bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Valorization of Dredged Sediments and Recycled Concrete Aggregates in Road Subgrade Construction
Authors: Abriak Yassine , Maherzi Walid , Benzerzour Mahfoud , Senouci Ahmed , Rivard Patrice
Published: February 2023

Large quantities of dredged sediments and recycled concrete materials are generated every year all over the world. The disposal of these large quantities in landfills represents serious environmental problems. Furthermore, high-quality raw materials for construction are depleting, and their use cannot be sustained. The valorization of dredged sediments and recycled concrete materials as alternative construction materials has the potential to reduce the impact of these two issues. In this context, this study aims at investigating the feasibility of using dredged sediments and recycled concrete aggregates as alternative raw material for road subgrade construction. Various mix designs were prepared using dredged sediments and recycled concrete aggregates. The mixes were then treated with quicklime and road binder as specified in the French soil treatment guide. Their physical, mechanical, and geotechnical properties confirmed the feasibility of using recycled concrete aggregates and dredged sediments up to a certain percentage in road subgrade construction. Moreover, they showed that the mixes containing 20% of dredged sediments met road subgrade minimum physical and mechanical properties, such as immediate bearing capacity, unconfined compression strength, indirect tensile strength greater, and UCSI/UCS60 ratio. Finally, leaching tests were conducted to ensure the environmental safety of the various mixes. The results showed that the mixes met the thresholds for their use in road subgrade construction. The feasibility of using dredged sediments and recycled concrete aggregates in foundations and base layers will be studied in future projects.
Stress Detection of Precast Pipe Piles Based on the Low-Loss Slotting Method
Authors: Li Jinbao , Li Biqing , Chen Degen , Wu Chang , Zhu Hong
Published: February 2023

Tilting of buildings due to uneven settlement, construction quality issues or other problems is one of the critical accidents threatening the safety of buildings. In order to determine a reasonable solution with respect to the rectification of the tilting building, detection of the stresses of the substructure is necessary. In this study, a stress release method to test the stress of prefabricated pipe pile under loading is studied by combining experimental research and finite element numerical simulation. Based on various measurements, such as traditional strain gauges, vibrating wire strain gauges, and three-dimensional digital image correlation (DIC) tests, the relationship between local residual stress and actual stress of the slotted area at different load levels is determined. Meanwhile, the stress release process in slotted precast pipe pile was numerically simulated with ABAQUS to investigate the influence of the slotting dimension parameters on the stress release rate at different load levels. Based on 1042 sets of finite element modeling results of multi-parameter combination, the quantitative relationship between slot width, depth, spacing, prestress level and stress release rate is studied. An explicit prediction model of the stress release rate is given by regression analysis of combined test results and simulation data. With the prediction model, the stress condition of a loaded precast pipe pile can be accurately predicted based on low-loss slotting. Compared to the traditional stress release method, the proposed method has better controllability and applicability, less damage to the structure, and stronger anti-disturbance ability.
Ru- and Rh-Based Catalysts for CO2 Methanation Assisted by Non-Thermal Plasma
Authors: Meloni Eugenio , Cafiero Liberato , Renda Simona , Martino Marco , Pierro Mariaconcetta , Palma Vincenzo
Published: February 2023

The need to reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is becoming increasingly necessary since it is considered the main factor responsible for climate change. Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technology offers the opportunity to obtain a wide range of chemicals using this molecule as a raw material. In this work, the catalytic Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP)-assisted hydrogenation of CO2 to CH4 (methanation reaction) in a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) reactor was investigated. Four different Ru- and Rh-based catalysts were prepared starting from γ-Al2O3 spheres, characterized and tested in both thermal and NTP-assisted methanation under different operating conditions. The experimental tests evidenced the very positive effect of the NTP application on the catalytic performance, highlighting that for all the catalysts the same CO2 conversion was reached at a temperature 150 °C lower with respect to the conventional thermal reaction. Among the prepared catalysts, the bimetallic ones showed the best performance, reaching a CO2 conversion of 97% at about 180 °C with a lower energy consumption with respect to similar catalysts present in the literature.
Application of Biochar from Woodchip as Catalyst Support for Biodiesel Production
Authors: Azman Nor Shafinaz , Khairuddin Nozieana , Tengku Azmi Tengku Sharifah Marliza , Seenivasagam Sivasangar , Hassan Mohd Ali
Published: February 2023

