bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conjunction Analysis Software Suite for Space Surveillance and Tracking
Authors: Bonaccorsi Sergio , Montaruli Marco Felice , Di Lizia Pierluigi , Peroni Moreno , Panico Alessandro , Rigamonti Marco , Del Prete Francesco
Published: January 2024

The increasing number of objects in Earth orbit has encouraged the development of space surveillance and tracking (SST) applications. A critical aspect of SST is the identification and characterization of close encounters between pairs of space objects. The present work introduces a tool for the analysis of conjunctions, consisting of several modules. The first module, which has been shown to greatly speed up the process, employs a series of geometric and temporal filters to shorten the list of potential colliding pairs. The remaining objects are then propagated to compute important parameters such as time of closest approach (TCA), miss distance (MD), and probability of collision (PoC), the latter using three different methods. When a conjunction assessment returns an MD or a PoC that exceeds predefined alert thresholds, the algorithm enables the planning of an impulsive collision avoidance maneuver (CAM) at specific maneuver epochs. CAM candidates are determined using an analytical Keplerian approach, with the goal of achieving the desired PoC or MD. The user can then verify the performance of a specific candidate through perturbed propagation, and the MD and PoC are recalculated after the maneuver to ensure that they meet the desired thresholds. In conclusion, this paper evaluates the performance of the tool using synthetic and real data, providing valuable insights into its effectiveness.
Determination of Jupiter’s Pole Orientation from Juno Radio Science Data
Authors: Lari Giacomo , Zannoni Marco , Durante Daniele , Park Ryan S. , Tommei Giacomo
Published: January 2024

The extreme accuracy of Juno radio science data allows us to perform very precise orbit determination experiments. While previous works focused on the estimation of the gravitational field of Jupiter, in this article, we aim to accurately determine the planet’s orientation in space. For this purpose, we implement a rotational model of Jupiter, taking into account also its main deformations, as they affect the planet’s inertia components. Rotation parameters are estimated simultaneously with all other parameters (especially gravity and tides), in order to obtain a global and coherent solution. In our experiments, we find that Juno data manage to constrain Jupiter’s pole direction with an accuracy of around 10−7 radians for the whole duration of the mission, allowing us to improve its long-term ephemerides. Moreover, Juno data provide an upper bound on the maximum displacement between Jupiter’s pole and spin axis of less than 10 m, which allows us to investigate possible short-period nutation effects due to, for example, atmospheric and interior processes of the planet.
Rectangular Natural Feature Recognition and Pose Measurement Method for Non-Cooperative Spacecraft
Authors: Wang Fengxu , Xu Wenfu , Yan Lei , Xie Chengqing , Pu Weihua
Published: January 2024

Accurately estimating the pose of spacecraft is indispensable for space applications. However, such targets are generally non-cooperative, i.e., no markers are mounted on them, and they include no parts for operation. Therefore, the detection and measurement of a non-cooperative target is very challenging. Stereovision sensors are important solutions in the near field. In this paper, a rectangular natural feature recognition and pose measurement method for non-cooperative spacecraft is proposed. Solar panels of spacecraft were selected as detection objects, and their image features were captured via stereo vision. These rectangle features were then reconstructed in 3D Cartesian space through parallelogram fitting on the image planes of two cameras. The vertexes of rectangle features were detected and used to solve the pose of a non-cooperative target. An experimental system was built to validate the effectiveness of the algorithm. The experimental results show that the average position measurement error of the algorithm is about 10 mm and the average attitude measurement error is less than 1°. The results also show that the proposed method achieves high accuracy and efficiency.
PestLite: A Novel YOLO-Based Deep Learning Technique for Crop Pest Detection
Authors: Dong Qing , Sun Lina , Han Tianxin , Cai Minqi , Gao Ce
Published: January 2024

Timely and effective pest detection is essential for agricultural production, facing challenges such as complex backgrounds and a vast number of parameters. Seeking solutions has become a pressing matter. This paper, based on the YOLOv5 algorithm, developed the PestLite model. The model surpasses previous spatial pooling methods with our uniquely designed Multi-Level Spatial Pyramid Pooling (MTSPPF). Using a lightweight unit, it integrates convolution, normalization, and activation operations. It excels in capturing multi-scale features, ensuring rich extraction of key information at various scales. Notably, MTSPPF not only enhances detection accuracy but also reduces the parameter size, making it ideal for lightweight pest detection models. Additionally, we introduced the Involution and Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) attention mechanisms to enhance contextual understanding. We also replaced traditional upsampling with Content-Aware ReAssembly of FEatures (CARAFE), which enable the model to achieve higher mean average precision in detection. Testing on a pest dataset showed improved accuracy while reducing parameter size. The mAP50 increased from 87.9% to 90.7%, and the parameter count decreased from 7.03 M to 6.09 M. We further validated the PestLite model using the IP102 dataset, and on the other hand, we conducted comparisons with mainstream models. Furthermore, we visualized the detection targets. The results indicate that the PestLite model provides an effective solution for real-time target detection in agricultural pests.
Potential Benefits of a ‘Trauma-Informed Care’ Approach to Improve the Assessment and Management of Dogs Presented with Anxiety Disorders
Authors: Corridan Claire Lorraine , Dawson Susan E. , Mullan Siobhan
Published: January 2024

