bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implementation of a New Protocol for Direct Identification from Urine in the Routine Microbiological Diagnosis
Authors: Zboromyrska Yuliya , Rico Verónica , Pitart Cristina , Fernández-Pittol Mariana José , Soriano Álex , Bosch Jordi
Published: April 2022

Background: The direct identification of uropathogens from urine samples, in combination with the rapid detection of resistance, would allow early adjustment of empirical antimicrobial treatment. Methods: Two hundred and ninety-eight urine samples processed between 1 June and 31 December 2020, selected with flow cytometry, with direct identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and rapid detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemases-producing strains by lateral flow were analyzed. Results: The positive predictive value of the direct identification of the 86 samples that met the flow cytometry criterion (>5000 bacteria/µL) was 96.4%. Reliable direct identification was obtained in 14 of the 27 (51.8%) urinary source bacteraemias. There was 100% agreement between the lateral flow and antibiogram in the detection of ESBL and carbapenemases. Conclusion: the protocol for the direct identification and rapid detection of ESBL and carbapenemases-producing strains from urine samples is a reliable and useful tool.
Protective Effect of Ribes nigrum Extract against Blue Light-Induced Retinal Degeneration In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Shin Chae Young , Lee Mun-Hoe , Kim Hyeong-Min , Chung Hee-Chul , Kim Do-Un , Lee Jin-Hee , Jeong Kwang Won
Published: April 2022

Although blackcurrant has several health benefits, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, its effects on the retina remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of black currant extract (BCE) in an in vitro and in vivo model of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) induced by blue light. Dry macular degeneration is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of lipofuscin (e.g., N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine, A2E) in the retina. Blue light (BL) significantly decreased the viability of A2E-laden human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19). However, BCE treatment protected ARPE-19 cells from A2E and BL. A2E, which is oxidized by blue light, generates reactive oxygen species in RPE cells. Treatment with BCE significantly decreased (80.8%) reactive oxygen species levels induced by A2E and BL in a concentration-dependent manner. BCE inhibited A2E accumulation in ARPE-19 cells and significantly downregulated the expression of genes increased by A2E and BL in ARPE-19 cells. In vivo, oral administration of BCE (25–100 mg/kg) ameliorated ocular lesions of BL-induced retinal damage in a mouse model and rescued the thickness of the whole retina, photoreceptor segment layer, outer nuclear layer, and inner nuclear layer. The decrease in the number of nuclei in the outer nuclear layer induced by BL was also rescued by BCE. Additionally, BCE administration rescued (40.0%) the BL-induced reduction in the expression level of superoxide dismutase 1. Taken together, our results suggest that BCE may have preventive and therapeutic effects on dry AMD through its antioxidant activity and inhibition of lipofuscin accumulation in the retina.
Hepatic Encephalopathy and Melatonin
Authors: Arjunan Archana , Sah Dhiraj Kumar , Jung Young Do , Song Juhyun
Published: April 2022

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a severe metabolic syndrome linked with acute/chronic hepatic disorders. HE is also a pernicious neuropsychiatric complication associated with cognitive decline, coma, and death. Limited therapies are available to treat HE, which is formidable to oversee in the clinic. Thus, determining a novel therapeutic approach is essential. The pathogenesis of HE has not been well established. According to various scientific reports, neuropathological symptoms arise due to excessive accumulation of ammonia, which is transported to the brain via the blood–brain barrier (BBB), triggering oxidative stress and inflammation, and disturbing neuronal-glial functions. The treatment of HE involves eliminating hyperammonemia by enhancing the ammonia scavenging mechanism in systemic blood circulation. Melatonin is the sole endogenous hormone linked with HE. Melatonin as a neurohormone is a potent antioxidant that is primarily synthesized and released by the brain’s pineal gland. Several HE and liver cirrhosis clinical studies have demonstrated impaired synthesis, secretion of melatonin, and circadian patterns. Melatonin can cross the BBB and is involved in various neuroprotective actions on the HE brain. Hence, we aim to elucidate how HE impairs brain functions, and elucidate the precise molecular mechanism of melatonin that reverses the HE effects on the central nervous system.
Peri-Implantitis: A New Definition Proposal Based on Unnatural Spatial Arrangement and Late Mechanical Coupling between Two Cortical Bone Layers during Osseointegration Phase: Part I
Authors: Ihde Stefan , Ihde Antonina , Sipic Olga , Pałka Łukasz
Published: April 2022

