bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of lactic acid bacteria isolated from budu, a West Sumatra fish fermentation product, and their ability to produce exopolysaccharides
Authors: Yusra Yusra , Syandri Hafrijal , Efendi Yempita , Huda Nurul
Published: October 2022

Background: Probiotics are instrumental in maintaining the equilibrium of the gut microbiota and improving the health of the human body. This study examined the presence and physiological features, including the ability to produce exopolysaccharides, of lactic acid bacteria from fermented Tenggiri (Scomberomorus guttatus) and Talang (Chorinemus spp.) fish, also known as budu fish.

Methods: Lactic acid bacteria were isolated from budu fish. These bacteria were characterized to determine tolerance to gastric pH values, growth curve, inhibitory ability against pathogenic bacteria, and ability to produce exopolysaccharides and to perform a molecular identification.

Results: Twenty-nine lactic acid bacteria isolates from budu fish were determined to be of the Pediococcus species. Assessment of the physiological characteristics showed that Pediococcus sp. had a high acidifying activity and could grow at a pH between 2 and 11; the pH of the supernatant after 36 hours of incubation was 4.49. In terms of inhibitory activity against pathogenic bacteria, Pediococcus sp. demonstrated an inhibitory diameter of 20.5 mm against Escherichia coli, 23.0 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, and 21.0 mm against Salmonella thypi. The Pediococcus sp. strain produced exopolysaccharides ranging from 870 to 1910 mg/l and had 100% similarity with Pediococcus pentosaceus strain 4942.

Conclusions: This study confirmed the presence of Pediococcus pentosaceus strain 4942 in budu fish, which can be used as a new probiotic based on its capabilities to kill pathogenic bacteria and produce exopolysaccharide compounds.
Action-learning: developing competences to drive the transition towards more sustainable food systems
Authors: Lindner Line Friis , Flynn Katherine Mary
Published: October 2022

Background: Establishing a learning environment that develops and fosters students’ competences is essential to drive the transition to more sustainable agrifood systems. FoodFactory-4-Us — an international online student competition — is applying action-learning approaches to educational activities facilitating the development of the core competences of observation, participation, dialogue, visionary thinking, and reflection. These core competences are regarded as essential for the next generation of agrifood professionals to drive the transition to more sustainable agrifood systems.

Methods: The competition is organized in a cyclical manner based on planning, implementation and reflection in which action-research is conducted on students’ self-assessment of their competences, experiences and contributions once in the beginning, once during and at the end of the competition through online surveys and written reflection documents. The rich qualitative data from action-research provides valuable insights into the learning process for facilitators shaping the development of the educational activities on a continuous basis.

Results: The action-research qualitative data shows that students improve their competences in building and maintaining networks; collaboration; and problem-solving through participation in the competition. Furthermore, the data shows that students’ values and attitudes, such as creativity, passion, proactivity, analytical and critical thinking, reflection, open-mindedness, visionary thinking, and self-management, contribute the most to the learning community.

Conclusions: Such findings give notion to the importance of cultivating a learning environment in which a multitude of values and attitudes are given room and space to flourish thereby shaping the current and future agrifood system.
Communicative code of lyrics
Authors: Tokareva G.A.
Published: October 2022

В монографии рассматривается лирический текст с позиций современной коммуникативистики. Обосновывается выбор методологии, уточняется терминологическая система теории коммуникации, разрабатывается типология лирических текстов на основе коммуникативного подхода. Разводятся понятия адресованной и обращенной лирики; ролевого и заместительного персонажей. В работе транслируется принципиальная авторская позиция: коммуникативность имманентно присуща лирике, и это дает основания рассматривать лирический текст как особое коммуникативное пространство, в котором функционируют различные типы коммуникации. Исследование лирики с позиций теории коммуникации позволяет предположить, что коммуникативный код лирического произведения, наряду с выраженной эмоциональностью лирики, является одним из ее родовых признаков. Для обоснования авторской концепции исследуется значительный пласт русской лирики с начала XIX века по сегодняшний день. Привлекается материал англоязычной лирики в основном в переводах автора, а также анализируются образцы античной и классической восточной поэзии. В исследовании использован диахронический подход в изучении коммуникативного кода лирики. Типы лирической коммуникации соотносятся со спецификой поэтологической эпохи и особенностями национального менталитета. В лирике индивидуально-творческой эпохи коммуникативный код автора расценивается как маркер идиостиля. Индивидуальный коммуникативный код представлен на материале творчества О.Э. Мандельштама. Монография адресована специалистам в области литературоведения и теории художественной коммуникации.
Experimental studies of radiation effects on FRAM chips
Authors: Zolnikov V. , Gamzatov N. , Antsiferova V. , Poluektov Aleksandr , Fironov Vladimir
Published: October 2022