Dog caregiver reporting on the spectrum of fearful–aggressive behaviours often describes ‘unpredictable’ or ‘exaggerated’ responses to a situation/animal/person. A possible explanation for these behavioural responses considers that the dog is reacting to triggered memories for which the dog has a negative association. For many dogs undergoing veterinary behavioural treatment or rehabilitation through a canine rescue organisation, the assessing clinician relies on “proxy” reporting of the history/background by a caregiver (dog owner, foster carer, or shelter personnel). Detailed information on the event or circumstances resulting in this negative association may be limited or absent altogether. Consideration of a trauma-informed care (TIC) approach, currently applied in a wide range of human psychology and social care fields, may be helpful in guiding the clinical approach taken. The literature relating to adverse early experience (AEE) and trauma-informed care (TIC) in puppies/dogs compared to children/adults was evaluated to identify common themes and conclusions identified across both species. In the absence of known/identifiable trauma, behavioural assessment and management should consider that a ‘problem’ dog may behave as it does, as the result of previous trauma. The dog can then be viewed through a lens of empathy and understanding, often lacking for dogs presenting with impulsive, reactive, or aggressive behaviours. Assessment must avoid re-traumatising the animal through exposure to triggering stimuli and, treatment options should include counselling of caregivers on the impact of adverse early experiences, consideration of the window of tolerance, and TIC behavioural modification techniques.
Effects of Dietary Crude Protein Level of Concentrate Mix on Growth Performance, Rumen Characteristics, Blood Metabolites, and Methane Emissions in Fattening Hanwoo Steers
Authors: Oh Joonpyo , Cho Hyunjin , Jeong Sinyong , Kang Kyewon , Lee Mingyung , Jeon Seoyoung , Kang Hamin , Seo Seongwon
Published: January 2024

This study aimed to investigate the effect of varying levels of dietary crude protein (CP) on growth performance, rumen characteristics, blood metabolites, and methane emissions in fattening Hanwoo steers. Twenty-four steers, weighing 504 ± 33.0 kg (16 months old), were assigned to four dietary treatments with different CP concentrations (15, 18, 19, and 21% of CP on a dry matter (DM) basis). A linear increasing trend in the average daily gain (ADG) was observed (p = 0.066). With increased dietary CP levels, the rumen ammonia concentration significantly increased (p < 0.001), while the propionate proportion linearly decreased (p = 0.004) and the proportions of butyrate and valerate linearly increased (p ≤ 0.003). The blood urea exhibited a linear increase (p < 0.001), whereas the blood non-esterified fatty acids and cholesterol showed a linear decrease (p ≤ 0.003) with increasing dietary CP. The methane concentration from eructation per intake (ppm/kg), forage neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake, total NDF intake, and ADG exhibited linear decreases (p ≤ 0.014) across the treatments. In conclusion, increasing the dietary CP up to 21% in concentrates demonstrated a tendency to linearly increase the ADG and significantly decrease the propionate while increasing the butyrate. The methane concentration from eructation exhibited a tendency to linearly decrease with increasing dietary CP.
The Differences in Radiographic Vertebral Size in Dogs with Different Chest and Skull Types
Authors: Phansangiemjit Amonsiri , Kasemjiwat Kamolphatra , Patchanee Krit , Panninvong Yossapat , Sunisarud Ana , Choisunirachon Nan , Thanaboonnipat Chutimon
Published: January 2024

The objective of this study was to elucidate the differences in vertebral length, vertebral height, and vertebral length/height ratio of the fourth thoracic vertebra (T4), the second lumbar vertebra (L2), the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5) and the seventh lumbar vertebra (L7) based on radiographs in dogs with various body sizes, skull types, and thoracic conformations and to determine the relationships of these parameters with age and sex. A total of 258 dogs were included in this study and classified by three criteria—BW (Criterion 1), skull type (Criterion 2), and thoracic conformation (Criterion 3). Age had weak negative correlations with vertebral length and height. Sex did not affect the vertebral size parameters. BW had strong positive correlations with vertebral length and height, but there was no influence of BW on vertebral length/height ratio. Regarding the different body sizes and conformations, large breeds had vertebrae with significantly greater length and height than small and medium breeds (p < 0.001). In Criterion 2, the vertebrae of the mesocephalic dogs had significantly greater length and height than those of the brachycephalic and dolichocephalic dogs (p < 0.05). In Criterion 3, both deep-chest and round-chest dogs had vertebrae with significantly greater length and height than the barrel-chest dogs (p < 0.0001). Only vertebral length/height ratios of T4 were not influenced by age, sex, BW, skull type, and thoracic conformation. Age, differences in body size, skull type, and thoracic conformation could affect the vertebral size in dogs. Therefore, using breed-specific vertebral lengths and/or heights is a better approach for comparative radiographic analysis with vertebral measurements.
Effects of β-Glucan Supplementation on LPS-Induced Endotoxemia in Horses
Authors: Lacerenza Milena Domingues , Arantes Júlia de Assis , Reginato Gustavo Morandini , Passarelli Danielle , Balieiro Júlio César de Carvalho , Amaral Andressa Rodrigues , Vendramini Thiago Henrique Annibale , Brunetto Marcio Antonio , Dória Renata Gebara Sampaio
Published: January 2024

