bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extremely Preterm Babies—Legal Aspects and Palliative Care at the Border of Viability
Authors: Dettmeyer Reinhard
Published: October 2022

There are various legal considerations and rare decisions of courts in western countries concerning palliative care and the border of viability in cases of extremely preterm babies. Nevertheless, on the one hand, regulations and decisions of courts describe the conditions physicians have to accept. On the other hand, courts are also able to accept that every case can be special, and needs a unique answer. Therefore, the framework can be described as well as the medical disciplines, which should be involved in a particular case.
Quality of Diet of Patients with Coeliac Disease in Comparison to Healthy Children
Authors: Sila Sara , Mašić Mario , Kranjčec Draženka , Niseteo Tena , Marić Lucija , Radunić Ana , Hojsak Iva , Jadrešin Oleg , Mišak Zrinjka
Published: October 2022

A lifelong strict gluten-free diet is the only available treatment for patients with coeliac disease (CD). As with any restrictive diet, it may potentially lead to nutritional deficits. Seventy-six patients with CD (mean age 9.0 ± 4.3 years, 57% female) and 590 healthy controls (HC) (mean age 9.9 ± 0.1 years, 54% female) were recruited and requested to keep a 3-day food record (3DFR). In HC patients, anthropometric data were determined at the time when 3DFRs were collected. In CD patients, anthropometric data were determined at two time points: at diagnosis and at the time of 3DFRs collection. Intake of energy, macronutrients, and micronutrients was determined using PRODI expert 6.9 software and expressed as a percentage of recommended daily intake. In CD patients, all measured anthropometric measures (body weight (BW), body height (BH), and body mass index (BMI) z-scores) increased significantly after the mean duration of 34.1 months of a GFD. Overall, CD patients had significantly lower BW and BH z-scores compared to healthy controls. Patients with CD were generally more compliant with the recommended dietary intakes of macronutrients and some micronutrients, as compared to HC. Three participants were not compliant with the GFD; 42.1% of participants took oral nutritional supplements at the start of their GFD. Our study showed that patients with CD have better compliance with dietary recommendations compared to healthy controls, showing that a well-balanced GFD diet can provide necessary macro- and micronutrients.
Congenital Fibrosis of the Extraocular Muscles: An Overview from Genetics to Management
Authors: Xia Weiyi , Wei Yan , Wu Lianqun , Zhao Chen
Published: October 2022

Congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles (CFEOM) is a genetic disorder belonging to the congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders and is characterized by nonprogressive restrictive ophthalmoplegia. It is phenotypically and genotypically heterogeneous. At least seven causative genes and one locus are responsible for the five subtypes, named CFEOM-1 to CFEOM-5. This review summarizes the currently available molecular genetic findings and genotype–phenotype correlations, as well as the advances in the management of CFEOM. We propose that the classification of the disorder could be optimized to provide better guidance for clinical interventions. Finally, we discuss the future of genetic-diagnosis-directed studies to better understand such axon guidance disorders.
Implications of Concurrent IDH1 and IDH2 Mutations on Survival in Glioma—A Case Report and Systematic Review
Authors: Yuile Alexander , Satgunaseelan Laveniya , Wei Joe , Kastelan Marina , Back Michael F. , Lee Maggie , Wei Heng , Buckland Michael E. , Lee Adrian , Wheeler Helen R.
Published: October 2022

Both IDH1 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 1) and IDH2 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 2) mutations play a vital role in the development of gliomas through disruption of normal cellular metabolic processes. Here we describe a case of a patient with an IDH-mutant astrocytoma, in which both IDH1 and IDH2 mutations were detected within the same tumour. The patient remains disease-free, nine and a half years after her initial diagnosis. Interrogation of cancer genomic databases and a systematic review was undertaken, demonstrating the rarity of the co-occurrence of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in a variety of cancer types, and in glioma specifically. Due to the favourable outcome observed in this patient, the potential effect of concurrent IDH1 and IDH2 mutations on survival was also investigated.
Personalized Selection of a CFTR Modulator for a Patient with a Complex Allele [L467F;F508del]
Authors: Kondratyeva Elena , Bulatenko Nataliya , Melyanovskaya Yuliya , Efremova Anna , Zhekaite Elena , Sherman Viktoriya , Voronkova Anna , Asherova Irina , Polyakov Alexander , Adyan Tagui , Kovalskaia Valeriia , Bukharova Tatiana , Goldshtein Dmitry , Kutsev Sergey
Published: October 2022

The presence of complex alleles in the CFTR gene can lead to difficulties in diagnosing cystic fibrosis and cause resistance to therapy with CFTR modulators. Tezacaftor/ivacaftor therapy for 8 months in a patient with the initially established F508del/F508del genotype did not lead to an improvement in her condition—there was no change in spirometry and an increase in the patient’s weight, while there was only a slight decrease in NaCl values, measured by a sweat test. The intestinal current measurements of the patient’s rectal biopsy showed no positive dynamics in the rescue of CFTR function while taking tezacaftor/ivacaftor. The assumption that the patient had an additional mutation in the cis position was confirmed by sequencing the CFTR gene, and the complex allele [L467F;F508del] was identified. Based on the rescue of CFTR function by elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor obtained using forskolin-induced swelling on intestinal organoids, the patient was prescribed therapy with this targeted drug. The use of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor for 7 months resulted in a significant improvement in the patient’s clinical condition.
Simulation of a Painting Arc Connecting Surface by Moving the Nozzle Based on a Sliding Mesh Model
Authors: Chen Wenzhuo , Chen Yan , Wang Shanqiang , Han Zhenyu , Lu Meng , Chen Shiming
Published: October 2022

