bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Climate Variability Links to Changes in Rioja Wine (Spain)
Authors: Rasilla Domingo , Aransay Raquel , Conde-Oria Francisco 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Production, quality, chemical compounds and phenology of the Rioja wine (Spain) are analyzed regarding the recent regional climate evolution for the period 1993–2017, combining data from DOCa Rioja and the wine cellar “Marqués de Riscal” with meteorological and remote sensing data. The main outcomes are an increase of alcohol content and pH and a reduction of acidity. Those trends are correlative to phenological changes such as the advance of the grape ripening and a reduction of leaf cover, consistent with the expected effects of a generalized warming during the growing season. Besides, a deeper insight in to the role of the monthly climate anomalies highlights the relevant role of May, as a key month for the success of the harvest, since it coincides with the period between budbreak and bloom, and related to the Eastern Atlantic teleconnection. A possible link between regional spring-time weather conditions with tropical climate variability is also considered.
A Kinetic and Mechanistic Study of Ir (III) Catalyzed Oxidation of Methionine by HCF (III) in aqueous alkaline medium medium
Authors: Garg Savita , Rajput Shakunj 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The kinetic Study of Ir (III) chloride catalyzed oxidation of Methionine by hexacyanoferrate (abbreviated as HCF) III ions in aqueous alkaline medium has been investigated spectrophotometrically at constant ionic strength of 0.5 mol dm-3 and temperature 35 ± 0.1●C. The reaction rate shows first order kinetics with respect to [HCF (III)], [OH-] and [IrCl3]. The order of reaction is also first with respect to [Substrate] at its lower concentration tending towards zero at higher concentration. The ionic strength of the reaction mixture shows positive salt effect on the reaction rate. Different activation parameters were also evaluated by studying the reaction at four different temperatures. The stoichiometry of the reaction corresponds to a reaction in which one mole of the amino acid reacts with four moles of HCF (III) ions. Methionine sulphone was found to be the main product of oxidation was identified using an organic solvent method and IR Spectroscopy. A suitable mechanism has been proposed to explain all the experimental results. It is assumed that reaction proceeds through complex formation between substrate (abbreviated) and iridium trichloride. A rate law has been derived which verifies the results.
CH3 –S-(CH2)2-CH (NH2) – COO− + 4HCF (III) Ir(III),H2O → CH3-SO2-(CH2)2-CH (NH2)-COO− + 4HCF (II)
A Blockchain-based Scheme of Secure Traceability for Drug
Authors: Wang Jie , Zhang Le , Li Hongtao 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Drug safety is directly related to people’s health. With the development of logistics technology, ensuring drug circulation safety has become very important to ensure drug quality. In order to guarantee the security of the drug sources and circulation process, a blockchain-based scheme of secure traceability for drug is proposed in this work, which guarantees the security of trace- ability results through the de-trusting and traceability characteristics of blockchain technology, and optimizes the Internet sales of drugs.We adopt the idea of reverse search algorithm to reduce search time and improve search efficiency. Theoretical analysis and experimental results analy- sis show that this paper improves traceability efficiency and reduces search time while ensuring the security of traceability results.
Uniform Robot Relocation is Hard in only two Directions even without Obstacles
Authors: Caballero David , Cantu Angel A. , Gomez Timothy , Luchsinger Austin , Schweller Robert , Wylie Tim 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Given n robots contained within a square grid surrounded by four walls, we ask the question of whether it is possible to move a particular robot a to a specific grid location b by performing a sequence of global step operations in which all robots move one grid step in the same cardinal direction (if not blocked by a wall or other blocked robots). We show this problem is NP-complete when restricted to just two directions (south and west). This answers the simplest fundamental problem in uniform global unit tilt swarm robotics. We then consider a relaxed version of this problem in which the goal is to move a robot a to a specific row regardless of its horizontal placement. We show that if asking about the bottom-most row of the square grid, then this version of the problem is solvable in polynomial time. Finally, we discuss several areas for future research and open problems.
