bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Text-Mining Approach to Identify Hub Genes of Cancer Metastasis and Potential Drug Repurposing to Target Them
Authors: Detroja Trishna Saha , Gil-Henn Hava , Samson Abraham O.
Published: April 2022

Metastasis accounts for the majority of cancer-related deaths. Despite decades of research, the prevention and suppression of metastasis remain an elusive goal, and to date, only a few metastasis-related genes have been targeted therapeutically. Thus, there is a strong need to find potential genes involved in key driver traits of metastasis and their available drugs. In this study, we identified genes associated with metastasis and repurposable drugs that potentially target them. First, we use text mining of PubMed citations to identify candidate genes associated with metastatic processes, such as invadopodia, motility, movement, metastasis, invasion, wound healing, EMT (epithelial to mesenchymal transition), and podosome. Next, we annotated the top genes involved in each process as a driver, tumor suppressor, or oncogene. Then, a total of 185 unique cancer genes involved in metastasis-related processes were used for hub gene analysis using bioinformatics tools. Notably, a total of 77 hub genes were identified. Further, we used virtual screening data of druggable candidate hub genes involved in metastasis and identified potential drugs that can be repurposed as anti-metastatic drugs. Remarkably, we found a total of 50 approved drugs that have the potential to be repurposed against 19 hub genes involved in metastasis-related processes. These 50 drugs were also found to be validated in different cancer cell lines, such as dasatinib, captopril, leflunomide, and dextromethorphan targeting SRC, MMP2, PTK2B, and RAC1 hub genes, respectively. These repurposed drugs potentially target metastasis, provide pharmacodynamic insight, and offer a window of opportunity for the development of much-needed antimetastatic drugs.
Nano-Treating Promoted Natural Aging Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys
Authors: Yuan Jie , Liu Qian , Pan Shuaihang , Xu Mingjie , Murali Narayanan , Li Jiaxing , Wang Shuai , Li Xiaochun
Published: April 2022

Natural aging reduces the cost of alloy manufacturing while saving input energy but takes too long to complete for most Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys. Research has proved that nano-treating can facilitate precipitation in heat-treatable alloys. In this study, nano-treated Al-6.0Zn-2.6Mg-xCu samples containing different Cu contents were fabricated to investigate the influence of nano-treating on natural aging. TiC nanoparticles were used for nano-treating. Three cooling conditions after solution treatment (water quenching, air cooling, and as-cast) were investigated to check their quench sensitivities. The study shows the alloy’s microstructure was modified by nano-treating, and the growth of dendritic arms was inhibited. Compared to the control samples, nano-treating also increased both the microhardness and tensile strength of the alloy after natural aging. Out of the three different solution treatments, the air-cooled samples presented the highest UTS and microhardness values. The precipitation process was sped up by nano-treating by approximately 50%, and a higher volume fraction of GPII zones were formed in the nano-treated samples. HRTEM results also confirm the formation of more GPI and GPII zones in a nano-treated samples. With the help of natural aging, the Al-6.0Zn-2.6Mg-0.5Cu alloy reached a UTS of 455.7 ± 40.2 MPa and elongation of 4.52 ± 1.34% which makes it a great candidate for a naturally aged Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy.
Invasive Fusariosis in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplant Patients: A Report from the Israeli Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Authors: Benish Marganit , Elitzur Sarah , Arad-Cohen Nira , Barg Assaf Arie , Ben-Harosh Miriam , Bielorai Bella , Fischer Salvador , Gilad Gil , Levy Itzhak , Rosenfeld-Keidar Hila , Shachor-Meyouhas Yael , Soen-Grisaru Galia , Weinreb Sigal , Nirel Ronit , Elhasid Ronit
Published: April 2022

Invasive Fusarium species infections in immunocompromised patients occur predominantly in those with hematological malignancies. Survival rates of 20–40% were reported in adults, but data in children are limited. Our retrospective, nationwide multicenter study of invasive fusariosis in pediatric hematology/oncology and stem cell transplant (SCT) patients identified twenty-two cases. Underlying conditions included hematological malignancies (n = 16; 73%), solid tumors (n = 2), and non-malignant hematological conditions (n = 4). Nineteen patients (86%) were neutropenic, nine (41%) were SCT recipients, and seven (32%) received corticosteroids. Sixteen patients (73%) had disseminated fusariosis, five had local infection, and one had isolated fungemia. Fifteen patients (68%) had skin involvement and eight (36%) had a bloodstream infection. Four patients (18%) presented with osteoarticular involvement and four with pulmonary involvement. Nineteen patients (86%) received combination antifungal therapy upfront and three (14%) received single-agent treatment. Ninety-day probability of survival was 77%: four of the five deaths were attributed to fusariosis, all in patients with relapsed/refractory acute leukemias. Ninety-day probability of survival for patients with relapsed/refractory underlying malignancy was 33% vs. 94% in others (p < 0.001). Survival rates in this largest pediatric population-based study were strikingly higher than those reported in adults, demonstrating that invasive fusariosis is a life-threatening but salvageable condition in immunosuppressed children.
Gender Differences in the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health of Italian Academic Workers
Authors: Giudice Valentina , Iannaccone Teresa , Faiella Filomena , Ferrara Filomena , Aversano Giusi , Coppola Silvia , De Chiara Elisa , Romano Maria Grazia , Conti Valeria , Filippelli Amelia
Published: April 2022

