bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dimension‐independent Markov chain Monte Carlo on the sphere
Authors: Lie Han Cheng , Rudolf Daniel , Sprungk Björn , Sullivan T. J.
Published: April 2023

We consider Bayesian analysis on high‐dimensional spheres with angular central Gaussian priors. These priors model antipodally symmetric directional data, are easily defined in Hilbert spaces and occur, for instance, in Bayesian density estimation and binary level set inversion. In this paper we derive efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo methods for approximate sampling of posteriors with respect to these priors. Our approaches rely on lifting the sampling problem to the ambient Hilbert space and exploit existing dimension‐independent samplers in linear spaces. By a push‐forward Markov kernel construction we then obtain Markov chains on the sphere which inherit reversibility and spectral gap properties from samplers in linear spaces. Moreover, our proposed algorithms show dimension‐independent efficiency in numerical experiments.
Investigating small molecule compounds targeting psoriasis based on cMAP database and molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Zhou Fang , Yao Huiping , Ma Zhen , Hu Xinhong
Published: April 2023

Objective

Psoriasis (PSO) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that severely affects the physical and mental health of patients. Drug resistance has been developed upon current drug treatments, and there is no specific therapy. The aim of this study was to screen promising novel drug candidates for PSO using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

Methods

The data of PSO were downloaded from gene expression omnibus (GEO) database and subjected to variance analysis. Target proteins and small molecule compounds targeting PSO were predicted in the connective map (cMAP) database. Molecular docking, MD simulation, and trajectory analysis were conducted to predict the binding of target proteins to compounds.

Results

1999 differentially expressed genes in PSO were obtained by differential analysis. Through cMAP database prediction, a low Score value of −45.69 for lymphocyte cell‐specific protein‐tyrosine kinase (LCK) was revealed, and aminogenistein was identified as the compound targeting LCK, and LCK was notably highly expressed in the PSO samples. The drugScore of the binding pocket P_0 was 0.814656, which was docked with aminogenistein. The results showed that there were more than one binding site between LCK and aminogenistein with binding energy less than −7.0 kJ/mol, and the docking was relatively stable. The results of root‐mean‐square deviation (RMSD), root‐mean‐square fluctuation (RMSF), Gyrate, number of hydrogen bonds and total free binding energy in MD simulations showed that the binding of aminogenistein to LCK was relatively solid.

Conclusion

Aminogenistein has good protein‐ligand interaction and stability with LCK, a target of PSO, and is a novel drug candidate for PSO.
Public attitudes toward organized labor
Authors: Macdonald David
Published: April 2023

Objective

Despite declining and historically low membership, labor unions remain important and relevant actors in American politics. Accordingly, we have learned a good deal about the economic and political consequences of labor unions and union membership. However, we know less about the dynamics, determinants, and political consequences of public attitudes toward organized labor.

Methods

I use a variety of survey data to (1) track public support for labor unions over time, (2) to examine the microlevel determinants of labor attitudes, and (3) to examine how such attitudes shape voting behavior in national elections.

Results

First, I show that American public opinion has consistently been “pro‐labor” and that such sentiment is growing in recent years, despite historically low levels of union membership. Second, I show that while the strongest individual‐level correlate of union support is labor union affiliation, pluralities, and in some cases majorities, of nonunion‐affiliated Americans hold “pro‐labor” attitudes as well. Finally, I show that labor union attitudes significantly predict (among both union and nonunion‐affiliated Americans) support for the Democratic presidential candidate, net of partisanship, ideology, core political values, and macroeconomic conditions.

Conclusion

Overall, these results show that low levels of union membership do not imply an “anti‐union” mass public. These findings also demonstrate that attitudes toward labor unions are politically consequential.
Nondegeneracy of solutions to the critical p$p$‐Laplace Kirchhoff equation
Authors: Deng Shengbing , Tian Xingliang
Published: April 2023

We establish the nondegeneracy of solutions in suitable space to the following ‐Laplace Kirchhoff equation with critical Sobolev exponent:
where , , and is the critical Sobolev exponent. In particular, we prove that uniqueness breaks down for high dimension , that is, we show that there exist two nondegenerate solutions that seem to be completely different from the result of critical ‐Laplace equation () or the low‐dimensional Kirchhoff equation (the case ).
Aerobic exercise training‐induced alteration of gut microbiota composition affects endurance capacity
Authors: Uchida Masataka , Fujie Shumpei , Yano Hiromi , Iemitsu Motoyuki
Published: April 2023

