bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increasing Soil Organic Carbon for Higher Wheat Yield and Nitrogen Productivity
Authors: Pan Junxiao , Miao Qi , Zhang Wenjie , Wang Hongye , Wang Weidong , Xue Yanfang , Qi Shijun , Cui Zhenling
Published: January 2023

Improving soil organic carbon (SOC) has been considered as a “win-win way” for ensuring high crop productivity and mitigating chemical N input. Improving SOC can achieve higher wheat yield and simultaneously improve nitrogen (N) productivity (defined as kg grain produced per kg total N input from both indigenous and applied N). Two treatments were tested for improving SOC level. The manure treatment involved applying manure for 6 successive years, and the EM treatment involved adding peat and vermiculite once, both combined with optimized in-season N management. The performance of these two systems were compared with a traditional farming system (Control, where only straw was returned each season). N fertilizer input under all three treatments was optimized by in-season N management and was increased by 90.1% and 48.1% under EM and Manure treatments, respectively, as compared with Control. The average wheat yield for the EM and Manure treatments was 9.1 and 9.2 Mg ha–1, respectively, across all three years, which was 18.8% and 19.7% higher, respectively, than that of the Control treatment (7.7 Mg ha–1). The average chemical N application rates for the EM and Manure treatments were 139 and 146 kg ha–1, which were 24.9% and 21.1% lower than those of the Control treatment, respectively. The N productivity was 15.1% and 14.9% which was higher under Manure and EM treatments than that of the Control treatment. The high yield and N productivity were attributed to improved aboveground dry matter and N uptake by wheat, with optimal soil N supply of the root zone. The higher stem number and weight seen in individual plants with increasing SOC resulted in larger spikes and grains at harvest. Our results determined that increasing SOC combined with optimal N management achieve low chemical N input and higher grain yield by increasing productive stems and grains per spike for improving wheat individual growth.
Response of White Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) to Single and Repeated Short-Term Waterlogging
Authors: Huđ Anastazija , Šamec Dunja , Senko Helena , Petek Marko , Brkljačić Lidija , Pole Lucia , Lazarević Boris , Rajnović Ivana , Udiković-Kolić Nikolina , Mešić Armin , Palijan Goran , Salopek-Sondi Branka , Petrić Ines
Published: January 2023

Climate change has a significant impact on the agricultural sector, negatively affecting plants’ growth and development, with predicted strong consequences on food availability in the future. Although we are experiencing more frequent and intense heavy rainfall events, a major contributor to field flooding, there is still not much known about the impact of these events on different crops. In this study, we investigated the effects of waterlogging on a model plant white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. alba), with the aim to follow its response to both single and recurrent short-term (72-h length) waterlogging, as well as to track difference in the sensitivity between plants in different growth stages (38- and 48-day-old plants). In our 22-day experiment, settled under fully controlled conditions (16 h day/8 h night, 25 °C day/20 °C night, 60–70% relative air humidity, 250 µmol m−2 s−1 photosynthetic active radiation), with the aim to more comprehensively recognize consequences of waterlogging on plants, we measured changes in plants on multiple levels: (i) within its morphological traits (number and length of leaves, leaf area, and blade width), (ii) within chlorophyll fluorescence and multispectral traits (20 parameters), (iii) following the levels of plant stress parameters (salicylic acid, abscisic acid, proline, and total polyphenols), and (iv) following changes in the plants’ elemental and mineral composition. According to our results, white cabbage was shown not to be very sensitive to waterlogging, with only plants exposed to repeated waterlogging showing signs of the congestion stress. These signs, observed in the changes of molecular stress parameters salicylic and abscisic acids, were not so clearly evident at the aboveground level. We did not observe changes in the plants’ morphologies, nor their photosynthetic performance. In addition, removal of waterlogging stress resulted in complete recovery of our model plants, suggesting a prompt adaptation response of white cabbage. With the projected increased frequency of occurrence of flooding events, it will become increasingly more important to recognize crops being highly sensitive to flooding with the aim to try to adapt to the changing climate.
Applications of Accelerometers and Other Bio-Logging Devices in Captive and Wild Animals
Authors: Campera Marco , Chimienti Marianna , Nekaris K. A. I.
Published: January 2023

Bio-logging devices have been widely used in ecology across a range of species to acquire information on the secret lives of animals in the wild, which would otherwise be challenging to obtain via direct observations [...]
Galacto-Oligosaccharides Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Probiotic Bacteria and Improve Gut Architecture and Goblet Cell Expression in Poorly Performing Piglets, but Not Performance
Authors: Lee Adam , Mansbridge Stephen C. , Liang Lu , Connerton Ian F. , Mellits Kenneth H.
Published: January 2023

