bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovative Non-Enzymatic Electrochemical Quantification of Cholesterol
Authors: Carp Oana Elena , Pinteala Mariana , Arvinte Adina
Published: January 2022

The use of the Liebermann–Burchard reaction in this study has been explored in the development of a simple, reliable, and robust quantitative electrochemical method to assay cholesterol, and hence provide a good alternative to colorimetric methods. The optimization of batch mode operation for electrochemical oxidation of cholesterol in the Liebermann–Burchard reagents included the applied potential and acidic volume. Tested using chronoamperometry, the developed method showed a high sensitivity (14.959 μA mM−1) and low detection limit (19.78 nM) over a 0.025–3 mM concentration range, with remarkable linearity (R2 = 0.999), proving an analytical performance either higher or comparable to most of the cholesterol sensors discussed in literature. The influence of possible interfering bioactive agents, namely, glucose, uric acid, ascorbic acid, KCl and NaCl, has been evaluated with no or negligible effects on the measurement of cholesterol. Our study was directed at finding a new approach to chemical processing arising from the use of external potential as an additional level of control for chemical reactions and the transfer of electrons between surfaces and molecules. Finally, the optimized method was successfully applied for the determination of cholesterol content in real blood samples.
IoT Technologies in Chemical Analysis Systems: Application to Potassium Monitoring in Water
Authors: Campelo José C. , Capella Juan V. , Ors Rafael , Peris Miguel , Bonastre Alberto
Published: January 2022

The in-line determination of chemical parameters in water is of capital importance for environmental reasons. It must be carried out frequently and at a multitude of points; thus, the ideal method is to utilize automated monitoring systems, which use sensors based on many transducers, such as Ion Selective Electrodes (ISE). These devices have multiple advantages, but their management via traditional methods (i.e., manual sampling and measurements) is rather complex. Wireless Sensor Networks have been used in these environments, but there is no standard way to take advantage of the benefits of new Internet of Things (IoT) environments. To deal with this, an IoT-based generic architecture for chemical parameter monitoring systems is proposed and applied to the development of an intelligent potassium sensing system, and this is described in detail in this paper. This sensing system provides fast and simple deployment, interference rejection, increased reliability, and easy application development. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a method that takes advantage of Cloud services by applying them to the development of a potassium smart sensing system, which is integrated into an IoT environment for use in water monitoring applications. The results obtained are in good agreement (correlation coefficient = 0.9942) with those of reference methods.
Theoretical Demonstration of the Interest of Using Porous Germanium to Fabricate Multilayer Vertical Optical Structures for the Detection of SF6 Gas in the Mid-Infrared
Authors: Zegadi Rami , Lorrain Nathalie , Meziani Sofiane , Dumeige Yannick , Bodiou Loїc , Guendouz Mohammed , Zegadi Abdelouahab , Charrier Joël
Published: January 2022

Porous germanium is a promising material for sensing applications in the mid-infrared wavelength range due to its biocompatibility, large internal surface area, open pores network and widely tunable refractive index, as well as its large spectral transparency window ranging from 2 to 15 μm. Multilayers, such as Bragg reflectors and microcavities, based on porous germanium material, are designed and their optical spectra are simulated to enable SF6 gas-sensing applications at a wavelength of 10.55 µm, which corresponds to its major absorption line. The impact of both the number of successive layers and their respective porosity on the multilayer structures reflectance spectrum is investigated while favoring low layer thicknesses and thus the ease of multilayers manufacturing. The suitability of these microcavities for mid-infrared SF6 gas sensing is then numerically assessed. Using an asymmetrical microcavity porous structure, a sensitivity of 0.01%/ppm and a limit of detection (LOD) around 1 ppb for the SF6 gas detection are calculated. Thanks to both the porous nature allowing gases to easily infiltrate the overall structure and Ge mid-infrared optical properties, a theoretical detection limit nearly 1000 times lower than the current state of the art is simulated.
Vehicle Localization Using Doppler Shift and Time of Arrival Measurements in a Tunnel Environment
Authors: Halili Rreze , BniLam Noori , Yusuf Marwan , Tanghe Emmeric , Joseph Wout , Weyn Maarten , Berkvens Rafael
Published: January 2022

Most applications and services of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) rely on accurate and continuous vehicle location information. The traditional localization method based on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is the most commonly used. However, it does not provide reliable, continuous, and accurate positioning in all scenarios, such as tunnels. Therefore, in this work, we present an algorithm that exploits the existing Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication channel that operates within the LTE-V frequency band to acquire in-tunnel vehicle location information. We propose a novel solution for vehicle localization based on Doppler shift and Time of Arrival measurements. Measurements performed in the Beveren tunnel in Antwerp, Belgium, are used to obtain results. A comparison between estimated positions using Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) on Doppler shift measurements and individual Kalman Filter (KF) on Doppler shift and Time of Arrival measurements is carried out to analyze the filtering methods performance. Findings show that the EKF performs better than KF, reducing the average estimation error by 10 m, while the algorithm accuracy depends on the relevant RF channel propagation conditions and other in-tunnel-related environment knowledge included in the estimation. The proposed solution can be used for monitoring the position and speed of vehicles driving in tunnel environments.
Investigating the Efficient Use of Word Embedding with Neural-Topic Models for Interpretable Topics from Short Texts
Authors: Murakami Riki , Chakraborty Basabi
Published: January 2022

