bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Older adults’ conversations and the emergence of “narrative crystals”
Authors: Gerstenberg Annette , Hamilton Heidi E.
Published: March 2022

Energized by seminal scholarship within narrative studies; communication studies of aging and dementia; and formulaic language, we examined a wide range of stories told multiple times within two different longitudinal collections of verbal interactions involving two women in their 80s (one US American; one French). Based on multifaceted analyses of these longitudinal series of stories, we identified a new type of narrative, the “narrative crystal”. We characterize the internal formal architecture of two illustrative crystals (one from each corpus) before illuminating how such crystals function for their speakers as reassuring interactional “stepping stones” within their larger discourse surroundings. Our findings sketch a possible developmental process regarding how meaningful personal experiences come to be transformed over the lifespan: from the inchoate qualities of first-time tellings shaped by the interaction, through incrementally increased stability over the course of many tellings, to reach the highly durable nature of narrative crystals.
Recent trends in structures and applications of valveless piezoelectric pump—a review
Authors: Hou Yi , He Lipeng , Hu Dianbin , Zhang Limin , Yu Baojun , Cheng Guangming
Published: March 2022

Piezoelectric actuator-driven valveless pump has been studied for a long time in theory and structure for the features of high precision, fast response, low power consumption, compact size, reliability for long-term use and high performance. The pump has a remarkable significance for drug delivery, biological application, chemical analysis, high precision gluing, solder paste, lubrication system and electronic chip cooling system, etc. However, a higher requirement on the control circuit and power supply for the pump is raised, also, the driving voltage of the pump should be further reduced. In this review, the piezoelectric pump with and without valve is analyzed in working principle. Then, the recent trends of valveless pump in different structures are discussed. The representative structural designs in different thinking are introduced in the working media, driven voltage, frequency, flow rate, pressure, and the efficiency of the pump, the performance of different pumps are also compared. Afterwards, the application of the pump for different purposes with featured structures are presented. Next are the limitations and the outlook of the pump, which provides some potential research points for subsequent studies, and ended with a summary. This review concludes the recent trends of valveless piezoelectric pump in structural and application, attempts to guide the researchers with different professional backgrounds that can solve current problems through cross-disciplinary approaches.
A vibration response identification neural network with resilience against missing data anomalies
Authors: Zhang Ruiheng , Zhou Quan , Tian Lulu , Zhang Jie , Bai Libing
Published: March 2022

Vibration measurement provides valuable information pertaining to the mechanical properties of a vibrating structure. However, anomalies caused by sensor faults, system malfunctions, and environmental effects impede the accurate measurement of vibration responses that are essential in determining these properties. Usually, responses with anomalies need to be discarded to attain meaningful interpretation of vibration. In this study, a neural network (NN) model able to classify vibration responses with missing data anomalies is proposed, using convolutional recurrent neural network (CRNN) as the fundamental component for spatio-temporal feature extraction. The proposed model was employed using contact measurement in carbon fiber reinforced plastic plate to identify partially missing responses of different load locations. The integrity destruction algorithm is introduced to simulate responses with missing data anomalies. The proposed model utilized a multi-input structure to reduce the computation cost of the training process. Two CRNNs were evaluated and the results showed that the hybrid architecture of convolutional neural network and long short-term memory (LSTM) is a better choice for the proposed model compared to that of convolutional long short-term memory (ConvLSTM). The proposed model was evaluated by samples with missing data anomalies. The experimental results show that the proposed model has good per-class precision and recall (above 80%) for the classification of measurements with missing data anomalies.
Cu
x
S nanosheets with controllable morphology and alignment for memristor devices
Authors: Chen Jian Biao , Zhang Kai , Jiang Zi Jin , Gao Li Ye , Xu Jiang Wen , Chen Jiang Tao , Zhao Yun , Li Yan , Wang Cheng Wei
Published: March 2022

In electrochemical metallization memristor, the performance of resistive switching (RS) is influenced by the forming and fusing of conductive filaments within the dielectric layer. However, the growth of filaments, mostly, is unpredictable and uncontrollable. For this reason, to optimize ions migration paths in the dielectric layer itself in the Al/Cu
x
S/Cu structure, uniform Cu
x
S nanosheets films have been synthesized using anodization for various time spans. And the Al/Cu
x
S/Cu devices show a low operating voltage of less than 0.3 V and stable RS performance. At the same time, a reversible negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior is also demonstrated. And then, the mechanism of repeatable coexistence of RS effect and NDR phenomenon is investigated exhaustively. Analyses suggest that the combined physical model of space-charge limited conduction mechanism and conductive filaments bias-induced migration of Cu ions within the Cu
x
S dielectric layer is responsible for the RS operation, meanwhile, a Schottky barrier caused by copper vacancy at the Cu
x
S/Cu interface is demonstrated to explain the NDR phenomenon. This work will develop a new way to optimize the performance of non-volatile memory with multiple physical attributes in the future.
Mechanical response of surface wettability of Janus porous membrane and its application in oil–water separation
Authors: Hu Luyang , Wang Jingming , Wang Zhidan , Li Fabing , She Jing , Zhou Yufeng , Zhang Yumin , Liu Yin
Published: March 2022

