bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Lymph Node Involvement as a Predictor for Cancer-Specific Survival in Patients with Penile Squamous Cell Cancer
Authors: Kawase Makoto , Takagi Kimiaki , Kawada Kei , Ishida Takashi , Tomioka Masayuki , Enomoto Torai , Fujimoto Shota , Taniguchi Tomoki , Ito Hiroki , Kameyama Koji , Yamada Toru , Kawase Kota , Kato Daiki , Takai Manabu , Iinuma Koji , Nakane Keita , Koie Takuya
Published: August 2022

We aimed to identify prognostic predictive factors of patients with penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC). This retrospective study reviewed the clinical and pathological data of patients with PSCC at 10 institutions in Japan between January 2008 and December 2019. The primary endpoint was cancer-specific survival (CSS). We also identified useful predictive factors for CSS in patients with PSCC. In total, 64 patients with PSCC were enrolled. At the end of the follow-up period, 15 patients (23.4%) died owing to PSCC and six (9.4%) died owing to other causes. The 2- and 3-year CSS rates were 78.9% and 76.6%, respectively. Using the Kaplan–Meier method, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0, serum albumin levels ≥4.2 g/dL, hemoglobin levels ≥13.2 g/dL, C-reactive protein levels <0.21 mg/dL, clinical T stage ≤2, clinically negative lymph node (LN) status, and tumor size <30 mm were associated with a significantly better CSS. In the multivariate analysis, the clinically positive LN status was a significant predictive factor for CSS in patients with PSCC. Further prospective large-scale and long-term studies are required to validate our findings.
Developing Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) Curves Based on Rainfall Cumulative Distribution Frequency (CDF) for Can Tho City, Vietnam
Authors: Minh Huynh Vuong Thu , Lavane Kim , Lanh Le Thi , Thinh Lam Van , Cong Nguyen Phuoc , Ty Tran Van , Downes Nigel K. , Kumar Pankaj
Published: August 2022

Information on the relationship between rainfall intensity, duration and accumulation frequency or return period (IDF) is commonly utilized in the design and management of urban drainage systems. Can Tho City, located in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, is a city which has recently invested heavily in upgrading its stormwater drainage systems in the hope of preventing reoccurring flood events. Yet, much of these works were designed based on obsolete and outdated IDF rainfall curves. This paper presents an updated IDF curve for design rainfall for Can Tho City. For each duration and designated return period, a cumulative distribution function (CDF) was developed using the Pearson III, Log-Pearson III, and Log-Normal distribution functions. In order to choose the best IDF rainfall curve for Can Tho City, the CDF rainfall curve and empirical formulas used in Vietnam and Asia (Vietnamese standard 7957:2008, Department of Hydrology, Ministry of Transportation, Talbot, Kimijima, and Bermard) were compared. The goodness of fit between the IDF relationship generated by the frequency analysis (CDF curve), and that predicted by the IDF empirical formulas was assessed using the efficiency index (EI), and the root mean squared error (RMSE). The IDF built from Vietnam’s standard TCVN 7957:2008 with new parameters (A = 9594, C = 0.5, b = 26, n = 0.96) showed the best performance, with the highest values of EI (0.84 ≤EI≤ 0.93) and the lowest values of RMSE (2.5 ≤RMSE≤ 3.2), when compared to the other remnants.
Suitability of Methods to Determine Resistance to Biocidal Active Substances and Disinfectants—A Systematic Review
Authors: Kampf Günter
Published: August 2022

Biocide resistance is an increasing concern. However, it is currently unknown if an elevated MIC value for an isolate correlates with a lower log10 reduction in suspension tests or carrier tests. The aim of this review was therefore to evaluate if isolates with a suspected tolerance to a biocidal active substance reveal an elevated MIC value and an impaired efficacy in suspension tests and carrier tests. A Medline search was done on 6 July 2022 using the following terms: “resistance biocidal MIC suspension” (16 hits), “resistance biocidal MIC carrier” (22 hits), “resistance biocidal suspension carrier” (41 hits), “tolerance biocidal MIC suspension” (1 hit), “tolerance biocidal MIC carrier” (4 hits) and “tolerance biocidal suspension carrier” (3 hits). Studies were included when a tolerance or resistance to the biocidal active substance or disinfectant was suspected and at least two of the three endpoints were evaluated in parallel in comparison to the control isolates. In three out of five studies, the elevated MIC values did not correlate with an impaired bactericidal efficacy against the biocide-tolerant isolates. In three out of five studies, an impaired activity in the suspension tests was described that correlated with an impaired efficacy in the carrier tests (peracetic acid-tolerant K. pneumoniae and glutaraldehyde-tolerant M. chelonae; the two other studies did not allow a comparison. Overall, the results from the suspension tests and tests under practical conditions allowed to determine a clinically relevant resistance.
Transcriptomic Response of the Diazotrophic Bacteria Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Strain PAL5 to Iron Limitation and Characterization of the fur Regulatory Network
Authors: Soares Cleiton de Paula , Trada-Sfeir Michelle Zibetti , Terra Leonardo Araújo , Ferreira Jéssica de Paula , Dos-Santos Carlos Magno , Oliveira Izamara Gesiele Bezerra de , Araújo Jean Luiz Simões , Meneses Carlos Henrique Salvino Gadelha , de Souza Emanuel Maltempi , Baldani José Ivo , Vidal Marcia Soares
Published: August 2022

Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus has been the focus of several studies aiming to understand the mechanisms behind this endophytic diazotrophic bacterium. The present study is the first global analysis of the early transcriptional response of exponentially growing G. diazotrophicus to iron, an essential cofactor for many enzymes involved in various metabolic pathways. RNA-seq, targeted gene mutagenesis and computational motif discovery tools were used to define the G. diazotrophicusfur regulon. The data analysis showed that genes encoding functions related to iron homeostasis were significantly upregulated in response to iron limitations. Certain genes involved in secondary metabolism were overexpressed under iron-limited conditions. In contrast, it was observed that the expression of genes involved in Fe-S cluster biosynthesis, flagellar biosynthesis and type IV secretion systems were downregulated in an iron-depleted culture medium. Our results support a model that controls transcription in G. diazotrophicus by fur function. The G. diazotrophicusfur protein was able to complement an E. colifur mutant. These results provide new insights into the effects of iron on the metabolism of G. diazotrophicus, as well as demonstrate the essentiality of this micronutrient for the main characteristics of plant growth promotion by G. diazotrophicus.
Detailed Characterization of Small Extracellular Vesicles from Different Cell Types Based on Tetraspanin Composition by ExoView R100 Platform
Authors: Breitwieser Kai , Koch Leon F. , Tertel Tobias , Proestler Eva , Burgers Luisa D. , Lipps Christoph , Adjaye James , Fürst Robert , Giebel Bernd , Saul Meike J.
Published: August 2022

Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) hold enormous potential as biomarkers, drug carriers, and therapeutic agents. However, due to previous limitations in the phenotypic characterization of sEV at the single vesicle level, knowledge of cell type-specific sEV signatures remains sparse. With the introduction of next-generation sEV analysis devices, such as the single-particle interferometric reflectance imaging sensor (SP-IRIS)-based ExoView R100 platform, single sEV analyses are now possible. While the tetraspanins CD9, CD63, and CD81 were generally considered pan-sEV markers, it became clear that sEV of different cell types contain several combinations and amounts of these proteins on their surfaces. To gain better insight into the complexity and heterogeneity of sEV, we used the ExoView R100 platform to analyze the CD9/CD63/CD81 phenotype of sEV released by different cell types at a single sEV level. We demonstrated that these surface markers are sufficient to distinguish cell-type-specific sEV phenotypes. Furthermore, we recognized that tetraspanin composition in some sEV populations does not follow a random pattern. Notably, the tetraspanin distribution of sEV derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) alters depending on cell culture conditions. Overall, our data provide an overview of the cell-specific characteristics of sEV populations, which will increase the understanding of sEV physiology and improve the development of new sEV-based therapeutic approaches.
Combining Physio-Biochemical Characterization and Transcriptome Analysis Reveal the Responses to Varying Degrees of Drought Stress in Brassica napus L.
Authors: Fang Shuai , Zhao Peimin , Tan Zengdong , Peng Yan , Xu Lintang , Jin Yutong , Wei Fang , Guo Liang , Yao Xuan
Published: August 2022

Brassica napus L. has become one of the most important oil-bearing crops, and drought stress severely influences its yield and quality. By combining physio-biochemical characterization and transcriptome analysis, we studied the response of B. napus plants to different degrees of drought stress. Some physio-biochemical traits, such as fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW), abscisic acid (ABA) content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration rate (Tr), were measured, and the total content of the epidermal wax/cutin, as well as their compositions, was determined. The results suggest that both stomatal transpiration and cuticular transpiration are affected when B. napus plants are subjected to varying degrees of drought stress. A total of 795 up-regulated genes and 1050 down-regulated genes were identified under severe drought stress by transcriptome analysis. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed that the up-regulated genes were mainly enriched in the stress response processes, such as response to water deprivation and abscisic acid, while the down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in the chloroplast-related parts affecting photosynthesis. Moreover, overexpression of BnaA01.CIPK6, an up-regulated DEG, was found to confer drought tolerance in B. napus. Our study lays a foundation for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in B. napus.
Time-Dependent Seismic Performance of Coastal Bridges Reinforced with Hybrid FRP and Steel Bars
Authors: Yuan Wei , Cai Zhong-Kui , Pan Xiaolan , Lin Jun
Published: August 2022

