bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-Criteria Performance Evaluation System in the Industrial Heritage Reuse Plan
Authors: Weng C K , Lai C F , Chien Y C , Yeh W C
Published: January 2022

Industrial heritage is unique in terms of its patterns, reuse characteristics, economic relevance and social operations. Under the government’s “Industrial Heritage Regeneration Project”, a menu of outcome/performance assessments have been in practice and have evolved. This paper combines expert methods, the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and the Multi-criteria Evaluation Method, along with qualitative and quantitative data, to clarify the hierarchical structure and weight of factors that influence outcome/performances. The research purpose is to establish an integrated multi-criteria performance evaluation model for the reuse of industrial heritage. The findings identify a long list of factors by crossing the four major factors concerning the reuse of industrial heritage, namely regeneration creativity, operational management, implementation effectiveness and sustainable developments. Regeneration creativity is considered as the most important element, and the presentation of thematic plans and characteristics is the most important influencing factor. It is suggested that clarifications should be made concerning the factors that affect different facets in the execution of reuse initiatives. The research findings can serve as a reference for decision-making in reuse and development by reflecting the culture and value for the reuse and implementations of industrial heritage.
Braided River Irrigation used Siphon Method
Authors: Mulyawati F , Sudarsono I , Rusdi J F
Published: January 2022

Braided River conditions would be a challenge if it used as a source of irrigation. Unfortunately, research on the use of Braided River as a source of water for irrigation is still rarely found, especially with the use of the Siphon method. This study examines the use of Braided River as a source of water for irrigation. The technique used is to build Siphon on the Braided River so that flowing water used as a source of water for irrigation.
Wave and sedimentation simulation of jetty construction to protect estuary, case study in Batang, Indonesia
Authors: Wahyudi N R , Wahyudi S I , Husni F , Subagyo A
Published: January 2022

To protect the estuary from sedimentation and waves need a jetty structure. This study discusses the alternative jetty design to be simulated for waves and sediments. The research was located in Batang Regency, Central Java Province. The study objective is to simulate wave and sediment for alternative estuary protection. Preliminary data are collected include topography and bathymetry, tidal observation data that include research area. The secondary data were wind data from BMKG of Semarang Station. The wind data used was each hour data for 16 years in the years 2004 to 2019. To simulate the wave and sediment, a software MIKE was used for the two alternative design. The first alternative using 2 jetties with 100 m length and the second alternative using two jetties with addition length for east side. Based on the sediment transport simulation result, the second alternative design put less 5 cm a year then the first alternative. The evaluation based on cost, time period construction, construction methods, According to the scoring, the first alternative design will be choose to the design and construction step.
Floating road construction on soft soil
Authors: Gultom J , Pratikso  , Rochim A
Published: January 2022

The main problem of road construction on saturated soft soils is due to their low bearing capacity and large settlement. One of the solutions to such problems is to install piled box culverts-geofoam. In this study, the pile box culvert-geofoam was modelled as raft foundation. This experimental study was conducted by making a prototype raft file foundation gradually loaded with a maximum vertical load of 20 kN. Different thicknesses of geofoam were utilized in order to observe the influence of thickness on the settlement. Furthermore, difference in settlement is also found when the culvert was constructed with and without geofoam. Thicker geofoam was observed to result in smaller settlement.
Assessing soil sealing and ecosystem services of urban front yards using Google Street View: A case study in Bloemhof district Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Authors: Heikoop TH
Published: January 2022

Private gardens play an important role as urban green space in cities and can improve the microclimate and address the impacts of climate change. Paving over front yards, soil sealing, reduces the environmental benefit of front yards. Residential private front yards comprise a considerable portion of land and green space in the suburbs of cities. Currently there is no method available to determine sealed soil percentages of private front yards. This study took place in the Bloemhof suburban district in Rotterdam. Four streets were selected and a total of 123 houses with 105 private front yards were assessed. Five sealed soil reference categories were defined and Google Street View (GSV) images were used to assess the front yards. This study found that the aggregated sealed soil percentages of the private front yards in the four selected streets are very high: 69%, 78%, 96%, and 97%. These front yards have a significant greening potential. The new insight in this study is that the use of Google Street View images for categorisation of front yards leads to values for individual front yard that can be used for comparison and for establishing sealed soil values per street.
Analysis of the Jelawat Park roles based on space use for community education towards river functions sustainability
Authors: Rahman B
Published: January 2022

Jelawat Park of Sampit City is a city park located in the city center and in a river bank area. Utilizing the river as one of the main views of the area, Mentaya River and the icon of Jelawat fish statue are the vocal points of Jelawat Park that attract visitors to pay a visit. The river which is the viewpoint of the area has attracted many visitors to Jelawat Park, but a question may rise: whether Jelawat Park gives an effect on Mentaya River. This study aims to analyze the roles of Jelawat Park based on space use for community education towards the sustainability of Mentaya river functions. The Jelawat Park space use consists of 4 spaces, namely the core-park, river view, playground and supporting spaces. A quantitative methodology was used and assisted by frequency distribution analysis to give meaning cluster results in each space. The result of this study is that the river view space provides the highest cognitive and affective aspects to the community regarding the river functions. The conclusion is that the closer a space is to the river, the higher cognitive and affective effects on the river will be, but the proximity of a space to the river will decrease the cognitive and affective effects if the activity in that space is unrelated to the river.
Residential Space Transformation in Support of Waterfront City (Case Study: Arut River, Pangkalan Bun)
Authors: Puspitasari A Y , Ramli W O S K
Published: January 2022

