cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Versatile Multiband Power Divider and Branch-Line Coupler With Novel Design Techniques for Future Wireless Applications
Creators: name: Omi, Asif Iftekhar
Publisher: name: Washington State University
Year: 2022
Subjects: Branch-line Coupler
Dual-band
Power Divider
RF/Microwave
Wideband
Wireless

description: Radio frequency (RF) front-end passive circuit components can support the ever-desired demand for faster, reliable, and ubiquitous wireless systems for application in microwave and mm-wave engineering. Two of such components are power dividers (PD) and branch-line couplers (BLC) which are the prime focus for all the research works conducted in this thesis. The dissertation starts with conventional design and performance of these high frequency components and then gradually develops newer structures along with all the well-articulated design formulations to ensure a versatile performance in multiband operation for both the PDs and BLCs. The frequently used multi-section Wilkinson Power Divider (WPD) design has been an empirical/ table-based technique for 3 or more sections. And hence, it does not lend itself easily to design automation via EDA tools. In contrast, a fully analytical technique has been presented here to design a 3-section wideband WPD and a rigorous analysis is carried out to arrive at the designs equations that can easily be integrated with MATLAB/Octave to quickly find the design parameters. Further, as per the authors’ knowledge, the dual-band technique has never been employed before for designing a wideband component. The proposed technique draws from the dual-band technique, and it has been shown that the proposed scheme to always lead to additional bandwidth while guaranteeing the minimum bandwidth design requirements. Two prototype was also fabricated to validate the results. Measurement of both the prototype exhibits an excellent input return-loss > 16 dB, output return-loss > 15 dB, insertion-loss < 3.30 dB and a remarkable isolation > 20 dB within the band and with 10 dB reference provide a fractional bandwidth of more than 141%. Utilizing this technique even further, a 3-way power divider based on miniaturized Goldfarb topology has been designed which can support any arbitrary band ratio shown for the very first time in such type of structures. Other than the 2-way/3-way multiband RF power dividers, dual-band branch line couplers have also been presented using coupled lines and crossed lines with a new design concept. Making use of this new design topology, the shown BLC structures reveal extremely high band ratio and power division ratio with arbitrary port terminated real impedances. To validate the proposed design concept, a prototype using coupled line working at 0.9GHz and 1.8GHz is fabricated on a 60mil Rogers 4003C substrate exhibiting excellent match between the simulated and measured results. This procedure paves the way to develop many other new BLCs which offer multi-fold novelties.
Interpretable Neural-Symbolic Concept Reasoning
Creators: name: Barbiero, Pietro
name: Ciravegna, Gabriele
name: Giannini, Francesco
name: Zarlenga, Mateo Espinosa
name: Magister, Lucie Charlotte
name: Tonda, Alberto
name: Lio', Pietro
name: Precioso, Frederic
name: Jamnik, Mateja
name: Marra, Giuseppe
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI)
subject: Machine Learning (cs.LG)
subject: Neural and Evolutionary Computing (cs.NE)
subject: Machine Learning (stat.ML)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Deep learning methods are highly accurate, yet their opaque decision process prevents them from earning full human trust. Concept-based models aim to address this issue by learning tasks based on a set of human-understandable concepts. However, state-of-the-art concept-based models rely on high-dimensional concept embedding representations which lack a clear semantic meaning, thus questioning the interpretability of their decision process. To overcome this limitation, we propose the Deep Concept Reasoner (DCR), the first interpretable concept-based model that builds upon concept embeddings. In DCR, neural networks do not make task predictions directly, but they build syntactic rule structures using concept embeddings. DCR then executes these rules on meaningful concept truth degrees to provide a final interpretable and semantically-consistent prediction in a differentiable manner. Our experiments show that DCR: (i) improves up to +25% w.r.t. state-of-the-art interpretable concept-based models on challenging benchmarks (ii) discovers meaningful logic rules matching known ground truths even in the absence of concept supervision during training, and (iii), facilitates the generation of counterfactual examples providing the learnt rules as guidance.
Chalcosyrphus valgus
Creators: name: Kočić, Anja
name: Vujić, Ante
name: Tot, Tamara
name: Milosavljević, Marina Janković
name: Groot, Maarten De
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Syrphidae
Chalcosyrphus
Chalcosyrphus valgus

description: Chalcosyrphus valgus (Gmelin, 1790).
Regions: UC, CL.
Reference: de Groot et al. (2010).
description: Published as part of Kočić, Anja, Vujić, Ante, Tot, Tamara, Milosavljević, Marina Janković & Groot, Maarten De, 2023, An updated checklist of the hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Slovenia, pp. 189-227 in Zootaxa 5297 (2) on page 195, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5297.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/7993180
Quasiuniversality from all-in-all-out Weyl quantum criticality in pyrochlore iridates
Creators: name: Moser, David Jonas
name: Janssen, Lukas
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We identify an exotic quasiuniversal behavior near the all-in-all-out Weyl quantum critical point in three-dimensional Luttinger semimetals, such as the pyrochlore iridates $R_2$Ir$_2$O$_7$, with $R$ a rare-earth element. The quasiuniversal behavior is characterized by power laws with exponents that vary slowly over several orders of magnitude in energy or length. However, in contrast to the quasiuniversality discussed in the context of deconfined criticality, the present case is characterized by a genuinely-universal ultra-low-temperature behavior. In this limit, the pertinent critical exponents can be computed exactly within a renormalization group analysis. Experimental implications for the pyrochlore iridates are outlined.
description: 6+7 pages, 4+5 figures, 0+2 tables; v2: published version
Gadolinium and gadoteric acid exposure induce long-term down-regulation in erythroid-related genes
Creators: name: Coimbra, Susana
name: Rocha, Susana
name: D. Viana, Sofia
name: Rebelo, Rute
name: Rocha-Pereira, Petronila
name: Valente, Maria João
name: Catarino, Cristina
name: Bronze-Da-Rocha, Elsa
name: Belo, Luís
name: Reis, Flávio
name: Santos-Silva, Alice
Publisher: name: Scientific Letters
Year: 2024

