bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Structural performance of a novel liquid-laminated embedded connection for glass
Authors: Volakos Efstratios , Davis Chris , Teich Martien , Lenk Peter , Overend Mauro 
Published: December 2021

AbstractConnections between load-bearing glass components play a major role in terms of the structural integrity and aesthetics of glass applications. Recently, a new type of adhesive connection, known as embedded laminated glass connections, has been developed where a metallic insert is embedded within a laminated glass unit by means of transparent polymeric foil interlayers and assembled through an autoclave lamination process. In this study, a novel variant of this connection, consisting of a thin steel insert encapsulated by a transparent cold-poured resin, is proposed and examined. In particular, the axial tensile mechanical response of this connection is assessed via numerical (FE) analyses and destructive pull-out tests performed on physical prototypes at different displacement rates in order to assess the effect of the strain rate-dependent behaviour of the resin interlayer. It was found that the pull-out stiffness, the maximum load-bearing capacity and the failure mode of the connection are significantly affected by the imposed displacement rate. The numerical (FE) analysis of the pull-out tests, performed in Abaqus, showed that the complex state of stress in the vicinity of the connection is the result of two load-transfer mechanisms and that the relative contribution of these mechanisms depends on the insert geometry and the relative stiffnesses of the constituent materials. Overall, it is concluded that the prototypes are promising in terms of manufacturability, aesthetics and structural performance and thus the novel variant connection considered in this study offers a promising alternative to existing load-bearing connections for laminated glass structures, but further investigations are required to ascertain its suitability for real-world applications.
Fruit-classification model resilience under adversarial attack
Authors: Siddiqi Raheel 
Published: December 2021

AbstractAn accurate and robust fruit image classifier can have a variety of real-life and industrial applications including automated pricing, intelligent sorting, and information extraction. This paper demonstrates howadversarial trainingcan enhance the robustness of fruit image classifiers. In the past, research in deep-learning-based fruit image classification has focused solely on attaining the highest possible accuracy of the model used in the classification process. However, even the highest accuracy models are still susceptible toadversarial attackswhich pose serious problems for such systems in practice. As a robust fruit classifier can only be developed with the aid of a fruit image dataset consisting of fruit images photographed in realistic settings (rather than images taken in controlled laboratory settings), a new dataset of over three thousand fruit images belonging to seven fruit classes is presented. Each image is carefully selected so that its classification poses a significant challenge for the proposed classifiers. Three Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based classifiers are suggested: 1)IndusNet, 2)fine-tuned VGG16, and 3)fine-tuned MobileNet. Fine-tuned VGG16 produced the best test set accuracy of 94.82% compared to the 92.32% and the 94.28% produced by the other two models, respectively. Fine-tuned MobileNet has proved to be the most efficient model with a test time of 9 ms/step compared to the test times of 28 ms/step and 29 ms/step for the other two models. The empirical evidence presented demonstrates that adversarial training enables fruit image classifiers to resist attacks crafted through the Fast Gradient Sign Method (FGSM), while simultaneously improving classifiers’ robustness against other noise forms including ‘Gaussian’, ‘Salt and pepper’ and ‘Speckle’. For example, when the amplitude of the perturbations generated through the Fast Gradient Sign Method (FGSM) was kept at 0.1, adversarial training improved the fine-tuned VGG16’s performance on adversarial images by around 18% (i.e., from 76.6% to 94.82%), while simultaneously improving the classifier’s performance on fruit images corrupted with ‘salt and pepper’ noise by around 8% (i.e., from 69.82% to 77.85%). Other reported results also follow this pattern and demonstrate the effectiveness of adversarial training as a means of enhancing the robustness of fruit image classifiers.
Integration of Droplet Microfluidic Tools for Single-Cell Functional Metagenomics: An Engineering Head Start
Authors: Conchouso David , Al-Ma’abadi Amani , Behzad Hayedeh , Alarawi Mohammed , Hosokawa Masahito , Nishikawa Yohei , Takeyama Haruko , Mineta Katsuhiko , Gojobori Takashi 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Droplet microfluidic techniques have shown promising outcome to study single cells at high throughput. However, their adoption in laboratories studying “-omics” sciences is still irrelevant due to the complex and multidisciplinary nature of the field. To facilitate their use, here we provide engineering details and organized protocols for integrating three droplet-based microfluidic technologies into the metagenomic pipeline to enable functional screening of bioproducts at high throughput. First, a device encapsulating single cells in droplets at a rate of ∼250 Hz is described considering droplet size and cell growth. Then, we expand on previously reported fluorescence-activated droplet sorting systems to integrate the use of 4 independent fluorescence-exciting lasers (i.e., 405, 488, 561, and 637 nm) in a single platform to make it compatible with different fluorescence-emitting biosensors. For this sorter, both hardware and software are provided and optimized for effortlessly sorting droplets at 60 Hz. Then, a passive droplet merger is also integrated into our pipeline to enable adding new reagents to already-made droplets at a rate of 200 Hz. Finally, we provide an optimized recipe for manufacturing these chips using silicon dry-etching tools. Because of the overall integration and the technical details presented here, our approach allows biologists to quickly use microfluidic technologies and achieve both single-cell resolution and high-throughput capability (&gt;50,000 cells/day) for mining and bioprospecting metagenomic data
Thyroid and parathyroid ectopia in the mediastinum; a case report
Authors: Kakamad Fahmi H. , Salih Abdulwahid M. , Ahmed Shaho F. , Abdullah Hiwa O. , Kakamad Suhaib H. , Mustafa Shevan M. , Mohammed Shvan H. 
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACT

Introduction:
There are a variety of diseases that may appear as a mediastinum tumor, occurrence of ectopic parathyroid gland (EPG) and ectopic thyroid tissue (ETT) together in the mediastinum is a very rare entity. This study aims to report a case of associated ectopic thyroid and parathyroid in mediastinum.

Case presentation:
A 67-year-old lady complained of cough for two months aggravated by lying down, relieved by sitting and standing. Chest X-ray showed enlargement of superior mediastinum. A round non-homogenous, well-defined mass was seen in the superior of mediastinum by computed tomography (CT) scan. The patient underwent thoracotomy and the mass was totally resected. Histological examination revealed ectopic thyroid and parathyroid tissues in the superior mediastinum.

Clinical discussion:
The major reasons for originating thyroid ectopia in distant sites could be unordinary migration, abnormal differentiation of endodermal cells, or excessive decent of thyroglossal duct remnants is thought to be the cause of the ETT in mediastinum. Patients with thyroid ectopia of mediastinum commonly present with cough, dyspnea, stridor and dysphonia.

Conclusion:
Finding of ETT and EPG in the mediastinum is a very rare entity, which is caused by the abnormal migration during embryogenesis of the thyroid. The management includes total excision of the mass.

Highlights
Micronutrient's deficiency in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Venkatesh U. , Sharma Akash , Ananthan Velmurugan A. , Subbiah Padmavathi , Durga R. ,   CSIR Summer Research training team
Published: December 2021

