bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of evolution trajectory and immune profiling of brain metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Jiang Tao , Yan Yan , Zhou Kun , Su Chunxia , Ren Shengxiang , Li Nan , Hou Likun , Guo Xianchao , Zhu Wei , Zhang Henghui , Lin Jie , Zhang Jun , Zhou Caicun
Published: February 2021

Characterizing the evolutionary trajectory and immune profiling of brain metastasis (BM) may provide insights in the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we performed whole-exome sequencing and multiplex immunofluorescence (MIF) of 40 samples from 12 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients with BM and compared to their paired primary tumors. We observed significantly higher intertumor heterogeneity between paired primary tumors and BMs, with only a median of 8.3% of genetic mutations identified as shared. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that BM-competent clones genetically diverged from their primary tumors at relatively early stage, suggesting that the parallel progression model is dominant. In cases with synchronous lymph node metastasis (LNM), phylogenetic analysis suggested that BM is a later event than LNM. MIF analysis found that BMs exhibited significantly lower CD8+ T cell infiltration (P = 0.048), and elevated CD4+Foxp3+ T cell infiltration (P = 0.036) and PD-1 expression (P = 0.047) in comparison to the matched primary tumors, indicating an immunosuppressive microenvironment in BMs. The current study revealed the discrepancy of mutational landscape as well as tumor immune microenvironment between BM and its primary tumor – such findings shall help us better understand the unique biological features of BM and develop innovative strategies accordingly for our patients with LUAD.
Amylin deposition activates HIF1α and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2, 6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) signaling in failing hearts of non-human primates
Authors: Liu Miao , Li Nan , Qu Chun , Gao Yilin , Wu Lijie , Hu Liangbiao George
Published: February 2021

Hyperamylinemia induces amylin aggregation and toxicity in the pancreas and contributes to the development of type-2 diabetes (T2D). Cardiac amylin deposition in patients with obesity and T2D was found to accelerate heart dysfunction. Non-human primates (NHPs) have similar genetic, metabolic, and cardiovascular processes as humans. However, the underlying mechanisms of cardiac amylin in NHPs, particularly related to the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)1α and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) signaling pathways, are unknown. Here, we demonstrate that in NHPs, amylin deposition in heart failure (HF) contributes to cardiac dysfunction via activation of HIF1α and PFKFB3 signaling. This was confirmed in two in vitro cardiomyocyte models. Furthermore, alterations of intracellular Ca2+, reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial function, and lactate levels were observed in amylin-treated cells. Our study demonstrates a pathological role for amylin in the activation of HIF1α and PFKFB3 signaling in NHPs with HF, establishing amylin as a promising target for heart disease patients.
Human ACE2 peptide-mimics block SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary cells infection
Authors: Karoyan Philippe , Vieillard Vincent , Gómez-Morales Luis , Odile Estelle , Guihot Amélie , Luyt Charles-Edouard , Denis Alexis , Grondin Pascal , Lequin Olivier
Published: February 2021

In light of the recent accumulated knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 and its mode of human cells invasion, the binding of viral spike glycoprotein to human Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor plays a central role in cell entry. We designed a series of peptides mimicking the N-terminal helix of hACE2 protein which contains most of the contacting residues at the binding site, exhibiting a high helical folding propensity in aqueous solution. Our best peptide-mimics are able to block SARS-CoV-2 human pulmonary cell infection with an inhibitory concentration (IC50) in the nanomolar range upon binding to the virus spike protein with high affinity. These first-in-class blocking peptide mimics represent powerful tools that might be used in prophylactic and therapeutic approaches to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Anthropogenic influence in observed regional warming trends and the implied social time of emergence
Authors: Estrada Francisco , Kim Dukpa , Perron Pierre
Published: February 2021

The attribution of climate change allows for the evaluation of the contribution of human drivers to observed warming. At the global and hemispheric scales, many physical and observation-based methods have shown a dominant anthropogenic signal, in contrast, regional attribution of climate change relies on physically based numerical climate models. Here we show, using state-of-the-art statistical tests, the existence of a common nonlinear trend in observed regional air surface temperatures largely imparted by anthropogenic forcing. All regions, continents and countries considered have experienced warming during the past century due to increasing anthropogenic radiative forcing. The results show that we now experience mean temperatures that would have been considered extreme values during the mid-20th century. The adaptation window has been getting shorter and is projected to markedly decrease in the next few decades. Our findings provide independent empirical evidence about the anthropogenic influence on the observed warming trend in different regions of the world.
Emerging dynamic structure of electrocatalysts unveiled byin situX-ray diffraction/absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Zhu Yanping , Kuo Tsung-Rong , Li Yue-Hua , Qi Ming-Yu , Chen Gao , Wang Jiali , Xu Yi-Jun , Chen Hao Ming
Published: February 2021

