bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Precision and systematic errors in global helioseismology mode fitting and inversions: Leveraging some 25 years of nearly uninterrupted observations
Authors: Korzennik Sylvain G.
Published: January 2023

We have on hand some 25 years of nearly uninterrupted high-quality and high-cadence global helioseismic data. The Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) project has been producing science quality data since 1995, the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) started in 1996, and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) took over in 2010. Fundamental new constraints have been imposed by helioseismic inferences, yet global helioseismology data processing seems somewhat frozen in time for some of its methodologies. I review and discuss some specific aspects of global helioseismology data analysis, with an emphasis on the issues and challenges presented by mode fitting and inversion techniques. I compare and contrast results derived by different fitting methods, whether using different techniques, different lengths of time series, or different fitting parameters, like leakage matrices or the inclusion or omission of the mode profile asymmetry, leading to our current best handle on the residual systematic errors.
Cricotracheostomy for patients with severe COVID-19: A case control study
Authors: Mukai Naoki , Okada Masahiro , Konishi Saki , Okita Mitsuo , Ogawa Siro , Nishikawa Kosuke , Annen Suguru , Ohshita Muneaki , Matsumoto Hironori , Murata Satoru , Harima Yutaka , Kikuchi Satoshi , Aibara Shiori , Sei Hirofumi , Aoishi Kunihide , Asayama Rie , Sato Eriko , Takagi Taro , Tanaka-Nishikubo Kaori , Teraoka Masato , Hato Naohito , Takeba Jun , Sato Norio
Published: January 2023

Background

Tracheostomy is an important procedure for the treatment of severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Older age and obesity have been reported to be associated with the risk of severe COVID-19 and prolonged intubation, and anticoagulants are often administered in patients with severe COVID-19; these factors are also related to a higher risk of tracheostomy. Cricotracheostomy, a modified procedure for opening the airway through intentional partial cricoid cartilage resection, was recently reported to be useful in cases with low-lying larynx, obesity, stiff neck, and bleeding tendency. Here, we investigated the usefulness and safety of cricotracheostomy for severe COVID-19 patients.

Materials and methods

Fifteen patients with severe COVID-19 who underwent cricotracheostomy between January 2021 and April 2022 with a follow-up period of ≥ 14 days were included in this study. Forty patients with respiratory failure not related to COVID-19 who underwent traditional tracheostomy between January 2015 and April 2022 comprised the control group. Data were collected from medical records and comprised age, sex, body mass index, interval from intubation to tracheostomy, use of anticoagulants, complications of tracheostomy, and decannulation.

Results

Age, sex, and days from intubation to tracheostomy were not significantly different between the COVID-19/cricotracheostomy and control/traditional tracheostomy groups. Body mass index was significantly higher in the COVID-19 group than that in the control group (P = 0.02). The rate of use of anticoagulants was significantly higher in the COVID-19 group compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Peri-operative bleeding, subcutaneous emphysema, and stomal infection rates were not different between the groups, while stomal granulation was significantly less in the COVID-19 group (P = 0.04).

Conclusions

These results suggest that cricotracheostomy is a safe procedure in patients with severe COVID-19.
Temporal metabolic profiling of bone healing in a caprine tibia segmental defect model
Authors: Bow Austin J. , Rifkin Rebecca E. , Priester Caitlin , Christopher Courtney J. , Grzeskowiak Remigiusz M. , Hecht Silke , Adair Steve H. , Mulon Pierre-Yves , Castro Hector F. , Campagna Shawn R. , Anderson David E.
Published: January 2023

Bone tissue engineering is an emerging field of regenerative medicine, with a wide array of biomaterial technologies and therapeutics employed. However, it is difficult to objectively compare these various treatments during various stages of tissue response. Metabolomics is rapidly emerging as a powerful analytical tool to establish broad-spectrum metabolic signatures for a target biological system. Developing an effective biomarker panel for bone repair from small molecule data would provide an objective metric to readily assess the efficacy of novel therapeutics in relation to natural healing mechanisms. In this study we utilized a large segmental bone defect in goats to reflect trauma resulting in substantial volumetric bone loss. Characterization of the native repair capacity was then conducted over a period of 12 months through the combination of standard (radiography, computed tomography, histology, biomechanics) data and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) metabolic profiling. Standard metrics demonstrated that samples formed soft callus structures that later mineralized. Small molecule profiles showed distinct temporal patterns associated with the bone tissue repair process. Specifically, increased lactate and amino acid levels at early time points indicated an environment conducive to osteoblast differentiation and extracellular matrix formation. Citrate and pyruvate abundances increased at later time points indicating increasing mineral content within the defect region. Taurine, shikimate, and pantothenate distribution profiles appeared to represent a shift toward a more homeostatic remodeling environment with the differentiation and activity of osteoclasts offsetting the earlier deposition phases of bone repair. The generation of a comprehensive metabolic reference portfolio offers a potent mechanism for examining novel biomaterials and can serve as guide for the development of new targeted therapeutics to improve the rate, magnitude, and quality of bone regeneration.
Fertility-associated biochemical components in seminal plasma and serum of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) bulls
Authors: Almadaly Essam A. , Abdel-Salam Abdel-Basaer S. , Sahwan Ferial M. , Kahilo Khaled A. , Abouzed Tarek K. , El-Domany Wael B.
Published: January 2023

