bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE VARIABILITY OF AEROSOL OPTICAL THICKNESS IN MOUNTAINOUS AND FOOTHILL AREAS OF THE NORTH OSSETIA ACCORDING TO SATELLITE MEASUREMENTS
Authors: Kamenetsky Evgeniy S. , Radionoff Anatoliy A. , Timchenko Vasiliy Yu. , Panaetova Olga S.
Published: November 2021

Atmospheric aerosol is one of the indicators of air quality that affects the environmental situation. The aerosol optical thickness (AOT) of the atmosphere is studied in the mountainous, foothill, and plain regions of Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (Russian Federation) based on satellite data EOS Terra, Aqua. Several geographical locations at different heights were selected for the analysis. Daily series of AOT, air temperature and precipitation data were obtained on period over 20 years for each point. The results of statistical analysis of long-term values of AOT, temperature and precipitation are shown. There is a statistically significant relationship between the averaged values, and there is also a dependence on the height of the location and the proximity of mountains. Long-term average dependencies provide a basis for predicting the AOT value based on the measured temperature at height of 2 m for territories located in a complex landscape at different altitudes.
Diseño e implementación del plan de mantenimiento preventivo de los equipos de la empresa Granitos y Mármoles Acabados SAS
Authors: Mago Ramos María Gabriela , Rocha Pachón Sebastián
Published: November 2021

Esta investigación propone el diseño y la implementación del plan de mantenimiento preventivo en pequeñas industrias que empezaron en forma de proyectos familiares o de manera artesanal, las cuales no tuvieron la posibilidad de adoptar una estrategia de mantenimiento como el Mantenimiento Centrado en Confiabilidad (RCM), que permite identificar los equipos más críticos, mediante un análisis de criticidad, para el proceso y adoptar estrategias a fin de posibilitar la eliminación de la ocurrencia de fallas. La metodología empleada en esta investigación, que fue aprendida en los cursos de Mantenimiento del Programa de Ingeniería Mecánica de la Universidad Libre, permitió generar formatos que facilitaron el manejo de los equipos y la visualización de la información, así como otros documentos para el seguimiento y control de las actividades relacionadas con cada activo. La empresa, caso de estudio, cuya razón social se denomina Granitos y Mármoles Acabados SAS es una microempresa que presta servicios de mantenimiento a todo tipo de piedra natural hace más de 20 años, sin efectuar ninguna estrategia de mantenimiento para sus equipos, por lo que, buscando optimizar métodos productivos, contempló la necesidad de implementar la misma. El estudio se complementó con un análisis financiero: cálculo de ROI y TIR, que posibilitó  la evaluación de la inversión en mantenimiento, no solamente como un gasto. La aplicación de procedimientos teóricos y analíticos permitió verificar que los servicios que presta la empresa tienden a volverse más eficientes, demostrando con cifras la retribución económica que genera un plan de mantenimiento para este sector en específico. El aporte de esta investigación a las investigaciones futuras radica en la elaboración de un plan de mantenimiento en empresas PYMES que no han tenido esta cultura técnica u operacional con los equipos, y que a largo plazo les genera un menor lucro cesante y una mayor productividad cuando se invierte en mantenimiento.
Review of Different Geospatial Perspectives for the Identification and Mitigation of Potential Security Threats to Satellite Platforms
Authors: Monge Solano Luis Diego
Published: November 2021

Satellite infrastructure plays a vital role in today's world. As more systems rely on this technology it increasingly becomes a target for security threats. The existence of such risks has been acknowledged internationally as more resources are allocated to their study and understanding. In this context, studying satellite technologies from a geospatial perspective has provided a situational awareness understanding of the technology ecosystem and its strengths, limitations, and vulnerabilities. New technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain must be studied to generate security countermeasures for satellite technologies.
In vitro production of trichothecenes and zearalenone by fusarium isolates from equatorial barley (hordeum vulgare L.) grown in Kenya
Authors:   Meru University College of Science and Technology, Kenya, Mbae KM , Kiiyukia C ,   Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya, Kenji GM ,   Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Published: November 2021

Fusarium head blight (scab) is a devastating disease of wheat and barley throughout the world. The disease has been reported worldwide wherever cereals are grown, cutting across diverse ecological and geographical distribution. In addition to being pathogenic to plants, which may cause severe crop yield reduction, many Fusarium species are also capable of producing mycotoxins deleterious to human health as secondary metabolites. Fusarium toxins are commonly detected in wheat, barley, maize, rice and beer. Traditionally malted barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is the principal ingredient in clear beer and Fusarium toxins incidences are of major concern. Moreover, the spent grain from the brewing industry is used as feed and presence of mycotoxins can lead to harmful effects on domestic animals and also find a way into the human food chain. Studies carried out in Kenya have revealed presence of various Fusarium species with ability to produce mycotoxins and presence of Fusarium toxins in wheat and maize and beer. Based on the ubiquitous nature of Fusarium mold and the fact that barley production takes place in maize and wheat growing areas, this study set out to investigate the occurrence of Fusarium molds in Equatorial barley grown in Kenya and the ability of the isolates to produce selected mycotoxins. Grain samples were obtained from newly delivered barley lots originating from two regions and stored grain awaiting malting after break of dormancy from Kenya Maltings Ltd., Nairobi. The Fusarium isolates were identified to species level based on cultural and morphological characteristics. Additionally, they were screened in-vitro on rice cultures for their ability to produce Type A trichothecenes (T–2 toxin, HT–2 toxin, Diacetoxyscirpenol), Type B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol and nivalenol) and Zearalenone. Samples from all sources were contaminated with Fusarium, but at varying magnitudes - 50%, 33.3% and 25% for barley kernels originating from Timau, Olchoro and in-storage grain with no common history of origin, respectively. The distribution of the species showed some regional specificity. F. graminearum and F. poae predominated in kernels sourced from Olchoro region. All strains of F. graminearum produced both deoxynivalenol and zearalenone. F. poae strains and F. chlamydosporum did not produce detectable amounts of the screened mycotoxins. However, two inconclusively identified isolates of Fusarium spp. isolated from Timau samples produced deoxynivalenol only. The study revealed that a number of toxigenic Fusarium spp. do occur in Equatorial barley grown in Kenya.
Self-assessment of the digital skills of career education specialists during the provision of remote services
Authors: Margevica-Grinberga Ieva , Smitiņa Agita
Published: November 2021

