bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Machine Learning–Based Approach to Time-series Wave Identification in the Solar Wind
Authors: Fordin Samuel , Shay Michael , Wilson III Lynn B. , Maruca Bennett , Thompson Barbara J.
Published: May 2023

The Wind spacecraft has yielded several decades of high-resolution magnetic field data, a large fraction of which displays small-scale structures. In particular, the solar wind is full of wavelike fluctuations that appear in both the field magnitude and its components. The nature of these fluctuations can be tied to the properties of other structures in the solar wind, such as shocks, that have implications for the time evolution of the solar wind. As such, having a large collection of wave events would facilitate further study of the effects that these fluctuations have on solar wind evolution. Given the large volume of magnetic field data available, machine learning is the most practical approach to classifying the myriad small-scale structures observed. To this end, a subset of Wind data is labeled and used as a training set for a multibranch 1D convolutional neural network aimed at classifying circularly polarized wave modes. Using this algorithm, a preliminary statistical study of 1 yr of data is performed, yielding about 300,000 wave intervals out of about 5,000,000 solar wind intervals. The wave intervals come about more often in the fast solar wind and at higher temperatures, and the number of waves per day is highly periodic. This machine learning–based approach to wave detection has the potential to be a powerful, inexpensive way to catalog waves throughout decades of spacecraft data.
Diversity and distribution of the cladocerans (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) in Thailand
Authors: Choedchim Wijittra , Maiphae Supiyanit
Published: May 2023

An updated checklist of the cladoceran fauna from inland aquatic habitats in Thailand (a high-diversity hotspot in Southeast Asia), based on published cladoceran records found in literature is presented. The checklist updates nomenclature and species distributions, especially habitat preferences. A total of 138 valid recorded species is relatively high. However, the estimators indicate that more species are expected to be found with more research. The north-eastern and southern regions of Thailand are well-studied regions of high species richness with 100 and 96 cladoceran species, respectively, whereas the northern and eastern regions have large research gaps that should be studied further. Moreover, each habitat type seems to have a unique cladoceran community as the similarity values amongst them are mostly low (Sorensen similarity index < 0.50). Therefore, it is suggested that habitats with unique characteristics, such as peat swamps, stream and cave pools, are worthy of further exploration. If the current records of cladoceran diversity in Thailand confirms a high diversity of this animal in the tropical region, then the geographical distribution of each species can be properly explained.
A new species of Anatextrix Kaya, Zamani, Yağmur & Marusik, 2023 (Araneae, Agelenidae, Textricini) from southern Türkiye, with a remarkable morphology of the male palpal femur
Authors: Kaya Rahşen S. , Zamani Alireza , Yağmur Ersen Aydın , Marusik Yuri M.
Published: May 2023

Anatextrix monstrabilissp. nov. (Araneae: Agelenidae) is described and illustrated, based on male and female specimens collected from Adana Province, Türkiye. The new species has an L-shaped male palpal femur bearing multiple apophyses, which is a rare trait in spiders. Anatextrix monstrabilissp. nov. is the second species of the recently described genus Anatextrix Kaya, Zamani, Yağmur & Marusik, 2023, currently known only from southern Türkiye.
Palpebral Fissure Changes in the Contralateral Eye in Duane Retraction Syndrome
Authors: Ismail Mahmoud , Awadein Ahmed
Published: May 2023

Duane retraction syndrome (DRS) is a congenital cranial dysinnervation disorder that is characterized by paradoxical lateral rectus muscle innervation of the affected eye by axons meant to innervate the ipsilateral medial rectus muscle, with resultant varying degrees of co-contraction. It is characterized by severe abduction deficiency, variable limitation of adduction, globe retraction with narrowing of the palpebral fissure, and oblique elevation or depression on adduction. A total of 16 patients with unilateral DRS were identified. The mean age was 13 ± 8 years (range: 6 to 28 years). There were 5 males and 11 females. The cohort included 8 patients with DRS type I, 3 patients with DRS type II, 4 patients with DRS type III, and 1 patient with synergistic divergence (DRS type IV). The mean width of the palpebral fissure in primary gaze was 9.95 ± 0.25 mm, increased in abduction to 11.11 ± 1.16 mm, and changed on adduction to 10.03 ± 1.19 mm. The mean reduction in the size of the palpebral fissure on adduction was 11.7 ± 10.2% (range: 0 to 30%). The difference in the palpebral fissure width between adduction and abduction was statistically significant (
P
= .0018). Of the 16 patients, 8 (50%) showed narrowing of the palpebral fissure of the contralateral eye on adduction compared to abduction of more than 10%. In this case series of unilateral Duane retraction syndrome, there was a common association between widening of the palpebral fissure of the unaffected eye and adduction of the eyes with DRS in DRS types II, III, and IV and DRS type I with upshoot or downshoot.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2023;60(3):e22–e25.]
On the dimensionless model of the transcription bubble dynamics
Authors: Krasnobaeva Larisa A. , Yakushevich Ludmila V.
Published: May 2023

