bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cross-Laminated Timber: A Survey on Design Methods and Concepts in Practice
Authors: Schenk Martin , Hübner Clara , Cabrero José Manuel
Published: July 2022

Cross laminated timber (CLT) is becoming increasingly popular in timber construction due to its versatility. However, its structural anistropy requires the application of particular concepts and design methods. The article on hand presents the results of a worldwide survey conducted among engineers working with this product. Thus, it presents the current state of knowledge and practice on CLT construction: an overview of the experience of engineers working with CLT design, the commonly used verification methods, and the implementation of the material properties and different required assumptions in the software. An outlook to design problems in complex design situations relevant for multi-storey buildings and potential research fields is indicated additionally. The general picture is quite heterogeneous, with little consensus on the assumptions, design methods or applied tools. A wide repertoire of different approaches based on a large range of literature is found in practice. This is in part the result of the current lack of standardisation and currently incomplete regulations. Future efforts should focus on these two aspects to increase the applicability of CLT globally and strengthen its competitiveness.
Special Issue: Nondestructive Evaluation of Material Surfaces: Theory, Techniques, and Applications
Authors: Paramsamy Kannan Vimalathithan , Barile Claudia
Published: July 2022

Due to the fast-growing industrial world, the demand for characterization tools and techniques has increased equally [...]
The Eurycope producta Sars, 1868 Species Complex (Isopoda, Munnopsidae) at the Transition of the Northern North Atlantic and the Nordic Seas—Including Descriptions of Six New Species and a Key
Authors: Schnurr Sarah M. , Malyutina Marina V. , Brix Saskia
Published: July 2022

Eurycope producta Sars, 1868 is a highly abundant and widely distributed munnopsid species complex within Icelandic waters. The complex differs from all other Eurycope Sars, 1864 species by having a broad and long rostrum with serrated margins, which is subequal in length and width to article 1 of antenna I. Previous molecular evidence to disentangle the E. producta species complex forms the base for the herein-presented taxonomic description of six new species belonging to the genus Eurycope. Additionally, descriptions of specimens of E. producta sensu stricto and E. dahli Svavarsson, 1987, which were included in the analyses, are presented herein for morphological comparison with the new species. The studied species can be divided in two subgroups: (1) E. producta sensu stricto, E. dahli, E. mishkai sp. nov., and E. nikitai sp. nov. and (2) E. gordeyi sp. nov., E. emmae sp. nov., E. jakobi sp. nov., and E. mathiasi sp. nov. Additionally, a key to the eight studied species of the complex is presented.
Implementation Science: Bridging the Gap between Point-of-Care Diagnostics Research and Practice
Authors: Mashamba-Thompson Tivani P.
Published: July 2022

The advent of the novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has fuelled technological innovation and led to the increased research on development and deployment of new diagnostics for use at point-of-care (POC) [...]
Extranodal Biphenotypic Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma of the Popliteal Cavity: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Restivo Giulia A. , Mussolin Lara , D’Angelo Paolo , Zin Angelica , Pigazzi Martina , Carraro Elisa , D’Amore Emanuele S. G. , Pillon Marta , Farruggia Piero
Published: July 2022

Primary soft-tissue lymphoma (PSTL) is a rare extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma, characterized by a mass growing within soft-tissue, which is connective tissue, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle. Here, we describe a case of biphenotypic lymphoblastic lymphoma arising from soft tissue of the popliteal fossa in an 11-year-old boy. A pediatric review about PSTL revealed that anaplastic large cell lymphoma is the most common histological type and a biphenotypic lymphoblastic lymphoma has not yet been reported in childhood. Lymphoma should always be considered in patients presenting with a soft-tissue mass, and a comprehensive immunohistochemical evaluation, including B-cell, T-cell, and myeloid markers, is needed to make a correct diagnosis and establish the most suitable treatment.
Using High-Resolution Ultrasound to Assess Post-Facial Paralysis Synkinesis—Machine Settings and Technical Aspects for Facial Surgeons
Authors: Kehrer Andreas , Ruewe Marc , Platz Batista da Silva Natascha , Lonic Daniel , Heidekrueger Paul Immanuel , Knoedler Samuel , Jung Ernst Michael , Prantl Lukas , Knoedler Leonard
Published: July 2022

Background: Synkinesis of the facial musculature is a detrimental sequalae in post-paralytic facial palsy (PPFP) patients. Detailed knowledge on the technical requirements and device properties in a high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS) examination is mandatory for a reliable facial muscle assessment in PPFP patients. We therefore aimed to outline the key steps in a HRUS examination and extract an optimized workflow schema. Methods: From December 2020 to April 2021, 20 patients with unilateral synkinesis underwent HRUS. All HRUS examinations were performed by the first author using US devices with linear multifrequency transducers of 4–18 MHz, including a LOGIQ E9 and a LOGIQ S7 XDclear (GE Healthcare; Milwaukee, WI, USA), as well as Philips Affinity 50G (Philips Health Systems; Eindhoven, the Netherlands). Results: Higher-frequency and multifrequency linear probes ≥15 MHz provided superior imaging qualities. The selection of the preset program Small Parts, Breast or Thyroid was linked with a more detailed contrast of the imaging morphology of facial tissue layers. Frequency (Frq) = 15 MHz, Gain (Gn) = 25–35 db, Depth (D) = 1–1.5 cm, and Focus (F) = 0.5 cm enhanced the image quality and assessability. Conclusions: An optimized HRUS examination protocol for quantitative and qualitative facial muscle assessments was proposed.
The 8th Wonder of the Cancer World: Esophageal Cancer and Inflammation
Authors: Chela Harleen Kaur , Gangu Karthik , Ertugrul Hamza , Juboori Alhareth Al , Daglilar Ebubekir , Tahan Veysel
Published: July 2022

