bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of exogenous lactic acid bacteria on growth and development of different herbaceous peony varieties and rhizosphere soil nutrients
Authors: Yang Xiao , Yang Lijin , Shi Yajie , Lei Fuling , Dong Lingling , Zheng Chengshu , Zhang Dongliang , Sun Limin , Xie Anqi , Sun Xia
Published: December 2023

There are replanting problems in the production of herbaceous peony. If ramet seedlings are replanted in the original planting hole, they weaken year-by-year until their death, which reduces the land utilisation rate and increases the production costs. In this study, exogenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB, the main component is Lactobacillus plantarum) were applied to improve the planting soil of herbaceous peony for the first time to alleviate the replanting problems, to reduce the production costs, and to provide a new way to promote the of the herbaceous peony industry. In this study, herbaceous peony main cultivars varieties ‘Dafugui’ ‘Hongxiuqiu’ and ‘Zifengyu’ were selected, and experiments were conducted using exogenous LAB. Morphological, rhizosphere soil, and root physiology indexes were measured by sampling at the end of the high-growth periods of herbaceous peony. The results showed that after LAB treatment, the plant height, flowering rate, other morphological indexes and root vitality of ‘Hongxiuqiu’ were increased, with a better promoting effect than that of ‘Dafugui’ and ‘Zifengyu’. The ‘Dafugui’ rhizosphere soil nutrient content and enzyme activity were improved, followed by ‘Hongxiuqiu’ and ‘Zifengyu’. The rhizosphere soil free salicylic acid content and root abscisic acid content decreased, whereas the soil bacterial abundance, root antioxidant enzyme activity, proline and paeoniflorin content increased in all varieties. This study found that LAB application can improve soil fertility and enzyme activity, promote the growth and development of herbaceous peony, increase the flowering rate and improve the ornamental value. However, the influence of LAB on different herbaceous peony varieties varied. Therefore, it is necessary to further expand the number of varieties, optimise the application concentration and frequency of LAB application, alleviate the replanting problems in herbaceous peony production, improve the utilisation rate of land, promote excellent varieties of herbaceous peony, and provide a new methods and references.

Graphical abstract
Engaging communities to inform the development of a diverse cohort of cancer survivors: formative research for the eat move sleep study (EMOVES)
Authors: Andemeskel Ghilamichael , Palmer Nynikka R. , Pasick Rena , Van Blarigan Erin L. , Kenfield Stacey A. , Graff Rebecca E. , Shaw Michael , Yu Wil , Sanchez Mayte , Hernandez Roberto , Washington Samuel L. , Shariff-Marco Salma , Rhoads Kim F. , Chan June M.
Published: December 2023

Background

There are more than 18 million cancer survivors in the United States. Yet, survivors of color remain under-represented in cancer survivorship research (Saltzman et al. in Contemp Clin Trials Commun 29:100986, 2022; Pang et al. in J Clin Oncol 34:3992–3999, 2016; Lythgoe et al. in Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 24:1208–1211, 2021). Our long-term goal is to enroll and follow a cohort of historically under-represented cancer survivors, to better understand modifiable risk factors that influence clinical and quality of life outcomes in these populations. Towards that goal, we describe herein how we applied community-based participatory research approaches to develop inclusive study materials for enrolling such a cohort.

Methods

We implemented community engagement strategies to inform and enhance the study website and recruitment materials for this cohort including: hiring a dedicated engagement coordinator/community health educator as a member of our team; working with the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Office of Community Engagement (OCE) and Community Advisory Board members; presenting our educational, research, and study recruitment materials at community events; and establishing a community advisory group specifically for the study (4 individuals). In parallel with these efforts, 20 semi-structured user testing interviews were conducted with diverse cancer survivors to inform the look, feel, and usability of the study website.

Results

Engagement with community members was a powerful and important approach for this study’s development. Feedback was solicited and used to inform decisions regarding the study name (eat move sleep, EMOVES), logo, study website content and imagery, and recruitment materials. Based on community feedback, we developed additional educational materials on healthy groceries and portion size in multiple languages and created a study video.

Conclusions

Including an engagement coordinator as a permanent team member, partnering with the institutional community outreach and engagement resources (i.e., OCE), and allocating dedicated time and financial support for cultivating relationships with stakeholders outside the university were critical to the development of the study website and materials. Our community guided strategies will be tested as we conduct enrollment through community advisor networks and via the state cancer registry.
A rare case report of frontoethmoidal encephalocele in a neonate
Authors: Kibru Ermias Algawork , Mogessie Yidnekachew Girma
Published: December 2023

Background

The protrusion of cranial contents via a skull defect is known as an encephalocele. Unlike western countries where occipital encephalocele dominates, anterior encephaloceles are the most common types of encephalocele in Southeast Asia, parts of Russia, and Central Africa. We present the clinical presentation and surgical management of an 8-day-old infant with frontoethmoidal encephalocele.

Case presentation

An 8-day-old neonate born to a 24-year-old mother with no antenatal follow-up was referred with a compliant of frontonasal swelling which was present since birth. Physical examination of the neonate revealed a cystic lobulated swelling over the upper edge of the nasal bridge. Computed tomography imaging showed an anterior skull defect, resulting in frontonasal meningoencephalocele. The patient underwent a one-stage operation, which combined nasal-coronal approach with frontal craniotomy, to remove the dysplastic tissue and reconstruct the defect. The patient had successful recovery period with acceptable cosmesis.