Smart surfaces with switchable wettability are widely studied for environmental application. Although a large number of stimulation routes provide broad prospects for the development of smart surfaces, achieving high sensitivity, fast response and recovery, simple operation, security and good stability is still challenging. Herein, a Janus membrane via electrospinning, chemical bath deposition and heat treatment is constructed. By using the hydrophilic ZIF-L nanosheet to functionalize the hydrophobic thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate, a smart surface utilizes the ZIF-L crack induced by strain in the hydrophilic layer to control surface wettability is obtained. In the range of 0%–100% strain, the wettability of the smart surface presents an obvious change with stretching, and water contact angle of the surface shows a monotonic increase with a maximum tuning range from 47° to 114°. Due to local fusion of the TPU microfibers and good binding between the ZIF-L layer and the TPU substrate after heat treatment, the prepared Janus membrane exhibits consistent and symmetrical hydrophilic–hydrophobic–hydrophilic transition curves in 50 stretching-releasing cycles. Thanks to the porous and asymmetric architecture, the membrane shows good oil–water separation performance, and the separation flux increases with the increase of strain, while the separation efficiency is always higher than 98%. Because of the excellent structural stability, the robust membrane with 100% strain maintains its oil–water separation property for 50 stretching-releasing cycles. This study provides a new perspective for the development of smart material with stimuli responsive surface for oily wastewater purification.
Non-singular Morse–Smale flows on n-manifolds with attractor–repeller dynamics
Authors: Pochinka O V , Shubin D D
Published: March 2022

In the present paper the exhaustive classification up to topological equivalence of non-singular Morse–Smale flows on n-manifolds M

n
with exactly two periodic orbits is presented. Denote by G
2(M

n
) the set of such flows. Let a flow f

t
: M

n
→ M

n
belongs to the set G
2(M

n
). Hyperbolicity of periodic orbits of f

t
implies that among them one is an attracting and the other is a repelling orbit. Due to the Poincaré–Hopf theorem, the Euler characteristic of the ambient manifold M

n
is zero. Only the torus and the Klein bottle can be ambient manifolds for f

t
in case of n = 2. The authors established that there are exactly two classes of topological equivalence of flows in G
2(M
2) if M
2 is the torus and three classes if M
2 is the Klein bottle. For all odd-dimensional manifolds the Euler characteristic is zero. However, it is known that an orientable three-manifold admits a flow from G
2(M
3) if and only if M
3 is a lens space L

p,q
. In this paper it is proved that every set G
2(L

p,q
) contains exactly two classes of topological equivalence of flows, except the case when L

p,q
is homeomorphic to the three-sphere

S

3

or the projective space

R

P

3

, where such a class is unique. Also, it is shown that the only non-orientable n-manifold (for n > 2), which admits flows from G
2(M

n
) is the twisted I-bundle over the (n − 1)-sphere

S

n
−
1

×

~

S

1

. Moreover, there are exactly two classes of topological equivalence of flows in

G

2

(

S

n
−
1

×

~

S

1

)

. Among orientable n-manifolds only the product of the (n − 1)-sphere and the circle

S

n
−
1

×

S

1

can be ambient manifolds for flows from G
2(M

n
) and

G

2

(

S

n
−
1

×

S

1

)

splits into two topological equivalence classes.
Global well-posedness for the cubic fractional NLS on the unit disk
Authors: Sy Mouhamadou , Yu Xueying
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we show that the cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLS) with the fractional Laplacian on the unit disk is globally well-posed for certain radial initial data below the energy space and establish a polynomial bound of the global solution. The result is proved by extending the I-method in the fractional NLS setting.
Dosimetry of a novel focused monoenergetic beam for radiotherapy
Authors: Moradi-Kurdestany Jamshid , Bartkoski Dirk A , Tailor Ramesh , Mirkovic Dragan , Harel Ze’ev , Bar-David Aharon , Kleckner Michael , Borukhin Shirly , Salehpour Mohammad
Published: March 2022

Objective. A novel treatment modality is currently being developed that produces converging monoenergetic x-rays. Conventional application of dosimetric calibration as presented in protocol TG61 is not applicable. Furthermore, the dosimetry of the focal point of the converging beam is on the order of a few millimeters, requiring a high-resolution dosimeter. Here we present a procedure to calibrate radiochromic film for narrow-beam monoenergetic 60 keV photons as well as absolute dosimetry of monoenergetic focused x-rays. A study of the focal spot dose rate after passing through a bone-equivalent material was also done to quantify the effects of heterogeneous materials. Approach. This was accomplished by configuring a polyenergetic beam of equivalent energy using a clinical orthovoltage machine. Calibrated films were then used to perform absolute dosimetry of the converging beam by measuring the beam profile at various depths in water. Main Results. A method for calibrating radiochromic film has been developed and detailed that allows absolute dosimetry of a monoenergetic photon beam. Absolute dosimetry of a focused, mono-energetic beam resulted in a focal spot dose rate of ∼30 cGy min−1 at a depth of 5 cm in water. Significance. This work serves to establish a dosimetry protocol for mono-energetic beam absolute dosimetry as well as the use of such a method for measurement of a novel teletherapy modality.
An experimental study on dynamic behaviour of a sandwich beam with 3D printed hexagonal honeycomb core filled with magnetorheological elastomer (MRE)
Authors: Sharif Umer , Chen Lin , Sun Beibei , Ibrahim Dauda Sh , Adewale Orelaja Oluseyi , Tariq Noman
Published: March 2022

