bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ferroportin‐Dependent Iron Homeostasis Protects against Oxidative Stress‐Induced Nucleus Pulposus Cell Ferroptosis and Ameliorates Intervertebral Disc Degeneration In Vivo
Authors: Lu Saideng , Song Yu , Luo Rongjin , Li Shuai , Li Gaocai , Wang Kun , Liao Zhiwei , Wang Bingjin , Ke Wencan , Xiang Qian , Chen Chao , Wu Xinghuo , Zhang Yukun , Ling Li , Yang Cao
Published: February 2021

Ferroptosis is a specialized form of regulated cell death that is charactered by iron‐dependent lethal lipid peroxidation, a process associated with multiple diseases. However, its role in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is rarely investigated. This study is aimed at investigating the role of ferroptosis in oxidative stress‐ (OS‐) induced nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) decline and the pathogenesis of IVDD and determine the underlying regulatory mechanisms. We used tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) to simulate OS conditions around human NPCs. Flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy were used to identify ferroptosis, while iron assay kit, Perl’s staining, and western blotting were performed to assay the intracellular iron levels. A ferroportin‐ (FPN‐) lentivirus and FPN‐siRNA were constructed and used to explore the relationship between FPN, intracellular iron homeostasis, and ferroptosis. Furthermore, hinokitiol, a bioactive compound known to specifically resist OS and restore FPN function, was evaluated for its therapeutic role in IVDD both in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated that intercellular iron overload plays an essential role in TBHP‐induced ferroptosis of human NPCs. Mechanistically, FPN dysregulation is responsible for intercellular iron overload under OS. The increase in nuclear translocation of metal‐regulatory transcription factor 1 (MTF1) restored the function of FPN, abolished the intercellular iron overload, and protected cells against ferroptosis. Additionally, hinokitiol enhanced the nuclear translocation of MTF1 by suppressing the JNK pathway and ameliorated the progression of IVDD in vivo. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ferroptosis and FPN dysfunction are involved in the NPC depletion and the pathogenesis of IVDD under OS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the protective role of FPN in ferroptosis of NPCs, suggesting its potential used as a novel therapeutic target against IVDD.
Effects of Explosion Shock Waves on Lung Injuries in Rabbits
Authors: Sun Yanlong , Qian Xinming , Shu Chi-Min , Li Ziyuan , Yuan Mengqi , Zhang Qi , Li Yanteng
Published: February 2021

The purpose of this study was to explore the damage effects and injury mechanism of free‐field explosion shock waves on rabbit lungs. Six free‐field explosion experiments, each with 500 g trinitrotoluene (TNT), were conducted as the shock wave overpressure acting on the rabbits was measured. The peak overpressure of the shock wave was 533, 390, 249, 102, and 69 kPa at the respective test points. Damage to the rabbit lungs caused by shock wave overpressure was investigated through observation, anatomical analysis, and hematoxylin‐eosin (HE) staining processing. The shock wave overpressure of 69–102 kPa caused mild‐to‐moderate injury; the shock wave overpressure of 102–249 kPa caused moderate injury; the shock wave overpressure of 249–390 kPa resulted in moderate‐to‐severe injury; and the shock wave overpressure of 390–533 kPa caused severe injury to the rabbit. Mild, moderate, and severe injuries destroyed some, most, or all alveolar structures, correspondingly, as well as producing partial cell apoptosis. The overpressure damage mechanism primarily involves the collapse and rupture of pulmonary alveolus in the lung tissue. As a novel attempt, the investigation provided here may serve to improve the current shock wave injury mechanism.
Surface-Initiated Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (SI-ROMP): History, General Features, and Applications in Surface Engineering with Polymer Brushes
Authors: Chen Qingchuan
Published: February 2021

Surface-Initiated Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (SI-ROMP) has attracted great attention in the past two decades because of its high efficiency in decorating material surfaces with functional polymer brushes. To fill the vacancy of review articles in SI-ROMP, this article is aimed at giving an overview of the history, the general features and procedures, and applications of SI-ROMP, guiding future researchers in this field. In general, SI-ROMP consists of three main steps: surface functionalization with olefin anchors, attachment of catalyst to the surface, and polymerization from the surface. Several metal-based catalysts for ROMP in solution have been developed, but most SI-ROMP reactions use the ruthenium-based Grubbs catalysts. SI-ROMP enables the rapid growth of polymer films on a large variety of substrates such as silica, gold, graphene oxides, carbon nanotubes, metal oxide nanowires, and composite polymer membranes. There are many methods to characterize these polymer brushes. In addition, some novel techniques have been developed to precisely control the surface polymer growth and lead to polymer films with unique structures and functions. Up to this day, SI-ROMP can be applied to the surface engineering of many novel materials, including ultrahydrophobic surfaces, microfluidic channels, electric devices, ion exchange media, and responsive surfaces.
Determination of the Influence of Fuel Switching Regulation on the Sulfur Dioxide Content of Air in a Port Area Using DID Model
Authors: Zhou Fan , Fan Yunli
Published: February 2021

