bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal Association between Physical Activity, Blood Lipids, and Risk of Dyslipidemia among Chinese Adults: Findings from the China Health and Nutrition Surveys in 2009 and 2015
Authors: Zou Qinpei , Su Chang , Du Wenwen , Wang Huijun , Zhang Bing , Luo Shuquan , Tan Tao , Song Xiaoyun , Zhong Xiaoni , Zhang Huadong , Chen Yaokai
Published: January 2023

Physical activity is needed in today’s highly sedentary society. Research into Chinese trends with respect to the longitudinal association between changes in physical activity (PA) and dyslipidemia (DL) is limited. The present study assessed PA and PA-related changes associated with the level of serum lipids, and the risk of dyslipidemia stratified by gender, via a population-based longitudinal observational study among adults (>18 years old) residing in nine provinces in China. Data of 3380 adult participants, gleaned from two surveys in 2009 and 2015 used by the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), were analyzed. Three-level random intercept growth models were used to calculate the associations between total physical activity (TPA), the four activity subtypes, and changes in the level of blood lipids. Three-level logistic regression models were utilized to assess the association between TPA and the risk of DL. The highest level of TPA was observed to correlate with the lowest prevalence of DL. Compared with the lowest level of TPA, the highest level of TPA increases the concentration of HDL-C (β = 0.050, 95% CI = 0.005, 0.096) in males, and also reduces the risk in males of having low HDL-C by 31% (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.52, 0.91). Occupational PA was positively associated with higher HDL-C levels in both genders (males: β = 0.004, 95% CI = 0.002, 0.007; females: β = 0.002, 95% CI = 0.000, 0.004), and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) was negatively associated with TG levels in males. Increasing TPA benefited HDL-C levels in males, irrespective of the level of basic TPA of individuals. Physical activity (especially occupational PA) was superior in positively influencing HDL-C in males, but not in females. Leisure-time physical activity needs to be increased substantially in order to increase TPA to levels that would be beneficial to blood lipid levels and DL, irrespective of baseline TPA levels.
Effects of a Functional Ice Cream Enriched with Milk Proteins on Bone Metabolism: A Feasibility Clinical Study and In Vitro Investigation
Authors: Maurotti Samantha , Ferro Yvelise , Pujia Roberta , Frosina Miriam , Sciacqua Angela , Mare Rosario , Mazza Elisa , Geirola Nadia , Romeo Stefano , Pujia Arturo , Montalcini Tiziana
Published: January 2023

Background: Milk proteins (MPs) and their derivative whey proteins (WPs) are important components of human diet that might prevent bone loss. We aimed to investigate the effects of MP on the bones of postmenopausal women, along with the effects of WP on osteoblast cells. Methods: We conducted a feasibility controlled clinical study with 62 postmenopausal women who were asked to consume an MP-enriched ice cream. We also investigated the effect of WP on the ERK1/2 and AKT pathways, RUNX2, alkaline phosphatase, RANKL/OPG ratio, and COL1A of Saos-2. Results: After 12 weeks, we found a greater bone mineral density and bone alkaline phosphatase reduction in women who consumed the MP-enriched ice cream compared to the control group (p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively). In Saos-2 cells, WP upregulated ERK1/2 and AKT pathways (p = 0.002 and p = 0.016), cell proliferation (p = 0.03), and osteoblast differentiation markers, along with downregulating RANKL/OPG (p < 0.001). Moreover, the inhibition of ERK1/2 by PD184253 reverted the effects on both the RUNX2 and ALP mRNA expression and cells proliferation (p = 0.028, p = 0.004, and p = 0.003, respectively) when treated with WP. Conclusions: WP upregulates cell proliferation, RUNX2, and alkaline phosphatase through the activation of the ERK1/2 pathways on Saos-2. These mechanisms probably contribute to preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women.
Multi-Nutrient Analysis of Dietary Macronutrients with All-Cause, Cardiovascular, and Cancer Mortality: Data from NHANES 1999–2014
Authors: Koemel Nicholas A. , Senior Alistair M. , Celermajer David S. , Grech Amanda , Gill Tim P. , Simpson Stephen J. , Raubenheimer David , Skilton Michael R.
Published: January 2023

