bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychological Effects of Motivational Aquatic Resistance Interval Training and Nutritional Education in Older Women
Authors: Martínez-Rodríguez Alejandro , Cuestas-Calero Bernardo José , García-De Frutos José Manuel , Marcos-Pardo Pablo Jorge
Published: December 2021

Several studies have demonstrated the positive effects of physical exercise programs on physical and mental health throughout life. It is necessary to know the factors that contribute to the well-being of older adults in order to achieve healthy aging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between well-being perception and the use of autonomy supportive coaching behaviours across a motivational aquatic resistance interval training program. Thirty-four women over 65 years of age from the province of Alicante, Spain, participated, and were randomly assigned to: motivational aquatic resistance interval training group (MART; age: 69.6 ± 5.01 years, height: 1.62 ± 7.88 m, weight: 75.3 ± 12.8 kg) and control group (CG; age: 67.7 ± 3.60 years, height: 1.54 ± 5.47 m, weight: 66.9 ± 10.2 kg). The MART program was conducted for 14 weeks, with three training sessions/week. The CG did not perform any physical activity during the study. Perception of autonomy support was assessed through the Autonomy-Supportive Coaching Questionnaire (ASCQ), Psychological needs by the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale (BPNES), Intrinsic motivation to exercise was assessed through Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) and Perception of Physical Activity by the International physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ). In MART, compared to CG, significant differences were observed in BPNS, IMI and IPAQ questionnaires used, except in the ASCQ. The differences were significant in all three cases in BPNS (p < 0.05 in autonomy and competence and p = 0.001 in relationship with others), obtaining better scores after intervention than previously. As for the IMI scale, significant differences were also obtained in both subscales. The level of physical activity also improved significantly, with higher scores on the IPAQ after the intervention than before (p < 0.001). In conclusion, when practitioners perceive greater well-being, satisfaction of their basic psychological needs, greater self-selection, volition, and autonomy instead of pressure, demand and control, the result is better behaviour with greater psychological well-being, adherence and consequent health benefits.
Barriers and Facilitators of Use of Hydroxyurea among Children with Sickle Cell Disease: Experiences of Stakeholders in Tanzania
Authors: Kilonzi Manase , Mlyuka Hamu J. , Felician Fatuma Felix , Mwakawanga Dorkasi L. , Chirande Lulu , Myemba David T. , Sambayi Godfrey , Mutagonda Ritah F. , Mikomangwa Wigilya P. , Ndunguru Joyce , Jonathan Agnes , Ruggajo Paschal , Minja Irene Kida , Balandya Emmanuel , Makani Julie , Sirili Nathanael
Published: December 2021

Factors contributing to low use of HU among SCD patients exist in high-income countries. The latter leaves a drift of literature on factors for low utilization of HU in developing countries. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing the use of HU in the management of SCD in Tanzania. A qualitative study was employed to interview purposively selected participants for this study. The in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 parents of children with SCD, four medical doctors working at sickle cell clinics, and two representatives of the national health insurance fund (NHIF). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed. Barriers identified were misconception of parents on SCD, financial constraints, regulatory restrictions, worries and fears of medical doctors on the acceptability of HU, shortages of laboratory equipment and consumables, and limited availability of HU. Adequate knowledge of the parents and medical doctors on SCD and HU and opportunities for HU accessibility were the facilitators identified. The utilization of HU by the individual with SCD is affected by several factors, from individual to policy level. Nevertheless, parents of children with SCD and medical doctors working in sickle cell clinics demonstrated good knowledge of the diseases and HU.
Mapping the Soundscape in Communicative Forms for Cultural Heritage: Between Realism and Symbolism
Authors: Pietroni Eva
Published: December 2021

The dimension of sound plays a central role as a form of cultural representation. Sound is a means of knowledge and experiential involvement, as it is inextricably linked to place and space, mind and body, cultural context and emotion. This contribution aims to explore how sound design follows different paradigms and methods in the various media. Virtual reality, videogame, cinema and documentary have differently codified rules to provide acoustic verisimilitude to the simulated space, to orient or stimulate the user, to suggest contents or evoke events and to emotionally involve the public. These rules follow artistic principles closer to psychoacoustics than to scientific reproduction of sound in the simulated space. Under what conditions, however, is the scientific simulation of an acoustic space preferable to the more common paradigms of psychoacoustics? How could this be created? Immersive and non-immersive virtual reality for cultural heritage is currently the field of experimentation most open to future developments. Some virtual reality and mixed reality applications will be presented, dedicated to archaeological or historical-artistic contexts, where a fundamental relationship between sound and multisensory interaction has been created.
Enhance Growth and Flower Quality of Chrysanthemum indicum L. with Application of Plant Growth Retardants
Authors: Kentelky Endre , Szekely-Varga Zsolt , Bálint János , Balog Adalbert
Published: December 2021