The drastic and structural changes in the labour market and organisational environment is related not only to the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid technological development but also to general globalisation trends, demographic situations, deterioration, and dynamic changes at all levels of education, which emphasise the need for quality career education and guidance in secondary schools. This study aims to explore the digital self-assessment of career guidance professionals and also, to determine carrier guidance professionals’ attitude towards digital literacy. Data was analysed using percentages for qualitative data and content analysis for qualitative research. From the results of the research, most of the career guidance specialists have been able to use digital technologies to communicate with students, parents, colleagues, and most of them currently use digital technologies in their work.

 

Keywords: career; career education; digital competence; digital literacy; digital tools; guidance;
Modelação da Contribuição de Fatores Influenciadores do Risco de Infeção por SARS-CoV-2 em Ambientes Interiores
Authors: Almeida Susana Marta , Sousa João
Published: November 2021

Introdução: O presente trabalho estima o risco de infeção por SARS-CoV-2 em ambientes interiores onde a elevada densidade de ocupação resulta numa probabilidade acrescida de contágio, como escolas, escritórios, supermercados, restaurantes e ginásios.Material e Métodos: Foram testadas várias condições nos espaços interiores, tais como a utilização e eficácia de máscaras, a ventilação, a utilização de equipamentos que permitem uma assepsia do ar recorrendo a filtros HEPA, a densidade de ocupação e o tempo de permanência nos espaços, tendo sido utilizado um modelo baseado na dispersão de partículas de aerossóis em espaços fechados e na acumulação e inalação destas partículas ao longo do tempo.Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que a substituição de máscaras sociais por máscaras com classificação FFP2 diminuiu o risco de infeção em 90% nas escolas. Em escolas com ventilação natural, a abertura das janelas na sua totalidade reduziu o risco de infeção em 64% comparativamente com o cenário de janelas fechadas. Nos espaços onde a ventilação mecânica é normalmente utilizada, a probabilidade de infeção reduziu significativamente quando os caudais de ar novo regulamentares foram duplicados (redução de 32% nos escritórios, 42% nos restaurantes, 24% nos supermercados e 46% nos ginásios). A filtragem de ar com filtros HEPA permitiu a redução da probabilidade de infeção em 72% nas escolas, escritórios e restaurantes e 61% nos ginásios. O tempo de permanência nos espaços foi também um fator relevante na variação da probabilidade de infeção, principalmente nas escolas onde se verificou que aulas mais curtas e com um maior número de intervalos reduzem o risco de infeção.Discussão: Os resultados evidenciam a importância de uma adequada ventilação em ambientes fechados, principalmente em locais onde a densidade de ocupação e os tempos de permanência são mais longos, sendo essencial a introdução de ar exterior no interior dos espaços, seja através de meios naturais ou mecânicos. É expectável que os valores de risco de infeção apresentados ao longo do trabalho estejam subvalorizados pelo facto do modelo utilizado apenas considerar a transmissão por partículas inferiores a 10 μm e por, ao assumir o distanciamento social, não incluir a transmissão de curto alcance. A vacinação não foi considerada no modelo pelo facto de ainda não estar disponível quando o trabalho foi realizado.Conclusão: Este estudo vem contribuir para a identificação de medidas que permitem um menor risco de transmissão viral, e consequentemente, uma maior segurança no interior dos espaços fechados.
Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Motivasi Belajar Santri di Pondok Pesantren Darul Ilmi
Authors: Efendi Muhammad , . Norhabibi
Published: November 2021

