bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Capacitive Humidity Sensing Performance at Room Temperature via Hydrogen Bonding of Cyanopyridone-Based Oligothiophene Donor
Authors: Ali Salman , Jameel Mohammed A. , Harrison Christopher J. , Gupta Akhil , Evans Richard A. , Shafiei Mahnaz , Langford Steven J.
Published: November 2021

Cyanopyridone-based oligothiophene donors with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic characters have been evaluated as active layers within simple capacitive devices for humidity sensing at room temperature. Surface studies using atomic force microscopy revealed a self-assembled nanofibrous network with a thin needle-like structure for the terminal hydroxy example (CP6), devoid in the methyl example (CP1). The sensing performance of each sensor was investigated over a broad range of relative humidity levels as a function of capacitance at room temperature. The sensor CP6 demonstrated favourable features such as high sensitivity (12.2 pF/%RH), quick response/recovery (13 s/20.7 s), wide working range of relative humidity (10%–95% RH), low hysteresis (0.57%), outstanding recyclability, and excellent long-term stability. From the results obtained, hydrophilicity and hydrogen bonding appear to play a vital role in enhancing humidity sensing performance, leading to possible new design directions for simple organic semiconductor-based sensors.
The Effect of Subcutaneous and Intraperitoneal Instillation of Local Anesthetics on Postoperative Pain after Laparoscopic Varicocelectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Pogorelić Zenon , Gaberc Tea , Jukić Miro , Tintor Goran , Nevešćanin Biliškov Ana , Mrklić Ivana , Jerončić Ana
Published: November 2021

Background: The main goal of the present randomized clinical trial was to investigate the effects of subcutaneous administration of two different local anesthetics at trocar incision sites at the abdominal wall in combination with intraoperative intraperitoneal instillation of local anesthetics, on the character of postoperative pain, in adolescents who underwent laparoscopic varicocelectomy. Methods: A total of 60 patients with a median age of 16 years, who received laparoscopic varicocele repair, were included in this randomized clinical trial. The patients were randomly assigned to three study groups receiving 2% lidocaine, 0.5% levobupivacaine, or the control group. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used by a blinded nurse at four different time points (2, 6, 12 and 24 h after the surgery) to measure pain intensity. Results: The significant effect of time on the pain intensity (p = 0.001) was found. Additionally, the interaction between time and different local analgesics (p < 0.001) was observed. In patients in whom 0.5% levobupivacaine has been used, significantly lower VAS pain scores were recorded at each time point assessed, in comparison with the patients who received 2% lidocaine or the patients from the control group in whom no local anesthetic was applied (p < 0.001). Furthermore, in patients in whom 2% lidocaine was administrated, significantly lower pain levels according to VAS were reported than in those from the control group, except for the time point at 24 h after surgery when pain levels were comparable. Concerning the postoperative pain control, the number of patients who requested oral analgesics postoperatively was significantly lower in the group of patients in whom local anesthetic was administrated intraoperatively (2% lidocaine—n = 4, 20%; 0.5% levobupivacaine—n = 1, 5%) compared to the patients who did not receive any local anesthetic during the surgery (n = 13; 65%) (p < 0.001). Conclusion: A significant reduction in postoperative pain intensity and analgesics consumption in patients undergoing laparoscopic varicocelectomy who received intraoperative local anesthetic was observed. The best effect on postoperative pain intensity, according to the VAS score, was achieved by 0.5% levobupivacaine.
Nutritional Status and Associated Risk Factors of Syrian Children’s Residents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: AlZoubi Khaled M. , Alshammari Ghedeir M. , AL-Khalifah Abdulrahman S. , Mohammed Mohammed A. , Aljuhani Hind E. , Yahya Mohammed A.
Published: November 2021

This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status and associated risk factors of Syrian children living in Saudi Arabia. In this study, 55 boys and 55 girls ranging in age from 6 to 12 years were selected. Socioeconomic data of families were collected using a structured questionnaire. The participants’ anthropometric measurements were calculated. The 24-h recall method was applied to calculate the daily food intake. Dietary nutrients’ average daily intake of both boys and girls was significantly (p ≤ 0.01) lower than that of the dietary reference intake (DRI) with few exceptions. The sedentary lifestyles of both boys and girls had a negative impact on their food choices, and as a result, a large number of them were underweight and suffered from malnutrition and stunting. Spearman correlation coefficients revealed that most of the children’s dependent variables were risk factors and strongly and negatively associated with their nutritional status proxies. The study concluded that both boys and girls had unbalanced nutritional status with high percentages of malnutrition and stunting because most dependent factors were adversely related to the independent ones.
Modern Use of Water Produced by Purification of Municipal Wastewater: A Case Study
Authors: Tomassi Giorgia , Romano Pietro , Di Giacomo Gabriele
Published: November 2021

