bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of variety, early harvest, and germination on pasting properties and cooked grain texture of brown rice
Authors: Chao Sinh , Mitchell Jaquie , Prakash Sangeeta , Bhandari Bhesh , Fukai Shu
Published: March 2022

Brown rice is superior to white rice in nutritional value and in the prevention of chronic diseases. However, it is not the preference of consumers and the relative consumption of brown rice is limited due to a number of factors including chewiness and perceived hard texture after cooking. While both early harvested brown rice and germinated brown rice have been shown to contain superior nutritional components, there is limited knowledge on textural properties of these types of brown rice relative to standard brown rice, and how varieties may affect such properties. Thus, the present study examined the effect of variety, early harvest, and germination on those properties of eight rice varieties with contrasting amylose content and known texture in terms of milled rice. Early harvest and germination decreased pasting viscosities and cooked grain hardness. However, their effect on the characteristics of flour and whole grains differed, in which germination had a greater effect on pasting properties, while early harvest on the texture of cooked grains. The softer texture of brown rice, about 32% lower, could be achieved by germination and 46% by harvesting early. There was a good relationship between pasting characteristics, particularly setback and hardness among different varieties in brown rice, germinated brown rice, and also in early harvest brown rice. This is the first time the comparison of texture between the three brown rice types has been reported. The results also provide new options for the selection of desired characteristics for food processing and brown rice consumption.
Pharmacokinetics of orally administered single‐dose ponazuril in cats
Authors: Burlison Catherine , Cox Sherry , Smith Joseph , Stokes Jennifer , Whittemore Jacqueline C. , DeBolt Becky
Published: March 2022

Cats and kittens in animal shelters and catteries regularly suffer from severe gastrointestinal coccidiosis, which can be fatal, and there are no drugs labeled for feline coccidiosis in the United States. Ponazuril, a triazine‐class drug, is increasingly used at a dose of 50 mg/kg/d, orally, for three to five days in shelter environments for coccidiosis. A single oral dose of ponazuril paste 15% (Marquis®; Merial) at 50 mg/kg was administered to six healthy adult cats. Sample analysis was completed via high‐performance liquid chromatography. Plasma concentrations peaked at 7.49 ± 2.06 µg/ml at 14.67 ± 7.45 hr post‐administration. This study shows that ponazuril achieved a plasma concentration that inhibits growth of similar organisms after a single oral dose in cats. Further studies are necessary to optimize dosing for the treatment of clinical coccidiosis in cats.
The genetic basis of variation in sexual aggression: Evolution versus social plasticity
Authors: Scott Andrew M. , Yan Janice L. , Baxter Carling M. , Dworkin Ian , Dukas Reuven
Published: March 2022

Male sexual aggression towards females is a form of sexual conflict that can result in increased fitness for males through forced copulations (FCs) or coercive matings at the cost of female lifetime fitness. We used male fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model system to uncover the genomic contributions to variation in FC, both due to standing variation in a wild population, and due to plastic changes associated with variation in social experience. We used RNAseq to analyse whole‐transcriptome differential expression (DE) in male head tissue associated with evolved changes in FC from lineages previously selected for high and low FC rate and in male flies with varying FC rates due to social experience. We identified hundreds of genes associated with evolved and plastic variation in FC, however only a small proportion (27 genes) showed consistent DE due to both modes of variation. We confirmed this trend of low concordance in gene expression effects across broader sets of genes significant in either the evolved or plastic analyses using multivariate approaches. The gene ontology terms neuropeptide hormone activity and serotonin receptor activity were significantly enriched in the set of significant genes. Of seven genes chosen for RNAi knockdown validation tests, knockdown of four genes showed the expected effect on FC behaviours. Taken together, our results provide important information about the apparently independent genetic architectures that underlie natural variation in sexual aggression due to evolution and plasticity.
‘You Won’t Find Religion Here’: The (In)Visibility of Muslim Responses to Situations of Mass Displacement
Authors: Zaman Tahir
Published: March 2022

This article considers why despite mass displacement significantly affecting people from Muslim majority countries, Islamic understandings of refuge, protection and assistance remain de‐centered and made peripheral in formulations of asylum and refuge. The paper begins with an interrogation of how knowledge production on Muslim life‐worlds a priori gives emphasis to certain essential characteristics identified as Muslim. It is argued that this collapses understandings of the diversity of being and ‘doing’ Muslim in ways that make less visible everyday lived experiences attuned to the materiality, affect and emotion prompted by readings of Islamic tradition in displacement settings. To do so, I draw on Syrian experiences of displacement in Turkey and Greece to parse out the implications of this (in)visibility for Muslim responses to mass‐displacement and question whether they can be substantively different to modalities of humanitarianism and development anchored in liberal European ontologies. It is argued that by being attentive to the structures of feeling prompted by Islamic traditions pertaining to refuge and protection reveals ways of being and doing Islam outside of statist readings of humanitarianism. Here, the Islamic tradition of jiwār (a right of and to neighbourliness) provides a decolonial vocabulary to respond to state‐defined patterns of hospitality rooted in European knowledge production.
Da‘wa as Development: Kuwaiti Islamic Charity in East and West Africa
Authors: Leichtman Mara A.
Published: March 2022