Poorly performing piglets receiving commercial milk replacers do not benefit from the naturally occurring probiotic galacto-oligosaccharides otherwise found in sow milk. Study objectives were to investigate the effects of complete milk replacer supplemented with galacto-oligosaccharides on the microbiome, gut architecture and immunomodulatory goblet cell expression of poorly performing piglets that could benefit from milk replacement feeding when separated from sows and housed with fit siblings in environmentally controlled pens. The study is novel in that it is one of the first to investigate the effects of supplementing complete milk replacer with galacto-oligosaccharides in poorly performing piglets. Gastrointestinal tract samples were collected from piglets, and the microbiome composition was assessed by 16s ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing. Gut architectural features, villus/crypt ratio and enumeration of goblet cells in tissues were assessed by histopathological techniques. The most abundant taxa identified at the genus level were Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Prevotella, Lactococcus and Leuconostoc. Milk replacer plus galacto-oligosaccharides significantly improved gut architectural features and villus/crypt ratio throughout the gastrointestinal tract, increased the number of goblet cells and revealed a differential abundance of beneficial probiotic bacteria, particularly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. In these respects, galacto-oligosaccharide-supplemented milk replacer may be a useful addition to animal husbandry in poorly performing, non-thriving animals when moved to environmentally controlled pens away from sows and fit siblings, thereby modulating the microbiome and gastrointestinal tract performance.
Comprehensive Analysis of Differentially Expressed CircRNAs in the Ovaries of Low- and High-Fertility Sheep
Authors: Wang Jinglei , Chen Hanying , Zhang Yongsheng , Jiang Song , Zeng Xiancun , Shen Hong
Published: January 2023

CircRNAs are essential in regulating follicle growth and development and the female reproductive system at multiple levels. However, the molecular mechanism by which circRNAs regulate reproduction in sheep is unclear and requires further exploration. In this study, RNA sequencing was performed to reveal the circRNA expression profiles in the ovaries of Cele black sheep and Hetian sheep during estrus. Analysis of the number of circRNAs in their host genes revealed that 5031 genes could produce 20,835 circRNAs. Among the differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNA), 75 were upregulated, and 105 were downregulated. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the host genes of DEcircRNA were involved in several pathways, including the MAPK and Hippo signaling pathway. In addition, we constructed a subnetwork of competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) containing 4 mRNAs, 4 microRNAs (miRNAs), and 10 circRNAs, potentially related to follicle development. Functional circRNAs (e.g., novel_circ_0003851, novel_circ_0015526, novel_circ_0008117) were found to act as ceRNAs for follicle growth and development-related mRNAs (CUEDC1, KPNB1, ZFPM2) by sponging functional miRNAs (miR-29a, miR-29b, miR-17-5p). Finally, through an RNA pull-down assay, oar-miR-125b was selected and confirmed as the target miRNA of novel-circ-0041512. We analyzed the overall expression of circRNAs in sheep ovaries. Further, we explored the potential mechanisms underlying the circRNA functions, providing a theoretical basis for the genetic progress of reproductive traits in sheep.
Spatial- and Temporal-Trajectory Analysis of the Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon) by Fusing Multiple Sources of Data
Authors: Zhou Yulong , Jiang Xian , Chen Zhanlong
Published: January 2023

The Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon) is an endangered animal with an extremely high ecological, humanistic, and scientific value. However, this species still faces survival challenges, due to rapidly shrinking foraging grounds, the serious interference of human behavior, and increased habitat requirements. Geographical environment is a significant factor affecting Crested Ibis behavior-pattern analysis and habitat protection. The spatial and temporal trajectory contains habitat location and period information, a vital record of the Crested Ibis’ habits, and the basis of all research. Nevertheless, there are only a handful of studies on the missing trajectory data and fusing multiple sources of environmental data-research methods. We studied the spatial and temporal habitat use of the tracked Crested lbis by fusing multiple data-sources in China. This paper adopts the LSTM (long short-term memory) model to supplement the missing trajectory data and perform cluster mining; and a random forest model is used to predict the habitat of the Crested Ibis with high fitting accuracy (R2 = 84.9%). The results show that the Crested Ibis distribution-pattern is characterized by high altitude and proximity to woodland and rivers. Additionally, the habitat dependence on the village implicates human agricultural activities in positively impacting its reproduction. This paper provides a complete method for analyzing Crested Ibis’ spatial and temporal trajectory by fusing multi-source data, which is crucial for protecting the survival and reproduction of the Crested Ibis.
Seismic Signaling for Detection of Empty Tunnels in the Plateau Zokor, Eospalax baileyi
Authors: Dong Kechi , Zhou Jianwei , Zhang Feiyu , Dong Longming , Chu Bin , Hua Rui , Hua Limin
Published: January 2023