description: Background: Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) differ in their potential to release gadolinium [Gd (III)], known to be toxic. Gadoteric acid (Gd-DOTA) is a macrocyclic GBCA, with a more stable structure. After GBCA exposure, Gd (III) retention in red blood cells (RBC) and kidney has been reported [1,2]. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, a severe condition found in renal disease patients exposed to GBCA, is associated with decreased hemoglobin (Hb) levels [3]. Objective: To evaluate the long-term effects of Gd (III) and Gd-DOTA exposure on erythropoietic function, using an animal model. Methods: In a long-term study (20 weeks after exposure), male Wistar rats were divided in 3 groups (n=10 each): exposure to a single dose (0.1 mmol/kg) of Gd (III), of Gd-DOTA or vehicle (control). At the end of the protocol, blood and renal tissue were collected; erythrogram was determined, and next-generation sequencing analysis was employed to evaluate differential gene expression of kidney tissue transcriptome. Results: Gd (III) group presented significantly lower RBC and hematocrit values, and higher mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and a trend towards lower Hb levels; Gd-DOTA group presented trends to similar changes, without reaching statistical significance. In both groups, down-regulation of HBA1 (encodes Hb subunit alpha 1), HBB(encodes Hb subunit beta) and SLC4A1 (encodes band 3, a transmembrane chloride/bicarbonate anion exchanger1, found in RBC and kidney) genes was observed. Conclusions: Single exposure to free Gd (III) induced long-term down-regulation in erythroid-related genes that may underly erythropoietic and erythrocyte disturbances, as suggested by less RBC and increased MCHC. Although only alteration tendencies in these biomarkers were observed, exposure to Gd-DOTA showed the same genes downregulation. Further studies are necessary to confirm gene expression data through qPCR, to better understand the interplay between Gd (III) and erythropoiesis, and to evaluate Gd-DOTA safety.
description: Scientific Letters, Vol. 1 No. Sup 1 (2024)
title: Histological Evaluation Of Gonadal And Sexual Maturity In Female Baltic Cod (Gadus Morhua). Preliminary Results.
Creators: name: Tybjerg, L.
name: Tomkiewicz, J.
Publisher: name: ASC 1999
Year: 2024
Subjects: Fisheries and aquaculture

description: No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.The use of macroscopic visual scales to determine the gonadal and sexual maturity of fishes is an important tool in order to estimate maturity ogives, i.e. the proportion of a length group or age class that will contribute to the spawning biomass. Ibis is possible only if a clear distinction between llll1llature and mature specunen can be obtained. Furthermore, the Baltic cod has a long spawning season extending from April to September and identification of different developmental stages can e.g. be used to determine timing of spawning of different stock components. By applying histological technics a more exact determination of the gonadal development can be made, and subsequently used to verify and improve the power of macroscopic visual scales. A macroscopic scale including ten different female developmental stages used by the EU funded Baltic CORE and STORE projects is validated histologically in the present study. Preliminary results have improved the macroscopic criteria to identify the onset of the maturation process and changed the status of at least one stage. Furthermore, a high frequency of regressing gonads was found mainly in older individuals and thereby reducing the spawning probability and population fecundity.
Developing robust heterotypic 3D lung cancer cultures for drug screening: preliminary results
Creators: name: Pinto, Bárbara
name: A. Silva, Patrícia M.
name: Sarmento, Bruno
name: Carvalho-Tavares, Juliana
name: Bousbaa, Hassan
Publisher: name: Scientific Letters
Year: 2024