Islamic boarding schools can be used as the best alternative as a place for children in studying education, both in the context of religious guidance and formal general studies. The achievement of quality educational goals and having broad values require high motivation and interest in learning, to realize this, it must be supported by the encouragement of both parents which is applied in the learning environment and family environment. This study aimed to analyze learning motivation and the factors that influence it, which was carried out at Darul Ilmi Islamic Boarding School with a quantitative descriptive approach and random sampling. Based on the data analysis  obtained, there were several factors that influence the motivation of students in learning, as described below: a) 58.6% of students stated that they were motivated by choosing Islamic boarding schools as a place for learning, b) 44.2% of students were motivated to study in Islamic boarding schools because they had basic religious abilities from previous educational institutions, c) 53.9% of students felt calm and comfortable with the atmosphere of Islamic boarding schools, d) 57% of students felt comfortable in the boarding school environment. Based on the indicators, the factor that had a major influence on students' motivation to learn at the Darul Ilmi Islamic boarding school was the desire and ideals of the student to gain knowledge at the Islamic boarding school.Keywords: Motivation; Islamic Boarding Schools; LearningPondok pesantren dapat dijadikan alternatif terbaik sebagai wadah untuk menempatkan anak dalam menimba ilmu pendidikan, baik dalam konteks tuntunan agama maupun kajian umum yang bersifat formal. Ketercapaian tujuan pendidikan yang bermutu dan memiliki nilai yang luas diperlukan motivasi dan minat yang tinggi dalam belajar, untuk mewujudkan hal demikian harus didukung dengan dorongan kedua orang tua yang diterapkan di lingkungan pembelajaran maupun lingkungan keluarga. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis motivasi belajar dan faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhinya, yang dilakukan di Pondok Pesantren Darul Ilmi dengan pendekatan deskriprif kuantitatif dan pengambilan sampel dilakukan secara acak (random sampling). Berdasarkan analisis data yang diperoleh terdapat beberapa faktor yang mempengaruhi motivasi santri dalam belajar, sebagai mana diuraikan berikut ini: a) 58,6% santri menyatakan termotivasi dengan memilih pondok pesantren sebagai wadah untuk belajar, b) 44,2% santri termotivasi untuk belajar di pondok pesantren karena memiliki kemampuan dasar keagamaan dari lembaga pendidikan terdahulu, c) 53,9 % santri merasa tenang dan nyaman dengan suasana pondok pesantren, d) 57% santri merasa nyaman berada di lingkungan pondok pesantren. Berdasarkan indikator di atas terdapat faktor yang memiliki pengaruh besar terhadap motivasi belajar santri di pondok pesantren Darul Ilmi adalah keinginan dan cita-cita santri untuk menimba ilmu di pondok pesantren.Kata Kunci: Motivasi, Belajar, Pondok Pesantren
Fast and Accurate Background Reconstruction Using Background Bootstrapping
Authors: Sauvalle Bruno , de La Fortelle Arnaud
Published: November 2021

The goal of background reconstruction is to recover the background image of a scene from a sequence of frames showing this scene cluttered by various moving objects. This task is fundamental in image analysis, and is generally the first step before more advanced processing, but difficult because there is no formal definition of what should be considered as background or foreground and the results may be severely impacted by various challenges such as illumination changes, intermittent object motions, highly cluttered scenes, etc. We propose in this paper a new iterative algorithm for background reconstruction, where the current estimate of the background is used to guess which image pixels are background pixels and a new background estimation is performed using those pixels only. We then show that the proposed algorithm, which uses stochastic gradient descent for improved regularization, is more accurate than the state of the art on the challenging SBMnet dataset, especially for short videos with low frame rates, and is also fast, reaching an average of 52 fps on this dataset when parameterized for maximal accuracy using GPU acceleration and a Python implementation.
Good Things Come in Larger Packages: Size Matters for Fruit-feeding Butterfly Dispersal and Diet Breadth
Authors: Freire-Jr. Geraldo , Silva Thayane , Oliveira Hernani , Collier Chloe , Rodrigues Hanna P. , Dias Joao Paulo , Pereira Santos Jessie , Marini-Filho Onildo J. , Freitas André V. L. , Smilanich Angela , Dyer Lee A. , Diniz Ivone R.
Published: November 2021

Introduction: Body size is correlated with many aspects of an animal species' natural history, such as life span, abundance, dispersal capacity and diet breadth. However, contrasting trends have been reported for the relationship between body size and these ecological traits. Methods: Butterfly species from fruit-feeding guilds were used to investigate whether body size correlates with species abundances, dispersal, permanence, and diet breadth in a Neotropical savanna in Brazil (Cerrado). We used Blomberg’s K and Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares models (PGLS) to measure phylogenetic signal strength in species traits, and to estimate size-dispersal-diet breadth associations while taking shared ancestry into account. Results: 539 individuals from 27 species were captured, and 190 individuals were recaptured, representing a 35% recapture rate. We found that body size negatively influenced butterfly abundance. In contrast, body size was positively associated with dispersal levels, distance traveled, number of traps visited, individual permanence, and diet breadth. These results indicate that larger butterflies have a greater proportion of dispersing individuals over longer distances, as they permanence were detected over longer periods than their smaller relatives. Moreover, larger butterflies are more generalized, based on the number of host plant families and genera they consume. Smaller butterflies demand fewer resources, which is reflected in their higher survival in small patches, and may explain their lower dispersal ability, and higher diet specialization. Nevertheless, lower dispersal ability, if not compensated by large population sizes, may threaten small-bodied species inhabiting environments with intense deforestation rates, such as the Cerrado. Conclusions: Body size positively influences dispersal and diet breadth in the fruit-feeding butterflies collected in this study.
Channel Modeling for In-body Optical Wireless Communications
Authors: Trevlakis Stylianos E. , Boulogeorgos Alexandros-Apostolos A. , Chatzidiamantis Nestor D. , Karagiannidis George K.
Published: November 2021