Since January 1, 2018, ships berthed at all ports of the three designated emission control areas (ECAs) in China are required to use fuel with sulfur content not exceeding 0.5% (m/m), excluding one hour postarrival and one hour predeparture. To understand changes in SO2 due to this policy, two observation stations were established on Waigaoqiao Dock in the Yangtze River estuary. Three data types were collected from March 2018 to May 2018, namely, wind speed and direction, SO2 concentration, and ships’ arrival and departure times. The statistics indicate that the wind direction changed little during the observation period and SO2 concentration was below 5 µg/m3 77.47% of the time. Meanwhile, ships’ arrival and departure at the dock had a distinct influence on overall SO2 distribution, including occurrence of concentrations ≥5 µg/m3. The three types of data were divided into six groups and a difference-in-difference model was used for analysis. The result shows that SO2 concentration increases due to the use of high-sulfur fuel and is especially significant when the wind is southwesterly. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between increases in SO2 concentrations over 5 µg/m3 and the number of ships arriving or departing from the port. This study reports the positive impact of fuel switching on air quality and can be used to evaluate adherence to the ECA policy.
On New Modifications of Some Perturbation Procedures
Authors: Ismail A. I.
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we present new modifications for some perturbation procedures used in mathematics, physics, astronomy, and engineering. These modifications will help us to solve the previous problems in different sciences under new conditions. As problems, we have, for example, the rotary rigid body problem, the gyroscopic problem, the pendulum motion problem, and other ones. These problems will be solved in a new manner different from the previous treatments. We solve some of the previous problems in the presence of new conditions, new analysis, and new domains. We let complementary conditions of such studied previously. We solve these problems by applying the large parameter technique used by assuming a large parameter which inversely proportional to a small quantity. For example, in rigid body dynamic problems, we take such quantity to be one of the components of the angular velocity vector in the initial instant of the rotary body about a fixed point. The domain of our solutions will be depending on the choice of a large parameter. The problem of slow (weak) oscillations is considered. So, we obtain slow motions of the bodies instead of fast motions and find the solutions of the problem in present new conditions on both of center of gravity, moments of inertia, and the angular velocity vector or one of these parameters of the body. This study is important for aerospace engineering, gyroscopic motions, satellite motion which has the correspondence of inertia moments, antennas, and navigations.
On the Solutions of Okubo-Type Systems
Authors: Filipuk Galina , Lastra Alberto
Published: February 2021

We show that for certain systems of Okubo-type, we can find a solution vector, all components of which are expressed in terms of the first one. This first component can be expressed in two ways. It solves a Volterra integral equation with the kernel expressed in terms of the solutions of a reduced Okubo-type system of smaller dimension. It is also expressed as a power series about the origin with coefficients satisfying certain recurrence relation. This extends the results in (W. Balser, C. Röscheisen, J. Differential Equations, 2009).
Genomic Expression Profiling and Bioinformatics Analysis of Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis
Authors: Huang Kai , Lin Bingyuan , Liu Yiyang , Guo Qiaofeng , Ren Haiyong
Published: February 2021

Objective. Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is an autoinflammatory bone disorder. Its most severe form is referred to as chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO). Currently, the exact molecular pathophysiology of CNO/CRMO remains unknown. No uniform diagnostic standard and treatment protocol were available for this disease. The aim of this study was to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in CRMO tissues compared to normal control tissues to investigate the mechanisms of CRMO. Materials. Microarray data from the GSE133378 (12 CRMO and 148 matched normal tissue samples) data sets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. DEGs were identified using the limma package in the R software. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were performed to further investigate the function of the identified DEGs. Results. This study identified a total of 1299 differentially expressed mRNAs, including1177 upregulated genes and 122 downregulated genes, between CRMO and matched normal tissue samples. GO analyses showed that DEGs were enriched in immune‐related terms. KEGG pathway enrichment analyses showed that the DEGs were mainly related to oxidative phosphorylation, ribosome, and Parkinson disease. Eight modules were extracted from the gene expression network, including one module constituted with immune‐related genes and one module constituted with ribosomal‐related genes. Conclusion. Oxidative phosphorylation, ribosome, and Parkinson disease pathways were significantly associated with CRMO. The immune‐related genes including IRF5, OAS3, and HLA‐A, as well as numerous ribosomal‐related genes, might be implicated in the pathogenesis of CRMO. The identification of these genes may contribute to the development of early diagnostic tools, prognostic markers, or therapeutic targets in CRMO.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Enhances Survival in Patients with Gastric Cancer after Surgery and Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Taiwan: A Nationwide Matched Cohort Study
Authors: Shih Wei-Tai , Yang Pei-Rung , Shen Yi-Chia , Yang Yao-Hsu , Wu Ching-Yuan
Published: February 2021

