Distinct Points Research Articles

Adaptive Neighbors Graph Learning for Large-Scale Data Clustering using Vector Quantization and Self-Regularization

In traditional adaptive neighbors graph learning (ANGL)-based clustering, the time complexity is more than O(n2), where n is the number of data points, which is not scalable for large-scale data problems in real applications. Subsequently, ANGL adds a balance regularization to its objective function to avoid the sparse over-fitting problem in the learned similarity graph matrix. Still, the regularization may leads to many weak connections between data points in different clusters. To address these problems, we propose a new fast clustering method, namely, Adaptive Neighbors Graph Learning for Large-Scale Data Clustering using Vector Quantization and Self-Regularization (ANGL-LDC), to perform vector quantization (VQ) on original data and feed the obtained VQ data as the input in the n×n similarity graph matrix learning. Hence, the n×n similarity graph matrix learning problem is simplified to weighted m×m(m≪n) graph learning problem, where m is the number of distinct points and weight is the duplicate times of distinct points in VQ data. Consequently, the time complexity of ANGL-LDC is much lower than that of ANGL. At the same time, we propose a new ANGL objective function with a graph connection self-regularization mechanism, where the ANGL-LDC objective function will get an infinity value if the value of one graph connection is equal to 1. Therefore, ANGL-LDC naturally avoids obtaining the sparse over-fitting problem since we need to minimize the value of ANGL-LDC’s objective function. Experimental results on synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate the scalability and effectiveness of ANGL-LDC.

Transcriptome Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes and Molecular Pathways Involved in C2C12 Cells Myogenic Differentiation.

Muscles are essential tissues responsible for movement, stability, and metabolism, playing a crucial role in human health and well-being. A comprehensive understanding of muscle differentiation processes is imperative for combating muscle degenerative diseases such as muscular dystrophy. In this study, C2C12 cells were induced to differentiate into myotubes in vitro. Phenotypic changes were observed utilizing Gimsa and immunofluorescent staining techniques. RNA sequencing was conducted at distinct time points (0, 2, 4, and 7days) during the differentiation process. To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms, differential expression analysis, gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were performed. Soft clustering of time series gene expression was employed to establish the expression patterns of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at various time points during myogenesis. Additionally, quantitative reverse transcription PCR was utilized to validate gene expression from RNA-seq data at the mRNA level. Throughout the myogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells, notable morphological changes were observed, with myoblasts forming multinucleated myotubes by day 4 and plump elongated structures by day 7. Gene expression analysis revealed a substantial increase in DEGs as differentiation progressed, with a significant rise in DEGs from day 0 to day 7. Enrichment analysis highlighted key biological processes and pathways involved, including signal transduction and immune system processes, as well as pathways like chemokine and calcium signaling. Noise-robust soft clustering identified distinct temporal gene expression patterns, categorizing genes into upregulated, downregulated, and biphasic response clusters. The MYH family exhibited diverse expression changes, with Myh3, Myh13, Myh6, Myh7, Myh2, Myh8, Myh14, Myh7b, Myh1, and Myh4 upregulated, Myh10, Myh9, and Myh12 downregulated. Key transcription factors displayed dynamic expression patterns, which was crucial for the regulation of myoblast differentiation. A comprehensive and dynamic transcriptomic analysis of the C2C12 myoblast differentiation process has significantly enhanced our understanding of the key genes and biological pathways involved in myogenesis.

Sustainable Wheels of Fortune: Understanding the Asymmetric Bond between Green Finance and Electric Vehicle Adoption

Over the past few years, there has been a growing convergence of energy and environmental challenges globally, necessitating decisive actions. In response to these imperatives, countries have embraced electric vehicles as a transformative solution. This study probes the connection between green finance and electric-vehicle adoption in the top 10 economies with the greatest stock of electric vehicles. Previous investigations employing panel-data tools established consistent findings about the green-finance/electric-vehicle nexus. However, some countries exhibit distinct relationships. Using the quantile-on-quantile methodology, we analyze the time-series interdependence within individual countries, providing insights into the variables’ asymmetric association. The findings show that green finance positively influences the electric-vehicle stock in certain economies, specifically at distinct points within the data distribution, each characterized by its unique traits. The findings emphasize the significance of green finance measures in promoting widespread electric-vehicle adoption, contributing to environmental sustainability, and fostering a shift toward low carbon consumption.