This review proposed dynamic structural reconstruction/transformation routes for OER and CO2RR electrocatalysts based onin situX-ray diffraction/absorption spectroscopy.
Amination strategy to boost the CO2 electroreduction current density of M–N/C single-atom catalysts to the industrial application level
Authors: Chen Zhipeng , Zhang Xinxin , Liu Wei , Jiao Mingyang , Mou Kaiwen , Zhang Xiangping , Liu Licheng
Published: February 2021

Amino-modification, as an ingenious strategy, was proposed for boosting CO2 electroreduction current density of Ni–N/C single-atom catalyst to industrial level.
Metal–organic framework-derived Ni-based catalyst for the hydrotreatment of triolein into green diesel
Authors: Liu Peng , Chen Changzhou , Zhou Minghao , Xu Junming , Xia Haihong , Shang Shibin , Jiang Jianchun
Published: February 2021

In this work, novel Ni-based catalysts supported on a porous carbon matrix were prepared using a simple hydrothermal method, and studied for the selective hydrotreatment of triolein.
A comprehensive importance assessment method of highspeed railway network: a case study in China
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Jia Limin , Qin Yong
Published: February 2021

A comprehensive importance measure method of railway network components is proposed in this paper. First, the railway network construction method is developed based on the physical layout and travel time. The betweenness centrality and network efficiency are extended by combining the network topology and traffic flow to measure the link and node importance. Because single available measure cannot reflect the overall network component criticality, a comprehensive importance measure method is developed by using the weighted average value of the two metrics. Finally, the proposed method is applied to measure the link and node importance of Chinese high speed railway network. A complete picture of railway network component criticality is obtained.
Collaborative slot allocation for arrival flights in multi-airport terminal area based on the traffic flow pattern: a case study of Shanghai terminal, China
Authors: Ma Lina , Tian Yong , Yang Songtao
Published: February 2021

In order to solve the increasingly serious congestions and delays in busy airports, the problem of collaborative arrival slot allocation for the multi-airport terminal area is investigated in this paper. With the premise of ensuring operation safety and the goal of minimizing total delay, the specific pattern of arrival traffic flow in the terminal area is considered in optimization modelling, and an improved genetic algorithm is designed for effective solution, followed which a simulation experiment of Shanghai terminal in China is conducted based on analysing the spatiotemporal characteristics of the arrival traffic flow in it. Results show that the proposed method in this paper is able to reduce the total arrival delay in Shanghai terminal by 18.67%, and the delays on three runways in the terminal are cut down by 14.56%, 19.35% and 25.37% respectively, indicating a significant improvement in operation efficiency of the total system.
Research on the influence of air conditioning energy consumption on brake energy recovery contribution rate based on operating conditions
Authors: Li Ning , He Chengkun , Zhang Junzhi
Published: February 2021

In the process of braking energy recovery, for the vehicle model that the recovered part of the energy is directly supplied to the air conditioner, there is a lack of research on the influence of air conditioning energy consumption on the measurement method of braking energy recovery contribution rate in the existing test methods. This paper studies the influence of air conditioning energy consumption on braking energy recovery contribution rate under NEDC and CLTC-P cycles. The test results show that for NEDC and CLTC-P cycles, the air conditioning energy consumption has little effect on the contribution rate of braking energy recovery under the same external temperature, solar radiation intensity and target temperature inside the vehicle.The above viewpoints can be used as reference for testing researchers when testing the contribution rate of vehicle braking energy recovery.
Risk Assessment of Ship Traffic Safety in Port Waters Based on AIS Data
Authors: Xiong Junting , Jin Xin , Dong Guangzhi , Gu Dongliang , Yi Chengtao
Published: February 2021

Maritime safety has always been a matter of great concern to people, and ship traffic safety is one of the most important parts of maritime safety. The port is the starting and ending point of maritime traffic and the connection point of land and sea transportation. Due to the increase in ship traffic, the increase in transport tonnage, and the increase in dangerous goods, the water traffic environment has become more crowded and more dangerous. Under such complex traffic environment conditions, new perspectives should be used to study ship traffic in port waters. Security related issues. Based on the real AIS data of port waters, this paper proposes a new method of ship traffic safety risk assessment by reproducing the trajectory of ships.
Freeway Short-Term Travel Time Prediction Based on LightGBM Algorithm
Authors: Wang Fujian , Cheng Huiling , Dai Hongliang , Han Haihang
Published: February 2021

In order to realize the prediction of freeway travel time, a short-term travel time prediction model based on LightGBM (Light Gradient Boosting Machine) is proposed under the influence of weather factors, time period factors, and traffic factors. These factors are called as the features used for increase prediction accuracy. The travel time of a single vehicle is determined by license plate recognition data of two adjacent video monitors in Shaoxing section of Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo Freeway, and a better travel time data set is constructed by data preprocessing. The feature data are determined by Pearson correlation. Based on the analysis of main optimization parameters in LightGBM, the short-term average travel time is predicted, the MAE (Mean Absolute Error) and MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) obtained by experiments are satisfying, indicating that LightGBM model has high accuracy and good fit. Finally, through comparison with KNN (K-Nearest Neighbor) model and GBDT (Gradient Boosting Decision Tree) model, the prediction accuracy and training speed both show that LightGBM has good advantages in predicting short-term freeway travel time.
Research on Distracted Driving Identification of Truck Drivers Based on Simulated Driving Experiment
Authors: Zhang Weihao , Zhang Huiyan
Published: February 2021