Esophageal cancer is a devastating malignancy which can be detected at an early stage but is more often diagnosed as an advanced process. It affects both men and women and inflicts the young and the elderly. There are multiple underlying factors involved in the pathogenesis of this cancer including inflammation. The interplay of these factors promotes inflammation through various mechanisms including the recruitment of pro-inflammatory cells, mediators such as cytokines, reactive oxygen species, and interleukins, among others. The presentation can vary widely with one of the most notable symptoms being dysphagia. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptomatology, imaging and endoscopy with biopsy. Once the diagnosis has been established, treatment and prognosis are based on the stage of the disease. This review outlines esophageal cancer and its link to inflammation in relation to pathogenesis, along with clinical features, diagnosis and treatment.
Effects of Nanocrystal Cellulose from Bamboo on the Flexural Strength of Acrylic Resin: In Vitro
Authors: Aupaphong Visakha , Kraiwattanawong Kriangsak , Thanathornwong Bhornsawan
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of nanocrystal cellulose (NCC) from bamboo on the flexural strength of heat-cured acrylic resin. A total of 35 specimens (3.3 mm × 10 mm × 64 mm) were prepared and the specimens were divided into five groups of seven specimens each. Group 1 used conventional acrylic resin that was prepared based on the instructions of the manufacturer (0%). The filled NCC from bamboo fiber in four concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2% w/w) was used in the four-reinforcing resin workpiece groups. The specimens were loaded until failure occurred on a three-point bending test machine. One-way analysis of variance and Dunnett’s multiple comparison test at a 95% confidence level were used to determine the statistical differences in the flexural strength among the five groups. The results found that the average flexural strength of five specimen groups (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2% w/w) were 60.11 ± 2.4, 60.75 ± 2.18, 66.50 ± 5.08, 56.04 ± 0.31, and 48.05 ± 2.61 MPa, respectively. The flexural strength of 0.5 mg% w/w NCC-reinforced acrylic resin was significantly higher than the control group (p < 0.01). The reinforced NCC from bamboo fiber to acrylic resin improved the flexural strength properties.
Stability Derivatives of Various Lighter-than-Air Vehicles: A CFD-Based Comparative Study
Authors: Sasidharan Anoop , Velamati Ratna Kishore , Janardhanan Sheeja , Oruganti Venkata Ramana Murthy , Mohammad Akram
Published: July 2022

An aerostat with a single tether is proposed for the application of wind measurements at low altitudes. In the current study, the aerodynamic model parameters (stability derivatives) of the aerostat are investigated based on a CFD-based approach. The static, as well as the dynamic stability derivatives of the aerostats are presented. The calculation of the dynamic stability derivatives involves the simulation of the oscillations of the aerostats in their axial direction (surge), the vertical direction (heave) and angular motions with respect to the lateral direction (pitch). A forced sinusoidal oscillation is used for the simulation of the aerostat, and one stable period of oscillation is taken for the derivatives’ extraction. Four different aerostats are considered for the current study with four different angles of attack. The Zhiyuan aerostat, HAA aerostat, NPL aerostat and GNVR aerostat are the aerostats considered for this study. The stability derivative results obtained for the four aerostats are analyzed and compared with respect to their geometrical features. From the static aerodynamic characteristics, the Zhiyuan aerostat shows better performance than the other aerostats in terms of the lift–drag ratio. The dynamic stability derivatives of the Zhiyuan aerostat suggest its application as the proposed low-altitude wind measurement system.
A DDQN Path Planning Algorithm Based on Experience Classification and Multi Steps for Mobile Robots
Authors: Zhang Xin , Shi Xiaoxu , Zhang Zuqiong , Wang Zhengzhong , Zhang Lieping
Published: July 2022

Constrained by the numbers of action space and state space, Q-learning cannot be applied to continuous state space. Targeting this problem, the double deep Q network (DDQN) algorithm and the corresponding improvement methods were explored. First of all, to improve the accuracy of the DDNQ algorithm in estimating the target Q value in the training process, a multi-step guided strategy was introduced into the traditional DDQN algorithm, for which the single-step reward was replaced with the reward obtained in continuous multi-step interactions of mobile robots. Furthermore, an experience classification training method was introduced into the traditional DDQN algorithm, for which the state transition generated by the mobile robot–environment interaction was divided into two different types of experience pools, and experience pools were trained by the Q network, and the sampling proportions of the two experience pools were updated through the training loss. Afterward, the advantages of a multi-step guided DDQN (MS-DDQN) algorithm and experience classification DDQN (EC-DDQN) algorithm were combined to develop a novel experience classification multi-step DDQN (ECMS-DDQN) algorithm. Finally, the path planning of these four algorithms, including DDQN, MS-DDQN, EC-DDQN, and ECMS-DDQN, was simulated on the OpenAI Gym platform. The simulation results revealed that the ECMS-DDQN algorithm outperforms the other three in the total return value and generalization in path planning.
Design and Optimization of Miniaturized Microstrip Patch Antennas Using a Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Boudjerda Mounir , Reddaf Abdelmalek , Kacha Abdellah , Hamdi-Cherif Khaled , Alharbi Turki E. A. , Alzaidi Mohammed S. , Alsharef Mohammad , Ghoneim Sherif S. M.
Published: July 2022

