bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasmin, Immunity, and Surgical Site Infection
Authors: Hastings Stuart , Myles Paul S. , Medcalf Robert L.
Published: May 2021

SSI are a universal economic burden and increase individual patient morbidity and mortality. While antibiotic prophylaxis is the primary preventative intervention, these agents are not themselves benign and may be less effective in the context of emerging antibiotic resistant organisms. Exploration of novel therapies as an adjunct to antimicrobials is warranted. Plasmin and the plasminogen activating system has a complex role in immune function. The immunothrombotic role of plasmin is densely interwoven with the coagulation system and has a multitude of effects on the immune system constituents, which may not always be beneficial. Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic agent which inhibits the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin. Clinical trials have demonstrated a reduction in surgical site infection in TXA exposed patients, however the mechanism and magnitude of this benefit is incompletely understood. This effect may be through the reduction of local wound haematoma, decreased allogenic blood transfusion or a direct immunomodulatory effect. Large scale randomised clinical trial are currently being undertaken to better explain this association. Importantly, TXA is a safe and widely available pharmacological agent which may have a role in the reduction of SSI.
Survival Prediction in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Proof of Concept Study Using Artificial Intelligence for Risk Assessment
Authors: Müller Lukas , Mähringer-Kunz Aline , Gairing Simon Johannes , Foerster Friedrich , Weinmann Arndt , Bartsch Fabian , Heuft Lisa-Katharina , Baumgart Janine , Düber Christoph , Hahn Felix , Kloeckner Roman
Published: May 2021

Several scoring systems have been devised to objectively predict survival for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma (ICC) and support treatment stratification, but they have failed external validation. The aim of the present study was to improve prognostication using an artificial intelligence-based approach. We retrospectively identified 417 patients with ICC who were referred to our tertiary care center between 1997 and 2018. Of these, 293 met the inclusion criteria. Established risk factors served as input nodes for an artificial neural network (ANN). We compared the performance of the trained model to the most widely used conventional scoring system, the Fudan score. Predicting 1-year survival, the ANN reached an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.89 for the training set and 0.80 for the validation set. The AUC of the Fudan score was significantly lower in the validation set (0.77, p < 0.001). In the training set, the Fudan score yielded a lower AUC (0.74) without reaching significance (p = 0.24). Thus, ANNs incorporating a multitude of known risk factors can outperform conventional risk scores, which typically consist of a limited number of parameters. In the future, such artificial intelligence-based approaches have the potential to improve treatment stratification when models trained on large multicenter data are openly available.
Changes in Plasma Soluble Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-Products Are Associated with Survival in Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Jabaudon Matthieu , Pereira Bruno , Laroche Erwan , Roszyk Laurence , Blondonnet Raiko , Audard Jules , Godet Thomas , Futier Emmanuel , Bazin Jean-Etienne , Sapin Vincent , Bastarache Julie , Ware Lorraine , Constantin Jean-Michel ,   on behalf of the LIVE Study Group and the AZUREA Network
Published: May 2021

The plasma soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) is a marker of lung epithelial injury with prognostic value when measured at baseline in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, whether changes in plasma sRAGE could inform prognosis in ARDS remains unknown. In this secondary analysis of the Lung Imaging for Ventilator Setting in ARDS (LIVE) multicenter randomized controlled trial, which evaluated a personalized ventilation strategy tailored to lung morphology, plasma sRAGE was measured upon study entry (baseline) and on days one, two, three, four and six. The association between changes in plasma sRAGE over time and 90-day survival was evaluated. Higher baseline plasma sRAGE (HR per-one log increment, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.16–2.03; p = 0.003) and an increase in sRAGE over time (HR for each one-log increment in plasma sRAGE per time unit, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.01–1.02; p < 10−3) were both associated with increased 90-day mortality. Each 100-unit increase in the plasma sRAGE level per unit of time increased the risk of death at day 90 by 1% in joint modeling. Plasma sRAGE increased over time when a strategy of maximal alveolar recruitment was applied in patients with focal ARDS. Current findings suggest that the rate of change in plasma sRAGE over time is associated with 90-day survival and could be helpful as a surrogate outcome in ARDS.
Long-Term V-EEG in Epilepsy: Chronological Distribution of Recorded Events Focused on the Differential Diagnosis of Epileptic Seizures and Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures
Authors: Vázquez-Sánchez Fernando , García-López Beatriz , Gómez-Menéndez Ana Isabel , Martín-Santidrián Asunción , Vicente Jesús Macarrón , Hernando-Asensio Alicia , Gámez-Beltrán Pedro , González-Bernal Jerónimo J. , Soto-Cámara Raúl , Jiménez-Barrios María , González-Santos Josefa
Published: May 2021