description: Background: To propel advancements in cancer treatment, it is imperative to conduct initial drug testing using in vitro models. In laboratory settings, the efficacy of most compounds is rigorously evaluated through 2D cell cultures. However, many compounds showing promise in these models fail to perform similarly in preclinical or clinical trials, prolonging the timeline for developing effective drugs for human use
[1,2]. Therefore, substantial research efforts are focused on creating in vitro models that better mimic the in vivo tumor microenvironment, as demonstrated by the exploration of 3D cell culture systems
[3]. Objective: to implement a standard protocol for heterotypic 3D lung cancer cultures, aiming to provide a more effective alternative for anticancer drug screening. Methods: Monocytes were polarized into macrophages 72 hours prior seeding by adding phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate. A549 lung cancer cells were then co-cultured with polarized macrophages (THP-1), lung fibroblasts (IMR-90), and lung endothelial cells (HPMEC) on ultralow attachment plates and monitored for 10 days. Spheroids were photographed on days 2, 4, and 6 post-seeding. Results: During the initial protocol standardization, different cell ratios were tested: i) 10,000 cells/well with a ratio of 1:3:3:10 for A549, THP-1, IMR-90, and HPMEC, respectively; ii) 8,000 cells/well with a ratio of 3:3:3:10; and iii) 10,000 cells/well with a ratio of 3:3:3:10. Surprisingly, none of the ratios consistently generated a single spheroid. To address this issue and aid spheroid compaction, a centrifugation step was introduced immediately after plating at either 1000 RPM for 10 minutes at 22°C or 4000 RPM for 10 minutes at 22°C. Notably, centrifugation at 4000 RPM for 10 minutes at 22°C proved most effective in producing single, compact, robust spheroids with an appropriate diameter (>350 nm). Conclusions: Our initial findings indicate successful development of single heterotypic 3D lung cancer spheroids. Standardization of histological analyses is ongoing, and further experiments will be undertaken to characterize this novel in vitro model of lung cancer.
description: Scientific Letters, Vol. 1 No. Sup 1 (2024)
Cheilosia aerea Dufour 1848
Creators: name: Kočić, Anja
name: Vujić, Ante
name: Tot, Tamara
name: Milosavljević, Marina Janković
name: Groot, Maarten De
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Syrphidae
Cheilosia
Cheilosia aerea

description: Cheilosia aerea Dufour, 1848.
Regions: CK, LS.
Reference: Strobl (1910) (as Cheilosia zetterstadtii).
description: Published as part of Kočić, Anja, Vujić, Ante, Tot, Tamara, Milosavljević, Marina Janković & Groot, Maarten De, 2023, An updated checklist of the hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Slovenia, pp. 189-227 in Zootaxa 5297 (2) on page 195, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5297.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/7993180
title: An Evaluation Of Recruitment Indices For Northeast Arctic Cod (Gadus Morhua L.)
Creators: name: Helle, Kristin
name: Bogstad, Bjarte
name: Marshall, C. Tara
name: Michalsen, Kathrine
name: Ottersen, Geir
name: Pennington, Michael
Publisher: name: ASC 1999
Year: 2024
Subjects: Fisheries and aquaculture

description: No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.Indices of the abundance of Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua L.) for various life stages were compared in order to determine the earliest stage at which year-class strength is established. The indices considered are: VP A estimates of spawning stock biomass; an egg abundance index; an early juvenile (approximately three-months old) abundance index; 0-group (age four to five months) abundance indices; bottom trawl and acoustic survey abundance indices for one, two and three- year-old cod and VP A estimates of the abundance of three-year-old cod. Based on a regression analysis, the relative abundance of early juvenile cod was the first life stage that was correlated with their relative • abundance as three year olds. Since the correlation between the estimates of spawning stock biomass or total egg production and the relative abundance of three-year-old cod was weak, it is concluded that considerable yearly variation in mortality occurs before cod reach the early juvenile stage.
A bounded below, noncontractible, acyclic complex of projective modules
Creators: name: Positselski, Leonid
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Rings and Algebras (math.RA)
subject: FOS: Mathematics

description: We construct examples of bounded below, noncontractible, acyclic complexes of finitely generated projective modules over some rings $S$, as well as bounded above, noncontractible, acyclic complexes of injective modules. The rings $S$ are certain rings of infinite matrices with entries in the rings of commutative polynomials or formal power series in infinitely many variables. In the world of comodules or contramodules over coalgebras over fields, similar examples exist over the cocommutative symmetric coalgebra of an infinite-dimensional vector space. A simpler, universal example of a bounded below, noncontractible, acyclic complex of free modules with one generator, communicated to the author by Canonaco, is included at the end of the paper.
description: LaTeX 2e, 20 pages; v.2: Example 8.4 added; v.3: several misprints corrected; v.4: several more misprints corrected
Cheilosia ahenea von Roser 1840
Creators: name: Kočić, Anja
name: Vujić, Ante
name: Tot, Tamara
name: Milosavljević, Marina Janković
name: Groot, Maarten De
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Syrphidae
Cheilosia
Cheilosia ahenea

description: Cheilosia ahenea von Roser, 1840 (new to Slovenia).
Region: GO.
Examined material: ♁, Julijske Alpe, Soča, 23.v.1989, leg. A. Vujić (FSUNS).
description: Published as part of Kočić, Anja, Vujić, Ante, Tot, Tamara, Milosavljević, Marina Janković & Groot, Maarten De, 2023, An updated checklist of the hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Slovenia, pp. 189-227 in Zootaxa 5297 (2) on page 195, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5297.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/7993180
Inequalities for totally nonnegative matrices: Gantmacher--Krein, Karlin, and Laplace
Creators: name: Fallat, Shaun M.
name: Vishwakarma, Prateek Kumar
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Classical Analysis and ODEs (math.CA)
subject: Combinatorics (math.CO)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Primary 05C50, 15A15, 15B48, Secondary 05A20, 05C10, 05C38, 05E99, 15A45, 47A50, 47B49

