bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utilization of Various Levels of Shading and Organic Fertilizer on Morphology, Production, and Nutrient Composition of Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa
Authors: Herdiawan Iwan , Widodo Slamet
Published: November 2022

Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa is a type of grass that is known resistant to shade and responsive to fertilization. This study aimed to determine the morphology and production of Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa on various levels of shading and organic fertilizer. The soil used in this study was brown latosol. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with a factorial pattern consisting of three levels of shade (0%, 36%, and 72%) and two dose factors of organic fertilizer (0 g/pot and 500 g/pot). The parameters in this study consisted of morphology (plant height, number of leaves, number of tillers), plant production (biomass production, stem production, leaf production, and leaf/stem ratio), and nutrient composition (crude protein, extract ether, gross energy, and crude fibre). All data were observed in five replicates. The results showed that the level of shade up to 72% did not affect plant morphology. An increasing level of shading showed a significant increase (p<0.05) in the number of leaves of plant. Shading level decrease (p<0.05) biomass production, leaf, stem, LSR, and crude fibre content. The fertilizer application improved (p<0.05) plant morphology and production. The best interaction between growth and production was obtained in the treatment control (without shading) and fertilization of 500 g/pot. Based on the finding of this study, Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa can be developed into shade-tolerant grass in Indonesia
Effect of Age at First Calving on Milk Production and Reproductive Performance of Indonesian Holstein Dairy Cattle
Authors: Setyorini Yuliati Wahyu , Kurnianto Edy , Sutopo Sutopo , Sutiyono Sutiyono
Published: November 2022

The purpose of this study was to determine the milk production and reproductive performance of dairy cattle in groups of different ages at first calving and to elucidate the effect of age at first calving on milk production and calving interval of Indonesian Holstein dairy cattle. The observation method use in this study. Records of 80 dairy cows which were born in Indonesia and had the age at first calving range of 23-32 months were used as the materials. Cows were divided into two groups based on age at first calving (AFC). Group I was cows with age at first calving of 23-27 months and group II with age at first calving of 28-32 months. The parameters observed were the total milk yield, calving interval, post-partum mating, interval from calving to conception, and service per conception. To compare data between two groups, the t-tests and descriptive analysis were used. The results showed that the total milk yield, calving interval, postpartum mating, interval from calving to conception, and service per conception in the group I did not have a significant difference from the group II. The linear regression analysis showed that the age at first calving had a weak negative effect on the total milk yield, and the age at first calving had a weak positive effect on the calving interval. In conclusion, the difference in the age at first calving did not provide a different performance on milk production and reproduction of dairy cattle
Effect of The Combination of Protected and Non-Protected Soybean Oil (Glycine max L.) Supplementation on Characteristics of Rumen Fermentation, Nutrient Digestibility, and Nitrogen Balance in Garut Sheep
Authors: Hakim Muhammad Luqmanul , Hanim Chusnul , Yusiati Lies Mira
Published: November 2022

Soybean oil is a high source of unsaturated fatty acids which if given to sheep have the potential to accumulate in the meat. However, in the rumen unsaturated fatty acids undergoes biohydrogenation by rumen microbes, and the addition of fat in the feed has the potential to reduce fiber fermentation in the rumen which can have an impact on animal performance. This study aimed to determine the effect of the combination of protected and non-protected soybean oil supplementation on the characteristics of rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen balance of Garut sheep. Twelve male Garut lambs aged 13 months and weighing 29±3.23 kg were kept in a metabolic cage and divided into three groups. The basal diet of 60% King grass and 40% pollard bran was supplemented with protected and non-protected soybean oil with the ratio of 3%:0%, 1.5%:1.5%, and 0%:3%, respectively, based on the dry matter of ration. The data obtained were analyzed by One-Way ANOVA, followed by the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The results showed that supplementation had no effect on rumen fatty acids profile, microbial protein, ammonia concentration, total volatile fatty acids, acetat, propionate, butirat, and pH. The digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fibre, and crude fat were not affected. Supplementation also had no effect on nitrogen balance. Hence supplementation of different levels of protected fats did not influence animal performance in Garut sheep.
Degradability of Rumen-Protected Soybean Meal with Different Temperatures and Heating Times in Bali Cattle
Authors: Wulandari Wulandari , Aldis Rinanti Eka , Ramadhan Dananto , Wulanningtyas Wulanningtyas , Astuti Andriyani , Adiarto Adiarto , Yusiati Lies Mira , Noviandi Cuk Tri , Widyobroto Budi Prasetyo , Agus Ali
Published: November 2022

