bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IgA-Based Secretory Response in Tears of COVID-19 Patients: A Potential Biomarker of Pro-Inflammatory State in Course of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Niedźwiedź Anna , Pius-Sadowska Ewa , Kawa Miłosz , Kuligowska Agnieszka , Parczewski Miłosz , Safranow Krzysztof , Kozłowski Krzysztof , Machaliński Bogusław , Machalińska Anna
Published: September 2022

Mucosal immunity, including secretory IgA (sIgA), plays an important role in the early defence against SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the local immune response in tears in relation to blood antibody reservoirs has not yet been conducted. A total of 179 symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients were included in this single-centre study. Conjunctival swabs were analysed by a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. In parallel, tear samples collected by Schirmer test strips and plasma samples were analysed by ELISA to detect anti-S1 IgA levels. The concentrations of selected inflammatory cytokines in tears were determined by a magnetic bead assay. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 sIgA was present in the tears of 81 (45.25%) confirmed COVID-19 patients, and the tear IgA levels were correlated with the plasma IgA levels (Rs = +0.29, p = 0.0003). SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the conjunctival sac was identified in 18 COVID-19 patients (10%). Positive correlations between the tear IgA level and the concentrations of several cytokines TNF-α (Rs = +0.23, p = 0.002), IL-1β (Rs = +0.25, p < 0.001), IL-2 (Rs = +0.20, p = 0.007), IL-4 (Rs = +0.16, p = 0.04), IL-5 (Rs = +0.36, p < 0.001), IL-6 (Rs = +0.32, p < 0.001), IL-8 (Rs = +0.31, p < 0.001), VEGF (Rs = +0.25, p < 0.001) and GM-CSF (Rs = +0.27, p < 0.001) were also found. Quantitative tear film-based sIgA could potentially serve as a rapid and easily accessible biomarker of external mucosal immunity to SARS-CoV-2. The concentration of sIgA is directly related to individual host immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Characterization of Listeria monocytogenes Strains Isolated from Food and Food Processing Environments
Authors: Wiśniewski Patryk , Zakrzewski Arkadiusz Józef , Zadernowska Anna , Chajęcka-Wierzchowska Wioleta
Published: September 2022

Listeria monocytogenes is a particularly foodborne pathogen associated with listeriosis, which can be disseminated in food and food processing environments. This study aimed to determine the serotypes and characteristics of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance among 40 L. monocytogenes strains isolated from food (n = 27) purchased in Olsztyn (Warmia and Mazury region, Poland) and food processing environments in Poland (n = 13). Isolates were assigned to serotypes 1/2a, 1/2c, 3a, and 3c using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results showed that serotype 1/2a (66.7%) was the most prevalent among strains from food, and serotype 1/2c (53.8%) among strains from the food processing environments. Five different virulence factors (hlyA, prfA, inlB, luxS, sigB) were detected in all isolates from the food processing environments using PCR. The hlyA (100.0%), prfA (100.0%), and inlB (96.3%) were the most prevalent in food strains. Seven (25.9%) of the strains of food and ten (76.9%) strains from the food processing environments showed the ability to form biofilm. The tested isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing against 12 antibiotics used in the mitigation of listeriosis, using the disk diffusion method. The most frequent were intermediate resistance and resistance to clindamycin. Twelve (92.3%) strains from the food processing environments, and twenty-three (85.2%) from food were non-susceptible to clindamycin. Generally, antibacterial resistance determinants (Lde, aadB, aac(3)-IIa(aacC2)a, penA, mefA, lnuA, lnuB, sulI, sulII) were detected in sixteen (59.0%) strains from food and four (30.8%) from the food processing environments, by PCR. The most frequent were the mefA-lnuA (n = 7; 20.0%) and lnuA (n = 6; 17.1%) genotypes. From this research, we can conclude that virulent and antimicrobial-resistant strains of L. monocytogenes are present in food and the food processing environment in Poland, which may pose a potential health risk to consumers. Monitoring for the control of virulent and antimicrobial-resistant L. monocytogenes strains in the food system can contribute to effective planning and prevention of their spread.
Root Morphology and Biomass Allocation of 50 Annual Ephemeral Species in Relation to Two Soil Condition
Authors: Wang Taotao , Huang Lei , Zhang Xuan , Wang Mao , Tan Dunyan
Published: September 2022