The dynamics of transcription bubbles is modeled using a system of nonlinear differential equations, the one-soliton solutions of which (kinks), are interpreted as a mathematical images of transcription bubbles. These equations contain a lot of DNA dynamic parameters, including the moments of inertia of nitrous bases, distances between base pairs, distances from the centers of mass of bases to sugar-phosphate chains, rigidity of the sugar-phosphate backbone, and interactions between bases within pairs. However, estimates of the parameter values are often difficult, and it is not convenient or simple to operate with such multi-parameter systems. One of the ways to reduce the number of the DNA dynamic parameters is to transform the model equations to a dimensionless form. In this work, we construct a dimensionless DNA model and apply it to study transcription bubbles dynamics. We show that transformation to a dimensionless form really leads to a decrease in the number of the model parameters and really simplifies the analysis of model equations and their solutions.
Performance management algorithm of financial shared service center based on Internet of Things public cloud privacy protection
Authors: Yu Zhen , Lin Sheng-Huang , Cho Chia-Ching , Chen Changping
Published: May 2023

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the use of various communication technologies to achieve the interconnection of everything in cyberspace, and to achieve smart home and intelligent transportation, thus generating unprecedented amounts of data. In the financial sharing center, all businesses can extract effective data from these massive databases for analysis, and use data analysis tools to collect business, financial, human, process, knowledge and social data. At present, various types of IT (Internet Technology) systems have been widely used in financial sharing centers. However, a large number of sensitive data have also been generated. In order to protect these sensitive data, there is a high requirement for the personal information of IT system operation and financial sharing center personnel. In order to protect user data privacy, the optimal and most effective use of IT systems is an important issue that must be considered in privacy management. At present, there are many algorithms to protect data and privacy, but the effect is not ideal. Considering the balance between privacy issues, this paper proposed a K-means clustering algorithm based on IoT public cloud privacy protection technology to analyze the performance management of financial sharing center. The research results showed that before the improvement, the average number of employees who were dissatisfied with the post training ability and information platform construction ability of the financial sharing center was 57.9 and 57.8% respectively, more than half of them. After the improvement of IoT based public cloud privacy protection, the average number of employees dissatisfied with the post training ability and information platform construction ability of the financial sharing center was 5 and 3.9%, far less than the data prior to the improvement. It showed that IoT public cloud privacy protection was conducive to the performance management of the financial sharing center, and the relationship between the two was positive.
Estimation of white matter hyperintensities with synthetic MRI myelin volume fraction in patients with multiple sclerosis and non-multiple-sclerosis white matter hyperintensities: A pilot study among the Indian population
Authors: Nasser Nisha Syed , Sharma Krish , Mehta Parv Mahendra , Mahajan Vidur , Mahajan Harsh , Venugopal Vasantha Kumar
Published: May 2023

AIM

Synthetic MRI (SyMRI) works on the MDME sequence, which acquires the relaxation properties of the brain and helps to measure the accurate tissue properties in 6 minutes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the synthetic MRI (SyMRI)-generated myelin (MyC) to white matter (WM) ratio, the WM fraction (WMF), MyC partial maps performing normative brain volumetry to investigate MyC loss in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with white-matter hyperintensites (WMHs) and non-MS patients with WMHs in a clinical setting.

MATERIALS and METHODS

Synthetic MRI images were acquired from 15 patients with MS, and from 15 non-MS patients on a 3T MRI scanner (Discovery MR750w; GE Healthcare; Milwaukee, USA) using MAGiC, a customized version of SyntheticMR's SyMRI® IMAGE software marketed by GE Healthcare under a license agreement. Fast multi-delay multi-echo acquisition was performed with a 2D axial pulse sequence with different combinations of echo time (TEs) and saturation delay times. The total image acquisition time was 6 minutes. SyMRI image analysis was done using SyMRI software (SyMRI Version: 11.3.6; Synthetic MR, Linköping, Sweden). SyMRI data were used to generate the MyC partial maps and WMFs to quantify the signal intensities of test group and control group, andcontrol group , and their mean values were recorded. All patients also underwent conventional diffusion-weighted imaging, i.e., T1w and T2w imaging.

RESULTS

The results showed that the WMF was significantly lower in the test group than in the control group (38.8% vs 33.2%, p < 0.001). The Mann-Whitney U nonparametric t-test revealed a significant difference in the mean myelin volume between the test group and the control group (158.66 ± 32.31 vs. 138.29 ± 29.28, p = 0.044). Also, there were no significant differences in the gray matter fraction and intracranial volume between the test group and the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed MyC loss in test group using quantitative SyMRI. Thus, myelin loss in MS patients can be quantitatively evaluated using SyMRI.
Factors affecting nutritional quality in terms of the fatty acid composition of Cyprinion macrostomus
Authors: Şen Özdemir N. , Koyun M. , Caf F. , Kırıcı M.
Published: May 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different factors (season, gender, location, total lipid, weight and length) on the fatty acid composition and nutritional quality of Cyprinion macrostomus. The results were evaluated through PERMANOVA, principal coordinates (PCO), and cluster analysis for similarity ranges. An analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) was performed on the distance matrix using multiple permutations within a significant fixed effect (p < 0.05). C18:1ω9, EPA and DHA were the most important fatty acids which had an effect on the nutritional quality in all the factor groups. Total lipid amount, season and length factors were the most influential on the fatty acid compositions of C. macrostomus. Summer and Spring were the best the periods for the good nutritional quality of C. macrostomus in terms of AI (Atherogenicity index), TI (Thrombogenicity index) and h/H (Σhypocholesterolemic/Σhypercholesterolemic fatty acid index). In addition, station, gender and weight had no effect on nutritional quality. The study indicated that C. macrostomus is a potential fish meat for human nutrition with high nutritional value in terms of fatty acid composition.
L’usage des questionnaires médicaux de préembauche au Québec
Authors: Dautel Jean-Paul
Published: May 2023