There are considerable challenges involved in studying the behavior of subterranean rodents owing to the underground nature of their ecotope. Seismic communication plays a crucial role in the behavior of subterranean rodents, particularly solitary ones. The plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi), a solitary subterranean rodent species endemic to the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, will usually occupy empty neighboring tunnels in order to extend their territory. Little is known, however, about the process of territorial occupation or the function of animal communication when occupation is taking place. Based on previous studies of subterranean rodent communication, we hypothesized that plateau zokors use seismic signals to detect neighboring tunnels and then occupy them when it was found their neighbors were absent. To test this, we placed artificial tunnels close to active original zokor tunnels to simulate the availability of an empty neighboring tunnel, and then the seismic signals when a zokor chose to occupy the empty artificial tunnel were recorded. The results showed that the frequency of zokors occupying artificial empty tunnels within 48 h was 7/8, In all of these instances, the zokors generated seismic signals before and after occupation of the empty artificial tunnel. The number of seismic signals generated by the zokors increased significantly (p = 0.024) when they detected and occupied the artificial tunnels, compared to those generated in their original tunnels without the presence of an artificial tunnel alongside. Inside the original tunnels, the inter-pulse time interval of the seismic signals was significantly higher (p < 0.001), the peak frequency of these signals was significantly higher (p < 0.01), and the energy of the signals was significantly lower (p = 0.006), compared with those when an artificial tunnel was positioned next to the original. The results of this study suggest that plateau zokors first generate seismic signals to detect empty neighboring tunnels and that they are empty. In the absence of neighbor plateau zokors, they occupy the empty tunnels to extend their own territory.
Changes in Medication Prescribing Due to COVID-19 in Dental Practice in Croatia—National Study
Authors: Šutej Ivana , Lepur Dragan , Bašić Krešimir , Šimunović Luka , Peroš Kristina
Published: January 2023

The 2019 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has affected clinical practice and, consequently, drug prescribing in dental practice. We investigated how the pandemic affected the prescribing behavior of dentists in Croatia. Data on prescribing practices for this study were provided by the Croatian Health Insurance Institute. The analysis included the number of prescriptions, costs, and the number of packages prescribed. The World Health Organization’s defined daily dose per 1000 inhabitants (DID) per day was used as an objective utilization comparison. During the first pandemic year, prescribing practice changed the most. Wide-spectrum antibiotics, analgesics, and antiseptics showed the highest trend in change. A statistically significant change in prescribing practices during the pandemic period was noted for amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, ibuprofen, and ketoprofen which showed an increase in trend, while cephalexin and diclofenac showed a statistically significant decrease. The highest increase in trend was recorded for azithromycin, at +39.3%. The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a marked increase in medication utilization, especially in the first year of the pandemic. The increase in wide-spectrum antibiotic classes needs to be addressed and regulated so that patients accept that antibiotics are not a substitute for dental treatment and dentists always start treatment with narrow-spectrum antibiotics regardless of specific times, as is the case with the pandemic.
Diarylureas: New Promising Small Molecules against Streptococcus mutans for the Treatment of Dental Caries
Authors: Iacopetta Domenico , Ceramella Jessica , Catalano Alessia , D’Amato Assunta , Lauria Graziantonio , Saturnino Carmela , Andreu Inmaculada , Longo Pasquale , Sinicropi Maria Stefania
Published: January 2023

Dental caries is a biofilm-mediated disease that represents a worldwide oral health issue. Streptococcus mutans has been ascertained as the main cariogenic pathogen responsible for human dental caries, with a high ability to form biofilms, regulated by the quorum sensing. Diarylureas represent a class of organic compounds that show numerous biological activities, including the antimicrobial one. Two small molecules belonging to this class, specifically to diphenylureas, BPU (1,3-bis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]urea) and DMTU (1,3-di-m-tolyl-urea), showed interesting results in studies regarding the antimicrobial activity against the cariogenic bacterium S. mutans. Since there are not many antimicrobials used for the prevention and treatment of caries, further studies on these two interesting compounds and other diarylureas against S. mutans may be useful to design new effective agents for the treatment of caries with generally low cytotoxicity.
Enhancing Antibiotics Efficacy by Combination of Kuraridin and Epicatechin Gallate with Antimicrobials against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Chan Ben Chung-Lap , Barua Nilakshi , Lau Clara Bik-San , Leung Ping-Chung , Fung Kwok-Pui , Ip Margaret
Published: January 2023