The 2020 pandemic for coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection has required strict measures for virus spreading reduction, including stay-at-home orders. To explore gender differences in mental health status after the first wave of the pandemic and in teleworking, we analyzed the frequency and distribution of emotions and coping strategies for facing the pandemic stratified by gender using data from an online survey conducted at the University of Salerno, Italy, between 11 May and 10 June 2020. The online questionnaire included 31 items on demographics, teleworking, COVID-19 emergency, and gender-based violence, with multiple-choice answers for some questions. Females felt significantly sadder (p = 0.0019), lonelier (p = 0.0058), more fearful (p = 0.0003), and more insecure (p = 0.0129) than males, experienced more sleep disorders (p = 0.0030), and were more likely to sanitize surfaces compared to males (p < 0.0001). Our results show gender differences in awareness and concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic that differently influenced mood, as females were more frightened and worried than males.
Pharmacogenetic Profiling in High-Risk Soft Tissue Sarcomas Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
Authors: Virgili Manrique Anna C. , Salazar Juliana , Arranz María Jesús , Bagué Silvia , Orellana Ruth , López-Pousa Antonio , Cerdà Paula , Gracia Isidre , Majercakova Katarina , Peiró Ana , Trullols Laura , Fernández Manuel , Valverde Sandra , Quintana María Jesús , Bell Olga , Artigas-Baleri Alícia , Sebio Ana
Published: April 2022

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on anthracyclines and ifosfamide for high-risk soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of the extremities and trunk is a controversial treatment option. There are substantial interindividual differences in clinical outcomes in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate, as biomarkers, polymorphisms in genes encoding drug-metabolizing enzymes, drug transporters, or drug targets and their association with toxicity and survival in STS patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We analysed variants in genes involved in anthracycline metabolism (ABCB1, ABCC2, NQO1, CBR3, and SLC22A16) and in ifosfamide catabolism (ALDH1A1) in 79 treated patients. Two genes showed significant association after adjusted multivariate analysis: ABCC2 and ALDH1A1. In patients treated with anthracyclines, ABCC2 rs3740066 was associated with risk of febrile neutropenia (p = 0.031), and with decreased overall survival (OS) (p = 0.024). ABCC2 rs2273697 was associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.024). In patients treated with ifosfamide, ALDH1A1 rs3764435 was associated with RFS (p = 0.046). Our pharmacogenetic study shows for the first time that variants in genes regulating the metabolism of neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be helpful to predict toxicity and survival benefit in high-risk STS treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Further validation studies are needed to establish their clinical utility.
Reconfiguration of Cultural Resources for Tourism in Urban Villages—A Case Study of Huangpu Ancient Village in Guangzhou
Authors: Lin Liying , Xue Desheng , Yu Yi
Published: April 2022

In the course of China’s rapid urbanization, rural places are brought into urban areas, forming semi-urbanization. These semi-urbanized sites suggest a dual urban–rural structure in their form and management. With the slowing down of urbanization, the Chinese government adopted heritage tourism to boost the local economy. Local historic buildings and cultural resources were regenerated and restored in this process. This paper aims at examining the role of heritage tourism in blurring the boundary of rurality and urbanity, boosting local economy, and revitalizing the areas with cultural-led development. In this paper, we analyzed the Huangpu Ancient Village’s regeneration process. We argue that the Huangpu Ancient Village integrates local historical and cultural resources to boost the local economy, simultaneously adopting urban renewal and rural revival strategies. This paper contributes to the body of literature addressing villages in urban areas, breaking the duality of urbanity and rurality.
Study on Influence Mechanism of Short-Cut BF Dispersion Morphological Behavior on Concrete Properties Based on Meso Scale
Authors: Liu Zi-Lu , Li Ye , Chen Xin-Ming , Jiao Hua-Zhe
Published: April 2022

The orientation, distribution, and contact point density of BF (basalt fiber) in the concrete matrix play significant roles in the mechanical properties of BF concrete, but represent a weak point in current research. It is meaningful to study the morphological characteristics of BF in concrete. In this study, the transparent model test and joint blocking method were innovatively adopted to investigate the correlation of dosage with the BF morphological parameters and concrete mechanical properties. A focus on a BF dosage of 0–7.5 kg/m3 and the contribution index of fibers Cf was defined. Furthermore, NMR and CT techniques were used to observe the changes in the microstructure of BF concrete. The experimental results show that the BF contribution index Cf reaches the largest value when the BF content is around 3 kg/m3, approximately 2.7; in this case, the mechanical properties of BF concrete were also optimal, and the Cf was only 2.34 when the BF content was 7.5 kg/m3. NMR and CT test results show that there is a strong correlation between the BF morphological parameters and the distribution of pore structure in the concrete matrix. The overlapping contact of BF clusters led to the penetration of pores, which led the macro-pore proportion to increase dramatically. The increase in the macro-pore proportion is the main reason for the deterioration in concrete performance. In addition, these macro-pores may have adverse effects on the chloride ion permeability of BF concrete.
The Influence of the Acceleration Admixture Type and Composition of Cement on Hydration Heat and Setting Time of Slag Blended Cement
Authors: Pizoń Jan , Łaźniewska-Piekarczyk Beata , Miera Patrycja
Published: April 2022

