bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deep attentive fusion network for flood detection on uni-temporal Sentinel-1 data
Authors: Yadav Ritu , Nascetti Andrea , Ban Yifang
Published: December 2022

Floods are occurring across the globe, and due to climate change, flood events are expected to increase in the coming years. Current situations urge more focus on efficient monitoring of floods and detecting impacted areas. In this study, we propose two segmentation networks for flood detection on uni-temporal Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar data. The first network is “Attentive U-Net”. It takes VV, VH, and the ratio VV/VH as input. The network uses spatial and channel-wise attention to enhance feature maps which help in learning better segmentation. “Attentive U-Net” yields 67% Intersection Over Union (IoU) on the Sen1Floods11 dataset, which is 3% better than the benchmark IoU. The second proposed network is a dual-stream “Fusion network”, where we fuse global low-resolution elevation data and permanent water masks with Sentinel-1 (VV, VH) data. Compared to the previous benchmark on the Sen1Floods11 dataset, our fusion network gave a 4.5% better IoU score. Quantitatively, the performance improvement of both proposed methods is considerable. The quantitative comparison with the benchmark method demonstrates the potential of our proposed flood detection networks. The results are further validated by qualitative analysis, in which we demonstrate that the addition of a low-resolution elevation and a permanent water mask enhances the flood detection results. Through ablation experiments and analysis we also demonstrate the effectiveness of various design choices in proposed networks. Our code is available on Github at https://github.com/RituYadav92/UNI_TEMP_FLOOD_DETECTION for reuse.
Social capital and the COVID-19 pandemic threat: The Russian experience
Authors: Tatarko Alexander , Jurcik Tomas , Boehnke Klaus
Published: December 2022

Social capital is an important resource for the wellbeing of both the individual and society. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many studies have been conducted to explore the role of social capital in coping with the negative consequences of the pandemic. However, how the pandemic itself can affect the social capital of people has yet to be studied. Try to fill this gap, we aimed at testing the association between the individually perceived coronavirus threat and such indicators of social capital as general social trust, institutional trust, and the quality of various types of people's social relationships (with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, residents of a locality, residents of a country). Data were collected in different regions of the Russian Federation for a convenience sample of 500 respondents. The study found that the individually perceived coronavirus threat was positively associated with institutional trust, but not with general social trust. Moreover, this covariation was moderated by age: an institutional trust-threat relation emerged only in older respondents with an average age of around 60, but not in younger participants. Furthermore, the study found that perceived coronavirus threat was associated with closer relationships in the family, but simultaneously with an increased distance in relations with neighbors and residents of the respondents' locality. In summary, the study indicated that “strong” ties (i.e., with family, colleagues, and friends) either remained unchanged or were intensified in the face of the pandemic threat, whereas “weak” ties (i.e., with neighbors, residents of the same locality, and fellow citizens) tended to weaken even more.
Analytical Validation of the IMMULITE® 2000 XPi Progesterone Assay for Quantitative Analysis in Ovine Serum
Authors: Jones Kristi L. , Megahed Ameer A. , Diehl Brittany N. , Chan Ann M. , Hernández Oscar , Cabrera Catalina , Bittar João H. J.
Published: December 2022

Monitoring circulating progesterone (P4) concentration is an important component of basic and applied reproduction research and clinical settings. IMMULITE® 2000 XPi (Siemens) is a newly upgraded fully automated immunoassay system marketed for human use to measure concentrations of different analytes including P4. Our objective was therefore to characterize the analytical performance of the IMMULITE® 2000 XPi P4 immunoassay across the reportable range in ovine serum. This validation of analytical performance included determining (1) linearity, (2) precision through within-run, and between-run coefficient of variation (CV) calculations, (3) accuracy through bias calculations for spiking-recovery bias and interlaboratory (range and average based) bias for two laboratories across the reportable range (0.2–40 ng/mL). The average within-run and between-run precision (CV%) across the reportable range of the IMMULITE® 2000 XPi P4 immunoassay for serum P4 concentration were both <5%, ranging between 2–8%. The average Observed Total Analytic Error (TEo) reported here for serum P4 concentration across the reportable range was ~30%, ranging from 14.8–59.4%, regardless of the considered bias. Based on these data we conclude that the automated IMMULITE® 2000 XPi P4 immunoassay provides a precise, accurate, reliable, and safe method for measuring P4 concentration ovine serum.
Polyphenol Release from Wheat Bran Using Ethanol-Based Organosolv Treatment and Acid/Alkaline Catalysis: Process Modeling Based on Severity and Response Surface Optimization
Authors: Papadaki Eirini S. , Palaiogiannis Dimitrios , Lalas Stavros I. , Mitlianga Paraskevi , Makris Dimitris P.
Published: December 2022