The goal of this study was to ascertain the impact of soybean meal's temperature and heating duration as undegraded protein (UDP) on Bali cattle's dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) degradation kinetics. Soybean meal is a feed ingredient with high protein content, which is about 48%, and is rapidly degraded in the rumen. In this investigation, a  factorial design was employed with the first factor being temperature (60, 80, 100, and 120°C), and the second factor being heating time (10, 20, 30, and 40 min). Protected soybean meal was tested for degradation using the in sacco technique on the rumen of fistulous Bali cattle. A sample of 5.0 g was put into a nylon bag and then for 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 48 h in the rumen, then analyzed for feed residues for DM and OM. The results showed that soybean meal protected by the heating method could reduce the degradation of DM and OM in the rumen (p<0.05). Heating at 120°C for 40 min showed the lowest DM and OM degradations in this study.
Current Tectonic Stress State in an Iron Mine District, North China, Based on Overcoring, Hydraulic Fracturing, and Acoustic Emission Stress Measurements
Authors: Li Peng , Sun Jinglai , Cai Meifeng , Miao Shengjun , Guo Qifeng , Ren Fenhua , Wu Xu
Published: November 2022

Full knowledge of the current tectonic stress state is crucial for assessing open-pit mine slope stability and regional tectonic evolution and geodynamic processes. Overcoring, hydraulic fracturing, and acoustic emission in situ stress measurement techniques were adopted to determine the 3D stress tensor in an iron mine district, North China, and 25 sets of stress data ranging from 56 to 490 m were measured. Accordingly, the current tectonic stress state and its relationship to regional geological tectonics were investigated. The results indicated that the stress condition seemed to favor thrust and strike-slip faulting, and the stress field was particularly controlled by the horizontal tectonic stress. A high horizontal tectonic stress considerably influenced the stability of high and steep slopes in this mine district, which requires great attention. The stress directions derived from different methods were almost similar, indicating a dominant NEE–SWW stress field direction or near-E–W direction, comparable to the direction revealed by focal mechanism solutions and other stress indicators around the mine district. According to geological structure analysis, the present-day stress field in this district generally inherited the third-stage tectonic stress field while partially retaining the characteristics of the second-stage tectonic stress field, which is the result of dynamic action and tectonic movement during different geological periods, and the maximum principal stress direction of the tectonic stress field that affects the modern tectonic activity in this area is the NEE–EW direction.
Non-convex Quadratic Programming Using Coherent Optical Networks
Authors: Ronagh Pooya , Khosravi Farhad , Yildiz Ugur , Scherer Artur
Published: November 2022

We investigate the possibility of solving continuous non-convex optimization problems using a network of interacting quantum optical oscillators. We propose a native encoding of continuous variables in analog signals associated with the quadrature operators of a set of quantum optical modes. Optical coupling of the modes and noise introduced by vacuum fluctuations from external reservoirs or by weak measurements of the modes are used to optically simulate a diffusion process on a set of continuous random variables. The process is run sufficiently long for it to relax into the steady state of an energy potential defined on a continuous domain. As a first demonstration, we numerically benchmark solving box-constrained quadratic programming (BoxQP) problems using these settings. We consider delay-line and measurement-feedback variants of the experiment. Our benchmarking results demonstrate that in both cases the optical network is capable of solving BoxQP problems over three orders of magnitude faster than a state-of-the-art classical heuristic.
Management of ground tire rubber waste by incorporation into polyurethane-based composite foams
Authors: Hejna Aleksander , Kosmela Paulina , Olszewski Adam , Zedler Łukasz , Formela Krzysztof , Skórczewska Katarzyna , Piasecki Adam , Marć Mariusz , Barczewski Roman , Barczewski Mateusz
Published: November 2022

Rapid economic growth implicated the developing multiple industry sectors, including the automotive branch, increasing waste generation since recycling and utilization methods have not been established simultaneously. A very severe threat is the generation of enormous amounts of post-consumer tires considered burdensome waste, e.g., due to the substantial emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Therefore, it is essential to develop novel, environmentally friendly methods for their utilization, which would hinder their environmental impacts. One of the most promising approaches is shredding, resulting in the generation of ground tire rubber (GTR), which can be introduced into polymeric materials as filler. The presented work is related to the thermomechanical treatment of GTR in a twin-screw extruder with zinc borate, whose incorporation is aimed to enhance shear forces within the extruder barrel. Modified GTR was introduced into flexible polyurethane (PU) foams, and the impact of modification parameters on the cellular structure, static and dynamic mechanical performance, thermal stability, as well as thermal insulation, and acoustic properties were investigated. Emissions of VOCs from applied fillers and prepared composites were monitored and evaluated. Depending on the treatment parameters, beneficial changes in foams’ cellular structure were noted, which enhanced their thermal insulation performance, mechanical strength, and thermal stability. It was proven that the proposed method of GTR thermomechanical treatment assisted by zinc borate particles might benefit the performance of flexible PU foamed composites and hinder VOCs emissions, which could broaden the application range of GTR and provide novel ways for its efficient utilization.
Non-Line-of-Sight Passive Acoustic Localization Around Corners
Authors: Boger-Lombard Jeremy , Slobodkin Yevgeny , Katz Ori
Published: November 2022