To increase the durability and seismic resilience of coastal bridges, a hybrid reinforced concrete (HRC) bridge that incorporates both glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars and steel bars is proposed. The time-dependent seismic performance of the HRC bridge is comprehensively investigated at three levels, namely the material, bridge column and bridge structure levels. First, the decrease of tensile strength of GFRP bars over time is analyzed based on the Arrhenius theory, and corrosion initiation time and performance deterioration of steel bars are determined by Fick’s second law and an empirical formula. Second, an efficient finite element modeling method for aging HRC bridge columns is proposed. Simulation of the compression/tension behavior and the fracture failure of the GFRP bar is described. Hysteretic analysis is further conducted to investigate the time-dependent energy dissipation, ductility, residual displacement, bearing capacity and post-yield stiffness ratio. Meanwhile, comparisons of HRC bridge columns to reinforced concrete (RC) references are provided. Third, the seismic demand and damage evolution of deteriorated HRC bridge structures are investigated through dynamic time-history analysis. The results indicate that the corrosion-resistant GFRP bars contribute to improving the bearing capacity and to reducing the residual displacement of the HRC bridge. With an increase in service time, the seismic damage to the bridge column, abutment and expansion bearing increases, but the damage to fixed bearing decreases. Research results presented herein show that the HRC bridge is a promising alternative structure scheme in the marine environment.
The Effect of 600 keV Ag Ion Irradiation on the Structural, Optical, and Photovoltaic Properties of MAPbBr3 Films for Perovksite Solar Cell Applications
Authors: Hussain Saddam , Alwadai Norah , Khan Muhammad I. , Irfan Muhammad , Ikram-ul-Haq  , Albalawi Hind , Almuqrin Aljawhara H. , Almoneef Maha M. , Iqbal Munawar
Published: August 2022

A competitive new technology, organic metallic halide perovskite solar cells feature a wide working area, low manufacturing costs, a long lifespan, and a significant amount of large efficacy of power conversion (PCE). The spin-coating technique was utilized for the fabrication of pure CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPbBr3) thin films, and these films are implanted with 600 keV silver (Ag) ions at fluency rate of 6 × 1014 and 4 × 1014 ions/cm2. XRD analysis confirmed the cubic structure of MAPbBr3. A high grain size was observed at the fluency rate of 4 × 1014 ions/cm2. The UV-Vis spectroscopic technique was used to calculate the optical properties such as the bandgap energy (Eg), refractive index (n), extinction coefficients (k), and dielectric constant. A direct Eg of 2.44 eV was measured for the pristine film sample, whereas 2.32 and 2.36 eV were measured for Ag ion-implanted films with a 4 × 1014 and 6 × 1014 ions/cm2 fluence rate, respectively. The solar cells of these films were fabricated. The Jsc was 6.69 mA/cm2, FF was 0.80, Voc was 1.1 V, and the efficiency was 5.87% for the pristine MAPbBr3-based cell. All of these parameters were improved by Ag ion implantation. The maximum values were observed at a fluency rate of 4 × 1014 ions/cm2, where the Voc was 1.13 V, FF was 0.75, Jsc was 8.18 mA/cm2, and the efficiency was 7.01%.
Aqueous Humour Ofloxacin Concentration after Topical Instillation in Patients with Dry Eye Disease
Authors: Kagkelaris Konstantinos , El Mubarak Mohamed A. , Plotas Panagiotis , Panaretos Dimitris , Panayiotakopoulos George D. , Sivolapenko Gregory B. , Georgakopoulos Constantinos D.
Published: August 2022

Background and Objectives: A prospective, randomized clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the concentration of ofloxacin in the aqueous humour (AqH) of patients suffering from dry eye disease (DED) after topical instillation. Materials and Methods: Ninety-one (91) cataract patients scheduled for phacoemulsification were categorized into three groups according to DED severity. Group I (n = 17) was comprised of subjects without DED, patients in group II (n = 37) were evaluated as having non-severe DED, while group III (n = 37) consisted of patients suffering from severe DED. Preoperatively, patients received 4 drops of 0.3% of ofloxacin at 15 min intervals. One hour after the last instillation, aqueous samples were collected intraoperatively. Results: The median AqH concentration of ofloxacin in group I was 199.9 ng/mL (range 92.2–442.8 ng/mL), while in group II it was 530.5 ng/mL (range 283.7–1004.9 ng/mL), and 719.2 ng/mL (range 358.0–1512.4 ng/mL) in Group III, p < 0.001 (Kruskal-Wallis tests). Pairwise tests (two-tailed with Bonferroni corrections) between groups resulted in a p-value of 0.001 when group II was compared to group I and group III was compared to group I, and a p-value of 0.020 when group II was compared to group III. The severity of DED, across groups I, II, and III, and the levels of ofloxacin revealed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.639, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Ofloxacin concentration in the AqH after topical drop instillation may be affected by the degree of ocular surface inflammation in patients suffering from DED.
Changing Realities for Women and Work: The Impact of COVID-19 and Prospects for the Post-Pandemic Workplace
Authors: Thompson Randal Joy
Published: August 2022

COVID-19 plunged the globe into a multi-year pandemic that still continues to this day, meting out devastating repercussions on the international economy and the wellbeing of people everywhere [...]
Free Linoleic Acid and Oleic Acid Reduce Fat Digestion and Absorption In Vivo as Potent Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitors Derived from Sesame Meal
Authors: Li Xuan , Morita Sayo , Yamada Hiroaki , Koga Keita , Ota Wakana , Furuta Toma , Yamatsu Atsushi , Kim Mujo
Published: August 2022

