bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urbanization shapes the relation between density and melanin‐based colouration in bird communities
Authors: Turak Neyla , Monnier‐Corbel Alice , Gouret Mélanie , Frantz Adrien
Published: September 2022

Growing urbanization increasingly influences ecosystems worldwide. While the effects of urban conditions within species (through either plastic or evolutionary responses) have been widely studied, their potential influences among species (through environmental filter), especially concerning their colouration, remain poorly known. Here, we investigated whether avian communities breeding inside and outside a major European city (Paris) differ with regards to melanin‐based plumage colouration. Melanins are heritable pigments present in many taxa and have a series of unique properties that may allow coping with urban conditions. Using melanic‐based colouration as an integrative phenotypic marker, we predicted 1) that the probability of breeding inside the city should increase with the intensity of species melanin‐based colouration, 2) that for species breeding both inside and outside the city, density should increase with the intensity of dark colouration inside the city, but not outside the city and 3) that species not breeding inside the city should not exhibit this positive relation between density and colouration. Our results confirmed these predictions. In addition, the density of species not breeding inside the city decreased with the darkness of their plumage. Altogether, these results suggest that bird species experience a balance between costs and benefits of melanin‐based colouration shaped by environmental conditions. Both the environmental filtering and the urbanisation‐shaped relation between density and colouration evidenced here are likely a general trend, however possibly modulated by additional local environmental conditions. Their importance may even be underestimated given the restricted geographical scale and the overall urbanization rate of the region studied. Further studies involving regions with contrasted environmental conditions should gain insight into the consequences of urbanization worldwide on traits associated with melanin‐based colouration.
Higher facilitation for stress‐intolerant ecotypes along a metal pollution gradient are due to a decrease in performance in absence of neighbours
Authors: Nemer David , Michalet Richard , Randé Hugo , Sappin‐Didier Valérie , Delerue Florian
Published: September 2022

The study of variation in plant–plant interactions along metal‐pollution gradient is in its infancy, although this is worth to be assessed for both restoration and theoretical perspectives. Additionally, the mechanisms of facilitation at stake in these particular stressed conditions are poorly known. We aim at understanding the importance of species and ecotypes stress‐tolerance in competitive and facilitative responses to neighbours along metal‐pollution gradients. We addressed this goal in a field experiment conducted in a former mining area located in a subalpine grassland of the French pyrenees. Two ecotypes of Armeria muelleri (a highly tolerant species to metal stress) and Agrostis capillaris (a less stress‐tolerant species) were harvested at the highest and lowest levels of pollution within their distribution range and transplanted with and without neighbours along a strong metal‐pollution gradient. The relative interaction index (RII) was used to assess both the effect of neighbours at different stress levels and the effect of metallic stress with and without neighbours. With increasing pollution, plant–plant interactions shifted from negative to positive for Agrostis, but did not vary significantly for Armeria. At high pollution level, the unpolluted Agrostis ecotype was more facilitated than the polluted one, and in benign habitats the polluted Armeria ecotype was more sensitive to competition than the less polluted ecotype. Interestingly, the increase in facilitation with increasing metal stress for the stress‐intolerant Agrostis ecotype was primarily due to a decrease in performance without neighbours, whereas the increase in competition with decreasing metal stress for the stress‐tolerant Agrostis ecotype was primarily due to an increase in performance with neighbours. More generally, these results suggest that the high size‐plasticity of competitive (and stress‐intolerant) species or ecotypes may explain both their competitive effects in benign habitats through neighbour‐trait effects and facilitative responses in stressed habitats in the context of environmental‐severity effects.
Stereotactic body radiation therapy for refractory premature ventricular contractions that originate from the left ventricular summit: A case report
Authors: Huang Li‐Hong , Gao Zhi‐Zhang , Li Wei‐Yong , Zhang Hou‐Cai , Zheng Jian‐Wei , Liu Xing‐Peng
Published: September 2022

The case highlights an available method to minimize the target volume and reduce the radiation dose by using a temporary catheter, to reduce the long‐term risk of radiotherapy for ventricular arrhythmias.
Why avowals must be assertions
Authors: Fan Ning
Published: September 2022

In Philosophical Investigations §244, Wittgenstein suggests that we understand avowals (first‐person psychological utterances) as manifestations or expressions of the speaker's mental states. An interesting philosophical theory, called expressivism, then develops from this Wittgensteinian idea. However, neo‐expressivists disagree with simple expressivists on whether avowals are at the same time assertions, which are truth‐evaluable. In this paper, I pursue the expressivist debate about whether avowals must also be viewed as assertions. I consider and reject three neo‐expressivist objections against simple expressivism. Then, I offer my own account of why we should understand avowals as assertions.
Efficient Procedural Modelling of Building Façades Based on Windows from Sketches
Authors: Hu Han , Feng Bo , Xu Bo , Zhu Qing , Ge Xuming , Chen Min
Published: September 2022