This study aimed to clarify whether aerobic exercise training‐induced alterations in the gut microbiota affect physiological adaptation with endurance exercise capacity. In study 1, ICR mice were randomly divided into three groups: vehicle intake + sedentary (V+S), vehicle intake + exercise training (V+Ex) and antibiotic intake + exercise training (AB+Ex). In the exercise training groups, treadmill running was performed for 8 weeks. During the exercise training intervention, the antibiotic‐intake group freely drank water containing antibiotics. In study 2, ICR mice were randomly divided into three groups: Sham, transplantation of caecum microbiota from sedentary mice (Sed‐CMT) and exercise training mice (Ex‐CMT). In study 1, the treadmill running time to exhaustion, an index of maximal aerobic capacity, after aerobic exercise training in the V+Ex group was significantly longer than that in the V+S and AB+Ex groups. Gastrocnemius muscle citrate synthase (CS) activity and PGC‐1α protein levels in the V+Ex group were significantly higher than in the V+S and AB+Ex groups. The bacterial Erysipelotrichaceae and Alcaligenaceae families were positively correlated with treadmill running time to exhaustion. In study 2, the treadmill running time to exhaustion after transplantation was significantly higher in the Ex‐CMT group than in the Sham and Sed‐CMT groups. Furthermore, CS activity and PGC‐1α protein levels in the gastrocnemius muscle were significantly higher in the Ex‐CMT group than in the Sham and Sed‐CMT groups. Thus, gut microbiota altered by aerobic exercise training may be involved in the augmentation of endurance capacity and muscle mitochondrial energy metabolism.

image

Key points

Aerobic exercise training changes gut microbiota composition, and the Erysipelotrichaceae and Alcaligenaceae families were among the altered gut bacteria.

The gut microbiota was associated with endurance performance and metabolic regulator levels in skeletal muscle after aerobic exercise training.

Continuous antibiotic treatment attenuated the increase in endurance performance, citrate synthase activity and PGC‐1α levels in skeletal muscle induced by aerobic exercise training.

Gut microbiota transplantation from exercise‐trained mice improved endurance performance and metabolic regulator levels in recipient skeletal muscle, despite the absence of aerobic exercise training.
Acarofauna associated with coconut fruits (Cocos nucifera L.) in a crop area from Pará state, Amazon, Brazil
Authors: De Alfaia Josiane Pacheco , Duarte Leonardo Souza , Neto Eduardo Pereira Sousa , Ferla Noeli Juarez , Noronha Aloyséia Cristina da Silva , Junior Manoel Guedes Correa Gondim , Batista Telma Fátima Vieira
Published: April 2023

Aceria guerreronis Keifer and Steneotarsonemus furcatus De Leon are phytophagous mites that attack coconut fruits. These mites establish their colonies under the bracts in the perianth where they feed, causing necrosis and a loss of fruit quality and commercial value. Phytoseiidae is considered the most important family for the control of pest mites. With 256 species documented, the Phytoseiid fauna in Brazil is highly diversified. They are distributed across all Brazilian biomes, including the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pampa, Atlantic Forest, and Pantanal. Regardless of the fact that the Amazon biome occupies an estimated 49% of the Brazilian territory, its acarofauna remains unexplored. In this region, coconut is one of the most cultivated crops, although the variety of mites in this crop in the Amazon is yet unclear. This information is essential since there are potential predatory species that can play an important role in the biological control of coconut pests. Thus, the present study investigated the diversity and seasonality of mites in coconut fruits in the Eastern Amazon production region throughout the year. Data were collected monthly and analyzed to determine the diversity and seasonality. The faunistic indices were calculated using the program ANAFAU, and the abundance and diversity of phytoseiids were analyzed using the software EstimateS. As the fruit ages, the quantity of injured fruits increases. The mites collected belonged to the families: Oribatida (20), Rhodacaroidea (14), Eriophyidae (473,904), Phytoseiidae (147), Tarsonemidae (133), Ascidae (122), Bdellidae (110), Tydeidae (59), Cunaxidae (7), Eupodidae (7), Cheyletidae (5), Blattisociidae (4), and Cryptognathidae (1). Throughout the collection period, A. guerreronis and S. furcatus were detected on fruits with and without damage, with A. guerreronis being the most prevalent. Predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family were sampled from 12 collections, totaling 147 specimens distributed across eight species. Amblyseius aerialis (Muma) was the predominant predator species. The peak population of A. guerreronis and S. furcatus occurred in different periods, although both species were sampled during periods of high precipitation, suggesting adaptation to the climatic conditions of the region. Temperature was strongly correlated with mites of the Phytoseiidae family. The occurrence of these mites was more common in months with higher temperatures. The mite A. aerialis was discovered in 12 evaluations, with a greater occurrence in October 2019 and August 2020. Understanding the diversity, abundance, and population fluctuations of pest mites and their natural enemies in coconut plants is critical for developing integrated pest management strategies.
In situ determination of sputtered Ni–Cu film composition from emission intensities
Authors: Imashuku Susumu
Published: April 2023

In situ elemental analysis of films comprising multielements deposited by sputtering is necessary to improve the reliability of the films because small changes in the film composition affect the properties of the films. Recently, we developed a method to determine the composition of Cu–Zn films by measuring the intensities of emission lines of Cu and Zn during sputter deposition. However, this method was only applicable to a constant chamber pressure, and only a narrow composition range (65.9–80.6 at. % of Cu in the target) was investigated. In this study, the applicability of this method was investigated for a wide range of film compositions, and the combination of emission lines that can be used to determine the film composition regardless of the chamber pressure was determined. This was achieved using Ni–Cu alloy targets, whose Cu composition ranged from 29.4 to 85.3 at. %, by evaluating the linearity (R2 value) between the emission intensity ratio of Ni/Cu lines and the atomic ratio of Ni/Cu in the films. An R2 value of 0.9870 was obtained for the combination of Ni 338.1 nm and Cu I 296.1 nm lines at chamber pressures from 1 to 5 Pa. This result indicates that the composition of Ni–Cu films can be determined from the intensities of the emission lines of Ni and Cu during sputter deposition regardless of the chamber pressure.
Reconstructing, Challenging, and Negotiating Sex/Gender in Sport: U.S. Public Opinion About Transgender Athletes’ Rights, Rights for Athletes With Varied Sex Characteristics, Sex Testing, and Gender Segregation
Authors: Knoester Chris , Allison Rachel , Fields Victoria T.
Published: April 2023

