bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cryptic diversity in a gastrointestinal acanthocephalan of New World primates from Costa Rica
Authors: Rojas-Sánchez Ernesto , Umaña-Blanco Fabián , Jiménez-Rocha Ana , Vega-Benavides Karen , Medaglia Alejandro , Solano-Barquero Alberto , Rojas Alicia , Jiménez Mauricio
Published: October 2022

Prosthenorchis elegans is a worm of the family Archiacanthocephala that infects non-human primates in the Americas, producing an intestinal pathology that may compromise the life of its hosts. Squirrel monkeys, Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus, were found with P. elegans in Costa Rica. Histopathological analysis revealed a severe pyogranulomatous response composed by macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, fibroblasts and lymphocytes. Morphological analyses revealed 36 hooks in the proboscis distributed in six rows and total body, hook and lemnisci length compatible to the original descriptions of P. elegans. In addition, phylogenetic, haplotype network and genetic distance analyses were done on cytochrome oxidase subunit 1, cox1, sequences obtained from the collected specimens. Sequences obtained herein clustered separately with high posterior probabilities in a Bayesian Inference tree and showed 8.43% nucleotide differences when compared to P. elegans from Colombia. This high divergence was confirmed in the TCS network that separated Colombian and Costa Rican sequences by 32 mutational steps and a genetic distance PCA which grouped sequences from both geographical locations by 89.5%, indicating the presence of cryptic divergence in P. elegans. Additional studies from specimens collected from other definitive hosts and geographical locations are required to better understand the biodiversity of this species.
D-LMBmap: A fully automated deep learning pipeline for whole-brain profiling of neural circuitry
Authors: Ren Jing , Li Zhongyu , Shang Zengyi , Liu Jingyi , Zhen Haotian , Zhu Entao , Zhong Shilin , Sturgess Robyn , Zhou Yitian , Hu Xuemeg , Wu Yi , Lin Rui
Published: October 2022

Recent proliferation and integration of tissue-clearing methods and light-sheet fluorescence microscopy has created new opportunities to achieve mesoscale 3D whole-brain connectivity mapping with exceptionally high throughput. With the rapid generation of massive high-quality imaging datasets, downstream analysis is becoming the major technical bottleneck for mesoscale connectomics. Current computational solutions are labour-intensive with limited applications because of the exhaustive manual annotation and heavily customised training. Meanwhile, whole-brain data analysis always requires combining multiple packages and secondary development by users. To address these challenges, we developed D-LMBmap, an end-to-end package providing an integrated workflow containing three modules based on novel deep-learning algorithms for whole-brain connectivity mapping: axon segmentation, brain region segmentation and whole-brain registration. D-LMBmap is the first method that does not require manual annotation for axon segmentation, and achieves quantitative analysis of whole-brain projectome in a single workflow with superior accuracy for multiple cell types in all of the modalities tested.
FusionPDB: a unique knowledgebase of human fusion proteins of consistent annotation across genomic/ transcript/ protein/ interaction levels
Authors: Kumar Himansu , Tang Lin-Ya , Yang Chengyuan , Kim Pora
Published: October 2022

Tumorigenic functions due to the formation of fusion genes were targeted for cancer therapeutics (i.e., kinase inhibitors). However, there are still many fusion proteins awaiting being targeted for therapeutics with multiple different mechanisms. Due to the lack of knowledge of the fusion protein sequence and 3D structure, there were not many studies available. To fill this gap, we developed a new computational pipeline and a resource of human fusion proteins, named FusionPDB available at https://compbio.uth.edu/FusionPDB. FusionPDB provides ~ 42K fusion protein sequences (of 16K in-frame fusion genes), 2300 + 1267 fusion protein 3D structures (of 2300 recurrent in-frame fusion genes and 266 manually curated in-frame fusion genes), and virtual screening results of 1267 fusion proteins. FusionPDB is the only resource providing whole 3D structures of fusion proteins and comprehensive knowledge of human fusion proteins. It will be regularly updated until covering all human fusion proteins in the future.
Response categorization and outcomes in extremely premature infants born at 22-26 weeks gestation that received inhaled nitric oxide for hypoxic respiratory failure
Authors: Boly Timothy , Dagle John , Klein Jonathan , Rios Danielle , McNamara Patrick , Giesinger Regan
Published: October 2022

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of extremely premature infants who received inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) for hypoxic respiratory failure (HRF).Study Design: Retrospective analysis of 107 infants born 22-26 weeks gestation who received iNO for HRF at a single institution. Infants were categorized as positive, negative, or no responders based on change in FiO2or OI. Underlying physiology of HRF was determined.Results: 63% of infants had a positive response; they received iNO earlier and were more likely to have acute pulmonary hypertension. Positive response correlated with decreased incidence of death or grade 3 BPD at 36 weeks postmenstrual age, as compared to a negative response.Conclusions: Extremely premature infants have a positive response rate to iNO comparable to term infants when used for acute pulmonary hypertension in the transitional period. Infants with a negative response to iNO had worse outcomes, necessitating the determination of the underlying physiology of HRF prior to iNO initiation.
Aptamer-based Colorimetric and Lateral Flow Immunoassay Detection of Aflatoxin B1 in corn Samples.
Authors: wang yafang , ren wenjie , He baoshan , jin huali , Wei Min , Suo Zhiguang , Xu Yiwei
Published: October 2022