The work is devoted to the study of radiation effects on FRAM memory chips. The effects of heavy charged particles entering the microcircuits are considered, the results in static and dynamic modes are analyzed. In statistical mode, the sensitivity of FRAM did not show any dependencies on the data pattern, but showed a relationship with fluence. In dynamic mode, the order of access to memory cells does not affect the sensitivity of memory. The dependences of the consumption current on the radiation dose and the annealing time after irradiation are given. An effects map is shown showing a two-band area sensitive to the laser. According to its relative area, this is the peripheral logic of the device. Studies have confirmed the usefulness of only a few effect maps. This is consistent with the results of tests for exposure to heavy charged particles.
Simulation of the behavior of field-effect transistors when exposed to radiation
Authors: Litvinov Nikolay , Solodilov Maksim , Plotnikov Aleksey , Stoyanov Sergey Vital'evich , Lapshin Artem , Ryazancev Roman
Published: October 2022

The paper deals with the behavior of field-effect transistors under the influence of radiation. The structure of tunnel field-effect transistors, the principle of operation, various effects from exposure to ionization radiation from outer space, and the results of experimental studies of resistance are presented. Field-effect transistors based on single-layer materials such as graphene and MoS2 are also considered. The behavior of field-effect transistors based on graphene is simulated. The paper presents current-voltage characteristics before and after irradiation, at positive and negative voltage at the transistor gate, etc., the analysis of which showed that there were significant changes in the electrical characteristics of transistors and the surface morphology of a single-layer material. The appearance of defects is associated with the heating of the material in the center of the particle track. Similarly, the simulation of the behavior of transistors based on nanotubes, when exposed to radiation, single events appear, was carried out.
Modeling the behavior of mobile robots using genetic algorithms
Authors: Zarevich Anton , Makarenko F. , Yagodkin A. , Zolnikov Konstantin
Published: October 2022

The article is devoted to the analysis of the behavior of a mobile robot using finite state machine algorithms in order to find a way to the goal and avoid obstacles. After justifying the use of such methods, the analysis of a standard deterministic finite automaton is done. Further, the theory of Markov processes is applied to this algorithm, as a result of which the state machine becomes part of the hidden Markov model. This allows you to apply probabilistic methods to modeling the behavior of the robot. This probabilistic behavior is most promising in complex environments with unpredictable obstacle configurations. To compare the efficiency of deterministic and probabilistic finite state machine, we applied a genetic algorithm. In the numerical experiment that we conducted in the Scilab software, we considered two main types of environments in which a mobile robot can move - an office-type environment and a polygonal-type environment. For each type of environment, we alternately applied each of the indicated behavior algorithms. For the genetic algorithm, we used one hundred individuals who were trained over 1000 generations to find the most optimal path in the specified environments. As a result, it was found that the deterministic finite state machine algorithm is the most promising for movement in an office-type environment, and the probabilistic finite state machine algorithm gives the best result in a complex polygonal environment.
The algorithmization of technological modes of the combined irrigation automated system for greenhouses using electrochemically activated water
Authors: Starikov Aleksandr , Starikova Anna , Gribanov A.
Published: October 2022

Irrigation is one of the main technological processes in greenhouse farming, which essentially provides qualitative and volumetric indicators of produced products. Thus, the combined irrigation technology which combines low-volume methods of drip and aerosol irrigation is widespread. We consider the combined irrigation system which includes an installation for water electro-chemical activation (ECA). Extended abilities of this system are caused by the reactivity of catholyte and anolyte, which are metastable products of water ECA. Catholyte and anolyte are used as growth stimulator and antiseptic respectively in the plant cultivation. Automation of the combined irrigation system, in addition to resource-saving, is also aimed to prevent technological modes violation due to the subjective (“human”) factor. Control algorithms for drip and aerosol irrigation with ordinary water, drip and aerosol irrigation with catholyte and aerosol irrigation with anolyte are described in the article. When the algorithm starts, the control testing is performed to detect possible failures in the irrigation system (for example, rupture of drip tubes or salting of drippers). In case of a detected issue, a diagnostic message is shown and accompanied by a sound signal. More complex technological irrigation modes associated with the use of catholyte and anolyte also include the performance monitoring of the water electrochemically activation unit. The control of the irrigation technological parameters (soil moisture, air humidity, soil pH) is carried out by retrieving the relevant sensors data and comparing the obtained values with the set ones. When the set points are reached the relevant technological links (electric pumps and electromagnetic valves) are switched off by the signal of the microcontroller. The presented algorithms are designed for developing the microcontroller control unit software for the combined irrigation system.
Modeling the risks of implementing projects for the development of enterprises in the meat processing industry
Authors: Skrypnikov Aleksey , Stukalo Oksana , Denisenko Vladimir , Bakaev Dmitriy , Minakova Anna , Butenko Alina
Published: October 2022