Conclusion

We presented a case of frontoethmoidal encephalocele, which is rare in western countries but whose incidence is relatively higher in African countries. Perinatal care is necessary for prevention and early detection of such cases. Direct surgical repair is still the main mode of intervention.
Polyphenol-based antibacterial and antioxidative nanoparticles for improved peritonitis therapy
Authors: Dong Jinhong , Wang Tianyou , Li Haotian , Zhang Jianhua , Zhang Hengjie , Liu Weijie , You Xinru , Gu Zhipeng , Li Yiwen , Chen Xianchun , Fu Qiang
Published: December 2023

The development of advanced sustainable biomedical materials with superior biosafety and bioactivity for clinical applications is highly desirable. In the present investigation, biomass-based nanoparticles (NPs) were assembled through the Mannich reaction between the plant polyphenols and the broad-spectrum antibiotic tigecycline (TG). The fabricated NPs with uniform size demonstrated excellent oxidative balance effects, pH-responsive release properties and antibacterial performances. Furthermore, the intracellular and in vivo studies confirmed that the NPs are capable of reducing oxidative damage to cells and significantly repairing tissue injury in mice with peritonitis. This work presents an effective method and idea for constructing biomass-based materials for the treatment of infection-induced diseases.

Graphical Abstract
Impact of family history of cancer on colorectal cancer screening: a propensity score-matched analysis from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS)
Authors: Akonde Maxwell , Mishio Bawa Eric , Dakurah Ottovon Bismark , Das Gupta Rajat
Published: December 2023

Background

Early detection of colon cancer leads to better survival outcomes. This can be achieved through colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. People with a family history of cancer (FHC) have increased risk of developing CRC. Increasing screening in this group will reduce CRC mortality. This study evaluated CRC screening in people with FHC.

Methods

The study used data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5, cycle 3. This is an annual cross-sectional survey with a nationally representative sample of American adults. The objective was to study the association between FHC and performing CRC screening. Propensity score matching was used to create a matched population with variables that constituted beliefs in cancer from the survey. Replication procedure, which is based on repeated sampling and allows for accurate computation of standard errors, was used for calculating statistical tests. Multivariable models were fitted in the matched population to assess the association between FHC and performing CRC screening.

Results

People with FHC were 14% (OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 0.81–1.60) more likely to perform CRC screening than those without FHC, even though not statistically significant. Age in years (OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.12–5.27) had increased likelihood of performing CRC screening, while other races such as American Indians/Alaskan Natives (except African Americans) compared to Caucasians (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.29–0.84) had significantly decreased likelihood of performing CRC screening.

Conclusion

FHC was not significantly associated with having a colorectal cancer screening test. Public health advocacy should be directed towards increasing awareness of CRC screening among people with FHC.
COVID-19-related health literacy and preparedness to what may come: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Moustafa Hebatallah Ahmed Mohamed , Kassem Amira B.
Published: December 2023

Background

Since the first report of COVID-19 in 2019, information released has been fast and vast. Health literacy focuses on individual skills to obtain, process, and understand health information and services necessary to make informed health decisions. Increasing the level of health literacy can be addressed by the provision of high-quality, trustworthy, easy-to-access, and easy-to-understand information about COVID-19. This work aimed to assess COVID-19-related health literacy in the Egyptian population living in Alexandria and determine its associated factors. This cross-sectional study was performed during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, using a questionnaire assessing COVID-19-related health literacy, adapted from HLS-EU-Q. The work included four phases. The first phase was questionnaire designing and tools used. The second phase included questionnaire filling by participants. The third phase was concerned with increasing population awareness about the COVID-19 pandemic. The fourth phase was the statistical analysis of the data.

Results

The sample compromised 3960 persons. More than half of the Egyptian population living in Alexandria have inadequate or problematic COVID-19-related health literacy scores. Female gender, younger age, higher socioeconomic status, professions with a medical background, and level of education were positively correlated with COVID-19-related health literacy.

Conclusion

COVID-19-related health literacy levels in the Egyptian population living in Alexandria are not sufficient. Policymakers, healthcare providers, and media must act proactively to increase the level of the citizens’ COVID-19-related health literacy and prepare them for other pandemics that may come later.
Non-hypertrophic gastric outlet obstruction in the paediatric population: a case series with focus on management
Authors: El-Mefleh Naser , Ba’Ath Muhammad Eyad
Published: December 2023

Background

Non-hypertrophic gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) in children is rare and usually presents beyond infancy. Aetiology is variable, and management is not well established due to its rarity.

Methods

We aimed to conduct a descriptive study of these cases within our geographic area. It is a retrospective chart review of all children with non-hypertrophic gastric outlet obstruction presenting to three hospitals in northwest Syria during the period 2019–2023. Demographics, presentation, and management data were extracted.

