The recognition of modulation type is of great significance in non-cooperative communication systems. With the increasingly complex electromagnetic environment, automatic modulation recognition at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) has received more attention. Due to the time/frequency uncertainty principle, it is difficult to capture time-domain and frequency-domain features precisely at the same time. To alleviate this difficulty and improve the modulation recognition accuracy for low SNR signals, we present a new modulation recognition method in this letter. We firstly propose the time-frequency reassignment (TFR) technique to convert one-dimensional signals into a time-frequency images (TFIs), and then we modify and adopt the high-accuracy VGG800 deep network to classify TFIs. Under low SNR this method can effectively distinguish seven major modulation types of signals: binary amplitude shift keying (2ASK), quadrate amplitude shift keying (4ASK), binary frequency shift keying (2FSK), quadrate frequency shift keying (4FSK), binary phase-shift keying (2PSK), quadrate phase-shift keying (4PSK) and 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (16QAM). Experimental results quantitatively demonstrate that the classification accuracy of TFR is higher than short-time Fourier transform (STFT) in cases where SNR ≦ -6 dB.

Supplemental Materials for: “Monitoring status and trends in genetic diversity for the Convention on Biological Diversity: an ongoing assessment of genetic indicators in nine countries”AUTHORSSean Hoban, Jess da Silva, Alicia Mastretta-Yanes, Catherine Grueber, Myriam Heuertz, Maggie Hunter, Joachim Mergeay, Ivan Paz-Vinas, Keiichi Fukaya, Fumiko Ishihama, Rebecca Jordan, María Camilla Latorre, Anna J. MacDonald, Victor Rincon-Parra, Per Sjögren-Gulve, Naoki Tani, Henrik Thurfjell, Linda Laikre

Bankruptcy prediction is one of the most important research topics in the area of accounting and finance. The rapid increase of data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning has led researchers to develop an accurate bankruptcy prediction model. Recent studies show that ensemble methods achieve better performance than traditional machine learning models for predicting corporate failure, especially with highly imbalanced datasets. However, the black box property of these techniques remains difficult to interpret the result and generate corporate classes without any explanation. To this end, we propose to build an accurate and interpretable classification model that generates a set of prediction rules for output. In this paper, a semi-supervised Tri-eXtreme Gradient Boosting (Tri-XGBoost) is suggested. In the proposed approach, three different xgboost methods are applied as the weak classifiers (gbtree xgboost, gblinear xgboost, and dart xgboost) combined with sampling methods such as Borderline-Smote (BLSmote) and Random under-sampling (RUS) to balance the distribution of the datasets. In addition, the xgboost is applied to choose the most important features which increase the predictive accuracy. Finally, our result is presented in the form of “IF-THEN” rules to enhance the comprehensibility of the model by both applicants and experts. Our proposed model is validated using the Polish bankruptcy imbalanced datasets. The experimental results confirm the performance of our proposed method compared to the existing methods with an AUC, G-mean and F1-score ranging from 91% to 97%.

The computational Generalized Gradient Approximations (GGA) are applied on cubic Cesium Lead Bromide (CsPbBr3) with different stress values of 0, 5, 10, and 15 GPa for a supercell with PBE exchange relationship parameters to study the structural, mechanical, and optoelectronic characteristics. This study aims to determine how pressure affects structural and electronic properties, how optical behaviour changes in reaction to electronic change, and how mechanical properties change as a result. The structure remains cubic, and there is no phase shift, but a reduction in the lattice parameters is seen. The reduction in band gap (1.900 eV) is found from 0-15 GPa and zero at 17 GPa. The partial densities of states (PDOS) of bulk CsPbBr3, Cs, Pb, and Br are also calculated. The partial density states PDOS of bulk CsPbBr3 show that in the valence band range, the sharpest observed peak is for d-states, while in the conduction region, the sharpest peak is for p-states and then for s-states. The significant variation in values of absorption, conductivity (imaginary and real), dielectric function (imaginary and real), loss function, reflectivity, and refractive index (imaginary and real) are found by applying stresses of 0, 5, 10, 15 GPa. Using the energy deformation relationship, the elastic constants are computed. From these constants, various mechanical characteristics such as the bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young modulus, and Poisson ratio are derived and discussed. Additionally, it is a good component in optoelectronic devices due to its high refractive index, absorption, reflectivity, and conductivity.

