bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Beauveria bassiana for the simultaneous control of Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens mosquito adults shows high conidia persistence and productivity
Authors: Lee Jin Yong , Woo Ra Mi , Choi Cheol Jun , Shin Tae Young , Gwak Won Seok , Woo Soo Dong 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThis study was conducted to determine the optimal entomopathogenic fungus for the simultaneous control of the adults of two mosquito species, Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens. The pathogenicity and virulence against the two species of mosquitoes were evaluated by using 30 isolates of Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus isolated from Korea that has high thermotolerance and UV-B tolerance. Regarding pathogenicity, 23 isolates were pathogenic to Ae. albopictus and 12 isolates were pathogenic to Cx. pipiens; Ae. albopictus adults were more susceptible to B. bassiana than Cx. pipiens adults. Among the isolates, 6 isolates that were simultaneously pathogenic to the two species of mosquitoes were used to evaluate virulence and conidia productivity. B. bassiana CN6T1W2 and JN5R1W1 had higher virulence than the other isolates, and they were more virulent in Ae. albopictus than inCx. pipiens. The conidia productivity of B. bassiana JN5R1W1 on millet grain medium was higher than that of B. bassiana CN6T1W2. Based on these results, B. bassiana JN5R1W1 was selected as the most efficient isolate for the simultaneous control of the two mosquito species. B. bassiana JN5R1W1 can be used effectively in the development of fungal insecticides to simultaneously control Ae. albopictus and Cx. pipiens adults with similar distribution areas.
Evaluation of a class of NLFM radar signals
Authors: Alphonse Sebastian , Williamson Geoffrey A. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractSignal design is an important component for good performance of radar systems. Here, the problem of determining a good radar signal with the objective of minimizing autocorrelation sidelobes is addressed, and the first comprehensive comparison of a range of signals proposed in the literature is conducted. The search is restricted to a set of nonlinear, frequency-modulated signals whose frequency function is monotonically nondecreasing and antisymmetric about the temporal midpoint. This set includes many signals designed for smaller sidelobes including our proposed odd polynomial frequency signal (OPFS) model and antisymmetric time exponentiated frequency modulated (ATEFM) signal model. The signal design is optimized based on autocorrelation sidelobe levels with constraints on the autocorrelation mainlobe width and leakage of energy outside the allowed bandwidth, and we compare our optimized design with the best signal found from parameterized signal model classes in the literature. The quality of the overall best such signal is assessed through comparison to performance of a large number of randomly generated signals from within the search space. From this analysis, it is found that the OPFS model proposed in this paper outperforms all other contenders for most combinations of the objective functions and is expected to be better than nearly all signals within the entire search set.
Modeling the UE-perceived cellular network performance following a controller-based approach
Authors: Mendoza Jessica , Palacios David , de-la-Bandera Isabel , Baena Eduardo , Khatib Emil J , Barco Raquel 
Published: December 2019

AbstractDuring the last few years, mobile communication networks have experienced a huge evolution. This evolution culminates with the arrival of the fifth generation (5G) of mobile communication networks. As a result, the complexity of network management tasks has been increasing and the need to use automatic management algorithms has been demonstrated. However, many mobile network operators (MNOs) are reluctant to evaluate these algorithms in their networks. To address this issue, in this paper, a modeling approach is proposed. In this sense, the behavior of a commercial network, as it is perceived by user equipments (UEs), has been replicated in a research testbed using a three-step modeling process. The first step consists on performing a measurement campaign in several external networks. The second step is composed of the measurement campaign result analysis and the classification of the results in different types of scenarios. Finally, the third step is related to the application of a modeling algorithm in a research testbed. In order to perform the last step, the use of a method based on a controller is proposed. The modeling process presented in this paper allows to replicate the network behavior from users located in different areas and with different conditions point of view. Moreover, the use of a testbed environment can help to avoid downtime in commercial networks caused by possible algorithm bugs.
Personalized project recommendations: using reinforcement learning
Authors: Qi Faxin , Tong Xiangrong , Yu Lei , Wang Yingjie 
Published: December 2019