β-glucan is part of the cell wall of fungi and yeasts and has been known for decades to have immunomodulating effects on boosting immunity against various infections as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern that is able to modify biological responses. β-glucan has been used in rat models and in vitro studies involving sepsis and SIRS with good results, but this supplement has not been evaluated in the treatment of endotoxemia in horses. This study aims to evaluate the effects of preventive supplementation with β-glucan in horses submitted to endotoxemia by means of inflammatory response modulation. Eight healthy horses, both male and female, aged 18 ± 3 months, weighing 300 ± 100 kg of mixed breed, were randomly assigned to two groups of four animals, both of which were subjected to the induction of endotoxemia via the intravenous administration of E. coli lipopolysaccharides (0.1 µg/kg). For 30 days before the induction of endotoxemia, horses in the β-glucan group (GB) received 10 mg/kg/day of β-glucan orally, and horses in the control group (GC) received 10 mg/kg/day of 0.9% sodium chloride orally. The horses were submitted to physical exams, including a hematological, serum biochemistry, and peritoneal fluid evaluation, and the serum quantification of cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10. For statistical analysis, the normality of residues and homogeneity of variances were verified; then, the variables were analyzed as repeated measures over time, checking the effect of treatment, time, and the interaction between time and treatment. Finally, the averages were compared using Tukey’s test at a significance level of 5%. Horses from both experimental groups presented clinical signs and hematological changes in endotoxemia, including an increase in heart rate and body temperature, neutrophilic leukopenia, an increase in serum bilirubin, glucose, lactate, and an increase in TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10. Hepatic and renal function were not compromised by β-glucan supplementation. GB presented higher mean values of the serum total protein, globulins, and IL-8 compared to that observed in GC. In the peritoneal fluid, horses from GB presented a lower mean concentration of neutrophils and a higher mean concentration of macrophages compared to the GC. It was concluded that preventive supplementation of β-glucan for thirty days modulated the immune response, as evidenced by increasing serum total proteins, globulins, IL-8, and changes in the type of peritoneal inflammatory cells, without effectively attenuating clinical signs of endotoxemia in horses. Considering the safety of β-glucan in this study, the results suggest the potential clinical implication of β-glucan for prophylactic use in horse endotoxemia.
Carvacrol and Thymol Content Affects the Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity of Origanum compactum and Thymus zygis Essential Oils
Authors: Chroho Mounia , Rouphael Youssef , Petropoulos Spyridon A. , Bouissane Latifa
Published: January 2024

Essential oils are of great interest due to their potent pharmaceutical and biological activities. In this study, essential oils extracted from Origanum compactum and Thymus zygis originating from the Middle Atlas of Morocco were investigated. Their chemical compositions were analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, while the assessment of the trapping power of the radical (DPPH: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and the reducing antioxidant potential of ferric ions (FRAP: Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) were performed in order to evaluate the antioxidant activity. Their antibacterial potency was tested against six bacterial strains through the disk diffusion method. The chromatography analyses of the extracted essential oils highlighted the presence of two main components, namely carvacrol at 75.70% in O. compactum and thymol at 40.67% in T. zygis. The antioxidant activity tests showed that both essential oils demonstrated a significant antioxidant activity comparable to the positive control (e.g., ascorbic acid). The antibacterial activity results showed a strong antimicrobial effect for both essential oils, compared to synthetic antibiotics. This study affirms the presence of bioactive components with interesting antioxidant and antibacterial activities in the essential oils extracted from Origanum compactum and Thymus zygis, which could find several applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries through the substitution of synthetic antioxidants and antibiotics.
Resveratrol Activates Antioxidant Protective Mechanisms in Cellular Models of Alzheimer’s Disease Inflammation
Authors: Bartra Clara , Yuan Yi , Vuraić Kristijan , Valdés-Quiroz Haydeé , Garcia-Baucells Pau , Slevin Mark , Pastorello Ylenia , Suñol Cristina , Sanfeliu Coral
Published: January 2024

