bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction and Elucidation of Triglycerides Levels Using a Machine Learning and Linear Fuzzy Modelling Approach
Authors: Ahmad Wan Muhamad Amir W , Ahmed Faraz , Noor Nor Farid Mohd , Aleng Nor Azlida , Ghazali Farah Muna Mohamad , Alam Mohammad Khursheed
Published: February 2022

Introduction. Triglycerides are lipids composed of fatty acids that provide energy to the cell. These compounds are delivered to the body’s cells via lipoproteins found in the bloodstream. Increased blood triglyceride levels have been associated with high‐fat or high‐carbohydrate diets. Generally, increased triglyceride levels occur in conjunction with other symptoms that are difficult to notice and recognize. Objectives. The study’s goal was to develop and predict the model that could be used to explain the relationship between triglycerides and waist circumference, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), and hypertension status by determining the relationship between triglycerides and waist circumference, HDL, and hypertension status. This model was developed using qualitative predictor variables and incorporated data bootstrapping multilayer perceptron neural networks and fuzzy linear regression. Materials and procedures. This was a public health study that combined retrospective data analysis with methodology development. The medical records of patients who attended outpatient clinics at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) were collected and analyzed. This was to provide a more extensive illustration of the methods developed. Screening and selection of patient data were necessary following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patient’s medical record was used to obtain triglycerides, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), waist circumference, and hypertension status. Due to the critical nature of the variable, it was chosen to aid the clinical expert. The R‐Studio software was used to develop the associated syntax for the hybrid model, which would define the association between the examined variables. The purpose of this study is to create a technique for the clinical trial design that utilizes bootstrapping, Qualitative Predictor Variables (QPV), Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and Fuzzy Regression (FR). All analyses were performed using the newly introduced R syntax. The research developed a fuzzy linear model that increased modelling performance by incorporating clinically significant factors and validated variables via Multilayer Perceptron (MLP). Conclusion. The proposed technique for modelling and prediction appeared to be the ideal combination of bootstrap, Multilayer Feed Forward (MLFF) neural network, and fuzzy linear regression. The created syntax is currently being evaluated and validated clinically. For modelling and prediction, the proposed technique looked to be the best, as it incorporated bootstrap, MLFF neural network, and fuzzy linear regression. The established syntax is now being utilized in the clinic to evaluate and validate the outcome. In terms of variable selection, modelling, and model validation, this strategy was superior to earlier approaches for fuzzy regression modelling.
Numerical Simulation Study on Parameter Optimization of Time Sequential Controlled Blasting
Authors: He Meng , Hu Yehong , Chen Jin , Zhang Jiazhao , Li Helong , Cai Changgeng
Published: February 2022

In order to reduce the damage of blasting to rock mass and improve the half-hole rate of presplitting blasting, the dynamic finite element analysis software ANSYS/LS-DYNA is used to simulate and analyze the action process of sequential controlled blasting. The effects of the detonation delay time of the postblasting hole and the hole spacing of the postblasting hole on the crack formation of the sequential controlled presplitting blasting are studied. The results show that when the blast hole with a diameter of 42 mm is used for sequential controlled presplitting blasting and the first blast hole pitch is 60 cm, the reasonable detonation delay time is 80∼120 μs. When the detonation delay time is 80 μs, the reasonable postblast hole spacing is 60 cm. Field tests show that when reasonable optimized blasting parameters are used, presplit blasting with sequential control can reduce drilling workload and explosive consumption. The sequential controlled presplitting blasting not only increases the hole spacing but also plays a better role in protecting the surrounding rock.
Protective Effects of Alternanthera sessilis Ethanolic Extract against TNF-α or H2O2-Induced Endothelial Activation in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells
Authors: Mohd Razali Nur Nadia , Teh Soek Sin , Mah Siau Hui , Yong Yoke Keong , Ng Chin Theng , Lim Yang Mooi , Fong Lai Yen
Published: February 2022