Differential diagnosis in epilepsy is sometimes challenging. Video-electroencephalography (V-EEG) is an essential tool in the diagnosis and management of epilepsy. The prolonged duration of V-EEG recording increases the diagnostic yield of a conventional V-EEG. The right length of monitoring for different indications is still to be established. We present a retrospective descriptive study with a sample of 50 patients with long-term V-EEG monitoring, with a mean age of 36.1 years, monitored from 2013 to 2019 at the Burgos University Hospital. The mean monitoring time was 3.6 days. Events were obtained in 76% of the patients, corresponding to epileptic seizures (ES) in 57.9% of them, with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) in 39.5%, and with episodes of both pathologies in 2.6% of the patients. We found that the first event was highly representative, and it correlated with the rest of the events that would be recorded. Moreover, 92% of the first PNES had been captured at the end of the second day, and 89% of the first ES by the end of the third day. V-EEG for differential diagnosis between ES and PNES can be performed in hospitals without specialized epilepsy surgery units. For this indication, the duration of long-term V-EEG can be adjusted individually depending on the nature of the first event.
Polish Adaptation of the Italian Spine Youth Quality of Life Questionnaire
Authors: Kinel Edyta , Korbel Krzysztof , Janusz Piotr , Kozinoga Mateusz , Czaprowski Dariusz , Kotwicki Tomasz
Published: May 2021

The study aimed to carry on the process of the cultural adaptation of the Italian Spine Youth Quality of Life Questionnaire (ISYQOL) into Polish (ISYQOL-PL). The a priori hypothesis was: the ISYQOL-PL questionnaire is reliable and appropriate for adolescents with a spinal deformity. Fifty-six adolescents (mean age 13.8 ± 1.9) with idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) with a mean Cobb angle 29.1 (±9.7) and two with Scheuermann juvenile kyphosis (SJK) with a kyphosis angle 67.5 (±17.7) degrees were enrolled. All patients had been wearing a corrective TLSO brace for an average duration of 2.3 (±1.8) years. The Institutional Review Board approved the study. The cross-cultural adaptation of the ISYQOL-PL was performed following the guidelines set up by the International Quality of Life Assessment Project. The reliability was assessed using internal consistency (the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient) and test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient ICC2.1, CI = 95%); moreover, floor and ceiling effects were calculated. The internal consistency was satisfactory (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient 0.8). The test–retest revealed high reliability with the value of ICC2.1 for the entire group 0.90, CI (0.84 to 0.94). There was neither floor nor ceiling effect for the ISYQOL-PL overall score. The ISYQOL-PL is reliable and can be used in adolescents with spinal deformity.
Enhanced Stability of Long-Living Immobilized Recombinant β-d-N-Acetyl-Hexosaminidase A on Polylactic Acid (PLA) Films for Potential Biomedical Applications
Authors: Calzoni Eleonora , Cesaretti Alessio , Montegiove Nicolò , Di Michele Alessandro , Emiliani Carla
Published: May 2021

β-d-N-acetyl-hexosaminidase (Hex, EC 3.2.1.52) is an acid hydrolase that catalyzes the cleavage of the β-1,4 bond in N-acetyl-d-galactosamine (Gal-NAc) and N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (Glc-NAc) from the non-reducing end of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. It is widely expressed in both the prokaryotic and eukaryotic world, where it performs multiple and important functions. Hex has antifungal activity in plants, is capable of degrading many biological substrates, and can play an important role in the biomedical field for the treatment of Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases. With the aim being able to obtain a device with a stable enzyme, a method of covalent immobilization on polylactic acid (PLA) films was developed for the A isoform of the β-d-N-acetyl-hexosaminidase enzyme (HexA), produced in a recombinant way from Human Embryonic Kidney-293 (HEK-293) cells and suitably purified. An in-depth biochemical characterization of the immobilized enzyme was carried out, evaluating the optimal temperature, thermal stability, pH parameters, and Km value. Moreover, the stability of the enzymatic activity over time was assessed. The results obtained showed an improvement in terms of kinetic parameters and stability to heat for the enzyme following immobilization and the presence of HexA in two distinct immobilized forms, with an unexpected ability for one of them to maintain its functionality for a long period of time (over a year). The stability and functionality of the enzyme in its immobilized form are therefore extremely promising for potential biotechnological and biomedical applications.
Operational Pattern of Urban-Rural Integration Regulated by Land Use in Metropolitan Fringe of China
Authors: Cao Wei , Zhou Shenglu , Zhou Minyu
Published: May 2021

Due to a lack of the realization mechanism and operational pattern of the urban-rural integration by land use, this study employs land use to regulate interface elements to achieve urban-rural integration development. Therefore, we analyzed urban-rural reality in Pukou District of Nanjing City, a typical metropolitan fringe of China, and investigated farmers’ willingness of typical representative villages. The results show that (1) According to the combination of resource environment, development intensity and development potential, Pukou District is divided into four land use areas, including optimization integration area, key development area, urban agricultural area, and ecotourism area. Most of the investigated farmers have a strong willingness to realize urban-rural integration by land use; (2) This study proposes an operational pattern of regional land use. The pattern is mainly based on “reality + willingness + policy” by using the three tools of “farmland reconsolidation, village reconstruction and factor reallocation”. It achieves urban-rural integration development through “zoning guidance–willingness driven–pattern selection–differentiated tools”.
The Writing Process and the Written Product in Bimodal Bilingual Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
Authors: Gärdenfors Moa
Published: May 2021

