bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A survey of emergency and critical care veterinarians regarding IV fluid bolus therapy and monitoring practices in small animals
Authors: Harris Bradley A. , Hofmeister Erik H. , Gicking John C.
Published: June 2021

Objective

To determine how veterinary emergency and critical care clinicians define IV fluid bolus therapy (FBT) and what constitutes a positive response to a fluid bolus.

Design

Online survey of 222 emergency and critical care veterinarians between December 17, 2018, and March 1, 2019.

Interventions

An online survey was provided to diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC), residents of ACVECC‐approved training programs, as well as house officers and emergency clinicians of a corporate multicenter emergency and specialty care veterinary hospital. The survey investigated the administration of various crystalloid, colloid, and blood products for FBT, as well as expected physiological responses.

Measurements and Main Results

The majority of respondents considered balanced isotonic crystalloids appropriate for FBT (220/222 [99.1%]). Respondents showed greater variability in acceptance of 0.9% sodium chloride (105/222 [47.30%]), hypertonic (3‐7%) sodium chloride (131/222 [59.01%]), and hydroxyethyl starch solutions (90/222 [40.54%]). Most respondents did not consider physiological plasma (44/222 [19.82%]) an appropriate choice. The most commonly used parameters for monitoring FBT responses were heart rate (220/222 [99.10%]), blood pressure (217/222 [97.75%]), capillary refill time (192/222 [86.49%]), lactate (181/222 [81.53%]), pulse pressure (151/222 [68.02%]), and rectal temperature (145/222 [65.32%]). The majority of respondents perceived that 0–20% (165/222 [74.32%]) of hypotensive patients are nonresponsive to FBT.

Conclusions

Small animal emergency and critical care clinicians favored balanced isotonic electrolyte solutions and hypertonic sodium chloride solutions for FBT over other options. When monitoring responses to FBT, heart rate, blood pressure, capillary refill time, and plasma lactate were among the most commonly monitored parameters, and there was a lack of familiarity with others. Despite the widespread use of FBT, these findings outline the need for further prospective clinical trials regarding the ideal fluid type and rate, as well as the appropriate responses to FBT.
COVID‐19 is getting on our nerves: sympathetic neural activity and haemodynamics in young adults recovering from SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: Stute Nina L. , Stickford Jonathon L. , Province Valesha M. , Augenreich Marc A. , Ratchford Stephen M. , Stickford Abigail S. L.
Published: June 2021

Key points

The impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection on autonomic and cardiovascular function in otherwise healthy individuals is unknown.

For the first time it is shown that young adults recovering from SARS‐CoV‐2 have elevated resting sympathetic activity, but similar heart rate and blood pressure, compared with control subjects.

Survivors of SARS‐CoV‐2 also exhibit similar sympathetic nerve activity and haemodynamics, but decreased pain perception, during a cold pressor test compared with healthy controls.

Further, these individuals display higher sympathetic nerve activity throughout an orthostatic challenge, as well as an exaggerated heart rate response to orthostasis.

If similar autonomic dysregulation, like that found here in young individuals, is present in older adults following SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, there may be substantial adverse implications for cardiovascular health.

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) can elicit systemic adverse physiological effects. However, the impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 on autonomic and cardiovascular function in otherwise healthy individuals remains unclear. Young adults who tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 (COV+; n = 16, 8 F) visited the laboratory 35 ± 16 days following diagnosis. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, and heart rate (HR) were measured in participants at rest and during a 2 min cold pressor test (CPT) and 5 min each at 30° and 60° head‐up tilt (HUT). Data were compared with age‐matched healthy controls (CON; n = 14, 9 F). COV+ participants (18.2 ± 6.6 bursts min−1) had higher resting MSNA burst frequency compared with CON (12.7 ± 3.4 bursts min−1) (P = 0.020), as well as higher MSNA burst incidence and total activity. Resting HR, SBP and DBP were not different. During CPT, there were no differences in MSNA, HR, SBP or DBP between groups. COV+ participants reported less pain during the CPT compared with CON (5.7 ± 1.8 vs. 7.2 ± 1.9 a.u., P = 0.036). MSNA was higher in COV+ compared with CON during HUT. There was a group‐by‐position interaction in MSNA burst incidence, as well as HR, in response to HUT. These results indicate resting sympathetic activity, but not HR or BP, may be elevated following SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Further, cardiovascular and perceptual responses to physiological stress may be altered, including both exaggerated (orthostasis) and suppressed (pain perception) responses, compared with healthy young adults.
Challenging the Gender Dichotomy: Examining Olympic Channel Content Through a Gendered Lens
Authors: Xu Qingru , Billings Andrew C.
Published: June 2021

This study content analyzed 1,013 thumbnails of news episodes at the Olympic Channel through the lens of gender. By examining the percentage of pictures rendered to male and female athletes, themes, sports type, sexualization, subordination, and action level, this study uncovered that although some sex differences existed, the Olympic Channel—overall—showcased a high level of gender equality in visualizing male and female athletes in news thumbnails, especially considering that the pictures analyzed were collected from daily-based media coverage. This study is one of the first to explore gender differences in a media platform established by the International Olympic Committee, with implications outlined.
Two-pole structures in a relativistic Friedrichs–Lee-QPC scheme
Authors: Zhou Zhi-Yong , Xiao Zhiguang
Published: June 2021