Macronutrients are a major component of the human diet. However, few studies have assessed their collective association with mortality. We sought to evaluate the associations of macronutrient intake with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in US adults using a multi-nutrient approach. This prospective cohort analysis used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from the years 1999 to 2014. The participants included 33,681 US adults aged 20–85 years (52.5% female). The maximum follow-up time was 16.8 years, with a total of 4398 total deaths, including 772 cardiovascular deaths and 952 cancer deaths. The associations between mortality and dietary macronutrients were explored using three-dimensional generalized additive models, allowing for visual and statistical inference of complex nonlinear associations. Absolute macronutrient intake demonstrated a three-way interactive association with all-cause mortality (p < 0.001), cardiovascular mortality (p = 0.02), and cancer mortality (p = 0.05), adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, dietary quality, and lifestyle. Compositionally, a high caloric diet composed of moderately high protein (20%), moderate fat (30%), and moderate carbohydrate (50%) levels was associated with the highest mortality risk. Across the total energy intake levels, lower mortality risk was observed in two separate regions consisting of higher protein (30%), higher carbohydrate (60%), and lower fat levels (10%) or lower protein (10%), moderate carbohydrate (45%), and higher fat levels (45%). These findings highlight a complex nonlinear and interactive association between macronutrients and all-cause mortality such that several distinct dietary compositions are associated with similarly high or low risk. Future research is needed to explore the drivers of these associations and whether they differ across varying dietary patterns and populations.
Novel Therapeutic Potentials of Taxifolin for Obesity-Induced Hepatic Steatosis, Fibrogenesis, and Tumorigenesis
Authors: Inoue Takayuki , Fu Bin , Nishio Miwako , Tanaka Miyako , Kato Hisashi , Tanaka Masashi , Itoh Michiko , Yamakage Hajime , Ochi Kozue , Ito Ayaka , Shiraki Yukihiro , Saito Satoshi , Ihara Masafumi , Nishimura Hideo , Kawamoto Atsuhiko , Inoue Shian , Saeki Kumiko , Enomoto Atsushi , Suganami Takayoshi , Satoh-Asahara Noriko
Published: January 2023

The molecular pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) includes a complex interaction of metabolic stress and inflammatory stimuli. Considering the therapeutic goals of NASH, it is important to determine whether the treatment can prevent the progression from NASH to hepatocellular carcinoma. Taxifolin, also known as dihydroquercetin, is a natural bioactive flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties commonly found in various foods and health supplement products. In this study, we demonstrated that Taxifolin treatment markedly prevented the development of hepatic steatosis, chronic inflammation, and liver fibrosis in a murine model of NASH. Its mechanisms include a direct action on hepatocytes to inhibit lipid accumulation. Taxifolin also increased brown adipose tissue activity and suppressed body weight gain through at least two distinct pathways: direct action on brown adipocytes and indirect action via fibroblast growth factor 21 production in the liver. Notably, the Taxifolin treatment after NASH development could effectively prevent the development of liver tumors. Collectively, this study provides evidence that Taxifolin shows pleiotropic effects for the treatment of the NASH continuum. Our data also provide insight into the novel mechanisms of action of Taxifolin, which has been widely used as a health supplement with high safety.
Dietary Zinc Intake and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in Korean Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Authors: Kwon Yu-Jin , Lee Hye Sun , Park Goeun , Yang Juyeon , Kim Hyung-Mi , Lee Ji-Won
Published: January 2023

We aimed to investigate the association between dietary zinc intake and total deaths, cancer, and cardiovascular disease death. In this prospective, 10-year, community-based cohort analysis, data from 143,050 adult participants (aged 40 years and older) were analyzed. Dietary zinc intake at baseline was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Harrell’s C-index was used to determine the optimal cut-off of dietary zinc intake with the log-rank test. Using the Cox proportional hazards regression models, the association between dietary zinc intake and all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality was estimated using hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. During the mean 10.1 years of follow-up, 5436 participants expired, of whom 2355 died due to cancer and 985 died due to cardiovascular causes. After adjustment for confounders, dietary zinc intake was inversely associated with all-cause mortality (≤5.60 mg/day vs. >7.98 mg/day; hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.25) and cardiovascular disease mortality (≤5.12 mg/day vs. >7.28 mg/day; hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.11–1.81) but not with cancer mortality (≤5.60 mg/day vs. >10.08 mg/day; hazard ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.90–1.33). Dietary zinc intake was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality but not with cancer mortality. Our findings could suggest that recommending optimal dietary zinc intake is helpful for human health.
The More the Better—Investigation of Polymethoxylated N-Carboranyl Quinazolines as Novel Hybrid Breast Cancer Resistance Protein Inhibitors
Authors: Stockmann Philipp , Kuhnert Lydia , Leinung Wencke , Lakoma Cathleen , Scholz Birte , Paskas Svetlana , Mijatović Sanja , Maksimović-Ivanić Danijela , Honscha Walther , Hey-Hawkins Evamarie
Published: January 2023

