bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An adaptive lightweight seq2subseq model for non‐intrusive load monitoring
Authors: Yang Xiaomei , Yang Lin , Xiao Xianyong , Wang Yang , Zhang Shu
Published: July 2022

Non‐intrusive load monitoring (NILM) is an important technology for deeply mining consumers' internal electricity consumption information, which can improve the level of awareness of the load and significantly improve the demand‐side management capability of the smart grid. For a long time, traditional NILM faces the challenge of huge data, long training time and low accuracy. To address this issue, this paper proposes an adaptative lightweight seq2subseq model. The model adaptively determines the optimum window length of the active power segment to extract the appliance characteristics and thus reduces the redundant data to construct the appliance‐level‐seq2subseq model. The proposed model significantly improves the ability to extract and utilize information. At the same time, transfer learning is used to ban the training of appliance models with similar characteristics, further reducing model complexity and training time. The experimental results based on the REDD dataset verify the method's effectiveness. Compared with the seq2seq and seq2point models, the proposed model achieved better accuracy and F1 score, up to 98.10% and 90.29%, respectively. At the same time, the proposed method is further verified on UK‐DALE, which proves that the proposed method has good portability and robustness.
Integrated current balancing cells based IPOP bidirectional CLLC resonant converter modules for high‐power applications
Authors: Ahmad Ubaid , Cha Honnyong , Ro Jong‐Suk
Published: July 2022

This paper proposes an integrated current balancing (ICB) cells‐based input parallel output parallel (IPOP) bidirectional CLLC modules. The IPOP system based on the CLLC modules inherent all of the good features of a single CLLC module including zero‐voltage and zero‐current switching (ZVZCS) for the inverter and rectifier stage. Besides, the IPOP configuration is a better approach to utilize low‐power rating modules for high‐power applications. However, tolerances in the tank circuit parameters cause an acute imbalance in modules currents. Therefore, the equal power distribution among the IPOP CLLC modules is an important issue that needs to be addressed. Different control and passive current sharing techniques have been proposed, but they cause increase in component count, cost, complexity, and magnetic volume of the IPOP converters. This paper integrates the already present resonant inductors of the bidirectional CLLC modules to evenly share the two currents at the input as well as at the output of the converters under the open‐loop condition with substantial tolerances of in the tank circuit parameters. Moreover, the proposed ICB cells generate sufficient resonant inductances for the respective tank circuits, simultaneously. No additional active or passive components are introduced in the system; thus, it does not increase the cost, complexity, and magnetic volume of the IPOP CLLC modules. Two types of cores (UU‐ and EE‐cores) based ICB cells are analysed with current sharing performance. To verify the effectiveness of the ICB cells, a 4.9‐kW laboratory hardware prototype was built and tested.
Learning complementary representations via attention-based ensemble learning for cough-based COVID-19 recognition
Authors: Ren Zhao , Chang Yi , Nejdl Wolfgang , Schuller Björn W.
Published: July 2022

Coughs sounds have shown promising as a potential marker for distinguishing COVID individuals from non-COVID ones. In this paper, we propose an attention-based ensemble learning approach to learn complementary representations from cough samples. Unlike most traditional schemes such as mere maxing or averaging, the proposed approach fairly considers the contribution of the representation generated by each single model. The attention mechanism is further investigated at the feature level and the decision level. Evaluated on the Track-1 test set of the DiCOVA challenge 2021, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed feature-level attention-based ensemble learning achieves the best performance (Area Under Curve, AUC: 77.96%), resulting in an 8.05% improvement over the challenge baseline.
Mental imagery and tennis: a review, applied recommendations and new research directions
Authors: Robin Nicolas , Dominique Laurent
Published: July 2022

Mental Imagery (MI), which can be defined as the brain’s ability to recreate motor experiences in the absence of actual actions, is a mental strategy commonly used by tennis players and coaches in the context of learning and performance. The purpose of this review was to examine the MI use, interventions and effects on the performance of tennis players. Preferred reporting items for reviews and meta-analyses guidelines were employed and research studies were collected via SCOPUS, PubMed, PsycINFO, Science Direct and Google Scholar, in English and French, from the earliest record up to August 2021. Forty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. This review (number 2020-05-87) resulted in a wide variety of MI use in tennis and its beneficial effects, whatever the level or age of the players. MI interventions generally improve motor performance, motivational or affective outcomes. Moreover, MI is frequently combined with other mental skills and integrated in pre-performance routines including breathing, positive self-talk, and/or concentration. This study also highlighted the weak representation of female tennis players that’s why future research is needed to better explore the gender effect in MI interventions in tennis. Overall, MI appears to be beneficial for players, whatever their age or level, and should be incorporated in training programs. Practical implications are discussed.
Welchen Einfluss hatte der Lockdown 2020 auf die Inanspruchnahme einer zentralen Notaufnahme durch psychiatrische Notfallpatienten
Authors: Ullrich Heiko , Kirchner Heribert , Hulsmans Nik , Müller Helge , Pajonk Frank-Gerald B.
Published: July 2022

Ziel der Studie Die aktuelle Coronaviruspandemie (COVID-19-Erkrankung) stellt die Gesundheitssysteme weltweit vor große Herausforderungen. Speziell psychiatrische Patienten sind in besonderer Weise von Lockdown-Maßnahmen betroffen. Die Häufigkeit psychiatrischer Notfälle ist ein sensibler Indikator für die psychische Belastung. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Identifizierung von Auswirkungen während des durchgeführten Lockdowns auf psychiatrische Notfallvorstellungen.