Wheat bran (WB) is globally a major food industry waste, with a high prospect as a bioresource in the production of precious polyphenolic phytochemicals. In this framework, the current investigation had as objectives (i) to use ethanol organosolv treatment and study the effect of acid and alkali catalysts on releasing bound polyphenols, (ii) establish linear and quadratic models of polyphenol recovery based on severity and response surface, and (iii) examine the polyphenolic composition of the extracts generated. Using sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide as the acid and the alkali catalyst, respectively, it was found that the correlation of combined severity factor with total polyphenol yield was significant in the acid catalysis, but a highly significant correlation in the alkali-catalyzed process was established with modified severity factor, which takes into consideration catalyst concentration, instead of pH. Optimization of the process with response surface confirmed that polyphenol release from WB was linked to treatment time, but also catalyst concentration. Under optimized conditions, the acid- and alkali-catalyzed processes afforded total polyphenol yields of 10.93 ± 0.62 and 19.76 ± 0.76 mg ferulic acid equivalents g−1 dry mass, respectively. Examination of the polyphenolic composition revealed that the alkali-catalyzed process had a striking effect on releasing ferulic acid, but the acid catalysis was insufficient in this regard. The outcome concerning the antioxidant properties was contradictory with respect to the antiradical activity and ferric-reducing power of the extracts, a fact most probably attributed to extract constituents other than ferulic acid. The process modeling proposed herein may be valuable in assessing both process effectiveness and severity, with a perspective of establishing WB treatments that would provide maximum polyphenol recovery with minimum harshness and cost.
Protective Effect of Foxtail Millet Protein Hydrolysate on Ethanol and Pyloric Ligation-Induced Gastric Ulcers in Mice
Authors: Zhang Bowei , Rao Xiaoxiao , Zhang Yunhui , Dai Weijia , Xu Yingchuan , Zhao Congying , Chen Zhenjia , Wang Jin , Fan Dancai , Wang Xiaowen , Wang Shuo
Published: December 2022

Foxtail millet has been traditionally considered to possess gastroprotective effects, but studies evaluating its use as a treatment for gastric ulcers are lacking. Here, we assessed the antiulcer effects of foxtail millet protein hydrolysate (FPH) and explored its mechanism by using blocking agents. In a mouse model of ethanol-induced gastric ulcers, pretreatment with FPH reduced the ulcerative lesion index, downregulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the gastric tissue, increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and improved the oxidative status. FPH increased constitutive the activity of nitric oxide synthase (cNOS), NO levels, and mucin expression in gastric mucosa, and inhibited the activation of the ET-1/PI3K/Akt pathway. In a mouse model of pyloric ligation-induced gastric ulcers, FPH inhibited gastric acid secretion and decreased the activity of gastric protease. Pretreatment of mice with the sulfhydryl blocker NEM and the NO synthesis inhibitor L-NAME abolished the gastroprotective effect of FPH, but not the KATP channel blocker glibenclamide and the PGE2 synthesis blocker indomethacin. Among the peptides identified in FPH, 10 peptides were predicted to have regulatory effects on the gastric mucosa, and the key sequences were GP and PG. The results confirmed the gastroprotective effect of FPH and revealed that its mechanism was through the regulation of gastric mucosal mucus and NO synthesis. This study supports the health effects of a millet-enriched diet and provides a basis for millet protein as a functional food to improve gastric ulcers and its related oxidative stress.
Fatigue Crack Propagation Study of Bridge Steel Q345qD Based on XFEM Considering the Influence of the Stress Ratio
Authors: Cao Baoya , Cheng Siwei , Li Aiqun , Deng Yang , Fang Zhao
Published: December 2022

In the past, fatigue cracks have appeared in the orthotropic steel decks of bridges shortly after they opened to traffic. Previous studies have shown that high tensile welding residual stress exists in welded joints of steel bridges, which significantly changes the average stress and stress ratio of the joints. However, traditional fatigue crack propagation (FCP) calculations based on the Paris equation do not consider the influence of the stress ratio. Steel Q345qD is a common material used in bridges. Therefore, it is meaningful to study the influence of the stress ratio on the FCP life of steel Q345qD. In this paper, an FCP equation based on the energy release rate considering the influence of the stress ratio is first derived and named the da/dN-ΔG-R equation. Next, three material parameters in the equation are determined based on the results from tests of steel Q345qD under different stress ratios. Then, a user subroutine based on the extended finite element method (XFEM) that considers the influence of the stress ratio is defined and the effects of mesh size are analyzed. Finally, the effects of the stress ratio on FCP are discussed and the adaptability of the da/dN-ΔG-R equation is verified by comparing the values obtained from the equation with experimental results. The results show that: with a 95% guarantee rate, three material parameters in the da/dN-ΔG-R equation are: log(C) = −10.71, m = 2.780, and γ = 0.957; in the numerical simulation, a mesh size of 1 mm is more appropriate than other mesh sizes as it shows better accuracy and efficiency; under the same energy release rate range, the crack growth rate decreases as the stress ratio increases; under the same loading amplitude and cycles, the fatigue life decreases as the stress ratio increases; and finally, the numerical results considering the influence of stress ratio based on the da/dN-ΔG-R equation are close to the test results, while the results without considering the stress ratio based on the Paris equation are inaccurate.
An Enhanced Water Quality Index for Water Quality Monitoring Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning
Authors: Ahmed Mehreen , Mumtaz Rafia , Anwar Zahid
Published: December 2022

