bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Classifying Musical Medium of Performance: Object or Property?
Authors: Griscom Richard , Henry Joshua , Lee Deborah , Smiraglia Richard P. , Szostak Rick , Young J. Bradford
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT: How best to classify musical medium of performance? We welcome the advice and expertise of the community of Notes readers to inform our deliberations. Specifically, when referring to the sources of musical sound, should we be describing the objects (e.g., aerophone), the properties (e.g., piccolo), or some combination of the two? The Institute for Knowledge Organization and Structure convened a research group to discuss “the phenomena of music for classification.” What does it mean to classify the phenomena of music rather than musical documents or documents containing texts about music? How might we represent music apart from its documentary representations (scores, recordings, etc.)? We considered the Library of Congress Medium of Performance Thesaurus (LCMPT) and Hornbostel-Sachs (H-S) classification. The universal Basic Concepts Classification (BCC) is interdisciplinary and is organized around phenomena (things), relators (the relationships that exist among phenomena), and the properties that phenomena and relators may possess. We sought a comprehensive classification of medium of performance for the BCC. H-S focuses on the physical nature of instruments and how they make sound, the LCMPT effectively identifies specific instruments by name. H-S does not provide the level of granularity that we need but LCMPT’s larger set of terms are organized with only a few layers of hierarchy. H-S avoids local nomenclature, LCMPT embraces it. The two are attractive because they provide well-developed vocabulary and because their differences manifest as different strengths for a Semantic Web application. Ultimately our analysis reaches no specific conclusion. Instead, we have reflected thoroughly on the panoply of phenomena associated with the representation of medium of performance as phenomena of music in nondocumentary contexts.
Aberration pre-correction for a simple optical system of HMDs
Authors: Zhu Jie , Jeong Moonsoo , Lee Sungkil
Published: February 2024

Head-mounted displays (HMDs) are becoming increasingly popular as a crucial component of virtual reality (VR). However, contemporary HMDs enforce a simple optical structure due to their constrained form factor, which impedes the use of multiple lens elements that can reduce aberrations in general. As a result, they introduce severe aberrations and imperfections in optical imagery, causing visual fatigue and degrading the immersive experience of being present in VR. To address this issue without modifying the hardware system, we present a novel, to the best of our knowledge, software-driven approach that compensates for the aberrations in HMDs in real time. Our approach involves pre-correction that deconvolves an input image to minimize the difference between its after-lens image and the ideal image. We characterize the specific wavefront aberration and point spread function (PSF) of the optical system using Zernike polynomials. To achieve higher computational efficiency, we improve the conventional deconvolution based on hyper-Laplacian prior by adopting a regularization constraint term based on L2 optimization and the input-image gradient. Furthermore, we implement our solution entirely on a graphics processing unit (GPU) to ensure constant and scalable real-time performance for interactive VR. Our experiments evaluating our algorithm demonstrate that our solution can reliably reduce the aberration of the after-lens images in real time.
Towards a mini-endoscope design with spatially selective excitation and imaging
Authors: Tabourin Loïc , Bretzner Frédéric , Galstian Tigran
Published: February 2024

We describe a mini-endoscope design that uses a new type of
electrically tunable liquid crystal lens array enabling the dynamic
increase of spatial resolution by adjusting the working distance in
various zones of interest over a relatively large field of view (FoV)
without mechanical movement. The characterization of the system is
performed by using uniform fluorescent films, fluorescent micro
spheres and a tissue sample expressing the fluorescent calcium
indicator GCaMP6s. Lateral resolution of up to 2 µm over the
FoV between 300 µm - 400 µm is experimentally
demonstrated.
Plug-and-play DPC-based quantitative phase microscope
Authors: Peng Tao , Ke Zeyu , Wu Hao , He Jun , Sun Yue , Zhang Shuhe , Gao Qian , Shao Meng , Zhang Shengzhao , Zhong Zhensheng , Lu FengYa , Zhou Jinhua
Published: February 2024

Point-of-care testing (POCT) plays an increasingly important role in biomedical research and health care. Quantitative phase microscopes (QPMs) with good contrast, no invasion, no labeling, high speed and automation could be effectively applied for POCT. However, most QPMs are fixed on the optical platform with bulky size, lack of timeliness, which remained challenging in POCT solutions. In this paper, we proposed a plug-and-play QPM with multimode imaging based on the quantitative differential phase contrast (qDPC) method. The system employs a programmable LED array as the light source and uses the GPU to accelerate the calculation, which can realize multi-contrast imaging with six modes. Accurate phase measurement and real-time phase imaging are implemented by the proposed qDPC algorithms for quantitative phase targets and biomedical samples. A 3D electric control platform is designed for mechanical control of field of view and focusing without manual operations. The experimental results verify the robustness and high performance of the setup. Even a rookie could finish the POCT scheme for biomedical applications at the scene using the QPM with a compact size of 140 × 165 × 250 mm3.
Extended just-noticeable difference for ultralow-luminance displays used in diagnostic imaging
Authors: Kawamorita Takushi , Yasuda Tetsuya , Ota Takashi , Iizuka Tatsuya , Miyasaka Makiko , Mamorita Noritaka , Handa Tomoya
Published: February 2024

