bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Resistance Mechanisms and Clinical Impact of Resistance to the Third Generation Cephalosporins in Species of Enterobacter cloacae Complex in Taiwan
Authors: Chang Chung-Yu , Huang Po-Hao , Lu Po-Liang
Published: August 2022

Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) is ubiquitous in the environment and is an important pathogen causing nosocomial infections. Because routine methods used in clinical laboratories cannot identify species within ECC, the clinical significance of each species within ECC is less known. We applied hsp60 gene sequencing to identify the species/clusters of ECC and detected β-lactamase genes and class 1 integrons with PCR for 184 clinical ECC isolates in Taiwan from 2013 to 2014 to investigate the clinical impact of species within ECC. The four most common clusters were E. hormaechei subsp. steigerwaltii (cluster VIII) (29.9%), E. hormaechei subsp. oharae (cluster VI) (20.1%), E. cloacae subsp. cloacae (cluster XI) (12%), and E. kobei (cluster II) (10.3%). E. hormaechei, which consisted of four clusters (clusters III, VI, VII, and VIII), is the predominant species and accounted for 57.1% of the isolates. The ceftazidime resistance rate was 27.2%, and the ceftriaxone resistance rate was 29.3%. Resistance to third generation cephalosporin was associated with a higher 30-day mortality rate. In total, 5 (2.7%), 24 (13.0%), and 1 (0.5%) isolates carried ESBL, AmpC, and carbapenemase genes, respectively. Class 1 integrons were present in 24.5% of the isolates, and most of the cassettes pertain to antibiotic resistance. Resistance to third generation cephalosporins, multidrug resistance, and class 1 integrons were significantly more in E. hormaechei (clusters III, VI, VII, and VIII) than in the other species. The 30-day mortality rate and 100-day mortality did not differ significantly between patients with E. hormaechei and those with infections with the other species. In conclusion, the distribution of third generation cephalosporin resistance, multidrug resistance, and class 1 integrons were uneven among Enterobacter species. The resistance to third generation cephalosporins possessed significant impact on patient outcome.
Current Positioning against Severe Infections Due to Klebsiella pneumoniae in Hospitalized Adults
Authors: Vidal-Cortés Pablo , Martin-Loeches Ignacio , Rodríguez Alejandro , Bou Germán , Cantón Rafael , Diaz Emili , De la Fuente Carmen , Torre-Cisneros Julián , Nuvials Francisco Xavier , Salavert Miguel , Aguilar Gerardo , Nieto Mercedes , Ramírez Paula , Borges Marcio , Soriano Cruz , Ferrer Ricard , Maseda Emilio , Zaragoza Rafael
Published: August 2022

Infections due to Klebsiella pneumoniae have been increasing in intensive care units (ICUs) in the last decade. Such infections pose a serious problem, especially when antimicrobial resistance is present. We created a task force of experts, including specialists in intensive care medicine, anaesthesia, microbiology and infectious diseases, selected on the basis of their varied experience in the field of nosocomial infections, who conducted a comprehensive review of the recently published literature on the management of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) infections in the intensive care setting from 2012 to 2022 to summarize the best available treatment. The group established priorities regarding management, based on both the risk of developing infections caused by K. pneumoniae and the risk of poor outcome. Moreover, we reviewed and updated the most important clinical entities and the new antibiotic treatments recently developed. After analysis of the priorities outlined, this group of experts established a series of recommendations and designed a management algorithm.
Hypothermia-Mediated Apoptosis and Inflammation Contribute to Antioxidant and Immune Adaption in Freshwater Drum, Aplodinotus grunniens
Authors: Chen Jianxiang , Li Hongxia , Xu Pao , Tang Yongkai , Su Shenyan , Liu Guangxiang , Wu Ningyuan , Xue Miaomiao , Yu Fan , Feng Wenrong , Song Changyou , Wen Haibo
Published: August 2022

Hypothermia-exposure-induced oxidative stress dysregulates cell fate and perturbs cellular homeostasis and function, thereby disturbing fish health. To evaluate the impact of hypothermia on the freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), an 8-day experiment was conducted at 25 °C (control group, Con), 18 °C (LT18), and 10 °C (LT10) for 0 h, 8 h, 1 d, 2 d, and 8 d. Antioxidant and non-specific immune parameters reveal hypothermia induced oxidative stress and immunosuppression. Liver ultrastructure alterations indicate hypothermia induced mitochondrial enlargement, nucleoli aggregation, and lipid droplet accumulation under hypothermia exposure. With the analysis of the transcriptome, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) induced by hypothermia were mainly involved in metabolism, immunity and inflammation, programmed cell death, and disease. Furthermore, the inflammatory response and apoptosis were evoked by hypothermia exposure in different immune organs. Interactively, apoptosis and inflammation in immune organs were correlated with antioxidation and immunity suppression induced by hypothermia exposure. In conclusion, these results suggest hypothermia-induced inflammation and apoptosis, which might be the adaptive mechanism of antioxidation and immunity in the freshwater drum. These findings contribute to helping us better understand how freshwater drum adjust to hypothermia stress.
Combined Antimicrobial Blue Light and Antibiotics as a Tool for Eradication of Multidrug-Resistant Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies
Authors: Woźniak Agata , Grinholc Mariusz
Published: August 2022

