bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patients’ response during the co-circulation of multiple respiratory diseases in China—based on the self-regulation common-sense model
Authors: Sun Shanwen , Wang Yali , Hou Hailong , Niu Yuqi , Shao Yefan , Chen Linlin , Zhang Xiaochun
Published: February 2024

Background

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, another large-scale respiratory epidemic has emerged in China, causing significant social impact and disruption. The article is to explore the patients’ psychological and behavioral responses to the enhancement of healthcare quality.

Methods

Based on the five dimensions of the Self-Regulation Common-Sense Model, we developed an interview outline to explore the process by which patients identify disease symptoms to guide action plans and coping strategies. The researchers used a semi-structured interview format to simultaneously collect data online and offline. This study gathered data from 12 patients with mixed respiratory infections, comprising 58% females and 42% males; the average age was 30.67 years (SD 20.00), with 91.7% infected with two pathogens and 8.3% with three. The data analysis employed the KJ method, themes were inductively analyzed and categorized from semi-structured interview results, which were then organized into a coherent visual and logical pathway.

Key results

The study identified 5 themes: (1) Autonomous Actions Prior to Seeking Medical Care; (2) Decision-Making in Seeking Hospital Care; (3) Disease Shock; (4) Public Crisis Response; (5) Information Cocoon.

Conclusion

The pandemic of respiratory infectious diseases has not ceased in recent years. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, China is now facing a trend of concurrent epidemics involving multiple respiratory pathogens. This study centers on patients’ health behaviors, exploring the potential relationships among various factors that affect these behaviors. The aim is to provide references and grounds for the improvement of healthcare services when such public health events reoccur.
Symptom reduction in mal de débarquement syndrome with attenuation of the velocity storage contribution in the central vestibular pathways
Authors: Maruta Jun , Cho Catherine , Raphan Theodore , Yakushin Sergei B.
Published: February 2024

Background

The velocity storage mechanism of the central vestibular system is closely associated with the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), but also contributes to the sense of orientation in space and the perception of self-motion. We postulate that mal de débarquement syndrome (MdDS) is a consequence of inappropriate sensory adaptation of velocity storage. The premise that a maladapted velocity storage may be corrected by spatial readaptation of the VOR has recently been translated into the development of the first effective treatment for MdDS. However, this treatment's initial impact may be reversed by subsequent re-triggering events. Presently, we hypothesized that MdDS symptoms could alternatively be reduced by attenuating the velocity storage contribution in the central vestibular pathways.

Methods

Forty-three patients with MdDS (aged 47 ± 14 yo; 36 women) were randomly assigned to two treatment groups and followed for 6 months. The horizontal VOR was tested with chair rotation during laboratory visits, and the strength of velocity storage was quantified with model-based parameters—the time constant (Tc) and the gain of coupling from the vestibular primary afferent signals (g0). To attenuate velocity storage, Group 1 underwent a progressively intensifying series of low-frequency earth-vertical oscillatory rotation coupled to conflicting visual stimuli. Group 2 underwent an established protocol combining head tilts and visual stimulation, designed to correct maladapted spatial orientation but not change the velocity storage strength. The symptom severity was self-rated on an 11-point scale and reported before and up to 6 months after the treatment.

Results

In Group 1, velocity storage was modified through reduction of g0 (p < 0.001) but not Tc. The symptom rating was at least halved initially in 43% of Group 1 (p = 0.04), the majority of whom retained a similar level of improvement during the 6-month follow-up period. In Group 2, no systematic change was induced in the parameters of velocity storage strength, as expected. The symptom rating was at least halved initially in 80% of Group 2 (p < 0.001), but paralleling previous findings, symptoms often returned subsequently.

Conclusion

Attenuation of velocity storage shows promise as a lasting remedy for MdDS that can complement the VOR readaptation approach.
The role(s) of community health workers in primary health care reform in Kerala, before and during the COVID 19 pandemic: a qualitative study
Authors: Sankar D Hari , Joseph Jaison , Benny Gloria , Surendran Surya , Sharma Santosh Kumar , Nambiar Devaki
Published: February 2024

Background

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) are Community Health Workers (CHWs) employed by the National Health Mission of the Government of India to link the population to health facilities and improve maternal and child health outcomes in the country. The government of Kerala launched primary health reform measures in 2016 whereby Primary Health Centres (PHCs) were upgraded to Family Health Centres (FHCs). The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 impacted essential health service delivery, including primary care services. The CHWs network of Kerala played a crucial role in implementing the primary care reforms and COVID-19 management efforts that followed. We carried out a study to understand the perspectives of the CHWs in Kerala about their role in the recent primary healthcare reforms and during the COVID-19 pandemic management efforts.

Methods

We conducted in-depth interviews (IDI) with 16 ASHAs from 8 primary care facilities in Kerala from July to October 2021. We further conducted Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) (N = 34) with population subgroups in these eight facility catchment areas and asked their opinion about the ASHAs working in their community. We obtained written informed consent from all the participants, and interview transcripts were thematically analysed by a team of four researchers using ATLAS.ti 9 software.