Activation of the endothelium has been shown to contribute to the early stage of vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. In endothelial activation, excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and increased expression of cell adhesion molecules cause an increase in vascular permeability. Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R. Br. is an edible traditional herbal plant, which has previously been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the effect of A. sessilis on the activation of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of A. sessilis on endothelial permeability, vascular cell adhesion-1 (VCAM-1) expression, production of ROS and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. The viability of HAECs was first determined using the MTT viability assay. The effect of A. sessilis on endothelial permeability was examined using the FITC-dextran permeability assay. Besides, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was done to assess soluble VCAM-1 (sVCAM-1) expression. The production of ROS and H2O2 was studied using 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H2-DCFDA) and Amplex Red fluorescent dyes, respectively. SOD and CAT activities were also measured using commercial kits. Our results showed that 25–200 μg/mL of A. sessilis ethanolic extract did not cause significant death in HAECs. A. sessilis at 200 μg/mL significantly inhibited TNF-α-induced hyperpermeability of HAECs. However, A. sessilis did not reduce increased VCAM-1 expression induced by TNF-α. A. sessilis also significantly reduced TNF-α-induced increased ROS production, but not H2O2 production. Furthermore, 100 μM of H2O2 decreased both SOD and CAT activities in HAECs at 2 h. A. sessilis ethanolic extract dramatically increased both reduced SOD and CAT activities caused by H2O2. The liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of A. sessilis ethanolic extract demonstrated the presence of arachidonic acid, azadirachtin, astaxanthin, flavanole base + 3O, 2Prenyl, and vicenin 2, while the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed that the extract contains 1,3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-pyran-4-one, 3-deoxy-d-mannoic lactone, 4-pyrrolidinobenzaldehyde, and n-hexadecanoic acid. In conclusion, our findings suggest that A. sessilis ethanolic extract protects against endothelial hyperpermeability and oxidative stress elicited by pro-inflammatory or prooxidant stimulus. This study reveals a therapeutic potential of A. sessilis in preventing endothelial activation, which is a key event in early atherosclerosis.
Sequential and/or Simultaneous Wet‐Impregnation Impact on the Mesoporous Pt/Sn/Zn/γ‐Al2O3 Catalysts for the Direct Ethane Dehydrogenation
Authors: Ali Arshid M. , Zahrani Abdulrahim A. , Daous Muhammad A. , Podila Seetharamulu , Alshehri Majid Khalid , Rather Sami-ullah , Saeed Usman
Published: February 2022

This study is aimed at investigating the impact of catalyst preparation’s approach (either sequential and/or simultaneous wet impregnation) to a mesoporous series of Pt/A, Sn/A, PtSn/A, SnPt/A, (PtSn)/A, (PtSn)Zn/A, and (PtSnZn)/A catalysts for direct ethane dehydrogenation. The (PtSn)/A and (PtSnZn)/A had shown both higher initial specific activity (s-1) and reaction rate constant Kd (h-1) (13063.86 (s-1) and 12489.69 (s-1) and 0.09 (h-1) and 0.06 (h-1)), respectively. The catalyst preparation approach had direct impact to the availability and dispersion of mesoporous particles of either active metal and/or promoter that influences either to hinder the C‐C cleavage and/or to promote C‐H bond cleavage in the dehydrogenation of ethane to ethene. The active metal component was present in the form of Pt, Pt+2, Al+3, Sn+4, and Zn+2 states. The enhanced catalytic activity is attributed to the Pt4Sn and PtZn formed phases in addition to highly dispersed mesoporous Pt particles. Based on the obtained results, the catalysts prepared by using simultaneous wet impregnation had shown higher catalytic activity and catalyst stability as to that of sequential wet impregnation.
Determination of Total Saccharide Content in Auricularia auricula Based on Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Yang Gen , Li Shanlei , Ji Shixian , Wang Yunjie , Wang Jinmei , Ji Liqiang , Li Changqin
Published: February 2022

In this paper, the content of total saccharide in Auricularia auricula from different regions was determined. Then, near-infrared (NIR) technology was used to collect the spectral information of the samples. The sample data were divided into calibration set and validation set. The best quantitative model of the total saccharide content of A. auricula was established by selecting the parameters such as spectral range, pretreatment method, and partial least square method (PLS) main factor number of the calibration set data. The validation set data were used to verify the reliability of this model. In this model, the original spectrum was used to preprocess by standard normal variate (SNV) + second derivative (SD) to eliminate the scattering effect caused by uneven particle distribution and the influence of noise on spectral data. The spectrum range was 4000–10000 cm−1, and the final choice of PLS main factor number was 11. Under this condition, the calibration set Rc2 of the model was 0.9092, the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) was 1.405, the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) was 1.507, and the residual predictive deviation (RPD) was 3.32. The validation samples were used to test the model, and the result showed that Rv2 = 0.9048 of the validation set. The result proved that the predicted value of the validation samples had a good linear relationship with the measured value. According to the T-test of the two sets of data in the validation set, the difference between the predicted value and the chemical value was not significant (

P

 ≥ 0.05). The results were in line with the expected objectives. The established NIR quantitative model can be used to predict the total saccharide content of the black fungus sample to be tested.
Research on Fault Detection Algorithm of Electrical Equipment Based on Neural Network
Authors: Lei Tianxiang , Lv Fangcheng , Liu Jiaomin , Zhang Lei , Zhou Ti
Published: February 2022

With the rapid development of China’s electrical industry, the safe operation of electrical facilities is very important for social stability and people’s property safety. The failure detection method of conventional electrical equipment is hand detection, which has high experience of the detection person, lacks detection and error detection, and the detection efficiency is low. With the development of artificial intelligence technology, computer-assisted substation inspection is now possible, and substation inspection using an intelligent inspection robot equipped with an infrared device is one of the main substation inspection methods. In this paper, experiments are carried out using several neural network models. For example, if a faster region convolutional neural networks (RCNN) infrared detection model is employed, a good vg16 in the feature region of the extracted image takes into account the quality of the infrared image and the presence of multiple devices. Infrared images can be used to determine the basic features of various electronic devices. In order to detect targets in infrared images of electrical equipment, the fast RCNN target detection algorithm is used, and the overall recognition accuracy reaches 83.1%, and a good application effect is obtained.
Sensitivity Analysis of a Smart 3D-Printed Hand Prosthetic
Authors: Ige Ebenezer Olubunmi , Adetunla Adedotun , Awesu Adedamola , Ajayi Oluwaseun K.
Published: February 2022

