bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality evaluation of polish honey: On‐line survey, sensory study, and consumer acceptance
Authors: Starowicz Małgorzata , Lamparski Grzegorz , Ostaszyk Anita , Szmatowicz Beata
Published: April 2021

The aim of this research is the evaluation of the sensory attributes of most‐favorable honey types to select honey with the best sensorial overall and the highest consumer acceptance. The on‐line questionnaire revealed that the group of 515 Polish citizens mostly consumed multiflorous (38.4% of respondents), linden (30.2%), and buckwheat (11.4%) honey. The material was multiflorous, linden and buckwheat honey, in total nine samples, purchased from Polish beekeepers. In the next step, the sensory panel determined sweet and honey‐like aromas as the characteristic descriptors. Acid, pungent, and bitter tastes appeared in the evaluation; however, they did not negatively affect the overall assessment. Honey differed significantly in density, from liquid multiflorous and linden honey to very thick buckwheat honey. Then, the highest overall note was achieved for one representative of each honey type: multiflorous‐1 (8.3 au.), linden‐2 (8.8 au.), and buckwheat‐1 (7.9 au.). Furthermore, from 102 consumers, the biggest group noted their high acceptance for linden, second for buckwheat honey. The results obtained suggested that linden and buckwheat honey can be successfully used in the novel food development based on these honey types.

Practical Applications

The findings of this study can be applied by honey producers, suppliers, and customers to differentiated and determine type of honeys according to their characteristic's sensorial attributes. Moreover, it could help to manufacture a new innovative product based on different honey types. In this case sensory is proposed as an additional but also useful tool that can prove pollen domination in honey samples and eliminate by easy way adulteration of honeys.
Pathotype profiling, distribution and virulence analysis of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae causing bacterial blight disease of rice in Bangladesh
Authors: Rashid Md. Mamunur , Nihad Sheikh Arafat Islam , Khan Mohammad Ashik Iqbal , Haque Ahsanul , Ara Anjuman , Ferdous Tasnia , Hasan Md. Al‐Imran , Latif Mohammad Abdul
Published: April 2021

Bacterial blight (BB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is a serious threat to rice production in the world. Identification of Xoo races pattern, distribution and deployment of race‐specific resistant genes is a sustainable strategy to develop bacterial blight resistant varieties. In this study, a total of 118 isolates of Xoo were collected from 8 rice‐growing regions of Bangladesh to identify the existing pathotypes of Xoo. All tested isolates were virulent on the susceptible rice varieties viz. IR24, Purbachi and BR11. The tested isolates were evaluated on 13 near‐isogenic lines of rice and each line consisted of a single bacterial blight resistant gene viz Xa1, Xa2, Xa3, Xa4, xa5, Xa7, xa8, Xa10, Xa11, xa13, Xa14, Xa21 and Xa23. Based on reaction patterns of 118 isolates of Xoo on near‐isogenic lines, 12 pathotypes/races were first time identified in Bangladesh. Race 1, Race 2 and Race 3 were predominantly distributed in the most of the areas of Bangladesh and considered as major races containing the maximum number of isolates (48%, 14% and 11% respectively). Among these, Race 1 was the most prevalent and widely distributed while Race 5 was the most virulent circumventing all of the resistance genes tested. Race 1 was recorded from six rice‐growing regions of Bangladesh. Host plant R‐genes xa5, xa8, xa13, Xa21 and Xa23 have been found as effective against bacterial blight based upon resistance frequencies and the reactions of near‐isogenic lines and pyramid lines. The bacterial blight resistant gene Xa21 showed a resistant reaction against 11 of 12 races (i.e. 94.91% of the isolates tested). Effective genes and information of races generated from this study could be deployed for the development of race‐specific bacterial blight resistant varieties in Bangladesh.
The crosstalk network of XIST/miR‐424‐5p/OGT mediates RAF1 glycosylation and participates in the progression of liver cancer
Authors: Ning Deng , Chen Jin , Du Pengcheng , Liu Qiumeng , Cheng Qi , Li Xue , Zhang Bixiang , Chen Xiaoping , Jiang Li
Published: April 2021

Background

Liver cancer is a major public health concern, but the mechanistic actions of biomarkers contributing to liver cancer remain to be determined. In this study, we aimed to investigate the regulatory cascade of microRNA‐424‐5p (miR‐424‐5p), X‐inactive‐specific transcript (XIST) and O‐GlcNAc transferase (OGT) in liver cancer.

Methods

Differentially expressed miRNAs and target genes related to liver cancer were predicted by bioinformatics analyses, and their expression was determined in liver tissues of patients with liver cancer and liver cancer cells. The RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA pull‐down and dual luciferase reporter assay were used to examine the binding affinity among XIST and miR‐424‐5p and OGT. Then, gain‐ and loss‐of‐function assays were conducted to evaluate the effects of the XIST/miR‐424‐5p/OGT axis on malignant phenotypes. A nude mouse model of liver cancer was further established for in vivo substantiation.