Water quality deterioration is a serious problem with the increase in the urbanization rate. However, water quality monitoring uses grab sampling of physico-chemical parameters and a water quality index method to assess water quality. Both processes are lengthy and expensive. These traditional indices are biased towards the physico-chemical parameters because samples are only collected from certain sampling points. These limitations make the current water quality index method unsuitable for any water body in the world. Thus, we develop an enhanced water quality index method based on a semi-supervised machine learning technique to determine water quality. This method follows five steps: (i) parameter selection, (ii) sub-index calculation, (iii) weight assignment, (iv) aggregation of sub-indices and (v) classification. Physico-chemical, air, meteorological and hydrological, topographical parameters are acquired for the stream network of the Rawal watershed. Min-max normalization is used to obtain sub-indices, and weights are assigned with tree-based techniques, i.e., LightGBM, Random Forest, CatBoost, AdaBoost and XGBoost. As a result, the proposed technique removes the uncertainties in the traditional indexing with a 100% classification rate, removing the necessity of including all parameters for classification. Electric conductivity, secchi disk depth, dissolved oxygen, lithology and geology are amongst the high weighting parameters of using LightGBM and CatBoost with 99.1% and 99.3% accuracy, respectively. In fact, seasonal variations are observed for the classified stream network with a shift from 55:45% (January) to 10:90% (December) ratio for the medium to bad class. This verifies the validity of the proposed method that will contribute to water management planning globally.
UML Profile for Messaging Patterns in Service-Oriented Architecture, Microservices, and Internet of Things
Authors: Górski Tomasz
Published: December 2022

The exchange of information among information technology (IT) systems is inevitable. Service fulfillment often involves sending and receiving messages. The article presents a set of messaging patterns for service-oriented architecture, microservices, and messaging protocols for the Internet of Things. The paper describes selected patterns that are the result of current research work. In addition, patterns introduced in open-source frameworks such as ZeroMQ have also been included. Moreover, the set includes Enterprise Integration Patterns. All considered messaging patterns have been described using the stereotype extensibility mechanism of the Unified Modeling Language (UML), and their complete set has been included in the new UML Profile for Messaging Patterns. The paper also shows the manner of integration flow modeling. In the illustrative examples, both the integration flow modeling diagram and the profile have been used to describe the communication in the context of the Integrated services view of the 1+5 architectural views model. The profile has been designed in the visual paradigm tool and revealed in a public repository for the community.
The Influence of Various Factors on Nanocatalyst Activity during Benzothiophene Hydrogenation
Authors: Barshabayeva Aigerim , Balpanova Nazerke , Aitbekova Darzhan , Baikenov Murzabek , Aubakirov Yermek , Khalikova Z. S. , Tusipkhan Almas , Tulebaeva Balzhan , Gulzhan Taurbaeva
Published: December 2022

Herein, we disclosed a method of preparing a nanocatalyst containing nickel-cobalt by impregnation in a hydrochloric acid medium. Optimal conditions were established for all stages of nanocatalyst preparation using the method of probabilistic–deterministic experiment planning: hydrochloric acid concentration—1 mol/L, ratio of HCl concentration to nickel concentration—20, ratio of HCl concentration to cobalt concentration—20. The method of planning the experiment of preparing a nanocatalyst allows varying all the factors simultaneously and obtaining quantitative estimates of the main effects and effects of interaction, as well as establishing the dominant factors affecting the activity and selectivity of the nanocatalyst during the hydrogenation of benzothiophene. The multifactorial equation was obtained, which allowed us to calculate the optimal manufacturing parameters of the nanocatalyst, providing high activity and selectivity during the hydrogenation of benzothiophene. In the proposed nanocatalyst, a readily available natural chrysotile–asbestos with a nanotube diameter of 60–75 nm was used as a carrier for the benzothiophene hydrogenation process.
Comparative Study on the Temporal and Spatial Evolution of the Ecosystem Service Value of Different Karst Landform Types: A Case Study in Guizhou Province, China
Authors: Lu Qingping , Zhao Cuiwei , Huang Huiyu
Published: December 2022