In this study, prosthesis performance was examined in the direction of prosthesis comfort, which may be incorporated into clinical practice as considerations for the fabrication of patient-specific prostheses. The need to produce patient-specific prosthetics is very germane to assist in orthopedic and trans-radial amputation medicine. The prosthesis makes use of a relatively simple brain-computer interface that receives electroencephalogram (EEG) signals as input and drives actuators connected to cables to actuate the 3D-printed fingers and the wrist. Both mechanical and electrical simulations were carried out to investigate the response to loading conditions, after which sensitivity analysis was conducted to validate the prosthesis performance.
Bixin Prevents Colorectal Cancer Development through AMPK‐Activated Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Qiu Yunfeng , Li Changfeng , Zhang Bin
Published: February 2022

Chemicals isolated from natural products have been broadly applied in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Bixin, an apocarotenoid from the seeds of Bixa orellana, exerts multiple pharmacological properties, including neuroprotective, anti‐inflammatory, cardioprotective, and antitumor effects; yet, the therapeutic effects of Bixin on CRC are still unknown. Here, we described that Bixin treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation and motility of two CRC cell lines (CaCO2 and SW480) in vitro and in vivo. In addition, Bixin administration has sensitized CRC cells to TNF‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand‐ (TRAIL‐) induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, we showed that Bixin treatment initiated the activation of PERK/eIF‐2α signal in CaCO2 and SW480 cells, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress‐associated apoptosis. Pharmacological inhibition of AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) abrogated the Bixin‐induced activation of protein kinase RNA‐like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)/eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF‐2α) pathway, as well as reversed the inhibitory effects of Bixin on CRC development. In conclusion, this study indicated that Bixin treatment inhibits the progression of CRC through activating the AMPK/PERK/eIF‐2α pathway, providing a novel potential strategy for clinical prevention of CRC.
Message Authentication and Network Anomalies Detection in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Legashev Leonid , Bolodurina Irina , Zabrodina Lubov , Ushakov Yuri , Shukhman Alexander , Parfenov Denis , Zhou Yong , Xu Yan
Published: February 2022

Intelligent transport systems are the future in matters of safe roads and comfortable driving. Integration of vehicles into a unified intelligent network leads to all kinds of security issues and cyber threats common to conventional networks. Rapid development of mobile ad hoc networks and machine learning methods allows us to ensure security of intelligent transport systems. In this paper, we design an authentication scheme that can be used to ensure message integrity and preserve conditional privacy for the vehicle user. The proposed authentication scheme is designed with lightweight cryptography methods, so that it only brings little computational and communication overhead. We also conduct experiments on vehicular ad hoc network segment traffic generation in OMNeT++ tool and apply up-to-date machine learning methods to detect malicious behavior in a given simulated environment. The results of the study show high accuracy in distributed denial-of-service attack detection.
Optimization of Joint Economic Lot Size Model for Vendor‐Buyer with Exponential Quality Degradation and Transportation by Chimp Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Utama Dana Marsetiya , Dewi Shanty Kusuma , Dwi Budi Maulana Sri Kurnia
Published: February 2022

Freight transportation plays a critical role in improving company performance in the modern manufacturing industry. To reduce costs, companies must take advantage of the use of large vehicles. It caused fewer deliveries, but inventory costs and degradation quality are high. One of the joint economic lot size (JELS) problems in supply chain is Integrated Single‐Vendor Single‐Buyer Inventory Problem (I‐SVSB‐IP). This study developed the I‐SVSB‐IP model that considers raw materials’ exponential quality degradation and transportation costs. The objective function of this research was to maximize the Joint Total Profit (JTP). Three decision variables used were inventory cycle time (T), raw material ordering frequency (m), and frequency of delivery of finished products to buyers (n). This study proposed a sophisticated Chimp Optimization Algorithm (ChOA) procedure to solve the I‐SVSB‐IP problem. A case study on the food industry in Indonesia was presented to optimize the I‐SVSB‐IP. The results showed that the ChOA procedure had produced an optimal solution compared to the state‐of‐the‐art algorithm. This study also demonstrated a sensitivity analysis of decision and transportation variables to cost, revenue, and JTP. The results show that increasing transport frequency of ordering raw materials (m) and finished products to buyers (n) enhances the total cost and reduces joint total profit. In addition, increasing the rate of quality degradation of raw materials reduces JTP.
Overcoming Depression: Stories of Terminated Employees amidst COVID-19
Authors: Adlit Marlon F. , Ida Irish Mae A.
Published: February 2022

COVID-19 virus caused drastic changes in people's lives, especially in terms of employment. Employees were greatly impacted by this pandemic, as there were terminated from their jobs. This study investigated how depression affects terminated workers and how they manage it throughout the pandemic.