Realistic and delicate window models are in great demand for detailed LOD‐3 urban reconstruction. However, current research tends to oversimplify the window models due to the difficulties in describing the complex window types and structure parameters. This work proposes a sketch‐based window reconstruction method for procedural façade modelling. With a rough sketch of the target windows, the method can quickly identify the window type and estimate the grammar parameters, eventually producing detailed 3D models with textures. The whole task is adopted within two neural networks: the classification network to judge the grammar category and the regression network to estimate the parameter value. The non‐photorealistic rendering technology adopted in the present work can generate abundant training datasets, and meanwhile, the attention mechanism is used to identify the grammar parameters precisely. Experimental results on various data verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed approach.
Increased physical activity reduces sleep disturbances in asthma: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Passos Natalia Febrini , Freitas Patricia D. , Carvalho‐Pinto Regina Maria , Cukier Alberto , Carvalho Celso R. F.
Published: September 2022

Background and objective

Individuals with asthma are more likely to develop sleep‐disordered breathing. Exercise training improves sleep; however, the effect of physical activity (PA) on improving sleep quality remains unknown. This study had two objectives: (i) to evaluate the effect of a behavioural intervention to increase physical activity in daily living (PADL) on sleep quality in adults with asthma; (ii) to verify the association between a change in sleep quality, quality of life, anxiety, depression and asthma symptoms.

Methods

This randomized controlled clinical trial included adults physically inactive with asthma. Participants were randomized into the control (CG; n = 25) and intervention groups (IG; n = 24). IG was submitted to a behavioural intervention to increase PADL, and CG received the usual care. Pre‐ and post‐intervention assessments of sleep quality (by actigraphy and questionnaire), PADL level (by accelerometry), asthma control, health‐related quality of life and anxiety and depression levels were conducted.

Results

Both groups were similar at baseline. After the intervention, IG increased daily steps and moderate to vigorous PA levels. IG also improved sleep efficiency and latency as well as increased asthma‐symptom‐free days compared to CG. In addition, a greater proportion of participants in the IG had improved sleep quality after the intervention. Lastly, IG presented clinical improvement in the asthma‐related quality of life questionnaire and a reduction in anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that a behavioural intervention can increase PA, enhance behavioural sleep quality, efficiency and quality of life and reduce asthma and anxiety symptoms.
Triassic detrital records in the western Dian‐Qiong suture, South China: Implications for the eastern Paleo‐Tethys evolution
Authors: Xia Lei , Yan Quan‐Ren , Xiang Zhong‐Jin , Zheng Hong‐Bo , Xu Huan
Published: September 2022

The provenance and tectonic setting of the Middle Triassic siliciclastic rocks from the Malipo basin, western Dian‐Qiong suture, South China have been examined using the detrital mode, geochemistry and detrital zircon U–Pb dating. The petrological and geochemical results indicate increasing degrees of weathering, sorting and sediment recycling from north to south. Given the detrital zircon ages, we suggest that the sediments within the northern and southern Malipo basin have multiple provenances and distinctive tectonic settings, including (1) the former was deposited in a fore‐arc setting with derivation from mixed Late Permian–Middle Triassic volcanic arc and uplifted Palaeozoic sequences and (2) the latter deposited in the passive margin of the Northern Vietnam terrane with the predominate derivation from recycled Early Palaeozoic orogen and uplifted Palaeozoic and Precambrian successions. These sediments should be tectonically juxtaposed during the Late Triassic due to the closure of the Paleo‐Tethys branch ocean and the continued South China‐Indochina collision.
Disambiguating spatial prepositions: The case of geo‐spatial sense detection
Authors: Radke Mansi A. , Gupta Abhibha , Stock Kristin , Jones Christopher B.
Published: September 2022

Spatial relations in natural language are frequently expressed through prepositions. Thus, in the locative expressions “New York in the United States” and “the house on the river” the prepositions “in” and “on,” respectively, serve to communicate the relationships in space between the subject and object of the preposition. Automatic detection of the use of prepositions in a spatial and in particular a geo‐spatial sense that refers to geographic context is of interest in supporting automated methods for determining the actual geographic location referred to by locative expressions. This work focuses on disambiguation of prepositions in natural language, with the goal of distinguishing whether a preposition is used in a specifically geo‐spatial sense. We conduct machine learning experiments that demonstrate the clear benefit for geo‐spatial sense detection of using transformer model deep learning methods when compared with a variety of methods, that include Naive Bayes, support vector machine, and random forest classifiers with handcrafted linguistic features, and a bag of words approach with a meta‐classifier that adds geo‐spatial features. The best performance was obtained with the Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Transformer‐based XLNet transformer model, with a best precision of 0.96 and an F1 score of 0.94 when evaluated on a corpus of natural language expressions that were annotated for this task. We also conducted experiments to detect generic spatial sense, in which the best F1 score, of 0.95, was again obtained with XLNet.
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION ANALYSIS IN PARALLEL PLATE TREATMENT CHAMBER FOR PULSED ELECTRIC FIELD PROCESSING: NUMERICAL STUDY
Authors: Kasri Nur Faizal , Mohamed Piah Mohamed Afendi , Adzis Zuraimy , Hamzah A.
Published: September 2022

