bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcome following neurectomy of the deep branch lateral plantar nerve and plantar fasciotomy for hindlimb proximal suspensory desmopathy in western performance horses: 21 cases
Authors: Tatarniuk Dane M. , Hill Jacqueline A. , Modesto Rolf B. , Swor Tamara M. , Caston Stephanie S. , Kersh Kevin D.
Published: December 2020

Objective

To report the outcome of horses used in western performance disciplines after deep branch lateral plantar neurectomy/fasciotomy surgery for hind limb proximal suspensory desmopathy (PSD).

Study design

Retrospective analysis.

Sample population

Twenty‐one client‐owned horses.

Methods

Medical records were reviewed (2009‐2019) for horses involved in western performance disciplines that had been treated with deep branch lateral plantar neurectomy and plantar fasciotomy for lameness due to hind limb PSD. Follow‐up was obtained by reexamination and/or verbal interviews with owners >2 years postoperatively.

Results

Sixteen quarter horses and five paints were used for western pleasure (14/21), barrel racing (2/21), cutting (1/21), steer wrestling (1/21), working cow horse (1/21), team roping (1/21) and reining (1/21). A median duration of 8 months was required before horses were able to resume training or athletic work. Nine horses were able to return to a similar or higher level of athletic use, nine horses returned to a lower level of athletic performance, and three horses could not return to intended function. Owner satisfaction with outcome after the procedure was high (16/21), average (3/21), and low (2/21).

Conclusion

Deep branch lateral plantar neurectomy and plantar fasciotomy allowed most horses to resume some athletic function as western performance horses.

Clinical significance

These results provide evidence of potential outcomes when considering surgical treatment of hind limb PSD in western performance horses.
A hypolimnetic aeration system to meet the hypolimnetic oxygen demand by increasing the natural assimilation capacity of a reservoir
Authors: Göncü Serdar
Published: December 2020

Hypolimnetic aeration is a viable method to increase the assimilation capacity of lakes. In this study two lakes, one relatively small pond were chosen where aeration equipment was installed and one larger reservoir lake where the required aeration amount was found by calculation. A laboratory‐scale hypolimnetic aeration system (HAS) was designed. A hybrid system using wind and solar energy was implemented which was scaled up from the lab‐scale system. The pilot‐scale system was tested in the smaller volume Borabey Pond and the system’s efficiency was assessed. An aerial hypolimnetic oxygen demand (AHOD) decrease by 33% was observed in the pond due to the operation of the HAS. It was found that, although renewable wind and solar energy sources are applicable for small water bodies, conventional energy sources are needed for large water bodies.
Analysis of Novel Regenerative Thermo-Mechanical Refrigeration System Integrated With Isobaric Engine
Authors: Sleiti Ahmad K. , Al-Ammari Wahib A. , Al-Khawaja Mohammed
Published: December 2020

Refrigerants of the conventional cooling systems contribute to global warming and ozone depletion significantly, therefore it is necessary to develop new cooling systems that use renewable energy resources and waste heat to perform the cooling function with eco-friendly working fluids. To address this, the present study introduces and analyzes a novel regenerative thermo-mechanical refrigeration system that can be powered by renewable heat sources (solar, geothermal, or waste heat). The system consists of a novel expander–compressor unit (ECU) integrated with a vapor-compression refrigeration system. The integrated system operates at the higher-performance supercritical conditions of the working fluids as opposed to the lower-performance subcritical conditions. The performance of the system is evaluated based on several indicators including the power loop efficiency, the coefficient of performance (COP) of the cooling loop, and the expander–compressor diameters. Several working fluids were selected and compared for their suitability based on their performance and environmental effects. It was found that for heat source temperature below 100 °C, adding the regenerator to the system has no benefit. However, the regenerator increases the power efficiency by about 1% for a heat source temperature above 130 °C. This was achieved with a very small size regenerator (Dr = 6.5 mm, Lr = 142 mm). Results show that there is a tradeoff between high-performance fluids and their environmental effects. Using R32 as a working fluid at heat source temperature Th = 150 °C and cold temperature Tc1 = 40 °C, the system produces a cooling capacity of 1 kW with power efficiency of 10.23%, expander diameter of 53.12 mm, and compressor diameter of 75.4 mm.
Combatting fungal biofilm formation by diffusive release of fluconazole from heptylamine plasma polymer coating
Authors: Naderi Javad , Giles Carla , Saboohi Solmaz , Griesser Hans J. , Coad Bryan R.
Published: December 2020