description: A real linear combination of products of minors which is nonnegative over all totally nonnegative (TN) matrices is called a determinantal inequality for these matrices. It is referred to as multiplicative when it compares two collections of products of minors and additive otherwise. Set theoretic operations preserving the class of TN matrices naturally translate into operations preserving determinantal inequalities in this class. We introduce index-row (and index-column) operations that act directly on all determinantal inequalities for TN matrices, and yield further inequalities for these matrices. These operations assist in revealing novel additive inequalities for TN matrices embedded in the classical identities due to Laplace $[$Mem$.$ Acad$.$ Sciences Paris $1772]$ and Karlin $(1968).$ In particular, for any square TN matrix $A,$ these derived inequalities generalize -- to every $i^{\mbox{th}}$ row of $A$ and $j^{\mbox{th}}$ column of ${\rm adj} A$ -- the classical Gantmacher--Krein fluctuating inequalities $(1941)$ for $i=j=1.$ Furthermore, our index-row/column operations reveal additional undiscovered fluctuating inequalities for TN matrices.
 The introduced index-row/column operations naturally birth an algorithm that can detect certain determinantal expressions that do not form an inequality for TN matrices. However, the algorithm completely characterizes the multiplicative inequalities comparing products of pairs of minors. Moreover, the underlying index-row/column operations add that these inequalities are offshoots of certain "complementary/higher" ones. These novel results seem very natural, and in addition thoroughly describe and enrich the classification of these multiplicative inequalities due to Fallat--Gekhtman--Johnson $[$Adv$.$ Appl$.$ Math$.$ $2003]$ and later Skandera $[$J$.$ Algebraic Comb$.$ $2004].$
description: 2 figures, 41 pages. Minor adjustments in the exposition and addition of Section 8 in v2, and addition of Remark 4.13 in v3. For the lack of number of allowed characters -- the abstract in the paper is slightly longer than what is shown above
Mental health and help-seeking: the role of stigma in a 2019-2021 cohort study at the University of Porto
Creators: name: Conceição, Virgínia
Publisher: name: Scientific Letters
Year: 2024

description: Transitioning to university life represents a significant developmental milestone filled with increased life stressors, including academic and interpersonal challenges. This period is particularly pivotal in late adolescence (18-25 years), a stage characterised by identity evolution, sexual-affective relationship development, and future life exploration. Our observational cohort study, conducted at the University of Porto from February 2019 to March 2021, aimed to evaluate mental health trajectories and help-seeking behaviours among first-year students during this critical phase and the effects of a depression stigma reduction intervention. Results initially revealed low engagement with mental health services, largely due to prevalent stigma and limited mental health literacy. Our intervention had a significant effect in decreasing stigma and increasing help-seeking behaviours among this cohort of students. Compared to the control group, these differences remained the same during the pandemic, more than 12 months after the intervention. Finally, we also observed that students who sought help presented less relevant depressive symptoms in the following assessment, highlighting the importance of seeking adequate help in situations of vulnerability and need. The study highlights the critical role of stigma in influencing mental health service utilisation among university students. It supports the effectiveness of targeted interventions to reduce stigma and promote mental health resilience.
description: Scientific Letters, Vol. 1 No. Sup 1 (2024)
title: Строительные материалы и изделия
Creators: name: ELS IPR BOOKS
Publisher: name: Липецкий государственный технический университет, Профобразование
Year: 2024

description: В учебном пособии рассмотрены состав, строение и свойства строительных материалов; сырье, используемое для изготовления строительных материалов и изделий, их особенности. Подготовлено в соответствии с требованиями Федерального государственного образовательного стандарта среднего профессионального образования. Предназначено для изучения дисциплин «Строительные материалы и изделия», «Строительные материалы и конструктивные части зданий» по укрупненной группе специальностей и профессий «Техника и технологии строительства».
Cheilosia albipila
Creators: name: Kočić, Anja
name: Vujić, Ante
name: Tot, Tamara
name: Milosavljević, Marina Janković
name: Groot, Maarten De
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Syrphidae
Cheilosia
Cheilosia albipila

description: Cheilosia albipila (Meigen, 1838).
Regions: GO, UC, CL, SA.
Reference: Scopoli (1763) (as Conops femoratus), Vujić (1996).
description: Published as part of Kočić, Anja, Vujić, Ante, Tot, Tamara, Milosavljević, Marina Janković & Groot, Maarten De, 2023, An updated checklist of the hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Slovenia, pp. 189-227 in Zootaxa 5297 (2) on page 195, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5297.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/7993180
Preliminary chemical profile and in vitro pharmacological evaluation of the hallucinogenic plant Diplopterys cabrerana
Creators: name: Garcia, Maria Rita
name: Dutka, Mykhaylo
name: Guimarães, Sofia
name: Andrade, Paula B.
name: Seabra, Vítor
name: Dias-Da-Silva, Diana
Publisher: name: Scientific Letters
Year: 2024