On the transition of liquid dispersion states and their physical-thermodynamic nature in the development of gas-condensate reservoirs in depletion mode

While the depletion regime for gas-condensate fields may be more cost-effective, it often results in the loss of hydrocarbon condensate, which is economically more valuable than gas, and leads to the inefficient exploitation of the field in terms of condensate production. Therefore, the development of effective exploitation systems for such fields is essential. Effective exploitation of gas-condensate fields involves achieving maximum hydrocarbon condensate production in addition to maximum gas production. From this aspect, managing the condensate factor of reservoir system during the depletion regime is a critical issue. The article experimentally and theoretically investigates the phase transitions or mutual dispersion occurrences between hydrocarbon liquid and gas mixtures that occur with a decrease in pressure at reservoir temperature during the natural depletion of gas-condensate fields. During the exploitation of gas-condensate fields, it has been observed that even at pressures higher than retrograde condensation pressure, the hydrocarbon system undergoes complex phase transitions, resulting in distinct transition points due to the mutual dispersion of hydrocarbon liquid and gas. Additionally, pVT studies conducted in the laboratory have made it possible to determine the transition points of the reservoir fluid in the “liquid in gas” and vice versa dispersion states. The research has demonstrated that dependance of gas condensate factor on pressure under given isothermal natural conditions more clearly reflects the retrograde and maximum condensation, also dispersion points of the liquid components. It was found that proportionality coefficient between condensate ratio and pressure of gas-condensate system is unique for each production facility under isothermal conditions and characterizes the stability of fluid’s dispersion state. The importance of considering such transition points when designing gas-condensate field development projects has been highlighted.

Enhancing security offloading performance in NOMA heterogeneous MEC networks using access point selection and meta-heuristic algorithm

The research delves into the intricate domain of security offloading within the context of non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) heterogeneous mobile edge computing (het-MEC) networks operating over Rayleigh fading channels. The investigation centers on a system model comprising a single antenna-equipped edge user, denoted as U, which strategically offloads computational tasks to two distinct heterogeneous wireless access points (APs): the far AP (AP1) and the near one (AP2), employing NOMA techniques. Notably, the research accounts for a passive eavesdropper (E) intending to intercept the U−AP2 transmission. A four-phase protocol is proposed to ensure the security offloading process, namely SAPS, which leverages wireless access point selection (APS) and physical layer security (PLS) techniques. The focus extends to derive a closed-form expression for a novel critical system performance metric: the secrecy successful computation probability (SSCP). Furthermore, an algorithm based on Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) within the continuous domain is introduced, which aims to enhance the SSCP by intelligently determining system parameters. The impact of critical factors such as transmit power, power allocation coefficient, bandwidth, CPU frequency, and task division ratio under the SAPS scheme is explored and compared to the conventional approach using pure NOMA. Remarkably, the algorithm in the proposed scheme demonstrates up to a 3% performance improvement. The validity and accuracy of the study findings are verified through Monte-Carlo simulations. The work contributes significantly to advancing secure offloading strategies in NOMA-based MEC networks, offering valuable insights for practical deployment and optimization.

Work stressors and aggressive driving: The mediating roles of stress appraisals

While the association between work stressors and the risk of traffic accidents and driving lapses has been established, there is a lack of research exploring the relationship between work stressors and aggressive driving—a notable contributor to traffic incidents and injuries. To fill this gap, the present study utilized the challenge-hindrance stressor framework and the transactional theory of stress to investigate the effects of these stressors on aggressive driving behaviors, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of challenge and hindrance appraisals. We used time-lagged design and gathered self-reported data from 247 employees at a Chinese company over three distinct time points. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that both challenge and hindrance stressors are positively associated with aggressive driving, with their effects mediated by corresponding appraisals of challenge and hindrance. Notably, challenge appraisals were inversely related to aggressive driving. Our study is one of the first attempts to explore the relationship between work stressors and aggressive driving, underscoring the critical role of stress appraisals in understanding responses to stressors.