Au Québec, l’interdiction de toute discrimination fondée sur le handicap, ainsi que l’interdiction de toute atteinte à la vie privée, figurent notamment dans la Charte des droits et libertés de la personne. Appliquées au stade de l’embauche, ces interdictions empêchent un employeur de solliciter des informations sur l’état de santé d’un candidat à un poste. Néanmoins, une exception existe : lorsque les aptitudes ou qualités requises par l’emploi l’exigent. L’usage des questionnaires médicaux de préembauche, par les employeurs publics comme privés, tente de s’insérer dans cette exception et interroge le périmètre de protection offert par les normes juridiques applicables.
Les constats préoccupants de la Défenseure des droits sur la situation des droits de l’enfant en 2022
Authors: Bourdot Marie-Ange , Danesi Emmanuelle , Duclos Elisa
Published: May 2023

Dans trois rapports rendus en 2022 en matière de protection des droits de l’enfant1, la Défenseure des droits souligne le nécessaire équilibre entre libertés de l’enfant et responsabilité de protection. Elle se montre particulièrement préoccupée du sort réservé aux enfants en situation de vulnérabilité. À ce titre, elle insiste sur la prise en charge lacunaire et discriminante des mineurs non accompagnés dont le statut d’enfants à protéger est trop souvent oublié. Elle alerte par ailleurs sur la situation des enfants handicapés dont les besoins éducatifs particuliers sont trop souvent insatisfaits, au mépris du droit à l'éducation pour tous et toutes.
Microbiological properties of soils are sensitive to changes provided by organic cultivation of banana ‘BRS Princesa’ in the semi-arid region
Authors: Cerqueira Luana Silva , Trindade Aldo Vilar , Pinheiro Luciano Ricardo Braga , Sousa Carla da Silva
Published: May 2023

Soil microbiota has a key role in the dynamics of natural and agro-ecosystems and is sensitive to changes in these environments. This study evaluated changes in the microbiological properties of soils under an organic production system of banana ‘BRS Princesa’ (Musa spp.). The experimental design consisted of completely randomized blocks, with four replications. Treatments consisted of 1) soil cover with green manure and agricultural gypsum at a dose of 2,820 kg ha−1, 2) soil cover with green manure without gypsum application, 3) soil cover with weeds and agricultural gypsum at a dose of 2,820 kg ha−1, 4) soil cover with spontaneous plants without gypsum application, and two controls: 5) soil under native Caatinga and 6) soil under regenerating forest (capoeira). The evaluated properties were β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase, acid phosphatase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis activities (FDA), carbon and phosphorus contents in microbial biomass, basal soil respiration, microbial and metabolic quotients, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi spore density. Soil samples were collected from the 0–0.20m depth layer in two seasons. No parameter could distinguish the treatments. Spontaneous plants provided conditions equivalent to those under green manure. Agricultural gypsum application also did not influence the microbial biomass and microbiota activity, in the analyzed soil depth. However, β-glucosidase and arylsulfatase activities, the carbon content in microbial biomass, and metabolic and microbial quotients were sensitive to land-use changes and could distinguish areas under organic cultivation from those under native vegetation. Therefore, these properties can be considered good indicators for monitoring the quality of these soils. Furthermore, microbial communities of soils under organic cultivation responded with arylsulfatase activity corresponding to that found in soils under regenerating forest, which may indicate that organic management tends to provide the microbiota with a condition similar to that found under situations that are little disturbing to edaphic living.
Genome-sequence, annotation and phylogenetic insights of the lactic acid bacterium Limosilactobacillus fermentum strain LAB1 obtained from the dairy beverage borhani
Authors: Hossain Tanim Jabid
Published: May 2023

Limosilactobacillus fermentum is a promising probiotic with several documented health benefits. LAB1 is an antagonistic L. fermentum strain isolated from borhani, a traditional South Asian beverage prepared from dairy and plant ingredients. Here, I present the genome sequence of the L. fermentum LAB1 strain, its annotation, and phylogenetic features. The 2.01 Mb genome with a G+C content of 51.9% was assembled into 221 contigs and predicted to have 1,913 protein-coding genes, 98 pseudo genes, 7 rRNAs, 60 tRNAs, and 1 CRISPR array. As much as 91.1% of the coding sequences could be assigned to known functional genes. Determination of average nucleotide identity (ANI) of the genome sequence revealed 99.37% identity to that of the type strain ATCC 14931. Its 16S rRNA gene sequence extracted from the genome sequence showed close phylogenetic association with several L. fermentum strains. The genome sequence is expected to provide useful insights with regard to the phenotypic, metabolic and beneficial aspects of this lactic acid bacterium.
Mixture models of probability distributions applied to rainfall in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil
Authors: Silva Luciano Pereira da , Santiago Edgo Jackson Pinto , Gomes-Silva Frank , Silva Antonio Samuel Alves da , Menezes Rômulo Simões Cezar
Published: May 2023