This study investigates the just-noticeable difference (JND) in luminance below the 0.050cd/m2 threshold not covered by the DICOM standard in medical imaging displays. A total of 21 healthy young adults were tested using an ultralow-luminance liquid crystal display at a viewing distance of 46 cm. The optotype featured a 4 cycle/deg rectangular wave-like stripe. The average percentage of correct responses for JND indices between −18 and 0 was 70.8%. Using the extended JND based on the Barten model that matches the current JND definition, we confirmed the JND at a very low luminance of 0.0500cd/m2 or less. These findings suggest the feasibility of further refining the gradation differences in medical imaging displays.
Atom-based optical polarization modulator
Authors: Wang Ruiqi , Yang Peiyu , Huang Ding , Bao Guzhi , Zhang Weiping
Published: February 2024

In this work, we employ 87Rb atoms as rotation media to manipulate the polarization of optical fields in both magnetic and magnetic-free environments. Employing the nonlinear magneto-optical rotation mechanism, we achieve a state-of-the-art magneto-optical rotation coefficient of 1.74×108 rad⋅T−1⋅m−1 which is four orders of magnitude higher than commonly employed materials. Additionally, in a magnetic-free environment, we achieve all-optical cross-polarization modulation between the pump and probe light via Rb atoms. The nonlinear magneto-optical rotation configuration introduces inventive techniques for a new type of magneto-optical modulator while the all-optical configuration paves the way for exploring photonic integrated circuit (PIC) devices free from disruptions caused by electrical or magnetic crosstalk.
Anomalous far-field polarization around bound states in the continuum in non-Bravais lattices
Authors: Wang Mengyao , Ji Chang-Yin , Li Liangsheng , Zheng Ning
Published: February 2024

It is generally believed that at-Γ bound states in the continuum (BICs) are enclosed by a linearly polarized vortex in momentum space when the structures have mirror (σ
z
) symmetry, in-plane inversion (I) symmetry, and time reversal symmetry (T). Here, we reveal an anomalous situation in which at-Γ BICs can be enclosed by linearly and elliptically polarized far-field even when the σ
z
, I, and T symmetries are all maintained in non-Bravais lattices, which is radically different from previous cognition. Asymmetric, diatomic structures are designed to elaborate this intriguing phenomenon. By controlling the geometric parameters or refractive indexes of the two meta-atoms, the far-field polarization around the at-Γ BICs gradually deviates from linear polarization and approaches circular polarization. Our findings reveal that non-Bravais lattices can provide a novel platform to manipulate the far-field polarization, showing important applications in quantum entanglement, structured light, and radiation modulation.
Multistability, relaxation oscillations, and chaos in time-delayed optoelectronic oscillators with direct laser modulation
Authors: Talla Mbé Jimmi Hervé , Chiajeu Njidjou Michael , Talla Alain Francis , Woafo Paul , Chembo Yanne K.
Published: February 2024

We investigate the nonlinear dynamics of an optoelectronic oscillator that is implemented with a laser diode (LD) with time-delayed feedback. In this system, electrical-to-optical conversion is directly implemented using the direct modulation of the laser diode itself, instead of an electrooptical modulator as in conventional architectures. Moreover, we consider the cubic nonlinear saturation of the characteristic laser power-intensity (P-I) transfer function far above threshold, instead of its simplified piecewise linear counterpart. We perform the stability analysis of the oscillator, and we show that it displays a rich dynamics that includes quasi-harmonic, relaxation oscillations, and chaos. We also show that the oscillator is strongly hysteretic and displays a wide variety of multistable behaviors, including the rare case of bistability between chaotic attractors. Our analytical and numerical results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental measurements.
Qudit-based high-dimensional controlled-not gate
Authors: Du Fang-Fang , Ren Xue-Mei , Ma Ming , Fan Gang
Published: February 2024

High-dimensional quantum systems expand quantum channel capacity and information storage space. By implementing high-dimensional quantum logic gates, the speed of quantum computing can be practically enhanced. We propose a deterministic 4 × 4-dimensional controlled-not (CNOT) gate for a hybrid system without ancillary qudits required, where the spatial and polarization states of a single photon serve as a control qudit of four dimensions, whereas two electron-spin states in nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers act as a four-dimensional target qudit. As the control qudits are easily operated employing simple optical elements and the target qudits are available for storage, the CNOT gate works in a deterministic way, and it can be flexibly extended to n × n-dimensional (n > 4) quantum gates for other hybrid systems or different photonic degrees of freedoms. The efficiency and fidelity of the CNOT gate are analyzed aligning with current technological capabilities, finding that they have satisfactory performances.
CyVerse: Cyberinfrastructure for open science
Authors: Swetnam Tyson L. , Antin Parker B. , Bartelme Ryan , Bucksch Alexander , Camhy David , Chism Greg , Choi Illyoung , Cooksey Amanda M. , Cosi Michele , Cowen Cindy , Culshaw-Maurer Michael , Davey Robert , Davey Sean , Devisetty Upendra , Edgin Tony , Edmonds Andy , Fedorov Dmitry , Frady Jeremy , Fonner John , Gillan Jeffrey K. , Hossain Iqbal , Joyce Blake , Lang Konrad , Lee Tina , Littin Shelley , McEwen Ian , Merchant Nirav , Micklos David , Nelson Andrew , Ramsey Ashley , Roberts Sarah , Sarando Paul , Skidmore Edwin , Song Jawon , Sprinkle Mary Margaret , Srinivasan Sriram , Stanzione Dan , Strootman Jonathan D. , Stryeck Sarah , Tuteja Reetu , Vaughn Matthew , Wali Mojib , Wall Mariah , Walls Ramona , Wang Liya , Wickizer Todd , Williams Jason , Wregglesworth John , Lyons Eric
Published: February 2024