Ornamental plants are cultivated worldwide. Chrysanthemum is classified as one of the most important cut and potted flowers in most of the countries. The consumer’s expectation is to find small–compact, and full of inflorescences plants. To meet these demands, growers are tending to use plant growth retardants. Three Chrysanthemum indicum L. varieties (‘Smola White’, ‘Arber’ and ‘Vienna White’) were assessed by using four plant growth regulators (PP–Bumper 250 EC; CC–Stabilan SL; MP–Medax Top SC; and PD–Toprex SC). Results indicate that treated plants show significant decrease in the assessed parameters, although in some cases growth could be a variety–dependent factor. It can also be concluded that retardants inhibit chrysanthemum growth. PD treatments greatly inhibited the growth of the plant, and also had a negative effect on inflorescences. In conclusion, the present work strengthens the possibility of using retardants as plant growth inhibitors in Chrysanthemum cultivation.
TINA Is Dead: Reflecting on Postcapitalist Futures
Authors: Serafino Loris , Ghezzo Fabrizia
Published: December 2021

Social sciences in recent years have clearly proven that TINA—There Is No Alternative (to capitalism)—is no longer tenable. Today, alterity to capitalism comes in many forms and blossoms from inside its borders. Ethnographies of experimentations that span from ecovillages and community economies to alternative forms of work, production, and consumption are now countless. One common denominator of these experiences is that communal forms of social relation take over market relations. The main theoretical issue raised by this empirical work is whether this ferment of scattered, small scale alternative ways of organizing economy and society can coalesce into a fully fledged postcapitalist future or whether it is doomed to be stay marginal and transient at best. Anthropology can be at the forefront of this theoretical challenge. We close this brief commentary by addressing the importance of a future-oriented thinking in Anthropology and for the social science in general.
Modelling a Severe Transient Anoxia of Continental Freshwaters Due to a Scheldt Accidental Release (Sugar Industry)
Authors: Grard Aline , Everbecq Etienne , Magermans Pol , Deliège Jean-François
Published: December 2021

Most anthropogenic pollution can be controlled, such as domestic and industrial releases, loads from agriculture, etc. However, some of them, which are associated to illegal discharges, industrial accidents, etc., are more difficult to forecast. This study was performed on the Tereos sugar industry accident that occurred during the night of 9 April 2020, when 88,000 cubic meters of effluents loaded with organic matter discharged in the Scheldt River (a 350 km long transnational river that flows through Northern France and Western Belgium). The accident had dramatic consequences on the receiving watercourse, over 120 km downstream. Fish mortalities have been observed and severe deoxygenation, reaching zero concentration in dissolved oxygen, have impacted river chemical quality. The objective was to understand and describe the dynamics of the chemical pollution and its propagation along the transboundary hydrographic network of the Scheldt. A method based on the processes of organic matter degradation in the river ecosystem was enhanced. It is demonstrated that the accident is doubtless the cause of the water column deoxygenation. This paper shows how the water quality modelling can help to understand and therefore to prevent the consequences of accidental pollution on a river network.
The Effects of Vitamin D on the Expression of IL-33 and Its Receptor ST2 in Skin Cells; Potential Implication for Psoriasis
Authors: Wierzbicka Justyna M. , Piotrowska Anna , Purzycka-Bohdan Dorota , Olszewska Anna , Nowak Joanna I. , Szczerkowska-Dobosz Aneta , Nedoszytko Bogusław , Nowicki Roman J. , Żmijewski Michał A.
Published: December 2021

Interleukin 33 (IL-33) belongs to the IL-1 family and is produced constitutively by epithelial and endothelial cells of various organs, such as the skin. It takes part in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, repair, and immune response, including activation of Th2 lymphocytes. Its involvement in pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases including psoriasis was also suggested, but this is not fully understood. The aim of the study was to investigate expression of IL-33 and its receptor, ST2, in psoriasis, and the effects of the active form of vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3) on their expression in skin cells. Here we examined mRNA and protein profiles of IL-33 and ST2 in 18 psoriatic patients and healthy volunteers by qPCR and immunostaining techniques. Potential effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 and its receptor (VDR) on the expression of IL-33 and ST2 were tested in cultured keratinocytes, melanocytes, fibroblasts, and basal cell carcinoma cells. It was shown that 1,25(OH)2D3 effectively stimulated expression of IL-33 and its receptor ST2’s mRNAs in a time-dependent manner, in keratinocytes and to the lesser extends in melanocytes, but not in fibroblasts. Furthermore, the effect of vitamin D on expression of IL-33 and ST2 was VDR-dependent. Finally, we demonstrated that the expression of mRNA for IL-33 was mainly elevated in the psoriatic skin but not in its margin. Interestingly, ST2 mRNA was downregulated in psoriatic lesion compared to both marginal tissue as well as healthy skin. Our data indicated that vitamin D can modulate IL-33 signaling, opening up new perspectives for our understanding of the mechanism of vitamin D action in psoriasis therapy.
Nanomedicine for Treating Diabetic Retinopathy Vascular Degeneration
Authors: Borodina Tatiana , Kostyushev Dmitry , Zamyatnin Andrey A. , Parodi Alessandro
Published: December 2021