Sandwich beams with an aluminium face sheet and a magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) of varying proportions of elastomer and magnetic particles (weight to weight)% filled in a honeycomb core of Nylon and Resin8000 are manufactured and experimentally analysed in this study. To evaluate the dynamic properties of sandwich beams, manufactured structures subjected to sine sweep and classic shock tests and assessed both with and without magnetic field of varying intensities applied on the free end of the beam. The experimental results demonstrated good performance in vibration level attenuation, particularly in the structure’s primary vibration mode under consideration. The magnetic field applied was capable of lowering the first natural frequency of the proposed sandwich beam structures. Experiment results showed that an increase in an induced magnetic field shifted the natural frequencies, vibration amplitude, and damping ratio of sandwich panels with MRE honeycomb core.
Freeze-in dark matter through forbidden channel in U(1)
B-L
Authors: Konar Partha , Roshan Rishav , Show Sudipta
Published: March 2022

We examine a scenario for freeze-in production of dark matter, which occurs due to the large thermal correction to the mass of a decaying mediator particle present in the thermal bath of the early Universe. We show that the decays, which are kinematically forbidden otherwise, can open up at very high temperatures and dominate the dark matter production. We explore such forbidden production of dark matter in the minimal U(1)
B-L
model, comparing dark matter phenomenology in the context of forbidden frozen-in with the standard picture.
Gravitational waves from dark matter isocurvature
Authors: Domènech Guillem , Passaglia Samuel , Renaux-Petel Sébastien
Published: March 2022

The primordial fluctuations on large scales are adiabatic, but on smaller scales this need not be the case. Here we derive the general analytical framework to compute the stochastic gravitational wave background induced by primordial cold dark matter isocurvature fluctuations on small scales. We find that large isocurvature fluctuations can yield an observable gravitational wave signal, with a spectrum distinct from the one induced by adiabatic perturbations, and we provide for the first time the exact analytic expression of the kernel necessary to compute this signal. We then forecast the constraining power of future gravitational wave detectors on dark matter isocurvature on small scales and find they will dramatically improve on existing constraints.
Radiation effects of electrons on multilayer FePS3 studied with laser plasma accelerator
Authors: Peng Meng , Yang Jun-Bo , Chen Hao , Li Bo-Yuan , Ge Xu-Lei , Yang Xiao-Hu , Zhang Guo-Bo , Ma Yan-Yun
Published: March 2022

Space radiation with inherently broadband spectral flux poses a huge danger to astronauts and electronics on aircraft, but it is hard to simulate such feature with conventional radiation sources. Using a tabletop laser-plasma accelerator, we can reproduce exponential energy particle beams as similar as possible to these in space radiation. We used such an electron beam to study the electron radiation effects on the surface structure and performance of two-dimensional material (FePS3). Energetic electron beam led to bulk sample cleavage and damage between areas of uneven thickness. For the FePS3 sheet sample, electron radiation transformed it from crystalline state to amorphous state, causing the sample surface to rough. The full widths at the half maximum of characteristic Raman peaks became larger, and the intensities of characteristic Raman peaks became weak or even disappeared dramatically under electron radiation. This trend became more obvious for thinner samples, and this phenomenon was attributed to the cleavage of P–P and P–S bonds, destabilizing the bipyramid structure of [P2S6]4– unit. The results are of great significance for testing the maximum allowable radiation dose for the two-dimensional material, implying that FePS3 cannot withstand such energetic electron radiation without an essential shield.
Measurement of electronic structure in van der Waals ferromagnet Fe5–x
GeTe2
Authors: Huang Kui , Li Zhenxian , Guo Deping , Yang Haifeng , Li Yiwei , Liang Aiji , Wu Fan , Xu Lixuan , Yang Lexian , Ji Wei , Guo Yanfeng , Chen Yulin , Liu Zhongkai
Published: March 2022

As a van der Waals ferromagnet with high Curie temperature, Fe5–x
GeTe2 has attracted tremendous interests recently. Here, using high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we systematically investigated the electronic structure of Fe5–x
GeTe2 crystals and its temperature evolution. Our ARPES measurement reveals two types of band structures from two different terminations with slight kz
evolution. Interestingly, across the ferromagnetic transition, we observed the merging of two split bands above the Curie temperature, suggesting the band splitting due to the exchange interaction within the itinerant Stoner model. Our results provide important insights into the electronic and magnetic properties of Fe5–x
GeTe2 and the understanding of magnetism in a two-dimensional ferromagnetic system.
Machine learning potential aided structure search for low-lying candidates of Au clusters
Authors: Ying Tonghe , Zhu Jianbao , Zhu Wenguang
Published: March 2022