Background. Gastric cancer remains a major cancer globally. More than half of patients with gastric cancer undergo surgery in Taiwan; however, few large nationwide studies have investigated the effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on gastric cancer management after surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of TCM on patients with gastric cancer following surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy in Taiwan and its prescription trends. Methods and Materials. The cohort sampling data set was obtained from the Registry of Catastrophic Illness Patient Database, a research database of patients with severe illnesses from the National Health Insurance Research Database, Taiwan. Patients who had received a new diagnosis of gastric cancer and had undergone surgery were enrolled. We matched TCM users and nonusers at a ratio of 1 : 3 based on the propensity score, and TCM users were also grouped into short-term and long-term users. Results. The number of TCM users and nonusers was 1701 and 5103 after applying the propensity score at a ratio of 1 : 3. Short-term users and long-term TCM users were independently associated with a decreased risk of death with HRs of 0.59 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.55–0.65) and 0.41 (95% CI, 0.36–0.47), respectively, compared with TCM nonusers. We also obtained similar results when we adjusted for covariates in the main model, as well as each of the additional listed covariates. We also observed similar HR trends in short-term users and long-term TCM users among men and women aged <65 years and ≥65 years. The most commonly prescribed single herb and herbal formula in our cohort were Hwang-Chyi (Radix Hedysari; 11.8%) and Xiang-Sha-Liu-Jun-Zi-Tang (15.5%), respectively. Conclusion. TCM use was associated with higher survival in patients with gastric cancer after surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. TCM could be used as a complementary and alternative therapy in patients with gastric cancer after surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy.
Influence of Wave-Absorbing Chamber Width on the Wave Attenuation Performance of Perforated Caisson Sitting on Rubble-Mound Foundation
Authors: Zhao Peihong , Sun Dapeng , Wu Hao
Published: February 2021

A Jarlan-type perforated caisson consisted of a perforated front wall, a solid rear wall, and a wave-absorbing chamber between them. The wave-absorbing chamber was the main feature of the perforated caisson, and its width had a great effect on wave attenuation performance. In this study, a larger range of the wave-absorbing chamber width was observed in model experiments to investigate the effect on wave attenuation performance including the reflection coefficients and the horizontal wave forces of a perforated caisson sitting on a rubble-mound foundation. A resistance-type porosity numerical model based on the volume-averaged Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (VARANS) equations was validated by comparing the present results with those of previously reported and present experiments. The validated numerical model was then used for extended research. It was found that the reflection coefficients, the total horizontal wave force, and its components all tended to oscillate in a decrease ⟶ increase ⟶ decrease manner with increasing the wave-absorbing chamber width. The reflection coefficients and wave forces acting on both sides of the perforated front wall were found to be synchronized regardless of perforation ratio or the rubble-mound foundation height.
A Simplified Model to Assess the Influence of the Configuration of Commercial Aircraft on Boarding and Deboarding
Authors: de Oliveira Diogo B. P. , Coelho Jonathan N. , Moraes Alison de O.
Published: February 2021

This paper presents an evaluation of the influence of aircraft configuration on the boarding and deboarding times using a simplified model and computer simulation. Boarding and deboarding times are important to airlines since both procedures are part of the critical path of the turnaround time (TAT) of aircraft in airports. During the TAT, a series of activities are performed in the aircraft in order to prepare it for the next flight. A reduction in boarding and deboarding times may represent a reduction in TAT for airlines. For the comparisons, three aircraft configurations are used: single aisle

3
×
3

(“six abreast”), single aisle

3
×
2

(“five abreast”), and single aisle

2
×
2

(“four abreast”), all with the same number of passengers. For the boarding analyses, two boarding procedures are used: random and random outside-in. The

2
×
2

aircraft interior configuration holds the shortest boarding times; deboarding times are similar for the three configurations. Also, a sensitivity analysis is carried out, and the results show that the higher the aircraft occupancy and the number of passengers with carry-on baggage, the higher are boarding and deboarding times, with the

2
×
2

having the lowest times in comparison with the other two configurations.
Unmanned Aircraft System‐ (UAS‐) Based High‐Throughput Phenotyping (HTP) for Tomato Yield Estimation
Authors: Chang Anjin , Jung Jinha , Yeom Junho , Maeda Murilo M. , Landivar Juan A. , Enciso Juan M. , Avila Carlos A. , Anciso Juan R.
Published: February 2021

Yield prediction and variety selection are critical components for assessing production and performance in breeding programs and precision agriculture. Since plants integrate their genetics, surrounding environments, and management conditions, crop phenotypes have been measured over cropping seasons to represent the traits of varieties. These days, UAS (unmanned aircraft system) provides a new opportunity to collect high‐quality images and generate reliable phenotypic data efficiently. Here, we propose high‐throughput phenotyping (HTP) from multitemporal UAS images for tomato yield estimation. UAS‐based RGB and multispectral images were collected weekly and biweekly, respectively. The shape of the features of tomatoes such as canopy cover, canopy, volume, and vegetation indices derived from UAS imagery was estimated throughout the entire season. To extract time‐series features from UAS‐based phenotypic data, crop growth and growth rate curves were fitted using mathematical curves and first derivative equations. Time‐series features such as the maximum growth rate, day at a specific event, and duration were extracted from the fitted curves of different phenotypes. The linear regression model produced high R2 values even with different variable selection methods: all variables (0.79), forward selection (0.7), and backward selection (0.77). With factor analysis, we figured out two significant factors, growth speed and timing, related to high‐yield varieties. Then, five time‐series phenotypes were selected for yield prediction models explaining 65 percent of the variance in the actual harvest. The phenotypic features derived from RGB images played more important roles in prediction yield. This research also demonstrates that it is possible to select lower‐performing tomato varieties successfully. The results from this work may be useful in breeding programs and research farms for selecting high‐yielding and disease‐/pest‐resistant varieties.
[Retracted] A Correlation Analysis between SNPs and ROIs of Alzheimer’s Disease Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Zhou Juan , Hu Linfeng , Jiang Yu , Liu Liyue
Published: February 2021