This article presents recent research on cements containing GGBFS and their modifications with accelerating admixtures. The initial setting time and hydration heat evolution results are presented for cement CEM II/B-S and CEM III/A manufactured with three Portland clinkers of various phase compositions. The research was carried out at 8 °C and 20 °C. The main objective is to assess the behavior of blended cements in cooperation with modern admixtures that contain nucleation seeds. The authors aimed to compare and evaluate different methods to reduce setting time, namely, the effects of temperature, the specific surface area of cement and GGBFS, the type of Portland clinker, the content of GGBFS, and presence of accelerators. Many of these aspects appear in separate studies, and the authors wanted a more comprehensive coverage of the subject. Those methods of reducing the setting time can be ranked: the most effective is to increase the temperature of the ingredients and the surroundings, the second is to reduce the GGBFS content in cement, and the use of accelerators, and the least effective is the additional milling of Portland clinker. However, of these methods, only the use of accelerators is acceptable in terms of sustainability. Prospective research is a detailed study on the amounts of C-S-H phase and portlandite to determine the hydration rate.
Numerical Study on the Tensile Performance of Headed Stud Shear Connectors with Head-Sectional Damage
Authors: Xu Xiaoqing , Zeng Shanwen , He Wei , Hou Zhujian , He Dongyang , Yang Tao
Published: April 2022

An extensive numerical study was carried out due to the concern that head-sectional damage caused by corrosion poses a threat to the tensile performance of headed stud connectors. Three-dimensional finite element models of pull-out tests were established, with both material and geometric nonlinearities being considered. In particular, the concrete weak region due to bleeding was simulated. The simulation method was verified by the results of pull-out tests on two connectors with different damage degrees. Tensile performance of headed stud shear connectors of various shaft diameters (ds = 10 to 25 mm) with various damage degrees (up to 50%) was simulated. It was observed that the connector with a high damage degree exhibited low capacity and a failure closer to pull-out failure than concrete cone breakout failure. Based on the numerical results, reduction factors for quantitatively assessing the influence of head-sectional damage degree on the loading capacity and stiffness of connectors were proposed. With reference to the Concrete Capacity method, the reduction in tensile capacity of connectors with head-sectional damage was found to be caused by the decrease in the projected area of the concrete cone due to the reduction in head diameter, concrete cone angle, and embedment depth. Meanwhile, numerical results showed that the stiffness of a connector at a high embedment depth or in high strength concrete was more sensitive to head-sectional damage. It was also found that the elastic modulus of the weak region significantly affected the stiffness of connectors, while the influence of its thickness on the capacity and stiffness was insignificant.
Mechanical Properties of Hybrid PVA–Natural Curaua Fiber Composites
Authors: Zukowski Bartosz , dos Santos Mendonça Yasmim Gabriela , Tavares Igor José Koury , Toledo Filho Romildo Dias
Published: April 2022

This work presents the experimental study of hybrid cement-based composites with polyvinyl alcohol fiber (PVA) and alkali-treated, short, natural curaua fiber. The objective of this research is to develop composites reinforced with PVA and curaua fiber to present strain-hardening behavior with average crack width control. To achieve this objective, three groups of composites were investigated. The first group had only PVA fiber in volumes of 0.5, 1, and 2%. The composite with 2% PVA fiber was the only one with strain-hardening and crack width control. The second group had 0.5% PVA fiber and volume fractions of 2, 2.5, and 3% curaua fiber, and presented only deflection-hardening behavior. The third group had 1% PVA and volumes of 1, 1.5, and 2% curaua fiber, and presented strain-hardening behavior. Based on the results, the hybrid combination of 1% PVA and 1.5% curaua was the optimal mixture as it presented strain-hardening behavior and crack width control, with a lower volume of synthetic PVA fiber. Additionally, compressive strength and mix workability were calculated for the investigated composites for comparison.
A Multi-Parameter Integrated Sensor Based on Selectively Filled D-Shaped Photonic Crystal Fiber
Authors: Yang Dan , Wu Tiesheng , Wang Yiping , Cao Weiping , Zhang Huixian , Liu Zhihui , Yang Zuning
Published: April 2022

We propose and numerically investigate a multi-parameter integrated sensor based on a selectively filled D-shaped photonic crystal fiber (PCF). The simple structure can be used to comprehensively detect refractive index, magnetic field, temperature, and voltage. According to the surface plasmon resonance and directional coupling effect, the PCF is coated with a gold nano-film to detect the refractive index of the external environment. In addition, magnetic fluid (water-based Fe3O4), toluene, and nematic liquid crystal (NLC E7) are selectively filled into different cladding air holes of the D-shaped PCF to realize the different sensing of the magnetic field, temperature, and voltage. The measurement of refractive index, magnetic field, temperature, and voltage are independent of each other, so these four parameters can be measured simultaneously. The sensing characteristics of the proposed structure are investigated systematically by the finite element method. The results show that the sensitivities of refractive index, magnetic field, temperature, and voltage are 4600 nm/RIU, 1.375 nm/Oe, 15.143 nm/°C, and 0.971 nm/V, respectively. The presented design based on materials selectively filled with D-shaped PCF might enable promising application in multi-parameter optical sensing.
A Low-Spin CoII/Nitroxide Complex for Distance Measurements at Q-Band Frequencies
Authors: Giannoulis Angeliki , Cordes David B. , Slawin Alexandra M. Z. , Bode Bela E.
Published: April 2022