In Asian countries, the primary palm oil producers, used cooking oil (UCO) is the primary feedstock for biodiesel production. It can be converted into an eco-fuel for application in heavy machinery and diesel engine vehicles due to its low carbon emissions and low global warming potential. However, the illegal dumping of UCO containing triglyceride into flowing water bodies (resulting in wastewater treatment and purification complications) has prompted the design of smart UCO collection systems. This study aims to investigate the heterogeneous catalytic performance of biochar as a support catalyst derived from woodchips calcined at 400 °C and 800 °C under nitrogen gas flow. The catalyst was synthesized through the wet impregnation method using two metal oxides (5 wt.%, nickel and molybdenum) via transesterification to enhance the biodiesel yield. High biodiesel yield was obtained through the controlled parameters: 65–95 °C temperature, 10:1 methanol to oil ratio, and 2 h reaction time. The synthesized catalyst was characterized through X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron (FESEM). The biodiesel production was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) Spectroscopy. The results showed that the highest biodiesel yield was produced by the catalyst calcined at 800 °C, which shows a consistent trend in the yields obtained at temperatures in the order 75–85–95–65 °C. In conclusion, calcination at 800 °C resulted in a higher yield (74.66%) and catalyst reusability (≥5 cycles).
Influence of Tooth Brushing and Previous Dental Visits on Dental Caries Status among Saudi Arabian Children
Authors: Mallineni Sreekanth Kumar , Alassaf Abdullah , Almulhim Basim , Alghamdi Sara
Published: February 2023

Objective: To evaluate the dental caries status and its association with tooth brushing frequency and previous dental visits among Arabian children. Methods: Arabian school children attend a specialty pediatric dental clinic at Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia. Only children of Saudi origin with primary dentition were included in the study, and only one examiner was involved in the assessment and data collection. The parents of children completed a questionnaire to investigate possible explanatory variables for caries status, including tooth brushing frequency and previous dental visits. Dental caries were diagnosed according to the criteria recommended by the World Health Organization (2013). The comparison performed was based on sex, age, tooth brushing frequency, and previous dental visits. The descriptive statistics were carried out using SPSS (version 21.0) with a p-value of <0.05 significance. Results: The study involved 268 Saudi children with a mean age of 4.6 ± 1.1 years. The caries prevalence was 78.8%, and the mean dmft was 5.82 ± 4.48, while the overall mean scores for decayed, missing, and filled were 3.903 ± 3.69, 1.18 ± 1.69, and 0.73 ± 1.35, respectively. The mean dmft scores for the <3 years, 3.1–6 years, and >6 years old children were found to be 1.74, 6.58, and 4.58, respectively. Among the children, the females reported higher dmf scores (7.51 ± 4.18) compared to males (4.97 ± 4.39) with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). Fifty percent of the children had tooth brushing habits of once daily, followed by never (22.4%), twice daily (15.7%), and rarely (11.2%) brushed their teeth. Statistically significant correlations were found between the children’s dental caries status, age, and dental visits, while sex and tooth brushing did not find a correlation. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries among Arabian preschool children was higher. Mandibular second molars were commonly affected by dental caries, while mandibular central incisors were less frequently affected. The child’s age and frequency of dental checkups were positively related to the prevalence of dental caries.
Achieving a Textbook Outcome in Colon Cancer Surgery Is Associated with Improved Long-Term Survival
Authors: Manatakis Dimitrios K. , Tzardi Maria , Souglakos John , Tsiaoussis John , Agalianos Christos , Kyriazanos Ioannis D. , Pechlivanides George , Kordelas Athanasios , Tasis Nikolaos , Gouvas Nikolaos , Xynos Evaghelos
Published: February 2023

Background: Colon cancer surgery is a complex clinical pathway and traditional quality metrics may exhibit significant variability between hospitals and healthcare providers. The Textbook Outcome (TO) is a composite quality marker capturing the fraction of patients, in whom all desired short-term outcomes of care are realised. The aim of the present study was to assess the TO in a series of non-metastatic colon cancer patients treated with curative intent, with emphasis on long-term survival. Methods: Stage I–III colon cancer patients, who underwent curative colectomy following the Complete Mesocolic Excision principles, were retrospectively identified from the institutional database. TO was defined as (i) hospital survival, (ii) radical resection, (iii) no major complications, (iv) no reintervention, (v) no unplanned stoma and (vi) no prolonged hospital stay or readmission. Results: In total, 128 patients (male 61%, female 39%, mean age 70.7 ± 11.4 years) were included in the final analysis. Overall, 60.2% achieved a TO. The highest rates were observed for “hospital survival” and “no unplanned stoma” (96.9% and 97.7%), while the lowest rates were for “no major complications” and “no prolonged hospital stay” (69.5% and 75%). Older age, left-sided resections and pT4 tumours were factors limiting the chances of a TO. The 5-year overall and 5-year cancer-specific survival were significantly better in the TO versus non-TO subgroup (81% vs. 59%, p = 0.009, and 86% vs. 65%, p = 0.02, respectively). Conclusions: Outcomes in colon cancer surgery may be affected by patient-, doctor- and hospital-related factors. TO represents those patients who achieve the optimal perioperative results, and is furthermore associated with improved long-term cancer survival.
Analysis of PTPN22 −1123 G>C, +788 G>A and +1858 C>T Polymorphisms in Patients with Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome
Authors: Menchaca-Tapia Paula Annahi , Marín-Rosales Miguel , Salazar-Camarena Diana Celeste , Cruz Alvaro , Oregon-Romero Edith , Tapia-Llanos Raziel , Muñoz-Valle José Francisco , Palafox-Sánchez Claudia Azucena
Published: February 2023

