bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fatigue of hip abductor muscles implies neuromuscular and kinematic adaptations of the ankle during dynamic balance
Authors: Dury Jeanne , Michel Fabrice , Ravier Gilles
Published: May 2022

Objective

Determine whether hip abductor muscle fatigue influenced ankle kinematic and muscle activity during ankle‐destabilized tasks.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Twenty‐six healthy, active participants performed two tests (Star Excursion Balance Test, SEBT; Weight Bearing Inversion Test, WBIT) for assessment of dynamic balance and ability to control inversion. Participants were equipped with an ankle‐destabilizing sandal in inversion and eversion to perform both tests, which were completed before and after a fatiguing exercise of hip abductor muscles (up to 50% reduction in strength). Electromyographic activity of peroneus longus (PL) and brevis (PB), tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius lateralis (GastL) and gluteus medius (GlutM) muscles were recorded. In addition, ankle kinematics were recorded using an inertial measurement unit.

Results

Hip abductor fatigue induced a significant decrease in SEBT scores in three directions (p < 0.01). During SEBT, ankle supination decreased by 3.2° in the anterior and posteromedial directions (p < 0.01). Muscle activity of GastL increased during achievement of three directions (p < 0.05) in response to hip abductor fatigue. In posteromedial direction, PL (p < 0.001) and GlutM (p < 0.01) activity increased with fatigue. During WBIT, inversion angular velocity was not impacted by fatigue while, PB and GastL activity increased after fatiguing exercise (p < 0.005).

Conclusion

A decrease in SEBT performance and EMG adaptations with proximal fatigue attest to the importance of the hip abductor muscle in dynamic postural control. This could have important implications in building injury prevention programs. Changes in ankle supination may reflect a protective strategy of the joint in response to hip fatigue.
A deep learning approach to detect blood vessels in basal cell carcinoma
Authors: Maurya A. , Stanley R. J. , Lama N. , Jagannathan S. , Saeed D. , Swinfard S. , Hagerty J. R. , Stoecker W. V.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Blood vessels called telangiectasia are visible in skin lesions with the aid of dermoscopy. Telangiectasia are a pivotal identifying feature of basal cell carcinoma. These vessels appear thready, serpiginous, and may also appear arborizing, that is, wide vessels branch into successively thinner vessels. Due to these intricacies, their detection is not an easy task, neither with manual annotation nor with computerized techniques. In this study, we automate the segmentation of telangiectasia in dermoscopic images with a deep learning U‐Net approach.

Methods

We apply a combination of image processing techniques and a deep learning‐based U‐Net approach to detect telangiectasia in digital basal cell carcinoma skin cancer images. We compare loss functions and optimize the performance by using a combination loss function to manage class imbalance of skin versus vessel pixels.

Results

We establish a baseline method for pixel‐based telangiectasia detection in skin cancer lesion images. An analysis and comparison for human observer variability in annotation is also presented.

Conclusion

Our approach yields Jaccard score within the variation of human observers as it addresses a new aspect of the rapidly evolving field of deep learning: automatic identification of cancer‐specific structures. Further application of DL techniques to detect dermoscopic structures and handle noisy labels is warranted.
Human retinal dark adaptation tracked in vivo with the electroretinogram: insights into processes underlying recovery of cone‐ and rod‐mediated vision
Authors: Jiang Xiaofan , Mahroo Omar A.
Published: May 2022

The substantial time taken for regaining visual sensitivity (dark adaptation) following bleaching exposures has been investigated for over a century. Psychophysical studies yielded the classic biphasic curve representing recovery of cone‐driven and rod‐driven vision. The electroretinogram (ERG) permits direct assessment of recovery at the level of the retina (photoreceptors, bipolar cells), with the first report over 70 years ago. Over the last two decades, ERG studies of dark adaptation have generated insights into underlying physiological processes. After large bleaches, rod photoreceptor circulating current, estimated from the rod‐isolated bright‐flash ERG a‐wave, takes 30 min to recover, indicating that products of bleaching, thought to be free opsin (unbound to 11‐cis‐retinal), continue to activate phototransduction, shutting off rod circulating current. In contrast, cone current, assessed with cone‐driven bright‐flash ERG a‐waves, recovers within 100 ms following similar exposures, suggesting that free opsin is less able to shut off cone current. The cone‐driven dim‐flash a‐wave can be used to track recovery of cone photopigment, showing regeneration is 'rate‐limited' rather than first order. Recoveries of the dim‐flash ERG b‐wave are consistent also with rate‐limited rod photopigment regeneration (where free opsin, desensitising the visual system as an 'equivalent background', is removed by rate‐limited delivery of 11‐cis‐retinal). These findings agree with psychophysical and retinal densitometry studies, although there are unexplained points of divergence. Post‐bleach ERG recovery has been explored in age‐related macular degeneration and in trials of visual cycle inhibitors for retinal diseases. ERG tracking of dark adaptation may prove useful in future clinical contexts.