Results

Twelve cases were identified, eight males, with age range 1–12 years and follow-up range 3–42 months. Eight patients had a history drinking battery acid and one with ingestion of high-dose ibuprofen. The other three had no clear aetiology. Five patients improved by endoscopic balloon dilatations (EBD), and seven needed surgeries. All those who had successful EBD were treated within 3 weeks of ingestion.

Conclusion

Non-hypertrophic GOO in children is rare and mostly related to caustic material ingestion. Treatment by endoscopic balloon dilatation is likely to be successful if done within 3 weeks from caustic ingestion. After that period, often surgery is needed.
CD5 Gene Signature Identifies Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas Sensitive to Brutonʼs Tyrosine Kinase Inhibition
Authors: Cooper Alan , Tumuluru Sravya , Kissick Kyle , Venkataraman Girish , Song Joo Y. , Lytle Andrew , Duns Gerben , Yu Jovian , Kotlov Nikita , Bagaev Aleksander , Hodkinson Brendan , Srinivasan Srimathi , Smith Sonali M. , Scott David W. , Steidl Christian , Godfrey James K. , Kline Justin
Published: December 2023

PURPOSE

A genetic classifier termed LymphGen accurately identifies diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) subtypes vulnerable to Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKis), but is challenging to implement in the clinic and fails to capture all DLBCLs that benefit from BTKi-based therapy. Here, we developed a novel CD5 gene expression signature as a biomarker of response to BTKi-based therapy in DLBCL.

METHODS

CD5 immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on 404 DLBCLs to identify CD5 IHC+ and CD5 IHC– cases, which were subsequently characterized at the molecular level through mutational and transcriptional analyses. A 60-gene CD5 gene expression signature (CD5sig) was constructed using genes differentially expressed between CD5 IHC+ and CD5 IHC– non–germinal center B-cell-like (non-GCB DLBCL) DLBCLs. This CD5sig was applied to external DLBCL data sets, including pretreatment biopsies from patients enrolled in the PHOENIX study (n = 584) to define the extent to which the CD5sig could identify non-GCB DLBCLs that benefited from the addition of ibrutinib to rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP).

RESULTS

CD5 expression was observed in 12% of non-GCB DLBCLs. CD5+ DLBCLs displayed transcriptional features of B-cell receptor (BCR) activation and were enriched for BCR-activating mutations known to correlate with BTKi sensitivity. However, most CD5+ DLBCLs lacked canonical BCR-activating mutations or were LymphGen-unclassifiable (LymphGen-Other). The CD5sig recapitulated these findings in multiple independent data sets, indicating its utility in identifying DLBCLs with genetic and nongenetic bases for BCR dependence. Supporting this notion, CD5sig+ DLBCLs derived a selective survival advantage from the addition of ibrutinib to R-CHOP in the PHOENIX study, independent of LymphGen classification.

CONCLUSION

CD5sig is a useful biomarker to identify DLBCLs vulnerable to BTKi-based therapies and complements current biomarker approaches by identifying DLBCLs with genetic and nongenetic bases for BTKi sensitivity.
Endothelin signaling in development
Authors: Kanai Stanley M. , Clouthier David E.
Published: December 2023

Since the discovery of endothelin 1 (EDN1) in 1988, the role of endothelin ligands and their receptors in the regulation of blood pressure in normal and disease states has been extensively studied. However, endothelin signaling also plays crucial roles in the development of neural crest cell-derived tissues. Mechanisms of endothelin action during neural crest cell maturation have been deciphered using a variety of in vivo and in vitro approaches, with these studies elucidating the basis of human syndromes involving developmental differences resulting from altered endothelin signaling. In this Review, we describe the endothelin pathway and its functions during the development of neural crest-derived tissues. We also summarize how dysregulated endothelin signaling causes developmental differences and how this knowledge may lead to potential treatments for individuals with gene variants in the endothelin pathway.
PAR-4/LKB1 prevents intestinal hyperplasia by restricting endoderm specification in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos
Authors: Demouchy Flora , Nicolle Ophélie , Michaux Grégoire , Pacquelet Anne
Published: December 2023

The kinase PAR-4/LKB1 is a major regulator of intestinal homeostasis, which prevents polyposis in humans. Moreover, its ectopic activation is sufficient to induce polarization and formation of microvilli-like structures in intestinal cell lines. Here, we use Caenorhabditis elegans to examine the role of PAR-4 during intestinal development in vivo. We show that it is not required to establish enterocyte polarity and plays only a minor role in brush border formation. By contrast, par-4 mutants display severe deformations of the intestinal lumen as well as supernumerary intestinal cells, thereby revealing a previously unappreciated function of PAR-4 in preventing intestinal hyperplasia. The presence of supernumerary enterocytes in par-4 mutants is not due to excessive cell proliferation, but rather to the abnormal expression of the intestinal cell fate factors end-1 and elt-2 outside the E lineage. Notably, par-4 mutants also display reduced expression of end-1 and elt-2 inside the E lineage. Our work thereby unveils an essential and dual role of PAR-4, which both restricts intestinal specification to the E lineage and ensures its robust differentiation.
Programming human cell fate: overcoming challenges and unlocking potential through technological breakthroughs
Authors: Lin Hsiu-Chuan , Makhlouf Aly , Vazquez Echegaray Camila , Zawada Dorota , Simões Filipa
Published: December 2023

