bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Cavitation and Temperature on Fluid Film Bearing Using CFD and FSI Technique: A Review
Authors: Kamat Harishkumar , Kini Chandrakant R. , Shenoy Satish B.
Published: November 2022

Fluid film bearings are well suited for high-speed industrial machineries like turbine generators and marine propulsion systems. Several numerical methods are employed to theoretically investigate the flow phenomenon and performance parameters of journal bearings, operating under various conditions. This paper reviews various Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Fluid–Structure Interaction (FSI) techniques that are adopted to solve the flow equations pertaining to fluid film bearings. This review attempts to highlight the importance of cavitation, temperature, and their effect on bearing performance using CFD and FSI techniques. A comparison of various performance parameters in the form of load-carrying capacity, oil flow rate, friction as well as deformation and stresses developed in the bearing element due to oil film pressure using CFD and FSI, are also presented. Observations from the reviewed literature are presented which aims to benefit the researchers working in the field of both CFD and FSI analysis on hydrodynamic journal bearing.

Graphical Abstract

This review article emphasized the significance of cavitation and temperature effects on journal bearing performance using CFD and FSI techniques.
Attitudes Toward Sexual Diversity in Sport Among Undergraduate Students of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences in Spain
Authors: Ospina-Betancurt Jonathan , Martínez-Patiño Maria José , Tovar Cuevas José Rafael , Piedra Joaquín
Published: November 2022

Sexual diversity in the world of sport has not been widely researched in the Spanish context. Studies on national and international sexual diversity tend to leave out transgender issues and intersexuality. The new framework of action of the International Olympic Committee in 2021 advocates for integration and non-discrimination based on gender identity and sex variations in sport. We analyzed attitudes toward sexual diversity in sport among a sample of PASS university students using the Scale of Attitudes Toward Sexual Diversity Among Athletes and the statistical package R. Each item was subjected to frequency analysis and the results were displayed in contingency tables. The sample comprised 610 students from three Spanish universities (68.85% male and 31.15% female, with a mean age of 21.72 years; SD = 4.12). Of the four factors analyzed, the lowest levels of rejection were Cognitive Attitudes (96.72%) and Attitudes Toward Transgression (86.89%). One of the most important variables was gender, with women showing greater tolerance toward sexual diversity in sport than men.
A Historical Account of Walking in Nairobi Within the Context of Spatial Justice
Authors: Nyamai Dorcas Nthoki
Published: November 2022

In the ostensibly unceasing prioritization of motorized infrastructure, walking has remained a ubiquitous mode of mobility for a large proportion of Nairobi’s urban commuters. Planning for motorized mobility has historically been at a higher level of consideration although a much larger percentage of the population travels on foot. The conspicuous pedestrian has been and continues to be masked under the spotlight of the motor vehicle with a discernible outcome of spatial injustices. Using secondary data, historical literature and expert interviews, this paper examines how walking as a mode of mobility has developed over time and the challenges experienced by pedestrians in Nairobi. Linking to the notion of justice, the paper attempts to assess the association between walking and spatial justice using three dimensions—spatial, modal and individual dimensions—that are used as a framework to assess how injustices unfold and are experienced by Nairobi’s pedestrians. The historical path dependency that has restricted and attempted to replace walkability by prioritizing motor vehicle use as well as the technical engineering design that lacks integration of social aspects of mobility has presented challenges in provision of safe non-motorized infrastructure in the contemporary urban travel in Nairobi, enduringly dismissing walking as a valid mode of mobility. Advancing spatial justice in Nairobi’s urban mobility will require more than a technical process of extending the side of the road by a metre or two but rather deliberate effort in understanding the pedestrians’ mobility needs that can best be understood by attuning to the everyday realities of travelling on foot.
Mechanisms Underlying Brain Aging Under Normal and Pathological Conditions
Authors: Jin Menglong , Cai Shi-Qing
Published: November 2022

Aging is a major risk factor for many human diseases, including cognitive impairment, which affects a large population of the elderly. In the past few decades, our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the changes associated with aging and age-related diseases has expanded greatly, shedding light on the potential role of these changes in cognitive impairment. In this article, we review recent advances in understanding of the mechanisms underlying brain aging under normal and pathological conditions, compare their similarities and differences, discuss the causative and adaptive mechanisms of brain aging, and finally attempt to find some rules to guide us on how to promote healthy aging and prevent age-related diseases.
Moroctocog Alfa (AF-CC) for Prophylaxis and Treatment of Bleeding Episodes in Previously Treated Patients with Hemophilia A in India
Authors: Choraria Nirmalkumar , Rangarajan Savita , John M. Joseph , Apte Shashikant , Gupta Pritam , Pai Seema , Chand Rohit , Parvatini Shyam , Ramakanth G. S. H. , Rupon Jeremy , Chhabra Amit , Muley Hitesh Bhaskarrao , Simoneau Damien
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Hemophilia A is an X-linked congenital disorder, characterized by factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. Globally, India has the highest population of patients with hemophilia, and there is a clear unmet need for appropriate and effective treatment for this patient population. This multicenter, open-label, post-approval study evaluated the safety and efficacy of moroctocog alfa in patients with moderate or severe congenital hemophilia A in India.