A machine learning (ML) potential for Au clusters is developed through training on a dataset including several different sized clusters. This ML potential accurately covers the whole configuration space of Au clusters in a broad size range, thus expressing a good performance in search of their global minimum energy structures. Based on our potential, the low-lying structures of 17 different sized Au clusters are identified, which shows that small sized Au clusters tend to form planar structures while large ones are more likely to be stereo, revealing the critical size for the two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) structural transition. Our calculations demonstrate that ML is indeed powerful in describing the interaction of Au atoms and provides a new paradigm on accelerating the search of structures.
Running coupling constant at finite chemical potential and magnetic field from holography *
Authors: Chen Xun , Zhang Lin , Hou Defu
Published: March 2022

According to gauge/gravity duality, we use an Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton (EMD) model to study the running coupling constant at finite chemical potential and magnetic field. First, we calculate the effect of temperature on the running coupling constant and find the results are qualitatively consistent with lattice guage theory. Subsequently, we calculate the effect of chemical potential and magnetic field on running coupling. It is found that the chemical potential and magnetic field both suppress the running coupling constant. However, the effect of the magnetic field is slightly larger than that of chemical potential for a fixed temperature. Compared with the confinement phase, the magnetic field has a large influence on the running coupling in the deconfinement phase.
TRIEX-II: an experimental facility for the characterization of the tritium extraction unit of the WCLL blanket of ITER and DEMO fusion reactors
Authors: Utili Marco , Alberghi Ciro , Candido Luigi , Papa Francesca , Tarantino Mariano , Venturini Alessandro
Published: March 2022

The experimental qualification of the tritium extraction unit (TEU) from the LiPb eutectic alloy (15.7 at. % Li), the breeder material of the water-cooled lithium–lead breeding blanket concept, is one of the fundamental items for the demonstration of tritium balance sustainability for ITER and DEMO fusion reactors. Several technologies have been proposed as TEU, but the selection of the reference technology can be carried out only after the experimental measurement of the tritium extraction efficiency. For this purpose, a dedicated facility, called TRIEX-II, was designed and installed at ENEA Brasimone Research Centre, Italy. The facility is able to qualify gas–liquid contactor (GLC), permeator against vacuum and liquid-vacuum contactor technologies at different temperatures, lithium–lead mass flow rates and hydrogen isotopes concentrations. In TRIEX-II, the hydrogen or deuterium, used to simulate tritium, are solubilised inside the LiPb with a dedicated saturator and are then extracted from the liquid metal in the GLC mock-up, which uses pure helium or a mixture constituted by helium and hydrogen as stripping gas and works in the temperature range between 300 and 500 °C.
How smart should a forager be?
Authors: Bhat U , Redner S
Published: March 2022

We introduce an idealized model of an intelligent forager in which higher intelligence corresponds to a larger spatial range over which the forager can detect food. Such a forager diffuses randomly whenever the nearest food is more distant than the forager’s detection range, R, and moves ballistically towards the nearest food that is inside its detection range. Concomitantly, the forager’s metabolic energy cost per step is an increasing function of its intelligence. A dumb forager wanders randomly and may miss nearby food, thus making it susceptible to starvation. Conversely, a too-smart forager incurs a large metabolic cost per step during its search for food and is again susceptible to starvation. We show that the forager’s lifetime is maximized at an optimal, intermediate level of intelligence.
Use of recyclable materials in the circular economy
Authors: Fodor V A , Heput T , Fodor E
Published: March 2022

The waste of a certain industry can be the raw material for another industry. As any material can become an explosive if we match them with the suitable complementary elements and the perfect detonator for these, also any waste can be useful for the circular economy. In this paperwork there will be introduced some methods through any kind of material can be reused. The impact of recycling on the environment would be positive, because nothing would be lost, everything would be transformed. The results obtained from laboratory tests on the processing of powdery ferrous waste for the purpose of obtaining lighters usable as raw material in the steel industry shall be presented. The processing and recovery of such waste leads to the recovery of iron.
Study and thermal analysis of vanes shape design for brake disc in automotive industry
Authors: Preda C , Bleotu R M , Pinca-Bretotean C
Published: March 2022

Braking system is one of the most important component for any vehicle, it convert the kinetic and potential energy of the vehicle into heat, which allow the vehicle to stop. During braking operation, disc and its components it has to experience fast change in temperatures, the heat absorbed and dissipated must be effective, to maintain a high performance of the braking system. That’s why brake disc cooling is an important area of research for top manufacturers which needs high performances for the cars, and vented discs are the most important piece, being used as these are considered to have high heat-dissipating characteristics. The aim of this paper was to create a design for the most efficient ventilation of the brake disc, by creating ventilation holes inside it. Because in the automotive industry, a thermal shield is often used for the braking system, this paper also consider the case with it assembled and without it, and it has a significant influence on the temperature of the braking system when assembled. For each design variant created, a semi-metallic material was used, for the beginning, following that for the most efficient variant, from a thermal point of view, the ceramic material was chosen. Considering the initial case, each brake disc is made of semi-metallic material, then for the best variant was adopted a ceramic material. The improved material properties combined with the optimal vent design lead to a significant temperature values decrease which was the main objective of the paper
Quality of continuous cast steel products used in automotive industry
Authors: Poenaru I O , Socalici A , Budiul Berghian A , Birtok Băneasă C
Published: March 2022