Scientists have been speculating for three decades about the reasons for the occurrence of peri-implantitis around dental implants. Many theories have been proposed since the beginning of 1990. Since then, the dental profession has been exposed to a vast number of peri-implantitis cases, whereas the “disease” had been unknown before this time. However, the situation has not improved because we focus more on how to treat the problem instead of trying to understand it completely. The aim of this paper is to present a purely bone-based explanation for the beginning of the “bone loss” process around already “osseointegrated” implants. Conclusion: There are a number of possible chain reactions of physiological bone response to dental implants which may explain the occurrence of peri-implantitis. Bacteria and “immunological reactions” may not be the main causes of this disease. In the first part, the authors present the principles of bone biology and physiology based on the theories of Donath, Jansen and Frost and transfer them to the field of implantology. They describe the stages of “osseointegration”, explaining the subsequent changes in the bone at the implant–bone interface.
Application of the QuEChERS Strategy as a Useful Sample Preparation Tool for the Multiresidue Determination of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Food and Feed Samples: A Critical Overview
Authors: Casado Natalia , Morante-Zarcero Sonia , Sierra Isabel
Published: April 2022

The identification of concerning high levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in a wide variety of food products has raised the occurrence of these natural toxins as one of the main current issues of the food safety field. Consequently, a regulation with maximum concentration levels of these alkaloids has recently been published to monitor their occurrence in several foodstuffs. According to legislation, the analytical methodologies developed for their determination must include multiresidue extractions with high selectivity and sensitivity, as a set of 21 + 14 PAs should be simultaneously monitored. However, the multiresidue extraction of these alkaloids is a difficult task due to the high complexity of food and feed samples. Accordingly, although solid-phase extraction is still the technique most widely used for sample preparation, the QuEChERS method can be a suitable alternative for the simultaneous determination of multiple analytes, providing green extraction and clean-up of samples in a quick and cost-effective way. Hence, this review proposes an overview about the QuEChERS concept and its evolution through different modifications that have broadened its applicability over time, focusing mainly on its application regarding the determination of PAs in food and feed, including the revision of published works within the last 11 years.
A Scientometric Analysis of Predicting Methods for Identifying the Environmental Risks Caused by Landslides
Authors: Zou Yong , Zheng Chao
Published: April 2022

The effects of a landslide can represent a very big problem, including the death of people, damage to the land, environmental pollution and the loss of natural resources. Landslides are the most important medium for transferring sediments and polluting waterways by earth and organic materials. An excess of sediments reduces the quality of fish habitat and the potability of water. In order to understand landslides in depth, a thorough study was conducted using a scientometric analysis, as well as a thorough practical examination of landslide analysis and monitoring techniques. This review focused on methods used for landslide analysis, including physical models requiring easily prepared event-based landslide inventory, probabilistic methods which are useful for both shallow and earthquake-based landslides, and landslide monitoring performed by remote sensing techniques, which provide data helpful for prediction, monitoring and mapping. The fundamental principles of each method are described in terms of the method used, and its advantages, and limits. People and infrastructure are at danger from landslides caused by heavy rain, so this report highlights landslide-prone regions and considers the analysis methods for landslides used in these countries, with a view to identifying mitigation measures for coping with landslide risks in hilly areas. Furthermore, future landslide research possibilities, as well as possible modeling methods, are addressed. The report summarizes some landslide prediction and monitoring techniques used in landslide-prone countries which can help inform researchers seeking to protect the public from danger in landslide areas.
Pneumonia Recognition by Deep Learning: A Comparative Investigation
Authors: Yang Yuting , Mei Gang
Published: April 2022

Pneumonia is a common infectious disease. Currently, the most common method of pneumonia identification is manual diagnosis by professional doctors, but the accuracy and identification efficiency of this method is not satisfactory, and computer-aided diagnosis technology has emerged. With the development of artificial intelligence, deep learning has also been applied to pneumonia diagnosis and can achieve high accuracy. In this paper, we compare five deep learning models in different situations for pneumonia recognition. The objective was to employ five deep learning models to identify pneumonia X-ray images and to compare and analyze them in different cases, thus screening out the optimal model for each type of case to improve the efficiency of pneumonia recognition and further apply it to the computer-aided diagnosis of pneumonia species. In the proposed framework: (1) datasets are collected and processed, (2) five deep learning models for pneumonia recognition are built, (3) the five models are compared, and the optimal model for each case is selected. The results show that the LeNet5 and AlexNet models achieved better pneumonia recognition for small datasets, while the MobileNet and ResNet18 models were more suitable for pneumonia recognition for large datasets. The comparative analysis of each model under different situations can provide a deeper understanding of the efficiency of each model in identifying pneumonia, thus making the practical application and selection of deep learning models for pneumonia recognition more convenient.
Multi-Institutional Breast Cancer Detection Using a Secure On-Boarding Service for Distributed Analytics
Authors: Welten Sascha , Hempel Lars , Abedi Masoud , Mou Yongli , Jaberansary Mehrshad , Neumann Laurenz , Weber Sven , Tahar Kais , Ucer Yediel Yeliz , Löbe Matthias , Decker Stefan , Beyan Oya , Kirsten Toralf
Published: April 2022