A qualitative design was employed to perform this study. A structured type of interview was conducted on five samples using an online platform. To establish the number of samples required for the investigation, convenience sampling was used. The data was analyzed in-depth using a narrative technique, which resulted in the study's findings and conclusions. Five (5) terminated employees such as professional photographer, construction worker, hairdresser, driver, and varsity coach were among the participants.

The participants in this study were found to experience depression due to family financial issues caused by the loss of a job during the pandemic. Participants reported feelings of sadness and loneliness, as well as inability to think, low self-esteem, insomnia and hypersomnia, a lack of ambition to accomplish anything, and suicidal or negative thoughts. Accordingly, through their families' emotional support, the participants have been able to overcome their depression.
The Use of Computer-Based Interactive Games in Teaching Science Con-cepts for Struggling Learners: Basis for a Compilation of Recommended Games in Teaching
Authors: Sumandal Allan H.
Published: February 2022

Games have been used and proven effective in motivating students. Playing interactive games can enhance learning (Lieberman, 2006). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of computer-based interactive games in teaching students who are struggling to learning concepts in Physical Science. It also determined to identify the students’ attitudes towards the use of computer-based interactive games. This study utilized pre-test and post-test designs. Respondents for this study were Grade 11 struggling learners and were determined based on the learners’ general average grade during the first semester. The two experimental treatment groups were randomly assigned. One group was taught using computer-based interactive games as an intervention, while the other did not have any teaching intervention. Both groups had regular class instruction in Physical Science and were taught the same content and the same amount of time. The findings reveal that upon exposure to computer-based interactive games, struggling students’ performance in science concepts as described by their pre-test and post-test scores were statistically different with the performance of the struggling students using the lecture-discussion approach. The result implies that students enhanced by the computer-based interactive games approach performed at par with those exposed to traditional learning. Hence, the use of computer-based interactive games in teaching Physical Science concepts is recommended, in addition to regular class instruction. It is suggested that science teachers, especially senior high school teachers who teach Physical Science, should integrate and use computer-based interactive games since it promotes a better understanding of the lesson.
Carotid Plaque Composition and Prediction of Incident Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: van der Toorn Janine E. , Bos Daniel , Ikram M. Kamran , Verwoert Germaine C. , van der Lugt Aad , Ikram M. Arfan , Vernooij Meike W. , Kavousi Maryam
Published: February 2022

Background:

Whether information on carotid plaque composition contributes to prediction of incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains to be investigated. We determined the sex-specific added value of carotid plaque components for predicting incident ASCVD events, beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods:

Between 2007 and 2012, participants from the population-based Rotterdam Study with asymptomatic carotid wall thickening >2.5 mm on ultrasonography were invited for carotid magnetic resonance imaging. Among 1349 participants (mean age: 72 years [SD±9.3], 49.5% women) without cardiovascular disease, we assessed plaque thickness, luminal stenosis (>30%), presence of intraplaque hemorrhage, lipid-rich necrotic core, and calcification. Follow-up for ASCVD was complete until January 1, 2015. Using Cox proportional hazards models, we fitted sex-specific prediction models including traditional cardiovascular risk factors (base model). We extended the base model by single and simultaneous additions of plaque characteristics and calculated improvement of model performance by the
C
statistics.

Results:

During a median follow-up of 4.8 years, 60 men and 48 women developed ASCVD. In women, presence of intraplaque hemorrhage was associated with incident ASCVD (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.37 [95% CI, 1.81–6.25]). The
C
statistic (95% CI) improved from 0.73 (0.66–0.79) to 0.76 (0.70–0.83) after single addition of intraplaque hemorrhage to the base model. Simultaneous addition of plaque components, plaque thickness, and stenosis did not change the results. In men, only carotid stenosis was statistically significantly associated with incident ASCVD (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.75 [95% CI, 1.00–3.08]); yet, the association diminished after the addition of other plaque characteristics, and no improvements were observed in
C
statistics.

Conclusions:

Presence of intraplaque hemorrhage contributes to the prediction of incident ASCVD in women, beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors, other plaque components, plaque size, and stenosis.
Impact of Endoluminal Flow Diverter Number on Aneurysm Treatment Outcomes: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Vranic Justin E. , Harker Pablo , Stapleton Christopher J. , Regenhardt Robert W. , Alotaibi Naif M. , Leslie‐Mazwi Thabele M. , Gupta Rajiv , Tan Can Ozan , Koch Matthew J. , Dmytriw Adam A. , Raymond Scott B. , Mascitelli Justin R. , Patterson T. Tyler , Seinfeld Joshua , White Andrew , Case David , Roark Christopher , Gandhi Chirag D. , Al‐Mufti Fawaz , Cooper Jared , Matouk Charles , Sujijantarat Nanthiya , Devia Diego A. , Ocampo‐Navia Maria I. , Villamizar‐Torres Daniel E. , Puentes Juan C. , Patel Aman B.
Published: February 2022

Background

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact multiple overlapping flow‐diverting stents have on aneurysm occlusion rates and iatrogenic complications relative to single flow‐diverting stents.