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Climate Change and Archaeology. An Introduction
Authors:   Historic England, Fluck Hannah , Guest Kate
Published: May 2022

Anthopogenic climate change is already affecting our environment and will result in changes in flora and fauna, and changes in ground conditions (both on and below the surface) which will affect archaeological deposits and structures. Moreover, human responses to the climate crisis also impact archaeological sites. However, while our archaeological deposits and historic places are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, our knowledge and skills as archaeologists are also relevant to supporting society in adapting to a changing climate and a low carbon future.
Frequency Response and Transfer Functions of Large Self-Similar Networks
Authors: Ni Xiangyu , Goodwine Bill
Published: May 2022

Large-scale dynamical systems, no matter whether possessing interconnected appearances, are frequently modeled as networks. For instance, graphs, multi-agent systems, and materials' intricate behaviors are often treated as networked dynamical systems. However, only a few studies have approached the problem in the frequency domain, mostly due to the complexity of evaluating their frequency response. That gap is filled by this paper, which proposes algorithms computing a general class of self-similar networks' frequency response and transfer functions, no matter they are finite or infinite, damaged or undamaged. In addition, this paper shows that for infinite self-similar networks, even when they are damaged, fractional-order and irrational dynamics naturally come into sight. Most importantly, this paper illustrates that for a network under different operating conditions, its frequency response would form a set of neighboring plants, which sets the basis of applying robust control methods to dynamic networks.
Numerical and Experimental Investigation of the Performance of Tandem Vanes for a Centrifugal Pump
Authors: Fensterseifer Manuel , Sterle Laura , Böhle Martin
Published: May 2022

Conventional vane designs come with the disadvantage of flow detachment for high deflection. For axial machines, often tandem vanes are prevalent which combines two vanes for redirection of the flow and thus effectively prevents detachment. However, their application for radial machines has hardly been investigated so far. This study investigates the influence of tandem vanes on the performance in terms of head and efficiency of a centrifugal pump. First, different tandem designs were numerically investigated based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). For a selected tandem variant, the numerical results were validated by experimental investigations. The preceding numerical investigations were done stationary by using a single passage model to compare the performance of different tandem impellers with a conventional impeller (unsplit vane). Therefore, a method was developed to design tandem vanes from given undivided vanes. In this way, the influence of the offset in the circumferential direction and the angle of attack of the rear blade profile were systematically investigated. Transient CFD simulations have been done for a complete single-stage volute pump. In the experiments, the performance curves for both the conventional and tandem impeller were determined. The results of this study show that tandem blades can increase the pressure rise of a centrifugal pump while maintaining almost the same efficiency if a suitable combination of blade angle and offset in the circumferential direction of the rear blade has been selected. Furthermore, the CFD results show that the detachment can be prevented inside the impeller passage.
The histopathological and ultrasonographic features of myopericytoma
Authors: Hsueh Yu-Han , Cheng Chun-Yu
Published: May 2022

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High synergy atomic layer etching of AlGaN/GaN with HBr and Ar
Authors: Crawford Kevin G. , Grant James , Hemakumara Dilini Tania , Li Xu , Thayne Iain , Moran David A. J.
Published: May 2022

Here, we show a process of AlGaN/GaN atomic layer etching with a high synergy of >91%. Achieved by means of a cyclical HBr and Ar process, highly controllable layer removal was observed within the atomic layer etching window and is attributed to careful parameter calibration plus lower reactivity of the HBr chemistry. Such etching is a valuable component in the production of high-performance enhancement-mode GaN field effect transistor devices.
Investigation of resolution and microphone size for measurements of airborne ultrasound
Authors: Schöneweiß Robert , Kling Christoph , Koch Christian
Published: May 2022

The growth of ultrasound technologies has entailed the presence of airborne ultrasound emissions in industry and public and private spaces. For occupational safety and health, procedural and technical recommendations are needed that allow measurements to be performed in the field within a short time and with little effort. This study aims to answer two research questions concerning the minimum spatial resolution and microphone size required to determine a spatial distribution of sound pressure levels with sufficient accuracy within a given measurement uncertainty. The investigation focused on high spatial resolution datasets of the airborne ultrasound field of an ultrasonic welding machine acquired using a laboratory measuring system. Based on these datasets, datasets with lower resolutions were generated and measurements with microphones of different sizes were simulated. Subsequently, four different methods of parameterization were applied to the datasets to characterize the airborne ultrasound field with respect to the structure and sound pressure levels. Comparing the parameters of datasets with high precision (high resolution and small microphone size) to those of datasets with reduced precision (lower resolution and larger microphone size) allowed a quantitative assessment of the influence of the reduction in precision. Corresponding recommendations on resolution and microphone size are given.
Acoustic resonances within the surficial layer of a muddy seabed
Authors: Dall'Osto David R. , Tang Dajun
Published: May 2022