Results

XIST and OGT were up‐regulated in liver cancer tissues and cells, responsible for poor prognosis in patients with liver cancer, while miR‐424‐5p was down‐regulated. XIST competitively bound to miR‐424‐5p to increase OGT expression. XIST silencing inhibited malignant phenotypes of liver cancer cells, while miR‐424‐5p down‐regulation negated its effect. miR‐424‐5p suppressed RAF1 glycosylation by negatively regulating OGT expression and promoted its ubiquitination/degradation. Furthermore, XIST knockdown inhibited tumour growth and metastasis in nude mice, while ectopic OGT reversed its effect.

Conclusion

These results reveal a novel mechanism by which the interaction of XIST/miR‐424‐5p/OGT participates in the malignancy and metastasis of liver cancer.
Titanium implant alters the effect of zoledronic acid on the behaviour of endothelial cells
Authors: Yu Yi , Liang Chaoan , Xu Ruogu , Wang Tianlu , Deng Feilong , Yu Xiaolin
Published: April 2021

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of zoledronic acid (ZA) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) attached to different surfaces.

Materials and Methods

A total of three groups were evaluated in this study: sandblasting and acid etching (SLA) + HUVECs; mechanically polished (MP) + HUVECs; and plastic cell culture plates + HUVECs. Scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, surface roughness and water contact angle were tested for titanium surface characterisation. ZA was added at different concentrations (0, 1, 10, 50 and 100 μM). Cell adhesion, proliferation, viability, apoptosis and gene expression were evaluated.

Results

Mechanically polished and SLA surfaces showed negative effects on cell adhesion and proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis with 100 μM ZA (p < .05). The highest expression of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) and angiopoietin‐1 was found on SLA surfaces (p < .01). The lowest expression of platelet‐endothelial cell adhesion molecule‐1 and ICAM‐1 was found on MP surfaces (p < .05). A significant decrease in von Willebrand factor was detected on MP and SLA surfaces (p < .001).

Conclusions

Zoledronic acid has an anti‐angiogenic effect on HUVECs attached to titanium implants, while the SLA surface might stimulate HUVECs to express angiogenic and adhesive factor genes despite ZA treatment.
Exogenous disturbances and endogenous self‐organized processes are not mutually exclusive drivers of spatial patterns in macroalgal assemblages
Authors: He Jianyu , Rindi Luca , Mintrone Caterina , Benedetti‐Cecchi Lisandro
Published: April 2021

Complex spatial patterns are common in coastal marine systems, but mechanisms underlying their formation are disputed. Most empirical work has focused on exogenous spatially structured disturbances as the leading cause of pattern formation in species assemblages. However, theoretical and observational studies suggest that complex spatial patterns, such as power laws in gap‐size distribution, may result from endogenous self‐organized processes involving local‐scale interactions. The lack of studies simultaneously assessing the influence of spatially variable disturbances and local‐scale interactions has fuelled the idea that exogenous and endogenous processes are mutually exclusive explanations of spatial patterns in marine ecosystems. To assess the relative contribution of endogenous and exogenous processes in the emergence of spatial patterns, an intertidal assemblage of algae was exposed for two years to various combinations of intensity and spatial patterns of disturbance. Localized disturbances impinging at the margins of previously disturbed clearings and homogenous disturbances without any spatial pattern generated heterogeneous distributions of disturbed gaps and macroalgal patches, characterized by a power‐law scaling. Spatially varying disturbances produced a spatial gradient in the distribution of algal patches and, to a lesser extent, also a power‐law scaling in both patch‐ and gap‐size distributions. These results suggest that exogenous and endogenous processes are not mutually exclusive forces that can lead to the formation of similar spatial patterns in species assemblages.
Bridging parametric and nonparametric measures of species interactions unveils new insights of non‐equilibrium dynamics
Authors: Song Chuliang , Saavedra Serguei
Published: April 2021

A central theme in ecological research is to understand how species interactions contribute to community dynamics. Species interactions are the basis of parametric (model‐driven) and nonparametric (model‐free) approaches in theoretical and empirical work. However, despite their different interpretations across these approaches, these measures have occasionally been used interchangeably, limiting our opportunity to use their differences to gain new insights about ecological systems. Here, we revisit two of the most used measures across these approaches: species interactions measured as constant direct effects (typically used in parametric approaches) and local aggregated effects (typically used in nonparametric approaches). We show two fundamental properties of species interactions that cannot be revealed without bridging these definitions. First, we show that the local aggregated intraspecific effect summarizes all potential pathways through which one species impacts itself, which are likely to be negative even without any constant direct self‐regulation mechanism. This property has implications for the long‐held debate on how communities can be stabilized when little evidence of self‐regulation has been found among higher‐trophic species. Second, we show that a local aggregated interspecific effect between two species is correlated with the constant direct interspecific effect if and only if the population dynamics do not have any higher‐order direct effects. This other property provides a rigorous methodology to detect direct higher‐order effects in the field and experimental data. Overall, our findings illustrate a practical route to gain further insights about non‐equilibrium ecological dynamics and species interactions.
High school female basketball athletes exhibit decreased knee‐specific choice visual‐motor reaction time
Authors: Nagai Takashi , Schilaty Nathan D. , Bates Nathaniel A. , Bies Nicholas J. , McPherson April L. , Hewett Timothy E.
Published: April 2021