AbstractWith the development of the Internet and the progress of human-centered computing (HCC), the mode of man-machine collaborative work has become more and more popular. Valuable information in the Internet, such as user behavior and social labels, is often provided by users. A recommendation based on trust is an important human-computer interaction recommendation application in a social network. However, previous studies generally assume that the trust value between users is static, unable to respond to the dynamic changes of user trust and preferences in a timely manner. In fact, after receiving the recommendation, there is a difference between actual evaluation and expected evaluation which is correlated with trust value. Based on the dynamics of trust and the changing process of trust between users, this paper proposes a trust boost method through reinforcement learning. Recursive least squares (RLS) algorithm is used to learn the dynamic impact of evaluation difference on user’s trust. In addition, a reinforcement learning method Deep Q-Learning (DQN) is studied to simulate the process of learning user’s preferences and boosting trust value. Experiments indicate that our method applied to recommendation systems could respond to the changes quickly on user’s preferences. Compared with other methods, our method has better accuracy on recommendation.
Estimation of unknown function of nonlinear weakly singular integral inequalities of Gronwall–Bellman–Pachpatte type
Authors: Yan Ran , Meng Fanwei 
Published: December 2019

AbstractSome new nonlinear weakly singular integral inequalities of Gronwall–Bellman–Pachpatte type are given. The estimations of unknown functions are obtained by analysis techniques. These estimates are very significant tools in the study of differential-integral equations.
Sharp thresholds of blow-up and global existence for the Schrödinger equation with combined power-type and Choquard-type nonlinearities
Authors: Wang Yongbin , Feng Binhua 
Published: December 2019

AbstractIn this paper, we consider the sharp thresholds of blow-up and global existence for the nonlinear Schrödinger–Choquard equation
$$ i\psi _{t}+\Delta \psi =\lambda _{1} \vert \psi \vert ^{p_{1}}\psi +\lambda _{2}\bigl(I _{\alpha } \ast \vert \psi \vert ^{p_{2}}\bigr) \vert \psi \vert ^{p_{2}-2}\psi . $$iψt+Δψ=λ1|ψ|p1ψ+λ2(Iα∗|ψ|p2)|ψ|p2−2ψ. We derive some finite time blow-up results. Due to the failure of this equation to be scale invariant, we obtain some sharp thresholds of blow-up and global existence by constructing some new estimates. In particular, we prove the global existence for this equation with critical mass in the $L^{2}$L2-critical case. Our obtained results extend and improve some recent results.
Stoichiometric knife-edge model on discrete time scale
Authors: Chen Ming , Asik Lale , Peace Angela 
Published: December 2019

AbstractEcological stoichiometry is the study of the balance of multiple elements in ecological interactions and processes (Sterner and Elser in Ecological Stoichiometry: The Biology of Elements from Molecules to the Biosphere, 2002). Modeling under this framework enables us to investigate the effect nutrient content on organisms whether the imbalance involves insufficient or excess nutrient content. This phenomenon is called the “stoichiometric knife-edge”. In this paper, a discrete-time predator–prey model that captures this phenomenon is established and qualitatively analyzed. We systematically expound the similarities and differences between our discrete model and the corresponding continuous analog. Theoretical and numerical analyses show that while the discrete and continuous models share many properties, differences also exist. Under certain parameter sets, the models exhibit qualitatively different dynamics. While the continuous model shows limit cycle, Hopf bifurcation, and saddle-node bifurcation, the discrete-time model exhibits richer dynamical behaviors, such as chaos. By comparing the dynamics of the continuous and discrete model, we can conclude that stoichiometric effects of low food quality on predators are robust to the discretization of time. This study can possibly serve as an example for pointing to the importance of time scale in ecological modeling.
An overview of behavioral, physiological, and environmental sensors used in animal biotelemetry and biologging studies
Authors: Whitford Malachi , Klimley A. Peter 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe ability to remotely monitor the behavior of animals and their interactions with their environment has revolutionized how ecologists conduct studies. The creative use and placement of sensors on both biologging and biotelemetric platforms can greatly expand the amount of information that can be garnered from ecological studies.ResultsSophisticated transmitters and data loggers, which once were built by the biologists that used them, are available off the shelf from many commercial manufacturers. The ability to purchase a wide variety of electronic tags has allowed for a wider adoption of electronic tags across ecology, but has resulted in many biologists utilizing them with little understanding of how they function. The purpose of this review is to provide a reader-friendly description of the many sensors available to monitor the behavior, physiology, and environment of both terrestrial and aquatic animals. Our approach here is firstly to describe the electrical and mechanical principles behind each type of sensor and secondly to present one or two classic examples of how they have been used to provide insights into the biology of species from a diversity of taxa. Behavioral sensors that record the speed, acceleration, tilt angle, and direction of movement of an animal as well as its swimming depth or flight altitude will be described. Additional sensors are mentioned that detect feeding and spawning behavior as well as the proximity to conspecifics, prey, and predators. Physiological sensors will be described that monitor muscular, sensory, brain, gastric activity as well as body temperature, and sound production. Environmental sensors will be described that measure irradiance, dissolved oxygen, and magnetic field intensity. It is our hope that this review serves as springboard for biologists to develop innovative ways to learn more about their subjects using the myriad sensors that are available today, and the exciting new sensors to be developed in the future.
Patients with chronic pain: evaluating depression and their quality of life in a single center study in Greece
Authors: Rapti Ekaterini , Damigos Dimitrios , Apostolara Paraskevi , Roka Vasiliki , Tzavara Chara , Lionis Christos 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Background
Chronic pain constitutes one of the most common reasons for seeking health care services and may even lead to disability. Chronic pain has been associated with depression and deterioration of the quality of life. The aim of our study is to outline the burden of chronic pain in the context of a primary health care (PHC) setting in Greece and to investigate its association with depression and quality of life.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2016 to November 2016. The subjects of the study comprised 200 individuals who visited the regional medical center of Ag. Theodoroi, Greece. The collected data were from a representative sample of 200 adults and included demographic data, social and medical history, presence and characteristics of chronic pain and questions from three questionnaires for the assessment of pain (BPI- short form), the investigation of depression (PHQ-9) and the evaluation of the quality of life (EuroQ-5D) validated in Greek language. Multiple regression analysis was used in order to find associated factors with quality of life, depression and chronic pain.