Background: Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune exocrinopathy characterized by lymphocytic infiltration, glandular dysfunction and systemic manifestations. Lyp protein is a negative regulator of the T cell receptor encoded by the tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor-type 22 (PTPN22) gene. Multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PTPN22 gene have been associated with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association of PTPN22 SNPs rs2488457 (−1123 G>C), rs33996649 (+788 G>A), rs2476601 (+1858 C>T) with pSS susceptibility in Mexican mestizo subjects. Methods: One hundred fifty pSS patients and 180 healthy controls (HCs) were included. Genotypes of PTPN22 SNPs were identified by PCR-RFLP. PTPN22 expression was evaluated through RT–PCR analysis. Serum anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La levels were measured using an ELISA kit. Results: Allele and genotype frequencies for all SNPs studied were similar in both groups (p > 0.05). pSS patients showed 17-fold higher expression of PTNP22 than HCs, and mRNA levels correlated with SSDAI score (r2 = 0.499, p = 0.008) and levels of anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La autoantibodies (r2 = 0.200, p = 0.03 and r2 = 0.175, p = 0.04, respectively). Positive anti-SSA/Ro pSS patients expressed higher PTPN22 mRNA levels (p = 0.008), with high focus scores by histopathology (p = 0.02). Moreover, PTPN22 expression had high diagnostic accuracy in pSS patients, with an AUC = 0.985. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that the PTPN22 SNPs rs2488457 (−1123 G>C), rs33996649 (+788 G>A) and rs2476601 (+1858 C>T) are not associated with the disease susceptibility in the western Mexican population. Additionally, PTPN22 expression may be helpful as a diagnostic biomarker in pSS.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Prognosis of Laryngeal Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma: A Case Report and a Literature Review
Authors: Fatuzzo Irene , Colizza Andrea , Meliante Piero Giuseppe , Elfarargy Haitham , Altomari Roger , Fiore Marco , Ralli Massimo , Messineo Daniela , Greco Antonio , de Vincentiis Marco , Barbato Christian , Minni Antonio
Published: February 2023

Laryngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma (LACC) is a sporadic neoplasm, especially if supraglottic. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the presenting stage of many cancers and impacted their prognosis negatively. Here, a case of a patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) with delayed diagnosis and a rapid deterioration with distant metastasis due to the COVID-19 pandemic is illustrated. Next, we present a literature review of this rare glottic ACC. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the stage of presentation of many cancers and adversely affected their prognosis. The present case had a rapidly lethal course, undoubtedly due to the diagnosis delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted the prognosis of this rare glottic ACC. Strict follow-up is recommended for any suspicious clinical findings, as an early diagnosis will improve the disease prognosis, and to consider the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on the timing of common diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for oncological diseases. In the post-COVID-19 era, it is important to generate new diagnostic scenarios to achieve an increasingly rapid diagnosis of oncological diseases, especially the rare ones, through screening or similar procedures.
Autophagy-Related Gene WD Repeat Domain 45B Promotes Tumor Proliferation and Migration of Hepatocellular Carcinoma through the Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway
Authors: Li Jiahao , Chen Lansi , Pang Jingjing , Yang Chunxiu , Xie Wen , Shen Guoyan , Chen Hongshan , Li Xiaoyi , Xiao Shu-Yuan , Li Yueying
Published: February 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor. It has been found that autophagy plays a role both as a tumor promoter and inhibitor in HCC carcinogenesis. However, the mechanism behind is still unveiled. This study aims to explore the functions and mechanism of the key autophagy-related proteins, to shed light on novel clinical diagnoses and treatment targets of HCC. Bioinformation analyses were performed by using data from public databases including TCGA, ICGC, and UCSC Xena. The upregulated autophagy-related gene WDR45B was identified and validated in human liver cell line LO2, human HCC cell line HepG2 and Huh-7. Immunohistochemical assay (IHC) was also performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of 56 HCC patients from our pathology archives. By using qRT-PCR and Western blots we found that high expression of WDR45B influenced the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Autophagy marker LC3- II/LC3-I was downregulated, and p62/SQSTM1 was upregulated after knockdown of WDR45B. The effects of WDR45B knockdown on autophagy and Akt/mTOR signaling pathways can be reversed by the autophagy inducer rapamycin. Moreover, proliferation and migration of HCC can be inhibited after the knockdown of WDR45B through the CCK8 assay, wound-healing assay and Transwell cell migration and invasion assay. Therefore, WDR45B may become a novel biomarker for HCC prognosis assessment and potential target for molecular therapy.
End to End Colonic Content Assessment: ColonMetry Application
Authors: Orellana Bernat , Monclús Eva , Navazo Isabel , Bendezú Álvaro , Malagelada Carolina , Azpiroz Fernando
Published: February 2023