Weaker hamstrings muscular forces and lower ratio of the hamstrings/quadriceps muscular forces in female athletes have been identified as modifiable risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. However, sex differences in athletes’ ability to react to visual cues (Choice Visual‐Motor Reaction Time: VMRT) and to generate knee muscular forces (rate of force development: RFD) immediately following the visual cues were largely unknown. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine sex differences in Choice VMRT and RFD. A total of 50 high school basketball athletes (26F/24 M) participated in the study. Subjects sat in the knee dynamometer chair with their knee secured at 70° of knee flexion and performed knee extension or flexion maximum voluntary isometric contractions immediately after they saw the visual cue: “UP” or “DOWN” arrows, respectively. Choice VMRT was defined as the time between the visual cue and the initiation of muscular force development (>5Newtons). RFD was calculated by dividing the changes in forces over the changes in time at four time points (0–50/100/150/200 ms). Peak muscular forces and RFD were normalized to their body mass. Average of three trials in each direction (flexion and extension) in each leg was used for statistical analyses. Females had significantly slower Choice VMRT (p < 0.001–0.027) and lower knee extension RFD at 100 ms (p = 0.005). In addition, females had significantly higher knee flexion/extension ratio than males in late RFD (150 ms and 200 ms) (p < 0.004). The current study has provided additional sensorimotor characteristics of athletes and sexes in addition to their knee muscular characteristics.
A support theorem for Hilbert schemes of planar curves, II
Authors: Migliorini Luca , Shende Vivek , Viviani Filippo
Published: April 2021

We study the cohomology of Jacobians and Hilbert schemes of points on reduced and locally planar curves, which are however allowed to be singular and reducible. We show that the cohomologies of all Hilbert schemes of all subcurves are encoded in the cohomologies of the fine compactified Jacobians of connected subcurves, via the perverse Leray filtration. We also prove, along the way, a result of independent interest, giving sufficient conditions for smoothness of the total space of the relative compactified Jacobian of a family of locally planar curves.
Part-Load Strategy Definition and Preliminary Annual Simulation for Small Size sCO2-Based Pulverized Coal Power Plant
Authors: Alfani Dario , Astolfi Marco , Binotti Marco , Silva Paolo
Published: April 2021

In the near future, due to the growing share of variable renewable energy in the electricity mix and the lack of large-scale electricity storage, coal plants will have to shift their role from base-load operation to providing fluctuating back-up power. However, current coal power plants, based on steam Rankine cycle, are not optimized for flexible part-load operation, resulting in an intrinsic inadequacy for fast load variations. The founding idea of the H2020 sCO2-Flex project is to improve the flexibility of pulverized coal power plants by adopting supercritical CO2 Brayton power cycles. Despite the extensive literature about the design of sCO2 plants, there is still limited discussion about the strategies to be implemented to maximize system efficiency during part-load operation. This paper aims to provide deeper insight about the potential of sCO2 power plants based on recompressed cycle with high-temperature recuperator (HTR) bypass configuration for small modular coal power plants (25 MWel). Analysis focuses on both design and part-load operation providing a preliminary sizing of each component and comparing different operating strategies. Results demonstrate that sCO2 coal power plants can achieve competitive efficiency in both nominal and part-load operation thanks to the progressive increase of heat exchangers effectiveness. Moreover, they can be operated down to 20% electric load increasing power range of coal plants. Finally, the possibility to optimize the cycle minimum pressure ensures a safe operation of the compressor far from the surge line and to increase the performance at low load.
Amplitude–Frequency Characteristics During the Volume-Pulsatile Packing Process
Authors: Qin Sen , Zhang Huan-huan , Jiang Hao-wei , Xu Wen-hua , Qu Jin-ping
Published: April 2021

To obtain high-quality plastic products, an industrial volume-pulsatile injection-molding (VPIM) machine is developed to achieve high screw displacement amplitude. However, it is difficult for engineers to optimize vibration parameters and improve equipment due to lack of a comprehensive understanding of the coupling correlation between amplitude and frequency, which seriously hinders the development of VPIM technology and machine. To address the challenge, this paper investigates the amplitude–frequency characteristics during the volume-pulsatile packing process. According to the working principle of this machine, the dynamics model of injection screw is established and equivalent to a mass-spring-damper system. Based on the dynamics equivalent model, we deduce the forced vibration response of screw displacement, and the vibration responses of screw displacement and oil pressure under the hydraulic system. An oil pressure control model is proposed and numerically solved. Experimental and theoretical results reveal the effects of material properties, machine components, and control system on the amplitude–frequency characteristics during the volume-pulsatile packing process. For injection-molding grade materials, the reductions in oil pressure amplitude and screw displacement amplitude are attributed to the inertial delay of the hydraulic system in this paper, rather than the viscous resistance of materials in the previous perception. The response speed of the servo control system to pressure should be improved to enhance oil pressure amplitude and screw displacement amplitude. This paper enriches the basic theories of polymer vibration processing and points out the direction of equipment improvement.
Nanoclay Suspension-Enabled Extrusion Bioprinting of Three-Dimensional Soft Structures
Authors: Jin Yifei , Xiong Ruitong , Antonelli Patrick J. , Long Christopher J. , McAleer Christopher W. , Hickman James J. , Huang Yong
Published: April 2021