All the urban areas of developed countries have hydric distribution grids and sewage systems for collecting municipal wastewater to treatment plants. In this way, the municipal wastewater is purified from human excreta and other minor contaminants while producing excess sludges and purified water. In arid and semi-arid areas of the world, the purified water can be used, before discharging, to enhance the energy efficiency of seawater desalination and solve the problems of marine pollution created by desalination plants. Over the past half-century, seawater desalination has gradually met demand in urbanized, oil-rich, arid areas. At the same time, technological evolution has made it possible to significantly increase the energy efficiency of the plants and reduce the unit cost of the produced water. However, for some years, these trends have flattened out. The purified water passes through the hybridized desalination plant and produces renewable osmotic energy before the final discharge in the sea to restart the descent behaviour. Current technological development of reverse osmosis (RO), pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) and very efficient energy recovery devices (ERDs) allows this. Furthermore, it is reasonable to predict that, in the short-medium term, a new generation of membranes specifically designed for improving the performance of the pressure retarded osmosis will be available. In such circumstances, the presently estimated 13-20% decrease of the specific energy consumption will improve up to more than 30%. With the hybrid plant, the salinity of the final discharged brine is like that of seawater, while the adverse effect of GHG emission will be significantly mitigated.
Vortex Formation Times in the Glottal Jet, Measured in a Scaled-Up Model
Authors: Krane Michael
Published: November 2021

In this paper, the timing of vortex formation on the glottal jet is studied using previously published velocity measurements of flow through a scaled-up model of the human vocal folds. The relative timing of the pulsatile glottal jet and the instability vortices are acoustically important since they determine the harmonic and broadband content of the voice signal. Glottis exit jet velocity time series were extracted from time-resolved planar DPIV measurements. These measurements were acquired at four glottal flow speeds (uSS = 16.1–38 cm/s) and four glottis open times (To = 5.67–23.7 s), providing a Reynolds number range Re = 4100–9700 and reduced vibration frequency f* = 0.01−0.06. Exit velocity waveforms showed temporal behavior on two time scales, one that correlates to the period of vibration and another characterized by short, sharp velocity peaks (which correlate to the passage of instability vortices through the glottis exit plane). The vortex formation time, estimated by computing the time difference between subsequent peaks, was shown to be not well-correlated from one vibration cycle to the next. The principal finding is that vortex formation time depends not only on cycle phase, but varies strongly with reduced frequency of vibration. In all cases, a strong high-frequency burst of vortex motion occurs near the end of the cycle, consistent with perceptual studies using synthesized speech.
Influence of Domestic Cooking on Quality, Nutrients and Bioactive Substances of Undaria pinnatifida
Authors: Jiang Shan , Wang Yida , Song Haolin , Ren Jiaying , Zhao Baomin , Zhu Taihai , Yu Chenxu , Qi Hang
Published: November 2021

Undaria pinnatifida (UP) is a brown algae commonly consumed as food in Asian countries. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of different domestic cooking methods (i.e., air frying (AF), microwaving, and high temperature and pressure (HTP) cooking) on the nutritional and bioactive substances in UP, as well as on UP color and texture, in order to identify methods to retain beneficial components better. In this study, microwave treatment resulted in better retention of color, polysaccharide (4.17 ± 0.07 mg glucose equivalents (GE)/g dry weight (dw) ), total phenol content (TPC) (1.50 ± 0.0062 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dw) as well as chlorophyll a (18.18 ± 0.41 mg/g fresh weight (fw) ) and fucoxanthin (281.78 ± 17.06 μg/g dw). HTP treatment increased the TPC of UP (1.69 ± 0.0075 mg GAE/g dw), and AF treatment resulted in a lower loss of total amino acids (2.14 ± 0.15%). Overall, microwave cooking appeared to be the best among the three in producing cooked UP with high quality. This study provided a useful guideline in selection of cooking for UP which could retain more health-beneficial substances and yield products with better eating qualities to improve human diet.
Determination of Multiple Mycotoxins and Their Natural Occurrence in Edible Vegetable Oils Using Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Junsai Thammaporn , Poapolathep Saranya , Sutjarit Samak , Giorgi Mario , Zhang Zhaowei , Logrieco Antonio Francesco , Li Peiwu , Poapolathep Amnart
Published: November 2021

The prevalence of mycotoxins is often increased by the climatic conditions prevailing in tropical regions. Reports have revealed the contamination of mycotoxins in some types of vegetable oil. However, vegetable oil is one of the essential ingredients used in food preparation. Thus, this study determined the occurrence of multi-mycotoxins in six types of vegetable oils commercially available in Thailand to assess the consumer health risk. In total, 300 vegetable oil samples (olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, and rice bran oil) collected from various markets in Thailand were analyzed for the presence of nine mycotoxins, namely, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1), aflatoxin G2 (AFG2), beauvericin (BEA), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEA), fumonisin B1 (FB1), and fumonisin B2 (FB2) using a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS)-based procedure and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source. The incidences of mycotoxin contamination varied among the different types of oil samples. AFB1, AFB2, ZEA, FB1, and FB2 were most frequently found in contaminated samples. AFB2, BEA, ZEA, FB1, and FB2 contaminated olive oil samples, whereas AFB1, AFB2, AFG2, and OTA contaminated palm oil samples. AFB1, AFB2, and ZEA were found in soybean oils, whereas ZEA, FB1, and FB2 contaminated corn oil samples. AFB1 and AFG1 contaminated sunflower oil samples, whereas AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and OTA were detected in rice bran oil samples. However, the contamination levels of the analyzed mycotoxins were below the regulatory limits.
Synthesis, Controlled Release, and Stability on Storage of Chitosan-Thyme Essential Oil Nanocapsules for Food Applications
Authors: González-Reza Ricardo M. , Hernández-Sánchez Humberto , Quintanar-Guerrero David , Alamilla-Beltrán Liliana , Cruz-Narváez Yair , Zambrano-Zaragoza María L.
Published: November 2021