Contribution of remote Pacinian corpuscles to flutter-range frequency discrimination in humans
Authors: Nagi Saad S. , McIntyre Sarah , Ng Kevin K. W. , Mahns David A. , Birznieks Ingvars , Vickery Richard M. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Among the various classes of fast-adapting (FA) tactile afferents found in hairy and glabrous skin, FA2 afferents preferentially signal high-frequency sinusoidal events corresponding with vibration percepts, contrasting with other classes associated with lower frequency flutter percepts. FA2 afferents, associated with Pacinian corpuscles (PC), are also uniquely sensitive to distant sources of vibration mechanically transmitted through anatomical structures. In the present study, we used a pulsatile waveform to assess the contribution of FA2 afferents to the perception of flutter-range frequency stimuli (~20 Hz). We used two methods to abolish local FA inputs and force a dependence on FA2 via transmission from adjacent structures. Firstly, we examined frequency discrimination and perception of vibration applied to the hairy skin overlying the ulnar styloid before and during a blockade of intradermal receptors by local anaesthesia. Secondly, we tested frequency discrimination on the digital glabrous skin before and during a blockade of myelinated fibres by ulnar nerve compression. Despite reliance on vibration transmission to activate remote PCs, we found that frequency discrimination ability in the flutter range was unimpeded across both skin types. Comparisons with stimuli applied on the contralateral side also indicated that perceived frequency was not affected. This confirms that flutter-range frequency perception can be encoded by the FA2/PC system. Our results demonstrate that input from receptors specialised for low-frequency signalling is not mandatory for flutter-range frequency perception. This explains how the constancy of frequency perception might be achieved across different skin regions, irrespective of the afferent type activated for transmitting these signals.
A case of novel NFKB2 mutation with hypertensive emergency and nephrotic syndrome leading to CKD G5D
Authors: Nagata Toru , Nakagawa Kenji , Tsurumi Fumitoshi , Watanabe Ken , Endo Tomomi , Hata Atsuko 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
[Background] Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) family plays a central role in human immune system regulation. Heterozygous mutations in NFKB2 typically cause immunodeficiency with various degrees of central adrenal insufficiency, autoimmunity and ectodermal dysplasia. No reported case has presented kidney failure as an initial symptom. Moreover, documentation of kidney involvement of this disease is limited. [Case-Diagnosis] A patient with a novel heterozygous mutation in NFKB2 (c.880del: p. Tyr294Ilefs*4) developed dyspnea and hypertensive emergency as a result of kidney failure. She showed mild hypogammaglobulinemia, but no adrenal insufficiency or ectodermal dysplasia. She is now dependent on peritoneal dialysis and is awaiting kidney transplantation. [Conclusions] Clinical phenotype and penetrance of NFKB2 mutation might vary depending on the mutation site and its effects on NFKB2-signaling pathway. Whether kidney failure is a primary symptom of this variant or secondary to some event remains unknown. Further case accumulation is warranted. (145 words) [Summary - What is new] This is the first reported case of NFKB2 mutation with kidney failure presented as an initial symptom, leading to chronic kidney disease (CKD) G5D.
Standardised comparison of chest and percutaneous drainage catheters: Size is not everything
Authors: Daga Karan , Milward Graham D. , Santos Daniel Pintos dos , Edwards Derek William , Laasch Hans-Ulrich 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

A variety of medical specialities undertake percutaneous drainage but understanding of device performance outside radiology is often limited. Furthermore, the current catheter sizing using the “French” measurement of outer diameter is unhelpful; it does not reflect the internal diameter and gives no information on flow rate. To illustrate this and to improve catheter selection, notably for chest drainage, we assessed the variation of drain performance under standardised conditions. Internal diameter and flow rates of 6Fr.-12Fr. drainage catheters from 7 manufacturers were tested to ISO 10555-1 standard: Internal diameters were measured with Meyer calibrated pin-gauges. Flow rates were calculated over a period of 30s after achieving steady state. Evaluation demonstrated a wide range of internal diameters for the 6Fr., 8Fr., 10Fr. and 12Fr. catheters. Mean measurements were 1.49mm (SD:0.07), 1.90mm (SD:0.10), 2.43mm (SD:0.11) and 2.64mm (SD:0.03) respectively. Mean flow rates were 128mL/min (SD:37.6), 207mL/min (SD: 55.1), 291mL/min (SD:36.7) and 303mL/min (SD:20.2) respectively. There was such variance that there was overlap between catheters of different size: thin-walled 10Fr. drains performed better than 12Fr. “Seldinger” chest drains. Better understanding of drain characteristics and better declaration of performance data by manufacturers are required to allow optimum drain choice for individual patients and optimum outcomes.
Global relaxation-based LP–Newton method formultiple hyperparameter selection in support vector classification with feature selection
Authors: Li Qingna , Qian Yaru , Zemkoho Alain 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Support vector classification (SVC) is an effective tool for classification tasks in machine learning. Its performance relies on the selection of appropriate hyperparameters. In this paper, our focus is on identifying the optimal value for the regularization hyperparameter \(C\), as well as determining the bounds on the features in a SVC problem. This implies that the number of hyperparameters in our SVC can potentially be very large. It is very well-known in machine learning that this could lead to the so-called {\em curse of dimensionality}. To address this challenge of multiple hyperparameter selection, the problem is formulated as a bilevel optimization problem, which is then transformed into a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC). Our first contribution involves proving the fulfillment of a Mangasarian–Fromovitz constraint qualification tailored to the latter reformulation of the problem. Furthermore, we introduce a novel linear programming (LP)-Newton-based global relaxation method (GRLPN) for solving this problem and provide corresponding convergence results. Typically, in global relaxation methods for MPECs, the algorithm for the corresponding subproblem is treated as a blackbox. Possibly for the first time in the literature, the subproblem is specifically studied in detail. Numerical experiments substantiate the superiority of GRLPN over grid search and the global relaxation solved by the well-known nonlinear programming solver SNOPT.