Methods

Intravenous moroctocog alfa was administered 30 ± 5 IU/kg 3 times weekly for bleeding prophylaxis, according to the local product document. Participants were treated for up to 8 weeks, with an up to 4-week screening period and a subsequent post-treatment, 28-day safety observation period. Patients continued in the study until at least 24 exposure days or a period of up to 8 weeks on moroctocog alfa.

Results

A total of 50 participants were enrolled, and 48 (85.7%) completed the study. No participants developed FVIII inhibitors during the study. The mean (SD) annualized bleeding rate during moroctocog alfa prophylaxis was 0.79 (2.0) with a median (range) of 0.00 (0.0, 6.8). The mean (SD) annualized total factor consumption (TFC) per participant was 287,432 (93,866) IU; the mean (SD) annualized TFC by weight per participant was 4176 (858) IU/kg. Moroctocog alfa was well tolerated with no reported treatment-emergent adverse event-related dose reductions, discontinuations, or serious adverse events.

Conclusion

Moroctocog alfa was safe, effective, and well tolerated in Indian participants with congenital moderate to severe hemophilia A. No participant developed FVIII inhibitors during the study.
Nonacog Alfa for Prophylaxis and Treatment of Bleeding Episodes in Previously Treated Patients with Moderately Severe or Severe Hemophilia B in India
Authors: Choraria Nirmalkumar , Rangarajan Savita , John M. Joseph , Apte Shashikant , Gupta Pritam , Pai Seema , Chand Rohit , Parvatini Shyam , Ramakanth G. S. H. , Rupon Jeremy , Chhabra Amit , Muley Hitesh Bhaskarrao , Simoneau Damien
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Hemophilia B is an X-linked congenital bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of coagulation factor IX (FIX) clotting activity. This study evaluated safety and efficacy of nonacog alfa, a recombinant human blood coagulation FIX replacement product, in males aged 12–65 years with hemophilia B (FIX activity ≤ 2%) with or without inhibitors in India.

Methods

In this multicenter, open-label, post-approval phase 4 study, participants were treated for up to 8 weeks, with up to a 4-week screening period and a subsequent post-treatment 28-day safety observation period. Intravenous nonacog alfa 40 IU/kg (range 13–78 IU/kg) was administered at intervals of 3–4 days, in accordance with the approved local product document.

Results

A total of 25 participants were enrolled and completed the study. No participants developed FIX inhibitors during the study, experienced treatment-related adverse events (AEs) or serious AEs, or developed a thrombotic event and/or hypersensitivity reaction. No participants experienced bleeding events requiring on-demand treatment with nonacog alfa. Seventeen bleeding episodes (16 spontaneous and 1 traumatic) were reported in 10 participants; all occurred post treatment, with the exception of a minor gum-bleeding event, and were managed without treatment. The mean (SD) annualized total factor consumption (TFC) per patient was 224,582 (75,527) IU; the mean (SD) annualized TFC by weight per patient was 3639 (573) IU/kg.

Conclusion

Nonacog alfa was safe and effective for the prevention of hemorrhagic episodes in Indian males with congenital, severe hemophilia B. No participants developed FIX inhibitors, and no new safety signals were reported.
Insight into OLPT model conduction mechanism and dielectric relaxation of lead borate glass containing Cr and Ge ions
Authors: Abdel-Wahab Fathy , Abdel-Baki Manal , AbdelMaksoud Heba
Published: November 2022

Lead borate glass with compositions 25B2O3–73.8PbO–xGeO2-(1.2 − x) Cr2O3(x ≤ 1.2 mol. %) is fabricated by the melt quenching procedure. The electrical conductivities (σdc,σac) of fresh samples are measured in the frequency range 100 Hz–1.0 MHz and temperature range 303–393 K. The anomalous behavior observed in the dc activation energy atx = 0.6 mol% is argued to the formation of bridging and non-bridging oxygen bonds. These bonds are formed due to substitution of GeO2to the expense of Cr2O3ions in the PbO–B2O3network. The dependence of ac conductivity on frequency is analyzed through the power law:σacαωswheres ≤ 1.0. The experimental results ofsfor the considered samples have shown that overlapping large polaron tunneling (OLPT) is the possible conduction model in the considered frequency and temperature ranges. The strength of the OLPT model established on the normal Mayer–Neldel (MN) rule is analyzed and discussed. Furthermore, results of the real and imaginary dielectric constant composed with Cole–Cole diagrams for investigated samples are presented and discussed.
Effects of Oxidative Treatments on Biomethane Potential of Solid Olive Residues
Authors: Girardi Fabio , Mascitti Andrea , d’Alessandro Nicola , Tonucci Lucia , Marzo Giuseppe Augusto , Remetti Romolo
Published: November 2022

As energy systems transition toward renewable resources, anaerobic digestion (AD) is actually receiving growing attention. AD relies on biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests to determine the methane potential of by-products of carbonious nature. This investigation aims to understand how an oxidative treatment, like the Fenton reaction, influences the BMP, starting from solid residues of olive oil production, coming from the two-phase extraction systems (TPES). We compared two different olive pomaces (with and without stones), both from TPES. The Fenton treatment here proposed is able to produce three effects in the employed matrices: improving the speed of BMP decreasing the bacteriostatic effect of phenols, reducing the H2S content in the produced biogas (precipitating it as FeS) and enhancing the production of methane in the first four weeks of the test.