With the rapid proliferation of social networking sites (SNS), automatic topic extraction from various text messages posted on SNS are becoming an important source of information for understanding current social trends or needs. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), a probabilistic generative model, is one of the popular topic models in the area of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and has been widely used in information retrieval, topic extraction, and document analysis. Unlike long texts from formal documents, messages on SNS are generally short. Traditional topic models such as LDA or pLSA (probabilistic latent semantic analysis) suffer performance degradation for short-text analysis due to a lack of word co-occurrence information in each short text. To cope with this problem, various techniques are evolving for interpretable topic modeling for short texts, pretrained word embedding with an external corpus combined with topic models is one of them. Due to recent developments of deep neural networks (DNN) and deep generative models, neural-topic models (NTM) are emerging to achieve flexibility and high performance in topic modeling. However, there are very few research works on neural-topic models with pretrained word embedding for generating high-quality topics from short texts. In this work, in addition to pretrained word embedding, a fine-tuning stage with an original corpus is proposed for training neural-topic models in order to generate semantically coherent, corpus-specific topics. An extensive study with eight neural-topic models has been completed to check the effectiveness of additional fine-tuning and pretrained word embedding in generating interpretable topics by simulation experiments with several benchmark datasets. The extracted topics are evaluated by different metrics of topic coherence and topic diversity. We have also studied the performance of the models in classification and clustering tasks. Our study concludes that though auxiliary word embedding with a large external corpus improves the topic coherency of short texts, an additional fine-tuning stage is needed for generating more corpus-specific topics from short-text data.
AC-Electroosmosis-Assisted Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensing for Enhancing Protein Signals with a Simple Kretschmann Configuration
Authors: Terao Kyohei , Kondo Shohei
Published: January 2022

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor chip fabricated with a comb-shaped microelectrode array to supply alternating current (AC) voltage is reported. The chip induces circulating flow near the surface (i.e., AC electroosmosis). The circulating flow provides a mixing effect, which enhances the binding of the analyte molecules. We evaluated the SPR characteristics of the chip and demonstrated an improvement in protein binding to the chip surface. SPR sensor chips with comb-shaped microelectrodes were fabricated using standard UV lithography. Sensing experiments were conducted using a standard Kretschmann-type SPR measurement system. To demonstrate the mixing effect of AC electroosmosis, we evaluated the binding of immunoglobulin G molecules onto the sensor surface where anti-immunoglobulin G antibodies were covalently immobilized. The result indicates that the amount of binding increases by a factor of 1.7 above that achieved by using a conventional chip, suggesting enhancement of the protein signal.
A Model-Based Analysis of Capacitive Flow Metering for Pneumatic Conveying Systems: A Comparison between Calibration-Based and Tomographic Approaches
Authors: Suppan Thomas , Neumayer Markus , Bretterklieber Thomas , Puttinger Stefan , Wegleiter Hannes
Published: January 2022

Pneumatic conveying is a standard transportation technique for bulk materials in various industrial fields. Flow metering is crucial for the efficient and reliable operation of such systems and for process control. Capacitive measurement systems are often proposed for this application. In this method, electrodes are placed on the conveyor systems transport line and capacitive signals are sensed. The design of the sensor with regard to the arrangement and the number of electrodes as well as the evaluation of the capacitive sensor signals can be divided into two categories. Calibration-based flow meters use regression methods for signal processing, which are parametrized from calibration measurements on test rigs. Their performance is limited by the extend of the calibration measurements. Electrical capacitance tomography based flow meters use model-based signal processing techniques to obtain estimates about the spatial material distribution within the sensor. In contrast to their calibration-based counterparts, this approach requires more effort with respect to modeling and instrumentation, as typically a larger number of measurement signals has to be acquired. In this work we present a comparative analysis of the two approaches, which is based on measurement experiments and a holistic system model for flow metering. For the model-based analysis Monte Carlo simulations are conducted, where randomly generated pneumatic conveying flow patterns are simulated to analyze the sensor and algorithm behavior. The results demonstrate the potential benefit of electrical capacitance tomography based flow meters over a calibration-based instrument design.
Reliability and Validity of an Inertial Measurement System to Quantify Lower Extremity Joint Angle in Functional Movements
Authors: Shuai Zhenyu , Dong Anqi , Liu Haoyang , Cui Yixiong
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this research was to determine if the commercially available Perception Neuron motion capture system was valid and reliable in clinically relevant lower limb functional tasks. Twenty healthy participants performed two sessions on different days: gait, squat, single-leg squat, side lunge, forward lunge, and counter-movement jump. Seven IMUs and an OptiTrack system were used to record the three-dimensional joint kinematics of the lower extremity. To evaluate the performance, the multiple correlation coefficient (CMC) and the root mean square error (RMSE) of the waveforms as well as the difference and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of discrete parameters were calculated. In all tasks, the CMC revealed fair to excellent waveform similarity (0.47–0.99) and the RMSE was between 3.57° and 13.14°. The difference between discrete parameters was lower than 14.54°. The repeatability analysis of waveforms showed that the CMC was between 0.54 and 0.95 and the RMSE was less than 5° in the frontal and transverse planes. The ICC of all joint angles in the IMU was general to excellent (0.57–1). Our findings showed that the IMU system might be utilized to evaluate lower extremity 3D joint kinematics in functional motions.
Pharmacokinetic Study of Mucoadhesive Itopride Hydrochloride In Situ Nasal Gel Formulations in a Comparative In Vivo Study and Histopathological Safety Evaluation
Authors: Marzouk Maha A. , Osman Dina A. , Abd El-Fattah Amany I. , Aldeeb Reem A.
Published: January 2022