Next generation in-to-out-of body biomedical applications have adopted optical wireless communications (OWCs). However, by delving into the published literature, a gap is recognised in modeling the in-to-out-of channel, since most published contributions neglect the particularities of different type of tissues. Towards this direction, in this paper we present a novel pathloss and scattering models for in-to-out-of OWC links. Specifically, we derive extract analytical expressions that accurately describe the absorption of the five main tissues’ constituents, namely fat, water, melanin, oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood. Moreover, we formulate a model for the calculation of the absorption coefficient of any generic biological tissue. Next, by incorporating the impact of scattering in the aforementioned model we formulate the complete pathloss model. The developed theoretical framework is verified by means of comparisons between the estimated pathloss and experimental measurements from independent research works. Finally, we illustrate the accuracy of the theoretical framework in estimating the optical properties of any generic tissue based on its constitution. The extracted channel model is capable of boosting the design of optimized communication protocols for a plethora of biomedical applications.
Public Responses to Airborne Wind Energy: A Literature Review
Authors: Schmidt Helena , de Vries Gerdien , Renes Reint Jan , Schmehl Roland
Published: November 2021

Airborne wind energy (AWE) systems use tethered flying devices to harvest higher-altitude winds to produce electricity. For a successful deployment of these systems, it is crucial to understand how the public perceives them. If public concerns about the technology are not taken seriously, implementation could be delayed or, in some cases, prevented, resulting in increased costs for project developers and a lower contribution of the sector to renewable energy targets. This literature review assessed the current state of knowledge on public responses to AWE. An exhaustive literature search led to the identification of 40 relevant publications that were reviewed. The literature assumed that the safety, visibility, acoustic emissions, ecological impacts, and the siting of AWE systems shape public responses to the technology. The reviewed literature views people’s responses to AWE very optimistically but lacks scientific evidence to back up its claims. It seems to overlook that the influence of AWE’s characteristics (e.g., visibility) on public responses will also depend on a range of situational and psychological factors (e.g., people’s general attitude towards AWE, the public’s trust in project developers). Therefore, empirical social scientific research is needed to increase the field’s understanding of public responses to AWE and thereby facilitate deployment.
Densidad diluida. Planeación urbana en la Zona Metropolitana de Monterrey
Authors: Ferniza Quiroz Sheila , Fitch Osuna Jesús Manuel
Published: November 2021

La Zona Metropolitana de Monterrey (zmm), en el norte de México, ha tenido un crecimiento expansivo y disperso en las últimas décadas. En treinta y cinco años, la ciudad duplicó su población y aumentó ocho veces la superficie del territorio (Secretaría de Desarrollo Sustentable, 2020). Como medida de mitigación y con el objetivo de repoblar las zonas dentro de la ciudad que perdieron población debido a la migración, se han impulsado regulaciones urbanas que liberan la densidad y los potenciales de edificación en algunos municipios; sin embargo, los esfuerzos son aislados y sin una coordinación metropolitana.
Predicting EGFR Mutation Status by a Deep Learning Approach in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Brain Metastases
Authors: Haim Oz , Abramov Shani , Shofty Ben , Fanizzi Claudia , DiMeco Francesco , Avisdris Netanell , Ram Zvi , Artzi Moran , Grossman Rachel
Published: November 2021

PURPOSE: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most prevalent subtype of lung cancer, tends to metastasize to the brain. Between 10-60% of NSCLCs harbor an activating mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which may be targeted with selective EGFR inhibitors. However, due to a high discordance rate between the molecular profile of the primary tumor and the brain metastases (BMs), identifying an individual patient’s EGFR status of the BMs necessitates tissue diagnosis via an invasive surgical procedure. We employed a deep learning (DL) method with the aim of noninvasive detection of the EGFR mutation status in NSCLC BM. METHODS: We retrospectively collected clinical, radiological, and pathological-molecular data of all the NSCLC patients who had been diagnosed with BMs and underwent resection of their BM during 2006-2019. The study population was then divided into 2 groups based upon EGFR mutational status. We further employed a DL technique to classify the 2 groups according to their preoperative magnetic resonance imaging features. Finally, we established the accuracy of our model in predicting EGFR mutation status of BM of NSCLC. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients were included in the study, 16 patients harbored EGFR mutations. Our model predicted mutational status with mean accuracy of 89.8%, sensitivity of 68.7%, specificity of 97.7%, and a receiver operating characteristic curve )ROC( value of 0.91 across the 5 validation datasets.CONCLUSION: DL based noninvasive molecular characterization is feasible, has high accuracy and should be further validated in large prospective cohorts.
When Left Does Not Seem Right: Epigenetic and Bioelectric Differences Between Left- and Right-Sided Breast Cancer
Authors: Masuelli Sofia , Real Sebastián , Campoy Emanuel , Branham Maria Teresita , Matías Marzese Diego , Salomon Matthew , De Blas Gerardo , Arias Rodolfo , Levin Michael , Moreno Maria Roqué
Published: November 2021