Three-dimensional (3D) extrusion printing of cellular/acellular structures with biocompatible materials has been widely investigated in recent years. However, the requirement of a suitable solidification rate of printable ink materials constrains the utilization of extrusion-based 3D printing techniques. In this study, the nanoclay yield-stress suspension-enabled extrusion-based 3D printing system has been investigated and demonstrated to overcome solidification rate constraints during printing. Utilizing the liquid–solid transition property of nanoclay suspension, two fabrication approaches, including nanoclay support bath-enabled printing and nanoclay-enabled direct printing, have been proposed. For the former approach, nanoclay (Laponite® EP) has been used as a support bath material to fabricate alginate-based tympanic membrane patches. The constituents of alginate-based ink have been investigated to have the desired mechanical property of alginate-based tympanic membrane patches and facilitate the printing process. For the latter approach, nanoclay (Laponite® XLG) has been used as an internal scaffold material to help print poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA)-based neural chambers, which can be further cross-linked in air. Mechanical stress analysis has been performed to explore the geometric limitation of printable Laponite® XLG-PEGDA neural chambers.
A Novel Expulsion Control Strategy With Abnormal Condition Adaptability for Resistance Spot Welding
Authors: Shen Yan , Xia Yu-Jun , Li Huan , Zhou Lang , Li Yong-Bing , Pan Hai-Tao
Published: April 2021

Welding expulsion is a common problem in the resistance spot welding (RSW) process, which severely impacts weld quality and surrounding facilities. Existing expulsion control strategies are ineffective for complex and changeable welding conditions. This article studied the growth relationship between weld nugget and corona bond under two abnormal conditions: edge proximity (EP) and initial sheet gaps (IG). It is testified that expulsion would occur when the nugget size exceeds the corona bond size under EP and IG conditions. Reducing the welding current before the expulsion time can increase the size difference between the corona bond and the weld nugget, thereby delay and even eliminate the occurrence of expulsion. In this way, a novel online expulsion control strategy, named short-time current regulation (STCR), is proposed through the expulsion moment analysis of historical weld data. The effect of the new control strategy is verified with workpieces ranging from low carbon steel to ultra-high strength steel. Experimental results showed that STCR can effectively reduce the amount of expelled metal, decrease the indentation depth, and increase the nugget diameter. The method not only works well under one specific abnormal condition but also adapts to the transition between different welding conditions. This novel expulsion control strategy can help achieve the expulsion-free RSW process in mass production without frequent manual offline optimization of welding parameters.
Markov Chain Monte Carlo Parameter Estimation for Nonzero Slip Models of Wheeled Mobile Robots: A Skid-Steer Case Study
Authors: Yandun Francisco , Torres-Torriti Miguel , Auat Cheein Fernando
Published: April 2021

An accurate modeling, simulation, and estimation of the wheel-terrain interaction and its effects on a robot movement plays a key role in control and navigation tasks, specially in constantly changing environments. We study the calibration of wheel slip models using Particle Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to approximate the posterior distributions of their parameters. In contrast to classic identification approaches, considering the parameters as random variables allows to obtain a probability measure of the parameter estimations and subsequently propagate their uncertainty to wheel slip-related variables. Extensive simulation and experimental results showed that the proposed methodology can effectively get reliable posterior approximations from noisy sensor measurements in changing terrains. Validation tests also include the applicability assessment of the proposed methodology by comparing it with the integrated prediction error minimization methodology. Field results presented up to 66% of improvement in the robot motion prediction with the proposed calibration approach.
Numerical Investigation of Simultaneous Effects of Nanofluid Flow and Porous Baffle on Thermal Energy Transfer and Flow Features in a Circular Channel
Authors: Namadchian Hossein , Sodagar-Abardeh Javad , Arabkoohsar Ahmad , Ismail Kamal Abdel Radi
Published: April 2021

In the present work, the forced-convection heat transfer features of different nanofluids in a circular channel with porous baffles are numerically investigated. Nanofluid flow in the porous area is simulated by the simultaneous use of Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer and two-phase mixture models. The flow is considered to be laminar, two-dimensional, steady, axially symmetric, and incompressible. The simulations are conducted in fluent software and by using the finite volume method and SIMPLE algorithm. The influences of various parameters, including Reynolds number, volume fractions of nanoparticles, Darcy number, porous region height, and various nanofluid types on the nanofluid flows and their thermal energy transfer features, are investigated. Results show that porous blocks significantly change the flow characteristics and thermal energy transfer features. For instance, at low Darcy numbers, the permeability of the porous region decreases, and the porous baffles have greater resistance against the nanofluid flow. As a result, the vortex area becomes stronger and taller, and streamlines near obstacles are tighter. However, in high Darcy numbers, due to the high permeability of the porous medium, the flow will be the same as the flow in the channel without barriers, and the porous baffles will not have much influence on the flow. For example, at Darcy number Da = 10−4 the vortex area almost disappears. The growth of conductivity ratio increases the local Nu in the vicinity of the barriers. Properties of the porous medium and nanofluid flow affect the thermal energy transfer rate, and it can be improved by making appropriate changes to these features.
The Nature of Constraints and Their Effect on Quality and Satisficing
Authors: Stauffer L. A. , Slaughterbeck-Hyde R. A.
Published: April 2021