How does bimodal bilingualism—a signed and a spoken language—influence the writing process or the written product? The writing outcomes of twenty deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children and hearing children of deaf adults (CODA) (mean 11.6 years) with similar bimodal bilingual backgrounds were analyzed. During the writing of a narrative text, a keylogging tool was used that generated detailed information about the participants’ writing process and written product. Unlike earlier studies that have repeatedly shown that monolingual hearing children outperform their DHH peers in writing, there were few differences between the groups that likely were caused by their various hearing backgrounds, such as in their lexical density. Signing knowledge was negatively correlated with writing flow and pauses before words, and positively correlated with deleted characters, but these did not affect the written product negatively. Instead, they used different processes to reach similar texts. This study emphasizes the importance of including and comparing participants with similar language experience backgrounds. It may be deceptive to compare bilingual DHH children with hearing children with other language backgrounds, risking showing language differences. This should always be controlled for through including true control groups with similar language experience as the examined groups.
Mitochondrial Bioenergetics and Dynamism in the Failing Heart
Authors: Morciano Giampaolo , Vitto Veronica Angela Maria , Bouhamida Esmaa , Giorgi Carlotta , Pinton Paolo
Published: May 2021

The heart is responsible for pumping blood, nutrients, and oxygen from its cavities to the whole body through rhythmic and vigorous contractions. Heart function relies on a delicate balance between continuous energy consumption and generation that changes from birth to adulthood and depends on a very efficient oxidative metabolism and the ability to adapt to different conditions. In recent years, mitochondrial dysfunctions were recognized as the hallmark of the onset and development of manifold heart diseases (HDs), including heart failure (HF). HF is a severe condition for which there is currently no cure. In this condition, the failing heart is characterized by a disequilibrium in mitochondrial bioenergetics, which compromises the basal functions and includes the loss of oxygen and substrate availability, an altered metabolism, and inefficient energy production and utilization. This review concisely summarizes the bioenergetics and some other mitochondrial features in the heart with a focus on the features that become impaired in the failing heart.
Low-Order Radial Modal Test and Analysis of Drive Motor Stator
Authors: Li Jie , Yang Shaobo , Yang Jincai , Li Fengqin , Zeng Qingqiang , Shao Junlong , Chang Chun , Wu Nian , Chen Ying , Li Keqiang
Published: May 2021

For a driving motor stator of EDU (Electric Drive Unit) intelligent electric transmission of a domestic plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, modal tests are performed on the motor stator with or without motor shell. Either the hammering method or the frequency sweeping method is used in the test. The modal frequencies, modal shapes, and damping ratios of the first five orders that meet the requirements of the modal confidence criterion are obtained. The influence of the motor shell on the low-order radial modal of the motor stator is discussed. The results show that similar results are obtained in the modal parameter estimation respectively using the hammering method and the frequency sweeping method. They can both be used for low-order radial modal test of the motor stator. The motor stator without shell exhibits a linear structure in the frequency domain. Each modal frequency obtained by the frequency sweeping method is slightly higher than that obtained by the hammering method.
Research Based on Modeling and Simulation of the Transient Regime in Controlled Switching with High Power Switches
Authors: Panoiu Caius , Ciulica Dumitru , Panoiu Manuela , Mezinescu Sergiu
Published: May 2021

This paper addresses one of the current areas of interest in electrical engineering, which is controlled switching of high voltage circuit breakers. During their operation, the problem of controlled switching of high voltage circuit breakers in commutation regimes was studied. Several types of switching were analyzed, considered representative of the transient regime, depending on the type of load, on the defect that may occur on the power supply lines, as well as depending on the position of this defect (near or far). The study carried out in the paper includes simulations of the controlled connection/disconnection operations in a transient regime, assuming the existence of different kinds of defects. To perform the study and simulations in the transient regime, a model, implemented in Matlab, was used for a time interval located around the origin of the time axis. The study included the dependence of the SF6 circuit breaker switching process on the following parameters: the DC voltage supply, ambient temperature and oil pressure in the circuit breaker actuator. The validity of the theory presented in this paper, in addition to being validated by simulations, is proven by the fact that the protection system currently in use at the power station of an 800 MW power plant, at the 400 kV power line, is based on the principles presented in this paper. The theory presented in the paper has been implemented in industry for nearly two years, and the results confirm that the theory presented in the paper is fully applicable in high voltage power stations.
Magnetic Switching in Vapochromic Oxalato-Bridged 2D Copper(II)-Pyrazole Compounds for Biogenic Amine Sensing
Authors: Marino Nadia , Calatayud María Luisa , Orts-Arroyo Marta , Pascual-Álvarez Alejandro , Moliner Nicolás , Julve Miguel , Lloret Francesc , De Munno Giovanni , Ruiz-García Rafael , Castro Isabel
Published: May 2021