Resveratrol is a natural phenolic compound with known benefits against neurodegeneration. We analyzed in vitro the protective mechanisms of resveratrol against the proinflammatory monomeric C-reactive protein (mCRP). mCRP increases the risk of AD after stroke and we previously demonstrated that intracerebral mCRP induces AD-like dementia in mice. Here, we used BV2 microglia treated with mCRP for 24 h in the presence or absence of resveratrol. Cells and conditioned media were collected for analysis. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has also been implicated in AD progression and so LPS was used as a resveratrol-sensitive reference agent. mCRP at the concentration of 50 µg/mL activated the nitric oxide pathway and the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Furthermore, mCRP induced cyclooxygenase-2 and the release of proinflammatory cytokines. Resveratrol effectively inhibited these changes and increased the expression of the antioxidant enzyme genes Cat and Sod2. As central mechanisms of defense, resveratrol activated the hub genes Sirt1 and Nfe2l2 and inhibited the nuclear translocation of the signal transducer NF-ĸB. Proinflammatory changes induced by mCRP in primary mixed glial cultures were also protected by resveratrol. This work provides a mechanistic insight into the protective benefits of resveratrol in preventing the risk of AD induced by proinflammatory agents.
Liproxstatin-1 Alleviated Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Acute Kidney Injury via Inhibiting Ferroptosis
Authors: Shi Zhiyuan , Du Yifan , Zheng Jianzhong , Tang Wenbin , Liang Qing , Zheng Zeyuan , Liu Bin , Sun Huimin , Wang Kejia , Shao Chen
Published: January 2024

Ferroptosis, as a novel regulable cell death, is characterized by iron overload, glutathione depletion, and an accumulation of lipid peroxides. Recently, it has been discovered that ferroptosis is involved in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) and plays a crucial role in renal tubular cell death. In this study, we tried to investigate the effect and mechanism of liproxstatin-1 (Lip-1) in I/R-induced AKI and seek the key regulator of ferroptosis in I/R-induced AKI. Mice were administrated with clamping bilateral renal pedicles for 30 min. We found that early growth response 1 (EGR1) might be a key regulator of ferroptosis, and Lip-1 could suppress ferroptosis via EGR1. Meanwhile, Lip-1 could reduce macrophage recruitment and the release of inflammatory cytokines. These findings indicated that Lip-1 alleviated I/R-induced AKI via regulating EGR1, and it might pave the theoretical basis of a new therapeutic strategy for I/R-induced AKI.
Experimental Study on Colpitts Chaotic Oscillator-Based Communication System Application for the Internet of Things
Authors: Cirjulina Darja , Babajans Ruslans , Capligins Filips , Kolosovs Deniss , Litvinenko Anna
Published: January 2024

This manuscript presents an experimental study of Quadrature Chaos Shift Keying (QCSK) as a means to tighten the physical layer security of Internet of Things (IoT) communication. Our study examines the characteristics and operational aspects of chaos oscillators, prioritizing low-power functionality, resilient chaotic oscillations, and resistance to parameter variations and noise. This study emphasizes the key role of chaos oscillators in enhancing IoT security, showcasing their potential to ensure data integrity. The findings elucidate the dynamics and synchronization stability of the selected oscillators, providing insights into their suitability for secure communication systems. This comprehensive analysis contributes to advancing secure communication methodologies for the expanding landscape of wireless sensor networks in the Internet of Things, underscoring the significance of chaos oscillators in ensuring robust and secure data transmission.
FFNN–TabNet: An Enhanced Stellar Age Determination Method Based on TabNet
Authors: Zhang Han , Wu Yadong , Zhang Weihan , Zhang Yuling
Published: January 2024

The precise ascertainment of stellar ages is pivotal for astrophysical research into stellar characteristics and galactic dynamics. To address the prevalent challenges of suboptimal accuracy in stellar age determination and limited proficiency in apprehending nonlinear dynamics, this study introduces an enhanced model for stellar age determination, amalgamating the Feedforward Neural Network (FFNN) with TabNet (termed FFNN–TabNet). The methodology commences with the acquisition of a stellar dataset via meticulous cross-matching. Subsequent advancements encompass refinements to the activation functions within TabNet, coupled with augmentations to the Attentive transformer module by incorporating an FFNN module. These enhancements substantially boost training efficiency and precision in age estimation while amplifying the model’s capability to decode complex nonlinear interactions. Leveraging Bayesian Optimization Algorithm (BOA) for hyperparameter fine-tuning further elevates the model’s efficiency. Comprehensive ablation and comparative analyses validate the model’s superior performance in stellar age determination, demonstrating marked enhancements in accuracy. The experiment also demonstrates an enhanced ability of the model to capture nonlinear relationships between features.
Quasi-Static Test and Lateral Load-Bearing Capacity of a New Grid Pile Foundation for Long-Span Bridges
Authors: Zhu Weiyuan , Cheng Jiaqi , Pang Yutao , An Hongbin , Zou Junpeng , Ren Jie , Zhang Cheng
Published: January 2024