The paper proposes a sliding mesh model-based method to conduct a dynamic painting simulation for an arc connecting surface. In order to meet the requirements for using a sliding mesh model, the computational domain was designed with three parts—a stationary part, a translational part and a rotational part. The film-forming model based on the Euler–Euler model and the conservation equation for a sliding mesh model were established. The dynamic painting of arc connecting surface with the angles of 60, 90 and 120 degrees under the nozzle speed of 100 mm/s were simulated. It was found that the thickness on the arc surface section was larger than those on the plane sections, and through an analysis of the vector distribution, the reason for this was that more paint would be deposited on the arc surface section than on the plane sections due to the concavity of the arc surface. The results obtained from the simulation were in a reasonable agreement with the experimental results, which indicates the proposed method would be effective and applicable in simulating a dynamic painting process.
Aggregate Gradation Variation on the Properties of Asphalt Mixtures
Authors: Yue Yanchao , Abdelsalam Moustafa , S. Eisa M.
Published: October 2022

National highway projects present a crucial role in economic growth, as they have a great influence on the national income. Therefore, the decision makers plan to construct these projects at a rapid rate. To achieve the just aforesaid, the utilization of asphalt of adequate quality and gradation is essential. The key problem which lies in recent decades is that many types of asphalt mixtures are rejected and reconstructed in the site due to the gradation variation of aggregates in the asphalt mixture which waste raw materials, cost and time. Thus, this research seeks to assess the possibility of accepting asphalt mixes with aggregates gradation variation (within the range from +4% above the upper specification limit to −2% below the lower specification limit). A wearing surface mix with gradation 3B was prepared according to the Egyptian code. The gradation variation was presented as the aggregate gradation is out of the specification limits during Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) production. The aggregate gradations lie above and below the upper and lower specification limits, respectively, by ±2%, ±4% and ±6%. The design gradation of the control mix was included as a reference case. The different mix properties were measured using the Marshall Mix design method. Then, the performance of HMA mixes was evaluated under the effects of high temperature and water cycles through applying wheel loading tracking and Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS) tests. The results show that the 3B mixes with a gradation within a range of +4% to −2% of the upper and lower specification limits recorded the lowest rutting depth and the highest water damage resistance in hot regions compared to ordinary asphalt mixes. In summary, the new aggregate gradation limits will provide a reference for the design of asphalt mixture in hot climate regions.
Optimization of Wire EDM Process Parameters on Cutting Inconel 718 Alloy with Zinc-Diffused Coating Brass Wire Electrode Using Taguchi-DEAR Technique
Authors: Liu Lijun , Thangaraj Muthuramalingam , Karmiris-Obratański Panagiotis , Zhou Yuanhua , Annamalai Ramamurthy , Machnik Ryszard , Elsheikh Ammar , Markopoulos Angelos P.
Published: October 2022

Inconel 718 alloy has a wide range of applications in the aerospace sector because of its superior mechanical properties and its weldability. The machining of such higher strength materials with complex shapes is possible with wire electrical discharge machining. In the present research, an endeavor was made to enhance the machining process by utilizing zinc-diffused coating brass wire electrode and Taguchi-Data Envelopment Analysis-based Ranking (DEAR) methodology in the process while machining Inconel 718 alloy. Material removal rate, kerf width, and surface roughness were considered as the quality measures. The optimal arrangement of input factors in the Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM) process were found as 140 µs (Ton), 50 µs (Toff), 60 V (SV), and 5 kg (WT) among the elected factors with the error accuracy of 1.1%. The pulse-off time has the most significance on formulating the quality measures owing to its importance on deionization in the process.
Design and Characterization of Nanostructured Titanium Monoxide Films Decorated with Polyaniline Species
Authors: Sabirovas Tomas , Ramanavicius Simonas , Naujokaitis Arnas , Niaura Gediminas , Jagminas Arunas
Published: October 2022

The fabrication of nanostructured composite materials is an active field of materials chemistry. However, the ensembles of nanostructured titanium monoxide and suboxide species decorated with polyaniline (PANI) species have not been deeply investigated up to now. In this study, such composites were formed on both hydrothermally oxidized and anodized Ti substrates via oxidative polymerization of aniline. In this way, highly porous nanotube-shaped titanium dioxide (TiO2) and nano leaflet-shaped titanium monoxide (TiOx) species films loaded with electrically conductive PANI in an emeraldine salt form were designed. Apart from compositional and structural characterization with Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Raman techniques, the electrochemical properties were identified for each layer using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Based on the experimentally determined EIS parameters, it is envisaged that TiO-based nanomaterials decorated with PANI could find prospective applications in supercapacitors and biosensing.
Temperature Limits for Seed Germination in Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
Authors: Geneve Robert L. , Janes Evan W. , Kester Sharon T. , Hildebrand David F. , Davis Derrick
Published: October 2022