The nanoencapsulation of thyme essential oil has been greatly important in food science, given its remarkable antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity. However, its analysis in storage has not been established in terms of physical stability, antioxidant capacity, and release studies. In this paper, chitosan-thyme oil nanocapsules were prepared by the ionic gelation method. These were characterized for differential calorimetry, release kinetic, and infrared spectroscopy. The chitosan-thyme oil nanocapsules were stored at 4 and 25 °C for 5 weeks, the changes in particle size, zeta potential, stability (diffuse reflectance), and antioxidant capacity were analyzed and associated with nanocapsules’ functionality. The results show that the storage time and temperature significantly modify the particle size (keeping the nano-size throughout the storage), the release of the bioactive was Fickian with t0.193 according to Korsmery & Peppas and best described by Higuchi model associated with changes in the zeta potential from 8 mV to −11 mV at 4 °C. The differential scanning calorimetry and infrared spectroscopy results confirm the good integration of the components. The antioxidant capacity revealed a direct relationship with residual oil concentration with a decrease in the ABTS test of 15% at 4 °C and 37% at 25 °C. The residual bioactive content was 77% at 4 °C and 62% at 25 °C, confirming nanoencapsulation effectiveness. The present investigation provides helpful information so that these systems can be applied in food conservation.
Preparation and Characterization of Curcumin Nanoemulgel Utilizing Ultrasonication Technique for Wound Healing: In Vitro, Ex Vivo, and In Vivo Evaluation
Authors: Algahtani Mohammed S. , Ahmad Mohammad Zaki , Nourein Ihab Hamed , Albarqi Hassan A. , Alyami Hamad S. , Alyami Mohammad H. , Alqahtani Abdulsalam A. , Alasiri Ali , Algahtani Thamer S. , Mohammed Abdul Aleem , Ahmad Javed
Published: November 2021

Hydrogels being a drug delivery system has great significance particularly for topical application in cutaneous open wound. Its specific physicochemical properties such as non-adhesiveness, moisture retention, exudate absorption, and gas permeability make them ideal as a drug delivery vehicle for wound healing application. Further, curcumin (a natural bioactive) was selected as a therapeutic agent to incorporate into the hydrogel system to design and develop nanogel pharmaceutical products for wound healing. Although, curcumin possesses remarkable anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-infective activity along with hastening the healing process by acting over the different stages of the wound healing process, but its poor biopharmaceutical (low aqueous solubility and skin penetrability) attributes hamper their therapeutic efficacy for skin applications. The current investigation aimed to develop the curcumin-loaded nanogel system and evaluated to check the improvement in the therapeutic efficacy of curcumin through a nanomedicine-based approach for wound healing activity in Wistar rats. The curcumin was enclosed inside the nanoemulsion system prepared through a high-energy ultrasonic emulsification technique at a minimum concentration of surfactant required to nanoemulsify the curcumin-loaded oil system (Labrafac PG) having droplet size 56.25 ± 0.69 nm with polydispersity index 0.05 ± 0.01 and negatively surface charge with zeta potential −20.26 ± 0.65 mV. It was observed that the impact of Smix (surfactant/co-surfactant mixture) ratio on droplet size of generated nanoemulsion is more pronounced at lower Smix concentration (25%) compared to the higher Smix concentration (30%). The optimized curcumin-loaded nanoemulsion was incorporated into a 0.5% Carbopol® 940 hydrogel system for topical application. The developed curcumin nanoemulgel exhibited thixotropic rheological behavior and a significant (p < 0.05) increase in skin penetrability characteristics compared to curcumin dispersed in conventional hydrogel system. The in vivo wound healing efficacy study and histological examination of healed tissue specimen further signify the role of the nanomedicine-based approach to improve the biopharmaceutical attributes of curcumin.
Insights into the Role of Telomeres in Human Embryological Parameters. Opinions Regarding IVF
Authors: Anifandis George , Samara Maria , Simopoulou Mara , Messini Christina I. , Chatzimeletiou Katerina , Thodou Eleni , Daponte Alexandros , Georgiou Ioannis
Published: November 2021