A taxonomy of constraints is presented based on design considerations, source, context, strength, and use. The taxonomy is developed from observations of two sets of real-time protocol data of mechanical designers, along with the work of other researchers. The taxonomy begins to explain the nature of constraints. A hypothesis of how introduced constraints affect design quality is also presented. Finally, a more specific definition of satisficing is developed based on an experiment demonstrating constraint satisfaction.
FDDL: A Feature Based Design Description Language
Authors: Gu P. H. , ElMaraghy H. A. , Hamid L.
Published: April 2021

This paper presents the development of a new high-level design language called Feature based Design Description Language — FDDL. The traditional and computer-aided design and manufacturing procedures were analyzed and the important gaps between CAD and CAM have been identified. These include the lack of uniform representation of parts and products, and lack of effective links between CAD and CAM. The FDDL is proposed and designed in association with a feature representation scheme as a means of integrating design and manufacturing tasks planning. Its syntax, semantics and vocabulary have been defined taking into consideration ease of use, compatibility with engineering terminology and ease of computer implementation. The FDDL system consists of a number of lexical analyzers, a parser and three code generators. Once the products or parts modeled using FDDL or the feature based modeler are processed by the FDDL system, syntax error free input files are created for use by manufacturing task planning systems. The FDDL has been applied to a feature based cellular manufacturing planning system, an expert automated CMM inspection task planner, and a mechanical assembly sequence planner.
Extending the Iterative Redesign Model to Configuration Design: Sheet Metal Brackets As an Example
Authors: Welch R. V. , Dixon J. R.
Published: April 2021

An iterative redesign model has been proven effective at the parametric level of design; that is, at the point in the design process where the attributes of the design are known and their numerical values are varied to produce an acceptable design. In this paper an extended iterative redesign model is proposed for use at the configuration level of design; that is, at the point in the design process where the attributes themselves, not their values, are being determined. The proposed model is demonstrated in a working computer system for the automated configuration design of a limited set of sheet metal brackets for simple structural joints.
On the Integration of Parametric Polynominal Surface Representations Into CSG Based Solid Modelling
Authors: Saia A. , Bloor M. S. , de Pennington A.
Published: April 2021

The integration of sculptured surface and solid modelling techniques across a common geometric domain continues as an active source of research and development in computer aided geometric design. Although much progress has been made, fundamental difficulties remain due to the differing approaches to shape representation and subsequent evaluation found in the two modelling paradigms.

The first part of the paper reviews some of the issues arising when addressing the integration of existing sculptured surface representations into a Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) based solid modeller. The second part describes work at Leeds which proposes the use of a new evaluation technique known as ISOS (Inner Set Outer Set) for CSG defined objects which incorporate both quadric and B-spline surface geometry.
Trajectory Planning Using the Ferguson Curve Model and Curvature Theory of Ruled Surface
Authors: Ryuh B. S. , Pennock G. R.
Published: April 2021

The trajectory of a robot end-effector is completely described by a ruled surface and a spin angle about the ruling of the ruled surface. In this way the differential properties of motion of the end-effector are obtained from the well-known curvature theory of a ruled surface. The robot can then be programmed so that the end-effector will follow the prescribed trajectory with high accuracy. In the case where the ruled surface can not be described by an explicit analytic function, the ruled surface may be represented by a geometric modeling technique. Since a ruled surface can be expressed in terms of a single parameter, a curve generating technique is used to represent the ruled surface. The technique presented in this paper is the Ferguson curve model which guarantees that the trajectory will pass through all of the set points and will have curvature continuity at each set point. To illustrate the proposed method of robot trajectory planning, a practical example is included in the paper.
Local Cause of Non-Convergence in a Convex Decomposition Using Convex Hulls
Authors: S.-Kim Y. , Wilde D. J.
Published: April 2021

A convex decomposition method of polyhedral objects uses convex hulls and set difference operations. This decomposition may not converge. In this article, we formalize this decomposition method and find local cause of non-convergence.
Computer-Assisted Generation of the Requirements List in an Automated Methodical Design Procedure
Authors: Hundal M. S. , Byrne J. F.
Published: April 2021

The paper discusses the application of computers in the earliest stage of a design, i.e., preparation of the requirements list. The requirements list helps define a problem in solution-neutral terms. The work presented here is a portion of a program for conceptual design of engineering systems. The computer program uses data bases of task specifications, functions and solutions to generate the solution to a design problem in the form of a block diagram. The program is intended to help in developing new and improving existing products and processes.
Synthesis of Systems From Specifications Containing Orientations and Positions Associated With Flow Variables
Authors: Prabhu D. R. , Taylor D. L.
Published: April 2021

A class of systems can be specified by a set of constant input-output power variables with generalized flow variables having associated orientations and positions. This paper presents a method for generating conceptual parametric designs. A quasi-decoupled approach is taken to solve the problem. A hierarchy of considerations of magnitude, orientation and position transforms is established. Orientation and position transformers are introduced in each domain. A solution to the “vector” problem is obtained by augmenting the “scalar” solution using vector transformers.
Expert System for Design of Industrial Robots — ESDIR
Authors: Tsai M. J. , Wu T. G. , Hong L.
Published: April 2021