Hepatic first-pass metabolism has been a major cause of reduced bioavailability for many drugs. Using the nasal route as an alternative route to deliver drugs to the systemic circulation provided the solution to this problem. One of the drugs which are highly affected by first-pass metabolism is itopride hydrochloride (ITO HCl). It is a prokinetic agent used for the treatment of various gastrointestinal motility disorders, mainly gastroesophageal reflux. The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of selected mucoadhesive in situ nasal gel formulations (F1 and F17) of itopride hydrochloride (ITO HCl) and to evaluate their safety after topical application on the nasal mucosa. The tested formulations contained 18% w/v poloxamer 407 with 0.5% w/v of HPMC K4M (F1), or with 0.5% w/v MC (F17). A randomized cross-over study was done on six rabbits after administration of F1, F17, and commercial oral tablets (Ganaton®). Plasma levels were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to compare the nasal gel formulations with the conventional oral tablets. Histopathological study of the nasal mucosa was performed in rats after nasal application of both in situ gel formulas. The in vivo pharmacokinetic profiles of in situ nasal gel formulas F1 and F17 provided showed improvement in Cmax, Ke, t1/2, AUC0–24, AUC24–inf, AUC0–inf, AUMC24–inf, AUMC0–inf, MRT, Vd, and Cmax/AUC0–24 values over commercial tablets (p < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between both nasal gel formulas (F1 and F17). The percentage relative bioavailability of ITO HCl nasal in situ gel F1 and F17 was found to be 171.22% and 178.91%, respectively, in comparison with the commercial tablet. Histopathological study of the nasal mucosa revealed the safety of nasal in situ gel formulations to the nasal mucosa after 14 days of application. The study showed that the formulation of itopride hydrochloride as a mucoadhesive in situ nasal gel has enhanced the drug bioavailability due to avoidance of first-pass metabolism. The study points to the potential of mucoadhesive nasal in situ gel in terms of safety and efficiency.
Application of a Program to Improve Personal Development in Future Physical Education Teachers of the Degree in Education and Its Relationship with Wisdom
Authors: Arteaga-Checa Milagros , Palop-Montoro María Victoria , Manzano-Sánchez David
Published: January 2022

The objective of the present study was to apply an intervention program based on emotional education and self-knowledge in students of the degree in Education to verify changes in wisdom to improve their psychological health and emotional well-being. For this, Three-dimensional Wisdom Scale (3S-WS) was administered before and after the intervention, analyzing aspects related to affective, cognitive and reflective wisdom. The sample consisted of 100 students (40 men and 60 women, aged between 20 and 29 years). After the intervention program, students improved reflective wisdom without an identifiable difference between sexes. On the other hand, men had higher values in all variables than women. In conclusion, the program to improve personal development and self-awareness could be useful to improve wisdom (especially reflective wisdom) in third and fourth year students of the degree in Education specializing in Physical Education. At the same time, it is intended that these students understand the foundations of the intervention so that in the future it can be replicated in their classrooms and contribute to the sustainable development of the 2030 Agenda.
The Moderating Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on the Relationship between Creative Accounting Determinants and Financial Reporting Quality
Authors: Abed Ibtihal A. , Hussin Nazimah , Haddad Hossam , Al-Ramahi Nidal Mahmoud , Ali Mostafa A.
Published: January 2022