Pancreatic lipase catalyzes the cleavage of triacylglycerols at the oil–water interface, and is known as the dominant determiner of dietary fat digestion. Reducing dietary fat digestion and absorption by modulating the activity of pancreatic lipase has become a favorable strategy to tackle obesity. Orlistat is, at present, the only pancreatic lipase inhibitor approved for the treatment of obesity; however, an array of gastrointestinal adverse effects associated with orlistat limits its tolerability. As a safe alternative to orlistat, a number of natural product-derived compounds with varying degrees of pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity have been reported. We herein reported that bioactivity-guided fractionation of sesame meal led to the identification of free linoleic acid and oleic acid as potent inhibitors of porcine pancreatic lipase in vitro with an IC50 of 23.1 µg/mL (82.4 µM) and 11.7 µg/mL (41.4 µM), respectively. In rats, a single oral dose of the mixture of these fatty acids significantly suppressed the elevation of blood triacylglycerol level following fat intake. These results substantiate the role of free linoleic acid and oleic acid as a novel class of natural product-derived functional molecules that act as pancreatic lipase inhibitors, and their potential for healthy, routine-based weight management.
Pyrimidines-Based Heterocyclic Compounds: Synthesis, Cytoxicity Evaluation and Molecular Docking
Authors: El-Atawy Mohamed A. , Alshaye Najla A. , Elrubi Nada , Hamed Ezzat A. , Omar Alaa Z.
Published: August 2022

A variety of structurally different pyrimidines were synthesized. Elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy were used to confirm the chemical structures of all prepared compounds. The synthesized pyrimidines were screened against the growth of five human cancer cell lines (prostate carcinoma PC3, liver carcinoma HepG-2, human colon cancer HCT-116, human breast cancer MCF-7, human lung cancer A-549), and normal human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) using MTT assay. Most of the screened pyrimidines have anti-proliferative activity on the growth of the PC3 cell line. Compounds 3b and 3d were more potent than the reference vinblastine sulfate (~2 to 3 × fold) and they can be considered promising leads for treating prostate cancer disease. Moreover, the screened compounds 3b, 3f, 3g, 3h, and 5 were assessed according to the values of their selectivity index (SI) and were found to be more selective and safer than vinblastine sulfate. Furthermore, using in silico computational tools, the physicochemical properties of all pyrimidine ligands were assessed, and the synthesized compounds fall within the criteria of RO5, thus having the potential to be orally bioavailable.
Stability and Existence of Noncanonical I-motif DNA Structures in Computer Simulations Based on Atomistic and Coarse-Grained Force Fields
Authors: Panczyk Tomasz , Nieszporek Krzysztof , Wolski Pawel
Published: August 2022

Cytosine-rich DNA sequences are able to fold into noncanonical structures, in which semi-protonated cytosine pairs develop extra hydrogen bonds, and these bonds are responsible for the overall stability of a structure called the i-motif. The i-motif can be formed in many regions of the genome, but the most representative is the telomeric region in which the CCCTAA sequences are repeated thousands of times. The ability to reverse folding/unfolding in response to pH change makes the above sequence and i-motif very promising components of nanomachines, extended DNA structures, and drug carriers. Molecular dynamics analysis of such structures is highly beneficial due to direct insights into the microscopic structure of the considered systems. We show that Amber force fields for DNA predict the stability of the i-motif over a long timescale; however, these force fields are not able to predict folding of the cytosine-rich sequences into the i-motif. The reason is the kinetic partitioning of the folding process, which makes the transitions between various intermediates too time-consuming in atomistic force field representation. Application of coarse-grained force fields usually highly accelerates complex structural transitions. We, however, found that three of the most popular coarse-grained force fields for DNA (oxDNA, 3SPN, and Martini) were not able to predict the stability of the i-motif structure. Obviously, they were not able to accelerate the folding of unfolded states into an i-motif. This observation must be strongly highlighted, and the need to develop suitable extensions of coarse-grained force fields for DNA is pointed out. However, it will take a great deal of effort to successfully solve these problems.
Lipid–Inorganic Hybrid Particles with Non-Lamellar Structures
Authors: Schmidbauer Benjamin , Uhlig Frank , Chemelli Angela
Published: August 2022

Nanostructured non-lamellar lipid particles are widely studied in various fields of application, although their self-assembled structure is sensitive to internal and external conditions, which may limit their applicability. The aim of this study was to overcome these limitations and create particles with non-lamellar nanostructures which are stable over time, upon drying and heating. This was achieved by the combination of two approaches: self-assembly of lipids and polymerization of alkoxysilanes. Precursors containing one or two unsaturated acyl chains were functionalized with trialkoxysilane headgroups. Contrarily to previous studies, the use of unsaturated acyl chains led to the formation of hybrid particles with non-lamellar internal nanostructures. These particles showed a sponge or a hexagonal arrangement and were named spongosomes and hexosomes. Due to the covalent linking of the precursors, durable structures were obtained. The particles were stable for at least several months and maintained their nanostructures even when they were dried or exposed to high temperatures. The inorganic functionalization of lipids enabled the fixation of the self-assembled nanostructures.
RSOnet: An Image-Processing Framework for a Dual-Purpose Star Tracker as an Opportunistic Space Surveillance Sensor
Authors: Dave Siddharth , Clark Ryan , Lee Regina S. K.
Published: August 2022