This is an investigation of sound propagation over a muddy seabed at low grazing angles. Data were collected during the 2017 Seabed and Bottom Characterization Experiment, conducted on the New England Mud Patch, a 500 km2 area of the U.S. Eastern Continental Shelf characterized by a thick layer of muddy sediments. Sound Underwater Signals (SUS), model Mk64, were deployed at ranges of 1–15 km from a hydrophone positioned 1 m above the seafloor. SUS at the closest ranges provide measurements of the bottom reflection at low grazing angles (<3 deg). Broadband analysis from 10 Hz to 10 kHz reveals resonances in the bottom reflected signals. Comparison of the measurements to simulated signals suggest a surficial layer of mud with a sound speed lower than the underlying mud and overlying water. The low sound speed property at the water–mud interface, which persists for less than 1 m, establishes a sound duct that impacts mid-frequency sound propagation at low grazing angles. The presence of a low-speed surficial layer of mud could be universal to muddy seabeds and, hence, has strong implications for mid-frequency sound propagation wherever mud is present.
Bidirectional Daily Associations Between Accelerometer-Measured Sleep and Physical Activity in Brazilian High School Students
Authors: Malheiros Luís Eduardo Argenta , da Costa Bruno Gonçalves Galdino , Lopes Marcus Vinícius Veber , Felden Érico Pereira Gomes , da Silva Kelly Samara
Published: May 2022

Purpose: This study analyzed day-to-day estimates of bidirectional associations between sleep parameters and intensity-specific physical activity and assessed whether the timing of physical activity influences these relationships. Methods: The sample was comprised of 651 high school students (51.2% female, 16.33 [1.0] y old) from southern Brazil. Physical activity and sleep were measured using accelerometers. Multilevel models were applied to test associations of nocturnal total sleep time, onset, and efficiency with moderate to vigorous and light (LPA) physical activity. Results: Higher engagement in moderate to vigorous physical activity and LPA was associated with increased total sleep time, and this effect was greater when physical activity was performed in the morning. Morning and evening LPA were associated with increased sleep efficiency and reduced total sleep time, respectively. Practice of LPA in the morning leads to early sleep onset, whereas evening LPA was associated with later onset. Higher total sleep time and later sleep onset were associated with lower moderate to vigorous physical activity and LPA on the following day. However, higher sleep efficiency was associated with increased LPA. Conclusion: The relationship between sleep parameters and physical activity is bidirectional and dependent on physical activity intensity and timing.
Observation of Anderson localization beyond the spectrum of the disorder
Authors: Dikopoltsev Alex , Weidemann Sebastian , Kremer Mark , Steinfurth Andrea , Sheinfux Hanan Herzig , Szameit Alexander , Segev Mordechai
Published: May 2022

Anderson localization predicts that transport in one-dimensional uncorrelated disordered systems comes to a complete halt, experiencing no transport whatsoever. However, in reality, a disordered physical system is always correlated because it must have a finite spectrum. Common wisdom in the field states that localization is dominant only for wave packets whose spectral extent resides within the region of the wave number span of the disorder. Here, we show experimentally that Anderson localization can occur and even be dominant for wave packets residing entirely outside the spectral extent of the disorder. We study the evolution of wave packets in synthetic photonic lattices containing bandwidth-limited (correlated) disorder and observe strong localization for wave packets centered at twice the mean wave number of the disorder spectral extent and at low wave numbers, both far beyond the spectrum of the disorder. Our results shed light on fundamental aspects of disordered systems and offer avenues for using spectrally shaped disorder for controlling transport.
Changing spatial distribution of water flow charts major change in Mars’s greenhouse effect
Authors: Kite Edwin S. , Mischna Michael A. , Fan Bowen , Morgan Alexander M. , Wilson Sharon A. , Richardson Mark I.
Published: May 2022

Early Mars had rivers, but the cause of Mars’s wet-to-dry transition remains unknown. Past climate on Mars can be probed using the spatial distribution of climate-sensitive landforms. We analyzed global databases of water-worked landforms and identified changes in the spatial distribution of rivers over time. These changes are simply explained by comparison to a simplified meltwater model driven by an ensemble of global climate model simulations, as the result of ≳10 K global cooling, from global average surface temperature

T
¯

≥ 268 K to

T
¯

~ 258 K, due to a weaker greenhouse effect. In other words, river-forming climates on early Mars were warm and wet first, and cold and wet later. Unexpectedly, analysis of the greenhouse effect within our ensemble of global climate model simulations suggests that this shift was primarily driven by waning non-CO
2
radiative forcing, and not changes in CO
2
radiative forcing.
Putative Novel Avian Paramyxovirus (AMPV) and Reidentification of APMV-2 and APMV-6 to the Species Level Based on Wild Bird Surveillance (United States, 2016–2018)
Authors: Young Kelsey T. , Stephens Jazz Q. , Poulson Rebecca L. , Stallknecht David E. , Dimitrov Kiril M. , Butt Salman L. , Stanton James B.
Published: May 2022