The ineffectiveness and failing of chemotherapeutic treatments are often associated with multidrug resistance (MDR). MDR is primarily linked to the overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins in cancer cells. ABCG2 (ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2, also known as the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP)) mediates MDR by an increased drug efflux from the cancer cells. Therefore, the inhibition of ABCG2 activity during chemotherapy ought to improve the efficacy of the administered anti-cancer agents by reversing MDR or by enhancing the agents’ pharmacokinetic properties. Significant efforts have been made to develop novel, powerful, selective, and non-toxic inhibitors of BCRP. However, thus far the clinical relevance of BCRP-selective MDR-reversal has been unsuccessful, due to either adverse drug reactions or significant toxicities in vivo. We here report a facile access towards carboranyl quinazoline-based inhibitors of ABCG2. We determined the influence of different methoxy-substitution patterns on the 2-phenylquinazoline scaffold in combination with the beneficial properties of an incorporated inorganic carborane moiety. A series of eight compounds was synthesized and their inhibitory effect on the ABCG2-mediated Hoechst transport was evaluated. Molecular docking studies were performed to better understand the structure-protein interactions of the novel inhibitors, exhibiting putative binding modes within the inner binding site. Further, the most potent, non-toxic compounds were investigated for their potential to reverse ABCG2-mediated mitoxantrone (MXN) resistance. Of these five evaluated compounds, N-(closo-1,7-dicarbadodecaboran(12)-9-yl)-6,7-dimethoxy-2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-quinazolin-4-amine (DMQCd) exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect towards ABCG2 in the lower nanomolar ranges. Additionally, DMQCd was able to reverse BCRP-mediated MDR, making it a promising candidate for further research on hybrid inorganic-organic compounds.
Improved Metal-Free Approach for the Synthesis of Protected Thiol Containing Thymidine Nucleoside Phosphoramidite and Its Application for the Synthesis of Ligatable Oligonucleotide Conjugates
Authors: Kupihár Zoltán , Ferenc Györgyi , Petrovicz Vencel L. , Fáy Viktória R. , Kovács Lajos , Martinek Tamás A. , Hegedüs Zsófia
Published: January 2023

Oligonucleotide conjugates are versatile scaffolds that can be applied in DNA-based screening platforms and ligand display or as therapeutics. Several different chemical approaches are available for functionalizing oligonucleotides, which are often carried out on the 5′ or 3′ end. Modifying oligonucleotides in the middle of the sequence opens the possibility to ligate the conjugates and create DNA strands bearing multiple different ligands. Our goal was to establish a complete workflow that can be applied for such purposes from monomer synthesis to templated ligation. To achieve this, a monomer is required with an orthogonal functional group that can be incorporated internally into the oligonucleotide sequence. This is followed by conjugation with different molecules and ligation with the help of a complementary template. Here, we show the synthesis and the application of a thiol-modified thymidine nucleoside phosphoramidite to prepare ligatable oligonucleotide conjugates. The conjugations were performed both in solution and on solid phase, resulting in conjugates that can be assembled into multivalent oligonucleotides decorated with tissue-targeting peptides using templated ligation.
The Mythologist as a Virologist: Barthes’ Myths as Viruses
Authors: Al-Kadi Thaer T. , Alzoubi Abdulaziz Ahmad
Published: January 2023

This article is an attempt to explore and explain the complex processes and mechanisms involved in creating myth signs as presented in Roland Barthes’ Mythologies (1957) through an interdisciplinary and an interdiscursive approach. The article presupposes that the mythic system of signification occupies a liminal space of a multiplicity of disciplines and discourses. The mythic sign integrates a myriad of epistemological spaces philosophical, scientific, and cultural. Therefore, this article wants to cross the borderlines between fields of knowledge to understand the unique position of the mythic sign. We are going to use scientific discourse of virology to investigate the parasitic and viral nature of the mythic sign. Moreover, we investigate the role of the mythologist in exploring the signs that are infected by ideology and how to demystify their intentionality and artificiality. Finally, we are going to rely on quantum physics to investigate the superposition of the mythologist and the role this position plays in understanding the ambiguous and multidimensional nature of the mythic sign.
Diversity and Spread of Acetolactate Synthase Allelic Variants at Position 574 Endowing Resistance in Amaranthus hybridus in Italy
Authors: Milani Andrea , Panozzo Silvia , Pinton Samuele , Danielis Renato Antonio , Sattin Maurizio , Scarabel Laura
Published: January 2023

Poor control of Amaranthus spp. with herbicides inhibiting acetolactate synthase (ALS) has been observed for several years in soybean fields in north-eastern Italy, but to date only a few ALS-resistant populations have been confirmed. An extensive sampling of putatively resistant Amaranthus accessions was completed in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, across an arable land area of about 3000 km2. In total, 58 accessions were tested to confirm their resistance status, recognize the Amaranthus species, identify the mutant ALS alleles endowing the resistance and determine the efficacy of 3 pre-emergence herbicides. Most accessions resulted in cross-resistance to thifensulfuron-methyl and imazamox. Genomic DNA were extracted from single seeds with a newly developed protocol; an allele-specific PCR assay revealed the presence of the 574-leucine in 20 accessions, of the 574-methionine in 22, and of both alleles in 9 accessions. The two variants showed a different spatial distribution. All resistant populations were ascribed to A. hybridus. A. hybridus resistant to ALS herbicides is well-established in this Italian region and its resistance is due to two ALS mutant alleles. Metribuzin, clomazone and metobromuron can be used as alternative herbicides to be applied in pre-emergence and they should be integrated into the management strategies to limit the spread of resistance.
Synergistic Effect of 4A Molecular Sieve on Intumescent Ternary H-Bonded Complex in Flame-Retarding of Polypropylene
Authors: Wen Qilin , Chen Yinghong , Wang Xin , Pei Haoran
Published: January 2023

