bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling Artificial Neural Networks to Predict Asbestos-containing Materials in Residential Buildings
Authors: Wu Pei-Yu , Mangold Mikael , Sandels Claes , Johansson Tim , Mjörnell Kristina
Published: December 2022

The presence of hazardous materials inhibits material circularity. The existing residential buildings are exposed to the risk of the unforeseen presence of asbestos-containing materials during the demolition or renovation process. Estimating the potential occurrence of contaminated building components can therefore facilitate semi-selective demolition and decontamination planning. The study aims to investigate the prediction possibility of seven frequently detected asbestos-containing materials by using artificial neural networks based on a hazardous material dataset from pre-demolition audit inventories and national building registers. Through iterative model evaluation and careful hyperparameter tuning, the prediction performance for each asbestos-containing material was benchmarked. A high level of accuracy was obtained for asbestos pipe insulation and ventilation channel, yet barely any patterns were found for asbestos floor mats. Artificial neural networks show potential for classifying specific asbestos components and can enhance the knowledge of their detection patterns. However, more quality data are needed to bring the models into practice for risk assessment for not yet inventoried residential buildings. The proposed screening approach for in situ asbestos-containing materials has high applicability for the quality assurance of recycled materials in circular value chains.
WVDM Living Lab: Sustainable renovation strategies for the VUB student residences of Willy Van Der Meeren
Authors: Galle W. , Elsen S. , Wouters I. , De Schepper T. , Poppe J. , De Temmerman N.
Published: December 2022

Like many institutions, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) strives for a sustainable approach to manage its architectural patrimony. This patrimony, with as an example the student residences in the heart of VUB its main campus, puts forward an important challenge. These residences, designed by architect Willy Van Der Meeren in 1971-1973, are generally recognized as architectural heritage, yet they need thorough yet economically feasible and future-oriented energy refurbishment if we want to extend their service life.

The same challenge applies to many buildings in the Brussels Capital Region. Here, the number of housing units, as in the rest of Europe, increased significantly during the post-war period. A peak occurred at the end of the 1960s, when more than 7,000 new housing units were built annually. Like the student residences, these housing units are the witnesses of an innovative past but raise questions on thermal inertia, safety of accessible roofs, performance of aluminium window frames, façades containing asbestos, etc.

Unfortunately, today’s practice shows that there is restricted time and resources to develop and compare alternative renovation strategies, lowering the ambitions in terms of heritage, energy, sustainability, and affordability. Therefore, in the WVDM Living Lab we took the opportunity to have researchers and project managers joining forces with practitioners. This project, that fits the Test-It program by Innoviris and is funded by EFRO and the Brussels Capital Region, with complementary investments from the infrastructure and patrimony office of VUB, provided oxygen to break through this lock-in.

Using the student residences as a testbed for the development of sustainable renovation strategies for the former student residences and similar post-war heritage of Brussels, innovation in construction and in cooperation was found. First, the different consortia of designers, contractors and experts effectively developed and prototyped new design and construction solutions. Their proposals aligned heritage and sustainable material management in the idea of a circular economy and included for example the adoption of reversible connections and reused materials. Second, the consortia indicated that their mission to innovate also challenged their own organization and design process. Inspired by this experience, client and design team are convinced that working more closely together from the start of a construction project is crucial to reach innovative sustainable construction.
Long-term renovation strategy for 2020-2050: assessment from a low-carbon perspective—case Finland
Authors: Vainio T , Nippala E
Published: December 2022

All EU member states have established a long-term renovation strategy (LTRS) and have updated it twice to support renovation of their national building stock to be highly energy efficient and decarbonised by 2050. The new revision of the EPBD is already under way to accelerate progress on climate change mitigation. This paper is an assessment of the third and latest Finnish long-term renovation strategy for 2020–2050 from a low-carbon perspective covering the emissions of energy renovation products as well as heating energy consumption. The renovation strategy of Finland directs measures to structural improvements, more efficient use of building service technologies and changes in heating systems. The measures will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 90% compared to 2020. Only 3–4 percent of emission savings in operational energy are required to offset emissions in accordance with the strategy measures. The measures will meet the CO2 emissions reduction targets of EPBD and Fit for 55 by 2030.
Incorporation of UN sustainable development goals into built environments-related business management concepts
Authors: Huovinen P
Published: December 2022