description: Background: For the last few years, Ayahuasca ceremonies have been gaining popularity in recreational settings in Europe and North America [1]. Similar to Psychotria viridis, Diplopterys cabrerana is also suggested to contain the psychoactive compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine, and is therefore used in Ayahuasca rituals for its ability to induce hallucinations, euphoria and entheogenic effects [1-3]. However, while information on the toxic profile of D. cabrerana remains very limited, its acquisition is easily accomplished by consumers. Objective: We aimed to characterize the aqueous extracts of D. cabrerana leaves, mimicking those typically consumed, to identify bioactives that underlie the psychoactive or toxic effects, and evaluate their impact on neuronal function, neurotransmission and radical stress. Methods: Chemical characterization was attained by HPLC-DAD. Impact upon neuronal viability was assessed by the MTT assay (up to 1000 µg/mL) in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Impact on neuromodulation and neuroinflammation was evaluated through acetylcholinesterase and 5-lipoxygenase inhibition, while antiradical properties were assessed by evaluating nitric oxide (•NO) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activity. Inhibition of the α-glucosidase enzyme was also evaluated. Statistical comparisons among groups performed by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett post hoc test. Results: Preliminary characterization results revealed the presence of several catechin derivates, alongside two apigenin derivates and one tryptamine derivate. Cytotoxicity was not verified up to the highest concentration tested. Acetylcholinesterase inhibition was recorded starting at 250 µg/mL, and a concentration-dependent inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase was found (IC50=79.77 µg/mL). Concentration-dependent scavenging effects upon •NO and XO inhibition were verified at concentrations higher than 1.953 µg/mL and 31.25 µg/mL, respectively. At last, inhibition of α-glucosidase occurred with concentration-dependency and an IC50 of 4.78 µg/mL. Conclusions: Although antiradical, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic properties were verified, with no in vitro cytotoxicity being detected, further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms that might be involved in our preliminary results.
description: Scientific Letters, Vol. 1 No. Sup 1 (2024)
Qubit dephasing by spectrally diffusing quantum two-level systems
Creators: name: Matityahu, Shlomi
name: Shnirman, Alexander
name: Schechter, Moshe
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: Disordered Systems and Neural Networks (cond-mat.dis-nn)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We investigate the pure dephasing of a Josephson qubit due to the spectral diffusion of two-level systems that are close to resonance with the qubit. We identify the parameter regime in which this pure dephasing rate can be of the order of the energy relaxation rate and, thus, the relation $T_2 = 2 T_1$ is violated for the qubit. This regime is reached if the dynamics of the thermal TLSs responsible for the spectral diffusion is sufficiently slower than the energy relaxation of the qubit. By adding periodic bias modulating the qubit frequency or TLS excitation energies we show that this pure dephasing mechanism can be mitigated, allowing enhancement of superconducting qubits coherence time. Mitigating pure dephasing, even if it is subdominant, is of special significance in view of recent suggestions for converting the dominant relaxation process ($T_1$) into erasure errors, leaving pure dephasing as the bottleneck for efficient quantum computation.
description: 16 pages, 2 figures
Cheilosia albitarsis
Creators: name: Kočić, Anja
name: Vujić, Ante
name: Tot, Tamara
name: Milosavljević, Marina Janković
name: Groot, Maarten De
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Syrphidae
Cheilosia
Cheilosia albitarsis

description: Cheilosia albitarsis (Meigen, 1822).
Regions: UC, GO, CK, CL, DR, LS, LC, SA.
Reference: Funk & Graeffe (1895), Vujić (1996), de Groot & Govedič (2008), Van Steenis et al. (2013).
description: Published as part of Kočić, Anja, Vujić, Ante, Tot, Tamara, Milosavljević, Marina Janković & Groot, Maarten De, 2023, An updated checklist of the hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Slovenia, pp. 189-227 in Zootaxa 5297 (2) on page 195, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5297.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/7993180
Association between Diethyl Phthalate (DEP) exposure and hypertension in pregnancy: an ex vivo vascular approach
Creators: name: Mariana, Melissa
name: Soares, Amadeu M.
name: Castelo-Branco, Miguel
name: Cairrao, Elisa
Publisher: name: Scientific Letters
Year: 2024

description: Background: Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are one of the leading causes of gestational morbidity and mortality [1]. Several risk factors have already been identified, such as a sedentary lifestyle, advanced age, alcohol and tobacco consumption, and familial predisposition, but a new one is gaining prominence due to its high presence in our daily lives, which is exposure to environmental contaminants. Being widely used in the plastic industry, phthalates are one of these environmental contaminants, due to their ubiquitousness and endocrine disrupting properties [2,3]. Besides, phthalates have been associated with impaired health, and a link with pregnancy hypertension has already been suggested in some epidemiological studies [4-6]. Objective: To analyze the connection between diethyl phthalate (DEP) exposure and hypertension in pregnancy and its vascular impacts. Methods: Human umbilical arteries (HUA) from normotensive and hypertensive pregnant women were collected, and DEP’s non-genomic (within minutes) and genomic (24h exposure) effects on vascular reactivity were analyzed, through the organ bath technique. A range of DEP concentrations was analyzed over the response of three different vasocontractile agents (serotonin, histamine, and KCl) as well as the contribution of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and Ca2+ channels pathways. Results: The non-genomic effects show that DEP leads to an endothelium-independent vasorelaxation by interfering with serotonin and histamine receptors. After 24h exposure, the results show that the vasorelaxant effect of DEP seems to occur through the NO/sGC/cGMP/PKG signaling pathway, and to interfere with the L-type Ca2+ channels. Conclusions: The vascular effects induced by DEP in normotensive HUA are similar those from hypertensive pregnancies, suggesting that the development of hypertension in pregnancy may be a consequence of exposure to DEP.
description: Scientific Letters, Vol. 1 No. Sup 1 (2024)
title: Термодинамика
Creators: name: ELS IPR BOOKS
Publisher: name: Липецкий государственный технический университет, Профобразование
Year: 2024