Trucks drivers may be distracted during long-distance transportation, which may threaten the safety of themselves and surrounding vehicles. In this regard, this article first investigates the types of distracted driving that frequently occur in China and select typical distracted driving behaviors to carry out the simulated driving experiment and collect driving performance data. The independent sample T-test was used to select the distracted driving identification indicators. An integrated distracted driving identification model based on Binary Logistic Regression and Fisher discriminant analysis was established. The accuracy of the integrated model in identifying the driver’s distracted driving state is 94.79%. This research can provide a basis for the driver assistance systems that reflect the degree of driver distraction.
Test of meteorological influence on sail based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation
Authors: Zhao Kui , He Baowei , Cui Haipeng , Du Peng , Han Bingbing , Chen Minjing , Wei Zhiqiang
Published: February 2021

In order to quantify the influence of port meteorological factors on sail of ships, an effective model of ship navigation restriction was established based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation. The navigation influence was comprehensively assessed under different meteorological conditions. The influences of wind, fog, thunder and rainfall on sail were studied, and the calculation results were compared with the test results. The results show that the fitting degree between the calculation results and the test results is 85%. The navigation restriction model conforms to the requirements of engineering application. The influence of wind, fog and thunder on sail is gradually enhanced. When the wind force is less than 6, the influence factors of fog and thunder can reach 0.31 and 0.24.
A Numerical Case Study on Pier Shape Coefficient of Seismic Hydrodynamic Pressure in Design Codes
Authors: Qin Yifang , ZhengruTao  , Tao Xiaxin , HaimingLiu
Published: February 2021

To study the pier shape coefficient of seismic hydrodynamic pressure, three waterpier coupling finite element models of piers with circular, rectangular and elliptical sections are built. The results numerically calculated with the same input ground motion show that the horizontally distributions of the hydrodynamic pressures from the vertical central lines to the edges of the three types of piers at a given depth are almost the same, the difference among the pressures on the three piers is mainly from the decreasing rate from the central line to the edge. The pressures decrease with the input direction from perpendicular to parallel. The result values of shape coefficients are close to the provisions in Japanese code, and those for circular and elliptical piers are slightly less than that stipulated in the code; and the coefficient values for rectangular pier are less than that in Euro code 8 and those for elliptical pier are in the range of the code.
Research on the Causes and Countermeasures of Soil Erosion in Small Watersheds of Chengjiang River in Gongcheng County
Authors: Gu Zhanfei , Liu Zhikui , Quan Xin
Published: February 2021

Rocky desertification induced by soil erosion is a serious geological hazard in the karst regions of southwestern China. This paper made a research on small watersheds of Chengjiang River in Gongcheng County, Guilin City, Guangxi Province, analyzed the causes and trends of soil erosion in the regions by comparing rocky desertification areas in 1991, 2006 and 2015, and proposed countermeasures against soil erosion based on the above analysis. This research provides a basis for restoring ecological environments and preventing soil erosion in small watersheds of karst regions.
The application of BIM technology in the whole life cycle of a project to explore
Authors: Wang Qiaofeng , Huang Xu , Li Lijun
Published: February 2021

In recent years, public buildings have been paying more and more attention to the integration of aesthetic and cultural values, resulting in complex and diverse architectural forms and difficult construction. The Taiyuan Water Sports Center is similar to a sailboat in shape, with a reinforced concrete cylinder and steel truss suspension structure, a complex building system, and high installation accuracy requirements. BIM technology was introduced in the pre-planning stage of the project to explore the application value of BIM technology in the whole life cycle of the project, and the results showed that BIM technology avoided 52 collision problems, found more than 50 various problems in the deepening design stage, completed 15 3D technology transfer, saving 30% of the measurement labor cost, reducing the rework rate and later equipment operation and maintenance costs.
Feasibility analysis of semi-welded seamless turnout in Yuqomolangma Station of Qinghai-Tibet Railway
Authors: Ni Guoqing , Han Feng , Li Yuan , Wang Pengran , Li Xuliang
Published: February 2021

It is difficult to lay seamless turnouts on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and the large temperature difference between day and night on the plateau railway leads to large changes in the temperature of the turnouts. Aiming at the equipment status of No.1 turnout in the Yuzhufeng station of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, a non-linear finite element calculation model of P60-12 single-open turnout was established. The long rail was calculated and analyzed based on the construction lock rail temperature and the local maximum and minimum rail temperature. The development law of displacement under temperature changes, after comparing the field measured displacement observation data, the model calculation result is correct, and the lateral displacement meets the requirements. Comparing and analyzing on-site rail displacement observation data, the model calculation results meet the engineering accuracy requirements. In the season of the highest rail temperature in the year, strain sensors are installed at the rail waist at different parts of the semi-welded seamless turnout to collect the rail strain increment under the cyclic change of rail temperature. According to the strain increment change rule, displacement observation data and model calculation results, it is concluded that the scheme of laying a semi-welded seamless turnout in Yuqomangma station is feasible, and the rail in the bifurcation area is stable under the action of temperature stress.
Investigation and Analysis on the Function of Space Formation of Spur Dike for Around Shingen Bank Japan
Authors: Xu Tianhang , Ishii Nobuyuki
Published: February 2021