Increased development of resistance to antibiotics among microorganisms promotes the evaluation of alternative approaches. Within this study, we examined the efficacy of antimicrobial blue light (aBL) with routinely used antibiotics against multidrug-resistant isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus as combined alternative treatment. In vitro results of this study confirm that both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa can be sensitized to antibiotics, such as chloramphenicol, linezolid, fusidic acid or colistin, fosfomycin and ciprofloxacin, respectively. The assessment of increased ROS production upon aBL exposure and the changes in cell envelopes permeability were also goals that were completed within the current study. Moreover, the in vivo experiment revealed that, indeed, the synergy between aBL and antibiotic (chloramphenicol) occurs, and the results in the reduced bioluminescence signal of the S. aureus Xen31 strain used to infect the animal wounds. To conclude, we are the first to present the possible mechanism explaining the observed synergies among photoinactivation with blue light and antibiotics in the term of Gram-positive and Gram-negative representatives.
Full Regression of Peyronie’s Disease Plaque Following Combined Antioxidant Treatment: A Three-Case Report
Authors: Paulis Gianni , De Giorgio Giovanni
Published: August 2022

Peyronie’s disease (PD) is a fibrotic disorder of the tunica albuginea of the penis. Conservative medical therapy includes oral and/or injective active substances. Until now, only two PD patients who recovered after medical treatment are described in the literature. This article describes three new cases of PD patients who achieved complete resorption of plaque following antioxidant treatment. Case Presentations: Case 1. The patient was a 34-year-old man, a smoker, with lateral-left penile curvature (40 degrees), penile pain, and good penile rigidity. The patient was treated with combined therapy (oral antioxidants + Propolis creme). At follow-up, after about 29 months of treatment, we observed the disappearance of the acquired penile deformity. The ultrasound examination no longer showed any plaque. Case 2. The patient was a 32-year-old man with chronic prostatitis, penile lichen sclerosus, lateral-left penile curvature (10 degrees), a palpable lump, and good penile rigidity. The patient was treated with combined therapy (oral antioxidants + Propolis creme + penile injections of pentoxifylline). After 33 months of treatment, at follow-up, we observed the disappearance of the penile deformity. Ultrasound examinations no longer showed any plaque. Case 3. The patient was a 33-year-old man with penile pain, dorsal penile curvature (30 degrees), and good penile rigidity. The patient was treated with combined therapy (oral antioxidants + Propolis creme + penile injections of pentoxifylline). At follow-up, after 41 months of treatment, the penile pain was no longer present, and the ultrasound study no longer showed any plaque. Conclusions: Although our study presents a limited number of cases, it is a matter of fact that these patients obtained full regression in the affected area. We believe our experience may be very useful for urological clinical practice.
Bacterial Metabolite Reuterin Attenuated LPS-Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Response in HD11 Macrophages
Authors: Xu Yibin , Ding Xiaoqing , Wang Yuanyuan , Li Danlei , Xie Lingyu , Liang Shuang , Zhang Yunfeng , Li Weifen , Fu Aikun , Zhan Xiuan
Published: August 2022

Reuterin is well-known for its broad-spectrum antimicrobial ability, while the other potential bioactivity is not yet clear. The present study aims to investigate the immunomodulatory activity of reuterin on chicken macrophage HD11 cells for the first time and evaluate whether reuterin is able to regulate the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated inflammatory response. The results showed that the safe medication range of reuterin was less than 250 μM. Reuterin treatment for 6 h decreased the transcriptional of CD86, IL-1β and iNOS and increased the expression of CD206 in a dose-dependent way, but reuterin treatment for 12 h contrary increased the expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10. However, it was noticed that reuterin treatment for 12 h significantly decreased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and suppressed the phagocytosis activity of HD11 macrophages against bacteria. Further, the results showed that preincubation or coincubation with reuterin significantly attenuated the promotive effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on transcription of proinflammatory cytokines (including IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) and obviously inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production as well as the protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Meanwhile, Mechanism studies implied that reuterin might exert an anti-inflammatory effect on LPS-stimulated cells by downregulating the expression of TLR4/MyD88/TRAF6 and blocking the activation of NF-κB as well as MAPKs signaling pathways. Additionally, it was found that both pretreatment and cotreatment with reuterin remarkably inhibited the oxidative stress induced by LPS stimulation by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and enhancing the activities of antioxidative enzymes. These findings suggested the immunoregulatory function of reuterin and indicated this bacterial metabolite was able to inhibit the inflammation and oxidative stress of HD11 macrophages once exposed to LPS stimulation.
The Effect of Maternal Dietary Selenium Supplementation on Blood Antioxidant and Metabolic Status of Ewes and Their Lambs
Authors: Novoselec Josip , Klir Šalavardić Željka , Đidara Mislav , Novoselec Maja , Vuković Rosemary , Ćavar Suzana , Antunović Zvonko
Published: August 2022