Methods

A retrospective review of a multicenter aneurysm database from 2012 to 2020 was performed to identify saccular aneurysms treated initially with single and multiple flow‐diverting stents with ≥12‐month angiographic and clinical follow‐up. Aneurysm occlusion rates as a function of stent number served as a primary outcome measure with iatrogenic complications serving as a secondary outcome measure.

Results

A total of 250 patients were initially treated with a single Pipeline embolization device (PED), and 48 patients were initially treated with multiple PEDs. There was no significant difference in aneurysm size, morphology, or dual‐antiplatelet therapy regimen used between groups. There was no significant difference in the aneurysm occlusion (single, 83.6%, versus multiple, 83.4%;
P
=0.65) or retreatment rates (single, 8.0%, versus multiple, 10.4%;
P
=0.58) between groups. There was no significant difference in the number of procedure‐related complications between groups (single, 8.0%, versus multiple, 4.2%;
P
=0.42), with 0.8% of patients treated with a single PED and 2.1% of patients treated with multiple PEDs experiencing a procedure‐related ischemic stroke.

Conclusions

There is no significant difference in overall aneurysm occlusion rates between aneurysms treated initially with single versus multiple overlapping PEDs nor are there significant differences in procedure‐related complications. Single PED flow diversion may be preferred whenever possible, with multiple PED constructs reserved for extenuating clinical circumstances as may be encountered with giant aneurysms.
Transcranial Doppler After Endovascular Treatment to Evaluate Collateral Status and Outcomes in Patients With Large‐Vessel Occlusion
Authors: Bavarsad Shahripour Reza , Azarpazhooh Mahmoud Reza , Akhuanzada Humayon , Tarpley Jason W. , Borhani‐Haghighi Afshin , Agrawal Kunal , Modir Royya , Meyer Brett , Hemmen Thomas M , Meyer Dawn
Published: February 2022

Background

Recent advances in endovascular therapy (EVT) have led to significant improvements in functional outcomes of patients with stroke. However, early neurological deterioration after EVT has remained a concerning issue. This cohort study was designed to assess the feasibility of early transcranial Doppler (TCD) after EVT and to identify associations between TCD findings and early neurological deterioration.

Methods

Between October 16, 2020, and March 28, 2021, we recruited 20 patients with acute ischemic stroke with large‐vessel occlusion who underwent EVT. Five patients were excluded because of a poor temporal window; 2 had an unsuccessful intervention. Using TCD, we measured peak systolic velocity, end‐diastolic velocity, mean flow velocity, and pulsatility index for all selected arteries before and within 60 minutes after EVT. We also examined the association between active leptomeningeal collateral flow after EVT and early neurological deterioration. Patients were followed for 3 months, and disability was measured using the modified Rankin scale.

Results

Two patients had early neurological deterioration with elevated blood pressure and active leptomeningeal flow despite successful EVT. Most patients with poststroke disability (modified Rankin scale>2) had either flow diversion or active leptomeningeal collateral flow in the presence of elevated blood pressure (≥170/93 mm Hg). In cases without early neurological deterioration and in those with a modified Rankin scale<2, we did not observe any flow diversion or active leptomeningeal collateral. They also had a blood pressure of ≤155/85 mm Hg after EVT. All patients with hemorrhagic transformation had evidence of hyperemia on TCD.

Conclusions

Early TCD is a feasible and safe approach to evaluate cerebral blood flow before and after EVT and identify those at risk of early neurological deterioration. For the next phase of this study, we plan to manage blood pressures based on individualized cerebral flow and the presence of active collateral arteries after EVT.
Ensemble Making Few-Shot Learning Stronger
Authors: Lin Qiang , Liu Yongbin , Wen Wen , Tao Zhihua , Ouyang Chunping , Wan Yaping
Published: February 2022

Few-shot learning has been proposed and rapidly emerging as a viable means for completing various tasks. Many few-shot models have been widely used for relation learning tasks. However, each of these models has a shortage of capturing a certain aspect of semantic features, for example, CNN on long-range dependencies part, Transformer on local features. It is difficult for a single model to adapt to various relation learning, which results in a high variance problem. Ensemble strategy could be competitive in improving the accuracy of few-shot relation extraction and mitigating high variance risks. This paper explores an ensemble approach to reduce the variance and introduces fine-tuning and feature attention strategies to calibrate relation-level features. Results on several few-shot relation learning tasks show that our model significantly outperforms the previous state-of-the-art models.
The Poetic Way of Thinking
Authors: Ziarek Krzysztof
Published: February 2022

Heidegger repeatedly performs the encounter of thinking and poetry, explicitly for the sake of inaugurating a non-metaphysical way of thinking. This transformed thinking is to be poetic and non-conceptual, eschewing the comfort of transparent meaning, the grasping power of concepts, the presentational force of images, or the self-evident correctness of propositional statements. The need for such a non-metaphysical thinking arises historically, at the endpoint of the epoch of the completion of metaphysics, when it comes to roost in the Gestell, the technological essencing of being, which pervades and (over)powers all that is in being: all beings, entities and occurrences. Poetic thinking responds to the modern drive to maximum availablity and dispose-ability of being and beings, freeing up the possibility of a path alternative to the dominion of calculative thought and its technological metrics.
Unpacking Joint Attributions of Cities and Nation States as Actors in Global Affairs
Authors: Buhmann Alexander
Published: February 2022