A new two-dimensional (2D) coordination polymer of the formula {Cu(ox)(4-Hmpz)·1/3H2O}n (1) (ox = oxalate and 4-Hmpz = 4-methyl-1H-pyrazole) has been prepared, and its structure has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It consists of corrugated oxalato-bridged copper(II) neutral layers featuring two alternating bridging modes of the oxalate group within each layer, the symmetric bis-bidentate (μ-κ2O1,O2:κ2O2′,O1′) and the asymmetric bis(bidentate/monodentate) (μ4-κO1:κ2O1,O2:κO2′:κ2O2′,O1′) coordination modes. The three crystallographically independent six-coordinate copper(II) ions that occur in 1 have tetragonally elongated surroundings with three oxygen atoms from two oxalate ligands, a methylpyrazole-nitrogen defining the equatorial plane, and two other oxalate-oxygen atoms occupying the axial positions. The monodentate 4-Hmpz ligands alternatively extrude above and below each oxalate-bridged copper(II) layer, and the water molecules of crystallization are located between the layers. Compound 1 exhibits a fast and selective adsorption of methylamine vapors to afford the adsorbate of formula {Cu(ox)(4-Hmpz)·3MeNH2·1/3H2O}n (2), which is accompanied by a concomitant color change from cyan to deep blue. Compound 2 transforms into {Cu(ox)(4-Hmpz)·MeNH2·1/3H2O}n (3) under vacuum for three hours. The cryomagnetic study of 1–3 revealed a unique switching from strong (1) to weak (2 and 3) antiferromagnetic interactions. The external control of the optical and magnetic properties along this series of compounds might make them suitable candidates for switching optical and magnetic devices for chemical sensing.
In Quest of Molecular Materials for Quantum Cellular Automata: Exploration of the Double Exchange in the Two-Mode Vibronic Model of a Dimeric Mixed Valence Cell
Authors: Tsukerblat Boris , Palii Andrew , Aldoshin Sergey
Published: May 2021

In this article, we apply the two-mode vibronic model to the study of the dimeric molecular mixed-valence cell for quantum cellular automata. As such, we consider a multielectron mixed valence binuclear d2−d1–type cluster, in which the double exchange, as well as the Heisenberg-Dirac-Van Vleck exchange interactions are operative, and also the local (“breathing”) and intercenter vibrational modes are taken into account. The calculations of spin-vibronic energy spectra and the “cell-cell”-response function are carried out using quantum-mechanical two-mode vibronic approach based on the numerical solution of the dynamic vibronic problem. The obtained results demonstrate a possibility of combining the function of molecular QCA with that of spin switching in one electronic device and are expected to be useful from the point of view of the rational design of such multifunctional molecular electronic devices.
Chitosomes-In-Chitosan Hydrogel for Acute Skin Injuries: Prevention and Infection Control
Authors: Hemmingsen Lisa Myrseth , Julin Kjersti , Ahsan Luqman , Basnet Purusotam , Johannessen Mona , Škalko-Basnet Nataša
Published: May 2021

Burns and other skin injuries are growing concerns as well as challenges in an era of antimicrobial resistance. Novel treatment options to improve the prevention and eradication of infectious skin biofilm-producing pathogens, while enhancing wound healing, are urgently needed for the timely treatment of infection-prone injuries. Treatment of acute skin injuries requires tailoring of formulation to assure both proper skin retention and the appropriate release of incorporated antimicrobials. The challenge remains to formulate antimicrobials with low water solubility, which often requires carriers as the primary vehicle, followed by a secondary skin-friendly vehicle. We focused on widely used chlorhexidine formulated in the chitosan-infused nanocarriers, chitosomes, incorporated into chitosan hydrogel for improved treatment of skin injuries. To prove our hypothesis, lipid nanocarriers and chitosan-comprising nanocarriers (≈250 nm) with membrane-active antimicrobial chlorhexidine were optimized and incorporated into chitosan hydrogel. The biological and antibacterial effects of both vesicles and a vesicles-in-hydrogel system were evaluated. The chitosomes-in-chitosan hydrogel formulation demonstrated promising physical properties and were proven safe. Additionally, the chitosan-based systems, both chitosomes and chitosan hydrogel, showed an improved antimicrobial effect against S. aureus and S. epidermidis compared to the formulations without chitosan. The novel formulation could serve as a foundation for infection prevention and bacterial eradication in acute wounds.
Enzymatic Degradation of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis Polysaccharide and the Antioxidant Activity of Its Degradation Products
Authors: Fang Tian , Zhang Xiaoqian , Hu Shanshan , Yu Yanyan , Sun Xue , Xu Nianjun
Published: May 2021

Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis polysaccharides (GLP) were degraded using pectinase, glucoamylase, cellulase, xylanase, and β-dextranase into low-molecular-weight polysaccharides, namely, GPP, GGP, GCP, GXP, and GDP, respectively, and their antioxidant capacities were investigated. The degraded GLP showed higher antioxidant activities than natural GLP, and GDP exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. After the optimization of degradation conditions through single-factor and orthogonal optimization experiments, four polysaccharide fractions (GDP1, GDP2, GDP3, and GDP4) with high antioxidant abilities (hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, reduction capacity, and total antioxidant capacity) were obtained. Their cytoprotective activities against H2O2-induced oxidative damage in human fetal lung fibroblast 1 (HFL1) cells were examined. Results suggested that GDP pretreatment can significantly improve cell viability, reduce reactive oxygen species and malonaldehyde levels, improve antioxidant enzyme activity and mitochondria membrane potential, and alleviate oxidative damage in HFL1 cells. Thus, the enzyme degradation of GLP with β-dextranase can significantly improve its antioxidant activity, and GDP might be a suitable source of natural antioxidants.
Molecular Dynamic Simulations Suggest That Metabolite-Induced Post-Translational Modifications Alter the Behavior of the Fibrinogen Coiled-Coil Domain
Authors: Sovova Zofie , Suttnar Jiri , Dyr Jan E.
Published: May 2021

Fibrinogen is an abundant blood plasma protein that, inter alia, participates in blood coagulation. It polymerizes to form a fibrin clot that is among the major components of the thrombus. Fibrinogen reactions with various reactive metabolites may induce post-translational modifications (PTMs) into the protein structure that affect the architecture and properties of fibrin clots. We reviewed the previous literature to find the positions of PTMs of fibrinogen. For 7 out of 307 reported PTMs, we used molecular dynamics simulations to characterize their effect on the behavior of the fibrinogen coiled-coil domain. Interactions of the γ-coil with adjacent chains give rise to π-helices in Aα and Bβ chains of even unmodified fibrinogen. The examined PTMs suppress fluctuations of the γ-coil, which may affect the fibrinolysis and stiffness of the fibrin fibers. Citrullination of AαR104 and oxidations of γP70 and γP76 to glutamic semialdehyde unfold the α-helical structure of Aα and Bβ chains. Oxidation of γM78 to methionine sulfoxide induces the formation of an α-helix in the γ-coil region. Our findings suggest that certain PTMs alter the protein secondary structure. Thus, the altered protein structure may indicate the presence of PTMs in the molecule and consequently of certain metabolites within the system.
An Overview of Acoustic Impedance Measurement Techniques and Future Prospects
Authors: Hiremath Nandeesh , Kumar Vaibhav , Motahari Nicholas , Shukla Dhwanil
Published: May 2021

In order to progress in the area of aeroacoustics, experimental measurements are necessary. Not only are they required for engineering applications in acoustics and noise engineering, but also they are necessary for developing models of acoustic phenomenon around us. One measurement of particular importance is acoustic impedance. Acoustic Impedance is the measure of opposition of acoustical flow due to the acoustic pressure. It indicates how much sound pressure is generated by the vibration of molecules of a particular acoustic medium at a given frequency and can be a characteristic of the medium.The aim of the present paper is to give a synthetic overview of the literature on impedance measurements and to discuss the advantage and disadvantage of each measurement technique. In this work, we investigate the three main categories of impedance measurement techniques, namely reverberation chamber techniques, impedance tube techniques, and far-field techniques. Theoretical principles for each technique are provided along with a discussion on historical development and recent advancements for each technique.
Protective Mechanism of Edible Food Plants against Alcoholic Liver Disease with Special Mention to Polyphenolic Compounds
Authors: Zhao Liang , Mehmood Arshad , Yuan Dongdong , Usman Muhammad , Murtaza Mian Anjum , Yaqoob Sanabil , Wang Chengtao
Published: May 2021

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is one type of liver disease, causing a global healthcare problem and mortality. The liver undergoes tissue damage by chronic alcohol consumption because it is the main site for metabolism of ethanol. Chronic alcohol exposure progresses from alcoholic fatty liver (AFL) to alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH), which further lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular cancer. Therapeutic interventions to combat ALD are very limited such as use of corticosteroids. However, these therapeutic drugs are not effective for long-term usage. Therefore, additional effective and safe therapies to cope with ALD are urgently needed. Previous studies confirmed that edible food plants and their bioactive compounds exert a protective effect against ALD. In this review article, we summarized the hepatoprotective potential of edible food plants and their bioactive compounds. The underlying mechanism for the prevention of ALD by edible food plants was as follows: anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, lipid regulation, inhibition of apoptosis, gut microbiota composition modulation, and anti-fibrosis.
Comparative Effects of the Branched-Chain Amino Acids, Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine, on Gastric Emptying, Plasma Glucose, C-Peptide and Glucagon in Healthy Men
Authors: Elovaris Rachel A. , Bitarafan Vida , Agah Shahram , Ullrich Sina S. , Lange Kylie , Horowitz Michael , Feinle-Bisset Christine
Published: May 2021