The main objective of this work is to propose an approach for improving the performance of miniaturized microstrip patch antennas (MPAs) that are loaded with a thin film consisting of a high relative permittivity material. The method uses a thin film to decrease the antenna’s resonance frequency while keeping the antenna’s patch dimensions. For the enhancement of the antenna’s performance with a thin film, the dimensions of the patch of the designed antenna are optimized utilizing genetic algorithms (GAs). The resonance frequency of the microstrip patch antenna was changed from 5.8 GHz to 4.0 GHz, and the area of the proposed antenna was minimized by around 60%, especially in comparison to a conventional antenna alone without thin film. Most of the performances of the proposed antenna such as the return loss, bandwidth, and voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) were improved.
RETRACTED: Convolutional Neural Networks in Process Mining and Data Analytics for Prediction Accuracy
Authors: Obodoekwe Ekene , Fang Xianwen , Lu Ke
Published: July 2022

For the reliable prediction and analysis of large amounts of data, big data analytics may be applied in many disciplines. They facilitate the discovery of important information in large amounts of data that would otherwise be obscured. Almost all organizations stored their data in the cloud as event logs over the last few decades. These data can be utilized to extract useful information, which can be used to boost an organization’s productivity and effectiveness by identifying, monitoring, and optimizing its processes. Supporting operations, recognizing faults in running processes, predicting event length, and predicting the next activity are all ways of accomplishing this. As part of our strategy, we provide a data collection and machine learning technique. Process mining can help you achieve these objectives. The major enabler of data-driven approaches in process mining is predictive process monitoring. Deep learning has been used in the realm of predictive monitoring to provide accurate future activity predictions in a running trace by analyzing data from previous events. Using image-based data engineering and convolutional neural networks, the next activity in a business process has been forecast in this paper (CNN). The use of CNN in process mining and data analytics guarantees that the proposed system has high accuracy in predicting the next activity in a business process. The experimental evaluation shows that the proposed CNN algorithm is faster at training and inference than the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) approach, even when the process has longer traces.
Computational Resources Allocation and Vehicular Application Offloading in VEC Networks
Authors: Gu Fan , Yang Xiaoying , Li Xianwei , Deng Haiquan
Published: July 2022

With the advances in wireless communications and the Internet of Things (IoT), various vehicular applications such as image-aided navigation and autonomous driving are emerging. These vehicular applications require a significant number of computation resources and a lower processing delay. However, these resource-limited and power-constrained vehicles may not meet the requirements of processing these vehicular applications. By offloading these vehicular applications to the edge cloud, vehicular edge computing (VEC) is deemed a novel paradigm for improving vehicular performance. However, how to optimize the allocation of computation resources of both vehicles and VEC servers to reduce the energy and delay is a challenging issue when deploying the VEC systems. In this article, we try to address this issue and propose a vehicular application offloading and computational resources allocation strategy. We formulate an optimization problem and present an efficient offloading scheme for vehicular applications. Extensive simulation results are offered to analyze the performances of the proposed scheme. In comparison with the benchmark schemes, the proposed scheme can outperform them in terms of computation cost.
Investigation of Achieving Ultrasonic Haptic Feedback Using Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer
Authors: Liu Ya-Han , Su Hsin-Yi , Lin Hsiao-Chi , Li Chih-Ying , Wang Yeong-Her , Huang Chih-Hsien
Published: July 2022

Ultrasound haptics is a contactless tactile feedback method that creates a tactile sensation by focusing high-intensity ultrasound on human skin. Although air-coupled ultrasound transducers have been applied to commercial products, the existing models are too bulky to be integrated into consumer electronics. Therefore, this study proposes a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) with a small size and low power consumption to replace traditional transducers. The proposed pMUT has a resonance frequency of 40 kHz and a radius designed through the circular plate model and finite element model. To achieve better performance, lead zirconate titanate was selected as the piezoelectric layer and fabricated via RF sputtering. The cavity of the pMUT was formed by releasing a circular membrane with deep reactive ion etching. The resonance frequency of the pMUT was 32.9 kHz, which was close to the simulation result. The acoustic pressure of a single pMUT was 0.227 Pa at 70 Vpp. This study has successfully demonstrated a pMUT platform, including the optimized design procedures, characterization techniques, and fabrication process, as well as showing the potential of pMUT arrays for ultrasound haptics applications.
Exploring Natural Fermented Foods as a Source for New Efficient Thermotolerant Yeasts for the Production of Second-Generation Bioethanol
Authors: Aouine Mouna , Elalami Doha , Koraichi Saad Ibnsouda , Haggoud Abdellatif , Barakat Abdellatif
Published: July 2022