The present study looks for components in seminal plasma (SP) and/or serum that are closely related toin vivofertility of buffalo bulls. Fourteen healthy mature buffalo bulls were classified according to theirin vivofertility into fertile (n= 10) and subfertile (n= 4) groups. Semen and serum samples were collected from all animals for 12 replicates. The collected ejaculates were examined for sperm characteristics before being centrifuged to collect SP for hormonal (FSH, LH, testosterone, and IGF-1), biochemical [total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), fructose, total protein, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)] and proteomic (SDS-PAGE) analyses. Likewise, serum levels of FSH, LH, testosterone, IGF-1, glucose, total protein, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, and HDL were determined. All sperm characteristics and the majority of sperm kinematics were (P< 0.01) different between fertile and subfertile groups. Seminal and serum levels of FSH, LH, testosterone, and IGF-1 were higher (P< 0.01) in the fertile group, but only seminal fructose, total protein, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, and HDL were higher (P< 0.01) in the fertile group. Moreover, the fertile group had greater TAC, CAT, GPx, and NO, but the subfertile group had greater MDA. Protein bands of 14, 15, 26, 30, and 55 kDa were larger and denser in the SP of the fertile group but were smaller and faint to absent in that of the subfertile group. Also, the protein fractions of detected protein bands demonstrated a substantial influence of fertility on those of 16, 26, 30, and 55 kDa. In conclusion, sperm characteristics and kinematics with serum, and/or seminal hormonal and biochemical components, should be evaluated for reliable prediction of buffalo bull fertility. Furthermore, protein bands of 26, 30, and 55 kDa may represent fertility-associated proteins in buffalo bull SP.
Multi-Guide Set-Based Particle Swarm Optimization for Multi-Objective Portfolio Optimization
Authors: Erwin Kyle , Engelbrecht Andries
Published: January 2023

Portfolio optimization is a multi-objective optimization problem (MOOP) with risk and profit, or some form of the two, as competing objectives. Single-objective portfolio optimization requires a trade-off coefficient to be specified in order to balance the two objectives. Erwin and Engelbrecht proposed a set-based approach to single-objective portfolio optimization, namely, set-based particle swarm optimization (SBPSO). SBPSO selects a sub-set of assets that form a search space for a secondary optimization task to optimize the asset weights. The authors found that SBPSO was able to identify good solutions to portfolio optimization problems and noted the benefits of redefining the portfolio optimization problem as a set-based problem. This paper proposes the first multi-objective optimization (MOO) approach to SBPSO, and its performance is investigated for multi-objective portfolio optimization. Alongside this investigation, the performance of multi-guide particle swarm optimization (MGPSO) for multi-objective portfolio optimization is evaluated and the performance of SBPSO for portfolio optimization is compared against multi-objective algorithms. It is shown that SBPSO is as competitive as multi-objective algorithms, albeit with multiple runs. The proposed multi-objective SBPSO, i.e., multi-guide set-based particle swarm optimization (MGSBPSO), performs similarly to other multi-objective algorithms while obtaining a more diverse set of optimal solutions.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Aerospace in 2022
Authors:   Aerospace Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Attention-Based Fine-Grained Lightweight Architecture for Fuji Apple Maturity Classification in an Open-World Orchard Environment
Authors: Zhang Li , Hao Qun , Cao Jie
Published: January 2023

Fuji apples are one of the most important and popular economic crops worldwide in the fruit industry. Nowadays, there is a huge imbalance between the urgent demand of precise automated sorting models of fruit ripeness grades due to the increasing consumption levels and the limitations of most existing methods. In this regard, this paper presents a novel CNN-based fine-grained lightweight architecture for the task of Fuji apple maturity classification (FGAL-MC). Our proposed FGAL-MC architecture has three advantages compared with related previous research works. Firstly, we established a novel Fuji apple maturity dataset. We investigated the Fuji apple’s different growth stages using image samples that were captured in open-world orchard environments, which have the benefit of being able to guide the related methods to be more suitable for the practical working environment. Secondly, because maturity grades are difficult to discriminate due to the issues of subtle expression differences, as well as the various challenging disadvantages for the unstructured surroundings, we designed our network as a fine-grained classification architecture by introducing an attention mechanism to learn class-specific regions and discrimination. Thirdly, because the number of parameters of an architecture determines the time-cost and hardware configuration to some extent, we designed our proposed architecture as a lightweight structure, which is able to be applied or promoted for actual agriculture field operations. Finally, comprehensive qualitative and quantitative experiments demonstrated that our presented method can achieve competitive results in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and time-cost. In addition, extensive experiments indicated our proposed method also has outstanding performance in terms of generalization ability.
Genotoxicity Assays Published since 2016 Shed New Light on the Oncogenic Potential of Glyphosate-Based Herbicides
Authors: Benbrook Charles , Mesnage Robin , Sawyer William
Published: January 2023