Paying attention to the ecosystem service value (ESV) of different karst landform types is of great benefit to the green, sustainable, and high-quality development of the ecological environment in Guizhou Province. Based on the eight-period China Land Cover Dataset (CLCD) from 1985 to 2020, we compared and analyzed the ecosystem service value and its temporal and spatial variation characteristics of different karst landforms with the equivalent factor method in the study. The results revealed that the overall ecological environment of Guizhou Province showed a tendency to improve. Over the past 35 years, the net increase in the ecosystem service value in Guizhou Province was USD 385 million, with the largest increase occurring from 2015 to 2020. The overall spatial distribution is characterized by continuous low values in the middle and concentrated high values in the surrounding areas. Some of the local ecological environment in Guizhou Province is still not well-preserved. The ecosystem service value in the pure-karst area has decreased by USD 122 million over the past 35 years, mainly in Dushan County and Libo County, Qiannan Prefecture. The semi-karst area has increased by USD 367 million, concentrated in the northern and central areas of Guizhou Province. The non-karst area increased by USD 140 million, mostly distributed in Pu’an County, Xingyi City, and Yanhe County. In terms of the ecosystem service value per unit area, the results were as follows: non-karst areas > pure-karst areas > semi-karst areas. The ecosystem service value of each geomorphological area varied with the elevation and slope, showing an inverted “V” trend, first increasing and then decreasing. The maximum ecosystem service value in the pure-karst and semi-karst areas was between 800 m and 1100 m above sea level, and the non-karst area was in the range of 500 m to 800 m. The maximum ecosystem service value in the non-karst areas and semi-karst areas was within the gradient of 15° to 25°, and the pure-karst area was between 6° and 15°. The forest contributed most to the ecosystem service value of each karst landform, followed by cropland, and finally shrubland and grassland. Guizhou Province should pay attention to the protection of forest and cropland ecosystems in terms of future land management, especially with regard to ecological construction in pure-karst landform areas.
Single-Carrier Rotation-Interleaved Space-Time Code for Frequency-Selective Fading Channels
Authors: Ng Benjamin K. , Lam Chan-Tong
Published: December 2022

A novel single-carrier-based space-time code construction scheme to exploit the advantages of a frequency-selective fading channel is investigated in this paper. The proposed construction scheme is based on multiplexing independent streams of phase-rotated space-time codes in a time-interleaved fashion. The advantage of such design is that it guarantees full space-time-multipath diversity by using traditional space-time codes or MIMO signaling schemes originally designed for flat fading channels as the constituent codes. Another advantage is that this approach incurs no loss in bandwidth efficiency and it alleviates the problem of high PAPR in OFDM-based space-time codes. By employing random or algebraic rotations, the design is potentially suitable for any number of transmit antennas or multipaths. The simulation results indicate that full space-time-multipath diversity is attained using this new approach, and comparisons with some existing space-time codes designed for frequency-selective channels are made to show its performance advantage.
Simultaneous Coded Plane-Wave Imaging Using an Advanced Ultrasound Forward Model
Authors: Nicolet Frank , Bujoreanu Denis , Carcreff Ewen , Liebgott Hervé , Friboulet Denis , Nicolas Barbara
Published: December 2022

In the quest for higher acquisition rates of ultrasound images, the simultaneous emission of encoded waves has the potential to overcome the trade-off between acquisition time and image quality. However, the lack of fully orthogonal codes has led to the use of forward models and inverse problem approaches to estimate the imaged medium. Nonetheless, due to some simplifying assumptions on which these models rely, the previously stated trade-off still appears in these acquisition/reconstruction schemes. In this paper, a forward model for ultrasound wave propagation inside a scattering medium is developed for the simultaneous coded emission of plane waves. The tissue reflectivity function of the imaged medium is estimated by solving an ℓ1-regularized version of the corresponding inverse problem. The proposed method is evaluated in silico and in vitro. We demonstrate that this method outperforms the conventional technique that consists of successive emissions of plane waves, reconstruction using delay and sum (DAS), and coherent compounding. In silico, the ability to separate close scatterers is improved by a factor of four in the axial direction and by a factor of 2.5 in the lateral direction. In vitro, the spatial resolution at −6 dB is decreased by a factor of seven. These results suggest that the proposed method could be a valuable tool, particularly for ultrasound imaging of sparse mediums such as in ultrasound localization microscopy.
ConDPC: Data Connectivity-Based Density Peak Clustering
Authors: Zou Yujuan , Wang Zhijian
Published: December 2022

As a relatively novel density-based clustering algorithm, Density peak clustering (DPC) has been widely studied in recent years. DPC sorts all points in descending order of local density and finds neighbors for each point in turn to assign all points to the appropriate clusters. The algorithm is simple and effective but has some limitations in applicable scenarios. If the density difference between clusters is large or the data distribution is in a nested structure, the clustering effect of this algorithm is poor. This study incorporates the idea of connectivity into the original algorithm and proposes an improved density peak clustering algorithm ConDPC. ConDPC modifies the strategy of obtaining clustering center points and assigning neighbors and improves the clustering accuracy of the original density peak clustering algorithm. In this study, clustering comparison experiments were conducted on synthetic data sets and real-world data sets. The compared algorithms include original DPC, DBSCAN, K-means and two improved algorithms over DPC. The comparison results prove the effectiveness of ConDPC.
Ni-Cr Alloys Assessment for Dental Implants Suitability
Authors: Achitei Dragos Cristian , Baltatu Mădălina Simona , Vizureanu Petrică , Sandu Andrei Victor , Benchea Marcelin , Istrate Bogdan
Published: December 2022