The constant upward movement of data-driven medicine as a valuable option to enhance daily clinical practice has brought new challenges for data analysts to get access to valuable but sensitive data due to privacy considerations. One solution for most of these challenges are Distributed Analytics (DA) infrastructures, which are technologies fostering collaborations between healthcare institutions by establishing a privacy-preserving network for data sharing. However, in order to participate in such a network, a lot of technical and administrative prerequisites have to be made, which could pose bottlenecks and new obstacles for non-technical personnel during their deployment. We have identified three major problems in the current state-of-the-art. Namely, the missing compliance with FAIR data principles, the automation of processes, and the installation. In this work, we present a seamless on-boarding workflow based on a DA reference architecture for data sharing institutions to address these problems. The on-boarding service manages all technical configurations and necessities to reduce the deployment time. Our aim is to use well-established and conventional technologies to gain acceptance through enhanced ease of use. We evaluate our development with six institutions across Germany by conducting a DA study with open-source breast cancer data, which represents the second contribution of this work. We find that our on-boarding solution lowers technical barriers and efficiently deploys all necessary components and is, therefore, indeed an enabler for collaborative data sharing.
How Granular Can a Dose Form Be Described? Considering EDQM Standard Terms for a Global Terminology
Authors: Vander Stichele Robert H. , Roumier Joseph , van Nimwegen Dirk
Published: April 2022

The aim was (1) to analyse the features of the EDQM terminology, (2) to formulate proposals for minor changes and (3) to create a small ontology of dose forms, based on characteristics of EDQM, and suitable for alignment with other dose form terminologies. The 428 Pharmaceutical Dose Forms (PDF) (“human and veterinary” only) were extracted from the EDQM Standard Terms database. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the textual definitions of the terms was conducted. Through an analysis of unique combinations of different sets of descriptors and characteristics, a small ontology was built in three levels. For the 143 transformable PDFs, the administrable dose form was made explicit, with 121 requiring only one transformation and 22 multiple transformations, of which 10 include “no transformation”. Different levels of aggregations of the 428 PDFs were tested in 4 analyses, ranging from 206 to 383 unique combinations. An ontology in Webprotégé was created of 22 higher-level concepts (based on the intended site characteristics) and 69 intermediate-level terms (newly created) to accommodate the 428 PDFs of EDQM. EDQM Dose Form terminology is suitable terminology in terms of granularity, for defining dose forms of medicinal products, to enable fair comparison of similar medicinal products, and global identification of medicinal products (IDMP). Recommendations for minor improvements and a simple ontology for dose forms are proposed.
Reduction in Off-Flavors in Wine Using Special Filter Layers with Integrated Zeolites and the Effect on the Volatile Profile of Austrian Wines
Authors: Philipp Christian , Sari Sezer , Brandes Walter , Nauer Stefan , Patzl-Fischerleitner Elsa , Eder Reinhard
Published: April 2022

In the course of the present study, filter layers with embedded zeolites (patented layer of the company Filtrox (Zwingen, Switzerland) with the brand name Fibrafix® TX) were tested for the elimination of the wine defects, cork taint (2,4,6-trichloroanisole), mouldy aroma (geosmin), and strong “animal” phenolic aromas (4-ethylphenol, 4-ethylguaiacol, 4-ethylcatechol). The test design allowed a comparison with conventional filter layers (sterile filter layers) in a small-scale trial (25 L) as well as in a large-scale trial (125 L). By means of gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, not only the impact compounds of the wine faults were analysed, but also the loss of volatile substances such as 15 free monoterpenes, 34 ester compounds, and 24 wood flavours. Sensory analyses were carried out by means of expert panels. The Fibrafix® TX layers were satisfactory with regard to the reduction in 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (the lead substance of cork flavour; reduction > 90%) and geosmin (the lead substance of mould flavour; reduction > 75%), but not with regard to the reduction in 4-ethylphenol, 4-ethylguaicol, and 4-ethylcatechol. However, the reduction in these off-flavours was generally not specific enough to prevent a loss of volatile compounds, especially various ester compounds and free monoterpenes. The wines obtained after filtration (in case of contamination with geosmin or TCA) were sensory faultless, but for some of the tasters, the overall quality of these wines did not correspond to the quality wine clasification.
Comparison of the Axial Fan and Synthetic Jet Cooling Systems
Authors: Smyk Emil , Gil Paweł , Gałek Rafał , Przeszłowski Łukasz
Published: April 2022