Studies on temperature distribution in parallel plate treatment chambers are limited due to its design which is more prone to arcing, thus, neglecting its use in continuous processing. Therefore, this study discusses the temperature distribution due to Joule heating in a parallel plate treatment chamber acting in continuous mode. The numerical results predict that at a slow flow rate (i.e., 0.0234 cm3/s), the fluid flow near the chamber wall is in a static state (0 cm/s), thus, increasing its residence time and resulting in receiving more pulses. In this situation, the temperature increased dramatically from 25 °C (inlet temperature) to approximately 58 °C, i.e., 132 % increment. On the other hand, a slight increase in temperature (i.e., < 27 °C) is predicted by numerical simulation at a higher flow rate (i.e., 0.138 cm3/s) at the same location (near the chamber wall). This less rise is due to the low residence time which causes the liquid to quickly leave the treatment area, thus, getting less pulse. The temperature soar in this condition is very low which is approximately 8 % of the inlet temperature. From the results obtained, flow rate control helps to reduce the temperature rise, thus, keeping the temperature at ambient temperature or slightly above the ambient and at the same time reducing the risk of the treated media from experiencing adverse effects on its physical attributes as a result of high temperatures.
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM WATER ELECTROLYSIS CURRENT PRACTICE VS SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES
Authors: Abdul Hannan Mohammed , Zheng Dao Vincent Lim , Ahmed Yaseen Adnan
Published: September 2022

Research and development on sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels have become a prime focus for the last couple of decades. Hydrogen, one of Earth's most abundant elements, holds great potential as a sustainable energy carrier. However, as Hydrogen is lighter than air, it does not exist in pure form in the atmosphere and is often found in compounds, such as water. The abundance of seawater in this regard makes Hydrogen an almost inexhaustible source of energy. Nevertheless, sustainable ways of extracting Hydrogen from water, dealing with its high corrosiveness and significantly lower evaporation point, still pose research challenges. Therefore, this paper aims at providing a comprehensive analysis of sustainable Hydrogen generation by focussing on the application of electrolysis to recover Hydrogen from water rather than using common reforming techniques. Different parameters affecting the efficiency and the overall performance of the electrolyser process have also been discussed and possible solutions to tackle the problems are presented. Later, a case study has been conducted to demonstrate the sustainable alternative for hydrogen production for an alkaline electrolyser using solar energy. MATLAB Simulink platform is used in this regard. This paper concludes that at an irradiation level of 1000W/m2, a PV array with 57 parallel strings with four modules connected in series per string is sufficient to provide enough power for the electrolyser to produce Hydrogen.
NEXT-HOUR ELECTRICITY PRICE FORECASTING USING LEAST SQUARES SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINE AND GENETIC ALGORITHM
Authors: Wan Abdul Razak Intan Azmira , Zainal Abidin Izham , Keem Siah Yap , Sulaima Mohamad Fani
Published: September 2022

Predicting the price of electricity is crucial for the operation of power systems. Short-term electricity price forecasting deals with forecasts from an hour to a day ahead. Hourly-ahead forecasts offer expected prices to market participants before operation hours. This is especially useful for effective bidding strategies where the bidding amount can be reviewed or changed before the operation hours. Nevertheless, many existing models have relatively low prediction accuracy. Furthermore, single prediction models are typically less accurate for different scenarios. Thus, a hybrid model comprising least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) and genetic algorithm (GA) was developed in this work to predict electricity prices with higher accuracy. This model was tested on the Ontario electricity market. The inputs, which were the hourly Ontario electricity price (HOEP) and demand for the previous seven days, as well as 1-h pre-dispatch price (PDP), were optimized by GA to prevent losing potentially important inputs. At the same time, the LSSVM parameters were optimized by GA to obtain accurate forecasts. The hybrid LSSVM-GA model was shown to produce an average mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 8.13% and the structure of this model is less complex compared with other models developed in previous studies. This is due to the fact that only two algorithms were used (LSSVM and GA), with the load and HOEP for the week preceding the forecasting hour as the inputs. Based on the results, it is concluded that the proposed hybrid algorithm is a promising alternative to produce good electricity price forecasts.
A NEW METHOD TO ENHANCE THE DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF THE MICROGRID BY SELF-BACKUP PROTECTION
Authors: Alhadrawi Zaid , Abdullah M.N. , Mokhlis Hazlie
Published: September 2022

Although the differential protection schemes consider as one of the effective types to protect the microgrid, this method may result in inaccurate performance because of the loss of communication link connecting the two ends of the line or other reasons. Therefore, the use of backup protection can lead to more accurate results. In this paper, self-backup protection is presented to cover the mal-operation of main protection. In this scheme, a new R-ratio method is defined based on the summation of the three-phase currents and the minimum of the three-phase voltages to overcome the low fault current during the islanded microgrid.  The proposed scheme can detect all fault types during both operation modes of microgrid, grid-connected and islanded for radial and loop configuration. The validation of the proposed scheme is performed using PSCAD/EMTDC software. The simulation results proved that the proposed scheme could provide adequate protection against various fault types in grid-connected and islanded operation modes for a radial and loop configuration.
EFFECTS OF ULTRASOUND VIBRATION ON MICROSTRUCTURE SUBMERGED ARC WELDING
Authors: Khanh Bui Duy , Trung Pham Quang , Nguyen Thanh-Hai
Published: September 2022