Methodik Es erfolgte im Jahr 2021 eine retrospektive Erhebung aller psychiatrischen Notfallkontakte in der ZNA. Das Jahr 2019 diente als Referenzjahr.

Ergebnisse Es fand sich ein Rückgang der psychiatrischen Fallzahlen. Des Weiteren konnte eine Veränderung in der Altersstruktur und der Diagnoseverteilung beschrieben werden.

Schlussfolgerung Es lassen sich z. T. deutliche Auswirkungen durch den Lockdown auf psychiatrische Notfälle im Setting einer Notaufnahme beschreiben. Entgegen der Hypothese fielen die Fallzahlen.
Construction enterprises’ adoption of green development behaviors: an agent-based modeling approach
Authors: Li Xingwei , Li Jingru , Huang Yicheng , He Jinrong , Liu Xiang , Dai Jiachi , Shen Qiong
Published: July 2022

Many previous studies have used performance evaluation to explore the impact of environmental regulation on the green development of enterprises. However, there are few studies on the process by which enterprises adopt green development behavior. Here, we aim to simulate the whole process by which Chinese construction enterprises adopt green development. We also consider impact of environmental regulation and industry clusters in this process. Using agent-based modeling, we construct a computational experimental simulation model for the adoption of green development behavior by construction enterprises. The model considers the organizational behavior characteristics of construction enterprises and the evolutionary characteristics of the renewable construction materials market. Our results show that in terms of renewable building materials, construction enterprises that actively adopt green development behavior are more sustainable than those that do not. Moreover, with the implementation of sustainable environmental regulations, more enterprises are passively adopting green development behaviors. However, unsustainable environmental regulations do not have a positive effect. The formation of industrial clusters is also conducive to promoting companies’ adoption of green development behaviors. Therefore, construction enterprises should take the initiative to adopt green development behavior and migrate to industrial agglomerations. This practice is not only beneficial to the sustainable operation of the enterprise and the expansion of the enterprise scale, it will also have an optimization effect on the external environment. Here, we take construction enterprises as the breakthrough point and expand research on enterprise green development. We also provide a theoretical basis and insights for enterprises with environmental responsibility to engage in green development behavior.
Smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations of electro-coalescence in water–oil systems
Authors: Núñez-Rodríguez Brucxen , Alvarado-Rodríguez Carlos E. , Uribe-Ramírez Agustín R. , Minchaca-Mojica Jesús I. , Ramírez-Minguela J. J. , Alfaro-Ayala J. Arturo , Klapp Jaime
Published: July 2022

In the present work, the effects of electric fields in water-in-oil colloidal systems are studied numerically with the smoothed particle hydrodynamic method. Several simulations were carried out with the free-code DualSPHysics for a water–oil system with droplet-size distribution less than 120 μm were carried out with the free-code DualSPHysics. The system assumed the absence of surfactant agents and constant temperature. The initial droplet dispersion was generated with random positions using random numbers in the workspace with the boundaries as the upper and lower limits correcting the overlapping if it occurs. The emulsion was subjected to different magnitudes of electric fields from 700 to 2100 kV for the emulsified system with 2% of water and electric fields of 300, 500, and 700 kV for the emulsified systems with 5%, 10%, and 15% of water. The emulsions with 2% of water achieve a separation efficiency of 48% and 35% of the emulsified water with a field magnitude of 2100 kV for the evaluated systems. On the other hand, in the systems with 5%, 10%, and 15% of water, the process stream is always delivered under specifications, that is, a content of less than 0.5% BSW with separation efficiencies of 92%, 95%, and 97% of emulsified water in the system. The results show the efficiency of the separation process assisted by electric fields is a function of the percentage of the dispersed phase and of the magnitude of the electric field, concluding the method is 5%–10% reliable for emulsified water.
Electrokinetically augmented load bearing capacity of a deformable microfluidic channel
Authors: Mukherjee Siddhartha , Dhar Jayabrata , DasGupta Sunando , Chakraborty Suman
Published: July 2022