The Shingen Bank is famous for its flood control in Japan. Spur dike is skilfully used in river management, which creates good conditions for the human activities. In this paper, using the representative of the river regulation buildings in the Shingen Bank as the object to analyze the space formation function of Spur dike and examine human activities at the water edge. Firstly, by analyzing the ecological function and utilization of Spur dike in river space, the relationship between the Spur dike and human activities is clarified. And then, the configuration method of spur dikes in the course of river management was put forward, which could provide reference for the management and landscape planning of the near natural rivers.
Artificial Ground Motion Simulation with Multi Control Points and Automatic Recognition in Iterative Process
Authors: Xie Haoyu , Zheng Wanshan
Published: February 2021

Artificial ground motion simulation with target response spectrum being compatible is a significant challenge for structural seismic design. In the presented scheme, two major modifications are implied on conventional frequency domain methodology as to realize automatic recognition of stubborn points in iterative process and eliminate them by handling multiple control points in frequency domain. The proposed methodology is evaluated by numerical simulation with the target response spectrum from Chinese Specification for Seismic Design of Highway Bridges compared with conventional Stochastic Method. The result shows that the presented scheme enables to recognize stubborn points and eliminate them in iterative process as it is designed, and the fitting accuracy is improved considerably. The scheme is verified reliable to generate input ground motion candidates as a reference for engineers to conduct seismic dynamic analysis.
Research on a Rapid Evaluation Method Based on Relative Settlement Measurement
Authors: Wang Ziyao , Zhao XiuShao , long Rao Jiang , Chen Zixi
Published: February 2021

When the bearing capacity of the transition section of the subgrade is insufficient, reinforcement is needed to ensure the normal operation of the railway. The traditional method of judging whether the bearing capacity of the subgrade meets the requirements is time-consuming, laborious and inefficient. Therefore, a rapid assessment method of whether the transition section needs reinforcement is proposed based on settlement measurement. Through the comparison between the exploration test of the subgrade bearing capacity of the transition section and the settlement value of the subgrade, the correlation between the bearing capacity and the bearing capacity of the subgrade is established. According to the characteristics of the transition section of the subgrade, the relative settlement method, the track bed height method and the roadbed reverse slope method are proposed, and the standards for the determination of reinforcement are also obtained. This method is faster than the traditional method and saves investigation funds.
Stability analysis of slope in soil with strength mobilization
Authors: Li Xingyue , Fu Shihao , Chen Jiangong
Published: February 2021

Considering the strength parameters cohesion c and internal friction angle < of the soil constitutive model are mobilized non-simultaneously. By gradually applying uniform vertical loads on the top of the slope, the progressive failure process of the slope is simulated by the FLAC3D software. The failure state of the slope is judged by monitoring the maximum unbalance force in the slope system, and the slope sliding surface is determined based on the maximum shear strain increment, and the safety factor is calculated by the slope critical height ratio method. The numerical simulation shows that when the strength parameters are not synchronicity come into play, the safety factor is less than that of two cases, which consider the synchronous mobilization of strength parameters and the traditional Strength Reduction Method (SRM). Finally, the influence of residual cohesion and plastic strain threshold on the position of sliding surface and safety factor are discussed by numerical analysis.
Evaluation of Water Quality and Habitat Quality in the Beiyunhe River Watershed
Authors: Zou Jiaxiang , Wang Shiyan , Liu Chang , Han Zhen , Zhu Bei , Jiang Zhi
Published: February 2021

The water environmental condition of the Beiyunhe River, a typical urbanized and semi urbanized river in northern China, is under multiple threats. In this research, through site investigation and sampling, the water quality and habitat quality was evaluated by adopting the comprehensive pollution index method and the expert scoring method. The research analysis shows that: the water quality of the upstream of the main stream was better than that of the downstream, the water quality spatial characteristics were that the water quality of the upstream was relatively good, the midstream took the second place and the downstream was the worst; the water quality heterogeneity characteristics of the river was relevant to the characteristics of different rivers upstream and downstream; the result of the general evaluation of the quality of the aquatic habitats was fair, the evaluation scores of all the monitoring points were higher than 80, the comprehensive index of the habitat quality of the main stream was higher than that of each tributary, so the habitat quality of the main stream was relatively good, and there was little difference in the habitat quality of all tributaries; the main factor that affecting the quality of the river aquatic habitats in the Beiyunhe River was that the artificial disturbance of an urbanized and semi urbanized river is strong, causing relatively single river habitat, which is difficult to form complex and diverse habitats. This research can be provided as a basis for river water environment scientific management of the Beiyunhe River.
Drainage test on soil-filled geotextile bag
Authors: Xuekui Wang , Qingqing Wang
Published: February 2021