Effect of Nanoscale Surface Modification on the Interfacial Mechanics of Carbon Fibers

AbstractEnhancing fiber surfaces through in situ growth of nanomaterials is known to improve fiber composite properties by enhancing the interface between the fiber and matrix. In this study, hydrothermal processes are used to achieve two types of interfacial modification for carbon fiber: zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO NWs) and nickel‐based metal–organic frameworks (MOF). The interfacial strengths are evaluated using single fiber push‐in tests via nanoindentation and the interfaces are analyzed through dynamic modulus‐mapping. It is found that ZnO modification increases the interface strength by 9.40%, while MOF modification yields an even higher improvement of 16.34%. The load‐displacement plots exhibit distinctive inflection points, elucidated through microstructural observations. Examining the modulus map of the interface region, a transition in the storage modulus from the fiber to the matrix is identified. A capillary flow‐based model is developed to explain the resin penetration through nanoscale features. The findings reported here indicate that the timescale for resin absorption is significantly shorter than the curing timescales for the surface modifications explored in this study.

Navigating the Complement Pathway to Optimize PNH Treatment with Pegcetacoplan and Other Currently Approved Complement Inhibitors.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare and potentially life-threatening hematologic disorder caused by a somatic mutation in a relevant portion of hematopoietic stem cells. Mutation of the phosphatidylinositol glycan biosynthesis class A (PIGA) gene prevents the expression of cell-surface proteins, including the complement regulatory proteins CD55 and CD59. With decreased or a lack of CD55 and CD59 expression on their membranes, PNH red blood cells become susceptible to complement-mediated hemolysis (symptoms of which include anemia, dysphagia, abdominal pain, and fatigue), leading to thrombosis. State-of-the-art PNH treatments act by inhibiting the dysregulated complement at distinct points in the activation pathway: late at the C5 level (C5 inhibitors, eculizumab, ravulizumab, and crovalimab), centrally at the C3 level (C3/C3b inhibitors and pegcetacoplan), and early at the initiation and amplification of the alternative pathway (factor B inhibitor, iptacopan; factor D inhibitor, danicopan). Through their differing mechanisms of action, these treatments elicit varying profiles of disease control and offer valuable insights into the molecular underpinnings of PNH. This narrative review provides an overview of the mechanisms of action of the six complement inhibitors currently approved for PNH, with a focus on the C3/C3b-targeted therapy, pegcetacoplan.

Combination anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapy generates waves of clonal responses that include progenitor-exhausted CD8+ T cells

Combination checkpoint blockade with anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies has shown promising efficacy in melanoma. However, the underlying mechanism in humans remains unclear. Here, we perform paired single-cell RNA and Tcell receptor (TCR) sequencing across time in 36 patients with stage IV melanoma treated with anti-PD-1, anti-CTLA-4, or combination therapy. We develop the algorithm Cyclone to track temporal clonal dynamics and underlying cell states. Checkpoint blockade induces waves of clonal Tcell responses that peak at distinct time points. Combination therapy results in greater magnitude of clonal responses at 6 and 9weeks compared to single-agent therapies, including melanoma-specific CD8+ Tcells and exhausted CD8+ Tcell (TEX) clones. Focused analyses of TEX identify that anti-CTLA-4 induces robust expansion and proliferation of progenitor TEX, which synergizes with anti-PD-1 to reinvigorate TEX during combination therapy. These next generation immune profiling approaches can guide the selection of drugs, schedule, and dosing for novel combination strategies.