The article considers a risk assessment matrix, according to the authors, it is the basis for modeling the risks of implementing project management for the development of meat processing enterprises. This matrix is developed in accordance with the structural ideas about the project management of the development of industry organizations as a system, it is proposed to use it in conjunction with the Gartner curve, based on the division of the resulting groups according to the degree of riskiness of their innovative projects. In accordance with the methodology proposed by Gartner, in order to make the right decision about when to implement a particular project, the main issues that companies need to balance when developing a technology maturity cycle curve are formed. The project management is considered from the point of view of the formation of a single information environment. A model for the implementation of several projects of a meat processing industry company was built using the @RISK software product. The advantages and disadvantages of deterministic and stochastic risk analysis based on Monte Carlo modeling are described. Given that each project has a 5% chance of failure in any given month, a summary graph of monthly costs is shown. As a result of running the simulation, the total costs of the project are presented.
Interpretable Operations Research for High-Stakes Decisions: Designing the Greek COVID-19 Testing System
Authors: Bastani Hamsa , Drakopoulos Kimon , Gupta Vishal , Vlachogiannis Jon , Hadjichristodoulou Christos , Lagiou Pagona , Magiorkinis Gkikas , Paraskevis Dimitrios , Tsiodras Sotirios
Published: October 2022

In the summer of 2020, in collaboration with the Greek government, we designed and deployed Eva—the first national-scale, reinforcement learning system for targeted COVID-19 testing. In this paper, we detail the rationale for three major design/algorithmic elements: Eva’s testing supply chain, estimating COVID-19 prevalence, and test allocation.
COVID-19 İlişkili Akut İmmün Trombositopenik Purpura: Sıradışı Pediatrik Bir Olgu
Authors: GÜNEŞ Ömer , GÜNEY Ahmet Yasin , GÜDER Latife , MUSTAFAOĞLU Özlem , BAYRAKTAR Pınar , ŞAHİN Seda , KANIK YÜKSEK Saliha , GÜLHAN Belgin , BAYHAN Gülsüm İclal , ÖZKAYA PARLAKAY Aslınur
Published: October 2022

İmmün trombositopenik purpura (İTP), izole trombositopeni ile kendini gösteren hematolojik bir hastalıktır. Etiyolojisinde son bir aydaki viral enfeksiyonlar sıklıkla bulunur. COVİD-19 enfeksiyonu sonrası çeşitli hematolojik komplikasyonların yanı sıra ITP gelişimi de görülebilmektedir. Bu yazıda COVİD-19 enfeksiyonu sırasında teşhis edilen ve kanama bulgusu olmayan bir çocuk akut ITP olgusu sunulmaktadır.
A Critical Deconstruction of the Okishio Theorem
Authors: Zhang Xian , Xue Yufeng
Published: October 2022

As part of the literature denying Marx’s Law of Tendency of Rate of Profit to Fall, the Okishio theorem exerts extensive influence. This theorem uses rigorous mathematical methods in an attempt to prove that the introduction of advanced technology in the basic goods sector of capitalism leads inevitably to an increase in the general rate of profit. In the literature criticizing the Okishio theorem, there are two main flaws identified. One is that the literature fails to investigate the validity of the production price, which forms the basis of the theorem. The other is that it does not examine the authenticity of the economic theory underlying the theorem. The analysis set forward here shows that the Okishio theorem’s “production price” amounts to a complete departure from Marx’s definition and is simply a product of the commodity circulation markup. The theorem follows the vulgar components of Smith’s theory of value and Ricardo’s theory of transformation. Okishio does not understand that the decline of the general rate of profit is precisely the compound result of individual capital pursuing excess profit, which represents the “prisoner’s dilemma” of capitalists.
On
The Communist Manifesto: Ideas for the Newly Radicalizing Public
Authors: Das Raju
Published: October 2022

A large number of people around the world now support the idea of socialism and are critical of capitalism. These numbers, though growing, are not yet enough to end capitalism, but they form the basis for a movement to win over more people to socialism and away from a system dominated by capitalist market relations. Besides, many of those who have a favourable view of socialism may not exactly know what it is or they may not exactly know how/why capitalism is the cause of their misery. A socialist movement requires ideas that not only defend socialism but also show how capitalism works and why it is harmful to the majority. Many of these ideas are present in
The Communist Manifesto written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels almost 175 years ago, in a context where people were turning to revolutionary ideas and practices in Europe. If, as Lenin said, a revolutionary movement needs revolutionary ideas,
The Communist Manifesto is indeed a fertile source of some of these ideas. It makes two main kinds of knowledge claim: knowledge claims to describe and explain the world, and knowledge claims to critique the world and show that an alternative world is necessary and possible. Keeping in view the newly radicalizing elements of the public, including the youth, this article presents the ideas of
The Communist Manifesto in terms of precise and systematically organized knowledge claims that cover three main areas of Marxism (historical materialism, political economy, and communist/socialist practice).
Measurement and correction of the macrolens array’s position error in integral imaging
Authors: Lei Ming , Mao Yan , Yan Xingpeng
Published: October 2022

The macrolens array is generally used in the large-format integral imaging display system, and the position error of the lens will affect the result of the integral imaging display. In this paper, the average value and variance of the distances from the distributed reconstructed points to their ideal points are used to measure the size of the position error, and the performance of the measurement methods is discussed. The one-to-one relationship of the pixels of the elemental image under the ideal case and the position error are analyzed, and the corresponding correction methods of these position errors are analyzed. Then the pixels are rearranged to compensate for the position error, thereby alleviating the influence of the microlens array’s (MALA’s) position error on the imaging quality, which is verified by theoretical simulation and experimental results.
Diffuse photon remission associated with the center-illuminated-area-detection geometry: Part I, an approach to the steady-state model
Authors: Sun Tengfei , Piao Daqing
Published: October 2022