Using data from the National Sports and Society Survey (N = 3,993), this study considers U.S. public opinion about transgender athletes’ rights, rights for athletes with varied sex characteristics, sex testing, and gender segregation in sports. Social structural location, social group, and ideological characteristics are examined as predictors of these opinions. Results indicated that most U.S. adults seem to support transgender athletes’ rights and rights for athletes with varied sex characteristics and oppose sex testing and gender segregation in youth sports. Men, heterosexuals, older generations, those without a college education, Republicans, Christians, and rural residents, as well as those who exhibit more traditionalism and traditionally gendered beliefs in their ideologies, were more opposed to athletes’ rights and inclusivity on these issues.
Contradiction or Cohesion? Tracing Questions of Protection and Fairness in Scientifically Driven Elite Sport Policies
Authors: Posbergh Anna
Published: April 2023

Much of the resistance and, at times, outright condemnation of including transgender individuals in sports continue to draw upon “scientific” arguments, despite the acknowledged importance of sociocultural and (geo)political factors, resulting in a constructed “either science or human rights” landscape. In this article, I analyze historical scientifically driven International Olympic Committee documents and policies from the Olympic Studies Center to examine if and how sport organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee, have historically balanced these seemingly partitioned considerations in previous regulatory documents, especially those relating to sex, gender, fairness, and protection. Using Sheila Jasanoff’s co-production, I find that, while knowledge informing policies sometimes circulates biologized gender stereotypes, sociocultural and scientific goals have, can, and should exist in cohesion rather than in contradiction.
Characterization of altered molecular mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease through cell type–resolved multiomics analyses
Authors: Lee Andrew J. , Kim Changyoun , Park Seongwan , Joo Jaegeon , Choi Baekgyu , Yang Dongchan , Jun Kyoungho , Eom Junghyun , Lee Seung-Jae , Chung Sun Ju , Rissman Robert A. , Chung Jongkyeong , Masliah Eliezer , Jung Inkyung
Published: April 2023

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. However, cell type–dependent transcriptional regulatory programs responsible for PD pathogenesis remain elusive. Here, we establish transcriptomic and epigenomic landscapes of the substantia nigra by profiling 113,207 nuclei obtained from healthy controls and patients with PD. Our multiomics data integration provides cell type annotation of 128,724 cis-regulatory elements (cREs) and uncovers cell type–specific dysregulations in cREs with a strong transcriptional influence on genes implicated in PD. The establishment of high-resolution three-dimensional chromatin contact maps identifies 656 target genes of dysregulated cREs and genetic risk loci, uncovering both potential and known PD risk genes. Notably, these candidate genes exhibit modular gene expression patterns with unique molecular signatures in distinct cell types, highlighting altered molecular mechanisms in dopaminergic neurons and glial cells including oligodendrocytes and microglia. Together, our single-cell transcriptome and epigenome reveal cell type–specific disruption in transcriptional regulations related to PD.
Multiscale dynamical symmetries and selection rules in nonlinear optics
Authors: Lerner Gavriel , Neufeld Ofer , Hareli Liran , Shoulga Georgiy , Bordo Eliayu , Fleischer Avner , Podolsky Daniel , Bahabad Alon , Cohen Oren
Published: April 2023

Symmetries and their associated selection rules are extremely useful in many fields of science. For systems of electromagnetic (EM) fields interacting with matter, the symmetries of matter and the EM fields’ time-dependent polarization determine the properties of the nonlinear responses, and they can be facilitated for controlling light emission and enabling ultrafast symmetry breaking spectroscopy of various properties. Here, we formulate a general theory that describes the macroscopic and microscopic dynamical symmetries (including quasicrystal-like symmetries) of EM vector fields, revealing many previously unidentified symmetries and selection rules in light-matter interactions. We demonstrate an example of multiscale selection rules experimentally in the framework of high harmonic generation. This work paves the way for novel spectroscopic techniques in multiscale systems and for imprinting complex structures in extreme ultraviolet–x-ray beams, attosecond pulses, or the interacting medium itself.
Retina-inspired narrowband perovskite sensor array for panchromatic imaging
Authors: Hou Yuchen , Li Junde , Yoon Jungjin , Knoepfel Abbey Marie , Yang Dong , Zheng Luyao , Ye Tao , Ghosh Swaroop , Priya Shashank , Wang Kai
Published: April 2023