Direct Aid (formerly Africa Muslims Agency), Kuwait's largest charity focused on Africa, carefully mediates between Gulf donor wishes, aid recipient needs, Kuwaiti and African government regulations, and various development priorities. Since the 1980s, Direct Aid has been centralizing religious and development work in complexes that comprise orphanages, schools, clinics, and mosques – a distinctly Kuwaiti model that aims for self‐sufficient communities. The Islamic NGO cannot be confined to narrow Western categorizations of Gulf Salafi da‘wa (proselytizing) institutions. Direct Aid's approach is strategically grounded in comprehensiveness/“holism,” which serves to blur established categories of “charity,” “relief,” and “development” to become da‘wa‐as‐development. “Good Muslims” are envisioned as those who graduate from the international NGO's educational programs and become moral members of society trained to be productive citizens of their countries. This article examines the work of one transnational Islamic charity headquartered in Kuwait in two very different African countries. A comparison of the similarities and variances of Direct Aid's projects in Tanzania and Senegal highlights how the organization adapts its work to local Muslim‐minority and Muslim‐majority settings. What is the cultural and religious impact of Gulf funding in East and West Africa? How do Kuwait headquarters interact with African beneficiaries?
Mobilizing and Framing Construction Jihād and Islamic Development in Revolutionary Iran
Authors: Lob Eric
Published: March 2022

Based on extensive fieldwork and original research in Iran, this article examines the establishment and evolution of the Islamic Republic's rural reconstruction and development organization, Construction Jihād (CJ), during the Iranian Revolution and the Iran‐Iraq War. By invoking populist and pious concepts, newly ascendant religiopolitical elites facilitated CJ's mobilization and expansion to gain support from rural residents and to consolidate power against political opponents. As CJ transitioned from a revolutionary organization to a government ministry, some of its members underwent a motivational and existential transformation that complicated and contradicted their initially anti‐bureaucratic and anti‐materialistic ethos and worldview – a trajectory that paralleled that of other revolutionary and wartime activists and volunteers. This article makes a scholarly contribution by exploring a significant yet understudied Iranian institution, its multifaceted interpretation and conceptualization of non‐military jihād and faith‐based development, and the potential of religion to be a force for both cohesion and contention.
Epistemic Violence and the Rise of the Pseudo‐Secular Islamic FBO in the Age of the ‘Religious Turn’ in Development*
Authors: Tittensor David , Clarke Matthew
Published: March 2022

Over the past two to three decades, there has been a significant shift within the development sector. Previously considered ‘taboo’, religiously inspired Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) have become increasingly welcomed and involved as partners and collaborators with international financial institutions and leading aid donors. However, while a place has been set at the table this has not been an equitable one. Rather, there is still the expectation that religiously driven organisations will engage with the normative Western secular aid discourse that regards impartiality as sacrosanct. As a result, this has seen those FBOs that have chosen to participate develop hybridised‐identities, wherein we argue they have become pseudo‐secular in nature. Drawing on the literature, we note this development amongst well‐established Christian FBOs, such as World Vision, and extend our analysis to Islamic FBOs, with a case study of Islamic Relief. In doing so, we also argue that the hegemonic nature of the secular ‘master narrative’ imposed by the Western aid sector represents an instance of ‘epistemic violence’, and that FBOs should be able speak in their own terms.
Culture is not destiny, for reading: highlighting variable routes to literacy within writing systems
Authors: Hirshorn Elizabeth A. , Harris Lindsay N.
Published: March 2022

Cross–writing system research in psychology and cognitive neuroscience has yielded important findings regarding how a writing system's structure can influence the cognitive challenges of learning to read and the neural underpinnings of literacy. The current paper reviews these differences and extends the findings to demonstrate diversity in how skilled reading is accomplished within a single writing system, English. We argue that broad clusters of behavioral and neural patterns found across writing systems can also be found within subpopulations who display atypical routes to skilled English reading, subpopulations including Chinese–English bilinguals, deaf native signers, compensated readers, and distortion‐sensitive readers. The patterns of interest include a tradeoff between the degree of reliance on phonological and morphological processing for skilled reading, a shift in attentional focus from smaller to larger orthographic units, and enhanced bilaterality of neural processing during word reading. Lastly, we consider how understanding atypical routes to reading may apply to other writing systems.
Measuring Social Welfare by Proximity to an Optimum Population
Authors: Enflo Karin
Published: March 2022

This essay introduces a new type of measure of social welfare, where populations are evaluated by their resemblance to anoptimum population, which is an (in principle) possible population with the highest degree of social welfare, relative to some circumstances. Here, it is argued to be the largest possible population where everyone fares maximally well. The new measure is responsive to quality of welfare, equality of welfare and the number of people. It satisfiesdominanceandnegative monotonicity, and it avoids both the repugnant conclusion and a reverse repugnant conclusion for comparisons relative to our future on earth.
First multivisceral transplantation in Mitchell‐Riley/Martinez‐Frias syndrome
Authors: Estefanía‐Fernández Karla , Andrés Ane , Alcolea Alida , Velayos‐López María , Pastrían Laura G. , Ramírez‐Amorós Carla , Gonzalez Rocío , Sarría Marta , Ramos Esther , López‐Santamaria Manuel , Hernández Francisco
Published: March 2022

Background

MRS/MFS is a rare multisystem disorder with a poor prognosis. The high mortality rate of this syndrome is related to the severity of the associated gastrointestinal, pancreatic, and hepatobiliary conditions, as most of them are not amenable to conventional medical and surgical treatments.