The drainage rate of soil-filled geotextile bag is an important factor to embankment project.Laboratory tests are carried out to study the drainage behavior of soil-filled geotextile bag. Results show: (1) drainage rate of soil-filled geotextile bag is nonlinear reduced with time, The drainage rate is large at initial phase, and then decrease rapidly as mud structure is formed on the inner surface of the bags; (2) The drainage effect is larger with less clay content, show two nonlinear law. When the clay content is lower than 22%, the reduction of soil-filled geotextile bag is small with the clay content; (3)The drainage effect is larger with larger equivalent opening size, the drainage effect of 2# geotextile with 0.155mm equivalent opening size is better than the 1# geotextile with 0.096mm equivalent opening size, and can increase 20% of clay content.
Reduction of water absorption of concrete by surface treatment with ethyl silicate
Authors: Haoxiang Wu , Yonggen Wu , Tianlun Li , Mo Li
Published: February 2021

Surface treatment is an effective strategy to reduce concrete water absorption and improve concrete durability in practical engineering application. In this paper, ethyl silicate and anhydrous alcohol mixed solution is chosen as surface treatment for concrete, and water absorption is tested, the test results show that ethyl silicate can effectively reduce the concrete water absorption and water absorption rate. water absorption rate reduction rate is 82.4 for T5 and 84.6% for T7, the initial rate of water absorption is reduced 94.9 for T5 and 94.7% for T7, and the secondary rate of water absorption is reduced 73.2 for T5 and 80.1% for T7.
Research on Information Management of Traffic Highway Construction Safety Based on BIM Technology
Authors: Rong Duan Rong
Published: February 2021

The construction of traffic highway includes design, construction and operation management, which involves a variety of data and information in these processes, while the traditional highway engineering progress is shown in the form of statistical tables, charts and reports, which is difficult to be directly linked with the specific location and pile number of the project and directly displayed. BIM model provides visual project construction management in the overall planning, design, progress and other aspects. At the same time, when the project is completed, this management information will also provide important data information for the use and operation of the highway. In this paper, the application of BIM Technology in highway construction management is investigated in the form of questionnaire survey and on-site interview, which comprehensively reflects the actual situation of BIM application in highway engineering. According to the actual situation, the future BIM Technology will provide good technical support for the informatization of construction industry, which can effectively promote safe construction.
Research on Energy-Saving Design of Thermal Insulation Structure of Residential Buildings in Severe Cold Areas
Authors: Chen Lisheng , Li Yue , Lu Xinyi
Published: February 2021

With the general improvement of people’s living standard, residents in severe cold areas have further increased their requirements for residential insulation, which provides new issues for the energy-saving design of thermal insulation of their residential buildings. This paper mainly introduces the energy-saving design of the thermal insulation structure of residential buildings in severe cold areas such as exterior walls and roofs, including the selection of their specific materials. It is hoped that the insulation performance can be higher and the energy-saving effect can be better.
Study on Field Relative Density Test Method of Blasting Rockfill for High Rolled Rockfill Dams
Authors: Zhao Jianming , Huang Renlong , Yang Yusheng , Wang Long , Liu Xiaosheng , Yang Zhengquan
Published: February 2021

At present, in the relevant design specifications for earth-rock fill dams in China, the filling standard of rockfill materials is expressed by porosity. Although the mechanical properties of coarse-grained soil are closely related to its porosity, the properties of coarse-grained soil with different gradations are not the same even if the porosity is the same. Porosity can’t express compactness, while relative density can represent compactness of coarse-grained soil. In order to control the deformation of dams reasonably, it is necessary to carry out the field relative density test of rockfill materials. In this paper, limestone rockfill is used to test. The results show that: (1) the bucket diameter of relative density tests has a certain influence on the maximum and minimum dry density of limestone rockfill. (2) In the range of test gradation lines, with the increase of the content of P
5, the maximum and minimum dry density all show the trend of increasing first and then decreasing. (3) When the content of P
5 is the same, the maximum and minimum dry density of limestone rockfill increase with the increase of the maximum particle size, and the particle size has a significant impact on the maximum and minimum dry density.
Friction - wear modeling in drilling process of H-13 tool steel
Authors: Panagopoulos G S , Panagopoulou M S , Nikolakopoulos P G
Published: February 2021