The Arut River flows through the city of Pangkalan Bun in Central Kalimantan and is the forerunner of the formation of this city. The structure of the residential space formed by houses on stilts and wooden roads further strengthens the existence of riverside settlements. The settlements on the banks of the Arut River currently function not only as residences but also tourist attractions with the concept of a waterfront city. Waterfront city in Pangkalan Bun City began to be developed in 2018 in Mendawai Village. Tourism activities on the banks of the Arut River have affected the use of residential space, so this study aims to find changes in residential space as a result of the development of tourism activities. The research methodology used is rationalistic qualitative with an empirical and spatial approach. The results showed that public residential spaces such as roads and rivers underwent more changes, on certain days and hours the street space turned into parking, selling areas, and sitting/“hanging out” areas. Private spaces such as houses also turn into stalls/shops and inns.
Water demand management at rural area using Micro-Component Analysis: a case study at Kenyir Lake, Malaysia
Authors: Azlan N N I M , Saad N M , Norhisham S , Malek M A , Shkuri N S M , Zolkepli M , Ean L W , Mohamad A M
Published: January 2022

Water is one of the cornerstones in human survival and a necessity for socio-economic development. Due to that, effective management of water demand especially in the rural area becomes vital. The objective of this study is to conduct a water demand study at Kenyir Lake, Terengganu using Micro-Component Analysis (MCA). Water demand is also being assessed using National Water Services Commissions (SPAN) Guidelines, parallel to water guidelines applied for Malaysia’s building and comparison purposes. MCA considers detailed parameters of water use activities of the respective study area, whereas SPAN Guidelines use the fixed values of average daily water demand according to the type of building. The available dataset was interpreted using MCA and SPAN Guidelines, resulting in total daily water demand at Kenyir Lake of 1249.8 m3 and 1254.1 m3 respectively. Estimated water demand using SPAN Guidelines is found to be higher than MCA. The value differences occur due to the average water demand value in the guideline that is limited to a specific type of premises and does not comply with premises there. The estimated water demand can be adopted as a baseline for water companies and the government to improve the demand and supply of water.
Analysis Of The Clean Water Service Capacity of The Regional Drinking Water Company (PDAM) In Cirebon Regency, Indonesia
Authors: Safitri A , Wahyudi S I , Soedarsono
Published: January 2022

The provision of clean water for the community is not optimal, so that the distribution of water is not evenly distributed. The distribution network of PDAM Tirta Jati serves Taman Tukmudal Indah Housing, Sumber District, which is supplied from Cigusti springs with a gravity drainage system, currently reaching 1,037 units of house connections. Geographic Information Systems visualize spatial data related to positions on the earth’s surface. Analysis of Clean Water Service Capacity in the discussion of clean water quality that has been tested in the Bandung Institute of Technology laboratory. The samples tested for analysis showed that the clean air quality met the quality standards. The standard of clean water needs is 60 liters/person/day. Continuity shows that the clean air pressure is not in accordance with the minimum standards that have been determined because most of the air pressure is still low. The lowest air pressure = 1.00 meters, and the highest = 50 meters, the lowest average air pressure is at 22:00 and the highest is at 09:00. The minimum air pressure that must be met is 1.0 atm. This pattern is expected to maintain the quality, quantity, and continuity of clean water services.
Stock identification of Kawakawa Euthynnus affinis (Cantor, 1849) from Peninsular Malaysia using discriminant analysis
Authors: Binashikhbubkr Kh , Naim D
Published: January 2022

Small epipelagic and migratory, Eutynnus affinis (kawakawa) is one of the commercially significant tunas of Indo-Pacific’s tropical and subtropical waters. Consequently, successful management must ensure its sustainability. Unfortunately, the management and stock structure of certain migratory species in the area are not clear. The current study aimed to discriminate the E. affinis through body shape variations and to evaluate the variations among seven populations of E. affinis. A total of 114 individuals of E. affinis collected from two main geographic area, Straits of Malacca and South China Sea. Multivariate analyses, such as discriminant function analyses (DFA) of 12 morphometric characters was carried out to discriminate seven populations of E. affinis. The results revealed there is a significant variation among the body shape and seven populations of E. affinis. The average shapes of populations from Terengganu, Kelantan, and Johor were approximately similar to each other. In contrast, the average shapes of populations from Selangor were separated. This present study is the first report using morphometric method conducted on E. affinis from Peninsular Malaysian waters.
Growth and survival rate of freshwater lobster (Cherax quadricarinatus) fed different forage feed
Authors: Samad A P A , Isma M F , Ayuzar E , Ilhamdi  , Humairani R , Santi F
Published: January 2022