CyVerse, the largest publicly-funded open-source research cyberinfrastructure for life sciences, has played a crucial role in advancing data-driven research since the 2010s. As the technology landscape evolved with the emergence of cloud computing platforms, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) applications, CyVerse has enabled access by providing interfaces, Software as a Service (SaaS), and cloud-native Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to leverage new technologies. CyVerse services enable researchers to integrate institutional and private computational resources, custom software, perform analyses, and publish data in accordance with open science principles. Over the past 13 years, CyVerse has registered more than 124,000 verified accounts from 160 countries and was used for over 1,600 peer-reviewed publications. Since 2011, 45,000 students and researchers have been trained to use CyVerse. The platform has been replicated and deployed in three countries outside the US, with additional private deployments on commercial clouds for US government agencies and multinational corporations. In this manuscript, we present a strategic blueprint for creating and managing SaaS cyberinfrastructure and IaC as free and open-source software.
Stochastic model of vesicular stomatitis virus replication reveals mutational effects on virion production
Authors: King Connor R. , Berezin Casey-Tyler , Peccoud Jean
Published: February 2024

We present the first complete stochastic model of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) intracellular replication. Previous models developed to capture VSV’s intracellular replication have either been ODE-based or have not represented the complete replicative cycle, limiting our ability to understand the impact of the stochastic nature of early cellular infections on virion production between cells and how these dynamics change in response to mutations. Our model accurately predicts changes in mean virion production in gene-shuffled VSV variants and can capture the distribution of the number of viruses produced. This model has allowed us to enhance our understanding of intercellular variability in virion production, which appears to be influenced by the duration of the early phase of infection, and variation between variants, arising from balancing the time the genome spends in the active state, the speed of incorporating new genomes into virions, and the production of viral components. Being a stochastic model, we can also assess other effects of mutations beyond just the mean number of virions produced, including the probability of aborted infections and the standard deviation of the number of virions produced. Our model provides a biologically interpretable framework for studying the stochastic nature of VSV replication, shedding light on the mechanisms underlying variation in virion production. In the future, this model could enable the design of more complex viral phenotypes when attenuating VSV, moving beyond solely considering the mean number of virions produced.
Trafficking dynamics of VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and NRP1 in human endothelial cells
Authors: Sarabipour Sarvenaz , Kinghorn Karina , Quigley Kaitlyn M. , Kovacs-Kasa Anita , Annex Brian H. , Bautch Victoria L. , Mac Gabhann Feilim
Published: February 2024

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of cytokines are key drivers of blood vessel growth and remodeling. These ligands act via multiple VEGF receptors (VEGFR) and co-receptors such as Neuropilin (NRP) expressed on endothelial cells. These membrane-associated receptors are not solely expressed on the cell surface, they move between the surface and intracellular locations, where they can function differently. The location of the receptor alters its ability to ’see’ (access and bind to) its ligands, which regulates receptor activation; location also alters receptor exposure to subcellularly localized phosphatases, which regulates its deactivation. Thus, receptors in different subcellular locations initiate different signaling, both in terms of quantity and quality. Similarly, the local levels of co-expression of other receptors alters competition for ligands. Subcellular localization is controlled by intracellular trafficking processes, which thus control VEGFR activity; therefore, to understand VEGFR activity, we must understand receptor trafficking. Here, for the first time, we simultaneously quantify the trafficking of VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and NRP1 on the same cells—specifically human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We build a computational model describing the expression, interaction, and trafficking of these receptors, and use it to simulate cell culture experiments. We use new quantitative experimental data to parameterize the model, which then provides mechanistic insight into the trafficking and localization of this receptor network. We show that VEGFR2 and NRP1 trafficking is not the same on HUVECs as on non-human ECs; and we show that VEGFR1 trafficking is not the same as VEGFR2 trafficking, but rather is faster in both internalization and recycling. As a consequence, the VEGF receptors are not evenly distributed between the cell surface and intracellular locations, with a very low percentage of VEGFR1 being on the cell surface, and high levels of NRP1 on the cell surface. Our findings have implications both for the sensing of extracellular ligands and for the composition of signaling complexes at the cell surface versus inside the cell.
Host gastric corpus microenvironment facilitates Ascaris suum larval hatching and infection in a murine model
Authors: Wu Yifan , Adeniyi-Ipadeola Grace , Adkins-Threats Mahliyah , Seasock Matthew , Suarez-Reyes Charlie , Fujiwara Ricardo , Bottazzi Maria Elena , Song Lizhen , Mills Jason C. , Weatherhead Jill E.
Published: February 2024