The Brazilian semi-arid region is recurrently affected by the scarcity of water that marks the landscape as it prints periods of severe drought. Therefore, rainfall in this region greatly influences plant growth in regional hydrological processes that affect droughts or floods. It is of practical interest to assess how changes in rainfall patterns occur to anticipate hydrological dynamics. However, this is not easy as climate change reshapes global hydrology. Thus, assertive forecasting has become rare and imputed estimates of a reasonable degree of uncertainty. The objective of this work was to verify from the mixture of exponential, gamma, beta, log-normal, Weibull, normal, log-logistic, and exponentiated log-logistic distributions, which best fits the monthly rainfall of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The data used came from 133 monthly rainfall series (1950 to 2012) distributed over the state of Pernambuco. The Maximum Likelihood Method estimated all parameters. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov adherence test was applied at 5% probability to assess the adjustments. The least rejected distributions in the adherence test were Weibull, gamma, and beta; October presented the smallest number of distributions considered adequate to model monthly rainfall. More than 99% of the rain gauge stations had some adequate probabilistic distribution to model monthly rainfall in March. For most months, except for March, the Weibull distribution was the most suitable for modeling the monthly rainfall in the vast majority of rain gauge stations of Pernambuco.
Evaluation of feeding molar rate in mini fixed bed reactor for methanol steam reforming with pre-optimized composition of CuO/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst
Authors: Oliveira Leonardo Silva Prado de , Barreto Rafael Dei Tos , Silva Fernando Alves da , Jorge Luiz Mário de Matos
Published: May 2023

Hydrogen gas is an ideal fuel due to its higher calorific value among fuels and minimal environmental impact on their energy applications. However, the high cost around high reactivity, explosion risks and extremely low energy density, make it unfeasible to be used as fuel in large quantities scale. There are some possibilities to circumvent these limitations, including obtaining and converting energy through fuel cells, which is very promising. Research in this field has been summarized in recent decades, motivated by the environmental problems faced due to the dependence on non-renewable energy matrices. From this, this study aimed to improve the steam methanol reforming using CuO/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst. The catalyst was characterized by atomic absorption spectroscopy, N2 physisorption and XRD. Catalytic tests were carried out in a laboratory scale fixed bed reactor at 300°C, atmospheric pressure and in differential conditions (methanol conversion < 10%); a previous run for catalyst synthesis validation in relation to the results obtained in the literature for the same conditions was evaluated. Subsequently, it was found that the thermal degradation of methanol at 300°C without the presence of the catalyst was negligible, and then operational conditions were established to obtain methanol conversions lower than 10%. Then, the initial deactivation of the catalyst over 31h. Also identifying the stability after 7 h in reaction with average conversion into 9.7% of methanol, showing high stability, in addition to good reproducibility on the part of synthesis in optimal composition. Then, experiments were carried out for the molar ratios 2:1 and 4:1 with methanol conversions of 15.5% and 6.6%, respectively. Note that performing the average of the 4:1 and 2:1 methanol conversion in 14.6% obtained at indicating that the upper boundary molar ratios (4:1) compensates for the conversion reduction in 2:1, achieving a result superior to the reference 3:1.
Normal-tangent-logarithm-(G_1,G_2 ): a class of probabilistic distributions depending on two baselines
Authors: Cordeiro Natália Moraes , Gomes-Silva Frank , Brito Cícero Carlos Ramos de , Jale Jader da Silva , Vasconcelos Josimar Mendes de
Published: May 2023

Based on the normal distribution, a new generator of continuous distributions is presented using the monotonic functions  and , such that  and  are the baselines. A study of identifiability of the proposed class is exhibited as well as the series expansions for its cumulative distribution function and probability density function. Additionally, some mathematical properties of the class are discussed, namely, the raw moments, the central moments, the moment generating function, the characteristic function, the derivatives of the log-likelihood function, and a study of the support.  A numerical analysis comprising a simulation study and an application to real data is presented. Comparisons between the proposed model and other well-known models evince its potentialities and modeling benefits.
Optimization of osmotic pretreatment of tomato slices using response surface methodology and further hot-air drying
Authors: Souza Amanda Umbelina de , Corrêa Jefferson Luiz Gomes , Mello Junior Ronaldo Elias de , Silveira Paula Giarolla , Mendonça Kamilla Soares de , Junqueira João Renato de Jesus
Published: May 2023

Tomato is one of the most cultivated vegetables, playing important role in the human feed. Due to its characteristics and composition, tomatoes present reduced shelf life, and preservative techniques are required. In this study, response surface methodology was used to optimize process conditions during the osmotic dehydration (OD) of tomato slices, through the desirability function. Optimization factors were absolute pressure (21-89 kPa), vacuum application period (7-15 min), and osmotic solution water activity (0.893-0.943), while investigated responses were sodium incorporation (NaI), water loss (WL), solid gain (SG), weight reduction (WR), and osmodehydrated product water activity (ODaw). The optimized conditions were achieved, and a further hot-air drying (HAD) was conducted at different temperatures and air velocities. During the OD, lower absolute pressure, and osmotic solution water activity led to lower NaI and higher WL and WR. Shorter drying time and higher diffusivity were obtained at higher temperature and air velocity, during the HAD. The dried tomato slices with sodium incorporation reduction were evaluated with regard to the final water activity, rehydration and color, in which no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed between the treatments.
ARLE GPS: A computational tool to aid architects in spatial planning of house
Authors: Martins Daniel das Neves , Jungles Antonio Edésio , Oliveira Roberto de
Published: May 2023