The analysis of colonic contents is a valuable tool for the gastroenterologist and has multiple applications in clinical routine. When considering magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities, T2 weighted images are capable of segmenting the colonic lumen, whereas fecal and gas contents can only be distinguished in T1 weighted images. In this paper, we present an end-to-end quasi-automatic framework that comprises all the steps needed to accurately segment the colon in T2 and T1 images and to extract colonic content and morphology data to provide the quantification of colonic content and morphology data. As a consequence, physicians have gained new insights into the effects of diets and the mechanisms of abdominal distension.
Reproductive Health Practices in Spanish Women Who Underwent Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy
Authors: Lapresa-Alcalde M. V. , Cubo A. M. , Alonso-Sardón M. , Doyague-Sánchez M. J.
Published: February 2023

Background: The incidence of Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy (VTP) is an important indicator of unplanned pregnancies and the differences in the functioning of contraceptive services and the effectiveness of their use. Its analysis is essential for monitoring the well-being of women and their partners. Our aim was to analyse the socio-demographic profile of women who request voluntary termination of pregnancy in the province of Salamanca, as well as their satisfaction with the intervention and its influence on their contraceptive methods. Methods: An intervention study (before-after) designed without a control group, including all women requesting a voluntary termination of pregnancy through the Salamanca Public Health System. Socio-demographic and reproductive health variables were used. After the termination of pregnancy, a satisfaction survey and analysis of consequences were carried out. Results: A total of 176 surveys were obtained. Women who underwent VTP in Salamanca were between 20 and 25 years old, had secondary education but were still studying or working, lived alone and had no children. The most commonly used contraceptive method was the condom (55%), followed by the pill (25%). The most frequent reason for termination of pregnancy was economic (47.7%). The abortion entailed a significant change in contraception. Whereas before the abortion only 34% used a hormonal method, 66% were willing to use one afterwards (p = 0.006). Conclusion: Reproductive health education needs to be improved so that couples use reliable contraceptive methods appropriately. Although women are generally satisfied with the care received during abortion, they would prefer better accessibility to the procedure and more comprehensive information about the process from a neutral stance.
Modeling and Simulation of an Octorotor UAV with Manipulator Arm
Authors: Ollervides-Vazquez Edmundo Javier , Tellez-Belkotosky Pablo A. , Santibañez Victor , Rojo-Rodriguez Erik G. , Reyes-Osorio Luis A. , Garcia-Salazar Octavio
Published: February 2023

In this paper, the conceptual design, modeling, and simulation are proposed for an octorotor UAV with a manipulator arm. The conceptual design of the octorotor UAV with a manipulator arm is developed, and for the study and analysis, the design is implemented and validated in Matlab (Simulink-SimMechanics) software. The kinematics and dynamics models of the octorotor UAV with a manipulator arm are obtained using the classical Denavit–Hartenberg convention and the recursive Newton–Euler method, respectively. In this sense, a cascade PID controller for the attitude and navigation of the UAV and a simple PID controller for the manipulator arm are proposed and simulated in a closed-loop system in order to highlight the performance of the proposed design. Finally, simulations show the feasibility and behavior of the mathematical model and the flight controller in a closed-loop system.
Local Inverse Mapping Implicit Hole-Cutting Method for Structured Cartesian Overset Grid Assembly
Authors: Wang Jingyuan , Wu Feng , Xu Quanyong , Tan Lei
Published: February 2023

An automatic hole-cutting method is proposed to search donor cells between a structured Cartesian mesh and an overlapping body-fitted mesh. The main flow is simulated on the structured Cartesian mesh and the viscous flow near the solid boundary is simulated on the body-fitted mesh. Through the spatial interpolation of flux, the surface boundary information on the body-fitted mesh is transferred to the Cartesian mesh nodes near the surface. Cartesian mesh box near a body-fitted mesh cell is selected as a local inverse map. The Cartesian nodes located inside the donor cells are marked by the relative coordinate transformation, so that all Cartesian nodes can be classified and the hole boundaries are implicitly cut. This hole-cutting process for overset grid assembly is called Local Inverse Mapping (LIM) method. In the LIM method, spatial interpolation of flux is carried out synchronously with the marking of Cartesian nodes. The LIM method is combined with the in-house finite-difference solver to simulate the unsteady flow field of moving bodies. The numerical results show that the LIM method can accurately mark the Cartesian hole boundary nodes, the search efficiency of donor cells is high, and the result of spatial interpolation is accurate. The calculation time of overset grid assembly (OGA) can be less than 3% of the total simulation time.
Study of Factors Associated with the Development of Emotional Intelligence and Resilience in University Students
Authors: Valverde-Janer Marina , Ortega-Caballero Manuel , Ortega-Caballero Iván , Ortega-Caballero Antonia , Segura-Robles Adrián
Published: February 2023