The performance of the field and the condition of success in oral implantology today require the review and reevaluation of the means that contribute essentially to ensuring the stability and durability of the implant, starting from the nature of the biomaterial and continuing with the characteristics of the optimally designed biosurface. This paper proposes a comparative analysis of three commercial alloys, VeraBond, Kera N, and VeraSoft, compared to a modified dental alloy, with the aim of improving some mechanical properties. They have been studied structurally and mechanically. The microstructural structure shows that the alloys crystallize in the face-centered cube system, and the cast alloy has a dendritic structure with large grains. XRD diffractograms highlight that alloys exhibit three compounds Cr156.00 Al596.00: 9013031, Ni4.00, and Cr30.00Al48.00. The hardness measurements showed values between 203 HV and 430 HV. As the percentage of silicon increases, the hardness decreases. The modulus of elasticity obtained by the indentation method for the dental alloys was in the range of 46–153 GPa. The results showed that the hardness and elastic modulus of the new alloy was significantly minimized compared to the classical alloys used.
Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) Technique to Map Potential Aquifers of the Guigou Plain (Middle Atlas, Morocco): Hydrogeological Implications
Authors: El Makrini Said , Boualoul Mustapha , Mamouch Younes , El Makrini Hassane , Allaoui Abdelhamid , Randazzo Giovanni , Roubil Allal , El Hafyani Mohammed , Lanza Stefania , Muzirafuti Anselme
Published: December 2022

Vertical electrical sounding (VES) as a geoelectrical method has proven its effectiveness throughout the history of groundwater geophysical investigation. In this sense, VES was carried out 47 in the study area with the aim of determining the geometry and limits of Quaternary basaltic aquifer formations and, above all, the location of electrical discontinuities in the area located in the north of Morocco, between the center of Almis Guigou and the city of Timahdite. This area is experiencing an overexploitation of the groundwater due to excessive pumping and the development of intensive agriculture activities, resulting in a continuous decrease in piezometric levels. The processing of the diagrams by WINSEV software showed the presence of an electrically resistant surface level, attributed to basaltic formations, of the Quaternary age, whose thicknesses reach at least 150 m to the SW of the area. This level is superimposed on a moderately conductive horizon which, according to local geology, corresponds to Pliocene marl and limestone alternations. The correlation of VES interpretation models allowed us to elaborate thematic maps and geoelectrical sections which illustrate the vertical and lateral extension of the basaltic reservoir as well as its thickness, which decreases in general from the south-west to the north-east; however, the main electrical discontinuities also correspond to faults and fractures, and they show a NE–SW direction sub-parallel to the major accidents of the Middle Atlas. A prospectivity map of the local aquifer was generated, coinciding with regional fault lines and confirmed by the alignment of very good flowing water boreholes. This geophysical study by electrical sounding shed light on the geometry and extension of the aquifer and opened avenues to draw further conclusions on its physical and hydrodynamic characteristics, as well as to optimize the future siting of groundwater exploitation boreholes through the elaboration of the local aquifer prospectivity map.
Macronutrients, Amino and Fatty Acid Composition, Elements, and Toxins in High-Protein Powders of Crickets, Arthrospira, Single Cell Protein, Potato, and Rice as Potential Ingredients in Fermented Food Products
Authors: Grdeń Adam S. , Sołowiej Bartosz G.
Published: December 2022

Due to the increasing global population and climate change, new sustainable food sources are being intensively sought to replace less favorable livestock production. Especially new protein sources and their food applications are being focused on. In this paper, several selected protein sources that may have potential application in future functional foods, such as fermented foods, were examined and compared. These sources include single cell protein (SCP), Arthrospira platensis (Algae), Acheta domesticus (edible insect), potato, and rice protein. The above sources were compared to whey proteins. The parameters studied were total nutritional value, amino acid profile, fatty acid profile, the content of some elements, and the presence of toxins.
Identification of Drought-Tolerance Genes in the Germination Stage of Soybean
Authors: Zhao Xingzhen , Liu Zhangxiong , Li Huihui , Zhang Yanjun , Yu Lili , Qi Xusheng , Gao Huawei , Li Yinghui , Qiu Lijuan
Published: December 2022

Drought stress influences the vigor of plant seeds and inhibits seed germination, making it one of the primary environmental factors adversely affecting food security. The seed germination stage is critical to ensuring the growth and productivity of soybeans in soils prone to drought conditions. We here examined the genetic diversity and drought-tolerance phenotypes of 410 accessions of a germplasm diversity panel for soybean and conducted quantitative genetics analyses to identify loci associated with drought tolerance of seed germination. We uncovered significant differences among the diverse genotypes for four growth indices and five drought-tolerance indices, which revealed abundant variation among genotypes, upon drought stress, and for genotype × treatment effects. We also used 158,327 SNP markers and performed GWAS for the drought-related traits. Our data met the conditions (PCA + K) for using a mixed linear model in TASSEL, and we thus identified 26 SNPs associated with drought tolerance indices for germination stage distributed across 10 chromosomes. Nine SNP sites, including, for example, Gm20_34956219 and Gm20_36902659, were associated with two or more phenotypic indices, and there were nine SNP markers located in or adjacent to (within 500 kb) previously reported drought tolerance QTLs. These SNPs led to our identification of 41 candidate genes related to drought tolerance in the germination stage. The results of our study contribute to a deeper understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in soybeans at the germination stage, thereby providing a molecular basis for identifying useful soybean germplasm for breeding new drought-tolerant varieties.
Findings of a Multidisciplinary Assessment of Children Referred for Possible Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Insights from a Retrospective Chart Review Study
Authors: Alenezi Shuliweeh , Alkhiri Aqeel , Hassanin Weaam , AlHarbi Amani , Al Assaf Munirah , Alzunaydi Norah , Alsharif Salma , Alhaidar Mohammad , Alnujide Abdulaziz , Alkathiri Fatimah , Alyousef Abdulaziz , Albassam Razan , Alkhamees Hadeel , Alyahya Ahmed S.
Published: December 2022