A general appearance of two-pole structures is exhibited in a relativistic Friedrichs–Lee model combined with a relativistic quark pair creation model in a consistent manner. This kind of two-pole structure could be found when a $$q\bar{q}$$

q

q

¯

state couples to the open-flavor continuum state in the S partial wave. We found that many enigmatic states, such as $$f_0(500)/\sigma $$

f
0

(
500
)

/
σ

, $$K_0^*(700)/\kappa $$

K
0
∗

(
700
)

/
κ

, $$a_0(980)$$

a
0

(
980
)

, $$f_0(980)$$

f
0

(
980
)

, $$D_0^*(2300)$$

D
0
∗

(
2300
)

, $$D_{s0}^*(2317)$$

D

s
0

∗

(
2317
)

, and X(3872), together with another higher state for each, all result from this kind of two-pole structures. Furthermore, an interesting observation is that this kind of two-pole structure will contribute roughly a total of $$180^\circ $$

180
∘

phase shift for the scattering process in a single channel approximation. This relativistic scheme may provide more insights into the understanding of the properties of non-$$q\bar{q}$$

q

q

¯

state. It is also suggested that such two-pole structure could be a common phenomenon which deserves studying both from theoretical and experimental perspectives.
Multimagnetic monopoles
Authors: Bazeia D. , Liao M. A. , Marques M. A.
Published: June 2021

In this work we investigate the presence of magnetic monopoles that engender multimagnetic structures, which arise from an appropriate extension of the $$\mathrm{SU(2)}$$

SU
(
2
)

gauge group. The investigation is based on a modified relativistic theory that contain several gauge and matter fields, leading to a Bogomol’nyi bound and thus to a first order framework, from which stable multimagnetic solutions can be constructed. We illustrate our findings with several examples of stable magnetic monopoles with multimagnetic properties.
Deficiency of Antioxidative Paraoxonase 2 (Pon2) Leads to Increased Number of Phenotypic LT‐HSCs and Disturbed Erythropoiesis
Authors: Spiecker Lisa , Witte Ines , Mehlig Julia , Shah Viral , Meyerhöfer Markus , Haehnel Patricia S. , Petermann Victoria , Schüler Andrea , More Piyush , Cabezas-Wallscheid Nina , Horke Sven , Pautz Andrea , Daiber Andreas , Sasca Daniel , Kindler Thomas , Kleinert Hartmut
Published: June 2021

Background. Long‐term hematopoietic stem cells (LT‐HSCs) reside in bone marrow niches with tightly controlled reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. ROS increase results into LT‐HSC differentiation and stem cell exhaustion. Paraoxonase 2 (PON2) has been shown to be important for ROS control. Objectives. We investigate the effects of inactivation of the PON2 gene on hematopoietic cell differentiation and activity. Methods and Results. In young mice with inactivated Pon2 gene (Pon2-/-, <3 months), we observed an increase of LT‐HSCs and a reduced frequency of progenitor cells. In competitive transplantations, young Pon2-/- BM outcompeted WT BM at early time points. ROS levels were significantly increased in Pon2-/- whole BM, but not in Pon2-/- LT‐HSCs. In more differentiated stages of hematopoiesis, Pon2 deficiency led to a misbalanced erythropoiesis both in physiologic and stress conditions. In older mice (>9 months), Pon2 depletion caused an increase in LT‐HSCs as well as increased levels of granulocyte/macrophage progenitors (GMPs) and myeloid skewing, indicating a premature aging phenotype. No significant changes in ROS levels in old Pon2-/- LT‐ and short‐term (ST‐) HSCs were observed, but a significant reduction of spontaneous apoptotic cell death was measured. RNA‐seq analysis in Pon2-/- LT‐HSCs identified overrepresentation of genes involved in the C‐X‐C chemokine receptor type 4 (Cxcr4) signaling, suggesting compensatory mechanisms to overcome ROS‐mediated accelerated aging in hematopoietic progenitor cells. Conclusions. In summary, our current data indicate that PON2 is involved in the regulation of HSC functions.
Role of Polyphenols as Antioxidant Supplementation in Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Zhou Yuan , Zhang Shanshan , Fan Xiang
Published: June 2021

Stroke is the second most common cause of death globally and the leading cause of death in China. The pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia injury is complex, and oxidative stress plays an important role in the fundamental pathologic progression of cerebral damage in ischemic stroke. Previous studies have preliminarily confirmed that oxidative stress should be a potential therapeutic target and antioxidant as a treatment strategy for ischemic stroke. Emerging experimental studies have demonstrated that polyphenols exert the antioxidant potential to play the neuroprotection role after ischemic stroke. This comprehensive review summarizes antioxidant effects of some polyphenols, which have the most inhibition effects on reactive oxygen species generation and oxidative stress after ischemic stroke.
An approach of adaptive notch filtering design for electrocardiogram noise cancellation
Authors: Hidayat Rahmad , Lestari Ninik Sri , Herawati Herawati , Ramady Givy Devira , Sudarmanto Sudarmanto , Adani Farhan
Published: June 2021