The banking sector is reflected as an essential element in the structure of any economy that leads to the growth of financial capacity for various individuals, organizations, businesses, and countries worldwide. Accounting activities are shown in the financial reports of banks, while the relevant literature has found that creative accounting highly impacts the quality of financial reporting. However, previous studies indicated the limited impacts of creative accounting determinants on the quality of financial reporting, whereas the phenomenon of financial reporting quality is still on the track of generating renewed research interests. The present research investigated the implications of corporate social responsibility on enhancing the impacts of the determinants of creative accounting and the quality of financial reporting in the context of commercial banks. A deductive research approach driven by a survey questionnaire was used as the research methodology to attain the objectives. Accordingly, purposive sampling was used to collect responses from 364 employees of Iraqi commercial banks (with a response rate of 72.8%). The data were analyzed statistically using the SPSS v.25 and AMOS v.24 software. The results show significant impacts of corporate social responsibility in moderating the relationship between the determinants of creative accounting and financial reporting quality of banks towards competitive advantages.
Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Spatial Green Stormwater Infrastructure Research
Authors: Huang Lechuan , Lim Theodore Chao , Misra Shalini
Published: January 2022

The use of vegetation and infiltration into soils to manage stormwater and water quality—called green stormwater infrastructure (GSI)—is now widely recognized as a viable alternative or supplement to the pipes and pumps of conventional, or “gray”, drainage infrastructure. Over the years, much research has emerged regarding spatial aspects of GSI implemented at large scales, including where it is located, where it should be located, and what metrics best represent the benefits it brings to different locations. Research in these areas involves expertise from multiple academic disciplines, but it is unclear whether and how researchers from different disciplines identify and approach questions related to the spatiality of GSI. By adopting the explanatory sequential mixed method design, we identified four categories of spatial GSI studies through a literature review of over 120 research papers: empirical, ecological, decision support systems, and optimization. Here, we present representative examples of these categories of spatial GSI studies, as well as associations between the academic disciplines represented in these categories of spatial GSI papers. Then, we conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of GSI researchers which revealed the value of interdisciplinary training and knowledge. Finally, in this paper, we identify several gaps that could be addressed to improve interdisciplinary research on GSI implementation, and sustainability transitions in general.
Does High-Speed Railway Opening Improve the M&A Behavior?
Authors: Han Lin , Li Xingchan , Yang Yanshu
Published: January 2022

High-speed railway (HSR) shortens the spatial and temporal distance between regions and has a profound impact on regional economy and enterprise decision-making. This study investigates the impact of opening a high-speed railway (HSR) on enterprises’ mergers and acquisitions (M&A) behavior in China. Our findings suggest that the opening of HSR promotes the M&A activities of listed companies, and the opening of non-intercity HSR has a more obvious effect on the promotion of M&A decisions of enterprises. The results were robust after a series of robustness checks. Hence, the spatiotemporal squeezing effect generated by opening an HSR significantly improves the efficiency of information exchange and decreases the transaction costs of listed companies, which greatly promotes the M&A decisions of enterprises.
Energy Management Strategy for Hybrid Energy Storage Electric Vehicles Based on Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle Considering Battery Degradation
Authors: Yi Fengyan , Lu Dagang , Wang Xingmao , Pan Chaofeng , Tao Yuanxue , Zhou Jiaming , Zhao Changli
Published: January 2022

The development of energy management strategy (EMS), which considers how power is distributed between the battery and ultracapacitor, can reduce the electric vehicle’s power consumption and slow down battery degradation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop an EMS for hybrid energy storage electric vehicles based on Pontryagin’s minimums principle (PMP) considering battery degradation. To verify the EMS, the hybrid energy storage electric vehicle model is first established. In the meantime, the battery cycle life trials are finished in order to develop a battery degradation model. Following that, a rule-based control approach and the PMP optimization algorithm are used to allocate power in a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) in a reasonable manner. Finally, a simulation experiment under urban dynamometer driving schedule (UDDS) settings verifies the established EMS, and the findings reveal that the suggested EMS has a lower energy consumption rate and battery deterioration rate than the rule-based method.
Determinants for Successful Digital Transformation
Authors: Oh Kyunghwan , Kho Hyeongseog , Choi Youngjin , Lee Seogjun
Published: January 2022

The proliferation of innovative digital technology is changing the industrial ecosystem; thus, companies should have the ability to adapt to the new environment. However, the success rate of digital transformation (DT) is still low, and there is a need to know its success determinant factors. This study aims to examine factors that affect DT’s personal and social acceptance and empirically verify whether they actually affect it. Success factors and risk factors affecting the adoption of DT were identified from the literature review. The study collected data from 100 employees working for Korean financial institutions to statistically analyze and identify the determinant factors affecting successful DT. The results show that planned behavioral factors and innovative characteristics have a positive effect on DT acceptance attitude and that DT acceptance attitude has a positive effect on personal acceptance of DT. This study makes both theoretical and practical contributions. It distinguishes acceptance of innovation in two ways: individual acceptance and social acceptance, which has not been done in previous studies. It presents useful insights and understanding for those interested in transforming their organization with new technology by suggesting successful DT determinant factors.
Impact of Abnormal Climatic Events on the CPUE of Yellowfin Tuna Fishing in the Central and Western Pacific
Authors: Zhou Weifeng , Hu Huijuan , Fan Wei , Jin Shaofei
Published: January 2022