Public diplomacy efforts of nation states and cities within these states inevitably develop alongside another, giving rise to joint attributions regarding these entities as actors in global affairs, though also potentially intensifying perceptions of their independent and even contradictory roles in international diplomacy. Variations in attributions of cities and states as more or less conjoint actors can be expected to affect both the visibility of key actors and the formation of attitudes and behaviours towards these actors in international affairs. In this essay I explore how and in what dimensions such variations can be expected to occur, applying recent thinking on the constitution of social actors to this emerging debate in public and city diplomacy scholarship and proposing a conceptual framework that distinguishes joint ‘selfhood’ and ‘actorhood’ as key dimensions of joint city/state attributions. The essay includes a discussion of the implications of this conceptualisation for public and city diplomacy.
Who Should I Trust and Follow?
Authors: Molenaar Dorieke
Published: February 2022

In this article, I argue that Islamic authority is being made between online and offline environments used by young Muslims, between religious experts and ‘laymen’. Youngsters try to find their way and mosques try to direct and inform Muslims about and through online sources and strengthen their online presence. This article analyses four online discussions between young Dutch Muslims of Moroccan descent on the forum Marokko.nl. These discussions about Islamic ideologies, imams and mosques show how the participants try to convince each other of their points of view. I intend to contribute to the ongoing debates on the relationship between religion and cyberspace, and particularly on how the construct of religious authority is mediated and negotiated among youngsters by zooming into and analysing some excerpts from their online discussions.
Two new species of Fusicolla (Hypocreales) from China
Authors: LIU CHANG , ZHUANG WEN-YING , YU ZHI-HE , ZENG ZHAO-QING
Published: February 2022

Two new Fusicolla species are described and illustrated based on strains isolated from soil and rotten twig. Morphological features and DNA sequence analyses of combined ITS and LSU regions support their placements in Fusicolla and recognition of new species. Fusicolla gigas sp. nov. is characterized by C-shaped, 0−4(−5)-septate microconidia, falcate, (1–)4–9-septate macroconidia up to 80 µm long, and pinkish orange colonies on PDA. Fusicolla guangxiensis sp. nov. is distinguished by long-fusiform, falcate, (0–)1(–3)-septate macroconidia with acute ends, and orange colonies on PDA. Their macroconidia produced on OA are obvious larger than those on PDA. Distinctions between the new species and their close relatives are compared in detail.
Fossil Thalamoporellidae (Bryozoa) from Paleogene–Neogene sediments of western Kachchh, Gujarat, India
Authors: SONAR MOHAN A. , PAWAR RAVI V. , WAYAL DYANESHWAR V.
Published: February 2022

Here we report on fourteen species of Thalamoporellidae (Bryozoa, Cheilostomatida) from Paleogene–Neogene sediments of the western Kachchh, Gujarat, India. Among these, eleven species are already known from these sediments, whereas two species, namely Thalamoporella badvei n. sp. and T. bhujensis n. sp., are new to science and one is left in open nomenclature. New combinations for two species originally placed in the genus Thalamoporella are also suggested: Dibunostoma transversum n. comb. and Reniporella reniformis n. comb. The genus Reniporella currently placed in the family Steginoporellidae is here re-assigned to Thalamoporellidae mainly based on the position of the opesiules.
Global Tropical Precipitation Relationships to Free-Tropospheric Water Vapor Using Radio Occultations
Authors: Padullés Ramon , Kuo Yi-Hung , Neelin J. David , Turk F. Joseph , Ao Chi O. , de la Torre Juárez Manuel
Published: February 2022

The transition to deep convection and associated precipitation is often studied in relationship to the associated column water vapor owing to the wide availability of these data from various ground or satellite-based products. Based on radiosonde and ground-based global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data examined at limited locations and model comparison studies, water vapor at different vertical levels is conjectured to have different relationships to convective intensity. Here, the relationship between precipitation and water vapor in different free-tropospheric layers is investigated using globally distributed GNSS radio occultation (RO) temperature and moisture profiles collocated with GPM IMERG precipitation across the tropical latitudes. A key feature of the RO measurement is its ability to directly sense in and near regions of heavy precipitation and clouds. Sharp pickups (i.e., sudden increases) of conditionally averaged precipitation as a function of water vapor in different tropospheric layers are noted for a variety of tropical ocean and land regions. The layer-integrated water vapor value at which this pickup occurs has a dependence on temperature that is more complex than constant RH, with larger subsaturation at warmer temperatures. These relationships of precipitation to its thermodynamic environment for different layers can provide a baseline for comparison with climate model simulations of the convective onset. Furthermore, vertical profiles before, during, and after convection are consistent with the hypothesis that the lower troposphere plays a causal role in the onset of convection, while the upper troposphere is moistened by detrainment from convection.
Why the Forcing from Carbon Dioxide Scales as the Logarithm of Its Concentration
Authors: Romps David M. , Seeley Jacob T. , Edman Jacob P.
Published: February 2022