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a means of measuring and monitoring important signals from heart activity. One of the major biomedical signal issues such as ECG is the issue of separating the desired signal from noise or interference. Different kinds of digital filters are used to distinguish the signal components from the unwanted frequency range to the ECG signal. To address the question of noise to the ECG signal, in this paper the digital notch filter IIR 47 Hz is designed and simulated to demonstrate the elimination of 47 Hz noise to obtain an accurate ECG signal. The full architecture of the structure and coefficient of the IIR notch filter was carried out using the FDA Tool. Then the model is finished with the help of Simulink and the MATLAB script was to filter out the 47 Hz noise from the signal of ECG. For this purpose, the normalized least mean square (NLMS) algorithm was used. The results indicate that before being filtered and after being filtered it clearly shows the elimination of 47 Hz noise in the signal of the ECG. These results also show the accuracy of the design technique and provide an easy model to filter out noise in the ECG signal.
Speed control of DC motor using fractional order PID controller based on particle swarm optimization
Authors: Sultan Ghassan A. , Sheet Amer F. , Ibrahim Satar M. , Farej Ziyad K.
Published: June 2021

Due to the required different speeds and important role of direct current (DC) motors in laboratories, production factories and industrial application, speed controlling of these motors becomes an essential matter for proper operation with high efficiency and performance accuracy. This paper presents a new speed controlling technique that is based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm in the optimization process of the parameters for the fractional order proportional–integral–derivative (FOPID) controller. The FOPID is an advanced and modern controlling system in which the two more added parameters (the derivative μ and integral λ orders) are fractional rather than integer. Through the process of minimizing the fitness functions, the obtained results show that the designed controller system can excellently set the best controller parameters due to the fractions of these additional parameters. With respect to the PSO-PID controller, the simulation results for the proposed PSO-FOPID controller show performance improvements of 14%, 21%, 24.5%, 78%, and 19.3% in the values of the parameters Kp, Ki, Kd, Tr, and Ts respectively.
Stability and performance evaluation of the speed control of DC motor using state-feedback controller
Authors: Salman Saad A. , Obaid Zeyad Assi , Hameed Haider Salim
Published: June 2021

Direct current (DC) motor are widely used in many applications due to its accurate control of speed and position. However, a proper control and operation is still required and might be a challenge for control designers. This paper presents the design of a state-feedback control to evaluate the performance of the speed control of DC motor for different applications. The simulation results were carried out with and without disturbance applied to the system. The proposed control method showed a stable system response with both cases of disturbances. Therefore, it can be used to solidate the control of DC motor in the real application.
Segmentation of image based on k-means and modified subtractive clustering
Authors: Tongbram Simon , Shimray Benjamin A. , Singh Loitongbam Surajkumar
Published: June 2021

Image segmentation has widespread applications in medical science, for example, classification of different tissues, identification of tumors, estimation of tumor size, surgery planning, and atlas matching. Clustering is a widely implemented unsupervised technique used for image segmentation mainly because of its simplicity and fast computation. However, the quality and efficiency of clustering-based segmentation is highly depended on the initial value of the cluster centroid. In this paper, a new hybrid segmentation approach based on k-means clustering and modified subtractive clustering is proposed. K-means clustering is a very efficient and powerful algorithm but it requires initialization of cluster centroid. And, the consistency of the clustering outcomes of k-means algorithm depends on the initial selection of the cluster center. To overcome this drawback, a modified subtractive clustering algorithm based on distance relations between cluster centers and data points is proposed which finds a more accurate cluster centers compared to the conventional subtractive clustering. These cluster centroids obtained from the modified subtractive clustering are used in k-means algorithm for segmentation of the image. The proposed method is compared with other existing conventional segmentation methods by using several synthetic and real images and experimental finding validates the superiority of the proposed method.
Intelligent read-out circuit for space radiation detection
Authors: Abdul Aziz 'Umar , Toha Siti Fauziah , Abu Hanifah Rabiatuladawiah , Hasbullah Nurul Fadzlin
Published: June 2021

In the design of the satellite system, space radiation is among the important factors that need to be taken care of as it may contribute to system failure. This research aims to design and implement an intelligent read-out circuit to detect the level of radiation. It has the capability to measure the level of radiation. The capability of the designed device to measure the level of radiation and also the type of radiation exposure are the key components to be considered in the design of the system.  In this research, the intelligent read-out circuit has been successfully designed and tested to detect the level of radiation. The results show the capability of the system to measure the level of radiation and determine the status of radiation level using both visual and sound indicators. The designed system is able to determine the level of radiation in a short time and strengthen by the danger-alert mechanism present in the system.
Fire incidents visualization and pattern recognition using machine learning algorithms
Authors: Asor Jonardo R. , Lerios Jefferson L. , Sapin Sherwin B. , Padallan Jocelyn O. , C. Buama Chester Alexis
Published: June 2021