Methods

We report the case of a Romani girl with all the key clinical features of MRS/MFS, and a review of cases reported in the literature. Our patient is a newborn from consanguineous parents who presented duodenal atresia, hypoplastic pancreas, gallbladder agenesis, and neonatal diabetes. Given the clinical suspicion of MRS/MFS, a genetic analysis was performed which revealed the presence of a homozygous variant in the RFX6 gene. During the course of the disease, the patient presented intractable secretory diarrhea and severe intestinal failure.

Results

At 2 years of age, she underwent MVT of the stomach, duodenum, small intestine, colon, liver, and pancreas. There were no surgical complications. Histologic evaluation of the small bowel showed extensive patches of gastric heterotopia. After more than 10 years of follow‐up, she had presented with normal gastrointestinal, hepatic, and pancreatic function. She has one of the longest survival periods in the literature.

Conclusions

Our experience suggests that multivisceral transplantation may be a promising option in select cases of MRS/MFS.
Anti‐theism, the underground man, and escaping absurdity
Authors: Anderson Mark B.
Published: March 2022

Guy Kahane holds that theism has unattractive consequences, since it threatens both privacy and autonomy. Here, I suggest that Kahane’s position echoes that of Dostoevsky’s famous Underground Man. But the Underground Man is ensnared in difficulties that resemble the problem of absurdity as developed by Thomas Nagel. Dostoevsky’s own solution to that problem involves love—but love naturally invites compromises with respect to privacy and autonomy. Perhaps the best way to solve the problem of absurdity is to make precisely the opposite of Kahane’s axiological judgment—which would recommend pro‐theism over anti‐theism.
What can I do for you? Optimal market segmentation in service markets
Authors: Jost Peter‐J. , Ressi Anna
Published: March 2022

This paper considers price competition in a market where two firms sell a homogeneous service to a continuum of customers differing with respect to some exogenous characteristic. Our paper's novelty consists of explicitly acknowledging a distinctive property of many services in that firms incur customer‐specific service costs after the contract is signed. Hence, not only the customers' willingness‐to‐pay and as such demand but also the firms' supply are related to customer characteristics. In this paper, we shed light on the implications thereof for optimal pricing and market segmentation strategies in a monopoly as well as a duopoly market. Importantly, we stress the profitability of services by demonstrating that firms in highly competitive industries still earn positive expected profits in equilibrium.
Cryopreserved hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells stability program‐development, current status and recommendations: A brief report from the AABB‐ISCT joint working group cellular therapy product stability project team
Authors: Reich‐Slotky Ronit , Vasovic Ljiljana V. , Land Kevin J. , Halpenny Mike , Woeltz Joan , Mathew Aby J. , Fournier Diane , Alder Brenda , Stasko Karl , Mahmud Nadim
Published: March 2022

Background

The AABB‐ISCT Joint Working Group Stability Project Team (SPT) was assigned to roadmap a path toward standardization of cryopreserved hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) stability programs. HSPC stability encompasses a broad scope of conditions including non‐frozen (“fresh”) and cryopreserved cell products, and varying methods for storage, thaw, and administration. This report assessed current practices and focused solely on cryopreserved HSPC cell therapy products to establish preliminary recommendations for a stability program roadmap.

Methods

A survey was prepared by the SPT and distributed to ISCT and AABB members. Survey results were summarized and recommendations were outlined based on the responses from the survey. This report highlights current practices for cryopreserved HSPC stability programs, including additional considerations and recommendations.

Results and Discussion

Eighty‐two (82) centers worldwide participated in the survey. Survey results indicate variability across programs. HSPC stability depends on multiple factors within the processing facility (e.g., cryopreservation techniques, reagents used, and storage temperature) and independent variables (e.g., donor‐related factors and starting material variability). While retention of hematopoietic engraftment potential is the primary goal for cryopreserved HSPC stability, engraftment results should not be used as the sole metric for stability programs. Based on the survey results, the SPT provides recommendations for consideration.

Conclusions

The SPT recommendations for best practices are not intended to replace existing standards. The survey results emphasize the need for the community to optimize best practices and consider initiating collaborative projects to improve the standardization of cryopreserved HSPC stability programs for cell therapy products.
Analytical validation of a novel point‐of‐care immunoassay for canine N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide analysis
Authors: Harr Kendal E. , Gordon Sonya G. , Baumwart Ryan D. , Feldgreber Ross , Spiro Matthew R.
Published: March 2022

Background

N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) is a widely used point‐of‐care (POC) cardiac biomarker in human medicine. Canine NT‐proBNP is used less in veterinary medicine, possibly due to the lack of a POC canine NT‐proBNP assay resulting in temporal delay, increased degradation in transport, and high reported variability in the available assay. A new quantitative POC analyzer allows fast, onsite measurement of NT‐proBNP, minimizing preanalytical error and reducing variability.

Objective

We aimed to analytically validate an NT‐proBNP assay (Vcheck) according to American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP) and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) specifications.