The microstructure of the weld influences its quality, in which the grain size is one of the most important parameters affecting the mechanical properties of the weld. To change the grain size, the cooling process of the weld zone must be carefully controlled. Customarily, the weld zone is cooled down without post-treatment after the welding process, so the microstructure of the weld is similar to that of the casting. In this study, ultrasonic vibrations are used in the welding process from the beginning of the welding process until the part is completely cooled. Using the ultrasonic waves with frequency of 20kHz, power of 1500W, the researchers analyzed the weld microstructure, comparing the welds with and without ultrasonic vibrations. The results show that when ultrasonic vibrations are utilized, the grain size is changed and the mechanical properties are significantly improved.
Spatial Adaptive Arrangement of Street Vendors to the Covid-19 Pandemic in Simpang Lima, Semarang, Indonesia
Authors: Widjajanti Retno , Ristianti Novia Sari , Ardiati Hariditia Hemas , Nooringsih Kanindya
Published: September 2022

Covid-19 has caused a global crisis that has affected various aspects of life, including urban spatial arrangement, such as arrangement of street vendors activities in urban public spaces. As one of the activities supports that have developed due to primary urban activities, street vendors often occupy public spaces, as can be seen in Simpang Lima in Semarang, a central business and culinary tourism district where street vendors sell their good on pedestrian ways. Moreover, these vendors have been stabilized to accommodate their existence in sustainable manner. Hence, it is necessary to review the adaption of this arrangement to pandemics, bearing in mind the necessity of precautions against Covid-19 and physical distancing in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). This research applied quantitative methods and obtained data by collecting questionnaires and observations, showing that street vendors’ spatial arrangement within the food court concept in Simpang Lima had been adaptive to the Covid-19 pandemic reviewed from space arrangement, vending facilities, and health protocol applications. Among the precautions implemented for each vendor are  the arrangement of space using modular spaces of size 3 by 3 meters, so that each has their own adaptive space, in accordance with physical distancing; maintaining spaces properly ventilated; applying a distance of more than one meter between any two tables in the consumer dining space; washing utensils in running water to maximize cleanliness; and ensuring the availability of public sinks with running water for customers and the public.
Women’s Perception of Safety in the City Street of Kuala Lumpur: The Covid-19 Impact
Authors: Abdul Rashid Suhaila , Wahab Mohammad Hussaini , Wan Rani Wan Nurul Mardiah
Published: September 2022

The street is a vital public space for all in a city. It is the spine that connects to buildings, transportation nodes, public spaces like pocket spaces and other nodes for pedestrian. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promotes the inclusivity for all. To achieve sustainability, street should be safe for all especially women who are a vulnerable group. As a public space, there are many restrictions implemented during the Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb the spread of Covid-19, therefore the livelihood, dynamic and safety is a concern for those who still needs to be on the street. Even though the city street is not as busy as before the pandemic, safety is still a main concern especially amongst women. This study is focusing on women’s perception of safety in the street. This is always a concern as the pandemic has affected the economic sectors which in turn affects employment. Unemployment leads to crime which creates an unsafe perception. In order to evaluate the issue, a case study approach has been chosen and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur is the area for this study. This study was performed through mixed method of in-depth interview, structured observation and questionnaire survey. Finding reveals that to enhance perception of safety for women, street design needs to consider both physical and social characteristic in the city. Pedestrian needs to use the street during the pandemic, and therefore findings from this study could assist policy maker and designer in developing framework for a safer street
A Review on Office Space Management Post Pandemic COVID-19
Authors: Kumaraguruparan Seetha Visalakshi , Ramaraj Arulmalar , Venkatavaradan Sanghavi
Published: September 2022

Literature studies reveal that mankind spends 90% of their life indoors. The current COVID 19, pandemic situation has capped the socialization among the people due to diverse reasons. This situation has questioned as well as challenged the age-old practices and standards that have been adopted in designing spaces for various functions. This study reinstates the need to maintain the health of the occupants especially in corporate offices. Achieving the users’ health and wellness that include some aspects of thermal comfort is challenging. The aim is to study, understand and achieve the key parameters that revolves around ‘health’ and ‘wellness’ of the occupants in corporate spaces that is expected to be occupied partially even during challenging situations. Exploratory methodology is adopted to identify and consolidate such parameters in this article. The data was collected from secondary resources such as ‘Well Building Standard’ by the International Well Building Institute, ‘Indian Green Building rating system’, ‘pandemic guidelines’ and ‘research articles’. It is observed that parameters such as ‘adequate and appropriate ventilation’, ‘indoor and native plants’ and ‘relative humidity’ need to be considered while facilitating the functioning of corporate spaces with minimum occupancy in situations which demand physical and social distancing. The role and the impacts of these parameters need to be explored in real time contexts.
Achieving an Active Lifestyle within a Walkable Environment: Assessment of Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ilani Bilyamin Siti Fatimah , Wan Mohd Rani Wan Nurul Mardiah , Hussaini Wahab Mohammad
Published: September 2022