Background: During embryogenesis, lateral symmetry is broken giving rise to Left/Right (L/R) breast tissues with distinct identity. L/R-sided breast tumors exhibit consistently-biased incidence, gene expression, and DNA methylation. We postulate that a differential L/R tumor-microenvironment crosstalk generates different tumorigenesis mechanisms. Methods: We performed in-silico analyses on breast tumors of public datasets, developed xenografted tumors, and conditioned MDA-MB-231 cells with L/R mammary extracts. Results: We found L/R differential DNA methylation involved in embryogenic and neuron-like functions. Focusing on ion-channels, we discovered significant L/R epigenetic and bioelectric differences. Specifically, L-sided cells presented increased methylation of hyperpolarizing ion channel genes and increased Ca2+ concentration and depolarized membrane potential, compared to R-ones. Functional consequences were associated with increased proliferation in left tumors, assessed by KI67 expression and mitotic count. Conclusions: Our findings reveal considerable L/R asymmetry in cancer processes, and suggest specific L/R epigenetic and bioelectric differences as future targets for cancer therapeutic approaches in the breast and many other paired organs.
Evaluation of Biochemical Markers of Cardiac Risk in ART-Treated HIV-Infected Adults in Rwanda
Authors: Bushaku Marcus , Nyamwange Caleb , Kwena Arthur , Twagirumukiza Marc , Utumatwishima Jean Nepo , Mugeni Regine , Davila-Roman Victor , Reeds Dominic , Schectman Kenneth , Nishimwe Aurore , Cade William Todd , Mutimura Eugene
Published: November 2021

Background
Life expectancy of people living with HIV infection has improved due to access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Rwanda like other African countries. However, both HIV infection and use of ART are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks, due to adverse changes in some biochemical markers, causing dyslipidemia and other metabolic imbalances. The CVD risk associated with metabolic biomarkers that may affect cardiac function with use of the ART, has not been well characterized in Rwanda. We evaluated the association between the use and duration of ART and abnormal changes in biochemical markers of CVD risk among HIV infected adults in Rwanda.
Methods
Participants were enrolled from HIV Clinics Public Health Centers in a cross-sectional study in Kigali. A total of 150 participants between 18-45 years included 30 HIV-Uninfected (HIV-) and 120 HIV-infected (HIV+) adults. Among the HIV+ adults, 40 participants were ART-naïve. Data were collected on health-related behaviors and biochemical markers of CVD risk. We compared changes in CVD-related biochemical markers between HIV-, HIV+ ART-naïve and HIV+ on ART treatment groups.
Results
Majority of participants were women (60%), and HIV- were younger (35±6 vs. 31±6 years). We observed differences in levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in HIV+ ART-treated and HIV+ ART-naïve groups. Total cholesterol and triglycerides were associated with use of ART. Serum triglycerides were lower in HIV+ ART-naïve compared to HIV+ on ART treatment (61.20±18.30 mg/dl vs. 85.00±38.30 mg/dl; p< 0.01). While total cholesterol was higher in HIV+ on ART than HIV+ ART-naïve (136.00±45.00 mg/dl vs. 119.00±36.00 mg/dl; p<0.04), HDL-C was associated with longer exposure to ART (68.70±30.00 mg/dl vs. 54.90±25.70 mg/dl; p=0.02) among HIV+ on ART for 0-6 months and 7-12 months respectively.
Conclusion
Changes in serum total cholesterol and triglycerides were associated with use of ART. Although these changes were within the upper limits of normal ranges, our findings suggest early increases in both biochemical biomarkers of cardiac risk associated. These findings underscore the need for early evaluation of lipid profiles as biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk, to effectively monitor how ART may contribute to cardiovascular disease and deter treatment programs in African countries.
Research on Tribological Properties of H13 Steel of Shield Machine Hob by Laser Shot Peening
Authors: Zhang Yifeng , Yang XueFeng , Wang Shouren , Li Wanyang , Wu Qiang , Zhao Wangliang , Gao Yang , Wang Kai
Published: November 2021

In this paper, the laser shot peening technology of H13 steel is studied to improve the friction and wear performance of shield machine hob. And to utilize the laser shot peening (LSP) experiment and simulation analysis, the influence of LSP parameters on the friction and wear performance of H13 steel after strengthening is studied. The results show that the residual stress and the depth of stress layer are increased after LSP, which is beneficial to reduce the friction and wear of material surface. In addition, the surface has a paint absorption layer which can absorb laser energy to avoid surface annealing. The maximum residual stress of H13 steel is 911 MPa and the hardness is 650.7 HV, when there are three-times of black paint absorption and LSP. Compared with the raw material, the residual stress is increased by 125% and the hardness is increased by 18%. And its friction coefficients and wear volume were relatively lower than other schemes. The average friction coefficient and wear volume were reduced by 10.8% and 57.2% respectively.
The Brain Activation of Anxiety Disorders During Emotional Stimulations: A Coordinate-Based Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis
Authors: Liu Xia , Wang Xiuzhen , Li Yongchao , Ji Shanling , Zhang Yu , Zhang Yinghui , Hu Bin
Published: November 2021