Diffuse photon remission
associated with the center-illuminated-area-detection
(CIAD) geometry has
been useful for non-contact
sensing and may inform single-fiber reflectance (SfR). This series of
work advances model approaches that help enrich the understanding and
applicability of the photon remission by CIAD. The general approach is
to derive the diffuse photon remission by the area integration of the
radially resolved diffuse reflectance while limiting the analysis to a
medium exhibiting only the Heyney–Greenstein (HG) scattering phase
function. Part I assesses the steady-state photon remission in CIAD
over a reduced scattering scaled diameter of

μ

s

′

d

a
r
e
a

∈
[

0.5
×

10

−
3

,

10

3

]

that covers the range extensively
modeled for SfR. The corresponding radially resolved diffuse
reflectance is obtained by concatenating an empirical expression for
the semi-ballistic region near the point-of-illumination and a formula
utilizing a master-slave dual-source scheme over the semi-diffusive to
a diffusive regime while being constrained by an extrapolated
zero-boundary condition. The terminal algebraic photon remission is
examined against Monte Carlo simulations for an absorption coefficient
over

[

0.001
,
1

]

m
m

−
1

, a reduced scattering coefficient
over

[

0.01
,
1000

]

m
m

−
1

, a HG scattering anisotropy factor
within

[

0.5
,
0.95

]

, and a diameter of the area of
collection ranging

[

50
,
1000

]

µ

m

. The algebraic model is also applied
to phantom data acquired over a

∼

2

c
m

non-contact CIAD configuration and
with a 200 µm SfR probe. The model approach will be extended in
a subsequent work towards the time-of-flight characteristics of
CIAD.
Continuous-wave parallel interferometric near-infrared spectroscopy (CW πNIRS) with a fast two-dimensional camera
Authors: Samaei Saeed , Nowacka Klaudia , Gerega Anna , Pastuszak Żanna , Borycki Dawid
Published: October 2022

Interferometric near-infrared spectroscopy (iNIRS) is an optical method
that noninvasively measures the optical and dynamic properties of the
human brain in vivo. However, the original iNIRS
technique uses single-mode fibers for light collection, which reduces
the detected light throughput. The reduced light throughput is
compensated by the relatively long measurement or integration times
(∼1 sec), which preclude monitoring of rapid blood flow changes that
could be linked to neural activation. Here, we propose parallel
interferometric near-infrared spectroscopy (πNIRS) to overcome this
limitation. In πNIRS we use multi-mode fibers for light collection and
a high-speed, two-dimensional camera for light detection. Each camera
pixel acts effectively as a single iNIRS channel. So, the processed
signals from each pixel are spatially averaged to reduce the overall
integration time. Moreover, interferometric detection provides us with
the unique capability of accessing complex information (amplitude and
phase) about the light remitted from the sample, which with more than
8000 parallel channels, enabled us to sense the cerebral blood flow
with only a 10 msec integration time (∼100x faster than conventional
iNIRS). In this report, we have described the theoretical foundations
and possible ways to implement πNIRS. Then, we developed a prototype
continuous wave (CW) πNIRS system and validated it in liquid phantoms.
We used our CW πNIRS to monitor the pulsatile blood flow in a human
forearm in vivo. Finally, we demonstrated that CW
πNIRS could monitor activation of the prefrontal cortex by recording
the change in blood flow in the forehead of the subject while he was
reading an unknown text.
Nonlinear polarization imaging by parametric upconversion
Authors: Zhu Zhanghang , Zhang Di , Xie Fei , Ma Junjun , Chen Jiaxin , Gong Shengchao , Wu Wei , Cai Wei , Zhang Xinzheng , Ren Mengxin , Xu Jingjun
Published: October 2022

Parametric upconversion, which can convert infrared (IR) light into the visible (VIS) band, has been regarded as a successful innovative strategy for IR detection. However, the traditional upconversion technique can get only intensity information of IR light, while completely dropping its polarization information. In this paper, we present a nonlinear polarization imaging technique based on parametric upconversion that can decipher near-IR (NIR) light polarization from that of upconverted VIS waves. Assisted by the parametric upconversion process in a nanometers thin lithium niobate film, the polarization states of NIR fundamental frequency (FF) light are encoded into the generated VIS wave. Based on the nonlinear Stokes–Mueller formalism developed here, FF polarization is successfully retrieved from upconverted VIS light. High-precision polarization imaging over various targets is demonstrated using our technique, which provides a fresh perspective on manufacturing novel polarimeters for various NIR polarization imaging and metrological applications.
Efforts to tax carbon in Washington State
Authors: Karceski Steven M.
Published: October 2022