Motivation. At present, the research methods for image genetics of Alzheimer’s disease based on machine learning are mainly divided into three steps: the first step is to preprocess the original image and gene information into digital signals that are easy to calculate; the second step is feature selection aiming at eliminating redundant signals and obtain representative features; and the third step is to build a learning model and predict the unknown data with regression or bivariate correlation analysis. This type of method requires manual extraction of feature single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and the extraction process relies on empirical knowledge to a certain extent, such as linkage imbalance and gene function information in a group sparse model, which puts forward certain requirements for applicable scenarios and application personnel. To solve the problems of insufficient biological significance and large errors in the previous methods of association analysis and disease diagnosis, this paper presents a method of correlation analysis and disease diagnosis between SNP and region of interest (ROI) based on a deep learning model. It is a data‐driven method, which has no obvious feature selection process. Results. The deep learning method adopted in this paper has no obvious feature extraction process relying on prior knowledge and model assumptions. From the results of correlation analysis between SNP and ROI, this method is complementary to other regression model methods in application scenarios. In order to improve the disease diagnosis performance of deep learning, we use the deep learning model to integrate SNP characteristics and ROI characteristics. The SNP feature, ROI feature, and SNP‐ROI joint feature were input into the deep learning model and trained by cross‐validation technique. The experimental results show that the SNP‐ROI joint feature describes the information of the samples from different angles, which makes the diagnosis accuracy higher.
Calcium Carbonate Attenuates Withdrawal and Reduces Craving: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Alcohol-Dependent Patients
Authors: Schuster Rilana , Winkler Matthias , Koopmann Anne , Bach Patrick , Hoffmann Sabine , Reinhard Iris , Spanagel Rainer , Bumb J. Malte , Sommer Wolfgang H. , Kiefer Falk
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Preclinical studies have shown that calcium seems to be the active component of the anti-craving drug acamprosate (Ca2+ bis-acetyl-homotaurinate). Clinical effects in humans have also indicated an association between increased calcium plasma concentration due to acamprosate treatment and better outcome relating to time to relapse and cumulative abstinence. In contrast, low calcium concentration in alcohol-dependent patients was related with craving for alcohol. The main goal of the trial was to investigate whether an oral calcium administration is able to affect craving, withdrawal, and relapse risk in alcohol-dependent patients. Methods: We conducted a single-blind, randomized, monocentric, controlled clinical two-arm trial in alcohol-dependent patients (Clinical Trials Registration: DRKS00011293). A total of 55 alcohol-dependent subjects received calcium carbonate (800 mg + 5 μg vitamin D) versus sodium bicarbonate (1,000 mg) daily during the 14 days of inpatient alcohol-withdrawal treatment. Results: Based on an intention-to-treat protocol, withdrawal intensity (assessed with CIWA-Ar) in the calcium carbonate group attenuated faster than in the sodium bicarbonate subgroup. Alcohol craving (assessed with OCDS) in the calcium carbonate subgroup was also significantly reduced versus the sodium bicarbonate subgroup. Conclusion: Our data support earlier findings and show that treatment with calcium carbonate during alcohol withdrawal reduces symptoms of alcohol withdrawal as well as alcohol craving in a controlled clinical pilot study. Mode of actions will need to be determined to allow the further development of pharmacological interventions beyond Ca2+ bis-acetyl-homotaurinate.
Changes in Bacterial Spectrum and Resistance Patterns Over Time in the Urine of Patients with Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Due to Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Pannek Jürgen , Kurmann Carmen , Krebs Jörg , Habermacher Valentin , Wöllner Jens
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are among the most common complications in persons with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) due to spinal cord injury (SCI). As both asymptomatic bacteriuria and UTI are frequently treated with antibiotics, concerns about multidrug resistance arise. Therefore, we analyzed the bacterial spectrum in the urine and the resistance patterns of the strains over time in patients with NLUTD due to SCI. Methods: In a systematic chart review, we identified all microbiologic urine test results including resistance patterns of persons with SCI in a tertiary referral hospital at 2 time periods (2010–2011 and 2017–2018). We assessed the frequency of the bacterial strains, the resistance patterns of the 5 most frequent bacteria, and the use of antibiotics for in- as well as for outpatients. Results: From 2010 to 2011, 1,308 (outpatients) and 2,479 (inpatients) bacterial strains were detected in the urinalyses performed; these numbers rose to 3,162 and 6,112 during 2017–2018, respectively. The most frequently detected bacteria during both time periods were Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae/variicola, Streptococcus viridans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and coagulase negative Staphylococci. Fluoroquinolones were the most frequently used antibiotics during both time periods. Despite its frequent use, no relevant increase in resistance against fluoroquinolones was detected. The most prominent increase in resistance appeared in E. coli against amocixillin/clavulanic acid in inpatients (from 26.0 to 38.5%). Discussion and Conclusions: Although fluoroquinolones were used frequently, we did not observe an increased resistance against these antibiotics over time in the urine of patients with SCI.
Vancomycin Adsorption During in vitro Model of Hemoperfusion with HA380 Cartridge
Authors: Godi Ilaria , Lorenzin Anna , De Rosa Silvia , Golino Gianlorenzo , Knust Maira , Gaspar Ana , Sandini Alessandra , Fiorin Francesco , de Cal Massimo , Navalesi Paolo , Ronco Claudio
Published: February 2021