Methods

Archived and prospective plasma and serum samples were collected from male and female, client‐owned dogs of various breeds with cardiac abnormalities (n = 81) and a healthy control population (n = 225). Precision, accuracy, analytical sensitivity, and specificity, and other statistical analyses were performed.

Results

Imprecision was considered acceptable with a coefficient of variation ranging from 9% at 4000 pmol/L to 20% at 600 pmol/L. The lower limit of quantitation was 650 pmol/L based on repetitive measures evaluation. Comparison of the Vcheck assay with the Cardiopet NT‐proBNP assay revealed an excellent correlation with minimal bias when preanalytical factors were controlled. Significant degradation of NT‐proBNP occurred when current methods were used at refrigerated and room temperatures, which could change diagnostic and prognostic decision‐making. Age‐partitioned reference intervals have high reference values of 750 pmol/L and 1280 pmol/L for juvenile and adult dogs, respectively.

Conclusions

The Vcheck NT‐ProBNP assay provides analytically acceptable results. Onsite testing can minimize variability related to preanalytical error and provide clinically useful contemporaneous results. Samples should be centrifuged immediately and analyzed within 2 hours of collection.
Hepatic stellate cells in physiology and pathology
Authors: Kamm Dakota R. , McCommis Kyle S.
Published: March 2022

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) comprise a minor cell population in the liver but serve numerous critical functions in the normal liver and in response to injury. HSCs are primarily known for their activation upon liver injury and for producing the collagen‐rich extracellular matrix in liver fibrosis. In the absence of liver injury, HSCs reside in a quiescent state, in which their main function appears to be the storage of retinoids or vitamin A‐containing metabolites. Less appreciated functions of HSCs include amplifying the hepatic inflammatory response and expressing growth factors that are critical for liver development and both the initiation and termination of liver regeneration. Recent single‐cell RNA sequencing studies have corroborated earlier studies indictaing that HSC activation involves a diverse array of phenotypic alterations and identified unique HSC populations. This review serves to highlight these many functions of HSCs, and to briefly describe the recent genetic tools that will help to thoroughly investigate the role of HSCs in hepatic physiology and pathology.

image
Different Conformations Revealed by NMR Underlie Resistance to Ceftazidime/Avibactam and Susceptibility to Meropenem and Imipenem among D179Y Variants of KPC β-Lactamase
Authors: Taracila Magdalena A. , Bethel Christopher R. , Hujer Andrea M. , Papp-Wallace Krisztina M. , Barnes Melissa D. , Rutter Joseph D. , VanPelt Jamie , Shurina Ben A. , van den Akker Focco , Clancy Cornelius J. , Nguyen M. Hong , Cheng Shaoji , Shields Ryan K. , Page Richard C. , Bonomo Robert A.
Published: March 2022

β-Lactamase-mediated resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) is a serious limitation in the treatment of Gram-negative bacteria harboring
Klebsiella pneumoniae
carbapenemase (KPC). Herein, the basis of susceptibility to carbapenems and resistance to ceftazidime (CAZ) and CZA of the D179Y variant of KPC-2 and -3 was explored. First, we determined that resistance to CZA in a laboratory strain of
Escherichia coli
DH10B was not due to increased expression levels of the variant enzymes, as demonstrated by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR).
A High-Risk Profile for Invasive Fungal Infections Is Associated with Altered Nasal Microbiota and Niche Determinants
Authors: Costantini Claudio , Nunzi Emilia , Spolzino Angelica , Merli Francesco , Facchini Luca , Spadea Antonio , Melillo Lorella , Codeluppi Katia , Marchesi Francesco , Marchesini Gessica , Valente Daniela , Dragonetti Giulia , Nadali Gianpaolo , Englmaier Lukas , Coufalikova Katerina , Spáčil Zdeněk , Bellet Marina Maria , Pariano Marilena , Renga Giorgia , Stincardini Claudia , D’Onofrio Fiorella , Bozza Silvia , Pagano Livio , Aversa Franco , Romani Luigina
Published: March 2022

It is becoming increasingly clear that the communities of microorganisms that populate the surfaces exposed to the external environment, termed microbiota, are key players in the regulation of pathogen-host cross talk affecting the onset as well as the outcome of infectious diseases. We have performed a multicenter, prospective, observational study in which nasal and oropharyngeal swabs were collected for microbiota predicting the risk of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in patients with hematological malignancies.
Biofilm Maintenance as an Active Process: Evidence that Biofilms Work Hard to Stay Put
Authors: Katharios-Lanwermeyer Stefan , O’Toole G. A.
Published: March 2022

Biofilm formation represents a critical strategy whereby bacteria can tolerate otherwise damaging environmental stressors and antimicrobial insults. While the mechanisms bacteria use to establish a biofilm and disperse from these communities have been well-studied, we have only a limited understanding of the mechanisms required to maintain these multicellular communities.
The Rcs System Contributes to the Motility Defects of the Twin-Arginine Translocation System Mutant of Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Liu Te , Liu Yuying , Bu Zixuan , Yin Fan , Zhang Yongqing , Liu Jinjin , Li Shaowen , Tan Chen , Chen Xiabing , Li Lu , Zhou Rui , Huang Qi
Published: March 2022