The floor plan layout (FPL) is conceptualized as an ill-defined problem, due to the identification and formulation of objectives not being fully clear in the conceptual phase of the design. A solution to this issue is to convert the ill-defined problem into a well-defined problem. That is, to make the problem explicit, already in the initial phase of the design process, so that it readily allows the architects to know the requirements and constraints, to formulate the goals, and to apply solution strategies they can manage while solving the problem. This conversion makes it possible to solve the problem by a scientific method, through mathematical modeling of the decision-making problem, rather than by a drawn method, via sketches. It allows the architect to establish a relationship between design variables and house performance attributes, and to know the limits within which the solution, or solutions, can be found, aiding him in generating optimized solutions. In order to contribute to the solution of this issue, we present the computational tool ARLE GPS (geometric planning solver). The tool acts as a physical-biological model of the FPL of house. The physical model is structured by a sophisticated mathematical model, which provides a set of metrics for objective (mathematical) analysis and evaluation, simulation, optimization, rating, and solution selection. The biological model collects, stores, transcribes, and retrieves genetic information from the FPL. The functionality of the physical-biological model allows to construct and explore physical-biological design spaces of FPL, and to establish their value spaces. Its operationalization occurred as an innovative acting tool in the housing architecture design education system.
Validation of mathematical models as a tool for prediction of α-amylase production by Coprinus comatus in a low-cost culture medium
Authors: Paludo Luana Cristina , Biz Ana Paula , Gonçalves Kamilla Marques , Strobel Christian Scapulatempo , Vaz Michelle Rossana Ferreira , Spier Michele Rigon
Published: May 2023

Studying new microbial sources and evaluating the growth kinetics behavior to predict large-scale production become essential. Besides, research with low-cost culture media has gained interest due to the need to decrease enzyme production costs. The literature concerning the use of macromycetes as a source of amylases, and applying mathematical models to predict their behavior is scarce. In this study, four growth kinetics in different compositions of culture media were carried out: two of them using different concentrations of Low-Grade Flour (LGF), one wheat mill by-product and two synthetic ones. In the kinetics mathematical models were used to evaluate the bioprocesses and their scaling feasibility. Mathematical models, such as modified Logistic, modified Gompertz, Baranyi, and Roberts, and modified Luedeking-Piret, were applied to predict mycelial growth, enzyme production, and substrate consumption. The results showed the model’s capability to predict mycelial growth (biomass) and substrate consumption (starch concentration). On the other hand, the mathematical models efficiently describe only the maximum enzymatic activity (α-amylase), not the process's other parameters, because of the complexity and diversity of biomolecules synthesized by Coprinus comatus.  The wheat mill by-product was efficient as an ingredient in the culture media composition. Furthermore, it was concluded that B2 formulation (culture medium with 48.5 g/L of LGF) is the batch with the highest potential for the α-amylase production from C. comatus and the expansion of this process on an industrial scale. This study is important and valid for the scientific community since modeling studies for macromycetes are scarce in the literature.
Highly Efficient Floating Field Rings for SiC Power Electronic Devices - A Systematic Experimental Study
Authors: Broderick Lirong Z. , Moult Jonathan , Rusch Oleg , Tong Tong , Erlbacher Tobias , Corcoran Yunji L.
Published: May 2023

A systematic experimental study is conducted on floating field rings (FFR) incorporated into 4H-SiC junction barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes across four voltage ratings 650, 1200, 1700 and 3300V, in pursuit of highly efficient FFR designs. 30 designs of FFR in 3 categories are studied for each voltage rating, and the measured breakdown voltage (Vbr) of JBS divided by ring system width (W) is taken as the figure of merit (FOM) of each design. The influence of ring spacing, ring width and number of rings on Vbr is studied in detail. It is found that the initial ring spacing (S1) is critical in determining the highest Vbr achievable by a certain design, and its optimum value increases as voltage rating increases. TCAD simulation verifies the importance of S1. For designs with a small ring system width, subsequent ring spacing can also become important. Ring width does not have a definitive effect, and Vbr saturates beyond a certain ring number. The design with the highest Vbr may not render the highest FOM. Even style designs with appropriate ring spacings can be advantageous likely due to less susceptibility to variation of field oxide charge, and more tolerance to fabrication error, as well as ease of design.
Preparation, Characterization and Tribological Performance of Polyurethane (PU) Coatings Filled with Graphene Oxide (GO)
Authors: Kong Ling Hui , Zhang Lei , Li Gui Xun , Liu Dong , Niu Jin Liang
Published: May 2023