AbstractIndia is coming to grips with a stage of nutrition transition. According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), preventable micronutrient deficiency is arising public health precedence in India. However, the foremost public health concern is the lack of national prevalence data. The present study was carried out to estimate the pooled age-wise prevalence of six preventable micronutrient deficiencies (vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, iodine and folic acid) in India. A systematic review was carried out on PubMed and Global Index Medicus databases using the Boolean search strategy. Statistical analyses were done using R software, version 3.6. 2. PRISMA guidelines were strictly adhered to during the review. A preliminary literature search yielded 4302 articles; however, 270 original research articles were found eligible to be included in quantitative synthesis. The estimated overall prevalence was 17 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 0⋅07, 0⋅26] for iodine deficiency, 37 % (95 % CI 0⋅27, 0⋅46) for folic acid deficiency, 54 % (95 % CI 0⋅49, 0⋅59) for iron deficiency, 53 % (95 % CI 0⋅41, 0⋅64) for vitamin B12deficiency, 19 % (95 % CI 0⋅09, 0⋅29) for vitamin A deficiency and 61 % (95 % CI 0⋅07, 0⋅26) for vitamin D with high heterogeneity. We classified the population into infants (0–5 years), adolescents (<18 years), adults (>18 years) and pregnant women. Iron deficiency was most prevalent (61 %) in pregnant women. The results of the present study reinforce the data on micronutrient deficiency in India and warrant the immediate need for further active public health interventions to address these deficiencies. The study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020205043).
The oldest known record of a ground sloth (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Folivora) from Hispaniola: evolutionary and paleobiogeographical implications
Authors: Viñola-Lopez Lazaro W. , Core Suárez Elson E. , Vélez-Juarbe Jorge , Almonte Milan Juan N. , Bloch Jonathan I. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractSloths were among the most diverse groups of land vertebrates that inhabited the Greater Antilles until their extinction in the middle-late Holocene following the arrival of humans to the islands. Although the fossil record of the group is well known from Quaternary deposits in Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico, remains from older units are scarce, limiting our understanding of their evolution and biogeographic history. Here we report the oldest known fossil ground sloth from Hispaniola, represented by an unassociated partial tibia and scapula that are recognized as a single taxon from the late Miocene-early Pliocene of the Dominican Republic. The combination of characters observed on the tibia suggests a close relationship with Megalocnus, otherwise only known from the Pleistocene–Holocene of Cuba. These fossils fill a temporal gap between those previously known from the early Miocene of Cuba and those from Pleistocene–Holocene deposits in the region and provide additional support for a continuous presence of the group in the Greater Antilles since the Oligocene.
Economic evaluation guidelines in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review
Authors: Daccache Caroline , Rizk Rana , Dahham Jalal , Evers Silvia M. A. A. , Hiligsmann Mickael , Karam Rita 
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Objectives
To systematically identify the latest versions of official economic evaluation guidelines (EEGs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and explore similarities and differences in their content.

Methods
We conducted a systematic search in MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, EconLit, Embase (Ovid), the Cochrane Library, and the gray literature. Using a predefined checklist, we extracted the key features of economic evaluation and the general characteristics of EEGs. We conducted a comparative analysis, including a summary of similarities and differences across EEGs.

Results
Thirteen EEGs were identified, three pertaining to lower-middle-income countries (Bhutan, Egypt, and Indonesia), nine to upper-middle-income countries (Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Malaysia, Mexico, Russian Federation, South Africa, and Thailand), in addition to Mercosur, and none to low-income countries. The majority (n = 12) considered cost–utility analysis and health-related quality-of-life outcome. Half of the EEGs recommended the societal perspective, whereas the other half recommended the healthcare perspective. Equity considerations were required in ten EEGs. Most EEGs (n = 11) required the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and recommended sensitivity analysis, as well as the presentation of a budget impact analysis (n = 10). Seven of the identified EEGs were mandatory for pharmacoeconomics submission. Methodological gaps, contradictions, and heterogeneity in terminologies used were identified within the guidelines.