Graphical Abstract
Visualization study of perturbations induced by plasma actuators and its effect on shock wave/boundary-layer interaction
Authors: Gan Tian , Wang Qiong , Gan Wenjun , Jieming Zhang
Published: November 2022

Surface arc plasma actuator array is used to control the shock wave/boundary-layer interaction in a Ma = 2 flow. Two types of interaction are examined. The flow topology of Surface arc plasma actuator array operating at high-frequency is firstly visualized via particle laser scattering (PLS) technique. The results show that two typical flow structures are observed in the discharging process: the thermal gas bubble and the trailing vortices. The high-frame low-exposure schlieren results for flow visualization indicate a significant separation inhibition in both experiments due to an improvement in the mixture upstream of the interaction region and promoting more turbulent structure into the boundary layer. In the baseline, the separation shock oscillates in a low-frequency mode. When plasma actuation is turned on, the spectra change dramatically when compared to the baseline condition without control. There is an apparent frequency shift for separation shock.

Graphical abstract
PAIP1 is a novel oncogene in human hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Nuobei , Chen Xin
Published: November 2022

Background

Poly(A)-binding protein interacting protein 1 (PAIP1) is a translational initiation regulatory factor that has been reported as oncogene in multiple malignant diseases. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the potential mechanisms have not been explored.

Methods

PAIP1 expression level in HCC cell lines were detected by real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting. The proliferation and colony formation of HCC cell lines were detected by MTT and colony formation assay. The apoptosis and cell cycle were detected by flow cytometry. The volume and growth rate of the xenograft tumors were observed. The potential mechanism of PAIP1 was analyzed by miRNA Microarray Analysis and TargetScan analysis.

Results

PAIP1 is significantly upregulated in HCC cell lines. PAIP1 knockdown dramatically inhibits cell proliferation and colony formation, induces apoptosis and alters the cell cycle distribution by increasing the G2/M cell percentage. Moreover, PAIP1 knockdown significantly reduces tumorigenesis in a murine transplantation model. Bioinformatics and immunoblotting analysis reveal that PAIP1 knockdown dysregulates cyclin D pathway-related proteins.

Conclusion

PAIP1 plays an oncogenic role in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Assessment of ultrasound-assisted forward osmosis process performance for seawater desalination using experimental factorial design
Authors: Al-Sakaji Bara A. K. , Al-Asheh Sameer , Maraqa Munjed A.
Published: November 2022

The effect of ultrasound on water flux through forward osmosis membrane for seawater desalination was investigated using the factorial design approach. Sodium chloride (NaCl) was used to simulate the dissolved solids content. In every test, the initial draw solution (DS) concentration was fixed at 4.5 M for NaCl and 2 M for MgCl2. Parameters considered in the investigation included membrane crossflow velocity (0.25 and 1.0 cm/s), flow configuration (co-current versus counter-current), direction of ultrasound waves relative to the membrane side (active layer versus support layer), and type of draw solution (NaCl versus MgCl2). A two-level factorial design was considered in the analysis of the results obtained from the experimental work. Based on the factorial design analysis, crossflow velocity and use of ultrasound have a positive effect on water flux enhancement for both draw solutions. However, the velocity effect on water flux enhancement was more pronounced than that of the use of ultrasound. The effect of flow configuration was statistically insignificant for both draw solutions. The interaction effect between crossflow velocity and ultrasound was statistically significant for both draw solutions. However, the interaction between crossflow velocity and flow configuration was only significant for the case of MgCl2. The three-way interaction was insignificant for both draw solutions. The developed factorial model equations were used to predict other flux data in ultrasound-assisted FO systems and showed adequate representation of these data at relatively similar conditions after adjustment of the model for the baseline conditions of the evaluated cases.
Effect of effluent and magnetized effluent on Manning roughness coefficient in furrow irrigation
Authors: Ramesh Amin , Ostad‑Ali‑Askari Kaveh
Published: November 2022

Due to the water crisis, wastewater utilization is an effective way to meet the water needs of plants and also reduce environmental pollution. In order to know the effect of treated and magnetic wastewater on Manning roughness coefficient, a study was conducted in the form of randomized complete blocks with three irrigation treatments with "wastewater outlet", "magnetic effluent" and "normal water" in four replications. Statistical analysis on the relative changes of the roughness coefficient in the design did not show a significant difference. At the same time, a decreasing trend was observed during the irrigation season in the roughness coefficient, which was expected due to the smoothing of the flow path and the effect of organic matter of the effluent on the bed. The magnetic field was not affected by the magnetism. Manning roughness values with more irrigation with effluent and magnetic effluent, in most cases had a decreasing trend, but due to the use of water, an increasing trend was observed in them. However, the increase in normal water treatment could not be analyzed according to the information of this project. There was no statistically significant difference between the treatments of the project.
Numerical modeling and rational methods of water supply network operations in environmental engineering systems
Authors: Trębicka Agnieszka
Published: November 2022