The Tat system is an important protein export system critical for bacterial physiology and pathogenesis. It has been observed for a long time that the Tat system is critical for bacterial motility.
Direct Real-Time PCR for the Detection and Serotyping of Haemophilus influenzae without DNA Extraction
Authors: Marasini Daya , Whaley Melissa J. , Jenkins Laurel T. , Hu Fang , Jiang Wenxin , Topaz Nadav , Chen Alex , Schmink Susanna , Dolan Thomas Jennifer , Harcourt Brian H. , Marjuki Henju , Wang Xin
Published: March 2022

To monitor the burden and changes in
Haemophilus influenzae
(Hi) disease, direct real-time PCR (drt-PCR) assays have been developed for Hi detection in monoplex form and its six serotypes in triplex form, directly from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens. These assays target the
phoB
gene for the species detection (Hi-
phoB
) and serotype-specific genes in region II of the capsule biosynthesis locus (Hi-abf and Hi-cde), identified through comparative analysis of Hi and non-Hi whole-genome sequences.
Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in U.S. Hospitals: Diversification of Circulating Lineages and Antimicrobial Resistance
Authors: Iovleva Alina , Mustapha Mustapha M. , Griffith Marissa P. , Komarow Lauren , Luterbach Courtney , Evans Daniel R. , Cober Eric , Richter Sandra S. , Rydell Kirsten , Arias Cesar A. , Jacob Jesse T. , Salata Robert A. , Satlin Michael J. , Wong Darren , Bonomo Robert A. , van Duin David , Cooper Vaughn S. , Van Tyne Daria , Doi Yohei
Published: March 2022

Carbapenem-resistant
Acinetobacter baumannii
(CR
Ab
) constitutes a major threat to public health. To elucidate the molecular and clinical epidemiology of CR
Ab
in the United States, clinical CR
Ab
isolates were collected along with data on patient characteristics and outcomes, and bacterial isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing and antibiotic susceptibility phenotyping.
Computational Tools for the Analysis of Uncultivated Phage Genomes
Authors: Andrade-Martínez Juan Sebastián , Camelo Valera Laura Carolina , Chica Cárdenas Luis Alberto , Forero-Junco Laura , López-Leal Gamaliel , Moreno-Gallego J. Leonardo , Rangel-Pineros Guillermo , Reyes Alejandro
Published: March 2022

Over a century of bacteriophage research has uncovered a plethora of fundamental aspects of their biology, ecology, and evolution. Furthermore, the introduction of community-level studies through metagenomics has revealed unprecedented insights on the impact that phages have on a range of ecological and physiological processes.
Evaluation of Virus-Free and Wild-Type Isolates of
Pseudogymnoascus destructans
Using a Porcine Ear Model
Authors: Thapa Vaskar , Keller Nancy P. , Roossinck Marilyn J.
Published: March 2022

This work describes an important insight into the role of
Pseudogymnoascus destructans
partitivirus in fungal biology and provides a model system for studying white-nose syndrome in bats, which has decimated North American populations
Profiling of SARS-CoV-2 Subgenomic RNAs in Clinical Specimens
Authors: Chen Zigui , Ng Rita Way Yin , Lui Grace , Ling Lowell , Chow Chit , Yeung Apple Chung Man , Boon Siaw Shi , Wang Maggie Haitian , Chan Kate Ching Ching , Chan Renee Wan Yi , Hui David Shu Cheong , Chan Paul Kay Sheung
Published: March 2022

Attempts to use subgenomic RNAs (sgRNAs) of SARS-CoV-2 to identify active infection of COVID-19 have produced diverse results. In this work, we applied next-generation sequencing and RT-PCR to profile the full spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 sgRNAs in a large cohort of respiratory and stool samples collected throughout infection.
Individual-level distance-independent-based growth and yield prediction models for long-term Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)
Authors: Fukumoto Keiko , Nishizono Tomohiro , Kitahara Fumiaki
Published: March 2022

Yield prediction has been determined to be vital in sustainable forest management. Recently, research trends have shifted from stand-level to individual-level yield prediction. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of yield prediction models based on a distance-independent approach for Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D.Don) trees in western Japan. We further examined the accuracy of the models with reference to existing data collected over the long-term. First, we constructed distance-independent height, diameter growth, and survival models. Then, we simulated for approximately 50 years individual tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and volume growth using the test data. We then compared the predicted and observed values and calculated root-mean-square error (RMSE) and bias to evaluate the model accuracy. The models were noted to perform well when predicting mean height, DBH, and volume for Japanese cedar trees; in fact, they adequately predicted the diameter distribution. Our results suggest that distance-independent models could adequately predict long-term mean values and diameter distribution. However, RMSE and bias indicated that error propagation occurred over longer time spans. Thus, it is effective to conduct actual measurements at some point in the forest development phase and use the measurements as initial values for short- or medium-term predictions.
First trap-assisted decay spectroscopy of the $$^{81}$$Ge ground state
Authors: Delafosse C. , Goasduff A. , Kankainen A. , Verney D. , Al Ayoubi L. , Beliuskina O. , Cañete L. , Eronen T. , de Groote R. P. , Hukkanen M. , Ibrahim F. , Illana A. , Jaries A. , Lalanne L. , Moore I. D. , Nesterenko D. , Penttilä H. , Rinta-Antila S. , de Roubin A. , Thisse D. , Thoër R. , Tocabens G.
Published: March 2022