Different organ morphologies determine the manner in which plants acquire resources, and the proportion of biomass of each organ is a critical driving force for organs to function in the future. Regrettably, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of root traits and seedling biomass allocation. Accordingly, we investigated and collected the seedling root morphological traits and biomass allocation of 50 annual ephemeral species to clarify the adaptation to environment. The findings of this study showed that there was a significantly negative correlation between root tissue density (RTD) and root diameter (RD) (p < 0.05), which did not conform to the hypothesis of the one-dimensional root economics spectrum (RES). On this basis, we divided 50 plant species into those rooted in dense or gravelly sand (DGS) or loose sand (LS) groups according to two soil conditions to determine the differences in root strategy and plant strategy between the two groups of plants. Our study revealed that the species rooting DGS tend to adopt a high penetration root strategy. However, the species rooting LS adopt high resource acquisition efficiency. At the whole-plant level, 50 species of ephemerals were distributed along the resource acquisition and conservation axis. Species rooting DGS tend to adopt the conservation strategy of high stem biomass fraction and low resource acquisition efficiency, while species rooting LS tend to adopt the acquisition strategy of high root and leaf biomass fraction and high resource acquisition efficiency. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the restoration and protection of vegetation in desert areas.
Domestication Syndrome in Dacryodes edulis (Burseraceae): Comparison of Morphological and Biochemical Traits between Wild and Cultivated Populations
Authors: Mboujda Franca Marcelle Meguem , Avana-Tientcheu Marie-Louise , Momo Stéphane Takoudjou , Ntongme Alix Mboukap , Vaissayre Virginie , Azandi Laura N. , Dussert Stéphane , Womeni Hilaire , Onana Jean-Michel , Sonké Bonaventure , Tankou Christopher , Duminil Jérôme
Published: September 2022

For millennia, people have harvested fruits from the wild for their alimentation. Gradually, they have started selecting wild individuals presenting traits of interest, protecting and cultivating them. This was the starting point of their domestication. The passage from a wild to a cultivated status is accompanied by a modification of a number of morphological and genetic traits, commonly known as the domestication syndrome. We studied the domestication syndrome in Dacryodes edulis (G.Don) H.J.Lam (known as ‘African plum’ or ‘safoutier/prunier’), a socio-economically important indigenous fruit tree species in West and Central Africa. We compared wild and cultivated individuals for their sex distribution; flower, fruit and seed morphometric characteristics; seed germination temporal dynamic and fruit lipid composition. We found a higher percentage of male and male-hermaphrodite sexual types in wild populations than in cultivated ones; a lower fruit and seed mass in wild individuals; and similar mean time of germination, oil content and fatty acid composition between wild and cultivated individuals. Our results are interpreted in light of the presence of a domestication syndrome in D. edulis.
Interference of Dihydrocoumarin with Hormone Transduction and Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis Inhibits Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) Root Growth
Authors: Yang Haona , Zhou Shangfeng , Wu Lamei , Wang Lifeng
Published: September 2022

Botanical compounds with herbicidal activity exhibit safety, low toxicity, and low chances of herbicide resistance development in plants. They have widespread applications in green agricultural production and the development of organic agriculture. In the present study, dihydrocoumarin showed potential as a botanical herbicide, and its phenotypic characteristics and mechanism of action were studied in barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P.Beauv.] seedlings. The results indicated that dihydrocoumarin inhibited the growth of barnyardgrass without causing significant inhibition of rice seedling growth at concentrations ranging between 0.5 and 1.0 g/L. Additionally, dihydrocoumarin treatment could cause oxidative stress in barnyardgrass, disrupt the cell membrane, and reduce the root cell activity, resulting in root cell death. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that dihydrocoumarin could inhibit barnyardgrass normal growth by affecting the signal transduction of plant hormones. The results showed significant differential expression of plant hormone signal transduction genes in barnyardgrass. Additionally, dihydrocoumarin interfered with the expression of numerous phenylpropanoid biosynthesis genes in barnyardgrass that affect the production of various vital metabolites. We speculate that the barnyardgrass growth was suppressed by the interaction among hormones and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis genes, indicating that dihydrocoumarin can be applied as a bioherbicide to control barnyardgrass growth in rice transplanting fields.
Non-Invasive Evaluation of Different Soil Tillage and Seed Treatment Effects on the Microbial Originating Physiological Reactions of Developing Juvenile Maize
Authors: Binder Antal , Jócsák Ildikó , Varga Zsolt , Knolmajer Bence , Keszthelyi Sándor
Published: September 2022

The successful production of maize is fundamentally determined by a good choice of tillage type. Options include conventional tillage based on soil rotation, as well as a more recent conservation approach. Our aims were to determine the stress physiological effects of the plant remains left behind by different tillage procedures on the juvenile maize plants, combined with the effects of fungicide treatment on the seeds. These effects were followed and investigated by means of biophoton emission measurement, an in vivo and non-invasive imaging technique, along with chlorophyll content estimation, as well as microbial- and polymerase chain reaction-based identification of fungi presence. Our results confirmed the response reactions of maize triggered by a soil covering plant remains on the initial development and physiological involvement of maize. The positive effects of seed treatment on initial development are manifested only at the final stage of the experiment. The fungal microbiological analysis confirmed the dominant presence of necrotrophic parasites on plant residues, the stress-inducing properties of which were possible to monitor by biophoton emission. Furthermore, the presence of Fusarium spp. was confirmed by PCR analysis from samples treated with plant residues.
Allometric Characteristics of Rice Seedlings under Different Transplanted Hills and Row Spacing: Impacts on Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Yield
Authors: Wu Xiaoyan , Ali Izhar , Iqbal Anas , Ullah Saif , Yuan Pengli , Xu Anjie , Xie Dongjie , Zhou Yuxi , Long Xinlu , Zhang Hua , Yu Jing , Guo Zixiong , Liang He , Wei Shanqing , Jiang Ligeng
Published: September 2022