A prototype frame base expert system ESDIR (Expert System for Design of Industrial Robot) has been built. For a given specification and application, the design procedure of ESDIR is first to synthesize and evaluate the robot geometry. The synthesis is accomplished by on-line interfacing with external CAD programs written in conventional language. Then the selections of power drive, actuation, and coordination method are recommended. Iterations between design and re-design are needed in ordinary design procedure. This is time consuming and error-prone. ESDIR is one of the efforts toward design automation trying to minimize the cycle time and improve design efficiency.
An Expert System for the Structural Identification and Generalization of Mechanical Devices
Authors: Yan H.-S. , Hwang Y.-W.
Published: April 2021

This paper attempts to use a new conceptual scheme to present an expert system for the structural identification and generalization of mechanical devices. This expert system consists of a knowledge base with frames, rules and procedures, a forward-chaining inference engine, a working memory, and a user interface. The results of this work will be beneficial to the automation of the creative design of mechanical devices.
Computation of Boundary Stresses by Finite Element Post Processing
Authors: Vasilopoulos D.
Published: April 2021

In the displacement formulation of the finite element method, the primary unknowns are the nodal displacements. They are automatically chosen by the computer so that the energy is minimized. Stresses are then obtained by performing numerical differentiation on the displacement field. This leads to poorer accuracy for the stresses. The stresses computed this way are also sensitive to the design of the local mesh in the area where they are computed: different meshes and element types give different results, sometimes widely varying. Moreover, the convergence of the pointwise stress values is far from monotonic. A more refined model will not necessarily improve the result. Apparent convergence of the stress values may be misleading.

In this paper we implement an extraction technique that computes the stress at a boundary point by performing a mathematical postprocessing of the finite element results. The stress is expressed as a weighted average of the displacements on the boundary. This extracted value is less sensitive to the local mesh and it converges much faster than the traditional point-wise stress. Comparative results are presented for a structure of moderate complexity.
Nonlinear Mixed Integer-Discrete-Continuous Programming and its Application to Engineering Design Problems
Authors: Fu J.-F. , Fenton R. G. , Cleghorn W. L.
Published: April 2021

An algorithm for solving nonlinear programming problems containing integer, discrete and continuous variables is presented. Based on a commonly employed optimization algorithm, penalties on integer and/or discrete violations are imposed on the objective function to force the search to converge onto standard values. Examples are included to illustrate the practical use of this algorithm.
An Object Oriented Data Base and Application Management System for Integrated, Interdisciplinary Mechanical System Simulation
Authors: Dopker B. , Murray P. , Choong F. N.
Published: April 2021

An object oriented data base and application management system for integrated, interdisciplinary mechanical system simulation is developed and implemented; with emphasis on flexible body dynamic simulation, stress history calculation, and fatigue life prediction. The system consists of (1) functional objects that perform a particular analysis task, (2) data objects that store data in the data base, (3) data and object management tools that manage the communication between the different parts of the system, and (4) network communication tools that communicate between different hardware platforms. Functional objects are developed and implemented for the different analysis needs of the system. Such objects (1) hide implementation details, (2) provide easy extendability, and (3) simplify use of the system. Data are organized in terms of objects, object hierarchies, and object attributes. This provides quasi data inheritance and information hiding, which allows for a data base schema that is both robust and extendable.
Hydrodynamic Lubrication of Slider Bearings With Two-Dimensionally Varying Contoured Surfaces and Optimum Design Data
Authors: Bagci C. , McClure C. J. , Rajavenkateswaran S. K.
Published: April 2021

Contoured bearing surfaces forming continuous surface pockets in slider bearings increase the load carrying capacity considerably. Article investigates the effect of two dimensionally contoured surfaces of a few sample shapes on the performance characteristics of hydrodynamic slider bearings. Exponential and trigonometric film shapes are considered. Computer-aided numerical finite difference solution of the two-dimensional Reynolds equation is used via a self mesh generating computer program, which also generates optimum design data including dimensionless load-, flow-, temperature rise-, power loss-, stiffness-, damping, and friction coefficients. Optimum bearings are defined as the maximum load capacity bearings. Optimum design charts are given, where dimensional ratios and powers of exponents are optimized. Lubricant is incompressible with temperature dependent viscosity. The effect of temperature is considered by maintaining energy balance via iterative thermal loop. In comparison to optimum one-dimensional tapered film bearings gains of over 200% in the load capacities of contoured narrow bearings are observed.
Optimum Vibration Suppression of Systems Subjected to Broadband Excitation Frequencies
Authors: Ebrahimi N. D.
Published: April 2021

In previous research, techniques have been devised for vibration abatement of mechanical systems based on fixed excitation frequencies. To remove the dependency and sensitivity of the vibration suppression process from the input frequencies, this paper presents a strategy for vibration reduction when the system is run over a wide range of frequencies. The approach is based on a general discretized mathematical system representation. First, the equations for frequency response of these types of models is reviewed. Next, the vibration control plan is formulated as a nonlinear mathematical programming problem so that the peak response amplitudes of a set of degrees of freedom would be diminished. Finally, a numerical optimization algorithm is employed to solve this nonlinear problem. Results for a number of illustrative examples are then summarized and discussed. These results show that the control strategy is strikingly effective in subsiding the vibration.
Computer Aided Straight Bevel Gearing Design and Parametric Drawing of a Bevel Gear by a Computer
Authors: Kaixiu Y.
Published: April 2021

A multiple objective function optimization design of straight bevel gearing with an advanced optimization method is described. The main parameters and geometric dimensions obtained with this algorithm are made use of to make computer parametric drawing of bevel gear in accordance with gear structure and by adopting currently high-level FORAUT interface software and the U. S.-made AUTOCAD autoplotting package, thus organically combining mechanical design calculation with the drawing of graphs.