This research paper uses a numerical modeling process to recreate the actual operating conditions of the water distribution system in the town of Kleosin, located on the border with Bialystok. The performed calculations allowed for the creation of a model for the functioning of the water supply network and for taking rational and optimal decisions affecting the effective operation of the entire system. The numerical modeling process is presented as a common tool to rationally and optimally manage the water distribution system. At the same time, numerous possibilities of computationally modeling and processing accurate real data were presented. The scope of the study included the network model analyzed in terms of the basic quality parameters that the network should meet, such as flow velocity, pressure, unit losses, water age, and operating conditions during simulated events, such as expansion or system failure, broken down into assumed time variants. As part of the paper, a situational variant was presented, which concerned the planned modernization in order to improve the functioning of the system by extending water distribution with new sections. The Epanet computer program distributed by US EPA was used in the research.
Energy dissipation in hydraulic jumps using triple screen layers
Authors: Singh Ujjawal Kumar , Roy Parthajit
Published: November 2022

In the present study, series of laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the effectiveness of perforated screens as energy dissipators in mixed triple wall mode in the case of small hydraulic structures. The shapes of openings for each layer of screens were either circular, square or triangular. Every layer of the screen had a porosity of 45% per unit depth of the screen. The experiments were conducted to dissipate the energy for supercritical flows of Froude number F1 ranging from 3.2 to 19.3. The screens were placed vertically with the first screen 1.5 m from the sluice gate and consecutive screen at a gap of 25 mm. The experiments showed that the energy of the supercritical flows can be dissipated effectively by using perforated screens. The difference in energy dissipation between the upstream and downstream of the screen was more significant than the energy dissipation caused by classical hydraulic jumps. Comparing the results of the present study with the previous researchers it is found that the energy loss in case of present study more than the previous researchers. The relative energy loss in the present study was found to be varying from 74 to 94%. The value of the Froude number downstream of the screen, F2, was varying from 1.1 to 1.81, with an average value of 1.35. Tailwater deficit parameter, D, if found to be varying from 0.66 to 0.90.
Adsorption mechanism and modeling of radionuclides and heavy metals onto ZnO nanoparticles: a review
Authors: Akpomie Kovo G. , Conradie Jeanet , Adegoke Kayode A. , Oyedotun Kabir O. , Ighalo Joshua. O. , Amaku James F. , Olisah Chijioke , Adeola Adedapo O. , Iwuozor Kingsley O.
Published: November 2022

The contamination of environmental waters with heavy metals and radionuclides is increasing because of rapid industrial and population growth. The removal of these contaminants from water via adsorption onto metal nanoparticles is an efficient and promising technique to abate the toxic effects associated with these pollutants. Among metal nanoparticle adsorbents, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) have received tremendous attention owing to their biocompatibility, affordability, long-term stability, surface characteristics, nontoxicity, and powerful antibacterial activity against microbes found in water. In this review, we considered the adsorption of heavy metals and radionuclides onto ZnONPs. We examined the isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic modeling of the process as well as the adsorption mechanism to provide significant insights into the interactions between the pollutants and the nanoparticles. The ZnONPs with surface areas (3.93 to 58.0 m2/g) synthesized by different methods exhibited different adsorption capacities (0.30 to 1500 mg/g) for the pollutants. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were most suitable for the adsorption process. The Langmuir separation factor indicated favorable adsorption of all the pollutants on ZnONPs. The pseudo-second-order kinetics presented the best for the adsorption of the adsorbates with regression values in the range of 0.986–1.000. Spontaneous adsorption was obtained in most of the studies involving endothermic and exothermic processes. The complexation, precipitation, ion exchange, and electrostatic interactions are the probable mechanisms in the adsorption onto ZnONPs with a predominance of complexation. The desorption process, reusability of ZnONPs as well as direction for future investigations were also presented.
Runoff and sediment simulation of terraces and check dams based on underlying surface conditions
Authors: Li Guo , Liu Chengshuai , Zhao Huadong , Chen Youqian , Wang Jinfeng , Yang Fan
Published: November 2022

In the past few decades, the Loess Plateau has undergone large-scale underlying surface changes. A large number of soil and water conservation measures have been constructed, which have affected the runoff and sediment status in the region. How runoff and sediment status respond to underlying surface changes is the key to quantitatively evaluate the effect of water and sediment reduction by soil and water conservation measures in flood events. We selected check dams and terraced fields, which account for a large proportion of soil and water conservation measures as assessment objects and constructed a runoff-sediment model combining traditional physical mechanisms and deep learning to simulate and analyze flood events in a typical basin of the Loess Plateau. The results show that the simulation effect of model is good. The relative error of runoff is within 15%, average Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient is 0.86, and the relative error of soil loss is within 30%. Check dam system in the Chenggou River Basin can intercept 55.61% of the runoff and 47% of the soil loss in the basin on average, and terracing can reduce the runoff by 10.54% and the soil loss by 33.8%.
Adsorption studies of methyl orange dye removal from aqueous solution using Anchote peel-based agricultural waste adsorbent
Authors: Hambisa Agesa Abdisa , Regasa Melkamu Biyana , Ejigu Haile Gurmessa , Senbeto Chala Boru
Published: November 2022