description: В учебном пособии рассмотрены вопросы термодинамического анализа преобразования энергии в технических системах. Подготовлено в соответствии с требованиями Федерального государственного образовательного стандарта среднего профессионального образования. Предназначено для изучения дисциплины «Термодинамика», по специальности среднего профессионального образования «Разработка и эксплуатация нефтяных и газовых месторождений». Кроме того, учебное пособие будет полезно студентам других специальностей и профессий, изучающих данную дисциплину.
Rugoppia boraha MAHUNKA 1994
Creators: name: Mahunka, S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Sarcoptiformes
Oppiidae
Rugoppia
Rugoppia boraha

description: Rugoppia boraha MAHUNKA, 1994   (Figs 40–42)
Material examined. Holotype: Malagasy Republic, Vohimana Reserve, primary forest. 17. 04. 2008. Leg. CS. CSUZDI (Afr-996).
Among the specimens found in a single sample there are considerable differences regarding the length of setae (first of all in the notogastral setae), and also in the strength of the epimeral-ventral sculpture. The number of the branches of the pectinate sensillus is also different. On the more sclerotised specimens more (6–7), on the less sclerotized specimens only 5 side-branches are visible.
Measurements. Length of body: 305–357 µm, width of body: 162–186 µm.
description: Published as part of Mahunka, S., 2009, Oribatid Mites From The Vohimana Reserve (Madagascar) (Acari: Oribatida) I., pp. 89-122 in Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 55 (2) on page 110, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.12584807
Cheilosia antiqua
Creators: name: Kočić, Anja
name: Vujić, Ante
name: Tot, Tamara
name: Milosavljević, Marina Janković
name: Groot, Maarten De
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Syrphidae
Cheilosia
Cheilosia antiqua

description: Cheilosia antiqua (Meigen, 1822).
Regions: UC, GO, CL, LC, SA.
Reference: Vujić (1996) (as Nigrocheilosia antiqua).
description: Published as part of Kočić, Anja, Vujić, Ante, Tot, Tamara, Milosavljević, Marina Janković & Groot, Maarten De, 2023, An updated checklist of the hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Slovenia, pp. 189-227 in Zootaxa 5297 (2) on page 195, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5297.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/7993180
title: Stock-Recruitment Relationships Of Baltic Cod Incorporating Environmental Variability And Spatial Heterogeneity
Creators: name: Köster, F.W.
name: Hinrichsen, H.-H.
name: Schnack, D.
name: St. John, M.A.
name: Mackenzie, B.
name: Tomkiewicz, J.
name: Plikshs, M.
Publisher: name: ASC 1999
Year: 2024
Subjects: Fisheries and aquaculture

description: No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.Stock-recruitment relationships of Central Baltic cod are constructed for different ICES Subdivisions containing spawning areas with distinct hydrographic regimes, recruitment success and stock development trends. Based on an exploratory statistical analysis, variables identified to have significant influence on the reproductive success are incorporated into modified stock-recruitment models for single subareas and utilized to establish a combined model for the entire Central Baltic. The statistical model obtained for prediction of recruitment at age 0 in Subdivision 25 based on the potential egg production by the spawning stock explained 69% of the variance. Besides the egg production, corrected for egg predation by clupeids, the sum of oxygen in the reproductive volume was introduced as a significant variable, as well as the larval transport index as being nearly significant. In the more eastern spawning areas the hydrographic regime did in general not allow successful egg development in the period 1981-92. Thus, only relatively simple models based on the egg production by the spawning stock and the reproductive volume are required to achieve a reasonable explanation of recruitment variability. To obtain an indication about the sensitivity of the parameter estimates and the predictive power of the established statistical models, re-fitting of the models over different shorter time periods utilizing sub-sets of the data series was conducted. The exercise demonstrates that the models derived for the different Subdivisions are able to capture the trend of decreasing recruitment success during the 1980s and the increase in the early 1990s, though they overestimated recruitment in most recent years and regularly underestimated recruitment in early years to a certain extent. If, however, all years with maximum observed recruitment were excluded from the model fitting, the deviations between observed and predicted recruitment were considerably higher.
Environmental exposure to parabens affects drinking water bacterial virulence
Creators: name: Pereira, Ana Rita
name: Gomes, Inês B.
name: Lopes, Beatriz
name: Simões, Manuel
Publisher: name: Scientific Letters
Year: 2024