Ascariasis (roundworm) is the most common parasitic helminth infection globally and can lead to significant morbidity in children including chronic lung disease. Children become infected withAscarisspp. via oral ingestion of eggs. It has long been assumed thatAscarisegg hatching and larval translocation across the gastrointestinal mucosa to initiate infection occurs in the small intestine. Here, we show thatA.suumlarvae hatched in the host stomach in a murine model. Larvae utilize acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase; acid chitinase;Chia) from chief cells and acid pumped by parietal cells to emerge from eggs on the surface of gastric epithelium. Furthermore, antagonizing AMCase and gastric acid in the stomach decreases parasitic burden in the liver and lungs and attenuates lung disease. GivenAscariseggs are chitin-coated, the gastric corpus would logically be the most likely organ for egg hatching, though this is the first study directly evincing the essential role of the host gastric corpus microenvironment. These findings point towards potential novel mechanisms for therapeutic targets to prevent ascariasis and identify a new biomedical significance of AMCase in mammals.
Associations between artificial sweetener intake from cereals, coffee, and tea and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A genetic correlation, mediation, and mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Zhang Youqian , Tang Zitian , Shi Yong , Li Lin
Published: February 2024

Background

Previous studies have emphasized the association between the intake of artificial sweeteners (AS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the causative relationship remains ambiguous.

Methods

This study employed univariate Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the causal link between AS intake from various sources and T2DM. Linkage disequilibrium score (LDSC) regression was used to evaluate the correlation between phenotypes. Multivariate and mediation MR were applied to investigate confounding factors and mediating effects. Data on AS intake from different sources (N = 64,949) were sourced from the UK Biobank, while T2DM data were derived from the DIAbetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis.The primary method adopted was inverse variance weighted (IVW), complemented by three validation techniques. Additionally, a series of sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate pleiotropy and heterogeneity.

Results

LDSC analysis unveiled a significant genetic correlation between AS intake from different sources and T2DM (rg range: -0.006 to 0.15, all P < 0.05). After correction by the false discovery rate (FDR), the primary IVW method indicated that AS intake in coffee was a risk factor for T2DM (OR = 1.265, 95% CI: 1.035–1.545, P = 0.021, PFDR = 0.042). Further multivariable and mediation MR analyses pinpointed high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) as mediating a portion of this causal relationship. In reverse MR analysis, significant evidence suggested a positive correlation between T2DM and AS intake in coffee (β = 0.013, 95% CI: 0.004–0.022, P = 0.004, PFDR = 0.012), cereal (β = 0.007, 95% CI: 0.002–0.012, P = 0.004, PFDR = 0.012), and tea (β = 0.009, 95% CI: 0.001–0.017, P = 0.036, PFDR = 0.049). No other causal associations were identified (P > 0.05, PFDR > 0.05).

Conclusion

The MR analysis has established a causal relationship between AS intake in coffee and T2DM. The mediation by HDL-C emphasizes potential metabolic pathways underpinning these relationships
Larvicidal properties of terpenoid-based nanoemulsions against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti L. and their potential toxicity against non-target organism
Authors: Duarte Jonatas Lobato , Duchon Stéphane , Di Filippo Leonardo Delello , Chorilli Marlus , Corbel Vincent
Published: February 2024

The development of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes of public health importance has encouraged extensive research into innovative vector control methods. Terpenes are the largest among Plants Secondary Metabolites and have been increasingly studied for their potential as insecticidal control agents. Although promising, terpenes are insoluble in water, and they show low residual life which limits their application for vector control. In this study, we developed and evaluated the performances of terpenoid-based nanoemulsions (TNEs) containing myrcene and p-cymene against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti and investigated their potential toxicity against non-target organisms. Our results showed that myrcene and p-cymene showed moderate larvicidal activity against mosquito larvae compared to temephos an organophosphate widely used for mosquito control. However, we showed similar efficacy of TNEs against both susceptible and highly insecticide-resistant mosquitoes from French Guyana, hence suggesting an absence of cross-resistance with conventional insecticides. We also showed that TNEs remained effective for up to 45 days in laboratory conditions. The exposure of zebrafish to TNEs triggered behavioral changes in the fish at high doses but they did not alter the normal functioning of zebrafish organs, suggesting a good tolerability of non-target organisms to these molecules. Overall, this study provides new insights into the insecticidal properties and toxicity of terpenes and terpenoid-based formulations and confirms that TNE may offer interesting prospects for mosquito control as part of integrated vector management.
Fecal microbiome composition and diversity of cryopreserved canine stool at different duration and storage conditions
Authors: Barko Patrick , Nguyen-Edquilang Julie , Williams David A. , Gal Arnon
Published: February 2024