Non-line-of-sight (NLoS) imaging is an important challenge in many fields ranging from autonomous vehicles and smart cities to defense applications. Several recent works in optics and acoustics tackle the challenge of imaging targets hidden from view (e.g. placed around a corner) by measuring time-of-flight (ToF) information using active SONAR/LiDAR techniques, effectively mapping the Green functions (impulse responses) from several sources to an array of detectors. Here, leveraging passive correlations-based imaging techniques, we study the possibility of acoustic NLoS target localization around a corner without the use of controlled active sources. We demonstrate localization and tracking of a human subject hidden around the corner in a reverberating room, using Green functions retrieved from correlations of broadband noise in multiple detectors. Our results demonstrate that the controlled active sources can be replaced by passive detectors as long as a sufficiently broadband noise is present in the scene.
Non-invasive disruption of the blood-brain barrier in the marmoset monkey
Authors: Szuzupak Diego , Choi Sang-Ho , Alikaya Aydin , Mou Yongshan , Silva Afonso , Schaeffer David
Published: November 2022

The common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus) is a species of rising prominence in the neurosciences due to their small size, ease of handling, fast breeding, and their shared functional and structural brain characteristics with Old World primates. With increasing attention on modeling human brain diseases in marmosets, understanding how to deliver therapeutic or neurotropic agents to the marmoset brain non-invasively is of great preclinical importance. In other species, including humans, transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) aided by intravenously injected microbubbles has proven to be a transient, reliable, and safe method for disrupting the blood-brain barrier (BBB), allowing for the focal passage of therapeutic agents that do not otherwise readily traverse the tight endothelial junctions of the BBB. The critical gap that we address here is to document parameters to disrupt the BBB reliably and safely in marmosets using tFUS. By integrating our marmoset brain atlases and the use of a marmoset-specific stereotactic targeting system, we conducted a series of systematic transcranial sonication experiments in nine marmosets. We demonstrate the effects of center frequency, acoustic pressure, burst period and duration, establish a minimum microbubble dose, estimate microbubble clearance time, and estimate the duration that the BBB remained open to passage. Successful BBB disruption was reported in vivo with MRI-based contrast agents, as well as Evans blue staining assessed ex vivo. Histology (Hematoxylin and Eosin staining) and immunohistochemistry indicated that the BBB can be safely and reliably opened with the parameters derived from these experiments.
Insecticidal and repellent activities of Cananga odorata leaf essential oil (Lam.) Hook. F. & Thomson against a post-harvest pest of rice: Sitotroga cerealella Olivier
Authors: Elvis Adjalian , SESSOU Philippe , Alain Alitonou Guy , Franck Michels , Félicien Avlessi , Marie-Laure Fauconnier , Dansou Kossou , Sohounhloue Dominique
Published: November 2022

Today the use of plant extracts, in particular essential oils, is a natural alternative to synthetic insecticides in the fight against crop pests. The purpose of this research is to determine the chemical composition of the ylang-ylang Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. F. & Thomson leave essential oil and to evaluate on the one hand its ovicidal, larvicidal, insecticidal, anti-oviposition and insect repellent properties, and on the other hand its effectiveness in preserving the weight of the grains and the germination power of rice seeds against the Angoumois grain moth Sitotroga cerealella O., a major pest of rice in Benin. The essential oil from the leaves of the C. odorata (Lam.) Hook. F. & Thomson was obtained by hydro-distillation, and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The analysis showed that the oil contains 32 main compounds, the major ones being α-pinene (7.01%), lavandulyl acetate (7.19%), caryophyllene (30.33%), α-humulene (13.42%) and germacrene D (8.99%). Based on the findings of fumigation bioassays, the Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. F. & Thomson essential oil showed high toxicity against adult of the S. cerealella with values CL50 of 0.094μl/mL and CL90 of 0.46μl/mL. Similarly, our work has demonstrated that this oil has ovicidal and larvicidal or egg development retardant properties. It also caused strong oviposition inhibition activity of more than 97% in female of the S. cerealella O. and subsequently developed very good repellent or deterrent properties, with an average repellence rate of 75.7% against the S. cerealella O. insect. These insecticidal effects preserved grain weight, with weight losses of at most 0.38% and a paddy rice seed germination rate of more than 80% at the lowest applied dose of 0.2µL/mL.The essential oil from the leaves of the C. odorata (Lam.) Hook. F. & Thomson can be used as an alternative to modern toxic synthetic chemicals, for protection against this important pest of grains in storage in Benin.
CLINICAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES OF NURSING DEGREE STUDENTS AT THE PUBLIC TRAINING HOSPITALS: KHOMAS REGION, NAMIBIA
Authors: Kadhila Joseph Galukeni , Pretorius Louise
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Clinical placement provides an opportunity for socialization of students into the health system, and to acquire practice clinical skills in a real life setting while observing the deliverance of care by others. Despite the obvious benefits of clinical placements for students, poor relationships with the supervising nurse, environments that fail to promote belongingness and a lack of supervision hinders learning in the clinical setting. The purpose of the study was to assess the clinical learning experiences of the nursing degree students in general wards at the public training hospitals in Khomas Region.Aims: of the study were to explore and describe the clinical learning experiences by nursing degree students in general wards at the public training hospitals Khomas. The study aimed at answering the following central question:Tell me about your clinical learning experiences during your placement in general nursing wards of the two training hospitals in the Khomas region?Methods: In this study, the researcher selected a qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design and 51 participants from the undergraduate second years, third years and fourth years were recruited. The data collection included 11-individual face to face interviews and the 8 Focus Group Discussions using semi structured interviews. Data was manually coded and analyzed using the Tesch’s method of data analyzes.Results: Four themes emerged from the exploration and description of nursing students clinical learning experiences. These were non-conducive learning environment, negative staff attitude, communication as barrier and shortage of staff. The results show that there were indeed constraints to learning in the clinical setting across all the years of study.Conclusion: Recommendations were made to the School of Nursing, the training hospitals and the Ministry of Health and Social services. Further research is needed on the clinical learning experiences of nursing students in other regions, and the lecturer’s experiences on clinical accompaniments. Hence, this study assessed clinical learning experiences of nursing degree students at the public training hospitals: Khomas region, Namibia.
Re-hospitalizations within 30-days and Mortality Outcomes Among Severely Visually Impaired and Blind Patients: Analysis of the National Readmission Database
Authors: Fatuyi Michael , Anibire Oladipupo , Harris Ché Matthew
Published: November 2022