Results

Our study participants were women aged about 45 years with over 10 years of work experience as CHWs. Their job responsibilities as a frontline health worker helped them build trust in the community and local self-governments. CHWs were assigned roles of outpatient crowd management, and registration duties in FHCs. The COVID-19 pandemic increased their job roles manifold. Community members positively mentioned the home visits, delivery of medicines, and emotional support offered by the CHWs during the pandemic. The CHWs noted that the honorarium of INR 6,000 (US$73) was inconsistent and very low for the volume of work done.

Conclusion

The CHWs in Kerala play a crucial role in primary care reforms and COVID-19 management. Despite their strong work ethic and close relationship with local self-governments, low and irregular wages remain the biggest challenge.
Preterm birth and stillbirth during COVID-19 pandemic in Bihor County/Romania
Authors: Galis Radu , Trif Paula , Mudura Diana , Murvai Romina , Daina Lucia Georgeta , Szasz Florin , Negrini Rodica , Hatos Adrian , Gyarmati Beáta Fatime , Daly Mandy C. , Mazela Jan , Kramer Boris W.
Published: February 2024

Background

International studies have reported conflicting data about the effects of COVID-19 pandemic policy measures on maternal and neonatal health. A major impact was reported on stillbirth and prematurity. The published literature suggests that the economic setting influenced the effects of imposed mitigation measures with a more severe effect in low-income countries.

Objectives

Our objective is to compare pregnancy outcomes at the only tertiary Maternity Hospital in Bihor County-Romania before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to observe and document differences in perinatal outcomes across these periods, without inferring direct causation related to the pandemic or its associated restrictions.

Materials and methods

We used data from the registries of Public Health Services Bihor to conduct a retrospective cohort analysis of preterm births and stillbirths during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bihor County, Romania. Pregnancy outcomes were compared between the pandemic period (March 2020–February 2022) to the corresponding historical pre-COVID-19 period (March 2018–February 2020). Maternal socio-demographic variables and neonatal characteristics of these periods were also examined.

Results

The COVID-19 pandemic period was associated with an increase in the stillbirth rate (RR: 1.53, 95% CI, 1.05–2.23). Preterm birth was significantly impacted during this period and showed changes when analyzing gestational age (RR: 0.88, 95% CI, 0.79–0.96) or birth weight (RR: 0.91, 95% CI, 0.82–1.00). The main cause of stillbirth was intrauterine asphyxia due to placental causes (67.6%) or cord pathology (12.6%), the most frequently encountered maternal pathology was cardiovascular (28.3%) or infectious (21.7%). Our study revealed no significant changes in terms of maternal and neonatal characteristics during the two-year pandemic period.

Conclusions

Lockdown restrictions in Bihor County, Romania were associated with an increase in stillbirths, whilst preterm birth rate decreased. This raises concerns about whether pandemic policy measures may have led to a failure in identifying and offering proper care for pregnant women who were more likely to experience an antepartum loss. Further studies across the globe are needed in order to integrate comparable data that will help develop adequate protocols and policies for protecting maternal and child health during the next pandemic that will follow.
Heart rate dynamics and asymmetry during sympathetic activity stimulation and post-stimulation recovery in ski mountaineers—a pilot exploratory study
Authors: Gąsior Jakub S. , Gąsienica-Józkowy Maciej , Młyńczak Marcel , Rosoł Maciej , Makuch Robert , Baranowski Rafał , Werner Bożena
Published: February 2024

There is a lack of studies on non-linear heart rate (HR) variability in athletes. We aimed to assess the usefulness of short-term HR dynamics and asymmetry parameters to evaluate the neural modulation of cardiac activity based on non-stationary RR interval series by studying their changes during sympathetic nervous system activity stimulation (isometric handgrip test) and post-stimulation recovery in professional ski mountaineers. The correlation between the changes in the parameters and the respiratory rate (RespRate) and also the duration of the career was analyzed. Short-term (5 min) and ultra-short-term (1 min) rates of patterns with no variations (0V), number of acceleration runs of length 1 (AR1), and short-term Porta's Index were greater, whereas Guzik's Index (GI) was smaller during sympathetic stimulation compared to rest. GI increased and the number of AR1 decreased during recovery. Greater increases in GI and RMSSD were associated with greater decreases in RespRate during recovery. Greater increases in RespRate from rest to short-term sympathetic stimulation were associated with greater increases in 0V (Max-min method) and AR1 but also with greater decreases in decelerations of short-term variance and accelerations and decelerations of long-term variance. Greater increases in 0V (Max-min method) and number of AR1 during sympathetic stimulation were associated with a shorter career duration. Greater decreases in these parameters during recovery were associated with a longer career duration. Changes in measures of HR dynamics and asymmetry, calculated based on short-term non-stationary RRi time series induced by sympathetic stimulation and post-stimulation recovery, reflected sympathovagal shift and were associated with condition-related alterations in RespRate and career duration in athletes who practice ski mountaineering.
Parental support in esports through the lens of the theory of planned behaviour
Authors: Svensson Joar , Leis Oliver , Trotter Michael G.
Published: February 2024