Considering the cost-effectiveness of bioethanol production at high temperatures, there is an enduring need to find new thermotolerant ethanologenic yeasts. In this study, a total of eighteen thermotolerant yeasts were isolated from various natural fermented products in Morocco. Ethanol production using 50 g/L glucose or 50 g/L xylose as the sole carbon source revealed potential yeasts with high productivities and volumetric ethanol productivities at high temperatures. Based on molecular identification, the selected thermotolerant fermentative isolates were affiliated with Pichia kudriavzevii, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Kluyveromyces sp. During the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass at a high temperature (42 °C), the designated yeast P. kudriavzevii YSR7 produced an ethanol concentration of 22.36 g/L, 18.2 g/L and 6.34 g/L from 100 g/L barley straw (BS), chickpea straw (CS), and olive tree pruning (OTP), respectively. It also exhibited multi-stress tolerance, such as ethanol, acetic acid, and osmotic tolerance. Therefore, the yeast P. kudriavzevii YSR7 showed promising attributes for biorefinery-scale ethanol production in the future.
Socio-Economic Resilience of Poland’s Lignite Regions
Authors: Dmochowska-Dudek Karolina , Wójcik Marcin
Published: July 2022

The article is seeking to analyse the coal transition in three Polish lignite regions as part of the scientific discussion on a just transition, which is a big challenge, especially in the regions and countries dependent on their own coal deposits as the main source of energy. Polish lignite mines are now entering the phase-out of coal, which results from implementing the assumptions of the Green Deal and the Paris climate agreement. The article answers the following question: what is the socio-economic resilience of coal regions in the context of the projected closure of mines in the coming years? The empirical analyses are based on secondary statistical data. The analysis and comparison of basic statistical data, i.e., the level of employment and lignite extraction in three lignite regions in the period from the end of the Second World War to 2017, allowed the authors to determine the phases of the adaptive cycle in which the individual regions are. In the second part of the study, the indicator evaluation method was used in order to calculate the Socio-Economic Resilience Index for individual areas (poviats) included in the coal regions, which made it possible to assess the current resilience and its intra-regional differentiation. The obtained results, which indicate that the regions under analysis are in different phases of the adaptive cycle and reveal their territorial heterogeneity, allow us to assume that the possibilities of a just energy transition of regions depend on the diversity of local conditions and resources, emphasising at the same time the territorial dimension of the issue of the energy transition.
Integration of Thermal and RGB Data Obtained by Means of a Drone for Interdisciplinary Inventory
Authors: Paziewska Joanna , Rzonca Antoni
Published: July 2022

Thermal infrared imagery is very much gaining in importance in the diagnosis of energy losses in cultural heritage through non-destructive measurement methods. Hence, owing to the fact that it is a very innovative and, above all, safe solution, it is possible to determine the condition of the building, locate places exposed to thermal escape, and plan actions to improve the condition of the facility. The presented work is devoted to the technology of creating a dense point cloud and a 3D model, based on data obtained from UAV. It has been shown that it is possible to build a 3D point model based on thermograms with the specified accuracy by using thermal measurement marks and the dense matching method. The results achieved in this way were compared and, as the result of this work, the model obtained from color photos was integrated with the point cloud created on the basis of the thermal images. The discussed approach exploits measurement data obtained with three independent devices (tools/appliances): a Matrice 300 RTK drone (courtesy of NaviGate); a Phantom 4 PRO drone; and a KT-165 thermal imaging camera. A stone church located in the southern part of Poland was chosen as the measuring object.
Exergy Efficiency and COP Improvement of a CO2 Transcritical Heat Pump System by Replacing an Expansion Valve with a Tesla Turbine
Authors: Aghagoli Abbas , Sorin Mikhail , Khennich Mohammed
Published: July 2022

The heat pump system has been widely used in residential and commercial applications due to its attractive advantages of high energy efficiency, reliability, and environmental impact. The massive exergy loss during the isenthalpic process in the expansion valve is a major drawback of the heat pump system. Therefore, the Tesla turbine exergy analysis in terms of transiting exergy efficiency is investigated and integrated with the transcritical heat pump system. The aim is to investigate the factors that reduce exergy losses and increase the coefficient of performance and exergy efficiency. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, a three-dimensional numerical analysis of the supercritical CO2 flow simulation in the Tesla turbine in three different geometries is carried out. Second, the effect of the Tesla turbine on the coefficient of performance and exergy efficiency of the heat pump system is investigated. The effect of the rotor speed and disk spacing on the Tesla turbine power, exergy loss, and transiting exergy efficiency is investigated. The results showed that at a lower disk spacing, the turbine produces higher specific power and transiting exergy efficiency. In addition, the coefficient of performance (COP) and exergy efficiency improvement in the heat pump system combined with the Tesla turbine are 9.8% and 28.9% higher than in the conventional transcritical heat pump system, respectively.
Indoor Air Quality in Elderly Centers: Pollutants Emission and Health Effects
Authors: Mata Teresa M. , Felgueiras Fátima , Martins António A. , Monteiro Helena , Ferraz Maria Pia , Oliveira Gisela M. , Gabriel Marta Fonseca , Silva Gabriela Ventura
Published: July 2022