Fresh-frozen stool banks intended for humans with gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders have been recently established and there are ongoing efforts to establish the first veterinary fresh-frozen stool bank. Fresh frozen stored feces provide an advantage of increased availability and accessibility to high-quality optimal donor fecal material. The stability of frozen canine feces regarding fecal microbiome composition and diversity has not been reported in dogs, providing the basis for this study. We hypothesized that fecal microbial composition and diversity of healthy dogs would remain stable when stored at -20°C and -80°C for up to 12 months compared to baseline samples evaluated before freezing. Stool samples were collected from 20 apparently healthy dogs, manually homogenized, cryopreserved in 20% glycerol and aliquoted, frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -20°C or -80°C for 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. At baseline and after period of storage, aliquots were thawed and treated with propidium monoazide before fecal DNA extraction. Following long-read 16S-rRNA amplicon sequencing, bacterial community composition and diversity were compared among treatment groups. We demonstrated that fresh-frozen canine stools collected from 20 apparently healthy dogs could be stored for up to 12 months at -80°C with minimal change in microbial community composition and diversity and that storage at -80°C is superior to storage at -20°C. We also found that differences between dogs had the largest effect on community composition and diversity. Relative abundances of certain bacterial taxa, including those known to be short-chain fatty acid producers, varied significantly with specific storage temperatures and duration. Further work is required to ascertain whether fecal donor material that differs in bacterial community composition and diversity across storage conditions and duration could lead to differences in clinical efficacy for specific clinical indications of fecal microbiota transplantation.
Modalities for teaching responsible and ethical conduct of research online: Lessons learned from an undergraduate workshop in Utah
Authors: Morris Jesse L. , Hofmann Erin Trouth , Wang Weihong , Ault Michael , Bradshaw Sylvia , Foxley Trent , Thomas Patrick , Frost Caren J.
Published: February 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted scientific research, teaching, and learning in higher education and forced many institutions to explore new modalities in response to the abrupt shift to remote learning. Accordingly, many colleges and universities struggled to provide the training, technology, and best practices to support faculty and students, especially those at historically disadvantaged and underrepresented institutions. In this study we investigate different remote learning modalities to improve and enhance research education training for faculty and students. We specifically focus on Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) and research mentoring content to help address the newly established requirements of the National Science Foundation for investigators. To address this need we conducted a workshop to determine the effectiveness of three common research education modalities: Live Lecture, Podcast, and Reading. The Live Lecture sessions provided the most evidence of learning based on the comparison between pre- and post-test results, whereas the Podcast format was well received but produced a slight (and non-significant) decline in scores between the pre- and post-tests. The Reading format showed no significant improvement in learning. The results of our workshop illuminate the effectiveness and obstacles associated with various remote learning modalities, enabling us to pinpoint areas that require additional refinement and effort, including the addition of interactive media in Reading materials.
Sex-dependent association of serum uric acid levels with amyloid accumulation among amyloid-positive older adults
Authors: Zhao Guanan , Guan Jingjing ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: February 2024

We aimed to examine the potential effect of sex on the longitudinal association of baseline serum uric acid levels with brain amyloid accumulation over time among older adults with and without abnormal amyloid. At baseline, the study sample comprised 499 older adults, including 276 men and 223 women. Linear mixed-effects regression models were fitted to estimate the individual slopes of change in brain amyloid accumulation [as measured by AV45 standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR)] over time. At baseline, we did not observe a relationship between serum uric acid levels and brain amyloid deposition in women or men regardless of amyloid status. Among amyloid negative subjects, women and men did not differ in the relationship between baseline serum uric acid and the annual change in amyloid accumulation in subjects with normal amyloid levels. In amyloid positive women, serum uric acid levels were not associated with the annual change in amyloid accumulation (unstandardized β = 0.0005, SE = 0.0006, p value = 0.4179). However, in amyloid positive men, serum uric acid levels were negatively associated with the annual change in amyloid accumulation (unstandardized β = -0.0015, SE = 0.0005, p value = 0.0048). These findings support a potential sex-specific effect on the relationship between serum uric acid levels and amyloid accumulation among amyloid positive older adults.
Passivity-based Rieman Liouville fractional order sliding mode control of three phase inverter in a grid-connected photovoltaic system
Authors: Khan Luqman , Khan Laiq , Agha Shahrukh , Hafeez Kamran , Iqbal Jamshed
Published: February 2024