This study proposes a new form of underground diaphragm wall foundation with hexagonal sections, called the grid pile foundation (GPF), which is used for long-span bridges. To investigate the lateral bearing capacity characteristics of the integrated pile foundation, the quasi-static test as well as numerical simulations were conducted. Firstly, the quasi-static test was conducted to obtain the lateral load–displacement curve, the soil pressure distribution, and the deformation and stress distribution of the pile foundation and the surrounding soil. Then, the finite element model of the proposed GPF foundation was built, which was verified and calibrated based on the test data. Finally, the parametric analysis was performed to investigate the effects of soil friction angle, pile foundation Young’s modulus, and pile length on the lateral bearing capacity characteristics of the proposed GPF. It is concluded that the GPF would transition from the stiffness stage to the plastic strain stage under lateral load, and deformation occurred simultaneously. The stress in the soil around the pile foundation is high in the upper portion and low in the lower portion, and the active and passive failure zones of the soil are formed under the action of the GPF. Both experimental and numerical simulations indicate that the GPF has a good lateral load capacity, and the lateral load capacity is most affected by the length of the piles. The GPF is expected to provide a new solution to the construction of large-span bridges with diaphragm wall foundations.
Life Cycle Cost Estimation and Analysis of Transformers Based on Failure Rate
Authors: Zhao Xinyue , Gui Fangxu , Chen Heng , Fan Lanxin , Pan Peiyuan
Published: January 2024

Transformers, as the hub equipment of the power system, are highly valued by engineering and scientific researchers in production practice and scientific research. The goal of transformer research is to ensure the safe operation of transformers while considering their economic benefits, arrange transformer inspections reasonably to reduce inspection costs, and save labor and maintenance costs reasonably. This study first provides a brief analysis of the life cycle cost of transformers. The life cycle of transformers is divided into initial cost, operating cost, maintenance cost, fault cost, and scrap cost. Based on the distribution of transformer failure rate, the corresponding life cycle cost of transformers is calculated. Taking 110 kV transformers as an example, the differences in the impact of key factors on the full life cycle cost are analyzed to achieve high quality, high reliability, economically optimal equipment procurement.
Fault Diagnosis of Vehicle Gearboxes Based on Adaptive Wavelet Threshold and LT-PCA-NGO-SVM
Authors: Zhang Qingyong , Song Changhuan , Yuan Yiqing
Published: January 2024

Vehicle gearboxes are subject to strong noise interference during operation, and the noise in the signal affects the accuracy of fault identification. Signal denoising and fault diagnosis processes are often conducted independently, overlooking their synergistic potential in practical applications. This article proposes a gearbox fault identification method that integrates improved adaptive modified wavelet function noise reduction, logarithmic transformation on principal component analysis (LT-PCA), and support vector machines (SVMs) to mitigate the influence of noise and feature outliers on fault signal recognition. Initially, to address the issue of interfering signals within the original signal, an innovative adaptive wavelet function optimized by the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is employed for noise reduction of the main intrinsic mode function (IMF) components decomposed by Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (CEEMDAN). Subsequently, due to the persistence of high-dimension feature vectors containing numerous outliers that interfere with recognition, the LT-PCA compression and dimensionality reduction method is proposed. Experimental analyses on vehicle gearboxes demonstrate an average fault recognition rate of 96.65% using the newly proposed wavelet noise reduction function and the integrated method. This allows for quick and efficient identification of fault types and provides crucial technical support for related industrial applications.
Interannual Variation in Mainland China’s Atmosphere Clearness Index Associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation
Authors: Song Zongpeng , Wang Bo , Zheng Hui , Wang Shu , Liu Xiaolin , Jin Shuanglong
Published: January 2024

Atmosphere clearness is the single most essential parameter determining surface solar radiation. However, few studies have investigated the interannual variations in China’s atmosphere clearness and the impacts of El Niño–Southern Oscillation on it. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap by calculating the clearness index using the China Meteorological Forcing Dataset version 1.7 and then analyzing the correlations between the interannual anomaly and the Niño-3.4 index. The results show that there is a significantly negative correlation in the southeastern coastal regions, northern Xinjiang, northeastern Xizang, and areas from northern Hebei to middle Inner Mongolia. In these areas, the higher the ENSO index, the lower the clearness index, and, coincidingly, positive precipitation anomalies are reported in previous studies. The impacts of El Niño and La Niña vary with seasons. The ENSO events have generally opposite impacts in the seasons other than summer. El Niño tends to decrease the clearness index, while La Niña tends to decrease the atmosphere clearness in most territories of China. The impacts are different in the places of statistical significance. The negative impacts of El Niño are significant in the southeastern coastal regions of China in winter and in northeast China in autumn. The positive impacts of La Niña are significant in the southwestern and northeastern China in the autumn. In these seasons, ENSO’s impacts scale with the strength of the event. Stronger events amplify the magnitude of the anomalies, while the spatial patterns of the anomalies are kept almost invariant. In summer, ENSO’s impacts exhibit different characteristics than in the other seasons and between the El Niño and La Niña events. For the El Niño events, the impacts are insignificant in most territories of China, even for the strong ones. La Niña has a larger influence on the summertime clearness than El Niña, and the spatial pattern of the La Niña’s impacts varies with the event strength. The anomalies during strong La Niña events have a tripolar pattern with a positive anomaly in south and north China and a negative anomaly in between. The pattern suggests that the relationship between the clearness index and precipitation is different during strong La Niña events. These findings would provide valuable insights into the interannual variations of atmosphere clearness in China and could be clues to further investigation. The revealed impacts of El Niño–Southern Oscillation should be important for developing solar energy.
Improvement of PM2.5 Forecast in China by Ground-Based Multi-Pollutant Emission Source Inversion in 2022
Authors: Zhu Lili , Tang Xiao , Yang Wenyi , Zhao Yao , Kong Lei , Wu Huangjian , Fan Meng , Yu Chao , Chen Liangfu
Published: January 2024