Future educational professionals should possess both the academic and personal skills needed for resilience. These future professionals will face difficult situations, and the development of skills such as resilience is an important part of their training. The primary objective of this research paper is to study and analyze the links between the emotional intelligence, resilience, and personalities of undergraduates studying for different degrees in educational sciences. A quantitative analysis was performed with a non-experimental, descriptive, comparative, and correlational design. The sample results show above-average levels in all three dimensions, with resilience exhibiting the highest values. Regarding the influence of gender, males presented a higher level of resilience than females, while females tended to exhibit higher levels of spirituality. University students who studied physical activity and sport sciences were found to be more resilient and to have higher weighted emotional intelligence scores than students with other educational science degrees. Emotional clarity and repair corresponded directly with the subjects’ age. Emotional intelligence was positively correlated with repair, highlighting this variable as fundamental to resilience.
Classification of Individual Tree Species Using UAV LiDAR Based on Transformer
Authors: Sun Peng , Yuan Xuguang , Li Dan
Published: February 2023

Tree species surveys are crucial in forest resource management and can provide references for forest protection policymakers. Traditional tree species surveys in the field are labor-intensive and time-consuming. In contrast, airborne LiDAR technology is highly capable of penetrating forest vegetation; it can be used to quickly obtain three-dimensional information regarding vegetation over large areas with a high level of precision, and it is widely used in the field of forestry. At this stage, most studies related to individual tree species classification focus on traditional machine learning, which often requires the combination of external information such as hyperspectral cameras and has difficulty in selecting features manually. In our research, we directly processed the point cloud from a UAV LiDAR system without the need to voxelize or grid the point cloud. Considering that relationships between disorder points can be effectively extracted using Transformer, we explored the potential of a 3D deep learning algorithm based on Transformer in the field of individual tree species classification. We used the UAV LiDAR data obtained in the experimental forest farm of Northeast Forestry University as the research object, and first, the data were preprocessed by being denoised and ground filtered. We used an improved random walk algorithm for individual tree segmentation and made our own data sets. Six different 3D deep learning neural networks and random forest algorithms were trained and tested to classify the point clouds of three tree species. The results show that the overall classification accuracy of PCT based on Transformer reached up to 88.3%, the kappa coefficient reached up to 0.82, and the optimal point density was 4096, which was slightly higher than that of the other deep learning algorithms we analyzed. In contrast, the overall accuracy of the random forest algorithm was only 63.3%. These results show that compared with the commonly used machine learning algorithms and a few algorithms based on multi-layer perceptron, Transformer-based networks provide higher accuracy, which means they can provide a theoretical basis and technical support for future research in the field of forest resource supervision based on UAV remote sensing.
Experimental Study of Scale Effect in Tunnel Fires at Different Sealing Ratios
Authors: Chen Ling , Wang Xuan , Li Baiyi , Lin Peng
Published: February 2023

Fully or partially sealing the openings of tunnels to accelerate the self-extinction of fires provides a promising firefighting tactic to beat large fires in a long tunnel. So far, most experimental studies on the characteristics of fire with different sealing ratios have been conducted in reduced-scale tunnels. However, whether the findings in a reduced-scale tunnel can be converted to its full-scale prototype tunnel based on scaling laws has not yet been adequately studied. A series of experiments with heat-release rates of 15.8, 31.6 and 63.2 kW were conducted with sealing ratios ranging from 0% to 100% in a prototype tunnel measuring 20 m long, 0.9 m wide and 0.46 m high. The experimental results were compared with those from a 1/2 reduced-scale tunnel measuring 10 m long, 0.45 m wide and 0.23 m high. It showed that temperature rise along the tunnel in the 1/2 reduced-tunnel could be significantly underestimated. The differences in temperature rise increased monotonously with distance away from the fire seat, and they were as high as 70% at the tunnel portals, irrespective of the heat-release rates and sealing ratios. The study showed that the scale effect of fires was not sensitive to the Reynolds number of flows in tunnels. The minimal sealing ratio for the self-extinction of fires in the prototype tunnel was 85%, whilst it was 75% in the 1/2 reduced-scale tunnel, and the study revealed that the fires were much easier to extinguish in the 1/2 reduced-scale tunnel than those in the prototype tunnel, where the fires can sustain in a lower oxygen concentration. The study demonstrated that scaling laws could be invalid for tunnel fires with different sealing ratios and that results observed in reduced-scale tunnels should be further verified when applied to full-scale prototypes.
Dietary Tryptophan Supplementation Implications on Performance, Plasma Metabolites, and Amino Acid Catabolism Enzymes in Meagre (Argyrosomus regius)
Authors: Teixeira Cláudia , Pedrosa Rita , Castro Carolina , Magalhães Rui , Matos Elisabete , Oliva-Teles Aires , Peres Helena , Pérez-Jiménez Amalia
Published: February 2023