In this paper, gold nanoparticles were combined with aflatoxin B1-aptamer as a single probe via the specific binding between aflatoxinB1 with aptamer, designing a colorimetric detection method. Meanwhile, an immunochromatographic strip with gold nanoparticles modified by complementary chains of aflatoxin B1 aptamer as the probe was developed for rapid detection of aflatoxin B1. Under the optimal conditions, the linear detection range of the colorimetric method was 0.5–50 ng/mL, the minimum detection limit was 0.5 ng/mL, the detection range of the immunochromatographic strip was 0.5–500 ng/mL, the minimum detection limit was 0.5 ng/ mL, and the semi-quantitative limit of detection (LOD) was 51 ng/mL. Finally, comparing the two methods, it is concluded that immunochromatographic strip detection is more sensitive, accurate and celerity. The recoveries of test samples were from 97.3–120%. All detections could be accomplished within 10 min, indicating that the strip could be a potentially effective tool for rapid on-site detections.
Potential protective effect of Silibinin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) in lead-induced acute nephrotoxicity
Authors: Makhdoomi Sajjad , Ariafar Saba , Sanemar Khashayar , Mohammadi Mojdeh
Published: October 2022

As a toxic heavy metal, lead (Pb) is well known for impairment of renal function due to oxidative injuries. Given the role of silibinin antioxidant activity, the present study investigated the effectiveness of silibinin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (Sili-NLCs) against Pb-induced acute nephrotoxicity in rats. The emulsification-solvent evaporation method applied to prepare Sili-NLCs. Sixty male Wistar rats were divided into ten separate groups. Animals were treated with Pb (50 mg/kg/day, i.p.) and with the same concentration of silibinin and Sili-NLCs (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for six days. After sacrificing rats, kidney tissue samples were collected from all animals to assess the oxidative stress parameters. Also, histopathological examination using Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) studied. Our data revealed that Pb-induced oxidative damage which indicated by increasing lipid peroxidation (LPO) and nitric oxide (NO) accompanied by decreasing the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. Moreover, the histopathological examination correlated well with these findings. However, silibinin and especially Sili-NLCs significantly prevented the induction of oxidative damage. Nevertheless, our data suggested that Sili-NLCs are potentially superior to pure silibinin for attenuating Pb-induced acute nephrotoxicity. So, using novel therapeutic approaches is highly required.
Results from a randomised controlled pilot study of the Better Conversations with Primary Progressive Aphasia (BCPPA) communication partner training program for people with PPA and their communication partners.
Authors: Volkmer Anna , Walton H , Swinburn K , Spector A , Warren J D , Beeke S
Published: October 2022

Background:
There has been a growing focus on functional communication interventions for Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). These interventions aim to support individuals to participate in life situations. One such intervention, communication partner training (CPT) aims to change conversation behaviours in both the person with PPA and their communication partner (CP). CPT has a growing evidence base in stroke aphasia, however these programs are not designed to meet the needs of people with progressive communication difficulties. To address this, the authors developed a CPT program entitled Better Conversations with PPA (BCPPA) and undertook a pilot trial to establish for a future full trial; predicted recruitment rates, acceptability, an assessment of treatment fidelity and an appropriate primary outcome measure.
Methodology:
This was a single-blind, randomised controlled pilot study comparing BCPPA to no treatment, delivered across 11 National Health Service Trusts in the UK. A random sample of eight recordings of local collaborators delivering the intervention were analysed to examine fidelity. Participants completed feedback forms reporting on acceptability. Pre- and post-intervention measures targeted conversation behaviours, communication goals and quality of life.
Results:
Eighteen people with PPA and their CPs (9 randomised to BCPPA, 9 randomised to no-treatment) completed the study. Participants in the intervention group rated BCPPA positively. Treatment fidelity was 87.2%. Twenty-nine of 30 intervention goals were achieved or over-achieved and 16 of 30 coded conversation behaviours demonstrated change in the intended direction. The Aphasia Impact Questionnaire was identified as the preferred outcome measure.
Conclusion:
The first randomised controlled UK pilot study of a CPT program for people with PPA and their families demonstrates BCPPA is a promising intervention. The intervention was acceptable, treatment fidelity high and an appropriate measure identified. Results of this study indicate a future RCT of BCPPA is feasible.
Trial registration:
Registered 28/02/2018 ISRCTN10148247
Assessing rural household’s food group-source and dietary diversity pattern in Malaita Province
Authors: Bird Zina , Iese Viliamu , Des Combes Helene Jacot , Alungo Bradley , Wairiu Morgan
Published: October 2022