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) as a grain and fiber crop is experiencing a resurgence in North America. Due to governmental prohibition, there has been limited information on regional agronomic production systems including basic information on seed germination. This study was initiated to provide basic information on the relationship between temperature and germination in hemp seed. Germination was measured at constant temperatures ranging from 3 to 42 °C. Cardinal temperatures were determined for two industrial oil crop hemp cultivars (‘Georgina’ and ‘Victoria’). The optimal germination temperature indicated by a high mean germination percentage and rate was between 19 and 30 °C. Optimal (29.6 °C), base (3.4 °C) and ceiling (42.6 °C) temperatures were calculated from a linear regression of the germination rates to reach 50% germination for each temperature. The thermal time for ‘Georgina’ and ‘Victoria’ to reach 50% germination at suboptimal temperatures was 694 and 714 °C h, respectively. The osmotic and solid matrix-primed hemp seeds germinated faster than the untreated seeds, but the final germination percentages were not different. The primed seeds germinated faster at supraoptimal temperatures but did not impact final germination percentages in the thermally inhibited seeds.
Frictionless Motion of Diffuse Interfaces by Sharp Phase-Field Modeling
Authors: Fleck Michael , Schleifer Felix , Zimbrod Patrick
Published: October 2022

Diffuse interface descriptions offer many advantages for the modeling of microstructure evolution. However, the numerical representation of moving diffuse interfaces on discrete numerical grids involves spurious grid friction, which limits the overall performance of the model in many respects. Interestingly, this intricate and detrimental effect can be overcome in finite difference (FD) and fast Fourier transformation (FFT)-based implementations by employing the so-called sharp phase-field method (SPFM). The key idea is to restore the discretization-induced broken translational invariance (TI) in the discrete phase-field equation by using analytic properties of the equilibrium interface profile. We prove that this method can indeed eliminate spurious grid friction in the three-dimensional space. Focusing on homogeneous driving forces, we quantitatively evaluate the impact of spurious grid friction on the overall operational performance of different phase-field models. We show that the SPFM provides superior degrees of interface isotropy with respect to energy and kinetics. The latter property enables the frictionless motion of arbitrarily oriented diffuse interfaces on a fixed 3D grid.
The Introduction of Two New Species of Aquatic Fungi from Anzali Lagoon, Northern Iran
Authors: Masigol Hossein , Rezakhani Forough , Pourmoghaddam Mohammad Javad , Khodaparast Seyed Akbar , Grossart Hans-Peter
Published: October 2022

During a survey of aquatic fungi from Anzali Lagoon in Iran, several fungal specimens were isolated from freshwater habitats. Morphological evidence and comparing sequencing based on rDNA (ITS and LSU) and protein-coding genes (TEF1 and TUB2) showed that some isolates belong to undescribed fungal species. These isolates belong to Arthrobotrys and Sarocladium, two ascomycetes genera. Arthrobotrys hyrcanus, sp. nov., differs from closely related species such as A. dianchiensis by its larger conidia and septation of primary conidia. Sarocladium pseudokiliense, sp. nov., was similar to S. kiliense, but distinguished by its conidial shape and the absence of adelophialides and chlamydospores. Morphological descriptions, illustrations and multilocus phylogenetic analysis for both new species are provided.
Global Patterns of Earwig Species Richness
Authors: Fattorini Simone
Published: October 2022

One of the most investigated patterns in species diversity is the so-called latitudinal gradient, that is, a decrease in species richness from the equator to the poles. However, few studies investigated this pattern in insects at a global scale because of insufficient taxonomic and biogeographical information. Using estimates of earwig species richness at country level, their latitudinal diversity gradient was modelled globally and for the two hemispheres separately after correcting for differences in country areas. Separate analyses were also conducted for mainland and island countries. All analyses clearly indicated the existence of latitudinal gradients. The most plausible explanation for the observed pattern is the so-called tropical conservatism hypothesis, which postulates (1) a tropical origin of many extant clades, (2) a longer time for cladogenesis in tropical environments thanks to their environmental stability, and (3) a limited ability of historically tropical lineages to adapt to temperate climates. Earwigs probably evolved on Gondwana and secondarily colonized the Northern Hemisphere. This colonization was hampered by both geographical and climatic factors. The Himalayan orogenesis obstructed earwig dispersal into the Palearctic region. Additionally, earwig preferences for warm/hot and humid climates hampered the colonization of temperate regions. Pleistocene glaciation further contributed to reducing diversity at northern latitudes.
Genome-Wide Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Local Sudanese Sheep Populations Revealed by Whole-Genome Sequencing
Authors: Amane Agraw , Belay Gurja , Tijjani Abdulfatai , Dessie Tadelle , Musa Hassan H. , Hanotte Olivier
Published: October 2022