The number of seedlings per hill and the configuration of plant row spacing are important management measures to improve rice yield. In the present study, we evaluated the impact of various seedlings per hill (1, 3, 6, and 9 seedlings hill−1) under four different rice verities (two conventional rice, two hybrid rice) on allometric characteristics, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and yield in 2020 at early and late season. Results showed that compared with nine seedlings per hill (wide row spacing), the number of effective panicles, yield, grain biomass allocation, grain-to-leaf ratio, grain nitrogen accumulation, nitrogen dry matter production efficiency (NDMPE), N harvest index (NHI) of 1 seedling per hill increased by 21.8%, 10.91%, 10.5%, 32.25%, 17.03%, 9.67%, 6.5%, respectively. With the increase of seedlings per hill and the expansion of row spacing, stem biomass (SB) and reproductive biomass (RB) increased with the increase of above-ground biomass, mainly showing the relationship of isometric growth. Leaf biomass (LB) increased with above-ground biomass, mainly showing the relationship of allometric growth. The results suggested that under the same basic seedlings, transplanting 1 seedling per hill and dense planting was the most beneficial to improve rice yield.
Chitin, Chitosan, and Nanochitin: Extraction, Synthesis, and Applications
Authors: Kozma Michael , Acharya Bishnu , Bissessur Rabin
Published: September 2022

Crustacean shells are a sustainable source of chitin. Extracting chitin from crustacean shells is ongoing research, much of which is devoted to devising a sustainable process that yields high-quality chitin with minimal waste. Chemical and biological methods have been used extensively for this purpose; more recently, methods based on ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents have been explored. Extracted chitin can be converted into chitosan or nanochitin. Once chitin is obtained and modified into the desired form, it can be used in a wide array of applications, including as a filler material, in adsorbents, and as a component in biomaterials, among others. Describing the extraction of chitin, synthesis of chitosan and nanochitin, and applications of these materials is the aim of this review. The first section of this review summarizes and compares common chitin extraction methods, highlighting the benefits and shortcomings of each, followed by descriptions of methods to convert chitin into chitosan and nanochitin. The second section of this review discusses some of the wide range of applications of chitin and its derivatives.
Optimal Design Method for Static Precision of Heavy-Duty Vertical Machining Center Based on Gravity Deformation Error Modelling
Authors: Wang Han , Li Tianjian , Sun Xizhi , Mynors Diane , Wu Tao
Published: September 2022

Due to the large size and large span of heavy-duty machine tools, the structural deformation errors caused by gravity account for a large proportion of the static errors, and the influence of gravity deformation must thus be considered in the machine tool precision design. This paper proposes a precision design method for heavy-duty vertical machining centers based on gravity deformation error modelling. By abstracting the machine tool into a multibody system topology, the static error model of the machine tool is established based on the multibody system theory and a homogeneous coordinate transformation. Assuming that the static error of each motion axis is composed of two parts, i.e., the manufacturing-induced geometric error and the gravity deformation error, the machine tool stiffness model of the relationship between gravity and deformation error is developed using the spatial beam elements. In the modelling process, the stiffness coefficients and volume coefficients of the components are introduced to fully consider the influences of structural parameters on machine tool precision. Taking the machine tool static precision, the component stiffness coefficients and the volume coefficients as the design variables, based on the use of the worst condition method, error sensitivity analysis and global optimization algorithm, the optimal allocation of the static error budget of the machine tool and the structural design requirements of each component are determined, providing a valuable guide for the detailed structure design and manufacture processing of the machine tool components.
Politics without Fear: King Janaka and Sovereignty in the Mahābhārata
Authors: Black Brian
Published: September 2022

This paper will analyse a series of dialogues that features kings named Janaka, which appear in the Śānti Parvan of the Mahābhārata. Although there is some variation among these episodes, kings named Janaka tend to be characterised as exemplary rulers who engage in dialogue with learned philosophers and who are strongly associated with the ideals of self-cultivation, renunciation, and liberation. I will argue that the name Janaka functions as a conceptual repertoire for ideas and practices associated with a particular understanding of royal authority. As I will show, the dialogues featuring kings named Janaka characterise sovereignty as both dynamic and fragile because the king is always in the process of displaying his knowledge and self-control. In this way, the different dialogical episodes featuring different Janakas conceptualise political authority differently, thus contributing to an ongoing, inter-textual and inter-religious discussion about sovereignty in ancient India.
HRST: An Improved HRNet for Detecting Joint Points of Pigs
Authors: Wang Xiaopin , Wang Wei , Lu Jisheng , Wang Haiyan
Published: September 2022