Results
A percentage of 56.8% of the participants, the majority of whom (62%) were women, reported chronic pain. Among individuals with pain, lower back area was the most common location. Based on the given questionnaire, depression was detected in 22. 5% of the participants who claimed chronic pain. Regression analyses revealed that women and respondents with chronic mental disorders like depression and anxiety had significantly higher scores on the pain scale and suffered pain which had a greater impact on their daily activities. According to regression analysis decreased quality of life was expressed by women, as well as participants with a chronic mental disorder. A significant reverse correlation emerged between the quality of life, depression and pain scales.

Conclusion
Chronic pain, as it has been studied within this PHC setting, is a common health care problem. Individuals who had experienced chronic pain and depression had a lower health-related quality of life.
Size-dependent tradeoffs in seasonal freshwater environments facilitate differential salmonid migration
Authors: Dermond Philip , Melián Carlos J. , Brodersen Jakob 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundSeasonal spatio-temporal variation in habitat quality and abiotic conditions leads to animals migrating between different environments around the world. Whereas mean population timing of migration is often fairly well understood, explanations for variation in migratory timing within populations are often lacking. Condition-dependent tradeoffs may be an understudied mechanism that can explain this differential migration. While fixed condition-specific thresholds have been identified in earlier work on ontogenetic niche shifts, they are rare in differential migration, suggesting that thresholds in such systems can shift based on temporally variable environmental conditions.MethodsWe introduced a model based on size-specific tradeoffs between migration and growth in seasonal environments. We focused on optimal migratory timing for first-time migrants with no knowledge of an alternative habitat, which is a crucial stage in the life history of migratory salmonids. We predicted that optimal timing would occur when individuals move from their natal habitats based on a seasonally variable ratio of predation and growth. When the ratio becomes slightly more favorable in the alternative habitat, migratory movement can occur. As it keeps shifting throughout the season, the threshold for migration is variable, allowing smaller individuals to move at later dates. We compared our model predictions to empirical data on 3 years of migratory movement of more than 800 juvenile trout of varying size from natal to feeding habitat.ResultsBoth our model and empirical data showed that large individuals, which are assumed to have a lower predation risk in the migratory habitat, move earlier in the season than smaller individuals, whose predicted predation-to-growth ratio shifted to being favorable only later in the migratory season. Our model also predicted that the observed difference in migratory timing between large and small migrants occurred most often at low values of growth differential between the two habitats, suggesting that it was not merely high growth potential but rather the tradeoff between predation and growth that shaped differential migration patterns.ConclusionsWe showed the importance of considering condition-specific tradeoffs for understanding temporal population dynamics in spatially structured landscapes. Rather than assuming a fixed threshold, which appears to be absent based on previous work on salmonids, we showed that the body-size threshold for migration changed temporally throughout the season. This allowed increasingly smaller individuals to migrate when growth conditions peaked in the migratory habitat. Our model illuminates an understudied aspect of predation as part of a condition-dependent tradeoff that shapes migratory patterns, and our empirical data back patterns predicted by this model.
Development of membrane electrodes for selective determination of lisinopril in pharmaceuticals
Authors: Rajendraprasad Nagaraju , Basavaiah Kanakapura 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundLisinopril (LNP) is an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor used as anti-hypertensive, cardiovascular, in anti-prophylactic and anti-diabetic nephropathy drug. Development of two new, simple, low cost, and selective membrane-based ion-selective electrodes has been proposed for the determination of LNP in pharmaceuticals.MethodsThe electrodes are based on poly(vinyl)chloride membrane doped with LNP-phosphotungstic acid (LNP-PTA) and LNP-phosphomolybdic acid (LNP-PMA) ion-pairs as molecular recognition materials.ResultsThe developed LNP-PTA and LNP-PMA electrodes are applicable for the determination of LNP over the linear range of 5 × 10−5–2.4 × 10−3 mol l−1. The working pH ranges to measure potentials were 2.5 to 6.4 and 2.3 to 6.0 for LNP-PTA and LNP-PMA ISEs, respectively. The electrodes displayed the rapid Nernstian responses as revealed by the values of slopes 55.06 and 52.39 mV/decade, with limit of detection (LOD) values of 1.2 × 10−5and 1.18 × 10−5 mol l−1for LNP-PTA and LNP-PMA electrodes, respectively. The limits of quantitation (LOQ) values have also been calculated for both the electrodes. The developed electrodes have potential stability for up to 1 month and emerged as highly selective for the determination of LNP over other spiked ions and compounds.ConclusionsThe proposed electrodes have been validated and found that they are suitable for the determination of LNP in pharmaceuticals in pure form and in dosage forms. The results obtained in the analysis of LNP using proposed electrodes have been compared statistically with reference method’s results to assess the accuracy and precision. Robustness and ruggedness of the developed electrodes have also been checked and found satisfactory. The recovery studies have been performed by standard addition procedure to assess the role of excipients in tablets containing LNP and the results obtained are satisfactory.
Open educational resources in continuing adult education: development in the German-speaking area
Authors: Schön Sandra , Ebner Martin 
Published: December 2019