A drug-eluting coating applied onto biomedical devices and implants is an appropriate way to ensure that an inhibitory concentration of antimicrobial drugs is present at the device surface, thus preventing surface colonization and subsequent biofilm formation. In this study, a thin polymer coating was applied to materials, and it acted as a drug-delivery reservoir capable of surface delivery of the antifungal drug fluconazole to amounts up to 21 μg/cm2. The release kinetics into aqueous solution were quantified by UV spectroscopy and conformed to the Ritger–Peppas and Korsmeyer–Peppas model. Complementary microbiological assays were used to determine effectiveness against Candida albicans attachment and biofilm formation, and against the control heptylamine plasma polymer coating without drug loading, on which substantial fungal growth occurred. Fluconazole release led to marked antifungal activity in all assays, with log 1.6 reduction in CFUs/cm2. Cell viability assays and microscopy revealed that fungal cells attached to the fluconazole-loaded coating remained rounded and did not form hyphae and biofilm. Thus, in vitro screening results for fluconazole-releasing surface coatings showed efficacy in the prevention of the formation of Candida albicans biofilm.
A new modelling approach to sediment bypass prediction applied to the East Coast Basin, New Zealand
Authors: Crisóstomo-Figueroa Adriana , McArthur Adam D. , Dorrell Robert M. , Amy Lawrence , McCaffrey William D.
Published: December 2020

Predicting when turbidity currents are erosional or depositional (i.e., leaving no depositional record versus leaving a deposit) remains challenging. Here we combine observations from submarine channel morphology with a new sediment transport model to derive thresholds for net erosional, equilibrium, or net depositional flow to predict how far turbidity currents can transport different grain size classes down the channel. The approach was applied to the modern Madden and Omakere Channels, which traverse the Hikurangi subduction margin of the North Island of New Zealand. A bathymetric data set was used to establish the downstream change of channel geometry. Taking account of centripetal and Coriolis forces, the flow superelevation method was used to estimate variations in flow velocity and concentration along the channels. These parameters were used as model inputs to estimate the potential distribution of sand in the system assuming the separate cases of well-sorted and poorly-sorted sediment in suspension. The predicted sand distribution maps deposited by poorly-sorted flows in the channels show good agreement with root mean square amplitude mapping of the seafloor. These results confirm that thicker flows, and those carrying well-sorted suspensions, can bypass sediment over lower slopes than thinner flows and those carrying more poorly-sorted suspensions. The net erosion and net deposition thresholds derived from this study may help to guide and constrain predictions of potential sediment bypass zones in seafloor and subsurface systems and hence better constrain the predicted loci of deposition.
Supplemental Material: Episodic exhumation of the Appalachian orogen in the Catskill Mountains (New York State, USA)
Authors: Shorten Chilisa , Fitzgerald Paul
Published: December 2020

AFT and AHe data tables, grain quality table, discussion of inverse thermal models, including inputs and model development, and figure of AHe data trends.
High-fat meal increases peripheral blood mononuclear cell pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in African-American women
Authors: Pearson Regis C. , Olenick Alyssa A. , Shaker Nuha , Blankenship Maire M. , Tinius Rachel A. , Winchester Lee J. , Oregon Evie , Maples Jill M.
Published: December 2020