The polyurethane coatings containing different concentration of graphene oxide were prepared. Their physicochemical properties were characterized by XRD and SEM. The tribological behaviors were also investigated by ring-on-block tests. Results revealed that the TDI adsorb on the surface of GO through reaction with O-H. The COF were extremely sensitive to the GO concentration of PU coatings filled. The COF of pure PU coating was 0.185, whereas it is sharply decreased when 1.0 wt% GO was added. Smaller COF was obtained as the GO concentration increase and to minimize when GO concentration is 2.0 wt%. Friction reduced mechanism of GO was further investigated. Two reasons were responsible for this phenomenon. The one was that the GO itself possessed the capacity of anti-wear and friction reduction. Another one was the GO dispersed in the PU coatings could increase the strength of the coatings by the mean, which was similar to dispersion strengthening.
Effect of Alternate Cycle Temperature on the Tribological Performance of Polyimide Composites
Authors: Wang Yao , Gao Xiao Hong , Wu Zhi Cheng , Zhang Xiao Liang , Li Fei Bo , Wang Guang Shuo , Li Zong Qi , Yue Yi Zhi , Li Ping , Wang Yan Ming , Hou Jun Xian
Published: May 2023

Due to the huge impact of temperature on mechanical and tribological properties of polymer composites, polyimide composites reinforced with glass fiber and aramid fiber were fabricated. The composites were treated by the alternate temperature from-50 °C to 150 °C with 200 cycles. The comparation of the test results were analyzed and discussed before and after alternate temperature treatment.
Tailoring the Charge Carrier Lifetime Distribution of 10 kV SiC PiN Diodes by Physical Simulations
Authors: Yuan Zimo , Schöner Adolf , Reshanov Sergey , Kaplan Wlodek , Bakowski Mietek , Hallén Anders
Published: May 2023

In this paper, Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) lifetime depth profiles in the drift layer of 10 kV SiC PiN diodes are calculated after MeV proton implantation. It is assumed that the carbon vacancy will be the domination trap for charge carrier recombination and the SRH lifetime is calculated with defect parameters from the literature and proton-induced defect distributions deduced from SRIM calculations. The lifetime profiles are imported to Sentaurus TCAD and static and dynamic simulations using tailored lifetime profiles are carried out to study the electrical effect of proton implantation parameters. The results are compared to measurements, specializing on optimization of the trade off between on-state and turn-off losses, represented by the forward voltage drop, VT, and reverse recovery charge, Qrr, respectively. Both the simulated and measured IV characteristics show that increasing proton dose, or energy, has the effect on increasing forward voltage drop and on-state losses, while simultaneously, the localized SRH lifetime drop decreases the plasma level, increases the speed of recombination and decreases reverse recovery charge. Finally, TCAD simulations with different combinations of proton energies and fluences are used to optimize the trade-off between static and dynamic performances. Reverse recovery charge and forward voltage drops of these groups of diodes are plotted together, showing that a medium energy which induces the most defects in the depletion region relatively close to the anode gives the best dynamic performances, with a minimum cost of static performance.
Spatial clustering of colorectal cancer in Malaysia
Authors: Syed Soffian Sharifah Saffinas , Mohammed Nawi Azmawati , Hod Rozita , Abdul Maulud Khairul Nizam , Mohd Azmi Ahmad Tarmizi , Hasim Hashim Mohd Hazrin , Chan Huan-Keat , Abu Hassan Muhammad Radzi
Published: May 2023

Introduction: The rise in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence becomes a global concern. As geographical variations in the CRC incidence suggests the role of area-level determinants, the current study was designed to identify the spatial distribution pattern of CRC at the neighbourhood level in Malaysia.

Method: Newly diagnosed CRC cases between 2010 and 2016 in Malaysia were identified from the National Cancer Registry. Residential addresses were geocoded. Clustering analysis was subsequently performed to examine the spatial dependence between CRC cases. Differences in socio-demographic characteristics of individuals between the clusters were also compared. Identified clusters were categorized into urban and semi-rural areas based on the population background.

Result: Most of the 18 405 individuals included in the study were male (56%), aged between 60 and 69 years (30.3%) and only presented for care at stages 3 or 4 of the disease (71.3%). The states shown to have CRC clusters were Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Johor, Kelantan, and Sarawak. The spatial autocorrelation detected a significant clustering pattern (Moran’s Index 0.244, p< 0.01, Z score >2.58). CRC clusters in Penang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Johor, and Sarawak were in urbanized areas, while those in Kedah, Perak and Kelantan were in semi-rural areas.

Conclusion: The presence of several clusters in urbanized and semi-rural areas implied the role of ecological determinants at the neighbourhood level in Malaysia.  Such findings could be used to guide the policymakers in resource allocation and cancer control.
A geospatial study of the coverage of catheterization laboratory facilities (cath labs) and the travel time required to reach them in East Java, Indonesia
Authors: Andrianto Andrianto , Muharram Farizal Rizky , Multazam Chaq El Chaq Zamzam , Socha Wigaviola , Firman Doni , Romdhoni Ahmad Chusnu , Salsabilla Senitza Anisa
Published: May 2023

Coronary heart disease is a non-communicable disease whose treatment is closely related to infrastructure, such as diagnostic imaging equipment visualizing arteries and chambers of the heart (cath lab) and infrastructure that supports access to healthcare. This research is intended as a preliminary geospatial study to carry out initial measurements of health facility coverage at the regional level, survey available supporting data and provide input on problems in future research. Data on cath lab presence was gathered through direct survey, while population data was taken from an open-source geospatial system. The cath lab service coverage was obtained by analysis based on a Geographical Information System (GIS) specific tool to evaluate travel time from the sub-district centre to the nearest cath lab facility. The number of cath labs in East Java has increased from 16 to 33 in the last six years and the 1-hour access time increased from 24.2% to 53.8%. However, accessibility remains a problem as16.5% of the total population of East Java cannot access a cath lab even within 2 hours. Thus, additional cath lab facilities are required to provide ideal healthcare coverage. Geospatial analysis is the tool to determine the optimal cath lab distribution.
Spatial and temporal clustering analysis of pulmonary tuberculosis and its associated risk factors in southwest China
Authors: Wang Jianjiao , Liu Xiaoning , Jing Zhengchao , Yang Jiawai
Published: May 2023