In this study, a ternary hydrogen (H)-bonded complex intumescent flame retardant (TH-IFR) of melamine (ME) · phosphoric acid (PA)…pentaerythritol (PER) was synthesized through hydrothermal reaction. The combination of the synthesized TH-IFR with 4A molecular sieve as the synergist was used for the first time to improve the flame retardancy of polypropylene (PP). The involved structure, morphology, flame retardancy, flame-retarding mechanism and mechanical properties of the prepared PP composites were systematically investigated. The results show that incorporation of 1 wt% synergist 4A shows the optimum synergistic effect, and the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of the flame-retarded (FR) PP composites are significantly improved. Incorporation of 4A could change the pyrolysis process of the entire system and promote the char-forming chemical interaction, thereby further enhancing the flame retardancy of FR PP composite. The synergistically flame-retarding mechanism of 4A is explained by the significantly improved quality and quantity of the solid-phase char layer, which is formed through generation of SiO2 and Al2O3 substances, and also participation of PP macromolecular chains in the final char layer formation during burning. Furthermore, the improved dispersion and compatibility of TH-IFR in the composite is largely beneficial to the improvement of flame retardancy and mechanical properties.
Quantification of Aquarius, SMAP, SMOS and Argo-Based Gridded Sea Surface Salinity Product Sampling Errors
Authors: Fournier Séverine , Bingham Frederick M. , González-Haro Cristina , Hayashi Akiko , Ulfsax Carlin Karly M. , Brodnitz Susannah K. , González-Gambau Verónica , Kuusela Mikael
Published: January 2023

Evaluating and validating satellite sea surface salinity (SSS) measurements is fundamental. There are two types of errors in satellite SSS: measurement error due to the instrument’s inaccuracy and problems in retrieval, and sampling error due to unrepresentativeness in the way that the sea surface is sampled in time and space by the instrument. In this study, we focus on sampling errors, which impact both satellite and in situ products. We estimate the sampling errors of Level 3 satellite SSS products from Aquarius, SMOS and SMAP, and in situ gridded products. To do that, we use simulated L2 and L3 Aquarius, SMAP and SMOS SSS data, individual Argo observations and gridded Argo products derived from a 12-month high-resolution 1/48° ocean model. The use of the simulated data allows us to quantify the sampling error and eliminate the measurement error. We found that the sampling errors are high in regions of high SSS variability and are globally about 0.02/0.03 psu at weekly time scales and 0.01/0.02 psu at monthly time scales for satellite products. The in situ-based product sampling error is significantly higher than that of the three satellite products at monthly scales (0.085 psu) indicating the need to be cautious when using in situ-based gridded products to validate satellite products. Similar results are found using a Correlated Triple Collocation method that quantifies the standard deviation of products’ errors acquired with different instruments. By improving our understanding and quantifying the effect of sampling errors on satellite-in situ SSS consistency over various spatial and temporal scales, this study will help to improve the validation of SSS, the robustness of scientific applications and the design of future salinity missions.
Carrier Phase Ranging with DTMB Signals for Urban Pedestrian Localization and GNSS Aiding
Authors: Jiao Zhenhang , Chen Liang , Lu Xiangchen , Liu Zhaoliang , Zhou Xin , Zhuang Yuan , Guo Guangyi
Published: January 2023

China developed its Digital Television (DTV) standard in 2006, known as Digital Television Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcasting (DTMB), which employs time-domain synchronous orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (TDS-OFDM) as the modulation method. In contrast to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs), DTV signals have higher transmitting power, wider coverage, larger bandwidth, and fixed transmitter location. This paper explores the positioning performance of DTMB signals, and the potential to improve GNSS positioning accuracy in urban environments. Specifically, a solution is proposed, and a software-defined radio receiver is developed for wireless localization. Without changing the current signal structure, the pseudorandom noise (PN) sequences in the signal are used for signal acquisition and carrier phase ranging. The carrier phase of the first arrived path is extracted by the least squares matching pursuit method. Both static and dynamic field tests were conducted to verify the proposed ranging and positioning method. Centimeter-level ranging accuracy was achieved in the static scenario, while meter-level ranging accuracy was achieved in the dynamic scenario. As one possible application, the proposed ranging method was combined with GPS pseudorange measurements to achieve higher accuracy position results in an urban pedestrian scenario, especially when there is only a limited number of visible satellites.
Change of Human Footprint in China and Its Implications for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions
Authors: Li Yuan , Mi Wujuan , Zhang Yuheng , Ji Li , He Qiusheng , Wang Yuanzhu , Bi Yonghong
Published: January 2023

Humans have altered the earth in unprecedented ways, and these changes have profound implications for global climate change. However, the impacts of human pressures on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions over long time scales have not yet been clarified. Here, we used the human footprint index (HF), which estimates the ecological footprint of humans in a given location, to explore the impacts of human pressures on CO2 emissions in China from 2000 to 2017. Human pressures (+13.6%) and CO2 emissions (+198.3%) in China are still on the rise during 2000–2017 and are unevenly distributed spatially. There was a significant positive correlation between human pressures and CO2 emissions in China, and northern China is the main driver of this correlation. The increase of CO2 emissions in China slowed down after 2011. Although human pressures on the environment are increasing, high-quality development measures have already had noticeable effects on CO2 emission reductions.
A Multiscale Cross Interaction Attention Network for Hyperspectral Image Classification
Authors: Liu Dongxu , Wang Yirui , Liu Peixun , Li Qingqing , Yang Hang , Chen Dianbing , Liu Zhichao , Han Guangliang
Published: January 2023