Simulation of metal cutting is complex both from numerical and physical perspective. The scope of this work is to elaborate on the process and physics of metal cutting, and more specifically drilling. The description of H-13 steel dry drilling with the use of a single-layer TiN coated carbide twist drill is presented. H-13 is a high strength alloy steel used in demanding applications and elevated temperatures. A simulation model was developed with use of Deform-3D software, and an experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the acquired simulation results, meaning the wear mechanisms and thermal loads implemented during the process of drilling. The Usui wear model was used for the calculation of the wear rate of the drill. Regarding the experiment, a thermal camera was used in order to record the temperature of the drill after the process. The comparative analysis of the simulation models and the experiment showed that adhesion is the dominant wear mechanism. Higher wear values were observed in the rake faces of the drill, where the coating starts to fade, due to built-up edges (BUE). The tool and workpiece temperatures reach near steady state conditions during process. Elevated temperatures are applied on the removed material. Good chip evacuation and chip length indicate that coated drills with optimized geometry are suitable for drilling tough materials.
Thermodynamic analysis and optimization of Transcritical and Supercritical Organic Rankine and Brayton Cycles coupled to parabolic trough collectors
Authors: Papingiotis T , Koronaki I , Komninos N , Antonakos G
Published: February 2021

The main objective of this work is to investigate the efficiency of three different power cycles coupled with parabolic through collectors in Athens/Greece. The power cycles analyzed where: subcritical ORC with n-Pentane and R245fa as working fluids, trans-critical ORC with R245fa as working fluid and super-critical Brayton cycle with CO
2 and R245fa as working fluid. Mathematical models were developed for both the solar farm and the power cycles in order to optimize the necessary parameters for the optimal operation of the plant. The inlet temperature and pressure of the turbine are the optimization parameters. The overall efficiency of the system (power to solar) for the sub-critical ORC with n-Pentane and R245fa is 14.12% and 10.31% respectively. For the trans-critical ORC with R245fa the efficiency is 15.14% and for the super-critical Brayton cycle for CO
2 and R245fa, 13.23% and 8.87% respectively.
The efficiency of extracting clean energy in the Dobrogea Region of Romania
Authors: Veresiu S , Mereuta E , Novetschi M
Published: February 2021

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of extracting clean energy in the Dobrogea region of Romania. More precisely was analyzed the wind potential in correspondence with some economical parameters that determines the efficiency of extracting clean energy. For this purpose, a data set that contains wind zonal and meridional components for a period of 20 years was processed. In this study, the data set was downloaded from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. By analyzing the levelized cost of electricity, the annual energy production, the annual expensive and other parameters it can be easily observed that implementing new project for extracting renewable energy can be efficient.
Directional detection of dark matter with diamond
Authors: Marshall Mason C , Turner Matthew J , Ku Mark J H , Phillips David F , Walsworth Ronald L
Published: February 2021

Searches for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter will in the near future be sensitive to solar neutrinos. Directional detection offers a method to reject solar neutrinos and improve WIMP searches, but reaching that sensitivity with existing directional detectors poses challenges. We propose a combined atomic/particle physics approach using a large-volume diamond detector. WIMP candidate events trigger a particle detector, after which spectroscopy of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers reads out the direction of the incoming particle. We discuss the current state of technologies required to realize directional detection in diamond and present a path towards a detector with sensitivity below the neutrino floor.
Na2Fe(C2O4)(HPO4): a promising new oxalate-phosphate based mixed polyanionic cathode for Li/Na ion batteries
Authors: Pramanik Atin , Bradford Alasdair J , Lee Stephen L , Lightfoot Philip , Armstrong A Robert
Published: February 2021

The new iron-based mixed polyanionic material Na2Fe(C2O4)(HPO4) has been synthesized by a hydrothermal technique. The compound contains four Na sites with a three-dimensional crystal structure. This compound shows promising reversible Li and Na insertion properties as a cathode material. The redox potentials observed were ∼3.2 V (vs Li+/Li) for the Li-ion cell and ∼3.1 V (vs Na+/Na) for the Na-ion cell with Fe2+/3+ redox reactions. The reversible electrode operation was found to deliver 71 and 104 mAh g−1 specific capacities in Li and Na half cells, respectively. This present study reveals promising performance from a mixed oxalate-phosphate based polyanionic material and opens up further possibilities for materials discovery.
Local characterization of transient chaos on finite times in open systems
Authors: Drótos Gábor , Hernández-García Emilio , López Cristóbal
Published: February 2021

To characterize local finite-time properties associated with transient chaos in open dynamical systems, we introduce an escape rate and fractal dimensions suitable for this purpose in a coarse-grained description. We numerically illustrate that these quantifiers have a considerable spread across the domain of the dynamics, but their spatial variation, especially on long but non-asymptotic integration times, is approximately consistent with the relationship that was recognized by Kantz and Grassberger for temporally asymptotic quantifiers. In particular, deviations from this relationship are smaller than differences between various locations, which confirms the existence of such a dynamical law and the suitability of our quantifiers to represent underlying dynamical properties in the non-asymptotic regime.
Cycle more with virtual reality: a proof of concept study in an institutionalised able-bodied geriatric population
Authors: Loggia Gilles , Gauthier Antoine , Lemiere Fabrice , Drigny Joffrey , Desvergee Antoine , Leconte Pascale , Ruet Alexis
Published: February 2021

Background/Objectives

Physical activity (PA) has significant benefits for older adults. However, the recommended PA is rarely achieved in nursing homes. In this proof of concept study, we assessed whether virtual reality (VR) could help to increase spontaneous PA during a stationary cycling session.