This paper explores the determinants of carbon taxation by focusing on recent efforts to tax carbon in Washington State. The paper identifies citizen demand, energy interests, and tax structure as possible factors in the emergence of carbon taxation. Washington has relatively high demand for climate action, and is unique with respect to its high reliance on indirect taxation and its low level of local fossil fuel interests. I argue this context, especially the high reliance on indirect taxation, makes taxation more appealing than other carbon pricing alternatives. I then test whether local tax structure shapes preferences for carbon taxation using county level opinion data. I find evidence that support for carbon taxation is higher in states with higher gasoline taxes, but no effect from sales and sin taxes. I conclude summarizing various accounts of each initiative’s failure, and highlight a few lessons from the efforts to tax carbon in Washington state.
Development characteristics of the rock fracture field in strata overlying a mined coal seam group
Authors: Qi Yun , Wang Wei , Ge Jiaqi , Yang Zebin , Qi Qingjie
Published: October 2022

The fracture development of the overlying strata after coal mining is an important guarantee of efficient gas drainage. In order to explore the fracture evolution characteristics close to a mined coal seam group, the F15.16−24130 working face in the Pingdingshan No. 10 coal mine was taken as the research background. The FLAC3D numerical simulation software was used to study the migration and failure characteristics of the overlying strata during mining of a coal seam group, and the fracture evolution process of the stope was investigated. The results show that as the advancing distance increased, the fracture density and fracture height increased continuously due to deformation and failure of the overlying rock. The displacement of the overlying rock initially increased and then decreased, and the displacement of the floor rock initially decreased and then increased. When working face F15.16 of the coal seam advanced to 75 m, a saddle-shaped plastic zone gradually formed in the upper part of the goaf and the floor of the goaf was formed. The pressure relief depth was proportional to the advancement distance. As the advancement distance of the working face increased, the pressure relief depth gradually extended to the F17 coal seam, which was conducive to the development and penetration of the fractures in the coal floor and rock mass and was convenient for pressure relief gas drainage from the F17 coal seam.
The epidemiology of pediatric traumatic brain injury presenting at a referral center in Moshi, Tanzania
Authors: Barcenas Loren K. , Appenteng Roselyn , Sakita Francis , O’Leary Paige , Rice Henry , Mmbaga Blandina T. , Vissoci Joao Ricardo Nickenig , Staton Catherine A.
Published: October 2022

Background

Over 95% of childhood injury deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) have twice the likelihood of dying in LMICs than in high-income countries (HICs). In Africa, TBI estimates are projected to increase to upwards of 14 million new cases in 2050; however, these estimates are based on sparse data, which underscores the need for robust injury surveillance systems. We aim to describe the clinical factors associated with morbidity and mortality in pediatric TBI at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania to guide future prevention efforts.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis of a TBI registry of all pediatric (0–18 years of age) TBI patients presenting to the KCMC emergency department (ED) between May 2013 and April 2014. The variables included demographics, acute treatment and diagnostics, Glasgow Coma Scores (GCSs, severe 3–8, moderate 9–13, and mild 14–15), morbidity at discharge as measured by the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS, worse functional status 1–3, better functional status 4–6), and mortality status at discharge. The analysis included descriptive statistics, bivariable analysis and multivariable logistic regression to report the predictors of mortality and morbidity. The variables used in the multivariable logistic regression were selected according to their clinical validity in predicting outcomes.

Results

Of the total 419 pediatric TBI patients, 286 (69.3%) were male with an average age of 10.12 years (SD = 5.7). Road traffic injury (RTI) accounted for most TBIs (269, 64.4%), followed by falls (82, 19.62%). Of the 23 patients (5.58%) who had alcohol-involved injuries, most were male (3.6:1). Severe TBI occurred in 54 (13.0%) patients. In total, 90 (24.9%) patients underwent TBI surgery. Of the 21 (5.8%) patients who died, 11 (55.0%) had severe TBI, 6 (30.0%) had moderate TBI (GCS 9–13) and 3 (15.0%) presented with mild TBI (GCS>13). The variables most strongly associated with worse functional status included having severe TBI (OR = 9.45) and waiting on the surgery floor before being moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) (OR = 14.37).

Conclusions

Most pediatric TBI patients were males who suffered RTIs or falls. Even among children under 18 years of age, alcohol was consumed by at least 5% of patients who suffered injuries, and more commonly among boys. Patients becoming unstable and having to be transferred from the surgery floor to the ICU could reflect poor risk identification in the ED or progression of injury severity. The next steps include designing interventions to reduce RTI, mitigate irresponsible alcohol use, and improve risk identification and stratification in the ED.
First-in-human study to evaluate safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of heterologous regimens using the multivalent filovirus vaccines Ad26.Filo and MVA-BN-Filo administered in different sequences and schedules: A randomized, controlled study
Authors: Bockstal Viki , Shukarev Georgi , McLean Chelsea , Goldstein Neil , Bart Stephan , Gaddah Auguste , Anumenden Dickson , Stoop Jeroen N. , Marit de Groot Anne , Pau Maria G. , Hendriks Jenny , De Rosa Stephen C. , Cohen Kristen W. , McElrath M. Juliana , Callendret Benoit , Luhn Kerstin , Douoguih Macaya , Robinson Cynthia
Published: October 2022

Background

Though clinically similar, Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease are caused by different viruses. Of the 30 documented outbreaks of these diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, eight were major outbreaks (≥200 cases; five caused by Zaire ebolavirus [EBOV], two by Sudan ebolavirus [SUDV], and one by Marburg virus [MARV]). Our purpose is to develop a multivalent vaccine regimen protecting against each of these filoviruses. This first-in-human study assessed the safety and immunogenicity of several multivalent two-dose vaccine regimens that contain Ad26.Filo and MVA-BN-Filo.