The body size of pigs is a vital evaluation indicator for growth monitoring and selective breeding. The detection of joint points is critical for accurately estimating pig body size. However, most joint point detection methods focus on improving detection accuracy while neglecting detection speed and model parameters. In this study, we propose an HRNet with Swin Transformer block (HRST) based on HRNet for detecting the joint points of pigs. It can improve model accuracy while significantly reducing model parameters by replacing the fourth stage of parameter redundancy in HRNet with a Swin Transformer block. Moreover, we implemented joint point detection for multiple pigs following two steps: first, CenterNet was used to detect pig posture (lying or standing); then, HRST was used for joint point detection for standing pigs. The results indicated that CenterNet achieved an average precision (AP) of 86.5%, and HRST achieved an AP of 77.4% and a real-time detection speed of 40 images per second. Compared with HRNet, the AP of HRST improved by 6.8%, while the number of model parameters and the calculated amount reduced by 72.8% and 41.7%, respectively. The study provides technical support for the accurate and rapid detection of pig joint points, which can be used for contact-free body size estimation of pigs.
Opto Field-Effect Transistors for Detecting Quercetin–Cu2+ Complex
Authors: Laksana Pradhana Jati Budhi , Tsai Li-Chu , Lin Chang-Cheng , Chang-Liao Kuei-Shu , Moodley Mathew K. , Chen Chii-Dong
Published: September 2022

In this study, we explored the potential of applying biosensors based on silicon nanowire field-effect transistors (bio–NWFETs) as molecular absorption sensors. Using quercetin and Copper (Cu2+) ion as an example, we demonstrated the use of an opto–FET approach for the detection of molecular interactions. We found that photons with wavelengths of 450 nm were absorbed by the molecular complex, with the absorbance level depending on the Cu2+ concentration. Quantitative detection of the molecular absorption of metal complexes was performed for Cu2+ concentrations ranging between 0.1 μM and 100 μM, in which the photon response increased linearly with the copper concentration under optimized bias parameters. Our opto–FET approach showed an improved absorbance compared with that of a commercial ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry.
Image Segmentation and Quantification of Droplet dPCR Based on Thermal Bubble Printing Technology
Authors: Zhu Mingjie , Shan Zilong , Ning Wei , Wu Xuanye
Published: September 2022

Thermal inkjet printing can generate more than 300,000 droplets of picoliter scale within one second stably, and the image analysis workflow is used to quantify the positive and negative values of the droplets. In this paper, the SimpleBlobDetector detection algorithm is used to identify and localize droplets with a volume of 24 pL in bright field images and suppress bright spots and scratches when performing droplet location identification. The polynomial surface fitting of the pixel grayscale value of the fluorescence channel image can effectively compensate and correct the image vignetting caused by the optical path, and the compensated fluorescence image can accurately classify positive and negative droplets by the k-means clustering algorithm. 20 µL of the sample solution in the result reading chip can produce more than 100,000 effective droplets. The effective droplet identification correct rate of 20 images of random statistical samples can reach more than 99% and the classification accuracy of positive and negative droplets can reach more than 98% on average. This paper overcomes the problem of effectively classifying positive and negative droplets caused by the poor image quality of photographed picolitre ddPCR droplets caused by optical hardware limitations.
Performance of QR Code Detectors near Nyquist Limits
Authors: Skurowski Przemysław , Nurzyńska Karolina , Pawlyta Magdalena , Cyran Krzysztof A.
Published: September 2022

For the interacting with real world, augmented reality devices need lightweight yet reliable methods for recognition and identification of physical objects. In that regard, promising possibilities are offered by supporting computer vision with 2D barcode tags. These tags, as high contrast and visually well-defined objects, can be used for finding fiducial points in the space or to identify physical items. Currently, QR code readers have certain demands towards the size and visibility of the codes. However, the increase of resolution of built-in cameras makes it possible to identify smaller QR codes in the scene. On the other hand, growing resolutions cause the increase to the computational effort of tag location. Therefore, resolution reduction in decoders is a common trade-off between processing time and recognition capabilities. In this article, we propose the simulation method of QR codes scanning near limits that stem from Shannon’s theorem. We analyze the efficiency of three publicly available decoders versus different size-to-sampling ratios (scales) and MTF characteristics of the image capture subsystem. The MTF we used is based on the characteristics of real devices, and it was modeled using Gaussian low-pass filtering. We tested two tasks—decoding and locating-and-decoding. The findings of the work are several-fold. Among others, we identified that, for practical decoding, the QR-code module should be no smaller than 3–3.5 pixels, regardless of MTF characteristics. We confirmed the superiority of Zbar in practical tasks and the worst recognition capabilities of OpenCV. On the other hand, we identified that, for borderline cases, or even below Nyquist limit where the other decoders fail, OpenCV is still capable of decoding some information.
Multimode Design and Piezoelectric Substrate Anisotropy Use to Improve Performance of Acoustic Liquid Sensors
Authors: Smirnov Andrey , Anisimkin Vladimir , Voronova Natalia , Shamsutdinova Elizaveta , Li Peng , Ezzin Hamdi , Qian Zhenghua , Ma Tingfeng , Kuznetsova Iren
Published: September 2022

Using acoustic wave modes propagation in piezoelectric plates loaded with conductive liquids, peculiarities of the mode-liquid acoustoelectric interaction are studied. It is found that (i) in contrast to bulk and surface acoustic waves propagating in piezoelectric semiconductors, the acoustoelectric attenuation of the modes is not symmetric in respect to its maximum, (ii) a large increase in attenuation may be accompanied by a small decrease in phase velocity and vice versa, (iii) the peculiarities are valid for “pure” (without beam steering) and “not pure” (with beam steering) modes, as well as for modes of different orders and polarizations, and (iv) conductivity of test liquid increases electromagnetic leakage between input and output transducers, affecting results of the measurements. To decrease the leakage, the liquid should be localized between transducers, outside the zone over them. If so, the mode sensitivity may be as large as 8.6 dB/(S/m) for amplitude and 107°/(S/m) for phase. However, because of comparable cross-sensitivity towards viscosity and dielectric permittivity, modes with selective detection of liquid conductivity are not found.
A Direct Position Determination Method Based on Subspace Orthogonality in Cross-Spectra under Multipath Environments
Authors: Zhu Kehui , Jiang Hang , Huo Yuchong , Yu Qin , Li Jianfeng
Published: September 2022

Without the estimation of the intermediate parameters, the direct position determination (DPD) method can achieve higher localization accuracy than conventional two-step methods. However, multipath environments are still a key problem, and complex high-dimensional matrix operations are required in most DPD methods. In this paper, a time-difference-of-arrival-based (TDOA-based) DPD method is proposed based on the subspace orthogonality in the cross-spectra between the different sensors. Firstly, the cross-spectrum between the segmented received signal and reference signal is calculated and eigenvalue decomposition is performed to obtain the subspaces. Then, the cost functions are constructed by using the orthogonality of subspace. Finally, the location of the radiation source is obtained by searching the superposition of these cost functions in the target area. Compared with other DPD methods, our proposed DPD method leads to better localization accuracy with less complexity. The superiority of this method is verified by both simulated and real measured data when compared to other TDOA and DPD algorithms.
A CBCT Evaluation of Esthetic Preference Regarding the Perceived Facial Attractiveness of Young Korean Female Adults with a Normal Skeletal Pattern
Authors: Oh Jin-Hyoung , Park Jae Hyun , Cho Heon Jae , Seo Hye Young , Chae Jong-Moon
Published: September 2022

The aim of this study was to determine the factors that affect esthetic preference regarding the perceived facial attractiveness of young Korean female adults with a normal skeletal pattern using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). After reorienting the CBCT images of 40 young Korean female adults, three-dimensional (3D) measurements were analyzed, and five 3D facial images were digitally constructed. A computer-based questionnaire was used to determine perceived facial attractiveness by scoring from 1 (very unattractive) to 10 (very attractive). Esthetic perception and the most influential facial view and component were examined and compared by orthodontists, general dentists, and laypeople to evaluate facial attractiveness. Compared to the unattractive group, the attractive group had significantly greater values for Pog-NB, L1SI-FH, U lip thickness, L lip-U lip, and Nasolabial angle, along with significantly lower values for U1SI-FH and Cant of U lip; the attractive group also had a more retruded U1MP (p < 0.01), L1MP (p < 0.01), U lip (p < 0.05), and L lip (p < 0.01) relative to N, as well as a more retruded U lip (p < 0.05) and L lip (p <0.001) relative to esthetic lines. Orthodontists and general dentists were more likely to consider the profile view. When evaluating facial attractiveness, orthodontists and laypeople more often focused on the lips and chin. When evaluating facial attractiveness, all evaluators showed a high esthetic preference for retroclination and retrusion of the incisors and lips, but there were some differences in how they perceived facial attractiveness. Therefore, the ultimate perception of facial attractiveness needs to be based on the esthetic perceptions of laypeople.
Modeling and Performance Analysis of Large-Scale Backscatter Communication Networks with Directional Antennas
Authors: Wang Qiu , Zhou Yong
Published: September 2022

Backscatter communication (BackCom) constitutes intriguing technology that enables low-power devices in transmitting signals by reflecting ambient radio frequency (RF) signals that consume ultra-low energy. Applying the BackCom technique in large-scale networks with massive low-power devices can effectively address the energy issue observed in low-power devices. Prior studies only consider large-scale BackCom networks equipped with omni-directional antennas, called Omn-BackCom Net. To improve the network’s performance, we employ directional antennas in large-scale BackCom networks, called Dir-BackCom Nets. This article establishes a theoretical model for analyzing the performance of Dir-BackCom Nets. The performance metrics include both connectivity and spatial throughput. Our model is genaralized for both Dir-BackCom Nets and Omn-BackCom Net. The accuracy of our theoretical model is verified by extensive simulations. Results indicate that Dir-BackCom Nets can improve connectivity and spatial throughput. Moreover, results show that the throughput can be maximized by choosing an optimal density of BTs. In addition, both the connectivity and spatial throughput of BackCom Nets can be improved by choosing a directional antenna with a proper beamwidth and gain of the main lobe. Our theoretical model and results can offer beneficial implications for constructing Dir-BackCom Nets.
Shift Pose: A Lightweight Transformer-like Neural Network for Human Pose Estimation
Authors: Chen Haijian , Jiang Xinyun , Dai Yonghui
Published: September 2022

High-performing, real-time pose detection and tracking in real-time will enable computers to develop a finer-grained and more natural understanding of human behavior. However, the implementation of real-time human pose estimation remains a challenge. On the one hand, the performance of semantic keypoint tracking in live video footage requires high computational resources and large parameters, which limiting the accuracy of pose estimation. On the other hand, some transformer-based models were proposed recently with outstanding performance and much fewer parameters and FLOPs. However, the self-attention module in the transformer is not computationally friendly, which makes it difficult to apply these excellent models to real-time jobs. To overcome the above problems, we propose a transformer-like model, named ShiftPose, which is regression-based approach. The ShiftPose does not contain any self-attention module. Instead, we replace the self-attention module with a non-parameter operation called the shift operator. Meanwhile, we adapt the bridge–branch connection, instead of a fully-branched connection, such as HRNet, as our multi-resolution integration scheme. Specifically, the bottom half of our model adds the previous output, as well as the output from the top half of our model, corresponding to its resolution. Finally, the simple, yet promising, disentangled representation (SimDR) was used in our study to make the training process more stable. The experimental results on the MPII datasets were 86.4 PCKH, 29.1PCKH@0.1. On the COCO dataset, the results were 72.2 mAP and 91.5 AP50, 255 fps on GPU, with 10.2M parameters, and 1.6 GFLOPs. In addition, we tested our model for single-stage 3D human pose estimation and draw several useful and exploratory conclusions. The above results show good performance, and this paper provides a new method for high-performance, real-time attitude detection and tracking.
A Review on Visual-SLAM: Advancements from Geometric Modelling to Learning-Based Semantic Scene Understanding Using Multi-Modal Sensor Fusion
Authors: Lai Tin
Published: September 2022

Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) is one of the fundamental problems in autonomous mobile robots where a robot needs to reconstruct a previously unseen environment while simultaneously localising itself with respect to the map. In particular, Visual-SLAM uses various sensors from the mobile robot for collecting and sensing a representation of the map. Traditionally, geometric model-based techniques were used to tackle the SLAM problem, which tends to be error-prone under challenging environments. Recent advancements in computer vision, such as deep learning techniques, have provided a data-driven approach to tackle the Visual-SLAM problem. This review summarises recent advancements in the Visual-SLAM domain using various learning-based methods. We begin by providing a concise overview of the geometric model-based approaches, followed by technical reviews on the current paradigms in SLAM. Then, we present the various learning-based approaches to collecting sensory inputs from mobile robots and performing scene understanding. The current paradigms in deep-learning-based semantic understanding are discussed and placed under the context of Visual-SLAM. Finally, we discuss challenges and further opportunities in the direction of learning-based approaches in Visual-SLAM.
An Ensemble Approach for the Prediction of Diabetes Mellitus Using a Soft Voting Classifier with an Explainable AI
Authors: Kibria Hafsa Binte , Nahiduzzaman Md , Goni Md. Omaer Faruq , Ahsan Mominul , Haider Julfikar
Published: September 2022

Diabetes is a chronic disease that continues to be a primary and worldwide health concern since the health of the entire population has been affected by it. Over the years, many academics have attempted to develop a reliable diabetes prediction model using machine learning (ML) algorithms. However, these research investigations have had a minimal impact on clinical practice as the current studies focus mainly on improving the performance of complicated ML models while ignoring their explainability to clinical situations. Therefore, the physicians find it difficult to understand these models and rarely trust them for clinical use. In this study, a carefully constructed, efficient, and interpretable diabetes detection method using an explainable AI has been proposed. The Pima Indian diabetes dataset was used, containing a total of 768 instances where 268 are diabetic, and 500 cases are non-diabetic with several diabetic attributes. Here, six machine learning algorithms (artificial neural network (ANN), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression (LR), AdaBoost, XGBoost) have been used along with an ensemble classifier to diagnose the diabetes disease. For each machine learning model, global and local explanations have been produced using the Shapley additive explanations (SHAP), which are represented in different types of graphs to help physicians in understanding the model predictions. The balanced accuracy of the developed weighted ensemble model was 90% with a F1 score of 89% using a five-fold cross-validation (CV). The median values were used for the imputation of the missing values and the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTETomek) was used to balance the classes of the dataset. The proposed approach can improve the clinical understanding of a diabetes diagnosis and help in taking necessary action at the very early stages of the disease.
Guidelines on Asset Management of Offshore Facilities for Monitoring, Sustainable Maintenance, and Safety Practices
Authors: Amaechi Chiemela Victor , Reda Ahmed , Kgosiemang Irish Mpho , Ja’e Idris Ahmed , Oyetunji Abiodun Kolawole , Olukolajo Michael Ayodele , Igwe Ikechi Bright
Published: September 2022

Recent activities in the oil and gas industry have shown an increasing need for monitoring engagements, such as in shipping, logistics, exploration, drilling, or production. Hence, there is a need to have asset management of these offshore assets (or facilities). Much of the offshore infrastructure is currently approaching or past its operational life expectancy. The study presents an overview on asset management of offshore facilities towards monitoring, safe practices, maintenance, and sustainability. This study outlines the major considerations and the steps to take when evaluating asset life extensions for an aging offshore structure (or asset). The design and construction of offshore structures require some materials that are used to make the structural units, such as offshore platform rigs, ships, and boats. Maintaining existing assets in the field and developing new platforms that are capable of extracting future oil and gas resources are the two key issues facing the offshore sector. This paper also discusses fault diagnosis using sensors in the offshore facilities. The ocean environment is constantly corrosive, and the production activities demand extremely high levels of safety and reliability. Due to the limited space and remote location of most offshore operations, producing cost-effective, efficient, and long-lasting equipment necessitates a high level of competence. This paper presents the guidelines on asset monitoring, sustainable maintenance, and safety practices for offshore structures. In this study, the management of offshore structures were also presented with some discussions on fault monitoring using sensors. It also proposes sustainable asset management approaches as guidelines that are advised, with policy implications.
A Measurement-Aided Control System for Stabilization of the Real-Life Stewart Platform
Authors: Hunek Wojciech P. , Majewski Paweł , Zygarlicki Jarosław , Nagi Łukasz , Zmarzły Dariusz , Wiench Roman , Młotek Paweł , Warmuzek Piotr
Published: September 2022

In the paper, an innovative control system devoted to the stabilization of the parallel manipulator-type Hexapod is presented. The device consists of three main parts, allowing us to reach the desired location during various external disturbances. Indeed, the telescopic boom located on the car along with the system providing the correction of the boom column deflection as well as the gyroscopic self-leveling head constitute a complex tool covering a plethora of modern techniques and solutions. Through the application of advanced issues strictly derived from nonlinear identification and multivariable control theory branches, the dynamical behavior of the discussed device has been handled in order to achieve a proper reference operation. Naturally, it has been supported by a set of accompanying approaches related to the processes of the real-time measurement and robust data transmission. It should be emphasized that the proposed computer-aided system is intended for the film industry, where image stabilization plays a crucial role. Such a statement has additionally been confirmed by other innovative products introduced by a company placed in Opole, Poland, called MovieBird International.
Bodyweight and Combined Training Reduce Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation and Improve Functional Fitness of Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Monteiro Marcos Raphael Pereira , Aragão-Santos José Carlos , Vasconcelos Alan Bruno Silva , Resende-Neto Antônio Gomes de , Chaves Leury Max da Silva , Cardoso Alan Pantoja , Nogueira Albernon Costa , Carnero-Diaz Angel , Marcos-Pardo Pablo Jorge , Corrêa Cristiane Bani , Moura Tatiana Rodrigues de , Da Silva-Grigoletto Marzo Edir
Published: September 2022

Exercise is an important tool against the deleterious effects of aging. Among the possibilities of exercise, bodyweight training (BWT) has been highlighted in the last years as a safe option to improve the health of older people. We compared the effects of 24 weeks of BWT and combined training (CT) on low-grade systematic inflammation and functional fitness in postmenopausal women. For this, 40 women were allocated and submitted to CT (n = 20, 64.43 ± 3.13 years, 29.56 ± 4.80 kg/m²) and BWT (n = 20, 65.10 ± 4.86 years, 28.76 ± 4.26 kg/m²). We measured inflammation by the interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) assessments. For functional fitness, we used tests similar to activities of daily living. At the end of the 16 weeks, data from 24 women were analyzed, CT (n = 14) and BT (n = 10). Both groups reduced TNF-α and IL-6 levels, without differences in IL-10. Regarding functional fitness, both groups demonstrated improvements in all tests after 24 weeks, except for rise from prone position and the 400-meter walk test for CT. In summary, CT and BWT are effective in reducing the plasma concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines and improving functional fitness in postmenopausal women.
Validity of a Wheelchair Rugby Field Test to Simulate Physiological and Thermoregulatory Match Outcomes
Authors: Grossmann Fabian , Flueck Joelle Leonie , Roelands Bart , Meeusen Romain , Perret Claudio
Published: September 2022

The purpose of the study was to verify the criterion-validity (concurrent) of an existing and reliable, submaximal wheelchair Rugby (WCR) field test by examining the correlations of selected measures of physical performance between the field test and real games. Therefore, ten WCR athletes were observed during two WCR real games and during completing the field test two times. Total distance, mean and peak velocity, playing time, number of sprints, sprints per minute, mean and maximal heart rate, body core temperature (Tc), sweat rate, body weight loss, rate of perceived exertion and thermal sensation were measured. Values were correlated with the data observed by completing the field test two times separated by seven days. The results showed significant correlations between games and field tests for sweat rate (r = 0.740, p < 0.001), body weight loss (r = 0.732, p < 0.001) and the increase of Tc (r = 0.611, p = 0.009). All other correlations were not significant. For perceptual responses Bland–Altman analysis showed data within the limits of agreement. Descriptive statistics showed similarity for mean velocity and total distance between tests and games. In conclusion the study provides the first indications that the submaximal field test seems comparable with the game outcomes in terms of increase in Tc, covered distance, mean velocity and perceptual responses. Nevertheless, more research and additional validation are required.
Bird Flight Resistance Analysis and Planning Strategies in Urban Regeneration Areas: A Case Study of a Certain Area in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Yang Xudong , Cui Honglei , Chen Chen
Published: September 2022

At present, the sharp decline in urban biodiversity worldwide is severe. Conducting biological perspective analysis and proposing space construction solutions during urban regeneration can greatly alleviate the contradiction between urban construction and biodiversity conservation. In this study, birds were taken as biological representatives, and a certain area in Shenzhen with strong conservation needs was used as an example. Based on a thorough analysis of bird status, the minimum resistance model was applied to establish a resistance surface describing the real flight movement of the indicator species and to construct a bird conservation pattern from the flight process of birds. The results show that: (1) bird flight resistance is the lowest in the southern green space and northern woodland around the reservoir in the research region, and the resistance is higher in the central part, but the path of least resistance therein has the potential to become a corridor. (2) From the perspective of the community structure of green space vegetation, the sparse woodland and shrubland in the research region have low resistance and high richness, which are the most ideal green space forms for birds; from the perspective of architecture, bird flight resistance shows a negative correlation with building height and a positive correlation with building density. The final urban regeneration design plan is thus derived, and the validity of the method is verified based on the biodiversity index. This study reveals the possibility of applying bird flight resistance analysis based on the minimum resistance model to small and medium-scale urban regeneration areas, and also provides insight into the correlation between flight resistance and spatial design elements, which can assist decision-makers, planners and developers in spatial design and planning from a biological standpoint.
Derin Takviyeli Öğrenme Tabanlı Bilinmeyen Ortamda Çoklu Robot Navigasyonu
Authors: BAR Niyazi Furkan , KARAKÖSE Mehmet
Published: September 2022

Günümüzde mobil robotların navigasyon problemini derin takviyeli öğrenme (DRL) ile çözmeye çalışmak ilgi çekici konulardan birisi haline gelmiştir. Tekli mobil robotlarda DRL yüksek başarı oranlarına ulaşmıştır. Çoklu robot sistemlerinde ise, problemin karmaşıklığı üstel bir şekilde arttığı için maliyeti yüksek ve daha zorlu iş haline gelmektedir. Bu çalışmada ise DRL ile çoklu robot navigasyonu problemine çözüm getirilmeye çalışılmıştır. Önerilen yaklaşımdaki sistemde eşzamanlı bir ortam, bu ortamda birden fazla robot, hedef, engel bulunmaktadır. Ortamda robotlar sırasıyla eylem seçerek, hareket ederler. Aynı zamanda robotlar kendilerinden başka robotlar için dinamik bir engel işlevi görmektedir. Robotlar kendi hedeflerine en kısa yoldan herhangi bir çarpışma yaşamadan ulaşmaya çalışırlar. Aynı zamanda robotlar bir başka robotla çarpışmayacak şekilde veya bir başka robotun rotasını uzatmayacak şekilde yol planlaması yapmaya çalışırlar. Bunları sağlayabilmek için çok ajanlı deep q-network (DQN) algoritması, hedefe yönelik bir durum verisi, güçlendirilmiş adaptif ödül mekanizması kullanılmıştır. Önerilen yaklaşım doğrultusunda oluşturulan sistem tek bir robotun navigasyon başarısı, çoklu robot sisteminin navigasyon başarısı, birim-kare başına düşen robot sayısına göre başarı oranı olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bu değerlendirmeler önerilen yaklaşımın performansını doğrulamıştır.
Nem Kontrollü Bir Kamarada Depolanan Baklanın (Vicia faba L.) Sorpsiyon İzotermlerinin Modellenmesi ve Termodinamik Özelliklerinin Belirlenmesi
Authors: KARATAŞ Mukaddes , ARSLAN Nurhan
Published: September 2022

Sabit sıcaklık ve bağıl nem ortamı sağlayan bir kamarada baklanın (Vicia faba L.), nem sorpsiyon özellikleri; üç farklı sıcaklıkta (25, 35 ve 45 °C) ve bağıl nemi atomizer nemlendirici ile ayarlanarak farklı su aktivitesi değerlerinde (0.1-0.9 aw) incelenmiştir. Elde edilen deneysel verilerden baklanın sorpsiyon izoterm eğrilerinin, BET su buharı sorpsiyon izotermleri sınıflandırmasına göre Tip III (J şekilli) özelliğe sahip olduğu bulunmuştur. Belirli bir su aktivitesinde sıcaklığın artması ile denge nem içeriği değerlerinde azalma gözlenmiştir. Baklanın sorpsiyon izotermleri tüm su aktivitesi aralığında histeresis etki göstermiştir. Sorpsiyon verilerinin matematik modellere uygunluklarının belirlenmesi amacıyla 12 farklı izoterm modeli (GAB, BET, Henderson, Oswin, Peleg, Smith, Caurie, Halsey, Ferro-Fontan, Kuhn, Chung-Pfost ve White-Eiring) kullanılmıştır. En iyi uyumu; adsorpsiyon izotermleri için Peleg modelinin, desorpsiyon izotermleri için ise Chung-Pfost modelinin gösterdiği belirlenmiştir. Sorpsiyon izosterik ısısı, sorpsiyon entropisi, yüzey potansiyeli, net integral entalpi ve net integral entropi gibi enerji gereksiniminin anlaşılmasını sağlayan termodinamik fonksiyonlar sorpsiyon izoterm verileri kullanılarak belirlenmiştir. Sorpsiyon izosterik ısısı ve net integral entalpi nem içeriğindeki artış ile azalmış ve saf suyun buharlaşma gizli ısısı değerine yaklaşmıştır.