Design

Prospective crossover proof of concept study.

Setting

Nursinghome.

Participants

Twelve participants (10 men) aged 63–88, able-bodied but with moderate cognitive impairment.

Intervention

TWO stationary cycling sessions with and withoutVR.

Measurements

Cycling distance, pedalling duration, average speed, mean pedalling cadence and the modified Borg rating of perceived exertion scale.

Results

Cycling distance and duration were significantly higher in the VR condition. Most participants would rather repeat cycling sessions with VR than without.

Conclusion

The use of VR seems feasible to help achieve PA recommendations for able-bodied people living in nursing homes, even with moderate cognitive impairments.
Mapping Saudi Criminal Law
Authors: Mallat Chibli
Published: February 2021

This Article maps the criminal law system in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia enacted a criminal procedure code in 2001, but it lacks a comprehensive penal code, relying instead on (i) identifications of certain acts as violations of the law (from public behavior to matters of the state administrative cogwheel) scattered in various pieces of legislation and (ii) the classical Islamic legal tradition’s classification forming a criminal Islamic common law which is organized into (a) “set punishment” prescribed crimes (hadd, plural hudud), (b) crimes left to the court’s discretion (ta‘zir), and (c) two other forms of “violations of the body” with their own legal regime (qisas/retaliation and diya/blood money). The Article is based on extensive case law released by the Saudi Ministry of Justice.
Defining Aesthetic Preferences for the Penis: A Photogrammetric and Crowdsourcing Analysis
Authors: Massie Jonathan P , Sood Rachita , Nolan Ian T , Sasson Daniel C , Swanson Marco , Morrison Shane D , Placik Otto
Published: February 2021

Background

Achieving an aesthetic phalloplasty result is important for patients with acquired or congenital defects of the penis, or with genital-related dysphoria. However, aside from length and girth, the aesthetic proportions of the male penis have not been defined.

Objectives

This study aimed to determine proportions of the male penis through photogrammetric analysis of nude male photographs and to verify these proportions with a crowdsourcing-based survey.

Methods

Nude male photographs (n = 283) were analyzed to define aesthetic proportions of the male penis. Photographs were analyzed for the position of the penis on the torso in relation to the umbilicus and for the ratio of the dorsal and ventral glans of the penis in relation to the entire shaft length. Proportions were then further studied by crowdsourcing 1026 respondents with Amazon mechanical Turk.

Results

The ideal position of the penis below the umbilicus is about 55% (6/11th) of the distance from the jugular notch to the umbilicus (measured average, 53.6%; survey-weighted average, 58.9%). The dorsal glans of the penis is about 33% (1/3rd) of the length of the entire shaft (measured average, 32.1%; survey-weighted average, 37.5%). The ventral glans of the penis is about 12.5% (1/8th) of the length of the entire shaft (measured average, 12.6%; survey-weighted average, 11.7%).

Conclusions

Measured proportions of the human penis follow exact fractions. Crowdsourcing data helped support photogrammetric analysis, with survey-preferred ratios within 5% of measured ratios. With further validation, these data can aid surgeons performing phalloplasty.
Neural substrates of verbal repetition deficits in primary progressive aphasia
Authors: Miller Hilary E , Cordella Claire , Collins Jessica A , Ezzo Rania , Quimby Megan , Hochberg Daisy , Tourville Jason A , Dickerson Bradford C , Guenther Frank H
Published: February 2021

In this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between cortical thickness and performance on several verbal repetition tasks in a cohort of patients with primary progressive aphasia in order to test predictions generated by theoretical accounts of phonological working memory that predict phonological content buffers in left posterior inferior frontal sulcus and supramarginal gyrus. Cortical surfaces were reconstructed from magnetic resonance imaging scans from 42 participants diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia. Cortical thickness was measured in a set of anatomical regions spanning the entire cerebral cortex. Correlation analyses were performed between cortical thickness and average score across three phonological working memory-related tasks: the Repetition sub-test from the Western Aphasia Battery, a forward digit span task, and a backward digit span task. Significant correlations were found between average working memory score across tasks and cortical thickness in left supramarginal gyrus and left posterior inferior frontal sulcus, in support of prior theoretical accounts of phonological working memory. Exploratory whole-brain correlation analyses performed for each of the three behavioural tasks individually revealed a distinct set of positively correlated regions for each task. Comparison of cortical thickness measures from different primary progressive aphasia sub-types to cortical thickness in age-matched controls further revealed unique patterns of atrophy in the different subtypes.
Switching From Reference Infliximab to Biosimilar CT-P13 Did Not Change Quality of Life in Stable Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients
Authors: Pierik Marieke J , van der Meulen Andrea E , Van der Linde Klaas , Lutgens Maurice , Kuijvenhoven Johan P , Akol Halil , Klompmaker Ids J , Sikkens Michelle S G , van Megen Yvonne J B , Stoop Corinne M , Bloemsaat-Minekus Joanne P J , Dijkstra Gerard
Published: February 2021

Background

Quality of life (QoL) data for patients with inflammatory bowel disease switched from the reference infliximab to biosimilar CT-P13 is lacking. This study aims to demonstrate noninferiority for QoL and efficacy after switching.