Many studies have been analyzed the state of brain activation about anxiety under neuroimaging experiments with emotional stimuli. However, there is no meta-analysis to assess the commonality and specificity activation of different anxiety subtypes. Here, we used the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) to define the common and different activation between different subtypes of anxiety. A total of 29 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies revealed significantly increased bilateral amygdala, anterior cingulate gyrus, and parahippocampal gyrus activation in anxiety during emotional stimuli. Moreover, we observed the decreased activations in the posterior cingulate, lingual gyrus, and precuneus. In subanalyses of anxiety disorders, the increased activation of generalized anxiety and specific phobias are present in the left hippocampus and thalamus, respectively. Social anxiety and panic disorders showed increased activation in the parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, thalamus, and insula. Social anxiety, generalized anxiety, and panic disorders displayed decreased activations in the fusiform gyrus, posterior cingulate, and specific phobias exhibited in the medial frontal gyrus. Although different anxiety showed dissimilar activations, the principal activations were observed in the limbic lobe, which might indicate the limbic circuit was a neural reflection of anxiety symptoms.
Pathophysiological significance of increased α-synuclein deposition in sympathetic nerves in Parkinson disease: A post-mortem observational study
Authors: Isonaka Risa , Sullivan Patti , Goldstein David S
Published: November 2021

Background: Parkinson disease (PD) is characterized by intra-neuronal deposition of the protein α-synuclein (α-syn) and by deficiencies of the catecholamines dopamine and norepinephrine (NE) in the brain and heart. Accumulation of α-syn in sympathetic noradrenergic nerves may provide a useful PD biomarker; however, whether α-syn buildup is pathophysiological has been unclear. If it were, one would expect associations of intra-neuronal α-syn deposition with catecholaminergic denervation and with decreased NE contents in the same samples. Methods: We assayed immunoreactive α-syn and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, a marker of catecholaminergic innervation) concurrently with catecholamines in coded post-mortem scalp skin, submandibular gland (SMG), and apical left ventricular myocardial tissue samples from 14 patients with autopsy-proven PD and 12 age-matched control (CTRL) subjects who did not have a neurodegenerative disease. Results: PD patients had increased α-syn in sympathetic noradrenergically innervated arrector pili muscles (5.7 times CTRL, p<0.0001), SMG (35 times CTRL, p=0.0011), and myocardium (11 times CTRL, p=0.0011). Myocardial TH in the PD group was decreased from CTRL by 65% (p=0.0008), whereas the groups did not differ in TH in either arrector pili muscles or SMG. Similarly, myocardial NE was decreased by 92% in the PD group (p<0.0001), but the groups did not differ in NE in either scalp skin or SMG. Conclusions: PD entails increased α-syn in skin, SMG, and myocardial tissues. In skin and SMG augmented α-syn deposition in sympathetic nerves does not seem to be pathogenic. The pathophysiological significance of intra-neuronal α-syn deposition appears to be organ-selective and prominent in the heart.
Graphene Oxide-Lignin/Silk Fibroin/ZnO Nanobiocomposite: A Novel Bioactive Scaffold With Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Eivazzadeh-Keihan Reza , Zare-Bakheir Ensiye , Aliabadi Hooman Aghamirza Moghim , Gorab Mostafa Ghafori , Ghafuri Hossein , Maleki Ali , Madanchi Hamid , mahdavi Mohammad
Published: November 2021

In this study, a novel nanobiocomposite was synthesized using graphene oxide, lignin, silk fibroin and ZnO and used in biological fields. To synthesize this structure, after preparing graphene oxide by the Hummer method, lignin, silk fibroin, and ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were added to it, respectively. Also, ZnO NPs with a particle size of about 18 nm to 33 nm was synthesized via Camellia sinensis extract by green methodology. The synthesized structure was examined as anti-biofilm agent and it was observed that the Graphene oxide-lignin/silk fibroin/ZnO nanobiocomposite has a significant ability to prevent the formation of P. aeruginosa biofilm. In addition, due to the importance of the possibility of using this structure in biological environments, its toxicity and blood compatibility were also evaluated. According to the obtained results from MTT assay, the viability percentages of Hu02 cells treated with Graphene oxide-lignin/silk fibroin/ZnO nanobiocomposite after 24, 48, and 72 h of incubation were 89.96%, 89.32%, and 91.28%. On the other hand, the hemolysis percentage of the synthesized structure after 24 h and 72 h of extraction was 9.5% and 11.76% respectively. As a result, the synthesized structure is hemocompatible and had no toxic effects on Hu02 cells.
The Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Incidentally Discovered Glioblastoma
Authors: Kawauchi Daisuke , Ohno Makoto , Honda-Kitahara Mai , Miyakita Yasuji , Takahashi Masamichi , Yanagisawa Shunsuke , Tamura Yukie , Kikuchi Miyu , Ichimura Koichi , Narita Yoshitaka
Published: November 2021