This study investigated the effect of dietary selenium supplementation (organic and inorganic) of late-gestation ewes on blood selenium concentrations and metabolic and antioxidant status indicators in ewes and their lambs. In addition, the efficacy of selenium transfer from ewes to lambs during the suckling period was determined. The study was conducted on 30 Merinolandschaf ewes and their lambs and lasted four months. The feed mixture of the control group (group I) contained no added selenium, while the feed mixture of group II was enriched with 0.3 mg/kg of organic selenium sources and the third group with 0.3 mg/kg of inorganic selenium sources. In ewes and their lambs, selenium supplementation significantly (p < 0.01; p < 0.05) increased selenium concentration, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activity and decreased malondialdehyde concentration compared to the control group. Selenium supplementation had a positive effect on metabolism and hematological indicators in lambs. A positive correlation was found between antioxidant indicators in the whole blood of ewes and lambs. The good transfer of selenium from ewes to lambs was complemented by higher correlation coefficients when the feed mixture was supplemented with organic compared to inorganic selenium.
AMPK-Nrf2 Signaling Pathway in Phrenic Motoneurons following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Michel-Flutot Pauline , Efthimiadi Laurie , Djerbal Lynda , Deramaudt Therese B. , Bonay Marcel , Vinit Stéphane
Published: August 2022

High spinal cord injuries (SCI) induce the deafferentation of phrenic motoneurons, leading to permanent diaphragm paralysis. This involves secondary injury associated with pathologic and inflammatory processes at the site of injury, and at the level of phrenic motoneurons. In the present study, we evaluated the antioxidant response in phrenic motoneurons involving the AMPK-Nrf2 signaling pathway following C2 spinal cord lateral hemi-section in rats. We showed that there is an abrupt reduction in the expression of phosphorylated AMPK and Nrf2 at one hour post-injury in phrenic motoneurons. A rebound is then observed at one day post-injury, reflecting a return to homeostasis condition. In the total spinal cord around phrenic motoneurons, the increase in phosphorylated AMPK and Nrf2 occurred at three days post-injury, showing the differential antioxidant response between phrenic motoneurons and other cell types. Taken together, our results display the implication of the AMPK-Nrf2 signaling pathway in phrenic motoneurons’ response to oxidative stress following high SCI. Harnessing this AMPK-Nrf2 signaling pathway could improve the antioxidant response and help in spinal rewiring to these deafferented phrenic motoneurons to improve diaphragm activity in patients suffering high SCI.
The Role Played by Ferroptosis in Osteoarthritis: Evidence Based on Iron Dyshomeostasis and Lipid Peroxidation
Authors: Zhang Shaoyun , Xu Jiawen , Si Haibo , Wu Yuangang , Zhou Shengliang , Shen Bin
Published: August 2022

Ferroptosis, a recently discovered regulated cell death modality, is characterised by iron-dependent accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides, which can reach lethal levels but can be specifically reversed by ferroptosis inhibitors. Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common degenerative joint disease, is characterised by a complex pathogenesis involving mechanical overload, increased inflammatory mediator levels, metabolic alterations, and cell senescence and death. Since iron accumulation and oxidative stress are the universal pathological features of OA, the role played by ferroptosis in OA has been extensively explored. Increasing evidence has shown that iron dyshomeostasis and lipid peroxidation are closely associated with OA pathogenesis. Therefore, in this review, we summarize recent evidence by focusing on ferroptotic mechanisms and the role played by ferroptosis in OA pathogenesis from the perspectives of clinical findings, animal models, and cell research. By summarizing recent research advances that characterize the relationship between ferroptosis and OA, we highlight avenues for further research and potential therapeutic targets.
Propofol and α2-Agonists Attenuate Microglia Activation and Restore Mitochondrial Function in an In Vitro Model of Microglia Hypoxia/Reoxygenation
Authors: Longhitano Lucia , Distefano Alfio , Murabito Paolo , Astuto Marinella , Nicolosi Anna , Buscema Giovanni , Sanfilippo Filippo , Lazzarino Giuseppe , Amorini Angela Maria , Bruni Andrea , Garofalo Eugenio , Tibullo Daniele , Volti Giovanni Li
Published: August 2022

Cerebrovascular ischemia is a common clinical disease encompassing a series of complex pathophysiological processes in which oxidative stress plays a major role. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Dexmedetomidine, Clonidine, and Propofol in a model of hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. Microglial cells were exposed to 1%hypoxia for 3 h and reoxygenated for 3 h, and oxidative stress was measured by ROS formation and the expression of inflammatory process genes. Mitochondrial dysfunction was assessed by membrane potential maintenance and the levels of various metabolites involved in energetic metabolism. The results showed that Propofol and α2-agonists attenuate the formation of ROS during hypoxia and after reoxygenation. Furthermore, the α2-agonists treatment restored membrane potential to values comparable to the normoxic control and were both more effective than Propofol. At the same time, Propofol, but not α2-agonists, reduces proliferation (Untreated Hypoxia = 1.16 ± 0.2, Untreated 3 h Reoxygenation = 1.28 ± 0.01 vs. Propofol hypoxia = 1.01 ± 0.01 vs. Propofol 3 h Reoxygenation = 1.12 ± 0.03) and microglial migration. Interestingly, all of the treatments reduced inflammatory gene and protein expressions and restored energy metabolism following hypoxia/reoxygenation (ATP content in hypoxia/reoxygenation 3 h: Untreated = 3.11 ± 0.8 vs. Propofol = 7.03 ± 0.4 vs. Dexmedetomidine = 5.44 ± 0.8 vs. Clonidine = 7.70 ± 0.1), showing that the drugs resulted in a different neuroprotective profile. In conclusion, our results may provide clinically relevant insights for neuroprotective strategies in intensive care units.
Camellia sinensis L. Alleviates Pulmonary Inflammation Induced by Porcine Pancreas Elastase and Cigarette Smoke Extract
Authors: Shin Dong-Uk , Eom Ji-Eun , Song Hyeon-Ji , Jung Sun Young , Nguyen Thi Van , Lim Kyung Min , Chai Ok Hee , Kim Hyun-Jin , Kim Gun-Dong , Shin Hee Soon , Lee So-Young
Published: August 2022