Esports have grown substantially in the last decade and may be an effective way of engaging and exposing the youth, who is not actively participating in traditional sports, to the benefits of sports related performance environments. However, due to negative stereotypes about gamers and concerns about esports, parents might be hesitant to support their children's esports participation and may instead actively discourage it. The purpose of this perspective article was to discuss the determinants of parental support based on the theory of planned behaviour. Parents attitudes seem to be mostly negative and their perceived behavioral control is likely low due to a lack of knowledge about esports. The subjective norms are mixed and seem to be growing progressively more positive. Based on the theory of planned behaviour, parents seem unlikely to support their children's esport participation, however, more research is needed. Recommendations on how to increase the likelihood of parental support are discussed.
Agricultural industrial scale, price random fluctuation, and profitability levels: evidence from China’s pig industry
Authors: Yang Qing , Qiao Shiyan , Ying Ruiyao
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Promoting the development of large-scale pig farming is a crucial measure implemented by the Chinese government to regulate the pig market.

Methods

By utilizing panel data from 30 provinces in China spanning from 2003 to 2020 and employing the PVAR model, this study examines the relationships among price random fluctuations, profftability levels, and industrial scale.

Results and discussion

The findings reveal that industrial scale can effectively mitigate price random fluctuations; however, it also leads to a decrease in relative hog prices. Moreover, there exists significant heterogeneity in the impact of scaling on price random fluctuations. Increasing the proportion of farmers engaged in pig farming with a scale ranging from 500 to 9,999 heads reduces random price fluctuations, while increasing the proportion of farmers involved in pig farming with a scale exceeding 10,000 heads has no effect on stabilizing such fluctuations. Additionally, threshold effects are observed for epidemics and environmental regulations. When environmental regulations are less stringent, industrial scale enhances relative prices and stabilizes random fluctuations; nevertheless, once certain thresholds are surpassed, industrial scale diminishes relative prices and eliminates its stabilizing effect on random fluctuations. Similarly, after an epidemic surpasses its threshold level, industry scale fails to stabilize random price fluctuations. These findings provide valuable insights for governments when formulating industrial policies aimed at mitigating agricultural market risks.
A comparative retrospective analysis: myocutaneous flap versus skin flap in V-Y medial epicanthal fold reconstruction
Authors: Wang Bulin , Zhang Shengchang , Chen Yi , Liu Zhihong , Yu Jiangang , Zhou Huimin , Pan Er
Published: February 2024

Objectives

To evaluate the comparation of myocutaneous flap vs. skin flap in V-Y medial epicanthal fold reconstruction.

Methods

The study, conducted from April 2017 to June 2022, involved two groups: group A, comprising 21 patients who underwent medial epicanthal fold restoration surgery using the V-Y advancement method with a skin flap, and group B, comprising 83 patients who underwent the same procedure, while with a myocutaneous flap for orbicularis oculi ring reconstruction. Intercanthal distances were measured preoperatively, recorded during preoperative and postoperative reviews, and assessed through a 4-point Likert satisfaction questionnaire.

Results

A total of 104 patients were followed up for 6 months postoperatively. In group A, preoperative intercanthal distances ranged from 28.7 mm to 38.2 mm, increasing to 30.2 mm–40.6 mm postoperatively, with a mean increase of 3.0 mm (P < 0.05). In group B, preoperative distances ranged from 28.8 mm to 38.0 mm, increasing to 32.2 mm–41.5 mm postoperatively, with a mean increase of 3.9 mm (P < 0.05). Group B exhibited a higher overall satisfaction rate compared to group A.

Conclusion

The myocutaneous flap V-Y procedure, employing the principle of orbicularis oculi ring reconstruction, achieves more stable postoperative results than the flap-only V-Y procedure. Consequently, it can be regarded as the preferred surgical technique.
A Decentralized Voting and Monitoring Flight Control Actuation System for eVTOL Aircraft
Authors: He Ruichen , Holzapfel Florian , Bröcker Johannes , Lai Yi , Zhang Shuguang
Published: February 2024

The emergence of eVTOL (electrical Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft necessitates the development of safe and efficient systems to meet stringent certification and operational requirements. The primary state-of-the-art technology for flight control actuation in eVTOL aircraft is electro-mechanical actuators (EMAs), which heavily rely on multiple redundancies of critical components to achieve fault tolerance. However, challenges persist in terms of insufficient reliability, immaturity, and a lack of a measurable evaluation method. This research addresses these issues by elucidating the design requirements for EMAs in eVTOL aircraft and proposing a systematic design and evaluation approach for EMA architecture. A key enhancement involves the incorporation of decentralized voting and monitoring (VoDeMo) mechanisms within the Electronic Control Units (ECUs) to improve the overall safety of the EMA. The paper introduces an innovative triple-dual redundant architecture for aircraft control effectors, comprising three dissimilar lanes of ECUs and two similar redundant parallel channels of power electronics and motors. The design is synergistically supported by a comprehensive evaluation that incorporates quantifiable Model-Based Safety Assessment (MBSA), utilizing both physical simulation and logical safety models. Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) tests are conducted on a constructed prototype to validate the proposed architecture.
Variation of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium Contents in Drip-Irrigated Cotton at Different Yield Levels under Combined Effects of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium
Authors: Chen Yan , Wen Ming , Ma Xuehua , Guo Chenli , Li Minghua , Zhao Wenqing , Liu Yang , Ma Fuyu
Published: February 2024