The retina is the essential part of the human visual system that receives light, converts it to neural signal, and transmits to brain for visual recognition. The red, green, and blue (R/G/B) cone retina cells are natural narrowband photodetectors (PDs) sensitive to R/G/B lights. Connecting with these cone cells, a multilayer neuro-network in the retina provides neuromorphic preprocessing before transmitting to brain. Inspired by this sophistication, we develop the narrowband (NB) imaging sensor combining R/G/B perovskite NB sensor array (mimicking the R/G/B photoreceptors) with a neuromorphic algorithm (mimicking the intermediate neural network) for high-fidelity panchromatic imaging. Compared to commercial sensors, we use perovskite “intrinsic” NB PD to exempt the complex optical filter array. In addition, we use an asymmetric device configuration to collect photocurrent without external bias, enabling a power-free photodetection feature. These results display a promising design for efficient and intelligent panchromatic imaging.
Polymerase iota (Pol ι) prevents PrimPol-mediated nascent DNA synthesis and chromosome instability
Authors: Mansilla Sabrina F. , Bertolin Agostina P. , Venerus Arbilla Sofía , Castaño Bryan A. , Jahjah Tiya , Singh Jenny K. , Siri Sebastián O. , Castro María Victoria , de la Vega María Belén , Quinet Annabel , Wiesmüller Lisa , Gottifredi Vanesa
Published: April 2023

Recent studies have described a DNA damage tolerance pathway choice that involves a competition between PrimPol-mediated repriming and fork reversal. Screening different translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) polymerases by the use of tools for their depletion, we identified a unique role of Pol ι in regulating such a pathway choice. Pol ι deficiency unleashes PrimPol-dependent repriming, which accelerates DNA replication in a pathway that is epistatic with ZRANB3 knockdown. In Pol ι–depleted cells, the excess participation of PrimPol in nascent DNA elongation reduces replication stress signals, but thereby also checkpoint activation in S phase, triggering chromosome instability in M phase. This TLS-independent function of Pol ι requires its PCNA-interacting but not its polymerase domain. Our findings unravel an unanticipated role of Pol ι in protecting the genome stability of cells from detrimental changes in DNA replication dynamics caused by PrimPol.
Reversible zwitterionic coordination enables rapid, high-yield, and high-purity isolation of extracellular vesicles from biofluids
Authors: Li Qiang , Zhang Zhaowei , Wang Fengchao , Wang Xiang , Zhan Saisong , Yang Xiaoqing , Xu Chen , Liu Dingbin
Published: April 2023

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) hold great clinical value as promising diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic agents. This field, however, is hindered by technical challenges in the isolation of EVs from biofluids for downstream purposes. We here report a rapid (<30 min) isolation method for EV extraction from diverse biofluids with yield and purity exceeding 90%. These high performances are ascribed to the reversible zwitterionic coordination between the phosphatidylcholine (PC) on EV membranes and the “PC-inverse” choline phosphate (CP) decorated on magnetic beads. By coupling this isolation method with proteomics, a set of differentially expressed proteins on the EVs were identified as potential colon cancer biomarkers. Last, we demonstrated that the EVs in various clinically relevant biofluids, such as blood serum, urine, and saliva, can also be isolated efficiently, outperforming the conventional approaches in terms of simplicity, speed, yield, and purity.
The 2022 Hunga-Tonga megatsunami: Near-field simulation of a once-in-a-century event
Authors: Purkis Sam J. , Ward Steven N. , Fitzpatrick Nathan M. , Garvin James B. , Slayback Dan , Cronin Shane J. , Palaseanu-Lovejoy Monica , Dempsey Alexandra
Published: April 2023

The Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) volcanic eruption in January 2022 generated catastrophic tsunami and contends for the largest natural explosion in more than a century. The main island, Tongatapu, suffered waves up to 17 m, and Tofua Island suffered waves up to 45 m, comfortably placing HTHH in the “megatsunami” league. We present a tsunami simulation of the Tongan Archipelago calibrated by field observations, drone, and satellite data. Our simulation emphasizes how the complex shallow bathymetry of the area acted as a low-velocity wave trap, capturing tsunami for more than 1 hour. Despite its size and long duration, few lives were lost. Simulation suggests that HTHH’s location relative to urban centers saved Tonga from a worse outcome. Whereas 2022 seems to have been a lucky escape, other oceanic volcanoes have the capacity to spawn future tsunami at HTHH scale. Our simulation amplifies the state of understanding of volcanic explosion tsunami and provides a framework for assessment of future hazards.
Rapidly rotating neutron stars in $$f(R,T)=R+2 \lambda T$$ gravity
Authors: da Silva F. M. , Santos L. C. N. , Mota C. E. , da Costa T. O. F. , Fabris J. C.
Published: April 2023