Conclusion
As the importance of health technology assessment is increasing in LMICs, this systematic review could help researchers explore key aspects of existing EEGs in LMICs and explore differences among them. It could also support international organizations in guiding LMICs to develop their own EEGs and improve the methodological framework of existing ones.
Impacts of the Scale of Representation of Heterogeneity on Simulated Salinity and Saltwater Circulation in Coastal Aquifers
Authors: Yu Xuan , Michael Holly A. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractNumerical models of variable‐density groundwater flow and salt transport are a primary tool for predicting salinity distributions in coastal aquifers and estimating submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). Models are particularly useful to estimate the saline component of SGD, which can occur far offshore and is difficult to measure directly. Depending on the system and application, the level of geologic detail represented can range from homogeneous or layered to fully heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity fields. These features strongly affect model results, limiting understanding of subsurface salinity distributions and associated density‐driven saltwater circulation along coasts worldwide. In this study, the impact of the scale of representation of heterogeneity on salinity distributions and SGD was investigated using numerical simulations. Upscaling hydraulic conductivity can significantly modify salinity distributions and flow paths, resulting in unpredictable variations in simulated SGD, though the values for homogeneous fields with equivalent hydraulic conductivity show consistent trends. Simulated density distributions control both the rate and direction of subsurface saltwater circulation. The length of the mixing zone perimeter, a measure of salinity distribution complexity, is shown to correlate with both the rate of subsurface saltwater circulation and the amount of groundwater circulating in the reverse direction from homogeneous cases. Overall, the results demonstrate a strong dependence of salinity distributions and saltwater circulation on the scale and distribution of geologic heterogeneity represented in numerical models. This suggests that numerical models with simplified geologic structure may substantially underestimate saltwater circulation, and attempts to calibrate them using salinity distributions or SGD measurements may be problematic.
Tibetan Dust Accumulation Linked to Ecological and Landscape Response to Global Climate Change
Authors: Huang Xianmei , Miao Xiaodong , Chang Qiufang , Zhong Jiemei , Mason Joseph A. , Hanson Paul R. , Ou Xianjiao , Xu Liubing , Lai Zhongping 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe Tibetan Plateau (TP) is a hotspot of earth system research, and understanding its landscape and ecosystem evolution has been hampered by the lack of time‐constrained geological records. Geochronological data from 14 loess sites covering a large region in the Tibetan interior show that the TP loess, rather than accumulating during glacial periods, began aggrading at either 13.4 ± 0.4 or 9.9 ± 0.2 ka. An ecological threshold was crossed, when warmer and wetter conditions resulted in increased vegetation cover enabling dust trapping. This dust accumulation model is out of phase with that of the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) where high sedimentation rates occurred during the cold/dry glacial stages. The TP loess accumulation is in response to global climate change, at both orbital (glacial/interglacial) and millennial (e.g., Younger Dryas event) time scales, despite more complexity via ecological and landscape processes than the CLP loess.
Upper Mantle Viscosity Underneath Northern Marguerite Bay, Antarctic Peninsula Constrained by Bedrock Uplift and Ice Mass Variability
Authors: Samrat Nahidul Hoque , King Matt A. , Watson Christopher , Hay Andrea , Barletta Valentina R. , Bordoni Andrea 
Published: December 2021