Lobster is among freshwater crustaceans which is potentially cultivated in aquaculture system. This present study was conducted to determine the growth and survival rate of freshwater lobster Cherax quadricarinatus fed different forage feed. The experimental methode used a completely randomized design consisted of 4 treatments in triplicate: commercial diet (PL), commercial diet and carrots (PW), commercial diet and potatoes (PK) and commercial diet and sweet potatoes (PU). The experimental lobsters were 5-7 cm in size and 6-8 g in weight. Results indicated that forage feeding can affect the total weight and length, weight gain, specific growth rate and survival rate of lobster. Data showed the best weight gain and specific growth rate were found in PW (34.37±0.30%) and (1.05±0.03%), respectively. The lowest survival rate was seen in PU at 86.67%. However, the best feed conversion ratio gained by PL at 1.74±0.09. This study suggested that the combination of commercial diet with carrots provided the best growth performances in freshwater lobster Cherax quadricarinatus.
Study of the anisotropy of carbon steel sheet by the tensile test
Authors: Sicoe Gina Mihaela
Published: January 2022

In test laboratories, the characteristics of the sheets shall be determined by the tensile test on specimens taken in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction, and these characteristics shall be used as the date of entry into the process of calculating the parts made of the sheet. In the case of parts with special characteristics such as safety parts in the automotive industry, or for mechanically stressed parts in a certain direction, it is important to know precisely the values of the mechanical characteristics of the sheet in relation to the rolling direction, so as to ensure the required resistance. Also, in the case of stamped parts, their quality is all the better the lower the anisotropy. The paper presents the results of experimental research on the mechanical characteristics of the sheet DC04 with a thickness of 0,65 mm, determined by tensile testing on sets of 7 test specimens, taken every 15 degrees from the rolling direction.
Turbocharger surge behavior for sudden valve closing downstream the compressor and effect of actuating variable nozzle turbine
Authors: Danlos A , Podevin P , Deligant M , Clenci A , Punov P , Guilain S
Published: January 2022

Surge is an unstable phenomenon appearing when a valve closing reduces the compressor flow rate. This phenomenon is avoided for automotive turbochargers by defining a surge margin during powertrain system design. This surge margin established with measurements in steady state testing regime limits the maximal engine torque at low levels of output. An active control of the compressor could reduce the surge margin and facilitate a transient compressor operation for a short time in surge zone. In this paper, an experimental study of the transient operation of a turbocharger compressor entering the surge zone is performed. Control of the turbocharger speed is sought to avoid unsteady operation using the variable geometry turbine (VGT) nozzle actuator. From a given stable operating point, surge is induced by reducing the opening of a valve located downstream of the compressor air circuit. The effect of reducing the speed of rotation by controlling the VGT valve is investigated, as this should lead to more stable compressor operation. The rotation speed of the turbocharger is controlled to avoid an unstable operating point using servo-actuator of variable geometry turbine. From a stable operating point, the surge appearance is caused by closing a butterfly valve downstream the air circuit of the compressor. The effect on the compressor rotation speed when the opening of variable geometry turbocharger valve is modified is studied. Measurements have been conducted for different control profiles of the VGT valve placed downstream the compressor. This article presents the means used to carry out these tests as well as the results of the measurements of the instantaneous signals of pressure, temperature, flow rate and rotation speed, allowing the analysis of the surge phenomenon.
Research on the influence of the clamping devices on the size of the perforated holes in long round pipes
Authors: Poiană D I , Ionel I , Drăghici G
Published: January 2022

When perforation by cold plastic deformation processes of long round pipes, the technological problems appear primarily at the deformation of the part section, in the perforation area by losing the stability of the part, in the case of holes made at a distance from the pipe ends. The purpose of the research was to determine the influence of the constructive shape of the pipe clamping devices in the perforation area, in order to determine the device that offers the best stability of the section, to allow obtaining possible holes as large in diameter. The research was based on the application of materials strength methods and the Castigliano method of solving the indeterminacy, related to the process of cold plastic deformation. The research materialized by determining some calculation relations and specific diagrams regarding the diameter’s variation of the perforated holes in the air environment, depending on the dimensions of the part and the mechanical characteristics of the part material, for different forms of clamping devices. The calculations were performed considering that the perforation is performed in air, with a punch applied from the outside of the considered piece. The calculation relations and the obtained diagrams allow the determination of the maximum orifices, for certain dimensions of the pipes and for different mechanical characteristics of the part material. At the conclusions, a comparison was made of the results obtained for the variants of clamping considered devices and the optimal shape of the device was established, which allows the making of the largest perforated holes in the part.
Calibration of the Azimuth Drive Angle Sensor of the Mobile Automated Astronomical System by Stars Observation
Authors: Tarasov S. M.
Published: January 2022