Methods

Ad26.Filo combines three vaccines encoding the glycoprotein (GP) of EBOV, SUDV, and MARV. MVA-BN-Filo is a multivalent vector encoding EBOV, SUDV, and MARV GPs, and Taï Forest nucleoprotein. This Phase 1, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled healthy adults (18–50 years) into four groups, randomized 5:1 (active:placebo), to assess different Ad26.Filo and MVA-BN-Filo vaccine directionality and administration intervals. The primary endpoint was safety; immune responses against EBOV, SUDV, and MARV GPs were also assessed.

Results

Seventy-two participants were randomized, and 60 (83.3%) completed the study. All regimens were well tolerated with no deaths or vaccine-related serious adverse events (AEs). The most frequently reported solicited local AE was injection site pain/tenderness. Solicited systemic AEs most frequently reported were headache, fatigue, chills, and myalgia; most solicited AEs were Grade 1–2. Solicited/unsolicited AE profiles were similar between regimens. Twenty-one days post-dose 2, 100% of participants on active regimen responded to vaccination and exhibited binding antibodies against EBOV, SUDV, and MARV GPs; neutralizing antibody responses were robust against EBOV (85.7–100%), but lower against SUDV (35.7–100%) and MARV (0–57.1%) GPs. An Ad26.Filo booster induced a rapid further increase in humoral responses.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that heterologous two-dose vaccine regimens with Ad26.Filo and MVA-BN-Filo are well tolerated and immunogenic in healthy adults.

ClinicalTrials.gov

NCT02860650.
What can be learned from lecturers’ knowledge and self-efficacy for online teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic to promote online teaching in higher education
Authors: Blonder Ron , Feldman-Maggor Yael , Rap Shelley
Published: October 2022

The experience of graduate degree lecturers in the natural sciences when they switched to online teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic is described. The shift to online teaching throughout the pandemic provided an opportunity to evaluate how lecturers integrate technology into their teaching and what they need to improve their remote teaching. This study used a twofold perspective of TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) and self-efficacy in online education. Its data were derived from pre-and post-questionnaires, comprising closed and open-ended questions, given at the start and end of the semester. We found that lecturers focused on learning and applying technological and techno-pedagogical knowledge but paid less attention to the integration of three components: technology, pedagogy, and scientific content. Although no statistically significant differences in lecturers’ perceived self-efficacy was found between the start and the end of the semester, at the end of the semester we found a statistically significant correlation between the variables involved in building self-efficacy in online teaching: (1) satisfaction with online teaching and the belief that (2) technology promotes teaching, student interactions, participation, and engagement. Our results enabled us to identify the knowledge aspects that lecturers implemented initiatively and to better understand what aspects required more professional development training. In addition, the results emphasized the importance of developing the lecturers’ self-efficacy for online teaching. These insights can help to improve and enhance online teaching in higher education.
Integrated energy system optimal scheduling considering the comprehensive and flexible operation mode of pumping storage
Authors: Yang Xinglin , Chang Jiaqi , Zhang Zongnan , Zhang Jiaqi , Xu Guanzhong
Published: October 2022

The integrated energy system (IES) optimal scheduling under the comprehensive flexible operation mode of pumping storage is considered. This system is conducive to the promotion of the accommodation of wind and solar energy and can meet the water, electricity and heat needs of coastal areas far away from the energy center. In this study, the joint dispatch between double pumped storage power stations is used to accommodate wind and solar energy better and smooth their fluctuations on the grid. Through the scheduling of water between the high and low reservoirs of double pumped storage power stations and the reservoir of the seawater desalination plant, the impact of storage capacity constraints on pumped storage power plants is reduced. Moreover, the objective function to build the IES optimization scheduling model is to achieve minimum economic cost. The results reveal that the integrated energy system accommodates all wind energy and solar energy. As such, the system increases the average working time of the pumped storage unit by 1.9 hours and reduces the economic cost by 31.50%. Based on the simulation results, the model can enhance the accommodation capability of wind energy and solar energy and improve the system economy.
Malignant neoplasms in people with hypothyroidism in Spain: A population-based analysis
Authors: Díez Juan J. , Iglesias Pedro
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The objective of this study was to determine the association between hypothyroidism and overall and site-specific cancer in Spanish population.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed using the population-based database BDCAP (Base de Datos Clínicos de Atención Primaria, primary care clinical database) to analyze the relative risk of cancer in Spanish population with hypothyroidism.