Analysis of Water Quality in the Aik Nyet Natural Tourist Attraction, Buwun Sejati Village, West Lombok Regency

Water quality is a condition that indicates the quality of water in a body of water, water sources and river basins. Water quality requires testing and analysis by considering its physical conditions, chemical content, and biology. Aik Nyet natural tourist attraction is one of the famous water sources in the Lombok area, West Nusa Tenggara. Bathing and swimming activities in this area can potentially cause pollution of water quality, but until now there has been no information regarding the quality of water in this natural tourist attraction. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the quality of water in the Aik Nyet Natural Tourist Attraction, Sesaot Resort, KPHL Rinjani Barat, Lombok. Water quality is assessed using Class Two water quality standards in accordance with the Decree of the Minister of Environment No. 115 of 2003, alongside identification using the US Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) system. Sampling was performed at three distinct points to analyze physical, chemical, and biological parameters. The results of the analysis showed that several parameters such as temperature, pH, ammonia levels, and the number of E. coli bacteria met the quality standards, while the chemical parameters DO and BOD showed mild pollution

Promoting employees’ retention and functional presenteeism through well-being oriented human resource management practices: the mediating role of work meaningfulness

Purpose Drawing upon the theoretical frameworks of conservation of resources and social exchange theories, this study investigates how perceived well-being-oriented human resource management (WBHRM) practices can boost job embeddedness, encourage functional presenteeism, and diminish intention to leave by cultivating a sense of purpose in the workplace.Design/methodology/approach Adopting a time-lagged design, data were collected from healthcare organizations in Canada at two distinct time points. Structural equation modeling and Bootstrap analysis were used to validate the research hypotheses.Findings The results revealed that perceived WBHRM practices directly enhanced work meaningfulness. Perceived WBHRM practices indirectly fostered sustainable presenteeism and job embeddedness and decreased intention to leave through work meaningfulness.Practical implications This study provides valuable insights for healthcare organizations aiming to boost nurse retention and attraction through sustainable HRM practices. By prioritizing employee well-being, growth and a positive workplace culture, organizations can create a fulfilling work environment that enhances job satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, fostering functional presenteeism and a strong sense of work meaningfulness can improve both individual and organizational performance. This approach not only positions the organization as a top employer but also ensures long-term success.Social implications These findings support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of decent work (8 SDG) and good health and well-being (3 SDG).Originality/value This study makes a significant contribution to HRM literature by introducing the concept of work meaningfulness and highlighting its critical role in improving both individual and organizational outcomes. It uniquely examines the positive aspects of presenteeism, a relatively underexplored area. Furthermore, the study showcases how WBHRM practices can create a supportive environment for nurses, enabling them to balance health and performance while enhancing their sense of purpose, thus offering a novel perspective on sustainable HRM practices in healthcare.

The Chinese Postman Problem and Simulated Annealing applied to urban forest inventory

Routing is the process of defining paths between geographically distinct points, and it has been applied in decision-making processes for services that include displacement, with potential application in the planning of urban forest inventories. Linear Programming is an operations research technique often applied to solve complex problems, such as those related to routing. Thus, the objective of this study was to verify whether the application of a routing model via Integer Linear Programming (ILP) increases the efficiency of an urban forest inventory using real data. First, we compared the empirical division used in the inventory with the application of the ILP method for routing. We also tested an approximate method (Simulated Annealing, SA) to solve the routing problem and reduce the processing time. Finally, we simulated the consequences of applying ILP in different scenarios. The results showed that the ILP improved the inventory efficiency by 6.36%, and the use of SA reduced the processing time by 43,200 times for the most complex scenario, resulting in a solution that was 1.87% of the ILP response value. Our findings show the potential application of ILP in the planning of urban forest inventories, with gains directly proportional to the number of lots in the inventory.

The mRNA and microRNA Landscape of the Blastema Niche in Regenerating Newt Limbs.