Choosing the right cooling device is crucial for the proper operation of electronic equipment. A comparison of the two different cooling devices is presented in this paper: one with a standard axial fan and the other with a synthetic jet actuator. Two distinct sets of operating conditions of the fan and two different loudspeakers for the synthetic jet actuator were used. The experimental setup consisted of a radial heat sink mounted onto a round electric heater and two cooling systems: one with the axial fan and the other with a synthetic jet actuator. From the thermal balance in the specified control volume, the heat sink’s thermal resistance. as well as the coefficient of performance, were determined. The highest difference between the thermal resistance of both cooling systems occurred at a low input power of P = 0.5 W. The heat sink cooled with a synthetic jet had the thermal resistance of R = 0.39 K/W, while the same heat sink cooled with a fan achieved R = 0.23 K/W. Thus, the fan cooling exhibited almost 70% better performance than synthetic jet cooling. For a higher input power of P = 7.0 W, the relative difference in the thermal resistance decreased to the value of 42%. For the input power of P = 7.0 W, the fan-cooled heat sink dissipated the thermal power of Q˙HS=487 W under the temperature difference between the heat sink base and ambient air equal to 60 K. For the same input power and temperature difference, the synthetic jet cooling of the same heat sink dissipated a thermal power of Q˙HS=339 W. Under natural convection, the heat sink dissipated the thermal power of Q˙HS=57 W. Thus, the heat transfer enhancement with fan cooling relative to natural convection was equal to 8.5, while the enhancement with synthetic jet cooling relative to natural convection was equal to 6.0. The modified coefficient of performance and the heat transfer rate of the heat sink per unit temperature difference and unit volume of the cooling device ε are presented. The axial fan performed better in terms of both parameters under consideration. The ε of the investigated device with a fan was around four times higher than in the case of the synthetic jet actuator and eight times higher than in the case of natural convection.
A Helping Human Hand: Relevant Scenarios for the Remote Operation of Highly Automated Vehicles in Public Transport
Authors: Kettwich Carmen , Schrank Andreas , Avsar Hüseyin , Oehl Michael
Published: April 2022

Remote operation bears the potential to roll out highly automated vehicles (AVs, SAE Level 4) more safely and quickly. Moreover, legal regulations on highly automated driving, e.g., the current law on highly automated driving (SAE Level 4) in Germany, permit a remote supervisor to monitor and intervene in driving operations remotely in lieu of a safety operator on board AVs. In order to derive requirements for safe and effective remote driving and remote assistance of AVs and to create suitable human-centered design solutions for human-machine interfaces (HMIs) that serve this purpose, a set of 74 core scenarios that are likely to occur in public transport AVs under remote operation was compiled. The scenarios were collected in several projects on the remote operation of AVs across a variety of contexts including interviews with and observations of control center staff, video analyses from naturalistic road events, and interviews with safety operators of AVs. A hierarchical system that is based on interactions of central actors was used to structure the scenarios. The set explicates relevant cases in remote operation, which may help improve workplaces for remote operation both by combatting human factors issues such as distraction and fatigue, and by boosting usability, user experience, trust, and acceptance. As the catalogue of scenarios is not exhaustive, scenarios may be added as knowledge of the remote operation of AVs progresses. Further research is needed to validate and adapt the scenarios to specific conceptualizations of remote operations.
An Analysis of Bubble Migration in Horizontal Thermo-Capillarity Using the VOF Modeling
Authors: Kumar Ranjith , Lin Yu-Chen , Lin Chia-Wei , Lin Ming-Chieh , Hsu Hua-Yi
Published: April 2022

Due to various engineering applications, spontaneous bubble movement on the heated surface has brought huge attention. This work numerically studied the bubble migration driven by the thermo-capillary force under the temperature gradients perpendicular to the gravity direction. This problem is constructed in a two-dimensional domain, and the volume of fluid (VOF) method is adopted to capture the properties of the bubble interface between the vapor and the liquid. One still vapor bubble is initially positioned at the center of the liquid domain, and the temperature gradient is applied to two side walls. The results show that the bubble with a size greater than the capillary length can only oscillate near the initial position even with a larger temperature gradient. The deformation of the bubble such as spheroid and spherical cap can be found around this regime. However, the movement of the bubble with a size smaller than the capillary length is significant under a higher temperature gradient, and it remains a spherical shape. The coefficient of thermo-capillary force (CTh) is defined within this work, and it is found that a larger Weber number (We) accomplishes a larger CTh. This work may provide more precise guidance for smart bubble manipulation and critical heat flux estimation for future nuclear reactor design.
The Use of the Permutation Algorithm for Suboptimising the Position of Used Nozzles on the Field Sprayer Boom
Authors: Wawrzosek Jacek , Parafiniuk Stanisław
Published: April 2022

The worn-out nozzles of field sprayers cause agricultural treatment to be uneven and therefore ineffective. Spray nozzles are consumable elements of the field sprayer that are subject to inspection and in the event of their excessive wear should be replaced with new ones to ensure the proper execution of agricultural treatment. The aim of the study is to propose, using operational research methods, an expert methodology allowing further operation of worn-out and often expensive sprayer nozzles, including standard, universal, anti-drift, or ejector nozzles. The previous attempts, performed with the use of the random computer optimisation method, did not guarantee a global solution in the entire population of all possible permutations without repetitions of 24 worn-out nozzles (for a field boom with a width of 12 m) or even estimating approximation to this solution. The process of measuring the wear of nozzles, the simulation of the entire virtual field boom, and the permutation algorithm proposed here allow you to specify a suboptimal solution of an NP-hard problem separately for each sprayer, i.e., to indicate in a very short time such a permutation out of 24! ≈ 6.20448 × 10+23 permutations of nozzles with variable degrees of wear, which is close to the optimal permutation of used nozzles on the field sprayer boom, in terms of the coefficient of variation. The use of expert methodology allows for reducing the operating costs of sprayers by using a relatively cheap automated expert service instead of the costly purchase of a set of new nozzles for field sprayers. Many areas of application of this methodology have been indicated.
Simulation Study of a Bright Attosecond γ-ray Source Generation by Irradiating an Intense Laser on a Cone Target
Authors: Zhang Cui-Wen , Zhu Yi-Xuan , Lv Jian-Feng , Xie Bai-Song
Published: April 2022