Results

In a total of 2,414,165 patients diagnosed with hypothyroidism in BDCAP in 2019, the relative risk (OR) of cancer, compared to the non-hypothyroid population, was 1.73 (1.72–1.74) (P<0.0001). The higher risk was observed in both men (OR 2.15 [2.13–2.17]; P<0.0001) and women (OR 1.67 [1.636–1.68]; P<0.0001). However, hypothyroid persons aged 65 years or older had a reduced risk of cancer (OR 0.98 [0.97–0.98]; P<0.0001). In addition, hypothyroid patients aged 65 or over showed a decreased risk of cancers of the bladder, colorectal, gastric, pancreatic and prostate. Socioeconomic characteristics such as income level, municipality size, country of birth and employment situation had limited influence on the association between hypothyroidism and cancer. However, hypothyroid patients receiving replacement therapy exhibited higher cancer risk compared with patients without treatment (OR 1.30 [1.28–1.31]; P<0.0001).

Conclusion

Spanish hypothyroid patients of both genders have a risk of overall cancer higher than that found in non-hypothyroid population. However, people over 65 years have a reduced risk of various malignancies. This peculiarity of hypothyroidism should be considered by the health authorities.
Effect of gravity on colloidal particle transport in a saturated porous medium: Analytical solutions and experiments
Authors: Tu Shujie , Liu Xiaoming , Cai Hongjiang
Published: October 2022

The colloidal particle transport process in all porous media from laboratory to nature is affected by gravity. In this paper, a mathematical model of colloidal particle migration in a saturated porous medium with the gravity effect is established by combining the gap velocity (advection) with the settling velocity (gravity effect), and an analytical solution of the particle migration problem with time variation of the particle injection intensity is obtained using an integral transformation. The correctness and rationality of the analytical solution are verified by comparing the experimental and theoretical results of the particle migration problem in the point-source transient injection mode. The analytical solution can easily analyze the colloid transport experimental data in a variety of seepage directions. Analysis of the influence of seepage velocities in three different seepage directions on particle transport parameters shows: under the same seepage direction, the peak value of the breakthrough curve increased with an increase in the seepage velocity. The dispersion, adsorption coefficient, and deposition rate decreased with an increase in the seepage velocity. Under the same seepage velocity, the peak value of the breakthrough curve from large to small was vertically downward (VD)> horizontal (H)> vertically upward (VU), the order of dispersion from large to small was vertically downward (VD)>horizontal (H) >vertically upward (VU), the order of the adsorption coefficient and deposition rate of particles from large to small was vertically upward (VU)> horizontal (H) >vertically downward (VD), and the smaller the seepage velocity, the greater the relative differences in the peak value of the breakthrough curve, dispersion, the particle adsorption coefficient, and the deposition rate in the different seepage directions. Therefore, gravity is an important mechanism of particle migration in saturated porous media. The larger the particle size and density were, the smaller the seepage velocity was and the more obvious the effect of gravity. The findings of this study can help for better understanding of colloidal transport properties in porous media under the coupled effects of gravity and hydrodynamics.
A model based on SVM-GDPSO for the voltage stability forecasting of large power system
Authors: Li Qiang , Qiang Yan , Kong De-jin , Liu Xiao-feng
Published: October 2022

The stability assessment of a large power system in real-time is very necessary after it encounters fault. The paper proposes a new model (SVM-GDPSO) for assessing the large power system. In order to enhance SVM, taking tangent vector of power flow Jacobian (PFJ) as the goal of machine learning was used for improving the precision. Besides, particle swarm optimization (PSO) with Gaussian disturbance (GD) is taken for setting the key parameters of SVM, and metalearning was utilized to decrease the search space of PSO. The experiment on the standard test system of IEEE 118-bus demonstrated that this model could reflect the status of large power system in time. Besides, the method could locate the fault area and rank the fault level by the observation of critical bus. The proposed method has the reliability rate 97.22 %, which is superior to the back propagation neural network (BPNN) and SVM-GA, as well as determines the fault area with the success rate of 96.61 %.
Deep multi-modal schizophrenia disorder diagnosis via a GRU-CNN architecture
Authors: Masoudi Babak , Danishvar Sebelan
Published: October 2022

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder associated with a change in the functional and structural of the brain. Accurate automatic diagnosis of schizophrenia is crucial and still a challenge. In this paper, we propose an automatic diagnosis of schizophrenia disorder method based on the fusion of different neuroimaging features and a deep learning architecture. We propose a deep-multimodal fusion (DMMF) architecture based on gated recurrent unit (GRU) network and 2D-3D convolutional neural networks (CNN). The DMMF model combines functional connectivity (FC) measures extracted from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data and low-level features obtained from fMRI, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data and creates latent and discriminative feature maps for classification. The fusion of ROI-based FC with fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from DTI images achieved state-of-theart diagnosis-accuracy of 99.50% and an area under the curve (AUC) of 99.7% on COBRE dataset. The results are promising for the combination of features. The high accuracy and AUC in our experiments show that the proposed deep learning architecture can extract latent patterns from neuroimaging data and can help to achieve accurate classification of schizophrenia and healthy groups.
Distant supervision relation extraction based on mutual information and multi-level attention
Authors: Ye Yuxin , Jiang Song , Wang Shijia , Li Huiying
Published: October 2022