Cigarette smoke (CS) is the major factor in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death worldwide. Furthermore, although Camellia sinensis (CN) has been known as an anti-inflammatory material, the effect of CN has not yet been known on pulmonary inflammation in COPD. Thus, we investigated the protective effects of Camellia sinensis L. extract (CLE) against pulmonary inflammation in porcine pancreas elastase (PPE) and a cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced COPD mouse model. Oral administration of CLE suppressed the symptoms such as infiltration of immune cells, cytokines/chemokines secretion, mucus hypersecretion, and injuries of the lung parenchyma. Increased inflammatory responses in COPD are mediated by various immune cells such as airway epithelial cells, neutrophils, and alveolar macrophages. Thus, we investigated the effect and mechanisms of CLE in H292, HL-60, and MH-S cells. The CLE inhibited the expression of IL-6, IL-8, MUC5AC and MUC5B on CSE/LPS-stimulated H292 cells and also suppressed the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps and secretion of neutrophil elastase by inhibiting reactive oxygen species in PMA-induced HL-60 cells. In particular, the CLE suppressed the release of cytokines and chemokines caused by activating the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B via the activation of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 and the heme oxygenase-1 pathway in CSE/LPS-stimulated MH-S cells. Therefore, we suggest that the CLE administration be the effective approach for treating or preventing chronic pulmonary diseases such as COPD induced by CS.
Contour Propagation for Radiotherapy Treatment Planning Using Nonrigid Registration and Parameter Optimization: Case Studies in Liver and Breast Cancer
Authors: Vargas-Bedoya Eliseo , Rivera Juan Carlos , Puerta Maria Eugenia , Angulo Aurelio , Wahl Niklas , Cabal Gonzalo
Published: August 2022

Radiotherapy treatments are carried out using computerized axial tomography. In radiation therapy planning, the radiation oncologist must do a manual segmentation of volumes of interest to delineate the organs that should be irradiated. This way of carrying out the process generates long execution times and introduces a subjective component. In this study, a contour-propagation algorithm is formulated to automate the segmentation, based on elastic registration or nonrigid demon registration. A heuristic algorithm to find the parameters that optimize the registration is also proposed. The parameters found along with the contour-propagation algorithm are able to estimate contours of scans with Dice similarity coefficients (DSC) greater than 0.92 and maintain stability with B-spline registration, which takes in the parameters found as input. The study allows for validating the results using the correlation coefficient (CC) to compare the similarity between the voxels’ gray-scale intensity of the estimated tomography and the original tomography, obtaining values greater than 0.96. These values were validated under medical criteria and applied to liver and breast CT scans, indicating good performance for radiation therapy planning.
Sodium Hypochlorite Accident during Canal Treatment: Report of Four Cases Documented According to New Standards
Authors: Salvadori Matteo , Venturi Giuseppe , Bertoletti Paolo , Francinelli Jacopo , Tonini Riccardo , Garo Maria Luisa , Salgarello Stefano
Published: August 2022

Hypochlorite accidents are relatively rare events. Therefore, there is a lack of precise and accurate reports in the scientific literature that could help clinicians better understand the phenomenon and associated risk factors. This study reported four hypochlorite accidents attributable to 5% NaOCl extrusion in patients who had undergone treatment of the maxillary elements canal treatments. In all cases, the accidents occurred during the irrigation phase and were characterised by intracanal bleeding, ecchymosis, and swelling on the hemiface corresponding to the treated tooth. Antibiotics, paracetamol, NSAID, corticosteroids, and cold or warm compresses for oedema were prescribed to treat the symptoms of the accidents. Significant improvement of symptoms was observed in all patients after 5–6 days. Anatomic risk factors such as apical fenestration, root perforation, and large foramina were identified as possible risk factors for the accidents. After the accidents, clinicians applied endodontic procedures for which there is no scientific evidence to continue endodontic treatments, such as changing the type of irrigant or the irrigation method. Our results suggest that using a standardised approach to document each hypochlorite accident will allow researchers to collect more accurate and detailed data that can subsequently be used to identify potential risk factors and better manage the symptomatology of hypochlorite accidents.
Safe, Smooth, and Fair Rule-Based Cooperative Lane Change Control for Sudden Obstacle Avoidance on a Multi-Lane Road
Authors: Asano Shinka , Ishihara Susumu
Published: August 2022