Local Sudanese sheep populations inhabiting diverse environmental conditions and holding opposing morphologies provide opportunities for molecular-genetic research. Characterizing their genome is crucial for sustainable breeding improvement and targeting favorable genes in breeding programs. However, the genome of these sheep populations, which comprises several subtypes, remains uncharacterized using whole-genome sequence data. This study aimed to elucidate genome-wide genetic diversity and population structure of 11 local Sudanese sheep populations, namely, Hammari, Kabbashi, Meidobe, Ashgar, Dubasi, Watish, Bega, Naili, Fulani, Zagawi, and Garag. Ninety whole blood samples were collected, and we extracted DNA using a Qiagen DNeasy® extraction kit. We used the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform to sequence all the DNA samples. We included whole-genome sequence data of three Ethiopian sheep (Doyogena, Kefis, and Gafera) and one Libyan sheep (Libyan Barbary) in the study to infer the genetic relationships of local Sudanese sheep populations from a continental perspective. A total of 44.8 million bi-allelic autosomal SNPs were detected; 28.5% and 63.3% occur in introns and intergenic regions, respectively. The mean genetic diversity ranged from 0.276 for Garag to 0.324 for Kabbashi sheep populations. The lowest FST estimates were observed between Kabbashi and Ashgar and the highest between Bega and Fulani local Sudanese sheep populations. The principal component and population structure analyses of the 11 local Sudanese sheep populations indicated three separate genetic groups categorized following their tail morphotype, geographical distribution, and population subtype. The thin-tailed local Sudanese sheep populations exhibited independent clustering from the fat-tailed Ethiopian and Libyan sheep. We also observed distinct clustering between the fat-tailed Ethiopian and Libyan sheep. The present study’s findings demonstrated the population structure and principal components related to tail morphotype, geographical distribution, and population subtype of local Sudanese sheep populations. A clear signature of admixture was observed among the studied local Sudanese sheep populations.
Heartprint: A Dataset of Multisession ECG Signal with Long Interval Captured from Fingers for Biometric Recognition
Authors: Islam Md Saiful , Alhichri Haikel , Bazi Yakoub , Ammour Nassim , Alajlan Naif , Jomaa Rami M.
Published: October 2022

The electrocardiogram (ECG) signal produced by the human heart is an emerging biometric modality that can play an important role in the future generation’s identity recognition with the support of machine learning techniques. One of the major obstacles in the progress of this modality is the lack of public datasets with a long interval between sessions of data acquisition to verify the uniqueness and permanence of the biometric signature of the heart of a subject. To address this issue, we put forward Heartprint, a large biometric database of multisession ECG signals comprising 1539 records captured from the fingers of 199 healthy subjects. The capturing time for each record was 15 s, and recordings were made in resting and reading conditions. They were collected in multiple sessions over ten years, and the average interval between first session (S1) and third session (S3L) was 1572.2 days. The dataset also covers several demographic classes such as genders, ethnicities, and age groups. The combination of raw ECG signals and demographic information turns the Heartprint dataset, which is made publicly available online, into a valuable resource for the development and evaluation of biometric recognition algorithms.
Need to Introduce the Finding of Obesity or Normal Body Weight in the Current Diagnostic Criteria and in the Classification of PCOS
Authors: Carmina Enrico
Published: October 2022

The diagnosis of PCOS is based on the Rotterdam guidelines: chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenism (biologic or clinical) and polycystic ovaries on ultrasound. Two of these three criteria are sufficient for making diagnosis of PCOS. However, one characteristic that is often associated to PCOS (obesity with severe insulin resistance and metabolic alteration regarding glucose metabolism and lipid pattern) has remained out of the current classification of PCOS. Because of this, patients with different metabolic and cardiovascular risk may be included in the same phenotype, and it makes more difficult to establish clear strategies of follow-up and treatment of the patients with increased risks, and also may hide genetic or environmental differences between PCOS patients. Our recent study has shown that metabolic alterations are linked to the weight and not to the Rotterdam phenotypes. Because of this, we suggest a new classification of PCOS phenotypes that divides each Rotterdam phenotype in obese (ob) or lean (l) sub-phenotype. An improved classification of PCOS may be essential for permitting new progress in our understanding of pathogenesis and treatment of PCOS (or of the different disorders that are part of PCOS).
The Value of Deep Learning Image Reconstruction in Improving the Quality of Low-Dose Chest CT Images
Authors: Jiang Jiu-Ming , Miao Lei , Liang Xin , Liu Zhuo-Heng , Zhang Li , Li Meng
Published: October 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the value of the deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) algorithm (GE Healthcare’s TrueFidelity™) in improving the image quality of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) of the chest. First, we retrospectively extracted raw data of chest LDCT from 50 patients and reconstructed them by using model-based adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-Veo at 50% (ASIR-V 50%) and DLIR at medium and high strengths (DLIR-M and DLIR-H). Three sets of images were obtained. Next, two radiographers measured the mean CT value/image signal and standard deviation (SD) in Hounsfield units at the region of interest (ROI) and calculated the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Two radiologists subjectively evaluated the image quality using a 5-point Likert scale. The differences between the groups of data were analyzed through a repeated measures ANOVA or the Friedman test. Last, our result show that the three reconstructions did not differ significantly in signal (p > 0.05) but had significant differences in noise, SNR, and CNR (p < 0.001). The subjective scores significantly differed among the three reconstruction modalities in soft tissue (p < 0.001) but not in lung tissue (p > 0.05). DLIR-H had the best noise reduction ability and improved SNR and CNR without distorting the image texture, followed by DLIR-M and ASIR-V 50%. In summary, DLIR can provide a higher image quality at the same dose, enhancing the physicians’ diagnostic confidence and improving the diagnostic efficacy of LDCT for lung cancer screening.
SARS-CoV-2 IgG Levels Allow Predicting the Optimal Time Span of Convalescent Plasma Donor Suitability
Authors: Laner-Plamberger Sandra , Lindlbauer Nadja , Weidner Lisa , Gänsdorfer Simon , Weseslindtner Lukas , Held Nina , Lauth Wanda , Zimmermann Georg , Kern Jan Marco , Föttinger Fabian , Ombres Laura , Jungbauer Christof , Rohde Eva , Grabmer Christoph
Published: October 2022