A catalogue of over 22,000 objects in Earth’s orbit is currently maintained, and that number is expected to double within the next decade. Novel data collection regimes are needed to scale our ability to detect, track, classify and characterize resident space objects in a crowded low Earth orbit. This research presents RSOnet, an image-processing framework for space domain awareness using star trackers. Star trackers are cost-effective, flight proven, and require basic image processing to be used as an attitude-determination sensor. RSOnet is designed to augment the capabilities of a star tracker by becoming an opportunistic space-surveillance sensor. Our research demonstrates that star trackers are a feasible source for RSO detections in LEO by demonstrating the performance of RSOnet on real detections from a star-tracker-like imager in space. RSOnet convolutional-neural-network model architecture, graph-based multi-object classifier and characterization results are described in this paper.
Smart Active Vibration Control System of a Rotary Structure Using Piezoelectric Materials
Authors: Hashemi Ali , Jang Jinwoo , Hosseini-Hashemi Shahrokh
Published: August 2022

A smart active vibration control (AVC) system containing piezoelectric (PZT) actuators, jointly with a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller, is proposed in this article to control transverse deflections of a wind turbine (WT) blade. In order to apply controlling rules to the WT blade, a state-of-the-art semi-analytical solution is developed to obtain WT blade lateral displacement under external loadings. The proposed method maps the WT blade to a Euler–Bernoulli beam under the same conditions to find the blade’s vibration and dynamic responses by solving analytical vibration solutions of the Euler–Bernoulli beam. The governing equations of the beam with PZT patches are derived by integrating the PZT transducer vibration equations into the vibration equations of the Euler–Bernoulli beam structure. A finite element model of the WT blade with PZT patches is developed. Next, a unique transfer function matrix is derived by exciting the structures and achieving responses. The beam structure is projected to the blade using the transfer function matrix. The results obtained from the mapping method are compared with the counter of the blade’s finite element model. A satisfying agreement is observed between the results. The results showed that the method’s accuracy decreased as the sensors’ distance from the base of the wind turbine increased. In the designing process of the LQR controller, various weighting factors are used to tune control actions of the AVC system. LQR optimal control gain is obtained by using the state-feedback control law. The PZT actuators are located at the same distance from each other an this effort to prevent neutralizing their actuating effects. The LQR shows significant performance by diminishing the weights on the control input in the cost function. The obtained results indicate that the proposed smart control system efficiently suppresses the vibration peaks along the WT blade and the maximum flap-wise displacement belonging to the tip of the structure is successfully controlled.
Low-Voltage and Low-Power True-Single-Phase 16-Transistor Flip-Flop Design
Authors: Lin Jin-Fa , Hong Zheng-Jie , Wu Jun-Ting , Tung Xin-You , Yang Cheng-Hsueh , Yen Yu-Cheng
Published: August 2022

A low-voltage and low-power true single-phase flip-flop that minimum the total transistor count by using the pass transistor logic circuit scheme is proposed in this paper. Optimization measures lead to a new flip-flop design with better various performances such as speed, power, energy, and layout area. Based on post-layout simulation results using the TSMC CMOS 180 nm and 90 nm technologies, the proposed design achieves the conventional transmission-gate-based flip-flop design with a 53.6% reduction in power consumption and a 63.2% reduction in energy, with 12.5% input data switching activity. In order to further the performance parameters of the proposed design, a shift-register design has been realized. Experimental measurements at 0.5 V/0.5 MHz show that this proposed design reduces power consumption by 47.3% while achieving a layout area reduction of 30.5% compared to the conventional design.
Are Psychophysiological Wearables Suitable for Comparing Pedagogical Teaching Approaches?
Authors: Geršak Vesna , Giber Tina , Geršak Gregor , Pavlin Jerneja
Published: August 2022

This study describes how wearable devices can be used in elementary schools to compare some aspects of different teaching approaches. Upper arm wearables were used as an objective tool to compare three approaches when teaching science: (i) classical frontal teaching, (ii) embodied (kinesthetic) teaching, and (iii) a distance teaching approach. Using the wearables, the approaches were compared in terms of their impact on students’ psychological arousal and perceived well-being. In addition, short-term and long-term knowledge gain and physiological synchronization between teacher and students during the lecture were assessed. A synchronization index was defined to estimate the degree of physiological synchronization. During distance teaching, by means of measurements with wearables, students were significantly less physically active and significantly less psychologically aroused. Embodied teaching allowed significantly higher physical activation than during the other two approaches. The synchronization index for all three teaching approaches was positive with the highest values for distance and frontal teaching. Moreover, knowledge gain immediately after the embodied lessons was higher than after frontal lessons. No significant differences in the long-term knowledge retention between the three different teaching methods were found. This pilot study proved that wearables are a useful tool in research in the field of education and have the potential to contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in learning, even in complex environments such as an elementary school classroom.
Gait Characteristics and Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged Adults with and without Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Data from ENBIND
Authors: Herings Pieter M. R. , Dyer Adam H. , Kennelly Sean P. , Reid Sean , Killane Isabelle , McKenna Louise , Bourke Nollaig M. , Woods Conor P. , O’Neill Desmond , Gibney James , Reilly Richard B.
Published: August 2022