When an unexpected obstacle occupies some of the lanes on a multi-lane highway, connected vehicles (CVs) may be able to avoid it cooperatively. For example, a CV that detects the obstacle first can immediately notify the following vehicles of the obstacle by using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. In turn, the following vehicles can take action to avoid the obstacle smoothly using wide range behind the obstacle without sacrificing safety and ride comfort. In this study, we propose a method to realize safe, smooth, and fair wide-range cooperative lane changing, reacting to a sudden obstacle on the road. The proposed method is based on the authors’ previous work, which utilizes multi-hop communication to share the obstacle position and controls the inter-vehicular distance of vehicles away from the obstacle to assist in a smooth lane changing operation, while existing lane-changing methods for CVs focus on microscopic operation around the obstacle. Though the previous work treats only a two-lane road, the proposed method is extended to work on a three- or more lane road assuming only one lane is blocked. In the proposed scheme, each vehicle approaching the obstacle selects a lane to change to in accordance with the obstacle’s location and the vehicle density in each lane estimated from the beacon messages broadcast by each CV, thereby improving traffic fairness among all lanes without degrading safety or ride comfort. We confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed scheme on realizing fairness among lanes, safety, ride comfort, and traffic throughput through comprehensive simulations of a two-lane road and a three-lane road with various traffic scenarios.
Protective Effect of Ectoin on UVA/H2O2-Induced Oxidative Damage in Human Skin Fibroblast Cells
Authors: Cheng Wenjing , An Quan , Zhang Jiachan , Shi Xiuqin , Wang Changtao , Li Meng , Zhao Dan
Published: August 2022

Ectoin is an amino acid derivative that can create a balance between the osmotic pressure of cells and can protect enzymes, DNA proteins, and nucleic acids under extreme conditions. Ectoin has also been reported to slow skin aging. However, there are few reports on the protective effect of Ectoin on oxidative damage, especially on the regulation of PI3K/AKT-pathway-related genes at the mRNA level. UVA-induced oxidative stress injury and H2O2-induced oxidative stress injury are two common oxidative stress injury models. Skin fibroblasts produce a large number of ROS following excessive UV radiation or oxidative stimulation by H2O2, which further inhibits cell proliferation and causes cell apoptosis. In this study, UVA- and H2O2-induced oxidation models of human skin fibroblasts were established separately to investigate the protective effect of Ectoin. Further studies on the mechanisms involved, for example, the expression levels of genes associated with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and levels of antioxidant enzymes in cells, were determined. We found that Ectoin upregulated genes associated with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, including COL1A1, COL1A2, FN1, IGF2, NR4A1, and PIK3R1, but decreased intracellular ROS levels and malondialdehyde (MDA), while increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). In conclusion, our results indicate that Ectoin exerts protective properties by the upregulated genes COL1A1, COL1A2, FN1, IGF2, NR4A1, and PIK3R1 and upregulating antioxidative enzyme levels.
Development of a Novel Object Detection System Based on Synthetic Data Generated from Unreal Game Engine
Authors: Rasmussen Ingeborg , Kvalsvik Sigurd , Andersen Per-Arne , Aune Teodor Nilsen , Hagen Daniel
Published: August 2022

This paper presents a novel approach to training a real-world object detection system based on synthetic data utilizing state-of-the-art technologies. Training an object detection system can be challenging and time-consuming as machine learning requires substantial volumes of training data with associated metadata. Synthetic data can solve this by providing unlimited desired training data with automatic generation. However, the main challenge is creating a balanced dataset that closes the reality gap and generalizes well when deployed in the real world. A state-of-the-art game engine, Unreal Engine 4, was used to approach the challenge of generating a photorealistic dataset for deep learning model training. In addition, a comprehensive domain randomized environment was implemented to create a robust dataset that generalizes the training data well. The randomized environment was reinforced by adding high-dynamic-range image scenes. Finally, a modern neural network was used to train the object detection system, providing a robust framework for an adaptive and self-learning model. The final models were deployed in simulation and in the real world to evaluate the training. The results of this study show that it is possible to train a real-world object detection system on synthetic data. However, the models showcase a lot of potential for improvements regarding the stability and confidence of the inference results. In addition, the paper provides valuable insight into how the number of assets and training data influence the resulting model.
Robust Distributed Rendezvous Using Multiple Robots with Variable Range Radars
Authors: Cho Chunhyung , Kim Jonghoek
Published: August 2022