To elucidate the variation characteristics of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) content and accumulation in cotton at different yield levels, a two-year experiment was conducted using cotton variety Lumianyan 24 under four N treatments (506, 402.5, 299, and 195.5 kg ha−1, designated as N1, N2, N3, and N4, respectively). The four P and K fertilization ratios were (PK-M1, 25% P and K applied at squaring stage (SS) and 75% at the bloom-bolling stages (BS)), 50%:50% (PK-M2, 50% P and K applied at each stage), 75%:25% (PK-M3, 75% P and K applied at SS and 25% at the BS) and 100%:0% (PK-M4, total P and K applied at SS). The results showed that the N content (Nc), P content (Pc), and K content (Kc) of cotton plants at high yield levels were 23.3%, 44.2%, and 31.6% higher than those at low yield levels. In addition, the reproductive organs maintained higher Pc and Kc at high yield levels, and the Nc, Pc, and Kc exhibited positive linear correlations with yield, while Nc/Pc, Nc/Kc, and Kc/Pc had significant negative correlations with yield. In conclusion, seed cotton yield was mainly limited by Nc at low yield levels and affected by Pc and Kc at high yield levels. Then, when 0.85 < Nc/Kc < 1.0 at the full squaring stage (FS), 0.8 < Nc/Kc < 1.0 at the full flowering stage (FF), 4.3 < Nc/Pc < 6.7 at the early-full bolling stage (EFB) and 4.9 < Nc/Pc < 7.1 at the late-full bolling stage (LFB), there is a high yield potential of 7000–9000 kg ha−1. Furthermore, yields can be improved by reducing the application of N during the growing period and increasing the application of P fertilizer during the later growth period.
Suppressing the Substance P-NK1R Signalling Protects Mice against Sepsis-Associated Acute Inflammatory Injury and Ferroptosis in the Liver and Lungs
Authors: Zhu Zhixing , Chambers Stephen , Bhatia Madhav
Published: February 2024

Substance P (SP), encoded by the TAC1/Tac1 gene, acts as a significant mediator in dysregulated systemic inflammatory response and associated organ injury in sepsis by activating the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R). This study investigated the impact of SP-NK1R signaling on ferroptosis in the liver and lungs of mice with sepsis. Sepsis was induced by caecal ligation puncture (CLP) surgery in mice. The SP-NK1R signaling was suppressed by Tac1 gene deletion, NK1R blockade, and a combination of these two approaches. The physiological conditions of mice were recorded. The profile of the SP-NK1R cascade, inflammatory response, ferroptosis, and tissue histology were investigated in the liver and lungs. Several manifestations of sepsis occurred in Tac1+/+ mice during the development of sepsis. Notably, hypothermia became significant four hours after the induction of sepsis. In the liver and lungs of mice subjected to CLP surgery, the concentrations of SP and NK1R were upregulated. Additionally, the concentrations of pro-inflammatory mediators, including cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and chemokines (MCP-1 and MIP-2), were increased. Moreover, ferroptosis was elevated, as evidenced by increased concentrations of iron and MDA and reduced concentrations of GSH, Nrf2, and Gpx4. Suppressing the SP-NK1R cascade significantly mitigated CLP-surgery-induced alterations in mice. Importantly, these three approaches used to suppress SP-NK1R signaling showed similar effects on protecting mice against sepsis. In conclusion, increased SP-mediated acute inflammatory response and injury in the liver and lungs in mice with CLP-surgery-induced sepsis was associated with elevated ferroptosis. The detrimental effect of SP on sepsis was predominantly mediated by NK1R. Therefore, the suppression of increased SP-NK1R signaling and ferroptosis may be a promising adjuvant therapeutic candidate for sepsis and associated acute liver and lung injury.
Effect of a Very Low-Calorie Diet on Oxidative Stress, Inflammatory and Metabolomic Profile in Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obese Subjects
Authors: Bosch-Sierra Neus , Grau-del Valle Carmen , Salom Christian , Zaragoza-Villena Begoña , Perea-Galera Laura , Falcón-Tapiador Rosa , Rovira-Llopis Susana , Morillas Carlos , Monleón Daniel , Bañuls Celia
Published: February 2024