Children with ASD have a wide spectrum of functional deficits in multiple neurodevelopmental domains. A multidisciplinary team assessment (MDT) is required to assess those deficits to help construct a multimodal intervention plan. This is a retrospective chart review of the assessment for children who were referred for an assessment of potential neurodevelopmental disorders. We reviewed 221 participants’ charts from January 2019 to January 2020. The mean age of the children was 7.95 ± 3.69, while the mean age of the fathers and mothers was 37.31 ± 8.57 and 31.95 ± 6.93, respectively. Consanguinity was as high as 37.9% for the referred children with developmental delay who were first-degree related, and 13.2% of the parents were second-degree relatives. Approximately 26.6% of children had a family history of mental illness in first-degree relatives. ASD was the most commonly reported diagnosis post-assessment, and ADHD was the most common reported comorbidity at 64.3% and 88.5%, respectively. The MDT findings showed that 58% of children required moderate or higher assistance with toileting, 79.2% were unable to answer yes/no questions, and 86.8% were unable to understand “wh” questions. Only 26% of the nonverbal children had average IQ testing results, and 31% of verbal children did. In conclusion, the mean age of the children when assessed was above that recommended for early screening and intervention. An increased paternal and maternal age was noticeable. Consanguinity and a family history of mental disorders in first-degree relatives were high, attesting to a possible genetic risk.
Dynamic Stress Path under Obliquely Incident P- and SV-Waves
Authors: Wang Mingyuan , Song Linfeng , Cheng Xinglei , Zhang Jianxin , Lu Liqiang , Li Wenqian
Published: December 2022

This study derives the expression of dynamic stress components of the soil element in the semi-infinite elastic space under obliquely incident P- and SV-waves, and obtained the corresponding dynamic stress path. The effects of some factors including the incidence angle, Poisson’s ratio, frequency, wave velocity, phase difference, and soil depth on the dynamic stress path are analyzed. It is found that the dynamic stress path in the (σy − σx)/2 − τxy plane is an oblique ellipse, and the above factors have significant effects on that. The maximum dynamic stress level for Poisson’s ratio of 0.3 is about twice that for 0.48. The maximum dynamic stress level for 2.5 Hz is about six times that for 1 Hz. In general, the maximum dynamic stress level is about 40 kPa, no matter how the wave velocity changes. Compared with other phase difference, the dynamic stress level for the phase difference of 60° is largest with a value of 43 kPa. The dynamic stress level becomes greater as the soil depth increases, and the maximum value at 30 m depth is about 40 kPa. The variation trend of the three characteristic parameters with the incident angle exhibits the double-peak or triple-peak curves for different influencing factors. The research findings can provide some guidance for the site seismic dynamic response analysis and structural seismic design.
Characterization of Cleaning and Disinfection Product Use, Glove Use, and Skin Disorders by Healthcare Occupations in a Midwestern Healthcare Facility
Authors: Kobos Lisa , Anderson Kim , Kurth Laura , Liang Xiaoming , Groth Caroline P. , England Lucy , Laney A. Scott , Virji M. Abbas
Published: December 2022

Healthcare facility staff use a wide variety of cleaning and disinfecting products during their daily operations, many of which are associated with respiratory or skin irritation or sensitization with repeated exposure. The objective of this study was to characterize the prevalence of cleaning and disinfection product use, glove use during cleaning and disinfection, and skin/allergy symptoms by occupation and identify the factors influencing glove use among the healthcare facility staff. A questionnaire was administered to the current employees at a midwestern Veterans Affairs healthcare facility that elicited information on cleaning and disinfection product use, glove use during cleaning and disinfection, skin/allergy symptoms, and other demographic characteristics, which were summarized by occupation. The central supply/environmental service workers (2% of the total survey population), nurses (26%,), nurse assistants (3%), and laboratory technicians (5%) had the highest prevalence of using cleaning or disinfecting products, specifically quaternary ammonium compounds, bleach, and alcohol. Glove use while using products was common in both patient care and non-patient care occupations. The factors associated with glove use included using bleach or quaternary ammonium compounds and using cleaning products 2–3 or 4–5 days per week. A high frequency of glove use (≥75%) was reported by workers in most occupations when using quaternary ammonium compounds or bleach. The use of alcohol, bleach, and quaternary ammonium compounds was associated with skin disorders (p < 0.05). These research findings indicate that although the workers from most occupations report a high frequency of glove use when using cleaning and disinfection products, there is room for improvement, especially among administrative, maintenance, and nursing workers. These groups may represent populations which could benefit from the implementation of workplace interventions and further training regarding the use of personal protective equipment and the potential health hazards of exposure to cleaning and disinfecting chemicals.
A Quantitative Method for Assessing and Monetizing the Failure Risk of Prefabricated Building Structures under Seismic Effect
Authors: Li Yange , Wang Tianyu , Han Zheng , Wang Weidong , Huang Jianling
Published: December 2022