Electrokinetics of deformable interfaces holds the key in developing bio-mimetic micro-devices for probing microvascular physiology and performing in vitro bio-analytical procedures. While such systems have been analyzed in the literature with the aid of a set of simplifying assumptions to some extent, implications of axial modulations in the surface potential and interfacial slip, otherwise ominous artifacts of the coupling between intrinsic electro-chemistry and substrate wettability in practical realms of surface engineering, remain grossly unaddressed in the same context. Here, we bring out the interplay of the wall compliance, periodically modulated surface potential, and patterned interfacial slip that is itself coupled with the interfacial electrochemistry, toward altering the internal hydrodynamics of a deformable microfluidic channel. Manifested in terms of a perturbed pressure field, this essentially leads to an alteration in the load bearing capacity of the concerned electro-mechanical system. By exploiting this unique coupling of the interfacial electro-mechanics, hydrodynamics, and substrate elasticity, we further demonstrate the plausibility of a significant augmentation in the load bearing capacity of the resulting system, over favorable parametric regimes. This opens up emerging possibilities of developing novel electro-kinetically modulated lubricated systems with giant augmentations in their load bearing performance.
Freshwater sponges overgrow the invasive golden mussel
Authors: Fortunato Humberto Freitas de Medeiros , Figueira Raquel Medeiros Andrade
Published: July 2022

The golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei is one of the top three invasive animals in Brazil. It is widely distributed in South America, changing the whole environment, and causing exorbitant expenses for hydroelectric power plants (HPPs). The aim of this report is to record freshwater sponges as a natural enemy of the invasive mussel in the Upper Paraná River. Specimens of six native sponge species were observed overgrowing the L. fortunei in SCUBA dives conducted in three HPP reservoirs. This type of competitive relationship is poorly understood in South America, but it is similar to previous reports of freshwater sponges around the world interacting with other invasive mussels, such as zebra and quagga mussels. Further studies must explore defence mechanisms of both groups using in situ and laboratory-controlled experiments and identify metabolites expressed to understand the dynamics of the ecological interaction.
Arrestin-mediated desensitization enables intraneuronal olfactory discrimination in
Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Merritt Daniel M. , MacKay-Clackett Isabel , Almeida Sylvia M. T. , Tran Celina , Ansar Safa , van der Kooy Derek
Published: July 2022

In the mammalian olfactory system, cross-talk between olfactory signals is minimized through physical isolation: individual neurons express one or few olfactory receptors among those encoded in the genome. Physical isolation allows for segregation of stimuli during signal transduction; however, in the nematode worm
Caenorhabditis elegans
, ∼1,300 olfactory receptors are primarily expressed in only 32 neurons, precluding this strategy. Here, we report genetic and behavioral evidence that β-arrestin–mediated desensitization of olfactory receptors, working downstream of the kinase GRK-1, enables discrimination between intraneuronal olfactory stimuli. Our findings suggest that
C. elegans
exploits β-arrestin desensitization to maximize responsiveness to novel odors, allowing for behaviorally appropriate responses to olfactory stimuli despite the large number of olfactory receptors signaling in single cells. This represents a fundamentally different solution to the problem of olfactory discrimination than that which evolved in mammals, allowing for economical use of a limited number of sensory neurons.
Breakdown of utilitarian moral judgement after basolateral amygdala damage
Authors: van Honk Jack , Terburg David , Montoya Estrella R. , Grafman Jordan , Stein Dan J. , Morgan Barak
Published: July 2022

Most of us would regard killing another person as morally wrong, but when the death of one saves multiple others, it can be morally permitted. According to a prominent computational dual-systems framework, in these life-and-death dilemmas, deontological (nonsacrificial) moral judgments stem from a model-free algorithm that emphasizes the intrinsic value of the sacrificial action, while utilitarian (sacrificial) moral judgments are derived from a model-based algorithm that emphasizes the outcome of the sacrificial action. Rodent decision-making research suggests that the model-based algorithm depends on the basolateral amygdala (BLA), but these findings have not yet been translated to human moral decision-making. Here, in five humans with selective, bilateral BLA damage, we show a breakdown of utilitarian sacrificial moral judgments, pointing at deficient model-based moral decision-making. Across an established set of moral dilemmas, healthy controls frequently sacrifice one person to save numerous others, but BLA-damaged humans withhold such sacrificial judgments even at the cost of thousands of lives. Our translational research confirms a neurocomputational hypothesis drawn from rodent decision-making research by indicating that the model-based algorithm which underlies outcome-based, utilitarian moral judgements in humans critically depends on the BLA.
Formation of intermetallic particles during solidification and homogenisation of two Al–Mg–Si alloys
Authors: Engler Olaf , Schröter Torsten , Krause Christopher
Published: July 2022

Several key properties of aluminium semi-finished products, including formability, softening behaviour, strength and ductility, are influenced by the constitution of alloying elements in solid solution or in precipitated form, i.e. by the materials microchemistry. In the present paper, we study microchemistry reactions in two Al–Mg–Si automotive sheet alloys, AA 6005C and AA 6016, with different Mg:Si ratios. The formation of constituent phases and dispersoids during solidification and subsequent homogenisation is analysed by scanning electron microscopy and measurements of the specific electrical resistivity. Type, composition and volume fraction of the constituent phases in the as-cast state are assessed with the Alstruc solidification model. The changes in solute level and precipitation during homogenisation are traced with a statistical microchemistry simulation tool termed ClaNG.
Development of a method for obtaining fried venison sausages with improved properties
Authors: Gorbacheva M V , Chebakova G V , Esepenok K V , Zemtsova L K , Yatsyshina A V
Published: July 2022