To explore the impact of climate change on fishery resources, the temporal and spatial characteristics of the thermocline in the main yellowfin tuna purse-seine fishing grounds in the western and central Pacific Ocean during La Niña and El Niño years were studied using the 2008–2017 Argo grid data (BOA_Argo) and the log data of commercial fishing vessels. A generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the variables affecting yellowfin tuna fishing grounds. The results showed that in La Niña years, the catch per unit effort (CPUE) moved westward as the high-value zone of the upper boundary contracted westward to 145° E, and in the El Niño years this moved eastward to 165° E. Compared with normal years, the upper boundary depth difference of the thermocline on the east and west sides of the equatorial Pacific was larger in La Niña years, and the upper boundary depth of 80–130 m shifted westward. The thermocline strength was generally weaker in the west and stronger in the east. The thermocline had two band-like distribution structures with an axis at 15° N and 15° S. The CPUE was distributed from 120 m to 200 m. The CPUE distribution was dense when the temperature range of the upper boundary of the thermocline was 27.5–29.5 °C, and the intensity was 0.08–0.13 °C·m−1. The upper-boundary temperature had the greatest impact on the CPUE. The eastward shift of the CPUE during El Niño and the westward shift during La Niña were associated with the optimal thermocline parameter values. The factor of year had a fluctuating effect on the CPUE, and the influence of the La Niña years was greater. The areas with high abundance were 5° N–5° S and 150° E–175° E. The results showed that the changes in the thermocline caused by abnormal climate events significantly affected the CPUE.
How South African Families Protected Themselves during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Adebiyi Babatope O. , Donga Gift T. , Omukunyi Bernard , Roman Nicolette V.
Published: January 2022

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a cluster of cases of ‘viral pneumonia’—‘Coronavirus Disease 2019’ (COVID-19)—in Wuhan City, the People’s Republic of China on 31 December 2019. To curb the spread of the virus, various containment measures were introduced. However, no study has explored how families protected themselves during the pandemic. Therefore, this study explored how families protected themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic using a qualitative exploratory design. Thirty-one adult participants, representing families in the Western Cape province of South Africa, were virtually interviewed. The sampling approach was both convenient and snowball. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results show that families followed and adapted to the mainstream protection measures as implemented by the South African government but in addition believed that adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions would protect them from contracting the virus. Therefore, the government and other stakeholders should support families in making it easier to protect themselves during the current and future pandemic(s).
Research on High-Speed Railway Pricing and Financial Sustainability
Authors: Hu Xiaoyi , Duan Jianqiang , Li Ran
Published: January 2022

With the steady increase of corporate system reform in the railway transportation industry, high-speed railways have accelerated their steps toward marketization, and the market competition they face has become increasingly fierce. In this context, enterprises need to make quick adjustments to new changes in order to seize the market share, obtain stable ticket income, and eventually, achieve financial sustainability while ensuring the healthy development of high-speed railways. Thus, it is particularly important to determine a reasonable ticket price. While considering supply and demand, market competition, and passenger utility, this study constructs a model of the passenger flow sharing rate and applies it to modeling the optimal ticket price for high-speed railways, taking the Beijing–Shanghai High-speed Railway as an example for calculating this model. Using the results calculated, this study analyzes the influence of the optimal ticket price on the financial sustainability of the enterprise through use of the evaluation system of financial sustainability established above. The results show that the existing price for a train ticket from of Beijing to Shanghai is not the optimal one, and there is still room for a price increase; the ticket price has an impact on financial sustainability by affecting corporate operating income and cash flow. The study provides a method for formulating the optimal ticket price for high-speed railway travel and enriches the research on the financial sustainability of high-speed railways.
Ubiquitous Occurrence of a Biogenic Sulfonate in Marine Environment
Authors: Chen Xiaofeng , Han Yu , Chen Quanrui , Lin Huaying , Lin Shanshan , Wang Deli , Tang Kai
Published: January 2022

The biogenic sulfonate 2,3-dihydroxypropane-1-sulfonate (DHPS) is a vital metabolic currency between phytoplankton and bacteria in marine environments. However, the occurrence and quantification of DHPS in the marine environment has not been well-characterized. In this study, we used targeted metabolomics to determine the concentration of DHPS in the Pearl River Estuary, an in situ costal mesocosm ecosystem and a hydrothermal system off Kueishantao Island. The results suggested that DHPS occurred ubiquitously in the marine environment, even in shallow-sea hydrothermal systems, at a level comparable to that of dimethylsulfoniopropionate. The concentration of DHPS was closely related to phytoplankton community composition and was especially associated with the abundance of diatoms. Epsilonproteobacteria were considered as the most likely producers of DHPS in shallow-sea hydrothermal systems. This work expands current knowledge on sulfonates and presents a new viewpoint on the sulfur cycle in hydrothermal systems.
Research on a Prediction Method for Passenger Waiting-Area Demand in High-Speed Railway Stations
Authors: Cao Yangliu , Guan Hongzhi , Li Tao , Han Yan , Zhu Junze
Published: January 2022