Objective
With an increase in the number of imaging examinations and the development of imaging technology, a small number of glioblastomas (GBMs) are identified by incidental radiological images. These incidentally discovered glioblastomas (iGBMs) are rare, and their clinical features are not well understood. Here, we investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of iGBM.
Methods
Data of newly diagnosed iGBM patients who were treated at our institution between August 2005 and October 2019 were reviewed. An iGBM was defined as a GBM without a focal sign, discovered on radiological images obtained for reasons unrelated to the tumor. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to calculate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).
Results
Of 234 patients with newly diagnosed GBM, four (1.7%) were classified as having iGBM. Health screening was the most common reason for tumor discovery (75.0%). The preoperative Karnofsky performance status score was 100 in three patients. Tumors were found on the right side in three cases. The mean volume of preoperative enhanced tumor lesion was 16.8 cm3. The median duration from confirmation of an enhanced lesion to surgery was 13.5 days. In all cases, either total (100%) or subtotal (95–99%) resections were achieved. The median PFS and OS were 11.5 and 20.0 months, respectively.
Conclusions
The iGBMs were often small and in the right non-eloquent area, and the patients had good performance status. We found that timely therapeutic intervention provided iGBM patients with favorable outcomes. This report suggests that early detection of GBM may lead to a better prognosis.
Nutrient resorption tightens plant nitrogen and phosphorus coupling and decreases with sulfur deposition as mediated by interannual precipitation in a meadow
Authors: Feng Xue , Wang Ruzhen , Li Tianpeng , Cai Jiangping , Liu Heyong , Wang Bin , Lü Xiaotao , Jiang Yong
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Sulfur (S) deposition as a global change issue causes worldwide soil acidification, nutrient mobilization and marked changes in plant nutrition. Here, we investigated how S deposition would affect leaf nutrient resorption and how this effect varies with yearly fluctuations in precipitation.
Methods

In a semiarid meadow exposed to S addition, we measured nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and S concentrations in green and senescent leaves of a grass and a sedge and calculated nutrient resorption efficiencies (NuRE) across two years with contrasting precipitation (13% higher and 27% lower than long-term mean annual precipitation).
Results

Concentrations of N, P, and S in green and senescent leaves generally increased with S addition across the two years, with the exception of N and P concentrations in green leaves of the grass that showed no response or even decreased with S addition. The coupling relationships between N and P concentrations showed interannual variations and tightened by nutrient resorption, as evidenced by stronger N and P correlations in senescent leaves than in green leaves in the wet year. Leaf NuRE convergently decreased with S addition across the two years congruent with soil acidification and increased soil N, P and S availability, while NuRE was higher in the wet year due to lower soil nutrient availability herein.
Conclusions

This study provides new evidence on the role of nutrient resorption in tightening stoichiometric N:P relationships, and a three-dimensional feedback framework that plant nutrient resorption was favored by higher precipitation to sharpen its tradeoff with soil nutrient availability.
HOXA7 Promotes Metastasis in KRAS Mutant Colorectal Cancer by Regulating Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells
Authors: Dang Yunzhi , Yu Jiao , Zhao Shuhong , Cao Ximing , Wang Qing
Published: November 2021

Background: KRAS mutation accounts for 30-50% of human colorectal cancer (CRC). Due to paucity of effective treatment options, KRAS mutant CRC is difficult to treat in clinic. Metastasis is still the major reason for the high mortality of KRAS mutant CRC, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report a novel role of Homeobox 7 (HOXA7) in promoting KRAS mutant CRC metastasis and probed therapy strategies for these subpopulation patients.Methods: The expression of HOXA7 was detected in human CRC cohort by immunohistochemistry. The function of HOXA7 in KRAS mutant CRC metastasis was analyzed by cecum orthotopic model. Results: The elevated expression of HOXA7 was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, poorer tumor differentiation, higher TNM stage, and poor prognosis in CRC patients. Furthermore, HOXA7 is an independent prognostic marker of KRAS mutant CRC patients (P<0.001), while not for KRAS wild-type CRC patients (P=0.575). HOXA7 overexpression increased the metastasis ability of KRAS mutant CT26 cell, and promoted the infiltration of MDSCs at the same time. When MDSCs infiltration was depleted by CXCR2 inhibitor, it can markedly suppress the metastasis rate in CT26 cell. The combination of CXCR2 inhibitor SB265610 and anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1) can largely inhibit metastasis in KRAS mutant CRC. Conclusions: HOXA7 overexpression upregulated CXCL1, which promoted MDSCs infiltration. Interruption of this loop might provide a promising treatment strategy for HOXA7-mediated KRAS mutant CRC metastasis.
Lignocellulose degradation in Protaetia brevitarsis larvae digestive tract: refining on a tightly designed microbial fermentation production line
Authors: Wang Kui , Gao Peiwen , Geng Lili , Liu Chunqin , Zhang Jie , Shu Changlong
Published: November 2021

Background

The Scarabaeidae insect Protaetia brevitarsis (PB) has recently gained increasing research interest as resource insects, because its larvae can effectively use various organic matter ranging from decaying plant residues to humus and livestock waste and convert those compounds to nonphytotoxic and high humic acid content frass fertilizer, as well as healthy nutritional insect protein sources. Lignocellulose is the main component of PB larvae (PBLs) food sources. PBLs show high lignin and polysaccharide degradation efficiency; however, genome annotation shows that PBLs’ carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) are not able to complete the lignocellulose degradation process. Therefore, the mechanism by which PBLs efficiently degrade lignocellulose is a worthy issue for further study.
Results

Here, we used a combined host genomic and gut metagenomic datasets to investigate the lignocellulose degradation activity of PBLs. First, a comprehensive gut gene catalog comprising gut microbial genes and host gut transcriptomic genes was established. The data showed that PBLs selectively enriched lignocellulose-degrading microbial species mainly from Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, which are capable of producing a broad array of cellulases and hemicellulases, thus playing a major role in lignocellulosic biomass degradation. Gene annotation revealed PBLs gut microbiome encoded a full spectrum of CAZymes involving in the hydrolysis of lignocellulose (including 39,969 CAZymes), while the host only expressed 33 lignocellulose degradation-related CAZymes in the guts. The PBL hosts provide lignin pretreatment processes via their evolved strong mouthparts as well as a strong alkaline environment in the midgut, which thus complements the lack of laccases in the PBL holobiont. In addition, most of the lignocellulose degradation-related gene sequences in the PBL microbiome were novel, and most of the recovered high-quality genome bins with independent (hemi)cellulose degradation capability from the PBL gut microbiome were novel species.
Conclusions