Having an active lifestyle has been regarded as one of the main factors for maintaining a healthy and happy life. However, previous studies have pointed out that most Malaysian adults are reported to be physically inactive due to lifestyle changes such as increasingly sedentary lifestyles, decreased physical activity (PA), and growing reliance on automobiles for mobility. Subsequently, the COVID-19 pandemic has further impacted the quality of the urban population’s active lifestyles, particularly the disruption resulting from movement restriction control orders which has limited the ability to maintain an active lifestyle. This scenario has the potential to negatively impact the health and mental state of the population if it continues without intervention by relevant stakeholders. Therefore, this study examined the patterns of PA and body mass index (BMI) and assessed the association between PA and a walkable environment to maintain an active lifestyle in Kuala Lumpur city centre before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study ‘walkable environment’ refers to a physical attribute that encourages walking for functional and recreational purposes and ‘active lifestyle’ refers to walking being the main physical PA that contributes to health as part of people’s regular routine. This study adopted the mixed method approach through an online questionnaire survey, combined with the observation of selected areas and content analysis of written documents. The findings show that most respondents perceived that walking was the main PA that contributes to health. In terms of effects, walkable environments have been shown to have a positive impact on PA and health by encouraging an active lifestyle.
Recreation as a Social Factor in Urban Development: A Response to Covid-19 Pandemic in Greater Jos, Nigeria
Authors: Wash Peter Musa , Omar Shida Irwana , Mohamed Badaruddin , Isa Mohd Ismail
Published: September 2022

The importance of recreation cannot be overemphasised. Recreation refers to an activity that people engage in during their free time, and it is socially-inclined and has attendant values.  Inaccessibility to recreational areas affects the social wellbeing of residents, who will not have a sense of belonging when it comes to community development, hence a response to Covid-19.  Taking Greater Jos (Nigeria) as a case study, this paper assesses the social factors with regard to the provision of recreational facilities. The study also identified and mapped out recreational areas using the geographical positioning system. A questionnaire survey was conducted amongst the residents, age fifteen and above to authentically gauge their opinions on the study and, adopting stratified-random sampling considering the ten sectors according to the Greater Jos Master Plan. Results revealed that the residents had a good level of awareness of the presence of recreational facilities and high-quality recreational facilities, which were found mostly within the core of the city. The facilities fostered a high level of family and community bonding. However, the distance of recreational activity areas from their place of residence was what was rather disappointing for most people. Thus, the recent Covid-19 pandemic demand of social distancing negates social inclusion. The emphasis on social orientation and effective social inclusion of disadvantaged groups was conspicuously pronounced. Thus, appropriate and easy access to recreational facilities for all genders and ages must be provided closer to the people for effective services to promote their social lives and weaken the Covid-19 repulsive protocol.
The Influence of the ICT Knowledge and Skills of Low-Skilled Workers on Industry 4.0: A Study on Malaysia’s Service Sector / Pengaruh Pengetahuan dan Kemahiran ICT Pekerja Berkemahiran Rendah terhadap Industri 4.0: Kajian Sektor Perkhidmatan Malaysia
Authors: Sulaiman Noorasiah , Ahmad Kaswan Nur Afrina , Saukani Nasir
Published: September 2022

The extensive use of digital technology and information communication and technology (ICT) under Industry 4.0 will replace many jobs with robotic machines and equipment. Therefore, Industry 4.0 is expected to impact the employment structure and demand for labour, particularly low-skilled workers. This group is considered to be the most vulnerable to losing their jobs. Based on the questionnaire data obtained from fieldwork in Selangor, a total of 377 respondents of low-skilled workers were analysed. This study examines the ICT knowledge and skills of low-skilled workers towards Industry 4.0. The aspects studied are economic, labour market, technological and social. Using the Structured Equation Model (SEM), this study found that all aspects (economics, labour market and technology) are positive and significant in influencing the level of ICT knowledge and skills of employees. On the other hand, the social aspects involving the use of social media and knowledge of cybercrime were found to be insignificant. In conclusion, this study suggests that even though employees realise that ICT knowledge and skills, support from employers, government, colleagues, and others are required to improve their skills, especially to face the challenges in Industry 4.0.
A Guideline of Determination Haram Status of Intentionally Adding Animal Plasma in Surimi Products
Authors: Mohd Sukri Siti Jamilah , Mat Jubri @ Shamsuddin Mustafa , Ramli Mohd Anuar , Rohman Abdul , Sutoyo Suyatno , Ahmad Fadzlillah Nurrulhidayah
Published: September 2022