The $$\beta $$
β
-delayed $$\gamma $$
γ
spectroscopy of $$^{81}$$

81

As has been performed using a purified beam of $$^{81}$$

81

Ge $$(9/2^+)$$

(
9
/

2
+

)

ground state at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility (IGISOL). The $$^{81}$$

81

Ge$$^+$$

+

ions were produced using proton-induced fission of $$^{232}$$

232

Th and selected with the double Penning trap JYFLTRAP for the post-trap decay spectroscopy measurements. The low-spin $$(1/2^+)$$

(
1
/

2
+

)

isomeric-state ions $$^{81m}\hbox {Ge}^+$$

81
m

Ge
+

were not observed in the fission products. The intrinsic half-life of the $$^{81}$$

81

Ge ground state has been determined as $$T_{1/2}=6.4(2)~\hbox {s}$$

T

1
/
2

=
6.4

(
2
)

s

, which is significantly shorter than the literature value. A new level scheme of $$^{81}$$

81

As has been built and is compared to shell-model calculations.
Analysis of drivers’ continuous delay time effect on the lattice hydrodynamic model with the on-ramp
Authors: Zhai Cong , Wu Weitiao , Xiao Yingping , Luo Qiang , Zhang Yusong
Published: March 2022

In the real traffic, drivers often perceive traffic information with delay time, while presenting asynchronous reactions that form non-constant delay time. Meanwhile, on-ramps are very common in the real traffic network environment, especially on highway sections. Traffic flow merging from the on-ramps has a significant impact on the traffic stability of the main road. Given these facts, we develop an extended lattice hydrodynamic model with drivers’ continuous delay time and on-ramp. Based on the linear and nonlinear stability analysis, we derive the stability criterion and modified Korteweg–de Vries (mKdV) equation of the proposed lattice model; the kink-antikink soliton wave solution obtained by solving the above mKdV equation can be used to describe the propagation and evolution characteristics of density waves near the neutral stable curve. Results show that the ramp inflow ratio and delay time have a significant impact on the stability of traffic flow on the freeway main lane.
First-order canonical phase transition as origin of the non-equivalence of the microcanonical and canonical ensembles in the thermodynamic limit
Authors: Hou Ji-Xuan
Published: March 2022

By using a simple argument, the cause of the thermodynamic non-equivalence of the canonical and microcanonical ensembles is clarified to be the first-order canonical phase transition in the thermodynamic limit. There is ensemble equivalence only when the energy fluctuation is negligible with respect to the average energy. The energy fluctuation does not vanish during the first-order transition even in the thermodynamic limit, so that the ensemble non-equivalence cannot hold anymore. Moreover, similar results can also be derived for other dual ensembles.
A Sub-1-V CMOS Voltage Reference with High PSRR and High Accuracy
Authors: Thakur Arvind , Pandey Rishikesh , Rai Shireesh Kumar
Published: March 2022

This paper presents a novel sub-1-V CMOS voltage reference with high power supply rejection ratio (PSRR), low line sensitivity, and low supply voltage. CMOS voltage references available in the literature use a self-biased cascode branch consisting of two MOS transistors operating in the subthreshold region to generate the proportional-to-absolute-temperature (PTAT) voltage only, whereas extra circuitry is required to generate the complementary-to-absolute-temperature (CTAT) voltage for temperature compensation. But in the proposed sub-1-V CMOS voltage reference, both the PTAT and CTAT voltages are generated using a single self-biased cascode branch. Two operational amplifiers in negative feedback topology are used to convert the PTAT and CTAT voltages into PTAT and CTAT currents, respectively, which help to enhance the stability and PSRR of the proposed voltage reference. The proposed voltage reference has been designed and simulated in 180-nm standard CMOS technology using Cadence Virtuoso Analog Design Environment. The proposed voltage reference achieves an output reference voltage of 424.85[Formula: see text]mV with a temperature coefficient of 29.5[Formula: see text]ppm/∘C for the temperatures ranging from [Formula: see text]C to 125∘C at a supply voltage of 0.8[Formula: see text]V. A line sensitivity of 0.0035%/V is achieved for the supply voltage varying from 0.8[Formula: see text]V to 5[Formula: see text]V at nominal temperature (27∘C). A PSRR of [Formula: see text]91.69[Formula: see text]dB is observed for the frequencies ranging from 1[Formula: see text]Hz to 10[Formula: see text]kHz at nominal conditions without using any capacitive filter. Also, the output noises of the proposed design at nominal conditions for the frequencies of 1[Formula: see text]Hz and 10[Formula: see text]kHz are obtained as 2.37[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V/[Formula: see text]Hz and 45.26[Formula: see text]nV/[Formula: see text]Hz, respectively.
Study of band structure in 76Kr using triaxial projected shell model
Authors: Behera N. , Bhat G. H. , Naik Z. , Palit R. , Sun Y. , Sheikh J. A.
Published: March 2022