Telomeres promote genome integrity by protecting chromosome ends from the activation of the DNA damage response and protecting chromosomes from the loss of coding sequences due to the end replication problem. Telomere length (TL) is progressively shortened as age progresses, thus resulting in cellular senescence. Therefore, TL is in strong adverse linear correlation with aging. Mounting evidence supports the notion that telomeres and male/female infertility are in a close relationship, posing the biology of telomeres as a hot topic in the era of human-assisted reproduction. Specifically, the length of sperm telomeres is gradually increasing as men get older, while the telomere length of the oocytes seems not to follow similar patterns with that of sperm. Nonetheless, the telomere length of the embryos during the cleavage stages seems to have a paternal origin, but the telomere length can be further extended by telomerase activity during the blastocyst stage. The latter has been proposed as a new molecular biomarker with strong predictive value regarding male infertility. As far as the role of telomeres in assisted reproduction, the data is limited but the length of telomeres in both gametes seems to be affected mainly by the cause of infertility rather than the assisted reproductive therapy (ART) procedure itself. The present review aims to shed more light into the role of telomeres in human embryological parameters, including gametes and embryos and also presents opinions regarding the association between telomeres and in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Discretization of Learned NETT Regularization for Solving Inverse Problems
Authors: Antholzer Stephan , Haltmeier Markus
Published: November 2021

Deep learning based reconstruction methods deliver outstanding results for solving inverse problems and are therefore becoming increasingly important. A recently invented class of learning-based reconstruction methods is the so-called NETT (for Network Tikhonov Regularization), which contains a trained neural network as regularizer in generalized Tikhonov regularization. The existing analysis of NETT considers fixed operators and fixed regularizers and analyzes the convergence as the noise level in the data approaches zero. In this paper, we extend the frameworks and analysis considerably to reflect various practical aspects and take into account discretization of the data space, the solution space, the forward operator and the neural network defining the regularizer. We show the asymptotic convergence of the discretized NETT approach for decreasing noise levels and discretization errors. Additionally, we derive convergence rates and present numerical results for a limited data problem in photoacoustic tomography.
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Fungal Keratitis in the United Kingdom 2011–2020: A 10-Year Study
Authors: Ting Darren Shu Jeng , Galal Mohamed , Kulkarni Bina , Elalfy Mohamed S. , Lake Damian , Hamada Samer , Said Dalia G. , Dua Harminder S.
Published: November 2021

Fungal keratitis (FK) is a serious ocular infection that often poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas. This study aimed to examine the causes, clinical characteristics, outcomes, and prognostic factors of FK in the UK. All culture-positive and culture-negative presumed FK (with complete data) that presented to Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, and the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, between 2011 and 2020 were included. We included 117 patients (n = 117 eyes) with FK in this study. The mean age was 59.0 ± 19.6 years (range, 4–92 years) and 51.3% of patients were female. Fifty-three fungal isolates were identified from 52 (44.4%) culture-positive cases, with Candida spp. (33, 62.3%), Fusarium spp. (9, 17.0%), and Aspergillus spp. (5, 9.4%) being the most common organisms. Ocular surface disease (60, 51.3%), prior corneal surgery (44, 37.6%), and systemic immunosuppression (42, 35.9%) were the three most common risk factors. Hospitalisation for intensive treatment was required for 95 (81.2%) patients, with a duration of 18.9 ± 16.3 days. Sixty-six (56.4%) patients required additional surgical interventions for eradicating the infection. Emergency therapeutic/tectonic keratoplasty was performed in 29 (24.8%) cases, though 13 (44.8%) of them failed at final follow-up. The final corrected-distance-visual-acuity (CDVA) was 1.67 ± 1.08 logMAR. Multivariable logistic regression analyses demonstrated increased age, large infiltrate size (>3 mm), and poor presenting CDVA (<1.0 logMAR) as significant negative predictive factors for poor visual outcome (CDVA of <1.0 logMAR) and poor corneal healing (>60 days of healing time or occurrence of corneal perforation requiring emergency keratoplasty; all p < 0.05). In conclusion, FK represents a difficult-to-treat ocular infection that often results in poor visual outcomes, with a high need for surgical interventions. Innovative treatment strategies are urgently required to tackle this unmet need.
Exploring the Patterns and Drivers of Urban Expansion in the Texas Triangle Megaregion
Authors: Guo Jiani , Zhang Ming
Published: November 2021

As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, it is vital for planners and policy-makers to understand the patterns of urban expansion and the underlying driving forces. This study examines the spatiotemporal patterns of urban expansion in the Texas Triangle megaregion and explores the drivers behind the expansion. The study used data from multiple sources, including land cover and imperviousness data from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001–2016, transportation data from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and ancillary socio-demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau. We conducted spatial cluster analysis and mixed-effect regression analysis. The results show that: (1) urban expansion in the Texas Triangle between 2001 and 2016 showed a decreasing trend, and 95% of the newly urbanized land was in metropolitan areas, especially at the periphery of the central cities; (2) urban expansion in non-metropolitan areas displayed a scattered pattern, comparing to the clustered form in metro areas; (3) the expansion process in the Texas Triangle exhibited a pattern of increased development compactness and intensity; and (4) population and economic growth played a definitive role in driving the urban expansion in the Texas Triangle while highway density also mattered. These results suggest a megaregion-wide emerging trend deviating from the sprawling development course known in Texas’ urban growth history. The changing trend can be attributed to the pro-sustainability initiatives taken by several anchor cities and metropolitan planning agencies in the Texas Triangle.
Influence of Spatial Dispersion on Propagation Properties of Waveguides Based on Hyperbolic Metamaterial
Authors: Janaszek Bartosz , Tyszka-Zawadzka Anna , Szczepański Paweł
Published: November 2021