In recent years, there have been notable advancements in the ability to programme human cell identity, enabling us to design and manipulate cell function in a Petri dish. However, current protocols for generating target cell types often lack efficiency and precision, resulting in engineered cells that do not fully replicate the desired identity or functional output. This applies to different methods of cell programming, which face similar challenges that hinder progress and delay the achievement of a more favourable outcome. However, recent technological and analytical breakthroughs have provided us with unprecedented opportunities to advance the way we programme cell fate. The Company of Biologists’ 2023 workshop on ‘Novel Technologies for Programming Human Cell Fate’ brought together experts in human cell fate engineering and experts in single-cell genomics, manipulation and characterisation of cells on a single (sub)cellular level. Here, we summarise the main points that emerged during the workshop's themed discussions. Furthermore, we provide specific examples highlighting the current state of the field as well as its trajectory, offering insights into the potential outcomes resulting from the application of these breakthrough technologies in precisely engineering the identity and function of clinically valuable human cells.
Challenges in the application of the Tshivenda scientific register in the teaching and learning of state of matter and the kinetic molecular theory in grade 10 physical sciences classrooms
Authors: Netshivhumbe Ndivhuwo P , Mudau Awelani V.
Published: December 2023

Background: This paper investigated some of the challenges in the application of Tshivenda scientific register (TSR) during classroom practices of some physical sciences teachers in some of the public secondary schools in the Vhembe West District, South Africa. Methods: It was an interpretative qualitative case study wherein three physical sciences teachers and 40 learners took part in the study. The study conducted at schools of Vhuronga 2 circuit in Vhembe West District between January 2022 to November 2022. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations were used for data collections. Researchers analyzed their data through Data Analysis Scheme (DAS) which comprised of themes, categories, and characteristics in this qualitative study. Texts that belong to a particular theme were highlighted using same colour and track changes was also used to codify categories and characteristics of a theme. Results: The research findings had shown numerous challenges in the teaching and learning of physical sciences including teachers and learners not used to physical sciences being taught and learnt through TSR, not familiar with some scientific words in TSR, difficulties in understanding scientific term in TSR as well as absence of Tshivenda physical sciences resources beside TSR. Consequently, this has impacts on teacher and learner’s ability to implement TSR in the teaching and learning of Physical Sciences. Moreover, the findings also show that teachers and learners participated in the study sometimes switch from Tshivenda Scientific words to English Scientific words during Physical Sciences lessons. Conclusions: Therefore, it is suggested that the above-mentioned challenges in the development and application of TSR for Physical Sciences teaching need to be addressed so that teachers can teach learners Physical Sciences through language they know best. Hence, physical sciences teachers must be developed, trained, and furnished with essential language skills for them to develop Tshivenda scientific language registers on other sciences topics.
PHYSICS-INFORMED NEURAL NETWORK FOR ANALYZING ELASTIC BEAM BEHAVIOR
Authors: RADBAKHSH SOHEIL HEIDARIAN HEIDARIAN , ZANDI KAMYAB , NIK-BAKHT MAZDAK
Published: December 2023

This paper introduces a methodology that combines a physics-based model with observed data for accurately modeling the deflection of an elastic beam in the context of structural health monitoring. The challenges associated with physics-based and databased methods such as computational time, simplifying assumptions, and seamless integration of sensor data with physics-based models are addressed. The presented method offers a promising approach by effectively fusing data with prior physical knowledge in a cost-effective manner. The proposed methodology is validated through comparisons with analytical and finite element analysis methods for beams with various irregularities such as point loads and supports. The results demonstrate the advantages of integrating sensor data into the model for faster convergence and improved accuracy.
ACOUSTIC EMISSION MONITORING OF PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE BEAMS DURING ACCELERATED CORROSION OF PRE-STRESSING TENDONS
Authors: MAHMOUDKHANI SADEGH , ZHAO JUNHUI , COCHINGCO JASMIN , MUFTI AFTAB , THOMSON DOUGLAS
Published: December 2023

Acoustic sensors attached to pre-stressed/post-tensioned bridges are promising tools for monitoring the progression of corrosion damage in pre-stressing/post-tensioning tendons. In this study, acoustic emission signals from a pre-stressed beam containing three pre-stressed tendons that were exposed to accelerated corrosion conditions were studied. A short length of each tendon was exposed, and a tank filled with the NaCl solution was placed over the exposed tendon. Over a period of several months, a corrosion current was driven into the tendons until at least one wire corroded through. Acoustic sensors were attached along the beam and were used to record acoustic emission events during the accelerated corrosion. At the termination of the accelerated corrosion experiment, the beam was sliced into sixty-two cross-sections, each being 5 cm thick. Each slice was inspected to correlate corrosion and tendon slippage with acoustic emission signals. Maps of the estimated origin of acoustic emission signals were compared with the maps of the position of tendon corrosion and slippage. The acoustic emission signals were correlated with the presence of wire fracture due to corrosion on the tendon and with proximity to the end of the beam. The larger emission signals are likely due to the loss of bond between the tendons and concrete, as tendon fracture due to corrosion was not found in any of the cross-sections. This work points to the use of acoustic emission to track the progression of damage in cases where corrosion has already resulted in tendon fracture, and progression is proceeding by loss of bond.
APPLICABILITY OF DATA AUGMENTATION THROUGH VARIATIONAL AUTOENCODER FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL ACOUSTIC EMISSION SOURCE DISCRIMINATION ON HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL STRUCTURES
Authors: LEE GUAN-WEI , LIVADIOTIS STYLIANOS , SALAMONE SALVATORE
Published: December 2023