The paper describes the design of the mobile automated astronomical system (MAAS) and the technique of the MAAS azimuth drive calibration by the zenithal stars observation. This technique provides fast and accurate calibration of the MAAS azimuth drive angle sensor in field conditions.
Providing Nanosatellite Triaxial Gravitational Orientation Using Magnetic Actuators
Authors: Leonov A.I. , Nikolaev P.N.
Published: January 2022

Three-axis gravity stabilization of 3U CubeSat is achieved due to selection of the nanosatellite moments of inertia at the design stage, as well as special modes included in the algorithm to provide stabilization of CubeSat relative to each motion channel separately. In this paper, we propose a modified algorithm based on the magnetic stabilization algorithm B-dot. The modified algorithm provides three modes intended to damp the initial angular velocity to the value of the orbital angular velocity, to keep the angular velocity at a value close to that of the orbital angular velocity, and to provide the nanosatellite gravitational triaxial stabilization by using one magnetic coil located on the axis with the transversal moment of inertia, which is possible due to the small angle between the magnetic field line and the satellite's trajectory. We propose two modifications for forming a control loop for orientation and stabilization of the 3U CubeSat: the first one uses measurements from magnetometers and angular rate sensors as feedback, and the second one, only magnetometers. The efficiency of the two modifications of modifications was studied by means of statistical modeling.
Development of Alkali Vapor Cell for Miniature Nuclear Magnetic Gyroscope
Authors: Vlasova M A , Shevchenko A N
Published: January 2022

The article presents numerical requirements for vapor cells for a nuclear magnetic gyroscope. The design requirements for the cells, such as shape, size and transparency, as well as their influence on the characteristics of the gyroscope, in particular, on the angle random walk, are considered. The process of manufacturing vapor cells and control of their parameters is described.
Digital coded exposure formation of frames from event-based imagery
Authors: Gothard Andrew , Jones Daniel , Green Andre , Torrez Michael , Cattaneo Alessandro , Mascareñas David
Published: January 2022

Event-driven neuromorphic imagers have a number of attractive properties including low-power consumption, high dynamic range, the ability to detect fast events, low memory consumption and low band-width requirements. One of the biggest challenges with using event-driven imagery is that the field of event data processing is still embryonic. In contrast, decades worth of effort have been invested in the analysis of frame-based imagery. Hybrid approaches for applying established frame-based analysis techniques to event-driven imagery have been studied since event-driven imagers came into existence. However, the process for forming frames from event-driven imagery has not been studied in detail. This work presents a principled digital coded exposure approach for forming frames from event-driven imagery that is inspired by the physics exploited in a conventional camera featuring a shutter. The technique described in this work provides a fundamental tool for understanding the temporal information content that contributes to the formation of a frame from event-driven imagery data. Event-driven imagery allows for the application of arbitrary virtual digital shutter functions to form the final frame on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The proposed approach allows for the careful control of the spatio-temporal information that is captured in the frame. Furthermore, unlike a conventional physical camera, event-driven imagery can be formed into any variety of possible frames in post-processing after the data is captured. Furthermore, unlike a conventional physical camera, coded-exposure virtual shutter functions can assume arbitrary values including positive, negative, real, and complex values. The coded exposure approach also enables the ability to perform applications of industrial interest such as digital stroboscopy without any additional hardware. The ability to form frames from event-driven imagery in a principled manner opens up new possibilities in the ability to use conventional frame-based image processing techniques on event-driven imagery.
Ferroelectric-based synapses and neurons for neuromorphic computing
Authors: Covi Erika , Mulaosmanovic Halid , Max Benjamin , Slesazeck Stefan , Mikolajick Thomas
Published: January 2022

The shift towards a distributed computing paradigm, where multiple systems acquire and elaborate data in real-time, leads to challenges that must be met. In particular, it is becoming increasingly essential to compute on the edge of the network, close to the sensor collecting data. The requirements of a system operating on the edge are very tight: power efficiency, low area occupation, fast response times, and on-line learning. Brain-inspired architectures such as spiking neural networks (SNNs) use artificial neurons and synapses that simultaneously perform low-latency computation and internal-state storage with very low power consumption. Still, they mainly rely on standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technologies, making SNNs unfit to meet the aforementioned constraints. Recently, emerging technologies such as memristive devices have been investigated to flank CMOS technology and overcome edge computing systems’ power and memory constraints. In this review, we will focus on ferroelectric technology. Thanks to its CMOS-compatible fabrication process and extreme energy efficiency, ferroelectric devices are rapidly affirming themselves as one of the most promising technologies for neuromorphic computing. Therefore, we will discuss their role in emulating neural and synaptic behaviors in an area and power-efficient way.
Racial Residential Segregation in Young Adulthood and Brain Integrity in Middle Age: Can We Learn From Small Samples?
Authors: Zeki Al Hazzouri Adina , Jawadekar Neal , Kezios Katrina , Caunca Michelle R , Elfassy Tali , Calonico Sebastian , Kershaw Kiarri N , Yaffe Kristine , Launer Lenore , Elbejjani Martine , Grasset Leslie , Manly Jennifer , Odden Michelle C , Glymour M Maria
Published: January 2022