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have demonstrated impressive performance and have been broadly applied in hyperspectral image (HSI) classification. However, two challenging problems still exist: the first challenge is that redundant information is averse to feature learning, which damages the classification performance; the second challenge is that most of the existing classification methods only focus on single-scale feature extraction, resulting in underutilization of information. To resolve the two preceding issues, this article proposes a multiscale cross interaction attention network (MCIANet) for HSI classification. First, an interaction attention module (IAM) is designed to highlight the distinguishability of HSI and dispel redundant information. Then, a multiscale cross feature extraction module (MCFEM) is constructed to detect spectral–spatial features at different scales, convolutional layers, and branches, which can increase the diversity of spectral–spatial features. Finally, we introduce global average pooling to compress multiscale spectral–spatial features and utilize two fully connection layers, two dropout layers to obtain the output classification results. Massive experiments on three benchmark datasets demonstrate the superiority of our presented method compared with the state-of-the-art methods.
Driver Identification Using Statistical Features of Motor Activity and Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Espino-Salinas Carlos H. , Luna-García Huizilopoztli , Celaya-Padilla José M. , Morgan-Benita Jorge A. , Vera-Vasquez Cesar , Sarmiento Wilson J. , Galván-Tejada Carlos E. , Galván-Tejada Jorge I. , Gamboa-Rosales Hamurabi , Villalba-Condori Klinge Orlando
Published: January 2023

Driver identification refers to the process whose primary purpose is identifying the person behind the steering wheel using collected information about the driver him/herself. The constant monitoring of drivers through sensors generates great benefits in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), to learn more about the behavior of road users. Currently, there are many research works that address the subject in search of creating intelligent models that help to identify vehicle users in an efficient and objective way. However, the different methodologies proposed to create these models are based on data generated from sensors that include different vehicle brands on routes established in real environments, which, although they provide very important information for different purposes, in the case of driver identification, there may be a certain degree of bias due to the different situations in which the route environment may change. The proposed method seeks to intelligently and objectively select the most outstanding statistical features from motor activity generated in the main elements of the vehicle with genetic algorithms for driver identification, this process being newer than those established by the state-of-the-art. The results obtained from the proposal were an accuracy of 90.74% to identify two drivers and 62% for four, using a Random Forest Classifier (RFC). With this, it can be concluded that a comprehensive selection of features can greatly optimize the identification of drivers.
Detecting Machining Defects inside Engine Piston Chamber with Computer Vision and Machine Learning
Authors: Abagiu Marian Marcel , Cojocaru Dorian , Manta Florin , Mariniuc Alexandru
Published: January 2023

This paper describes the implementation of a solution for detecting the machining defects from an engine block, in the piston chamber. The solution was developed for an automotive manufacturer and the main goal of the implementation is the replacement of the visual inspection performed by a human operator with a computer vision application. We started by exploring different machine vision applications used in the manufacturing environment for several types of operations, and how machine learning is being used in robotic industrial applications. The solution implementation is re-using hardware that is already available at the manufacturing plant and decommissioned from another system. The re-used components are the cameras, the IO (Input/Output) Ethernet module, sensors, cables, and other accessories. The hardware will be used in the acquisition of the images, and for processing, a new system will be implemented with a human–machine interface, user controls, and communication with the main production line. Main results and conclusions highlight the efficiency of the CCD (charged-coupled device) sensors in the manufacturing environment and the robustness of the machine learning algorithms (convolutional neural networks) implemented in computer vision applications (thresholding and regions of interest).
Ultra-High Capacity Optical Satellite Communication System Using PDM-256-QAM and Optical Angular Momentum Beams
Authors: Sachdeva Shippu , Kaur Simarpreet , Arora Romisha , Sindhwani Manoj , Arora Krishan , Cho Woong , Joshi Gyanendra Prasad , Doo Ill Chul
Published: January 2023

Twisted light beams such as optical angular momentum (OAM) with numerous possible orthogonal states have drawn the prodigious contemplation of researchers. OAM multiplexing is a futuristic multi-access technique that has not been scrutinized for optical satellite communication (OSC) systems thus far, and it opens up a new window for ultra-high-capacity systems. This paper presents the 4.8 Tbps (5 wavelengths × 3 OAM beams × 320 Gbps) ultra-high capacity OSC system by incorporating polarization division multiplexed (PDM) 256-Quadrature amplitude modulation (256-QAM) and OAM beams. To realize OAM multiplexing, Laguerre Gaussian (LG) transverse mode profiles such as LG00, LG140, and LG400 were used in the proposed study. The effects of the receiver’s digital signal processing (DSP) module were also investigated, and performance improvement was observed using DSP for its potential to compensate for the effects of dispersion, phase errors, and nonlinear effects using the blind phase search (BPS), Viterbi phase estimation (VPE), and the constant modulus algorithm (CMA). The results revealed that the proposed OAM-OSC system successfully covered the 22,000 km OSC link distance and, out of three OAM beams, fundamental mode LG00 offered excellent performance. Further, a detailed comparison of the proposed system and reported state-of-the-art schemes was performed.
Design and Implementation of a Video-Frame Localization System for a Drifting Camera-Based Sewer Inspection System
Authors: Chikamoto Yusuke , Tsutsumi Yuki , Sawano Hiroaki , Ishihara Susumu
Published: January 2023