The world population is ageing, in particular in the developed world, with a significant increase in the percentage of people above 60 years old. They represent a segment of the population that is more vulnerable to adverse environmental conditions. Among them, indoor air quality is one of the most relevant, as elders spend comparatively more time indoors than younger generations. Furthermore, the recent COVID-19 pandemic contributed immensely to raising awareness of the importance of breathing air quality for human health and of the fact that indoor air is a vector for airborne infections and poisoning. Hence, this work reviews the state of the art regarding indoor air quality in elderly centers, considering the type of pollutants involved, their emission sources, and their health effects. Moreover, the influence of ventilation on air quality is also addressed. Notwithstanding the potential health problems with the corresponding costs and morbidity effects, only a few studies have considered explicitly indoor air quality and its impacts on elderly health. More studies are, therefore, necessary to objectively identify what are the impacts on the health of elderly people due to the quality of indoor air and how it can be improved, either by reducing the pollutants emission sources or by more adequate ventilation and thermal comfort strategies.
Thermographic Observation and Hydrodynamic Patterns of Inclined Ethanol Droplet Train Impingement on a Non-Uniformly Heated Glass Surface
Authors: Kanbur Baris Burak , Heng Sheng Quan , Duan Fei
Published: July 2022

Droplet train impingement is a fundamental approach to mimic the complicated interactions between the fluid and the substrate in advanced thermal engineering applications in industry. Differently from previous studies, the main original contribution of this study is to perform an inclined droplet train impingement on a non-uniformly heated surface. Ethanol was used as the liquid for droplet train impingement applications, while glass substrate was selected as the target surface. The inclined flow angle was 63 degrees. Both optical and thermographic observations were performed on the target surface by focusing on the droplet impact area. Three experimental sets were created with the Weber numbers 667.57, 841.90, and 998.01. A surface temperature range was selected between 85.00 °C and 200.00 °C, which was above the boiling point of the ethanol. The maximum spreading length was measured at 0.97 mm at the surface temperature of 82.00 °C for the experiment with the Weber number of 998.01, whilst the minimum spreading length was found at 0.18 mm at the highest surface temperature for the experiment with the Weber number of 667.57. A uniform splashing direction was observed above 170.00 °C for all experiments, which meant that the sign of the transition regime appeared.
Calcium and Iron Content of Cereal-Based Gluten-Free Products
Authors: Jeanes Yvonne , Spitale Ambra , Nicolini Giorgia , Bergmann Voulla , Fagbemi Lorretta , Rasheid Rawan , Hovland Camilla , Costabile Adele
Published: July 2022

The impact of a gluten-free (GF) diet on the intake of calcium and iron is broadly unknown, as the micronutrient content of GF cereal-based products has scarcely been measured. The study aimed to measure the calcium and iron content of GF cereal-based products from the UK. Seventy-three GF products were analysed. A laboratory analysis of calcium and iron from GF food samples was performed by spectrophotometric and flame emission photometry, respectively. The values for wheat-based products were from a nutrient database. The calcium in GF white loaf samples varied greatly from 54 to 140 mg/100 g, with a lower average calcium content compared with wheat-based values (99 ± 29 mg/100 g n = 13 versus 177 mg/100 g; p < 0.01). Only 27% of the white loaves and rolls were fortified with calcium; this contrasts with 100% of white wheat-based loaves. The calcium in GF flour mixes ranged from 54 to 414 mg/100 g, with 66% fortified. GF white pasta had more calcium compared with wheat-based pasta (76 ± 27 mg/100 g n = 7 versus 24 mg/100 g; p = 0.002). The iron in GF bread loaves and pasta samples was similar to wheat-based comparators, whereas lower iron levels were observed in GF wraps (0.8 ± 0.2 n = 11 versus 1.6 mg/100 g). GF bread had a significantly higher fibre content, and the majority of GF bread had a lower protein content, compared with wheat-based bread products. These calcium and iron values provide a valuable addition towards enabling more accurate nutrient intake analysis for adults and children with coeliac disease.
Structural and Rheological Properties of Yanang Gum (Tiliacora triandra)
Authors: Singthong Jittra , Oonsivilai Ratchadaporn
Published: July 2022

Plant polysaccharides are used in the food industry to improve the texture and stability of food. The viscosity of polysaccharides, which includes both thickening and gelling, is an important characteristic. Yanang, Tilaicora triandra (Colebr.) Diels., composed of polysaccharide gum in its leaves. In this research, Yanang gum’s structural and rheological properties were investigated. The gum’s structure is xylan, with a backbone made up mostly of mixed (1,3)- and (1,4)-D-xylan. The average molecular weight of Yanang gum is 3819 kDa, with a gyration radius of 120.4 nm and an intrinsic viscosity of 14.6 dL/g. The power-law model was found to be the best fit for Yanang gum flow curves. The consistency coefficient, k, increases significantly with concentration in both the forward and the reverse measurements, whereas the flow behavior index, n, decreased as concentration increased. Yanang gum exhibited shear-thinning flow behavior. Increasing the concentration results in heightened G′ and G″, and the cross-over point shifts toward lower frequencies. The results of this study show that Yanang gum may be beneficial as other natural gums for food products.
Recent Developments in the Applications of Fingerprinting Technology in the Food Field
Authors: Câmara José S. , Medina Sonia , Perestrelo Rosa
Published: July 2022