The interaction between an ultrastrong laser and a cone-like target is an efficient approach to generate high-power radiations such as attosecond pulses and terahertz waves. The objective is to study the γ-ray generation under this configuration with the help of 2D particle-in-cell simulations. It is deciphered that electrons experience three stages, including injection, acceleration and scattering, to emit high-energy photons via nonlinear Compton scattering (NCS). These spatial-separated attosecond γ-ray pulses own high peak brilliance (>1022 photons/(s·mm2·mrad2·0.1%BW)) and high energy (6 MeV) under the case of normalized laser intensity a0=30(I=2×1021 W/cm2). In addition, the cone target turns out to be an order of magnitude more efficient in energy transfer compared to a planar one.
Computer Vision-Based Adaptive Semi-Autonomous Control of an Upper Limb Exoskeleton for Individuals with Tetraplegia
Authors: Bengtson Stefan Hein , Thøgersen Mikkel Berg , Mohammadi Mostafa , Kobbelgaard Frederik Victor , Gull Muhammad Ahsan , Andreasen Struijk Lotte N. S. , Bak Thomas , Moeslund Thomas B.
Published: April 2022

We propose the use of computer vision for adaptive semi-autonomous control of an upper limb exoskeleton for assisting users with severe tetraplegia to increase independence and quality of life. A tongue-based interface was used together with the semi-autonomous control such that individuals with complete tetraplegia were able to use it despite being paralyzed from the neck down. The semi-autonomous control uses computer vision to detect nearby objects and estimate how to grasp them to assist the user in controlling the exoskeleton. Three control schemes were tested: non-autonomous (i.e., manual control using the tongue) control, semi-autonomous control with a fixed level of autonomy, and a semi-autonomous control with a confidence-based adaptive level of autonomy. Studies on experimental participants with and without tetraplegia were carried out. The control schemes were evaluated both in terms of their performance, such as the time and number of commands needed to complete a given task, as well as ratings from the users. The studies showed a clear and significant improvement in both performance and user ratings when using either of the semi-autonomous control schemes. The adaptive semi-autonomous control outperformed the fixed version in some scenarios, namely, in the more complex tasks and with users with more training in using the system.
Comparative Study of Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Machines with Different Rotor Topologies for High-Speed Applications
Authors: Li Bo , Zhu Jianguo , Liu Chengcheng , Li Yongjian , Lei Gang
Published: April 2022

High-speed permanent-magnet synchronous machines (HSPMSMs) are an attractive option for proton-exchange membrane fuel-cell systems. Various HSPMSMs have been developed in the past few years. However, it is difficult to judge which the best candidate is. In this paper, aimed at driving a fuel cell vehicle air compressor, four permanent-magnet machines with different rotor topologies were designed and are compared in terms of electromagnetic, mechanical, rotor-dynamics, and thermal performance. The main topologies of these HSPMSMs are introduced and explained. Then, the electromagnetic and mechanical performance of these HSPMSMs was obtained by using a finite-element method (FEM). To reduce PM demagnetization risk, the temperature increase distributed on the HSPMSMs was also obtained. Lastly, some important conclusions were obtained.
CFD-DEM Simulation of the Transport of Manganese Nodules in a Vertical Pipe
Authors: Teng Shuang , Kang Can , Ding Kejin , Li Changjiang , Zhang Sheng
Published: April 2022

The present study aims to describe the characteristics of the hydraulic transport of manganese nodules in a vertical pipe. The solid–liquid two-phase flows were simulated using a numerical technique that combines the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method and the discrete element method (DEM). Manganese nodules with diameters of 5.0 mm, 15.0 mm, and 30.0 mm were selected. The effects of the initial solid volume fraction and the initial mixture velocity were investigated. The results show that with increasing initial solid volume fraction, the liquid and solid velocities decrease but the total pressure drop over the pipe increases. Small particles are responsible for high particle collision frequency, which causes decreases in both the liquid velocity and the total pressure drop. Energy loss is aggravated by increasing the initial mixture velocity, manifesting in the increase of the total pressure drop. The retention ratio of manganese nodules varies inversely with the initial mixture velocity. A formula is proposed to describe the pressure drop due to the presence of solid particles and collisions.
Fatigue Life Analysis of Automotive Cast Iron Knuckle under Constant and Variable Amplitude Loading Conditions
Authors: Reza Kashyzadeh Kazem , Souri Kambiz , Gharehsheikh Bayat Abdolhossein , Safavi Jabalbarez Reza , Ahmad Mahmood
Published: April 2022