This study employs an ensemble Kalman filter assimilation method to validate and update the pollutant emission inventory to mitigate the impact of uncertainties on the forecasting performance of air quality numerical models. Based on nationwide ground-level pollutant monitoring data in China, the emission inventory for the entire country was inverted hourly in 2022. The emission rates for PM2.5, CO, NOx, SO2, NMVOCs, BC, and OC updated by the inversion were determined to be 6.6, 702.4, 37.2, 13.4, 40.3, 3, and 18.2 ng/s/m2, respectively. When utilizing the inverted inventory instead of the priori inventory, the average accuracy of all cities’ PM2.5 forecasts was improved by 1.5–4.2%, especially for a 7% increase on polluted days. The improvement was particularly remarkable in the periods of January–March and November–December, with notable increases in the forecast accuracy of 12.5%, 12%, and 6.8% for the Northwest, Northeast, and North China regions, respectively. The concentration values and spatial distribution of PM2.5 both became more reasonable after the update. Significant improvements were particularly observed in the Northwest region, where the forecast accuracy for all preceding days was improved by approximately 15%. Additionally, the underestimated concentration of PM2.5 in the priori inventory compared to the observation value was notably alleviated by the application of the inversion.
Assessment of Regional Climate Effects of Urbanization around Subtropical City Wuhan in Summer Using Numerical Modeling
Authors: Liu Siliang
Published: January 2024

China has experienced significant urbanization during the past 40 years, which exerts impacts on regional climates through changing land surface properties. Previous studies mainly focused on the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei areas, while less attention has been paid to central China. In this paper, the regional climate effects of urbanization around the greater Wuhan area were investigated using the WRF model. High resolution, satellite-derived, impervious datasets were used to generate two realistic scenarios representing urban surface states of the years 1986 and 2018. By comparing the simulation results of two sensitivity experiments from 1 July 2015 to 12 July 2015, the spatial and diurnal changes in surface air temperature, surface skin temperature, and surface energy budget were analyzed. Our results reveal that urban expansion leads to 2 m air temperature and surface skin temperature increases by approximate 0.63 °C and 0.83 °C, respectively. Surface sensible heat flux increases, while latent heat flux decreases, with much greater effects in daytime than nighttime. The planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) increases with its maximum value over 100 m, and a 2 m water vapor mixing ratio decreases with a peak value around −2 g/kg. These findings provide knowledge to improve the understanding of land–atmospheric interactions and pave the way to studying urban expansion effects under future climate change scenarios.
The Inheritance of Hearing Loss and Deafness: A Historical Perspective
Authors: Martini Alessandro , Cozza Andrea , Di Pasquale Fiasca Valerio Maria
Published: January 2024

If the term “genetics” is a relatively recent proposition, introduced in 1905 by English biologist William Bateson, who rediscovered and spread in the scientific community Mendel’s principles of inheritance, since the dawn of human civilization the influence of heredity has been recognized, especially in agricultural crops and animal breeding. And, later, in familial dynasties. In this concise review, we outline the evolution of the idea of hereditary hearing loss, up to the current knowledge of molecular genetics and epigenetics.
The Effectiveness of Microcurrent Stimulation Combined with Sound Therapy for Tinnitus Relief: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Lee Donghyeok , Jeong Youngchan , Lee Sumin , Jin Tae-Jun , Jin In-Ki
Published: January 2024

Various stimulation-based rehabilitation approaches have been proposed to alleviate tinnitus. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of a rehabilitation approach that simultaneously provides microcurrent and sound stimulation for tinnitus relief. Twenty-eight participants with chronic sensorineural tinnitus were randomly assigned to one of two groups based on the rehabilitation approaches (sound therapy-only group and combined microcurrent and sound therapy group). Each participant underwent sound therapy or simultaneous stimulation for approximately 2 h daily for 3 months. The effectiveness of the rehabilitation approaches was determined based on changes in the Korean version of the tinnitus primary function questionnaire (K-TPFQ) and visual analog scale for loudness (VAS-L) scores at baseline, 1.5 months, and 3 months. For the K-TPFQ scores, both groups exhibited a large effect of rehabilitation; however, for the VAS-L scores, the simultaneous stimulation group demonstrated a large effect of rehabilitation, whereas the sound therapy group exhibited a small effect. Therefore, a rehabilitation approach that combines sound stimulation with microcurrent stimulation can improve response and perception in tinnitus.
Fundamental Properties of Muckenhoupt and Gehring Weights on Time Scales
Authors: Agarwal Ravi P. , Darwish Mohamed Abdalla , Elshamy Hamdi Ali , Saker Samir H.
Published: January 2024