description: Background: Drinking water distribution systems are known to harbor biofilms, constituting a source of microorganisms that may be released in drinking water (DW) through a consumer's tap [1]. The exposure of these biofilms to parabens is inevitable [2]. However, their effects on microbial virulence and their impact on DW quality and safety remain poorly understood. Objective: This work evaluates the changes in bacterial virulence from exposure to parabens (methylparaben - MP, butylparaben – BP, and propylparaben – PP) individually and in combination (MIX) on biofilms formed by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolated from DW. Methods: Biofilms were grown for 26 days on polyvinyl chloride with and without parabens at 150 ng/L. Bacterial virulence was characterized in terms of bacterial motility (swimming, swarming, twitching), siderophores, protease, lipase, and gelatinase activity. Bacterial tolerance against different antibiotics was evaluated after MP exposure. Results: Cells from MP-exposed A. calcoaceticus biofilms revealed decreased motility. Regarding S. maltophilia, MP exposure resulted in a decrease to half of its lipase activity, as well as a decrease in its motility (P<0.05). Contrarily, the exposure to BP and MIX potentiated lipase activity (to double for both parabens) (P<0.05). BP and MIX increased the swimming ability of S. maltophilia by increasing the halos by 1.6 and 2.2 times, respectively in comparison to non-exposed counterparts (P< 0.05). Swarming motility was also potentiated by BP and MIX revealing a bacterial halo 4 and 5 times higher than non-exposed counterparts, respectively (P<0.05). Exposure to MP at 150 ng/L for 5 and 10 weeks increased A. calcoaceticus tolerance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and ceftazidime, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusions: Parabens at environmental concentrations affect bacterial virulence with potential implications for human health. MP seems to reduce bacterial motility and lipase activity, whereas BP and MIX potentiate these virulence factors. Long exposure to MP may cause bacterial tolerance to antibiotics.
description: Scientific Letters, Vol. 1 No. Sup 1 (2024)
Practical approaches to analyzing PTA data: Cosmic strings with six pulsars
Creators: name: Leclere, Hippolyte Quelquejay
name: Auclair, Pierre
name: Babak, Stanislav
name: Chalumeau, Aurélien
name: Steer, Danièle A.
name: Antoniadis, J.
name: Nielsen, A. -S. Bak
name: Bassa, C. G.
name: Berthereau, A.
name: Bonetti, M.
name: Bortolas, E.
name: Brook, P. R.
name: Burgay, M.
name: Caballero, R. N.
name: Champion, D. J.
name: Chanlaridis, S.
name: Chen, S.
name: Cognard, I.
name: Desvignes, G.
name: Falxa, M.
name: Ferdman, R. D.
name: Franchini, A.
name: Gair, J. R.
name: Goncharov, B.
name: Graikou, E.
name: Grießmeier, J. -M.
name: Guillemot, L.
name: Guo, Y. J.
name: Hu, H.
name: Iraci, F.
name: Izquierdo-Villalba, D.
name: Jang, J.
name: Jawor, J.
name: Janssen, G. H.
name: Jessner, A.
name: Karuppusamy, R.
name: Keane, E. F.
name: Keith, M. J.
name: Kramer, M.
name: Krishnakumar, M. A.
name: Lackeos, K.
name: Lee, K. J.
name: Liu, K.
name: Liu, Y.
name: Lyne, A. G.
name: McKee, J. W.
name: Main, R. A.
name: Mickaliger, M. B.
name: Niţu, I. C.
name: Parthasarathy, A.
name: Perera, B. B. P.
name: Perrodin, D.
name: Petiteau, A.
name: Porayko, N. K.
name: Possenti, A.
name: Samajdar, A.
name: Sanidas, S. A.
name: Sesana, A.
name: Shaifullah, G.
name: Speri, L.
name: Spiewak, R.
name: Stappers, B. W.
name: Susarla, S. C.
name: Theureau, G.
name: Tiburzi, C.
name: van der Wateren, E.
name: Vecchio, A.
name: Krishnan, V. Venkatraman
name: Verbiest, J. P. W.
name: Wang, J.
name: Wang, L.
name: Wu, Z.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We search for a stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) generated by a network of cosmic strings using six millisecond pulsars from Data Release 2 (DR2) of the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA). We perform a Bayesian analysis considering two models for the network of cosmic string loops, and compare it to a simple power-law model which is expected from the population of supermassive black hole binaries. Our main strong assumption is that the previously reported common red noise process is a SGWB. We find that the one-parameter cosmic string model is slightly favored over a power-law model thanks to its simplicity. If we assume a two-component stochastic signal in the data (supermassive black hole binary population and the signal from cosmic strings), we get a $95\%$ upper limit on the string tension of $\log_{10}(Gμ) < -9.9$ ($-10.5$) for the two cosmic string models we consider. In extended two-parameter string models, we were unable to constrain the number of kinks. We test two approximate and fast Bayesian data analysis methods against the most rigorous analysis and find consistent results. These two fast and efficient methods are applicable to all SGWBs, independent of their source, and will be crucial for analysis of extended data sets.
description: 14 pages, 6 figures; typo corrected in (5)
Sympathetic cooling and slowing of molecules with Rydberg atoms
Creators: name: Zhang, Chi
name: Rittenhouse, Seth T.
name: Tscherbul, Timur V.
name: Sadeghpour, H. R.
name: Hutzler, Nicholas R.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We propose to sympathetically slow and cool polar molecules in a cold, low-density beam using laser-cooled Rydberg atoms. The elastic collision cross sections between molecules and Rydberg atoms are large enough to efficiently thermalize the molecules even in a low density environment. Molecules traveling at 100 m/s can be stopped in under 30 collisions with little inelastic loss. Our method does not require photon scattering from the molecules and can be generically applied to complex species for applications in precision measurement, quantum information science, and controlled chemistry.
description: 8 pages, 3 figures
Bone and renal effects of low-level environmental exposure to cadmium in postmenopausal women: a cross-sectional study in Brazil
Creators: name: Kunioka, Carlos
name: Cruz, Jonas
name: Souza, Vanessa
name: Rocha, Bruno
name: Júnior, Fernando Barbosa
name: Mota, Carolina
name: Manso, Maria Conceição
name: Carvalho, Márcia
Publisher: name: Scientific Letters
Year: 2024