African-American (AA) women have elevated predominance of inflammatory diseases concurrent with local inflammation resulting in compromised metabolic function. The purpose of the study was 2-fold: 1) to examine the gene and protein expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from AA and Caucasian-American (CA) women in response to an acute high-fat meal; and 2) to explore the influence of race (AA vs. CA) on PBMC reactivity. Ten AA and 11 CA women consumed a high-fat meal with baseline and 4 h postprandial venous blood draws. PBMCs were incubated for 3 h then messenger RNA expression and supernatant protein concentration was used to examine inflammatory profiles. All women had a postprandial increase in interleukin (IL)-8 gene expression, IL-8 protein concentration, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) protein concentration (P < 0.05). AA women had a postprandial increase in IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α protein concentration (P < 0.05). AA women had higher postprandial IL-1β protein concentration and IL-8 gene expression compared with CA women (P < 0.05). Our data uncovers the specific impact of race and time on pro-inflammatory PBMC (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) expression profiles in response to an acute high-fat meal challenge.

Novelty: African Americans have higher predominance of inflammatory disease. We explored the potential race impact on peripheral blood mononuclear cell reactivity in response to a meal. A pro-inflammatory response to an acute high-fat meal with race impact was observed possibly contributing to health disparities impacting African-American women.
Amalgamation and harmonization of soil survey reports into a multi-purpose database
Authors: Furze Shane , Arp Paul
Published: December 2020

There is a growing demand for standardized, easily accessible, and detailed information pertaining to soil and its variability across the landscape. Typically, this information is only available for selected areas in the form of local or regional soil surveys reports which are difficult, and costly, to develop. Additionally, soil surveying protocols have changed with time, resulting in inconsistencies between surveys conducted over different periods. This article describes systematic procedures applied to generate an aspatial, terminologically, and unit-consistent, database for forest soils from county-based soil survey reports for the province of New Brunswick, Canada. The procedures involved (i) amalgamating data from individual soil surveys following a hierarchical framework, (ii) summarizing and grouping soil information by soil associations, (iii) assigning correct soil associates to each association, with each soil associate distinguished by drainage classification, (iv) assigning pedologically correct horizon sequences, as identified in the original soil surveys, to each soil associate, (v) assigning horizon descriptors and measured soil properties to each horizon, as outlined by the Canadian System of Soil Classification, and (vi) harmonizing units of measurement for individual soil properties. Identification and summarization of all soil associations (and corresponding soil associates) was completed with reference to the principal soil-forming factors, namely soil parent material, topographic surface expressions, soil drainage, and dominant vegetation type(s). This procedure, utilizing 17 soil surveys, resulted in an amalgamated database containing 106 soil associations, 243 soil associates, and 522 soil horizon sequences summarizing the variability of forest soil conditions across New Brunswick.
Clusters as surrogate for explicit short-range correlations in relativistic mean-field models
Authors: Typel Stefan
Published: December 2020

The formation of clusters at sub-saturation densities in nuclear matter can be seen as a result of many-body correlations. Various theoretical models have been developed to take this effect into account, mostly on a phenomenological level using energy density functionals. These models are constructed in such a way that clusters appear solely in dilute matter and dissolve when the density approaches the nuclear saturation density. At higher densities only nucleons survive as quasi-particles and no explicit correlations between the constituents of nuclear matter are considered. The possible description of correlations with cluster degrees of freedom at supra-saturation densities is explored using the example of a quasi-deuteron in a generalized relativistic density functional. The required change in the density dependence of the cluster mass shift, responsible for describing the cluster dissolution in the present model, is derived for nuclear matter at zero temperature.
Hydrogen, helium and lithium plasmas at high pressures
Authors: Ebeling Werner , Reinholz Heidi , Röpke Gerd
Published: December 2020