Pulse dipolar electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (PDS) is continuously furthering the understanding of chemical and biological assemblies through distance measurements in the nanometer range. New paramagnets and pulse sequences can provide structural insights not accessible through other techniques. In the pursuit of alternative spin centers for PDS, we synthesized a low-spin CoII complex bearing a nitroxide (NO) moiety, where both the CoII and NO have an electron spin S of 1/2. We measured CoII-NO distances with the well-established double electron–electron resonance (DEER aka PELDOR) experiment, as well as with the five- and six-pulse relaxation-induced dipolar modulation enhancement (RIDME) spectroscopies at Q-band frequencies (34 GHz). We first identified challenges related to the stability of the complex in solution via DEER and X-ray crystallography and showed that even in cases where complex disproportionation is unavoidable, CoII-NO PDS measurements are feasible and give good signal-to-noise (SNR) ratios. Specifically, DEER and five-pulse RIDME exhibited an SNR of ~100, and while the six-pulse RIDME exhibited compromised SNR, it helped us minimize unwanted signals from the RIDME traces. Last, we demonstrated RIDME at a 10 μM sample concentration. Our results demonstrate paramagnetic CoII to be a feasible spin center in medium magnetic fields with opportunities for PDS studies involving CoII ions.
VloGraph: A Virtual Knowledge Graph Framework for Distributed Security Log Analysis
Authors: Kurniawan Kabul , Ekelhart Andreas , Kiesling Elmar , Winkler Dietmar , Quirchmayr Gerald , Tjoa A Min
Published: April 2022

The integration of heterogeneous and weakly linked log data poses a major challenge in many log-analytic applications. Knowledge graphs (KGs) can facilitate such integration by providing a versatile representation that can interlink objects of interest and enrich log events with background knowledge. Furthermore, graph-pattern based query languages, such as SPARQL, can support rich log analyses by leveraging semantic relationships between objects in heterogeneous log streams. Constructing, materializing, and maintaining centralized log knowledge graphs, however, poses significant challenges. To tackle this issue, we propose VloGraph—a distributed and virtualized alternative to centralized log knowledge graph construction. The proposed approach does not involve any a priori parsing, aggregation, and processing of log data, but dynamically constructs a virtual log KG from heterogeneous raw log sources across multiple hosts. To explore the feasibility of this approach, we developed a prototype and demonstrate its applicability to three scenarios. Furthermore, we evaluate the approach in various experimental settings with multiple heterogeneous log sources and machines; the encouraging results from this evaluation suggest that the approach can enable efficient graph-based ad-hoc log analyses in federated settings.
Controllability and Hyers–Ulam Stability of Differential Systems with Pure Delay
Authors: Elshenhab Ahmed M. , Wang Xingtao
Published: April 2022

Dynamic systems of linear and nonlinear differential equations with pure delay are considered in this study. As an application, the representation of solutions of these systems with the help of their delayed Mittag–Leffler matrix functions is used to obtain the controllability and Hyers–Ulam stability results. By introducing a delay Gramian matrix, we establish some sufficient and necessary conditions for the controllability of linear delay differential systems. In addition, by applying Krasnoselskii’s fixed point theorem, we establish some sufficient conditions of controllability and Hyers–Ulam stability of nonlinear delay differential systems. Our results improve, extend, and complement some existing ones. Finally, two examples are given to illustrate the main results.
Invariant Finite-Difference Schemes for Plane One-Dimensional MHD Flows That Preserve Conservation Laws
Authors: Dorodnitsyn Vladimir , Kaptsov Evgeniy
Published: April 2022

Invariant finite-difference schemes are considered for one-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations in mass Lagrangian coordinates for the cases of finite and infinite conductivity. The construction of these schemes makes use of results of the group classification of MHD equations previously obtained by the authors. On the basis of the classical Samarskiy–Popov scheme, new schemes are constructed for the case of finite conductivity. These schemes admit all symmetries of the original differential model and have difference analogues of all of its local differential conservation laws. New, previously unknown, conservation laws are found using symmetries and direct calculations. In the case of infinite conductivity, conservative invariant schemes are constructed as well. For isentropic flows of a polytropic gas the proposed schemes possess the conservation law of energy and preserve entropy on two time layers. This is achieved by means of specially selected approximations for the equation of state of a polytropic gas. In addition, invariant difference schemes with additional conservation laws are proposed. A new scheme for the case of finite conductivity is tested numerically for various boundary conditions, which shows accurate preservation of difference conservation laws.
Exploring the Impact of Technology 4.0 Driven Practice on Warehousing Performance: A Hybrid Approach
Authors: Ali Sadia Samar , Kaur Rajbir
Published: April 2022