A data augmentation method is studied in this work to supplement previously proposed variational autoencoder (VAE) based acoustic emission (AE) source discrimination tool. The VAE model distinguishes the sources of collected AE signals through the multiple Lamb mode arrivals resulting from helical paths. It displayed the ability to discriminate pencil-lead-break (PLB) waveform dataset collected at a liquid nitrogen tank by source locations. VAE infers source-discriminative latent variable distribution conditioned on the observed waveforms and can be further applied to localization predictions for unseen waveforms. However, the prediction will be limited to source coordinates included in the training dataset. Therefore, this work studies the applicability of data augmentation using VAE to approximate waveform envelopes from sources coordinates that are not included in the PLB dataset, which are called target source in this study. Approximated waveforms of target source were introduced by interpolating the learned mode arrival characteristics to augment the original dataset. The augmented data set trained an updated latent variable distribution that accounted for the target source. Actual waveforms from target source were projected to updated latent space and validated the effectiveness of augment waveforms. This positive outcome provides confidence on pursuing data augmentation applications through VAE to assist AE localization.
DELAMINATION SIZE PREDICTION FOR COMPRESSIVE FATIGUE LOADED COMPOSITE STRUCTURES VIA ULTRASONIC GUIDED WAVE BASED STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING
Authors: GÜL FERDA C. , MORADI MORTEZA , BENEDICTUS RINZE , HADJRIA RAFIK , LUGOVTSOVA EVGENIYA , ZAROUCHAS DIMITRIOS
Published: December 2023

Under in-plane compressive load conditions, the growth of a delamination initially induced by an impact can be followed by a fast growth after a threshold level, which leads to a catastrophic failure in composite structures. To avoid reaching this critical level, it is essential to uncover the delamination size and growth pattern in real time. Ultrasonic Guided Waves (UGW) have a strong capability to interrogate and monitor the structure in real-time and thus track the growth of damage, which may occur during the flight cycles. Although various types of damage affect the monitored UGW signals, it is challenging to determine from the UGW signals what types of damage and at what rate of growth are occurring within the structure. UGW signals can be acquired at defined intervals and then analysed to possibly detect different types of damages, such as delamination, and to quantify the rate of damage growth over fatigue cycles. However, correlating the UGW-based Damage Indicators (DIs) with the specific type of damage, such as delamination, and damage growth is a challenging task as the relation between these DIs and the actual damage state is very complex. Therefore, in this study, a supervised Deep Neural Network-based (DNN) prediction model is proposed aiming to diagnose the delamination size of the composite structure by correlating the UGW-based DIs with the quantified time-varying delamination size. UGW data is collected through a network of permanently installed piezoelectric transducers (PZTs). The delamination size is obtained through ultrasonic C-Scan technique at defined cycles. DIs are extracted in time, frequency, and time-frequency domains and used as the input for the DNN-based regression model. Each sensoractuator path is considered as an independent set of indicators, which are separated for training, validation, and testing purposes. The effect of the different paths on the delamination size prediction is presented along with the model performance on measured delamination growth in woven type composite sample.
DELAMINATION DAMAGE DETECTION OF CFRP COMPOSITE STRUCTURES USING DSAN-BASED DEEP TRANSFER LEARNING APPROACH
Authors: XU XUEBING , LIU CHENG
Published: December 2023

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) is a kind of lightweight composite material widely used in aerospace. Since the progressive development of fatigue damage is complex and leads to potential safety risks in CFRP structures, structural health monitoring based on Lamb wave has been developed to track the growth of fatigue damages using a sensor network attached to the surface, which is experimentally intensive and expensive. To overcome the above challenges, a composite fatigue damage diagnosis method based on deep transfer learning is proposed to transfer the physical mechanism provided by numerical models to the diagnosis of real monitoring data. Firstly, numerical models of the composite structures are built to indicate the accumulation of fatigue damage during the full life cycle by introducing delamination between three sub-structures of cross-ply laminates. Then simulation signals with high fidelity are generated by virtual sensors and input into a data-driven diagnostic model with monitoring data. By aligning the data distribution of corresponding categories in simulation and experiment datasets respectively, the sub-domain adaptation is implemented and the physical mechanism provided by digital models is thereby fused with monitoring data. In this situation, the diagnostic model can still achieve more than 81% accuracy on a smaller training set, which performs better than conventional methods and significantly reduces the number of aging experiments.
A ROBOTIC-BASED FRAMEWORK FOR QUANTIFYING SURFACE CRACKS OF CONCRETE SHEAR WALLS
Authors: BAZRAFSHAN PEDRAM , EBRAHIMKHANLOU ARVIN
Published: December 2023