Methods

OoL and clinical efficacy were measured prior to and after 2, 4, and 6 CT-P13 infusions.

Results

One hundred seventy-eight patients were included. Noninferiority was established for QoL [ratio 97.95% (95% confidence interval 95.93 to 100.01)] and efficacy [difference −0.02 (95% confidence interval −0.68 to 0.64)]. Five patients reported 6 nonrelated, serious adverse events.

Conclusions

Switching from reference infliximab to CT-P13 did not affect the QoL or disease activity and was well tolerated.
Effective methane production from the Japanese weed Gyougi-shiba (Cynodon dactylon) is accomplished by colocalization of microbial communities that assimilate water-soluble and -insoluble fractions
Authors: Matsuda Shuhei , Ohtsuki Takashi
Published: February 2021

Weed, an abundant biomass, is considered unsuitable as a raw material for methane production. There are few reports on the anaerobic digestion of weeds without the addition of other organic wastes. To solve this problem, a methane-producing microbial community with weed as a sole feedstock was established. This study mainly focused on the degree of contribution between water-soluble and -insoluble fractions of the weed to methane production; thus, methane production from both fractions was tested separately. Methane production after 80-day batch cultures with whole weed, water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions was 184.5, 96.8 and 26.5 NmL g−1 dry matter (DM), respectively. The results of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence analysis revealed that Proteiniphilum saccharofermentans and several Methanobacterium species commonly dominated all cultures, whereas the population dynamics of minor species differed in every culture. Moreover, the remixed culture of microbial communities adapted to water-soluble and -insoluble fractions recovered methane production (252.4 NmL g−1 DM). Based on these results, it can be strongly inferred that colocalizing the minor species in water-soluble and -insoluble fractions is important for effective methane production.
The Neurospora aab-1 gene encodes a CCAAT Binding Protein Homologous to Yeast HAP5
Authors: Chen Huaxian , Crabb John W , Kinsey John A
Published: February 2021

The expression of the am (glutamate dehydrogenase) gene is dependent upon two upstream activating sequences, designated URSamα and URSamβ. A heteromeric nuclear protein Am  Alpha Binding protein (AAB) binds specifically to a CCAAT box within the URSamα element. AAB appears to be composed of three components. We used polyclonal antiserum raised against the highly purified AAB1 subunit to isolate a partial aab-1 cDNA clone, which was then used to isolate a full-length cDNA and a genomic clone. The full-length cDNA has the potential to encode a 272 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular weight of 30 kD. Amino acid sequence obtained by Edman analysis of the AAB1 protein confirmed that the aab-1 gene had been cloned. AAB-1 shows similarity to the HAP5 protein of yeast and the CBF-C protein of rat. Each of these proteins is an essential subunit of their respective heteromeric CCAAT binding proteins. The aab1 gene maps on linkage group III of Neurospora crassa near the trp-1 locus. Disruption of the aab-1 gene results in pleiotropic effects on growth and development as well as a 50% reduction in glutamate dehydrogenase levels. Transformation of the aab-1 disruption mutant strain with the cloned genomic copy of the aab-1 gene rescued all of the phenotypic alterations associated with the aab-1 mutation.
Genetic Analysis of brahma: The Drosophila Homolog of the Yeast Chromatin Remodeling Factor SWI2/SNF2
Authors: Elfring Lisa K , Daniel Carla , Papoulas Ophelia , Deuring Renate , Sarte Melinda , Moseley Sarah , Beek Shelley J , Waldrip W Ross , Daubresse Gary , DePace Angela , Kennison James A , Tamkun John W
Published: February 2021

The Drosophila brahma (brm) gene encodes an activator of homeotic genes related to the yeast chromatin remodeling factor SWI2/SNF2. Here, we report the phenotype of null and dominant-negative brm mutations. Using mosaic analysis, we found that the complete loss of brm function decreases cell viability and causes defects in the peripheral nervous system of the adult. A dominant-negative brm mutation was generated by replacing a conserved lysine in the ATP-binding site of the BRM protein with an arginine. This mutation eliminates brm function in vivo but does not affect assembly of the 2-MD BRM complex. Expression of the dominant-negative BRM protein caused peripheral nervous system defects, homeotic transformations, and decreased viability. Consistent with these findings, the BRM protein is expressed at relatively high levels in nuclei throughout the developing organism. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to investigate the functions of conserved regions of the BRM protein. Domain II is essential for brm function and is required for the assembly or stability of the BRM complex. In spite of its conservation in numerous eukaryotic regulatory proteins, the deletion of the bromodomain of the BRM protein has no discernible phenotype.