Developing a promising technology that copes with the industrial warehousing environment requires special preparation. It includes infrastructure, equipment, resources, knowledge, efficiencies, and strategies for dealing with failures. This study examines Technology 4.0 driven warehouse practices and performance based on a thorough literature review. The study presents a unique proposition as it considers a two-fold fuzzy Delphi analysis to rank the Technology 4.0 driven practices using best-worst method (BWM) based on experts’ responses. Warehouse performance measures are evaluated by the Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) method. The results indicate the contributions of a ‘Man-machines or robots for facilitating human’; ‘Planning system for management’; ‘Storage systems’ as as leading practices contributing to ‘improved inventory management’, ‘effective storage and distribution’, and ‘improved distribution and shipping or delivery process’. Using this study, researchers and managers will better understand how to adopt technology in warehouse management system.
A New Prestress Loss Calculation Model of Anchor Cable in Pile–Anchor Structure
Authors: Gao Xing , Jia Jinqing , Mei Guoxiong , Bao Xiaohua , Zhang Lihua , Liao Xiaoping
Published: April 2022

Pile–anchor structures are widely used in foundation excavation and slope reinforcement due to their safety and reliability. However, the pile–anchor structures have the common problem of the prestress loss of anchor cables, which may reduce the stability of the structures. To accurately predict the prestress loss of anchor cables, a new prestress loss calculation model was established, and the availability of the prestress loss calculation model was verified through engineering cases. Meanwhile, aiming at the long-term prestress loss of anchor cables, the coupled creep behavior of anchor cable–rock and soil was studied and an anchor cable–rock and soil coupled creep model suitable for pile–anchor structures is proposed. The model test confirms that the coupled creep model could accurately describe the coupled creep behavior of the anchor cable and the rock and soil mass. The models provide a theoretical basis for the study of the prestress of anchor cables in pile–anchor structures, and have a guiding significance for the design and construction in foundation excavation and slope engineering.
Differential Elite Learning Particle Swarm Optimization for Global Numerical Optimization
Authors: Yang Qiang , Guo Xu , Gao Xu-Dong , Xu Dong-Dong , Lu Zhen-Yu
Published: April 2022

Although particle swarm optimization (PSO) has been successfully applied to solve optimization problems, its optimization performance still encounters challenges when dealing with complicated optimization problems, especially those with many interacting variables and many wide and flat local basins. To alleviate this issue, this paper proposes a differential elite learning particle swarm optimization (DELPSO) by differentiating the two guiding exemplars as much as possible to direct the update of each particle. Specifically, in this optimizer, particles in the current swarm are divided into two groups, namely the elite group and non-elite group, based on their fitness. Then, particles in the non-elite group are updated by learning from those in the elite group, while particles in the elite group are not updated and directly enter the next generation. To comprise fast convergence and high diversity at the particle level, we let each particle in the non-elite group learn from two differential elites in the elite group. In this way, the learning effectiveness and the learning diversity of particles is expectedly improved to a large extent. To alleviate the sensitivity of the proposed DELPSO to the newly introduced parameters, dynamic adjustment strategies for parameters were further designed. With the above two main components, the proposed DELPSO is expected to compromise the search intensification and diversification well to explore and exploit the solution space properly to obtain promising performance. Extensive experiments conducted on the widely used CEC 2017 benchmark set with three different dimension sizes demonstrated that the proposed DELPSO achieves highly competitive or even much better performance than state-of-the-art PSO variants.
Forcing Parameters in Fully Connected Cubic Networks
Authors: Rao Yongsheng , Kosari Saeed , Anitha Janakiraman , Rajasingh Indra , Rashmanlou Hossein
Published: April 2022

Domination in graphs has been extensively studied and adopted in many real life applications. The monitoring electrical power system is a variant of a domination problem called power domination problem. Another variant is the zero forcing problem. Determining minimum cardinality of a power dominating set and zero forcing set in a graph are the power domination problem and zero forcing problem, respectively. Both problems are NP-complete. In this paper, we compute the power domination number and the zero forcing number for fully connected cubic networks.
A Panel Threshold Model to Capture the Nonlinear Nexus between Public Policy and Entrepreneurial Activities in EU Countries
Authors: Lobonț Oana-Ramona , Nicolescu Ana-Cristina , Costea Florin , Li Zheng-Zheng , Țăran Alexandra-Mădălina , Davidescu Adriana
Published: April 2022

This paper explores the relationship between public policy and entrepreneurial activity in EU countries by using the panel threshold model. The paper was fundamental based on and confirmed the psychological threshold theory; namely, the results showed a single threshold effect between government effectiveness and entrepreneurial activity. Government public policy boosts entrepreneurial activity at the first segment, but the promotion effect becomes relatively slow after the threshold value. When separating the EU countries into efficiency-driven and innovation-driven countries, the threshold effect only existed in innovation-driven countries. After the threshold value, governance effectiveness hindered entrepreneurial activity, because saturation and excessive regulations impeded business in these countries. In essence, it is not a matter of working harder or winding down but a matter of promoting a moderate public policy, which is indeed necessary for the government to encourage entrepreneurial activity. Ultimately, keeping economic growth stable is essential for a favorable entrepreneurial environment.
Utilization of Improved Machine Learning Method Based on Artificial Hummingbird Algorithm to Predict the Tribological Behavior of Cu-Al2O3 Nanocomposites Synthesized by In Situ Method
Authors: Sadoun Ayman M. , Najjar Ismail R. , Alsoruji Ghazi S. , Abd-Elwahed M. S. , Elaziz Mohamed Abd , Fathy Adel
Published: April 2022