The radiative forcing from carbon dioxide is approximately logarithmic in its concentration, producing about 4 W m−2 of global-mean forcing for each doubling. Although these are basic facts of climate science, competing explanations for them have been given in the literature. Here, the reasons for the logarithmic forcing of carbon dioxide are explored in detail and a simplified model for the forcing is constructed. An essential component is the particular distribution of absorption coefficients within the 15-μm band of carbon dioxide. An alternative explanation, which does not depend on the spectrum of carbon dioxide but instead hinges on the tropospheric lapse rate, is shown to be neither necessary nor sufficient to explain the logarithmic forcing of carbon dioxide and to be generally inapplicable to well-mixed greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere.
Reconstruction of Rainfall Records at 24 Observation Stations in Sumatera, Colonial Indonesia, from 1879 to 1900
Authors: Kajita Ryosuke , Yamanaka Manabu D. , Kozan Osamu
Published: February 2022

This study reconstructed historical monthly rainfall data at 24 observation stations in Sumatera, Indonesia, for 22 years (1879–1900) during the Dutch colonial era. The literature research was conducted in libraries in Indonesia and the Netherlands to collect meteorological data recorded in a series of Regenwaarnemingen in Nederlandsch-Indië, which have never been reconstructed or analyzed previously. The results showed that the six western coast stations (97°–103°E, 3°N–4°S) have abundant rainfall exceeding 3000 mm yr−1, and the 10 eastern coast stations and three stations east of the Barisan ridge obtained rainfall below 3050 mm yr−1. Abundant coastal rainfall appeared only along the western coast, but not in the eastern coast and east of the Barisan ridge. The El Niño events of 1888/89 had low impact on rainfall amounts during the dry season (May–October) at the six stations of the Southern Hemispheric climate type. A significant decrease in annual dry-season precipitation was observed in 1881, 1885, and 1896. When comparing monthly data for 1931–60 and 1971–2014 at the northernmost station Banda Aceh (5.5°N, 95.3°E) and the eastern coast station Bengkalis (1.5°N, 102.1°E), a noticeable decrease and increase occurred in June–December and January–May, respectively, throughout the last century. The recent El Niño events have resulted in a decline in rainfall and dry conditions in Sumatera, but the Indian Ocean dipole had much influence on the amount of rainfall in the late-nineteenth century.
Evaluation of High-Resolution Precipitation Products over the Rwenzori Mountains (Uganda)
Authors: Nakulopa Faluku , Vanderkelen Inne , Van de Walle Jonas , van Lipzig Nicole P. M. , Tabari Hossein , Jacobs Liesbet , Tweheyo Collins , Dewitte Olivier , Thiery Wim
Published: February 2022

The Rwenzori Mountains, in southwest Uganda, are prone to precipitation-related hazards such as flash floods and landslides. These natural hazards highly impact the lives and livelihoods of the people living in the region. However, our understanding of the precipitation patterns and their impact on related hazardous events and/or agricultural productivity is hampered by a dearth of in situ precipitation observations. Here, we propose an evaluation of gridded precipitation products as potential candidates filling this hiatus. We evaluate three state-of-the-art gridded products, the ERA5 reanalysis, IMERG satellite observations, and a simulation from the convection-permitting climate model (CPM), COSMO-CLM, for their ability to represent precipitation totals, timing, and precipitation probability density function. The evaluation is performed against observations from 11 gauge stations that provide at least 2.5 years of hourly and half-hourly data, recorded between 2011 and 2016. Results indicate a poor performance of ERA5 with a persistent wet bias, mostly for stations in the rain shadow of the mountains. IMERG gives the best representation of the precipitation totals as indicated by bias score comparisons. The CPM outperforms both ERA5 and IMERG in representing the probability density function, while both IMERG and the CPM have a good skill in capturing precipitation seasonal and diurnal cycles. The better performance of CPM is attributable to its higher resolution. This study highlights the potential of using IMERG and CPM precipitation estimates for hydrological and impact modeling over the Rwenzori Mountains, preferring IMERG for precipitation totals and CPM for precipitation extremes.
Multiscale Interactions Contributing to Enhanced Orographic Precipitation in Landfalling Frontal Systems over the Olympic Peninsula
Authors: Dolan Brenda , Rutledge Steven A. , Rasmussen Kristen L.
Published: February 2022

Orographic precipitation results from complex interactions between terrain, large-scale flow, turbulent motions, and microphysical processes. This study appeals to polarimetric radar data in conjunction with surface-based disdrometer observations, airborne particle probes, and reanalysis data to study these processes and their interactions as observed during the Olympic Mountain Experiment (OLYMPEX). Radar and disdrometer observations from OLYMPEX, which was conducted over the Olympic Peninsula in the winter of 2015, revealed 3 times as much rain fell over elevated sites compared to those along the ocean and coast. Several events were marked by significant water vapor transport and strong onshore flow. Detailed analysis of four cases demonstrated that the warm sector, which previous authors noted to be a period of strong orographic enhancement over the terrain, is associated not only with deeper warm cloud regions, but also deeper cold cloud regions, with the latter supporting the growth of dendritic ice crystals between 4 and 6 km. This dendritic growth promotes enhanced aggregation just above the melting layer, which then seeds the warm cloud layer below, allowing additional drop growth via coalescence. Periods of subsynoptic variability associated with mesoscale boundaries and low-level jets are shown to locally modify both the ice microphysics as well as surface drop-size distributions. This study explores the spatial and temporal variability of precipitation, cloud microphysics, and their relationship over the complex terrain of the Olympic Peninsula.