The main aim of the present paper is to assess the fatigue lifetime of ductile cast iron knuckles as one of the critical components of an automotive steering system. To this end, a real driving path, including various maneuvers, such as acceleration, braking, cornering, and moving on various types of road roughness, was considered. Different load histories, which are applied on various joints of the component (i.e., lower control arm, steering linkage, and Macpherson strut), were extracted through Multi-Body Dynamics (MBD) analysis of a full vehicle model. The achievements of previous studies have proved that the steering knuckle fails from the steering linkage and due to the rotational motion. Therefore, only this destructive load history was considered in future analyses of the present study. The CAD model was created using Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) data and some corrections in CATIA software. Furthermore, transient dynamic analysis was performed, and the time history of von Misses equivalent stress was obtained at the root of the steering linkage (which is exactly the location of failure based on the laboratory data as well as finite element simulations validated by the author in the previous studies). To predict the fatigue life of a component, two different methodologies were considered. Firstly, some well-known criteria were employed for equalization of load spectrum to a Constant Amplitude Loading (CAL). Then, fatigue analysis under sinusoidal loading was performed. Secondly, the fatigue life of the component considering Variable Amplitude Loading (VAL) was predicted using the Critical Plane Method (CPM), employing the Rain-flow cycle counting technique, and utilizing the Miner–Palmgren damage accumulation rule. Eventually, to evaluate the prediction accuracy of different methodologies, the obtained results were compared with the full-scale axial variable amplitude fatigue test which was performed by the corresponding author. The results indicated that the prediction of variable amplitude fatigue lifetime by Finite Element (FE) analysis in the time domain has about 21% error compared to reality. Additionally, the relative error between the results obtained from two different methodologies is about 20%, which is acceptable due to the scattering of the fatigue phenomenon results, the complex geometry of the part, and the complicated loading.
Updated Lagrangian for Compressible Hyperelastic Material with Frictionless Contact
Authors: Murea Cornel Marius
Published: April 2022

The Updated Lagrangian method for nonlinear elasticity with contact is presented. First, we describe the Total Lagrangian for a compressible Neo-Hookean material. Next, we introduce the Updated Lagrangian formulation for Neo-Hookean and Ogden compressible materials with contact. An advantage of this approach is that at each iteration only a linear system is solved. The linear problem to be solved is written in the updated domain. Numerical results are presented: compression of a Hertz half ball and of a hyperelastic ring against a flat rigid foundation, and contact of an elastic cube and a ball.
An Overview of the Valorization of Aquatic Plants in Effluent Depuration through Phytoremediation Processes
Authors: Khellaf Nabila , Djelal Hayet , Amrane Abdeltif
Published: April 2022

Environmental biotechnologies are a popular choice for using efficient, low-cost, low-waste, and environmentally friendly methods to clean up and restore polluted sites. In these technologies, plants (terrestrial and aquatic) and their associated micro-organisms are used to eliminate pollutants that threaten the health of humans and animals. They have emerged as alternative methods to conventional techniques that have become increasingly aggressive to the environment. Currently, all actors of the environment, whether governors, industrialists, or citizen associations are more interested in the application and development of these technologies. The present overview provides available information about recent developments in phytoremediation processes using specifically aquatic plants. The main goal is to highlight the key role of this technology in combating the drastic organic and inorganic pollution that threatens our planet daily. Furthermore, this study presents the valorization of aquatic plant after phytoremediation process in energy. In particular, this article tries to identify gaps that are necessary to propose future developments and prospects that could guarantee sustainable development aspired by all generations.
Prediction of NOx Concentration at SCR Inlet Based on BMIFS-LSTM
Authors: Song Meiyan , Xue Jianzhong , Gao Shaohua , Cheng Guodong , Chen Jun , Lu Haisong , Dong Ze
Published: April 2022

As the main energy source for thermal power generation, coal generates a large amount of NOx during its incineration in boilers, and excessive NOx emissions can cause serious pollution to the air environment. Selective catalytic reduction denitrification (SCR) selects the optimal amount of ammonia to be injected for denitrification based on the measurement of NOx concentration by the automatic flue gas monitoring system. Since the automatic flue gas monitoring system has a large delay in measurement, it cannot accurately reflect the real-time changes of NOx concentration at the SCR inlet when the unit load fluctuates, leading to problems such as ammonia escape and NOx emission exceeding the standard. In response to these problems, this paper proposes an SCR inlet NOx concentration prediction algorithm based on BMIFS-LSTM. An improved mutual information feature selection algorithm (BMIFS) is used to filter out the auxiliary variables with maximum correlation and minimum redundancy with NOx concentration, and reduce the coupling and dimensionality among the variables in the data set. The dominant and auxiliary variables are then fed together into a long short-term memory neural network (LSTM) to build a prognostic model. Simulation experiments are conducted using historical operation data of a 300 MW thermal power unit. The experimental results show that the algorithm in this paper reduces the average relative error by 3.45% and the root mean square error by 1.50 compared with the algorithm without auxiliary variable extraction, which can accurately reflect the real-time changes of NOx concentration at the SCR inlet, solve the problem of delay in NOx concentration measurement, and reduce the occurrence of atmospheric pollution caused by excessive NOx emissions.
Existence and Uniqueness Theorem for a Solution to a Class of a Third-Order Nonlinear Differential Equation in the Domain of Analyticity
Authors: Orlov Victor , Gasanov Magomedyusuf
Published: April 2022

The paper considers the specifics of nonlinear differential equations that have applications in different areas. Earlier, the authors proved the existence and uniqueness theorem for a solution to a class of non-linear differential equations in a neighborhood of a moving singular point. In this paper, we consider the first problem of studying a third-order nonlinear differential equation in the domain of analyticity. An analytical approximate solution is built, taking into account the solution search area. A priori estimates of the analytical approximate solution are obtained, and the technology of their optimization using a posteriori ones is illustrated. The result of a numerical experiment is presented. The presented results allow to expand the class of nonlinear differential equations for describing various phenomena and processes.
The Importance of Informational Components of Sparkling Wine Labels Varies with Key Consumer Characteristics
Authors: Pickering Gary J. , Duben Marcus , Kemp Belinda
Published: April 2022

Wine label information is an important aid for consumers in making purchase decisions. However, the influence of label information types in the context of sparkling wines is poorly understood, despite the global growth of this product class. Using an online survey of 576 Ontario sparkling wine consumers, we sought to examine this knowledge gap using two complementary approaches. First, participants were presented with a set of two mock sparkling wine labels, selected at random, from a set of eight conditions. One condition (control) contained all seven of the information types previously identified (endorsements, parentage, attributes, target end use, target end user, manufacture, nonpareil), whereas the other seven omitted one of each of these elements. Respondents then rated their willingness to buy, willingness to pay, and the perception of quality. Lastly, they self-rated the importance placed on 14 different label information statements when purchasing sparkling wine (5-point Likert scale from 1–not at all important to 5–extremely important). Results show that including a description of the wine’s sensory attributes on sparkling wine labels is important to consumers overall, except for those with a high subjective knowledge of sparkling wine, and those who normally spend more than CAD 30 per bottle, as these groups are more willing to buy, willing to pay, and rate their perception of quality higher for labels that do not include attribute information. Grape variety/blend and production region information are rated high in importance. Alcohol content is more important to young consumers and those who prefer Prosecco-style sparkling wines, whereas vintage/year is more important to consumers who prefer Champagne-style sparkling wines. Expert endorsements are rated low in importance, and younger consumers are more willing to buy sparkling wine with the endorsement information removed. We conclude that sparkling wine label information content should be optimised for different market segments and consumer characteristics. This study provides important insights that can guide sparkling wine marketers and retailers in this process.
A Biomimetic Electrospun Membrane Supports the Differentiation and Maturation of Kidney Epithelium from Human Stem Cells
Authors: Mou Xingrui , Shah Jessica , Bhattacharya Rohan , Kalejaiye Titilola D. , Sun Bowen , Hsu Po-Chun , Musah Samira
Published: April 2022

Podocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells are enabling studies of kidney development and disease. However, many of these studies are carried out in traditional tissue culture plates that do not accurately recapitulate the molecular and mechanical features necessary for modeling tissue- and organ-level functionalities. Overcoming these limitations requires the design and application of tunable biomaterial scaffolds. Silk fibroin is an attractive biomaterial due to its biocompatibility and versatility, which include its ability to form hydrogels, sponge-like scaffolds, and electrospun fibers and membranes appropriate for tissue engineering and biomedical applications. In this study, we show that hiPS cells can be differentiated into post-mitotic kidney glomerular podocytes on electrospun silk fibroin membranes functionalized with laminin. The resulting podocytes remain viable and express high levels of podocyte-specific markers consistent with the mature cellular phenotype. The resulting podocytes were propagated for at least two weeks, enabling secondary cell-based applications and analyses. This study demonstrates for the first time that electrospun silk fibroin membrane can serve as a supportive biocompatible platform for human podocyte differentiation and propagation. We anticipate that the results of this study will pave the way for the use of electrospun membranes and other biomimetic scaffolds for kidney tissue engineering, including the development of co-culture systems and organs-on-chips microphysiological devices.
Smoking-, Alcohol-, and Age-Related Alterations of Blood Monocyte Subsets and Circulating CD4/CD8 T Cells in Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Idel Christian , Loyal Kristin , Rades Dirk , Hakim Samer G. , Schumacher Udo , Bruchhage Karl-Ludwig , Pries Ralph
Published: April 2022