In recent years, the concerns and demands by consumers for the high quality and safety for natural and processed plant-based and animal foods has increased significantly [...]
Effect of Deacidification Treatment on the Flavor Quality of Zaosu Pear–Kiwifruit Wine
Authors: Yang Xueshan , Song Xinyuan , Yang Liu , Zhao Jie , Zhu Xia
Published: July 2022

Conventional pear–kiwifruit wine has a bland flavor and sour taste, because of excessive l-malic acid content and, consequently, little consumer appeal. An Oenococcus oeni strain, GF-2, has good malolactic fermentation (MLF) performance and high glucosidase activity. Through a Box–Behnken design, the optimum MLF parameters for deacidification by GF-2 were determined: initial pH of 3.4, 5% v/v inoculation, and temperature of 20 °C, which reduced the malic acid content by 98.3%. The changes in the content of organic acids, polyphenols, and aromatic compounds after MLF were compared with chemical deacidification. MLF significantly decreased the total concentration of organic acids by 29.7% and promoted the accumulation of aromatic esters, higher alcohols, and terpenoids, but chemical deacidification markedly decreased aromatic compound content by 59.8%. MLF wine achieved the highest sensory scores for aroma, taste, and overall acceptability. Therefore, MLF with O. oeni GF-2 has great potential to markedly improve the quality of commercial pear–kiwifruit wine.
International Spread of Tet(X4)-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates
Authors: Zhang Zengfeng , Zhan Zeqiang , Shi Chunlei
Published: July 2022

Tigecycline resistance in bacteria has become a significant threat to food safety and public health, where the development of which is attributed to plasmid-mediated tet(X4) genes. In this study, the genomes of 613 tet(X4)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates, available from public databases, are evaluated to determine their international prevalence and molecular characterization. These E. coli isolates have been disseminated in 12 countries across Asia and Europe. It was found that pigs and their products (n = 162) were the most common vehicle, followed by humans (n = 122), chickens (n = 60), and the environment (n = 49). Carbapenems-resistant genes blaNDM-5 (1.3%) and blaNDM-1 (0.2%) were identified, as well as colistin-resistant genes mcr-1.1 (12.6%) and mcr-3.1 (0.5%). It was noted that the tigecycline-resistant gene cluster tmexC-tmexD-toprJ1 was identified in seven (1.1%) isolates. Phylogenomic results indicated that tet(X4)-producing E. coli isolates fell into seven lineages (lineages I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII), and international spread mainly occurred in Asian countries, especially China, Pakistan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Four forms of tet(X4) transposon units were found, including the I-type (IS26-tet(X4)-ISCR2), II-type (ΔIS1R-tet(X4)-ISCR2), III-type (ISCR2-tet(X4)-ISCR2), and IV-type (ISCR2-tet(X4)-ΔISCR2). These findings underline further challenges for the spread of E. coli bearing tet(X4) gene.
Detection of Gluten in Gluten-Free Foods of Plant Origin
Authors: Výrostková Jana , Regecová Ivana , Zigo František , Marcinčák Slavomír , Kožárová Ivona , Kováčová Mariana , Bertová Daniela
Published: July 2022

The work deals with the issue of standardization and more accurate methodology for the isolation of gluten DNA in gluten-free products of plant origin, which is more demanding due to the more complex structure of plant cells. Three isolation methods were compared, of which the combination of glass and zirconium beads, Proteinase K and a commercially produced isolation kit was confirmed to be the most effective procedure. The given isolation procedure was more effective in one-component gluten-free foods, where the concentration of the obtained DNA ranged from 80.4 ± 0.7 to 99.0 ± 0.0 ng/µL. The subsequent PCR reaction revealed the presence of gluten not only in guaranteed gluten-free products (40%), but also in naturally gluten-free foods (50%). These were mainly gluten-free sponge cakes, gluten-free biscuits “Cranberries”, cocoa powder, coffee “3in1”, and instant coffee.
Influence of an Extreme Saharan Dust Event on the Air Quality of the West Region of Portugal
Authors: Gomes João , Esteves Helder , Rente Luis
Published: July 2022

This paper describes how an extreme Saharan dust event that took place in March 2022 affected the Iberian Peninsula and was noticed not only by the outdoor air quality monitoring stations measuring PM2.5 and PM10 but also by indoor air monitoring systems in Fatima, central Portugal. The observed particulate matter concentrations clearly show the influence that such an event has on the indoor air quality inside buildings and that the magnitude of that influence is also dependent on the specific characteristics of the buildings, mainly the ventilation conditions, as should be expected. Therefore, this study alerts us to the necessity of integrating indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring systems to achieve automated air conditioning systems capable of efficiently controlling both temperature and air cleanliness.
The Role of the Sol-Gel Synthesis Process in the Biomedical Field and Its Use to Enhance the Performance of Bioabsorbable Magnesium Implants
Authors: Fernández-Hernán Juan Pablo , Torres Belén , López Antonio Julio , Rams Joaquín
Published: July 2022