The inherently subjective and manual nature of current structural assessment procedures undermines the reliability of such practices. As a result, researchers are using artificial intelligence and robots to encourage autonomy and create methods that are more objective and less biased. Robots are equipped with cameras and sensors to collect information about the structure, such as images of the crack patterns of concrete structures. In this paper, a robotic framework is proposed to utilize the collected images of reinforced concrete shear walls (RCSWs) with crack patterns, and then those images are used to quantify the level of damage. Crack pattern images are from the load steps of a quasi-static test on an RCSW. To quantify the extent of damage, crack patterns are first converted to a mathematical representation, a graph. Next, a machine learning algorithm is trained to predict the energy dissipated during each load cycle based on the graphs. Results reveal that the presented graph-based damage quantification method is able to quantify the level of structural damage. High R2 scores of the machine learning regression (above 0.98) attest to the success of the proposed robotic-based framework.
TASK-SIGNIFICANCE-AWARE META LEARNING FOR FEW-IMAGE-BASED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE RECOGNITION
Authors: XU YANG , LI YI , FAN YUNFEI , ZHENG XIAODONG , BAO YUEQUAN
Published: December 2023

Recently, structural damage recognition has gained significant progress using deep learning and computer vision techniques. However, massive training images, the interclass balance and completeness of damage categories are essential to ensure recognition accuracy. In addition, the generalization ability for new damage categories and robustness under real-world scenarios are limited. This study proposes a task-aware meta-learning paradigm using limited images for universal structural damage segmentation. First, a novel task generation strategy instead of random sampling is designed based on feature density clustering. A synthetical metric of Jaccard distance and Euclidean distance is established to measure the feature similarity among multitype damage images. The class separability discovered in the high-level feature space of multi-type structural damage enhances the interpretability of randomly-generated tasks for conventional meta-learning. Second, a dual-stage optimization framework is built based on Model-Agnostic Meta-Learning (MAML), comprising an internal optimization stage of the semantic segmentation model (U-Net) and an external optimization stage of the meta-learning machine. Third, a set of core samples around the cluster center is selected to form an additional query pool and evaluate the tasksignificance scores of different tasks within a meta-batch by the same criteria. The task-significance scores are utilized in the external optimization to control the orientation of gradient updates towards more significant tasks. To verify the effectiveness and necessity of the proposed method, ablation experiments are performed using a multi-type structural damage dataset, including concrete crack, steel fatigue crack, and concrete spalling. The proposed method outperforms directly training the original U-Net and the conventional MAML algorithm using only a handful of training samples with improvements in segmentation accuracy. In addition, the improvement in recognition accuracy increases when using fewer training images, further indicating the efficacy of the proposed method. The generalization ability for new structural damage of steel corrosion is also demonstrated.
INTUITIVE AND LESS-SUPERVISED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE DETECTION USING PHASE-BASED VIBRATION IMAGING
Authors: KONG YESEUL , MIAO YINAN , LEE SEUNG HWAN , PARK GYUHAE
Published: December 2023

Numerous structural vibration monitoring techniques have been developed to identify structural operational conditions or structural damage. However, a high-level supervision from experts is usually required especially for applications on complicated structures. Cameras, as a noncontact sensor, have emerged as a powerful tool for measuring the full-field vibration of complex structures due to its advantages over the traditional contact sensors, such as flexible positioning, simultaneous multi-points tracking, and high-spatial resolution. However, extracting key information from the large amount of data from video sequences can be challenging. In this paper, we propose an improved phase-based optical flow method to efficiently estimate the full-field displacement, enabling visualization of the vibration energy distribution in a lesssupervised manner. The method consists of several steps. First, multiple Gabor filters are applied to extract the local phases at different scales and in different directions. The phase variations and spatial gradients are then used to estimate displacement components at each pixel. Sub-pixel level accuracy is achieved by rejecting unreliable components using confidence measures and then integrating them into the motion. The user only needs to provide inputs for two thresholds of confidence measures. Second, based on the extracted full-field displacements, the structural vibration is transformed into a series of images using feature extraction techniques, such as mean absolute deviation, which scales the amplitude of vibration level, and/or frequency filtering which visualizes operational deflection shapes in near real-time. Finally, a nonlinearity weighted local area mapping algorithm is proposed to detect anomalies present in a structure, which is done by calculating the difference in the full-field feature map between healthy and tested states. To validate our approach, we conducted on experiment on an air compressor and compared the results with those measured by accelerometers. The results showed that the proposed vibration imaging technique can clearly identify damage and indicate its potential for various structural dynamics applications.
ENHANCING DEEP LEARNING-BASED DAMAGE SEGMENTATION WITH DEPTH HALLUCINATION
Authors: MONDAL TARUTAL GHOSH , JAHANSHAHI MOHAMMAD R.
Published: December 2023

Recent studies have suggested that the fusion of cross-modal information can enhance the performance of deep learning-based segmentation algorithms. In this context, this study evaluates the benefits of RGB-D fusion with regard to damage segmentation in reinforced concrete buildings. The fusion of depth data was observed to enhance the segmentation performance significantly. Additionally, a number of surrogate techniques based on modality hallucination and monocular depth estimation are exploited to eliminate the need for depth sensing at test time without foregoing the benefits of depth fusion. The proposed techniques require depth data only for network training, and at test time, depth features are simulated from the corresponding RGB frames, obliterating the need for real depth perception. The proposed methods are evaluated and are shown to increase the damage segmentation accuracy.
Using the PMO to enforce and standardize the attention of software project managers to needs of software project teams
Authors: Hans Robert , Mnkandla Ernest
Published: December 2023