In this work, we study the influence of f(R, T) gravity on rapidly rotating neutron stars. First we discuss the main aspects of this modified theory of gravity where the gravitational Lagrangian is an arbitrary function of the Ricci scalar R and of the trace of the energy–momentum tensor T. Then we present the basic equations for neutron stars including the equations of state used in the present work to describe the hadronic matter. Some physical quantities of interest are calculated such as mass–radius relations, moments of inertia, angular momentum, and compactness. By considering four different rotation regimes, we obtain results that indicate substantial modifications in the physical properties of neutron stars in f(R, T) gravity when compared to those in the context of general relativity. In particular, the mass–radius relation for sequences of stars indicates that f(R, T) gravity increases the mass and the equatorial radius of the neutron stars for stars rotating with an angular velocity smaller than Kepler limit.
Human behavioral crowds review, critical analysis and research perspectives
Authors: Bellomo Nicola , Liao Jie , Quaini Annalisa , Russo Lucia , Siettos Constantinos
Published: April 2023

This paper presents a survey and critical analysis of the mathematical literature on modeling and simulation of human crowds taking into account behavioral dynamics. The main focus is on research papers published after the review [N. Bellomo and C. Dogbè, On the modeling of traffic and crowds: A survey of models, speculations, and perspectives, SIAM Rev. 53 (2011) 409–463], thus providing important research perspectives related to new, emerging trends. The presentation addresses the scaling problem corresponding to microscopic (individual-based), mesoscopic (kinetic), and macroscopic (hydrodynamic) modeling and analysis. A multiscale vision guides the overall content of the paper. The critical analysis of the overall content naturally leads to research perspectives. A selection of them is brought to the attention of the interested reader together with hints on how to deal with them.
On the generalized virtual Goeritz matrix for virtual knots
Authors: Lee Kyeonghui , Kim Sera
Published: April 2023

Im et al. [Signature, nullity and determinant of checkerboard colorable virtual links, J. Knot Theory Ramifications 19(8) (2010) 1093–1114] introduced how to define Goeritz matrices for checkerboard colorable virtual links. In this paper, we extend this for the Goeritz matrices of virtual knots. And we consider its signature and determinant and show they are invariants for virtual knots.
A TRUSTED COMPUTING RESOURCES OPTIMAL SCHEDULING ALGORITHM IN INDUSTRIAL INTERNET AND HEALTHCARE INTEGRATING DRL, BLOCKCHAIN AND END-EDGE-CLOUD
Authors: LIU ZONGMEI , LI JIANXIN
Published: April 2023

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Internet technology, the product of the combination of the two, the Industrial Internet, has also received extensive attention and there are more and more research achievements related to the Industrial Internet. In the industrial Internet system, the communication network system composed of sensors, communication nodes, controllers and other intelligent devices can realize efficient and convenient data interaction between people and machines, providing an important infrastructure and technical support for industrial big data analysis and intelligent production. However, in the current industrial Internet system, industrial equipment users generally have the problem of low computing energy efficiency, and the collected industrial data has a high-security risk in the transmission, processing and other processes. At the same time, the size and scale of the industrial Internet equipment group is huge, and the lack of rational resource allocation leads to excessive waste of computing resources in the system, which is also a prominent problem of the current industrial Internet system.

In response to the above questions, this paper, on the basis of reading a large number of documents, integrates the improved DRL algorithm, End-Edge-Cloud architecture and blockchain to form a new industrial Internet architecture. The architecture realizes computing offload through the three-tier structure of terminal layer, edge layer and cloud layer, and guarantees the security of industrial data through the decentralized feature of blockchain, ultimately achieving the goal of reducing energy consumption, computing overhead and trusted computing. In the architecture proposed in this paper, the dynamic unloading of industrial data and computing tasks is achieved through a three-tier architecture. The MDP is used to build an optimization problem model, and the improved DRL algorithm is used to iteratively solve the optimal computing resource scheduling strategy. The main research contents of this paper include (1) Using MDP to model optimization problems; (2) Propose an industrial Internet system architecture that integrates and improves DRL, “end edge cloud” and blockchain; (3) The MDP problem is solved iteratively based on deep reinforcement learning. The simulation results show that the proposed architecture has more advantages than the existing six architectures in terms of computing cost, equipment energy consumption and total working time.
Reducing and Caping Agent Potential of Sun-Mediated Aqueous extract of Thymus Linearis for Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and their Effect on Phytopathogenic Bacteria
Authors: Ali Liaqat , Imran Muhammad , Mehmood Kashif , Nadeem Hafiz Amir , Parvaiz Muhammad , Younas Umer , Hussain Shah , Saeed Zohaib
Published: April 2023