The equations of state (EoS) and other thermodynamic properties of plasmas of the light elements H, He, and Li, are calculated using inverted fugacity expansions. Fugacity expansions are known as an alternative to density expansions but show often an inferior convergence. If, however, the inversion can be solved, the fugacity representations may be very efficient. In particular, the contributions of deeply bound states are included in the fugacity expansion in a very effective way. The mathematical problems on nonlinearity connected with the inversion of fugacities to densities are reduced to solvable algebraic problems. The inversion of fugacities to densities is solved separately for two density regions: (i) In the low density, non-degenerate region we consider ring contributions describing screening effects and ladder contributions describing bound state formation. (ii) In the high density, degenerate region the electrons are described by the Fermi–Dirac distribution. Hartree–Fock contributions and Pauli blocking have to be taken into account. The ions are considered as classical, strongly correlated subsystem eventually forming a Wigner lattice. We solve the inversion problem for each of the regions. Near the crossing point, the separate solutions are connected to each other, either by smooth concatenation at the crossing point or by Padé approximations.
Deconfinement of heavy quarks at finite density and strong magnetic field
Authors: Szymański Michał
Published: December 2020

We study the simultaneous effect of the external magnetic field and finite chemical potential on deconfinement of heavy quarks, probed by the Polyakov loop and its fluctuations. We calculate the Polyakov loop, its real and imaginary susceptibilities, their ratio, as well as the heavy quark and anti-quark entropies. We find that these quantities are sensitive probes of deconfinement. Especially, the real Polyakov loop susceptibility and heavy quark and anti-quark entropies diverge at the critical point.
Impact of quark deconfinement in neutron star mergers and hybrid star mergers
Authors: Bauswein Andreas , Blacker Sebastian
Published: December 2020

We describe an unambiguous gravitational-wave signature to identify the occurrence of a strong phase transition from hadronic matter to deconfined quark matter in neutron star mergers. Such a phase transition leads to a strong softening of the equation of state and hence to more compact merger remnants compared to purely hadronic models. If a phase transition takes place during merging, this results in a characteristic increase of the dominant postmerger gravitational-wave frequency relative to the tidal deformability characterizing the inspiral phase. By comparing results from different purely hadronic and hybrid models we show that a strong phase transition can be identified from a single, simultaneous measurement of pre- and postmerger gravitational waves. Furthermore, we present new results for hybrid star mergers, which contain quark matter already during the inspiral stage. Also for these systems we find that the postmerger GW frequency is increased compared to purely hadronic models. We thus conclude that also hybrid star mergers with an onset of the hadron-quark phase transition at relatively low densities may lead to the very same characteristic signature of quark deconfinement in the postmerger GW signal as systems undergoing the phase transition during merging.
Studying complex manifolds by using groups Gnk and Γnk
Authors: Manturov Vassily Olegovich , Wan Zheyan
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we study several complex manifolds by using the following idea. First, we construct a certain moduli space and study the fundamental group of this space. This fundamental group is naturally mapped to the groups [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. This is the step towards “complexification” of the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] approach first developed in [V. O. Manturov, D. A. Fedoseev, S. Kim and I. M. Nikonov, On groups [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]: A study of manifolds, dynamics, and invariants, preprint (2019), arXiv:1905.08049].
Gender diversity in the board and firms performance
Authors: Ahmad Muhammad Ishfaq , Naseem Muhammad Akram , ur Rehman Ramiz , Ali Rizwan , Mazoor Suhaib
Published: December 2020

Good corporate governance has been on the corporate agenda for the last two decades. Among other issues, female’s presentation in the board rooms received much more attention. This study examines the participation of females as an executive in corporate management and financial performance of the engineering sector of Pakistan. The data comes from listed companies at the Pakistan Stock exchange from 2010 to 2019. By using the data of 12 companies, it is found that there is a significant positive relationship between board diversity and financial performance. Moreover, board size and board meetings and CEO education have a significant positive influence on the financial performance of firms. However, board independence has a significant negative influence on financial performance.
Testate amoebae as non-pollen palynomorphs in pollen slides: usefulness and application in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction
Authors: Andrews L. O. , Payne R. J. , Swindles G. T.
Published: December 2020

Testate amoebae are a frequently used palaeoecological proxy for reconstructing changes in palaeohydrological conditions, particularly in studies of
Sphagnum
-dominated peatlands. Their use in palaeoecological studies has increased following the development of transfer functions, allowing for the quantitative reconstruction of water-table depth changes through time. Increasingly, they are included in non-pollen palynomorph (NPP) studies alongside a wide range of other proxies, representing a valuable tool, particularly in multi-proxy studies.