description: Background: It is widely recognized that exposure to high levels of the hazardous heavy metal cadmium (Cd) leads to renal and bone damage [1], but the association with low-level environmental exposure remains less clear. Objective: To assess the effect of environmental Cd exposure on bone and kidney function in postmenopausal women, who may already be at heightened risk of bone and kidney-related complications. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 380 postmenopausal women aged 50-70 years, living in the region of Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil was conducted. These participants had no history of occupational exposure to Cd. Information on demographic, clinical, and health behavior factors was obtained. Urinary Cd (UCd), a marker of lifetime exposure to this metal, was measured through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Renal tubular function was assessed by measurement of urinary beta-2-microglobulin (b2-MG). Bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip was assessed by dual-energy x-ray emission. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistics. Results: UCd concentrations were generally low in this population, with a median concentration of 0.30 µg/g creat (P25=0.15; P75=0.55 µg/g creat). Univariate analysis showed a significant negative correlation between BMD and age at all measured sites (p<0.001), whereas a significant positive correlation with body mass index (BMI, p<0.001) was found. For both lumbar spine and femoral neck sites, we observed a trend to higher UCd levels from normal to osteoporosis groups (p=0.110 and p=0.067, respectively). A statistically higher percentage of women with UCd levels above the P95 of the Brazilian women reference level [2] was observed in osteopenia and particularly in osteoporosis groups versus normal group (7.2% and 20% vs 7.7%, p=0.012; 12% and 16% vs 5.3%, p=0.024, respectively). In multivariate analyses, after controlling for confounding variables, age and prior fractures were negatively associated with BMD at all measured sites (p<0.001 and p<0.05, respectively), whereas a positive association was found for BMI (p<0.001), and no significant association was found for UCd. UCd was found to be a significant predictor of renal tubular damage (p<0.001), with higher UCd concentrations associated with increased urinary b2-MG levels. Conclusions: These findings suggest a strong association of environmental Cd exposure with renal tubular dysfunction in this population. However, the association with BMD appears to be weak, suggesting nuanced effects of low-level Cd exposure on bone health.
description: Scientific Letters, Vol. 1 No. Sup 1 (2024)
Development of image classification models for the identification of earthworms exposed to glyphosate-based herbicide: a pilot study
Creators: name: De Batista, Diovana Gelati
name: Pinheiro, Juliana Furlanetto
name: Ourique, Isadora Sulzbacher
name: Fernandes, Vítor Basto
name: Frantz, Rafael Z.
name: Costa, Nuno
name: Heck, Thiago Gomes
Publisher: name: Scientific Letters
Year: 2024

description: Background: Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) may threaten ecosystems and human health [1]. Animal models using earthworms as environmental bioindicators have been proposed [2], but they must be practical and cheaper [3]. Objective: We test if machine learning models of earthworm image classification can be used to identify GBH-exposed environments. Methods: 144 adults Eisenia andrei earthworms were divided into Control (water), GBH1.5, GBH3.0, and GBH6.0 groups (Roundup® Original DI, equivalent to 1.5, 3.0, and 6.0 L/ha). After 48 hours, each worm was photographed at least two times with a mobile camera (76-88 images/group). Random images were used to train models (85%) and separated for testing (15%). Also, we generated 20 artificial images (AI) variations of each original image (OI) using data augmentation techniques using imgaug library [4], reaching >1,600 images/group. Thus, we trained models six times each in Google’s Teachable Machine with 50, 20, and 10 epochs (learning rate=0.001; batch size=16) using OI with the four (OI-4G) or two groups (OI-2G, Control vs. GBH6.0), or using AI (AI-4G or AI-2G). The resulting models were tested using Python with new images, and the accuracy was compared using 2-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's test. Results: The OI-2G model showed better accuracy when trained with 50 epochs (P=0.02), but the AI-2G model presented the best accuracy in all epochs tested (P < 0.002). In contrast, the OI-4G model presented the worst performance compared to the others (P<0.0001) (% Accuracy: OI-4G=52±5; OI-2G=77±5; AI-4G=79±3; AI-2G=93±3). When tested, AI models had lower accuracy when compared to OI models (%Accuracy: OI-4G=47; OI-2G=86; AI-4G=38; AI-2G=65). Conclusions: It is possible to detect the presence of GBH in the soil by evaluating earthworm images using machine learning models, even with small sample sizes (photos) and without images created artificially. Models need to be improved to detect the concentration of GBH.
description: Scientific Letters, Vol. 1 No. Sup 1 (2024)
Stochastic thermodynamics of a probe in a fluctuating correlated field
Creators: name: Venturelli, Davide
name: Loos, Sarah A. M.
name: Walter, Benjamin
name: Roldán, Édgar
name: Gambassi, Andrea
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
subject: Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We develop a framework for the stochastic thermodynamics of a probe coupled to a fluctuating medium with spatio-temporal correlations, described by a scalar field. For a Brownian particle dragged by a harmonic trap through a fluctuating Gaussian field, we show that near criticality (where the field displays long-range spatial correlations) the spatially-resolved average heat flux develops a dipolar structure, where heat is absorbed in front and dissipated behind the dragged particle. Moreover, a perturbative calculation reveals that the dissipated power displays three distinct dynamical regimes depending on the drag velocity.
description: 7 pages, 3 figures (main) + 21 pages, 1 figure (SM)