We analyzed robustness of species identification based on proteomic composition to data processing and intraspecific variability, specificity and sensitivity of species-markers as well as discriminatory power of proteomic fingerprinting and its sensitivity to phylogenetic distance. Our analysis is based on MALDI-TOF MS data from 32 marine copepod species coming from 13 regions (North and Central Atlantic and adjacent seas). A random forest (RF) model correctly classified all specimens to species level with only small sensitivity to data processing, demonstrating the strong robustness of the method. Compounds with high specificity showed low sensitivity i.e., identification was rather based on complex pattern-differences than on presence of single markers. Proteomic distance was not consistently related to phylogenetic distance. A species-gap in proteome composition appeared at 0.8 Euclidean distance when using only specimens from the same sample. When other regions or seasons were included, intra-specific variability increased, resulting in overlaps of intra- and inter-specific distance. Highest intra-specific distances (> 0.8) were observed between specimens from brackish and marine habitats i.e., salinity likely affects proteomic patterns. When testing library sensitivity of the RF model to regionality, strong misidentification was only detected between two congener pairs. Still, choice of reference library may have an impact on identification of closely related species and should be tested before routine application. We envision high relevance of this time- and cost-efficient method for future zooplankton monitoring as it provides not only in-depth taxonomic resolution for counted specimens but also add-on information e.g., on developmental stage or environmental conditions.

Grade 1 titanium plates with both symmetrically and anti-symmetrically waisted cracks were due to tension tests first to receive the load vs. displacement diagrams and mechanical properties of strength and stiffness. Next from cyclic tests the load vs. cycles curves were constructed and fatigue life obtained. The numerical results of crack growth and life were obtained by using the finite element method and ANSYS workbench. From fracture mechanics the critical crack length was considered as final failure, then the modified numerical results were received. The results in load vs. cycles curves from two numerical method were found within acceptable errors with the experimental data.

Although the role of host movement in shaping infectious disease dynamics is widely acknowledged, methodological separation between animal movement and disease ecology has prevented researchers from leveraging empirical insights from movement data to advance landscape-scale understanding of infectious disease risk. To address this knowledge gap, we examine how movement behavior and resource utilization by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) determine the distribution of blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) which depend on this host for dispersal in a highly fragmented New York City borough. Multi-scale hierarchical resource selection analysis and movement modeling provide insight into how deer’s individual movements construct the risk landscape for human exposure to the Lyme disease zoonotic hazard – infected I. scapularis. We conclude the distribution of tick-borne disease risk is the result of individual resource selection by deer across spatial scales in response to habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbances.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), one of the grievous types of breast cancer, is extremely harmful to women’s health. Norcantharidin (NCTD), a synthetic demethylated analogue of zebularin, has been reported to exhibit anticancer efficacy. During this study, we discovered that NCTD obviously induced breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell apoptosis through upregulating the levels of Bax/Bcl-2 and cleaved-PARP/PARP and the expression of cleaved-caspase-9 and cleasved-caspase-3 and downregulating the levels of MCL-1 and pro-caspase-8, ultimately inhibiting MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation. Furthermore, flow cytometry analyses showed that NCTD observably reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and rose mitochondrial ROS. Confocal microscopy showed that autophagic flow was blocked in NCTD-treated cells expressing mCherry-EGFP-LC3. Moreover, NCTD upregulated the levels of LC3-II/LC3-I and mitochondrial translocation of Parkin. Finally, we found that the combination of NCTD with chloroquine (CQ), an inhibitor that breaks the fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes, exacerbated NCTD-induced MDA-MB-231 cell apoptosis, while the combination of NCTD with 3-methyladenine (3-MA), an inhibitor that blocks the formation of autophagosome, decreased NCTD-induced MDA-MB-231 cell apoptosis. Together, our data suggest that NCTD can induce autophagosome accumulation and cause apoptosis, providing a theoretical basis for the treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells.

To improve the thermal properties of thermite safely and stably, electrostatic spraying was used to prepare the Al/MoO3 thermite. The Al/MoO3 thermites were detected and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal decomposition experiments were carried out by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The heat release of the Al/MoO3 thermite prepared by the electrostatic spray (1044 J·g-1) is significantly higher than that of the thermite prepared by the ultrasonic (692 J·g-1), which is due to more uniform dispersion between Al and MoO3. The initial reaction temperature and activation energy (Ea) of the former keep it steady. Electrostatic spray ensures the safety and stability of the Al/MoO3 thermite. This study provides a new idea for safely and stably improving the thermal properties of thermite by enhancing surface homogenization, which is of great significance for practical applications.