Controversy over the oncogenicity of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) persists seven years after a 2015 IARC Monograph classified glyphosate/GBHs as “probably carcinogenic” to humans. Most regulatory authorities have concluded that technical glyphosate poses little or no oncogenic risk via dietary exposure. The US EPA classified glyphosate as “not likely” to pose cancer risk in 1991, a decision reaffirmed in reports issued in 2017 and 2020. A Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in the US vacated EPA’s assessment of glyphosate human-health risks in 2022 and required EPA to revisit old and take into account new data in its forthcoming, possibly final glyphosate/GBH reregistration decision. Divergent assessments of GBH genotoxicity are the primary reason for differing conclusions regarding GBH oncogenic potential. We assessed whether assays published since completion of the EPA and IARC reviews shed new light on glyphosate/GBH genotoxicity. We found 94 such assays, 33 testing technical glyphosate (73% positive) and 61 on GBHs (95% positive). Seven of 7 in vivo human studies report positive results. In light of genotoxicity results published since 2015, the conclusion that GBHs pose no risk of cancer via a genotoxic mechanism is untenable.
Comparison between Drift Test Bench and Other Techniques in Spray Drift Evaluation of an Eight-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Spraying System: The Influence of Meteorological Parameters and Nozzle Types
Authors: Wang Changling , Wongsuk Supakorn , Huang Zhan , Yu Congwei , Han Leng , Zhang Jun , Sun Wenkang , Zeng Aijun , He Xiongkui
Published: January 2023

In the past decade, an unmanned aerial spraying system (UASS) was applied more and more widely for low-volume aerial pesticides spraying operations in China. However, UASS have a higher drift risk due to more fine droplets sprayed with a higher working height and a faster driving speed than ground sprayers. Study on UASS spray drift is a new hot spot within the field of pesticide application technology. The field test bench was originally designed and applied for the measurement of the spray drift potential of ground sprayers. No methodology using the test bench for UASS drift evaluation was reported. Based on our previous study, field drift measurements of an eight-rotor UASS were conducted using three techniques (test bench, ground petri dish, and airborne collection frame) in this study, and the effects of meteorological parameters and nozzle types were investigated, to explore the applicability and the feasibility of the test bench used in UASS field drift evaluation. The test bench is proven promising for direct drift determination of UASS and the described methodology enabled classification of different UASS configurations. Higher wind speeds and finer droplets produced higher drift values. The faster the wind speed and the lower the humidity, the more the spray drift. The test bench can reduce the site requirements and improve the efficiency of the field drift test.
Physiological and Molecular Responses of Wheat to Low Light Intensity
Authors: Li Xiu , Yang Rui , Li Liulong , Liu Ke , Harrison Matthew Tom , Fahad Shah , Wei Mingmei , Yin Lijun , Zhou Meixue , Wang Xiaoyan
Published: January 2023

Here we document physiological and molecular attributes of three wheat cultivars (ZM9023, YM158 and FM1228) under low light intensity with advanced technologies, including non-standard quantitative technology and quantitative proteomics technology. We found lower dry matter accumulation of YM158 compared with ZM 9023 and FM1228 under low light intensities due to up-regulation of photosynthetic parameters electron transport rate (ETR), Y(II), Fv/Fm, Chl (a + b) of YM158 and down-regulation of Chl a/b. ETR, Y(II) and Fv/Fm significantly decreased between ZM9023 and FM1228. The ETR between PSII and PSI of YM158 increased, while light use efficiency (LUE) of ZM9023 and FM1228 decreased. We found that YM158 had greater propensity to adapt to low light compared with ZM9023, as the former was able to increase photochemical electron transfer rate, enhance photosystem activity, and increase the light energy under low light. This meant that the YM158 flag leaf has stronger regulatory mechanism under low light environment. Through proteomic analysis, we found LHC protein (LHCB1, LHCB4, LHCA2, LHCA3) for YH158 was significantly up-regulated, while the PSII subunit protein of FM1228 and ZM9023 b559 subunit protein were down-regulated. We also documented enhanced light use efficiency (LUE) due to higher light capture pigment protein complex (LHC), photosystem II (PSII), PSI and cytochrome B6F-related proteins, with dry matter accumulation being positively correlated with Fv/Fm, ETR, and ΦPS(II), and negatively correlated with initial fluorescence F0. We suggest that Fv/Fm, ETR, and ΦPS(II) could be considered in shade tolerance screening to facilitate wheat breeding.
Combining Controlled-Release Urea and Normal Urea to Improve the Yield, Nitrogen Use Efficiency, and Grain Quality of Single Season Late japonica Rice
Authors: Zhao Can , Gao Zijun , Liu Guangming , Chen Yue , Ni Wei , Lu Jiaming , Shi Yi , Qian Zihui , Wang Weiling , Huo Zhongyang
Published: January 2023