To reduce the cost of inspecting old sewer pipes, we have been developing a low-cost sewer inspection system that uses drifting wireless cameras to record videos of the interior of a sewer pipe while drifting. The video’s data are transmitted to access points placed in utility holes and further transmitted to a video server where each video frame is linked to its capturing position so that users can identify the damaged areas. However, in small-diameter sewer pipes, locating drifting nodes over the full extent of the pipeline using Wi-Fi-based localization is difficult due to the limited reach of radio waves. In addition, there is the unavailability of a GNSS signal. We propose a function to link each video frame to a position based on linear interpolation using landmarks detected by the camera and image processing. Experiments for testing the accuracy of the localization in an underground sewer pipe showed that all utility holes were successfully detected as landmarks, and the maximum location estimation accuracy was less than 11.5% of the maximum interval of landmarks.
Health-Related Telemonitoring Parameters/Signals of Older Adults: An Umbrella Review
Authors: Félix José , Moreira Juliana , Santos Rubim , Kontio Elina , Pinheiro Ana , Sousa Andreia
Published: January 2023

Aging is one of the greatest challenges in modern society. The development of wearable solutions for telemonitoring biological signals has been viewed as a strategy to enhance older adults’ healthcare sustainability. This study aims to review the biological signals remotely monitored by technologies in older adults. PubMed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Web of Science, and the Joanna Briggs Institute Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports were systematically searched in December 2021. Only systematic reviews and meta-analyses of remote health-related biological and environmental monitoring signals in older adults were considered, with publication dates between 2016 and 2022, written in English, Portuguese, or Spanish. Studies referring to conference proceedings or articles with abstract access only were excluded. The data were extracted independently by two reviewers, using a predefined table form, consulting a third reviewer in case of doubts or concerns. Eighteen studies were included, fourteen systematic reviews and four meta-analyses. Nine of the reviews included older adults from the community, whereas the others also included institutionalized participants. Heart and respiratory rate, physical activity, electrocardiography, body temperature, blood pressure, glucose, and heart rate were the most frequently measured biological variables, with physical activity and heart rate foremost. These were obtained through wearables, with the waist, wrist, and ankle being the most mentioned body regions for the device’s placement. Six of the reviews presented the psychometric properties of the systems, most of which were valid and accurate. In relation to environmental signals, only two articles presented data on this topic. Luminosity, temperature, and movement were the most mentioned variables. The need for large-scale long-term health-related telemonitoring implementation of studies with larger sample sizes was pointed out by several reviews in order to define the feasibility levels of wearable devices.
Design and Evaluation of Personalized Services to Foster Active Aging: The Experience of Technology Pre-Validation in Italian Pilots
Authors: Lorusso Letizia , Mosmondor Miran , Grguric Andrej , Toccafondi Lara , D’Onofrio Grazia , Russo Sergio , Lampe Jure , Pihl Tarmo , Mayer Nicolas , Vignani Gianna , Lesterpt Isabelle , Vaamonde Lucie , Giuliani Francesco , Bonaccorsi Manuele , La Viola Carlo , Rovini Erika , Cavallo Filippo , Fiorini Laura
Published: January 2023

Assistive devices could promote independent living and support the active and healthy aging of an older population; however, several factors can badly influence the long-term use of new technologies. In this context, this paper presents a two-step methodology called “pre-validation” that aims to identify the factors that can bias the use of new services, thus minimizing the risk of an unsuccessful longer trial. The proposed pre-validation methodology is composed of two main phases that aim to assess the usability and the reliability of the technology assessed in a laboratory environment and the usability, acceptability, user experience, and reliability of the technology in real environments. The tested services include the socialization scenario, in which older adults are better connected to the community via technological solutions (i.e., socialization applications), and the monitoring scenario, which allows for the introduction of timely interventions (technologies involved include environmental monitoring sensors, a telepresence robot, wearable sensors, and a personalized dashboard). The obtained results underline an acceptable usability level (average System Usability Scale score > 65) for the tested technologies (i.e., socialization applications and a telepresence robot). Phase Two also underlines the good acceptability, user experience, and usability of the tested services. The statistical analysis underlines a correlation between the stress related to the use of technology, digital skills, and intention of use, among other factors. Qualitative feedback also remarks on a correlation between older adults with low digital skills and an anxiety about using technology. Positive correlation indexes were highlighted between the trust and usability scores. Eventually, future long-term trials with assistive technology should rely on motivated caregivers, be founded on a strong recruitment process, and should reassure older adults—especially the ones with low digital literacy—about the use of technology by proposing personalized training and mentoring, if necessary, to increase the trust.
Deep Learning with Attention Mechanisms for Road Weather Detection
Authors: Samo Madiha , Mafeni Mase Jimiama Mosima , Figueredo Grazziela
Published: January 2023