A 29-year-old male patient who underwent an autologous bone marrow transplant. He was initially diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and treated with 12 cycles of chemotherapy. Three months later, he presented with intermittent fever and underwent an MRI scan and a biopsy. Eventually, he was diagnosed with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.

Background: The only curative therapy for many primary immunodeficiencies is HSCT. aGvHD is a serious and potentially fatal complication of HSCT with an incidence of nearly %50. Furthermore, involvement of the lower gastrointestinal (LGI) tract is associated with a poor prognosis. Unfortunately, there isn’t consensus about second-line therapies for steroid-refractory (SR) aGvHD. Alpha 1 Antitrypsin (AAT) is one of the second-line therapies. There isn’t a study in pediatric population with acute SR-GvHD in the literature. Method: We retrospectively evaluated data of 3 patients that received AAT as second-line therapy for acute SR-GvHD. Results: Each patients’ response to treatment was unique. P1 had a complete response beginning with the third dose of the treatment. P2 showed a partial response to the treatment after the second dose. Despite 8 doses of the treatment, P3 did not achieve remission. Conclusion: AAT may play a promising role in the treatment of severe and refractory aGvHD in children, without causing an additional immune suppression in opposite to agents which were placed in guidelines. Further studies are warranted with AAT for pediatric population.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) contributes to substantial social and financial costs in public health care systems. Antibiotic exposure during pregnancy has been proposed as a risk factor, but findings remain inconsistent. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between prenatal antibiotic use and childhood AD. Methods: We performed a population-based cohort study using data collected from the Taiwan Maternal and Child Health Database from 2009 to 2016. Associations were determined using Cox proportional hazards model and were adjusted for several potential covariates, including maternal atopic disorders and gestational infections. Subgroup analyses evaluated the influence of postnatal infant antibiotic/acetaminophen use on the association between prenatal antibiotic exposure and childhood AD diagnosed after 1 year of age. Results: A total of 1288343 mother-child pairs were identified and 39.5% received antibiotics prenatally. Maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy was slightly positively associated with childhood AD (aHR 1.05, 95% CI 1.04-1.06), especially in the first and second trimesters. An apparent dose-response pattern was observed with an 11% increased risk when the exposure was ≥5 courses prenatally (aHR 1.11, 95% CI 1.09-1.14). Subgroup analysis showed the positive association remained significant regardless of postnatal antibiotic use; however, a negative association was found in children without postnatal infant acetaminophen use (aHR 1.02, 95% CI 0.97-1.07). Conclusion: Maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy was associated with increased risk of childhood AD in a dose-related manner. Possible confounders existed between prenatal antibiotics and postnatal infant acetaminophen use in the subgroup analysis. Further research may be warranted to investigate this variable using a prospectively designed study, and also to examine whether or not this association is specifically related to pregnancy.

Objective: To examine gestational age at delivery according to Ureaplasma cervical culture results and whether pregnant individuals received antibiotics. Study Design: A retrospective cohort study Setting: Single academic institution Population: All pregnant individuals with risk factors for preterm birth including those with a history of preterm birth, recurrent pregnancy loss, or pregnancy requiring cervical cerclage. Methods: We plotted Kaplan-Meier curves to investigate the association between the gestational age at delivery and Ureaplasma culture results (negative; positive and treated; or positive but did not receive the treatment). A Cox proportional regression model was used to calculate Hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI), controlling for confounders. Main outcome: Gestational age at delivery. Results: Of 607 individuals, 258 (42.5%) had a negative Ureaplasma culture, 308 (50.7%) had a positive Ureaplasma culture and received treatment, and 41 (6.8%) had a positive Ureaplasma culture and did not receive treatment. Compared to those who had a positive Ureaplasma culture but did not receive treatment, those who had a negative Ureaplasma culture did not have a decreased risk (HR 1.03; 95%CI 0.74-1.44). Compared to those who had a positive Ureaplasma culture but did not receive treatment, those who had a positive Ureaplasma culture and received treatment did not have a decreased risk (HR 0.91; 95%CI 0.66-1.27). The treatment failure rate of Ureaplasma after treatment was 78.6% (95%CI 72.8-83.7%). Conclusion: Routine Ureaplasma cervical culture is not recommended for pregnant individuals who are at high risk for preterm birth