The work deals with the development research of the production process and formulation of fried sausages, which provide an increase in its nutritional value, including energy and biological, as well as expanding the range of venison products. Venison takes an insignificant share in the total volume of the Russian market. However, this type of meat raw material has its own consumer, both regionally and in terms of expanding the range of meat products produced primarily in large cities. The objects of the research were frozen venison; unsalted pork side fat; melted chicken fat; fried sausages from venison. The possibility of using milk whey in the process of formation of the stuffing system for the production of fried sausages was substantiated during the experiment. It is shown that whey addition at the stage of the minced meat seasoning process and interaction of whey proteins with meat structural elements promotes both loosening muscle fibers and activating enzymatic processes. The above provided intensification of minced meat system maturation on average of 8 hours. The analysis of the results confirmed that the use of venison and melted chicken fat in fried sausages composition contributes to increasing their nutritional value, including energetic and biological ones. The product obtained according to variant 1 was characterized by higher energetic value which amounted to 244.6 kcal (1015.3 kJ). The lowest one (239.4 kcal/995.7 kJ) was detected in variant 3 samples with 75.0% of venison and 10.0% of clarified chicken fat. The introduction of a natural additive - CO2-extract of oregano with its antioxidant properties – is an added benefit of the proposed technical solutions. This can reduce the degree of oxidation of fat and, consequently, increase the shelf life of fried sausages.
Technological measures to improve the environmental friendliness of alcohol industry enterprises
Authors: Novikova I V , Muravev A S , Agafonov G V , Korotkih E A , Malceva O Y , Zueva N V
Published: July 2022

The article concerns technological measures to improve the environmental friendliness of food industry enterprises: in particular, aspects of processing waste from the alcohol industry with further use in agriculture (in animal feed). It is important to use methods to optimize the feeding of farm animals, allowing one to involve feed resources that do not have a harmful effect on health and productivity, while significantly reducing the consumption of grain components. This resource is dry distillery grains, which is a waste product of distillery production. Technologies of distillery bard processing include its evaporation with further drying. The main waste at the ethanol plant is whole stillage. It is centrifuged to separate thin stillage from wet grains. Thin stillage contains 5-10% of solids. For reducing energy consumption during the concentration process, it is possible to use a direct contact evaporator (bubbling evaporator). In this article, the bubbling evaporator design was developed. To justify the size of the evaporator, the temperature difference profile along the column length was determined. It is less than 1 and remains constant, which determines the high efficiency of heat transfer. The most effective parameters of the evaporation process according to moisture removal are a gas flow rate of 1.3–1.5 m3/h, air temperature of 400±15. Work results can be used in the design of scalable systems for thin stillage processing and applicable in medium-sized ethanol plants.
Resource-saving technology for obtaining a complex of polysaccharides from ginseng root meal
Authors: Orobinskaya V N , Kazub V T , Galdin E V , Emelyanov S A , Kholodova E N , Pisarenko O N
Published: July 2022

The article describes the possibility of using ginseng root meal to obtain polysaccharides using resource-saving technology - electric discharge extraction, exposure to a rectangular pulse with a nanosecond front. The enterosorbent capacity of extracting ginseng from meal has been determined experimentally. The optimal technological parameters for the use of electrodes made of various types of steel have been determined. Using the method of electric discharge extraction on hepatocytes of the liver, we take into account the presence of metallic impurities and in vivo methods.
Multi-criteria optimization of food production by an example of optimization of the process of rendering poultry fat in the presence of electroactivated liquid
Authors: Bugaev Yu V , Korobova L A , Polyanskikh S V , Egorova G N
Published: July 2022

To date, in the production and management of the food industry, the mathematical foundations of solving problems according to one criterion (one-criterion optimization) have been well studied. However, in various areas of engineering solutions, there are multicriteria problems in which a system or process must be optimized according to several criteria simultaneously. Since individual criteria usually conflict with each other, as a rule, no set of input parameters would achieve the optimum of all criteria simultaneously. In this regard, there is uncertainty in the choice of the optimal solution and the complexity of the choice of a specific mathematical method. The authors have made a brief review of publications devoted to the application of multicriteria optimization in food production. As a result, it turned out that in most of the reviewed publications, a preliminary examination of the problem was not carried out, and the solution method was chosen according to the principle of the greatest simplicity. At the same time, it is known that there is no universal method for solving multicriteria problems and the use of each algorithm is associated with rather strict restrictions and assumptions. In this regard, the authors dedicated this work to the presentation of a typical information technology for solving a multi-criteria production problem in the food industry using standard means of computer mathematics - the MathCad system, taking into account all methodological recommendations. As an example, the problem of multicriteria optimization of the process of melting ostrich fat was considered, the conditions of which were taken from an open source. As a result, the optimal parameters of the process were found in the presence of two and three criteria of optimality. The described technology can be used as a basis for solving other multi-criteria optimization problems of food production.
Equipment for removing moisture when manipulating piece food products
Authors: Avtsinov I A , Gavrilov A N , Kudryashov V S , Sukhanova N V , Alekseev M V , Emelyanov A E
Published: July 2022