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in midlife is associated with a greater risk of dementia in later life. Both gait speed and spatiotemporal gait characteristics have been associated with later cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults. Thus, the assessment of gait characteristics in uncomplicated midlife T2DM may be important in selecting-out those with T2DM at greatest risk of later cognitive decline. We assessed the relationship between Inertial Motion Unit (IMUs)-derived gait characteristics and cognitive function assessed via Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)/detailed neuropsychological assessment battery (CANTAB) in middle-aged adults with and without uncomplicated T2DM using both multivariate linear regression and a neural network approach. Gait was assessed under (i) normal walking, (ii) fast (maximal) walking and (iii) cognitive dual-task walking (reciting alternate letters of the alphabet) conditions. Overall, 138 individuals were recruited (n = 94 with T2DM; 53% female, 52.8 ± 8.3 years; n = 44 healthy controls, 43% female, 51.9 ± 8.1 years). Midlife T2DM was associated with significantly slower gait velocity on both slow and fast walks (both p < 0.01) in addition to a longer stride time and greater gait complexity during normal walk (both p < 0.05). Findings persisted following covariate adjustment. In analyzing cognitive performance, the strongest association was observed between gait velocity and global cognitive function (MoCA). Significant associations were also observed between immediate/delayed memory performance and gait velocity. Analysis using a neural network approach did not outperform multivariate linear regression in predicting cognitive function (MoCA) from gait velocity. Our study demonstrates the impact of uncomplicated T2DM on gait speed and gait characteristics in midlife, in addition to the striking relationship between gait characteristics and global cognitive function/memory performance in midlife. Further studies are needed to evaluate the longitudinal relationship between midlife gait characteristics and later cognitive decline, which may aid in selecting-out those with T2DM at greatest-risk for preventative interventions.
Radio Frequency Database Construction and Modulation Recognition in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Liu Kun , Xiang Xin , Yin Liyan
Published: August 2022

Current modulation recognition methods in wireless sensor networks rely too much on simulation datasets. Its practical application effect cannot reach the expected results. To address this issue, in this paper we collect a large amount of real-world wireless signal data based on the software radio device USRP 2920. We then propose a real radio frequency (RF) database architecture and preprocessing operators to manage real-world wireless signal data, conduct signal preprocessing, and export the dataset. Based on different feature datasets derived from the RF database, we propose a multidimensional feature hybrid network (MFHN), which is used to identify unknown signals by analyzing different kinds of signal features. Further, we improve MFHN and design a multifeatured joint migration network (MJMN) to identify small-sample targets. The experimental results show that the recognition rates for unknown target signals of the MFHN and MJMN are 82.7% and 93.2%, respectively. The proposed methods improve the recognition performance in the single node of wireless sensor networks in complex electromagnetic environments, which provides reference for subsequent decision fusion.
Thermal Characterization of a Gas Foil Bearing—A Novel Method of Experimental Identification of the Temperature Field Based on Integrated Thermocouples Measurements
Authors: Martowicz Adam , Zdziebko Paweł , Roemer Jakub , Żywica Grzegorz , Bagiński Paweł
Published: August 2022

Maintenance of adequate thermal properties is critical for correct operation of a gas foil bearing. In this work, the authors present the results of the experimentally conducted thermal characterization of a prototype installation of the bearing. A novel method of temperature identification, based on integrated thermocouples readings, has been employed to determine the thermal properties of the specialized sensing top foil mounted in the tested bearing. Two measurement campaigns have been subsequently completed, applying freely-suspended and two-node support configurations, to gather complementary knowledge regarding the bearing’s operation. Apart from the rotational speed and temperature field measurements, the authors have also studied the friction torque and the shaft’s journal trajectories based on its radial displacements. The temporal courses for the above-mentioned quantities have enabled inference on the effects present during run-up, run-out and stable state operation at a constant speed. As confirmed, the applied distribution of the integrated sensors allows for temperature readings on the entire outer surface of the foil, and therefore, provides useful data for the bearing characterization. The work is concluded with presentation of the recommended directions regarding future improvements of the proposed measurement technique and more comprehensive study of the bearing’s characteristics.
Inferior and Coordinate Distillation for Object Detectors
Authors: Zhang Yao , Li Yang , Pan Zhisong
Published: August 2022

Current distillation methods only distill between corresponding layers, and do not consider the knowledge contained in preceding layers. To solve this problem, we analyzed the guiding effect of the inferior features of a teacher model on the coordinate feature of a student model, and proposed inferior and coordinate distillation for object detectors. The proposed method utilizes the rich information contained in different layers of the teacher model; such that the student model can review the old information and learn the new information, in addition to the dark knowledge in the teacher model. Moreover, the refine module is used to align the features of different layers, distinguish the spatial and channel to extract attention, strengthen the correlation between the features of different stages, and prevent the disorder caused by merging. Exclusive experiments were conducted on different object detectors. The results for the mean average precision (mAP) obtained using Faster R-CNN, RetinaNet, and fully convolutional one-stage object detector (FCOS) with ResNet-50 as its backbone were 40.5%, 39.8%, and 42.8% with regard to the COCO dataset, respectively; which are 2.1%, 2.4%, and 4.3% higher than the benchmark, respectively.
Artificial Neural Network Approach to Guarantee the Positioning Accuracy of Moving Robots by Using the Integration of IMU/UWB with Motion Capture System Data Fusion
Authors: Almassri Ahmed M. M. , Shirasawa Natsuki , Purev Amarbold , Uehara Kaito , Oshiumi Wataru , Mishima Satoru , Wagatsuma Hiroaki
Published: August 2022