Racial residential segregation is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes in Black individuals. Yet, the influence of structural racism and racial residential segregation on brain aging is less understood. In this study, we investigated the association between cumulative exposure to racial residential segregation over 25 years (1985–2010) in young adulthood, as measured by the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic, and year 25 measures of brain volume (cerebral, gray matter, white matter, and hippocampal volumes) in midlife. We studied 290 Black participants with available brain imaging data who were enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study, a prospective cohort study. CARDIA investigators originally recruited 2,637 Black participants aged 18–30 years from 4 field centers across the United States. We conducted analyses using marginal structural models, incorporating inverse probability of treatment weighting and inverse probability of censoring weighting. We found that compared with low/medium segregation, greater cumulative exposure to a high level of racial residential segregation throughout young adulthood was associated with smaller brain volumes in general (e.g., for cerebral volume, β = –0.08, 95% confidence interval: −0.15, −0.02) and with a more pronounced reduction in hippocampal volume, though results were not statistically significant. Our findings suggest that exposure to segregated neighborhoods may be associated with worse brain aging.
Observer Gaze Patterns of Patient Photographs Before and After Facial Feminization
Authors: Gupta Nikita , White Hannah , Trott Skylar , Spiegel Jeffrey H
Published: January 2022

Background

Human interaction begins with visual evaluation of others, and this often centers on the face. Objective measurement of this evaluation gives clues to social perception.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to use eye-tracking technology to evaluate if there are scanpath differences when observers view faces of cisgender men, cisgender women, and transgender women before and after facial feminization surgery (FFS) including when assigning tasks assessing femininity, attractiveness, and likability.

Methods

Undergraduate psychology students were prospectively recruited as observers at a single institution. Their eye movements were recorded by eye-tracking technology when they were presented with frontal photographs of prototypical male, prototypical female, and pre- and post-FFS faces in a random order and then with prompting to assess femininity, attractiveness, and likability.

Results

Twenty-seven observers performed the tasks. Participants focused their attention more on the central triangle of post-FFS and prototypical female images and on the forehead of pre-FFS and prototypical male images. Higher femininity ratings were associated with longer proportional fixations to the central triangle and lower proportional fixations to the forehead.

Conclusions

This preliminary study implies the scanpath for viewing a post-FFS face is closer to that for viewing a prototypical female than a prototypical male based on differences viewing the forehead and brow vs the central triangle.
RCDPeaks: memory-efficient density peaks clustering of long molecular dynamics
Authors: Platero-Rochart Daniel , González-Alemán Roy , Hernández-Rodríguez Erix W , Leclerc Fabrice , Caballero Julio , Montero-Cabrera Luis
Published: January 2022

Motivation

Density Peaks is a widely spread clustering algorithm that has been previously applied to Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. Its conception of cluster centers as elements displaying both a high density of neighbors and a large distance to other elements of high density, particularly fits the nature of a geometrical converged MD simulation. Despite its theoretical convenience, implementations of Density Peaks carry a quadratic memory complexity that only permits the analysis of relatively short trajectories.

Results

Here, we describe DP+, an exact novel implementation of Density Peaks that drastically reduces the RAM consumption in comparison to the scarcely available alternatives designed for MD. Based on DP+, we developed RCDPeaks, a refined variant of the original Density Peaks algorithm. Through the use of DP+, RCDPeaks was able to cluster a one-million frames trajectory using less than 4.5 GB of RAM, a task that would have taken more than 2 TB and about 3× more time with the fastest and less memory-hunger alternative currently available. Other key features of RCDPeaks include the automatic selection of parameters, the screening of center candidates and the geometrical refining of returned clusters.

Availability and implementation

The source code and documentation of RCDPeaks are free and publicly available on GitHub (https://github.com/LQCT/RCDPeaks.git).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Unfamiliar liver lesions
Authors: Wong Damian , Ng Zi Qin , Weber Dieter
Published: January 2022

Macroscopic tan liver lesions, with biopsy diagnosing manifestation of another disease entity
Neuroanatomical correlates of speech and singing production in chronic post-stroke aphasia
Authors: Martínez-Molina Noelia , Siponkoski Sini-Tuuli , Pitkäniemi Anni , Moisseinen Nella , Kuusela Linda , Pekkola Johanna , Laitinen Sari , Särkämö Essi-Reetta , Melkas Susanna , Kleber Boris , Schlaug Gottfried , Sihvonen Aleksi , Särkämö Teppo
Published: January 2022