The aim is to advance the incorporation of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7-9 and 11-13 into built environments (BEs) -related business management (BM) concepts. Concept designers may incorporate SDGs as one or many dimensions, elements, attributes, or criteria. The six principles are as follows. When the scope of SDG 7 is addressed through integrated value chains, requirements for green energy can be incorporated into BM concepts of all stakeholders. When the scope of SDG 8 is limited to new businesses and skills, these developments can be incorporated into social community-driven BM concepts. When the scope of SDG 9 is limited to circular neighbourhoods, this circularity can be incorporated into adjustable BM concepts, coupled with urban transformation programs. When the scope of SDG 11 is addressed, inclusiveness and resilience can be incorporated into development business-specific management concepts and community coverage programs. When the scope of SDG 12 is limited to value chains and business models, sustainability can be incorporated into the co-creation of value propositions, offerings, delivery, and value capture. When the scope of SDG 13 is addressed, urgency can be incorporated into climate-driven BM concepts and the joint, stage-wise planning, financing, and implementation of net zero decarbonization roadmaps.
How Frugal Innovation can empower citizens to make their life simpler and more sustainable. Insights from two ongoing initiatives
Authors: Antuña-Rozado C , Wohlfart L , Gandikota V , Åkerman M , Duderstadt Henning
Published: December 2022

Frugal innovation, well managed, offers numerous opportunities for the development of novel solutions with the participation of ordinary citizens, including those belonging to marginalized or vulnerable groups. Since it is about developing solutions that are not only useful and durable, but also affordable, with a clear economy of means, it is an option that cities and regions should consider, as they normally struggle with tight budgets and a lack of inspiring ideas while trying to keep up with a rapidly changing environment. Unlocking the creative potential of citizens in collaboration with the business sector through frugal innovation challenges, for example, can result in better services and products and help reposition the city or region as a hub of innovation, thereby attracting new talent and investments.

The European project FRANCIS aims to develop frugal innovations through open innovation challenges involving different groups of citizens with the support of scientists and industry throughout the innovation process. Citizens can join the challenges through an online and face-to-face platform. Overall, FRANCIS does everything possible to activate and motivate civil society to participate in these challenges and ensure that potential barriers are overcome. In addition, behavioural testing and analysis is used to understand the most frequently encountered barriers at different stages of the frugal innovation process and to generate effective mitigation strategies. The project also aims to align the challenges with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) indicators.

To maximize its impact, FRANCIS works consistently to encourage and engage interested cities and regions in the frugal innovation process together with their citizens. The city of Bielefeld in Germany is one of the pioneers that wants to increase its innovation potential through the establishment of international innovation partnerships, which in turn will attract and retain the highest level of talent and expertise.

This paper will present the tools developed to date by FRANCIS project to guide and support the frugal innovation process with citizens so that it leads to a successful outcome, in addition to commenting on the Bielefeld case as an example for other cities interested in following the same path of innovation.
Architectural Practice Supporting Sustainability Transitions in the Built Environment
Authors: Plavina A , Kleiven T , Pettersen I Nilstad
Published: December 2022

Transitions towards sustainability are urgently needed to address the environmental and societal challenges on a global scale. This article applies concepts used in sustainability transition studies – niches and transition experiments – to architectural practice. A tentative evaluative scheme developed by Luederitz et al [1] is used in this article to analyse how transition experiments in architectural practice can be designed and performed to support sustainability transitions in the built environment. Three practice-led transition experiments addressing resource efficiency and frugality, reuse of materials, user involvement in design, self-building, etc. are analysed. The article concludes by discussing implications of using a transition experiment approach in architectural practice.
Designing and implementing solar photovoltaic system in secondary residence
Authors: Lilja K
Published: December 2022

The goal of this research was to find out, what kind of further training an experienced electrician or electrical contractor needs to be able to design and implement a 12volts off grid system for residential use.

In Finland, installing the low voltage system of 12 volts not necessary requiring qualifications, but anybody is allowed to implement such system. However, if something happens, the insurance company may cause troubles, if the system is not installed by professionals. Despite of this, it is not common at the moment, that a contractor designs and implements such a system.

The system was designed to be implemented into two secondary residence owned by two families. in implementing phase It was found out that it is a challenge to find a contractor that would be interested in and capable to implement low voltage systems. In common, contractors are specialized in higher voltages, and they do not necessary have experience, tools and components required in working with lowest voltages. Also the relationship between voltage, current and resistance seemed to be lost. Although the formulas P=UI and U=RI should be known by everyone working with electricity, the impact of distance and current on designing the wiring seemed to be unknown or forgotten.