A low-cost locally available agricultural waste-based Anchote peel adsorbent was studied to remove the methyl orange (MO) dye from wastewater which was created at laboratory conditions. The adsorbent was characterized by Fourier infrared and x-ray powder diffraction spectroscopic techniques. The adsorption capacity of the proposed adsorbent was investigated using the batch adsorption method. The best performance was achieved after careful optimization of experimental parameters such as adsorbent dose (0.4 g), initial dye concentration (70 mg/L), contact time (140 min), pH of the solution (8.0), and temperature (40 °C), respectively. The removal of MO from water using anchote peel adsorbent achieved a removal efficiency of 94.47% following the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, Freundlich isotherm, and chemisorption mechanism, respectively. The adsorbent showed heterogeneous surfaces and the adsorption of MO was thermodynamically spontaneous. Furthermore, the present results reveal that Anchote peel adsorbent is promising in future for the removal of organic dyes and other contaminants like toxic heavy metals from water and wastewater.
Prospective of the utilization of rainfall in coastal regions in the context of climatic changes: case study of Egypt
Authors: Gabr Mohamed E. , El-Ghandour Hamdy A. , Elabd Samer M.
Published: November 2022

Changes in climate drivers are projected to have a considerable impact on coastal freshwater supply and demand systems in future decades. The utilization of rainfall in coastal regions to secure sufficient freshwater to satisfy the rising demands of socioeconomic development has become a critical duty for decision-makers. This article assesses the present state of rainwater utilization in the water resources system for the coastal regions in Egypt. Volumes of annual rainfall that precipitate in 11 coastal Egyptian cities are estimated using ArcGIS maps and the run off rational equation. A future vision of using the estimated rainwater harvesting (RWH) from urban coastal cities in the water resources system is presented. Several scenarios are suggested and analyzed for using these volumes of water in the total water resources system in Egypt and also in the water resources system corresponding to each selected coastal governorate. The results indicated that over the areas under consideration, the annual maximum total amount of precipitation is limited to 1.8 km3. However, it is anticipated that 1 km3 of the average annual quantity of rainfall water is efficiently used for agriculture. These findings are intended to help managers, planners, and decision-makers to choose locations, invest in water resources, and employ RWH as a substitute for traditional water sources.
Structural and luminescence characterization of β-Ga2O3 nanopowders obtained via high-energy ball milling
Authors: Luchechko A. , Vasyltsiv V. , Kushlyk M. , Slobodzyan D. , Baláž M. , Cebulski J. , Szmuc K. , Szlęzak J. , Shpotyuk Y.
Published: November 2022

β-Ga2O3 nanocrystals have been successfully obtained by the high-energy ball milling method. The obtained nanocrystalline powders have been characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and luminescent spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction patterns show a single gallium oxide structure formed in the milling process with a small amount of α-Ga2O3 phase. The grains of irregular shape were identified with the TEM technique. HRTEM images confirmed the formation of the β-Ga2O3 nanocrystals with a size distribution of 50–80 nm. Three luminescence bands peaked at about 2.52, 2.91, and 3.26 eV were observed in photoluminescence spectra. The gradual blue shift of the emission maxima at the excitation in the fundamental absorption edge under the different milling conditions was detected.
Classification by Principal Component Regression in the Real and Hypercomplex Domains
Authors: El-Melegy Moumen T. , Kamal Aliaa T. , Hussain Khaled F. , El-Hawary H. M.
Published: November 2022

Linear regression is a simple and widely used machine learning algorithm. It is a statistical approach for modeling the relationship between a scalar variable and one or more variables. In this paper, a classification by principal component regression (CbPCR) strategy is proposed. This strategy depends on performing regression of each data class in terms of its principal components. This CbPCR formulation leads to a new formulation of the Linear Regression Classification (LRC) problem that preserves the key information of the data classes while providing more compact closed-form solutions. For the sake of image classification, this strategy is also extended to the 4D hypercomplex domains to take into account the color information of the image. Quaternion and reduced biquaternion CbPCR strategies are proposed by representing each channel of the color image as one of the imaginary parts of a quaternion or reduced biquaternion number. Experiments on two color face recognition benchmark databases show that the proposed methods achieve better accuracies by a margin of about 3% over the original LRC and like methods.
Photocatalytic Performance of Organically Templated Cr-Doped Co3O4 in Remediation of Industrial Wastewater: Effect of Order–Disorder in the Lattice
Authors: Shalaby Nasser H.
Published: November 2022

In photocatalysis, the optical properties and surface parameters significantly affect the catalytic performance. To engineer the optical properties and textural structure, Cr and p-phenylene diamine (PDA) were utilized as dopant and textural structure regulator, respectively. A series of Cr-doped Co3O4 with dopant percentages of 0, 1, 3, and 5, templated PDA at a fixed ratio of 5%, and another un-templated sample with a dopant ratio of 5% were prepared. The co-precipitation method was applied in swift and innovative procedures, where a calculated amount of NaOH was used as a precipitant. The optical properties, dopant concentration quenching, and surface parameters are strongly affected by the order–disorder in the lattice and dopant concentration. The lattice regularity affects the optical properties and the surface parameters along with the dopant concentration. The photocatalysts were evaluated in the disposal of organic pollutants in a representative sample of wastewater collected from different industrial activities. The function of another function was applied to monitor the pollutants' disposal, taking the total organic carbon (TOC) as a function of the pollutants' concentration and the photometric absorbance as a function of the TOC. The kinetic investigation exhibited the significant role of the pore system on the reaction rate.
Spherical Bessel functions and critical lengths
Authors: Carnicer J. M. , Mainar E. , Peña J. M.
Published: November 2022