Controlled-release urea (CRU) is widely adopted to improve yields and nitrogen use efficiencies (NUEs) in rice. However, there are few studies on the effects of the mixed application of CRU and normal urea (at different N ratios) on rice yield, nitrogen efficiency, and grain quality. A series of simplified fertilization modes (SFMs) were set up in 2018–2019. CRU with release periods of 80 days and 120 days were mixed with urea at N ratios of 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6, and 3:7 and applied during the rice-growing season. We determined the rice yield, dry matter accumulation, NUEs, and grain quality. The yields of SFM_80_6/4 (CRU with release periods of 80 days were mixed with urea at N ratios of 6:4) and SFM_120_5/5 (CRU with release periods of 120 days were mixed with urea at N ratios of 5:5) were 3.69% and 4.39% higher than that of fractionated urea (FU), respectively, across 2018 and 2019. Combining the application of controlled-release urea and normal urea improved the dry matter accumulation, nitrogen accumulation, and nitrogen uptake rate when compared with FU. SFMs improved the processing quality and appearance quality of rice grains and did not reduce the cooking and eating quality. SFM_80_6/4 and SFM_120_5/5 are a one-time fertilization mode with high yield, high efficiency, and good grain quality, which is worthy of further promotion and application.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Captive Hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius), Belgium
Authors: Vercammen Francis , Cay Brigitte , Gryseels Sophie , Balmelle Nadège , Joffrin Léa , Van Hoorde Koenraad , Verhaegen Bavo , Mathijs Elisabeth , Van Vredendaal Rianne , Dharmadhikari Tanmay , Chiers Koen , Van Olmen Tim J. S. , Agliani Gianfilippo , Van den Brand Judith M. A. , Leirs Herwig
Published: January 2023

Two adult female hippos in Zoo Antwerp who were naturally infected with SARS-CoV-2 showed nasal discharge for a few days. Virus was detected by immunocytochemistry and PCR in nasal swab samples and by PCR in faeces and pool water. Serology was also positive. No treatment was necessary.
Heat Shock Protein Response to Stress in Poultry: A Review
Authors: Balakrishnan Krishnan Nair , Ramiah Suriya Kumari , Zulkifli Idrus
Published: January 2023

Compared to other animal species, production has dramatically increased in the poultry sector. However, in intensive production systems, poultry are subjected to stress conditions that may compromise their well-being. Much like other living organisms, poultry respond to various stressors by synthesising a group of evolutionarily conserved polypeptides named heat shock proteins (HSPs) to maintain homeostasis. These proteins, as chaperones, play a pivotal role in protecting animals against stress by re-establishing normal protein conformation and, thus, cellular homeostasis. In the last few decades, many advances have been made in ascertaining the HSP response to thermal and non-thermal stressors in poultry. The present review focuses on what is currently known about the HSP response to thermal and non-thermal stressors in poultry and discusses the factors that modulate its induction and regulatory mechanisms. The development of practical strategies to alleviate the detrimental effects of environmental stresses on poultry will benefit from detailed studies that describe the mechanisms of stress resilience and enhance our understanding of the nature of heat shock signalling proteins and gene expression.
Topical Antibiotic Treatment in Dermatology
Authors: Dallo Matthew , Patel Kavina , Hebert Adelaide A.
Published: January 2023

Many indications in dermatology can be effectively managed with topical antibiotics, including acne vulgaris, wound infections, secondarily infected dermatitis, and impetigo. Dermatologists must be familiar with the wide spectrum of topical antibiotics available, including indications, mechanisms of action, adverse events, and spectra of activity. Dermatologists must also keep antibiotic resistance in mind when utilizing these medications. Due to the widespread use of topical antibiotics and their importance in dermatology, a literature review was performed using a systematic search of PubMed and Google Scholar with the terms topical antibiotics, skin infections, dermatology, antimicrobials, and inflammatory dermatoses to identify English-language articles published between 1965–2022 from any country. Relevant publications were manually reviewed for additional content. The following literature review will summarize the common topical antibiotics used in dermatology.
Serum Paraoxonase-1 Activity in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Brachytherapy as a Measure of Irradiation Efficacy
Authors: Olszewska-Słonina Dorota , Jasiński Miłosz
Published: January 2023

We investigated changes in the activity of antioxidant paraoxonase-1 (PON1) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) undergoing radiotherapy (RT), as well as the relationship of the PON1 activity with the degree of PCa advancement. We included 84 men with PCa. Blood samples were obtained before irradiation and after the completion of RT. The control group was composed of 60 healthy men. There was no significant difference in the PON1 activity between the control group and patients pre-radiotherapy. Irradiation was associated with a significant decrease in the PON1 activity; thus, it could be a measure of the efficacy of RT. No significant correlations between the PON1 activity and Gleason score, prostate volume, BMI (body mass index), or adipose tissue thickness were found. However, there was a positive correlation between the PON1 activity and the PSA concentration in the group of PCa patients.
On the Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Multifunctional Compounds for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: García-Beltrán Olimpo , Urrutia Pamela J. , Núñez Marco T.
Published: January 2023

Protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, iron dyshomeostasis, increased oxidative damage and inflammation are pathognomonic features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders characterized by abnormal iron accumulation. Moreover, the existence of positive feed-back loops between these pathological components, which accelerate, and sometimes make irreversible, the neurodegenerative process, is apparent. At present, the available treatments for PD aim to relieve the symptoms, thus improving quality of life, but no treatments to stop the progression of the disease are available. Recently, the use of multifunctional compounds with the capacity to attack several of the key components of neurodegenerative processes has been proposed as a strategy to slow down the progression of neurodegenerative processes. For the treatment of PD specifically, the necessary properties of new-generation drugs should include mitochondrial destination, the center of iron-reactive oxygen species interaction, iron chelation capacity to decrease iron-mediated oxidative damage, the capacity to quench free radicals to decrease the risk of ferroptotic neuronal death, the capacity to disrupt α-synuclein aggregates and the capacity to decrease inflammatory conditions. Desirable additional characteristics are dopaminergic neurons to lessen unwanted secondary effects during long-term treatment, and the inhibition of the MAO-B and COMPT activities to increase intraneuronal dopamine content. On the basis of the published evidence, in this work, we review the molecular basis underlying the pathological events associated with PD and the clinical trials that have used single-target drugs to stop the progress of the disease. We also review the current information on multifunctional compounds that may be used for the treatment of PD and discuss the chemical characteristics that underlie their functionality. As a projection, some of these compounds or modifications could be used to treat diseases that share common pathology features with PD, such as Friedreich’s ataxia, Multiple sclerosis, Huntington disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Entrapment Efficiency (EE) and Release Mechanism of Rhodamine B Encapsulated in a Mixture of Chia Seed Mucilage and Sodium Alginate
Authors: Perea-Flores María de Jesús , Aguilar-Morán Héctor Filiberto , Calderón-Domínguez Georgina , García-Hernández Alitzel Belem , Díaz-Ramírez Mayra , Romero-Campos Hugo Enrique , Cortés-Sánchez Alejandro De Jesús , Salgado-Cruz Ma. de la Paz
Published: January 2023

Chia seed mucilage is a polysaccharide capable of forming hydrogels with excellent water-binding capacity due to its physical and chemical properties and favorable characteristics for encapsulating and protecting valuable hydrophilic molecules in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. This research aimed to show that mixtures of chia seed mucilage and sodium alginate used as wall materials to encapsulate hydrophilic molecules are suitable. We analyzed the relationship between the mucilage–alginate solution’s properties and the capsules obtained; we quantified the entrapment efficiency (EE%) and the release of rhodamine B; and we proposed a method to follow the rhodamine B release using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). We found that more viscous solutions are obtained when the mucilage concentration increases, making it difficult to produce capsules with less sphericity. The best entrapment efficiency was found when the proportion of the polymers was close to 1:1, based both on the properties of the capsules obtained and on the characterization of the release kinetics of rhodamine B; the analysis performed by fitting rhodamine B release data to theoretical models describe the diffusion process. Our results show that the use of chia seed mucilage as a wall material to trap and retain hydrophilic molecules is convenient.
The Effect of Oxygen Tension on the Differentiation of Outgrowth Cells from Embryoid Bodies Produced by Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Yano Hisashi , Inoue Takashi , Murakami Satoshi , Kaneko Hiroyuki
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of oxygen tension on mouse induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by assessing differentiation in terms of embryoid body (EB) size and mRNA and protein expression levels of collagen type 1 and Runx2. EBs and outgrowth cells (OGCs) were cultured in conditions of hypoxia (2%), normoxia (21%) and hyperoxia (35%). Significantly larger EBs were observed in the hyperoxia and normoxia groups compared to the hypoxia group on Days 8 and 10. The hyperoxia group had significantly higher mRNA and protein expression levels of collagen type 1 and Runx2 compared to the hypoxia and normoxia groups on Days 10 and 26, and these expression levels in the hypoxia group were significantly lower than the normoxia group on Days 10 and 26. These results suggest that hyperoxia accelerates the enlargement in EBs and the differentiation of iPS cells.
Experimental and Modeling Investigation for Slugging Pressure under Zero Net Liquid Flow in Underwater Compressed Gas Energy Storage Systems
Authors: Liang Chengyu , Xiong Wei , Wang Meiling , Ting David S. K. , Carriveau Rupp , Wang Zhiwen
Published: January 2023