Some fundamental properties of the Muckenhoupt class Ap of weights and the Gehring class Gq of weights on time scales and some relations between them will be proved in this paper. To prove the main results, we will apply an approach based on proving some properties of integral operators on time scales with powers and certain mathematical relations connecting the norms of Muckenhoupt and Gehring classes. The results as special cases cover the results for functions following David Cruz-Uribe, C. J. Neugebauer, and A. Popoli, and when the time scale equals the positive integers, the results for sequences are essentially new.
Time-Domain Fractional Behaviour Modelling with Rational Non-Singular Kernels
Authors: Sabatier Jocelyn , Farges Christophe
Published: January 2024

This paper proposes a solution to model fractional behaviours with a convolution model involving non-singular kernels and without using fractional calculus. The non-singular kernels considered are rational functions of time. The interest of this class of kernel is demonstrated with a pure power law function that can be approximated in the time domain by a rational function whose pole and zeros are interlaced and linked by geometric laws. The Laplace transform and frequency response of this class of kernel is given and compared with an approximation found in the literature. The comparison reveals less phase oscillation with the solution proposed by the authors. A parameter estimation method is finally proposed to obtain the rational kernel model for general fractional behaviour. An application performed with this estimation method demonstrates the interest in non-singular rational kernels to model fractional behaviours. Another interest is the physical interpretation fractional behaviours that can be implemented with delay distributions.
Struvite-Driven Integration for Enhanced Nutrient Recovery from Chicken Manure Digestate
Authors: Mousavi Seyyed Ebrahim , Goyette Bernard , Zhao Xin , Couture Cassandra , Talbot Guylaine , Rajagopal Rajinikanth
Published: January 2024

This study investigated the synergistic integration of clean technologies, specifically anaerobic digestion (AD) and struvite precipitation, to enhance nutrient recovery from chicken manure (CM). The batch experiments were conducted using (i) anaerobically digested CM digestate, referred to as raw sample (RS), (ii) filtered digestate sample (FS), and (iii) a synthetically prepared control sample (CS). The research findings demonstrated that the initial ammonia concentration variations did not significantly impact the struvite precipitation yield in the RS and FS, showcasing the materials inertness process’s robustness to changing ammonia concentrations. Notably, the study revealed that the highest nitrogen (N) recovery, associated with 86% and 88% ammonia removal in the CS and FS, was achieved at pH 11, underscoring the efficiency of nutrient recovery. The RS achieved the highest nitrogen recovery efficiency at pH 10, at 86.3%. In addition, the research highlighted the positive impact of reducing heavy metal levels (Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cd, Cr and Fe) and improving the composition of the microbial community in the digestate. These findings offer valuable insights into sustainable manure and nutrient management practices, emphasizing the potential benefits for the agricultural sector and the broader circular economy. Future research directions include economic viability assessments, regulatory compliance evaluations, and knowledge dissemination to promote the widespread adoption of these clean technologies on a larger scale. The study marks a significant step toward addressing the environmental concerns associated with poultry farming and underscores the potential of integrating clean technologies for a more sustainable agricultural future.
Current Applications and Challenges of Next-Generation Sequencing in Plasma Circulating Tumour DNA of Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Roque Ricardo , Ribeiro Ilda Patrícia , Figueiredo-Dias Margarida , Gourley Charlie , Carreira Isabel Marques
Published: January 2024

Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) facilitates longitudinal study of the tumour genome, which, unlike tumour tissue biopsies, globally reflects intratumor and intermetastatis heterogeneity. Despite its costs, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionised the study of ctDNA, ensuring a more comprehensive and multimodal approach, increasing data collection, and introducing new variables that can be correlated with clinical outcomes. Current NGS strategies can comprise a tumour-informed set of genes or the entire genome and detect a tumour fraction as low as 10−5. Despite some conflicting studies, there is evidence that ctDNA levels can predict the worse outcomes of ovarian cancer (OC) in both early and advanced disease. Changes in those levels can also be informative regarding treatment efficacy and tumour recurrence, capable of outperforming CA-125, currently the only universally utilised plasma biomarker in high-grade serous OC (HGSOC). Qualitative evaluation of sequencing shows that increasing copy number alterations and gene variants during treatment may correlate with a worse prognosis in HGSOC. However, following tumour clonality and emerging variants during treatment poses a more unique opportunity to define treatment response, select patients based on their emerging resistance mechanisms, like BRCA secondary mutations, and discover potential targetable variants. Sequencing of tumour biopsies and ctDNA is not always concordant, likely as a result of clonal heterogeneity, which is better captured in the plasma samples than it is in a large number of biopsies. These incoherences may reflect tumour clonality and reveal the acquired alterations that cause treatment resistance. Cell-free DNA methylation profiles can be used to distinguish OC from healthy individuals, and NGS methylation panels have been shown to have excellent diagnostic capabilities. Also, methylation signatures showed promise in explaining treatment responses, including BRCA dysfunction. ctDNA is evolving as a promising new biomarker to track tumour evolution and clonality through the treatment of early and advanced ovarian cancer, with potential applicability in prognostic prediction and treatment selection. While its role in HGSOC paves the way to clinical applicability, its potential interest in other histological subtypes of OC remains unknown.
A Challenging Correlation between Tumor Cellularity and Somatic Variant Allele Fraction in Lung and Colorectal Cancers—Specimens of Low Tumor Percentage Should Be Analyzed with Caution
Authors: Zarabi Samaneh K. , Zhai Lidong , Cheng Yu-Wei
Published: January 2024