Testate amoebae have been used for qualitative assessment of palaeohydrology in NPP studies and may aid the verification of environmental interpretations of conditions inferred from curves of NPP with unknown ecology and taxonomy. Their usefulness in such studies is limited by the destruction of tests owing to harsh chemical treatments used in pollen preparation methods. This makes community distribution data of testate amoebae derived by these methods largely unsuitable for quantitative assessment of water-table depth. Furthermore, many palynological studies combine testate amoebae as one single curve, losing further ecological detail. Patterns of change of surviving species, most commonly of
Assulina
,
Archerella
,
Arcella
,
Hyalosphenia
and
Archerella flavum
, remain relatively unaffected and therefore can still be useful for interpreting qualitative changes in hydrological conditions through time, particularly when coupled with other proxies.
Early land plant phytodebris
Authors: Wellman Charles H. , Ball Alexander C.
Published: December 2020

Historically, phytodebris (often considered a type of non-pollen palynomorph – NPP) has played a prominent role in research into the fossil record of early land plants. This phytodebris consists of cuticles and cuticle-like sheets, various tubular structures (including tracheids and tracheid-like tubes) and sundry other enigmatic fragments. Initial research focused on elucidating their morphology, attempts to identify them
in situ
in plant megafossils and comparisons with potentially homologous structures in extant plants. The fragmentary nature of these remains, and associated difficulties in positively identifying their presence in fossil/extant plants, resulted in vigorous debate regarding what many of these microfossils actually represented and their relevance to early land plant studies. More recently a wider array of analytical techniques has been applied (e.g. ultrastructural analysis, geochemistry and taphonomic experiments). However, positive identification of the affinities of at least some of these enigmatic fossils remained elusive. Ongoing investigations based on exceptionally preserved material from Lagerstätten (charcoalified and silicified) seem to have finally demonstrated that the more enigmatic of these remains derive from nematophytes that probably represent fungi and possibly also lichenized fungi.
ComFeel
Authors: Constantinides Marios , Šćepanović Sanja , Quercia Daniele , Li Hongwei , Sassi Ugo , Eggleston Michael
Published: December 2020

Indoor environmental quality has been found to impact employees' productivity in the long run, yet it is unclear its meeting-level impact in the short term. We studied the relationship between sensorial pleasantness of a meeting's room and the meeting's productivity. By administering a 28-item questionnaire to 363 online participants, we indeed found that three factors captured 62% of people's experience of meetings: (a) productivity; (b) psychological safety; and (c) room pleasantness. To measure room pleasantness, we developed and deployed ComFeel, an indoor environmental sensing infrastructure, which captures light, temperature, and gas resistance readings through miniaturized and unobtrusive devices we built and named 'Geckos'. Across 29 real-world meetings, using ComFeel, we collected 1373 minutes of readings. For each of these meetings, we also collected whether each participant felt the meeting to have been productive, the setting to be psychologically safe, and the meeting room to be pleasant. As one expects, we found that, on average, the probability of a meeting being productive increased by 35% for each standard deviation increase in the psychological safety participants experienced. Importantly, that probability increased by as much as 25% for each increase in room pleasantness, confirming the significant short-term impact of the indoor environment on meetings' productivity.
Quantifying Quality
Authors: Jannuzzi Chris , Jennings Taylor E.
Published: December 2020

In recent years, scientific publishing has seen consistent increases in terms of both the number of manuscripts published, roughly 4% year-over-year, as well as the number of journal titles that exist. As of mid-2018, there were over 42,000 active scholarly peer-reviewed titles publishing over three million articles annually.
Cold Sintering for High-Temperature Electrochemical Applications
Authors: Grady Zane , Seo Joo-Hwan , Tsuji Kosuke , Ndayishimiye Arnaud , Lowum Sarah , Dursun Sinan , Maria Jon-Paul , Randall Clive
Published: December 2020