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen and a major cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infections. The alarming rise in Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infection worldwide and the emergence of vancomycin-resistant MRSA strains have created an urgent need to identify new and alternative treatment options. Triple combinations of antimicrobials with different antimicrobial mechanisms may be a good choice to overcome antimicrobial resistance. Methods: In this study, we combine two natural compounds: kuraridin from Sophora flavescens and epicatechin gallate (ECG) from Camellia sinensis (Green tea), which could provide the best synergy with antibiotics against a selected panel of laboratory MRSA with known resistant mechanisms and clinical community-associated (CA) and hospital-associated (HA) MRSA as well. Results: The combined use of ECG and kuraridin was efficacious in inhibiting the growth of a panel of tested MRSA strains. The antibacterial activities of gentamicin, fusidic acid and vancomycin could be further enhanced by the addition of ECG and kuraridin. In time-kill study, when vancomycin (0.5 μg/mL) was combined with ECG (2 μg/mL) and kuraridin (2 μg/mL), a very strong bactericidal growth inhibition against 3 tested strains ATCC25923, MRSA ST30 and ST239 was observed from 2 to 24 h. ECG and kuraridin both possess anti-inflammatory activities in bacterial toxin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells by suppressing the production of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα) and are non-cytotoxic. In a murine pneumonia model infected with ATCC25923, MRSA ST30 or ST239, the combined use of ECG and kuraridin with vancomycin could significantly reduce bacterial counts. Conclusions: The present findings reveal the potential of ECG and kuraridin combination as a non-toxic herbal and antibiotics combination for MRSA treatment with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities.
Evaluation of the Efficiency of Random and Diblock Methacrylate-Based Amphiphilic Cationic Polymers against Major Bacterial Pathogens Associated with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Casanova Magali , Olleik Hamza , Hdiouech Slim , Roblin Clarisse , Cavalier Jean-François , Point Vanessa , Jeannot Katy , Caron Baptiste , Perrier Josette , Charriau Siméon , Lafond Mickael , Guillaneuf Yohann , Canaan Stéphane , Lefay Catherine , Maresca Marc
Published: January 2023

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is associated with repeated lung bacterial infection, mainly by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Mycobacterium abscessus, all known to be or becoming resistant to several antibiotics, often leading to therapeutic failure and death. In this context, antimicrobial peptides and antimicrobial polymers active against resistant strains and less prompt to cause resistance, appear as a good alternative to conventional antibiotics. In the present study, methacrylate-based copolymers obtained by radical chemistry were evaluated against CF-associated bacterial strains. Results showed that the type (Random versus Diblock) and the size of the copolymers affected their antibacterial activity and toxicity. Among the different copolymers tested, four (i.e., Random10200, Random15000, Random23900, and Diblock9500) were identified as the most active and the safest molecules and were further investigated. Data showed that they inserted into bacterial lipids, leading to a rapid membranolytic effect and killing of the bacterial. In relation with their fast bactericidal action and conversely to conventional antibiotics, those copolymers did not induce a resistance and remained active against antibiotic-resistant strains. Finally, the selected copolymers possessed a preventive effect on biofilm formation, although not exhibiting disruptive activity. Overall, the present study demonstrates that methacrylate-based copolymers are an interesting alternative to conventional antibiotics in the treatment of CF-associated bacterial infection.
Phytate Intake, Health and Disease: “Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine Be Thy Food”
Authors: Pujol Antelm , Sanchis Pilar , Grases Felix , Masmiquel Luis
Published: January 2023

Phytate (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate or InsP6) is the main phosphorus reservoir that is present in almost all wholegrains, legumes, and oilseeds. It is a major component of the Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets. Phytate is recognized as a nutraceutical and is classified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). Phytate has been shown to be effective in treating or preventing certain diseases. Phytate has been shown to inhibit calcium salt crystallization and, therefore, to reduce vascular calcifications, calcium renal calculi and soft tissue calcifications. Moreover, the adsorption of phytate to the crystal faces can inhibit hydroxyapatite dissolution and bone resorption, thereby playing a role in the treatment/prevention of bone mass loss. Phytate has a potent antioxidation and anti-inflammatory action. It is capable of inhibiting lipid peroxidation through iron chelation, reducing iron-related free radical generation. As this has the effect of mitigating neuronal damage and loss, phytate shows promise in the treatment/prevention of neurodegenerative disease. It is reported that phytate improves lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, increases adiponectin, decreases leptin and reduces protein glycation, which is linked with macrovascular and microvascular diabetes complications. In this review, we summarize the benefits of phytate intake as seen in in vitro, animal model, epidemiological and clinical trials, and we also identify questions to answer in the future.
Lactoferrin Restores the Deoxynivalenol-Impaired Spermatogenesis and Blood–Testis Barrier Integrity via Improving the Antioxidant Capacity and Modifying the Cell Adhesion and Inflammatory Response
Authors: Li Zhaojian , Zhao Yahui , Zong Qiufang , Hu Ping , Bao Wenbin , Liu Hao-Yu , Cai Demin
Published: January 2023

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is among the most prevalent contaminants in cereal crops and has been demonstrated to impair male spermatogenesis and induce oxidative stress, testicular apoptosis, and disruption of the blood–testis barrier (BTB). Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding glycoprotein with multifunctions including anti-inflammation and antioxidation. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of LF on the spermatogenesis and integrity of the BTB in DON-exposed mice. Thirty-two male mice were allotted to four groups for a 35-day feeding period: vehicle (basal diet), DON (12 mg/kg), LF (10 mg/d, p.o.), and DON + LF. The results showed that DON induced vacuolization of the spermatogenic epithelium, broke the adhesion junction between Sertoli cells and spermatids established by N-cadherin and induced testicular oxidative stress. LF administration restored sperm production, attenuated the DON-induced oxidative stress and reduced the breakages in adhesion junction. DON exposure enhanced the protein expression of occludin. Transcriptional profiling of the testis observed a disturbance in the expression profiles of cell adhesion and inflammatory response genes, and LF administration reversed these gene expressions. Furthermore, down-regulated signaling pathways, including the apical junction, TNFα signaling via NF-κB, and TGF-β in the DON group were observed. These were restored by LF. Enrichment analysis between DON + LF group and vehicle also confirmed the absence of these pathways. These findings indicated that LF eliminated the DON-induced detriment to spermatogenesis and cell connections between Sertoli cells and spermatids via improving antioxidant capacity and modifying the inflammatory response and cell adhesion genes.
Sustainable Extraction Methods Affect Metabolomics and Oxidative Stability of Myrtle Seed Oils Obtained from Myrtle Liqueur By-Products: An Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and Mass Spectrometry Approach
Authors: Fadda Angela , Montoro Paola , D’Urso Gilda , Ravasio Nicoletta , Zaccheria Federica , Sanna Daniele
Published: January 2023

Myrtle liqueur production generates high amounts of by-products that can be employed for the extraction of bioactive compounds. Bio-based, non-toxic and biodegradable solvents (ethyl acetate and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran), and a mechanical extraction were applied to myrtle seeds, by-products of the liqueur production, to extract oils rich in phenolic compounds. The oils obtained were characterized for yield, peroxide value (PV), lipid composition, and total phenolic concentration (TPC). The phenolic profile of the oils, determined by LC-MS, the antioxidant activity, and the oxidative stability were also analyzed. A validated UHPLC-ESI-QTRAP-MS/MS analytical method in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was applied to quantify myricetin and its main derivatives in myrtle oils. The results pointed out clear differences among extraction methods on myricetin concentration. The oxidative stability of myrtle oils was studied with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy highlighting the effect of the extraction method on the oxidation status of the oils and the role of phenolic compounds in the evolution of radical species over time. A principal component analysis applied to LC-MS data highlighted strong differences among phenolic profiles of the oils and highlighted the role of myricetin in the oxidative stability of myrtle oils. Myrtle oil, obtained from the by-products of myrtle liqueur processing industry, extracted with sustainable and green methods might have potential application in food or cosmetic industries.
Determination of Natural Fundamental Period of Minarets by Using Artificial Neural Network and Assess the Impact of Different Materials on Their Seismic Vulnerability
Authors: Işık Ercan , Ademović Naida , Harirchian Ehsan , Avcil Fatih , Büyüksaraç Aydın , Hadzima-Nyarko Marijana , Akif Bülbül Mehmet , Işık Mehmet Fatih , Antep Barış
Published: January 2023

Minarets are slender and tall structures that are built from different types of materials. Modern materials are also starting to be used in such structures with the recent developments in material technology. The seismic vulnerability and dynamic behavior of minarets can vary, depending on the material characteristics. Within this study’s scope, thirteen different material types used in minarets in Türkiye were chosen as variables. A sample minaret model was chosen as an example with nine different heights to reveal how material characteristic change affects seismic and dynamic behavior. Information and mechanical characteristics were given for all the material types. Natural fundamental periods, displacements, and base shear forces were attained from structural analyses for each selected material. The empirical period formula for each material is proposed using the obtained periods, depending on the different minaret heights taken into consideration. At the same time, fundamental natural periods for the first ten modes and 13 different types of materials used in the study were estimated with the established Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model. The real periods from the experimental analyses were compared with the values estimated by the ANN using fewer parameters, and 99% of the results were successful. In addition, time history analyses were used to evaluate the seismic performance of the minaret (three different materials were considered). In this specific case, the acceleration record from the 2011 Van (Eastern Turkiye) earthquake (Mw = 7.2) was taken into consideration. Performance levels were determined for the minaret according to the results obtained for each material. It has been concluded that material characteristics significantly affect the dynamic and seismic behavior of the minarets.
Mechatronics Design of a Gait-Assistance Exoskeleton for Therapy of Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Arcos-Legarda Jaime , Torres David , Velez Fredy , Rodríguez Hernan , Parra Alexander , Gutiérrez Álvaro
Published: January 2023

This paper presents a mechatronics design of a gait-assistance exoskeleton for therapy in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). This type of muscular dystrophy is a severe condition that causes muscle wasting, which results in a progressive loss of mobility. Clinical studies have shown the benefits of physical therapy in prolonging the mobility of patients with DMD. However, the therapy sessions are exhaustive activities executed by highly qualified rehabilitation personnel, which makes providing appropriate treatment for every patient difficult. This paper develops a mechatronics design of a gait-assistance exoskeleton to automate therapy sessions. The exoskeleton design uses adaptable mechanisms to adjust the device to the patient’s needs and includes the design of a series-elastic actuator to reduce the effects of nonalignment of the rotation axis between the exoskeleton and the patient. A mathematical dynamic hybrid model of the exoskeleton and a child’s body is developed using anthropometry of a population of six-year-old children. The hybrid model is used to design a nonlinear control strategy, which uses differential geometry to perform feedback linearization and to guarantee stable reference tracking. The proposed control law is numerically validated in a simulation to evaluate the control system’s performance and robustness under parameter variation during therapy with trajectory-tracking routines.
Chassis Design Target Setting for a High-Performance Car Using a Virtual Prototype
Authors: Woo Seunghoon , Ha Yunchul , Yoo Jinwoo , Josa Esteve , Shin Donghoon
Published: January 2023