The study of neutron-deficient Kr isotopes in mass range [Formula: see text]–80, which is in the transitional region, is quite interesting. These isotopes show different structures, particularly in [Formula: see text] shape coexistence near ground state has been observed. In this work, the multi-quasiparticle triaxial projected shell model (TPSM) is employed to study the high spin band structures and to depict [Formula: see text] deformation in [Formula: see text] nucleus. A triaxial configuration is a superposition of several K-states and the projected states result in various bands originating from the same intrinsic configuration. The yrast-, [Formula: see text]- and 2[Formula: see text] bands are studied and explained in the framework of TPSM approach.
Dynamic Response of Rapidly Heated Rectangular Plates Made of Porous Functionally Graded Material
Authors: Ansari R. , Nesarhosseini S. , Faraji Oskouie M. , Rouhi H.
Published: March 2022

In this paper, the nonlinear thermally induced vibration in rectangular plates made of porous functionally graded materials (FGMs) due to thermal shock is studied based on a new numerical approach. The shear deformation influences are taken into consideration via Mindlin’s plate theory. The properties of the materials are also assumed to be temperature- and position-dependent. Moreover, the influence of elastic foundation is captured by the Winkler–Pasternak model. For deriving the governing equations, Hamilton’s principle, transient 1D Fourier-type heat conduction equation and von Kármán hypothesis are utilized. The relations of paper are written in a new matricized format for computational aims. The generalized differential quadarature (GDQ) method and Newmark’s direct integration scheme are used for solving the heat equation. Furthermore, solving motion equations is done based on the variational differential quadrature (VDQ) formulation. The effects of important parameters including material porosity and elastic foundation on the thermal shock response of porous FG plates are investigated in the numerical results.
Machine Learning Surrogate Modeling for Meshless Methods: Leveraging Universal Approximation
Authors: Hamrani Abderrachid , Akbarzadeh Abdolhamid , Madramootoo Chandra A. , Bouarab Fatma Zohra
Published: March 2022

This paper presents a machine learning (ML) surrogate modeling for fast processing in meshless/ meshfree methods. The main idea is to leverage the universal approximation (UA) propriety of supervised ML models (shallow/ deep learning and other regression models) to surrogate the heavy shape function construction in meshless methods. The resulting ML metamodel preserves the same accuracy of the meshless interpolation while avoiding costly matrix inversion operations. The total computation time for solving 3D test simulation problems (using more than 20[Formula: see text]k nodes) is reduced by a factor of 1[Formula: see text]k in the case of the Gaussian process (GP) metamodel.
Rationale for Publishing Open Access
Authors: Pierce Allan D.
Published: March 2022

Authors submitting scientific articles to journals now have the option of publishing their articles open access. This entails paying the publisher a fee that will insure that readers can download a pdf of the article without charge from an internet site. This option is of relatively recent vintage and has become recently somewhat popular among authors who desire their articles to be widely read. The history of the emergence of such an option is reviewed and arguments are given for its being used.
Automatic Labeling of Clusters for a Low-Resource Urdu Language
Authors: Nasim Zarmeen , Haider Sajjad
Published: March 2022

Document clustering techniques often produce clusters that require human intervention to interpret the meaning of such clusters. Automatic cluster labeling refers to the process of assigning a meaningful phrase to a cluster as a label. This article proposes an unsupervised method for cluster labeling that is based on noun phrase chunking. The proposed method is compared with four other statistical-based methods, including Z-Order, M-Order, T-Order, and YAKE. In addition to the statistical measures based labeling schemes, the approach is also compared with two graph-based techniques: TextRank and PositionRank. The experiments were performed on the low-resource Urdu language corpus of News Headlines. The proposed approach's effectiveness was evaluated using cosine similarity, the Jaccard index, and feedback received from human evaluators. The results show that the proposed method outperforms other methods. It was found that the labels produced were more relevant and semantically rich in contrast to other approaches.
ATCN: Resource-efficient Processing of Time Series on Edge
Authors: Baharani Mohammadreza , Tabkhi Hamed
Published: March 2022

This article presents a scalable deep learning model called Agile Temporal Convolutional Network (ATCN) for highly accurate fast classification and time series prediction in resource-constrained embedded systems. ATCN is a family of compact networks with formalized hyperparameters that enable application-specific adjustments to be made to the model architecture. It is primarily designed for embedded edge devices with very limited performance and memory, such as wearable biomedical devices and real-time reliability monitoring systems. ATCN makes fundamental improvements over the mainstream temporal convolutional neural networks, including residual connections to increase the network depth and accuracy and the incorporation of separable depth-wise convolution to reduce the computational complexity of the model. As part of the present work, two ATCN families, namely T0 and T1, are also presented and evaluated on different ranges of embedded processors: Cortex-M7 and Cortex-A57 processors. An evaluation of the ATCN models against the best-in-class InceptionTime and MiniRocket shows that ATCN almost maintains accuracy while improving the execution time on a broad range of embedded and cyber-physical applications with demand for real-time processing on the embedded edge. At the same time, in contrast to existing solutions, ATCN is the first time series classifier based on deep learning that can be run bare-metal on embedded microcontrollers (Cortex-M7) with limited computational performance and memory capacity while delivering state-of-the-art accuracy.
Shaking Table Test Investigation on Seismic Performance of Joint Model of Immersed Tunnel
Authors: Zhang Xueming , Song Linlin , Chen Hongjuan , Chen Shicai , Hu Zhinan , Li Yong
Published: March 2022