Although cold sintering remains an emerging processing technique, it is noteworthy to consider recent progress in materials that are of interest to electrochemical systems with elevated service temperatures. Here we discuss a broad number of materials ranging from alkali electrolytes for solid state batteries, to oxygen ion conductors for gas sensing. We also discuss the opportunity to co-fire mixed ionic conductors into multilayered devices. Given the low-temperature sintering temperatures with the cold sintering process (CSP), we will discuss some insights into operating ceramics at temperatures near or above their processing temperature.
Mavacamten decreases maximal force and Ca2+ sensitivity in the N47K-myosin regulatory light chain mouse model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Awinda Peter O. , Watanabe Marissa , Bishaw Yemeserach , Huckabee Anna M. , Agonias Keinan B. , Kazmierczak Katarzyna , Szczesna-Cordary Danuta , Tanner Bertrand C. W.
Published: December 2020

Mavacamten is a pharmaceutical that binds to myosin, and it is under investigation as a therapy for some forms of heart disease. We show that mavacamten reduces isometric tension and Ca2+ sensitivity of contraction in skinned myocardial strips from a mouse model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that expresses the N47K mutation in cardiac myosin regulatory light chain. Mavacamten reduces contractility by decreasing strong cross-bridge binding, partially due to faster cross-bridge nucleotide handling rates that speed up myosin detachment.
β1- and β2-integrins: central players in regulating vascular permeability and leukocyte recruitment during acute inflammation
Authors: Ou Ziwei , Dolmatova Elena , Lassègue Bernard , Griendling Kathy K.
Published: December 2020

The integrin family, an indispensable part of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, consists of a group of heterodimeric adhesion receptors formed by α- and β-integrin subunits. Their wide expression and unique bidirectional signaling pathways allow them to play roles in a variety of biological activities including blood clot formation, cell attachment, and migration. Evidence suggests that integrins are essential regulators of the initiation of acute inflammation, especially two key aspects of this process i.e., vascular permeability and leukocyte recruitment. This mini-review discusses the importance of integrins at the onset of the acute inflammatory response and outlines research advances regarding the function of integrins and their modulators at different stages of this process. Insights into the fine-tuning of integrin signaling during acute inflammation may inspire the design of new drugs for inflammatory diseases.
Controllability of Impulsive Semilinear Stochastic Heat Equation with Delay
Authors: Leiva Hugo , Narvaez Miguel , Sivoli Zoraida
Published: December 2020

LaSalle wrote the following: “it is never possible to start the system exactly in its equilibrium state, and the system is always subject to outside forces not taken into account by the differential equations. The system is disturbed and is displaced slightly from its equilibrium state. What happens? Does it remain near the equilibrium state? This is stability. Does it remain near the equilibrium state and in addition tend to return to the equilibrium? This is asymptotic stability.” Continuing with what LaSalle said, we conjecture that real-life systems are always under the influence of impulses, delays, memory, nonlocal conditions, and noises, which are intrinsic phenomena no taken into account by the mathematical model that is representing by a differential equation. For many control systems in real life, delays, impulses, and noises are natural properties that do not change their behavior. So, we conjecture that, under certain conditions, the abrupt changes, delays, and noises as perturbations of a system do not modify certain properties such as controllability. In this regard, we prove the interior

S

∗

-controllability of the semilinear stochastic heat equation with impulses and delay on the state variable, and this is done by using new techniques avoiding fixed point theorems employed by Bashirov et al.
IL-17 Affects the Progression, Metastasis, and Recurrence of Laryngeal Cancer via the Inhibition of Apoptosis through Activation of the PI3K/AKT/FAS/FASL Pathways
Authors: Song Yang , Yang Ming , Zhang Hongjian , Sun Yan , Tao Ye , Li Huihui , Zhang Jing , Li Yuncheng , Yang Jianming
Published: December 2020