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains a serious public health problem, especially in areas of developing countries. This study aimed to explore the spatial-temporal clusters and associated risk factors of PTB in south-western China. Space-time scan statistics were used to explore the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of PTB. We collected data on PTB, population, geographic information and possible influencing factors (average temperature, average rainfall, average altitude, planting area of crops and population density) from 11 towns in Mengzi, a prefecture-level city in China, between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2019. A total of 901 reported PTB cases were collected in the study area and a spatial lag model was conducted to analyse the association between these variables and the PTB incidence. Kulldorff’s scan results identified two significant space-time clusters, with the most likely cluster (RR = 2.24, p < 0.001) mainly located in northeastern Mengzi involving five towns in the time frame June 2017 - November 2019. A secondary cluster (RR = 2.09, p < 0.05) was located in southern Mengzi, covering two towns and persisting from July 2017 to December 2019. The results of the spatial lag model showed that average rainfall was associated with PTB incidence. Precautions and protective measures should be strengthened in high-risk areas to avoid spread of the disease.
Understanding COVID-19: comparison of spatio-temporal analysis methods used to study epidemic spread patterns in the United States
Authors: Liu Chunhui , Su Xiaodi , Dong Zhaoxuan , Liu Xingyu , Qiu Chunxia
Published: May 2023

This article examines three spatiotemporal methods used for analyzing of infectious diseases, with a focus on COVID-19 in the United States. The methods considered include inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation, retrospective spatiotemporal scan statistics and Bayesian spatiotemporal models. The study covers a 12-month period from May 2020 to April 2021, including monthly data from 49 states or regions in the United States. The results show that the spread of COVID-19 pandemic increased rapidly to a high value in winter of 2020, followed by a brief decline that later reverted into another increase. Spatially, the COVID-19 epidemic in the United States exhibited a multi-centre, rapid spread character, with clustering areas represented by states such as New York, North Dakota, Texas and California. By demonstrating the applicability and limitations of different analytical tools in investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of disease outbreaks, this study contributes to the broader field of epidemiology and helps improve strategies for responding to future major public health events.
Biogeographic analysis of the composition of the mammalian fauna of Togo (West Africa)
Authors: Amori Giovanni , Segniagbeto Gabriel H. , Luiselli Luca
Published: May 2023

The Dahomey Gap in West Africa is a human-derived savannah-like vegetation zone interspersed by patches of moist forest, with large rainforest blocks at both West (Upper Guinean Forest) and East (Lower Guinean Forest) of its limits. Togo is a tiny country situated in the middle of the Dahomey Gap. In this paper, a biogeographic analysis of the composition of the mammalian fauna of Togo is presented, by classifying each species on the basis of five distinct ecological distribution patterns. The greatest proportion of species were Pan-African (88.0%). Excluding the Pan-African species from the analysis, the mammalian fauna appeared to be affiliated similarly to both Upper Guinean and Lower Guinean Forest blocks. Only three endemic species were observed, all of them being rodents: Cryptomys zechi (Batyergidae), Funisciurus substriatus (Sciuridae), and Leimacomys buettneri (Muridae). Considering only the multispecies genera, the great majority did not show any barrier effect by the Dahomey Gap on their own species, as all of them did occur on both sides of Togo. A barrier effect by the Dahomey Gap was uncovered in 8 genera; overall, the Dahomey Gap apparently showed a barrier effect on 28.6% of the multispecies genera. It is emphasized that the full understanding of the role of the Dahomey Gap as a biogeographic barrier and of its island forests as centers of endemism is impeded by the lack of biogeographic reviews and meta-analyses on the composition of faunal and floral groups of the entire region.
nueva educación universitaria en línea: de lo emocional a la espectacularización
Authors: Musicco Nombela Daniela , Dominici Piero , Sarasqueta Gonzalo , Gato Mª José , Silveira Mª Joao , Díaz Cuesta José
Published: May 2023