Tryptophan (Trp) is an essential amino acid, commercially available as a feed-grade product, and is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, which are both important molecules in stress mitigation. Meagre have a high potential for marine aquaculture diversification but are highly susceptible to stressful conditions. This study aimed to assess the potential role of dietary tryptophan supplementation in meagre juveniles in order to minimize the deleterious effect of potential stress conditions. For this, a growth trial was performed wherein meagre juveniles were fed four isoproteic (45%DM) and isolipidic (16%DM) diets; namely, a control diet, and three diets similar to the control diet but supplemented with varying levels of tryptophan, graded according to the resulting percentage in each diet’s dry matter (Control, 0.25%Trp, 0.5%Trp, and 1%Trp), corresponding to a total dietary tryptophan of 1.06, 1.70, 2.08, and 3.24 g 16 g−1 N, respectively. Diets were tested in triplicate, and fish were fed twice a day, six days a week, for eight weeks. Five days after the end of the growth trial, a time-course blood sampling was performed at 0 h, 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, and 12 h after feeding. At the 6 h sampling point, the liver was also collected. Overall, our results indicate that 1Trp supplementation (total dietary Trp 3.24 g 16 g−1 N) may be harmful to fish, decreasing growth performance and feed utilization, although doses up to 0.5Trp do not influence these parameters. Voluntary feed intake lineally decreased with the increase in the level of dietary Trp. Whole-body lipid content decreased at the highest tryptophan inclusion, whereas no changes were observed in protein levels. After 12 h from feeding, plasma glucose levels were lower in all dietary treatments supplemented with tryptophan compared to those observed in the control. Hepatic enzyme activity of protein catabolism decreased with dietary Trp inclusion. Overall, our results suggested that while a dietary Trp level increase of up to 2.08 g 16 g−1 N did not affect growth performance and feed efficiency, both these parameters were severely compromised with a Trp level of 3.24 g 16 g−1 N.
Modal Representation of Inertial Effects in Fluid–Particle Interactions and the Regularity of the Memory Kernels
Authors: Procopio Giuseppe , Giona Massimiliano
Published: February 2023

This article develops a modal expansion (in terms of functions exponentially decaying with time) of the force acting on a micrometric particle and stemming from fluid inertial effects (usually referred to as the Basset force) deriving from the application of the time-dependent Stokes equation to model fluid–particle interactions. One of the main results is that viscoelastic effects induce the regularization of the inertial memory kernels at t=0, eliminating the 1/t-singularity characterizing Newtonian fluids. The physical origin of this regularization stems from the finite propagation velocity of the internal shear stresses characterizing viscoelastic constitutive equations. The analytical expression for the fluid inertial kernel is derived for a Maxwell fluid, and a general method is proposed to obtain accurate approximations of it for generic complex viscoelastic fluids, characterized by a spectrum of relaxation times.
Adjoint-Based High-Fidelity Concurrent Aerodynamic Design Optimization of Wind Turbine
Authors: Batay Sagidolla , Kamalov Bagdaulet , Zhangaskanov Dinmukhamed , Zhao Yong , Wei Dongming , Zhou Tongming , Su Xiaohui
Published: February 2023

To evaluate novel turbine designs, the wind energy sector extensively depends on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). To use CFD in the design optimization process, where lower-fidelity approaches such as blade element momentum (BEM) are more popular, new tools to increase the accuracy must be developed as the latest wind turbines are larger and the aerodynamics and structural dynamics become more complex. In the present study, a new concurrent aerodynamic shape optimization approach towards multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) that uses a Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes solver in conjunction with a numerical optimization methodology is introduced. A multidisciplinary design optimization tool called DAFoam is used for the NREL phase VI turbine as a baseline geometry. Aerodynamic design optimizations in terms of five different schemes, namely, cross-sectional shape, pitch angle, twist, chord length, and dihedral optimization are conducted. Pointwise, a commercial mesh generator is used to create the numerical meshes. As the adjoint approach is strongly reliant on the mesh quality, up to 17.8 million mesh cells were employed during the mesh convergence and result validation processes, whereas 2.65 million mesh cells were used throughout the design optimization due to the computational cost. The Sparse Nonlinear OPTimizer (SNOPT) is used for the optimization process in the adjoint solver. The torque in the tangential direction is the optimization’s merit function and excellent results are achieved, which shows the promising prospect of applying this approach for transient MDO. This work represents the first attempt to implement DAFoam for wind turbine aerodynamic design optimization.
A Highly Scalable Direction-Splitting Solver on Regular Cartesian Grid to Compute Flows in Complex Geometries Described by STL Files
Authors: Morente Antoine , Goyal Aashish , Wachs Anthony
Published: February 2023

We implement the Direction-Splitting solver originally proposed by Keating and Minev in 2013 and allow complex geometries to be described by a triangulation defined in STL files. We develop an algorithm that computes intersections and distances between the regular Cartesian grid and the surface triangulation using a ray-tracing method. We thoroughly validate the implementation on assorted flow configurations. Finally, we illustrate the scalability of our implementation on a test case of a steady flow through 144,327 spherical obstacles randomly distributed in a tri-periodic box at Re=19.2. The grid comprises 6.8 billion cells and the computation runs on 6800 cores of a supercomputer in less than 48 h.
Perceptions and Attitudes of Argentine Zoomers towards Sustainable Food Production
Authors: Damico Andrea Beatriz , Vecchio Yari , Masi Margherita , Di Pasquale Jorgelina
Published: February 2023