As an emerging flexible-scale energy storage technology, underwater compressed gas energy storage (UW-CGES) is regarded as a promising energy storage option for offshore platforms, offshore renewable energy farms, islands, coastal cities, etc. Liquid accumulation often occurs in underwater gas transmission pipelines, which is a challenge to overcome. In this study, an experimental investigation is carried out on the pressure distribution characteristics of liquid accumulation flow in hilly terrain under the condition of Zero Net Liquid Flow. A slug flow pressure model with different inclination angles at four times is established and verified, and its error range is within ±20%. Analysis revealed that reduction and growth in pressure difference are related to the outflow of slug in an inclined pipe. A high-speed camera is used to capture the movement of liquid accumulation under Zero Net Liquid Flow (ZNLF) and record the associated dynamic parameters. By imaging the motion of liquid accumulation and detecting the pressure changes in the pipeline at various times, the pressure fluctuation in the pipeline at the slug flow cause is studied. Outcomes from this work can be leveraged to help further the development of underwater compressed gas energy storage technology.
Air Quality Integrated Assessment: Environmental Impacts, Risks and Human Health Hazards
Authors: Tanasa Ioana , Cazacu Marius , Sluser Brindusa
Published: January 2023

The monitoring and evaluation of air quality is a topic of great global interest as, with the decline of air quality, there are negative effects on human health and ecosystems. Thus, the purpose of this paper was to evaluate the air quality over 11 years, in the period 2011–2021, in four cities in Romania, reported as most polluted, namely, Brasov, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, and Timisoara. Pollutants of interest included arsenic, carbon monoxide, and PM2.5. The measured concentrations of the selected pollutants were collected from the National Environmental Protection Agency public reports. The database considered the daily measurements for the selected pollutants, from three monitoring stations in each city so that the air quality and trends for the last 11 years and impact assessment could be developed. Therefore, the input data were statistically analyzed to identify the trends of air quality, and then, on this basis, the environmental impacts and risks and health hazards were quantified. High concentrations of PM2.5 were recorded for Iasi city, while for Timisoara city, significant concentrations of arsenic were reported. The results regarding the air quality aggregate index, air pollution index, and health hazard index were in the regular range, but in the case of sensitive, vulnerable targets such as children, they were triple compared to adults. The results show that the alert threshold value for PM2.5 was exceeded every year in all four cities, while in the case of Timisoara city, the arsenic air pollution proved to be at a significant level with a major risk for human health.
SAR and Optical Image Registration Based on Uniform Feature Points Extraction and Consistency Gradient Calculation
Authors: Zhang Wannan , Zhao Yuqian
Published: January 2023

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites have an active sensor on board, which emits electromagnetic signals and measures the strength and time delay of the returned signal backscattered from ground objects. Optical images have rich spectral information, but it is easily affected by atmospheric attenuation and weather conditions. Thus, the study of the registration between these two images is of great significance. We present a novel method for SAR and optical image registration. In the stage of feature points extraction, the method combines phase consistency intensity screening and scale space grid division to obtain stable and uniform feature points from the image. During the stage of feature description, the method employs the extended phase consistency method to calculate the gradient amplitude and direction of the image, and improves the correctness of the main direction calculation and descriptor construction. Experimental results demonstrate its superior matching performance with respect to the state-of-the-art methods.
Innovative Design of a Conductive Center Pole for an Active Thermal Insulation and Coring System in Deep Rock
Authors: Yu Bo , He Zhiqiang , Yang Jianping , Wei Zijie , Li Cong , Xie Heping
Published: January 2023

Intelligent drilling technologies, such as downhole signal and power transmission, can be used to measure key downhole data and obtain thermal insulation cores. This technology is of great significance for the accurate assessment of deep oil and gas resources, the reconstruction of oil and gas resource extraction systems, and the realization of efficient, intelligent and safe resource extraction. In order to meet the needs of underground communication and power supply for active thermal insulation coring, a new type of conductive center pole was innovatively designed. Using the theory of innovation problem solving (TRIZ) and axiomatic design (AD) to analyze the functional requirements of the conductive central pole, establish and solve the original design matrix. Based on the axiomatic design theory, the non-coupling matrix is decoupled by using the TRIZ solving tool, and the key indicators of the design scheme that meet the independent axiom are evaluated. In view of the contradictions and conflicts, the TRIZ solution tool was continually used to solve, optimize and obtain a design scheme with a higher comprehensive evaluation. Thus, the self-adaptive non-winding connection and power conduction of the conductive center pole was realized. Finally, the strength of the newly designed center pole was checked, and a physical prototype was made. Pre-research experiments on its conductivity and electrothermal conversion efficiency were carried out under different simulation environments to verify its conductivity. It provides innovative solutions to related problems in the field of deep insulation coring and intelligent drilling and provides effective technical means for related needs.
How to Enhance Perception of Reassembled but Incomplete Works of Ancient Art? Eye-Tracking Study of Virtual Anastylosis
Authors: Rusnak Marta , Brzozowska-Jawornicka Aleksandra , Koszewicz Zofia
Published: January 2023