A fire incident is a devastating event that can be avoided with enough knowledge on how and when it may occur. For the past years, fire incidents have become a big problem for the Philippines, since it affects the socio-economic growth of the country. Machine learning algorithm is a well-known technique to predict and analyze data. It can also be used to recognize pattern and develop models for artificial intelligence. Pattern recognition through machine learning algorithm is already established and have proven itself accurate in different fields such as education, crime, health and many others including fire incidents. This paper aims to develop a model for recognizing patterns of fire incidents in the province of Laguna, Philippines implementing a machine learning algorithm. With the foregoing project, it is found out that a recurrent neural network shows an astonishing result in terms of pattern recognition. Further, it is also found that Calamba City is the most vulnerable area in case of fire occurrence in the Province of Laguna.
Improved incentive pricing-based quasi-linear utility function of wireless networks
Authors: Puspita Fitri Maya , Rezky Bella Juwita , Yustian Simarmata Arden Naser , Yuliza Evi , Hartono Yusuf
Published: June 2021

The model of the incentive pricing scheme-based quasi-linear utility function in wireless network was designed. Previous research seldom focusses on user’s satisfaction while using network. Therefore, the model is then attempted to be set up that is derived from the modification of bundling and models of reverse charging and maintain the quality of service to users by utilizing quasi-linear utility function. The pricing schemes then are applied to local data server traffic. The model used is known as mathematical programming problem that can be solved by LINGO 13.0 program as optimization tool to get the optimal solution. The optimal results show that the improved incentive pricing can achieve better solution compared to original reverse charging where the models will be obtained in flat fee, usage-based, and two-part tariff strategies for homogeneous consumers.
A meta-analysis of channel switching approaches for reducing zapping delay in internet protocol television
Authors: Adeliyi Timothy T. , Ogunsakin Ropo E. , Adebiyi Marion O. , Olugbara Oludayo O.
Published: June 2021

Channel zapping delays are inconveniences that are often experienced by the subscribers of Internet protocol television (IPTV). It is a major bottleneck in the IPTV channels switching system that affect the quality of experience of users. Consequently, numerous channels switching approaches to minimize zapping delay in IPTV have been suggested. However, there is little knowledge reported in the literature on the determination of the strength of the evidence presented on the approaches of reducing zapping delay in IPTV, which is the prime purpose of this study. The extraction of the relevant articles was designed following the technique of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). All the included research articles were searched from the widely used databases of Google Scholar, and Web of Science. All statistical analyses were performed with the aid of the random-effects model implementation in Stata version 15. The overall pooled estimated delay component was presented in forest plots. Overall, thirteen studies were included in the meta-analysis and the overall pooled estimate was 10% (95% CI: 7%, 30%)). Experimental studies have shown that virtual elimination of IPTV zapping delay is possible for a relevant chunk of channel switching requests.
An energy consumption minimization approach in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Al-Amery Muhsin J. , Ghadban Mohammed H.
Published: June 2021

There is no doubt that the most challenging aspect in the wireless sensor networks (WSN) is the lifetime, due to limitations in their energy. WSN depends on a specific group of sensor nodes to gather the data from other nodes and forward it to the base station (BS). These nodes are called cluster heads. Having reliable cluster head’s (CH) means longer life to the network. In this paper, a versatile calculation has been acquainted and analyzed for selecting the CH that maintains the least vitality utilization in the network with appropriate life time during every correspondence round. The altered methodology depends on the improved calendar of the time division multiple access (TDMA) plans. This methodology is created to decide the next CH based on lifetime, expended vitality, number of CH’s, and the frequent contact to the BS. A comparative analysis is introduced, the proposed algorithm assistant cluster heads (ACHS) shows energizing outcomes in vitality utilization in WSNs just as expanding the general system dependability with reasonable viability and productivity in terms of lifetime. The ACHS strategy shows a decrease in the WSN vitality utilization up to about 25% and shows an expansion in the system life time by 30% than the upgraded timetable of time TDMA plan approach.
On human body transmission wearable diamond dipole antennas above engineered jackets
Authors: Bin Abdullah Muhammad Azfar , A. Rahim Mohamad Kamal , Samsuri Noor Asmawati , Fairus Mohd , Hisham Ismail Mohd Khairul , Majid Huda A.
Published: June 2021

This paper presents the propagation of dual-band diamond dipole antenna on three various jackets. The jackets are purely fleece fabric with Shieldit fabric patches on top of it. The network analyzers with the flexible lossless coaxial cable are used to measure the communication of the antennas. The experiment involves a man with ideal body mass index (BMI) wearing the jackets by placing the flexible antennas on top of it. It is observed that the best on-body communication is by wearing the engineered jacket. The 10 dB improvements are observed when the antenna is positioned on top of engineered jacket contrast to the regular jacket. In other words, the performance of the antenna is also be determined by antenna placement. High transmission lossesses cause the antenna mismatch when the antennas are positioned above the full conductive jacket.
Classification of ECG signals for detection of arrhythmia and congestive heart failure based on continuous wavelet transform and deep neural networks
Authors: Olanrewaju Rashidah Funke , Ibrahim S. Noorjannah , Asnawi Ani Liza , Altaf Hunain
Published: June 2021

According to World Health Organization (WHO) report an estimated 17.9 million lives are being lost each year due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and is the top contributor to the death causes. 80% of the cardiovascular cases include heart attacks and strokes. This work is an effort to accurately predict the common heart diseases such as arrhythmia (ARR) and congestive heart failure (CHF) along with the normal sinus rhythm (NSR) based on the integrated model developed using continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and deep neural networks. The proposed method used in this research analyses the time-frequency features of an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal by first converting the 1D ECG signals to the 2D Scalogram images and subsequently the 2D images are being used as an input to the 2D deep neural network model-AlexNet. The reason behind converting the ECG signals to 2D images is that it is easier to extract deep features from images rather than from the raw data for training purposes in AlexNet. The dataset used for this research was obtained from Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Boston's Beth Israel Hospital (MIT-BIH) arrhythmia database, MIT-BIH normal sinus rhythm database and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) congestive heart failure database. In this work, we have identified the best fit parameters for the AlexNet model that could successfully predict the common heart diseases with an accuracy of 98.7%. This work is also being compared with the recent research done in the field of ECG Classification for detection of heart conditions and proves to be an effective technique for the classification.
Parallel implementation of maximum-shift algorithm using OpenMp
Authors: AbdulRazzaq Atheer Akram , Hamad Qusay Shihab , Taha Ahmed Majid
Published: June 2021

String matching is considered as one of the center issues within the field of computer science, where there are numerous computer applications that supply the clients with string matching services. The increment within the number of databases which are created and protected in numerous computer gadgets had impacted researchers with the slant towards getting robust techniques in tending to this issue. In this study, the Maximum-Shift string matching algorithm is chosen to be executed with multi-core innovation through the utilization of OpenMP paradigm, in order to decrease the successive time, and increment the speedup and efficiency of the algorithm. The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), protein and the English text datasets are utilized to test the parallel execution that influences the Maximum-Shift algorithm execution when utilized with multi-core environment. The results demonstrated that the execution is affected by the performance between the parallel and consecutive execution of Maximum-Shift algorithm by data type. The English text appeared ideal comes about within the parallel execution time as compared to other datasets, whereas the DNA database set appeared the most elevated comes about when compared to other data types in terms of speedup and efficiency capabilities.
Studying faculty members’ readiness to use Shaqra University e-learning platform
Authors: Alotaibi Raed , Alghamdi Abdulrahman
Published: June 2021

In Saudi Arabia, most universities are seeking to implement e-learning to improve education access and processes. Although some universities have already implemented e-learning, most have not. Shaqra University is aiming to implement an e-learning system. Therefore, through the use of a questionnaire, this study examines faculty members’ readiness to use the e-learning platform and assesses their readiness based on gender differences and user experience. Factors considered were usage self-efficacy, self-confidence in dealing with e-learning, Attitude towards e-learning and educational needs towards e-learning. The results revealed that, based on all these factors, faculty members were ready to use the platform of e-learning. There were no differences between male and female participants in self-efficacy in using information and communications technology, self-confidence in e-learning and educational needs towards e-learning. The females’ mean score was significantly higher than the males’ mean score. Between faculty members with no experience and faculty members’ who were experienced in e-learning, user experience was significantly different for self-efficacy of using information and communications technology, self-confidence in e-learning and attitude towards e-learning. These results revealed that faculty members are ready to use a platform of e-learning and these results may help decision makers in Shaqra University to successfuly adopt an e-learning platform.
Real-time RSS-based positioning system using neural network algorithm
Authors: El Abkari Safae , El Mhamdi Jamal , El Abkari El Hassan
Published: June 2021

Locating services have come under the spotlight in recent years in various applications. However, locating methods that use received signal strength have low accuracy due to signal fluctuations. For this purpose, we present a Wi-Fi based locating system using artificial neural network to enhance the positioning process performances. We optimized the Levenberg Marquardt algorithm to propose the better configuration of the multi-layer time-delay perception neural network. We achieved an average error of 10.3 centimeters with a grid of 0.4 meter in four tests. Yet, due to the instability of the received signal strength RSS-based locating systems present a limitation in the resolution finesse that depends on the grid size.
A hybrid deep learning model for air quality time series prediction
Authors: Bhanja Samit , Das Abhisek
Published: June 2021

Air quality (mainly PM2.5) forecasting plays an important role in the early detection and control of air pollution. In recent times, numerous deep learning-based models have been proposed to forecast air quality more accurately. The success of these deep learning models heavily depends on the two key factors viz. proper representation of the input data and preservation of temporal order of the input data during the feature’s extraction phase. Here we propose a hybrid deep neural network (HDNN) framework to forecast the PM2.5 by integrating two popular deep learning architectures, viz. Convolutional neural network (CNN) and bidirectional long short-term memory (BDLSTM) network. Here we build a 3D input tensor so that CNN can extract the trends and spatial features more accurately within the input window. Here we also introduce a linking layer between CNN and BDLSTM to maintain the temporal ordering of feature vectors. In the end, our proposed HDNN framework is compared with the state-of-the-art models, and we show that HDNN outruns other models in terms of prediction accuracy.
Comparison of cloud computing providers for development of big data and internet of things application
Authors: Falah Muhammad Fajrul , Fridelin Panduman Yohanes Yohanie , Sukaridhoto Sritrusta , Cornelius Tirie Arther Wilem , Kriswantoro M. Cahyo , Satria Bayu Dwiyan , Usman Saifudin
Published: June 2021

The improved technology of big data and the internet of things (IoT) increases the number of developments in the application of smart city and Industry 4.0. Thus, the need for high-performance cloud computing is increasing. However, the increase in cloud computing service providers causes difficulties in determining the chosen service provider. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to make comparisons to determine the criteria for selecting cloud computing services following the system architecture and services needed to develop IoT and big data applications. We have analyzed several parameters such as technology specifications, model services, data center location, big data service, internet of things, microservices architecture, cloud computing management, and machine learning. We use these parameters to compare several cloud computing service providers. The results present that the parameters able to use as a reference for choosing cloud computing for the implementation of IoT and big data technology.
A new approach for extracting and scoring aspect using SentiWordNet
Authors: Tran Tuan Anh , Duangsuwan Jarunee , Wettayaprasit Wiphada
Published: June 2021

Aspect-based online information on social media plays a vital role in influencing people’s opinions when consumers concern with their decisions to make a purchase, or companies intend to pursue opinions on their product or services. Determining aspect-based opinions from the online information is necessary for business intelligence to support users in reaching their objectives. In this study, we propose the new aspect extraction and scoring system which has three procedures. The first procedure is normalizing and tagging part-of-speech for sentences of datasets. The second procedure is extracting aspects with pattern rules. The third procedure is assigning scores for aspects with SentiWordNet. In the experiments, benchmark datasets of customer reviews are used for evaluation. The performance evaluation of our proposed system shows that our proposed system has high accuracy when compared to other systems.
Control of inventory system with random demand and product damage during delivery using the linear quadratic gaussian method
Authors: Sutrisno Sutrisno , Widowati Widowati , Heru Tjahjana R.
Published: June 2021

This study formulates a dynamical system for the control of a single product inventory system in accordance with the random value of demand and the percentage of damaged product during the delivery process. The formulated model has the form of a linear state-space system comprising of two disturbances, which represents the random value of demand and the percentage of the damaged product during delivery. The optimal value of the product amount ordered to the supplier is properly calculated by using the linear quadratic gaussian (LQG) method. The controller is used by the manager to make inventory level decisions under the uncertainty of demand and damaged items during the product delivery process. The result showed that the optimal product order for each review time was achieved, and the inventory level was used to obtain the right set point properly. Moreover, based on comparison with other research results, the proposed model was well performed.
Securing audio transmission based on encoding and steganography
Authors: Abood Enas Wahab , Abduljabbar Zaid Ameen , Al Sibahee Mustafa A. , Hussain Mohammed Abdulridha , Hussien Zaid Alaa
Published: June 2021

One of the things that must be considered when establishing a data exchange connection is to make that communication confidential and hide the file’s features when the snoopers intercept it. In this work, transformation (encoding) and steganography techniques are invested to produce an efficient system to secure communication for an audio signal by producing an efficient method to transform the signal into a red–green–blue (RGB) image. Subsequently, this image is hidden in a cover audio file by using the least significant bit (LSB) method in the spatial and transform domains using discrete wavelet transform. The audio files of the message and the cover are in *.wav format. The experimental results showed the success of the transformation in concealing audio secret messages, as well the remarkability of the stego signal quality in both techniques. A peak signal-to-noise ratio peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) scored (20-26) dB with wavelet and (81-112) dB with LSB for cover file size 4.96 MB and structural similarity index metric structural similarity index metric (SSIM) has been used to measure the signal quality which gave 1 with LSB while wavelet was (0.9-1), which is satisfactory in all experimented signals with low time consumption. This work also used these metrics to compare the implementation of LSB and WAV.
Re-collection, extended distribution, and amplified description of Vaccinium paucicrenatum Sleumer (Ericaceae) from the Arunachal Himalaya in India
Authors: Panda Subhasis
Published: June 2021

Vaccinium paucicrenatum Sleumer has been re-collected from three different districts of Arunachal Pradesh approximately after 91 years subsequent to I.H. Burkill’s collection (no. 36976, K) from Ripsing of outer Abor Hills (presently a part of East and West Siang districts nearby Pashighat area) of Arunachal Pradesh on 8 March, 1912.   Due to poor description by the earlier workers, the present paper provides amplified description based on field and herbarium data including leaf anatomy (leaf stomata and vein-islets), detailed extended distribution, live and herbarium images and distribution map for easy identification in the field.
Sero-diagnosis of tuberculosis in elephants in Maharashtra, India
Authors: Rajhans Utkarsh , Wankhede Gayatri , Ambore Balaji , Chaudhari Sandeep , Nighot Navnath , Dhaygude Vitthal , Sonekar Chhaya
Published: June 2021

Tuberculosis is a highly contagious zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium spp.  A study was conducted to detect the presence of Mycobacterium in captive elephants.  A total of 15 captive elephants were screened from various regions in Maharashtra.  The blood and serum samples collected were subjected to rapid test kit, BacT/ALERT 3D system, Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining and PCR.  All the samples were found seronegative using rapid test kit and whole blood PCR.  Whereas, all samples were signalled culture positive in BacT/ALERT 3D system which were further subjected to PCR, only one amplicon was produced of 176bp of RD4 gene (Mycobacterium bovis) and no acid-fast organism was detected upon ZN.  Due to the atypical nature of this organism, diagnosis of this disease in elephants using various tests is complicated unlike the diagnostic tests that are validated in domestic animals.  Therefore, many tests have sub-optimal sensitivity and specificity in elephants.  As TB is a zoonotic disease, transmission can occur between human-livestock-elephants interface.  Therefore, the zoos and state forest authority should inculcate a protocol of periodic TB screening for Mahouts and elephants in captivity along with protocol of elephant-visitor interaction, thus helping in conservation of this endangered species in India.
Rediscovery of Ophiorrhiza incarnata C.E.C. Fisch. (Rubiaceae) from the Western Ghats of India after a lapse of 83 years
Authors: Murugan Perumal , Ravichandran Vellingiri , Murugan Chidambaram
Published: June 2021

Ophiorrhiza incarnata C.E.C.Fisch. (Rubiaceae), a threatened plant species of southern Western Ghats is rediscovered from the adjacent area of the type locality after lapse of eight decades.  Its distribution and conservation status are discussed.
Aborichthys barapensis, a new species of river loach (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae) from Arunachal Pradesh, the eastern Himalaya, India
Authors: Nanda P. , Tamang Lakpa
Published: June 2021

A new species of nemachilid loach Aborichthys barapensis, is described based on two adult specimens (91 and 97 mm SL) from the Barap Stream (a tributary of the Brahmaputra River basin) in the southeastern most part of the state of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Myanmar. The new species is distinguished from its congeners in having a narrow black basicaudal bar without a black ocellus on the upper end (vs. present); and in having a very low dorsal and ventral adipose crests (vs. prominent; absent in A. waikhomi). The new species is further distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: body with 24–26 oblique bars along the flank; interspace narrower than bars on body; moderately rounded caudal fin with five distinct black to brown cross bars; vent closer to the caudal-fin base (44.1–45.1 % standard length) than to snout tip.
Population and conservation threats to the Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus (Aves: Phoenicopteriformes: Phoenicopteridae) at Basai Wetland and Najafgarh Jheel Bird Sanctuary, Haryana, India
Authors: Kumar Amit , Rana Sarita
Published: June 2021

Greater Flamingos are the largest and most widespread, among other species of Phoenicopteridae. This study documents the population structure and conservation threats affecting the population and habitat of the flamingos at Najafgarh Jheel Bird Sanctuary and Basai wetland in Haryana, India. The study areas were surveyed monthly between May 2019 to February 2020 at regular intervals. A Nikon 8 X 40 field binoculars and a Nikon SX60 camera were used to observe flocks of P. roseus. A total of 65 flocks of flamingo were observed, and 6,768 individuals were counted using point counts method. Najafgarh Jheel Bird Sanctuary holds a major proportion of their population comprising about 91.78 % and Basai wetland holds about 8.21 % of their population, while 52.46 % of the total population were classified as adults, and 47.53 % were juveniles (sub-adults). Habitat fragmentation resulting from construction of roads is one of the major threats, while overgrowth of water hyacinth, cattle grazing and fishing activities at Basai Wetland, adversely affected the flamingos. At the Najafgarh Jheel, cattle grazing was considered to be the major threat, followed by the overgrown water hyacinth, fishing activities and collision with high tension power lines.
First record of the Afghan Poplar Hawkmoth Laothoe witti Eitschberger et al., 1998 (Sphingidae: Smerinthinae) from India: a notable range extension for the genus
Authors: Riyaz Muzafar , Mathew Pratheesh , Shiekh Taslima , Ignacimuthu S. , Sivasankaran K.
Published: June 2021

Laothoe witti Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998, the Afghan Poplar Hawkmoth, was first described from Afghanistan, after which there have only been isolated reports of the species within the Palaearctic region.  Only five species have so far been reported under the genus Laothoe with no evidence of the occurrence of the genus Laothoe in India till date.  Here we provide information about the record of L. witti from Kashmir that establish first evidence of the occurrence of this species in India, extending the range of the genus Laothoe into the Indian sub-continent.
New records and distribution extension of Nassarius persicus (Martens, 1874) and N. tadjallii Moolenbeek, 2007 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Nassariidae) to India
Authors: Nerurkar Sayali , Apte Deepak
Published: June 2021