This paper presents a machine learning model to predict the effect of Al2O3 nanoparticles content on the wear rates in Cu-Al2O3 nanocomposite prepared using in situ chemical technique. The model developed is a modification of the random vector functional link (RVFL) algorithm using artificial hummingbird algorithm (AHA). The objective of using AHA is used to find the optimal configuration of RVFL to enhance the prediction of Al2O3 nanoparticles. The preparation of the composite was done using aluminum nitrate that was added to a solution containing scattered copper nitrate. After that, the powders of CuO and Al2O3 were obtained, and the leftover liquid was removed using a thermal treatment at 850 °C for 1 h. The powders were consolidated using compaction and sintering processes. The microhardness of the nanocomposite with 12.5% Al2O3 content is 2.03-fold times larger than the pure copper, while the wear rate of the same composite is reduced, reaching 55% lower than pure copper. These improved properties are attributed to the presence of Al2O3 nanoparticles and their homogenized distributions inside the matrix. The developed RVFl-AHA model was able to predict the wear rates of all the prepared composites at different wear load and speed, with very good accuracy, reaching nearly 100% and 99.5% using training and testing, respectively, in terms of coefficient of determination R2.
Anomaly Detection in the Internet of Vehicular Networks Using Explainable Neural Networks (xNN)
Authors: Aziz Saddam , Faiz Muhammad Talib , Adeniyi Adegoke Muideen , Loo Ka-Hong , Hasan Kazi Nazmul , Xu Linli , Irshad Muhammad
Published: April 2022

It is increasingly difficult to identify complex cyberattacks in a wide range of industries, such as the Internet of Vehicles (IoV). The IoV is a network of vehicles that consists of sensors, actuators, network layers, and communication systems between vehicles. Communication plays an important role as an essential part of the IoV. Vehicles in a network share and deliver information based on several protocols. Due to wireless communication between vehicles, the whole network can be sensitive towards cyber-attacks.In these attacks, sensitive information can be shared with a malicious network or a bogus user, resulting in malicious attacks on the IoV. For the last few years, detecting attacks in the IoV has been a challenging task. It is becoming increasingly difficult for traditional Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to detect these newer, more sophisticated attacks, which employ unusual patterns. Attackers disguise themselves as typical users to evade detection. These problems can be solved using deep learning. Many machine-learning and deep-learning (DL) models have been implemented to detect malicious attacks; however, feature selection remains a core issue. Through the use of training empirical data, DL independently defines intrusion features. We built a DL-based intrusion model that focuses on Denial of Service (DoS) assaults in particular. We used K-Means clustering for feature scoring and ranking. After extracting the best features for anomaly detection, we applied a novel model, i.e., an Explainable Neural Network (xNN), to classify attacks in the CICIDS2019 dataset and UNSW-NB15 dataset separately. The model performed well regarding the precision, recall, F1 score, and accuracy. Comparatively, it can be seen that our proposed model xNN performed well after the feature-scoring technique. In dataset 1 (UNSW-NB15), xNN performed well, with the highest accuracy of 99.7%, while CNN scored 87%, LSTM scored 90%, and the Deep Neural Network (DNN) scored 92%. xNN achieved the highest accuracy of 99.3% while classifying attacks in the second dataset (CICIDS2019); the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) achieved 87%, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) achieved 89%, and the DNN achieved 82%. The suggested solution outperformed the existing systems in terms of the detection and classification accuracy.
Active Disturbance Rejection Terminal Sliding Mode Control for Tele-Aiming Robot System Using Multiple-Model Kalman Observers
Authors: Ji Peng , Min Feng , Ma Fengying , Zhang Fangfang , Ni Dejing
Published: April 2022

This study proposes a tele-aiming control strategy for the ground reconnaissance robot to track the maneuvering target rapidly in the presence of dynamic uncertainties, sensory measurement noises, and time-varying external disturbances. First, the tele-aiming control trajectory generated by human–computer interaction (HCI) device is filtered with a tracking differentiator and a recursive average filter. Second, the inertial impact force disturbance generated by maneuvering tele-aiming control jointly with the other uncertainties (e.g., internal friction, modeling error, etc.) is considered as a lumped disturbance, and then a novel multiple-model augmented-state extended Kalman observer (MEKO) is designed, capable of filtering out the joint measurement noises and estimating the lumped disturbance simultaneously. Lastly, a nonsingular terminal sliding mode controller is applied to eliminate the lumped disturbance and control the joints to track the corresponding desired joint trajectory. To verify the tele-aiming control performance, the random trajectory tracking experiments are designed to simulate the tele-aiming tracking control of maneuvering targets. As indicated from the experimental results, the proposed control strategy is capable of significantly suppressing the effect of inertial impact force disturbance and joint measurement noises, and achieving fast and stable tele-aiming control.
A Comparative Study of Different Schemes Based on Bézier-like Functions with an Application of Craniofacial Fractures Reconstruction
Authors: Majeed Abdul , Abbas Muhammad , Miura Kenjiro T.
Published: April 2022