Access to and availability of various food sources is not an issue in rural communities. However, there is no guarantee that households are not affected by nutritional inadequacy, which is still a problem in most underdeveloped nations. A mixed-methods study was conducted to determine the HDDS through snowballing method for the last 12 months' food-source-group and the 48-hour diet recall. Ninety-eight households in 2 rural communities in Malaita participated in the interview between April and May 2019 and analyzed through SPSS and QDA MINER. The aim is to analyze the household dietary patterns of two communities between Zion 1 and Zion 2. The study also hypothesizes that the dietary pattern of households has not changed. A total of 9 food groups; grain, white roots and tubers, plantains, oils/fats (95.90%), condiments (83.70%), and meat/poultry/sea foods (77.60%) were consumed. Majority of the food consumed are from the gardens followed by other food sources which makes up the average HDDS of 5. A correlation analysis found a statistically significant relationship between HDDS and total meal (0.504*) with no relationships between demographic. When comparing 48-hour food sources and food groups to the last year, there was little to no difference in accessibility and availability. This implies that the majority of households are likely to achieve their nutritional needs within the parameters of their dietary trend. Despite the fact that households have adequate food access, there is a significant need to improve their nutritional needs, even if they consume the average required food groups.
A Novel Anisotropy Template for an Improved Interpretation of Elastic Anisotropy Data
Authors: Firdaus Gama , Prasad Manika , Behura Jyoti
Published: October 2022

Tight unconventional rocks are characterized by the presence of laminations, preferentially oriented cracks, and an interconnected network of compliant minerals. Such anisotropic features can mechanically deform due to pressure depletion during production, leading to a human-induced change of elastic and fluid transport properties. Rock physics models allow us to better predict and assess stress- and direction-dependent elastic moduli of the rock, useful for horizontal stress estimates. However, elastic anisotropy can be challenging to measure and interpret. We have developed an anisotropy template that can be used to assess stress-dependent changes in elastic moduli and investigate rock textures. We present here the template construction using an effective medium model consisting of stiff and compliant layers and crack inclusions and evaluate the origin of stress-dependent stiffness changes in acoustic data from Berea, Bakken, Three Forks, and Mancos formations.
Uncovering transcriptional regulatory network during regeneration for boosting wheat transformation
Authors: Liu Xuemei , Bie Xiao Min , Lin Xuelei , Li Menglu , Wang Hongzhe , Zhang Xiaoyu , Yang Yiman , Zhang Chunyan , Zhang Xian Sheng , Xiao Jun
Published: October 2022

Genetic transformation is important for gene functional study and crop breeding. Though it is available in many plant species, the transformation efficiency in wheat is generally low, which greatly restricts the genetic manipulation in wheat. Here, we use multi-omic analysis strategy to uncover core transcriptional regulatory network (TRN) driving wheat shoot regeneration and identify key factors that boost the transformation efficiency. RNA-seq, ATAC-seq and CUT&Tag were used to profile the transcriptome and chromatin dynamic during regeneration process from immature embryo of wheat variety Fielder. Sequential expression of gene clusters that mediating cell fate transition during regeneration is induced by auxin signaling, in coordination with changes of chromatin accessibility, H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 status. The TRN driving wheat shoot regeneration was built-up and 446 key transcriptional factors (TFs) occupied the core of network were identified, including functionally tested regeneration factors in other species. We further compared the regeneration process between wheat and Arabidopsis and found that DNA binding with one finger (DOF) TFs show distinct patterns in two species. Furthermore, we found that TaDOF5.6 (TraesCS6A02G274000) and TaDOF3.4 (TraesCS2B02G592600) can significantly improve the transformation efficiency of different wheat varieties. Thus, our data uncovers the molecular regulatory insights for wheat shoot regeneration process and provides potential novel targets for improving transformation efficiency in wheat.
Prevalence of Arterial Stiffness Determined by Cardio-ankle Vascular Index in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
Authors: Jindaluang Thanakharn , Rattarittamrong Ekarat , Chai-Adisaksopha Chatree , Piriyakhuntorn Pokpong , Norasetthada Lalita , Tantiworawit Adisak , Rattanathammethee Thanawat , Hantrakool Sasinee , Hantrakun Nonthakorn , Punnachet Teerachat , Niprapan Piangrawee , Gunaparn Siriluck , Phrommintikul Arintaya
Published: October 2022

Background: Cardiovascular events are the most serious complications for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). There was limited data regarding arterial stiffness in these patients.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study aiming to determine the prevalence of arterial stiffness that was evaluated by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) in patients with polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). We defined arterial stiffness as a mean CAVI of 8.0 or more. We compared the prevalence of arterial stiffness in non-MPN patients with cardiovascular risk by matching age, sex, and Thai CV risk score.
Results: A total of 80 patients were enrolled (PV, n = 50; ET, n = 24; PMF, n = 6) with median age of 63.5 years (IQR 50.9-76.1). The prevalence of arterial stiffness in patients with MPNs was 63.8%, and among patients with ET, PV, and PMF was 70.8%, 60.0%, 66.7%, respectively (p = 0.655). After matching, the prevalence of arterial stiffness was not statistically significant difference when compared to the non-MPN population with cardiovascular risk (65.2% vs 60.9%, P = 0.539).
Conclusion The prevalence of arterial stiffness in patients with MPNs was 63.8% which was comparable to non-MPN patients with cardiovascular risk.
The Italian Version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (Pedsql™) 3.0 Healthcare Satisfaction Hematology/oncology Module: Reliability and Validity in Radiation Oncology
Authors: Marconi Elisa , Bartoli Francesco Beghella , Meldolesi Elisa , Mariani Silvia , Panza Giulia , Nardangeli Alessia , Dinapoli Loredana , Lees Teresa Carmen , Guido Antonella , Mastronuzzi Angela , Ruggiero Antonio , Gambacorta Maria Antonietta , Valentini Vincenzo , Balducci Mario , Chieffo Daniela Pia Rosaria , Chiesa Silvia
Published: October 2022