Most species of APMVs are understudied and/or underreported, and many species were incidentally identified from asymptomatic wild birds; however, the disease significance of APMVs in wild birds is not fully determined. The rapid rise in high-throughput sequencing coupled with avian influenza surveillance programs have identified 12 different APMV species in the last decade and have challenged the resolution of classical serological methods to identify new viral species.
A Novel, NADH-Dependent Acrylate Reductase in Vibrio harveyi
Authors: Bertsova Yulia V. , Serebryakova Marina V. , Baykov Alexander A. , Bogachev Alexander V.
Published: May 2022

The benefits of the massive genomic information accumulated in recent years for biological sciences have been limited by the lack of data on the function of most gene products. Approximately half of the known prokaryotic genes are annotated as “proteins with unknown functions,” and many other genes are annotated incorrectly.
Epstein-Barr Virus Genome Deletions in Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive T/NK Cell Lymphoproliferative Diseases
Authors: Wongwiwat Wiyada , Fournier Benjamin , Bassano Irene , Bayoumy Amr , Elgueta Karstegl Claudio , Styles Christine , Bridges Ray , Lenoir Christelle , BoutBoul David , Moshous Despina , Neven Bénédicte , Kanda Teru , Morgan Rhys G. , White Robert E. , Latour Sylvain , Farrell Paul J.
Published: May 2022

EBV contributes to several types of human cancer. Some cancers and nonmalignant lymphoproliferative diseases involving T or NK cells contain EBV.
Modified E2 Glycoprotein of Hepatitis C Virus Enhances Proinflammatory Cytokines and Protective Immune Response
Authors: Vijayamahantesh Vijayamahantesh , Patra Tapas , Meyer Keith , Alameh Mohamad-Gabriel , Reagan Erin K. , Weissman Drew , Ray Ranjit
Published: May 2022

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) E2-CD81 binding dampens protective immune response. We have identified that an alteration of amino acids in the front layer of soluble E2 (sE2) disrupts CD81 interaction and alters the cytokine response.
Immunization of Rabbits with a QuadrivalentShigellaBioconjugate Vaccine Induces Functional Antibodies Reactive withShigellaIsolates from Kenya
Authors: Odundo Elizabeth A. , Weerts Hailey P. , Musila Lillian , Ogonda Lilian , Dreyer Anita M. , Schneider Joerg , Carranza Paula , Kaminski Robert W.
Published: May 2022

Diarrheal diseases are the third leading cause of death globally, disproportionally affecting low- to middle-income countries like Kenya, withShigellaspecies being the leading cause of bacterial diarrhea, especially in children. The low infectious dose and high antibiotic resistance levels complicate treatment, leading to long-term sequelae that necessitate control measures such as vaccines to reduce morbidity and mortality rates, especially among children under 5 years of age.
Clinical decision support in cardiovascular medicine
Authors: Lu Yuan , Melnick Edward R , Krumholz Harlan M
Published: May 2022

Despite considerable progress in tackling cardiovascular disease over the past 50 years, many gaps in the quality of care for cardiovascular disease remain. Multiple missed opportunities have been identified at every step in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, such as failure to make risk factor modifications, failure to diagnose cardiovascular disease, and failure to use proper evidence based treatments. With the digital transformation of medicine and advances in health information technology, clinical decision support (CDS) tools offer promise to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of delivery of cardiovascular care. However, to date, the promise of CDS delivering scalable and sustained value for patient care in clinical practice has not been realized. This article reviews the evidence on key emerging questions around the development, implementation, and regulation of CDS with a focus on cardiovascular disease. It first reviews evidence on the effectiveness of CDS on healthcare process and clinical outcomes related to cardiovascular disease and design features associated with CDS effectiveness. It then reviews the barriers encountered during implementation of CDS in cardiovascular care, with a focus on unintended consequences and strategies to promote successful implementation. Finally, it reviews the legal and regulatory environment of CDS with specific examples for cardiovascular disease.
Finite element modelling of helical pile installation and its influence on uplift capacity in strain softening clay
Authors: Yu Hao , Zhou Hang , Sheil Brian , Liu Hanlong
Published: May 2022

This study investigated the effect of helical pile installation in undrained softening clay using a coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) finite element modelling approach. A previously published strain softening soil constitutive model was used to evaluate soil disturbance. The influence of two key strain softening parameters was considered to assess installation-induced soil disturbance. The CEL-predicted remoulded soil strength field was then imported into a finite element limit analysis (FELA) to evaluate the subsequent influence on uplift capacity. The CEL results showed that helical pile installation caused a significantly disturbed zone of soil that measured approximately 1.4 helix diameters in plan and extended the full length of the pile. When the disturbed soil strength field was imported into FELA calculation, it was found that the solutions reported in previous literature had significantly overestimated the ultimate uplift capacity for softening clay. The numerical output informed the development of a new closed-form analytical approach to predict uplift capacity considering the influence of the installation process. The design method was shown to provide a high-fidelity representation of the numerical results.
Hemostasis and oxidative stress in chronic kidney disease in children and adolescents
Authors: Lopes Ana Cristina dos Santos , Sousa Letícia Parreiras Nunes , Moraes e Silva Rívia Mara , Simões e Silva Ana Cristina , Dusse Luci Maria SantAna , Alpoim Patrícia Nessralla
Published: May 2022