It was found out, that to be able to design and implement low voltage solar photovoltaic system, an experienced contractor without earlier experience on such systems, needs further information concerning the standards and regulations, fire safety, batteries and designing the wirings. This information could be given in further training concentrating on photovoltaic energy systems and special issues in 12 and 24 volts installations.
A contribution to investigation of oscillatory loads of driving axles in order to create conditions for laboratory tests of trucks
Authors: Demić Miroslav , Đurić Aleksandar , Grkić Aleksandar , Drakulić Momir , Muždeka Slavko
Published: December 2022

Motor vehicles are complex dynamic systems due to spatial vibratory displacements during movement, changes in the characteristics of components during life cycle, a large number of influences and disturbances, the occurrence of clearance, friction, hysteresis, etc. The mentioned dynamic phenomena, especially vibrations, cause fatigue of the driver and passengers, reduce the life cycle of the vehicle and its systems, etc. In the general case, the movement of motor vehicles is done on uneven roads (terrain) and curvilinear paths in flat roads (terrains). Oscillatory movements cause loading of vehicle parts, but they also negatively affect human health. Therefore, even in the design phase of the vehicle, special attention must be paid to the harmonization of the mutual movement of the vehicle subsystem, and in particular, the suspension system. Theoretical, experimental or combined methods can be used for this purpose, and it is very useful to have experimental results of vibration of the vehicle subsystems in real operational conditions. Therefore, it is very useful to have experimental results of vibration of vehicle subsystems in operational conditions. Bearing that in mind, the aim of this wpaper was to use the movement of FAP 1118, 4x4 wheel formula, in operational conditions (due to higher speeds - in road conditions) to define laboratory conditions for testing. This is made possible by registering and identifying statistical parameters of registered quantities.
Analysis of powertrain’s workload during the turning process of a high-speed tracked vehicle
Authors: Ponorac Luka , Blagojević Ivan , Grkić Aleksandar
Published: December 2022

In order to analyze the efficiency of a high-speed tracked vehicle powertrain, it is necessary to understand the powertrain workloads in specific working regimes. Experimental tests are conducted on a specific high-speed tracked vehicle, in various terrain conditions, in order to obtain accurate workload data and isolate the maximum workload regimes. From the power balance point of view, the most demanding working regime is the vehicle turning process, so corresponding test results are analyzed with special attention. The obtained results indicate that the slip of the turning mechanism friction elements greatly influences the character of the power balance change.
The influence of the fuel stratification on the IC engine working cycle with the compressed natural gas
Authors: Grujic I , Davinic A , Stojanovic N , Doric J , Narayan S
Published: December 2022

The gaseous fuels are very convenient from the economic aspect as well as from the ecology aspect. Fuel stratification allows the engine work with the globally lean mixture and in this way increase the engine efficiency and reduces the pump losses. The separation of the engine working space, on the area where the mixture will be always rich, and on the area where the mixture will be always lean, allows the spark ignition engine work with the globally lean mixture. In the paper it was investigated, how the fuel stratification ratio influences on the combustion process of the compressed natural gas in the spark ignition engine. It was found that the stratification ratio has a great influence on the combustion process, as well as on the engine performances and the efficiency. Based on the research it was identified the optimal combustion process from the aspect of the performances and the efficiency.
Novel modular powertrain proposal for e-bicycle
Authors: Stojić B , Poznić A
Published: December 2022

Bicycles with electric pedal assist systems are becoming increasingly popular, with increasing versatility, a range of intended areas of use, and different design approaches for system realization. This paper deals with the proposal for a novel modular drivetrain concept based on a friction driving wheel, for which a brief design outline is given. Desired performances based on law constraints and average bicycle driving experience analysed, and basic powertrain properties required for their realization assessed.
Development of mathematical model for design of vehicle steering system
Authors: Drakulić Momir , Stojnić Lazar , Blagojević Ivan , Đurić Aleksandar , Perić Sreten
Published: December 2022

The vehicle steering system is one of the most important systems on the vehicle, both in terms of safety and performance. Based on the geometry of the steering trapezoid, the geometry of the suspension system, the alignment angles of the wheels, as well as the characteristics of the tires, a mathematical model for the design of the formula student vehicle "Road Arrow" steering system was developed. Based on the dynamic state of the vehicle, the mathematical model provides information on the stress of the steering system, the torque on the steering wheel and the slip angles of the steered wheels. The mathematical model was developed using the MATLAB software, and validation of the results was performed by comparing the results with the ones obtained by simulations in MSC ADAMS. Analysing the obtained results, it is possible to conclude that the average value of relative error of the stress is approximately 15%, for slip angles of the steered wheels is approximately 7%, and the error for torque on the steering wheel is approximately 6%.
Lightweight Materials for Automobiles
Authors: Busarac Nina , Adamovic Dragan , Grujovic Nenad , Zivic Fatima
Published: December 2022

This paper deals with vehicle lightweighting, as a strategy to help attain sustainability in the automotive industry by facilitating improved fuel economy. We reviewed innovative materials appropriate for the manufacturing of low-carbon vehicles (LCVs), such as advanced high-strength steel (AHSS), aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, as well as novel composite materials commonly used for lightweight construction applications. Research shows that vehicle curb weight greatly affects fuel consumption. Primary weight reduction refers to body-in-white (BIW), which can subsequently lead to secondary weight reductions in terms of engine and powertrain size. This review takes into account the environmental aspect of the car body material and the possibility of closed-loop recycling, especially for aluminum and magnesium alloys.
Polymer matrix nanocomposites from the ecological aspect in the automotive industry
Authors: Gajević S , Krstić J , Miladinović S , Blagojević J , Stojanović B
Published: December 2022