Convalescent plasma (CP) has been in use for the treatment of numerous infectious diseases for more than a century, recently also for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A major challenge for this treatment is identifying suitable donors with sufficient levels of functional antibodies and to determine the optimal time span for CP donation. In this retrospective study, we analyzed 189 CP donations of 66 donors regarding anti-SARS-CoV-2 anti-S IgG antibody levels. We found a significant correlation between the semi-quantitative SARS-CoV-2 IgG ratio values and in vitro antibody functionality. A time-to-event analysis allowed us to predict the optimal time span of COVID-19 CP donor suitability. We found that high IgG ratio values, which significantly correlate with high in vitro antibody functionality, were suitable for CP donation for a median of 134 days after the first CP donation. Donors with lower IgG ratios were suitable for a median of 53 days. Our data support plasma collection centers to determine optimal points in time for CP donation by means of widely used semi-quantitative laboratory IgG ratio values.
Automatic ECG Quality Assessment Techniques: A Systematic Review
Authors: van der Bijl Kirina , Elgendi Mohamed , Menon Carlo
Published: October 2022

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death, globally. Stroke and heart attacks account for more than 80% of cardiovascular disease-related deaths. To prevent patient mismanagement and potentially save lives, effective screening at an early stage is needed. Diagnosis is typically made using an electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis. However, ECG recordings are often corrupted by different types of noise, degrading the quality of the recording and making diagnosis more difficult. This paper reviews research on automatic ECG quality assessment techniques used in studies published from 2012–2022. The CinC11 Dataset is most often used for training and testing algorithms. Only one study tested its algorithm on people in real-time, but it did not specify the demographic data of the subjects. Most of the reviewed papers evaluated the quality of the ECG recordings per single lead. The accuracy of the algorithms reviewed in this paper range from 85.75% to 97.15%. More clarity on the research methods used is needed to improve the quality of automatic ECG quality assessment techniques and implement them in a clinical setting. This paper discusses the possible shortcomings in current research and provides recommendations on how to advance the field of automatic ECG quality assessment.
Comparative Evaluation of Two Bracket Systems’ Bond Strength: Conventional and Self-Ligating
Authors: Vartolomei Aurel-Claudiu , Ghiga Dana-Valentina , Serbanoiu Dan-Cosmin , Moldovan Marioara , Cuc Stanca , Pacurar Mariana , Pollmann Maria Cristina Figueiredo
Published: October 2022

Adhesion remains a key element in dentistry, whether approached in prosthetics, odontology, or orthodontics. It is a continuously researched aspect, as improved materials and adhesive methods keep emerging in the market. No orthodontic treatment can be effective without the proper adhesion strength of the bonded elements on the teeth. The objective of this research, in the broad context of self-ligating versus conventional brackets, was to compare active and passive self-ligating systems with a conventional one by conducting an in vitro study on human-extracted premolars. Shear bond strength tests were executed by means of an advanced materials-testing machine that generated maximum load and tensile strength values. The data obtained underwent statistical analysis with a statistical threshold of p < 0.05. The results regarding the statistical significance were acquired when comparing the passive self-ligating system with the active self-ligating and conventional systems (load-at-maximum-load mean 204.9, SD 91.09, and p < 0.05). In this study, the passive self-ligating bracket system appears to present increased shear bond strength.
C2VIR-SLAM: Centralized Collaborative Visual-Inertial-Range Simultaneous Localization and Mapping
Authors: Xie Jia , He Xiaofeng , Mao Jun , Zhang Lilian , Hu Xiaoping
Published: October 2022

Collaborative simultaneous localization and mapping have a great impact on various applications such as search-and-rescue and agriculture. For each agent, the key to performing collaboration is to measure the motion relative to other participants or external anchors; currently, this is mainly accompanied by (1) matching to the shared maps from other agents or (2) measuring the range to anchors with UWB devices. While requiring multiple agents to visit the same area can decrease the task efficiency and anchors demand a distribution process, this paper proposes to use a monocular camera, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a UWB device as the onboard sensors on each agent to build an accurate and efficient centralized collaborative SLAM system. For each participant, visual-inertial odometry is adopted to estimate the motion parameters and build a local map of the explored areas. The agent-to-agent range is measured by the onboard UWB and is published to the central server together with the estimated motion parameters and the reconstructed maps. We designed a global optimization algorithm to make use of the cross-agent map match information detected by a visual place technique, and the agent-to-agent range information to optimize the motion parameter of all the participants and merge the local maps into a global map. Compared with existing collaborative SLAM systems, the proposed system can perform collaboration with onboard UWB measurements only, vision only, and a combination of these; this greatly improves the adaptiveness and robustness of the collaborative system. We also present an in-depth analysis of C2VIR-SLAM in multiple UAV real-flight datasets.
Enhancing STEM Education by Integrating Research and Teaching in Photochemistry: An Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory in Spectroscopy and Photochemistry
Authors: Stelz-Sullivan Eleanor J. , Racca Jared M. , McCoy Julia C. , Charif Dana L. , Islam Lajmi , Zhou Xiao-Dong , Marchetti Barbara , Karsili Tolga N. V.
Published: October 2022