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be defined as the progressive loss of renal function, characterized by a decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The etiology of CKD in childhood is mainly associated with congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT) and with glomerular diseases. The goal of this study was to investigate the hemostasis and oxidative stress in pediatric CKD of different etiologies. Fifty-four CKD children and adolescents and 52 controls were enrolled in this study. The evaluation of hemostasis was carried out by determination of D-dimer (D-Di) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) plasma levels, while oxidative stress was evaluated by thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels, protein carbonyl content, plasma antioxidant capacity (MTT), and ascorbate. The D-Di was increased in CAKUT stage 3 or 4 patients compared with those with glomerular disease. PAI-1 was increased in patients with glomerular disease compared with CAKUT. Carbonyl protein content was higher in the control group compared with glomerular disease stage 3 or 4 patients. Our findings showed that the reduction in GFR is associated with a state of hypercoagulability. The analysis of integrated networks showed an expansion of connections among hemostatic and oxidative stress markers in CKD children and adolescents compared with controls.
Creatine phosphate administration in cardiac ischemia–reperfusion injury in rats: focus on differences between preconditioning, perconditioning, and postconditioning protocols
Authors: Gadzieva L , Bradic Jovana , Milosavljevic Isidora , Zivkovic Vladimir , Srejovic Ivan , Jakovljevic Vladimir , Bolevich Stefani , Bolevich Sergey , Jeremic Nevena , Alisultanovich-Omarov Israpil , Jeremic Jovana
Published: May 2022

The aim of this study was to examine and compare the influence of preconditioning, perconditioning, and postconditioning with creatine phosphate (PCr) on functional recovery and production of prooxidants in isolated rat hearts subjected to ex vivo ischemic–reperfusion (I–R) injury on a Langendorff apparatus. Wistar albino rats (male, n = 40) were divided into four groups: control and groups in which PCr (0.5 mmol/L, 5 min) was perfused before (Pre group), after (Post group), or during (Per group) ex vivo induced ischemia. PCr application was associated with the great benefits of preserving cardiac contractility (in Pre group 100.96% for +(d P/d t max) and 97.61% for −(d P/d t max), in Per group 96.72% for +(d P/d t max) and 95.60% for −(d P/d t max), and in Post group 143.84% for +(d P/d t max) and 104.36% for −(d P/d t max) in relation to the stabilization). In addition, PCr application prevented the increase in prooxidative markers during I–R injury in all therapeutic modalities. The most intensive benefits in the current investigation were observed when PCr was applied during the period of ischemia because the lowest fluctuations in the parameters of cardiac function and oxidative stress were observed. Overall, the results of this study highlight PCr-induced cardioprotection with promising prospects for future clinical use.
The memory of thin polymer films generated by spin coating
Authors: Reiter Günter , Ramezani Farzad , Baschnagel Jörg
Published: May 2022

We present results from isothermal and temperature-sweep creep experiments adapted to filaments which were derived from spin coated and subsequently crumpled thin polystyrene films. Due to the existence of residual stresses induced by preparation, the filaments showed significant shrinkage which we followed as a function of time at various temperatures. In addition, the influence of preparation conditions and subsequent annealing of supported thin polymer films on shrinkage and relaxation behavior was investigated. The temporal evolution of shrinkage revealed a sequence of relaxation regimes. We explored the temperature dependence of this relaxation and compared our observations with published results on drawn melt-spun fibers. This comparison revealed intriguing similarities between both systems prepared along different pathways. For instance, the magnitudes of shrinkage of melt-spun fibers and of filaments from crumpled spin coated polymer films are similar. Thus, our results suggest the existence of generic mechanisms of “forgetting”, i.e., how non-equilibrated polymers lose their memory of past processing events.

Graphical abstract
Comment on: “Spin-0 scalar particle interacts with scalar potential in the presence of magnetic field and quantum flux under the effects of KKT in 5D cosmic string spacetime”
Authors: Fernández Francisco M.
Published: May 2022

We show that the meaning of the eigenvalues of a radial equation derived from a power-series method was misunderstood. The roots stemming from the truncation of the power series through a three-term recurrence relation are not the energies of the quantum-mechanical model under study but isolated particular eigenvalues of different models. The supposed dependence of the intensity of the magnetic field on the quantum numbers is just an artifact of the truncation method.
Data-Driven Usability Assessment Model for Smartphones: A Causal Analytic Approach
Authors: Bulak Muhammet Enis , Sezgin Hatice Funda
Published: May 2022