Photovoltaic (PV) system parameters are always non-linear due to variable environmental conditions. The Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is difficult under multiple uncertainties, disruptions and the occurrence of time-varying stochastic conditions. Therefore, Passivity based Fractional order Sliding-Mode controller (PBSMC) is proposed to examine and develop a storage function in error tracking for PV power and direct voltage in this research work. A unique sliding surface for Fractional Order Sliding Mode Control (FOSMC) framework is proposed and its stability and finite time convergence is proved by implementing Lyapunov stability method. An additional input of sliding mode control (SMC) is also added to a passive system to boost the controller performance by removing the rapid uncertainties and disturbances. Therefore, PBSMC, along with globally consistent control efficiency under varying operating conditions is implemented with enhanced system damping and substantial robustness. The novelty of the proposed technique lies in a unique sliding surface for FOSMC framework based on Riemann Liouville (R-L) fractional calculus. Results have shown that the proposed control technique reduces the tracking error in PV output power, under variable irradiance conditions, by 81%, compared to fractional order proportional integral derivative (FOPID) controller. It is reduced by 39%, when compared to passivity based control (PBC) and 28%, when compared to passivity based FOPID (EPBFOPID). The proposed technique led to the least total harmonic distortion in the grid side voltage and current. The tracking time of PV output power is 0.025 seconds in PBSMC under varying solar irradiance, however FOPID, PBC, EPBFOPID, have failed to converge fully. Similarly the dc link voltage has tracked the reference voltage in 0.05 seconds however the rest of the methods either could not converge, or converged after significant amount of time. During solar irradiance and temperature change, the photovoltaic output power has converged in 0.018 seconds using PBSMC, however remaining methods failed to converge or track fully and the dc link voltage has minimum tracking error due to PBSMC as compared to the other methods. Furthermore, the photovoltaic output power converges to the reference power in 0.1 seconds in power grid voltage drop, whereas other methods failed to converge fully. In addition power is also injected from the PV inverter into the grid at unity power factor.
Prevalence of DSM-5 mild and major neurocognitive disorder in India: Results from the LASI-DAD
Authors: Gross Alden L. , Nichols Emma , Angrisani Marco , Ganguli Mary , Jin Haomiao , Khobragade Pranali , Langa Kenneth M. , Meijer Erik , Varghese Mathew , Dey A. B. , Lee Jinkook
Published: February 2024

Introduction

India, with its rapidly aging population, faces an alarming burden of dementia. We implemented DSM-5 criteria in large-scale, nationally representative survey data in India to characterize the prevalence of mild and major Neurocognitive disorder.

Methods

The Harmonized Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI-DAD) (N = 4,096) is a nationally representative cohort study in India using multistage area probability sampling methods. Using neuropsychological testing and informant reports, we defined DSM-5 mild and major neurocognitive disorder, reported its prevalence, and evaluated criterion and construct validity of the algorithm using clinician-adjudicated Clinical Dementia Ratings (CDR)®.

Results

The prevalence of mild and major neurocognitive disorder, weighted to the population, is 17.6% and 7.2%. Demographic gradients with respect to age and education conform to hypothesized patterns. Among N = 2,390 participants with a clinician-adjudicated CDR, CDR ratings and DSM-5 classification agreed for N = 2,139 (89.5%) participants.

Discussion

The prevalence of dementia in India is higher than previously recognized. These findings, coupled with a growing number of older adults in the coming decades in India, have important implications for society, public health, and families. We are aware of no previous Indian population-representative estimates of mild cognitive impairment, a group which will be increasingly important in coming years to identify for potential therapeutic treatment.
Causes and circumstances of death in stimulant and opioid use—A comparative study
Authors: Åhman Ada , Wingren Carl Johan , Håkansson Anders
Published: February 2024

Aims

To investigate the individual characteristics, causes and circumstances around deaths in stimulant use, and to examine how individuals who died with stimulants in their body differ from individuals who died with opioids in their body.

Methods

This study includes individuals who died during the years 2000–2018 and underwent a forensic autopsy at Forensic Medicine in Lund, Skåne County, Sweden. All individuals over 18 years of age with stimulants (n = 310), opioids (n = 2,039) or both stimulants and opioids (n = 385) in the body at the time of death, were included. The three groups were assessed regarding gender, age, place of death, BMI, other substances detected in forensic toxicological analysis, organ weights and underlying and contributing causes of death. The data were analysed by frequency and proportion calculations, cross-tabulations and comparisons of medians.

Results

The median age at death of the study population (n = 2,734) was 45.5 years (interquartile range ☯IQR] 32–60 years) and 73.2% were men. The most common cause of death in the stimulant group was suicide (26.8%), higher proportion compared to the opioid group (20.8%) (p = 0.017) and in the polysubstance group accidental poisoning (38.2%), higher proportion compared to the opioid group (18.0%) (p<0.001). Death by transport accidents was significantly associated with the stimulant group (p<0.001) as well as death by other accidents (p = 0.016).