In this work, we study the effect of spatial dispersion on propagation properties of planar waveguides with the core layer formed by hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM). In our case, the influence of spatial dispersion was controlled by changing the unit cell’s dimensions. Our analysis revealed a number of new effects arising in the considered waveguides, which cannot be predicted with the help of local approximation, including mode degeneration (existence of additional branch of TE and TM high-β modes), power flow inversion, propagation gap, and plasmonic-like modes characterized with long distance propagation. Additionally, for the first time we reported unusual characteristic points appearing for the high-β TM mode of each order corresponding to a single waveguide width for which power flow tends to zero and mode stopping occurs.
On the Asymptotic Behavior and Parameter Estimation of a Double-Sided LCC-Compensated Wireless Power Transfer System
Authors: Hu Feng-Rung , Hu Jia-Sheng
Published: November 2021

This study investigates the statistic behavior and parameter estimation problems of a double-sided, LCC-compensated, wireless power transfer system. Based on the commonly used wireless charging circuit model, this study proposes a five-step parameter estimation method, which is applicable to automotive static wireless charging systems. The eight parameters in the circuit model of this study are the most important key components of the wireless charging system. The study also found that, under certain conditions, the statistic mode of wireless charging systems has a specific distribution. However, the current status of these eight components for wireless charging of electric vehicles will have complex parameter drift problems. These drift problems will deteriorate the performance of the vehicle power systems. This study probes these factors and proposes some related mathematical theories. The noted factors can be applied to the analysis of the wireless charging system and provide alternative solutions to explain the deteriorations from coil misalignments. Both simulations and experiments are given to show the evaluated issues of the proposed study.
Parallel Computational Algorithm for Object-Oriented Modeling of Manipulation Robots
Authors: Krakhmalev Oleg , Korchagin Sergey , Pleshakova Ekaterina , Nikitin Petr , Tsibizova Oksana , Sycheva Irina , Liang Kang , Serdechnyy Denis , Gataullin Sergey , Krakhmalev Nikita
Published: November 2021

An algorithm for parallel calculations in a dynamic model of manipulation robots obtained by the Lagrange–Euler method is developed. Independent components were identified in the structure of the dynamic model by its decomposition. Using the technology of object-oriented programming, classes corresponding to the structures of the selected components of the dynamic model were described. The algorithmization of parallel computing is based on the independence of the calculation of objects of individual classes and the sequence of matrix operations. The estimation of the execution time of parallel algorithms, the resulting acceleration, and the efficiency of using processors is given.
A Novel Learning-Based Binarization Scheme Selector for Swarm Algorithms Solving Combinatorial Problems
Authors: Lemus-Romani José , Becerra-Rozas Marcelo , Crawford Broderick , Soto Ricardo , Cisternas-Caneo Felipe , Vega Emanuel , Castillo Mauricio , Tapia Diego , Astorga Gino , Palma Wenceslao , Castro Carlos , García José
Published: November 2021

Currently, industry is undergoing an exponential increase in binary-based combinatorial problems. In this regard, metaheuristics have been a common trend in the field in order to design approaches to successfully solve them. Thus, a well-known strategy includes the employment of continuous swarm-based algorithms transformed to perform in binary environments. In this work, we propose a hybrid approach that contains discrete smartly adapted population-based strategies to efficiently tackle binary-based problems. The proposed approach employs a reinforcement learning technique, known as SARSA (State–Action–Reward–State–Action), in order to utilize knowledge based on the run time. In order to test the viability and competitiveness of our proposal, we compare discrete state-of-the-art algorithms smartly assisted by SARSA. Finally, we illustrate interesting results where the proposed hybrid outperforms other approaches, thus, providing a novel option to tackle these types of problems in industry.
A Stochastic Harmonic Oscillator Temperature Model for the Valuation of Weather Derivatives
Authors: Giorgini Alessio , Mamon Rogemar S. , Rodrigo Marianito R.
Published: November 2021

Stochastic processes are employed in this paper to capture the evolution of daily mean temperatures, with the goal of pricing temperature-based weather options. A stochastic harmonic oscillator model is proposed for the temperature dynamics and results of numerical simulations and parameter estimation are presented. The temperature model is used to price a one-month call option and a sensitivity analysis is undertaken to examine how call option prices are affected when the model parameters are varied.
Research on Dynamic Response Characteristics for Basement Structure of Heavy Haul Railway Tunnel with Defects
Authors: Chai Jinfei
Published: November 2021