Meeting the stringent requirements of the automotive industry that the material must meet in terms of price and performance is a serious challenge for engineers. The use of lightweight materials has led to the use of polymer nanocomposites in the automotive industry but has also led to new issues such as the impact on the ecological aspect of the environment. Tests, which are still ongoing, have found improvements in many material properties such as mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical and magnetic. So, on one hand, improved properties and low prices of production and manufacturing have been recorded, on the other hand, there is insufficient research of their impact on the environment, which this paper aims to investigate.
Functionally graded materials in transport vehicles – overview, fabrication, application, modelling
Authors: Tošić G , Bogdanović G , Čukanović D , Radaković A
Published: December 2022

This paper deals with functionally graded materials (FGM) as modern materials in transport vehicles. Basic methods of FGM production and areas of their application are presented, as well as an example of modelling an FGM plate. Bending of freely supported square FGM plates under the influence of sinusoidal transverse load was analyzed. The plates are made of metal (aluminium) and ceramic (alumina) in which material characteristics change as a function along the thickness of the plate. The static analysis was done by applying finite elements methods in the FEMAP software package for different mesh sizes. The results were compared with those obtained in the MATLAB software package using the classical plate theory, quasi 3D theory as well as high order shear deformation theories. The previously mentioned comparative results were analysed and certain observations and appropriate conclusions were made.
Analysis of the Impact of the Machine on the Forging Process of a Connecting Rod using Numerical Simulation
Authors: Delić Marko , Mandić Vesna , Pavlović Filip
Published: December 2022

The application of numerical simulations of production technologies, using the finite element method or the finite volume method, is a widely used approach in advanced engineering design and research. Unlike industrial experiments, this approach allows the analysis of the influence of different process parameters on the output performance of a workpiece. The paper analyzes the influence of the choice of the machine on the forging process of the connecting rod, which is made, among other things, for the needs of the auto industry. For this purpose, numerical experiments were carried out, using the finite volume method and the Simufact.forming software package, with variations of three types of forging machines: drop forging hammer, crank press and screw press. Finally, the results of the numerical experiments and conducted analyses are presented, with concluding considerations and recommendations.
How the Core Technologies of Industry 4.0 are Changing the Automotive Industry in the World, with a Focus on China
Authors: Karabegović Isak , Husak Ermin , Karabegović Edina , Mahmić Mehmed
Published: December 2022

Industry 4.0 has a significant impact on the automation of production processes, by causing numerous changes in three segments: companies, technology and workers. Developed countries worldwide have their own strategies on Industry 4.0, which offer guidelines on its implementation in production processes, with the aim of their complete flexible automation. The core technologies on which Industry 4.0 rests have led to a complete transformation in production processes, especially in the automotive industry. The basic technology of Industry 4.0 is robot technology, i.e., the implementation of industrial and service robots in production processes. The paper provides an analysis of the implementation of industrial robots and service robots in the automation of production processes in the automotive industry with a focus on China. The analysis of the automation of production processes of the automobile industry in China was carried out for two reasons. The first is that China has a growing middle-class population, so demographic trends are encouraging the growing demand for certain products, such as cars. Another reason is that in China (as in Japan, Russia and Western Europe) the average age of factory workers is increasing (the labor force is older), thus the performance of certain tasks becomes more difficult so greater efficiency is not achieved. The paper analyzes vehicle production in China, as well as the readiness of production processes in the automotive industry for the implementation of Industry 4.0.
The ergonomic aspects of a passenger car climate control panel
Authors: Ružić D
Published: December 2022

In order to make a vehicle cabin environment thermally comfortable, substantial amount of the energy could be needed. This problem is especially notable in electric (EV) and hybrid vehicles (HV) because of the influence on the driving range. Therefore the EV and HV must have an efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system (HVAC). Correct setting and use of the system is also one of preconditions for rational use of the energy and to obtain the efficient energy consumption. Despite of the automation of the system, a driver must be able to set the HVAC while driving. This is secondary task and must not interfere with primary task, the vehicle control. Therefore, design of the climate control panel (CCP) is important in terms of driving safety and energy consumption. An ergonomic analysis of a sample of typical compact/middle class family cars CCPs is given and discussed. The results indicate that the approaches in the CCP design are very different and there is an absence of standardization in terms of general control layout and functions. A user-centred design of the CCP would result in reduced number of the controls and fewer steps needed to set the system.
Computational assessment of light experimental hybrid vehicle braking efficiency
Authors: Stojić B , Poznić A
Published: December 2022