The process of removing non-metallic inclusions from the liquid steel is proceeding mainly during their forming and growth the main objective is increasing the speed of removing this inclusions. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of non-metallic inclusions from cast steel lead to determine their origin and nature. This paper presents the research and results regarding the influence of non-metallic inclusions reflected on quality of continuous cast steel products used in manufacturing of hydraulic cylinders from automotive industry.
High-accuracy 4D particle trackers with resistive silicon detectors (AC-LGADs)
Authors: Arcidiacono R. , Cartiglia N. , Ferrero M. , Mandurrino M. , Menzio L. , Siviero F. , Sola V. , Tornago M.
Published: March 2022

Future particle trackers will have to measure concurrently position and time with unprecedented accuracy, aiming at ∼5 μm and a few 10s ps resolution respectively. A promising good candidate for such a task are the resistive AC-LGADs, solid state silicon sensors of novel design, characterized by an internal moderate gain and an AC-coupled resistive read-out to achieve signal sharing among pads. The sensor design leads to a drastic reduction in the number of read-out channels, has an intrinsic 100% fill factor, and adapts easily to any read-out geometry. This report describes the design challenges, the signal formation and recent test results obtained with the first prototypes. A part is also dedicated to the reconstruction techniques that exploit the distributed nature of the signal, including machine learning. An outlook to a future development for optimized read-out electrodes and electronics is also presented.
Quantifying synergies and trade-offs in the global water-land-food-climate nexus using a multi-model scenario approach
Authors: Doelman Jonathan C , Beier Felicitas D , Stehfest Elke , Bodirsky Benjamin L , Beusen Arthur H W , Humpenöder Florian , Mishra Abhijeet , Popp Alexander , van Vuuren Detlef P , de Vos Lotte , Weindl Isabelle , van Zeist Willem-Jan , Kram Tom
Published: March 2022

The human-earth system is confronted with the challenge of providing a range of resources for a growing and more prosperous world population while simultaneously reducing environmental degradation. The sustainable development goals and the planetary boundaries define targets to manage this challenge. Many of these are linked to the land system, such as biodiversity, water, food, nutrients and climate, and are strongly interconnected. A key question is how measures can be designed in the context of multi-dimensional sustainability targets to exploit synergies. To address this, a nexus approach is adopted that acknowledges the interconnectedness between the important sub-systems water, land, food, and climate. This study quantifies synergies and trade-offs from ambitious interventions in different components of this water-land-fod-climate nexus at the global scale. For this purpose, a set of six harmonized scenarios is simulated with the MAgPIE and IMAGE models. The multi-model approach improves robustness of the results while shedding light on variations coming from different modelling approaches. Our results show that measures in the food component towards healthy diets with low meat consumption have synergies with all other nexus dimensions: Increased natural land improving terrestrial biodiversity (+4% to +8%), lower greenhouse gas emissions from land (−45% to −58%), reduced irrigation water withdrawals to protect or restore hydrological environmental flows (−3% to −24%), and reductions in nitrogen surpluses (−23% to −35%). Climate mitigation measures in line with the Paris Agreement have trade-offs with the water and food components of the nexus, as they adversely affect irrigation water withdrawals (+5% to +30% in 2050 compared to reference scenario) and food prices (+1% to +20%). The analysis of a scenario combining all measures reveals how certain measures are in conflict while others reinforce each other. This study provides an example of a nexus approach to scenario analysis providing input to the next generation of pathways aiming to achieve multiple dimensions of sustainable development.
Bundling regions for promoting Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Wu Xutong , Liu Jianguo , Fu Bojie , Wang Shuai , Wei Yongping , Li Yingjie
Published: March 2022

The needs and capacities to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) differ across regions and nations, but little research has been done to investigate their similarities and differences. Here, we proposed using SDG bundles (i.e. groups of regions with similar performances on all individual SDGs) to classify regions when assessing SDG progress and applied the method at the provincial level in China from 2000 to 2015. Five SDG bundles with distinct characteristics were identified. The dominant bundles changed from ‘poor performance for all SDGs’ in 2000 to ‘high scores for environmental and some social SDGs and intermediate scores for others’ and ‘low scores for environmental SDGs but high scores for others’ in 2015, indicating the overall improvement of China’s sustainable development level. However, no bundle had relatively high scores in all SDGs, implying that China has much work left to do. Changes in the SDG bundles across space and time were related to regional socioeconomic development, climate, and geographic conditions. This study sheds light on identifying regions’ strengths and weaknesses in achieving all SDGs, which can inform targeted sustainability actions for regions within certain SDG bundles and promote collaborations among regions with different bundles.
Numerical Investigation on Motion Responses of Floating Structures by Application of Swarm Intelligence
Authors: Abdullah S F
Published: March 2022