Introduction: A critical point for using blood purification during sepsis may be the potential interaction with antimicrobial therapy, the mainstay of sepsis treatment. The aim of our study was to investigate the vancomycin removal during hemoperfusion (HP) using HA380 cartridge. Methods: This is an experimental study, in which 500 mL of solution was circulated in a closed-circuit (blood flow of 250 mL/min) simulating HP ran using HA380. Vancomycin was added to reach a through concentration or a very high concentration to evaluate the removal ratio (RR) during 120 min of HP. Comparison between blood-crystalloid solution and balanced solution was performed by using Kruskal-Wallis test. The kinetics of vancomycin removal and the adsorption isotherm were evaluated. Results: We found a complete removal of vancomycin at baseline through concentration of 23.0 ± 7.4 mg/L. Using extremely high concentration (baseline 777.0 ± 62.2 mg/L), RR was 90.1 ± 0.6% at 5 min and 99.2 ± 0.6% at 120 min. No difference in terms of RR was found between blood-crystalloid mixture and balanced solution. The kinetics of the vancomycin reduction followed an exponential decay. Repeated boluses (total amount of 2,000 mg) resulted in cumulative adsorption of 1,919.4 mg with RR of 96.6 ± 1.4%, regardless of the amount injected (100 vs. 500 mg). Vancomycin adsorption onto HA380 followed the Langmuir isotherm model. Conclusions: A considerable amount of vancomycin was rapidly removed during in vitro HP with HA380. Clinical studies are needed to determine whether this may lead to underdosing. Drug therapeutic monitoring is highly recommended when using HA380 for blood purification in patients receiving vancomycin.
Online Biped Walking Pattern Generation with Contact Consistency
Authors: Hou Wenqi , Wang Jian , Wang Jianwen , Ma Hongxu
Published: February 2021

In this paper, a novel online biped walking gait pattern generating method with contact consistency is proposed. Generally, it’s desirable that there is no foot-ground slipping during biped walking. By treating the hip of the biped robot as a linear inverted pendulum (LIP), a foot placement controller that takes the contact consistency into account is proposed to tracking the desired orbit energy. By selecting the hip’s horizontal locomotion as the parameter, the trajectories in task space for walking are planned. A task space controller without calculating the inversion of inertial matrix is presented. Simulation experiments are implemented on a virtual 5-link point foot biped robot. The results show the effectiveness of the walking pattern generating method which can realize a stable periodic gait cycle without slipping and falling even suffering a sudden disturbance.
Backstepping Controller for Electrically Driven Flexible Joint Manipulator Under Uncertainties
Authors: Zouari Lilia , Abid Hafedh , Abid Mohamed
Published: February 2021

The grown complexity of the robot manipulators dynamics taking into account the jointflexibility, parameter uncertainties and unknown bounded disturbances makes conventionalcontrol strategies difficult and complex to synthesize. This paper focuses on the investiga-tion into backstepping control of flexible joint manipulator driving by Brushless DC Motor(BDCM) in the presence of parameter uncertainties and unknown bounded disturbances fortracking trajectory. The goal of this paper is to compensate all uncertainties and distur-bances for flexible joint manipulator. To study the effectiveness of the controllers, backstep-ping controller has been developed for position control and an hysteresis controller has beentreated for current control. Simulation results of the response of the flexible joint manipu-lators associated with their controllers have been presented. The high performances of thebackstepping control are examined in terms of tracking accuracy and error reduction.
Autonomous Lavatory Cleaning System
Authors: Bharadwaj A. Adithya , Kumar C. Arun , Balasubramanian R. , Gowtham P.
Published: February 2021

The application of integrated robotics is becoming increasingly commonplace in day to day applications. The idea presented in this paper seeks to provide a convenient and a hassle-free means of cleaning public toilets whilst maintaining hygienic and sanitary standards. By using a counter to record the number of times of usage, a line follower mechanism to guide the robot and an RFID module to initiate the flushing, the cleaning operation is fully automated and requires low operational power. Furthermore, a robotic arm is part of the module, so as to thoroughly clean the toilet bowl. Such a provision will curtail the role of manpower in maintenance of public toilets to a great degree, and thus, serves as a win-win situation; a revolting objective is accomplished with considerable ease.
Validation of End Effector Matrix for Robotic Kit OWI-535 using Matlab and Robo Analyzer
Authors: Suthar Bhivraj , Shrivastava Tanmay , Heisnam Lamyanba
Published: February 2021