There is great interest in automatically detecting road weather and understanding its impacts on the overall safety of the transport network. This can, for example, support road condition-based maintenance or even serve as detection systems that assist safe driving during adverse climate conditions. In computer vision, previous work has demonstrated the effectiveness of deep learning in predicting weather conditions from outdoor images. However, training deep learning models to accurately predict weather conditions using real-world road-facing images is difficult due to: (1) the simultaneous occurrence of multiple weather conditions; (2) imbalanced occurrence of weather conditions throughout the year; and (3) road idiosyncrasies, such as road layouts, illumination, and road objects, etc. In this paper, we explore the use of a focal loss function to force the learning process to focus on weather instances that are hard to learn with the objective of helping address data imbalances. In addition, we explore the attention mechanism for pixel-based dynamic weight adjustment to handle road idiosyncrasies using state-of-the-art vision transformer models. Experiments with a novel multi-label road weather dataset show that focal loss significantly increases the accuracy of computer vision approaches for imbalanced weather conditions. Furthermore, vision transformers outperform current state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks in predicting weather conditions with a validation accuracy of 92% and an F1-score of 81.22%, which is impressive considering the imbalanced nature of the dataset.
Dean-Flow Affected Lateral Focusing and Separation of Particles and Cells in Periodically Inhomogeneous Microfluidic Channels
Authors: Bányai Anita , Farkas Enikő , Jankovics Hajnalka , Székács Inna , Tóth Eszter Leelőssyné , Vonderviszt Ferenc , Horváth Róbert , Varga Máté , Fürjes Péter
Published: January 2023

The purpose of the recent work is to give a better explanation of how Dean vortices affect lateral focusing, and to understand how cell morphology can alter the focusing position compared to spherical particles. The position and extent of the focused region were investigated using polystyrene fluorescent beads with different bead diameters (Ø = 0.5, 1.1, 1.97, 2.9, 4.8, 5.4, 6.08, 10.2, 15.8, 16.5 µm) at different flow rates (0.5, 1, 2 µL/s). Size-dependent focusing generated a precise map of the equilibrium positions of the spherical beads at the end of the periodically altering channels, which gave a good benchmark for focusing multi-dimensional particles and cells. The biological samples used for experiments were rod-shaped Escherichia coli (E. coli), discoid biconcave-shaped red blood cells (RBC), round or ovoid-shaped yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and soft-irregular-shaped HeLa cancer-cell-line cells to understand how the shape of the cells affects the focusing position at the end of the channel.
OL-SLAM: A Robust and Versatile System of Object Localization and SLAM
Authors: Chen Chao , Ma Yukai , Lv Jiajun , Zhao Xiangrui , Li Laijian , Liu Yong , Gao Wang
Published: January 2023

This paper proposes a real-time, versatile Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) and object localization system, which fuses measurements from LiDAR, camera, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), and Global Positioning System (GPS). Our system can locate itself in an unknown environment and build a scene map based on which we can also track and obtain the global location of objects of interest. Precisely, our SLAM subsystem consists of the following four parts: LiDAR-inertial odometry, Visual-inertial odometry, GPS-inertial odometry, and global pose graph optimization. The target-tracking and positioning subsystem is developed based on YOLOv4. Benefiting from the use of GPS sensor in the SLAM system, we can obtain the global positioning information of the target; therefore, it can be highly useful in military operations, rescue and disaster relief, and other scenarios.
Non-Data-Aided SNR Estimation for Bandlimited Optical Intensity Channels
Authors: Gappmair Wilfried
Published: January 2023

Powerful and reliable estimation of transmission parameters is an indispensable task in each receiver unit—not only for radio frequency, but also for optical wireless communication systems. In this context, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) plays an eminent role, especially for adaptive scenarios. Assuming a bandlimited optical intensity channel, which requires a unipolar waveform design, an algorithm for SNR estimation is developed in this paper, which requires no knowledge of the transmitted data. This non-data-aided approach benefits to a great extent from the fact that very long observation windows of payload symbols might be used for the estimation process to increase the accuracy of the result; this is in striking contrast to a data-aided approach based on pilot symbols reducing the spectral efficiency of a communication link. Since maximum likelihood, moment-based or decision-directed algorithms are not considered for complexity and performance reasons, an expectation-maximization solution is introduced whose error performance is close to the Cramer-Rao lower bound as the theoretical limit, which has been derived as well.
Elaboration and Characterization of a New Heavy Metal Sensor Functionalized by Extracellular Polymeric Substances Isolated from a Tunisian Thermophilic Microalga Strain Graesiella sp.
Authors: Gongi Wejdene , Rube Maxence , Ben Ouada Hafedh , Ben Ouada Hatem , Tamarin Ollivier , Dejous Corinne
Published: January 2023