The process of intentionally adding animal plasma additive (APA) into surimi products is part of the polemic issues are getting attention among Muslim consumers. APA possesses good functional properties such as improving emulsifying capacity, alternative for fat, alternative for eggs besides functions as a cheap protein alternative. There are opinion regards transformation of animal plasma into commercial APA is part of the sustainable effort to minimize environmental problems as a result the non-systematic disposal of animal blood into land and water. Moreover, some of the minor group of scholars claimed the prohibition attributes to spilled-out blood not the plasma which has transformed its physical characteristics. However, based on the collected qualitative data from numerous library sources and interview with the experts show that there is no room to permit its utilization unless in dharuriyh situation. To justify the arguments, the researchers propose a guideline of determination haram status animal plasma into surimi products that will be a good reference for other researchers to comprehend this issue. The analysis shows ‘illah (legal cause) of its prohibition due of its impurity characteristics as stated in the Islamic legal texts. In addition, principle of Istihalah, Istihlak , Bara’ah Asliyyah and preservation of dharuriyyah al- khamsah are applied to strengthen the arguments. Last but not least, to vast up the discussion, fatwa debates related to the status of APA at International and National level are included as well. Lastly, this guideline has potential to contribute in Contemporary fiqh and science knowledge, halal seafood producer and advancement of future research particularly in the context to understand hukm of intentionally transform and mixing APA as an alternative ingredient into surimi products.
Challenges of Idle Small Estate Issues and Potential Solution/ Cabaran Isu Tanah Pusaka Terbiar Dan Potensi Penyelesaian
Authors: Abu Jaiya , Hamid Fiqiri , Abdullah Norhafiza , Md. Yunus Norhidayah , Zainudin Ainur Zaireen
Published: September 2022

Small estates are the property and all rights left by the deceased that belong to him during life and will belong to the heirs after his death. Every year, the issue of these idle small estate assets has been reported to be on the rise, which is now a challenge to resolve. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to examine the challenges that led to the issue of idle small estates as well as the potential that can be highlighted in helping to develop and at the same time resolve the issue of these idle small estates. The research methodology is qualitative by using content analysis on previous studies through reference to journals, articles, books, papers, and other relevant written materials to describe the issues, challenges, and potential to resolve the issue of idle small estates in Malaysia. The issues, challenges, and potential solutions of this idle small estate are analyses descriptively and thematically to discuss the results of the study more systematically. The results show that there are four aspects of the challenge that have been identified as drivers of the issue of idle small estates in Malaysia. Aspects of the challenge refer to legal, administrative, social, and economic issues. Findings on the potential to resolve this issue refer to the strengthening of the implementation of policies and legislation; the strengthening of the system of governance; the strengthening and increased involvement of the community; and the increased availability of needs in rural areas. This study can be beneficial for all levels of society, especially Muslims, as well as the parties responsible for these small estates to be more effective in overcoming and at the same time resolving the issue of idle small estates in Malaysia.
Cardiorespiratory adaptation to low‐dose dexamethasone for lung disease in extremely preterm infants: A prospective echocardiographic study
Authors: Sehgal Arvind , Nold Marcel F. , Roberts Calum T. , Menahem Samuel
Published: September 2022

The cardiovascular impact of dexamethasone (Dex) is not well understood. Most data are obtained from a 6 week, high‐dose regimen, and are limited to findings of hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy. The present study ascertained the impact of low‐dose Dex on cardiac indices when administered to extremely preterm infants for lung disease. A pre–post intervention prospective echocardiographic (Echo) study was undertaken, with cardiac assessments performed before and within 24 h after completion of first course of therapy (10 day regimen, cumulative 0.89 mg kg–1). Thirty infants with a gestational age of 24.6 ± 1.1 weeks and birthweight of 612 ± 125 g, respectively, were studied. The age at Dex administration was 20 ± 9 days. Fractional inspired oxygen decreased from 0.7 ± 0.23 to 0.35 ± 0.14 (P < 0.001). Patent ductus arteriosus was noted in 20 infants at Echo1. At Echo2, the ductal diameter decreased from 2.16 ± 0.8 to 1.1 ± 0.8 mm (P = 0.0003), with complete closure in 7/20 (35%). A reduction in left pulmonary artery end‐diastolic velocity was noted (17 ± 12 to 9 ± 10 cm s–1, P < 0.001). Pulmonary vascular resistance decreased (increased time to peak velocity/right ventricular ejection time, 0.2 ± 0.03 to 0.23  ± 0.03, P = 0.0001) and right ventricular systolic performance improved (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, 4.9 ± 0.8 to 5.5 ± 0.9 mm, P = 0.02). No significant changes in fractional shortening and left ventricular mass were noted. A significant increase in blood pressure was noted. As a percentage of pre‐treatment baseline, the mean increase for systolic blood pressure was 20.3% (95% confidence interval = 14–26) on day 2 (P = 0.008). Low‐dose Dex influenced cardiovascular parameters related to pulmonary circulation.

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Key points

Corticosteroid therapy is frequently used in preterm infants who are dependent on ventilator support.

Echocardiographic studies in infants administered a 6 week course of steroids have noted left ventricular hypertrophy, outlet obstruction and hypertension, but no information is available on right heart indices.

The cardiopulmonary effects of the current, significantly lesser cumulative dose (10 day regimen, commonly described as ‘DART’) have not been evaluated.