This paper deals with braking performance of light parallel electric hybrid vehicle conceived as platform for educational and research work with students. As next step in vehicle design improvement, braking system modification was proposed. Using these data, in this paper braking performance on grounds with both high and low adhesion was assessed. Calculation results shown that braking efficiency is better for high than for low adhesion ground, which is result of design criteria applied. In both cases application of the regenerative braking impairs braking efficiency. This is consequence of insufficient braking force being applied at the rear axle as a result of system design.
Improving ride comfort by optimising suspension system of an electric street sweeper
Authors: Changoski V , Mircheski I , Danev D
Published: December 2022

The opinion of the operators of the working machines in today’s world is much more valued than in the past. Their comfort, safety and satisfaction during the working hours can be crucial in the decision making process of buying new working machine. Therefore, in this research paper the vertical dynamics and ride comfort of an electric street sweeper would be analysed by using a multibody dynamic model. The model is created using MSC. ADAMS, based on a real electric street sweeper. In order to test the ride comfort of the existing model, a road profile is modelled, according to the standard ISO 8608. The virtual tests are conducted while the vehicle is traveling with maximum velocity of 40 km/h, achieved during transit and lower velocities which are achieved during the operating hours of the machine. An optimization of the suspension system of the real electric sweeper is made, by targeting its components location and positioning, stiffness and damping characteristics. This results in improved ride comfort and smaller root mean square (RMS) values of vertical acceleration of the driver seat. These improvements would influence on operator’s better comfort and health. Results are presented using comparative diagrams of the original and optimised model.
The trend of structured light-induced force microscopy: a review
Authors: Zeng Jinwei , Dong Yajuan , Zhang Jinrun , Wang Jian
Published: December 2022

Modern nanotechnology demands advanced microscopy with ever finer resolution and detectivity of both explicit and inexplicit features of matter. While typical optical microscopy can only directly observe the diffraction-limited appearance of a sample, a plethora of novel techniques has been presented to interrogate the intrinsic nature of matter in super-resolution. In particular, photo-induced force microscopy (PiFM) has attracted intense interest from optical scientists due to its unique optical force detection mechanism. Recent works on PiFM suggest that, combined with structured light illumination, the so-called system of structured light-induced force microscopy (SLiFM) can characterize conventionally elusive material properties with fidelity. In this review, we discuss the origin and state-of-art of SLiFM, including the following aspects: (a) the principle of PiFM and how it detects optical forces; (b) the fundamental physics of structured light beams; (c) the fundamental physics of structured light–structured matter interaction; (d) the relation between optical force and local electromagnetic fields. Lastly, we highlight the possible future industrial and academic applications of SLiFM in the characterization and manipulation of opto-magnetism, chirality, etc.
Acoustical behavior of camellia sinensis/ananas comosus fiber based uni-directional corrugated panel for sound damping application
Authors: Karthi N , Gokulkumar S , Sathish S , Rajkumar U S
Published: December 2022

To achieve a durable, rigid, and lightweight construction material, a new class of Camellia sinensis/Ananas comosus fiber-enhanced corrugated sandwich panel was designed and produced. The crushed core layer comprises sinusoidal corrugation and is manufactured by a method of mould pressing in an attempt to assess this material’s sound absorption ability. In addition, the influence of airgap and micro perforation on sound absorption properties was investigated. The samples with a greater perforation ratio and air gap are found to have a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of 0.745, which can be used to attenuate mid- and high-range frequencies in industrial environments.
Mechanical parametric feedback-cooling for pendulum-based gravity experiments
Authors: Hartwig Daniel , Petermann Jan , Schnabel Roman
Published: December 2022

Gravitational forces that oscillate at audio-band frequencies are measured with masses suspended as pendulums that have resonance frequencies even lower. If the pendulum is excited by thermal energy or by seismic motion of the environment, the measurement sensitivity is reduced. Conventionally, this problem is mitigated by seismic isolation, potentially combined with cryogenic cooling. Here, we propose mechanical parametric cooling of the pendulum motion, continuously even during the measurements. Different from linear damping, the actuator of our approach does not need a mechanically stable reference point. We report a proof of principle demonstration in the seismic noise dominated regime and achieve a damping factor of the pendulum motion of 5.7. We find a model system for which mechanical parametric feedback cooling reaches the quantum mechanical regime near the ground state. Gravitational-wave detectors would already be improved with much lower cooling factors.
Preprint Highlight: Quantitative multiplexed imaging of chromatin ultrastructure with Decode-PAINT
Authors: Takao Dasiuke
Published: December 2022

Recent innovations have advanced our understanding of how the 3D organization of chromosomes regulates nuclear processes such as transcription. However, further technological innovations are needed to visualize the fine structure of chromatin in cells. The authors developed Decode-PAINT, a chromatin imaging method based on fluorescence in situ DNA hybridization (FISH) and super resolution microscopy. Decode-PAINT enables high-throughput visualization of multiple genomic loci at a resolution close to the nucleosome scale. They used Decode-PAINT to characterize and compare the nanostructures of active and inactive human X chromosomes. By providing a new pipeline that utilizes standard lab equipment, this study makes in situ single-cell structural genomics more accessible and may pave the way for sophisticated spatial multi-omics studies.