The critical length of a space of functions can be described as the supremum of the length of the intervals where Hermite interpolation problems are unisolvent for any choice of nodes. We analyze the critical length for spaces containing products of algebraic polynomials and trigonometric functions. We show the relation of these spaces with spherical Bessel functions and bound above their critical length by the first positive zero of a Bessel function of the first kind.
The LINC00152/miR-205-5p/CXCL11 axis in hepatocellular carcinoma cancer-associated fibroblasts affects cancer cell phenotypes and tumor growth
Authors: Liu Gao , Yang Zhang-Fu , Sun Jian , Sun Bao-Ye , Zhou Pei-Yun , Zhou Cheng , Guan Ruo-Yu , Wang Zhu-Tao , Yi Yong , Qiu Shuang-Jian
Published: November 2022

Background

CXCL11 has been reported to be up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and CAF-secreted CXCL11 has been found to promote HCC cell proliferation and migration. Knowledge on how CAFs promote HCC progression is imperative for the future design of anti-tumor drugs addressing the high rates of disease recurrence. Herein, we propose a mechanism by which LINC00152 positively regulates CXCL11 expression and, subsequently, HCC cell phenotypes and growth characteristics via miR-205-5p in CAFs.

Methods

The expression of LINC00152, miR-205-5p in HCC/non-cancerous tissues, CAFs/NFs and HCC cell lines was determined by RT-qPCR. The CXCL11 expression and secretion were determined by westernblot and ELISA. Different expressions of LINC00152, CXCL11 and miR-205-5p in CAFs were achieved by transfection with corresponding overexpression/knockdown vectors or mimics/inhibitor. The interactions among LINC00152, miR-205-5p and CXCL11 were confirmed by FISH, luciferase, AGO2 and RNA-pulldown assays. Transwell, colony formation and MTT assays were performed to assess the role of CAFs conditioned medium (CM) in HCC cell phenotype. BALB/c nude mice xenografts were used to determine the role of CAFs on HCC growth in vivo.

Results

We found that in vitro, CM from CAFs transfected with sh-LINC00152 dramatically suppressed HCC cell viability, colony formation and migration, and that CM from CAFs transfected with miR-205-5p inhibitor (CAF-CM (miR-205-5p inhibitor)) exerted opposite effects on HCC cell phenotypes. Exogenous overexpression of CXCL11 in CAFs or CAF-CM (miR-205-5p inhibitor) could partially attenuate the effects of LINC00152 knockdown. In contrast, CM from CAFs transfected with LINC00152 dramatically increased HCC cell viability, colony formation and migration, and CM from CAFs transfected with miR-205-5p mimics (CAF-CM (miR-205-5p mimics)) exerted opposite effects on HCC cell phenotypes. Knockdown of CXCL11 in CAFs or CAF-CM (miR-205-5p mimics) could partially attenuate the effects of LINC00152 overexpression. In vivo, LINC00152 knockdown in CAFs inhibited tumor growth in a mouse model, which could be reversed by CXCL11 overexpression in CAFs. Mechanistically, we found that LINC00152 could act as a ceRNA to counteract miR-205-5p-mediated suppression on CXCL11 by directly binding to miR-205-5p and the 3’UTR of CXCL11.

Conclusion

Our data indicate that a LINC00152/miR-205-5p/CXCL11 axis in HCC CAFs can affect the proliferative and migrative abilities of HCC cells in vitro and HCC tumor growth in vivo.
Influence of the geometry on the fatigue strength of welded joints using the effective notch stress approach
Authors: Lippardt Sven
Published: November 2022

Using the example of a cruciform joint, this study enquires into the relationship between the geometry of weld (the wall thickness of base metal plates, thickness of weld and weld penetration depth) and the fatigue strength of weld joint using the finite element method. It is assumed that the effective notch stress approach can be used to determine a FAT class for dimensioning the connection with the nominal stress approach. Filled throat thickness and weld penetration depth or the geometry of weld root were found to have a strong influence on the fatigue strength of a welded joint. When using the effective notch stress approach, the exact geometry of the calculated weld seam must be known and should be modelled accordingly. It was also found that with thin-walled welds, the effect of wall thickness produces a significant deviation between the load capacity calculated with the effective notch stress approach (effect of wall thickness up to 100%), and with the nominal stress approach (effect of wall thickness max. 10%). At the end, a proposal will be made on how thin-walled welds can be dimensioned to facilitate the use of the same thickness factor for both the notch and nominal stress approaches.
Sporadic and MEN1-related gastrinoma and Zollinger–Ellison syndrome: differences in clinical characteristics and survival outcomes
Authors: Massironi S. , Rossi R. E. , Laffusa A. , Eller-Vainicher C. , Cavalcoli F. , Zilli A. , Ciafardini C. , Sciola V. , Invernizzi P. , Peracchi M.
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Gastrinoma with Zollinger–Ellison syndrome (ZES) may occur sporadically (Sp) or as part of the inherited syndrome of multiple endocrine neoplasia 1 (MEN-1). Data comparing Sp and MEN-1/ZES are scanty. We aimed to identify and compare their clinical features.