In 1964 the Venice Charter described anastylosis as the only acceptable method of reassembly of architectural remains. Although the scientific community has agreed with the Charter’s decision, many questions pertaining to the technical and aesthetic aspects of anastylosis remain unanswered. Virtual anastylosis seems one of the most promising digital solutions to finding at least some answers, as it permits testing various solutions before carrying out the actual physical re-erection of a damaged monument. Studying such variants with eye-trackers allows the participation of non-professional viewers at the very beginning of the process, that is at the design stage. By understanding how ordinary people look at different reconstructions, professionals and scholars can determine which elements would assist and which would hinder the instinctive assessment of the object’s value and history. This study compares perceptions of three variants of the same column. A total of 232 people were divided into three groups and asked to examine different types of anastyloses: with an empty cavity, with a cavity filled with a brighter stone, and with a cavity filled with a stone of the same color and texture as the rest of the column. Their perception of the columns was then analyzed using several parameters, including the number of fixations, the time spent looking at individual elements, and the chronological order in which the parts of the stimuli was taken in. This paper explores the benefits and the potential of this new research tool as well as offers a more detailed look at what a viewer-friendly model of anastylosis may be like.
A Lived Experience—Immersive Multi-Sensorial Art Exhibitions as a New Kind of (Not That) ‘Cheap Images’
Authors: Beck Mirja
Published: January 2023

This article analyzes the phenomenon of multi-sensorial, digital, and immersive art exhibitions of popular artists, which has been widely neglected in academic research, from a historical perspective. Reflecting the significance of lived experience in art consumption, this 21st-century phenomenon can be confronted productively with early-20th-century art reproductions. The article focuses on the characteristics of both popular phenomena and on their advertisement, as well as on the discourse around them, documenting reactions from resistance to persistence and accommodation. The analysis shows noticeable similarities between the two types of popularization of high art, positioning the new immersive exhibitions in a traditional line of technical innovative art popularization. Whereas photomechanical art reproduction had an immense influence on the popular art canon, being also dependent on ‘photogenic’ conditions of artworks and thus focusing predominantly on painting, the contemporary canon is predisposed by the immersible characteristics of artists’ oeuvres.
Estimation of the Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown Impact Measures on Particulate Matter (PM) Concentrations in North Macedonia
Authors: Andova Vesna , Andonović Viktor , Celeska Krstevska Maja , Dimcev Vladimir , Krkoleva Mateska Aleksandra , Srbinovska Mare
Published: January 2023

Air pollution is one of the most important topics as it can cause various reactions of the organisms, such as mental health disorders, respiratory problems or various cardiovascular despises. Many of the side effects of pollution are caused by particulate matter (PM). Therefore air pollution, especially the concentration of PM is monitored in many European countries. In the past years, Skopje has been one of the top-ranked cities in the world concerning the concentration of PM. This paper investigates the effect of the pandemic with COVID-19 and the restriction measures on air quality. The data collected before the pandemic (May 2018), during the global pandemic (May 2020 and May 2021), and after the period with restriction measures (May 2022) are analyzed. The measurement parameters are collected at the technical campus of the Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia, in May 2018, May 2020, May 2021, and May 2022. In this research, it can be confirmed that the restriction measures had a significant positive impact on air pollution.
Analyzing Error Bounds for Seasonal-Trend Decomposition of Antarctica Temperature Time Series Involving Missing Data
Authors: Kwok Chun-Fung , Qian Guoqi , Kuleshov Yuriy
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we study the problem of extracting trends from time series data involving missing values. In particular, we investigate a general class of procedures that impute the missing data and then extract trends using seasonal-trend decomposition based on loess (STL), where loess stands for locally weighted smoothing, a popular tool for describing the regression relationship between two variables by a smooth curve. We refer to them as the imputation-STL procedures. Two results are obtained in this paper. First, we settle a theoretical issue, namely the connection between imputation error and the overall error from estimating the trend. Specifically, we derive the bounds for the overall error in terms of the imputation error. This subsequently facilitates the error analysis of any imputation-STL procedure and justifies its use in practice. Second, we investigate loess-STL, a particular imputation-STL procedure with the imputation also being performed using loess. Through both theoretical arguments and simulation results, we show that loess-STL has the capacity of handling a high proportion of missing data and providing reliable trend estimates if the underlying trend is smooth and the missing data are dispersed over the time series. In addition to mathematical derivations and simulation study, we apply our loess-STL procedure to profile radiosonde records of upper air temperature at 22 Antarctic research stations covering the past 50 years. For purpose of illustration, we present in this paper only the results for Novolazaravskaja station which has temperature records with more than 8.4% dispersed missing values at 8 pressure levels from October/1969 to March/2011.
A Fractional-Order Improved Quantum Logistic Map: Chaos, 0-1 Testing, Complexity, and Control
Authors: Xu Birong , Ye Ximei , Wang Guangyi , Huang Zhongxian , Zhang Changwu
Published: January 2023

Based on a quantum logistic map and a Caputo-like delta difference operator, a fractional-order improved quantum logistic map, which has hidden attractors, was constructed. Its dynamical behaviors are investigated by employing phase portraits, bifurcation diagrams, Lyapunov spectra, dynamical mapping, and 0-1 testing. It is shown that the proposed fractional-order map is influenced by both the parameters and the fractional order. Then, the complexity of the map is explored through spectral entropy and approximate entropy. The results show that the fractional-order improved quantum logistic map has stronger robustness within chaos and higher complexity, so it is more suitable for engineering applications. In addition, the fractional-order chaotic map can be controlled for different periodic orbits by the improved nonlinear mapping on the wavelet function.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Axioms in 2022
Authors:   Axioms  Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
A Study of Li3.8Ge0.9S0.1O4 Solid Electrolyte Stability Relative to Electrode Materials of Lithium Power Sources
Authors: Shchelkanova Mariya , Shekhtman Georgiy , Pershina Svetlana
Published: January 2023

The stability of Li3.8Ge0.9S0.1O4 lithium-conducting solid electrolyte versus lithium metal and Li–V bronze Li1.3V3O8 is studied in the present research. Isothermal heat treatment and thermal analysis of the mixtures of Li1.3V3O8 and Li3.8Ge0.9S0.1O4 powders indicate that there is no interaction between them below 300–350 °C. Moreover, Li3.8Ge0.9S0.1O4 solid electrolyte is stable versus lithium at 100 °C for 240 h. A model of a lithium-ion power source with a Li1.3V3O8-based cathode and a lithium metal anode is assembled and tested. The data obtained show that Li3.8Ge0.9S0.1O4 can be used in all-solid-state medium-temperature lithium and lithium-ion batteries.
Bioengineering of Antibody Fragments: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Pirkalkhoran Sama , Grabowska Wiktoria Roksana , Kashkoli Hamid Heidari , Mirhassani Reihaneh , Guiliano David , Dolphin Colin , Khalili Hanieh
Published: January 2023

Antibody fragments are used in the clinic as important therapeutic proteins for treatment of indications where better tissue penetration and less immunogenic molecules are needed. Several expression platforms have been employed for the production of these recombinant proteins, from which E. coli and CHO cell-based systems have emerged as the most promising hosts for higher expression. Because antibody fragments such as Fabs and scFvs are smaller than traditional antibody structures and do not require specific patterns of glycosylation decoration for therapeutic efficacy, it is possible to express them in systems with reduced post-translational modification capacity and high expression yield, for example, in plant and insect cell-based systems. In this review, we describe different bioengineering technologies along with their opportunities and difficulties to manufacture antibody fragments with consideration of stability, efficacy and safety for humans. There is still potential for a new production technology with a view of being simple, fast and cost-effective while maintaining the stability and efficacy of biotherapeutic fragments.
Identification of Relevant Protein Interactions with Partial Knowledge: A Complex Network and Deep Learning Approach
Authors: Ortiz-Vilchis Pilar , De-la-Cruz-García Jazmin-Susana , Ramirez-Arellano Aldo
Published: January 2023

Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) are the basis for understanding most cellular events in biological systems. Several experimental methods, e.g., biochemical, molecular, and genetic methods, have been used to identify protein–protein associations. However, some of them, such as mass spectrometry, are time-consuming and expensive. Machine learning (ML) techniques have been widely used to characterize PPIs, increasing the number of proteins analyzed simultaneously and optimizing time and resources for identifying and predicting protein–protein functional linkages. Previous ML approaches have focused on well-known networks or specific targets but not on identifying relevant proteins with partial or null knowledge of the interaction networks. The proposed approach aims to generate a relevant protein sequence based on bidirectional Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) with partial knowledge of interactions. The general framework comprises conducting a scale-free and fractal complex network analysis. The outcome of these analyses is then used to fine-tune the fractal method for the vital protein extraction of PPI networks. The results show that several PPI networks are self-similar or fractal, but that both features cannot coexist. The generated protein sequences (by the bidirectional LSTM) also contain an average of 39.5% of proteins in the original sequence. The average length of the generated sequences was 17% of the original one. Finally, 95% of the generated sequences were true.
Small Leaves, Big Diversity: Citizen Science and Taxonomic Revision Triples Species Number in the Carnivorous Drosera microphylla Complex (D. Section Ergaleium, Droseraceae)
Authors: Krueger Thilo , Robinson Alastair , Bourke Greg , Fleischmann Andreas
Published: January 2023

The carnivorous Drosera microphylla complex from southwest Western Australia comprises a group of rare, narrowly endemic species that are potentially threatened by habitat destruction and illegal collection, thus highlighting a need for accurate taxonomic classification to facilitate conservation efforts. Following extensive fieldwork over two decades, detailed studies of both Australian and European herbaria and consideration of both crucial contributions by citizen scientists and social media observations, nine species of the D. microphylla complex are here described and illustrated, including four new species: D. atrata, D. hortiorum, D. koikyennuruff, and D. reflexa. The identities of the previously described infraspecific taxa D. calycina var. minor and D. microphylla var. macropetala are clarified. Both are here lectotypified, reinstated, and elevated to species rank. A replacement name, D. rubricalyx, is provided for the former taxon. Key morphological characters distinguishing the species of this complex include the presence or absence of axillary leaves, lamina shape, petal colour, filament shape, and style length. A detailed identification key, comparison figures, and a distribution map are provided. Six of the nine species are recommended for inclusion on the Priority Flora List under the Conservation Codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna.