bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Characterization of Drought-Tolerant Wheat (Triticum spp.) Varieties
Authors: Tefera Alemayehu , Kebede Mulugeta , Tadesse Kassu , Getahun Tsegaye
Published: February 2021

Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops and extensively cultivated in wide ranges of altitudes in Ethiopia. With an alarming population growth in the era of climatic change, there is a need for further crop improvement for sustainable production. In this regard, the study was carried out at the Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center (KARC) in a rainout shelter to investigate the responses of durum and bread wheat varieties to soil water stress in terms of selected morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters. The 2 factors were combined factorially and arranged in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. The 12 wheat varieties, 6 bread wheat and other 6 durum wheat, were sown in pots under well-watered (100% field capacity) and water-stressed (30% field capacity) conditions. Results revealed that water stress resulted in 26%, 9%, 23%, 16%, and 11% reductions in plant height, spike length, number of spikelets spike−1, relative water, and chlorophyll contents, respectively. The tested wheat varieties under water stress produced 28% and 6% more proline content and total soluble sugar, respectively, as mitigation strategies against drought. Results further exhibited that wheat varieties significantly differed in all of the measured traits except for the plant height and relative water content. The present study verified that the biochemical parameters needs to be considered as better traits to select wheat (Triticum spp.) varieties for drought tolerance under water stress conditions.
Flexible Bus Route Optimization Scheduling Model
Authors: Sun Ji-yang , Chen Yan-yan , Huang Jian-ling , Wei Pan-yi , Song Cheng-cheng
Published: February 2021

A flexible bus route optimization scheduling model that considers the dynamic changes of passenger demand is proposed to address the large difference in demand for flexible bus passengers and real‐time variability. This model uses the heuristic algorithm based on gravity model to determine the following: passenger booking; vehicle passenger capacity; team known conditions such as size, according to the dynamic changes of passenger demand for real‐time iterative update shuttle travel time; vehicle operating costs (vehicle); and time cost for passengers (passengers waiting time for the vehicle, actual time of arrival, and the difference between expected and actual times of arrival) before minimization as the target. Finally, the practicabilities of the model and algorithm are verified by an example. Analysis results show that for 102 travel demands of 15 randomly generated demand points, completing all services requires 17–21 vehicles with average travel time of 24.59 minutes each. The solution time of 100 groups of data is within 25 seconds and the average calculation time is 12.04 seconds. Under the premise of real‐time adjustment of connection planning time, this optimization model can thus better meet the dynamic demand of passengers compared with the current scenario. The model effectively reduces the planning path error, shortens the travel distance and passenger travel time, and achieves better results than the flexible bus scheduling model that ignores changes of connection travel time.
A Time‐Aware Hybrid Approach for Intelligent Recommendation Systems for Individual and Group Users
Authors: Huang Zhao , Stakhiyevich Pavel
Published: February 2021

Although personal and group recommendation systems have been quickly developed recently, challenges and limitations still exist. In particular, users constantly explore new items and change their preferences throughout time, which causes difficulties in building accurate user profiles and providing precise recommendation outcomes. In this context, this study addresses the time awareness of the user preferences and proposes a hybrid recommendation approach for both individual and group recommendations to better meet the user preference changes and thus improve the recommendation performance. The experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms several baseline algorithms in terms of precision, recall, novelty, and diversity, in both personal and group recommendations. Moreover, it is clear that the recommendation performance can be largely improved by capturing the user preference changes in the study. These findings are beneficial for increasing the understanding of the user dynamic preference changes in building more precise user profiles and expanding the knowledge of developing more effective and efficient recommendation systems.
Evaluation of Zenith Tropospheric Delay Derived from Ray-Traced VMF3 Product over the West African Region Using GNSS Observations
Authors: Osah Samuel , Acheampong Akwasi A. , Fosu Collins , Dadzie Isaac
Published: February 2021

The growing demand for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology has necessitated the establishment of a vast and ever-growing network of International GNSS Service (IGS) tracking stations worldwide. The IGS provides highly accurate and highly reliable daily time-series Zenith Tropospheric Delay (ZTD) products using data from the member sites towards the use of GNSS for precise geodetic, climatological, and meteorological applications. However, if for reasons like poor internet connectivity, equipment failure, and power outages, the IGS station is inaccessible or malfunctioning, and gaps are created in the data archive resulting in degrading the quality of the ZTD and precipitable water vapour (PWV) estimation. To address this challenge as a means of providing an alternative data source to improve the continuous availability of ZTD data and as a backup data in the event that the IGS site data are missing or unavailable in West Africa, this paper compares the sitewise operational Vienna Mapping Functions 3 (VMF3) ZTD product with the IGS final ZTD product over five IGS stations in West Africa. Eight different statistical evaluation metrics, such as the mean bias (MB), mean absolute error (MAE), root mean squared error (RMSE), Pearson correlation coefficient (r), coefficient of determination (r2), refined index of agreement (IAr), Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (NSE), and the fraction of prediction within a factor of two (FAC2), are employed to determine the degree of agreement between the VMF3 and IGS tropospheric products. The results show that the VMF3-ZTD product performed excellently and matches very well with the IGS final ZTD product with an average MB, MAE, RMSE, r, r2, NSE, IAr, and FAC2 of 0.38 cm, 0.87 cm, 1.11 cm, 0.988, 0.976, 0.967, 0.992, and 1.00 (100%), respectively. This result is an indication that the VMF3-ZTD product is accurate enough to be used as an alternative source of ZTD data to augment the IGS final ZTD product for positioning and meteorological applications in West Africa.
Experimental and Constitutive Model Study on Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Metal Rubber under High‐Speed Impact Loading
Authors: Zou Youchun , Xiong Chao , Yin Junhui , Cui Kaibo , Zhu Xiujie , Deng Huiyong , Song Shijun
Published: February 2021

The development of lightweight, impact‐resistant, and high energy‐consuming materials is of great significance for improving the defense capabilities of military equipment. As a new type of damping material, metal rubber has demonstrated great potential for application in the field of impact protection. In this paper, the dynamic mechanical response of metal rubber under a high strain rate is studied, which provides a new idea for developing high‐performance protective materials. The stress‐strain curves, energy absorption performance, and wave transmission performance of metal rubber at various strain rates were investigated based on a split‐Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) device. The dynamic stress‐strain curve of metal rubber is divided into three stages: elastic stage, plastic stage, and failure stage. The optimal energy absorption efficiency is greater than 0.5, and the maximum value can reach 0.9. The wave transmittance is less than 0.01. The dynamic mechanical tests have proved that metal rubber has excellent energy absorption capacity and impact resistance property. A constitutive model based on Sherwood–Frost was established to predict the dynamic mechanical behavior of metal rubber. The results of comparison between the calculation and the experiment show that the constitutive model can accurately predict the dynamic mechanical performance of metal rubber.
Experimental Study on Eccentric Compressive Performance of Concrete Column Strengthened with CFRP Grid Reinforced ECC Matrix
Authors: Lin Kangjian , Yang Yuhou , Chen Zhiwei , Sun Xiaoyan , Wang Hailong
Published: February 2021

Carbon‐fiber‐reinforced polymer (CFRP) grid and engineered cementitious composite (ECC) were combined in this study to strengthen concrete columns. The influences of the number of layers, the overlap length of CFRP grids, and the eccentricity on the bearing capacity and rigidity of reinforced concrete columns were determined. The results show that the principal failure of the reinforced column was debonding of external ECC from FRP grids at the compressive area, edges, or sides. Significant enhancement in the ultimate bearing capacity and rigidity of eccentrically loaded columns was observed after they were externally reinforced by CFRP grids and ECC; such enhancement increased with the number of reinforced layers. Eccentricity made little difference to the enhancement rate of bearing capacity when the number of reinforced layers was the same. At different eccentricities, the composite layers at the tensile area and the compressive area had different contributions to the bearing capacity. An effective bond and efficient stress transfer could be ensured as long as the overlap length between CFRP grids reached 120 mm.
Impact of Hepatoma-Derived Growth Factor Blockade on Resiniferatoxin-Induced Neuropathy
Authors: Wu Chieh-Hsin , Wu Ming-Kung , Lu Chun-Ching , Tsai Hung-Pei , Lu Ying-Yi , Lin Chih-Lung
Published: February 2021

Resiniferatoxin is an ultrapotent capsaicin analog that mediates nociceptive processing; treatment with resiniferatoxin can cause an inflammatory response and, ultimately, neuropathic pain. Hepatoma-derived growth factor, a growth factor related to normal development, is associated with neurotransmitters surrounding neurons and glial cells. Therefore, the study aims to investigate how blocking hepatoma-derived growth factor affects the inflammatory response in neuropathic pain. Serum hepatoma-derived growth factor protein expression was measured via ELISA. Resiniferatoxin was administrated intraperitoneally to induce neuropathic pain in 36 male Sprague-Dawley rats which were divided into three groups (resiniferatoxin+recombinant hepatoma-derived growth factor antibody group, resiniferatoxin group, and control group) (

n
=
12

/group). The mechanical threshold response was tested with calibration forceps. Cell apoptosis was measured by TUNEL assay. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect apoptosis of neuron cells and proliferation of astrocytes in the spinal cord dorsal horn. RT-PCR technique and western blot were used to measure detect inflammatory factors and protein expressions. Serum hepatoma-derived growth factor protein expression was higher in the patients with sciatica compared to controls. In resiniferatoxin-group rats, protein expression of hepatoma-derived growth factor was higher than controls. Blocking hepatoma-derived growth factor improved the mechanical threshold response in rats. In dorsal root ganglion, blocking hepatoma-derived growth factor inhibited inflammatory cytokines. In the spinal cord dorsal horn, blocking hepatoma-derived growth factor inhibited proliferation of astrocyte, apoptosis of neuron cells, and attenuated expressions of pain-associated proteins. The experiment showed that blocking hepatoma-derived growth factor can prevent neuropathic pain and may be a useful alternative to conventional analgesics.
Long‐Term Effect of an Exercise Training Program on Physical Functioning and Quality of Life in Pulmonary Hypertension: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kagioglou Olga , Mouratoglou Sophia-Anastasia , Giannakoulas George , Kapoukranidou Dorothea , Anifanti Maria , Deligiannis Asterios , Skarbaliene Aelita , Razbadauskas Arturas , Kouidi Evangelia
Published: February 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 6‐month combined aerobic and strength exercise training program on functional and psychological aspects and health‐related quality of life in patients with PH and to evaluate its longer‐term impact. In total, 22 stable patients (mean age 53.9 ± 13.8, 13 female) with pulmonary hypertension of World Health Organization (WHO) class I‐III participated in a nine‐month study. They were randomly assigned into two groups: Group A participated in a 6‐month combined aerobic and strength exercise training program, whereas Group B remained untrained. All patients underwent physical and psychological assessment at baseline and at month 6 (after completing the exercise program) and physical assessment after 9 months (3 months posttraining). After the 6‐month exercise training program, patients of Group A significantly improved their physical (6MWD, STS 10 rep, STS 20 rep, TUG, lower limb strength, cardiopulmonary exercise time, METs, peak VO2, VCO2, and VE/VCO2 slope) and psychological aspects (SF‐36, STAI, and BDI). Between the two groups, differences were observed at the 6MWD (95% CI: 36.2‐64.6, η2 = 0.72), STS 10 rep (95% CI: 6.6‐2.2, η2 = 0.4), STS 20 rep (95% CI: 10.8‐2.4, η2 = 0.34), lower limb strength (95% CI: 7.2‐3.6, η2 = 0.38), cardiopulmonary exercise time (95% CI: 0.1‐3.3, η2 = 0.2), and VCO2 (95% CI: 0.1‐0.5, η2 = 0.2). Additionally, psychological changes were noted at SF‐36, PCS (95% CI: 3.6‐14.8, η2 = 0.35), MCS (95% CI: 1.3‐16.1, η2 = 0.22), TCS (95% CI: 1.3‐16.1, η2 = 0.22), and STAI (95% CI: 1.8‐28.2, η2 = 0.18). The favorable results of exercise were maintained at the 3‐month posttraining follow‐up assessment. No exercise‐induced complications were observed throughout the study. In conclusion, a long‐term exercise training program is a safe and effective intervention to improve functional status, psychological aspects, and health‐related quality of life in patients with PH.
The Neuroprotective Effect of Byu d Mar 25 in LPS-Induced Alzheimer's Disease Mice Model
Authors: Liu Lan , Zhang Yongcang , Tang Liang , Zhong Hua , Danzeng Dunzhu , Liang Cuiting , Liu Shanling
Published: February 2021

Inflammatory factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Byu d Mar 25 (BM25) has been suggested to have protective effects in the central nervous system. However, the effect of BM25 on AD has not been determined. This study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effect of BM25 in AD. A total of 40 AD model mice were randomly assigned to the following five groups (n = 8 per group): the AD + NS group, the AD + donepezil group, and three AD + BM25 groups treated with either 58.39 mg/kg (AD + BM25-L), 116.77 mg/kg (AD + BM25-M), or 233.54 mg/kg BM25 (AD + BM25-H). The Morris water maze test was performed to assess alterations in spatial learning and memory deficits. Nissl staining was performed to detect Nissl bodies and neuronal damage. The expression of IL-1β and TNF-α was evaluated by ELISA. The protein expression of P-P38, P38, P-IκBα, caspase 1, COX2, and iNOS was determined by western blotting. The expression of Aβ, p-Tau, and CD11b was measured by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, COX2, and iNOS were measured by qRT-PCR. Spatial memory significantly improved in the AD + BM25-M and AD + BM25-H groups compared with the AD + NS group (p<0.05). The expression of Aβ and p-Tau significantly decreased in the AD + BM25-M and AD + BM25-H groups (p<0.05). The neuron density and hierarchy and number of pyramidal neurons significantly increased in the AD + BM25-M and AD + BM25-H groups (p<0.05). In addition, the expression levels of CD11b, IL-1β, TNF-α, COX2, iNOS, caspase 1, p-IκBα, and p-P38 significantly decreased in the AD + BM25-M and AD + BM25-H groups (p<0.05). In conclusion, our findings suggest that BM25 may exert anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in AD model mice by suppressing the activity of microglia and inhibiting the phosphorylation of IκBα and p38 MAPK.
Research on Travel Behavior with Car Sharing under Smart City Conditions
Authors: Tao Zhimin , Nie Quan , Zhang Weibin
Published: February 2021

As a sustainable transportation system, car-sharing schemes have been attracting increasing attention. A large amount of research and practice has proved that the application and promotion of car sharing can help reduce the number of private cars purchased, increase the utilization rate of automobiles, effectively alleviate traffic congestion, save energy, and reduce emissions. Therefore, research on car sharing is imperative. The logit model is widely used in studies on car sharing and is an effective tool for analyzing traffic problems. This study first introduces the status of research into car sharing and analyzes the potential users and market prospects for shared cars. The study then provides the results from a questionnaire survey in Nanjing, China, to obtain sample data. Finally, a mixed logit model is established to analyze the influencing factors of car-sharing selection behavior. The results show that factors such as an individual’s housing situation and income significantly affect car-sharing decisions and that respondents who choose to use shared cars are relatively similar to commuters. The main contribution of this study is to use empirical analysis to determine the key influencing factors of car-sharing behavior in China and to provide practical insights for commercial practitioners and traffic planners.
Improvement of Sentinel‐1 Remote Sensing Data Classification by DWT and PCA
Authors: Charfi Marrakchi O. , Masmoudi Charfi C. , Hamzaoui M. , Habaieb H.
Published: February 2021

This article presents a new alternative for data resource, by applying the proposed methods of Principal Components Analysis (PCA) or of Discrete Wavelet Transformation (DWT) on the VV and VH polarization images of the Sentinel‐1 radar satellite, aiming at a better classification of data. The study area concerns the Houareb site located in the city of Kairouan in central Tunisia. In addition to Sentinel‐1 data, field truth data and the Euclidian Minimum Distance (EMD) criterion were used for classification and validation. Energy descriptors have been proposed in this study for classifications. Cross validation was used to evaluate the results of the classification. The best classification result was achieved using the DWT method applied on VH and VV images with an Overall Precision (OA) of 0.671 and 0.548, respectively, against an OA value of 0.371 and of 0.449 when the PCA method and the Minimum Distance (MDist) classifier were applied on the dual (VV; VH) polarization, respectively. The DWT transformation gives the highest Kappa Precision Coefficient (KPC) of 0.8.
Darker Skin Color Measured by Von Luschan Chromatic Scale and Increased Sunlight Exposure Time Are Independently Associated with Decreased Odds of Vitamin D Deficiency in Thai Ambulatory Patients
Authors: Charoenngam Nipith , Sriussadaporn Sutin
Published: February 2021

Background. Little is known about the association among skin color, sunlight exposure. and vitamin D status in Southeast Asian population. Objective. To investigate the association between skin color measured by von Luschan chromatic scale (VLCS) and vitamin D status in Thai medical ambulatory patients. Methods. Medical ambulatory patients were enrolled. The eligibility criteria were as follows: aged >18 years, stable medical conditions, and no conditions directly affecting vitamin D status. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were assessed. Skin color at the outer forearm was assessed using VLCS which grades skin color from the lightest score of 1 to the darkest score of 36. Patients were systematically interviewed to estimate daily sunlight exposure time. Results. A total of 334 patients were enrolled. Data were expressed as mean ± SD. The mean serum 25(OH)D was 25.21 ± 10.06 ng/mL. There were 17 (5.1%), 217 (65.0%), and 100 (29.9%) patients who had light brown (VLCS score 18–20), medium brown (VLCS score 21–24), and dark brown (VLCS score 25–27) skin colors, respectively. The mean serum 25(OH)D level was higher in patients with dark brown skin than in patients with medium brown and light brown skin (28.31 ± 10.34 vs. 24.28 ± 9.57 and 19.43 ± 9.92 ng/mL, respectively, both

p
<
0.05

). Multivariate analysis showed that darker skin color and increased sunlight exposure time were independently associated with decreased odds of vitamin D deficiency (dark brown vs. light brown: odds ratio, 0.263, 95% CI: 0.081–0.851,

p
=
0.026

; medium brown vs. light brown: odds ratio, 0.369, 95% CI: 0.987–1.003,

p
=
0.067

; sunlight exposure time odds ratio per 1 minute/day increase 0.955, 95% CI: 0.991–1.000,

p
=
0.037

), after adjusting for possible confounders. Conclusions. We found that darker skin color at sunlight exposure area and increased sunlight exposure time were independently associated with decreased odds of vitamin D deficiency in Thai medical ambulatory patients.
Diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Using Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle
Authors: Almsareer Abdullah Fahad , Alkhathlan Ahmed Zaid , AlGhamdi Doaa Ali , Alokla Khalid
Published: February 2021

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial biopsy has emerged as an excellent tool in diagnosing lung cancer. However, its use to diagnose lymphoma has been questioned, since the gold standard for diagnosing lymphomas is an excisional biopsy of involved lymph nodes. However, the procedure is sometimes risky or difficult. Recent studies have been showing great results using endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration when accompanied by immunohistochemistry and cytology. Here, we present a case of Hodgkin’s lymphoma patient that was accurately diagnosed using endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration.
Design and performance of the flash satellite “Ladybeetle-1”
Authors: Mu Xia , Li Sihai , Zhang Zhenxing , Xi Bin , Xiao Mingguo
Published: February 2021

The first satellite which can flash Morse code on orbit is introduced in this paper. The design of the system includes light energy estimation, attitude mode design, elevation angle analysis and flash time design. It is a 100 kg satellite with two LED arrays on 547 km. When it flashes, the satellite points to the observation location. The LED rays flash as the rule of Morse code. The satellite was sent to the orbit in Dec 2018 and the test of flash was completed within one month after then. The photo taken by star sensor can compare the apparent magnitude by the gray level. The results of the analysis show that the satellite can achieve 0 apparent magnitude, which is consistent with the design of the system. As a meaningful scientific experiment, “Ladybeetle-1” links space technology with popular science education and also provides a reference for space applications.
Educational software tool for the generation of Quasi-Random urban scenarios applied to electromagnetic computer simulation
Authors: Delgado Carlos , Laborda Alberto
Published: February 2021

This document presents the development of a didactic software tool used as a platform for the generation of complex urban scenarios based on probabilistic user-defined parameters. An adaptive algorithm and a set of primitive elements have been developed in order to allow the user to define the complexity and main features of the scenario and obtain a script containing the geometric elements that conform the resulting geometry. This tool has been developed by undergraduate students and is the result of a number of multidisciplinary projects. It is used in undergraduate and graduate teaching programs in order to perform multipath ray tracing analyses, validate propagation models, analyze the multipath channel characteristics or study the performance of MIMO antennas, among others.
Online self-assessments need to be regular and reflective to foster student engagement and success
Authors: Swart Arthur J , Meda Lawrence
Published: February 2021

Assessment plays a major role in student learning. It needs to be provided on a regular basis and include the aspect of reflective practice to be really effective. The purpose of this article is to highlight the results of how an academic in Electrical Engineering effectively used Blackboard™ to foster student engagement and academic success through regular online self-assessments that require reflective practice. A time-lag study is used with a non-experimental descriptive design. A total of 812 first-year engineering students were asked to complete weekly online self-assessments via Blackboard™ between 2016 and 2018. Results indicate that students engaged at least three times more with each section of the course content and that their pass rate increased by more than 20% when compared to previous years where no online self-assessments were used. These results tend to suggest that online self-assessments should include multiple attempts with some form of feedback to foster student engagement and academic success.
A novel social constructivist pedagogy to teach basic electrical engineering course to undergraduate students in online mode
Authors: Allamsetty Srikanth , Chandra MVSS , Panigrahi Chinmoy Kumar
Published: February 2021

The way the teachers deliver the content of any course curriculum is always important. It must create enough interest in the students, especially, when it is in the online mode. In this paper, a novel pedagogy has been proposed, which can work for both online and offline classes based on the social constructivist methods. The methods followed in the proposed pedagogy are classified into two types, viz. social examples and technical drama. One of the courses of first-year engineering undergraduates, Basic Electrical Engineering (BEE), has been taken into consideration for the practical implementation of this pedagogy. A detailed explanation of the above mentioned two methods has been presented in this paper as teaching experiments (TE), with the support of different topics of the course considered. The teachers of the courses such as BEE can follow the methods described in this paper to facilitate active learning, leading to a good understanding of the concepts. The methods have been designed such as to make both teachers and students active participants in the process of teaching and learning in both online and offline classrooms. Students are well satisfied with this novel pedagogy and it is reflected in their feedback on teacher practices as well as in their performance in the semester examinations.
Utilization of CFRP waste as a filler in polyester resin-based composites
Authors: Smoleń Jakub , Godzierz Marcin , Olesik Piotr , Pawlik Tomasz , Kozioł Mateusz
Published: February 2021

The paper presents an attempt to use milled waste of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (rCFRP) laminates as fillers for polyester resin. The obtained polyester-rCFRP composites were tested for technological, mechanical and frictional properties. It was found that the viscosity increased for the compositions containing rCFRP particles in comparison to the neat resin. Flexural strength improved in comparison to the neat resin, but only for the composites filled with a fraction containing particles below 0.2 mm in diameter and a mixed-diameter particles fraction. For composites containing the above-mentioned fractions, a significant reduction in the dynamic friction coefficient and a reduction in wear (the weight loss after friction test) were found. The obtained results indicate the advisability of further research and optimization of this new type of composites in terms of frictional applications.
Effect of toughened polyamide-coated carbon fiber fabric on the mechanical performance and fracture toughness of CFRP
Authors: Eun Jong H , Choi Bo K , Sung Sun M , Kim Min S , Lee Joon S
Published: February 2021

In this study, carbon/epoxy composites were manufactured by coating with a polyamide at different weight percentages (5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 15 wt.%, and 20 wt.%) to improve their impact resistance and fracture toughness. The chemical reaction between the polyamide and epoxy resin were examined by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The mechanical properties and fracture toughness of the carbon/epoxy composites were analyzed. The mechanical properties of the carbon/epoxy composites, such as transverse flexural tests, longitudinal flexural tests, and impact tests, were investigated. After the impact tests, an ultrasonic C-scan was performed to reveal the internal damage area. The interlaminar fracture toughness of the carbon/epoxy composites was measured using a mode I test. The critical energy release rates were increased by 77% compared to the virgin carbon/epoxy composites. The surface morphology of the fractured surface was observed. The toughening mechanism of the carbon/epoxy composites was suggested based on the confirmed experimental data.
Washability of e-textiles: current testing practices and the need for standardization
Authors: Rotzler Sigrid , Krshiwoblozki Malte von , Schneider-Ramelow Martin
Published: February 2021

Washability is seen as one of the main obstacles that stands in the way of a wider market success of e-textile products. So far, there are no standardized methods for wash testing of e-textiles and no protocols to comparably assess the washability of tested products. Thus, different e-textiles that are deemed equally washable by their developers might present with very different ranges of reliability after repeated washing. This paper presents research into current test practices in the absence of e-textile-specific standards. Different testing methods are compared and evaluated and the need for standardized testing, giving e-textile developers the tools to comparably communicate and evaluate their products’ washability, is emphasized.
Reduction of neuroinflammation alleviated mouse post bone fracture and stroke memory dysfunction
Authors: Huo Kang , Wei Meng , Zhang Meng , Wang Zhanqiang , Pan Peipei , Shaligram Sonali S , Huang Jinhao , Prado Leandro B Do , Wong Julia , Su Hua
Published: February 2021

Tibia fracture (BF) enhances stroke injury and post-stroke memory dysfunction in mouse. Reduction of neuroinflammation by activation of α-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α-7 nAchR) reduced acute neuronal injury and sensorimotor dysfunction in mice with BF 1-day after stroke. We hypothesize that reduction of neuroinflammation by activation of α-7 nAchR improves long-term memory function of mice with BF 6-h before stroke. The mice were randomly assigned to saline, PHA-568487 (α-7 nAchR agonist) and methyllycaconitine (antagonist) treatment groups. The sensorimotor function was tested by adhesive removal and corner tests at 3 days, the memory function was tested by Y-maze test weekly for 8 weeks and novel objective recognition test at 8 weeks post-injuries. We found PHA-568487 treatment reduced, methyllycaconitine increased the number of CD68+ cells in the peri-infarct and hippocampal regions, neuronal injury in the infarct region, sensorimotor and long-term memory dysfunctions. PHA-568487 treatment also reduced, while methyllycaconitine treatment increased atrophy of hippocampal granule cell layer and white matter damage in the striatum. In addition, PHA-568487 treatment increased neuron proliferation in granule cell layer. Our data indicated that reduction of neuroinflammation through activation of α-7 nAchR decreased neuronal damage, sensorimotor and long-term memory dysfunction of mice with BF shortly before stroke.
Optimization of turn-milling process in roughing and finishing regimes: Trade-off between productivity, cutting force and surface integrity
Authors: Hosseini Ebrahim , Rehman Shafiqur , Alimoradi Ashkan
Published: February 2021

Turn-milling is a hybrid machining process which used benefits of interrupted cutting for proceeding of round bars. However, number of controllable parameters in the hybrid process is numerous that makes optimizing the process complicated. In the present study, an optimization work has been proposed to investigate the trade-off between production rate and cutting force in roughing regime as well surface roughness and tensile residual stress in finishing regime. Number of 43 experiments based on response surface methodology was designed and carried out to gather required data for development of quadratic empirical models. Then, the adequacy and importance of process factors were analyzed using analysis of variances. Finally, desirability function was used to optimize the process in rough and finish machining regimes. The obtained results showed that selection of eccentricity and cutter speed at their maximum working range can effectively enhance the quality characteristics in both the roughing and finishing regimes.
Green retrofit of existing residential buildings in China: An investigation on residents’ perceptions
Authors: Lai Yupei , Li Yutong , Feng Xinyi , Ma Tao
Published: February 2021

Green retrofit of existing residential buildings is a sustainable way to improve the energy efficiency. However, such implementation faces some challenges due to the different willingness of residents involved. There is a lack of comparative study on residents’ preceptions of green retrofit in China, which is of great concern to the government. Therefore, this study investigates residents’ housing conditions and their perceptions of a green retrofit, based on the feedbacks from 9936 questionnaires which are collected from urban and rural residents throughout China. The Chi-squared test is employed to identify the key influencing factors, including demographic and housing characteristics. The results show that more than 90% of the respondents are willing to adopt retrofit, and installing a zoned temperature control system of individual rooms is a generally acceptable measure. The retrofit subsidy is a topic of high concern, and the respondents are more likely to undertake unified free retrofit, compared with separate retrofit supported by a partial subsidy. Besides, household income, city of residence, housing type and housing problems will cause significant differences in residents’ perceptions. After evaluating the retrofit potential of different resident groups, some suggestions are proposed for policymakers. The findings from this study can help develop differentiated strategies for residents, to promote green retrofit of existing residential buildings in China.
Illustrations of the heart by Arthur Keith: His work with James Mackenzie on the pathophysiology of the heart 1903–08
Authors: Mohr Peter D
Published: February 2021

The University of Manchester Museum of Medicine and Health holds a collection of drawings of human hearts by anatomist Sir Arthur Keith (1866–1955). The specimens were provided by the cardiologist, Sir James Mackenzie (1853–1925) who was using a polygraph to investigate patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Keith’s dissections helped to establish the anatomy and pathology of the atrioventricular conduction system and assisted Mackenzie to interpret his polygraph recordings and understand the origin of cardiac arrythmias.
A collection of illustrations of the heart by Arthur Keith, and his work with James Mackenzie on the pathophysiology of the heart 1903–1908
Authors: Mohr Peter D
Published: February 2021

The University of Manchester Museum of Medicine and Health holds of collection of drawings of human hearts by anatomist Sir Arthur Keith (1866–1955). The specimens were provided by the cardiologist, Sir James Mackenzie (1853–1925) who was using a polygraph to investigate patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Keith’s dissections helped to establish the anatomy and pathology of the atrioventricular conduction system and assisted Mackenzie to interpret his polygraph recordings and understand the origin of cardiac arrythmias.
William chambers: British army surgeon (Toulon, 1793) and his vaccination institution (1803) in Brighton, England
Authors: Cooper Maxwell J , Whiston Benjamin
Published: February 2021

Following Edward Jenner’s research into cowpox, a wave of vaccination services emerged across England. Despite some resistance, these began to promote population prevention where variolation had failed. Sussex’s first vaccine institution has long been considered to be that of Sir Matthew Tierney (1776–1845). Founded in 1804, Tierney’s “Royal Sussex Jennerian Society for the Extermination of the Small-pox” comprised sixteen stations, including one in Kent. This article presents an earlier example: the 1803 “Brighton Royal Jennerian Institution”, founded by a “Mr Chambers” to serve “the indigent poor”. Given that both held royal and military appointments in Brighton, Tierney must have been aware of Chambers’ efforts in vaccination. It is unclear why Tierney’s 1804 plan for the Sussex Vaccine Institution makes no mention of Chambers. In 1803 Chambers also directed the establishment of Brighton’s first military hospital and is noted as “surgeon extraordinary” to the Prince Regent. Chambers is identified as William Chambers of the 10th Royal Dragoons, who served at Toulon (1793) as a surgeon’s mate. He is also documented at Corsica in 1794 where he examined Nelson’s injured eye following the siege of Calvi. Mr Chambers’ origin and more details of his biography remain unknown.
The contributions of James Carmichael Smyth, Archibald Menzies and Robert Jackson to the treatment of typhus in royal naval vessels in the late 18th century
Authors: Chan Chelsea , Demetriades Andreas K
Published: February 2021

In late 18th century Britain, typhus fever plagued the mass mobilisation of soldiers and posed a significant challenge to physicians of the time. Epidemic typhus was spread through highly infectious faeces of infected lice and carried a high mortality in patients and healthcare staff alike. Physicians James Carmichael Smyth (1741–1821) and Archibald Menzies (1754–1842) theorized that typhus fever was caused by infection of human exhalation. They trialled the use of vapourised nitrous acid to fumigate patients, their clothes and their bedspace, with apparent success. Despite this, typhus fever continued to ravage deployments of soldiers into the early 19th century, stimulating the continuing evolution of the understanding of typhus and its treatment.
Assessing the impact of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on patients’ quality of life: An Arabic version of the Functional Living Index-Emesis
Authors: Alhammad Abdullah M , Alkhudair Nora , Alzaidi Rawan , Almosabhi Latifa S , Aljawadi Mohammad H
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is a serious complication of cancer treatment that compromises patients’ quality of life and treatment adherence, which necessitates regular assessment. Therefore, there is a need to assess patient-reported nausea and vomiting using a validated scale among Arabic speaking cancer patient population. The objective of this study was to translate and validate the Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE) instrument in Arabic, a patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess the influence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on patients’ quality of life.

Methods

Linguistic validation of an Arabic-language version was performed. The instrument was administered to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in a tertiary hospital's cancer center in Saudi Arabia.

Results

One-hundred cancer patients who received chemotherapy were enrolled. The participants’ mean age was 53.3 ± 14.9 years, and 50% were female. Half of the participants had a history of nausea and vomiting with previous chemotherapy. The Cronbach coefficient alpha for the FLIE was 0.9606 and 0.9736 for nausea and vomiting domains, respectively, which indicated an excellent reliability for the Arabic FLIE. The mean FLIE score was 110.9 ± 23.5, indicating no or minimal impact on daily life (NIDL).

Conclusions

The Arabic FLIE is a valid and reliable tool among the Arabic-speaking cancer population. Thus, the Arabic version of the FLIE will be a useful tool to assess the quality of life among Arabic speaking patients receiving chemotherapy. Additionally, the translated instrument will be a useful tool for future research studies to explore new antiemetic treatments among cancer patients.
Vertically-aligned short E-glass fibre core sandwich composite: Production and evaluation
Authors: White Robbie , Machavaram Venkata R , Fernando Benjamin A , Paget Mark A , Prasad Ashwini , Fernando Gerard F
Published: February 2021

This paper reports on the production and evaluation of a new class of “Z-axis” composite sandwich panel where the core consists of a dense array of vertically-aligned, 3 mm long E-glass fibre composite “beams”. The E-glass fibre bundles were aligned using electrostatic charging. A procedure was developed to retain the orientation of the short-fibre bundles whilst they were impregnated and cured with an epoxy/amine resin system. The skins were manufactured from 4-ply carbon/epoxy prepregs with a layup sequence of (0,90)s. The out-of-plane compressive strength of these Z-axis composites was found to be 25.2 and 15.2 times greater than equivalent sandwich panels made with Nomex® and aluminium honeycomb cores respectively. Their compressive strength was found to increase in proportion to the density of the core. Buckling and fracture of the vertically-aligned Z-axis composite were the predominant failure modes observed. The shear and flexural properties of the Z-axis composites were comparable to equivalent honeycomb sandwich panels manufactured from Nomex® and aluminium honeycomb cores.
Optimization of performance in multi-cell beams with different surface slopes for use in vehicle structure using a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition
Authors: Chahardoli S , Sheikh Ahmadi Mohammad , Tran TN , Khan Afrasyab
Published: February 2021

This study examined the effect of the upper surface slope and the number of cells in the side beams on the collapse properties using experimental and numerical tests. The numerical studies were conducted with LS-DYNA software, and the accuracy of numerical results was investigated by experimental tests. Using MATLAB software, the second-degree polynomial functions were obtained for the collapse properties of the specimens. Also, after the optimization by the decomposition method, the best mode was introduced for the specimens. The studies on collapse properties showed that increasing the number of cells leads to a decrease in all collapse properties, and increasing the upper surface slope leads to an increase in the collapse properties. Moreover, the optimization results by decomposition method showed that this method could suggest the most optimal model for multi-cell and sloping beams.
Trends in application of advancing computational approaches in GPCR ligand discovery
Authors: Zhu Siyu , Wu Meixian , Huang Ziwei , An Jing
Published: February 2021

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise the most important superfamily of protein targets in current ligand discovery and drug development. GPCRs are integral membrane proteins that play key roles in various cellular signaling processes. Therefore, GPCR signaling pathways are closely associated with numerous diseases, including cancer and several neurological, immunological, and hematological disorders. Computer-aided drug design (CADD) can expedite the process of GPCR drug discovery and potentially reduce the actual cost of research and development. Increasing knowledge of biological structures, as well as improvements on computer power and algorithms, have led to unprecedented use of CADD for the discovery of novel GPCR modulators. Similarly, machine learning approaches are now widely applied in various fields of drug target research. This review briefly summarizes the application of rising CADD methodologies, as well as novel machine learning techniques, in GPCR structural studies and bioligand discovery in the past few years. Recent novel computational strategies and feasible workflows are updated, and representative cases addressing challenging issues on olfactory receptors, biased agonism, and drug-induced cardiotoxic effects are highlighted to provide insights into future GPCR drug discovery.
Inhibition of phospholipases suppresses progression of psoriasis through modulation of inflammation
Authors: Gao Yunlu , Lu Jiajing , Bao Xunxia , Yi Xuemei , Peng Chen , Chen Wenjuan , Zhen Timing , Shi Yong , Xing Kaichen , Zhu Sibo , Ding Yangfeng
Published: February 2021

Abnormal lipid metabolism is regarded as a crucial cause of psoriasis. The specific mechanism of how phospholipase PLA2G4B mediates local immune dysfunction and skin lesions remains unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanisms of anti-psoriasis and immune suppression effect by inhibiting PLA2G4B in psoriasis progression. We successfully transfected si-PLA2G4B in a murine keratinocyte cell-line PAM212 to verify the effect of progression by PLA2G4B. The Imiquimod psoriasis mouse model was then successfully constructed, followed by emulsion wrapped PLA2G4B-siRNA applied to the skin lesions. The phenotype, pathology, immunofluorescence staining of PLA2G4B, IL17, CD3, and CD1b, and bulk transcriptome analysis were performed to decipher the effect and mechanism of si-PLA2G4B. Interfering with PLA2G4B significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of PAM212. The interference of PLA2G4B in vivo showed a therapeutic effect on psoriasis, comparable to that of betamethasone. The phenotype and pathology revealed reduced keratinocytes in the si-PLA2G4B group compared to the model mice. Immunofluorescence showed that CD1b, CD3+ T cells, and IL17 were suppressed in the skin lesions. RNA-seq and deconvolution revealed that immune cells such as myeloid dendritic cell and T cell CD8+ naive were inactivated. Th17 reduce the release of inflammatory factors such as IL17 and IL36. Pathway analysis revealed the potential therapeutic mechanism involved in the inhibition of sphingolipid or ceramide secretion. This study verified the anti-psoriatic effect of using si-PLA2G4B. The immune response was alleviated after administration. This phospholipase inhibition-based therapy sheds light on the pharmaceutical potential against psoriasis.
Smad7 attenuates TGF-β-mediated aging-related hypofunction of submandibular glands
Authors: Hu Minqi , Liu Wei , Ma Pingchuan , Wu Yingyi , Li Honglin , Men Yi , Tang Xiufa , Que Lin , Cao Yubin , Li Chunjie
Published: February 2021

Submandibular glands have essential functions in taste, mastication, swallowing, and digestion. Submandibular gland hypofunction is prevalent in the elderly, impairing the patients’ quality of life. Current clinical treatment strategies have not decelerated or reversed the pathological process of submandibular gland hypofunction. Therefore, novel restoration strategies should be explored. However, studies on the mechanism of aging-related submandibular gland hypofunction remain very limited. The role of the TGF-β/Smad pathway in fibrosis has been studied in other organs. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the role of TGF-β/Smad signaling in the aging-related submandibular gland hypofunction. The results showed that Smad7 knockout in mice decreased the salivary flow rate. H&E, Masson trichrome, and immunohistochemistry staining of MCP-1 and α-SMA showed that Smad7 knockout in mice resulted in lymphocytic infiltration, acinar cell atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis. The Western blotting of collagen I and III also confirmed extensive fibrosis. We then found that Smad7 depletion resulted in the TGF-β-mediated fibrosis via mir-21, mir-29, and np_5318, and NFκB-driven inflammation activation. This study confirmed the inhibitory role of Smad7 in the aging-related submandibular gland hypofunction. Therefore, it provided a promising treatment target for aging-related dysfunction and sialadenitis of submandibular gland.