Software project teams (SPTs) are critical stakeholders. Their contribution in successful delivery of software projects is unquestionable. However, the empirical evidence of their importance seems to exist on paper only, as software project managers (SPMs) and scholars in the project management field ignore their individual needs, and as a result, SPTs remain the most neglected stakeholder group in the software industry. In endeavoring to address the neglect of SPTs by SPMs, the authors of this study developed a model aimed at assisting SPMs to pay due consideration to the needs of this important stakeholder group. At the heart of the model’s functionality is the Project Management Office (PMO), which intends to enforce and standardize the gathering and addressing of software project team needs and interests by SPMs. The aim of the research study is to investigate how the functions of the PMO can be applied to operationalize the enforcement and standardization of the overall function of the model. Since the study is practical-oriented, the pragmatic interpretive approach was considered a suitable methodology. Through the interpretative methodology, several appropriate functions of the PMO, such as «Project management methodology, standards, and tooling», «Monitoring and controlling project performance», «Human resource management» and «Development of project management competencies» as established from project management literature were utilized to achieve the study’s purpose. Even though the interpretation process was guided by literature, the inference was also influenced, to a certain extent, by the researcher opinion as «interested observer». Therefore, the approach presents a limitation to the study. Future studies should include the validation of the feasibility of the study’s claim in a real-world project setup.
Noise reactivity and firework fear in dogs
Authors: Handegård Karin Westereng
Published: December 2023

Noise reactivity and firework fear are well-known and often discussed topics among dog owners. The prevalence of noise reactivity varies a lot between different dog breeds; in certain breeds, as many as 50% of all dogs are affected at some level. Even though the prevalence of noise reactivity is high, little is known about the genetic background of noise reactivity in dogs. This article provides a brief introduction to behavioural genetics and the genetics behind noise reactivity and firework fear, some of the animal welfare issues related to extreme fear of noise, and sheds light on the possibilities of reducing the prevalence through systematic breeding.
influencia de la teoría crítica en la criminología crítica global en el centenario de la Escuela de Frankfurt (1923-2023)
Authors: Gómez Garmendia Jon
Published: December 2023

La Criminología, desde sus orígenes, ha servido de herramienta de legitimación para perseguir y ejercer la represión hacia determinados sectores de la sociedad. Una función, a la orden de ciertos ejercicios de poder que parece mantenerse, también, en la actualidad. Sin embargo, han acontecido distintas transgresiones a esta hegemonía, al menos en un plano epistemológico, donde los fines y objetos de estudio de la disciplina se han visto alterados. Aprovechando el siglo que cumple la fundación de la Escuela de Frankfurt (1923-2023), este escrito tiene la finalidad de presentar el papel y la influencia de la teoría crítica en dichas rupturas. Una tarea que nos llevará a analizar algunos acontecimientos y obras que han dado que reflexionar durante estas diez décadas sobre el materialismo, la negatividad, la memoria, el mundo de la vida o la banalidad del mal.Un conjunto de ideas que han repercutido en la manera de entender la cuestión criminal y ayuda a comprender la Criminología Crítica Global que defendemos hoy. Una vía subversiva, provocadora, marginal, reflexiva y, por qué no, anti-criminológica, en la que es necesario prestar mayor atención frente a los múltiples daños sociales que padecemos.
Editorial
Authors: Hernàndez-Cardona Francesc Xavier , Pagès i Blanch Pelai
Published: December 2023

Editorial
La depuración del maestro José González Cantillo a propósito de un poema de Eloy Vaquero Cantillo
Authors: González Magaña José Luis
Published: December 2023

A la sublevación del 17 de julio de 1936 sigue, en la ciudad de Córdoba, la proclamación del estado de guerra. El General de brigada Ciriaco Cascajo Ruiz se posiciona a favor de los golpistas. Miles de cordobeses mueren fusilados. En el genocidio también participa Bruno Ibáñez Gálvez («Don Bruno») como responsable de Orden Público. Ángel Cruz Rueda preside la Comisión Depuradora de Instrucción Pública que diezmará la enseñanza cordobesa. Para describir la polarización extrema de radicales y reaccionarios que deviene en conductas nihilistas de aniquilación del contrario, proponemos la idea de mutación simbólica; ello permitiría entender las conductas de los responsables de la depuración sufrida por el maestro José González Cantillo en el año 1937. Su primo Eloy Vaquero Cantillo escribirá la Saeta de las Ollerías, uno de los más profundos ¡Ay!, a modo de súplica, por la vida de todos los que habían quedado a merced de los sublevados.
Robres: la experiencia de recrear un campamento republicano en los Monegros
Authors: Gracia Vera Pablo
Published: December 2023