A classical observation in neurology is that aphasic stroke patients with impairments in speech production can nonetheless sing the same utterances. This preserved ability suggests a distinctive neural architecture for singing that could contribute to speech recovery. However, to date, these structural correlates remain unknown. Here, we combined a multivariate lesion–symptom mapping and voxel-based morphometry approach to analyse the relationship between lesion patterns and grey matter volume and production rate in speech and singing tasks. Lesion patterns for spontaneous speech and cued repetition extended into frontal, temporal and parietal areas typically reported within the speech production network. Impairment in spontaneous singing was associated with damage to the left anterior–posterior superior and middle temporal gyri. Preservation of grey matter volume in the same regions where damage led to poor speech and singing production supported better performance in these tasks. When dividing the patients into fluent and dysfluent singers based on the singing performance from demographically matched controls, we found that the preservation of the left middle temporal gyrus was related to better spontaneous singing. These findings provide insights into the structural correlates of singing in chronic aphasia and may serve as biomarkers to predict treatment response in clinical trials using singing-based interventions for speech rehabilitation.
UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS Analysis of the Phytochemical Compositions From Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai Fruits
Authors: Tao Weili , Zhao Chuanyi , Lin Gengxue , Wang Qiongjin , Lv Qian , Wang Shuyun , Chen Yicun
Published: January 2022

Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai (C. speciosa Nakai) is a popular fruit widely used in China for its health-promoting properties. The presences of phytochemical compositions in the plants play an important role in the health benefits. Nevertheless, the detailed information of these ingredients is still unknown. Therefore, in this work, an untargeted analytical method based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight coupled to mass spectrometry in two different ionization modes was used to qualitative the phytochemicals in C. speciosa Nakai, meanwhile, the anti-inflammatory activity of these phytochemicals was researched through detecting the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) that was induced by lipopolysaccharide in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. The results showed that there were totally 175 primary and secondary metabolites were identified in the fruit of C. speciosa Nakai, including phenols, terpenoids, flavonoids and other phyto-constituents. Actually, most compounds were described in C. speciosa Nakai fruits for the first time. Besides, the anti-inflammatory activity was measured by the result of NO inhibition rate, the consequence showed that the value of half-inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 365.208 μg/mL. These results indicate that C. speciosa Nakai is an efficient medicinal fruit, which owns various bioactivities and has the potential to treat various diseases.
Exercise-dependent changes in ventricular–arterial coupling and aortopulmonary collateral flow in Fontan patients: a real-time CMR study
Authors: Latus Heiner , Hofmann Lucas , Gummel Kerstin , Khalil Markus , Yerebakan Can , Waschulzik Birgit , Schranz Dietmar , Voges Inga , Jux Christian , Reich Bettina
Published: January 2022

Aims

Inefficient ventricular–arterial (V–A) coupling has been described in Fontan patients and may result in adverse haemodynamics. A varying amount of aortopulmonary collateral (APC) flow is also frequently present that increases volume load of the single ventricle. The aim of the study was to assess changes in V–A coupling and APC flow during exercise CMR.

Methods and results

Eighteen Fontan patients (age 24 ± 3 years) and 14 controls (age 23 ± 4 years) underwent exercise CMR using a cycle ergometer. Ventricular volumetry and flow measurements in the ascending aorta (AAO), inferior (IVC), and superior (SVC) vena cava were assessed using real-time sequences during stepwise increases in work load. Measures of systemic arterial elastance Ea, ventricular elastance Ees, and V–A coupling (Ea/Ees) were assessed. APC flow was quantified as AAO − (SVC + IVC). Ea remained unchanged during all levels of exercise in both groups (P = 0.39 and P = 0.11). Ees increased in both groups (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001) with exercise but was lower in the Fontan group (P = 0.04). V–A coupling was impaired in Fontan patients at baseline (P = 0.04). Despite improvement during exercise (P = 0.002) V–A coupling remained impaired compared with controls (P = 0.001). Absolute APC flow in Fontan patients did not change during exercise even at maximum work load (P = 0.98).

Conclusions

Inefficient V–A coupling was already present at rest in Fontan patients and aggravated during exercise due to a limited increase in ventricular contractility which demonstrates the importance of a limited functional reserve of the single ventricle. APC flow remained unchanged suggesting no further increase in volume load during exercise.
Prevalence of dyslipidemia and hypercholesterolemia awareness: results from the Lookup 7+ online project
Authors: Martone Anna Maria , Landi Francesco , Petricca Luca , Paglionico Annamaria , Liperoti Rosa , Cipriani Maria Camilla , Ciciarello Francesca , Rocchi Sara , Calvani Riccardo , Picca Anna , Marzetti Emanuele , Santoro Luca
Published: January 2022

Background

Cardiovascular disease still represents the leading cause of death worldwide. Management of risk factors remains crucial; despite this, hypercholesterolemia, which is one of the most important modifiable cardiovascular risk factor, is still high prevalent in general population. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and hypercholesterolemia awareness in a very large population.

Methods

More than 65 000 users completed the online, self-administered survey. It was structured like a ‘journey’ where each stage corresponded to a cardiovascular risk factor: blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol, diet, physical exercise, smoke and blood sugar. At the end, the user received a final evaluation of his health status.

Results

The mean age was 52.5 years (SD 13.9, range 18–98), with 35 402 (53.7%) men. About 56% of all participants believed to have normal cholesterol values, when only 40% of them really showed values <200 mg/dl. Only about 30% of all participants self-predicted to have abnormal cholesterol values whereas we found high cholesterol levels in about 60% of people.