Methods

Consecutive patients with ZES were evaluated between 1992 and 2020 among a monocentric Italian patient cohort.

Results

Of 76 MEN-1 patients, 41 had gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (GEP-NEN), 18 of whom had ZES; of 320 Sp-GEP-NEN, 19 had Sp-ZES. MEN-1/ZES patients were younger (p = 0.035) and the primary MEN-1/ZES gastrinoma was smaller than Sp-ZES (p = 0.030). Liver metastases occurred in both groups, but only Sp-ZES developed extrahepatic metastases. 13 Sp-ZES and 8 MEN-1/ZES underwent surgery. 8 Sp-ZES and 7 MEN-1/ZES received somatostatin analogs (SSAs). Median overall survival (OS) was higher in MEN-1/ZES than in Sp-ZES (310 vs 168 months, p = 0.034). At univariate-logistic regression, age at diagnosis (p = 0.01, OR = 1.1), G3 grading (p = 0.003, OR = 21.3), Sp-ZES (p = 0.02, OR = 0.3) and presence of extrahepatic metastases (p = 0.001, OR = 7.2) showed a significant association with OS. At multivariate-COX-analysis, none of the variables resulted significantly related to OS. At univariate-logistic regression, age (p = 0.04, OR = 1.0), size (p = 0.039, OR = 1.0), G3 grade (p = 0.008, OR = 14.6) and extrahepatic metastases (p = 0.005, OR = 4.6) were independently associated with progression-free survival (PFS). In multivariate-COX-analysis, only extrahepatic metastases (p = 0.05, OR = 3.4) showed a significant association with PFS. Among SSAs-treated patients, MEN-1/ZES showed better PFS (p = 0.0227). After surgery, the median PFS was 126 and 96 months in MEN-1 and Sp, respectively.

Conclusion

MEN-1/ZES patients generally show better OS and PFS than Sp-ZES as well as better SSAs response.
Make or break the loop: a cross-practitioners review of glass circularity
Authors: Geboes Esther , Galle Waldo , De Temmerman Niels
Published: November 2022

End-of-life insulating glass units (IGUs) continue to follow a linear, wasteful path from renovation and demolition sites into landfills or low-value recycling. To get one step closer to the question of how to close the glass loop, this exploratory research outlines a cross-practitioners review of glass circularity in conventional Flemish and Brussels practices. A series of semi-structured interviews with network actors and an extensive literature study is conducted to identify existing and missing circular practices and to pinpoint the key barriers and opportunities. In general, the circular strategies repurpose and open-loop recycling of end-of-life IGUs are successfully applied in Flemish and Brussels construction practices. Repair, reuse, and closed-loop recycling remain unexplored. The main barriers are the lack of collaboration, logistic and labour costs to collect end-of-life IGUs, its complex disassembly, the lack of legal incentives and the conservativeness of the construction sector. Case studies, the high recycling potential and the scale of projects are found to be the main opportunities for glass circularity. The cross-practitioners’ insights in this paper contribute to close the glass loop and to further development and up-scaling of circular strategies.
$$\Delta $$-Conformity: multi-scale node assortativity in feature-rich stream graphs
Authors: Citraro Salvatore , Milli Letizia , Cazabet Rémy , Rossetti Giulio
Published: November 2022

Multi-scale strategies to estimate mixing patterns are meant to capture heterogeneous behaviors among node homophily, but they ignore an important addendum often available in real-world networks: the time when edges are present and the time-varying paths that edges form accordingly. In this work, we go beyond the assumption of a static network topology to propose a multi-scale, path- and time-aware node homophily estimator specifically tied for feature-rich stream graphs: $$\Delta $$
Δ
-Conformity. Our measure can capture the homogeneous/heterogeneous tendency of nodes’ connectivity along a period of time $$\Delta $$
Δ
starting from a given moment in time. Results on face-to-face interaction networks suggest it is possible to track changes in social mixing behaviors that coincide with contextually reasonable everyday patterns, e.g., medical staff disassortative behavior when exposed to patients. In a different domain, that of the Bitcoin Transaction Network, we capture relationships between the quantity of money sent from (and to) different categories/continents and their respective mixing trends over time. All these insights help us to introduce $$\Delta $$
Δ
-Conformity as a suitable solution for understanding temporal homophily by capturing the mixing tendency of entities embedded in fine-grained evolving contexts.
On merge trees and discrete Morse functions on paths and trees
Authors: Brüggemann Julian
Published: November 2022