Conclusions

Individuals who died with stimulants in their body died at a higher rate from suicide, transport accidents and other accidents, compared to individuals who died with opioids in their body. This study indicates the need to identify and prevent psychiatric conditions, elevated suicide risk, and risk-taking behaviors among people who use stimulants.
Exploration adhesion properties of Liquorilactobacillus and Lentilactobacillus isolated from two different sources of tepache kefir grains
Authors: Oviedo-León Julián Fernando , Cornejo-Mazón Maribel , Ortiz-Hernández Rosario , Torres-Ramírez Nayeli , Hernández-Sánchez Humberto , Castro-Rodríguez Diana C.
Published: February 2024

Due to the distinctive characteristics of probiotics, it is essential to pinpoint strains originating from diverse sources that prove efficacious in addressing a range of pathologies linked to dysfunction of the intestinal barrier. Nine strains of lactic acid bacteria were isolated from two different sources of tepache kefir grains (KAS2, KAS3, KAS4, KAS7, KAL4, KBS2, KBS3, KBL1 and KBL3), and were categorized to the genus Lacticaseibacillus, Liquorilactobacillus, and Lentilactobacillus by 16S rRNA gene. Kinetic behaviors of these strains were evaluated in MRS medium, and their probiotic potential was performed: resistance to low pH, tolerance to pepsin, pancreatin, bile salts, antibiotic resistance, hemolytic activity, and adhesion ability. KAS7 strain presented a higher growth rate (0.50 h-1) compared with KAS2 strain, who presented a lower growth rate (0.29 h-1). KBS2 strain was the only strain that survived the in vitro stomach simulation conditions (29.3%). Strain KBL1 demonstrated significantly higher viability (90.6%) in the in vitro intestine simulation conditions. Strain KAS2 demonstrated strong hydrophilic character with chloroform (85.6%) and xylol (57.6%) and a higher percentage of mucin adhesion (87.1%). However, strains KBS2 (84.8%) and KBL3 (89.5%) showed the highest autoaggregation values. In terms of adhesion to the intestinal epithelium in rats, strains KAS2, KAS3 and KAS4 showed values above 80%. The growth of the strains KAS2, KAS3, KAS4, KBS2, and KBL3 was inhibited by cefuroxime, cefotaxime, tetracycline, ampicillin, erythromycin, and cephalothin. Strains KBS2 (41.9% and 33.5%) and KBL3 (42.5% and 32.8%) had the highest co-aggregation values with S. aureus and E. coli. The results obtained in this study indicate that lactic acid bacteria isolated from tepache can be considered as candidates for potentially probiotic bacteria, laying the foundations to evaluate their probiotic functionality in vivo and thus to be used in the formulation of functional foods.
The use of blockchain technology in enterprise financial accounting information sharing
Authors: Jiang Liyan
Published: February 2024

This work intends to comprehensively analyze the application of blockchain technology in enterprise financial accounting information sharing and address prevalent issues such as information opacity, data tampering, and data security in the current practices. Therefore, it writes smart contracts based on the Ethereum platform to achieve the secure sharing of financial accounting information between enterprises. This work employs a randomized experimental design approach, using a computer-generated random number program to divide 100 enterprises into experimental and control groups, each comprising 50 enterprises. Enterprises in the experimental group share financial accounting information using smart contracts on the Ethereum platform during the experiment. The financial personnel of these enterprises upload reconciled data to the corresponding smart contracts using the enterprise’s digital signatures after each month’s accounting process. Enterprises in the control group continue to use traditional methods of financial accounting information sharing (such as email and web platforms) to share financial data files directly. Quantitative analysis is performed to compare the data between the experimental and control groups. Empirical results reveal a notable enhancement in information-sharing efficiency by 25.7%, a 19.8% improvement in data accuracy, and a 13.6% reduction in financial information-sharing costs within the experimental group compared to the control group. This work provides compelling evidence that adopting blockchain-based information-sharing methods can effectively elevate data trustworthiness and security. Supported by systematic empirical findings, this work validates the significant potential of blockchain technology in the realm of enterprise financial accounting information sharing.
Delitos e Incidentes de Odio Hacia Personas LGTBI+: Prevalencia, Consecuencias e Impacto
Authors: Azabal Maite , Arruabarena Ignacia
Published: February 2024

Las personas pertenecientes al colectivo LGTBI+ se encuentran en mayor riesgo de sufrir discriminación resultante en delitos e incidentes de odio en comparación con las personas no identificadas como LGTBI+. Los datos oficiales indican que los incidentes y delitos de odio hacia este colectivo constituyen una realidad persistente. La victimización por delitos de odio se ha asociado a consecuencias psicológicas adversas como ideación suicida, síntomas de estrés postraumático y abuso de sustancias, entre otros. Esta revisión narrativa pretende acercarse a esta realidad explorando las principales consecuencias psicosociales y relevancia social de los delitos e incidentes de odio hacia este colectivo. La evidencia sugiere que estos eventos tienen un impacto único en la salud mental de las víctimas que difiere de las consecuencias de los incidentes y/o delitos no motivados por prejuicio.
Empirical evidence on the relationship between material deprivation and crime: an analysis of the case of Spain
Authors: Torres-Tellez Jonathan
Published: February 2024