This paper considers multi-robot systems, such that each robot has a radar for detecting its neighbor robots. We consider a practical scenario in which a radar sensor contains measurement noise, and the environmental disturbance generates process noise in a robot’s maneuvering. We consider a 3D scenario such that the network can be split initially. For instance, complete failures of one or more robots can split the network. Considering 3D environments, the goal of our paper is to let all robots rendezvous in a distributed manner so that the network connectivity can be recovered even after the network is split. Robust distributed rendezvous control is designed so that the network connectivity is maintained (or recovered) during the maneuvering of a robot. To recover the network connectivity, we adaptively control the robot’s radar footprint by increasing the transmission power level (adjust the amplifier in the transmitter). To the best of our knowledge, this paper is novel in applying a radar with a variable sensing range in order to make all robots rendezvous in 3D environments. We address MATLAB simulations to demonstrate the outperformance of our rendezvous approach with variable range radars by comparing it with the state-of-the-art in multi-robot rendezvous controls.
Advances in the Multiphase Vortex-Induced Vibration Detection Method and Its Vital Technology for Sustainable Industrial Production
Authors: Li Lin , Yang Yuanshan , Xu Weixin , Lu Bin , Gu Zeheng , Yang Jianguo , Tan Dapeng
Published: August 2022

Fluid-induced vibration detection technology for the multiphase sink vortex can help achieve efficient, safe, and low-carbon sustainable industrial production in various areas such as the marine, aerospace, and metallurgy industries. This paper systematically describes the basic principles and research status in light of the important issues related to this technology in recent years. The primary issues that occur in practical application are highlighted. The vital technologies involved, such as the vortex-formation mechanism, interface dynamic evolution, the shock vibration response of thin-walled shells, and vortex-induced vibration signal processing algorithms, are analyzed. Based on in-depth knowledge of the technology, some significant scientific challenges are investigated, and further research prospects are suggested. The research results show that this technology can achieve the real-time detection of vortex-induced vibration states. Two future research directions are those of exploring multiphysical field coupling under harsh conditions and more accurate modeling methods for multiphase coupling interfaces. Regarding vortex-induced vibration, forced-vibration characters with various restriction conditions, the forced-vibration displacement response of liquid-filled shells, intrinsic properties influenced by random excitation forces, and highly effective distortion-detection algorithms will continue to attract more attention. The associated results could give technical support to various fields, including energy-efficiency improvement in manufacturing processes, tidal power generation condition monitoring, and the performance optimization of low-carbon energy components.
Temporal Subtraction Technique for Thoracic MDCT Based on Residual VoxelMorph
Authors: Miyake Noriaki , Lu Huinmin , Kamiya Tohru , Aoki Takatoshi , Kido Shoji
Published: August 2022

The temporal subtraction technique is a useful tool for computer aided diagnosis (CAD) in visual screening. The technique subtracts the previous image set from the current one for the same subject to emphasize temporal changes and/or new abnormalities. However, it is difficult to obtain a clear subtraction image without subtraction image artifacts. VoxelMorph in deep learning is a useful method, as preparing large training datasets is difficult for medical image analysis, and the possibilities of incorrect learning, gradient loss, and overlearning are concerns. To overcome this problem, we propose a new method for generating temporal subtraction images of thoracic multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) images based on ResidualVoxelMorph, which introduces a residual block to VoxelMorph to enable flexible positioning at a low computational cost. Its high learning efficiency can be expected even with a limited training set by introducing residual blocks to VoxelMorph. We performed our method on 84 clinical images and evaluated based on three-fold cross-validation. The results showed that the proposed method reduced subtraction image artifacts on root mean square error (RMSE) by 11.3% (p < 0.01), and its effectiveness was verified. That is, the proposed temporal subtraction method for thoracic MDCT improves the observer’s performance.
Electro-Optic Sensor for Measuring Electrostatic Fields in the Frequency Domain
Authors: Cristiano Antonio , Krupa Michal , Hill Richard
Published: August 2022

Precise measurements of electrostatic fields in harsh environments are required in fields ranging from particle accelerators to industrial installations. Many techniques disrupt the field distribution due to the presence of conductors. We present a fully dielectric sensor for very harsh environmental conditions, that exploits the Pockels effect manifested by electro-optic crystals. This system is designed to allow DC measurements to be performed in the frequency domain. The paper discusses an analytical model and simulations of the system, validated with experimental results. The working principle of the measurement technique is explained in detail along the known limitations and possible solutions to further increase the performance.
Image Dehazing Algorithm Based on Deep Learning Coupled Local and Global Features
Authors: Li Shuping , Yuan Qianhao , Zhang Yeming , Lv Baozhan , Wei Feng
Published: August 2022

To address the problems that most convolutional neural network-based image defogging algorithm models capture incomplete global feature information and incomplete defogging, this paper proposes an end-to-end convolutional neural network and vision transformer hybrid image defogging algorithm. First, the shallow features of the haze image were extracted by a preprocessing module. Then, a symmetric network structure including a convolutional neural network (CNN) branch and a vision transformer branch was used to capture the local features and global features of the haze image, respectively. The mixed features were fused using convolutional layers to cover the global representation while retaining the local features. Finally, the features obtained by the encoder and decoder were fused to obtain richer feature information. The experimental results show that the proposed defogging algorithm achieved better defogging results in both the uniform and non-uniform haze datasets, solves the problems of dark and distorted colors after image defogging, and the recovered images are more natural for detail processing.
Identifying Irregular Financial Operations Using Accountant Comments and Natural Language Processing Techniques
Authors: Rudžionis Vytautas , Lopata Audrius , Gudas Saulius , Butleris Rimantas , Veitaitė Ilona , Dilijonas Darius , Grišius Evaldas , Zwitserloot Maarten , Rudzioniene Kristina
Published: August 2022