Background
Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measurement has become an important health care outcome even in oncological pediatric scenario.
During radiation therapy care path, pediatric patients and their relatives may suffer from emotional and psychosocial distress not only related to cancer diagnosis, but also due to the procedure and the required daily routine. Despite the high prevalence of psychosocial consequences in this setting, instruments that inquire pediatric HRQOL and healthcare satisfaction have rarely been studied in Italy.
Purpose of this study was to investigate reliability and linguistic validation of the PedsQL™ healthcare satisfaction Hematology/Oncology module from its original English version to Italian language.
Methods
Three phases standard procedure of cross-culture adaptation were used to create Italian version of PedsQL™ healthcare satisfaction Hematology/Oncology module. Forward translations and backward translations were performed. Finally, a pilot-testing for understandability of the 'pre-final' version was conducted with parents of children attending our Radiotherapy Center using two methodologies of Cognitive Interviewing (“Thinkaloud Interviews” and “Respondent Debriefing”), in order to obtain the final Italian version of the PedsQL™ healthcare satisfaction Hematology/Oncology module.
Results
Twenty-five parents (2 father, 23 mothers) were recruited during their children’s radiotherapy treatment and the grammatically and conceptually acceptable pre-final version of the PedsQL™ Healthcare Satisfaction Hematology/Oncology Module was administered. The questionnaire was well understood reflecting its linguistic adaptation. Compliance with questionnaire administration was optimal. All subjects stated that the questions were interesting to express their opinion, most of them reported that all the questions of each section were clearly comprehensible and easy to understand, suggesting minimal changes that were double-checked with back translation. Furthermore, six of them spontaneously asked to complete the questionnaire in order to review the assistance received during radiotherapy.
Conclusion
Our Italian version of the PedsQL™ 3.0 Healthcare Satisfaction Hematology/Oncology Module seems to be a valid and functional instrument to indagate Healthcare Satisfaction.
Urban bird community assembly mechanisms and driving factors in university campuses in Nanjing, China
Authors: Zhao Zixi , Borzée Amaël , Chen Sheng , Hui Shi , Zhang Yong
Published: October 2022

Understanding the drivers of community assembly process is of great importance for better conservation outcomes; and the main mechanisms include competitive exclusion, environmental filtering and neutral assembly. While mechanisms of assembly processes for vertebrates living in natural habitats have been well studied, their urban counterparts encountering highly human modified environments are still largely understudied. As a result, there are knowledge gaps for urban planners to better protect urban biodiversity and develop eco-friendly cities. University campuses are important components of cities, harboring the majority of urban biodiversity. In this study, based on monthly bird surveys data covering 12 university campuses located either downtown or in the newly developed areas in Nanjing, China, in 2019, we studied the assembly processes of campus’s birds, and their main drivers, by modeling a set of ecological and landscape determinants. Our results showed that bird diversity in the newly developed areas were significantly higher than those downtown. The phylogeny of bird communities in all universities followed a pattern of aggregation, indicating that environmental filtering played a major role in the community assembly. Specifically, grass, water and building were the main factors affecting campus’s bird functional and phylogenetic diversity, with the area of grass and water habitats having a significant positive correlation with phylogenetic diversity while the building areas was negatively correlated. Our results emphasize that habitat features play a decisive role in determining urban bird community assembly processes. We suggest that increasing landscape diversity and improving the landscape connectivity could be a powerful way to maintain and promote urban bird diversity.
Facial expression recognition based on improved Mobile-former
Authors: Xiang Zhang , Chun-man Yan , Miao-miao Sun
Published: October 2022

FER(Facial expression recognition) is a very challenging task in the field of computer vision due to the influence of real-world factors such as illumination, angle, and skin color. With the in-depth study of FER by researchers, CNN(convolutional neural networks) have been widely used in the field of FER due to their excellent local feature extraction ability. In recent years, VIT(Vision Transformer) has become a popular research method for FER due to its excellent global feature processing ability. However, the CNN lacks attention to global features, and VIT has insufficient processing capability for local features, and both face the dilemma of limited application scenarios due to too large parameters. In view of the above problems, this paper first uses Mobile-former as the basic network, so that the network model can combine local and global features when performing expression recognition. Secondly, the ACmix model is introduced to replace the original stem module, making the network can have enough receptive field when initially extracting the input image. Finally, this paper proposes a more lightweight and efficient mobile sub-module to reduce network model parameters. The final experimental results show that the accuracy of the network model in the RAF-DB and CK + datasets is increased by 3.03% and 3% respectively, while the Params is reduced by 1.05M.
Shock Waves in 3d Textile Composite Subject to Hypervelocity Impact
Authors: Saboktakin A.
Published: October 2022