The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of weight loss through calorie restriction on metabolic profile, and inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters in metabolically healthy (MHO) and unhealthy (MUHO) obese individuals. A total of 74 subjects (34 MHO and 40 MUHO) received two cycles of a very low-calorie diet, alternating with a hypocaloric diet for 24 weeks. Biochemical, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers, as well as serum metabolomic analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance, were performed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. After the diet, there was an improvement in insulin resistance, as well as a significant decrease in inflammatory parameters, enhancing oxidative damage, mitochondrial membrane potential, glutathione, and antioxidant capacity. This improvement was more significant in the MUHO group. The metabolomic analysis showed a healthier profile in lipoprotein profile. Lipid carbonyls also decrease at the same time as unsaturated fatty acids increase. We also display a small decrease in succinate, glycA, alanine, and BCAAs (valine and isoleucine), and a slight increase in taurine. These findings show that moderate weight reduction leads to an improvement in lipid profile and subfractions and a reduction in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers; these changes are more pronounced in the MUHO population.
The Effects of Unconventional Feed Fermentation on Intestinal Oxidative Stress in Animals
Authors: Lian Xiao , Shi Mingyu , Liang Ying , Lin Qinlu , Zhang Lingyu
Published: February 2024

Unconventional feed, which is abundant in China, contains anti-nutritional factors and toxins; however, these can be greatly reduced with microbial fermentation, thus improving the nutrient content of the feed, enhancing animal appetites, and ultimately significantly improving the intestinal health and growth performance of animals. When oxidative stress occurs, fermented feed can effectively reduce the damage caused by stress to the gastrointestinal tract, accelerate the removal of gastrointestinal abnormalities, improve the ability to resist intestinal stress, and ensure the efficient production of animals. This review introduces the application of unconventional fermented feed in animal production, and expounds upon the function of unconventional fermented feed in animals with oxidative stress symptoms, so as to provide a theoretical reference for the development and application of unconventional fermented feed in antioxidative stress reduction.
Experimental and Numerical Analysis of a Temporary Bridge Connector Consisting of an Upper Bearing Block–Lower Pin Configuration
Authors: Jang Hong-Lae , Han Chae-Hee , Kim Ri-Ha , Park Dae-Youl , Kim Sung-Yong
Published: February 2024

In this study, the structural details of a hinge connection for steel girder segments were developed to improve the process of rapid and easy construction. In the connector developed in this study (referred to as the “speedBridge” hereafter), the compression load exerted on the upper flange is resisted by two bearing blocks in contact with each other, and the tensile force on the bottom flange is resisted by the hinge structure installed at the lower part of the steel girder. The structural behavior of the developed connection was investigated experimentally. It was shown that the developed connection details could develop an excellent connection plastic rotation of 5% rad without fracture. The test specimen developed initial stiffness in accordance with elementary beam theory for a supported beam. The maximum load reached 110% of the plastic moment of the beam. Finite element analysis was conducted to comprehend the load transfer path, and the results demonstrated that the hinge connection exhibited sufficient stiffness and strength, exceeding the bending capacity of the beam under tension without any signs of the failure modes considered in the design procedure.
An Integrated Attribute-Weighting Method Based on PCA and Entropy: Case of Study Marginalized Areas in a City
Authors: Pliego-Martínez Odette , Martínez-Rebollar Alicia , Estrada-Esquivel Hugo , de la Cruz-Nicolás Ernesto
Published: February 2024

The precise allocation of weights to criteria plays a fundamental role in multicriteria decision-making, exerting a significant influence on the obtained results. Ensuring an appropriate weighting of criteria is crucial for conducting a fair and accurate evaluation of various alternatives. In this context, we present an innovative solution that addresses the allocation of weights to attributes in datasets, aiming to overcome limitations and challenges associated with expert consultation in multicriteria problems. The proposed method is grounded in an objective approach and adopts a hybrid perspective by integrating the mathematical principles of Principal Component Analysis with the application of the Entropy Method. This method was implemented along with the exponential weighted sum model in a case study related to the classification of neighborhoods in Mexico City based on the level of marginalization. Results were compared with the marginalization index reported in official sources, using evaluation metrics MAE and MAPE with values of 0.24 and 11.3%, respectively. This research demonstrates the efficiency of the proposed method, which integrates techniques used for attribute weighting, providing a robust and reliable tool for decision-making.
A Robust Texture-Less Gray-Scale Surface Matching Method Applied to a Liquid Crystal Display TV Diffuser Plate Assembly System
Authors: Li Sicong , Zhu Feng , Wu Qingxiao
Published: February 2024