Young people are concerned about climate change. Their activism has attracted the attention of the media and politicians. Some of them are entering the market as consumers for the first time and can express their preferences without parental guidance: they are the Zoomers. Do these new consumers have enough knowledge about sustainability to be able to make choices in line with their concerns? Are they able to push the market towards change? A sample of 537 young Zoomer consumers were interviewed face-to-face in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires. They were asked to indicate their level of concern for the planet and the first word they associated with sustainability, to rank in order of importance sustainability-related concepts and to indicate their willingness to buy sustainable products. The results of this study underline a high concern for the health of the planet (87.9%) and for unsustainable production methods (88.8%). However, the respondents perceived sustainability as consisting of a single main pillar, the environmental dimension (with 47% of the terms referring to sustainability), and two accessory pillars, the social (10.7%) and economic (5.2%) dimensions of sustainability. Respondents also showed a high interest in products obtained through sustainable agriculture, with a high percentage of them willing to pay for these products (74.1%). However, a substantial correlation was found between the ability to comprehend the notion of sustainability and the determination to purchase sustainable items, and vice versa, between those who reported difficulty comprehending the concept and their determination not to purchase these products. Zoomers believe that the market must support sustainable agriculture through consumer choices without paying a premium price. Clarifying the concept of sustainability, enhancing knowledge and assisting consumers in identifying sustainable products, as well as marketing them at reasonable prices, are essential actions for fostering a more ethical agricultural system.
Effect of Sucrose on the Formation of Advanced Glycation End-Products of Ground Pork during Freeze–Thaw Cycles and Subsequent Heat Treatment
Authors: Chu Fuyu , Lin Yi , Huang Yiqun , Niu Lihong , Lai Keqiang
Published: February 2023

The changes in protein degradation (TCA-soluble peptides), Schiff bases, dicarbonyl compounds (glyoxal-GO, methylglyoxal-MGO) and two typical advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) including Nε-carboxymethyllysine (CML), Nε-carboxyethyllysine (CEL) levels in ground pork supplemented with sucrose (4.0%) were investigated under nine freeze–thaw cycles and subsequent heating (100 °C/30 min). It was found that increase in freeze–thaw cycles promoted protein degradation and oxidation. The addition of sucrose further promoted the production of TCA-soluble peptides, Schiff bases and CEL, but not significantly, ultimately leading to higher levels of TCA-soluble peptides, Schiff bases, GO, MGO, CML, and CEL in the ground pork with the addition of sucrose than in the blank groups by 4%, 9%, 214%, 180%, 3%, and 56%, respectively. Subsequent heating resulted in severe increase of Schiff bases but not TCA-soluble peptides. Contents of GO and MGO all decreased after heating, while contents of CML and CEL increased.
In-Line Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Gives Rapid and Precise Assessment of Product Quality and Reveals Unknown Sources of Variation—A Case Study from Commercial Cheese Production
Authors: Solberg Lars Erik , Wold Jens Petter , Dankel Katinka , Øyaas Jorun , Måge Ingrid
Published: February 2023

Quality testing in the food industry is usually performed by manual sampling and at/off-line laboratory analysis, which is labor intensive, time consuming, and may suffer from sampling bias. For many quality attributes such as fat, water and protein, in-line near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a viable alternative to grab sampling. The aim of this paper is to document some of the benefits of in-line measurements at the industrial scale, including higher precision of batch estimates and improved process understanding. Specifically, we show how the decomposition of continuous measurements in the frequency domain, using power spectral density (PSD), may give a useful view of the process and serve as a diagnostic tool. The results are based on a case regarding the large-scale production of Gouda-type cheese, where in-line NIRS was implemented to replace traditional laboratory measurements. In conclusion, the PSD of in-line NIR predictions revealed unknown sources of variation in the process that could not have been discovered using grab sampling. PSD also gave the dairy more reliable data on key quality attributes, and laid the foundation for future improvements.
Analysis of the Fractional HIV Model under Proportional Hadamard-Caputo Operators
Authors: Almoneef Areej A. , Barakat Mohamed A. , Hyder Abd-Allah
Published: February 2023

Modeling human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) via fractional operators has several benefits over the classical integer-order HIV model. The reason is that the fractional HIV model relies not only on the recent status but also on the former conduct of the model. Thus, we are motivated to introduce and analyze a new fractional HIV model. This article focuses on a novel fractional HIV model under the proportional Hadamard-Caputo fractional operators. The study of this model involves the existence and uniqueness (EU) of its solution and the stability examination. We employ Leray–Schauder nonlinear alternative (L-SNLA) and Banach’s fixed point theorems to analyze the EU results. In addition, for this provided model, we develop several forms of Ulam’s stability findings. As a special case of our results, we give and analyze a new fractional HIV model with Hadamard-Caputo operators. Moreover, by appropriate choice of the fractional parameters, the obtained outcomes are valid for analysis of the fractional HIV models formed by several fractional operators defined in the past literature.
Maximum Heart Rate- and Lactate Threshold-Based Low-Volume High-Intensity Interval Training Prescriptions Provide Similar Health Benefits in Metabolic Syndrome Patients
Authors: Reljic Dejan , Frenk Fabienne , Herrmann Hans Joachim , Neurath Markus Friedrich , Zopf Yurdagül
Published: February 2023