This preprint has been assigned the following badges: Open Software, New Methods.

Read the preprint on bioRxiv ( Sasaki et al., 2022 ): https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.08.01.502089 .
Transcriptional advantage influence odorant receptor gene choice
Authors: Mohanty Sanjay Kumar , Maryam Sidrah , Gautam Vishakha , Mittal Aayushi , Gupta Krishan , Arora Radhika , Bhadra Wrik , Mishra Tripti , Sengupta Debarka , Ahuja Gaurav
Published: December 2022

Odorant receptors (ORs) obey mutual exclusivity and monoallelic mode of expression. Efforts are ongoing to decipher the molecular mechanism that drives the ‘one-neuron-one-receptor’ rule of olfaction. Recently, single-cell profiling of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) revealed the expression of multiple ORs in the immature neurons, suggesting that the OR gene choice mechanism is much more complex than previously described by the silence-all-and-activate-one model. These results also led to the genesis of two possible mechanistic models i.e. winner-takes-all and stochastic selection. We developed Reverse Cell Tracking (RCT), a novel computational framework that facilitates OR-guided cellular backtracking by leveraging Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection embeddings from RNA Velocity Workflow. RCT-based trajectory backtracking, coupled with statistical analysis, revealed the OR gene choice bias for the transcriptionally advanced (highest expressed) OR during neuronal differentiation. Interestingly, the observed selection bias was uniform for all ORs across different spatial zones or their relative expression within the olfactory organ. We validated these findings on independent datasets and further confirmed that the OR gene selection may be regulated by Upf3b. Lastly, our RNA dynamics-based tracking of the differentiation cascade revealed a transition cell state that harbors mixed molecular identities of immature and mature OSNs, and their relative abundance is regulated by Upf3b.
SAM-DTA: a sequence-agnostic model for drug–target binding affinity prediction
Authors: Hu Zhiqiang , Liu Wenfeng , Zhang Chenbin , Huang Jiawen , Zhang Shaoting , Yu Huiqun , Xiong Yi , Liu Hao , Ke Song , Hong Liang
Published: December 2022

Drug–target binding affinity prediction is a fundamental task for drug discovery and has been studied for decades. Most methods follow the canonical paradigm that processes the inputs of the protein (target) and the ligand (drug) separately and then combines them together. In this study we demonstrate, surprisingly, that a model is able to achieve even superior performance without access to any protein-sequence-related information. Instead, a protein is characterized completely by the ligands that it interacts. Specifically, we treat different proteins separately, which are jointly trained in a multi-head manner, so as to learn a robust and universal representation of ligands that is generalizable across proteins. Empirical evidences show that the novel paradigm outperforms its competitive sequence-based counterpart, with the Mean Squared Error (MSE) of 0.4261 versus 0.7612 and the R-Square of 0.7984 versus 0.6570 compared with DeepAffinity. We also investigate the transfer learning scenario where unseen proteins are encountered after the initial training, and the cross-dataset evaluation for prospective studies. The results reveals the robustness of the proposed model in generalizing to unseen proteins as well as in predicting future data. Source codes and data are available at https://github.com/huzqatpku/SAM-DTA.
LncRNA-disease association identification using graph auto-encoder and learning to rank
Authors: Liang Qi , Zhang Wenxiang , Wu Hao , Liu Bin
Published: December 2022

Discovering the relationships between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and diseases is significant in the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of diseases. However, current identified lncRNA-disease associations are not enough because of the expensive and heavy workload of wet laboratory experiments. Therefore, it is greatly important to develop an efficient computational method for predicting potential lncRNA-disease associations. Previous methods showed that combining the prediction results of the lncRNA-disease associations predicted by different classification methods via Learning to Rank (LTR) algorithm can be effective for predicting potential lncRNA-disease associations. However, when the classification results are incorrect, the ranking results will inevitably be affected. We propose the GraLTR-LDA predictor based on biological knowledge graphs and ranking framework for predicting potential lncRNA-disease associations. Firstly, homogeneous graph and heterogeneous graph are constructed by integrating multi-source biological information. Then, GraLTR-LDA integrates graph auto-encoder and attention mechanism to extract embedded features from the constructed graphs. Finally, GraLTR-LDA incorporates the embedded features into the LTR via feature crossing statistical strategies to predict priority order of diseases associated with query lncRNAs. Experimental results demonstrate that GraLTR-LDA outperforms the other state-of-the-art predictors and can effectively detect potential lncRNA-disease associations. Availability and implementation: Datasets and source codes are available at http://bliulab.net/GraLTR-LDA.
Can a licenced community worker qualify as a professional social worker?—Evidence from China
Authors: Enjian Wang , Mai Sun , Ying Zhang , Boqian Zhang , Wenjing Luan , Yanan Meng , Jiacheng Si
Published: December 2022