AbstractOpen Educational Resources (OER) allow many different uses in educational work that are excluded from traditional materials by copyright laws, such as modifying and republishing existing materials. This article examines the current role of OER in the field of adult education in German-speaking area, especially in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Although nowadays the topic of digitization is given a high strategic importance in continuing education in Switzerland, OER plays just a subordinate role there.
Comparison of biparametric and multiparametric MRI in the diagnosis of prostate cancer
Authors: Xu Lili , Zhang Gumuyang , Shi Bing , Liu Yanhan , Zou Tingting , Yan Weigang , Xiao Yu , Xue Huadan , Feng Feng , Lei Jing , Jin Zhengyu , Sun Hao 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Purpose
To compare the diagnostic accuracy of biparametric MRI (bpMRI) and multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) for prostate cancer (PCa) and clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) and to explore the application value of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI in prostate imaging.

Methods and materials
This study retrospectively enrolled 235 patients with suspected PCa in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2017, and all lesions were histopathologically confirmed. The lesions were scored according to the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 (PI-RADS V2). The bpMRI (T2-weighted imaging [T2WI], diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI]/apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC]) and mpMRI (T2WI, DWI/ADC and DCE) scores were recorded to plot the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) for each method were calculated and compared. The patients were further stratified according to bpMRI scores (bpMRI ≥3, and bpMRI = 3, 4, 5) to analyse the difference in DCE MRI between PCa and non-PCa lesions (as well as between csPCa and non-csPCa).

Results
The AUC values for the bpMRI and mpMRI protocols for PCa were comparable (0.790 [0.732–0.840] and 0.791 [0.733–0.841], respectively). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of bpMRI for PCa were 76.2, 79.5, 72.6, 75.8, and 76.6%, respectively, and the values for mpMRI were 77.4, 84.4, 69.9, 75.2, and 80.6%, respectively. The AUC values for the bpMRI and mpMRI protocols for the diagnosis of csPCa were similar (0.781 [0.722–0.832] and 0.779 [0.721–0.831], respectively). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of bpMRI for csPCa were 74.0, 83.8, 66.9, 64.8, and 85.0%, respectively; and 73.6, 87.9, 63.2, 63.2, and 87.8%, respectively, for mpMRI. For patients with bpMRI scores ≥3, positive DCE results were more common in PCa and csPCa lesions (both P = 0.001). Further stratification analysis showed that for patients with a bpMRI score = 4, PCa and csPCa lesions were more likely to have positive DCE results (P = 0.003 and P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion
The diagnostic accuracy of bpMRI is comparable with that of mpMRI in the detection of PCa and the identification of csPCa. DCE MRI is helpful in further identifying PCa and csPCa lesions in patients with bpMRI ≥3, especially bpMRI = 4, which may be conducive to achieving a more accurate PCa risk stratification. Rather than omitting DCE, we think further comprehensive studies are required for prostate MRI.