Based on the basic principle of thermodynamics, an elastoplastic damage constitutive model of concrete is constructed in this paper. The model is realized and verified in FLAC3D, which provides a solid foundation for the study of dynamic response and fatigue damage to the base structure of a heavy haul railway tunnel. The dynamic response and damage distribution of the base structure of a heavy-duty railway tunnel with defects were numerically simulated by the concrete elastic-plastic damage constitutive model. Then, by analyzing the response characteristics of the tunnel basement structure under different surrounding rock softening degrees, different foundation suspension range and different foundation structure damage degree are determined. The results show the following: (1) The elastoplastic damage constitutive model of concrete can well describe the stress–strain relationship of materials, especially with the simulation results of post peak softening being in good agreement with the test results, and the simulation effect of the unloading–reloading process of the cyclic loading and unloading test also meet the requirements. (2) The initial stress field and dynamic response of the tunnel basement structure under the action of train vibration load are very different from the ideal state of the structure design when the surrounding rock of the base is softened, the base is suspended, or the basement structure is damaged. With the surrounding rock softening, basement hanging, or basement structure damage developing to a certain extent, the basement structure will be damaged. (3) The horizontal dynamic stress amplitude increases with the increase in the softening degree of the basement surrounding rock. The horizontal dynamic stress of the measuring point increases with the increase in the width of the hanging out area when the hanging out area is located directly below the loading line. When the degree of damage to the basement structure is aggravated, the horizontal dynamic tensile stress of each measuring point gradually decreases. (4) The maximum principal stress increment increases with the increase in the fracture degree of the basement structure, while the minimum principal stress increment decreases with the increase in the fracture degree of the basement structure, but the variation range of the large and minimum principal stress increments is small. The research results have important theoretical and practical significance for further analysis of the damage mechanism and control technology of the foundation structure of a heavy haul railway tunnel with defects.
On Some Features of the Numerical Solving of Coefficient Inverse Problems for an Equation of the Reaction-Diffusion-Advection-Type with Data on the Position of a Reaction Front
Authors: Argun Raul , Gorbachev Alexandr , Lukyanenko Dmitry , Shishlenin Maxim
Published: November 2021

The work continues a series of articles devoted to the peculiarities of solving coefficient inverse problems for nonlinear singularly perturbed equations of the reaction-diffusion-advection-type with data on the position of the reaction front. In this paper, we place the emphasis on some problems of the numerical solving process. One of the approaches to solving inverse problems of the class under consideration is the use of methods of asymptotic analysis. These methods, under certain conditions, make it possible to construct the so-called reduced formulation of the inverse problem. Usually, a differential equation in this formulation has a lower dimension/order with respect to the differential equation, which is included in the full statement of the inverse problem. In this paper, we consider an example that leads to a reduced formulation of the problem, the solving of which is no less a time-consuming procedure in comparison with the numerical solving of the problem in the full statement. In particular, to obtain an approximate numerical solution, one has to use the methods of the numerical diagnostics of the solution’s blow-up. Thus, it is demonstrated that the possibility of constructing a reduced formulation of the inverse problem does not guarantee its more efficient solving. Moreover, the possibility of constructing a reduced formulation of the problem does not guarantee the existence of an approximate solution that is qualitatively comparable to the true one. In previous works of the authors, it was shown that an acceptable approximate solution can be obtained only for sufficiently small values of the singular parameter included in the full statement of the problem. However, the question of how to proceed if the singular parameter is not small enough remains open. The work also gives an answer to this question.
Impact of Strong Wind and Optimal Estimation of Flux Difference Integral in a Lattice Hydrodynamic Model
Authors: Liu Huimin , Wang Yuhong
Published: November 2021

A modified lattice hydrodynamic model is proposed, in which the impact of strong wind and the optimal estimation of flux difference integral are simultaneously analyzed. Based on the control theory, the stability condition is acquired through linear analysis. The modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation is derived via nonlinear analysis, in order to express a description of the evolution of density waves. Then, numerical simulation is conducted. From the simulation results, strong wind can largely influence the traffic flow stability. The stronger the wind becomes, the more stable the traffic flow is, to some extent. Similarly, the optimal estimation of flux difference integral also contributes to stabilizing traffic flow. The simulation results show no difference compared with the theoretical findings. In conclusion, the new model is able to make the traffic flow more stable.
On Reliability Estimation of Lomax Distribution under Adaptive Type-I Progressive Hybrid Censoring Scheme
Authors: Okasha Hassan , Lio Yuhlong , Albassam Mohammed
Published: November 2021

Bayesian estimates involve the selection of hyper-parameters in the prior distribution. To deal with this issue, the empirical Bayesian and E-Bayesian estimates may be used to overcome this problem. The first one uses the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) procedure to decide the hyper-parameters; while the second one uses the expectation of the Bayesian estimate taken over the joint prior distribution of the hyper-parameters. This study focuses on establishing the E-Bayesian estimates for the Lomax distribution shape parameter functions by utilizing the Gamma prior of the unknown shape parameter along with three distinctive joint priors of Gamma hyper-parameters based on the square error as well as two asymmetric loss functions. These two asymmetric loss functions include a general entropy and LINEX loss functions. To investigate the effect of the hyper-parameters’ selections, mathematical propositions have been derived for the E-Bayesian estimates of the three shape functions that comprise the identity, reliability and hazard rate functions. Monte Carlo simulation has been performed to compare nine E-Bayesian, three empirical Bayesian and Bayesian estimates and MLEs for any aforementioned functions. Additionally, one simulated and two real data sets from industry life test and medical study are applied for the illustrative purpose. Concluding notes are provided at the end.
Clinical Relevance and Environmental Prevalence of Mycobacterium fortuitum Group Members. Comment on Mugetti et al. Gene Sequencing and Phylogenetic Analysis: Powerful Tools for an Improved Diagnosis of Fish Mycobacteriosis Caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum Group Members. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 797
Authors: Pavlik Ivo , Ulmann Vit , Weston Ross Tim
Published: November 2021