Diospyros (Ebenaceae) is a widely distributed genus of trees and shrubs native to tropical and subtropical regions, with numerous species valued for their fruits (persimmons), timber, and medicinal values. However, information regarding their plastomes and chloroplast evolution is scarce. The present study performed comparative genomic and evolutionary analyses on plastomes of 18 accepted Diospyros species, including three newly sequenced ones. Our study showed a highly conserved genomic structure across the species, with plastome size ranging from 157,321 bp (D. jinzaoshi) to 157,934 bp (D. deyangensis). These plastomes encoded 134–138 genes, including 89–91 protein-coding genes, 1–2 pseudogenes (Ψycf1 for all, Ψrps19 for a few), 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Comparative analysis of Diospyros identified the intergenic regions (trnH-psbA, rps16-trnQ, trnT-psbD, petA-psbJ, trnL-trnF-ndhJ) as the mutational hotspots in these species. Phylogenomic analyses identified three main groups within the genus designated as the evergreen, deciduous, and island groups. The codon usage analysis identified 30 codons with relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) values greater than 1 and 29 codons ending with A and U bases. A total of three codons (UUA, GCU, and AGA) with highest (RSCU) values were identified as the optimal codons. ENC-plot indicated the significant role of mutational pressure in shaping codon usage, while most protein-coding genes in Diospyros experienced relaxed purifying selection (Ka/Ks < 1). Additionally, the ndhG, rpoC1, and ycf3 genes showed positive selection (Ka/Ks > 1) in the island, deciduous, and both deciduous and evergreen species, respectively. Thus, the results provide a foundation for elaborating Diospyros’s genetic architecture and taxonomy, conserving genetic diversity and enriching genetic resources.

Streptococcus intermedius is a commensal bacterium reported in few cases as the causative agent of brain and lung abscesses, pneumonia, and endocarditis. Lung abscesses due to Streptococcus intermedius are rare, especially in pregnancy. We describe the first case of lung abscess due to streptococcus intermedius in a pregnant woman.

In this paper we will discuss about a new data structure suitable for Quantum Computing, A new data format called Cdata and how it is used to collect a chaotic systems data and feed into our Non-EuStructure using a four dimensional object to store current and past values and storing them into qubits and how we can use quantum mechanical properties such as superposition and entanglement to easily achieve such complex storing and computing of chaotic systems. First we will look at our Cdata and how it compares to JSON then I will explain the Non-EuStructure data structure and how the flow and storage takes place. After we will take a look at the architecture of Non-EuStructure. We will closely look at Equations and Circuit combinations to achieve our goal.

Hydrobatic Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) can be efficient in range and speed, as well as agile in maneuvering. They can be beneficial in scenarios such as obstacle-avoidance, inspections, docking, and under-ice operations. However, such AUVs are underactuated systems - this means exploiting the system dynamics is key to achieving elegant hydrobatic maneuvers with minimum controls. This paper explores the use of Model Predictive Control (MPC) techniques to control underactuated AUVs in hydrobatic maneuvers and presents new simulation and experimental results with the small and hydrobatic SAM AUV. Simulations are performed using nonlinear MPC (NMPC) on the full AUV system to provide optimal control policies for several hydrobatic maneuvers in Matlab/Simulink. For implementation on AUV hardware in ROS, a linear time varying MPC (LTV-MPC) is derived from the nonlinear model to enable real-time control. In simulations, NMPC and LTV-MPC shows promising results to offer much more efficient control strategies than what can be obtained with PID and LQR based controllers in terms of rise-time, overshoot, steady-state error and robustness. The LTV-MPC shows satisfactory real-time performance in experimental validation. The paper further also demonstrates experimentally that LTV-MPC can be run real-time on the AUV in performing hydrobatic maneouvers.

We use the InVEST model and five periods of land use data from 1980 to 2020 to assess the habitat quality of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in western China, which has characteristics of a typical fragile ecosystem. We further analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics of habitat quality evolution and its relationship with land use and landscape pattern indices to explore the close relationship between regional habitat quality changes and human natural resource conservation and utilization.The research results show that the overall habitat quality of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was stable and at a moderate level during the 40 years from 1980 to 2020; Habitat patches with low, high and very high quality occupy a larger proportion of the area, followed by very low and moderate levels. There was a significant spatial aggregation of high and low habitat quality in Ningxia, with high values usually distributed in the northern and southern areas with good natural conditions and low values distributed in areas with frequent human activities and poor natural conditions. The decrease in habitat quality in Ningxia was mainly due to the expansion of cultivated land and construction land, the increase in landscape fragmentation and the resulting decrease in connectivity. On the other hand, due to the implementation of ecological protection measures, such as the project of returning farmland to pasture and grass to forest, the quality of habitats in Ningxia increased. The conclusions of this study support the idea that the conservation of habitat quality in ecologically fragile areas should fully preserve the original natural habitats and reduce the interference of human activities. At the same time, targeted ecological protection policies should be developed to restore the areas where the habitat quality has been damaged and ultimately maintain the stability of biodiversity and ecosystems in ecologically fragile areas.

We present the case of a 65 years old patient who developed a complete, sensorineural hearing loss on the right side due to an intravestibular schwannoma. Our video shows a transcanal, endoscopic approach with complete schwannoma removal on the right side, subsequent e-BERA recordings, and cochlear implantation.

Endodermal sinus tumor rarely originates from sacral ligament. Here we reported a case presenting with lower abdominal pain and verified by postoperative pathology. Through my case and literature reviews, we reminded gynecologists the possibility of endodermal sinus tumor for adolescent female, even there is no lesion in ovary.

Yield is one of the most important agronomic traits in alfalfa breeding; however, this is a complex trait affected by genetic and environmental factors. In this study, we used multi-environment trials to test yield-related traits in a diverse panel composed of 200 alfalfa accessions and varieties. Phenotypic data of maturity (MSC), dry matter, plant height (PH), yield (Yi), and fall dormancy (FD) were collected in three locations: Idaho, Oregon, and Washington from 2018 to 2020. Single-trial and stagewise analyses within each environment were used to obtain estimated means by genotype by trait by environment. Genome-wide association studies identified a total of 84 non-redundant markers associated with the traits analyzed. Of those, 55 markers were located at 44 different loci. Ten significant SNPs at the same locus were associated with FD and they were linked to a gene annotated as a nuclear fusion defective 4-like (NFD4) protein. SNPs linked to transcription factors such as Cysteine3Histidine (C3H), Hap3/NF-YB family, and serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 7 proteins were associated with MSC, PH, and Yi, respectively. Our results provide insight into the genetic factors that influence alfalfa maturity, yield, and dormancy, which is helpful to speed up the genetic gain of alfalfa yield improvement.

Joelle Claussen1, Antje Wolff2, Markus Rehak1, Johannes Wolff2, Bas van Eerdt3, Stefan Gerth1

Herein we report the intriguing case of a 42-year-old woman presenting with grade three hypertension, severe hypokalemia and primary amenorrhea, which revealed to be the complete form of 17 alpha-hydroxylase deficiency. We also discuss the challenging therapeutic approach as well as the outcomes and the follow-up of this patient.

Android occupies a high market share, and its broad functions make Android security matter. Research reveals that many security issues are caused by insecure coding practices. As a poor design indicator, code smell threatens the safety and quality assurance of Android applications (apps). Although previous works revealed specific problems associated with code smells, the field still lacks research reflecting Android features. Moreover, the cost and time limit developers to repairing numerous smells timely. We conducted a study, including definition, detection, and impact quantification for Android code smell (DefDIQ): (1) define 15 novel code smells in Android from a security programming perspective; meanwhile, we provide suggestions on how to eliminate or mitigate them; (2) implement DACS to automatically detect the custom code smells based on ASTs; (3) investigate the correlation between individual smells with DACS detection results, and select suitable code smells to construct fault counting models, then quantify their impact on quality, and thereby generating code smell repair priorities. We conducted experiments on 4,575 open-source apps, and the findings are: (i) Lin’s CCC between DACS and manual detection results reaches 0.9994, verifying the validity; (ii) the fault counting model constructed by ZINB is superior to NB (AIC = 517.32, BIC = 522.12); some smells do indicate fault-proneness, and we identify such avoidable poor designs; (iii) different code smells have different importance and the repair priorities constructed provide a practical guideline for researchers and inexperienced developers.