In this study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized using sun-mediated aqueous extract of the stem, flower and leaf of the plant Thymus linearis. The effect of sunlight on extract absorbance is measured using UV–Vis spectroscopy. The resultant nanoparticle F-Ag–NPs, L-Ag–NPs, S-Ag–NPs were characterized using modern techniques including UV–Vis spectroscopy, ATR-FTIR, Zeta potential, Zeta size analyzer, XRD and SEM. The reaction takes place in presence of sunlight and the color changes from light yellow to red finally, dark brown was observed indicating the completion of the reaction. In the case of Flower extract, F-Ag–NPs produced maximum absorbance at a higher concentration of AgN[Formula: see text] with lambda max 403, and 405 nm at 5 mM and 10 mM respectively. In the case of stem and leaves extract, maximum absorbance was seen at a low concentration of AgN[Formula: see text] with lambda max range from 391 nm to 402 nm and 409–425 nm respectively. The ATR-FTIR spectrum confirms the presence of capping agents which are complemented by a negative zeta potential value. The Zeta sizer revealed the diameter (d-nm) of F-Ag–NPs, L-Ag–NPs, S-Ag–NPs, 73.26, 59.26 and 51.32 respectively. The Ag–NPs also showed anti-bacterial, DDPH, and ABTS activity.
Strang splitting schemes forN-level Bloch models
Authors: Songolo Marc E. , Bidégaray-Fesquet Brigitte
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we define a splitting scheme for the N-level Bloch model which makes use of exact numerical solutions of sub-equations. These exact solutions involve matrix exponentials which we want to avoid to calculate at each time-step. The resulting scheme is nonstandard and preserves qualitative properties of the Bloch equations. We explore and compare numerically multiple ways to implement it and in particular take into account the specific structure of the Bloch equations.
Intelligent engineering management modeling for computer technology and data mining
Authors: Feng Ning , Shabaz Mohammad , Elashiri Mohamed A. , Arias-Gonzáles José Luis , Chaudhury Sushovan , Al-Masoudy Miami Abdul Aziz , Oyebode Oluwadare Joshua
Published: April 2023

The author suggests using computer technology and data mining in intelligent engineering management to increase the management capacity of engineering projects and decrease the consumption of construction expenses. The emphasis is mostly on theoretical and analytical approaches to problems of practical concern for data mining, perhaps in combination with other conventional tools, and the associated applications to engineers and managers of various industrial sectors. This has immediate benefits for both academic and applied data mining researchers as well as research students. The author developed a BIM project management system based on Browser/Server architecture and Client/Server architecture in conjunction with BIM technology and the BIM 4D model. To execute complete project management of business management, real-time control, and decision support, the system must establish and use its business logic and data exchange link. Each module in the 4D construction dynamic management subsystem recognizes dynamic management of the construction process, and the working duration of each module is determined by calculating by using the unified engineering decomposition principle, rationalizing the relevant data through time parameters, recording the acquired management data and storing it in the BIM database, and connecting the BIM database bi-directionally through the web server through the system integration. The results showed that when the time is 20[Formula: see text]min, the throughput of the system is higher than [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]kb/s. The system can effectively improve the project management ability, reduce the construction cost and construction period of the project, and the system responds quickly.
Collaborative Motion Planning for Dual Robotic Arms Based on Split Sampling Space RRT
Authors: Gong Xiangrong , Duan Jianguo , Zhang Qinglei , Zhou Ying , Qin Jiyun
Published: April 2023

Aiming at the problems of strong sampling randomness, difficulty in collision detection and rough paths of rapidly exploring random tree (RRT) algorithm in collaborative motion planning of dual robotic arms, we propose an RRT algorithm based on split sampling space. First, a split sampling space strategy is proposed. According to the sampling points having a fixed range in a certain axis degree, the step size of random tree generation is restricted to the respective sampling space, and combined with the hierarchical wraparound box method to achieve effective collision detection. Besides, a greedy strategy is used to speed up the growth of random trees in the respective space. Finally, the trajectory smoothing of the dual robotic arms path using the Bezier curve improves the trajectory quality while ensuring that the dual robotic arms will not collide. The feasibility and effectiveness of the algorithm are verified through simulation experiments as well as real UR experiments.
A Model of the Temperature Dependence of Concentration Quenching of Luminescence in Doped Insulators
Authors: Collins J. , Mishra K. C.
Published: April 2023

We have developed a model for the temperature dependence of the concentration quenching of luminescent materials, and have applied this model to YAG:Ce. This model of concentration quenching is based on an assumption in which, following excitation of an activator ion, there is energy migration via non-radiative energy transfer among similar ions, finally ending at a “killer” site. The temperature dependence of a single ion-ion energy transfer process is assumed to be determined solely by the overlap of the emission and absorption bands of the donor and acceptor ions. Using our previous results to calculate the temperature dependence of this overlap function, we propose a model for calculating the effect of concentration quenching on the lifetime of the luminescent ion. This model has two parameters, one of which is the average number of energy transfer jumps that occur before reaching a killer site. In the case of YAG:Ce, we show that the observed temperature dependence of the Ce lifetime at various concentrations can be explained satisfactorily using this model.
Electronic cigarettes prolong ventricular repolarization in people who smoke tobacco cigarettes: implications for harm reduction
Authors: Ruedisueli Isabelle , Lakhani Karishma , Nguyen Randy , Gornbein Jeffrey , Middlekauff Holly R.
Published: April 2023

The major new finding in this study is that in people who smoke tobacco cigarettes, using an electronic cigarette but not a tobacco cigarette acutely and significantly prolongs several metrics of ventricular repolarization, including Tpeak-Tend, Tpeak-Tend/QT, and Tpeak-Tend/QTc. Furthermore, in our subgroup analysis by sex, this adverse effect on repolarization is found only in male, not female, smokers.
Inhibitory Effect and Mechanism of Ursolic Acid on Cisplatin‐Induced Resistance and Stemness in Human Lung Cancer A549 Cells
Authors: Fan Luxin , Wang Xiaodong , Cheng Congcong , Wang Shuxiao , Li Xuesong , Cui Jiayu , Zhang Baogang , Shi Lihong
Published: April 2023