This paper presents the validation of the end effector matrix having D-H parameter of the 4 DOF educational manipulator OWI-535 by MAT-LAB and Robo Analyzer. Transformation matrix of order 4x4 which describes end effecter’s position and orientation with respect to the base reference frame. MAT-LAB programming which gives details about the translation steps of the manipulator simultaneously. Forward kinematics of OWI 535 robotic kit has been calculated by Mat-lab as well as Robo Analyzer. We had calculated the End effector matrix in both software and compare it. We found that the results are similar up to three digit in some elements and up to two digits from decimal in few elements and it was different after three digit from the decimal in end effector matrix.
Studies on Affecting Factors of Wheel Slip and Odometry Error on the Performance of Wheeled Mobile Robots – A Review
Authors: Prakash Vidhya
Published: February 2021

The wheeled mobile robots (WMR) find use for doing a variety of tasks in different types of workspaces. These workspaces are form of ideal natural flat, smooth terrain, unpredictable and irregular nature of these work spaces demanding a design challenges. Typically there work spaces may have pits, undulatory  is not flat terrain, obstacles into tasks of the robot. There would result in wheel slippage orodometry error. This tasks a toll in the form of deviation from intended trajectory, navigation, travel time &budgeted energy consumption. These engineering issues can be addressed by proper design of wheel rotation, vibration amplitude of the robot body, travel time modulation differently up to the terrain condition (wet, dry, soft, hard)&wind effect. The wheel slip & odometry error is estimate of computational by design, pay load distribution, speed, wheel diameter, wheel width are the ply able design parameter in the designness  scope. The effect of proper selection of the values of there parameters is studied in this review. The paper reviews are analyzing the basic& direct effect of parameters are how to associate with wheel slippage and odometry error and also which is   the most affecting factor on the wheeled mobile robots.
Design and Coordination of Cooperative Mobile Robots
Authors: Krid Mohamed
Published: February 2021

Object transportation is an important task considered in mobile robotics. For many years, it has been performed by single robots, capable to transport payload of moderate size and mass with respect to the robot size and mass. But if the payload gets bigger, the robot fails in the transporting task. For wider or heavier payloads, human operators improve their capacities by working in group. A similar improvement should be expected with a group of mobile robots.

In this paper, we proposed a new concept of cooperative mobile robots to deal with the problem of long object transportation in unstructured environment whatever the payload length. The proposed C3Bots AT/VLP robot is formed by the association of two or more mono-robots with simple kinematics forming a poly-robot system.

The paper presents several kinematic schemes and the corresponding obstacle-crossing processes. It deals with the problem of how to maintain stable motion for the poly-robot during obstacle crossing. Changes in the internal configuration of the robot adjust the center of gravity to guarantee stable motion. A specific stability criterion for contact on three wheels is presented. By adjusting the relative poses of the front and rear axles with respect to the payload, it is possible to maximize the stability of the poly-robot and its payload during obstacle crossing.
Using a Mobile Robot with Interpolation and Extrapolation Method for Chemical Source Localization in Dynamic Advection-diffusion Environment
Authors: Gao Xiang , Acar Levent
Published: February 2021

this paper address the problem of mapping likely particle path derived from a chemical source using interpolation and extrapolation method. Order localization is the problem of finding the source of an odor or other volatile chemical. Most localization method require the robot to follow the odor plume along its entire length, which is time consuming and may be especially difficult in a cluttered environment. In this paper, a map of sensors’ environment was used, together with the path line of airflow, to predict the pattern of air movement. The robot then used the airflow pattern to reason about the probable location of the odor source. This demonstrates that interpolation and extrapolation method can be used to assist odor localization search and indicates that similar techniques have great operating in an unstructured environment to reason about its surroundings. This paper present details of getting the model of particle path using interpolation and extrapolation method, model of particle path surrounding the obstacles and openings, result of practical odor source location simulation.
Optimal Trajectory Planning of Industrial Robots using Geodesic
Authors: Sahu Pradip Kumar
Published: February 2021

This paper intends to propose an optimal trajectory planning technique using geodesic to achieve smooth and accurate trajectory for industrial robots. Geodesic is a distance minimizing curve between any two points on a Riemannian manifold. A Riemannian metric has been assigned to the workspace by combining its position and orientation space together in order to attain geodesic conditions for desired motion of the end-effector. Previously, trajectory has been planned by considering position and orientation separately. However, practically we cannot plan separately because the manipulator joints are interlinked. Here, trajectory is planned by combining position and orientation together. Cartesian trajectories are shown by joint trajectories in which joint variables are treated as local coordinates of position space and orientation space. Then, the obtained geodesic equations for the workspace are evaluated for initial conditions of trajectory and results are plotted. The effectiveness of the geodesic method validated through numerical computations considering a Kawasaki RS06L robot model. The simulation results confirm the accuracy, smoothness and the optimality of the end-effector motion. 
Design and testing of stability improvement of nine multi-level H-Inverter for distribution system
Authors: Arulmurugan R.
Published: February 2021