Significance Statement

This study appeals to polarimetric radar, aircraft particle probes, disdrometer data, and reanalysis to investigate the complex interactions between large frontal systems, terrain, and microphysical processes contributing to precipitation characteristics at the surface over the Olympic Peninsula. The study finds that the precipitation is a complex function of the synoptic regime, distance inland, and terrain height. Ice microphysical processes aloft act to modulate the surface rain drop size distributions, and are more important in contributing to higher rain accumulations inland during the later phases of the warm sector, particularly over the middle terrain heights (100–500 m).
Deep Convection Initiation, Growth, and Environments in the Complex Terrain of Central Argentina during CACTI
Authors: Feng Zhe , Varble Adam , Hardin Joseph , Marquis James , Hunzinger Alexis , Zhang Zhixiao , Thieman Mandana
Published: February 2022

This study characterizes the wide range of deep convective cloud life cycles and their relationships with ambient environments observed during the Cloud, Aerosol, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI) field campaign near the Sierras de Córdoba (SDC) range in central Argentina. We develop a novel convective cell tracking database for the entire field campaign using C-band polarimetric radar observations. The cell tracking database includes timing, location, area, depth, merge/split information, microphysical properties, collocated satellite-retrieved cloud properties, and sounding-derived environmental conditions. Results show that the SDC exerts a strong control on convection initiation (CI) and growth. CI preferentially occurs east of the SDC ridge during the afternoon, and cells often undergo upscale growth through the evening as they travel eastward toward the plains. Larger and more intense cells tend to occur in more unstable and humid low-level environments, and surface-based cells are stronger than elevated cells. Midtropospheric relative humidity and vertical wind shear also jointly affect the size and depth of the cells. Rapid cell area growth rates exhibit dependence on both large environmental wind shear and low-level moisture. Evolution of convective cell macro- and microphysical properties are strongly influenced by convective available potential energy and low-level humidity, as well as the presence of other cells in their vicinity. This cell tracking database demonstrates a framework that ties measurements from various platforms centering around convective life cycles to facilitate process understanding of factors that control convective evolution.

Significance Statement

The purpose of this study is to develop a framework that ties coordinated radar, satellite, and radiosonde measurements around tracking convective storm life cycles to facilitate process understanding of atmospheric environments that control storm evolution. The processes coupling storm life cycles and local environments remain inadequately understood and are poorly represented in weather and climate models. Our results demonstrate the importance of atmospheric instability, low- and midtropospheric moisture, changes of wind with height, and interactions among nearby storms in affecting the formation and growth of convective storms. The storm database developed in this work enables future studies for comprehensive exploration of processes that lead to improved mechanistic understanding of storm evolution and their representations in models.
Predicting mechanical performance of starch-based foam materials
Authors: Zhang Yun , Xu Xiaojie
Published: February 2022

Variations in mixture proportions of plasticizers, additives, and crosslinking agents have significant impacts on mechanical performance of starch-based foam materials. In particular, starch/ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam materials have been developed with improved mechanical strength by optimizing the formulation. There is a lack of numerical correlations that could help analyze the effects of components and provide a predictive method for future research. In this study, we develop simple and accurate predictions for tensile strength and resilience based on mixture proportions of components for starch-based/EVA foam materials. The models constructed might be used to help design mixture proportions of starch-based foam materials. By combining optimization results from the Taguchi method and machine learning approaches, it is expected that more quantitative data can be extracted from fewer experimental trials at the same time.
‘Making Ground’: An Ethnography of ‘Living With’ Harmful Methamphetamine Use and the Plurality of Recovery
Authors: Brookfield Samuel , Selvey Linda , Maher Lisa , Fitzgerald Lisa
Published: February 2022

The trajectories of people attempting to reduce harmful methamphetamine use are frequently understood within a binary framework of transitioning between states of health and disease. This framework can often be reinforced by service interactions informed by these dominant narratives of recovery and addiction. In this paper, we draw on a critical interactionist analysis of ethnographic fieldwork conducted with people who use methamphetamine, to examine how their experiences could undermine this binary, observing the ways participants experienced growth, change, and progress, without necessarily maintaining abstinence. These findings support a more diverse understanding of drug use trajectories, and we explore the concept of ‘living with drug use’, similar to how people live with other chronic conditions by finding ‘health in illness’. Participant experiences are also interpreted within the context of counter public health, arguing for the recognition and integration of values and goals which are divergent from the implicit aims of public health practice.