(1) Background: Whey protein lowers postprandial blood glucose in health and type 2 diabetes, by stimulating insulin and incretin hormone secretion and slowing gastric emptying. The branched-chain amino acids, leucine, isoleucine and valine, abundant in whey, may mediate the glucoregulatory effects of whey. We investigated the comparative effects of intragastric administration of leucine, isoleucine and valine on the plasma glucose, C-peptide and glucagon responses to and gastric emptying of a mixed-nutrient drink in healthy men. (2) Methods: 15 healthy men (27 ± 3 y) received, on four separate occasions, in double-blind, randomised fashion, either 10 g of leucine, 10 g of isoleucine, 10 g of valine or control, intragastrically, 30 min before a mixed-nutrient drink. Plasma glucose, C-peptide and glucagon concentrations were measured before, and for 2 h following, the drink. Gastric emptying of the drink was quantified using 13C-acetate breath-testing. (3) Results: Amino acids alone did not affect plasma glucose or C-peptide, while isoleucine and valine, but not leucine, stimulated glucagon (p < 0.05), compared with control. After the drink, isoleucine and leucine reduced peak plasma glucose compared with both control and valine (all p < 0.05). Neither amino acid affected early (t = 0–30 min) postprandial C-peptide or glucagon. While there was no effect on overall gastric emptying, plasma glucose at t = 30 min correlated with early gastric emptying (p < 0.05). (4) Conclusion: In healthy individuals, leucine and isoleucine lower postprandial blood glucose, at least in part by slowing gastric emptying, while valine does not appear to have an effect, possibly due to glucagon stimulation.
Dynamic Modeling of Planar Multi-Link Flexible Manipulators
Authors: Subedi Dipendra , Tyapin Ilya , Hovland Geir
Published: May 2021

A closed-form dynamic model of the planar multi-link flexible manipulator is presented. The assumed modes method is used with the Lagrangian formulation to obtain the dynamic equations of motion. Explicit equations of motion are derived for a three-link case assuming two modes of vibration for each link. The eigenvalue problem associated with the mass boundary conditions, which changes with the robot configuration and payload, is discussed. The time-domain simulation results and frequency-domain analysis of the dynamic model are presented to show the validity of the theoretical derivation.
Data, Signal and Image Processing and Applications in Sensors
Authors: Reis Manuel J. C. S.
Published: May 2021

With the rapid advance of sensor technology, a vast and ever-growing amount of data in various domains and modalities are readily available [...]
A Comparison of Java, Flutter and Kotlin/Native Technologies for Sensor Data-Driven Applications
Authors: Wasilewski Kamil , Zabierowski Wojciech
Published: May 2021

As a result of the continuous progress and fast-growing popularity of mobile technologies in recent years, the demand for mobile applications has increased rapidly. One of the most important decisions that its developers have to make is the choice of technology on which their application will be based. This article is devoted to the comparison of Java, Flutter, and Kotlin/Native technologies for applications based on processing and analyzing data from sensors. The main elements of the comparison are the efficiency and resource utilization of mobile applications for Android OS implemented in each of the aforementioned technologies.
The Role of Global Appearance of Omnidirectional Images in Relative Distance and Orientation Retrieval
Authors: Román Vicente , Payá Luis , Peidró Adrián , Ballesta Mónica , Reinoso Oscar
Published: May 2021

Over the last few years, mobile robotics has experienced a great development thanks to the wide variety of problems that can be solved with this technology. An autonomous mobile robot must be able to operate in a priori unknown environments, planning its trajectory and navigating to the required target points. With this aim, it is crucial solving the mapping and localization problems with accuracy and acceptable computational cost. The use of omnidirectional vision systems has emerged as a robust choice thanks to the big quantity of information they can extract from the environment. The images must be processed to obtain relevant information that permits solving robustly the mapping and localization problems. The classical frameworks to address this problem are based on the extraction, description and tracking of local features or landmarks. However, more recently, a new family of methods has emerged as a robust alternative in mobile robotics. It consists of describing each image as a whole, what leads to conceptually simpler algorithms. While methods based on local features have been extensively studied and compared in the literature, those based on global appearance still merit a deep study to uncover their performance. In this work, a comparative evaluation of six global-appearance description techniques in localization tasks is carried out, both in terms of accuracy and computational cost. Some sets of images captured in a real environment are used with this aim, including some typical phenomena such as changes in lighting conditions, visual aliasing, partial occlusions and noise.
Identification of Flying Insects in the Spatial, Spectral, and Time Domains with Focus on Mosquito Imaging
Authors: Sun Yuting , Lin Yueyu , Zhao Guangyu , Svanberg Sune
Published: May 2021

Insects constitute a very important part of the global ecosystem and include pollinators, disease vectors, and agricultural pests, all with pivotal influence on society. Monitoring and control of such insects has high priority, and automatic systems are highly desirable. While capture and analysis by biologists constitute the gold standard in insect identification, optical and laser techniques have the potential for high-speed detection and automatic identification based on shape, spectroscopic properties such as reflectance and fluorescence, as well as wing-beat frequency analysis. The present paper discusses these approaches, and in particular presents a novel method for automatic identification of mosquitos based on image analysis, as the insects enter a trap based on a combination of chemical and suction attraction. Details of the analysis procedure are presented, and selectivity is discussed. An accuracy of 93% is achieved by our proposed method from a data set containing 122 insect images (mosquitoes and bees). As a powerful and cost-effective method, we finally propose the combination of imaging and wing-beat frequency analysis in an integrated instrument.
Evaluation of the Magnetocrystalline Anisotropy of Typical Materials Using MBN Technology
Authors: Wang Liting , He Cunfu , Liu Xiucheng
Published: May 2021

Magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN) signals in the stage from saturation to remanence of the hysteresis loop are closely correlated with magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy. MBN events in this stage are related to the nucleation and growth of reverse domains, and mainly affected by the crystallographic textures of materials. This paper aims to explore the angle-dependent magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy. Based on the consideration of macroscopic magnetic anisotropy, with the concept of coordinate transformation, a model was firstly established to simulate the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MCE) of a given material. Secondly, the MBN signals in different directions were tested with a constructed experimental system and the characteristic parameters extracted from the corresponding stage were used to evaluate the magnetic anisotropy of the material. Finally, the microstructures of 4 materials were observed with a metallographic microscope. The microtextures of local areas were measured with the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. The MBN experimental results obtained under different detection parameters showed significant differences. The optimal MBN detection parameters suitable for magnetic anisotropy research were determined and the experimental results were consistent with the results of MCE model. The study indicated that MBN technology was applicable to evaluate the MCE of pipeline steel and oriented silicon steel, especially pipeline steel.
Blockchain-Enabled Asynchronous Federated Learning in Edge Computing
Authors: Liu Yinghui , Qu Youyang , Xu Chenhao , Hao Zhicheng , Gu Bruce
Published: May 2021

The fast proliferation of edge computing devices brings an increasing growth of data, which directly promotes machine learning (ML) technology development. However, privacy issues during data collection for ML tasks raise extensive concerns. To solve this issue, synchronous federated learning (FL) is proposed, which enables the central servers and end devices to maintain the same ML models by only exchanging model parameters. However, the diversity of computing power and data sizes leads to a significant difference in local training data consumption, and thereby causes the inefficiency of FL. Besides, the centralized processing of FL is vulnerable to single-point failure and poisoning attacks. Motivated by this, we propose an innovative method, federated learning with asynchronous convergence (FedAC) considering a staleness coefficient, while using a blockchain network instead of the classic central server to aggregate the global model. It avoids real-world issues such as interruption by abnormal local device training failure, dedicated attacks, etc. By comparing with the baseline models, we implement the proposed method on a real-world dataset, MNIST, and achieve accuracy rates of 98.96% and 95.84% in both horizontal and vertical FL modes, respectively. Extensive evaluation results show that FedAC outperforms most existing models.
A Portable Waterproof EEG Acquisition Device for Dolphins
Authors: Yu Yanchao , Li Ni , Li Yan , Liu Wentao
Published: May 2021

The acquisition and analysis of EEG signals of dolphins, a highly intelligent creature, has always been a focus of the research of bioelectric signals. Prevailing cable-connected devices cannot be adapted to data acquisition very well when dolphins are in motion. Therefore, this study designs a novel, light-weighted, and portable EEG acquisition device aimed at relatively unrestricted EEG acquisition. An embedded main control board and an acquisition board were designed, and all modules are encapsulated in a 162 × 94 × 60 mm3 waterproof device box, which can be tied to the dolphin’s body by a silicon belt. The acquisition device uses customized suction cups with embedded electrodes and adopts a Bluetooth module for wireless communication with the ground station. The sampled signals are written to the memory card on board when the Bluetooth communication is blocked. A limited experiment was designed to verify the effectiveness of the device functionality onshore and underwater. However, more rigorous long-term tests on dolphins in various states with our device are expected in future to further prove its capability and study the movement-related artifacts.
Nanomechanical Molecular Mass Sensing Using Suspended Microchannel Resonators
Authors: Martín-Pérez Alberto , Ramos Daniel , Tamayo Javier , Calleja Montserrat
Published: May 2021

In this work we study the different phenomena taking place when a hydrostatic pressure is applied in the inner fluid of a suspended microchannel resonator. Additionally to pressure-induced stiffness terms, we have theoretically predicted and experimentally demonstrated that the pressure also induces mass effects which depend on both the applied pressure and the fluid properties. We have used these phenomena to characterize the frequency response of the device as a function of the fluid compressibility and molecular masses of different fluids ranging from liquids to gases. The proposed device in this work can measure the mass density of an unknown liquid sample with a resolution of 0.7 µg/mL and perform gas mixtures characterization by measuring its average molecular mass with a resolution of 0.01 atomic mass units.
On Combining Convolutional Autoencoders and Support Vector Machines for Fault Detection in Industrial Textures
Authors: Tellaeche Iglesias Alberto , Campos Anaya Miguel Ángel , Pajares Martinsanz Gonzalo , Pastor-López Iker
Published: May 2021