In most liquid crystal display (LCD) backlight modules (BLMs), diffuser plates (DPs) play the essential role in blurring the backlight. A common BLM consists of multiple superimposed optical films. In a vision-based automated assembly system, to ensure sufficient accuracy, each of the multiple cameras usually shoots a local corner of the DP and jointly estimates the target pose, guiding the robot to assemble the DP on the BLM. In general, DPs are typical of texture-less objects with simple shapes. Due to the image background of superimposed multilayer optical films, the robustness of the most common detection methods must be improved to meet industrial needs. To solve the above problem, a texture-less surface matching method based on gray-scale images was proposed. An augmented and normalized gray-scale vector represents the texture-less gray-scale surface in a low-dimensional space. The cosine distance is then used to calculate the similarity between the template and matching vectors, combined with shape-based matching (SBM); the proposed method can obtain high robustness when detecting DPs. An image database from actual production lines was used in the experiment. In comparative tests with the NCC, SBM, YOLOv5s, and YOLOv5x methods, our proposed method had the best precision at all confidence thresholds. Although recall was slightly inferior to SBM, the comprehensive evaluation F1-Score reached 0.826, significantly outperforming the other methods. Regarding localizing accuracy, our algorithm also performed best, reaching 5.7 pixels. Although the time consumption of a single prediction is about 0.6 s, it can still meet industrial needs. These experimental results show that the proposed method has high robustness in detecting DPs and is especially suitable for vision-based automatic assembly tasks in BLM.
Digital-Twin-Based System for Foam Cleaning Robots in Spent Fuel Pools
Authors: Li Manhua , Chen Fubin , Zhou Wuyun
Published: February 2024

This paper introduces a digital-twin-based system for foam cleaning robots in spent fuel pools, aiming to efficiently clean foam in spent fuel pools. The system adopts a four-layer architecture, including the physical entity layer, twin data layer, twin model layer, and application service layer. Initially, the robot was modeled in two dimensions, encompassing physical and kinematic aspects. Subsequently, data collection and fusion were carried out using laser radar and depth cameras, establishing a virtual model of the working scenario and mapping the physical entity to the digital twin model. Building upon this foundation, improvements were made in applying the full-coverage path planning algorithm by integrating a pure tracking algorithm, thereby enhancing the cleaning efficiency. Obstacle detection and localization were conducted using infrared and depth cameras positioned above the four corners of the spent fuel pool, with the digital twin platform transmitting coordinates to the robot for obstacle avoidance operations. Finally, comparative experiments were conducted on the robot’s full-coverage algorithm, along with simulation experiments on the robot’s position and motion direction. The experimental results indicated that this approach reduced the robot’s overall cleaning time and energy consumption. Furthermore, it enabled motion data detection for the digital twin robot, reducing the risk of collisions during the cleaning process and providing insights and directions for the intelligent development of foam cleaning robots.
A Multi-Path Semantic Segmentation Network Based on Convolutional Attention Guidance
Authors: Feng Chenyang , Hu Shu , Zhang Yi
Published: February 2024

Due to the efficiency of self-attention mechanisms in encoding spatial information, Transformer-based models have recently taken a dominant position among semantic segmentation methods. However, Transformer-based models have the disadvantages of requiring a large amount of computation and lacking attention to detail, so we look back to the CNN model. In this paper, we propose a multi-path semantic segmentation network with convolutional attention guidance (dubbed MCAG). It has a multi-path architecture, and feature guidance from the main path is used in other paths, which forces the model to focus on the object’s boundaries and details. It also explores multi-scale convolutional features through spatial attention. Finally, it captures both local and global contexts in spatial and channel dimensions in an adaptive manner. Extensive experiments were conducted on popular benchmarks, and it was found that MCAG surpasses other SOTA methods by achieving 47.7%, 82.51% and 43.6% mIoU on ADE20K, Cityscapes and COCO-Stuff, respectively. Specifically, the experimental results prove that the proposed model has high segmentation precision for small objects, which demonstrates the effectiveness of convolutional attention mechanisms and multi-path strategies. The results show that the CNN model can achieve good segmentation effects with a lower amount of calculation.
Study on the Synergistic Effect of Primary Support and Surrounding Rock of Large Buried Depth Tunnel in Soft and Fractured Strata
Authors: Wang Tianyi , Liu Haining , Kang Minglei , Zhao Benchao , Shen Jixian , Li Yingchun , Yang Yandong
Published: February 2024

The soft and fractured strata can cause significant deformation of surrounding rock during tunnel excavation. This study analyzes field monitoring test results and compares numerical simulations from the third bid project of the Dali I section construction within the water diversion project in central Yunnan to address the issue of significant deformation following tunnel excavation in soft and fractured strata. It proposes an optimized support scheme consisting of a densified steel arch and enhanced initial support strength and stiffness. In addition, the research investigates support effectiveness considering varying support strengths and steel arch ring spacing. The study findings indicated the following: (1) The tunnel traverses soft and fractured strata, causing unevenly distributed vertical convergence deformation around the cavern. The maximum settlement occurs at the crown, showing pronounced nonlinearity. (2) The maximum stress in the steel arch is concentrated at the arch crown, measuring −19.02 MPa. The arch remains compressed, with stress decreasing from the crown to the waist. (3) The axial force in the anchor bolt reduces from the crown to the arch’s waist on both sides. As the depth of the rock mass increases, the axial force in each anchor bolt decreases and the tension state is maintained. The maximum axial force reaches 46.57 kN. (4) The maximum displacement decreases from 4.21 to 0.15 cm after the optimized support structure is implemented, demonstrating the optimization scheme’s effectiveness. Future constructions can refer to this scheme and make necessary adjustments based on various terrain conditions to ensure safety.
Biography of Muscle Tension Dysphonia: A Scoping Review
Authors: Ferrán Sol , Garaycochea Octavio , Terrasa David , Díaz Zufiaurre Natalia , Alcalde Juan , Fernández Secundino
Published: February 2024