The rapid development of intelligent transportation systems and high-speed railways has shortened the waiting time of passengers and the demand for waiting areas. Large-scale stations not only increase the difficulty for passengers when traveling but also waste a great deal of land resources and construction funds. Therefore, this research analyzes passenger waiting area demand according to the characteristics of urban development, passenger travel characteristics and station departure passenger flow. This paper establishes a prediction model for the number of passengers spending time in the waiting room, taking into account passenger traffic and train departure timetables. We used Beijing South Railway Station, Xi’an North Railway Station, Hefei South Railway Station and Zhoukou East Railway Station as examples to predict the numbers of passengers spending time in waiting rooms of different types and scales of station. Research results show that shortening the length of passengers’ early arrival times can effectively reduce the number of passengers gathered in medium-sized stations, which are located in new first-tier cities. Under the influence of the urban traffic environment and passenger flow, the uncertainties regarding travel time and passenger flow in first-tier cities are lower than those in new first-tier cities and higher than those in third-tier and fourth-tier cities. Therefore, the waiting area demand of passengers departing from medium-sized stations in new first-tier cities is lower than that of passengers from large stations in first-tier cities, and higher than that of passengers from small stations in third-tier and fourth-tier cities.
A Hybrid Imperialist Competitive Algorithm for the Distributed Unrelated Parallel Machines Scheduling Problem
Authors: Zheng Youlian , Yuan Yue , Zheng Qiaoxian , Lei Deming
Published: January 2022

In this paper, the distributed unrelated parallel machines scheduling problem (DUPMSP) is studied and a hybrid imperialist competitive algorithm (HICA) is proposed to minimize total tardiness. All empires were categorized into three types: the strongest empire, the weakest empire, and other empires; the diversified assimilation was implemented by using different search operator in the different types of empires, and a novel imperialist competition was implemented among all empires except the strongest one. The knowledge-based local search was embedded. Extensive experiments were conducted to compare the HICA with other algorithms from the literature. The computational results demonstrated that new strategies were effective and the HICA is a promising approach to solving the DUPMSP.
Special Issue: “The Mixture Transition Distribution Model and Other Models for High-Order Dependencies”
Authors: Berchtold André
Published: January 2022

High-order Markov chains are very useful for the analysis of complex temporal relationships, but they generally require a very high number of parameters [...]
A Motion Planning Method for Automated Vehicles in Dynamic Traffic Scenarios
Authors: Peng Bo , Yu Dexin , Zhou Huxing , Xiao Xue , Xie Chen
Published: January 2022

We propose a motion planning method for automated vehicles (AVs) to complete driving tasks in dynamic traffic scenes. The proposed method aims to generate motion trajectories for an AV after obtaining the surrounding dynamic information and making a preliminary driving decision. The method generates a reference line by interpolating the original waypoints and generates optional trajectories with costs in a prediction interval containing three dimensions (lateral distance, time, and velocity) in the Frenet frame, and filters the optimal trajectory by a series of threshold checks. When calculating the feasibility of optional trajectories, the cost of all optional trajectories after removing obstacle interference shows obvious axisymmetric regularity concerning the reference line. Based on this regularity, we apply the constrained Simulated Annealing Algorithm (SAA) to improve the process of searching for the optimal trajectories. Experiments in three different simulated driving scenarios (speed maintaining, lane changing, and car following) show that the proposed method can efficiently generate safe and comfortable motion trajectories for AVs in dynamic environments. Compared with the method of traversing sampling points in discrete space, the improved motion planning method saves 70.23% of the computation time, and overcomes the limitation of the spatial sampling interval.
Light and Secure Encryption Technique Based on Artificially Induced Chaos and Nature-Inspired Triggering Method
Authors: Al-Muhammed Muhammed J. , Abu Zitar Raed
Published: January 2022

Encryption is the de facto method for protecting information, whether this information is locally stored or on transit. Although we have many encryption techniques, they have problems inherited from the computational models that they use. For instance, the standard encryption technique suffers from the substitution box syndrome—the substitution box does not provide enough confusion. This paper proffers a novel encryption method that is both highly secure and lightweight. The proposed technique performs an initial preprocessing on its input plaintext, using fuzzy substitutions and noising techniques to eliminate relationships to the input plaintext. The initially encrypted plaintext is next concealed in enormously complicated codes that are generated using a chaotic system, whose behavior is controlled by a set of operations and a nature-inspired triggering technique. The effectiveness of the security of the proposed technique is analyzed using rigorous randomness tests and entropy.
Nanoparticles: Excellent Materials Yet Dangerous When They Become Airborne
Authors: Yin Xiao-Hui , Xu Yan-Ming , Lau Andy T. Y.
Published: January 2022