Mycobacterium fortuitum group (MFG) members are able to cause clinical mycobacteriosis in fish and other animals including humans. M. alvei, M. arceuilense, M. brisbanense, M. conceptionense, M. fortuitum, M. peregrinum, M. porcinum, M. senegalense, M. septicum, and M. setense were isolated from fish with mycobacteriosis. In other animals only three MFG species have been isolated: M. arceuilense from camels’ milk, M. farcinogenes from cutaneous infections often described as “farcy”, and M. fortuitum from different domestic and wild mammals’ species. Out of 17, only 3 MFG species (M. arceuilense, M. lutetiense and M. montmartrense) have never been reported in humans. A total of eight MFG members (M. alvei, M. brisbanense, M. conceptionense, M. fortuitum subsp. acetamidolyticum, M. houstonense, M. peregrinum, M. porcinum, and M. septicum) have been isolated from both pulmonary and extrathoracic locations. In extrathoracic tissues five MFG species (M. boenickei, M. farcinogenes, M. neworleansense, M. senegalense, and M. setense) have been diagnosed and only one MFG member (M. fortuitum subsp. acetamidolyticum) has been isolated from pulmonary infection.
Nonlinear Free and Forced Vibrations of a Hyperelastic Micro/Nanobeam Considering Strain Stiffening Effect
Authors: Alibakhshi Amin , Dastjerdi Shahriar , Malikan Mohammad , Eremeyev Victor A.
Published: November 2021

In recent years, the static and dynamic response of micro/nanobeams made of hyperelasticity materials received great attention. In the majority of studies in this area, the strain-stiffing effect that plays a major role in many hyperelastic materials has not been investigated deeply. Moreover, the influence of the size effect and large rotation for such a beam that is important for the large deformation was not addressed. This paper attempts to explore the free and forced vibrations of a micro/nanobeam made of a hyperelastic material incorporating strain-stiffening, size effect, and moderate rotation. The beam is modelled based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, and strains are obtained via an extended von Kármán theory. Boundary conditions and governing equations are derived by way of Hamilton’s principle. The multiple scales method is applied to obtain the frequency response equation, and Hamilton’s technique is utilized to obtain the free undamped nonlinear frequency. The influence of important system parameters such as the stiffening parameter, damping coefficient, length of the beam, length-scale parameter, and forcing amplitude on the frequency response, force response, and nonlinear frequency is analyzed. Results show that the hyperelastic microbeam shows a nonlinear hardening behavior, which this type of nonlinearity gets stronger by increasing the strain-stiffening effect. Conversely, as the strain-stiffening effect is decreased, the nonlinear frequency is decreased accordingly. The evidence from this study suggests that incorporating strain-stiffening in hyperelastic beams could improve their vibrational performance. The model proposed in this paper is mathematically simple and can be utilized for other kinds of micro/nanobeams with different boundary conditions.
The Effect of Ultrasonic Scaling and Air-Powder Polishing on the Roughness of the Enamel, Three Different Nanocomposites, and Composite/Enamel and Composite/Cementum Interfaces
Authors: Babina Ksenia , Polyakova Maria , Sokhova Inna , Doroshina Vladlena , Arakelyan Marianna , Zaytsev Alexandr , Novozhilova Nina
Published: November 2021

We aimed to assess the effects of ultrasonic scaling and air-powder polishing on the roughness of enamel, three nanocomposites (Premise, Herculite Ultra, Harmonize), and composite/enamel and composite/cementum interfaces. Class V cavities were restored in 99 extracted third molars with one of the three nanocomposites and treated with ultrasonic scaler or air-powder polishing device (calcium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate powders). The roughness (Ra) of the investigated surfaces was measured with contact profilometer before and after treatment. The data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Specimens’ Ra values before instrumentation were near the clinically acceptable 0.2 μm threshold. All techniques increased the roughness of the tested surfaces; however, the enamel was slightly affected. The mean Ra values after prophylaxis for composite, composite/cementum and composite/enamel surfaces were 0.32–0.55, 1.33–1.73, and 1.25–1.36, respectively. The extent of composite surface damage was material dependent. Premise surface was not altered by ultrasonic scaling significantly. Air-powder polishing with both powders produced a greater increase in surface roughness of composite resin and restorations margins than ultrasonic scaling. The Ra values after both types of air polishing for Herculite Ultra and Harmonize were approximately 1.5 and 2 times higher, respectively, than those after ultrasonic scaling (p < 0.05).
Physicians’ Opinion Regarding Extended Access to Hormonal Contraception in Switzerland
Authors: Yous Tamara , Allemann Samuel , Lutters Monika
Published: November 2021