Background and aims: The percentage of tumor cells (tumor cellularity) in a cancerous tissue has been assumed to correlate with the variant allele fraction (VAF) of an identified pathogenic variant. Many laboratories use the tumor cellularity as part of a quality criteria for specimen processing and clinical reporting. However, a systematic study of such correlation has yet to be shown. We performed a relatively large-scale study to determine whether pathologist-estimated tumor cellularity is correlated with next-generation sequencing (NGS)-derived VAF. Materials and Methods: A total of 1511 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) specimens, including formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and fine needle aspirated (FNA) tissues, were analyzed by cancer hotspot NGS. For a given specimen, pathogenic variants of BRAF, EGFR, KRAS, and NRAS were identified and the determined VAFs were correlated with the corresponding tissue tumor cellularity. Results: The coefficient of determination R-squared (R2) values were calculated for each correlation. All R2 values were lower than 0.25, indicating poor correlations. Pathogenic variants were found, not uncommonly, in tumor specimens that carried 10% or lower tumor cellularity. There were no apparent differences of R2 values between the FFPE and FNA specimens. Conclusion: In both NSCLC and CRC, the lack of linear relationship between tumor cellularity and VAF was found across a wide range of tumor cell percentages. Caution should be used when using tumor cellularity to triage specimens for NGS testing. The tumor cellularity should be considered in relation to the limit of detection of the specific assay for the proper interpretation of a negative test result.
Vitamin D in Health and Disease 2.0
Authors: Murdaca Giuseppe , Gangemi Sebastiano
Published: January 2024

Vitamin D (VD) is a fat-soluble vitamin considered essential for human health, and its levels are associated with the function and composition of the intestinal microbiome [...]
Detection of PTCH1 Copy-Number Variants in Mosaic Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome
Authors: Roemen Guido M. J. M. , Theunissen Tom E. J. , Hoezen Ward W. J. , Steyls Anja R. M. , Paulussen Aimee D. C. , Mosterd Klara , Rahikkala Elisa , zur Hausen Axel , Speel Ernst Jan M. , van Geel Michel
Published: January 2024

Basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS) is an inherited disorder characterized mainly by the development of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) at an early age. BCNS is caused by heterozygous small-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy-number variants (CNVs) in the Patched1 (PTCH1) gene. Genetic diagnosis may be complicated in mosaic BCNS patients, as accurate SNV and CNV analysis requires high-sensitivity methods due to possible low variant allele frequencies. We compared test outcomes for PTCH1 CNV detection using multiplex ligation-probe amplification (MLPA) and digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) with samples from a BCNS patient heterozygous for a PTCH1 CNV duplication and the patient’s father, suspected to have a mosaic form of BCNS. ddPCR detected a significantly increased PTCH1 copy-number ratio in the index patient’s blood, and the father’s blood and tissues, indicating that the father was postzygotic mosaic and the index patient inherited the CNV from him. MLPA only detected the PTCH1 duplication in the index patient’s blood and in hair and saliva from the mosaic father. Our data indicate that ddPCR more accurately detects CNVs, even in low-grade mosaic BCNS patients, which may be missed by MLPA. In general, quantitative ddPCR can be of added value in the genetic diagnosis of mosaic BCNS patients and in estimating the recurrence risk for offspring.
An Approach to Using Electrical Impedance Myography Signal Sensors to Assess Morphofunctional Changes in Tissue during Muscle Contraction
Authors: Kapravchuk Vladislava , Briko Andrey , Kobelev Alexander , Hammoud Ahmad , Shchukin Sergey
Published: January 2024

This present work is aimed at conducting fundamental and exploratory studies of the mechanisms of electrical impedance signal formation. This paper also considers morphofunctional changes in forearm tissues during the performance of basic hand actions. For this purpose, the existing research benches were modernized to conduct experiments of mapping forearm muscle activity by electrode systems on the basis of complexing the electrical impedance signals and electromyography signals and recording electrode systems’ pressing force using force transducers. Studies were carried out with the involvement of healthy volunteers in the implementation of vertical movement of the electrode system and ultrasound transducer when the subject’s upper limb was positioned in the bed of the stand while performing basic hand actions in order to identify the relationship between the morphofunctional activity of the upper limb muscles and the recorded parameters of the electro-impedance myography signal. On the basis of the results of the studies, including complex measurements of neuromuscular activity on healthy volunteers such as the signals of electro-impedance myography and pressing force, analyses of the morphofunctional changes in tissues during action performance on the basis of ultrasound and MRI studies and the factors influencing the recorded signals of electro-impedance myography are described. The results are of fundamental importance and will enable reproducible electro-impedance myography signals, which, in turn, allow improved anthropomorphic control.