Background: Muscle Tension Dysphonia is a relatively new clinical entity that, despite being one of the most frequent causes of functional dysphonia, is little-known by many otorhinolaryngologists. Objective: The objective of the current work is to describe the evolution of Muscle Tension Dysphonia—the concepts and the ways it has been diagnosed and treated—from its first descriptions to our current knowledge. Design: A scoping review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. A search of three bibliographic databases was performed to identify original articles on Muscle Tension Dysphonia. Study selection and characterization was conducted by three independent reviewers and was further reviewed by a fourth individual. In case of relocating any of the studies, it was performed by agreement of two reviewers. We excluded articles not written in English or Spanish, letters to the editor, review articles, studies of the pediatric population, articles related to dysphagia, and other publications that were not relevant. Results: The search identified 1144 articles published from 1983 to December 2022. A total of 581 studies were repeated and another 462 were excluded because they were not written in English or Spanish, were not original articles, or were not relevant to the objective of the study. Finally, 101 articles were included in the review. The articles included in the review were divided into three groups considering the objective and conclusions of each study: 21 articles were classified as “Etiology and Physiopathology”, 29 articles as “Diagnosis”, and 51 articles were included in the “Treatment” group. Conclusions: The concept of Muscle Tension Dysphonia has been developed during the last forty years. For its diagnosis, endoscopic visualization of the larynx is crucial, but must be combined with the patient’s clinical history and other methods can also be useful. This entity should be addressed in a multidisciplinary approach, with the active participation of speech therapists. Most therapeutic options include voice education, vocal hygiene, and rehabilitation of the voice.
Efficient Path Planning Based on Dynamic Bridging Rapidly Exploring Random Tree
Authors: Qiu Shulei , Li Baoquan , Tong Ruiyang , He Xiaojing , Tang Chuanjing
Published: February 2024

In the domain of mobile robotic navigation, the real-time generation of low-cost, executable reference trajectories is crucial. This paper propounds an innovative path planning strategy, termed Dynamic Bridging Rapidly Exploring Random Tree (DBR-RRT), which endeavors to enable safe and expedited path navigation. Initially, a heuristic discrimination method is engaged in the path search phase, whereby the issue of sluggish search velocity is tackled by evaluating whether sampled points reside at “bridging locations” within a free space, and by assessing the spatial–geometric relationships between proximate obstacles and auxiliary points. Subsequently, by leveraging extended speed, additional sampling points are generated in the vicinity of existing points to augment the search’s efficacy. Ultimately, the path is optimized and pruned by synthesizing the local curvature of the sampling points and the proximity to obstacles, assigning varied priorities to nodes, thus ensuring that the path’s quality and smoothness is upheld.
Mitigating the Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions of a Residential Area in a Tropical City Using Digital Twin Technology: A Case Study of Bertam, Penang
Authors: Mohamad Zaidi Nur Haziqah , Lim Chin Haw , Razali Halim
Published: February 2024

As of 2022, roughly 79.8% of Malaysia’s population resides in urban areas, increasing the population density of its cities. The hot and humid climate in Malaysia necessitates the constant use of air conditioning, especially in cities, resulting in high residential electric consumption and carbon emissions. The residential sector significantly contributes to global climate change, accounting for 27% of global energy consumption and 17% of carbon emissions. To address this concern, the local framework of the National Low Carbon Cities Masterplan (NLCCM) is advocating for a minimum 33% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 in urban settings, aligning with the commitments made at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP 15). The aim of this study was to determine the energy consumption and carbon emission of residential areas in a tropical city, as well as explore potential energy and carbon savings. Utilizing the Intelligent Communities Lifecycle–Intelligent Community Design (iCL-iCD) energy simulation software, a digital twin of Bertam City, Penang, was developed. This digital model included 65.4% residential housing, which, in the specific scenario under study, accounted for 36% of the city’s electrical energy consumption for cooling purposes only. An early simulation of the residential areas of the city estimated the baseline energy consumption and carbon emissions to be 607 GWh and 314,736 tCO2e, respectively. Several energy-efficient measures were applied to the residential area of Bertam City, revealing a potential saving of 37.3% in both energy and carbon emissions.
Comprehensive Numerical Modeling of Prestressed Girder Bridges under Low-Velocity Impact
Authors: Elshazli Mohamed T. , Abdulazeez Mohanad M. , ElGawady Mohamed , Ibrahim Ahmed
Published: February 2024