China has long suffered from a critical shortage of qualified social workers. To compensate for the inadequacy of formally educated social workers, a number of workers employed in the community neighbourhood committee were granted a social work licence and became registered social workers when they passed licence examinations regardless of whether they had a social work degree. Nevertheless, they are often criticised for a lack of professional competence—they are just registered social workers rather than professional social workers. This study identifies whether licenced community workers have a higher level of professional competence than non-licenced community workers in urban China. Based on a sample of 4,013 participants and the extended regression model, the findings show that the licence promotes the professional competence of community workers, but such promotion is achieved through professional knowledge acquisition rather than professional skills acquisition. Licenced community workers probably perceive stronger professional competence through professional knowledge acquisition, but their professional skills might be inadequate. The findings suggest several implications for the social work licence system.
Late-onset sensory-motor axonal neuropathy, a novelSLC12A6-related phenotype
Authors: Løseth Sissel , Høyer Helle , Le Kim-Mai , Delpire Eric , Kinge Einar , Lande Asgeir , Hilmarsen Hilde Tveitan , Fagerheim Toril , Nilssen Øivind , Braathen Geir Julius
Published: December 2022

We describe five families from different regions in Norway with a late-onset autosomal-dominant hereditary polyneuropathy sharing a heterozygous variant in the SLC12A6 gene. Mutations in the same gene have previously been described in infants with autosomal-recessive hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with corpus callosum agenesis and mental retardation (Andermann syndrome), and in a few case reports describing dominantly acting de novo mutations, most of them with onset in childhood. The phenotypes in our families demonstrated heterogeneity. Some of our patients only had subtle to moderate symptoms and some individuals even no complaints. None had CNS manifestations. Clinical and neurophysiological evaluations revealed a predominant sensory axonal polyneuropathy with slight to moderate motor components.

In all 10 patients the identical SLC12A6 missense variant, NM_001365088.1 c.1655G>A p.(Gly552Asp), was identified. For functional characterization, the mutant potassium chloride cotransporter 3 was modelled in Xenopus oocytes. This revealed a significant reduction in potassium influx for the p.(Gly552Asp) substitution.

Our findings further expand the spectrum of SLC12A6 disease, from biallelic hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with corpus callosum agenesis and mental retardation and monoallelic early-onset hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy caused by de novo mutations, to late-onset autosomal-dominant axonal neuropathy with predominant sensory deficits.
Puerarin improves diabetic wound healing via regulation of macrophage M2 polarization phenotype
Authors: Li Shiyan , Yang Ping , Ding Xiaofeng , Zhang Hao , Ding Youjun , Tan Qian
Published: December 2022

Background

Skin wound healing depends on the progress of different but overlapping stages of healing, including hemostasis, inflammatory, proliferative and remodeling. Failure of these stages to occur in a timely and gradual manner may result in non-healing pathological wounds. Macrophages and neutrophils have been shown to play an essential role in the inflammatory responses of wound tissue, and their active plasticity allows them to modulate tissue damage and repair functions. The ability of macrophages and neutrophils to regulate the occurrence and resolution of inflammatory processes is essential for the treatment of pathological wound healing.

Methods

Mice were categorized into negative control, streptozotocin, streptozotocin + puerarin and puerarin groups. The traditional Chinese medicine extract puerarin was selected to treat different groups of mice with a full-thickness skin defect wound. Cells of the RAW264.7 cell line were stimulated under different puerarin conditions. Then, real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blot, immunofluorescence and other assays were carried out to explore the effect of puerarin on wound healing and its molecular mechanism.

Results

Animal experiments found that the wound healing of diabetic mice treated with puerarin was significantly accelerated, and histological analysis found that puerarin treatment markedly decreased the infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils in wound tissue. Through western blot, RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence experiments, it was observed that puerarin treatment remarkably inhibited nuclear factor kinase B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, downregulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines and induced the M2 polarization of macrophages. At the cellular level, we also observed that puerarin improved M2 macrophage polarization and inhibited inflammatory pathway activation in a high-glucose culture.