This study presents an effective artificial neural network (ANN) approach to combine measurements from inertial measurement units (IMUs) and time-of-flight (TOF) measurements from an ultra-wideband (UWB) system with OptiTrack Motion Capture System (OptiT-MCS) data to guarantee the positioning accuracy of motion tracking in indoor environments. The proposed fusion approach unifies the following advantages of both technologies: high data rates from the MCS, and global translational precision from the inertial measurement unit (IMU)/UWB localization system. Consequently, it leads to accurate position estimates when compared with data from the IMU/UWB system relative to the OptiT-MCS reference system. The calibrations of the positioning IMU/UWB and MCS systems are utilized in real-time movement with a diverse set of motion recordings using a mobile robot. The proposed neural network (NN) approach experimentally revealed accurate position estimates, giving an enhancement average mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 17.56% and 7.48% in the X and Y coordinates, respectively, and the coefficient of correlation R greater than 99%. Moreover, the experimental results prove that the proposed NN fusion is capable of maintaining high accuracy in position estimates while preventing drift errors from increasing in an unbounded manner, implying that the proposed approach is more effective than the compared approaches.
Multi-Level Transformer-Based Social Relation Recognition
Authors: Wang Yuchen , Qing Linbo , Wang Zhengyong , Cheng Yongqiang , Peng Yonghong
Published: August 2022

Social relationships refer to the connections that exist between people and indicate how people interact in society. The effective recognition of social relationships is conducive to further understanding human behavioral patterns and thus can be vital for more complex social intelligent systems, such as interactive robots and health self-management systems. The existing works about social relation recognition (SRR) focus on extracting features on different scales but lack a comprehensive mechanism to orchestrate various features which show different degrees of importance. In this paper, we propose a new SRR framework, namely Multi-level Transformer-Based Social Relation Recognition (MT-SRR), for better orchestrating features on different scales. Specifically, a vision transformer (ViT) is firstly employed as a feature extraction module for its advantage in exploiting global features. An intra-relation transformer (Intra-TRM) is then introduced to dynamically fuse the extracted features to generate more rational social relation representations. Next, an inter-relation transformer (Inter-TRM) is adopted to further enhance the social relation representations by attentionally utilizing the logical constraints among relationships. In addition, a new margin related to inter-class similarity and a sample number are added to alleviate the challenges of a data imbalance. Extensive experiments demonstrate that MT-SRR can better fuse features on different scales as well as ameliorate the bad effect caused by a data imbalance. The results on the benchmark datasets show that our proposed model outperforms the state-of-the-art methods with significant improvement.
Energy Harvesting for TDS-OFDM in NOMA-Based Underwater Communication Systems
Authors: Esmaiel Hamada , Sun Haixin
Published: August 2022

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is considered a promising multiple access technique for fifth generation (5G) mobile networks and tactical internet due to its high spectral efficiency. Thanks to the high spectral efficiency of NOMA, it can be a strong candidate suitable for the limited channel bandwidth of underwater acoustic communication. The NOMA transmitter is employing superposition coding (SC). The NOMA receiver is based on the successive interference cancellation (SIC) technique. The multicarrier NOMA adopts orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) as a multicarrier modulation (MCM) technique; however, conventional cyclic prefix OFDM (CP-OFDM) and zero padding (ZP-OFDM) have inefficient spectral efficiency. Thanks to efficient synchronization and high energy-spectral efficiency of the time-division synchronization OFDM (TDS-OFDM), it is a significant attractive candidate for underwater multicarrier communication. However, wasting the power transmission of long guard intervals in the battery-based underwater communication is represented as one of the TDS-OFDM main drawbacks. Harvesting energy and improving the energy efficiency of acoustic-based TDS-OFDM-NOMA represent high achievement goal battery recharging challenges due to the ocean environment. This paper proposes time switching simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (TS-SWIPT) to harvest the energy of transmitted power over the guard interval in the TDS-OFDM-NOMA scheme. The proposed energy harvested scheme harvests the energy from the wasted power in the long guard interval and improves the energy efficiency of the TDS-OFDM multicarrier scheme. This study demonstrates the superiority of the proposed TDS-OFDM-NOMA over the underwater acoustic channel by revealing high energy efficiency, high spectral efficiency, better bit error rate performance, and high system data throughput.
The Impact of Internal Marketing Practices on Employees’ Job Satisfaction during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the Saudi Arabian Banking Sector
Authors: Almaslukh Faisal Mohammed O. , Khalid Haliyana , Sahi Alaa Mahdi
Published: August 2022