The said program is applicable to the optimization design of straight bevel gearing with arbitrary shaft angles and different pressure angles (α = 14.5°, 20°, 22.5°, 25°) to obtain ideal optimization parameters or engagement parameters, geometrical parameters and strength performance parameters and plot the correspnnding part working diagram.

The results of application show that the system proposed is feasible, the algorithm explicit, the program operation reliable, convenient and flexible.
Determination of the Workspace of 6-DOF Parallel Manipulators
Authors: Gosselin C.
Published: April 2021

This paper presents an algorithm for the determination of the workspace of parallel manipulators. The method described here, which is based on geometrical properties of the workspace, leads to a simple graphical representation of the regions of the three-dimensional Cartesian space that are attainable by the manipulator with a given orientation of the platform. Moreover, the volume of the workspace can be easily computed by performing an integration on its boundary, which is obtained from the algorithm. Examples are included to illustrate the application of the method to a six-degree-of-freedom fully-parallel manipulator.
Population genomic evidence of
Plasmodium vivax
Southeast Asian origin
Authors: Daron Josquin , Boissière Anne , Boundenga Larson , Ngoubangoye Barthelemy , Houze Sandrine , Arnathau Celine , Sidobre Christine , Trape Jean-François , Durand Patrick , Renaud François , Fontaine Michael C. , Prugnolle Franck , Rougeron Virginie
Published: April 2021

Characterization of the worldwide genetic diversity of 447
P. vivax
strains shows evidence for a Southeast Asian origin.
Pooled CRISPR screening identifies m
6
A as a positive regulator of macrophage activation
Authors: Tong Jiyu , Wang Xuefei , Liu Yongbo , Ren Xingxing , Wang Anmin , Chen Zonggui , Yao Jiameng , Mao Kaiqiong , Liu Tingting , Meng Fei-Long , Pan Wen , Zou Qiang , Liu Jun , Zhou Yu , Xia Qiang , Flavell Richard A. , Zhu Shu , Li Hua-Bing
Published: April 2021

CRISPR screening identifies RNA m
6
A modification as negative regulator of TLR signaling pathway for proper innate immune response.
The evolution of mammalian brain size
Authors: Smaers J. B. , Rothman R. S. , Hudson D. R. , Balanoff A. M. , Beatty B. , Dechmann D. K. N. , de Vries D. , Dunn J. C. , Fleagle J. G. , Gilbert C. C. , Goswami A. , Iwaniuk A. N. , Jungers W. L. , Kerney M. , Ksepka D. T. , Manger P. R. , Mongle C. S. , Rohlf F. J. , Smith N. A. , Soligo C. , Weisbecker V. , Safi K.
Published: April 2021

An in-depth look at mammalian brain size evolution prompts a reevaluation of a traditional paradigm.
Charge transport physics of a unique class of rigid-rod conjugated polymers with fused-ring conjugated units linked by double carbon-carbon bonds
Authors: Xiao Mingfei , Carey Remington L. , Chen Hu , Jiao Xuechen , Lemaur Vincent , Schott Sam , Nikolka Mark , Jellett Cameron , Sadhanala Aditya , Rogers Sarah , Senanayak Satyaprasad P. , Onwubiko Ada , Han Sanyang , Zhang Zhilong , Abdi-Jalebi Mojtaba , Zhang Youcheng , Thomas Tudor H. , Mahmoudi Najet , Lai Lianglun , Selezneva Ekaterina , Ren Xinglong , Nguyen Malgorzata , Wang Qijing , Jacobs Ian , Yue Wan , McNeill Christopher R. , Liu Guoming , Beljonne David , McCulloch Iain , Sirringhaus Henning
Published: April 2021

The charge transport–limiting factors in conjugated polymers without single-bond linkages in the backbone have been identified.
Low-energy room-temperature optical switching in mixed-dimensionality nanoscale perovskite heterojunctions
Authors: Hao Ji , Kim Young-Hoon , Habisreutinger Severin N. , Harvey Steven P. , Miller Elisa M. , Foradori Sean M. , Arnold Michael S. , Song Zhaoning , Yan Yanfa , Luther Joseph M. , Blackburn Jeffrey L.
Published: April 2021

Perovskite nanocrystals and SWCNTs join forces in optical synapses with attractive switching metrics and low-energy operation.
Selectively steering photon spin angular momentum via electron-induced optical spin Hall effect
Authors: Chi Cheng , Jiang Qiao , Liu Zhixin , Zheng Liheng , Jiang Meiling , Zhang Han , Lin Feng , Shen Bo , Fang Zheyu
Published: April 2021