Conclusion

Puerarin has a significant therapeutic effect on wound healing in diabetic mice. The therapeutic effect is achieved by regulating macrophage polarization through suppressing NF-κB and MAPK signaling cascades.
A Position Statement on Mpox as a Sexually Transmitted Disease
Authors: Allan-Blitz Lao-Tzu , Gandhi Monica , Adamson Paul , Park Ina , Bolan Gail , Klausner Jeffrey D
Published: December 2022

The global outbreak of mpox virus constituted an international public health emergency. Reports have highlighted (1) a temporal association between sexual activity and mpox, (2) an association between specific sexual practices and location of lesion development, (3) a high frequency of sexual practices conferring risk for other sexually transmitted infections among cases of mpox, (4) that mpox virus can be isolated from sexual fluids, (4) that isolated virus is infectious, and (5) a high frequency of anogenital lesions prior to disease dissemination suggesting direct inoculation during sexual activities. Finally, a growing body of evidence suggests that sexual transmission is the predominant mode of transmission for mpox virus. We therefore conclude that mpox is a sexually transmitted disease. Labeling it as such will help focus public health interventions, such as vaccinations, testing, and treatment, as well as facilitate focused awareness and education programs toward behavioral modifications to reduce exposures.
In Situ Metabolomics of Cortisol-Producing Adenomas
Authors: Murakami Masanori , Sun Na , Li Fengxia , Feuchtinger Annette , Gomez-Sanchez Celso , Fassnacht Martin , Reincke Martin , Bancos Irina , Walch Axel , Kroiss Matthias , Beuschlein Felix
Published: December 2022

Received June 8, 2022; accepted October 11, 2022

Background

Recent advances in omics techniques have allowed detailed genetic characterization of cortisol-producing adrenal adenoma (CPA). In contrast, the pathophysiology of CPAs has not been elucidated in detail on the level of tumor metabolic alterations.

Methods

The current study conducted a comprehensive mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) map of CPAs in relation to clinical phenotypes and immunohistochemical profiles of steroidogenic enzymes. The study cohort comprised 46 patients with adrenal tumors including CPAs (n 35) and nonfunctional adenomas (n 11).

Results

Severity of cortisol hypersecretion was significantly correlated with 29 metabolites (adjusted P 0.05). Adrenal androgens derived from the classic androgen pathway were inversely correlated with both cortisol secretion (rs 0.41, adjusted P 0.035) and CYP11B1 expression (rs 0.77, adjusted P 2.00E-08). The extent of cortisol excess and tumor CYP11B1 expression further correlated with serotonin (rs 0.48 and 0.62, adjusted P 0.008 and 2.41E-05). Tumor size was found to be correlated with abundance of 13 fatty acids (adjusted P 0.05) and negatively associated with 9 polyunsaturated fatty acids including phosphatidic acid 38:8 (rs 0.56, adjusted P 0.009).

Conclusions

MSI reveals novel metabolic links between endocrine function and tumorigenesis, which will further support the understanding of CPA pathophysiology.
Query Operators for Transactional Data: Detecting Similar and Periodic Transactions
Authors: Moreno Arboleda Francisco Javier , Garani Georgia , Bolivar Zapata Carlos Daniel
Published: December 2022

Pattern detection for revealing the patterns of users’ behavior is an important analysis-assisting tool toward the understanding and prediction of their attitudes, manners, activities and habits. In this paper, two novel query operators applied to transactional data are introduced to ease the query processing, strengthening query capabilities and revealing valuable patterns for data analysis and mining. The operators are named as PeriodicTransactions and SimilarTransactions, and as their names imply, they measure periodicity and similarity, respectively, in a set of transactions. The operators are formally defined and the corresponding algorithms are also provided. To show the expediency of the operators, the proposed algorithms are implemented and a set of experiments were conducted with real data from the Ethereum blockchain. The results show the feasibility and usefulness of the proposal for identifying these patterns that help to understand user behavior and reveal a rich interaction between senders and recipients, where periodic and similar transactions occur.
Metabolic rate and critical thermal maximumCTmaxestimates for westslope cutthroat trout,Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi
Authors: Enders Eva C , Durhack Travis C
Published: December 2022

Global warming is changing the thermal habitat of cold-water freshwater fishes, which can lead to decreased fitness and survival and cause shifts in species distributions. The Alberta population of westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) is listed as ‘Threatened’ under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. The major threats to the species are the alteration in habitat and water flow, competition and hybridization with non-native trout species and climate change. Here, we conducted (i) intermittent-flow respirometry experiments with adult native westslope cutthroat trout and non-native rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and (ii) critical thermal maximum experiments (CTmax) with adult westslope cutthroat trout to obtain valuable input data for species distribution models. For both species, standard metabolic rate (SMR) was lower at 10°C compared to 15°C and westslope cutthroat trout had higher SMR than rainbow trout. Although there were inter-specific differences in SMR, forced aerobic scope (using a standardized chase protocol) was different at 10°C, but no significant differences were observed at 15°C because of relative smaller differences in maximum metabolic rate between the species. CTmax of westslope cutthroat trout acclimated to 10°C was 27.0 ± 0.8°C and agitation temperature was 25.2 ± 1.0°C. The results from this study will inform and parametrize cumulative effects assessments and bioenergetics habitat modelling for the recovery planning of the species.