In this study, the chassis design target setting for a high-performance car was performed using a virtual prototype to solve the problem of increasing complexity of vehicle development. To achieve efficient handling performance of Hyundai Avante N, a high-performance vehicle, the kinematic and compliance (K&C) characteristics of the chassis corresponding to the design target were set prior to the design process using virtual simulation, thereby facilitating the efficient and systematic development of the actual vehicle. In order to overcome the limitations of existing research and apply it to the actual development of mass-production vehicles, the following major tasks were performed. The first is setting quantitative factors that match the sensibility evaluation. The second is building a virtual model to ensure consistency in performance predictions. The third is optimizing the chassis characteristics to achieve the vehicle performance goal. When all optimization results were applied, the average of the performance items increased by 0.5 points and the standard deviation improved by 0.4 points compared to the existing Civic Type-R, which was the best. In the case of the final specification considering design constraints, the average of performance items increased by 0.1 point and the standard deviation improved by 0.5 point compared to the existing Civic Type-R. Therefore, the design target of the chassis systems that could achieve the vehicle handling performance goal could be established prior to the design. Using this virtual development, it is possible to eliminate the trial and error process that the first and second test cars needed. This could save more than 500,000 USD (per unit trim) of the first and second test vehicles.
An Improved Passing Network for Evaluating Football Team Performance
Authors: Zhou Wenxuan , Yu Guo , You Songhui , Wang Zejun
Published: January 2023

With the continuous development of sensor technology, the realization of football techniques and tactics comes with richer technical support. Among them, network analysis has been widely used to analyze passing behavior, and some results have been achieved. However, most of these studies directly determine the weight of passing sidelines between players by measuring the number of passes, without carefully considering the potential contribution value of a single pass. In view of this problem, we carried out the following work: (1) map the football field to the coordinate system, calculate the endpoint coordinates of each pass, and take the coordinates as coefficients to obtain the weighted value of a single channel, and then calculate all channels together to achieve a directional channel network. (2) On this network, for the team evaluation that is difficult to quantify, we suggest that the ratio of the average clustering coefficient to the average intermediate centrality be taken as the overall network index to measure the coordination of the football team’s performance. (3) We tested the proposed index with two scores. The index passed the correlation and sensitivity tests, which proves that it is helpful for explaining the coordination level of the team and has certain reference value for the evaluation of the competitiveness of the football team.
Using Mental Shadowing Tasks to Improve the Sound-Evoked Potential of EEG in the Design of an Auditory Brain–Computer Interface
Authors: Sun Koun-Tem , Hsieh Kai-Lung , Lee Shih-Yun
Published: January 2023

This study proposed an auditory stimulation protocol based on Shadowing Tasks to improve the sound-evoked potential in an EEG and the efficiency of an auditory brain–computer interface system. We use stories as auditory stimulation to enhance users’ motivation and presented the sound stimuli via headphones to enable the user to concentrate better on the keywords in the stories. The protocol presents target stimuli with an oddball P300 paradigm. To decline mental workload, we shift the usual Shadowing Tasks paradigm: Instead of loudly repeating the auditory target stimuli, we ask subjects to echo the target stimuli mentally as it occurs. Twenty-four healthy participants, not one of whom underwent a BCI use or training phase before the experimental procedure, ran twenty trials each. We analyzed the effect of the auditory stimulation based on the Shadowing Tasks theory with the performance of the auditory BCI system. We also evaluated the judgment effectiveness of the three ERPs components (N2P3, P300, and N200) from five chosen electrodes. The best average accuracy of post-analysis was 78.96%. Using component N2P3 to distinguish between target and non-target can improve the efficiency of the auditory BCI system and give it good practicality. We intend to persist in this study and involve the protocol in an aBCI-based home care system (HCS) for target patients to provide daily assistance.
Design Thinking as an Auxiliary Tool for Educational Robotics Classes
Authors: Tramonti Michela , Dochshanov Alden Meirzhanovich , Zhumabayeva Assel Sagnayevna
Published: January 2023