In hypervelocity impacts of composite materials, shock initiation and interaction with composite constituents dominate its responses, particularly the formation and features of the debris cloud. A numerical simulation was performed in this paper to investigate the wave propagation mechanism and obtain the wave response using the finite element method in order to estimate the features of the hypervelocity impact into honeycomb composite with stitched facesheets. Wave propagation can be seen when the structure is exposed to shock waves in skins made of three-dimensional stitched composite, according to the modeling results. The consequences of the stitching process on wave propagation are demonstrated, and their interactions with the stitching fibers are explained. The modeling was done in this paper and the corresponding shock wave analysis provides new insight into the processes of the analysis of the shock waves and the beginning of the debris clouds. This research thoroughly examines the behavior of a three-dimensional textile honeycomb composite in terms of wave propagation and predictions on the location of potential damages. This would provide comprehensive information that would facilitate the development of the new honeycomb composite presented herein toward validating the modeling results for hypervelocity impact events.
Brushless Direct Current Motor versus Induction Motor in Photovoltaic Pumping Application: A Comparative Study
Authors: BELGACEM Fatima , MOSTEFAI Mohamed , MILOUD Yahia , BELGACEM Aicha
Published: October 2022

In the agricultural and industrial sectors, solar water pumping systems are gaining popularity due to their environmental friendliness and lack of fuel costs. Traditional electric water pumps are frequently unreliable, while diesel pumps have higher fuel costs. This study's primary aim is to present a comparative study between brushless direct current motor (BLDC) and induction motor (IM) in photovoltaic pumping systems (PVPS). The two most common motor types are examined. The suitability of these two motors types in photovoltaic pumping applications is assessed through simulation works. The mathematical models for the PV array, inverter/motors are developped, the controllers are presented. The Fuzzy Logic is implemented to track the maximum power under different irradiance. The effectiveness of the drive system for beginning and DC link voltage changes brought on by changing sun illumination is also investigated in the study. A full simulation model of the suggested PVPS configuration under data climate conditions of autumn and summer day irradiation (2016) is created using MATLAB Simulink. The BLDC with its electronic commutation due to its performances improve the PVPS by providing sufficient water amounts in an appropriate time with high efficiency compared to IM.
Restraint stress exacerbates apoptosis in a 6-OHDA animal model of Parkinson disease
Authors: Idrissi Sara El , Fath Nada , Ibork Hind , Taghzouti Khalid , Alamy Meryem , Abboussi Oualid
Published: October 2022

Activation of the apoptotic pathway has been associated with promoting neuronal cell death in the pathophysiology of Parkinson disease (PD). Nonetheless, the mechanisms by which it may occurs remain unclear. It has been suggested that stress-induced oxidation and potentially apoptosis may play a major role in the progression of PD. Thus, in this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of subchronic restraint stress on striatal dopaminergic activity, iron, p53, caspase-3, and plasmatic acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels in an animal model of PD induced by administration of 6-hydroxydopamine(6-OHDA) in the medial forebrain bundle (MFB). The obtained results showed that restraint stress exacerbates motor coordination deficits and anxiety in animals treated with 6-OHDA in comparison to animals receiving saline, and it had no effect on object recognition memory. On another hand, 6-OHDA decreased dopamine(DA) levels, increased iron accumulation, and induced overexpression of the pro-apoptotic factors caspase-3, p53, and AChE. More interestingly, post-lesion restraint stress exacerbated the expression of caspase-3 and AChE without affecting p53 expression. These findings suggest that subchronic stress may accentuate apoptosis and may contribute to DA neuronal loss in the striatal regions and possibly exacerbate the progression of PD.
Normalized solutions for a Choquard equation with exponential growth in R2
Authors: Deng Shengbing , Yu Junwei
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we study the existence of normalized solutions to the following nonlinear Choquard equation with exponential growth \begin{align*} \left\{\begin{aligned}&-\Delta u+\lambda u=(I_{\alpha}\ast F(u))f(u), \quad\quad\hbox{in }\mathbb{R}^{2},\\&\int_{\mathbb{R}^{2}}|u|^{2}dx=a^{2},\end{aligned}\right.\end{align*} where $a>0$ is prescribed, $\lambda\in \mathbb{R}$, $\alpha\in(0,2)$, $I_{\alpha}$ denotes the Riesz potential, $\ast$ indicates the convolution operator, the function $f(t)$ has exponential growth in $\mathbb{R}^{2}$ and $F(t)=\int^{t}_{0}f(\tau)d\tau$. Using the Pohozaev manifold and variational methods, we establish the existence of normalized solutions to the above problem.
2020 Mathematics Subject Classiffication: 35J47; 35B33; 35J50.
Microencapsulation of juniper and black pepper essential oil using the coacervation method and its properties after freeze-drying
Authors: Napiórkowska Alicja , Kurek Marcin Andrzej
Published: October 2022

Essential oils are a mixture of chemical compounds very susceptible to the effects of the external environment. Hence, more attention is drawn to their preservation methods. The aim of the study was to test the possibility of using complex coacervation for the microencapsulation of essential oils. Black pepper (Piper nigrum) and juniper (Juniperus communis) essential oils dissolved in grape seed (GSO) and soybean (SBO) oil formed the core material, while gelatin (G) and gum Arabic (GA) formed the wall materials. Various mixing ratios of polymers were tested: 1:1; 1:2, and 2:1. The oil content was 10%, and the essential oil content was 1%. The prepared coacervates were lyophilized and then screened to obtain a powder. For all samples, among others, the following were determined: encapsulation efficiency (EE), Carr Index (CI), Hausner Ratio (HR), solubility, hygroscopicity, moisture content, and particle size. The highest encapsulation efficiency achieved was within the range of 64.09–59.89%. The mixing ratio G/GA = 2:1 allowed to obtain powders that were characterized by the lowest solubility (6.55–11.20%). The smallest particle sizes, that did not exceed 6 µm, characterized the powders obtained by mixing G/GA = 1:1. All powder samples were characterized by high cohesiveness and thus poor or very poor flow (CI = 30.58–50.27, HR = 1.45–2.01).
The climate niche of the invasive tick species Hyalomma marginatum and Hyalomma rufipes (Ixodidae) with recommendations for modeling exercises
Authors: Estrada-Peña Agustín
Published: October 2022