Molecular spectroscopy and photochemistry constitute an integral field in modern chemistry. However, undergraduate level classes provide limited opportunities for hands-on experimentation of photochemistry and photophysics. For this reason, a simple laboratory experiment was designed that may be easily implemented into undergraduate teaching laboratories with the aim of introducing undergraduate students to UV/visible spectroscopy and photochemistry/photophysics and its possible applications. Samples of three unknown sunscreen formulations are given to students and they are asked to use a set of techniques to identify their molecular composition and to test their efficacy using basic laboratory equipment available to them. In particular, the students are asked to complete the following tasks: (i) sample preparation using solvent extraction to extract active ingredients from the sunscreen lotion, (ii) identify the extracted molecular sunscreen constituents by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and UV/visible spectroscopy, and finally (iii) study their photostability by means of steady state irradiation coupled with UV/visible spectroscopy. The students were provided with the following tools for data collection: silica-backed TLC plates, a short-wave lamp (254 nm, for TLC analysis), a UV-Vis spectrophotometer with an associated computer and software, and an LED lamp (315 nm) to irradiate the samples. Combined TLC and UV-Vis spectroscopy allowed the students to identify the extracted ingredients. UV irradiation confirmed the photostability of sunscreens.
Study on Single Event Upsets in a 28 nm Technology Static Random Access Memory Device Based on Micro-Beam Irradiation
Authors: Sun Haohan , Guo Gang , Sun Ruinan , Zhao Wen , Zhang Fengqi , Liu Jiancheng , Zhang Zheng , Chen Ya , Zhao Yongle
Published: October 2022

As an important spaceborne electronic device, the static random access memory (SRAM) device is inevitably affected by the radiation of high-energy particles in space during its space mission. To reveal the single event effect (SEE) mechanism of 28 nm technology SRAM caused by high-energy particles, the sensitive area positioning of single event upsets (SEUs) and the distribution characteristics of multi-cell upsets (MCUs) were studied based on the pinhole heavy ion micro-beam facility. The results show that the actual range of SEUs caused by micro-beam irradiation is 4.8 μm × 7.8 μm. By moving the device platform in small steps (1 μm each step), a one-dimensional positioning method for locating the sensitive area of SEUs was established, which can reduce the dependence of localization accuracy on beam spot size, and the positioning accuracy can be improved to 1 μm. The MCU test indicates that the upset pattern is closely related to the spacing of sensitive areas within adjacent SRAM cells, and the probability of MCUs is reduced by well contacts and bit interleaving.
Trend Prediction Based on Multi-Modal Affective Analysis from Social Networking Posts
Authors: Matsumoto Kazuyuki , Amitani Reishi , Yoshida Minoru , Kita Kenji
Published: October 2022

This paper propose a method to predict the stage of buzz-trend generation by analyzing the emotional information posted on social networking services for multimodal information, such as posted text and attached images, based on the content of the posts. The proposed method can analyze the diffusion scale from various angles, using only the information at the time of posting, when predicting in advance and the information of time error, when used for posterior analysis. Specifically, tweets and reply tweets were converted into vectors using the BERT general-purpose language model that was trained in advance, and the attached images were converted into feature vectors using a trained neural network model for image recognition. In addition, to analyze the emotional information of the posted content, we used a proprietary emotional analysis model to estimate emotions from tweets, reply tweets, and image features, which were then added to the input as emotional features. The results of the evaluation experiments showed that the proposed method, which added linguistic features (BERT vectors) and image features to tweets, achieved higher performance than the method using only a single feature. Although we could not observe the effectiveness of the emotional features, the more emotions a tweet and its reply match had, the more empathy action occurred and the larger the like and RT values tended to be, which could ultimately increase the likelihood of a tweet going viral.
A Novel Color Image Encryption Algorithm Using Coupled Map Lattice with Polymorphic Mapping
Authors: Huang Penghe , Li Dongyan , Wang Yu , Zhao Huimin , Deng Wu
Published: October 2022