The dynamic spread of 3D printing technologies and open-source electronics prototyping platforms has significantly enriched the diversity of instruments used within educational robotics (ER) settings. An active, low-entry-level community offering ready-to-use libraries for a broad variety of devices assists in the development of quite sophisticated projects. However, the flipside of the coin is represented by the current research findings, which reveal that students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects has declined across Europe, as manifested in difficulties when approaching scientific topics and dealing with problems and phenomena studied from a multidisciplinary perspective. Consequently, a significant percentage of youths are at risk of social exclusion due to the direct relationship between low academic achievements and school dropout. Moreover, learners lack guidance in applied and life-context skills, such as creative thinking, problem solving, and collaboration, which highlights the need to introduce innovative pedagogical approaches. In this context, the design thinking (DT) methodology was proposed to tackle the problem. Originating in the development of psychological studies on creativity in the 1950s within the educational context, DT is known to foster creative thinking, help develop empathy, promote action-oriented actions, improve meta-cognitive awareness, contribute to problem-solving skills, and enhance students’ imagination. The last point supports the students’ development of critical thinking, social inclusion, teamwork skills, and academic performance. Thus, this paper introduces a methodological framework combining DT with ER classes. First, to approach the problem, the teachers’ survey data were collected and analysed to reveal the respondents’ level of integration of the DT methodology into current school curricula. Then, the work focused on the application of this framework in a learning experience by addressing the weakest points established and their elaboration through the combined ER and DT classes in the context of secondary schools.
A Method for Style Transfer from Artistic Images Based on Depth Extraction Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Han Xinying , Wu Yang , Wan Rui
Published: January 2023

Depth extraction generative adversarial network (DE-GAN) is designed for artistic work style transfer. Traditional style transfer models focus on extracting texture features and color features from style images through an autoencoding network by mixing texture features and color features using high-dimensional coding. In the aesthetics of artworks, the color, texture, shape, and spatial features of the artistic object together constitute the artistic style of the work. In this paper, we propose a multi-feature extractor to extract color features, texture features, depth features, and shape masks from style images with U-net, multi-factor extractor, fast Fourier transform, and MiDas depth estimation network. At the same time, a self-encoder structure is used as the content extraction network core to generate a network that shares style parameters with the feature extraction network and finally realizes the generation of artwork images in three-dimensional artistic styles. The experimental analysis shows that compared with other advanced methods, DE-GAN-generated images have higher subjective image quality, and the generated style pictures are more consistent with the aesthetic characteristics of real works of art. The quantitative data analysis shows that images generated using the DE-GAN method have better performance in terms of structural features, image distortion, image clarity, and texture details.
Utility of Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity for Estimating the Overall Mechanical Behavior of Recycled Aggregate Self-Compacting Concrete
Authors: Espinosa Ana B. , Revilla-Cuesta Víctor , Skaf Marta , Faleschini Flora , Ortega-López Vanesa
Published: January 2023

Ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) is a non-destructive measurement technique with which the quality of any concrete element can be evaluated. It provides information on concrete health and for assessing the need for repair in a straightforward manner. In this paper, the relationship is studied between UPV readings and the mechanical behavior of self-compacting concrete (SCC) containing coarse, fine, and/or powdery RA. To do so, correlations and simple- and multiple-regression relationships between compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and UPV readings of nine SCC mixes were assessed. The correlations showed that the relationship of UPV with any mechanical property was fundamentally monotonic. The inverse square-root model was therefore the best-fitting simple-regression model for all the mechanical properties, although for bending-tensile-behavior-related properties (splitting tensile strength and flexural strength) the estimation accuracy was much lower than for compressive-behavior-related properties (compressive strength and modulus of elasticity). Linear-combination multiple-regression models showed that the properties related to bending-tensile behavior had a minimal influence on the UPV value, and that their introduction resulted in a decreased estimation accuracy. Thus, the multiple-regression models with the best fits were those that linked the compressive-behavior-related properties to the UPV readings. This therefore enables the estimation of the modulus of elasticity when the UPV and compressive strength are known with a deviation of less than ±20% in 87% of the SCC mixes reported in other studies available in the literature.
Experiments on the State Boundary Surface of Aeolian Sand for Road Building in the Tengger Desert
Authors: Ma Zhigang , Li Xuefeng
Published: January 2023

As a special road-building material widely distributed in desert areas, critical state soil mechanics is used to study the mechanical properties of sand and make up for the lack of research on its engineering characteristics. A series of drained and undrained triaxial compression tests with a loading rate of 0.12 mm/min medium-density aeolian sands taken from Tengger Desert in the northwest of China was carried out to obtain the three-dimensional state boundary surface. The test results reveal that the strength gained from drained and undrained tests increased, respectively, linearly and non-linearly with the increase of the effective confining pressure. Affected by the variation of pore pressure and shear rate, the undrained strength was higher than the drained strength at low effective confining pressures, and the two types of strengths tend to be consistent when the effective confining pressure becomes greater than 800 kPa. The volumetric changes of the aeolian specimens transition from dilatation to contraction when the effective confining pressures increase. The investigation of the strength, deformation and failure characteristics gives rise to the shape parameters of its state boundary surface, which provides not only a basis for the constitutive modelling of the aeolian sand, but also a reference for roadbed construction and other foundation engineering in desert areas.
A Sustainable Method: Production of the Fermented Rice Milk Yogurt by Using Three Efficient Lactic Acid Bacteria
Authors: Hozzein Wael N. , Hisham Sameh M. , Alkhalifah Dalal Hussien M.
Published: January 2023