Critical for the seismic safety of immersed tunnels is the magnitude of deformation and force developing in the segment joints. To investigate the seismic performance of segment joint in immersed tunnel, this paper presents a series of shaking table arrays tests that were performed on a microconcrete tunnel model embedded in the soil. The tests take account of the uniform and wave passage effect in different apparent wave velocity of longitudinal seismic excitation. The result showed that the wave passage effect had a great impact on axial force, bending moment and deformation of joints. The comparison showed that structural response under nonuniform earthquake excitation is larger than that under uniform excitation. The simplified model was established in ABAQUS for numerical analysis. The soil around the tunnel was simplified as spring-damper, the tunnel was simplified as beam element, and the joint was simulated by nonlinear spring. The numerical simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental data. In addition, the model was analyzed by changing input apparent wave velocity, joint stiffness and joint number. The results showed that the deformation of joints was smaller and the deformation of flexible joints was greater under high apparent wave velocity.
The Influence and Prediction of Industry Asset Price Fluctuation Based on The LSTM Model and Investor Sentiment
Authors: Hu Wenxiu , Liu Huan , Ma Xiaoqiang , Bai Xiong
Published: March 2022

In a real-world environment, not only can different levels of market expectations be triggered by factors such as macroeconomic policies, market operating trends, and current company developments have an impact on sector assets, but sector asset rises and falls are also influenced by a factor that cannot be ignored: market sentiment. Therefore, this paper uses LSTM to construct a forecasting model for industrial assets based on investor sentiment and public historical trading data of industry asset markets to determine future trends and obtains two conclusions: first, forecasting models incorporating investor sentiment have better forecasting effects than those without the incorporation of sentiment characteristics, indicating that the factor of investor sentiment should not be ignored when studying the problem of industry asset forecasting; secondly, investor sentiment quantified by different methods.
Functional Connectivity Changes in Multiple-Frequency Bands in Acute Basal Ganglia Ischemic Stroke Patients: A Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Li Jie , Cheng Lulu , Chen Shijian , Zhang Jian , Liu Dongqiang , Liang Zhijian , Li Huayun
Published: March 2022

Purpose. Several functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have investigated the resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) changes in the primary motor cortex (M1) in patients with acute basal ganglia ischemic stroke (BGIS). However, the frequency-specific FC changes of M1 in acute BGIS patients are still unclear. Our study was aimed at exploring the altered FC of M1 in three frequency bands and the potential features as biomarkers for the identification by using a support vector machine (SVM). Methods. We included 28 acute BGIS patients and 42 healthy controls (HCs). Seed-based FC of two regions of interest (ROI, bilateral M1s) were calculated in conventional, slow-5, and slow-4 frequency bands. The abnormal voxel-wise FC values were defined as the features for SVM in different frequency bands. Results. In the ipsilesional M1, the acute BGIS patients exhibited decreased FC with the right lingual gyrus in the conventional and slow-4 frequency band. Besides, the acute BGIS patients showed increased FC with the right medial superior frontal gyrus (SFGmed) in the conventional and slow-5 frequency band and decreased FC with the left lingual gyrus in the slow-5 frequency band. In the contralesional M1, the BGIS patients showed lower FC with the right SFGmed in the conventional frequency band. The higher FC values with the right lingual gyrus and left SFGmed were detected in the slow-4 frequency band. In the slow-5 frequency band, the BGIS patients showed decreased FC with the left calcarine sulcus. SVM results showed that the combined features (slow-4+slow-5) had the highest accuracy in classification prediction of acute BGIS patients, with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.86. Conclusion. Acute BGIS patients had frequency-specific alterations in FC; SVM is a promising method for exploring these frequency-dependent FC alterations. The abnormal brain regions might be potential targets for future researchers in the rehabilitation and treatment of stroke patients.
Investigating Contributing Factors on Aggressive Driving Based on a Structural Equation Model
Authors: Xu Wenxiang , Wang Junhua , Fu Ting , Sobhani Anae , Nabavi Niaki Matin
Published: March 2022

Tailored countermeasures that may significantly improve road traffic safety can be proposed and implemented if the relationship between various associated factors and aggressive driving is well understood. However, this relationship remains unknown, as driving behavior is complex, and the interrelationships among variables are not easy to identify. Considering this situation, this paper constructed a model based on a structural equation model (SEM) and factor analysis (FA), which is a multivariate statistical analysis technique used to analyze structural relationships. The model is applied in a case study using data from the Shanghai Naturalistic Driving Study. In the case study, 16 variables were grouped into five latent factors in the SEM, and the model fits the data well. Compared with other variables, the results show that age had the most significant positive impact on aggressive driving behavior (older drivers exhibited high aggressive driving frequency). Adverse weather negatively impacted driver behavior (lower speed and high longitude acceleration), which in turn negatively affected aggressive driving behavior. In addition, the results show that driver factors (such as age and sex) were the main factors influencing vehicle use (such as hard acceleration), and the environment was the main factor determining risky scenarios, where safety-critical situations increase. This paper provides a reference for defining and determining aggressive driving and a model for exploring the relationship between driving safety factors and aggressive driving, which can be used in real-world applications for improving driving safety with applications in advanced driver-assistance (ADAS) and traffic enforcement safety control systems.