Usability is an emerging subject for smartphone design and service, which results in the overall quality and achievement of a product and allows users to perform various tasks. In this context, this study aims to propose an integrated smartphone usability framework for higher service level and user experience with a causal analytic approach. Involving tested relationships with theoretical concerns a conceptual usability assessment model is proposed including design, customer focus, quality, innovation, usability, and user perception variables. The provided model is developed using the Bayesian neural networks based universal structure modeling (USM) method. The reliability and validity are empirically tested for the questionnaire data collected from 1068 smartphone users. The results and findings showed that design, customer focus, quality, and innovation explain usability, and user perception as an ultimate variable is interpreted by usability. Also, strategic, and valuable information for smartphone designers and marketing people to understand user perceptions for smartphone usability is provided.
Triangle-Based Heuristics for Area Optimal Polygonizations
Authors: Ramos Natanael , de Jesus Raí C. , de Rezende Pedro J. , de Souza Cid C. , Usberti Fbio L.
Published: May 2022

In this article, we describe an empirical study conducted on problems of Polygonizations with Optimal Area: given a set\( S \)of points in the plane, find a simple polygon with minimum (Min-Area) or maximum (Max-Area) area whose vertices are all the points of\( S \). Both problems arise in the context of pattern recognition, image reconstruction, and clustering. Higher dimensional variants play a role in object modeling, as well as optimal surface design. BothMin-AreaandMax-Areaare in NP-hard, and heuristics as well as exact methods have already been proposed. Our main contributions include the design and implementation of novel constructive heuristics and local search procedures to improve the solutions obtained by the former methods for the two problems.
Extrachromosomal DNA in Cancer
Authors: Bafna Vineet , Mischel Paul S.
Published: May 2022

In cancer, complex genome rearrangements and other structural alterations, including the amplification of oncogenes on circular extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) elements, drive the formation and progression of tumors. ecDNA is a particularly challenging structural alteration. By untethering oncogenes from chromosomal constraints, it elevates oncogene copy number, drives intratumoral genetic heterogeneity, promotes rapid tumor evolution, and results in treatment resistance. The profound changes in DNA shape and nuclear architecture generated by ecDNA alter the transcriptional landscape of tumors by catalyzing new types of regulatory interactions that do not occur on chromosomes. The current suite of tools for interrogating cancer genomes is well suited for deciphering sequence but has limited ability to resolve the complex changes in DNA structure and dynamics that ecDNA generates. Here, we review the challenges of resolving ecDNA form and function and discuss the emerging tool kit for deciphering ecDNA architecture and spatial organization, including what has been learned to date about how this dramatic change in shape alters tumor development, progression, and drug resistance.
Small-Scale Mechanical Testing
Authors: Jayaram Vikram
Published: May 2022

This article reviews recent developments in small-scale mechanical property testing with some emphasis on intermediate (meso) length scales in complex microstructures and coated systems. The introduction summarizes size effects discovered from a century ago up to the recent explosion in micropillar testing that established many length scale effects in yielding and fracture. The bulk of the article deals with plasticity and fracture in polyphasic and microstructurally graded systems, including biomaterials, composites, and thermal protection systems, highlighting the use of in situ methods where mechanical tests are coupled to synchrotron X-ray scattering, electron backscattering, radiation damage, and digital image correlation.
Interdependency and Redundancy Add Complexity and Resilience to Biogenesis of Bacterial Ribosomes
Authors: Naganathan Anusha , Culver Gloria M.
Published: May 2022

The pace and efficiency of ribosomal subunit production directly impact the fitness of bacteria. Biogenesis demands more than just the union of ribosomal components, including RNA and proteins, to form this functional ribonucleoprotein particle. Extra-ribosomal protein factors play a fundamental role in the efficiency and efficacy of ribosomal subunit biogenesis. A paucity of data on intermediate steps, multiple and overlapping pathways, and the puzzling number of functions that extra-ribosomal proteins appear to play in vivo make unraveling the formation of this macromolecular assemblage difficult. In this review, we outline with examples the multinodal landscape of factor-assisted mechanisms that influence ribosome synthesis in bacteria. We discuss in detail late-stage events that mediate correct ribosome formation and the transition to translation initiation and thereby ensure high-fidelity protein synthesis.
Electrochemical Corrosion Studies in Molten Chloride Salts
Authors: Ghaznavi Touraj , Persaud Suraj Y. , Newman Roger C.
Published: May 2022

This study investigates corrosion of Fe–(Cr)–Ni model alloys in eutectic molten chloride salt mixtures that broadly simulate the heat transfer circuits of molten salt cooled nuclear reactors. The primary focus is impurity-driven corrosion and selective dissolution of electrochemically reactive element(s) (dealloying), which are known degradation modes for Fe– and Ni-based alloys in molten salts. This study demonstrates that a Mg rod performs close to a true Mg∣Mg2+ reference electrode system in a MgCl2 containing mixture. Mg dynamic reference electrodes validated the performance of the ordinary Mg reference electrode. The residual moisture content in molten salts is measured by cathodic polarization of Pt, which showed that convection of molten salts, after step-wise heating, through a bundle of Mg ribbons dropped the moisture content by 30-fold. The effect of impurities in the molten salt mixture, moisture and NiCl2, on dealloying was also investigated at low homologous temperature. It was found that the universal parting limit for dealloying is decreased to a value of approximately 32 at% Fe when Ni from the parent alloy is close to equilibrium with Ni2+ ions added to the eutectic molten salts. Results support the percolation/surface diffusion concept for dealloying in molten salts at low homologous temperature.
Ferroptosis at the crossroads of tumor-host interactions, metastasis, and therapy response
Authors: Yao Yinan , Shi Yuxin , Gao Zizhe , Sun Yutong , Yao Fan , Ma Li
Published: May 2022

Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxides in an iron-dependent manner. Ferroptotic cell death is modulated by many metabolic pathways, such as pathways governing the metabolism of sugars, lipids, amino acids, and iron, as well as mitochondrial activity and redox homeostasis. Tumor metastasis and therapy resistance are the main obstacles to curing cancers. Because tumor cells usually exhibit higher iron dependence than normal cells, they may be more susceptible to ferroptosis despite being resistant to other forms of cell death. Moreover, recent evidence has suggested that ferroptosis is involved in tumor-host interactions, modulates the tumor microenvironment, and serves as an antimetastatic mechanism. Thus, inducing ferroptosis in tumor cells has the potential to improve cancer treatment. Here, we review ferroptosis-regulating mechanisms and the roles of ferroptosis in malignant progression, including the tumor-host interactions, metastasis, and cancer therapy response.
Application Research and Analysis of Intelligent Sensors in Tennis Serving Technical Correction Equipment
Authors: Li Jing , Wang Ge
Published: May 2022

The traditional tennis serving teaching correction method has been deeply rooted, and in the current teaching, the teaching method based on experience has been used for a long time, relying on the subjective consciousness of the coach to guide and supervise the technical movements of the athletes. It is said that to master the essentials of technical movements proficiently, it is necessary to carry out long-term and repetitive exercises according to the coach’s guidance. This situation seriously restricts the improvement of the level of teaching and training. To solve the above problems, the combined application of smart sensors and microsystem technology is used to Sensing identify and intelligently correct the player serve technology. This article in the presentation part initially sums up the movement catch innovation and tennis serve innovation and development; then, at that point, in the strategy part presents the objective following calculation and normal denoising handling calculation; and then, at that point, in the trial part presents the person choice, exploratory program, plan astute sensor handling framework, and trial examination. This article mainly introduces the application, research, and analysis of smart sensors in tennis server technology correction equipment, to reduce the burden on players and coaches. This article proposes target following calculations, normal denoising handling calculations, and so on, which are utilized to lead research investigating the use of savvy sensors in tennis server innovation adjustment hardware. The trial aftereffects of this paper show that the normal acknowledgment exactness of the savvy sensor is 91.14%, and the acknowledgment precision is high, which can be better applied to the tennis serve innovation revision hardware.
Impermeability Characteristics of Treated Marine Soft Soil with Ferronickel Slag Powder
Authors: Chen Feng , Tong Shenghao
Published: May 2022

In order to study the law of evolution of erosion time on the impermeability of soil-cement in the marine environment, permeability tests, X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were conducted on ferronickel slag powder (FSP) soil-cement. The changes in the permeability properties of the soil-cement under different soaking age conditions were investigated. The results show that the marine environment has little influence on the impermeability of soil-cement at an early age, and that their permeability coefficient is essentially identical to that of clear water. The impermeability of soil-cement in the marine environment decreases significantly after 28 days, and it continues to decrease with age. However, the deterioration in impermeability of soil-cement caused by the marine environment can be alleviated after FSP is added to the soil-cement, and a better mixing value of 40% is obtained. At the same time, the regression curve equation of the permeability coefficient of soil-cement with the change of age is established. FSP exerts a microaggregate effect and chemical activity in the soil-cement. It not only improves the compactness of the soil-cement matrix but also prevents the penetration of corrosive ions into the soil-cement, thereby improving the impermeability of the soil-cement.
Clinical Efficacy of Persian Medicine Diet Combined with Western Medicine-Based Diet on Proteinuria in Pediatric Nephrotic Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Rahmani Alireza , Naseri Mohsen , Mohkam Masoumeh , Motaharifard Monireh Sadat , Bakhtiary Mahsa , Shakeri Nezhat , Ilkhani Reza
Published: May 2022

Introduction. Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a common chronic kidney disorder during childhood. The most important characteristic of this disease is proteinuria. The Persian medicine (PM) has important dietary recommendations for strengthening the kidney function and treatment of this disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a diet including PM recommendations and general principles of Western medicine. Materials and Methods. Twenty children with nephrotic syndrome were randomly divided into intervention and control groups and monitored for one month. The control group received a diet based on the general principles of Western medicine. In the intervention group, in addition to the Western medicine diet, dietary recommendations of PM were also prescribed including the pomegranate (Cydonia oblonga mill.), quince (Cydonia oblonga mill.), and whole grains (wheat and barley). A 24-hour dietary questionnaire was applied and anthropometric and biochemical indices including spot urine protein (proteinuria), albumin (Alb), urea, creatinine (Cr), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) were measured before and after the study. Results. The amount of protein intake reduced significantly in the diet of both groups but the differences between the two groups were not significant. Proteinuria reduced significantly in both the Western and PM groups; however, proteinuria was significantly lower in the Persian medicine group compared to the control group. TC and Cr levels reduced significantly in the intervention group, although the changes were not significant compared to the control group. Conclusion. The results of this study showed that adding dietary recommendations of the Persian medicine to the general rules of the Western medicine diet reduced proteinuria and improved the combat against nephrotic syndrome.
Design of Multimodal Neural Network Control System for Mechanically Driven Reconfigurable Robot
Authors: Youchun Zhang , Gongyong Zhang
Published: May 2022