Identification Method of Top Plate Pallet of Underground Roadways in Coal Mines Based on Lightweight Faster R-CNN
Authors: Ma Lisen , Tian Yuan , Li Chengcheng , Jia Yunhong 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Convolutional neural networks are widely used in target recognition with their excellent feature extraction capabilities. The Faster R-CNN algorithm for object detection using region suggestion networks has high detection accuracy, but the drawbacks of large number of parameters and high computational effort hinder its deployment on resource-constrained mobile and embedded devices. In order to realize accurate and fast recognition of pallets on the top plate of the underground roadway in coal mines, a pallet recognition method based on lightweight Faster R-CNN is proposed, considering the requirements of real-time and implantability of the model. ResNet18 is selected as the feature extraction network, and the depth separable convolution is used instead of ordinary convolution to operate on the input image, which reduces the number of parameters and computation amount of the network, and thus improves the speed and efficiency of the network feature extraction. On this basis, the model accuracy is improved by the knowledge distillation method, in the training process, the ResNet50-Faster R-CNN is used as the teacher network, the lightweighted ResNet18-Faster R-CNN is used as the student network, and the training of the student network is supervised by using the soft labels output from the teacher network in order to improve the accuracy of the student network, and the performance of the student model obtained by the method is close to that of the teacher model, but the number of parameters and the cost of computation are both smaller than that of the teacher model. Based on the above proposed improvement method, tests are carried out in a simulated alleyway to verify the effectiveness of the method, and the proposed algorithm is compared with three classical algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed improved algorithm has better performance in pallet recognition, compared with the original Faster R-CNN algorithm, the lightweight improved algorithm model occupies 59.47% less space, and the recognition time of a single picture is only 5.54% of the original algorithm, which reaches 22.7ms, and the mAP value is only reduced by 3.58%. It can be seen that the improved algorithm basically maintains the original recognition accuracy on the basis of the model memory and algorithm operation is greatly reduced, the detection speed has been improved, can effectively meet the real-time requirements of the pallet image recognition, and helps the pallet recognition model deployed on mobile and embedded devices.
The Economic Burden of Type 2 Diabetes on the Public Healthcare System in Kenya: A Cost of Illness Study
Authors: Karugu Caroline H. , Ilboudo Patrick Gueswendé , Boachie Micheal Kofi , Mburu Lilian , Sanya Richard , Moolla Aisha , Ojiambo Veronica , Kruger Petronell , Vandevijvere Stefanie , Agyemang Charles , Asiki Gershim 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background: The burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is a growing public health concern. The availability of cost-of-illness data, particularly public healthcare costs for NCDs, is limited in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), yet such data evidence is needed for policy action.
Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the economic burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D) on Kenya’s public healthcare system in the year 2021 and project costs for the year 2045.
Methods: This was a cost-of-illness study using the prevalence-based bottom-up costing approach to estimate the economic burden of T2D in the year 2021. We further conducted projections on the estimated costs for the year 2045. The costs were estimated corresponding to the care, treatment, and management of diabetes and some diabetes complications based on the primary data collected from six healthcare facilities in Nairobi and secondary costing data from previous costing studies in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The data capture and costing analysis were done in Microsoft Excel 16, and sensitivity analysis was conducted on all the parameters to estimate the cost changes.
Results: The total cost of the management of T2D for the healthcare system in Kenya was estimated to be US$ 635 million (KES 74,521 million) in 2021. This was an increase of US$ 2 million (KES 197 million) considering the screening costs of undiagnosed T2D in the country. The major cost driver representing 59% of the overall costs was attributed to T2D complications, with nephropathy having the highest estimated costs of care and management (US$ 332 million (KES 36, 457 million). The total cost for T2D was projected to rise to US$ 1.6 billion (KES 177 billion) in 2045.
Conclusion: This study shows that T2D imposes a huge burden on Kenya’s healthcare system. There is a need for government and societal action to develop and implement policies that prevent T2D, and appropriately plan care for those diagnosed with T2D.