Distant supervision for relation extraction, an effective method to reduce labor costs, has been widely used to search for novel relational facts from text. However, distant supervision always suffers from incorrect labelling problems. Meanwhile, existing methods for noise reduction oftentimes ignore the commonalities in the instances. To alleviate this issue, we propose a distant supervision relation extraction model based on mutual information and multi-level attention. In our proposed method, we calculate mutual information based on the attention mechanism. Mutual information are used to build attention at both word and sentence levels, which is expected to dynamically reduce the influence of noisy instances. Extensive experiments using a benchmark dataset have validated the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Simple and Flexible Way to Integrate Heterogeneous Information Systems and Their Services into the World Data System
Authors: Nowakowski Grzegorz , Telenyk Sergii , Yefremov Kostiantyn , Khmeliuk Volodymyr
Published: October 2022

The approach to applications integration for World Data Center (WDC) interdisciplinary scientific investigations is developed in the article. The integration is based on mathematical logic and artificial intelligence. Key elements of the approach - a multilevel system architecture, formal logical system, implementation - are based on intelligent agents' interaction. The formal logical system is proposed. The inference method and mechanism of solution tree recovery are elaborated. The implementation of application integration for interdisciplinary scientific research is based on a stack of modern protocols, enabling communication of business processes over the transport layer of the OSI model. Application integration is also based on coordinated models of business processes, for which an integrated set of business applications are designed and realized.
Top applications of dermatologic ultrasonography that can modify management
Authors: Wortsman Ximena
Published: October 2022

Dermatologic ultrasonography is a new field that has been growing exponentially in the last 10 years. It has multiple applications that can modify patient management, such as the assessment of benign and malignant cutaneous tumors, vascular anomalies, inflammatory dermatologic entities, aesthetic complications, and nail lesions. Compared with other imaging techniques such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography has the highest axial spatial resolution and has benefited from the development of high- and ultra-high-frequency probes that could even reach 70 MHz. The daily use of ultrasonography in dermatology has been reported to improve the accuracy of diagnoses, the tracking of activity, and the assessment of severity in common dermatologic conditions, which certainly can support better treatment of patients.
Effects of Fully Filling Deep Electron/Hole Traps in Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dosimeters in the Kilovoltage Energy Range
Authors: Chun Minsoo , Jin Hyeongmin , Lee Sung Young , Kwon Ohyun , Choi Chang Heon , Park Jong Min , Kim Jung-in
Published: October 2022

Background: This study investigated the characteristics of optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) with fully filled deep electron/hole traps in the kV energy ranges.Materials and Methods: The experimental group consisted of InLight nanoDots, whose deep electron/hole traps were fully filled with 5 kGy pre-irradiation (OSLDexp), whereas the non-preirradiated OSLDs were arranged as a control group (OSLDcont). Absorbed doses for 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, and 105 kVp with 200 mA and 40 ms were measured and defined as the unit doses for each energy value. A bleaching device equipped with a 520-nm long-pass filter was used, and the strong beam mode was used to read out signal counts. The characteristics were investigated in terms of fading, dose sensitivities according to the accumulated doses, and dose linearity.Results and Discussion: In OSLDexp, the average normalized counts (sensitivities) were 12.7%, 14.0%, 15.0%, 10.2%, 18.0%, 17.9%, and 17.3% higher compared with those in OSLDcont for 75, 80, 90, 95, 100, and 105 kVp, respectively. The dose accumulation and bleaching time did not significantly alter the sensitivity, regardless of the filling of deep traps for all radiation qualities. Both OSLDexp and OSLDcont exhibited good linearity, by showing coefficients determination (R2) > 0.99. The OSL sensitivities can be increased by filling of deep electron/hole traps in the energy ranges between 75 and 105 kVp, and they exhibited no significant variations according to the bleaching time.
Material Culture and Heritage Safeguarding in Southwest China
Authors: Jackson Jason Baird , Zhang Lijun , Wuerxiya Wuerxiya
Published: October 2022

A project report describes the symposium “Material Culture and Heritage Safeguarding in Southwest China” held online on September 16–17, 2021. Organized by the International Folklore Studies Center, a joint center of Beijing Normal University and Indiana University, the event centered on research presentations from a binational (United States, China) team studying craft and associated cultural heritage issues among ethnic groups in Southwest China and the impact of intangible cultural heritage policies on craft practices and craft producers. The research, and associated exhibition and programming activities, have been undertaken since 2013 under the auspices of a larger collaboration between the China Folklore Society and American Folklore Society.
Interview with José Carlos Martins da Rosa
Authors: Casarin Renato Corrêa Viana , Rosa José Carlos Martins da
Published: October 2022

In this interview, the innovative technique “Immediate Dentoalveolar Restoration” is presented by its developer and main researcher, Dr. José Carlos Rosa. It is noteworthy the discussion about biological aspects, based on cellular components of tuberosity grafts used in this technique. Additionally, the reader has also the opportunity to learn about this therapeutic alternative for the treatment of compromised sockets and the aesthetic reconstruction of soft and hard peri-implant tissues, as well as its indications, advantages and limitations. ©