The survival rate of lung cancer patients remains low largely due to chemotherapy resistance during treatment, and cancer stem cells (CSCs) may hold the key to targeting this resistance. Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug commonly used in cancer treatment, yet the mechanisms of intrinsic cisplatin resistance have not yet been determined because lung CSCs are hard to identify. In this paper, we proposed a mechanism relating to the function of ursolic acid (UA), a new drug, in reversing the cisplatin resistance of lung cancer cells regulated by CSCs. Human lung cancer cell line A549 was selected as the model cell and treated to become a cisplatin‐resistant lung cancer cell line (A549‐CisR), which was less sensitive to cisplatin and showed an enhanced capability of tumor sphere formation. Furthermore, in the A549‐CisR cell line expression, levels of pluripotent stem cell transcription factors Oct‐4, Sox‐2, and c‐Myc were increased, and activation of the Jak2/Stat3 signaling pathway was promoted. When UA was applied to the cisplatin‐resistant cells, levels of the pluripotent stem cell transcription factors were restrained by the inhibition of the Jak2/Stat3 signaling pathway, which reduced the enrichment of tumor stem cells, and in turn, reversed cisplatin resistance in lung cancer cells. Hence, as a potential antitumor drug, UA may be able to inhibit the enrichment of the lung CSC population by inhibiting the activation of the Jak2‐Stat3 pathway and preventing the resistance of lung cancer cells to cisplatin.
Occupational Stress: A Concept Analysis with Implications for Immigrant Workers’ Mental Health in the United States
Authors: Serafica Reimund , Grigsby Timothy , Donohue Bradley , Evangelista Lorraine
Published: April 2023

Background. Occupational stress is a phenomenon affecting people worldwide. Investigating occupational stress among immigrant worker populations will unravel some of the intricacies of this condition and its psychological effects on this population. Aim. This paper conceptually examined occupational stress within the context of immigrant workers’ mental health and offer an operational definition to aid nurse researchers, educators, and practitioners in assessing and managing patients and developing culturally appropriate interventions for this population. Design. Walker and Avant’s eight-step concept analysis is used as an organizing framework. Data Source. MEDLINE, CINAHL, OVID, PubMed, and APA Psych Info. Review Methods. Keywords job stress, immigrant work stress, occupational stress scale, immigrant work-related stress, and mental health were used. The search yielded 142 articles; 17 were selected based on the effect of work stress on mental health. Results. This analysis found that occupational stress can be attributed to communication problems, alienation, discrimination, and barriers to work-life balance can cause negative consequences among immigrants. An operational definition is also provided. Conclusion. There is a growing need to examine closely and differentiate between occupational and acculturative stress to navigate a more profound understanding of how these conditions negatively complement each other.
An Integrated Lateral and Longitudinal Decision-Making Model for
Autonomous Driving Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Cui Jianxun , Zhao Boyuan , Qu Mingcheng
Published: April 2023

Decision-making is an important component of autonomous driving perception,
decision-making, planning, and control pipeline, which undertakes the task of
how the ego vehicle makes high-level decision-making behaviors (such as lane
change and car following) after sensing the environmental state, and then these
high-level decision-making behaviors can be transmitted to the downstream
planning and control module for specific low-level action execution. Based on
the method of deep reinforcement learning (specifically, Deep Q network (DQN)
and its variants), an integrated lateral and longitudinal decision-making model
for autonomous driving is proposed in a multilane highway environment with both
autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) and manual driving vehicle (MDV). The classic
MOBIL and IDM models are used for the lateral and longitudinal decisions of MDV
(i.e., lane changing and car following), while the lateral and longitudinal
decisions of ADV are dominated by deep reinforcement learning models. In
addition, this paper also uses the nonlinear kinematic bicycle model and
two-point visual control model to realize the low-level control of both MDV and
ADV. By setting a reasonable state, action, and reward function, this paper has
carried out a large number of simulation experiments on the proposed autonomous
driving decision-making model based on deep reinforcement learning in a
three-lane road environment. The results show that under such scenario setting
conditions, the deep reinforcement learning-based model proposed in this paper
performs well in autonomous driving safety and travel efficiency. At the same
time, when compared with the classical rule-based decision-making model
(MOBIL&IDM), it is found that the model proposed in this paper can
significantly achieve better results in episode rewards after stable training.
In addition, through a large number of hyper-parameter tuning experiments, the
performance of DQN, DDQN, and dueling DQN models, which are also deep
reinforcement learning-based decision-making models, under different
hyper-parametric configurations is compared and analyzed, which can provide a
valuable reference for the specific scenario application of these models.
Evaluation of Pleurotus Mushroom Effects on Histopathological Changes in Organs of Diabetic Rats
Authors: Dubey Sushil Kumar , Rai Sachchida Nand , Singh Vinay Kumar , Bajpeyee Anand Kumar , Singh M. P.
Published: April 2023