According to the characteristics and division rules of the modules, this paper divides the rotary module, the swing module, and the mobile module. In order to realize the rapid identification of modules, according to the basic principles of module design, the above modules are put into the module library established by Access. According to the modular modeling method, kinematic models are established, respectively. In order to automatically establish the kinematic model of the robot, a unified expression of modules is established. According to the unified expression of the modules, the kinematics of the reconfigurable robot is analyzed. According to the characteristics of the configuration plane, the configuration plane is divided, and the expression form of the position and attitude of the configuration plane is given. Combined with the principle of neural network and multimodal information fusion, a multimodal information fusion model based on long- and short-term memory neural network is established. Aiming at the control problem of mechanically driven reconfigurable robots, a specific long- and short-term memory neural network model is designed, and the long- and short-term memory neural network algorithm is applied to the robot control problem based on multimodal information fusion. The design of the controller and driver of each joint is the basis of the distributed control system. This paper discusses the hardware design of the joint controller and driver and the realization of the position control system and discusses the method of realizing distributed control based on the Modbus protocol of RS485 communication. Through the comprehensive experiment of the configuration, the point control and the continuous path control are carried out to verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis of the system and the reliability of the system hardware and software operation.
Risk Prediction of Ureaplasma urealyticum Affecting Sperm Quality Based on Mathematical Model and Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Liu Huang , Yang Kai , He Liping , Zhu Shenghui , Pang Tao , Zhu Zhiyong , Yao Yunyi , Zheng Houbin , Zeng Qingqi , Zhang Xinzong
Published: May 2022

Objective. To explore the risk of Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) affecting sperm quality. Methods. Prospective cross-sectional study was conducted. In total, 340 semen samples were collected. According to whether they were infected with UU, the samples were divided into the UU-positive group (observation group) and UU-negative group (control group). The patients with UU-positive were followed up to obtain treatment and collected the semen again after treatment. The semen characteristics and sperm parameters were detected and compared, and the relationship of UU and the sperm quality was analyzed by mathematical models. Results. There were 104 UU-positive semen samples in all, with an overall infection rate of 30.6%, which was highest in 31 to 40-year-old men, and over 40-year-old men were the lowest. The pH, PR, VCL, VSL, and STR in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all

P
<
0.001

), while SV, NP, and WOB were significantly higher (all

P
<
0.001

). After treatment, the pH, VSL, LIN, WOB, and STR in the observation group were significantly higher than before (all

P
<
0.001

), while SV and VCL were significantly lower (all

P
<
0.001

). UU infection was closely correlated with pH, PR, NP, VCL, VSL, WOB, and STR. During the treatment, pH, PR, VSL, WOB, and STR increased, but NP and VCL decreased. 7 major factors that would affect SQ were extracted, of which VAP, LIN, and UU were the first three main factors. The risk of SQ declining after UU infection increased nearly twice with the change of PR and VCL and increased 0.08 times with STR. Conclusion. UU may approximately double the risk of altering the sperm’s curvilinear movement rate and straightness to affect the sperm quality.
Fourth‐Order Hankel Determinants and Toeplitz Determinants for Convex Functions Connected with Sine Functions
Authors: Zulfiqar Farah , Malik Sarfraz Nawaz , Raza Mohsan , Ali Md. Shajib
Published: May 2022

This article deals with the upper bound of fourth‐order Hankel and Toeplitz determinants for the convex functions which are defined by using the sine function. The main tools in this study are the coefficient inequalities for the class P of functions with positive real parts. Also, the investigation of the upper bound of the fourth‐order Hankel determinant for 3‐fold symmetric convex functions associated with the sine function is included.
Optimal Placement of Hybrid Wind-Solar System Using Deep Learning Model
Authors: Siddula Sundeep , Prashanth G. K. , Nandankar Praful , Subbiah Ram , Wabaidur Saikh Mohammad , Al-Ammar Essam A. , Siddique M. H. , Thanappan Subash
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we develop an optimal placement of solar-wind energy systems using restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM). The RBM considers various factors to scale the process of optimal placement and enables proper sizing and placement for attaining increased electricity production from both wind and solar systems. The multiobjective criterion from both solar and wind energy farms simulated on MATLAB simulator shows an increased number of accuracies with reduced mean average error and computation time during training and testing. The results show that the RBM achieves improved rate of finding the optimal placement with a lesser cost and computation time of lesser than 2 ms than other methods.