The finding of immature stages of some Hyalomma spp. feeding on migratory birds in Europe is unexceptional. The reports of adults of Hyalomma in Europe and British Isles after successful molting from immatures have sharply increased in recent years. The warming of the target territory could favor the persistence of populations of these invasive ticks. While evaluations of the impact on health or measures of adaptation are on their way, the climate niches of these species remain undefined, preventing preventive policies. This study delineates such niche for both Hyalomma marginatum (2,729 collection points) and Hyalomma rufipes (2,573 collections) in its distribution area, together with 11,669 points in Europe where Hyalomma spp. is considered to be absent in field surveys. Niche is defined from daily data of temperature, evapotranspiration, soil humidity and air saturation deficit (years 1970–2006). A set of 8 variables (annual/seasonal accumulated temperature and vapor deficit) has the maximum discriminatory power separating the niches of both Hyalomma and the negative dataset, with an accuracy near 100%. The use of accumulated annual temperature as the only variable for predictive purposes is unreliable, as far as values of water in air are excluded.
Auto-correlation functions for unitary groups
Authors: LEE KYU HWAN , Oh Se-jin
Published: October 2022

We compute the auto-correlations functions of order m ≥ 1 for the characteristic polynomials of random matrices from certain subgroups of the unitary groups U(2) and U(3) by establishing new branching rules. These subgroups can be understood as certain analogues of Sato-Tate groups of USp(4) in our previous paper. Our computation yields symmetric polynomial identities with m-variables involving irreducible characters of U(m) for all m ≥ 1 in an explicit, uniform way.
Comparison of linewidth narrowing in quantum-dot and quantum-well
integrated III-V/SiN lasers
Authors: Wan Yating , Chow Weng , Alkhazraji Emad , Madaras Scott , Gehl Michael , Skogen Erik , Grillot Frederic , Bowers John
Published: October 2022

This paper describes an analysis of integrated III-V/SiN lasers operating with quantum-dot and quantum-well active regions. We focus on the effects of 0- and 2-dimensional carrier densities of states on linewidth narrowing. The theoretical approach includes a) multimode laser interaction to treat mode competition and wave mixing, b) quantum-optical contributions from spontaneous emission and c) composite laser/free-space eigenmodes to describe outcoupling and coupling among components within an extended cavity. The approach is able to describe the progression to Hz-level lasing linewidth observed in III-V/SiN lasers with quantum-dot active regions. In addition, it predicts that the integration of III-V/SiN mitigates the high quantum-well linewidth enhancement factor, resulting in similar Hz-level linewidth performance. Tradeoffs are explored among linewidth, output power and injection current.
On the importance of galactic disks in the dynamics of spiral galaxies
Authors: DUSSERRE Tanguy
Published: October 2022

The author wants to estimate precisely how the gravitational field evolves in the particular shape of a spiral galaxy. This article first identifies the model used for the dynamics of spiral galaxies, which is a speed decreasing with r-1/2 outside of (and sometimes inside) the disk, then demonstrates that this model is mathematically flawed under Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation. It also reminds the reader that Kepler Laws, which are equivalent to a r-1/2 speed decrease, can not be used if the mass distribution is not spheric. As the disk is commonly considered the most massive component of such galaxies, the article establishes the field created by it under correct hypotheses. It takes into account an axi-symmetric component and spiral arms that are studied separately, and obtains a mean flat rotation curve for every cylinder-shaped mass distribution without any hypothesis on ρ(r). A method for computing the mass of a spiral galaxy from its rotation curve is suggested and applied to the Milky Way and 12 other spiral galaxies. It is then found that their visible masses are enough to explain their rotation curve.
Impact of Deficit Irrigation on Growth and Water-use Dynamics of HLB-affected Citrus Trees
Authors: Kwakye Samuel , Kadyampakeni Davie M.
Published: October 2022