In this article, a solitary phase nine-level series connected H-Bridge powered by photovoltaic MPPT based SHAPF in view of basic controller is proposed. SRF is utilized for reference input current extraction and to create pulses for the SHAPF. The principle point of the cascaded bridge is to dispense harmonics, enhance power factor and reactive energy compensation of the single-phase distribution framework. The suggested control calculation has two parts, changing the load current into stationary reference outline directions and estimation of peak amplitude of load currents. Consequently, a basic and dependable controller effortlessly of execution was created. The calculation for single-phase SHAF is intending to perform with exact tracking performance under step changes in load currents and to give great dynamic compensation. In this article, synchronous reference theory PLL with Inverse-Park change is adopted for producing quadrature part of current. The execution of the control calculation is tried and assessed utilizing MATLAB/Simulink tool.
Environment mapping, map constructing, and path planning for underwater navigation of a low-cost µAUV in a cluttered nuclear storage pond
Authors: Peng Yibin , N. Green Peter
Published: February 2021

This paper presents a novel approach that enables a low-cost µAUV (micro autonomous underwater vehicle) navigate and work safely in an enclosed cluttered underwater environment. In order to achieve a autonomy collision-free navigation in underwater, it requires a reliable approach that would allow a µAUV which equipped with sparse and inaccurate sonar sensors to map the underwater environment, a map constructing algorithm that converts the obtained data to useful information to establish a map, and a path planning algorithm that plans a collision-free path from the start to the desired goal. The proposed approach will integrate environment survey, environment reconstruction, and path planning as a completed task, which involves map acquisition and path planning. A complete simulation of the environment topology acquisition and route planning process is documented in this paper.
Robust adaptive controller design for excavator arm
Authors: Vu Nga Thi-Thuy
Published: February 2021

This paper presents a robust adaptive controller that does not depend on the system parameters for an excavator arm. Firstly, the model of the excavator arm is demonstrated in the Euler-Lagrange form considering with overall excavator system. Next, a robust adaptive controller has been constructed from information of state error. In this paper, the stability of overall system is mathematically proven by using Lyapunov stability theory. Also, the proposed controller is model free then the closed loop system is not affected by disturbances and uncertainties. Finally, the simulation is executed in Matlab/Simulink for both presented scheme and the PD controller under some conditions to ensure that the proposed algorithm given the good performances for all cases.
Quantifying the Sex‐Race/Ethnicity‐Specific Burden of Obesity on Incident Diabetes Mellitus in the United States, 2001 to 2016: MESA and NHANES
Authors: Cameron Natalie A. , Petito Lucia C. , McCabe Megan , Allen Norrina B. , O’Brien Matthew J. , Carnethon Mercedes R. , Khan Sadiya S.
Published: February 2021

Background

Given the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the United States, estimating the effects of population‐level increases in obesity on incident DM has substantial implications for public health policy. Therefore, we determined the population attributable fraction, which accounts for the prevalence and excess risk of DM associated with obesity.

Methods and Results

We included non‐Hispanic White, non‐Hispanic Black, and Mexican American participants without DM at baseline from MESA (Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) with available data on body mass index and key covariates from 2000 to 2017 to calculate unadjusted and adjusted (age, study site, physical activity, diet, income, and education level) hazard ratios (HR) for obesity‐attributable DM. We calculated national age‐adjusted prevalence estimates for obesity using data from NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) in 4 pooled cycles (2001–2016) among adults with similar characteristics to MESA participants. Last, we calculated unadjusted and adjusted population attributable fractions from the race/ethnic and sex‐specific HR and prevalence estimates. Of 4200 MESA participants, the median age was 61 years, 46.8% were men, 53.9% were non‐Hispanic White, 32.9% were non‐Hispanic Black, and 13.3% were Mexican. Among MESA participants, incident DM occurred in 11.6% over a median follow‐up of 9.2 years. The adjusted HR for obesity‐related DM was 2.7 (95% CI, 2.2–3.3). Adjusted population attributable fractions were 0.35 (95% CI, 0.29–0.40) in 2001 to 2004 and 0.41 (95% CI, 0.36–0.46) in 2013 to 2016, and greatest among non‐Hispanic White women.

Conclusions

The contribution of obesity towards DM in the population remains substantial and varies significantly by race/ethnicity and sex, highlighting the need for tailored public health interventions to reduce obesity.

Registration

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifiers: NC00005487, NCT00005154.
Statins After Ischemic Stroke in the Oldest
Authors: Lefeber Geert J. , Knol Wilma , Souverein Patrick C. , Bouvy Marcel L. , de Boer Anthonius , Koek Huiberdina L.
Published: February 2021

Background and Purpose:

Statins are frequently initiated in patients aged 80 years and older after an ischemic stroke, even though evidence on prevention of recurrent cardiovascular disease is scarce. In this study, we seek evidence for statin prescription in the oldest old.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective cohort study in patients aged 65 years and older hospitalized for a first ischemic stroke between 1999 and 2016 without statin prescriptions in the year before hospitalization using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. The age group 65 to 80 years was included to compare our results to current evidence on statin efficacy. The primary outcome was a composite of recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular mortality. The secondary outcome was all-cause mortality. A time-varying Cox model was used to account for statin prescription over time. We compared at least 2 years of statin prescription time with untreated and <2 years of prescription time. Analyses were adjusted for potential confounders. The number needed to treat was calculated based on the adjusted hazard ratios and corrected for deaths during the first 2 years of follow-up.