A deep subwavelength scale manipulation steers photon spin angular momentum via electron-induced optical spin Hall effect.
Robot-induced hallucinations in Parkinson’s disease depend on altered sensorimotor processing in fronto-temporal network
Authors: Bernasconi Fosco , Blondiaux Eva , Potheegadoo Jevita , Stripeikyte Giedre , Pagonabarraga Javier , Bejr-Kasem Helena , Bassolino Michela , Akselrod Michel , Martinez-Horta Saul , Sampedro Frederic , Hara Masayuki , Horvath Judit , Franza Matteo , Konik Stéphanie , Bereau Matthieu , Ghika Joseph-André , Burkhard Pierre R. , Van De Ville Dimitri , Faivre Nathan , Rognini Giulio , Krack Paul , Kulisevsky Jaime , Blanke Olaf
Published: April 2021

Presence hallucination in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is shown to arise from errors in sensorimotor integration and frontotemporal disconnection.
SHP2 drives inflammation-triggered insulin resistance by reshaping tissue macrophage populations
Authors: Paccoud Romain , Saint-Laurent Céline , Piccolo Enzo , Tajan Mylène , Dortignac Alizée , Pereira Ophélie , Le Gonidec Sophie , Baba Inès , Gélineau Adélaïde , Askia Haoussa , Branchereau Maxime , Charpentier Julie , Personnaz Jean , Branka Sophie , Auriau Johanna , Deleruyelle Simon , Canouil Mickaël , Beton Nicolas , Salles Jean-Pierre , Tauber Maithé , Weill Jacques , Froguel Philippe , Neel Benjamin G. , Araki Toshiyuki , Heymes Christophe , Burcelin Rémy , Castan Isabelle , Valet Philippe , Dray Cédric , Gautier Emmanuel L. , Edouard Thomas , Pradère Jean-Philippe , Yart Armelle
Published: April 2021

Hyperactive SHP2 promotes inflammation-driven insulin resistance by skewing macrophage balance in metabolic tissues and may be a target in T2D.
SynNotch-CAR T cells overcome challenges of specificity, heterogeneity, and persistence in treating glioblastoma
Authors: Choe Joseph H. , Watchmaker Payal B. , Simic Milos S. , Gilbert Ryan D. , Li Aileen W. , Krasnow Nira A. , Downey Kira M. , Yu Wei , Carrera Diego A. , Celli Anna , Cho Juhyun , Briones Jessica D. , Duecker Jason M. , Goretsky Yitzhar E. , Dannenfelser Ruth , Cardarelli Lia , Troyanskaya Olga , Sidhu Sachdev S. , Roybal Kole T. , Okada Hideho , Lim Wendell A.
Published: April 2021

SynNotch-CAR T cells durably clear glioblastoma xenografts, overcoming dual challenges of antigen heterogeneity and specificity common to solid tumors.
Tafenoquine Is a Promising Drug Candidate for the Treatment of Babesiosis
Authors: Liu Mingming , Ji Shengwei , Kondoh Daisuke , Galon Eloiza May , Li Jixu , Tomihari Mizuki , Yanagawa Masashi , Tagawa Michihito , Adachi Mami , Asada Masahito , Igarashi Ikuo , Iguchi Aiko , Xuan Xuenan
Published: April 2021

Due to drug resistance, commonly used anti-
Babesia
drugs have limited efficacy against babesiosis and inflict severe side effects. Tafenoquine (TAF) was approved by the U.S.
Draft Genome Sequences of Various Bacterial Phyla Isolated from the International Space Station
Authors: Simpson Anna C. , Urbaniak Camilla , Singh Nitin K. , Wood Jason M. , Debieu Marilyne , O’Hara Niamh B. , Mason Christopher E. , Venkateswaran Kasthuri
Published: April 2021

Whole-genome sequences were generated from 96 bacterial strains of 14 species that were isolated from International Space Station surfaces during the Microbial Tracking 2 study. Continued characterization of this closed habitat's microbiome enables tracking of the spread and evolution of secondary pathogens, which is vital for astronaut health.
Subduction of the Izanagi-Pacific Ridge–transform intersection
at the northeastern end of the Eurasian plate
Authors: Yamasaki Toru , Shimoda Gen , Tani Kenichiro , Maeda Jinichiro , Nanayama Futoshi
Published: April 2021

Recent reconstructions of global plate motions suggest that the Izanagi-Pacific Ridge was subducted along the eastern margin of Eurasia at ca. 50 Ma. In the Hidaka magmatic zone (HMZ), which was located at the northeastern end of the Eurasian plate, three magmatic pulses occurred (46–45, 40–36, and 19–18 Ma). We report whole-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data for 36 Ma high-Sr/Y (adakitic) rocks from the HMZ and show that these rocks formed by partial melting of oceanic crust and were emplaced as near-trench intrusions during ridge subduction. We reevaluate the nature of plutonic rocks in the HMZ and show that both the 46–45 and 40–36 Ma granitoids have essentially identical geochemical features. The distribution of plutons and magmatic cessation between 45 and 40 Ma are best explained by subduction of a ridge-transform intersection with a large offset of the ridge axis. The boundary between the Eocene granitoids corresponds to the position of a paleo–transform fault, and adakitic magmatism was caused by partial melting triggered by slab tearing at an overlapping spreading center. The paleoridge-transform configuration coincides with the locations of later large faults and a peridotite body.