The incidence of diabetes and the pathological conditions associated with chronic hyperglycemia is increasing worldwide. Among them, diabetic retinopathy represents a leading cause of vision loss, causing a significant structural and functional impairment of the retinal and choroidal capillary network. Current therapies include anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory drugs administered through repetitive and invasive intraocular injections, and associated with significant adverse effects. The presence of ocular barriers affects the efficiency of topically administered therapeutics for treating the posterior segment of the eye. In this scenario, nanomedicine could improve current therapies for diabetic retinopathy by providing tools that can decrease the number of injections thanks to their controlled release properties, while some materials showed a natural ability to mitigate pathological neo-angiogenesis. Moreover, specific surface modifications could open new scenarios for the development of topical treatments. This review describes current advances in generating nanomedicine for diabetic retinopathy, focusing on the properties of the different materials tested explicitly for this purpose.
A Private Strategy for Workload Forecasting on Large-Scale Wireless Networks
Authors: Pisa Pedro Silveira , Costa Bernardo , Gonçalves Jéssica Alcântara , Varela de Medeiros Dianne Scherly , Mattos Diogo Menezes Ferrazani
Published: December 2021

The growing convergence of various services characterizes wireless access networks. Therefore, there is a high demand for provisioning the spectrum to serve simultaneous users demanding high throughput rates. The load prediction at each access point is mandatory to allocate resources and to assist sophisticated network designs. However, the load at each access point varies according to the number of connected devices and traffic characteristics. In this paper, we propose a load estimation strategy based on a Markov’s Chain to predict the number of devices connected to each access point on the wireless network, and we apply an unsupervised machine learning model to identify traffic profiles. The main goals are to determine traffic patterns and overload projections in the wireless network, efficiently scale the network, and provide a knowledge base for security tools. We evaluate the proposal in a large-scale university network, with 670 access points spread over a wide area. The collected data is de-identified, and data processing occurs in the cloud. The evaluation results show that the proposal predicts the number of connected devices with 90% accuracy and discriminates five different user-traffic profiles on the load of the wireless network.
A Semantic Approach for Quality Assurance and Assessment of Volunteered Geographic Information
Authors: Bordogna Gloria
Published: December 2021

The paper analyses the characteristics of Volunteer Geographic Information (VGI) and the need to assure and assess its quality for a possible use and re-use. Ontologies and soft ontologies are presented as means to support quality assurance and assessment of VGI by highlighting their limitations. A proposal of a possibilistic approach using fuzzy ontology is finally illustrated that allows to model both imprecision and vagueness of domain knowledge and epistemic uncertainty affecting observations. A case study example is illustrated.
Using Generative Module and Pruning Inference for the Fast and Accurate Detection of Apple Flower in Natural Environments
Authors: Zhang Yan , He Shupeng , Wa Shiyun , Zong Zhiqi , Liu Yunling
Published: December 2021

Apple flower detection is an important project in the apple planting stage. This paper proposes an optimized detection network model based on a generative module and pruning inference. Due to the problems of instability, non-convergence, and overfitting of convolutional neural networks in the case of insufficient samples, this paper uses a generative module and various image pre-processing methods including Cutout, CutMix, Mixup, SnapMix, and Mosaic algorithms for data augmentation. In order to solve the problem of slowing down the training and inference due to the increasing complexity of detection networks, the pruning inference proposed in this paper can automatically deactivate part of the network structure according to the different conditions, reduce the network parameters and operations, and significantly improve the network speed. The proposed model can achieve 90.01%, 98.79%, and 97.43% in precision, recall, and mAP, respectively, in detecting the apple flowers, and the inference speed can reach 29 FPS. On the YOLO-v5 model with slightly lower performance, the inference speed can reach 71 FPS by the pruning inference. These experimental results demonstrate that the model proposed in this paper can meet the needs of agricultural production.
Technology-Induced Stress, Sociodemographic Factors, and Association with Academic Achievement and Productivity in Ghanaian Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Essel Harry Barton , Vlachopoulos Dimitrios , Tachie-Menson Akosua , Johnson Esi Eduafua , Ebeheakey Alice Korkor
Published: December 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic affected many nations around the globe, including Ghana, in the first quarter of 2020. To avoid the spread of the virus, the Ghanaian government ordered universities to close, although most of them had only just begun the academic year. The adoption of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) had adverse effects, such as technostress, notwithstanding its advantages for both students and academic faculty. This study examined two significant antecedents: digital literacy and technology dependence. In addition, the study scrutinized the effects of technostress on two relevant student qualities: academic achievement and academic productivity. A descriptive correlational study method was used to discern the prevalence of technology-induced stress among university students in Ghana. The technostress scale was used with a sample of 525 students selected based on defined eligibility criteria. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to calculate the measurement models and structural models. The divergent validity and convergent validity were estimated with the average variance extracted (AVE) and coefficients of correlation between the constructs. The online survey of 525 university students inferred that technology dependence and digital literacy contributes significantly to technostress. Additionally, technostress has adverse effects on academic achievement and academic productivity. Practical implications, limitations, and future directions for the study were also discussed.
Fault Detection of Bearing: An Unsupervised Machine Learning Approach Exploiting Feature Extraction and Dimensionality Reduction
Authors: Brito Lucas Costa , Susto Gian Antonio , Brito Jorge Nei , Duarte Marcus Antonio Viana
Published: December 2021

The monitoring of rotating machinery is an essential activity for asset management today. Due to the large amount of monitored equipment, analyzing all the collected signals/features becomes an arduous task, leading the specialist to rely often on general alarms, which in turn can compromise the accuracy of the diagnosis. In order to make monitoring more intelligent, several machine learning techniques have been proposed to reduce the dimension of the input data and also to analyze it. This paper, therefore, aims to compare the use of vibration features extracted based on machine learning models, expert domain, and other signal processing approaches for identifying bearing faults (anomalies) using machine learning (ML)—in addition to verifying the possibility of reducing the number of monitored features, and consequently the behavior of the model when working with reduced dimensionality of the input data. As vibration analysis is one of the predictive techniques that present better results in the monitoring of rotating machinery, vibration signals from an experimental bearing dataset were used. The proposed features were used as input to an unsupervised anomaly detection model (Isolation Forest) to identify bearing fault. Through the study, it is possible to verify how the ML model behaves in view of the different possibilities of input features used, and their influences on the final result in addition to the possibility of reducing the number of features that are usually monitored by reducing the dimension. In addition to increasing the accuracy of the model when extracting correct features for the application under study, the reduction in dimensionality allows the specialist to monitor in a compact way the various features collected on the equipment.
Experimental Study on the Out-of-Plane Behavior of Brick Masonry Walls Strengthened with Mortar and Wire Mesh: A Pioneer Study
Authors: Joyklad Panuwat , Ali Nazam , Verre Salvatore , Magbool Hassan M. , Elnemr Amr , Qureshi Muhammad Irshad , Hussain Qudeer , Chaiyasarn Krisada
Published: December 2021

In the past, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have been extensively used to modify the structural response of masonry brick walls. The promising advantages of FRP composites are easy application, lightweight, and very high tensile strength. However, FRP composites are very expensive, and their availability is an issue, especially in developing countries. The use of bricks is widespread in developing countries due to their low price and easy availability. Recent earthquakes and research results have demonstrated the vulnerability of existing masonry structures. In this study, we aimed to investigate the use of low-cost and readily available strengthening materials, i.e., cement-sand mortar and wire mesh, to enhance the flexural capacity of cement-clay interlocking brick (CCIB) masonry walls. The proposed strengthening materials were applied in different configurations and thicknesses. The experimental results indicated that using CS mortar and wire mesh is promising to enhance the flexural capacity of CCIB masonry walls. The flexural capacity and energy absorption capacity of the CCIB masonry wall (strengthened with 20 mm thick CS mortar and three layers of wire mesh) were 87% and 46% higher than the reference CCIB masonry wall. The results of this study can be used to improve the performance of masonry structures against earthquakes in the developing regions.
Effects of Axial Relative Ground Movement on Small Diameter Polyethylene Piping in Loose Sand
Authors: Reza Auchib , Dhar Ashutosh Sutra
Published: December 2021

Small diameter (42 mm) medium density polyethylene (MDPE) pipes are widely used in the gas distribution system in Canada and other countries. They are sometimes exposed to ground movements resulting from landslides or earthquakes. The current design guidelines for evaluating the pipes subjected to ground movement were developed for steel pipes of larger diameters and may not apply to flexible MDPE pipes. This paper evaluates 42 mm diameter MDPE pipes buried in loose sand under axial relative ground movement for developing a design method for the pipes. MDPE is a viscoelastic material; therefore, the behaviour of MDPE pipes exposed to landslides would depend on the rate of ground movements. In this research, full-scale laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the responses of buried pipes under various rates of relative axial displacement. Finite element modelling of the tests was used to interpret the observed behaviour using the continuum mechanics framework. The study revealed that the pulling force on the pipe depends on the rate of relative ground displacement (pulling rate). The nondimensional pulling force possessed a nonlinear relationship with the pulling rate. A rate-dependent interface friction angle could be used to calculate the maximum pulling forces using the conventional design guidelines for the pipes in loose sand. Based on the pulling force, the pipe wall strains can be estimated using the methods available for larger diameter pipes.
In Situ and In Operando Techniques to Study Li-Ion and Solid-State Batteries: Micro to Atomic Level
Authors: Golozar Maryam , Gauvin Raynald , Zaghib Karim
Published: December 2021

This work summarizes the most commonly used in situ techniques for the study of Li-ion batteries from the micro to the atomic level. In situ analysis has attracted a great deal of interest owing to its ability to provide a wide range of information about the cycling behavior of batteries from the beginning until the end of cycling. The in situ techniques that are covered are: X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM). An optimized setup is required to be able to use any of these in situ techniques in battery applications. Depending on the type of data required, the available setup, and the type of battery, more than one of these techniques might be needed. This study organizes these techniques from the micro to the atomic level, and shows the types of data that can be obtained using these techniques, their advantages and their challenges, and possible strategies for overcoming these challenges.
Distribution and Relative Abundance of Bean Leaf Beetles (Ootheca spp.) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Uganda
Authors: Halerimana Charles , Kyamanywa Samuel , Olaboro Samuel , Paparu Pamela , Nkalubo Stanley T. , Colvin John , Cheke Robert A. , Wagner Thomas , Seal Susan E. , Kriticos Darren J. , Otim Michael H.
Published: December 2021

Bean leaf beetles (Ootheca spp.) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are one of Africa’s most destructive pests of common bean and other leguminous crops. The beetles are widely distributed in Africa where they are estimated to cause annual crop yield losses of 116,400 tons of crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite their importance, little is known about the distribution, relative abundance and damage caused by bean leaf beetles in Uganda. As a result, the development of effective management methods has been hampered. We conducted surveys in six key Ugandan agro-ecological zones to determine the species distribution and relative abundance of bean leaf beetles. Findings indicate that leaf beetles belonging to 12 genera are present, including members of the genera Afrophthalma Medvedev, 1980, Buphonella Jacoby, 1903, Chrysochrus Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836, Diacantha Dejean, 1845, Exosoma Jacoby, 1903, Lamprocopa Hincks, 1949, Lema Fabricius, 1798, Nisotra Baly, 1864, Neobarombiella Bolz and Wagner, 2012, Ootheca Dejean, 1935, Parasbecesta Laboissière, 1940, and Plagiodera Dejean, 1835. We identified only three species belonging to the genus Ootheca: O. mutabilis, O. proteus, and O. orientalis. Seventy percent of all the beetles collected were O. mutabilis and these were present in all agro-ecological zones studied. The Northern Moist Farmlands (21.9%), West Nile Farmlands (12.9%), Central Wooded Savanna (4.4%) and Southern and Eastern Lake Kyoga Basin (1.4%) were the only agro-ecological zones where O. proteus was found. Only one specimen of O. orientalis was found at a single site in the Central Wooded Savanna. The Northern Moist Farmlands had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher bean leaf beetle density than the West Nile Farmlands and Southwestern Highlands. Similarly, the Northern Moist Farmlands had the highest beetle foliar damage per plant (1.15 ± 0.05), while the Southwestern Highlands had the lowest (0.03 ± 0.02). We provide the first information on Ootheca species distribution, abundance and damage in Uganda. Our findings provide a foundation for assessing the importance of Ootheca spp. as common bean pests in Uganda.
Stink Bug Communication and Signal Detection in a Plant Environment
Authors: Čokl Andrej , Žunič-Kosi Alenka , Stritih-Peljhan Nataša , Blassioli-Moraes Maria Carolina , Laumann Raúl Alberto , Borges Miguel
Published: December 2021

Plants influenced the evolution of plant-dwelling stink bugs’ systems underlying communication with chemical and substrate-borne vibratory signals. Plant volatiles provides cues that increase attractiveness or interfere with the probability of finding a mate in the field. Mechanical properties of herbaceous hosts and associated plants alter the frequency, amplitude, and temporal characteristics of stink bug species and sex-specific vibratory signals. The specificity of pheromone odor tuning has evolved through highly specific odorant receptors located within the receptor membrane. The narrow-band low-frequency characteristics of the signals produced by abdomen vibration and the frequency tuning of the highly sensitive subgenual organ vibration receptors match with filtering properties of the plants enabling optimized communication. A range of less sensitive mechanoreceptors, tuned to lower vibration frequencies, detect signals produced by other mechanisms used at less species-specific levels of communication in a plant environment. Whereas the encoding of frequency-intensity and temporal parameters of stink bug vibratory signals is relatively well investigated at low levels of processing in the ventral nerve cord, processing of this information and its integration with other modalities at higher neuronal levels still needs research attention.
Identification of Autophagy-Related Genes in the Potato Psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli and Their Expression Profile in Response to ‘Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum’ in the Gut
Authors: Tang Xiao-Tian , Tamborindeguy Cecilia
Published: December 2021

Autophagy, also known as type II programmed cell death, is a cellular mechanism of “self-eating”. Autophagy plays an important role against pathogen infection in numerous organisms. Recently, it has been demonstrated that autophagy can be activated and even manipulated by plant viruses to facilitate their transmission within insect vectors. However, little is known about the role of autophagy in the interactions of insect vectors with plant bacterial pathogens. ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ (Lso) is a phloem-limited Gram-negative bacterium that infects crops worldwide. Two Lso haplotypes, LsoA and LsoB, are transmitted by the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli and cause damaging diseases in solanaceous plants (e.g., zebra chip in potatoes). Both LsoA and LsoB are transmitted by the potato psyllid in a persistent circulative manner: they colonize and replicate within psyllid tissues. Following acquisition, the gut is the first organ Lso encounters and could be a barrier for transmission. In this study, we annotated autophagy-related genes (ATGs) from the potato psyllid transcriptome and evaluated their expression in response to Lso infection at the gut interface. In total, 19 ATGs belonging to 17 different families were identified. The comprehensive expression profile analysis revealed that the majority of the ATGs were regulated in the psyllid gut following the exposure or infection to each Lso haplotype, LsoA and LsoB, suggesting a potential role of autophagy in response to Lso at the psyllid gut interface.
Strap-On Magnets: A Framework for Rapid Prototyping of Magnets and Beam Lines
Authors: Ziemann Volker
Published: December 2021

We describe a framework to assemble permanent-magnet cubes in 3D-printed frames to construct dipole, quadrupole, and solenoid magnets, whose field, in the absence of iron, can be calculated analytically in three spatial dimensions. Rotating closely spaced dipoles and quadrupoles in opposite directions allows us to adjust the integrated strength of a multipole. The contributions of unwanted harmonics were calculated and found to be moderate. We then combined multiple magnets to construct beam-line modules: a chicane, a triplet cell, and a solenoid focusing system.
Design of Small Unmanned Surface Vehicle with Autonomous Navigation System
Authors: Kolev Georgii , Tayarani Bathaie Seyed Nima , Rybin Vyacheslav , Kulagin Maksim , Karimov Timur
Published: December 2021

Maintaining ecosystems is one of the current leading public concerns. Some of the pressing problems that threaten water resources are pollution of water bodies with floating debris, illegal extraction of water resources, wear and tear of underwater communications. Therefore, the creation of special technical solutions is urgent. This paper reports a model-based design of an unmanned surface vehicle (USV), purposed to control and maintain the oxygen level and parameters such as acidity and the water temperature in rivers, lakes, inland waterways, and coastal waters. The developed USV navigation autopilot is described as a system with two inputs and one output. The autopilot selected is an adaptive controller based on the concept of proportional, integral, and derivative (PID). The autopilot is implemented on the STM32 microcontroller and allows precisely maintaining a given course, adjusting the speed and angle of rotation during wind drift and other influences. The new technique for sensor calibration and data acquisition is described. Simulation results are given, showing the performance of the autopilot algorithm in response to variations in the environment. The numerical experiments of the model have presented the result of confirming the sufficient correspondence between prototype characteristics and simulation results. Finally, thorough field trials were performed to verify the reliability and precision of the proposed solutions. The developed unmanned surface vehicle can be used for environmental monitoring (water sampling, hydrography, patrolling water areas). In turn, the solutions obtained will be suitable for the design of other USV of different sizes.
On Structure of Infinite B*-Matrices over Normed Fields
Authors: Ludkowski Sergey Victor
Published: December 2021

This article is devoted to the investigation of infinite B*-matrices and linear operators over normed fields. Their structure is studied in the paper. Ideals and centers of the corresponding to them B*-algebras are scrutinized.
Effects of In-Process Temperatures and Blending Polymers on Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Blends
Authors: Harris Muhammad , Potgieter Johan , Mohsin Hammad , Silva Karnika De , Guen Marie-Joo Le
Published: December 2021

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is a renowned commodity polymer for additive manufacturing, particularly fused deposition modelling (FDM). The recent large-scale applications of 3D-printed ABS require stable mechanical properties than ever needed. However, thermochemical scission of butadiene bonds is one of the contemporary challenges affecting the overall ABS stability. In this regard, literature reports melt-blending of ABS with different polymers with high thermal resistance. However, the comparison for the effects of different polymers on tensile strength of 3D-printed ABS blends was not yet reported. Furthermore, the cumulative studies comprising both blended polymers and in-process thermal variables for FDM were not yet presented as well. This research, for the first time, presents the statistical comparison of tensile properties for the added polymers and in-process thermal variables (printing temperature and build surface temperature). The research presents Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to explain the thermochemical reasons behind achieved mechanical properties. Overall, ABS blend with PP shows high tensile strength (≈31 MPa) at different combinations of in-process parameters. Furthermore, some commonalities among both blends are noted, i.e., the tensile strength improves with increase of surface (bed) and printing temperature.
Identification and Classification of the Tea Samples by Using Sensory Mechanism and Arduino UNO
Authors: Patil Amruta , Bachute Mrinal , Kotecha Ketan
Published: December 2021

Tea is the most popular hot beverageworldwide. In 2020, the value of the global tea market was almost USD 200 billion, and is estimated to reach up to USD 318 billion by the year 2025. Tea has been included as part ofa regular diet for centuries because of its various health benefits. However, tea is acidic, and over-consumption causes heat problems, disturbance of the sleep cycle, tooth erosion, and low calcium absorption in the body. Strong tea concentration is very harmful and toxic. The safe consumption of tea should be guaranteed. The treatment applied in this research work is on sensory mechanisms and Arduino UNO. The objective of this paper is to find out community interest in a particular tea species and inform them about tea overdose.The acidity is mapped with tea taste in terms of strong, medium, and low flavors. Based on the data analysis, the results differentiatethe acidity level of black tea (pH: 3.89–4.08) as very high, green tea (pH: 4.68–4.70) is in the 2nd position, and the energy drink Herbalife Nutrition (pH: 5.59–5.64) is the least acidic comparatively, with a proportion ratio 1:10 of tea to water. Experimental analysis reveals that in the additives, lemon is most acidic, followed byginger, lemongrass, and Tulasi.
Strength, Shrinkage and Early Age Characteristics of One-Part Alkali-Activated Binders with High-Calcium Industrial Wastes, Solid Reagents and Fibers
Authors: Sood Dhruv , Hossain Khandaker M. A.
Published: December 2021

Alkali-activated binders (AABs) are developed using a dry mixing method under ambient curing incorporating powder-form reagents/activators and industrial waste-based supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) as precursors. The effects of binary and ternary combinations/proportions of SCMs, two types of powder-form reagents, fundamental chemical ratios (SiO2/Al2O3, Na2O/SiO2, CaO/SiO2, and Na2O/Al2O3), and incorporation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers on fresh state and hardened characteristics of 16 AABs were investigated to assess their performance for finding suitable mix compositions. The mix composed of ternary SCM combination (25% fly-ash class C, 35% fly-ash class F, and 40% ground granulated blast furnace slag) with multi-component reagent combination (calcium hydroxide and sodium metasilicate = 1:2.5) was found to be the most optimum binder considering all properties with a 56 day compressive strength of 54 MPa. The addition of 2% v/v PVA fibers to binder compositions did not significantly impact the compressive strengths. However, it facilitated mitigating shrinkage/expansion strains through micro-confinement in both binary and ternary binders. This research bolsters the feasibility of producing ambient cured powder-based cement-free binders and fiber-reinforced, strain-hardening composites incorporating binary/ternary combinations of SCMs with desired fresh and hardened properties.
Wear Resistance of Ti–6Al–4V Alloy Ball Heads for Use in Implants
Authors: Skvortsova Svetlana , Orlov Aleksei , Valyano Georgii , Spektor Victor , Mamontova Natalia
Published: December 2021

The effect of thermohydrogen treatment and vacuum ion–plasma nitriding on the determination of the volume and surface structure of ball heads made of Ti–6Al–4V alloy was studied. It was found that the submicrocrystalline structure formed in the head during thermohydrogen treatment makes it possible to achieve hardness values of 39–41 units HRC and a surface roughness of 0.02 μm. It was shown that the creation of a modified layer consisting of ε (TiN) and δ (Ti2N) titanium nitrides on the surface of a ball head and the solid interstitial solution of nitrogen in α-titanium makes it possible to completely eliminate material wear when testing for friction on ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. The equivalent analysis was also conducted with a ball head that had been implanted in a human body for 12 years. It was found that the change in the color of the head, from slightly golden after nitriding to metallic, is due to the formation of an oxynitride nanoscale layer on the surface. It was shown that in contrast with films made of titanium oxide, the film developed in this study has high wear resistance.
Artificial Cell Encapsulation for Biomaterials and Tissue Bio-Nanoengineering: History, Achievements, Limitations, and Future Work for Potential Clinical Applications and Transplantation
Authors: Mooranian Armin , Jones Melissa , Ionescu Corina Mihaela , Walker Daniel , Wagle Susbin Raj , Kovacevic Bozica , Chester Jacqueline , Foster Thomas , Johnston Edan , Kuthubutheen Jafri , Brown Daniel , Mikov Momir , Al-Salami Hani
Published: December 2021

Pancreatic β-cell loss and failure with subsequent deficiency of insulin production is the hallmark of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and late-stage type 2 diabetes (T2D). Despite the availability of parental insulin, serious complications of both types are profound and endemic. One approach to therapy and a potential cure is the immunoisolation of β cells via artificial cell microencapsulation (ACM), with ongoing promising results in human and animal studies that do not depend on immunosuppressive regimens. However, significant challenges remain in the formulation and delivery platforms and potential immunogenicity issues. Additionally, the level of impact on key metabolic and disease biomarkers and long-term benefits from human and animal studies stemming from the encapsulation and delivery of these cells is a subject of continuing debate. The purpose of this review is to summarise key advances in this field of islet transplantation using ACM and to explore future strategies, limitations, and hurdles as well as upcoming developments utilising bioengineering and current clinical trials.
Principles and Perspectives of Radiographic Imaging with Muons
Authors: Cimmino Luigi
Published: December 2021

Radiographic imaging with muons, also called Muography, is based on the measurement of the absorption of muons, generated by the interaction of cosmic rays with the earth’s atmosphere, in matter. Muons are elementary particles with high penetrating power, a characteristic that makes them capable of crossing bodies of dimensions of the order of hundreds of meters. The interior of bodies the size of a pyramid or a volcano can be seen directly with the use of this technique, which can rely on highly segmented muon trackers. Since the muon flux is distributed in energy over a wide spectrum that depends on the direction of incidence, the main difference with radiography made with X-rays is in the source. The source of muons is not tunable, neither in energy nor in direction; to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, muography requires large instrumentation, long time data acquisition and high background rejection capacity. Here, we present the principles of the Muography, illustrating how radiographic images can be obtained, starting from the measurement of the attenuation of the muon flux through an object. It will then be discussed how recent technologies regarding artificial intelligence can give an impulse to this methodology in order to improve its results.
Monocular 3D Body Shape Reconstruction under Clothing
Authors: Ferrari Claudio , Casini Leonardo , Berretti Stefano , Del Bimbo Alberto
Published: December 2021

Estimating the 3D shape of objects from monocular images is a well-established and challenging task in the computer vision field. Further challenges arise when highly deformable objects, such as human faces or bodies, are considered. In this work, we address the problem of estimating the 3D shape of a human body from single images. In particular, we provide a solution to the problem of estimating the shape of the body when the subject is wearing clothes. This is a highly challenging scenario as loose clothes might hide the underlying body shape to a large extent. To this aim, we make use of a parametric 3D body model, the SMPL, whose parameters describe the body pose and shape of the body. Our main intuition is that the shape parameters associated with an individual should not change whether the subject is wearing clothes or not. To improve the shape estimation under clothing, we train a deep convolutional network to regress the shape parameters from a single image of a person. To increase the robustness to clothing, we build our training dataset by associating the shape parameters of a “minimally clothed” person to other samples of the same person wearing looser clothes. Experimental validation shows that our approach can more accurately estimate body shape parameters with respect to state-of-the-art approaches, even in the case of loose clothes.
Abdominal Computed Tomography Imaging Findings in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Year-Long Experience and Associations Revealed by Explainable Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Scarabelli Alice , Zilocchi Massimo , Casiraghi Elena , Fasani Pierangelo , Plensich Guido Giovanni , Esposito Andrea Alessandro , Stellato Elvira , Petrini Alessandro , Reese Justin , Robinson Peter , Valentini Giorgio , Carrafiello Gianpaolo
Published: December 2021

The aim of this retrospective study is to assess any association between abdominal CT findings and the radiological stage of COVID-19 pneumonia, pulmonary embolism and patient outcomes. We included 158 adult hospitalized COVID-19 patients between 1 March 2020 and 1 March 2021 who underwent 206 abdominal CTs. Two radiologists reviewed all CT images. Pathological findings were classified as acute or not. A subset of patients with inflammatory pathology in ACE2 organs (bowel, biliary tract, pancreas, urinary system) was identified. The radiological stage of COVID pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, overall days of hospitalization, ICU admission and outcome were registered. Univariate statistical analysis coupled with explainable artificial intelligence (AI) techniques were used to discover associations between variables. The most frequent acute findings were bowel abnormalities (n = 58), abdominal fluid (n = 42), hematomas (n = 28) and acute urologic conditions (n = 8). According to univariate statistical analysis, pneumonia stage > 2 was significantly associated with increased frequency of hematomas, active bleeding and fluid-filled colon. The presence of at least one hepatobiliary finding was associated with all the COVID-19 stages > 0. Free abdominal fluid, acute pathologies in ACE2 organs and fluid-filled colon were associated with ICU admission; free fluid also presented poor patient outcomes. Hematomas and active bleeding with at least a progressive stage of COVID pneumonia. The explainable AI techniques find no strong relationship between variables.
Exploring Neural Signal Complexity as a Potential Link between Creative Thinking, Intelligence, and Cognitive Control
Authors: Kaur Yadwinder , Weiss Selina , Zhou Changsong , Fischer Rico , Hildebrandt Andrea
Published: December 2021

Functional connectivity studies have demonstrated that creative thinking builds upon an interplay of multiple neural networks involving the cognitive control system. Theoretically, cognitive control has generally been discussed as the common basis underlying the positive relationship between creative thinking and intelligence. However, the literature still lacks a detailed investigation of the association patterns between cognitive control, the factors of creative thinking as measured by divergent thinking (DT) tasks, i.e., fluency and originality, and intelligence, both fluid and crystallized. In the present study, we explored these relationships at the behavioral and the neural level, based on N = 77 young adults. We focused on brain-signal complexity (BSC), parameterized by multi-scale entropy (MSE), as measured during a verbal DT and a cognitive control task. We demonstrated that MSE is a sensitive neural indicator of originality as well as inhibition. Then, we explore the relationships between MSE and factor scores indicating DT and intelligence. In a series of across-scalp analyses, we show that the overall MSE measured during a DT task, as well as MSE measured in cognitive control states, are associated with fluency and originality at specific scalp locations, but not with fluid and crystallized intelligence. The present explorative study broadens our understanding of the relationship between creative thinking, intelligence, and cognitive control from the perspective of BSC and has the potential to inspire future BSC-related theories of creative thinking.