The present study noted a significant influence on ductal and pulmonary circulation indices. Left heart architecture and function was maintained, whereas a significant but transient increase in blood pressure was noted.
High-Frequency Mode Shape Dependent Flame-Acoustic Interactions in Reheat Flames
Authors: McClure Jonathan , Bothien Mirko , Sattelmayer Thomas
Published: September 2022

Gas turbines featuring sequentially staged combustion systems offer excellent performance in terms of fuel flexibility, part load performance and combined-cycle efficiency. These reheat combustion systems are therefore a key technology for meeting fluctuating power demand in energy infrastructures with increasing proportions of volatile renewable energy sources. To allow the high operational flexibility required to operate in this role, it is essential that the impact of thermoacoustic instabilities is minimized at all engine load conditions. In this case, high-frequency thermoacoustic instabilities in the second “reheat” combustion stage are investigated. Reheat flames are stabilized by both auto-ignition and propagation and, as a result, additional thermoacoustic driving mechanisms are present compared with more conventional swirl-stabilized combustors. Two self-excited thermoacoustic modes have been observed in a 1 MW reheat test rig at atmospheric pressure, one which exhibits limit-cycle behavior while the other is only intermittently unstable. The underlying driving mechanisms for each individual mode have been investigated previously and, in this paper, the two modes are directly compared to understand why these instabilities are each associated with different driving phenomena. It is shown that, due to the different flame regimes present in the reheat combustor, the potential for flame-acoustic coupling is highly dependent on the thermoacoustic mode shape. Different interactions between the flame and acoustics are possible depending on the orientation of the acoustic pressure nodes and antinodes relative to the auto-ignition- and propagation-stabilized flame regions, with the strongest coupling occurring when an antinode is located close to the auto-ignition zone. This provides insight into the significance of the different driving mechanisms and contributes to the ongoing development of models to allow prediction and mitigation of thermoacoustic instabilities in reheat combustion systems, which are crucial for reliable combustor designs in the future.
Data-Driven Inversion-Free Workflow of Well Performance Forecast Under Uncertainty for Fractured Shale Gas Reservoirs
Authors: Lin Hai , Zhou Fujian , Xiao Cong , Yang Xiangtong , Wang Yan , Zhang Yang , Hou Tengfei
Published: September 2022

Well performance prediction and uncertainty quantification of fractured shale reservoir are crucial aspects of efficient development and economic management of unconventional oil and gas resources. The uncertainty related to the characterization of fracture topology is highly difficult to be quantified by the conventional model-based history matching procedure in practical applications. Data-space inversion (DSI) is a recently developed inversion-free and rapid forecast approach that directly samples the posterior distribution of quantities of interest using only prior model simulation results and historical data. This paper presents some comparative studies between a recent DSI implementation based on iterative ensemble smoother (DSI-IES), model-based history matching, and conventional decline curve analysis (DCA) for shale gas rate forecast. The DSI-IES method treats the shale gas production rate as target variables, which are directly predicted via conditioning to historical data. Dimensionality reduction is also used to regularize the time-series production data by low-order representation. This approach is tested on two examples with increasing complexity, e.g., a fractured vertical well and a multistage fractured horizontal well in the actual fractured Barnett shale reservoir. The results indicate that compared with the traditional history matching and DCA methods, the DSI-IES obtains high robustness with a high computational efficiency. The application of data-space inversion-free method can effectively tap the potential value directly from historical data, which provides theoretical guidance and technical support for rapid decision-making and risk assessment.
Suppression of Stall-Induced Instability and Positive Slope at Low Flow Rates of an Axial Fan With Two-Dimensional Anti-Stall Fin
Authors: Kim Yong-In , Lee Sang-Yeol , Yang Hyeon-Mo , Lee Kyoung-Yong , Yang Sang-Ho , Choi Young-Seok
Published: September 2022

An axial fan in the general industry needs to secure stable characteristics in a wide operating range through an antistalling process, concerning its high demands, energy consumption, safety, and lifetime. As a “simple” and “original” method to control the stall of an axial fan, two-dimensional plates so-named anti-stall fin (ASF) were attached inside the casing and toward the shaft. The sensitivity analysis for design variables was conducted through the 2k full factorial design method, and the optimization was performed using the response surface method (RSM). In the case of an axial fan without the ASF, the backflow gradually increased in the spanwise direction toward the hub and the streamwise direction to the inlet passage (upstream), as the flowrate decreased, and the rotating stall was developed through the quickening-growing-setting period. However, an ASF-attached axial fan stably recovered performance degradation in the stalling flow rates and allowed to form a negative slope to 0.5Φd. This study was mainly based on numerical simulations, while the performance before/after application of the ASF was validated through experimental tests.
Highly repeatable dry etch corner rounding solution for 0.11 μm shallow trench isolation
Authors: Zhang Wenwen , Fang Yongzhi
Published: September 2022