A greenhouse study was conducted from October 2019 to July 2021 at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred, FL. The objective was to assess the impact of deficit irrigation on tree growth, soil water availability, stem water potential (SWP), sap flow and root growth of 2- to 4-year-old Huanglongbing (HLB)-affected ‘Valencia’ (Citrus sinensis) orange trees on ‘Kuharske citrange’ rootstock (Citrus sinensis x Poncirus trifoliata) using evapotranspiration (ET)-based irrigation schedule. A total of 20 trees were either HLB-positive or non-HLB affected and one-half of the trees was subjected to deficit irrigation (80% ET) and the other half to full irrigation (100% ET). For HLB-affected trees irrigated at 80% ET and 100% ET, there was no significant difference for tree height in both years. In general, there was no difference for SWP between the HLB-affected trees subjected to deficit irrigation and full irrigation. Non-HLB trees subjected to 100% ET and 80% ET had greater sap flow compared to HLB-affected trees subjected to 100% and 80% ET. Sap flow for the period of March-April and June-July 2021 was comparable between HLB-affected trees at all irrigation rates. Maximum sap flow occurred between 11 and 16 h for HLB-affected trees during for the three measurement periods. HLB-affected trees used an average of 1.6 mm day− 1 while non-HLB trees used 2.1 mm day− 1. On average, healthy trees (non-HLB) used about 20% more water than HLB-affected trees. For HLB-affected trees, irrigating at 80% ET may be appropriate for achieving water savings under controlled environments.
Early and Mid-term Outcomes of Off-pump Versus On-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in Patients With Triple-Vessel Coronary Artery Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Forouzannia Seyed Mohammad , Forouzannia Seyed Khalil , Yarahamdi Pourya , Alirezaei Mohammad , Shafiee Akbar , Anari Negin Yazdian , Masoudkabir Farzad , Dehghani Zahra , Pashang Mina
Published: October 2022

background and aim of the study: Several studies have compared early and mid-term outcomes of on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and off-pump CABG. However, there is still an ongoing debate on this matter, especially in patients with triple-vessel coronary artery disease (3VD).
Methods: We randomly assigned 274 consecutive patients with 3VD to two equal groups to undergo on-pump CABG or off-pump CABG. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), including all-cause mortality, acute coronary syndrome, stroke or transient ischemic attack, and the need for repeat revascularization. The secondary outcomes were postoperative infection, ventilation time, duration of ICU admission, length of hospital stay, and renal failure after surgery.
Results: The mean follow-up duration was 31.1 ± 5.9 months. The mean age of patients was 61.4±9.3 years (range: 38 to 86), and 207 (78.7%) were men. There were 15 (11.2%) and 9 (7.0%) MACCE occurrence in on-pump and off-pump groups, respectively (P-value =0.23). None of the MACCE components, including CVA, non-fatal MI, and revascularization, did not significantly differ between on-pump and off-pump groups. We observed no difference in the occurrence of MACCE between off-pump and on-pump groups in multivariate regression analysis (HR=0.57; 95% CI: 0.24–1.32; P-value=0.192). There were no statistical differences in postoperative outcomes between the off-pump and on-pump CABG groups.
Conclusions: We found no significant differences between on-pump and off-pump CABG in the rate of MACCE and postoperative complications incidence when surgery is performed in the same setting by the same surgeon. (IRCT20190120042428N1)
Spatiotemporal evaluation of plasma parameters during LIBS analysis for on- line sorting of zinc-based alloy
Authors: LELLOUCHE Noura , YAHIAOUI Kenza , KELLOU Abdelhamid , ABERKANE Sabrina MESSAOUD
Published: October 2022

In the present work, plasma generated by fundamental radiation from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser focused onto a zinc based alloy is studied spectroscopically. The quantification of the zinc based alloy using the calibration free- laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) is only possible under the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). In this study, we investigated the spatiotemporal evolution of plasma parameters (Te, Ne) as well as the spatiotemporal evaluation of LTE in order to find regions where LTE is valid. For an accurate plasma temperature estimation, only times ranging from 0.8 µs to 6 µs and for axial distance from 0.6 to 2.6 mm were chosen. The electron temperature values were calculated using the Saha-Boltzmann method applied on neutral and singly ionized copper lines, while the electron number density was calculated using the Stark broadened profile of the Hα line using the relation of Gigosos.
Efficacy of Intraseptal Anesthesia Obtained by Computer-controlled Articaine With Epinephrine Delivery in Scaling and Root Planing
Authors: Djoric Jelica , Krasavcevic Ana Djinic , Barac Milena , Pficer Jovana Kuzmanovic , Brkovic Bozidar , Nikolic-Jakoba Natasa
Published: October 2022

Objectives

The primary aim of this study was to compare the anesthetic efficacy of the intraseptal anesthesia (ISA) obtained with three doses of 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine (4%Ar + Ep) for scaling and root planing (SRP), using a computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system (CCLADS). Secondary aims were to compare the clinical anesthetic parameters in relation to different jaw regions and examine the possible influence of sex and smoking habits on them.

Materials and Methods

SRP under ISA obtained with different doses (0.1 ml, 0.2 ml, and 0.3 ml) of 4%Ar + Ep was performed in 360 patients. The success rate, onset, duration of soft tissue anesthesia, the anesthetic field widths were recorded by pinprick testing.

Results

The anesthesia success was high (90–95%). The onset was immediate. The duration and anesthetic field widths showed a dose-related significance, however without a consistent sex-related or smoking-related significance. The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a 2-fold higher chance of anesthesia success by increasing the dose, and increased bleeding on probing-related and female sex-reduced probability of anesthesia success.

Conclusions

ISA obtained with 0.3 ml of 4%Ar + Ep delivered by computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system provided a high anesthetic success and the adequate clinical anesthetic parameters for SRP in all regions of both jaws.