(1) Background: Access to hormonal contraceptives (HC) strongly differs between countries and varies from over the counter (OTC) to prescription-only availability. This study aimed to identify opinions among physicians in Switzerland regarding extended access to HC. (2) Methods: Web-based survey among physicians (gynecologists, general practitioners, and pediatricians) in Switzerland. (3) Results: Hundred sixty-three physicians, mainly gynecologists, participated in this survey and 147 (90%) were included for analysis. A total of 68% (n = 100) answered that prescription-only status could be extended under certain conditions but physicians were concerned about patients’ safety (97%, n = 142). Moreover, there was concern about insufficient patient education on HC (93%, n = 136) and that women may forego preventive examinations (80%, n = 118). Participants did not support OTC availability (93%, n = 136). Pharmacists prescribing (including initiation of HC) revealed controversial results, but a combined access model (initial prescription from physician and follow-up prescriptions by pharmacists) found acceptance in 70% (n = 103). (4) Conclusions: Participating physicians stated that prescription-only status for HC could be lifted under certain conditions but also some concerns, e.g., patients’ safety or neglection of preventive examinations, were raised. Future research should focus on specific conditions in which extended access to HC could be agreed on.
Microwave Radiation Impact on Heavy Oil Upgrading from Carbonate Deposits in the Presence of Nano-Sized Magnetite
Authors: Vakhin Alexey V. , Khelkhal Mohammed A. , Tajik Arash , Ignashev Nikita E. , Krapivnitskaya Tatiana O. , Peskov Nikolay Yu. , Glyavin Mikhail Yu. , Bulanova Svetlana A. , Slavkina Olga V. , Schekoldin Konstantin A.
Published: November 2021

The present paper reports experiments on microwave heating of a carbonate oil-containing rock sample in the presence and absence of an iron-magnetite-based nanocatalyst. It has been shown that the used catalyst improves the processes of destructive hydrogenation of resins and asphaltenes compounds in the oil. The chemical reactions analysis demonstrated a decrease in asphaltenes content and in their molecular weight, which increases the filtration capacity of the oil fluid in the reservoir rock porous medium. Moreover, the content of non-extractable organic matter in the rock sample after experiments and after oil extraction was determined. It has been found that the absence of the catalyst causes the least increase in the content of non-extractable organic matter in the rock. This fact is related to the intensive processes of resinous-asphaltene compounds destruction especially at the level of peripheral groups which are the most condensed fraction, and hence leads to a decrease in their solubility in the organic medium and eases their adsorption on the mineral skeleton surface.
The Process and Platform for Predicting PM2.5 Inhalation and Retention during Exercise
Authors: Wu Hui-Chin , Yang Ai-Lun , Chang Yue-Shan , Chang Yu-Hsiang , Abimannan Satheesh
Published: November 2021

In recent years, people have been increasingly concerned about air quality and pollution since a number of studies have proved that air pollution, especially PM2.5 (particulate matter), can affect human health drastically. Though the research on air quality prediction has become a mainstream research field, most of the studies focused only on the prediction of urban air quality and pollution. These studies did not predict the actual impact of these pollutants on people. According to the researchers’ best knowledge, the amount of polluted air inhaled by people and the amount of polluted air that remains inside their body are two important factors that affect their health. In order to predict the quantity of PM2.5 inhaled by people and what they have retained in their body, a process and a platform have been proposed in the current research work. In this research, the experimental process is as follows: (1) First, a personalized PM2.5 sensor is designed and developed to sense the quantity of PM2.5 around people. (2) Then, the Bruce protocol is applied to collect the information and calculate the relationship between heart rate and air intake under different activities. (3) The amount of PM2.5 retained in the body is calculated in this step using the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) air particle retention formula. (4) Then, a cloud platform is designed to collect people’s heart rate under different activities and PM2.5 values at respective times. (5) Finally, an APP is developed to show the daily intake of PM2.5. The result reveals that the developed app can show a person’s daily PM2.5 intake and retention in a specific population.
MRlogP: Transfer Learning Enables Accurate logP Prediction Using Small Experimental Training Datasets
Authors: Chen Yan-Kai , Shave Steven , Auer Manfred
Published: November 2021

Small molecule lipophilicity is often included in generalized rules for medicinal chemistry. These rules aim to reduce time, effort, costs, and attrition rates in drug discovery, allowing the rejection or prioritization of compounds without the need for synthesis and testing. The availability of high quality, abundant training data for machine learning methods can be a major limiting factor in building effective property predictors. We utilize transfer learning techniques to get around this problem, first learning on a large amount of low accuracy predicted logP values before finally tuning our model using a small, accurate dataset of 244 druglike compounds to create MRlogP, a neural network-based predictor of logP capable of outperforming state of the art freely available logP prediction methods for druglike small molecules. MRlogP achieves an average root mean squared error of 0.988 and 0.715 against druglike molecules from Reaxys and PHYSPROP. We have made the trained neural network predictor and all associated code for descriptor generation freely available. In addition, MRlogP may be used online via a web interface.