In this work we answer an open question asked by Johnson–Scoville. We show that each merge tree is represented by a discrete Morse function on a path. Furthermore, we present explicit constructions for two different but related kinds of discrete Morse functions on paths that induce any given merge tree. A refinement of the used methods allows us to define notions of equivalence of discrete Morse functions on trees which give rise to a bijection between equivalence classes of discrete Morse functions and isomorphism classes of certain labeled merge trees. We also compare our results to similar ones from the literature, in particular to work by Curry.
A Novel Social Network Group Decision-Making Method in a Quantum Framework
Authors: Cai Mei , Jian Xinglian , Hong YuanYuan , Xiao Jingmei , Gao Yu , Hu Suqiong
Published: November 2022

Social networks (SNs) have become popular as a medium for disseminating information and connecting like-minded people. They play a central role in decision-making by correlating the behaviors and preferences of connected agents. However, it is difficult to identify social influence effects in decision-making. In this article, we propose a framework of how to describe the uncertain nature of the social network group decision-making (SN-GDM) process. Social networks analysis (SNA) and quantum probability theory (QPT) are combined to construct a decision framework considering superposition and interference effects in SN-GDM scenarios. For the first time, we divide interference effects into symmetry and asymmetry. We construct an influence diagram, which is a quantum-like Bayesian network (QLBN), to model group decisions with interactions. We identify symmetry interference terms from Shapley value and asymmetry interference terms from trust value, respectively. The probability of an alternative is calculated through quantum probability theory in our influence diagram. The combination of QLBN model and social network could gain an understanding of how the group preferences evolve within SN-GDM scenarios, and provide new insights into SNA. Finally, an overall comparative analysis is performed with traditional SNA and other quantum decision models.
Byron and the Poetics of Adversity
Authors: McGann Jerome
Published: November 2022

A long line of traditional, often conservative, criticism and cultural commentary deplored Byron as a slipshod poet. This pithy yet aptly poetic book, written by one of the world's foremost Romantic scholars, argues that assessment is badly mistaken. Byron's great subject is what he called 'Cant': the habit of abusing the world through misusing language. Setting up his poetry as a laboratory to investigate failures of writing, reading, and thinking, Byron delivered sharp critical judgment on the costs exacted by a careless approach to his Mother Tongue. Perspicuous readings of Byron alongside some of his Romantic contemporaries – Burns, Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley – reveal Byron's startling reconfiguration of poetry as a 'broken mirror' and shattered lamp. The paradoxical result was to argue that his age's contradictions, and his own, offered both ethical opportunities and a promise of poetic – broadly cultural – emancipation. This book represents a major contribution to ideas about Romanticism.
A Narrative from the Margins: Community and Agency during the US Occupation of the Dominican Republic, 1916–1924
Authors: Rodríguez Alexa
Published: December 2022

While US and Dominican officials have traditionally received credit for the expansion of the public school system during the US military occupation of the Dominican Republic from 1916 to 1924, this article offers an alternative account by focusing on the role of guardians, or caretakers, in supporting and creating schools in this period. Drawing from sources from the Department of Public Instruction in the Dominican Republic and analyzing them “against the archival grain,” I argue that Dominican guardians were pivotal to the expansion of the Dominican school system and key actors in shaping the educational landscape during this period. Not only did guardians construct and maintain most of the schools opened during the US occupation, but they also shaped school policy. Most significantly, through their grassroots efforts, guardians and other volunteers ensured that schools in the Dominican Republic continued to operate during the financial crisis of 1921 that bankrupted the school system.
Mechanical responses of soft magnetic robots with various geometric shapes: locomotion and deformation
Authors: Jin Yuchen , Liu Shiyang , Li Jing , Cao Gongqi , Liu Jianlin
Published: December 2022

Soft magnetic robots have attracted tremendous interest owning to their controllability and manoeuvrability, demonstrating great prospects in a number of industrial areas. However, further explorations on the locomotion and corresponding deformation of magnetic robots with complex configurations are still challenging. In the present study, we analyse a series of soft magnetic robots with various geometric shapes under the action of the magnetic field. First, we prepared the matrix material for the robot, that is, the mixture of silicone and magnetic particles. Next, we fabricated a triangular robot whose locomotion speed and warping speed are approximately 1.5 and 9 mm/s, respectively. We then surveyed the generalised types of robots with other shapes, where the movement, grabbing, closure and flipping behaviours were fully demonstrated. The experiments show that the arching speed and grabbing speed of the cross-shaped robot are around 4.8 and 3.5 mm/s, the crawling speed of the pentagram-shaped robot is 3.5 mm/s, the pentahedron-shaped robot can finish its closure motion in 1 s and the arch-shaped robot can flip forward and backward in 0.5 s. The numerical simulation based on the finite element method has been compared with the experimental results, and they are in excellent agreement. The results are beneficial to engineer soft robots under the multi-fields, which can broaden the eyes on inventing intellectual devices and equipment.
Global Imaginaries and Elephantine Artifice
Authors: Ruppel Daniel J.
Published: December 2022

Labyrinthe Royal de l’Hercule Gaulois triomphant (Avignon, 1601) documents a ceremonial performance that happens more in the time of reading than a historical moment. Focusing on discrepancies between a vivid image of elephants and a description attesting that there were none reveals how this document makes the festival “present” by suspending the reader between allegory and history, representation and performance, and most importantly, the presence and(/as) absence of racialized “Mores” driving the fictitious pachyderms.