The present study aimed to develop and characterize new heavy metal sensors functionalized by extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) isolated from a Tunisian thermophilic microalga strain Graesiella sp. The elaborated sensor showed a highly homogeneous character and revealed a microstructural lamellar arrangement, high crystalline nature, and several functional groups. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and acoustic wave sensing were used as sensing techniques to explore the ability of microalgae-EPS-functionalized sensors to detect cadmium and mercury as heavy metals. For impedimetric measurements, a two-dipole circuit was adopted and showed good-fitted results with a low total error. The acoustic sensor platforms showed good compatibility with EPS in adjacent water. For both EPS-functionalized sensors, metal ions (Cd2+, Hg2+) were successfully detected in the concentration range from 10−10 M to 10−4 M. Impedimetric sensor was more sensitive to Cd2+ at low concentrations before saturation at 10−7 M, while the acoustic sensor exhibited more sensitivity to Hg2+ over the full range. The results highlight a new potential alternative to use microalgae EPSs as a sensitive coating material for the detection of heavy metals. However, its use in a real liquid medium requires further investigation of its selectivity in the presence of other compounds.
A Dual-Path Cross-Modal Network for Video-Music Retrieval
Authors: Gu Xin , Shen Yinghua , Lv Chaohui
Published: January 2023

In recent years, with the development of the internet, video has become more and more widely used in life. Adding harmonious music to a video is gradually becoming an artistic task. However, artificially adding music takes a lot of time and effort, so we propose a method to recommend background music for videos. The emotional message of music is rarely taken into account in current work, but it is crucial for video music retrieval. To achieve this, we design two paths to process content information and emotional information between modals. Based on the characteristics of video and music, we design various feature extraction schemes and common representation spaces. In the content path, the pre-trained network is used as the feature extraction network. As these features contain some redundant information, we use an encoder–decoder structure for dimensionality reduction. Where encoder weights are shared to obtain content sharing features for video and music. In the emotion path, an emotion key frames scheme was used for video and a channel attention mechanism was used for music in order to obtain the emotion information effectively. We also added emotion distinguish loss to guarantee that the network acquires the emotion information effectively. More importantly, we propose a way to combine content information with emotional information. That is, content features are first stitched together with sentiment features and then passed through a fused shared space structured as an MLP to obtain more effective fused shared features. In addition, a polarity penalty factor has been added to the classical metric loss function to make it more suitable for this task. Experiments show that this dual path video music retrieval network can effectively merge information. Compared with existing methods, the retrieval task evaluation index increases Recall@1 by 3.94.
Intelligent Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Vehicular Networks with Green AI and Red AI Perspectives
Authors: Kim Hyunbum , Ben-Othman Jalel , Mokdad Lynda
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we aim to envision 6G convergent terrestrial and non-terrestrial infrastructure of virtual emotion and epidemic prevention with two differential perspectives: Green AI and Red AI, where Green AI focuses on efficiency and reduction, and Red AI additionally pursues accuracy. By fitting with each perspective, we introduce promising key applications using smart devices, autonomous UAVs, mobile robots and subsequently suggest critical future research directions and opportunities toward new frontiers in intelligent terrestrial and non-terrestrial vehicular networks.
A Study on the Underwater Energy Harvester with Two PVDFs Installed on the FTEH and CTEH at the End of the Support
Authors: Lee Jongkil , An Jinhyo , Lee Chonghyun , Jeong Yoonsang , Seo Hee-Seon , Cho Yohan
Published: January 2023

In this study, two thin rectangular PVDFs were installed in the form of a cantilever on a FTEH (funnel-type energy harvester), and a CTEH (cymbal-type energy harvester) was fabricated in a form coupled to the upper part of the support. As a result of measuring the energy harvesting sensitivity according to the installation direction of the CTEH, a high voltage was measured in the structure installed on top of the support across all flow velocity conditions. A composite structure PVDF energy harvester combining CTEH and FTEH was fabricated and the amount of power generated was measured. As a result of measuring the open-circuit voltage of the PVDF energy harvester device with a composite structure to which the optimum resistance of CTEH of 241 kΩ and the optimum resistance of FTEH of 1474 kΩ were applied at a flow rate of 0.25 m/s, the output voltage compared to the RMS average value was 7 to 8.5 times higher for FTEH than for CTEH. When the flow rate was 0.5 m/s, the electrical energy charged for 500 s was measured as 2.0 μWs to 2.5 μWs, and when the flow speed was 0.75 m/s, it reached 2.5 μWs when charged for 300 s, generating the same amount when the flow rate increased by 50%. The time to do it was reduced by 66.7%.
An Interdisciplinary Tutorial: A Self-Healing Soft Finger with Embedded Sensor
Authors: Roels Ellen , Terryn Seppe , Ferrentino Pasquale , Brancart Joost , Van Assche Guy , Vanderborght Bram
Published: January 2023

In the field of soft robotics, knowledge of material science is becoming more and more important. However, many researchers have a background in only one of both domains. To aid the understanding of the other domain, this tutorial describes the complete process from polymer synthesis over fabrication to testing of a soft finger. Enough background is provided during the tutorial such that researchers from both fields can understand and sharpen their knowledge. Self-healing polymers are used in this tutorial, showing that these polymers that were once a specialty, have become accessible for broader use. The use of self-healing polymers allows soft robots to recover from fatal damage, as shown in this tutorial, which increases their lifespan significantly.