AbstractWe constrain viscoelastic Earth rheology and recent ice‐mass change in the northern Marguerite Bay region of the Antarctic Peninsula. Global Positioning System (GPS) time series from Rothera and San Martin stations show bedrock uplift range of ∼−0.8–1.8 mm/year over 1999–2005 and 2016–2020 but ∼3.5–6.0 mm/year over ∼2005–2016. Digital elevation models reveal substantial surface lowering, but at a lower rate since ∼2009. Using these data, we show that an elastic‐only model cannot explain the non‐linear uplift of the GPS sites but that a layered viscoelastic model can. We show close agreement between GPS uplift changes and viscoelastic models with effective elastic lithosphere thickness and upper‐mantle viscosity ∼10–95 km and ∼0.1−9 × 1018 Pa s, respectively. Our viscosity estimate is consistent with a north‐south gradient in viscosity suggested by previous studies focused on specific regions within the Antarctic Peninsula and adds further evidence of the low viscosity upper mantle in the northern Antarctic Peninsula.
Gut microbiota, innate immune pathways, and inflammatory control mechanisms in patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Caso Javier R. , MacDowell Karina S. , González-Pinto Ana , García Saínza , de Diego-Adeliño Javier , Carceller-Sindreu Mar , Sarramea Fernando , Caballero-Villarraso Javier , Gracia-García Patricia , De la Cámara Concepción , Agüera Luis , Gómez-Lus María L. , Alba Claudio , Rodríguez Juan M. , Leza Juan C. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractAlthough alterations in the gut microbiota have been linked to the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD), including through effects on the immune response, our understanding is deficient about the straight connection patterns among microbiota and MDD in patients. Male and female MDD patients were recruited: 46 patients with a current active MDD (a-MDD) and 22 in remission or with only mild symptoms (r-MDD). Forty-five healthy controls (HC) were also recruited. Psychopathological states were assessed, and fecal and blood samples were collected. Results indicated that the inducible nitric oxide synthase expression was higher in MDD patients compared with HC and the oxidative stress levels were greater in the a-MDD group. Furthermore, the lipopolysaccharide (an indirect marker of bacterial translocation) was higher in a-MDD patients compared with the other groups. Fecal samples did not cluster according to the presence or the absence of MDD. There were bacterial genera whose relative abundance was altered in MDD:Bilophila(2-fold) andAlistipes(1.5-fold) were higher, whileAnaerostipes(1.5-fold) andDialister(15-fold) were lower in MDD patients compared with HC. Patients with a-MDD presented higher relative abundance ofAlistipesandAnaerostipes(1.5-fold) and a complete depletion ofDialistercompared with HC. Patients with r-MDD presented higher abundance ofBilophila(2.5-fold) compared with HC. Thus, the abundance of bacterial genera and some immune pathways, both with potential implications in the pathophysiology of depression, appear to be altered in MDD, with the most noticeable changes occurring in patients with the worse clinical condition, the a-MDD group.
Genome-wide association and functional interrogation identified a variant at 3p26.1 modulating ovarian cancer survival among Chinese women
Authors: Dai Hongji , Chu Xinlei , Liang Qian , Wang Mengyun , Li Lian , Zhou Yao , Zheng Zhanye , Wang Wei , Wang Zhao , Li Haixin , Wang Jianhua , Zheng Hong , Zhao Yanrui , Liu Luyang , Yao Hongcheng , Luo Menghan , Wang Qiong , Kang Shan , Li Yan , Wang Ke , Song Fengju , Zhang Ruoxin , Wu Xiaohua , Cheng Xi , Zhang Wei , Wei Qingyi , Li Mulin Jun , Chen Kexin 
Published: December 2021

AbstractOvarian cancer survival varies considerably among patients, to which germline variation may also contribute in addition to mutational signatures. To identify genetic markers modulating ovarian cancer outcome, we performed a genome-wide association study in 2130 Chinese ovarian cancer patients and found a hitherto unrecognized locus at 3p26.1 to be associated with the overall survival (Pcombined = 8.90 × 10−10). Subsequent statistical fine-mapping, functional annotation, and eQTL mapping prioritized a likely casual SNP rs9311399 in the non-coding regulatory region. Mechanistically, rs9311399 altered its enhancer activity through an allele-specific transcription factor binding and a long-range interaction with the promoter of a lncRNABHLHE40-AS1. Deletion of the rs9311399-associated enhancer resulted in expression changes in several oncogenic signaling pathway genes and a decrease in tumor growth. Thus, we have identified a novel genetic locus that is associated with ovarian cancer survival possibly through a long-range gene regulation of oncogenic pathways.
Lipid droplet availability affects neural stem/progenitor cell metabolism and proliferation
Authors: Ramosaj Mergim , Madsen Sofia , Maillard Vanille , Scandella Valentina , Sudria-Lopez Daniel , Yuizumi Naoya , Telley Ludovic , Knobloch Marlen 
Published: December 2021

AbstractNeural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) generate new neurons throughout adulthood. However, the underlying regulatory processes are still not fully understood. Lipid metabolism plays an important role in regulating NSPC activity: build-up of lipids is crucial for NSPC proliferation, whereas break-down of lipids has been shown to regulate NSPC quiescence. Despite their central role for cellular lipid metabolism, the role of lipid droplets (LDs), the lipid storing organelles, in NSPCs remains underexplored. Here we show that LDs are highly abundant in adult mouse NSPCs, and that LD accumulation is significantly altered upon fate changes such as quiescence and differentiation. NSPC proliferation is influenced by the number of LDs, inhibition of LD build-up, breakdown or usage, and the asymmetric inheritance of LDs during mitosis. Furthermore, high LD-containing NSPCs have increased metabolic activity and capacity, but do not suffer from increased oxidative damage. Together, these data indicate an instructive role for LDs in driving NSPC behaviour.