As a new construction mode, the prefabricated building is the main direction of the transformation and upgrading process of the Chinese construction industry. In an earthquake area, prefabricated building damage is often reported; therefore, it is important to evaluate the failure risk of its structure under seismic effect. In this paper, combined with the vulnerability and building depreciation theory of prefabricated buildings, as well as a seismic hazard analysis of engineering sites, we propose a quantitative method for evaluating the structural failure risk of prefabricated buildings under seismic effect during their service life. In order to illustrate the proposed method, a residential prefabricated building as described in the previous study is used as a case study. The structural failure risk value and overall risk level of the case under seismic effect are calculated to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the seismic risk evaluation method. The results demonstrate that the proposed method benefits and assists risk management in the decision making and disaster prevention and mitigation regarding prefabricated buildings.
An Experimental Approach to Evaluate the Effect of Reinforcement Corrosion on Flexural Performance of RC Beams
Authors: Ahmad Shamsad , Al-Huri Mohammed A. , Al-Osta Mohammed A. , Maslehuddin Mohammed , Al-Gadhib Ali H.
Published: December 2022

The corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete has been reported as one of the main durability problems of reinforced concrete (RC) structures exposed to chloride, carbonation or both. To investigate the structural performances of RC structures subjected to corrosive exposure, the corrosion of rebars embedded in concrete is accelerated to induce a targeted degree of reinforcement corrosion in a short time duration. Several earlier researchers have attempted to develop a setup to induce the accelerated corrosion of steel bars in concrete structures. However, the induced corrosion has not been simulative of the naturally occurring corrosion of steel in concrete, causing a lack of accuracy in the test results. In this study, an attempt was made to develop a novel approach that could be utilized to induce required degrees of reinforcement corrosion following a natural pattern. To demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed setup and procedure of introducing uniform reinforcement corrosion, RC beam specimens were designed, cast, and corroded to three different corrosion levels. After inducing reinforcement corrosion, the beams were tested under flexural stress, and then the corroded bars were extracted to measure the mass loss due to corrosion. The visual inspection and gravimetric and flexural test results showed the capability of the proposed corrosion setup and procedure to induce the targeted uniform corrosion of steel bars, simulating a real-life scenario and facilitating the evaluation of the effect of reinforcement corrosion on the flexural performances of RC beams with very high accuracy.
Latest in Cellular Pathology Research
Authors: Karamichos Dimitrios
Published: December 2022

The year 2021 marked the 10th anniversary of the publication of Cells [...]
Portal Vein Thrombosis after C-Section in a Patient with Polycythemia Vera (PV) Due to Pregnancy and Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA)
Authors: Ntounis Thomas , Zioutos Konstantinos A. , Koutras Antonios , Prokopakis Ioannis , Fasoulakis Zacharias , Sapantzoglou Ioakeim , Perros Paraskevas , Samara Athina A. , Spanoudakis Emmanouil , Valsamaki Asimina , Krouskou Sevasti-Effraimia , Nikolettos Konstantinos , Palios Vasileios-Chrysovalantis , Mousios Paschalis , Goula Kallirroi , Konis Kyriakos , Chionis Athanasios , Kontomanolis Emmanuel N.
Published: December 2022

Polycythemia vera (PV) is one of the three main classic disorders of Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), with the other two being essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). PV may develop (15%) in women of childbearing age (15–45 years), with an anticipated rate of roughly 0.3 per 100,000 people, although maintaining a male to female ratio predominance of about 2:1 and a peak prevalence in the sixth and seventh decades of life. Without always being presented with its actual clinical manifestations due to pregnancy itself, and most commonly due to iron deficiency, PV can be frequently missed and therefore belatedly diagnosed. We describe the case of a primipara woman in her 40s, without risk factors for thrombosis, who developed a portal vein occlusion 1.5 month postpartum after C-section and who had a delayed diagnosis of PV.
Impact of Natural Graphite Flakes in Mixed Fillers on the Irradiation Behavior of Fine-Grained Isotropic Graphite
Authors: Lian Pengfei , Zhang Heyao , Cheng Jinxing , Wang Qingbo , Yu Ai , He Zhao , Song Jinliang , Gao Yantao , Tang Zhongfeng , Liu Zhanjun
Published: December 2022