Some typical security algorithms such as SHA, MD4, MD5, etc. have been cracked in recent years. However, these algorithms have some shortcomings. Therefore, the traditional one-dimensional-mapping coupled lattice is improved by using the idea of polymorphism in this paper, and a polymorphic mapping–coupled map lattice with information entropy is developed for encrypting color images. Firstly, we extend a diffusion matrix with the original 4 × 4 matrix into an n × n matrix. Then, the Huffman idea is employed to propose a new pixel-level substitution method, which is applied to replace the grey degree value. We employ the idea of polymorphism and select f(x) in the spatiotemporal chaotic system. The pseudo-random sequence is more diversified and the sequence is homogenized. Finally, three plaintext color images of 256×256×3, “Lena”, “Peppers” and “Mandrill”, are selected in order to prove the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has a large key space, better sensitivity to keys and plaintext images, and a better encryption effect.
The Stable Carbon Isotope Composition of Pinus yunnanensis Pollen and Leaf in Northwestern Yunnan, China
Authors: Sun Wenjun , Shen Caiming , Huang Linpei , Meng Hongwei , Ren Binbin
Published: October 2022

The basis for the δ13C values of plant tissues used to infer past ecological environments is their relationships with modern ecological conditions. A total of 71 pairs of pollen and leaf samples were collected from Pinus yunnanensis, an endemic species of the Yunnan plateau, in northwestern Yunnan, China. Their carbon isotopic composition was examined to investigate the two tissues’ difference of stable carbon isotopes, possible factors affecting their δ13C values, and their distinctiveness within Pinus and Pinaceae. Our study showed that pollen δ13C values range from −32.92 to −26.34‰ with an average of −30.88‰, whereas leaf δ13C values vary between −33.79 and −28.96‰ with an average value of −31.2‰, suggesting an isotope fractionation between the two tissues. A statistically significant negative correlation between the pollen δ13C values and altitudes of the sampling sites as well as no significant correlation between the leaf δ13C values and altitudes suggested that pollen may be more sensitive to some climatic parameters than leaf. A comparison of the pollen and leaf δ13C values from Pinus yunnanensis with the available data from other Pinus species and other genus species of Pinaceae indicated that the pollen and leaf δ13C values of Pinus yunnanensis are the lowest, partially due to the effects of water availability.
Genome-Wide Identification of miRNAs and Its Downstream Transcriptional Regulatory Network during Seed Maturation in Tilia tuan
Authors: Hao Xuri , Liu Lei , Liu Peng , Wang Menglei , Song Yuepeng
Published: October 2022

Seed maturation not only determines the qualities and yields of seeds, but also affects seed storage and quality preservation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a ubiquitous regulatory factor of gene expression in eukaryotes, which participate in the complex regulatory network of gene expression during seed maturation. However, miRNAs involved in maturation of Tilia tuan are still unknown. To reveal the role of miRNAs in T. tuan, small RNAs were profiled by high-throughput sequencing during seed maturation at five developmental stages. By predicting the target genes of miRNAs, the expression patterns of miRNAs during seed maturation were analyzed to identify those related to seed maturation. A total of 187 known miRNAs belonging to 42 miRNA families were found at five different seed maturation stages. Based on the analysis of unknown sequences, eight novel miRNAs were identified; 11,775 targets of 195 miRNAs were identified. Large numbers of miRNAs with diverse expression patterns, multiple-targeting and co-targeting of many miRNAs, and a complex regulatory network of miRNA-target genes were identified during seed maturation. These miRNAs and their targets may be involved in fatty acid, ABA, and lignin biosynthesis. Our study provides more information about the miRNA regulatory network and deepens our understanding of the function of miRNAs in T. tuan. miRNAs are revealed to be crucial during seed maturation, which provides a basis for further study of the regulatory role of miRNAs during seed maturation.
Methods for Intensifying Biogas Production from Waste: A Scientometric Review of Cavitation and Electrolysis Treatments
Authors: Chubur Viktoriia , Danylov Dmytro , Chernysh Yelizaveta , Plyatsuk Leonid , Shtepa Vladimir , Haneklaus Nils , Roubik Hynek
Published: October 2022

This article presents future trends in research using microbiological methods to intensify bioprocesses for biogas production. The pretreatment by combinations of physical and chemical methods, such as cavitation and electrolysis, is considered. The approach of the article involved reviewing the residual area on the intensification technologies of anaerobic digestion with current methods to improve the quality and quantity of biogas. The most valuable reported positive results of the pretreatment of biological raw materials in the cavitation process were reviewed and are presented here. A model of the effect of electrolysis on the species diversity of bacteria in anaerobic digestion was developed, and changes in the dominance of the ecological and trophic systems were revealed on the basis of previous studies. The stimulating effect on biogas yield, reduction in the stabilization period of the reactor, and inactivation of microorganisms at lower temperatures is associated with different pretreatment methods that intensify anaerobic digestion. More research is recommended to focus on the electrolysis treatment of different types of waste and their ratios with optimization of regime parameters, as well as in combination with other pretreatments to produce biomethane and biohydrogen in larger quantities and in better qualities.
Advances in Komagataella phaffii Engineering for the Production of Renewable Chemicals and Proteins
Authors: Carneiro Clara Vida Galrão Corrêa , Serra Luana Assis , Pacheco Thályta Fraga , Ferreira Letícia Maria Mallmann , Brandão Lívia Teixeira Duarte , Freitas Mariana Nogueira de Moura , Trichez Débora , Almeida João Ricardo Moreira de
Published: October 2022