Exercise is an integral part of metabolic syndrome (MetS) treatment. Recently, low-volume high-intensity interval training (LOW-HIIT) has emerged as a time-efficient approach to improving cardiometabolic health. Intensity prescriptions for LOW-HIIT are typically based on maximum heart rate (HRmax) percentages. However, HRmax determination requires maximal effort during exercise testing, which may not always be feasible/safe for MetS patients. This trial compared the effects of a 12-week LOW-HIIT program based on: (a) HRmax (HIIT-HR), or (b) submaximal lactate threshold (HIIT-LT), on cardiometabolic health and quality of life (QoL) in MetS patients. Seventy-five patients were randomized to HIIT-HR (5 × 1 min at 80–95% HRmax), HIIT-LT (5 × 1 min at 95–105% LT) groups, both performed twice weekly on cycle ergometers, or a control group (CON). All patients received nutritional weight loss consultation. All groups reduced their body weight (HIIT-HR: −3.9 kg, p < 0.001; HTT-LT: −5.6 kg, p < 0.001; CON: −2.6 kg, p = 0.003). The HIIT-HR and HIIT-LT groups similarly, improved their maximal oxygen uptake (+3.6 and +3.7 mL/kg/min, p < 0.001), glycohemoglobin (−0.2%, p = 0.005, and −0.3%, p < 0.001), homeostasis model assessment index (−1.3 units, p = 0.005, and −1.0 units, p = 0.014), MetS z-score (−1.9 and −2.5 units, p < 0.001) and QoL (+10 points, p = 0.029, and +11 points, p = 0.002), while the CON did not experience changes in these variables. We conclude that HIIT-LT is a viable alternative to HIIT-HR for patients who are not able/willing to undergo maximal exercise testing.
Are Health Information Systems Ready for the Digital Transformation in Portugal? Challenges and Future Perspectives
Authors: Teixeira Leonor , Cardoso Irene , Oliveira e Sá Jorge , Madeira Filipe
Published: February 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to reflect on the challenges of Health Information Systems in Portugal at a time when technologies enable the creation of new approaches and models for care provision, as well as to identify scenarios that may characterize this practice in the future. Design/methodology/approach: A guiding research model was created based on an empirical study that was conducted using a qualitative method that integrated content analysis of strategic documents and semi-structured interviews with a sample of fourteen key actors in the health sector. Findings: Results pointed to the existence of emerging technologies that may promote the development of Health Information Systems oriented to “health and well-being” in a preventive model logic and reinforce the social and management implications. Originality/value: The originality of this work resided in the empirical study carried out, which allowed us to analyze how the various actors look at the present and the future of Health Information Systems. There is also a lack of studies addressing this subject. Research limitations/implications: The main limitations resulted from a low, although representative, number of interviews and the fact that the interviews took place before the pandemic, so the digital transformation that was promoted was not reflected. Managerial implications and social implications: The study highlighted the need for greater commitment from decision makers, managers, healthcare providers, and citizens toward achieving improved digital literacy and health. Decision makers and managers must also agree on strategies to accelerate existing strategic plans and avoid their implementation at different paces.
Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Pregnant Women and Healthcare Providers in Bangladesh regarding Multivitamin Supplements during Pregnancy
Authors: Kraemer Klaus , Beesabathuni Kalpana , Askari Sufia , Khondker Rudaba , Khan Toslim Uddin , Rahman Moshiur , Gibson Sarah , Merritt Rowena , Bajoria Madhavika , Lingala Srujith , Bipul Moniruzzaman , Tshering Puja Peyden
Published: February 2023

Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread among pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and lead to potentially adverse effects for mother and baby. In Bangladesh, maternal malnutrition remains a severe problem, with high rates of anemia (49.6% of pregnant women and 47.8% of lactating women are anemic) and other nutritional deficiencies. A Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) study was conducted to assess Bangladeshi pregnant women’s perceptions and related behaviors, as well as awareness and knowledge among pharmacists and healthcare professionals concerning prenatal multivitamin supplements. This was done in both rural and urban areas across Bangladesh. A total of 732 quantitative interviews were conducted (330 with providers and 402 with pregnant women, with an equal split between urban and rural areas for both sets of audiences; 200 women were users of prenatal multivitamin supplements, while 202 women were aware non-users). The study identified a few findings that can guide further research or market-based interventions to reduce micronutrient deficiencies. These include most pregnant women not knowing the right time to start multivitamin supplements (56.0%, [n = 225], stating that a woman should start taking supplements ‘after the first trimester’), not knowing their benefits, and how they help both the mother and baby–only 29.5% [n = 59] stated that they believed the supplements helped their baby to grow well). Further, barriers to taking the supplements include women believing a nutritious diet is a substitute (88.7% [n = 293]), and a perceived lack of support from other family members (21.8%, [n = 72]). This suggests that there is a need for further awareness-raising among all pregnant women, their family members, and providers.