Defects in textured materials present a great variability, usually requiring ad-hoc solutions for each specific case. This research work proposes a solution that combines two machine learning-based approaches, convolutional autoencoders, CA; one class support vector machines, SVM. Both methods are trained using only defect free textured images for each type of analyzed texture, labeling the samples for the SVMs in an automatic way. This work is based on two image processing streams using image sensors: (1) the CA first processes the incoming image from the input to the output, producing a reconstructed image, from which a measurement of correct or defective image is obtained; (2) the second process uses the latent layer information as input to the SVM to produce a measurement of classification. Both measurements are effectively combined, making an additional research contribution. The results obtained achieve a percentage of success of 92% on average, outperforming results of previous works.
Continuous In-Line Chromium Coating Thickness Measurement Methodologies: An Investigation of Current and Potential Technology
Authors: Jones Adam , Uggalla Leshan , Li Kang , Fan Yuanlong , Willow Ashley , Mills Christopher A. , Copner Nigel
Published: May 2021

Coatings or films are applied to a substrate for several applications, such as waterproofing, corrosion resistance, adhesion performance, cosmetic effects, and optical coatings. When applying a coating to a substrate, it is vital to monitor the coating thickness during the coating process to achieve a product to the desired specification via real time production control. There are several different coating thickness measurement methods that can be used, either in-line or off-line, which can determine the coating thickness relative to the material of the coating and the substrate. In-line coating thickness measurement methods are often very difficult to design and implement due to the nature of the harsh environmental conditions of typical production processes and the speed at which the process is run. This paper addresses the current and novel coating thickness methodologies for application to chromium coatings on a ferro-magnetic steel substrate with their advantages and limitations regarding in-line measurement. The most common in-line coating thickness measurement method utilized within the steel packaging industry is the X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) method, but these systems can become costly when implemented for a wide packaging product and pose health and safety concerns due to its ionizing radiation. As technology advances, nanometer-scale coatings are becoming more common, and here three methods are highlighted, which have been used extensively in other industries (with several variants in their design) which can potentially measure coatings of nanometer thickness in a production line, precisely, safely, and do so in a non-contact and non-destructive manner. These methods are optical reflectometry, ellipsometry and interferometry.
Analysis of Older Adults in Spanish Care Facilities, Risk of Falling and Daily Activity Using Xiaomi Mi Band 2
Authors: Miranda-Duro María del Carmen , Nieto-Riveiro Laura , Concheiro-Moscoso Patricia , Groba Betania , Pousada Thais , Canosa Nereida , Pereira Javier
Published: May 2021

Background: Presently the use of technological devices such as wearable devices has emerged. Physical activity monitoring with wearable sensors is an easy and non-intrusive approach to encourage preventive care for older adults. It may be useful to follow a continuous assessment of the risk of falling. The objective is to explore the relationship between the daily activity measured by Xiaomi Mi Band 2 and the risk of falling of older adults residing in or attending care facilities. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on three different institutions located in Galicia (autonomous community) (Spain). Results: A total of 31 older adults were included in the study, with a mean age of 84 ± 8.71 years old. The main findings obtained were that a greater number of steps and distance could be related to a lower probability of falling, of dependency in basic activities of daily living, or of mobility problems. Conclusions: The importance of focusing on daily steps, intrinsically related to the objective assessment of daily physical activity, is that it is a modifiable factor that impacts different aspects of health and quality of life.
Recovering Texture with a Denoising-Process-Aware LMMSE Filter
Authors: Saito Yuta , Miyata Takamichi
Published: May 2021

Image denoising methods generally remove not only noise but also fine-scale textures and thus degrade the subjective image quality. In this paper, we propose a method of recovering the texture component that is lost under a state-of-the-art denoising method called weighted nuclear norm minimization (WNNM). We recover the image texture with a linear minimum mean squared error estimator (LMMSE filter), which requires statistical information about the texture and noise. This requirement is the key problem preventing the application of the LMMSE filter for texture recovery because such information is not easily obtained. We propose a new method of estimating the necessary statistical information using Stein’s lemma and several assumptions and show that our estimated information is more accurate than the simple estimation in terms of the Fréchet distance. Experimental results show that our proposed method can improve the objective quality of denoised images. Moreover, we show that our proposed method can also improve the subjective quality when an additional parameter is chosen for the texture to be added.
Successes and Challenges in Sustainable Development Goals Localisation for Host Communities around Kruger National Park
Authors: Mabibibi Mashudu Andra , Dube Kaitano , Thwala Konanani
Published: May 2021

Tourism has often been blamed for its unsustainable ways for a number of years now. Consequently, there have been efforts to ensure that tourism contributes to the host communities to address some of the sustainability challenges through responsible and sustainable tourism initiatives in the recent past. With less than nine years to go before the lapse of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is a need to take stock of how tourism enterprises such as national parks are contributing to the SDGs. This study examines how Kruger National Parks (KNP) is assisting the host communities in meeting the SDG goals and targets. The study made use of 30 in-depth key informant interviews, field observations and critical document analysis. The study found that regardless of the challenges it faces as an organization in partnering with host communities for developmental purposes, Kruger National Park has assisted communities to meet at least 15 out of the 17 SDGs. These span from social to economic, environmental and cultural SDGs. Since KNP’s projects address host community needs, several challenges need to be dealt with to ensure the sustainability of these projects post COVID-19 pandemic, which has undermined many nature tourism establishments worldwide. Besides the pandemic, there is a need to manage community expectations with regard to how far it can address some of the challenges faced by communities.