Conclusions

Dyslipidemia is very prevalent and half of the people with high cholesterol is not aware of having high values.
A risk-prediction score for colorectal lesions on 12,628 participants at high risk of colorectal cancer
Authors: Liang Lixin , Liang Yingru , Li Ke , Qin Pengzhe , Lin Guozhen , Li Yan , Xu Huan , Wang Suixiang , Jing Qinlong , Liang Boheng , Xu Lin
Published: January 2022

Background

The uptake of colonoscopy is low in individuals at risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). We constructed a risk-prediction score (RPS) in a large community-based sample at high risk of CRC to enable more accurate risk stratification and to motivate and increase the uptake rate of colonoscopy.

Methods

A total of 12,628 participants classified as high-risk according to positivity of immunochemical fecal occult blood tests or High-Risk Factor Questionnaire underwent colonoscopy. Logistic regression was used to derive a RPS and analysed the associations of the RPS with colorectal lesions, giving odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Of the participants, men (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.58–1.90), older age (≥65 years; 1.41, 1.31–1.53), higher body mass index (≥28 kg/m2; 1.22, 1.07–1.39), ever smoking (1.47, 1.31–1.65), and weekly alcohol use (1.28, 1.09–1.52) were associated with a higher risk of colorectal lesions. We assigned 1 point to each of the above five risk factors and derived a RPS ranging from 0 to 5, with a higher score indicating a higher risk. Compared with a RPS of 0, a RPS of 1, 2, 3, and 4–5 showed a higher risk of colorectal lesions, with the OR (95% CI) being 1.50 (1.37–1.63), 2.34 (2.12–2.59), 3.58 (3.13–4.10), and 3.91 (3.00–5.10), respectively. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of RPS in predicting colorectal lesions was 0.62.

Conclusions

Participants with an increase in the RPS of ≥1 point had a significantly higher risk of colorectal lesions, suggesting the urgency for measuring colonoscopy in this very high-risk group. High-risk strategies incorporating RPS may be employed to achieve a higher colonoscopy-uptake rate.
The Social Construction of Stigma in Aged-Care Work: Implications for Health Professionals’ Work Intentions
Authors: Manchha Asmita V , Way Kïrsten A , Tann Ken , Thai Michael
Published: January 2022

Background and Objectives

Although society has cultivated a deeper appreciation for essential health services, societal discourses reinforce a stigma of working in aged care. Drawing on dirty work and Stigma Theory, this study aims to investigate stigma in the context of recruiting health professionals.

Research Design and Methods

We employed a mixed-methods design to examine the nature and implications of the stigma of working in aged care. A path analysis was used to test whether health professionals’ (n = 159) negative perceptions of aged-care work would negatively predict their willingness to work in aged care. A linguistic analysis was conducted to understand how health professionals’ (n = 168) use of language positions themselves toward or away from engaging in aged-care work.

Results

Quantitative findings revealed that perceptions of physical taint directly predicted lower willingness to perform aged-care work. Perceptions of social taint, moral taint, and poor occupational conditions negatively predicted willingness to work in institutional aged care, indirectly via social devaluation. Findings from the linguistic analysis demonstrated that health professionals (re)produce stigma through aligning themselves with devaluing discourses about aged-care workers, work, and institutions.

Discussion and Implications

This study provides insight about the role that stigma plays in the aged-care recruitment crisis, with implications for aged-care institutions. Societal discourse may obstruct the employment of health professionals in aged care because it can (re)produce the stigma of working in aged care. Recommendations for ways to reduce the impact of this stigma include public messaging and training.
The kissing polynomials and their Hankel determinants
Authors: Celsus Andrew F , Deaño Alfredo , Huybrechs Daan , Iserles Arieh
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we investigate algebraic, differential and asymptotic properties of polynomials $p_n(x)$ that are orthogonal with respect to the complex oscillatory weight $w(x)=\mathrm {e}^{\mathrm {i}\omega x}$ on the interval $[-1,1]$, where $\omega>0$. We also investigate related quantities such as Hankel determinants and recurrence coefficients. We prove existence of the polynomials $p_{2n}(x)$ for all values of $\omega \in \mathbb {R}$, as well as degeneracy of $p_{2n+1}(x)$ at certain values of $\omega $ (called kissing points). We obtain detailed asymptotic information as $\omega \to \infty $, using recent theory of multivariate highly oscillatory integrals, and we complete the analysis with the study of complex zeros of Hankel determinants, using the large $\omega $ asymptotics obtained before.
Inverting the ‘Gracelorn’ Father: Augustinian Notions of Evil and Goodness in Cormac McCarthy’S Outer Dark and The Road
Authors: Griffis Rachel B
Published: January 2022