In presence of complex-hydrodynamic interaction between water waves and floating structures, a reliable method that can analyse nonlinear structural properties is necessarily required. This paper presents a numerical investigation of the moored floating structures by application of swarm intelligence (SI). Here, a hybrid particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm with various swarm parameters are proposed to solve systems of sparse-nonlinear equations for the surge, heave, and pitch motion responses by considering distorted wave motion. In addition, a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) programme is developed using Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver. Various wave parameters including a set of optimization criteria have been taken into account in a complete optimization simulation, where the optimum solutions are then selected at each numerical iteration. Meanwhile, the computed results of surge, heave, and pitch motions will be qualitatively validated, in which they are then visualized using CFD approach. The results show that the integrated SI-CFD model can simulate fairly well on hydrodynamics of floating structures with reasonable computational efficiency. Harnessing computational intelligence into a novel design concept of floating structures can serve as useful engineering decision-making tool.
Incorporating Environmentally-Responsive EFL Pedagogy in English-as-a-Foreign Language Classrooms: Paving the Way for Global Impact
Authors: Jung C D , Dos Santos L M
Published: March 2022

The current rate of unprecedented global environmental degradation demonstrates that there is an urgent need to more strongly integrate Environmental Education in educational institutions around the world. For almost 40 years, Environmental Education has been implemented in various forms and depths in classrooms worldwide. English-as-a-Foreign Language classrooms in particular are becoming increasingly used as the medium for teaching environmental and sustainable education. However, the increase in global environmental degradation over the decades is evidence that current approaches in teaching environmental science and sustainability concepts is heavily insufficient. Part of the reason seems to be that many language teachers struggle to find the most effective ways to integrate Environmental Education concepts with improving students’ language proficiency skills. Thus, there is a need for a practical framework to guide teachers for effective implementation of environmental and sustainability concepts in the English-as-a-Foreign Language classroom. In this paper, the historical background and current issues associated with Environmental Education are presented, the benefits of combining Environmental Education with English-as-a-Foreign Language are explained, and a global need for English-as-a-Foreign Language classrooms to adopt an environmentally-responsive pedagogy for practice are discussed.
Influence of laser texturing pre-treatment on HVOF-sprayed WC-10Co-4Cr+GNP coatings on AISI 304
Authors: Kumar Vijay , Verma Rajeev , Chauhan Kundan , Kumar Rakesh
Published: March 2022

High-Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) is one of the most important thermal spraying techniques for protective coating on pristine alloy surfaces by cermet feedstock powders. In the article, grit blasting before HVOF coating is replaced by laser texturing to create specific roughness and deterministic cavities pattern for better mechanical interlocking of deposited WC-10Co-4Cr + 3% Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs) on AISI 304 Steel Substrate. Two geometries; first one is Circular texturing (CT) of diameter (d) 100 μm and pitch (p) 120 μm, second is triangular texturing (TT) of side (s) 100 μm and side to side (ss) distance 120 μm have been used. Various testing measures; like surface roughness, XRD analysis, FESEM image analysis, EDS analysis, lattice strain and residual stress, scratch test, Vickers hardness test on coating and base substrate cross-section, and pin-on-disc test for sliding wear behaviour have been performed. After these coating characterizations, it was found that the lattice strain and residual stress decreases significantly, the micro-hardness of the cross-section improved, the adhesion strength of the coating was enhanced and a low sliding wear rate on the coated surface was observed. Uniform distribution of feedstock powder on the surface but higher porosity on the TT surface showed by FESEM image analysis and a large number of cracks observed during scratch tests at higher load.
Predicting the binding of small molecules to nuclear receptors using machine learning
Authors: Ramaprasad Azhagiya Singam Ettayapuram , Smith Martyn T , McCoy David , Hubbard Alan E , La Merrill Michele A , Durkin Kathleen A
Published: March 2022

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are important biological targets of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Identifying chemicals that can act as EDCs and modulate the function of NRs is difficult because of the time and cost of in vitro and in vivo screening to determine the potential hazards of the 100 000s of chemicals that humans are exposed to. Hence, there is a need for computational approaches to prioritize chemicals for biological testing. Machine learning (ML) techniques are alternative methods that can quickly screen millions of chemicals and identify those that may be an EDC. Computational models of chemical binding to multiple NRs have begun to emerge. Recently, a Nuclear Receptor Activity (NuRA) dataset, describing experimentally derived small-molecule activity against various NRs has been created. We have used the NuRA dataset to develop an ensemble of ML-based models to predict the agonism, antagonism, binding and effector binding of small molecules to nine different human NRs. We defined the applicability domain of the ML models as a measure of Tanimoto similarity to the molecules in the training set, which enhanced the performance of the developed classifiers. We further developed a user-friendly web server named ‘NR-ToxPred’ to predict the binding of chemicals to the nine NRs using the best-performing models for each receptor. This web server is freely accessible at http://nr-toxpred.cchem.berkeley.edu. Users can upload individual chemicals using Simplified Molecular-Input Line-Entry System, CAS numbers or sketch the molecule in the provided space to predict the compound’s activity against the different NRs and predict the binding mode for each.
Defining core patient descriptors for perforated peptic ulcer research: international Delphi
Authors:   PPU CDS collaborators, Lamidi S , Williams K M , Hind D , Peckham-Cooper A , Miller A S , Smith A M , Saha A , Macutkiewicz C , Griffiths E A , Catena F , Coccolini F , Toogood G , Tierney G M , Boyd-Carson H , Sartelli M , Blencowe N S , Lockwood S , Coe P O , Lee M J , Barreto S G , Drake T , Gachabayov M , Hill J , Ioannidis O , Lostoridis E , Mehraj A , Negoi I , Pata F , Steenkamp C , Ahmed S , Alin V , Al-Rashedy M , Atici S D , Bains L , Bandyopadhyay S K , Baraket O , Bates T , Beral D , Brown L , Buonomo L , Burke D , Caravaglios G , Ceresoli M , Chapman S J , Cillara N , Clarke R , Colak E , Daniels S , Demetrashvili Z , Di Carlo I , Duff S , Dziakova J , Elliott J A , El Zalabany T , Engledow A , Ewnte B , Fraga G P , George R , Giuffrida M , Glasbey J , Isik A , Kechagias A , Kenington C , Kessel B , Khokha V , Kong V , Laloë P , Litvin A , Lostoridis E , Marinis A , Martínez-Pérez A , Menzies D , Mills R , Monzon B I , Morgan R , Neri V , Nita G E , Perra T , Perrone G , Porcu A , Poskus T , Premnath S , Sall I , Sarma D R , Slavchev M , Spence G , Tarasconi A , Tolonen M , Toro A , Venn M L , Vimalachandran D , Wheldon L , Zakaria A D
Published: March 2022

Background

Perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) remains a common condition globally with significant morbidity and mortality. Previous work has demonstrated variation in reporting of patient characteristics in PPU studies, making comparison of studies and outcomes difficult. The aim of this study was to standardize the reporting of patient characteristics, by creating a core descriptor set (CDS) of important descriptors that should be consistently reported in PPU research.

Methods

Candidate descriptors were identified through systematic review and stakeholder proposals. An international Delphi exercise involving three survey rounds was undertaken to obtain consensus on key patient characteristics for future research. Participants rated items on a scale of 1–9 with respect to their importance. Items meeting a predetermined threshold (rated 7–9 by over 70 per cent of stakeholders) were included in the final set and ratified at a consensus meeting. Feedback was provided between rounds to allow refinement of ratings.

Results

Some 116 clinicians were recruited from 29 countries. A total of 63 descriptors were longlisted from the literature, and 27 were proposed by stakeholders. After three survey rounds and a consensus meeting, 27 descriptors were included in the CDS. These covered demographic variables and co-morbidities, risk factors for PPU, presentation and pathway factors, need for organ support, biochemical parameters, prognostic tools, perforation details, and surgical history.

Conclusion

This study defines the core descriptive items for PPU research, which will allow more robust synthesis of studies.
Cribriform-type adenocarcinoma of the colorectum: comprehensive molecular analyses of a distinctive histologic subtype of colorectal cancer
Authors: Yamada Shun , Osakabe Mitsumasa , Eizuka Makoto , Hashimoto Mai , Uesugi Noriyuki , Yanagawa Naoki , Otsuka Koki , Suzuki Hiromu , Matsumoto Takayuki , Sugai Tamotsu
Published: March 2022

Colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRA) is characterized by marked heterogeneity and may be composed of an admixture of various histologic patterns, including well-formed gland and cribriform types. Although tumors displaying a prominent or predominant cribriform feature are frequently found in CRA, this type may contain specific histologic variants with a characteristic molecular alteration. We investigated the molecular features of 51 primary CRAs with a predominant cribriform histology using array-based analyses [somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs); mRNA expression]. Mutations (TP53, KRAS, PIK3CA and BRAF) and DNA methylation status were also analyzed. The crypt isolation method was used to obtain isolated tumor glands of each type separately. All patients were classified by their CRA histologic subtype into two groups: well-formed gland and cribriform. Next, we performed cluster analysis to stratify SCNA and mRNA expression patterns between the two subtypes. Two distinctive subgroups were stratified based on patterns of SCNA and mRNA expression and were correlated with each histologic subtype. The cribriform type was characterized by a high frequency of SCNA compared with that of the well-formed gland type and was closely associated with the expression of specific mRNAs. In addition, the frequency of KRAS mutation was significantly higher in the cribriform type than in the well-formed gland type. Finally, there was no difference in DNA methylation status between the two subtypes. Overall, these data suggest that the cribriform type provides important insights into colorectal carcinogenesis, suggesting specific potential histologic implications based on the molecular profile.
Disseminated Aspergillus lentulus Infection in a Heart Transplant Recipient: A Case Report
Authors: Shivasabesan Gowri , Logan Bentley , Brennan Xavier , Lau Cindy , Vaze Anagha , Bennett Michael , Gorrie Natasha , Mirdad Feras , Deveza Ricardo , Koo Chung Mo , McCluskey Peter , Macdonald Peter , Marriott Deborah , Muthiah Kavitha , Dharan Nila P
Published: March 2022

We present the first published case of successfully treated disseminated Aspergillus lentulus infection in a solid organ transplant recipient with invasive pulmonary disease, endophthalmitis, and a cerebral abscess. This case highlights important challenges associated with treating A. lentulus, particularly regarding antifungal resistance and toxicities associated with long-term antifungal therapy.
Offshore, re-shore, re-offshore: what happened to global manufacturing location between 2007 and 2014?
Authors: Gao Xiang , Hewings Geoffrey J D , Yang Cuihong
Published: March 2022

The global manufacturing location is a dynamic result of competing relocation patterns (i.e., offshoring, re-shoring and re-offshoring). This paper proposes a systematic approach to simultaneously measuring the magnitude of those relocation patterns, overcoming the shortcomings of the existing measurements and establishing a data foundation for capturing the process-specific, industry-specific and country-specific features in different relocation patterns. The empirical evidence prior to 2014 confirms that: (i) re-shoring is more likely to be adopted in capital- or technology-intensive manufacturing; (ii) manufacturing production previously offshored to the high-income economies is much more locationally flexible and (iii) re-shoring, especially that in the labour-intensive industries, is more likely to happen with a higher degree of proximity between countries.
Uric acid lowering for slowing CKD progression after the CKD-FIX trial: a solved question or still a dilemma?
Authors: Leoncini Giovanna , Barnini Cecilia , Manco Luca , Nobili Giulia , Dotta Daniele , Penso Martina , Russo Elisa , Cappadona Francesca , Viazzi Francesca , Pontremoli Roberto
Published: March 2022

Hyperuricemia has been associated with several cardiovascular risk factors and is a well-known predictor of kidney disease. In vitro studies as well as animal models highlighted a role for uric acid in the development and progression of haemodynamic and tissue damage at the renal level leading to glomerular and tubulointerstitial abnormalities. Urate-lowering treatment, especially by xanthine oxidase inhibitors, has been proposed in order to improve kidney outcomes. However, recent randomized controlled trials failed to demonstrate a beneficial effect of allopurinol or febuxostat on renal disease, casting doubts on the role of this therapeutical approach to improve nephroprotection. We provide a critical overview of current literature on this topic and offer a possible interpretation of results from recent intervention trials with urate-lowering treatment on renal outcomes.
Prescription patterns of sodium and calcium polystyrene sulfonate in patients with hyperkalemia and chronic kidney disease receiving RAAS inhibitors
Authors: Ren Hongru , Leon Silvia J , Whitlock Reid , Rigatto Claudio , Komenda Paul , Bohm Clara , Collister David , Tangri Navdeep
Published: March 2022

Background

Sodium and calcium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS/CPS) cation-exchange resins have had long-standing clinical use for hyperkalemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, uncertainty exists regarding the real-world usage of SPS/CPS for acute and chronic management of hyperkalemia. We evaluated the prescription patterns of SPS/CPS and their impact on renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitor (RAASi) treatment in patients with CKD Stages G3–G5 after an episode of de novo hyperkalemia.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using population-level administrative databases in Manitoba, Canada, which included adults with CKD and a RAASi prescription who had an episode of de novo hyperkalemia (≥5.5 mmol/L) between January 2007 and December 2017.

Results

A total of 10 009 individuals were included in our study cohort. Among the study population, 4% received an SPS/CPS prescription within 30 days of their hyperkalemia episode. Of those, 22% received a 1-day supply of SPS/CPS and 7% received a prescription for more than 30 days. There were 8145 patients using RAASi at baseline who survived 90 days after their first hyperkalemia episode. Of those, 1447 (18%) discontinued their RAAS inhibitor and 339 (5%) received a prescription of SPS/CPS. Also, the proportion of patients who discontinued their RAASi was similar among those who did and did not receive a prescription of SPS/CPS.

Conclusion

In patients with CKD receiving RAASi therapy, there is a low frequency of SPS/CPS prescription after an episode of hyperkalemia. RAASi discontinuation or downtitration is the most used pharmacologic approach for the management of hyperkalemia, a strategy that deprives patients of the cardiac and renal protective benefits of RAASi. New options for the management of hyperkalemia in this population are needed.
Patient reported data integration for management of Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Authors: Kuhn Benjamin R , Chittoor Geetha , Johns Alicia , Berger Andrea , Justice Anne E
Published: March 2022

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) is an esophageal allergic inflammatory disorder triggered by food proteins. Symptoms of EoE are variable within and between individuals. Presenting symptoms may include dysphagia, food bolus impaction, dyspepsia, or more subtle symptoms such as feeding disorders, regurgitation sensation, or nausea. The development and validation of a pediatric EoE patient self-reported and parent proxy-reported outcome symptom scoring tool was created by Franciosi et al. published in BMJ 2011, titled the Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis Symptom Score (PEESS™ v2.0). To date, its use is largely for research purposes. We propose to evaluate the implementation of the PEESS™ v2.0 in a prospective interventional controlled clinical practice. The study included 620 patients over an 18-month period. Surveys were delivered and administered digitally every month through the MyGeisinger.org Patient Portal. Our analysis demonstrated symptom severity and symptom frequency scores significantly improved over time. However, counter to our hypothesis, patients who completed the PEESS™v2.0 ultimately had higher EoE-related health care utilization of office visits and endoscopies compared with those who did not complete the PEESS™v2.0. This could be related to greater awareness of disease activity and/or increased willingness to seek care. Our study, in the context of mobile health tool and patient-reported outcome trends, represents an opportunity for improved disease monitoring at-home within the field of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases.