable work. Then three widely planted cash crops (Solanum melongena, Momordica charantia, Capsicum annuum) were selected for salt stress treatment (NaCl, 150mmol/L), some physiological indicators (chlorophyll, soluble protein, Proline (Pro), malondialdehyde (MDA)) of plant and the soil properties (electrical conductivity, pH, the soil salt content) were measured. The results showed that the salinity content of the three plant cultivation soils was significantly different (P<0.05) after the salt stress; all three crops had some desalination capacity, but Capsicum annuum had the strongest salt resistance and desalination capacity.