Accidental collisions involving over-height trucks that exceed vertical clearance limits and bridge superstructures frequently happen, resulting in compromised girders and potential threats to structural safety and performance. The numerical simulation of large-scale prestressed girder bridge collisions poses challenges due to the associated nonlinearities, as well as the limited availability of large-scale experimental testing data in the literature due to cost and complexity constraints. This study introduces a numerical modeling approach to efficiently capture the response of prestressed girder bridges under lateral impact loads. A finite element (FE) model was developed using LS-DYNA and meticulously validated against experimental data from the literature. The study explored four methods for applying prestressing forces and evaluated the performance of four concrete material constitutive models, including the Continuous Surface Cap Model (CSCM), Concrete Damage Plastic Model (CDPM), Karagozian & Case Concrete (KCC) model, and Winfrith concrete model, under impact loads. Furthermore, an impact study was conducted to investigate the influence of impact speed, impact mass, and prestressing force on the behavior of prestressed girder bridges. Utilizing the dynamic relaxation (DR) approach, the developed FE model precisely captured the response of prestressed girders under impact loads. The CSCM yielded the most accurate predictions of impact forces, with an error of less than 8%, and demonstrated a strong ability to predict damage patterns. Impact speed, mass, and the presence of prestressing force showed a significant influence on the resulting peak impact force experienced by the girder. Furthermore, the study underscores the composite nature of the bridge’s response and emphasizes the importance of analyzing the bridge as a whole rather than focusing solely on individual girders.
High-Order Wideband Band-Pass Miniaturized Frequency-Selective Surface with Enhanced Equivalent Inductance
Authors: Zhu Jianjie , Wang Qian , Jin Ming
Published: February 2024

To extend the wideband performance of high-order band-pass filtering applications, optimized designs with knitted structures based on traditional miniaturized frequency-selective surfaces (FSSs) are proposed in this paper. The presented miniaturized FSSs consist of multiple metallic capacitive layers, knitted inductive layers, and substrates. In contrast to the conventional high-order miniaturized FSSs composed of metallic frames, patches, and substrates, the optimized miniaturized FSSs replace the original metallic wire frames with knitted structures. Both proposed modified miniaturized FSSs achieve a flat pass-band from 5.5 GHz to 10.3 GHz with a 3 dB bandwidth of 71.6% under vertical incidence. The unit cells have dimensions of 0.16 λ0 × 0.16 λ0 × 0.284 λ0 and 0.16 λ0 × 0.16 λ0 × 0.279 λ0, respectively, where λ0 is the free space wavelength at 7.9 GHz, which is the center frequency of the operating band. Numerical simulations and measurements demonstrate that the proposed modified miniaturized FSSs exhibit excellent wideband performance with clean transition bands around the pass-band during oblique incidence and are suitable for applications such as radomes, where wideband filtering is essential for covering multi-band functions of radar or communication instruments.
High-Precision Localization of Passive Intermodulation Source in Radio Frequency Transmission Lines Based on Dual-Frequency Signals
Authors: Zhang Qi , Cheng Zihan , Liang Haodong , Yuan Jing , Dong Anhua , Zhao Deshuang
Published: February 2024

With the development of communication technology, the interference from passive intermodulation to the communication system has become increasingly severe. Locating the source of passive intermodulation and then repairing or replacing the device experiencing passive intermodulation is a reliable method. Therefore, this paper proposes a dual-frequency signal localization method based on the principle of phase ranging to accurately locate the passive intermodulation sources in RF cables. This method switches the test signal frequency to obtain the phase of passive intermodulation signals at different frequencies to localize the passive intermodulation source. This paper analyzes the principle of the passive intermodulation localization method based on dual-frequency signals, establishes a localization system for experiments, and finally, analyzes the experimental error to propose an optimization strategy. Through experimental verification, this method can stabilize the positioning error of a passive intermodulation source in a transmission line less than 0.06 m. Meanwhile, this method has high positioning accuracy and the advantages of slight computational complexity, fast positioning speed, and only a small number of requirements on hardware resources. It can work in communication scenarios like satellite and base stations, providing a new technical solution for localizing passive intermodulation interference sources in 5G and 6G communication systems.
Smartphone-Enabled Interaction on Large Displays—A Web-Technology-Based Approach
Authors: Smolić Ema , Boras Bartol , Horvat Marko , Jagušt Tomislav
Published: February 2024

This paper proposes the design and implementation of a system for simultaneous communication of several users over a single display, such as large public displays or video walls. Motivated by the lack of software frameworks that are both free and suited for the desired level of complexity, we present a novel, out-of-the-box solution for collaborative and remotely controlled application use. The solution is based exclusively on web technologies, thus significantly facilitating usability and reach, and eliminating the need for additional software installations or the use of additional devices. The architecture of the developed solution is modular and comprises three main components: (1) the environment, (2) the remote controllable application (RCA), and (3) the controller. The environment serves as a central hub that manages the data flow and ensures synchronization between the user devices. The RCA, which runs on the large display, serves as the interface for interacting with the content, while the controller, which is loaded on the users’ smartphones, enables control and interaction with the RCA in real time. By using web sockets and a server–client architecture, the system supports device- and platform-independent remote control and centralized collaboration through an off-the-shelf communication framework entirely flexible regarding client application. In order to demonstrate the possibilities of the proposed system, several different scenarios were covered, and solutions were implemented and tested on a large display in the faculty lobby.