We report new findings of live specimens of Nassarius persicus (Martens, 1874) and N. tadjallii Moolenbeek, 2007, extending their range to the Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, India. The known distribution of both species was limited: N. persicus was distributed in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Karachi in Pakistan; N. tadjallii was reported from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. We also provide comprehensive taxonomic descriptions of both species, along with additional morphological and ecological information.
Comments on the “A checklist of mammals with historical records from Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya landscape, India”
Authors: Nameer P.O.
Published: June 2021

A critical review on the article published in the Auguts 2020 issue of JoTT, "“A checklist of mammals with historical records from Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya landscape, India” is presented.
Conservation status, feeding guilds, and diversity of birds in Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Karnataka, India
Authors: Harisha M.N. , Samad K.S. Abdul , Hosetti B.B.
Published: June 2021

The present study was carried out to investigate the importance of habitat quality for the diversity, distribution, and abundance of avifauna in Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Ballari District from February 2015 to January 2016. A total number of 189 species of birds, belonging to 62 families and 18 orders were recorded during the survey. A family-wise analysis showed that the families Accipitridae (12 species), followed by Muscicapidae (11 species), Ardeidae & Alaudidae (8 species each), and Cuculidae (7 species) dominated the avifauna of the region. The residential status of birds revealed that 74% (140 species) were resident, 23% (44 species) were winter, 2% (3 species) were summer and 1% (2 species) was passage migrant’s species. The study resulted in the recording of fives globally Near Threatened category, viz, Painted Stork, Black-headed Ibis, Oriental Darter, River Tern, and Pallid Harrier; and two Vulnerable species, viz, Yellow-throated Bulbul and Woolly-necked Stork. The feeding guild analysis revealed that the insectivorous guild has the most number of recorded avian species (33%, 63 species), followed by carnivorous (31%, 58 species) and least by nectarivorous (1%, 2 species). This study provides baseline data for monitoring the avifauna in the sanctuary and demonstrates the importance of the area in bird conservation. The study also highlights the negative impact of anthropogenic activities as the main cause for the loss of diversity of both birds and their habitat and the urgent need to conserve this biodiversity-rich area with long-term monitoring programs.
Photographic record of the Rusty-spotted Cat Prionailurus rubiginosus (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in southern Western Ghats, India
Authors: Sanghamithra Devika , Nameer P.O.
Published: June 2021

We report the first report of the Rusty-spotted Cat from Walayan Reserve Forests, southren Westyern Ghats. This record is of interest as there are only very few confirmed records of this small cat from Kerala.
Assessment of changes over a decade in the patterns of livestock depredation by the Himalayan Brown Bear in Ladakh, India
Authors: Maheshwari Aishwarya , Kumar A. Arun , Sathyakumar Sambandam
Published: June 2021

Conflicts between large carnivores and shepherds constitute a major socio-ecological concern across the Himalaya and affects community attitudes and tolerance toward carnivores. We assessed the extent and intensity of Human-Brown Bear interactions in the same villages of Zanskar and Suru Valleys, Ladakh, in the Indian Trans-Himalaya during two time periods (2001–2003 and 2009–2012) through field and questionnaire surveys. During 2001–2003, 180 families of 32 villages in Zanskar, and 232 families of 49 villages in Suru were interviewed, and during 2009–2012, 145 families of 23 villages in Zanskar and 115 families of 33 villages in Suru were interviewed. Overall, 475 (119/year) and 454 (151/year) heads of livestock were reportedly killed by Brown Bears. The surveys of 2009–2012 revealed that livestock predation in ‘doksas’ (summer grazing camps) was higher (68 %) compared to the surveys carried out during 2001–2003 (42 %). The increased livestock depredation in doksas might be due to the extended stay and use of pastures by the local communities during spring and autumn. Damage to property in the form of breaking open of doors and windows by Brown Bear were reported during both the surveys. Economic losses and declining tolerance of people may trigger retaliatory killings of Brown Bear in Ladakh. We recommend compensation for livestock loss and improved husbandry practices in the conflict zones for bear-human coexistence.
Underestimated diversity of Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Sauria: Gekkonidae) on karst landscapes in Sarawak, East Malaysia, Borneo
Authors: Nashriq Izneil , Das Indraneil
Published: June 2021

The paraphyletic group of Old World rock gecko genus Cnemaspis, currently comprises ~180 described species from Africa and Asia.  The south-east Asian clade with 63 described species, is most diverse on the Thai-Malay Peninsula, with just five species known from Borneo, an island biodiversity hotspot.  Karst regions are known as centres for species endemism, and vast areas of caves and karst exist across northern Borneo.  Fieldwork from 2017 to 2020 recovered additional undescribed species of Cnemaspis from areas of karst forests in western and northern Sarawak.  These discoveries emphasize the importance of preserving areas of limestone karst within rainforest areas for maintaining species diversity, as well as accelerating research on documenting the biota.