Since the rise and rapid development of nanoscale science and technology in the late 1980s, nanomaterials have been widely used in many areas including medicine, electronic products, crafts, textiles, and cosmetics, which have provided a lot of convenience to people’s life. However, while nanomaterials have been fully utilized, their negative effects, also known as nano pollution, have become increasingly apparent. The adverse effects of nanomaterials on the environment and organisms are mainly based on the unique size and physicochemical properties of nanoparticles (NPs). NPs, as the basic unit of nanomaterials, generally refer to the ultrafine particles whose spatial scale are defined in the range of 1–100 nm. In this review, we mainly introduce the basic status of the types and applications of NPs, airborne NP pollution, and the relationship between airborne NP pollution and human diseases. There are many sources of airborne NP pollutants, including engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) and non-engineered nanoparticles (NENPs). The NENPs can be further divided into those generated from natural activities and those produced by human activities. A growing number of studies have found that exposure to airborne NP pollutants can cause a variety of illnesses, such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders. To deal with the ever increasing numbers and types of NPs being unleashed to the air, we believe that extensive research is needed to provide a comprehensive understanding of NP pollution hazards and their impact mechanisms. Only in this way can we find the best solution and truly protect the safety and quality of life of human beings.
BoNT/A1 Secondary Failure for the Treatment of Neurogenic Detrusor Overactivity: An Ex Vivo Functional Study
Authors: Maignel Jacquie , Martin Vincent , Assaly Rana , Vogt Mathieu L. , Retailleau Kevin , Hornby Fraser , Laugerotte Alexandra , Lezmi Stéphane , Denys Pierre , Krupp Johannes , Joussain Charles
Published: January 2022

Management of neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) remains a clinical priority to improve patients’ quality of life and prevent dramatic urological complications. Intradetrusor injection of onabotulinumtoxinA (BoNT/A1, botulinum neurotoxin A1) is approved as second therapeutic line in these patients, demonstrating a good efficacy. However, a loss of its efficacy over time has been described, with no clear understanding of the underlying mechanisms. This paper aims at shedding new light on BoNT/A1 secondary failure in NDO through functional and structural analysis. Three groups of patients (either non-NDO, NDO with no toxin history or toxin secondary failure) were investigated using an ex vivo bladder strip assay. Detrusor strips were tensed in organ baths and submitted to electrical field stimulation to generate contractions. Recombinant BoNT/A1 was then added at various concentrations and contractions recorded for 4 h. Histology exploring BoNT/A1 targets, fibrosis and neuronal markers was also used. Detrusor strips from patients with BoNT/A1 secondary failure displayed a smaller sensitivity to toxin ex vivo at 3 nM compared to the other groups. Histological evaluation demonstrated the presence of cleaved Synaptosomal-Associated Protein, 25 kDa (c-SNAP25) in the detrusor from the toxin-secondary failure population, indicating some remaining in vivo sensitivity to BoNT/A1 despite the therapeutic escape. Moreover, residual c-SNAP25 did not affect parasympathetic-driven contractions observed ex vivo. This study confirms the slightly lower efficacy of BoNT/A1 in the BoNT/A1 secondary failure NDO group, suggesting that the escape from BoNT/A1 efficacy in NDO occurs at least at the parasympathetic level and could imply compensatory mechanisms for detrusor contraction.
Chemical Synthesis of a Functional Fluorescent-Tagged α-Bungarotoxin
Authors: Brun Oliver , Zoukimian Claude , Oliveira-Mendes Barbara , Montnach Jérôme , Lauzier Benjamin , Ronjat Michel , Béroud Rémy , Lesage Frédéric , Boturyn Didier , De Waard Michel
Published: January 2022

α-bungarotoxin is a large, 74 amino acid toxin containing five disulphide bridges, initially identified in the venom of Bungarus multicinctus snake. Like most large toxins, chemical synthesis of α-bungarotoxin is challenging, explaining why all previous reports use purified or recombinant α-bungarotoxin. However, only chemical synthesis allows easy insertion of non-natural amino acids or new chemical functionalities. Herein, we describe a procedure for the chemical synthesis of a fluorescent-tagged α-bungarotoxin. The full-length peptide was designed to include an alkyne function at the amino-terminus through the addition of a pentynoic acid linker. Chemical synthesis of α-bungarotoxin requires hydrazide-based coupling of three peptide fragments in successive steps. After completion of the oxidative folding, an azide-modified Cy5 fluorophore was coupled by click chemistry onto the toxin. Next, we determined the efficacy of the fluorescent-tagged α-bungarotoxin to block acetylcholine (ACh)-mediated currents in response to muscle nicotinic receptor activation in TE671 cells. Using automated patch-clamp recordings, we demonstrate that fluorescent synthetic α-bungarotoxin has the expected nanomolar affinity for the nicotinic receptor. The blocking effect of fluorescent α-bungarotoxin could be displaced by incubation with a 20-mer peptide mimicking the α-bungarotoxin binding site. In addition, TE671 cells could be labelled with fluorescent toxin, as witnessed by confocal microscopy, and this labelling was partially displaced by the 20-mer competitive peptide. We thus demonstrate that synthetic fluorescent-tagged α-bungarotoxin preserves excellent properties for binding onto muscle nicotinic receptors.
Cloning and Characterization of Three Novel Enzymes Responsible for the Detoxification of Zearalenone
Authors: Zhang Yi , Liu Xiaomeng , Zhang Yunpeng , Zhang Xiaolin , Huang He
Published: January 2022