Cormac McCarthy’s novels Outer Dark (1968) and The Road (2006) project different visions of fatherhood, yet both focus on men who travel dark, unnamed roads as they grapple with their responsibility to their children. The relation between the two novels indicates the possibility that fatherhood is the primary vehicle through which McCarthy explores good and evil. By drawing on Saint Augustine’s privative theory, this article suggests that evil in Outer Dark signifies an absence or perversion of virtue while The Road presents goodness as active submission to a moral authority. Reading the two novels together consequently affirms Augustine’s suggestion that ‘in vice there lurks a counterfeit beauty’. The portrayal of fatherhood in The Road elucidates the ‘counterfeit beauty’ of Outer Dark, which extends and deepens the theological dimensions of both works.
Modeling the ribosomal small subunit dynamic in Saccharomyces cerevisiae based on TCP-seq data
Authors: Neumann Tamar , Tuller Tamir
Published: January 2022

Translation Complex Profile Sequencing (TCP-seq), a protocol that was developed and implemented on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, provides the footprints of the small subunit (SSU) of the ribosome (with additional factors) across the entire transcriptome of the analyzed organism. In this study, based on the TCP-seq data, we developed for the first-time a predictive model of the SSU density and analyzed the effect of transcript features on the dynamics of the SSU scan in the 5′UTR. Among others, our model is based on novel tools for detecting complex statistical relations tailored to TCP-seq. We quantitatively estimated the effect of several important features, including the context of the upstream AUG, the upstream ORF length and the mRNA folding strength. Specifically, we suggest that around 50% of the variance related to the read counts (RC) distribution near a start codon can be attributed to the AUG context score. We provide the first large scale direct quantitative evidence that shows that indeed AUG context affects the small sub-unit movement. In addition, we suggest that strong folding may cause the detachment of the SSU from the mRNA. We also identified a number of novel sequence motifs that can affect the SSU scan; some of these motifs affect transcription factors and RNA binding proteins. The results presented in this study provide a better understanding of the biophysical aspects related to the SSU scan along the 5′UTR and of translation initiation in S. cerevisiae, a fundamental step toward a comprehensive modeling of initiation.
Prediction of exotic hyperon halos in neutron-rich Zr hypernuclei
Authors: Zhang Ying , Sagawa Hiroyuki , Hiyama Emiko
Published: January 2022

We study the single- and double-Λ hypernuclei in Zr isotopes with the Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov model and Skyrme-type nucleon–nucleon, Λ–nucleon, and Λ–Λ interactions. We found two peculiar features of the Λ hyperon halo phenomena that have never been found in nuclei without the strangeness degree of freedom. One is the d-wave halo, and the other is a bunch of three halo orbits just below the Λ hyperon threshold in $^{137}_\Lambda$Zr and also in $^{138}_{\Lambda \Lambda }$Zr. We name these exotic halo phenomena giant hyperon halos in hypernuclei whose core nucleus 136Zr was predicted to have a “giant neutron halo.” The interaction between Λ hyperons and the neutrons is responsible for inducing giant hyperon halo phenomena in the single- and double-Λ nuclei $^{137}_\Lambda$Zr and $^{138}_{\Lambda \Lambda }$Zr.
Evidence for Shared Genetic Aetiology Between Schizophrenia, Cardiometabolic, and Inflammation-Related Traits: Genetic Correlation and Colocalization Analyses
Authors: Perry Benjamin I , Bowker Nicholas , Burgess Stephen , Wareham Nicholas J , Upthegrove Rachel , Jones Peter B , Langenberg Claudia , Khandaker Golam M
Published: January 2022

Background

Schizophrenia commonly co-occurs with cardiometabolic and inflammation-related traits. It is unclear to what extent the comorbidity could be explained by shared genetic aetiology.

Methods

We used GWAS data to estimate shared genetic aetiology between schizophrenia, cardiometabolic, and inflammation-related traits: fasting insulin (FI), fasting glucose, glycated haemoglobin, glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes (T2D), lipids, body mass index (BMI), coronary artery disease (CAD), and C-reactive protein (CRP). We examined genome-wide correlation using linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC); stratified by minor-allele frequency using genetic covariance analyzer (GNOVA); then refined to locus-level using heritability estimation from summary statistics (ρ-HESS). Regions with local correlation were used in hypothesis prioritization multi-trait colocalization to examine for colocalisation, implying common genetic aetiology.

Results

We found evidence for weak genome-wide negative correlation of schizophrenia with T2D (rg = −0.07; 95% C.I., −0.03,0.12; P = .002) and BMI (rg = −0.09; 95% C.I., −0.06, −0.12; P = 1.83 × 10−5). We found a trend of evidence for positive genetic correlation between schizophrenia and cardiometabolic traits confined to lower-frequency variants. This was underpinned by 85 regions of locus-level correlation with evidence of opposing mechanisms. Ten loci showed strong evidence of colocalization. Four of those (rs6265 (BDNF); rs8192675 (SLC2A2); rs3800229 (FOXO3); rs17514846 (FURIN)) are implicated in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-related pathways.

Conclusions

LDSC may lead to downwardly-biased genetic correlation estimates between schizophrenia, cardiometabolic, and inflammation-related traits. Common genetic aetiology for these traits could be confined to lower-frequency common variants and involve opposing mechanisms. Genes related to BDNF and glucose transport amongst others may partly explain the comorbidity between schizophrenia and cardiometabolic disorders.