Background
Readmissions among patients with severe vision impairment or blindness (SVI/B) has not been fully studied. We investigated hospital outcomes for adults with SVI/B in the United States.
Methods
Using the Nationwide Readmission Database year 2017, we analyzed primary outcomes for thirty-day readmission rates for patients with and without SVI/B. Secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality rates for readmitted patients, in-hospital mortality rates for index patients, the five most common principal diagnoses for readmission, and resource utilization.
Results
34,558 patients had an index admission for SVI/B vs 24,600,000 who did not. Patients with SVI/B had a 13.3% [4,383] readmission rate within 30-days compared to 8.4% [2,033,329] without SVI/B. Compared to readmitted patients without SVI/B patients, those with SVI/B were older (mean [SD] age: 64.4 [SD ± 19] vs. 61.4 [SD ± 20] years) and had more comorbidities (Charlson comorbidity score ≥ 3: 79.2% [ 3,471] vs 60.9% [1,238,299]). The mortality rate among patients readmitted with SVI/B was 5.38% [236] vs 4.02% [81,740] for patients without SVI/B, p-value = 0.016. Top reasons for readmissions among patients with SVI/B included sepsis 12% [526], heart failure 10.5% [460)], acute renal failure 4.4% [193], complications due to type II diabetes mellitus 4.1% [178], and pneumonia 2.7% [118]. Mean length of stay for readmitted patients with SVI/B was 6.3 days (confidence interval [CI]: 6.0-6.7 days), vs 5.6 days for patients without SVI/B (CI: 5.5–5.8 days), p-value < 0.01. The mean hospital charges for readmitted patients with SVI/B was $57,202 (CI: $53,712–$61,292) vs $51,582 (CI: $49,966–$53,198), p-value < 0.01.
Conclusion
Patients with SVI/B had higher readmission rates, and greater mortality on readmissions compared to those without SVI/B. Interventional studies for optimal discharge strategies are critically needed to improve clinical and resource utilization outcomes in patients with SVI/B.
Predicting metastasis in Gastric cancer patients: machine learning-based approaches
Authors: Talebi Atefeh , Celis-Morales Carlos A , Borumandnia Nasrin , Abbasi Somayeh , Pourhoseingholi Mohamad Amin , Akbari Abolfazl , Yousefi Javad
Published: November 2022

Background
Gastric cancer (GC), with a 5-year survival rate of less than 40%, is known as the fourth principal reason of cancer-related mortality over the world. The study aimed to perform machine learning (ML) methods in GC patients.
Methods
The data applied in this study including 733 of GC patients diagnosed at Taleghani hospital. In order to predict metastasis in GC, machine learning approaches, including Naive Bayes (NB), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Neural Network (NN), Regression Tree (RT) and Logistic Regression (LR), with 5-fold cross validation were performed. To assess the model performance, precision, sensitivity, specificity and AUC of Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were obtained.
Results
262 (36%) experienced metastasis among 733 patients with GC. The RF of ML-based models, with size of tomur and age as two essential variables, is considered as efficient model, because of higher specificity and AUC (84% and 87%). Also, the sensitivity in SVM model seems to be better (93%).
Conclusion
According to AUC, sensitivity and specificity, both RF and SVM can be regarded as better ML-based algorithms among six applied ML-based methods.
Immunological correlates of protection following vaccination with glucan particles containing Cryptococcus neoformans chitin deacetylases
Authors: Levitz Stuart , Wang Ruiying , Oliveira Lorena , Lourenco Diana , Gomez Christina , Lee Chrono , Hester Maureen , Mou Zhongming , Ostroff Gary , Specht Charles
Published: November 2022