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have long been used as starters in non-dairy cereal fermentation, as they aid in the production of products such as yoghurt and cheese. Broken rice milk is a plant-based milk alternative that is high in carbs and low in fat, providing excellent nutritional value to human users. The current study intends to ferment broken rice milk supplemented with 6% skim milk using three Lactobacillus strains for the development of yoghurt products, as well as to evaluate the growth, changes in physio-chemical properties, and sensory qualities of the yoghurt produced. Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and a commercial yoghurt culture consortium fermented broken rice milk after 8 h. Rather than employing L. acidophilus or a commercial yogurt culture consortia, L. bulgarics was the most efficient starter for yoghurt manufacturing, followed by L. casei. L. bulgaricus had the highest viability counts of 8.5 Log CFU/mL, 0.18 specific growth rate, and 3.78 doubling time. Furthermore, it produces a significant reduction in pH to 4.3 and increases total titratable acidity to 0.09 percent with high overall acidity values of 1.4 mg/L of acetic and lactic acid contents. The maximum acidification rate (Vmax) was 0.2125, the maximum acidification time (Tmax) was 4 h, and the time to reach pH 4.6 (Te) was 5 to 8 h. As a result, L. bulgaricus was chosen as the most efficient isolate for the production of fermented rice milk yoghurt. More research is needed, however, to investigate the new rice-based yoghurt product’s sensory qualities as well as its toxicological effects on normal and malignant human cells.
Development of a Metalens for Radio Wave Ground-Penetrating Radars
Authors: Gorst Aleksandr , Mironchev Aleksandr , Tseplyaev Ilya , Satarov Rail , Shipilov Sergey
Published: January 2023

This article discusses the possibility of using a metamaterial to focus radiation from an antenna for GPR. Composite ring conductors were used as a material for focusing radiation at frequencies of 0.5–3 GHz. The modeling of the matrix structure is presented, and the electric component of the field is considered when using a four-layer structure with a thickness of about 5 cm. Experimental studies of the focusing properties of the metamaterial and the possibility of its use in ground-penetrating radar are presented. Using the developed system, an object was detected at different depths, and the superiority of the metamaterial in relation to the use of a focusing system based on a parabolic mirror is shown.
Prediction of the Moisture Content in Corn Straw Compost Based on Their Dielectric Properties
Authors: Wang Ruili , Ren Tong , Feng Longlong , Wang Tieliang , Wang Tiejun
Published: January 2023

This study proposes a novel method for the rapid detection of compost moisture content. The effects of the test frequency (1 to 100 kHz), compost moisture content (5% to 35%), temperature (25 to 65 °C), and bulk density (665.6 to 874.3 kg/m3) on the dielectric properties (the dielectric constant ε′ and the loss factor ε″) in the compost consisting of fresh sheep and manure corn were investigated. The mechanism for the change in dielectric properties was analyzed. The feature variables of dielectric parameters (ε′, ε″, and the combination of ε′ and ε″) were selected using principal component analysis (PCA), and the selected characteristic variables and the full-frequency variables were used to perform support vector machine regression (SVR) modeling. The results revealed that the increase in both temperature and bulk density in the frequency band from 1 to 100 kHz increased ε′ and ε″. The PCA–SVR model with both ε′ and ε″ combined variables achieved the best results, with a prediction set coefficient of determination of 0.9877 and a root mean square error of 0.0026. In conclusion, the method of predicting the moisture content based on the dielectric properties of compost is feasible.
Analytical Model for the Prediction of Instantaneous and Long-Term Behavior of RC Beams under Static Sustained Service Loads
Authors: Bakleh Bassel , Hasan Hala , Wardeh George
Published: January 2023

A great number of reinforced concrete structures are approaching the end of their service life and they are strongly affected by progressive deterioration processes due to insufficient maintenance. A fundamental understanding of all damage phenomena acting together on reinforced concrete, RC, structures under service loads is a crucial step toward more sustainable structures. The present work aims to study the creep of RC beams in the cracked state. To achieve this objective, an analytical model was developed based on Bernoulli’s theory and the global equilibrium of the RC beam. A Newton–Raphson algorithm was also proposed to solve the non-linear equilibrium equations related to the non-linearity in the adopted materials models. The proposed model allows predicting the instantaneous and long-term behavior under any loading level up to the steel yielding, and it takes into consideration the effect of creep on the behavior of concrete both in tension and compression. In addition to the evolution of the deflection with time, the model is also able to follow the height of the compression zone as well as the evolution of crack’s height and width under any sustained service load. The comparison between analytical and experimental results found in the literature for long-term loaded beams showed a good agreement.