Managerial ability and corporate sustainability: the reduction of leverage manipulation
Authors: Fan Min 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Corporate leverage manipulation may increase the risk of debt default in the future, thus increasing the systemic risk. The main motivation for enterprises to conduct leverage manipulation is to seek financial loans. Previous studies have shown that the managerial ability affects the operation status and future development of enterprises, as well as the financing of enterprises. This paper empirically tests the influence of managerial competence on corporate leverage manipulation. The results show that the improvement of managerial ability can significantly reduce the leverage manipulation behavior of enterprises, and the influence path is mainly to alleviate the financing problem of enterprises. After considering the robustness test, the conclusion still holds. The influence of managerial ability on leverage manipulation depends on the characteristics of debt structure, debt default risk and internal control quality, and the influence is greater in the sample of enterprises with debt structure more dependent on bank loans, debt default risk and high internal control quality. In addition, the degree to which the improvement of managerial ability reduces the leverage manipulation of enterprises can be seen in the samples where the management power is not too large, government subsidies and the degree of urban marketization are higher. This study confirms the positive externality economic effect of managerial competence from the perspective of corporate leverage manipulation, which provides some enlightenment for promoting the cultivation of managerial competence and reducing leverage manipulation behavior.
Assessment of effective doses for fluoroscopy-guided balloon dilatation of benign esophageal strictures in pediatric medicine
Authors: Kapyrina Yu. N. , Vodovatov A. V. , Puzyrev V. G. , Komissarov M. I. , Aleshin I. Yu. , Golikov V. Yu. , Orel V. I. 
Published: December 2023

Interventional examinations are associated with high levels of patient exposure per examination, which makes it particularly important to monitor individual patient doses and to assess radiation risks. The aim of this study was the assessment of effective doses for fluoroscopy-guided balloon dilatation of benign esophageal strictures, whichwasperformedonpediatricpatientsaged 1 to 2 yearsatthe Departmentof Radiosurgical Methodsof Diagnosis and Treatment of St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University. Patient exposure patterns were basedonourowndatacollection. Thecalculationofeffectiveandorgandosesofpatientsnormalizedbythevalue of the dose area product measured during the study was carried out using PCXMC 2.0 software. The conversion coefficients from the dose area product to the effective dose were calculated using tissue weighting coefficients from the ICRP Publications 60 and 103 their values were 10.7 and 11.7 µSv/cGy cm2, respectively. The results of verification of the method indicated that the use of inappropriate conversion coefficients leads to an almost double underestimation of children’s effective doses. Differences in the values of conversion coefficients are significant and are explained by differences in voltage, source to image distance, and irradiation field size. A simplified model of patient exposure was proposed, which is described by a single irradiation field. The assessment of effective doses using multi-field and single-field irradiation model shows comparable results, which allows using the differentiated approach to the assessment of radiation doses of patients.
Impact of mining and fuel and energy enterprises on the radiation background of territories
Authors: Perevoshchikov R. D. , Perevoshchikova A. A. , Menshikova E. A. 
Published: December 2023

This review provides information on the radiation situation in mining and energy production facilities. Mining activities are considered as one of the significant sources of radioactivity. Many radionuclides and metals that are transported by surface and ground waters, air flows over significant distances, contaminating soils, subsoil and bottom sediments of the adjacent territory, forming geochemically specific naturaltechnogenic areas. In this work is given an overview of radiation conditions in the territories of potassium phosphate, hydrocarbon and coal deposits. Developed potassium ores are the source of 40K emission into the environment. According to the results obtained, the migration of investigated radionuclides is limited to the zone of 2 km. Only an insignificant part of the investigated samples (8%) exceeds the world average activity of 40K for soils. In bottom sediments, the average activity of 40K does not exceed the values for other territories with anthropogenic impact. More than 30 million tonnes of phosphate fertilizers are consumed worldwide each year, and their use increases crop production. However, a possible negative effect of these fertilisers is the contamination of cultivated land with some natural radionuclides. Uranium concentrations in phosphate vary from 37 to 4900 Bq/kg for 238U and from 100 to 10 000 Bq/kg for 226Ra. The amount of radioactivity in oil, gas and formation water is estimated through determination of 40K, 226Ra, 232Th. According to the published data, increased radiation background is observed near wellheads, in the places of oil sludge accumulation, near the flares at oil and gas enterprises, as a result of bringing a number of natural and man-made radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, 40K, 137Cs, 90Sr, etc.) to the day surface. Coal mines are sources of radioactive contamination. This results from the extraction of large amounts of natural radionuclides from the subsoil together with the coal. This paper presents the average natural radionuclides content in coals from some of the world’s coal mines. With the development of mining and fuel-energy complexes, there is an active export to the surface together with minerals of natural radionuclides 40K, 232Th, 226Ra, 238U, which leads to an increase in the radiation load on the environment. In this connection, the problems of ensuring radiation safety at the facilities of mining and fuel and energy industry require the closest attention.