Vaccination with glucan particles (GP) containing the Cryptococcus neoformans chitin deacetylases Cda1 and Cda2 protect mice against experimental cryptococcosis. Here, immunological correlates of vaccine-mediated protection were explored. Studies comparing knockout and wild-type mice demonstrated CD4+ T cells are crucial, while B cells and CD8+ T cells are dispensable. Protection was abolished following CD4+ T cell depletion during either vaccination or infection, but was retained if CD4+ T cells were only partially depleted. Vaccination elicited systemic and durable antigen-specific immune responses in PBMCs, spleen and lungs. Following vaccination and fungal challenge, robust Th1 and Th17 responses were observed in the lungs. Protection was abrogated in mice congenitally deficient in IFNɣ, IFNɣ receptor, IL-1β, IL-6, or IL-23. Thus, CD4+ T cells and specific pro-inflammatory cytokines are required for GP-vaccine mediated protection. Importantly, retention of protection in the setting of partial CD4+ T depletion suggests a pathway for vaccinating at-risk immunocompromised individuals.
3D Single Shot Lensless Incoherent Optical Imaging Using Coded Phase Aperture System with Point Response of Scattered Airy Beams
Authors: Kumar Ravi , Anand Vijayakumar , Rosen Joseph
Published: November 2022

Interferenceless coded aperture correlation holography (I-COACH) techniques have been revolutionizing the field of incoherent imaging, offering multidimensional imaging capabilities with a high temporal resolution in a simple optical configuration and at a low cost. The I-COACH method uses optical modulators (OMs) between the object and the image sensor, which encodes the 3D location information of a point into a unique spatial intensity distribution. The system usually requires a one-time calibration procedure in which the point spread functions (PSFs) at different depths and or wavelengths are recorded. When an object is recorded under identical conditions, the multidimensional image of the object is reconstructed by processing the object intensity with the PSFs. In the previous versions of I-COACH, the OM mapped every object point to a scattered intensity distribution or random dot array pattern. In this study, I-COACH has been realized using an OM that maps every object point into a sparse random array of Airy beams. The phase-only mask displayed on the OM was designed by random phase multiplexing of Airy beam generators. The simulation and experimental results obtained for the proposed method are significantly better than the previous versions of I-COACH.
Development and initial validation of the Trait and State Mindful Eating Behaviour scales
Authors: Mantzios Michail
Published: November 2022

The quantitative assessment of mindful eating has been challenging, even with the latest additions to the field of multifactorial mindful eating psychometric tools. This manuscript presents the development, validity and reliability assessment of a trait and state mindful eating behaviour scale across four studies, which was driven by recent theoretical interpretations of defining and assessing mindful eating (Mantzios, 2020). Study 1 assessed the content validity of the scale through ratings of clinical and research experts in the field, which yielded the items of the scale to be reflective and concise of the definition of mindful eating behaviour. Study 2 indicated the presence of 2 factors through exploratory factor analyses, which were further verified through a parallel analysis, and a correlation between subscales indicating the unidimensional nature of the scale, which was further verified through confirmatory factor analysis. Additionally, the internal consistency of the scale and subscales was assessed, where findings were typical of a reliable scale. Study 3 assessed the temporal stability of the scale through a test-retest in a two-week interval, which ensured the reliability of the scale over time. Study 4 assessed the scale in a randomized control experimental design, where a mindful eating (vs. control group) received the trait scale before consuming chocolate, and an equivalent state scale was modified to assess state changes during the 10-minute eating session. Both the trait and state scales were significant indicators of eating mindfully. Together, all studies signal the utility of theoretically sound and empirically validated measurements for the replicable assessment of mindful eating behaviour.
Level III: evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.
Overhead Transmission Lines Fault Location Approach based on Current Traveling Waves Measurement
Authors: Ayambire Patrick Nyaaba , Huang Qi , Awopone Albert K. , Cai Dongsheng , Anane Paul Oswald Kwasi
Published: November 2022

This paper presents an innovative double-ended current traveling wave fault location scheme for overhead transmission lines. The scheme depends on magnetic flux density measured by tunnel magnetoresis-tive sensor array mounted at both ends of an overhead transmission line. The measured data is transmitted to a remote monitoring unit for analysis. The scheme is tested on a 230 KV, 200 km transmission line built in PSCAD. The performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated via a laboratory experiment for several fault situations and has shown high efficiency for current traveling wave fault location. The obtained results are compared with a general traveling wave based scheme for fault location in overhead transmission line to prove its accuracy and efficiency. In all the test cases performed, the proposed scheme offered very good results for all categories of faults.
The association between serum nesfatin-1 levels and erectile dysfunction
Authors: Koç Akif , Erkan Anıl , Güzelsoy Muhammet , Turkoglu Ali , Coban Soner , Koloğlu Rahime , Ustundag-Budak Yasemin
Published: November 2022

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common complaints about male sexual health. Nesfatin-1 regulates food intake and has many functions in the body. We aimed to determine whether nesfatin-1 is involved in the etiology of ED. Forty-three men with ED (group 1) and 40 healthy men (group 2) were included in the study. The participants were evaluated by the Turkish version of the IIEF-5 (International Index of Erectile Function). Nesfatin-1, total testosterone, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride and total prostate specific antigen (> 45 age) tests were performed on all cases. The mean ages were 47.47 ± 11.19 and 46.03 ± 8.30 (Mean ± Standard deviation) years in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The average IIEF-5 score were 13.14 ± 5.03 and 23.65 ± 1.17 in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Serum Nesfatin-1 levels were 14.521 ± 17.30 ng/ml in group 1 and 22.675 ± 21.03 ng/ml in group 2. A statistically significant difference was found between the groups’ serum nesfatin-1 levels, total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL (p < 0.05). No correlation was found between serum nesfatin-1 levels and the severity of ED. Nesfatin-1 may be involved in erectile physiology. Low serum Nesfatin-1 level may be among the etiological causes of ED.
Feynman-Kac formula for BSDEs with jumps and time delayed generators associated to path-dependent nonlinear Kolmogorov equations
Authors: Persio Luca Di , Garbelli Matteo , Zalinescu Adrian
Published: November 2022

We consider a system of Forward Backward Stochastic Differential Equations (FBSDEs), with time delayed generator and driven by Lévy-type noise. We establish a non-linear Feynman–Kac representation formula associating the solution given by the FBSDEs-system to the solution of a path dependent nonlinear Kolmogorov equation with both delay and jumps. Obtained results are then applied to study a generalization of the so-called Large Investor Problem where the stock price evolves according to a jump-diffusion dynamic.
Intimate Iguanas: social opportunities and mate preference improve breeding success in Caribbean iguanas
Authors: Lemm Jeffrey M. , Martin Meghan S.
Published: November 2022

Conservation breeding of West Indian rock iguanas (Cyclura) has met with limited success historically. Many facilities witness high levels of aggression and mate incompatibility resulting in failed breeding introductions which often require animals to be separated. This may be due, in part, to lack of knowledge of how mate familiarity and preference affect reproductive outcomes in these species. We investigated whether social exposure during the pre-breeding season influenced copulation success and breeding behaviors. Additionally, we examined whether mate preference, as determined by pre-mating dichotomous choice tests, increased these reproductive outcomes. Female Caribbean iguanas that were socialized with males prior to breeding opportunities allowed more copulations for longer periods of time than females that were not socialized. Socialization opportunities did not alter male reproductive success measurements or breeding behavior. Female iguanas introduced for mating to their preferred partners had a higher probability of successful copulations, higher average number of copulations, and less resting behavior during introductions than females mated to non-preferred males. Male mate preference had no effect on reproductive success measurements during mating introductions. These results indicate that socializing animals and providing mate choice opportunities increase breeding success of West Indian rock iguanas.
Assessment of Electrical Properties of the Hybrid Materials TiO2@Zeolite Studied by Photo-Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy
Authors: Supelano G. I. , Mesa F. , Parra-Vargas C. A. , Mejía-Gómez J. A. , Dussan A.
Published: November 2022

Photocatalytic reactions to degrade organic pollutants from aqueous medium by hybrid materials is a field of high interest in which the solving of the exact electrical conduction mechanism is a challenge. A coherent electrical conduction mechanism was proposed based on data obtained from assisted laser impedance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy for TiO2@zeolite hybrid materials where the zeolite was synthesized from recycled coal fly ash. The results verified the presence of a Ti3+ state in spherical particles of TiO2, in which the electrical resistance of the entire system increases when the amount of TiO2 increases. The samples with lower capacitive performance allowed a larger transfer of the charges between the solid-liquid interface.
Fluoride Sorption Using Zirconium ion-impregnated Macadamia Nutshell-Derived Biochar from Aqueous Solution: Adsorption Isotherms and Kinetic Modeling
Authors: Yegon Andrew K. , Mtavangu Stanslaus G. , Rwiza Mwemezi J. , Machunda Revocatus L.
Published: November 2022

Zirconium ion-impregnated macadamia nutshell biochar (ZMNB) was synthesized and tested for its fluoride sorption capacity by exploiting batch experiments. Four temperatures (300, 400, 500, and 600 ℃) were used to pyrolyze the macadamia nutshells to yield macadamia nutshell biochar (MNB) which was separately impregnated with Zr (IV) aqueous solution. Both non-modified and chemically modified MNB were assessed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflection Fourier Transform Infra-red (ATR-FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray (FESEM-EDS), thermogravimetric analysis, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analyzer. The sequence of F− adsorption capacities for the synthesized biosorbents was ZMNB 300 > ZMNB 400 > ZMNB 500 > ZMNB 600, which revealed the influence of pyrolysis temperature on sorption process. ZMNB 300 had a maximum percentage fluoride removal effectiveness of 99.05% using 1.0 g L− 1 adsorbent lot, at neutral pH for an interaction period of 1 h. The adsorption studies suited perfectly with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the linear Langmuir isotherm, affirming a chemisorption process. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the calculated ΔG° value (-5.593 kJ mol− 1) ascribed the rapidity and spontaneity of the sorption action, ΔH° value (30.102 kJ mol− 1) elucidated the endothermic, irreversible and chemisorption process whereas the ΔS° value (118.55 J mol− 1 K− 1) signified the F− adsorption’s random trait on the solid or liquid interface of the ZMNB 300. Results from the sorption experiments using fluoride-contaminated natural water removed the F− ions below the curbed WHO standard (1.5 mg L− 1) for drinking water and therefore, a potential material for practical applications.
Evaluation of Accessibility and Equity to Hospitals by Public Transport: Evidence from Six Largest Cities of Ohio
Authors: Alam Md Saiful , Tabassum Nusrat Jahan , Tokey Ahmad Ilderim
Published: November 2022

Introduction: In the United States, health care has long been viewed as a 'right,' and residents of Ohio are no exception. The Ohio Department of Health ensures that this right exists for all residents of Ohio. Socio-spatial characteristics, however, can have an impact on access to health care, particularly among vulnerable groups. This article seeks to measure the spatial accessibility to healthcare services by public transport in the six largest cities of Ohio based on population and to compare the accessibility of healthcare to vulnerable demographic groups. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to analyze the accessibility and equity of hospitals by public transit across different cities in Ohio, allowing the identification of common patterns, difficulties, and knowledge gaps.
Methodology: Using a two-step floating catchment area technique, the spatial accessibility to general medical and surgical hospitals through public transportation was estimated, considering both service-to-population ratios and travel time to these health services. The average accessibility of all census tracts and the average accessibility of the 20% of most susceptible census tracts were determined for each metropolitan region. Using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between accessibility and vulnerability, an indicator was then devised to evaluate vertical equity.
Findings: Within cities (except Cleveland), people of vulnerable census tracts have less access to hospitals via public transportation. These cities (Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, and Dayton) fail in terms of vertical equity and average accessibility. According to this, vulnerable census tracts in these cities have the lowest accessibility levels.
Conclusion: This study emphasizes the issues connected with the suburbanization of poverty in Ohio's large cities and the need to provide adequate public transportation to reach hospitals on the periphery. In addition, this study shed light on the need for additional empirical research to inform the implementation of guidelines for healthcare accessibility in Ohio. Researchers, planners, and policymakers who want to make healthcare more accessible for everyone should take note of the findings in this study.
HHT-Microstate Analysis of EEG in Nicotine Addicts
Authors: Xiong Xin , Feng Jiannan , Zhang Yaru , Wu Di , Yi Sanli , Wang Chunwu , Liu Ruixiang , Liu Lijuan , He Jianfeng
Published: November 2022

Background: Substance addiction is a chronic disease which causes great harm to modern society and individuals. At present, many studies have applied EEG analysis methods to the substance addiction detection and treatment. As a tool to describe the spatio-temporal dynamic characteristics of large-scale electrophysiological data, EEG microstate analysis has been widely used, which is an effective method to study the relationship between EEG electrodynamics and cognition or disease. Method: Combining Hilbert Huang Transformation (HHT) decomposition with microstate analysis, which is applied to the EEG of nicotine addicts.
Purpose: To study the difference of EEG Microstate parameters of nicotine addicts at each frequency band under HHT-Microstate method.
Result: By using HHT-Microstate method, we notice that there is significant difference in EEG microstates of nicotine addicts between viewing smoke pictures group (smoke) and viewing neutral pictures group (neutral). Firstly, there is a significant difference in EEG microstates at full-frequency band between smoke and neutral group. Compared with the traditional methods, the similarity index of microstate topographic maps A2, A5 and B4 at alpha and beta bands have significant differences between smoke and neutral group. Secondly, we find significant class × group interactions for microstate parameters at delta, alpha and beta bands. The occurrence per second (OPS), time coverage ratio (TCR) and global explained variance (GEV) of microstate D5 at delta band in smoke group are lower than those in neutral group, the OPS, TCR and GEV of microstate A2 at alpha band are higher than those in neutral group, and the TCR, GEV of microstate B2 at beta band are higher than those in neutral group. Finally, the microstate parameters at delta, alpha and beta bands obtained by the HHT-microstate analysis method are selected as features for classification and detection under the Gaussian kernel support vector machine. The accuracy is 93%, which can effectively detect and identify different types of addiction diseases.
Conclusion: The frequency band Microstate obtained by HHT-Microstate method was used to retain the time information in the spectrum domain. With the significant differences in EEG microstate parameters between the two groups of nicotine addiction and the higher classification accuracy, HHT-Microstate analysis can effectively identify substance addiction diseases and provide new ideas and insights for the brain research of nicotine addiction.
Structural basis for sequence-specific recognition of guide and target strands by the Archaeoglobus fulgidus Argonaute protein
Authors: Manakova Elena , Golovinas Edvardas , Pocevičiūtė Reda , Sasnauskas Giedrius , Grybauskas Algirdas , Gražulis Saulius , Zaremba Mindaugas
Published: November 2022

Argonaute (Ago) proteins are found in all three domains of life. The best-characterized group is eukaryotic Argonautes (eAgos). Being the structural core of RNA interference machinery, they use guide RNA molecules for RNA targeting. Prokaryotic Argonautes (pAgos) are more diverse, both in terms of structure (there are eAgo-like ‘long’ and truncated ‘short’ pAgos) and mechanism, as many pAgos are specific for DNA, not RNA guide and/or target strands. Some long pAgos act as antiviral defence systems. Their defensive role was recently demonstrated for short pAgo-encoding systems SPARTA and GsSir2/Ago, but the function and action mechanisms of all other short pAgos remain unknown. In this work, we focus on the guide and target strand preferences of AfAgo, a short Argonaute protein encoded by an archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus. We demonstrate that AfAgo associates with small RNA molecules carrying 5′-terminal AUU nucleotides in vivo, and characterize its affinity to various RNA and DNA guide/target strands in vitro. We also present X-ray structures of AfAgo bound to oligoduplex DNAs that provide atomic details for base-specific AfAgo interactions with both guide and target strands. Our findings broaden the range of currently known Argonaute-nucleic acid recognition mechanisms.
Where are they from and where are they going?: detecting areas of endemism, distribution patterns and conservation status of the order Spirostreptida in Brazil (Diplopoda, Juliformia)
Authors: Iniesta Luiz F. M. , Bouzan Rodrigo , Means Jackson C. , Ivanov Kaloyan , Brescovit Antonio
Published: November 2022

Millipedes are well-known for their limited dispersal abilities with species restricted to mountains, islands, and patches of forest being important models for formulating and testing biogeographic hypotheses. The order Spirostreptida is composed of nearly 1,300 species distributed across the Afrotropical, Oriental, and Neotropical regions. The order is divided into the suborders Cambalidea and Spirostreptidea with the families Pseudonannolenidae (Cambalidea) and Spirostreptidae (Spirostreptidea) occurring in Brazil. To date, there have been no studies on the biogeography of Neotropical Spirostreptida. We employed a multi-approach analysis with Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity, Endemicity Analysis, and Infomap, to detect areas of endemism and patterns of distribution of the order in Brazil. Six areas of endemism are proposed for the 133 Brazilian species: Northern Serra Geral, Southeastern mountain ranges, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest zone, Eastern Cerrado and Serra do Espinhaço, Pantanal, and Southern Amazon and Cerrado zone. Most endemic areas fall within the Atlantic Forest, which has been previously shown to be an important area of endemism for many invertebrate taxa. The richest biomes are the Atlantic Forest with 75 species and the Cerrado with 55 species, while the least rich biomes are the Caatinga with six species and the Pampa with three species. Although the southeastern region of Brazil has the highest species richness, it also has the highest concentration of threatened species. Based on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria, most Brazilian Spirostreptida are either endangered or critically endangered, with the highest concentration of endangered taxa occurring in the Atlantic Forest biome.
Association between Provider-patient relationship, communication, accessibility convenience, and perceived quality of care from patients living with HIV before and during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
Authors: CALDWELL Elisha
Published: November 2022

Objective
This study aimed to investigate the perspective of people living with HIV (PLWH) with respect to their relationship with their provider, provider communication, accessibility, and perceived quality of care before and during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic.
Design:
Primary data were collected from an infectious disease clinic outpatient setting using the PSQ-18 short form. The data were collected between February and March 2021. The study population included (a) non-institutionalized individuals, (b) individuals aged 18 years and older, (c) individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and (d) individuals who had had a provider visit in the past 12 months at an infectious disease clinic.
Methods
Multiple regression was used to assess the relationship between the dependent and independent variables using a cross-sectional quantitative analysis.
Results
The study revealed a statistically significant relationship between PPR and perceived quality of care from the perspective of patients living with HIV before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
Conclusion
The study results indicated that overall provider-patient relationship (PPR), communication, accessibility, and convenience were related to perceived quality of care. The study findings also revealed that PPRs can uniquely impact perceived quality of care. Provider accessibility was also found to uniquely impact a patient’s perceived quality of care. Finally, the study results demonstrated that HIV patients who have a good relationship with healthcare providers and a high level of satisfaction tend to perceive high-quality healthcare.
Literature review:
All databases known to the author were searched
Generating Adversarial Examples in Chinese Texts using Mixed-level Perturbations
Authors: Chen Xin , Tian Shengwei , Yu Long , Ou Hongxu , Wang Bo , Zhou Tiejun
Published: November 2022

Compared with the research on adversarial examples on English data, there are few models for generating adversarial examples on Chinese data. Most of the Chinese adversarial examples are in a single form. Their fluency and attack accuracy are not well performed. In this paper, we propose MixAttacker that uses word-level and sentence-level perturbations in conjunction with each other to generate adversarial examples in Chinese texts. The model uses the masked language model WoBERT [1] to generate replacement words based on the Chinese word-level transformation, then selects one of the new sentences obtained by word replacement by merit, and finally, back translate this sentence. In addition, we propose sentence fluency evaluation to control the quality of adversarial examples more effectively. The experimental results show that our model achieves 75.50%, 69.00%, 46.00%, and 55.50% accuracy decrease on four datasets, respectively, ChnsentiCorp, Hotel, TUHCNews, and Weibo, with effective perturbation, semantic and fluency control.