Finding not typical financial operations is a complicated task. The difficulties arise not only due to the sophisticated actions of fraudsters but also because of the large number of financial operations performed by business companies. This is especially true for large companies. It is highly desirable to have a tool to reduce the number of potentially irregular operations significantly. This paper presents an implementation of NLP-based algorithms to identify irregular financial operations using comments left by accountants. The comments are freely written and usually very short remarks used by accountants for personal information. Implementation of content analysis using cosine similarity showed that identification of the type of operation using the comments of accountants is very likely. Further comment content analysis and financial data analysis showed that it could be expected to reduce the number of potentially suspicious operations significantly: analysis of more than half a million financial records of Dutch companies enabled the identification of 0.3% operations that may be potentially suspicious. This could make human financial auditing easier and more robust task.
Determination of the Length of the Rock Bolts for Tunnels with Consideration of the Nonlinear Rheological Behavior of Squeezing Rock
Authors: Jiang Yu , Li Ning , Jiang Hao-Hong , Zhou Ming-Liang , Zhang Jiao-Long
Published: August 2022

An accurate model for the prediction of the rheological behavior of surrounding rocks is essential to the designing of rock bolts for tunnels under squeezing conditions. Our understanding of the state of the art suggests that the rheology of rock consists of the transient, the steady-state, and the accelerated regimes. Thus, a visco-elastic-plastic rheological model, namely the Komamura-Huang-Bingham model, was developed. The model used the Drucker-Prager yield criterion in order to consider the effects of the intermediate principal stress on the strength of the rock mass. The developed model was implemented in the framework of finite element simulations. It was validated by comparing the simulation results with the on-site monitoring data. The focus of the simulations was on the mechanical behavior of the rock bolts and the surrounding rock mechanics during the construction of the tunnel. A sensitivity analysis was performed with respect to the length of the bolts and the stress-to-strength ratio of the rock was performed. It was shown that increasing the length of the bolts up to 9 m results in a reduction in rock deformation. This critical value of the bolts’ length is approximately equal to the diameter of the investigated tunnel. A further increase in the length results in an insignificant reduction in the deformation of the surrounding rock. In the case of the Class A and B squeezing conditions suggested by Hoek, the deformation of the surrounding rock is insensitive to the length of the bolts. The elongation of the bolts does not change considerably with time, which is in contrast to the Class C and D squeezing conditions. The extent of the plastic zone is related to time and in situ stress but is independent of the length of the bolts. This is consistent with the characteristics of the nonlinear rheology of rock mass.
Characterization and Biological Evaluation of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized from Pleurotus ostreatus Mushroom
Authors: Mkhize Senzosenkosi Surprise , Pooe Ofentse Jacob , Khoza Sandile , Mongalo Ishmael Nkoana , Khan Rene , Simelane Mthokozisi Blessing Cedric
Published: August 2022

This study aimed to biosynthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using Pleurotus ostreatus to achieve a simple ecofriendly method, and further evaluate antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity towards HepG2 and Hek293 cells. The nanoparticles were characterized through UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for antimicrobial activity and MTT assay for cytotoxicity were conducted in vitro. The study revealed an efficient, simple, and ecofriendly method for synthesis of ZnO NPs that have antimicrobial activity. UV-Vis showed peaks at 340 and 400 nm, and the bioactive compounds found in the mushroom acted as capping, reducing, and stabilizing agents. TEM characterized NPs as an amorphous nanosheet, with preferential orientation as projected by SAED patterns. The spherical and agglomerated morphology was observed on SEM, with EDX proving the presence of Zn and O, while XRD indicated a crystallite size of 7.50 nm and a stable nature (zeta potential of −23.3 mV). High cytotoxicity on Hek293 and HepG2 cells was noted for ZnO NPs. The study provides an alternative, ecofriendly method for biosynthesis of ZnO NPs that have antibacterial activity and potential use in cancer treatment.
A Hybrid Method for Structural Modal Parameter Identification Based on IEMD/ARMA: A Numerical Study and Experimental Model Validation
Authors: Fu Chun , Jiang Shao-Fei
Published: August 2022

This article presents a hybrid method of structural modal parameter identification, based on improved empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and autoregressive and moving average (ARMA). Special attention is given to some implementation issues, such as the modal mixing, false modes, the judgment of the real intrinsic mode function (IMF) of classical EMD, and the difficulty of fixing the order of ARMA. To resolve the existing defects of EMD, an improved EMD (IEMD) that combines frequency band filtering and cluster analysis is proposed in this paper, where frequency band filtering divides the signal into several narrowband signals before the EMD process, and cluster analysis is used to determine the real IMFs. Euclidean distance is used to cluster the decomposition results, with no need to adjust any indexes or thresholds, and only by means of using the nearest distance to efficiently determine the real IMF. Moreover, IEMD is used as a pre-processing tool for ARMA, to resolve the difficulty of fixing its order. The capabilities of the proposed method were compared and assessed using a numerical simulation and an experimental model. The numerical simulation and experimental results showed that the improved method could resolve the modal mixing and false modal problems in the classical EMD process and could automatically identified the real IMFs, while the proposed IEMD was combined with ARMA to successfully identify the frequency and mode shape of the structure. Additionally, since each IMF is a single component signal, it is easy to determine the order of the ARMA model.
Land Use Identification through Social Network Interaction
Authors: Aguilar-Ruiz Jesus S. , Pauca-Quispe Diana C. , Butron-Revilla Cinthya , Suarez-Lopez Ernesto , Aranibar-Tila Karla
Published: August 2022