The work presents the scientific basis for the recognition of small specific parts and finished products on a thin gas layer. The proposed principle is based on the use of the interlayer as a carrier and recognizing the main element of the pneumatic system. The purpose of the work is to substantiate the possibility of increasing the production of high-quality piece food production through the introduction of modern automated devices. Together with the design features of the working surfaces of the devices, the creation of universal pneumatic equipment is ensured. The developed equipment is able to successfully solve the problems of moisture removal, sorting, rejection, orientation of the subject of production. The description of the recognition principle is given. The synthesis of elements of the pneumatic system of the type "pneumatic chamber-working surface of the device-thin gas layer-product" showed that they are interconnected. At the stage of synthesis of elements of the pneumatic system and their structural classification, it was possible to unite the characteristic specifics of the described pieces of food industry with the design features of the devices and the operations implemented on them. The presented device schemes have versatility, multifunctionality, ability to manipulate specific pieces, when switching from one standard size of parts to another.
Generalized quantum assisted simulator
Authors: Haug Tobias , Bharti Kishor
Published: July 2022

We provide a noisy intermediate-scale quantum framework for simulating the dynamics of open quantum systems, generalized time evolution, non-linear differential equations and Gibbs state preparation. Our algorithm does not require any classical–quantum feedback loop, bypass the barren plateau problem and does not necessitate any complicated measurements such as the Hadamard test. We introduce the notion of the hybrid density matrix, which allows us to disentangle the different steps of our algorithm and delegate classically demanding tasks to the quantum computer. Our algorithm proceeds in three disjoint steps. First, we select the ansatz, followed by measuring overlap matrices on a quantum computer. The final step involves classical post-processing data from the second step. Our algorithm has potential applications in solving the Navier–Stokes equation, plasma hydrodynamics, quantum Boltzmann training, quantum signal processing and linear systems. Our entire framework is compatible with current experiments and can be implemented immediately.
H∞ loop-shaping of a multi-input dc-dc converter using weight function parameter optimization
Authors: Bhimavarapu Amarendra Reddy , Thelukuntla Chandra Shekar , Thota Phanindra
Published: July 2022

Designing of controllers for Multi-Input DC-DC Converter (MIDDC) topology is a challenging task due to control loop interactions. Most of the closed loop controllers designed for MIDDC topologies are by considering the interactions measures of the closed loops. In this article a non-isolated MIDDC converter with a compact structure is chosen and designing of robust controller using

H

∞

Loop Shaping Design (HILSD) methodology and is interaction independent. Stabilizing controller design require the selection of the weight function parameters, if the selection of weight function parameters is not chosen properly in designing of controller it may not achieve reasonable compromise between robust performance and robust stability. So, for better the design efficacy of HILSD, a weight function optimization problem is formulated where, Frequency Integral Square Error (FISE) based performance index is used as objective function, however the performance level of the designed controller which regulates MIDDC converter system and success of loop-shaping procedure are used as constraints. Global search algorithm has been used in this work to find the global optimum weight function parameters and these are obtained in MATLAB environment. Effectiveness of MIDDC converter is verified viz. simulation in PSIM environment with HILSD controller for the regulation of load voltage as well as load division by considering a 100 W, 36 V/12 V to 24 V dc power converter.
Thirty-Day Readmission Rate Among Patients With Hypertensive Crisis: A Nationwide Analysis
Authors: Ashraf Muddasir , Zlochiver Viviana , Bolton Alexander , Allaqaband Suhail Q , Bajwa Tanvir , Jan M Fuad
Published: July 2022

BACKGROUND

Hypertensive crisis is a life-threatening condition, further classified as hypertensive emergency and hypertensive urgency based on the presence or absence of acute or progressive end-organ damage, respectively. Readmissions in hypertensive emergency have been studied before. We aimed to analyze 30-day readmissions using recent data and more specific ICD-10-CM coding in patients with hypertensive crisis.

METHODS

In a retrospective study using the National Readmission Database 2018, we collected data on 129,239 patients admitted with the principal diagnosis of hypertensive crisis. The primary outcome was the all-cause 30-day readmission rate. Secondary outcomes were common causes of readmission, in-hospital mortality, resource utilization, and independent predictors of readmission. We also compared outcomes between patients with hypertensive urgency and hypertensive emergency.