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that can be categorized mainly into type 1 and type 2. Diabetes type 1 is caused due to β-cell destruction, whereas type 2 is caused by the resistance of cell receptors. Many therapies are available for the management of diabetes, but they have some side effects, and as a result of this, people are attracted to natural treatments. Pleurotus mushrooms are well documented for their medicinal attributes and their role in the treatment of diseases like cancer, infectious disease, neurodiseases, and inflammatory disease. The protective mechanism of the Pleurotus fossulatus (P. fossulatus) mushroom and its detailed histological study on kidneys and the liver in diabetic conditions were unexplored. The present study evaluated the effects of P. fossulatus aqueous extract on histological changes in the diabetic rat model. Male Wistar albino rats were used to create the diabetic model by using streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneal (IP) injection. The animals were separated into five different groups, with six animals in each. Only group I, animals that did not receive STZ, was considered a normal control. Group II was a diabetic control and received normal saline, and group III was a drug control and received metformin as a standard drug. Groups IV and V were dosing groups, which received the aqueous extract of P. fossulatus in 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg of body weight concentrations, labeled as T1 and T2 groups, respectively. The T1 and T2 groups clearly showed their potential to reverse the histopathological changes in the kidney and liver. However, the T2 group was more effective than the T1 group, as results indicate that functions of the glomerulus and its structural deformity were restored to their near-natural form in the T2 group. In the case of the liver, the histological changes like the dilatation of sinusoids, more numbers of the Kupffer cell formation, and necrosis were restored in the T2 group. All these results proved the potential of P. fossulatus against the side effects of diabetes. It could protect the organs from developing diabetic nephropathy (DN) and liver-related diseases like cirrhosis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Simplified Calculation of Lateral Displacement of a Cement‐Soil Gravity Retaining Wall
Authors: Qin Shiwei , Wei Li , Dai Zili
Published: April 2023

A common retaining structure in Shanghai’s soft soil foundation pit is the cement‐soil gravity retaining wall. In this research, a streamlined calculation method is suggested to examine the lateral displacement of the cement‐soil gravity retaining wall’s deformation features. First, the lateral pressure of the retaining wall in a nonlimit passive state is calculated by separately estimating water and soil pressure. Then, the work performed by the lateral pressure of the retaining wall and the internal energy of deformation is calculated and analyzed according to the law of energy conservation to obtain the maximum lateral displacement at the top of the retaining wall. At last, the influences of wall insertion ratio, wall width, cement mixing ratio, and soil internal friction angle on the lateral displacement of retaining wall are analyzed with finite element numerical simulation. The results of the streamlined calculations are contrasted with the measured findings when paired with engineering scenarios, which demonstrates that the predicted lateral displacement is reasonably accurate with an average error of less than 15%.
The Design of 2S2L-Based Buck-Boost Converter with a Wide Conversion Range
Authors: Reddy B. Nagi , Goud B. Srikanth , Sai Kalyan Ch. Naga , Balachandran Praveen Kumar , Aljafari Belqasem , Sangeetha K.
Published: April 2023

This manuscript proposes a novel nonisolated negative output buck-boost converter topology for wide voltage conversion applications. To design this converter, a typical buck-boost converter configuration is used. In conventional buck-boost converter, the active switches designed are replaced by two switches-two inductors (2S2L) cells. The proposed converter operates in the continuous conduction mode (CCM) operation under steady-state conditions. This converter has a lower component count and low voltage stress on the switches and diodes. Moreover, the major advantage of this buck-boost converter topology is that a wide range of step-down and step-up voltage conversions can be achieved. The performance of the proposed system is designed in MATLAB/SIMULINK. A few other comparisons are also presented to demonstrate the competitiveness of the proposed buck-boost converter.
Study of the Binding of Cuminaldehyde with Bovine Serum Albumin by Spectroscopic and Molecular Modeling Methods
Authors: Ali Mohd Sajid , Rehman Md Tabish , Al-Lohedan Hamad A. , Alajmi Mohamed F.
Published: April 2023

Here, we investigated the interaction of cuminaldehyde with a model carrier protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA). The formation of the BSA–cuminaldehyde complex was confirmed through ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy and further proven by detailed intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopic measurements. As observed, cuminaldehyde quenched the intrinsic tryptophanyl fluorescence of BSA. The fluorescence data, before the analyses, were corrected for the inner filter effect (IFE) because of the significant absorption of cuminaldehyde at the excitation wavelength that was employed in the measurements. The typical Stern–Volmer plots were slightly nonlinear; they exhibited negative deviation toward the x-axis, a typical phenomenon that is observed with proteins possessing more than one tryptophan residue. Thus, the modified Stern–Volmer equation was employed to analyze the data. The analyzed data revealed that the interaction of cuminaldehyde with BSA proceeded via a static quenching mechanism and that there was a fair 1 : 1 binding between them. The interaction was strengthened by hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bonding. A lowered concentration of cuminaldehyde did not affect the secondary structure of BSA, although an increased one partially exposed the protein by decreasing its α-helical contents. The molecular dockings and simulations of BSA and cuminaldehyde further confirmed the formation of the stable BSA–cuminaldehyde complex. The in silico results also revealed that the contributions of the hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding were the driving forces that imparted the stability.