Newts are excellent vertebrate models for investigating tissue regeneration due to their remarkable regenerative capabilities. To investigate the mRNA and microRNAs (miRNAs) profiles within the blastema niche of regenerating newt limbs, we amputated the limbs of Chinese fire belly newts (Cynops orientalis) and conducted comprehensive analyses of the transcriptome and microRNA profiles at five distinct time points post-amputation (0 hours, 1 day, 5 days 10 days and 20 days). We identified 24 significantly differentially expressed (DE) genes and 20 significantly DE miRNAs. Utilizing weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, we identified four genes likely to playing crucial roles in the early stages of limb regeneration: Cemip, Rhou, Gpd2 and Pcna. Moreover, mRNA-miRNA integration analysis uncovered seven human miRNAs (miR-19b-1, miR-19b-2, miR-21-5p, miR-127-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-194-5p, and miR-210-5p) may regulate the expression of these four key genes. The temporal expression patterns of these key genes and miRNAs further validated the robustness of the identified mRNA-miRNA landscape. Our study successfully identified candidate key genes and elucidated a portion of the genetic regulatory mechanisms involved in newt limb regeneration. These findings offer valuable insights for further exploration of the intricate processes of tissue regeneration.

Fuzzy Relation Properties and Fuzzy Composition Deep Explain with RTAs

As the number of fatalities on the roads rises, analysts forced to look for models that might foretell a driver's tendency for traffic accidents (RTAs). This study intends to investigate the relationship between drivers' abilities to judge speed and available space in relation to the occurrence of RTAs. The Circulant Composition of Fuzzy Relations Inference System employed as the foundation for the approach used for this goal (CCFRIS). The first CCFRIS's inputs related to drivers' capacity for speed assessment. 200 novice drivers participated in the trial, which tested these skills at test speeds of 35, 55, and 75 km/h. In the driving simulator, the participants evaluated the aforementioned speed numbers from four distinct vantage points. On the other side, space evaluation capabilities of drivers make up the second CCFRIS's inputs. The identical set of drivers underwent both 2D and 3D space evaluation exams. The quantity of RTAs a motorist has experienced is the third CCFRIS structure taken into account. The research found that the space assessment qualities explained participation in RTAs better than the drivers' speed assessment abilities after testing three proposed CCFRIS on empirical data. This study also looks into binary fuzzy relations and fuzzy relation composition characteristics.

Is it possible to find the single nearest neighbor of a query in high dimensions?

We investigate an open question in the study of the curse of dimensionality: Is it possible to find the single nearest neighbor of a query in high dimensions? Using the notion of (in)distinguishability to examine whether the feature map of a kernel is able to distinguish two distinct points in high dimensions, we analyze this ability of a metric-based Lipschitz continuous kernel as well as that of the recently introduced Isolation Kernel. Between the two kernels, we show that only Isolation Kernel has distinguishability and it performs consistently well in four tasks: indexed search for exact nearest neighbor search, anomaly detection using kernel density estimation, t-SNE visualization and SVM classification in both low and high dimensions, compared with distance, Gaussian and three other existing kernels.

Occupational therapist’s involvement in social prescribing: A qualitative interview study

Introduction: Social prescribing is a process of helping people to access non-medical activities to promote well-being. For occupational therapists, this is not new, although the social prescribing agenda is creating new roles around these approaches. This study aimed to explore how occupational therapists were involved in social prescribing in the United Kingdom and how they would like to contribute to future developments. Method: Semistructured interviews were carried out with 19 occupational therapists who identified they were involved in social prescribing activities. Findings: Thematic analysis led to two over-arching themes: (1) position and identity; and (2) making it work. Conclusion: Participants perceived similarity with social prescribing, leading to difficulty in positioning occupational therapy alongside this role, emotional responses and identity challenge. Points of distinction between the roles were articulated, including occupational therapy being more medical, having oversight of more complex needs and having more senior roles within teams. To manage workflow, occupational therapists delegate to social prescribing workers, although there is a lack of clarity about competence and varying involvement in supervision. Part of desired future involvement included clearer workflow, occupational therapy involvement in supervision and service development and creating legitimacy for both roles to address social determinants of health.

Development of coparenting during the transition to parenthood: Integrating parents' representations with observed interactions.