Zearalenone is a common mycotoxin contaminant in cereals that causes severe economic losses and serious risks to health of human and animals. Many strategies have been devised to degrade ZEN and keep food safe. The hydrolase ZHD101 from Clonostachys rosea, which catalyzes the hydrolytic degradation of ZEN, has been studied widely. In the current research, three new enzymes that have the capacity to detoxify ZEN were identified, namely CLA, EXO, and TRI, showing 61%, 63%, and 97% amino acids identities with ZHD101, respectively. Three coding genes was expressed as heterologous in Escherichia coli BL21. Through biochemical analysis, the purified recombinant CLA, EXO, TRI, and ZHD101 exhibited high activities of degrading ZEN with the specific activity of 114.8 U/mg, 459.0 U/mg, 239.8 U/mg, and 242.8 U/mg. The optimal temperatures of CLA, EXO, TRI, and ZHD101 were 40 °C, 40 °C, 40 °C, and 45 °C, and their optimum pH were 7.0, 9.0, 9.5, and 9.0, respectively. Our study demonstrated that the novel enzymes CLA, EXO, and TRI possessed high ability to degrade ZEN from the model solutions and could be the promising candidates for ZEN detoxification in practical application.
Outcomes of Herpes Simplex Virus Pneumonitis in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Chang Wen-Jui , Wang Hsin-Yao , Huang Yu-Chen , Lin Chun-Yu , Leu Shaw-Woei , Hsieh Meng-Jer , Huang Chung-Chi
Published: January 2022

Critically ill patients, such as those in intensive care units (ICUs), can develop herpes simplex virus (HSV) pneumonitis. Given the high prevalence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiple pre-existing conditions among ICU patients with HSV pneumonitis, factors predicting mortality in this patient population require further investigation. In this retrospective study, the bronchoalveolar lavage or sputum samples of ICU patients were cultured or subjected to a polymerase chain reaction for HSV detection. Univariable and multivariable Cox regressions were conducted for mortality outcomes. The length of hospital stay was plotted against mortality on Kaplan–Meier curves. Among the 119 patients with HSV pneumonitis (age: 65.8 ± 14.9 years), the mortality rate was 61.34% (73 deaths). The mortality rate was significantly lower among patients with diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR] 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02–0.49, p = 0.0009) and significantly higher among patients with ARDS (OR: 4.18, 95% CI: 1.05–17.97, p < 0.0001) or high (≥30) Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.00–1.18, p = 0.02). Not having diabetes mellitus (DM), developing ARDS, and having a high Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score were independent predictors of mortality among ICU patients with HSV pneumonitis.
Recharge and Geochemical Evolution of Groundwater in Fractured Basement Aquifers (NW India): Insights from Environmental Isotopes (δ18O, δ2H, and 3H) and Hydrogeochemical Studies
Authors: Pradhan Rudra Mohan , Behera Ajit Kumar , Kumar Sudhir , Kumar Pankaj , Biswal Tapas Kumar
Published: January 2022

Considering water as a limiting factor for socio-economic development, especially in arid/semi-arid regions, both scientific communities and policymakers are interested in groundwater recharge-related data. India is fast moving toward a crisis of groundwater due to intense abstraction and contamination. There is a lack of understanding regarding the occurrence, movement, and behaviors of groundwater in a fractured basement terrane. Therefore, integrated environmental isotopes (δ18O, δ2H, and 3H) and hydrogeochemical studies have been used to understand the recharge processes and geochemical evolution of groundwater in the fractured basement terranes of Gujarat, NW India. Our results show that the relative abundance of major cations and anions in the study basin are Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ and HCO3− > Cl− > SO42− > NO3−, respectively. This suggests that the chemical weathering of silicate minerals influences the groundwater chemistry in the aquifer system. A change in hydrochemical facies from Ca-HCO3 to Na-Mg-Ca-Cl. HCO3 has been identified from the recharge to discharge areas. Along the groundwater flow direction, the presence of chemical constituents with different concentrations demonstrates that the various geochemical mechanisms are responsible for this geochemical evolution. Furthermore, the chemical composition of groundwater also reflects that the groundwater has interacted with distinct rock types (granites/granulites). The stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) of groundwater reveal that the local precipitation is the main source of recharge. However, the groundwater recharge is affected by the evaporation process due to different geological conditions irrespective of topographical differences in the study area. The tritium (3H) content of groundwater suggests that the aquifer is mainly recharged by modern rainfall events. Thus, in semi-arid regions, the geology, weathering, and geologic structures have a significant role in bringing chemical changes in groundwater and smoothening the recharge process. The findings of this study will prove vital for the decision-makers or policymakers to take appropriate measures to design water budgets as well as water management plans more sustainably.