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents a heterogeneous malignant disease of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. Although cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, and aging are well-established associated factors for HNSCC, their respective influence on immunologic alterations of monocyte subsets or T-cell compositions in the peripheral blood has not yet been fully unveiled. Using flow cytometry, whole blood measurements of CD14/CD16 monocyte subsets and analyses of T-cell subsets in isolated PBMC fractions were carried out in 64 HNSCC patients in view of their tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as their age, in comparison to healthy volunteers. Flow cytometric analysis revealed significantly increased expression of monocytic CD11b, as well as significantly decreased expression levels of CX3CR1 on classical and intermediate monocyte subsets in smoking-related and in alcohol-related HNSCC patients compared to healthy donors. Peripheral monocytes revealed an age-correlated significant decrease in PD-L1 within the entirety of the HNSCC cohort. Furthermore, we observed significantly decreased abundances of CD8+ effector memory T cells in active-smoking HNSCC patients and significantly increased percentages of CD8+ effector T cells in alcohol-abusing patients compared to the non-smoking/non-drinking patient cohort. Our data indicate an enhanced influence of smoking and alcohol abuse on the dynamics and characteristics of circulating monocyte subsets and CD4/CD8 T-cell subset proportions, as well as an age-related weakened immunosuppression in head and neck cancer patients.
Hybridization between Crotalus aquilus and Crotalus polystictus Species: A Comparison of Their Venom Toxicity and Enzymatic Activities
Authors: Roldán-Padrón Octavio , Cruz-Pérez Martha Sandra , Castro-Guillén José Luis , García-Arredondo José Alejandro , Mendiola-Olaya Elizabeth , Saldaña-Gutiérrez Carlos , Herrera-Paniagua Patricia , Blanco-Labra Alejandro , García-Gasca Teresa
Published: April 2022

Hybridization is defined as the interbreeding of individuals from two populations distinguishable by one or more heritable characteristics. Snake hybridization represents an interesting opportunity to analyze variability and how genetics affect the venom components between parents and hybrids. Snake venoms exhibit a high degree of variability related to biological and biogeographical factors. The aim of this work is to analyze the protein patterns and enzymatic activity of some of the main hemotoxic enzymes in snake venoms, such as serine proteases (trypsin-like, chymotrypsin-like, and elastase-like), metalloproteases, hyaluronidases, and phospholipase A2. The lethal dose of 50 (LD50) of venom from the Crotalus aquilus (Cabf) and Crotalus polystictus (Cpbm) parents and their hybrids in captivity was determined, and phenetic analysis is also conducted, which showed a high similarity between the hybrids and C. polystictus. The protein banding patterns and enzymatic activity analyze by zymography resulted in a combination of proteins from the parental venoms in the hybrids, with variability among them. In some cases, the enzymatic activity is higher in the hybrids with a lower LD50 than in the parents, indicating higher toxicity. These data show the variability among snake venoms and suggest that hybridization is an important factor in changes in protein concentration, peptide variability, and enzymatic activity that affect toxicity and lethality.
Comparative Analysis of the Relative Fragmentation Stabilities of Polymorphic Alpha-Synuclein Amyloid Fibrils
Authors: Sanami Sarina , Purton Tracey J. , Smith David P. , Tuite Mick F. , Xue Wei-Feng
Published: April 2022

The division of amyloid fibril particles through fragmentation is implicated in the progression of human neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Fragmentation of amyloid fibrils plays a crucial role in the propagation of the amyloid state encoded in their three-dimensional structures and may have an important role in the spreading of potentially pathological properties and phenotypes in amyloid-associated diseases. However, despite the mechanistic importance of fibril fragmentation, the relative stabilities of different types or different polymorphs of amyloid fibrils toward fragmentation remain to be quantified. We have previously developed an approach to compare the relative stabilities of different types of amyloid fibrils toward fragmentation. In this study, we show that controlled sonication, a widely used method of mechanical perturbation for amyloid seed generation, can be used as a form of mechanical perturbation for rapid comparative assessment of the relative fragmentation stabilities of different amyloid fibril structures. This approach is applied to assess the relative fragmentation stabilities of amyloid formed in vitro from wild type (WT) α-synuclein and two familial mutant variants of α-synuclein (A30P and A53T) that generate morphologically different fibril structures. Our results demonstrate that the fibril fragmentation stabilities of these different α-synuclein fibril polymorphs are all highly length dependent but distinct, with both A30P and A53T α-synuclein fibrils displaying increased resistance towards sonication-induced fibril fragmentation compared with WT α-synuclein fibrils. These conclusions show that fragmentation stabilities of different amyloid fibril polymorph structures can be diverse and suggest that the approach we report here will be useful in comparing the relative stabilities of amyloid fibril types or fibril polymorphs toward fragmentation under different biological conditions.