The transition to parenthood is a significant period of transformation and adjustment for all members of a new family, reshaping relational dynamics that often endure throughout the initial years of a child's life. This qualitative and longitudinal study aimed to explore coparenting representations held by both partners in a parental couple, along with observations of their family interactions, at three distinct points in time, with the aim to better understand the interaction between these representational and behavioral observations. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 heterosexual, first-time parents in Santiago de Chile, during pregnancy and at two different times during the first year of their child's life. Family interactions were assessed using the Lausanne Trilogue Play task (LTP) on all occasions. Three main coparenting representation categories emerged: traditional, ambiguous, and co-responsible. On observation, approximately half of the couples showed cooperative coparenting interactions, while the other half had conflictual interactions. Couples generally followed stable trajectories over time. Cooperative couples demonstrated co-responsibility and open dialogue, while conflictual couples tended to follow traditional gender roles with tacit communication styles. This study highlights the importance of promoting co-responsibility and dialogue for fostering cooperative relational dynamics during the critical transition to parenthood.

Dual coaxial electric field components in tightly focused circularly polarized Pearcey beams

The optical vortex, with its capacity to carry orbital angular momentum per photon, has garnered significant attention among researchers. Our study showcases the emergence of dual coaxial longitudinal electric field vortices during the non-paraxial propagation of tightly focused circularly polarized Pearcey beams. Our research indicates that combining the self-focusing characteristics of Pearcey beams with the tight focusing effect results in the formation of four focal points. We have achieved controllable adjustment of four distinct focal points. This study also encompasses a detailed numerical analysis of the application in optical trapping, and we investigate and elucidate the trapping strength and corresponding potential energies.

Performance evaluation of a GAGG-SiPM based compton camera for gamma-ray astronomy

We fabricated and calibrated a GAGG-SiPM based Compton camera which can provide directional information of radiation sources for gamma-ray astronomy. The proposed Compton camera consists of two layers of 8 × 8 GAGG scintillator detectors, directly read out by an 8 × 8 SiPM (MicroFC-60035) array. Each GAGG crystal in the scatterer layer measures 6 × 6 × 8 mm3 in 7.2 mm pitches, while that in the absorber layer measures 6 × 6 × 12 mm3 in 7.2 mm pitches. A reconstruction software running on multiple GPUs based on the list mode MLEM algorithm for the Compton camera has also been developed. Point source imaging studies demonstrated an angular resolution (Full width at half maximum, FWHM) of 13.5°, and a measured intrinsic efficiency of 0.85% when a137Cs point source is placed 52 mm away from the scatterer with a scatterer-to-absorber distance of 57 mm. The camera's capability to simultaneously image point sources of different energies was assessed by imaging two distinct point sources, 22Na and 137Cs. The phantom imaging study was carried out with a U-shaped tube injected with 18F solution to verify the imaging capability of the system.

Changes in the physiology and chitin metabolism in cultured juvenile Panulirus ornatus across the moult cycle

Crustaceans undergo periodic moulting events to facilitate growth, this is a physiological and energetically demanding process. In an aquaculture environment, crustaceans are generally cultured in a defined space and often at high densities, where exposure to cannibalism may be greater than in the wild. Panulirus ornatus is one such emerging aquaculture candidates, moulting frequently as juveniles and providing the opportunity to investigate the relationship between physiology and genetics throughout this important developmental period. In this study, P. ornatus juveniles were assessed every three days across the seventh to eighth juvenile moult phase, sampling was divided into six distinct time points. Brix index, hepatosomatic index, and circulating ecdysone concentrations were measured across these time points. The Brix index was validated as a useful tool for assessing the moult-stages of juvenile P. ornatus, with an increase in Brix value seen in the lead up to ecdysis. Chitin metabolism was mapped, with Chitinase 3 demonstrating hepatopancreas specificity, indicating a role outside of breakdown of dietary chitin. The investigation of physiological parameters across a moult cycle provides a basis for improving moult cycle staging in cultured P. ornatus juveniles and provides further characterisation of the changes that occur during moulting in this species.