In the present day, the increment in life expectancy has led to the necessity of developing new biomaterials for the restoration or substitution of damaged organs that have lost their functionalities. Among all the research about biomaterials, this review paper aimed to expose the main possibilities that the sol-gel synthesis method can provide for the fabrication of materials with interest in the biomedical field, more specifically, when this synthesis method is used to improve the biological properties of different magnesium alloys used as biomaterials. The sol-gel method has been widely studied and used to generate ceramic materials for a wide range of purposes during the last fifty years. Focused on biomedical research, the sol-gel synthesis method allows the generation of different kinds of biomaterials with diverse morphologies and a high potential for the biocompatibility improvement of a wide range of materials commonly used in the biomedical field such as metallic implants, as well as for the generation of drug delivery systems or interesting biomaterials for new tissue engineering therapies.
Jus Sanguinis, “Effective Nationality” and Exclusion: Analysing Citizenship Deprivation in the UK
Authors: McGuire Kim
Published: July 2022

This article will analyse the use of genealogy in the context of race, place, and justice via the concepts of nationality/citizenship and cultural/national identity, including “imagined communities”. Analysis is undertaken through the legal concept of “jus sanguinis” and simultaneous differing interpretations of “citizen”, including the concept of “effective nationality”. The latter incorporates the Nottebohm principle “shared sentiments and interests” and is particularly relevant in “security situations. This article argues that “effective nationality” is indicative of the Anderson’s famous landmark study of nationalism, “Imagined Communities”. The legal concept of jus sanguinis draws upon genealogy: “A line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor”. However, the imagined communities to which someone perceives they belong, through ancestral lineage, or cultural, political or religious affinity are often highly contested cultural notions, not least in times of political unrest. This article will focus on the UK and show how liberal policies and criteria initially aimed at the expansion of citizenship have, in the 21st century, similarly enabled exclusion. However, I argue that the current exclusion process is the simultaneous use of jus sanguinis and cultural interpretations of “effective nationality” when applied to those who supported proscribed groups, for example ISIS in Syria. This paper uses legislation, media comment, and the legal case studies of Nottebohm and Shamima Begum.
Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics (LAIs) Prescribing Trends during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Romania
Authors: Miron Ana A. , Ifteni Petru I. , Teodorescu Andreea , Petric Paula S.
Published: July 2022

Long acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) are considered the ideal treatment for schizophrenia, especially for young patients with high rates of non-adherence. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, it has been reported that the administration of LAIs decreased in some areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the initiation of LAIs. This is a retrospective mirror- image study covering a total period of 24 months: 12 months before and 12 months after the declaration of COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020. During the study period, out of 218 patients admitted with schizophrenia, only 15 (1.3%) received LAIs at discharge. There was a 48.3% reduction in LAIs initiation compared to the pre-pandemic period (29 LAIs initiations in 2019 from 224 admissions). Despite the 27% reduction in the total number of admissions (1500 in 2019 vs. 1100 in 2020), the number of admissions with schizophrenia remained almost the same (224 in 2019 vs. 218 in 2020). COVID-19 pandemic brought an important challenge in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia, especially in the initiation of LAIs. This could have an important impact on the relapse rate in the next period.
Comparison of Response to Rituximab Therapy in Adults with Refractory Symptomatic Immune Thrombocytopenia According to the Presence of Accessory Spleen
Authors: Hindilerden Fehmi , Yonal-Hindilerden Ipek , Yenerel Mustafa Nuri , Nalcaci Meliha , Diz-Kucukkaya Reyhan
Published: July 2022

No data exist for the association between the presence of accessory spleen after splenectomy and response to rituximab in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). We investigated the relationship between accessory spleen presence and rituximab response in splenectomized ITP patients. Fifteen chronic refractory ITP patients were included. Four weekly doses of rituximab 375 mg/m2 were administered. All patients had undergone splenectomy before rituximab administration. Accessory spleen was detected in 5 of 15 patients (33.3%). Median age at diagnosis was significantly higher in patients with accessory spleen than those without accessory spleen (40 (range 25–68 years) and 26 (range 7–40 years), respectively; p = 0.049). There was a trend for older age at time of rituximab initiation in patients with accessory spleen compared to the other group (median 51 (range 43–75 years) and 42.5 (range 30–60 years), respectively; p = 0.066). Median follow-up duration was 96 months (range 40–98). We demonstrated a significant correlation between accessory spleen presence and older age. Accessory spleen presence correlated with higher platelet and WBC counts. We showed good inverse correlation between presence of accessory spleen and time to early response (ER) to rituximab while the rate of early response (ER), late response (LR), sustained response (SR) and overall response (OR) did not differ with respect to the presence of acessory spleen.
CIDOC-CRM and Machine Learning: A Survey and Future Research
Authors: Tzitzikas Yannis , Mountantonakis Michalis , Fafalios Pavlos , Marketakis Yannis
Published: July 2022

The CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CIDOC-CRM) is an ISO Standard ontology for the cultural domain that is used for enabling semantic interoperability between museums, libraries, archives and other cultural institutions. For leveraging CIDOC-CRM, several processes and tasks have to be carried out. It is therefore important to investigate to what extent we can automate these processes in order to facilitate interoperability. For this reason, in this paper, we describe the related tasks, and we survey recent works that apply machine learning (ML) techniques for reducing the costs related to CIDOC-CRM-based compliance and interoperability. In particular, we (a) analyze the main processes and tasks, (b) identify tasks where the recent advances of ML (including Deep Learning) would be beneficial, (c) identify cases where ML has been applied (and the results are successful/promising) and (d) suggest tasks that can benefit from applying ML. Finally, since the approaches that leverage both CIDOC-CRM data and ML are few in number, (e) we introduce our vision for the given topic, and (f) we provide a list of open CIDOC-CRM datasets that can be potentially used for ML tasks.
Ripeness Prediction in Table Grape Cultivars by Using a Portable NIR Device
Authors: Ferrara Giuseppe , Marcotuli Valerio , Didonna Angelo , Stellacci Anna Maria , Palasciano Marino , Mazzeo Andrea
Published: July 2022

In the past years, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been applied to the agricultural industry as a non-destructive tool to predict quality parameters, e.g., ripeness of fruit, dry matter content, and acidity. In two years, 2019 and 2020, berries of four table grape cultivars (Cotton Candy™, Summer Royal, Allison™, and Autumncrisp®) were collected during the season to obtain spectral measurements and quality data for developing predictive models based on NIR spectroscopy to be practically used in the vineyard. A SCiO™ sensor was used in 2019 for predicting the ripening parameters of Cotton Candy™; in particular, total soluble solids (TSS) (R2 = 0.95; RMSE = 0.60, RPD = 13.13), titratable acidity (R2 = 0.97; RMSE = 0.40, RPD = 7.31), and pH (R2 = 0.96; RMSE = 0.07, RPD = 26.06). With these promising results, in the year 2020, the above-mentioned table grape cultivars were all tested for TSS prediction with successful outcomes: Cotton Candy™ (R2 = 0.97; RMSE = 0.68, RPD = 7.48), Summer Royal (R2 = 0.96; RMSE = 0.83, RPD = 7.13), Allison™ (R2 = 0.97; RMSE = 0.72, RPD = 8.70) and Autumncrisp® (R2 = 0.96; RMSE = 0.60, RPD = 9.73). In conclusion, a rapid and economic sensor such as the SCiO™ device can enable a practical application in the vineyard to assess ripening (quality) parameters of table grapes. Thus, this device or similar ones can be also used for a fast sorting and screening of quality throughout the supply chain, from vineyard to cold storage.
Harmonizing Full and Partial Matching in Geospatial Conflation: A Unified Optimization Model
Authors: Lei Ting L. , Lei Zhen
Published: July 2022

Spatial data conflation is aimed at matching and merging objects in two datasets into a more comprehensive one. Starting from the “map assignment problem” in the 1980s, optimized conflation models treat feature matching as a natural optimization problem of minimizing certain metrics, such as the total discrepancy. One complication in optimized conflation is that heterogeneous datasets can represent geographic features differently. Features can correspond to target features in the other dataset either on a one-to-one basis (forming full matches) or on a many-to-one basis (forming partial matches). Traditional models consider either full matching or partial matches exclusively. This dichotomy has several issues. Firstly, full matching models are limited and cannot capture any partial match. Secondly, partial matching models treat full matches just as partial matches, and they are more prone to admit false matches. Thirdly, existing conflation models may introduce conflicting directional matches. This paper presents a new model that captures both full and partial matches simultaneously. This allows us to impose structural constraints differently on full/partial matches and enforce the consistency between directional matches. Experimental results show that the new model outperforms conventional optimized conflation models in terms of precision (89.2%), while achieving a similar recall (93.2%).
Revealing Taxi Interaction Network of Urban Functional Area Units in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Lai Guijun , Shang Yuzhen , He Binbao , Zhao Guanwei , Yang Muzhuang
Published: July 2022

Characterizing the taxi travel network is of fundamental importance to our understanding of urban mobility, and could provide intellectual support for urban planning, traffic congestion, and even the spread of diseases. However, the research on the interaction network between urban functional area (UFA) units are limited and worthy of notice. Therefore, this study has applied the taxi big data to construct a travel flow network for the exploration of spatial interaction relationships between different UFA units in Shenzhen, China. Our results suggested that taxi travel behavior was more active in UFA units dominated by functions, including residential, commercial, scenic, and greenspace during weekends, while more active in UFA units dominated by industrial function during weekdays. In terms of daily average volume, the characteristics of spatial interaction between the various UFA types during weekdays and weekends were similar. During the morning peak period, the sink areas were mainly distributed in Futian District and Nanshan District, while during the evening peak period, the sink areas were mainly distributed in the southern part of Yantian District, the southwestern part of Longgang District, and the eastern part of Luohu District. The average daily taxi mobility network during weekdays showed a spatial pattern of “dense in the west and north, sparse in the south and east”, exhibiting significant spatial unevenness. Compared with weekdays, the daily taxi mobility network during weekends was more dispersed and the differences in node sizes decreased, indicating that taxi travel destinations were more diverse. The pattern of communities was more consistent with the administrative division during weekdays, indicating that taxi trips are predominantly within the districts. Compared with weekdays, the community pattern of network during weekends was clearly different and more in line with the characteristics of a small world network. The findings can provide a better understanding of urban mobility characteristics in Shenzhen, and provide a reference for urban transportation planning and management.