RESULTS

Among 128,942 patients discharged alive, 13,768 (10.68%) were readmitted within 30 days; the most common cause of readmission was hypertensive crisis (19%). In-hospital mortality for readmissions (1.5%) was higher than for index admissions (0.2%, P < 0.01). Mean length of stay for readmissions was 4.5 days. The mean hospital cost associated with readmissions was $10,950, and total hospital costs were $151 million. Age <65 years and female sex were independent predictors of higher readmission rates. Subgroup analysis revealed a higher readmission rate for hypertensive emergency than hypertensive urgency (11.7% vs. 10%, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

All-cause 30-day readmission rates are high in patients admitted with hypertensive crisis, especially patients with hypertensive emergency. Higher in-hospital mortality and resource utilization are associated with readmission in these patients.
CBLRR: a cauchy-based bounded constraint low-rank representation method to cluster single-cell RNA-seq data
Authors: Ding Qian , Yang Wenyi , Luo Meng , Xu Chang , Xu Zhaochun , Pang Fenglan , Cai Yideng , Anashkina Anastasia A , Su Xi , Chen Na , Jiang Qinghua
Published: July 2022

The rapid development of single-cel+l RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology provides unprecedented opportunities for exploring biological phenomena at the single-cell level. The discovery of cell types is one of the major applications for researchers to explore the heterogeneity of cells. Some computational methods have been proposed to solve the problem of scRNA-seq data clustering. However, the unavoidable technical noise and notorious dropouts also reduce the accuracy of clustering methods. Here, we propose the cauchy-based bounded constraint low-rank representation (CBLRR), which is a low-rank representation-based method by introducing cauchy loss function (CLF) and bounded nuclear norm regulation, aiming to alleviate the above issue. Specifically, as an effective loss function, the CLF is proven to enhance the robustness of the identification of cell types. Then, we adopt the bounded constraint to ensure the entry values of single-cell data within the restricted interval. Finally, the performance of CBLRR is evaluated on 15 scRNA-seq datasets, and compared with other state-of-the-art methods. The experimental results demonstrate that CBLRR performs accurately and robustly on clustering scRNA-seq data. Furthermore, CBLRR is an effective tool to cluster cells, and provides great potential for downstream analysis of single-cell data. The source code of CBLRR is available online at https://github.com/Ginnay/CBLRR.
Development and Validation of Facile RP-HPLC Method for Simultaneous Determination of Timolol Maleate, Moxifloxacin Hydrochloride, Diclofenac Sodium and Dexamethasone in Plasma, Aqueous Humor and Pharmaceutical Products
Authors: Shahzad Aqeel , Arshad Sohail , Zubair Faryal , Shahzad Shakeel , Batool Farzana , Fu Qiang
Published: July 2022

The present study aimed to develop a validated RP-HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of timolol maleate (TM), moxifloxacin hydrochloride (MOXI), diclofenac sodium (DS) and dexamethasone (DEXA) in human plasma, bovine aqueous humor and pharmaceutical preparations. The chromatographic separation was studied using the C18 column. The chromatographic conditions, such as composition, pH, the flow rate of mobile phase, the temperature of column, wavelength of absorption and injection volume of the sample, were studied. The method was validated to confirm specificity, linearity and accuracy in accordance with an International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The optimum conditions for separation included mobile phase 0.05 M monobasic phosphate buffer: acetonitrile (65:35 v/v), pH of buffer adjusted to 6.2 and the flow rate of 1 mL/minute. The optimum temperature of the column was found to be 35°C, absorption wavelength 265 nm and injection volume 50 μL. The baseline separation of all four drugs with good sensitivity, resolution, and a less than 15 min run time was achieved. The retention time of TM, MOXI, DS and DEXA were 4.3,5.7,9.9 and 13.5 minutes respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) values were 6.2, 4.8, 0.8 and 1.2 ng/mL for TM, MOXI, DS and DEXA, respectively, whereas their respective limit of quantification (LOQ) values was: were 42.6, 26.8, 5.6 and 6.2 ng/mL. The coefficient of variation for intra-day and inter-day were in the range of 0.32–1.57 and 1.29–3.07%, respectively. The method was found to be sensitive, precise and accurate in human plasma and bovine aqueous humor and can be applied for the quantification of these compounds in plasma, aqueous humor and pharmaceuticals.
An Effective Chromatographic Method for Simultaneous Quantification of Antidiabetic Drugs Alogliptin Benzoate and Pioglitazone HCl in Their Tablet Dosage Form: Implementation toIn vitroDissolution Studies and Uniformity of Dosage Unit
Authors: Mohamed Mahmoud A
Published: July 2022

In patients with Type 2 diabetes, a combination of Alogliptin and Pioglitazone medications, together with diet and physical activity, are used to improve glycemic control. Eco-friendly, cost-effective, and precise stability-indicating RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for the identification and quantification of Alogliptin and Pioglitazone in their tablet dosage form, as well as implementation to in vitro dissolution studies and uniformity of dosage unit. Isocratic separation is conducted at ambient temperature on the InertSustain C18 Analytical Column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) using mobile phase comprising 50 mM of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate and 5.0 mM of heptane sulfonic acid:acetonitrile (45:55, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.3 mL/minute. Calibration curves are conducted in the linearity range of 1–40 μg/mL of Alogliptin and 2.5–75 μg/mL of Pioglitazone with a correlation value >0.9995 and satisfactory recovery findings between 99 and 100%. The degraded samples are analyzed under relevant stress conditions as acidity, alkalinity, thermal and oxidation. The active components in finished products were subjected to a content uniformity test, which showed that they achieved the declared claim’s acceptance standards (85–115%). Comparative in vitro dissolution studies are performed for generic products Inhibazone 12.5/30 mg FCT and Inhibazone 25/15 mg FCT against innovator products Oseni 12.5/30 mg FCT and Oseni 25/15 mg FCT at suitable FDA dissolution medium and different USP dissolution media and the results are similar. The metrics of the designed method were assessed according to ICH requirements, and all metrics, such as system suitability, linearity, recovery, robustness, LOD, LOQ, specificity and precision, were found to be within required tolerances and no overlapping was found for degradation peaks. Thence, the method can be used in quality control for the analysis of raw material, bulk, finish and stability.
Incidence and Clearance of Anal Human Papillomavirus Infection in 16 164 Individuals, According to Human Immunodeficiency Virus Status, Sex, and Male Sexuality: An International Pooled Analysis of 34 Longitudinal Studies
Authors: Wei Feixue , Goodman Marc T , Xia Ningshao , Zhang Jun , Giuliano Anna R , D’Souza Gypsyamber , Hessol Nancy A , Schim van der Loeff Maarten F , Dai Jianghong , Neukam Karin , de Pokomandy Alexandra , Poynten I Mary , Geskus Ronald B , Burgos Joaquin , Etienney Isabelle , Moscicki Anna-Barbara , Donà Maria Gabriella , Gillison Maura L , Nyitray Alan G , Nowak Rebecca G , Yunihastuti Evy , Zou Huachun , Hidalgo-Tenorio Carmen , Phanuphak Nittaya , Molina Jean-Michel , Schofield Alice M , Kerr Stephen , Fan Song , Lu Yong , Ong Jason J , Chikandiwa Admire T , Teeraananchai Sirinya , Squillace Nicola , Wiley Dorothy J , Palefsky Joel M , Georges Damien , Alberts Catharina J , Clifford Gary M
Published: July 2022

Background

Understanding the natural history of anal high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection is key for designing anal cancer prevention programs but has not been systematically characterized.

Methods

We reanalyzed data from 34 studies including 16 164 individuals in 6 risk groups defined by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, sex, and male sexuality: men who have sex with men (MSM) and people with HIV (MSMWH), HIV-negative MSM, women with HIV (WWH), HIV-negative women, men who have sex with women (MSW) with HIV (MSWWH), and HIV-negative MSW. We used Markov models to estimate incidence and clearance of 13 hrHPV types and their determinants.

Results

Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 had the highest incidence-clearance ratio of the hrHPV types. MSMWH had the highest hrHPV incidence (eg, 15.5% newly HPV-16 infected within 2 years), followed by HIV-negative MSM (7.5%), WWH (6.6%), HIV-negative women (2.9%), MSWWH (1.7%), and HIV-negative MSW (0.7%). Determinants of HPV-16 incidence included HIV status and number of sexual partners for MSM, women, and MSW, and anal sex behavior for MSM only. HPV-16 clearance was lower for people with HIV (PWH) and lower for prevalent than incident infection. Among MSM, increasing age was associated with lower clearance of prevalent, but not incident, HPV-16 infection.

Conclusions

This robust and unifying analysis of anal hrHPV natural history is essential to designing and predicting the impact of HPV vaccination and HPV-based screening programs on anal cancer prevention, particularly in MSM and PWH. Importantly, it demonstrates the higher carcinogenic potential of longstanding anal prevalent hrHPV infection than more recent incident infection.
LAM: Scrutinizing Leading APIs For Detecting Suspicious Call Sequences
Authors: Alam Shahid
Published: July 2022

The proliferation of smartphones has given exponential rise to the number of new mobile malware. These malware programs are employing stealthy obfuscations to hide their malicious activities. To perform malicious activities a program must make application programming interface (API) calls. Unlike dynamic, static analysis can find all the API call paths but have some issues: large number of features; higher false positives when features reduced; and lowering false positives increases the detection rate. Certain Android API calls, e.g. android.app.Activity:boolean requestWindowFeature(int) enable malware programs to call other APIs to hide their activities. We call them leading APIs as they can lead to malicious activities. To overcome these issues, we propose new heuristics and feature groupings for building a Leading API-call Map, named LAM. We create LAM from a dominant (leading) API call tree. Dominance is a transitive relation and hence enumerates all the call sequences that a leading API leads to. LAM substantially reduces the number and improves the quality of features for combating obfuscations and detecting suspicious call sequences with few false positives. For the dataset used in this paper, LAM reduced the number of features from 509 607 to 29 977. Using 10-fold cross-validation, LAM achieved an accuracy of 97.9% with 0.4% false positives.
Multimodality delineation of a fistulous ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm: a teaching case report
Authors: Zhou Ruihai , Yeung Michael , Sharma Mahesh S
Published: July 2022

Background

Ruptured sinus of Valsalva (SOV) is a rare cardiac anomaly with poor prognosis if untreated. Early diagnosis with accurate delineation of its anatomy is critical for timely treatment and choice of surgical vs. percutaneous intervention. Here we report a case of fistulous rupture of SOV; the preoperative multimodality studies including echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac catheterization provided teaching and learning points.

Case summary

A 48-year-old man with history of heart murmur and hypertension presented with a 5-day history of shortness of breath and peripheral oedema. He was diagnosed with rapid atrial flutter. The transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showed severe biventricular systolic dysfunction with a left-to-right shunt from ruptured SOV. The colour Doppler by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance revealed a swaying shunt flow exiting in direction to the right atrium (RA) and basal right ventricle (RV) during systole and diastole with no myocardial scaring. The left and right heart catheterization showed elevated right-sided pressures, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. There was no difference in O2 saturation between venae cavae and RA but a misleading step-up in O2 saturation between RA and RV. Owing to rupture anatomy with uncertainty, the patient underwent surgical intervention. The ruptured SOV tunnelled through the base of tricuspid annulus to the RA very close to the basal RV.

Discussion

Even with multimodality studies it can still be challenging to delineate the anatomy of a ruptured SOV without uncertainty preoperatively.
Effects of a comprehensive lifestyle intervention on cardiovascular health: the TANSNIP-PESA trial
Authors: Garcia-Lunar Ines , van der Ploeg Hidde P , Fernández Alvira Juan Miguel , van Nassau Femke , Castellano Vázquez Jose Maria , van der Beek Allard J , Rossello Xavier , Fernández-Ortiz Antonio , Coffeng Jennifer , van Dongen Johanna M , Mendiguren Jose Maria , Ibáñez Borja , van Mechelen Willem , Fuster Valentin
Published: July 2022

Aims

To investigate the effectiveness of a 3-year worksite lifestyle intervention on cardiovascular metrics and to study whether outcomes are influenced by baseline subclinical atherosclerosis (SA) by non-invasive imaging.

Methods and results

A randomized controlled trial was performed to compare a lifestyle intervention with standard of care in asymptomatic middle-aged subjects, stratified by SA. The intervention consisted of nine motivational interviews during the first year, followed by three further sessions between Years 1 and 3. The primary outcome was the change in a pre-specified adaptation of the Fuster-BEWAT score (Blood pressure, Exercise, Weight, Alimentation, and Tobacco) between baseline and follow-up Years 1–3. A total of 1020 participants (mean age 50 ± 4 years) were enrolled, of whom 510 were randomly assigned to the intervention and 510 to the control group. The baseline adapted Fuster-BEWAT score was 16.2 ± 3.7 points in the intervention group and 16.5 ± 3.5 points in the control group. At Year 1, the score improved significantly in intervention participants compared with controls [estimate 0.83 (95% CI 0.52–1.15) points]. However, intervention effectiveness decreased to non-significant levels at Year 3 [0.24 (95% CI –0.10 to 0.59) points]. Over the 3-year period, the intervention was effective in participants having low baseline SA [0.61 (95% CI 0.30–0.93) points] but not in those with high baseline SA [0.19 (95% CI –0.26 to 0.64) points].

Conclusion

In middle-aged asymptomatic adults, a lifestyle intervention was associated with a significant improvement in cardiovascular health and behavioural metrics. The effect attenuated after 1 year as the intensity of the intervention was reduced.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02561065).
Phenotyping the hypertensive heart
Authors: Tadic Marijana , Cuspidi Cesare , Marwick Thomas H
Published: July 2022

Arterial hypertension remains the most frequent cardiovascular (CV) risk factor, and is responsible for a huge global burden of disease. Echocardiography is the first-line imaging method for the evaluation of cardiac damage in hypertensive patients and novel techniques, such as 2D and D speckle tracking and myocardial work, provide insight in subclinical left ventricular (LV) impairment that would not be possible to detect with conventional echocardiography. The structural, functional, and mechanical cardiac remodelling that are detected with imaging are intermediate stages in the genesis of CV events, and initiation or intensification of antihypertensive therapy in response to these findings may prevent or delay progressive remodelling and CV events. However, LV remodelling—especially LV hypertrophy—is not specific to hypertensive heart disease (HHD) and there are circumstances when other causes of hypertrophy such as athlete heart, aortic stenosis, or different cardiomyopathies need exclusion. Tissue characterization obtained by LV strain, cardiac magnetic resonance, or computed tomography might significantly help in the distinction of different LV phenotypes, as well as being sensitive to subclinical disease. Selective use of multimodality imaging may therefore improve the detection of HHD and guide treatment to avoid disease progression. The current review summarizes the advanced imaging tests that provide morphological and functional data about the hypertensive cardiac injury.