La recreación histórica es una forma muy atractiva de poner en valor el patrimonio del mundo rural. Sin embargo, la recreación histórica de la Guerra Civil Española tiene una serie de problemas estructurales que hay que tener en cuenta a la hora de diseñar un evento, para que sea didáctico y transmita el conocimiento de manera óptima. El siguiente artículo es el análisis de un ejemplo práctico llevado en un pueblo de la comarca de los Monegros, desde su fase inicial hasta las conclusiones finales.
El fortí de Cunit. Recreació didàctica d'estructures defensives
Authors: Sospedra-Roca Rafael , Hernàndez-Cardona Francesc Xavier
Published: December 2023

Durant la Guerra Civil espanyola els fortins de formigó es van utilitzar àmpliament amb finalitats defensives. A Catalunya es van aplicar a la defensa de costes. Es conserva una part significativa d'aquestes fortificacions i fins i tot algunes han estat restaurades. Cunit (Tarragona) és un cas singular. No se centra en la recuperació o la reconstrucció, sinó en la recreació. Un dels fortins més significatius de la localitat, el «Fortí del Torrent», ubicat prop de la platja, va ser totalment arrasat durant els anys setanta del segle passat. L'any 2021 es va decidir recrear parcialment la construcció desapareguda, amb finalitats didàctiques i turístiques. El procés, dissenyat pel grup de recerca DIDPATRI de la Universitat de Barcelona, ​​va implicar una experiència de memòria històrica i patrimonial singular, centrada en la recreació d'un artefacte desaparegut. En aquest sentit, la intervenció (amb els seus problemes i encerts) constitueix un model amb possibilitats de reaplicació.
The Pleasures of Parikan in Malang, East Java: An Analysis of Text and Music in the Dance Ngremo Putri
Authors: Sunardi Christina
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in Malang, analysis of song texts, analysis of the setting of texts to gamelan music, and the work of Deborah Wong (2015, 2019), Alisha Lola Jones (2018), and others, I argue that a powerful physicality of pleasure provided a mechanism for performers to assert and produce east Javaneseness as they taught me to sing a form of poetry called parikan in the course of performing the female-style traditional dance Ngremo Putri . This potent physicality of pleasure motivated performers’ cultural work to continue making space for and producing what they perceived as endangered east Javanese traditions. Berangkat dari penelitian etnografis di Malang, kajian atas teks kidungan dan setting teks di musik gamelan, dan karya-karya Deborah Wong (2015, 2019), Alisha Lola Jones (2018), dan lain-lain, penulis berpendapat bahwa fisikalitas kegembiraan telah membangkitkan dan menegaskan esensi ke-Jawa Timuran para seniman ketika mengajari penulis mengidungkan puisi berjenis parikan dalam pertunjukan tarian tradisional dengan gaya perempuan, Ngremo Putri. Fisikalitas kegembiraan yang teramat besar ini telah memotivasi para seniman untuk terus membuka ruang kreasi dan memproduksi apa yang mereka lihat sebagai tradisi Jawa Timur yang hampir punah .
Nano-Imaging with TiO2 Superlenses: A Comparative Study of Design Variants
Authors: Wu Baidong , Wang Zengbo
Published: December 2023

We evaluate and compare the super-resolution imaging performances of different TiO2 superlens designs (hemisphere, super-hemisphere, and full spheres) in wide-field and confocal modes. Our findings are important for many super-resolution applications.
Assessing Microvascular Reactivity, Tissue Oxygenation, and Physical Capacity in post-COVID Recovery with NIRS
Authors: Martins Giovani Grisotti , Silva Luara Inocêncio Pereira , Vian Bruna Scharlack , Pereira Monica Corso , Ratti Lígia dos Santos Roceto , Mesquita Rickson Coelho
Published: December 2023

We examined COVID-19’s long-term effects on patients using Near Infrared Spectroscopy, a vascular occlusion, and a walking test. Initial findings suggest a strong correlation between microvascular health improvement and physical recovery.
Unidirectional scattering induced by magnetic dipoles in core–shell nanostructures
Authors: Zhang Xiaoming , Hu Yu , Yu Jinjing , Zhou Leiqing , Zhang Zhaogang , Yuan Yijun , Zhou Xia , Wang Haiyan , Wu Chao , Xie Fang , Xie Biao , Zhang Tianyue , Liu Jianping
Published: December 2023

Unidirectional scattering is typically achieved through the interference of induced electric and magnetic dipole modes in nanophotonics. However, there are limited studies on achieving unidirectional scattering solely through magnetic dipole (MD) moments. Here, we propose and demonstrate that the extraordinary unidirectional scattering can be obtained in a pair of closely spaced MDs in a Si–Au core–shell dimer. The conditions for such unidirectional scattering are derived using the dipole approximation. Calculated with the coupled dipole method, a pronounced unidirectionality (up to 60 dB) in the forward scattering can be achieved with the dimer system. This can be attributed to the destructive interference of scattered far field from the induced MDs. Interestingly, the scattering direction could be controlled by varying the position of the element in the dimer and the main lobe angle of the far field can be efficiently induced by the antenna array. Furthermore, a remarkable forward-to-backward directionality can also be achieved when a magnetic dipole emitter is close to the Si–Au core–shell particle. These findings indicate the potential of this simple yet versatile platform for manipulating scattering.