Clinical Relevance

ISA obtained with 4%Ar + Ep provides an effective anesthesia for SRP. Anesthetic success rate may be reduced in the presence of gingival inflammation and in females, as well.
Study was registered in a Clinical Trials database (NCT04392804, registration date May 9th, 2020).
SiamLight: lightweight networks for object tracking via attention mechanisms and pixel-level cross-correlation
Authors: Lin Yu-e , 单 目标追踪 , Liang Xingzhu , Xia Chenxing
Published: October 2022

Despite Siamese-based trackers have achieved great success in recent years, researchers have focused more on the accuracy of trackers than their complexity, which leads to their inapplicability in some scenarios, and the real-time speed can be greatly limited. In this work, we propose a lightweight network method called SiamLight for object tracking. MobileNet-V3 is selected as the backbone network. The PG-corr module is added as the feature fusion module, a strategy that decomposes the template feature into spatial and channel kernels, reducing the matching regions and suppressing the effect of similar interference. In addition, we also add the CSM module, which carries out attention to the channel and spatial simultaneously. CSM module not only reduces the number of parameters but also ensures that it can be integrated into existing network architectures as a plug-and-play module. Finally, multiple separable convolution blocks are added to the classification and regression branches to meet our lightweight parameters and Flops requirements. The experiments on LaSOT, VOT2018, VOT2019, OTB100, and UAV123 benchmarks show that the method has fewer Flops and parameters than state-of-the-art trackers.
Cry41-related mutants against Myzus persicae based on its interaction with Cathepsin B
Authors: Jin Liang , Zhao Xiao-Di , Liao Jun-Ao , Fu Li-Jun , Lin Yi
Published: October 2022

Cry toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are toxic to Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera, but display very low activity against aphids. Recently, Cry41-related toxin was found with moderate toxicity against Myzus persicae. This study focused on constructing Cry41-related mutants against M. persicae based on its interaction with Cathepsin B. First, eight key interacting residues in Cry41-related toxin were identified using alanine scanning and site-directed saturation mutagenesis. Subsequently, the positive mutant Cry41-7M protein (mutation of Gly48, Ile59, Lys364, Gln367, Gln377, Tyr378, and Ser400 to Tyr, Ala, Arg, Lys, Lys, Lys, and Ala in Cry41-related toxin, respectively) and the negative mutant Cry41-6A protein (mutation of Gly48, Lys364, Gln367, Gln377, Tyr378 to Ala and mutation of Pro453 to Glu in Cry41-related toxin) were constructed, expressed in vitro and purified. We then found that Cry41-7M protein performed slightly stronger than Cry41-related toxin in enhancing the enzymatic activity of Cathepsin B, whereas Cry41-6A protein did not affect Cathepsin B activity. A further bioassay showed that, in contrast to a decreased mortality caused by Cry41-6A protein, the mortality caused by Cry41-7M protein was marginally higher than that of Cry41-related toxin (1.7-fold). These results are expected to open new avenues for improving Cry aphidicidal activity.
Prediction of potential mangrove distributions in the Beibu Gulf of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China using the MaxEnt model
Authors: Lifeng Li , Liu Wenai , Fan Hangqing , Ai Jingwen , Cai Shuangjiao , Liu Fuqin , Dong Jianwen
Published: October 2022

Context
The restoration of mangroves is an significant challenge within the protection of coastal habitats. Predicting the distribution of dominant species in mangrove communities is essential for the appropriate selection of species and spatial planning for restoration.
Objectives
We explored the spatial distribution of six mangrove species including their related environmental factors, thereby identifying potentially suitable habitats for mangrove protection and restoration.
Methods
Based on six dominant mangrove species that occur in the Beibu Gulf of Guangxi, we used linear correlation analysis to screen environmental factors. In addition, we used the maximum entropy model to analyze the spatial distribution of potentially suitable areas for mangrove afforestation. Based on spatial superposition analysis, we identified mangrove conservation and restoration hot spots.
Results
Our findings indicate that the main factors affecting the distribution of suitable mangrove habitat in the Beibu Gulf are topographic factors, followed by bioclimatic factors, land-use type, marine salinity, and substrate type. We identified 13,816 hm2 of prime mangrove habitat in the Beibu Gulf, primarily distributed in protected areas. The protection rate for existing mangroves was approximately 42.62%.
Conclusions
We identified the dominant environmental factors and their thresholds for the distribution of six mangrove species and identified the spatial distribution of individual species and location of suitable rehabilitation sites. According to the predicted spatial distribution of mangrove plants, our findings suggest that mangrove restoration should be based on suitable species and sites.
Managing corporate business travel policy: A quantitative approach using machine learning
Authors: Zarate-Carbajal Jose-Mario , Ruiz-Cruz Riemann , Sanchez-Torres Juan Diego
Published: October 2022

There is a constant conflict in global corporations between satisfying the business needs and complying with the travel policy to avoid paying over-priced fares. This article reviews the nature of business travel, discusses its main characteristics, and the complexity for management in defining the policy. A travel policy must be feasible to comply with and contribute to optimizing the budget. Each company requires a different policy according to business needs; a manufacturing company with planned trips requires a different policy than a consulting firm with unpredictable trips. We adapted the machine-learning algorithm of regressive decision trees to include the characteristics of business travel policy; our algorithm self-adjusts to each company's data. We test our results using travel data from a company and simulating different scenarios. Our findings support management with a quantitative method to determine the optimal travel policy.
JEL Classification: M10 , M19 , C610 , C630