Cranial implants, especially custom made implants, are complex, important and necessary in craniofacial fracture restoration surgery. However, the classical procedure of the manual design of the implant is time consuming and complicated. Different computer-based techniques proposed by different researchers, including CAD/CAM, mirroring, reference skull, thin plate spline and radial basis functions have been used for cranial implant restoration. Computer Aided Geometric Design (CAGD) has also been used in bio-modeling and specifically for the restoration of cranial defects in form of different spline curves, namely C1,C2,GC1GC2, rational curves, B-spline and Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) curves. This paper gives an in-depth comparison of existing techniques by highlighting the limitations and advantage in different contexts. The construction of craniofacial fractures is made using different Bézier-like functions (Ball, Bernstein and Timmer basis functions) and is analyzed in detail. The C1,GC1 and GC2 cubic Ball curves are performed well for construction of the small fractured part. Any form of fracture is constructed using this approach and it has been effectively applied to frontal and parietal bone fractures. However, B-spline and NURBS curves can be used for any type of fractured parts and are more friendly user.
Effect of N2–H2 Ratio during Conventional Plasma Nitriding of Intermetallic FeAl40 Alloy on Electrochemical Corrosion Parameters in Sulphuric Acid
Authors: Le Ngoc Minh , Mandel Marcel , Krüger Lutz , Biermann Horst , Dalke Anke
Published: April 2022

The intermetallic alloy FeAl40 was plasma nitrided at 575 ∘C for 4 h while varying the N2–H2 gas mixture with nitrogen contents fN2 between 0.1 and 0.9. The effect of the gas mixture on the resulting structure of the nitrided FeAl40 and the associated electrochemical corrosion behaviour in a 0.25 M H2SO4 (pH = 0.3) electrolyte were investigated using different complementary analytical methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), electrochemical polarisation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Nitriding significantly changed the corrosion mechanism of FeAl40 alloys in acidic environments, ranging from consistently high material loss in untreated base material to strongly inhibited material loss. This phenomenon was the result of a corrosion product layer formed on nitrided FeAl40 during the corrosion process. Therefore, plasma nitriding reduced the corrosion rate to about 5–7 mm/year compared with 22 mm/year of the untreated FeAl40 base material. A high nitrogen content in the N2–H2 plasma of more than fN2 = 0.3 ensured the formation of protective nitrided layers on FeAl40. In addition, an approach to explaining the effect of the nitrided layer on FeAl materials was presented on the basis of thermodynamic considerations.
Size and Shape Effects on Fatigue Behavior of G20Mn5QT Steel from Axle Box Bodies in High-Speed Trains
Authors: Zhang Zhenxian , Li Zhongwen , Wu Han , Sun Chengqi
Published: April 2022

In this paper, the axial loading fatigue tests are at first conducted on specimens ofG20Mn5QT steel from axle box bodies in high-speed trains. Then, the size and shape effects on fatigue behavior are investigated. It is shown that the specimen size and shape have an influence on the fatigue performance of G20Mn5QT steel. The fatigue strength of the hourglass specimen is higher than that of the dogbone specimen due to its relatively smaller highly stressed region. Scanning electron microscope observation of the fracture surface and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicate that the specimen size and shape have no influence on the fatigue crack initiation mechanism. Fatigue cracks initiate from the surface or subsurface of the specimen, and some fracture surfaces present the characteristic of multi-site crack initiation. Most of the fatigue cracks initiate from the pore defects and alumina inclusions in the casting process, in which the pore defects are the main crack origins. The results also indicate that the probabilistic control volume method could be used for correlating the effects of specimen size and shape o the fatigue performance of G20Mn5QT steel for axle box bodies in high-speed trains.
High Fructose and High Fat Diet Impair Different Types of Memory through Oxidative Stress in a Sex- and Hormone-Dependent Manner
Authors: Chávez-Gutiérrez Edwin , Fuentes-Venado Claudia Erika , Rodríguez-Páez Lorena , Guerra-Araiza Christian , Larqué Carlos , Martínez-Herrera Erick , Ocharan-Hernández María Esther , Lomelí Joel , Loza-Mejía Marco A. , Salazar Juan Rodrigo , Meneses-Ruiz Dulce María , Gallardo Juan Manuel , Pinto-Almazán Rodolfo
Published: April 2022

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) contributes to the spread of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, and neurodegenerative diseases. Evaluation of sex- and hormone-dependent changes in body weight, blood pressure, blood lipids, oxidative stress markers, and alterations in different types of memory in Sprague–Dawley rats fed with a high fat and high fructose (HFHF) diet were evaluated. After 12 weeks of feeding the male and female rats with HFHF, body weight gain, increase in blood pressure, and generation of dyslipidemia compared to the animals fed with chow diet were observed. Regarding memory, it was noted that gonadectomy reverted the effects of HFHF in the 24 h novel object recognition task and in spatial learning/memory analyzed through Morris water maze, males being more affected than females. Nevertheless, gonadectomy did not revert long-term memory impairment in the passive avoidance task induced by HFHF nor in male or female rats. On the other hand, sex-hormone–diet interaction was observed in the plasma concentration of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide. These results suggest that the changes observed in the memory and learning of MetS animals are sex- and hormone-dependent and correlate to an increase in oxidative stress.
Contemporary Methods of Measuring and Estimating Methane Emission from Ruminants
Authors: Bekele Wondimagegne , Guinguina Abdulai , Zegeye Abiy , Simachew Addis , Ramin Mohammad
Published: April 2022

This review aims to elucidate the contemporary methods of measuring and estimating methane (CH4) emissions from ruminants. Six categories of methods for measuring and estimating CH4 emissions from ruminants are discussed. The widely used methods in most CH4 abatement experiments comprise the gold standard respiration chamber, in vitro incubation, and the sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) techniques. In the spot sampling methods, the paper discusses the sniffer method, the GreenFeed system, the face mask method, and the portable accumulation chamber. The spot sampling relies on the measurement of short-term breath data adequately on spot. The mathematical modeling methods focus on predicting CH4 emissions from ruminants without undertaking extensive and costly experiments. For instance, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides default values for regional emission factors and other parameters using three levels of estimation (Tier 1, 2 and 3 levels), with Tier 1 and Tier 3 being the simplest and most complex methods, respectively. The laser technologies include the open-path laser technique and the laser CH4 detector. They use the laser CH4 detector and wireless sensor networks to measure CH4 flux. The micrometeorological methods rely on measurements of meteorological data in line with CH4 concentration. The last category of methods for measuring and estimating CH4 emissions in this paper is the emerging technologies. They include the blood CH4 concentration tracer, infrared thermography, intraruminal telemetry, the eddy covariance (EC) technique, carbon dioxide as a tracer gas, and polytunnel. The emerging technologies are essential for the future development of effective quantification of CH4 emissions from ruminants. In general, adequate knowledge of CH4 emission measurement methods is important for planning, implementing, interpreting, and comparing experimental results.
Characterization and Public Health Insights of the New Delhi Metallo-β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacterales from Laying Hens in China
Authors: Wei Hongcheng , Kong Linghan , Wang Yulong , Huang Zheren , Yang Xue , Zhou Changyu , Li Chao , Ma Boheng , Li Cui , Lei Changwei , Wang Hongning
Published: April 2022

The New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) is a major element for the rapid expansion of the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, which poses a great challenge to public health security. NDM-producing Enterobacterales strains (50 Escherichia coli, 40 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 5 Enterobacter cloacae) were isolated from laying hens in China for the surveillance of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and all were found to be multi-drug resistant bacteria. The genomic analysis of these NDM-positive bacteria revealed the ST167, ST617, and ST410 of the fifteen ST-type E. coli clones and ST37 of the four ST-type K. pneumoniae clones to be the same types as the human-derived strains. Among them, some new clone types were also found. Most of the blaNDM genes (blaNDM-1 or blaNDM-5) were on the IncX3 plasmids (n = 80) and were distributed in E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and E. cloacae, while the remaining blaNDM-5 genes were harbored in the E. coli ST167 with IncFII plasmids (n = 15). The typeⅠ1 of the eight IncX3 plasmid subtypes was consistent with the human-derived pNDM5_020001 plasmid (accession no. CP032424). In addition, these two plasmids did not affect the growth of the host bacteria and could be reproduced stably without antibiotics. Our study revealed the high genetic propensity of the NDM-positive Enterobacterales from the laying hens and human commensal Enterobacterales, suggesting the potentially enormous risk of its transmission to humans.
Histomorphological Damage in the Small Intestine of Wami Tilapia (Oreochromis urolepis) (Norman, 1922) Exposed to Microplastics Remain Long after Depuration
Authors: Mbugani John J. , Machiwa John F. , Shilla Daniel A. , Kimaro Wahabu , Joseph Dativa , Khan Farhan R.
Published: April 2022

The histopathological effects of microplastics (MPs) in the gastrointestinal tracts of fish following long-term exposure and depuration are relatively understudied. This study investigated histomorphological damage in the small intestine of Oreochromis urolepis larvae following 65 d exposure to 38–45 μm of polyethylene microspheres (PE MPs) and after a recovery period of 60 d. Larval fish were assigned to each treatment group (control, 1, 10 and 100 PE MPs), where ingestion and degenerative changes in the small intestine were examined using a routine hematoxylin and eosin staining technique. The results highlighted significant PE MPs ingestion and retention proportional to exposure dose (χ2 = 49.54; df = 2). Villi height and width and epithelial cell height were significantly affected and differed between treatment groups. Indices of damage to the small intestine organ (χ2 = 47.37; df = 2; p < 0.05) and reaction patterns of villi, epithelial, goblet and cryptic glandular cells, leucocytic infiltration and blood congestion revealed significant occurrence of alteration as PE MPs exposure dose increased. After the recovery period, no PE MPs were observed, and villi height, width and epithelial cells showed recovery with no significant difference between treatment groups. Organ indices declined (χ2 = 12; df = 2; p < 0.05) but remained significantly different between treatment groups, largely due to leucocytic infiltration (χ2 = 9.08; df = 2; p < 0.05). The study demonstrated that microplastics induced small intestinal wall degeneration, but recovery in young fish occurred slowly. The damage likely compromised its digestive function, which may affect growth and reproduction. This requires further research.