Results:

Five thousand nine hundred ten patients, aged 65 years and older were included, of whom 3157 were 80 years and older. Two years of statin prescription in patients aged 80 years and older resulted in both a lower risk of the composite end point (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.62–1.02]) and all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.57–0.80]). After correction for the mortality of 23.9% of the patients during the first 2 years, the number needed to treat was 64 for the primary outcome during a median follow-up of 3.9 years and 19 for all-cause mortality.

Conclusions:

Statins initiated in patients aged 80 and older, discharged home after hospitalization for an ischemic stroke are associated with a reduction in cardiovascular events.
Circulatory MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers for Stroke Risk
Authors: Mens Michelle M.J. , Heshmatollah Alis , Fani Lana , Ikram M. Arfan , Ikram M. Kamran , Ghanbari Mohsen
Published: February 2021

Background and Purpose:

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptionally regulators of gene expression that can be released extracellularly upon pathophysiological processes. By complementary binding of target transcripts, miRNAs can modulate the expression of an abundance of genes. Increasing evidence recognize miRNAs as promising biomarkers for complex traits, including cardiovascular disease and stroke. We conducted a longitudinal study to determine the association between circulatory miRNAs and incident stroke in a population-based setting.

Methods:

Next-generation sequencing was used to measure expression levels of 2083 miRNAs in plasma samples, collected between 2002 and 2005, from 1914 stroke-free participants of the Rotterdam Study. Participants were assessed for incident stroke through continuous monitoring of medical records until January 1, 2016. Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for age, sex, and vascular risk factors were used to investigate the association between the levels of 591 miRNAs well-expressed in plasma and incident stroke. Furthermore, stroke subtype analysis was performed to assess the link between identified miRNAs and ischemic, hemorrhagic, and unspecified stroke. Subsequently, post hoc analyses were conducted to gain insight into the association between putative target genes of miRNAs and stroke.

Results:

Of 1914 participants (mean age 71.5 years ±7.6; 57.7% women), 138 were diagnosed with incident stroke during a mean follow-up of 9.7±3.2 years. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found plasma levels of 3 miRNAs to be associated with incident stroke (false discovery rate-adjusted
P
<0.05). These include miR-6124 (hazard ratio, 1.66 [95% CI, 1.31–2.09]), miR-5196-5p (hazard ratio, 1.90 [95% CI, 1.39–2.61]), and miR-4292 (hazard ratio, 2.65 [95% CI, 1.62–4.34]). In silico analysis of the putative target genes of these miRNAs showed associations of variants in several target genes with stroke.

Conclusions:

This study indicates that plasma levels of 3 miRNAs are associated with the risk of stroke, proposing them as potential biomarkers for early detection of the disease.
D-Dimer as Predictor of Large Vessel Occlusion in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Ramos-Pachón Anna , López-Cancio Elena , Bustamante Alejandro , Pérez de la Ossa Natàlia , Millán Mònica , Hernández-Pérez Maria , Garcia-Berrocoso Teresa , Cardona Pere , Rubiera Marta , Serena Joaquín , Ustrell Xavier , Garcés Moisés , Terceño Mikel , Dávalos Antoni , Montaner Joan
Published: February 2021

Background and Purpose:

Improving prehospital triage of large vessel occlusion (LVO) would reduce time to reperfusion therapies. We aimed to study early predictors of LVO in acute ischemic stroke to identify candidates for endovascular treatment.

Methods:

The Stroke-Chip was a prospective observational study conducted at 6 Stroke Centers in Catalonia. Blood samples were obtained in the first 6 hours from symptom onset of consecutive patients. Stroke severity was evaluated with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and LVO was assessed. Independent association of multiple blood biomarkers with LVO was evaluated using logistic regression models adjusted by covariates. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were assessed for NIHSS and the combination of NIHSS and selected serum biomarkers levels.

Results:

One thousand three hundred eight suspected strokes were enrolled for a 17-month period. LVO was not assessed in 131 patients. One thousand one hundred seventy-seven patients were selected for analysis (mean age 69.3 years, 56% men, median baseline NIHSS of 6, and median time to blood collection 2.5 hours). LVO was detected in 262 patients. LVO patients were older, had higher baseline NIHSS, history of atrial fibrillation, and lower time from stroke onset to admission. After logistic regression analysis, D-dimer remained an independent predictor of LVO (odds ratio, 1.59 [1.31–1.92]). Specificity and positive predictive value to exclude or detect LVO were higher when using combined D-dimer levels and NIHSS score assessment rather than NIHSS alone.

Conclusions:

Early D-dimer levels are an independent predictor of LVO and may be useful to better optimize prehospital patient transport to the appropriate stroke center.