This work shows that there is a unique teamwork between PBLs and their gut bacterial flora for efficient lignocellulose degradation. PBLs are a promising model to study lignocellulose degradation, which can provide highly abundant novel enzymes and relevant lignocellulose-degrading bacterial strains for biotechnological biomass conversion industries.
Ultra-high speed reconfigurable microwave and radio frequency photonic intensity differentiators using Kerr frequency optical microcombs
Authors: Moss David
Published: November 2021

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a microwave photonic intensity differentiator based on a Kerr optical comb generated by a compact integrated micro-ring resonator (MRR). The on-chip Kerr optical comb, containing a large number of comb lines, serves as a high-performance multi-wavelength source for the transversal filter, which will greatly reduce the cost, size, and complexity of the system. Moreover, owing to the compactness of the integrated MRR, up to 200-GHz frequency spacing of the Kerr optical comb can be achieved, enabling a potential operation bandwidth of over 100 GHz. By programming and shaping individual comb lines according to the calculated tap weights, a reconfigurable intensity differentiator with variable differentiation orders can be realized. The operation principle is theoretically analyzed, and experimental demonstrations of first-order, second-order, and third-order differentiation functions based on the principle are presented. The radio frequency (RF) amplitude and phase responses of multi-order intensity differentiations are characterized, and system demonstrations of real-time differentiations for Gaussian input signal are also performed. The experimental results show good agreement with theory, confirming the effectiveness of our approach.
Gradient Field Divergence-based Small Target Detection in Infrared Images
Authors: Ma Tianlei , Yang Zhen , Wang Jiaqi , Ren Xiangyang , Ku Yanan , Peng Jinzhu , Liu Yunpeng
Published: November 2021

Infrared small target detection in complex cloud backgrounds has always been a challenging research topic. To synchronously enhance the target and suppress the complex background, a novel robust target detection method based on the divergence of the gradient field is proposed. The negative gradient field of the target intensity (NIG field) matches with characteristics of the positive source. However, the cloud clutter lacks this characteristic. Firstly, based on the property of the target, the NIG field is calculated from the original image. Thereafter, the divergence values of NIG field are calculated to obtain a defined divergence map (D map), which highlights the target regions and suppresses the clutter regions. Meanwhile, a local vectors angle measure (LVAM) operator of the NIG field is designed to measure the angle distribution of 8-neighbour vectors and eliminate false target areas. Then, the defined local angle map (LA map) is obtained by measuring the local angle value of 8-neighbour vectors for each patch of the NIG field. In addition, the divergence-local angle map (D-LA map) is obtained as the Hadamard product of D map and LA map. Finally, we can obtain the target conveniently via constant false alarm ratio (CFAR) based on the D-LA map. The performance evaluation results of real image sequences show that the proposed method is satisfactory in terms of clutter suppression and target detection. Moreover, the results from comparative experiments show that the proposed method is superior to conventional methods in terms of detection accuracy, false alarm rate, and running time.
Effects of Biochar Produced From Tropical Rice Straw, Corncob and Bamboo Tree at Different Processing Temperatures on in Vitro Rumen Fermentation and Methane Production
Authors: Dung Dinh Van , Thao Le Duc , Ngoan Le Duc , Phung Le Dinh , Roubík Hynek
Published: November 2021

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of biochar produced from tropical biomass resources (rice straw, corncob and bamboo) at different processing temperatures (300, 500 and 700oC) on in vitro rumen fermentation and methane production. Treatments were arranged as a 3x3 factorial with three biomass resources and three biochar processing temperatures. Added biochar occupied 3% of the substrate (DM basic). 250 mg of the air-dried substrate was incubated in 120 ml bottles, which contained 25 ml of mixed rumen fluid and buffer mineral solution. Total gas and methane production, in vitro digestibility of DM, OM, and in vitro rumen fermentation characteristics were determined at three-time points: 4, 24 and 48 hours of the incubation. Results showed that biomass resources and processing temperatures affected gas production at 4, 24 and 48 hours of the incubation (P < 0.02). Interactions between biomass resources and processing temperatures affected gas production at 4 hours (P = 0.06) and 24 hours (P = 0.001). Biomass resources and processing temperatures affected methane production at different time points of the incubation, except the effect of biomass resources at 24 hours (P = 0.406). Increased processing temperature from 300 to 700oC reduced gas and methane production (P < 0.05). Biomass resources affected OM digestibility after 4 and 24 hours of incubation. Processing temperatures and their interaction with biomass resources affected OM digestibility after 48 hours of incubation (P < 0.001). NH3-N concentrations at 24 and 48h were highest for corncob, then rice straw, and lowest for bamboo tree derived biochar (P < 0.05). Increased processing temperatures resulted in higher NH3-N concentrations at 24 and 48 hours of incubation (P < 0.05). To mitigate methane production, biomass resources and processing temperatures should be considered when utilising biochar as feed additive in ruminant diets.