Severe material deprivation affects approximately 3 million people in Spain, having experienced a significant increase after the economic crisis of 2008. This phenomenon is relevant in the context of the economic approach to crime, as it is considered to have a positive impact on the incidence of delinquency. Despite the social magnitude of this problem, the majority of international research has overlooked the non-monetary dimensions of inequality, focusing almost exclusively on income inequality. This study aims to fill this gap by examining how material deprivation influences delinquency in the specific case of Spain. To do so, an indicator representing material deprivation is used, and a differences-GMM estimator is employed for 16 Spanish regions covering the period 2013-2019. The results indicate that in Spain, material inequality is a criminogenic factor that should be taken into account, particularly when it approaches the threshold of severe material deprivation. Furthermore, it is found that both improvements in economic conditions and deterrent public policies are key factors in reducing criminality.
SELECTED ASPECTS OF TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT
Authors: Kapustyan L. A. , Sabyna E. N. , Strizshkina I. V.
Published: February 2024

Changes are constantly being made to legislation regarding the establishment of types of municipalities. Features and problems of the territorial organization of local government in the Altai Territory significantly affect the effectiveness of local government as a whole. The region's settlement system is characterized by processes of compression and rarefaction of space, consolidation and disaggregation of municipalities. The article examines the features and trends of population settlement in the Altai Territory as the basis for the organization of local self-government. The administrative-territorial structure of the region is historically determined by the settlement system. The study analyzed the specifics of the population settlement system and the administrative-territorial structure in the agro-industrial region — Altai. The authors confirm the conclusion that space is being compressed, the number of rural settlements without population is increasing, space is being sparse, and its polarization is increasing. According to the authors, the main factors of population depopulation are primarily economic: unemployment and low wages.
Severe Liver and Renal Injury From Tribulus Terrestris
Authors: Mohy-ud-din Nabeeha , Jonassaint Naudia
Published: February 2024

Tribulus terrestris is a shrub that is found worldwide. Although it has been linked to severe jaundice and death in grazing animals, there are only a few case reports of hepatotoxicity in humans. We describe a case of a 46-year-old man who took tribulus supplements daily for 2 months. He developed severe jaundice prompting hospital admission. His total bilirubin peaked at 48 mg/dL, with concomitant renal dysfunction (creatinine of 7.1). His liver biopsy showed features consistent with drug-induced liver injury. He was initiated on a trial of plasmapheresis and underwent 3 sessions with a subsequent decrease in bilirubin with each session. He had appropriate renal recovery and was discharged home and on follow-up, continues to do well with most recent bilirubin of 1.1 mg/dL.
Numerical and experimental comparison study of piled raft foundation
Authors: Almaged Rasool Kadhim Mohammed , Al-Abbas Kadhim A.
Published: February 2024

The piled rafts are expressed as consisting of three geotechnical elements (piles, raft, and soil). As the load can be divided between the piles and the raft, the piles are highly effective in reducing settling and increasing the bearing capacity of the piled rafts, compared to shallow foundations. Civil engineering is witnessing a development in the field of geotechnical engineering, and because the experimental study takes a long time to verify, so the numerical study was conducted by the program MIDAS GTS NX 2020 (v1.1) for comparison with the experimental study. Small-scale models were tested in a sandbox placed in an iron structure containing a hydraulic jack with a capacity of 50 tons, and then, a vertical load was placed in the center of the raft; the bearing capacity was recorded by the load cell, the settlement was recorded by the dial gauge digital and the LVDT, in this study, the number of piles (9) was taken hollow aluminium, the diameter of piles (25) mm, and length of pile (500) mm. They were distributed under the raft by (3 × 3). The distance between the piles was taken by three-dimensional (3D) of the pile, and the dimensions of the raft were 250 mm × 250 mm, with a thickness of 20 mm. Numerical modelling was also used in the MIDAS GTS NX 2020(v1.1) program to solve the problem of the piled raft system for modelling and analysis. 3D models were analyzed using a sandy soil model with a raft of iron 250 mm × 250 mm and a thickness of 20 mm using piles of hollow aluminium with a length of 500 mm and a diameter of 25 mm and the number 3 × 3. As well as taking the criteria (Cullum-Mohr) and (von Mises). It was shown that the numerical study could be relied upon in the field of geotechnical engineering, where the percentages of convergence between the two studies were up to 91% in the piled raft test and 89% in the raft test only.
Adverse Childhood Experiences Are Associated With Personality Disorder: A Prospective, Longitudinal Study
Authors: Broekhof Rosalie , Nordahl Hans M. , Eikenæs Ingeborg Ulltveit-Moe , Selvik Sara G.
Published: February 2024

There is a lack of studies that have prospectively examined adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in association with a personality disorder (PD). Data from a sample of 8,199 adolescents first assessed for ACEs were linked with subsequent data from the Norwegian Patient Register in order to obtain diagnoses of a PD in adulthood (after a 14-year follow-up). We used logistic regression analysis. Any type of ACE gave a 3.8-fold higher risk of developing a PD. Abuse, more specifically emotional abuse, came out as one of the strongest predictors. Of the adolescents who developed a PD, approximately 90% had a history of ACE. The results of this study support the importance of assessing ACEs, such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, in the diagnostic procedure and treatment for PD.