Background. Cytokines play important roles in the development and prognosis of laryngeal cancer (LC). Interleukin-17 (IL-17) from a distinct subset of CD4+ T cells may significantly induce cancer-elicited inflammation to prevent tumor immune surveillance. Methods. The expression levels of IL-17 were examined among 60 patients with LC. Immunofluorescence colocalization experiments were performed to verify the localization of IL-17 and FAS/FASL in Hep-2 and Tu212 cells. The role of IL-17 was determined using siRNA techniques in the LC cell line. Results. In the LC patients, cytokines were dysregulated in LC tissues compared with normal tissues. It was found that IL-17 was overexpressed in a cohort of 60 LC tumors paired with nontumor tissues. Moreover, high IL-17 expression was significantly associated with the advanced T category, the late clinical stage, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and recurrence. In addition, the time course expression of FAS and FASL was observed after stimulation and treatment with the IL-17 stimulator. Finally, in vitro experiments demonstrated that IL-17 functioned as an oncogene by inhibiting the apoptosis of LC cells via the PI3K/AKT/FAS/FASL pathways. Conclusions. In summary, these findings demonstrated for the first time the role of IL-17 as a tumor promoter and a prometastatic factor in LC and indicated that IL-17 may have an oncogenic role and serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in LC.
DC-NNMN: Across Components Fault Diagnosis Based on Deep Few-Shot Learning
Authors: Xu Juan , Xu Pengfei , Wei Zhenchun , Ding Xu , Shi Lei
Published: December 2020

In recent years, deep learning has become a popular topic in the intelligent fault diagnosis of industrial equipment. In practical working conditions, how to realize intelligent fault diagnosis in the case of the different mechanical components with a tiny labeled sample is a challenging problem. That means training with one component sample but testing with another component sample has not been resolved. In this paper, we propose a deep convolutional nearest neighbor matching network (DC-NNMN) based on few-shot learning. The 1D convolution embedding network is constructed to extract the high-dimensional fault feature. The cosine distance is merged into the K-Nearest Neighbor method to model the distance distribution between the unlabeled sample from the query set and labeled sample from the support set in high-dimensional fault features. The multiple few-shot learning fault diagnosis tasks as the testing dataset are constructed, and then the network parameters are optimized through training in multiple tasks. Thus, a robust network model is obtained to classify the unknown fault categories in different components with tiny labeled fault samples. We use the CWRU bearing vibration dataset, the bearing vibration data selected from the Lab-built experimental platform, and another gearing vibration dataset for across components experiment to prove the proposed method. Experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve fault diagnosis accuracy of 82.19% for gearing and 82.63% for bearings with only one sample of each fault category. The proposed DC-NNMN model provides a new approach to solve the across components fault diagnosis in few-shot learning.
Simulation-Based Rapid Development and Implementation of a Novel Barrier Enclosure for Use in COVID-19 Patients: The SplashGuard CG
Authors: François Tine , Tabone Laurence , Levy Arielle , Seguin Laurence Alix , Touré Taher , Aubin Carl Eric , Jouvet Philippe
Published: December 2020

Background. The current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over 54,800,000 SARS-CoV-2 infections worldwide with a mortality rate of around 2.5%. As observed in other airborne viral infections such as influenza and SARS-CoV-1, healthcare workers are at high risk for infection when performing aerosol-generating medical procedures (AGMP). Additionally, the threats of a global shortage of standard personal protective equipment (PPE) prompted many healthcare workers to explore alternative protective enclosures, such as the “aerosol box” invented by a Taiwanese anesthetist. Our study includes the design process of a protective barrier enclosure and its subsequent clinical implementation in the management of critically ill adults and children infected with SARS-CoV-2. Methods and Results. The barrier enclosure was designed for use in our tertiary care facility and named “SplashGuard CG” (CG for Care Givers). The device has been adapted using a multi- and interdisciplinary approach, with collaboration between physicians, respiratory therapists, nurses, and biomechanical engineers. Computer-aided design and simulation sessions throughout the entire process facilitated the rapid and safe implementation of the SplashGuard CG in different settings (intensive care unit, emergency department, and the operating room) during AGMPs such as bag-valve-mask ventilation, nasopharyngeal suctioning, intubation and extubation, and noninvasive ventilation. Indications for use and anticipatory precautions were communicated to all healthcare workers using the SplashGuard CG. The entire process was completed within one month. Conclusion. The rapid design, development, and clinical implementation of a new barrier enclosure, the “SplashGuard CG,” was feasible in this time of crisis thanks to close collaboration between medical and engineering teams and the use of recurring simulation sessions to test and improve the initial prototypes. Following this accelerated process, it is necessary to maintain team skills, monitor any undesirable effects, and evaluate and continuously improve this new device.
Study on Mesoscopic Mechanics of Recycled Asphalt Mixture in the Indirect Tensile Test
Authors: Sheng Yanping , Jia Haichuan , Lv Hongli , Chen Huaxin , Zhao Xiaorui , Wang Runzhi , Meng Jiandang
Published: December 2020