Introducción: La educomunicación aumenta su presencia en la etapa universitaria, pero los riesgos de las brechas digitales y el fracaso son significativos. A través de este estudio se plantea si es viable la educación virtual, a través de pantallas y herramientas tecnológicas. El libre acceso al conocimiento es gratuito, pero se advierten peligros ligados a lo emocional, la falta de formación presencial y la espectacularización. Metodología: Se trata de una investigación exploratoria y descriptiva. Se hace una revisión bibliográfica y se estudia el desarrollo de la educomunicación, se analizan aspectos emocionales y se genera un cuestionario de validación de la enseñanza virtual. Resultados: parten de las encuestas elaboradas en los cuestionarios sobre habilidades emocionales al profesorado y estudiantes que se han perdido y que deberían desarrollarse, satisfacción, evaluación de la educación en pantallas, incidencia de la espectacularización.Discusión: Se ha comprobado que docentes y alumnos, tras la evolución del uso masivo de pantallas y nuevas herramientas, valoran ventajas a corto plazo de las TIC, como el desarrollo de nuevas metodologías, pero la pérdida de emociones, como la empatía, y la relación e intercambio con los otros y que se abre el riesgo de espectacularización y del edutainment sobre el uso y abuso de TIC. Conclusiones: Para que la educación no siga las sendas equivocadas de la espectacularización de la comunicación, debemos fomentar una investigación interdisciplinar en educación y comunicación para dar origen a un debate profundo y crítico con respecto a las nuevas herramientas, tecnologías y metodologías en el ámbito educativo.
Diagnostic de l’élevage urbain des ovins au niveau du bassin arachidier: cas la commune de Bambey au Sénégal
Authors: Fall Abdou Khadre , Diop Pape Sher , Soumare Rougui
Published: May 2023

L’élevage au Sénégal est une activité qui se mène tant en milieu rural qu’urbain. L’étude réalisée sous forme d’enquêtes auprès de 120 éleveurs de mouton dans la commune de Bambey, a eu pour but d’améliorer sensiblement les connaissances sur l’élevage en milieu urbain sénégalais. Ainsi, l’élevage occupe plus d’hommes (80%) que de femmes (20%). Les éleveurs sont plus de l’ethnie sérère (48%) et wolof (46%) et sont majoritairement instruits (90,83%). La quasi-totalité des éleveurs (88,33%) n’ont jamais reçu de formation en élevage. Ils ont entre 3 à 62 ans d’expérience dans l’activité d’élevage. Les élevages sont plus de type naisseur-engraisseur (49%) qui utilisent plus des ovins de race peul-peul (34%). La taille moyenne des troupeaux est de 7,25 ovins. Les troupeaux sont dominés par les brebis (72,41%). La stabulation permanente est le mode de conduite dominante (80,99%). L’âge moyen de la mise en reproduction des brebis est de 9,19 ±3,11 mois et 12,35 ±3,10 mois chez les mâles. Les saillies sont libres dans 89% des élevages avec une (46%) ou deux mises bas (54%) par an. Les pathologies digestives (76,5% des élevages) et respiratoires (70,5% des élevages) sont les plus rencontrées. L’élevage peut être une source de diversification des revenus.

Englsih title: Diagnosis of urban sheep breeding in the groundnut basin: the case of the commune of Bambey in Senegal

Livestock farming in Senegal is an activity that takes place in both rural and urban areas. The study, which took the form of a survey of 120 sheep breeders in the commune of Bambey, aimed at significantly improving knowledge of livestock breeding in urban Senegal. Thus, more men (80%) than women (20%) are involved in animal husbandry. The breeders are more Serer (48%) and Wolof (46%) ethnic groups and are mostly educated (90.83%). Almost all of the herders (88.33%) have never received any training in animal husbandry. They have between 3 and 62 years of experience in breeding. The farms are more of the breeder-fattener type (49%) and use more Fulani sheep (34%). The average flock size is 7.25 sheep. The flocks are dominated by ewes (72.41%). Permanent housing is the dominant type of management (80.99%). The average age at which the ewes are bred is 9.19 ± 3.11 months and 12.35 ± 3.10 months for the males. Mating was free in 89% of farms with one (46%) or two (54%) births per year. Digestive (76.5% of farms) and respiratory (70.5% of farms) diseases are the most common. Breeding can be a source of income diversification.
Physicochemical and phytochemical study Ofmarrubium vulgarel. (Lamiaceae family)
Authors: Moulay M. , Labdelli F. , Bousmaha F. , Adamou Djerbaoui M. , Bouteldja R. , Doucene R.
Published: May 2023

Marrubium vulgare L. is a spont aneous plant of great medicinal value due to the presence of secondary metabolites. Our work aims to study the physicochemical and phytochemical profile of this species. The results of the physicochemical analyzes showed that Marrubium vulgare L. has a sug ar content of 5.91%, a lipid content of 4.12%, a total fiber content o f 6.42%, a water content of 42. 42%, an ash content of 17.76%, a solids content of 2.5 degrees of Brix, an electrical conductivity of 4.06 mS/cm 2 and a pH of 4.8. Regarding the results of the various phytochemical tests, the latter revealed the presence of catholic tannins, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids and mucilage in the horehound. However, the absence of anthocyanins, glycosides, quinones, anthraquinones and irroids has been noted.
Genetic determination of the main components of the mean interannual flow wadis in the semi-arid climate of the Maghreb
Authors: Ladjel M.
Published: May 2023

North of the Maghreb, the flow of the wadis is generated by the rains. The hydro-climatic network is not dense enough to reasonably estimate the flow in any watershed where the wadis are not gauged. There is a need to develop methods for the acceptable estimation of river flow. The average flow of wadis is conditioned by a combination of climatic factors and local physicogeographic and hydrogeological factors. The influence of these local factors is dominant on the small and medium watersheds through the subterranean supply, where the climatic factors determine the superficial flow. The mean interannual flow (MIF) is composed of a regional climatic flow and a potential local flow. Regional climate flow differs from the actual climate flow in a watershed. The objective of this research is the genetic determination of the main components of the average interannual flow of wadis in the semi-arid climate of the Maghreb.