The need for a more sustainable society has prompted the development of bio-based processes to produce fuels, chemicals, and materials in substitution for fossil-based ones. In this context, microorganisms have been employed to convert renewable carbon sources into various products. The methylotrophic yeast Komagataella phaffii has been extensively used in the production of heterologous proteins. More recently, it has been explored as a host organism to produce various chemicals through new metabolic engineering and synthetic biology tools. This review first summarizes Komagataella taxonomy and diversity and then highlights the recent approaches in cell engineering to produce renewable chemicals and proteins. Finally, strategies to optimize and develop new fermentative processes using K. phaffii as a cell factory are presented and discussed. The yeast K. phaffii shows an outstanding performance for renewable chemicals and protein production due to its ability to metabolize different carbon sources and the availability of engineering tools. Indeed, it has been employed in producing alcohols, carboxylic acids, proteins, and other compounds using different carbon sources, including glycerol, glucose, xylose, methanol, and even CO2.
Unexpected Discovery of an Ectoparasitic Invasion First Detected in the Baikal Coregonid Fish Population
Authors: Kaygorodova Irina , Matveenko Ekaterina , Dzyuba Elena
Published: October 2022

The omul, Coregonus migratorius (Georgi, 1775), an endemic fish of Lake Baikal, is the main commercial species of essential economic importance for the extensive region of Eastern Siberia. Despite the continuous 250-year study of Baikal omul and intensive commercial fishing, neither fishers nor biologists have ever mentioned or found external annelid parasites in numerous omul catches. Targeted parasitological studies have also never detected these ectoparasites on the body of this fish. In this study, we present the first reliable information on the existence of specific annelid parasites infecting the pelagic population of Baikal omul and report a 4% infestation of spawners in the Selenga River, the largest tributary of Lake Baikal. We also obtained the main morphometric parameters of the infected fishes, the morphology of the unknown parasite and its feeding strategy. DNA-based analysis was applied to ascertain the taxonomy of the leeches and revealed no closely related taxa existing in international genetic databases (e.g., GenBank) to date. A maximum genetic identity of 89–91% was detected with European Caspiobdella fadejewi. The genetic distances in 9–11% of the substitutions from the closest relatives were very high for a reliable molecular identification of a taxon. The Selenga omul leech may represent a potentially new species and genus.
Experimental Solid–Liquid Mass Transfer around Free-Moving Particles in an Air-Lift Membrane Bioreactor with Optical Techniques
Authors: Bouayed Naila , Montaner Manon , Le Men Claude , Teychené Johanne , Lafforgue Christine , Dietrich Nicolas , Lee Chung-Hak , Guigui Christelle
Published: October 2022

This article focuses on the study of the mass transfer involved in the application of a bacterial antifouling technique for membrane bioreactors (MBR), via the addition of solid media. These alginate objects can contain a biological system capable of producing an enzyme that degrades the signal molecules responsible for membrane fouling. The objective of this article is to quantify the mass transfer by distinguishing two main types: the transfer from the liquid to the solid media and the transfer from solid media to the liquid phase. For this purpose, a model molecule was chosen, and experiments were specifically developed with an optical device to track the concentration of the dye in the liquid phase, considering three different shapes for the particles (beads, hollow cylinders, and flat sheets). The experiments were first performed in jar tests and then in a lab-scale reactor. The results of this study revealed that the total amount of dye transferred into the sheets was greater than that transferred into the cylinders or the beads, which was attributed to the sheets having a larger exchange area for the same volume. When the dyed media were implemented in the MBR (loading rate of solid media: 0.45% v/v—no biomass), the global transfer coefficient from the sheets to the liquid was found to be greater than for the other shapes, indicating a faster transfer phenomenon. The effect of aeration in the MBR was investigated and an optimal air flowrate for fostering the transfer was found, based on the highest transfer coefficient that was obtained. This study provided key information about mass transfer in MBRs and how it is affected by the particle shapes and the MBR operating conditions.
Influence of Green Tea Added to Cherry Wine on Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Activity and Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibition during an In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion
Authors: Lasik-Kurdyś Małgorzata , Gumienna Małgorzata , Górna Barbara , Adzahan Noranizan Mohd
Published: October 2022

Cherries are a good source of bioactive compounds, with high antioxidant activity as well as nutritional and therapeutic importance. In this study, cherry wines enriched with green tea infusion (mild and concentrated) were produced, and their biological properties were evaluated. During winemaking, the main vinification parameters (alcohol, reducing sugars, acidity, total polyphenol content) as well biological activity (antioxidant activity, alpha-glucosidase inhibition potential) were determined. An in vitro digestion process was also performed to evaluate the impact of the gastrointestinal environment on the biological stability of the wines, and to analyze the interactions of wine-intestinal microflora. The addition of green tea to the cherry wine significantly increased the total polyphenol content (up to 2.73 g GAE/L) and antioxidant activity (up to 22.07 mM TE/L), compared with the control wine. However, after in vitro digestion, a reduction in total polyphenols (53–64%) and antioxidant activity (38–45%) were noted. Wines fortified with green tea expressed a stronger inhibition effect on intestinal microflora growth, of which E. coli were the most sensitive microorganisms. The tea-derived bioactive compounds significantly increased the potential of alpha-glucosidase inhibition. The proposed wines could be a good alternative type of wine, with an increased polyphenol content and the potential to control the insulin response supporting therapy for diabetes.