The Internet generates large volumes of data at a high rate, in particular, posts on social networks. Although social network data have numerous semantic adulterations and are not intended to be a source of geo-spatial information, in the text of posts we find pieces of important information about how people relate to their environment, which can be used to identify interesting aspects of how human beings interact with portions of land based on their activities. This research proposes a methodology for the identification of land uses using Natural Language Processing (NLP) from the contents of the popular social network Twitter. It will be approached by identifying keywords with linguistic patterns from the text, and the geographical coordinates associated with the publication. Context-specific innovations are introduced to deal with data across South America and, in particular, in the city of Arequipa, Peru. The objective is to identify the five main land uses: residential, commercial, institutional-governmental, industrial-offices and unbuilt land. Within the framework of urban planning and sustainable urban management, the methodology contributes to the optimization of the identification techniques applied for the updating of land use cadastres, since the results achieved an accuracy of about 90%, which motivates its application in the real context. In addition, it would allow the identification of land use categories at a more detailed level, in situations such as a complex/mixed distribution building based on the amount of data collected. Finally, the methodology makes land use information available in a more up-to-date fashion and, above all, avoids the high economic cost of the non-automatic production of land use maps for cities, mostly in developing countries.
Multiobjective Optimization Design for a MR Damper Based on EBFNN and MOPSO
Authors: Liu Leping , Xu Yinan , Zhou Feng , Hu Guoliang , Yu Lifan , He Chang
Published: August 2022

The structural parameters of the magnetorheological (MR) damper significantly affect the output damping force and dynamic range. This paper presents a design optimization method to improve the damping performance of a novel MR damper with a bended magnetic circuit and folded flow gap. The multiobjective optimization of the structural parameters of this MR damper was carried out based on the optimal Latin hypercube design (Opt LHD), ellipsoidal basis function neural network (EBFNN), and multiobjective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO). By using the Opt LHD and EBFNN, determination of the optimization variables on the structural parameters was conducted, and a prediction model was proposed for further optimization. Then, the MOPSO algorithm was adopted to obtain the optimal structure of the MR damper. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the damping performance indicators of the optimal MR damper were greatly improved. The simulation results show that the damping force increased from 4585 to 6917 N, and the gain was optimized by 50.8%. The dynamic range increased from 12.4 to 13.2, which was optimized by 6.4%. The experimental results show that the damping force and dynamic range of the optimal MR damper were increased to 7247 N and 13.8, respectively.
Influence of Non-Thermal Plasma on the Quality and Nutritional Content of Palm Dates
Authors: Lotfy Khaled , Al-Qahtani Salem Mesfir , Al-Harbi Nadi Awad , El-Absy Karima Mohamed , Bu Shulaybi Faisal A. , Alali Saeed A. , Mashtoly Tamer A.
Published: August 2022

In this work, the surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) plasma treatment was used to sterilize the palm date fruits. N2SPS, N2FNS, and hydroxyl radical have emerged in the emission spectrum of the plasma from SDBD. The effects of SDBD plasma on A. niger that was extracted from palm date varieties were investigated. After 15 days of incubation, the reduction of A. niger at a 3 min exposure time was 4 log. The total phenolic content of the Ajwa variety after SDBD plasma treatment has been documented as the highest value among the other varieties; it was 1.65-fold of the untreated one. The treated Ajwa variety using SDBD plasma has recorded the highest increase in antioxidant activity; it was increased to 67.69% compared to the control one. After SDBD plasma treatment, the HMF was not detected in the Maghol variety. According to the PCA model, the first two PCs demonstrated strong positive correlations with most of the examined variables and demonstrated a strong positive correlation between these variables when assessed in both untreated and treated with SDBD plasma of palm date types in this stud.
Cloud Storage Data Verification Using Signcryption Scheme
Authors: Witanto Elizabeth Nathania , Lee Sang-Gon
Published: August 2022

Cloud computing brings convenience to the users by providing computational resources and services. However, it comes with security challenges, such as unreliable cloud service providers that could threaten users’ data integrity. Therefore, we need a data verification protocol to ensure users’ data remains intact in the cloud storage. The data verification protocol has three important properties: public verifiability, privacy preservation, and blockless verification. Unfortunately, various existing signcryption schemes do not fully provide those important properties. As a result, we propose an improved version of a signcryption technique based on the short signature ZSS that can fulfill the aforementioned data verification important properties. Our computational cost and time complexity assessment demonstrates that our suggested scheme can offer more characteristics at the same computational cost as another ZSS signcryption scheme.