Based on the social exchange theory, the current study aimed to develop and test a conceptual model that integrates the relationships among internal marketing dimensions (i.e., supportive and participative leadership, training and development, information and communication, and selection and appointment) and job satisfaction in the banking sector of Saudi Arabia, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data from 329 employees working in different private and public banks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Overall, the findings confirmed the significant and positive effects of supportive and participative leadership, training and development, information and communication, and selection and appointment on employees’ job satisfaction. The current research contributes to the understanding of the broad role played by internal marketing practices in maintaining the job satisfaction of banking sector employees, during and possibly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Prognostic Based Fuzzy Logic Method to Speculate Yarn Quality Ratio in Jute Spinning Industry
Authors: Paul Tamal Krishna , Jalil Tazin Ibna , Parvez Md. Shohan , Repon Md. Reazuddin , Hossain Ismail , Alim Md. Abdul , Islam Tarikul , Jalil Mohammad Abdul
Published: August 2022

Jute is a bio-degradable, agro-renewable, and widely available lingo cellulosic fiber having high tensile strength and initial modulus, moisture regain, good sound, and heat insulation properties. For these unique properties and eco-friendly nature of jute fibers, jute-based products are now widely used in many sectors such as packaging, home textiles, agro textiles, build textiles, and so forth. The diversified applications of jute products create an excellent opportunity to mitigate the negative environmental effect of petroleum-based products. For producing the best quality jute products, the main prerequisite is to ensure the jute yarn quality that can be defined by the load at break (L.B), strain at break (S.B), tenacity at break (T.B), and tensile modulus (T.M). However, good quality yarn production by considering these parameters is quite difficult because these parameters follow a non-linear relationship. Therefore, it is essential to build up a model that can cover this entire inconsistent pattern and forecast the yarn quality accurately. That is why, in this study, a laboratory-based research work was performed to develop a fuzzy model to predict the quality of jute yarn considering L.B, S.B, T.B, and T.M as input parameters. For this purpose, 173 tex (5 lb/spindle) and 241 tex (7 lb/spindle) were produced, and then L.B, S.B, T.B and T.M values were measured. Using this measured value, a fuzzy model was developed to determine the optimum L.B, S.B, T.B, and T.M to produce the best quality jute yarn. In our proposed fuzzy model, for 173 tex and 241 tex yarn count, the mean relative error was found to be 1.46% (Triangular membership) and 1.48% (Gaussian membership), respectively, and the correlation coefficient was 0.93 for both triangular and gaussian membership function. This result validated the effectiveness of the proposed fuzzy model for an industrial application. The developed fuzzy model may help a spinner to produce the best quality jute yarn.
Occupational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium, Nickel and PAHs: A Mixtures Risk Assessment Approach Based on Literature Exposure Data from European Countries
Authors: Tavares Ana Maria , Viegas Susana , Louro Henriqueta , Göen Thomas , Santonen Tiina , Luijten Mirjam , Kortenkamp Andreas , Silva Maria João
Published: August 2022

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), nickel (Ni) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are genotoxic co-occurring lung carcinogens whose occupational health risk is still understudied. This study, conducted within the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU), aimed at performing a mixtures risk assessment (MRA) based on published human biomonitoring (HBM) data from Cr(VI), Ni and/or PAHs occupational co-exposure in Europe. After data extraction, Risk Quotient (RQ) and Sum of Risk Quotients (SRQ) were calculated for binary and ternary mixtures to characterise the risk. Most selected articles measured urinary levels of Cr and Ni and a SRQ > 1 was obtained for co-exposure levels in welding activities, showing that there is concern regarding co-exposure to these substances. Similarly, co-exposure to mixtures of Cr(VI), Ni and PAHs in waste incineration settings resulted in SRQ > 1. In some studies, a low risk was estimated based on the single substances’ exposure level (RQ < 1), but the mixture was considered of concern (SRQ > 1), highlighting the relevance of considering exposure to the mixture rather than to its single components. Overall, this study points out the need of using a MRA based on HBM data as a more realistic approach to assess and manage the risk at the workplace, in order to protect workers’ health.
Long-Acting Injectable Drugs for HIV-1 Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: Considerations for Africa
Authors: Moyo Enos , Murewanhema Grant , Musuka Godfrey , Dzinamarira Tafadzwa
Published: August 2022

Sub-Saharan Africa carries the highest burden of HIV-1 and AIDS. About 39% of all new infections in the world in 2020 were in this region. Oral PrEP was found to be very effective in reducing the risk of HIV-1 transmission. However, its effectiveness is highly dependent on users adhering to the drugs. The availability of long-acting injectable PrEP that eliminates the need for a daily pill may increase PrEP uptake and adherence in people who struggle to adhere to oral PrEP. The USA’s FDA approved long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA) for PrEP of HIV-1 in December 2021. In this review, we discussed the implementation challenges to the successful roll-out of CAB-LA in Africa and measures to address these implementation challenges. Some health system-level challenges include the cost of the drug, its refrigeration requirement, and the shortage of healthcare providers trained to administer parenteral medicines. In contrast, client challenges include lack of knowledge, accessibility of the drug, side effects, stigma, and lack of family and community support. These challenges can be addressed by several measures emanating from lessons learned from the successful implementation of ART, oral PrEP, and immunization in the continent. Some steps include advocating for waiving of CAB-LA patent licence, conducting demonstration projects in Africa, promoting the use of renewable energy sources such as solar energy, healthcare provider training, task shifting, community engagement, client education, and implementing adherence promotion strategies.