A highly repeatable dry etch corner rounding solution for 0.11 μm shallow trench isolation (STI) without increasing additional process steps was proposed. It is mentioned for the first time that the two-step silicon nitride over etching method is used in the STI etching to get the corner rounding effect, in which the gas combination is CF4 + CH2F2. The top rounding can be achieved by properly adjusting the proportion of two-step etching gas. The STI prepared by this method has a perfect top rounding morphology in both dense and isolate areas. The subsequent TEM images show that the thickness of gate oxide at the thinnest part increased from 40 to 52 A, an increase of 30%. The results of the gate oxide integrity test confirmed that the value of breakdown voltage is greatly improved by using the new etching methods regardless of n-MOS or p-MOS. In terms of the breakdown voltage, the improvement level of n-MOS is higher than that of p-MOS. The breakdown voltage of n-MOS is increased by 10% and that of p-MOS is increased by 7%. With the further reduction of semiconductor size, the increase in gate oxide thickness in corner of STI is very important for the improvement of device reliability and performance.
Acoustic computing: At tunable pseudospin-1 Hermitian Dirac-like cone
Authors: Indaleeb Mustahseen M. , Ahmed Hossain , Banerjee Sourav
Published: September 2022

Hermitian Dirac-like cones are proposed for creating acoustic logic gates herein. The predictive phenomenon of creating Dirac-like cones near a bipolar antisymmetric deaf band was found to be useful for acoustic computing of Boolean algebra. Unlike previous approaches, Dirac-like cone creates exclusive opportunity to perform all possible Boolean algebra computation with valid inputs. The phenomenon is demonstrated in two-dimensional phononic crystals (PnCs), consisting of tunable square columns in air media. By predictive tuning of the deaf bands, a triply to doubly degenerated Dirac-like cone is reported to form and is particularly useful for acoustic computing. It is only possible when a bottom band has a negative curvature that is lifted from a nearby doubly degenerated band with positive curvature, which is again degenerated with a deaf band. On the contrary, similar computing possibilities are difficult when the bottom band degenerates with the deaf band and the top band is lifted. Using these phenomena, acoustic logic gates are designed to perform Boolean algebra through AND, NAND, OR, and NOR gate operations. A simple one degree of freedom system and a complex six degrees of freedom system are proposed and demonstrated in which simple rotation of the PnCs activates a specific gate.
Mutations inBCOR, a co-repressor ofCRX/OTX2, are associated with early-onset retinal degeneration
Authors: Langouët Maéva , Jolicoeur Christine , Javed Awais , Mattar Pierre , Gearhart Micah D. , Daiger Stephen P. , Bertelsen Mette , Tranebjærg Lisbeth , Rendtorff Nanna D. , Grønskov Karen , Jespersgaard Catherine , Chen Rui , Sun Zixi , Li Hui , Alirezaie Najmeh , Majewski Jacek , Bardwell Vivian J. , Sui Ruifang , Koenekoop Robert K. , Cayouette Michel
Published: September 2022

Many transcription factors regulating the production, survival, and function of photoreceptor cells have been identified, but little is known about transcriptional co-regulators in retinal health and disease. Here, we show that BCL6 co-repressor (BCOR), a Polycomb repressive complex 1 factor mutated in various cancers, is involved in photoreceptor degenerative diseases. Using proteomics and transcription assays, we report that BCOR interacts with the transcription factors CRX and OTX2 and reduces their ability to activate the promoters of photoreceptor-specific genes. CUT&RUN sequencing further shows that BCOR shares genome-wide binding profiles with CRX/OTX2, consistent with a general co-repression activity. We also identify missense mutations in humanBCORin five families that have no evidence of cancer but present severe early-onset X-linked retinal degeneration. Last, we show that the humanBCORmutants cause degeneration when expressed in the mouse retina and have enhanced repressive activity on OTX2. These results uncover a role for BCOR in photoreceptors in both health and disease.
MAIA, Fc receptor–like 3, supersedes JUNO as IZUMO1 receptor during human fertilization
Authors: Vondrakova Jana , Frolikova Michaela , Ded Lukas , Cerny Jiri , Postlerova Pavla , Palenikova Veronika , Simonik Ondrej , Nahacka Zuzana , Basus Krystof , Valaskova Eliska , Machan Radek , Pacey Allan , Holubcova Zuzana , Koubek Pavel , Ezrova Zuzana , Park Soojin , Liu Ruiwu , Partha Raghavendran , Clark Nathan , Neuzil Jiri , Ikawa Masahito , Erickson Kent , Lam Kit S. , Moore Harry , Komrskova Katerina
Published: September 2022

Gamete fusion is a critical event of mammalian fertilization. A random one-bead one-compound combinatorial peptide library represented synthetic human egg mimics and identified a previously unidentified ligand as Fc receptor–like 3, named MAIA after the mythological goddess intertwined with JUNO. This immunoglobulin super family receptor was expressed on human
oolemma
and played a major role during sperm-egg adhesion and fusion. MAIA forms a highly stable interaction with the known IZUMO1/JUNO sperm-egg complex, permitting specific gamete fusion. The complexity of the MAIA isotype may offer a cryptic sexual selection mechanism to avoid genetic incompatibility and achieve favorable fitness outcomes.