Two forms of fine-grained isotropic graphite, derived from mixed fillers by the isostatic pressing method, NG (filler with 100% natural graphite flake) and 75N25C-G (mixed filler with 75 wt.% natural graphite flake and 25 wt.% calcined coke) were prepared and irradiated with 7 MeV Xe26+ to investigate its irradiation behaviors. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra show that the initial graphitization degree of 75N25C-G is lower than that of NG, but the crystallite sizes are larger due to calcined coke in the filler particles. After irradiation, the stacking height of crystallite sizes along c-axis directions (Lc) of NG increased, and Lc of 75N25C-G decreased. This can be attributed to irradiation-induced catalytic graphitization of calcined coke, and is also the reason that the dislocation density of 75N25C-G increases slower than that of NG. After irradiation, the crystallite sizes along a-axis directions (La) of NG and 75N25C-G reduced, but this trend was more obvious in irradiated 75N25C-G; this was closely related to the change of the surface morphology. The results show that the effect of the content of natural graphite flakes in the filler on the initial graphitization degree determines the difference in microstructure evolution caused by irradiation.
An Ensemble of Transfer Learning Models for the Prediction of Skin Cancers with Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks
Authors: Al-Rasheed Amal , Ksibi Amel , Ayadi Manel , Alzahrani Abdullah I. A. , Zakariah Mohammed , Ali Hakami Nada
Published: December 2022

Skin cancer is one of the most severe forms of the disease, and it can spread to other parts of the body if not detected early. Therefore, diagnosing and treating skin cancer patients at an early stage is crucial. Since a manual skin cancer diagnosis is both time-consuming and expensive, an incorrect diagnosis is made due to the high similarity between the various skin cancers. Improved categorization of multiclass skin cancers requires the development of automated diagnostic systems. Herein, we propose a fully automatic method for classifying several skin cancers by fine-tuning the deep learning models VGG16, ResNet50, and ResNet101. Prior to model creation, the training dataset should undergo data augmentation using traditional image transformation techniques and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to prevent class imbalance issues that may lead to model overfitting. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of creating dermoscopic images that have a realistic appearance using Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (CGAN) techniques. Thereafter, the traditional augmentation methods are used to augment our existing training set to improve the performance of pre-trained deep models on the skin cancer classification task. This improved performance is then compared to the models developed using the unbalanced dataset. In addition, we formed an ensemble of finely tuned transfer learning models, which we trained on balanced and unbalanced datasets. These models were used to make predictions about the data. With appropriate data augmentation, the proposed models attained an accuracy of 92% for VGG16, 92% for ResNet50, and 92.25% for ResNet101, respectively. The ensemble of these models increased the accuracy to 93.5%. A comprehensive discussion on the performance of the models concluded that using this method possibly leads to enhanced performance in skin cancer categorization compared to the efforts made in the past.
Pilomatrix-like High-Grade Endometrioid Carcinoma of the Ovary: Case Report, Literature Review, and Differential Diagnosis
Authors: Santoro Angela , Travaglino Antonio , Valente Michele , Arciuolo Damiano , Scaglione Giulia , D’Alessandris Nicoletta , Sfregola Stefania , Addante Francesca , Fulgione Caterina , Raffone Antonio , Minucci Angelo , Inzani Frediano , Zannoni Gian
Published: December 2022

Pilomatrix-like high-grade endometrioid carcinoma (PiMHEC) has recently been described as an aggressive variant of endometrial carcinoma. Herein, we described a case of ovarian PiMHEC, comparing it to endometrial PiMHEC and assessing previously published cases of putative ovarian PiMHEC. A 65-year-old woman underwent hysterectomy for an ovarian tumor characterized by solid nests of basaloid cells with prominent ghost cell keratinization. Immunohistochemistry showed nuclear β-catenin and CDX2 expression and loss of estrogen and progesterone receptors and PAX8. These features were consistently observed in all previously published cases and may represent diagnostic criteria of PiMHEC. Other frequent features were geographic necrosis and a low-grade endometrioid component. CK7, neuroendocrine, and basal/squamous markers were inconsistently expressed. All cases with available follow-up showed poor prognosis. PiMHEC should be distinguished from mimickers, such as high-grade endometrioid carcinoma with geographic necrosis, low-grade endometrioid carcinoma with ghost cell keratinization, and undifferentiated/dedifferentiated carcinoma. In conclusion, PiMHEC can also occur in the ovary and shows several consistent clinical, morphological, and immunophenotypical features. These features support that PiMHEC is a distinct entity requiring an aggressive management.
Multi-Motor Cooperative Control Strategy for Speed Synchronous Control of Construction Platform
Authors: Zhao Mingchuang , Wang Qunwei , Wang Yongwei , Dong Qinxi
Published: December 2022

Barrel-type structures are ubiquitous in industry and life. A novel construction platform of barrel-type structures is introduced, and it involves a multi-motor system. The synchronous control of multiple motors has great importance. To guarantee the high precision, high stability, and fast response for the collaborative control of multiple motors, this paper proposes a multi-motor cooperative control strategy. Firstly, a speed synchronization control structure between multiple permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) is designed by way of the mean coupling control structure. Then, the conventional PID controller is improved by machine learning. Moreover, a radial basis function neural (RBF) network is introduced to the conventional PID algorithm for system identification processing, and the gradient descent algorithm is used for parameter updating. An improved variable speed integral term is introduced into the integral term of the conventional PID algorithm to eliminate the error as soon as possible. Finally, it is verified via numerical simulation experiments that show the multi-motor cooperative control strategy has high anti-interference ability and robustness.