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) mainly contains asphalt binder and aggregates, and the RAP materials used in paving roads could save virgin materials. This paper studied the following: asphalt mixture with different RAP material contents was prepared; then the indirect tensile test was carried out, and the mesoscopic model of the recycled asphalt mixture was reconstructed digitally. Discrete element method (DEM) of indirect tensile test was carried out to analyze the mechanical properties of recycled asphalt mixture in mesoscopic perspective. The results showed that there were some gaps between the simulation result of the digital specimen model and the test value of the recycled asphalt mixture, but the velocity vector and the law of force chain development of the recycled asphalt mixture could be explained in mesoscopic perspective. It proved that the virtual simulation test of the mechanical test was effective. The damage process of recycled asphalt mixture was analyzed in mesoscopic perspective, and the unification of mechanical response and macroscopic appearance was completed. Meanwhile, the simulation method of mesoscopic mechanics was an effective supplement to traditional tests, and guided tests method theoretically.
Analyzing the Solar Energy Data Using a New Anderson-Darling Test under Indeterminacy
Authors: Aslam Muhammad , Algarni Ali
Published: December 2020

The generalization of the Anderson-Darling (AD) test under neutrosophic statistics is presented in this paper. We present the designing and operating procedure of neutrosophic Anderson-Darling when the quality of interest follows the neutrosophic normal distribution. The application of the proposed test is given using data from the renewable energy field. From the analysis of the data, it is concluded that the proposed test is effective and information to be applied when the data is recorded from the complex system in the renewable energy field.
Study on the Migration Law of Overlying Strata of Gob-Side Entry Retaining Formed by Roof Cutting and Pressure Releasing in the Shallow Seam
Authors: Tian Chen , Wang Anhu , Liu Yingjie , Jia Tinggui
Published: December 2020

A mechanical model of a hard roof was built to analyze the pressure relief roof cutting (RCPR) process for gob-side entry retaining (GER) and identify the critical stage of roadway stability control during RCPR. Based on the mechanical analysis of key parameters of automatic roadway with RCPR, the FLAC3D software was adopted to conduct a numerical simulation to investigate the influence law of height and angle of RCPR, to analyze the trend of variations in the vertical displacement of roadway surrounding rock stress and the roof under different conditions, and to verify that the optimal roof cutting height and seam cutting angle of the 12201 working face of Halagou Coal mine are 6 m and 20°, respectively. The effect of automatic roadway with RCPR has been well implemented through conducting the bidirectional cumulative blasting test on site. To impose effective roadway surrounding rock controlling measures on Halagou Coal mine in RCPR of hard, coal-bearing roof structures at a shallow mining depth, constant resistance large deformation anchor cables, in combination with a single hydraulic prop, joist steel 11#, and steel mesh reinforcement, could provide active surrounding rock support. In addition to the active support, surrounding rock control could be strengthened using grouting bolts. Based on the result, the stress in the roadway coal side and the vertical displacement of the roof can be reduced through increasing the roof cutting height, contributing to the stability of the roadway. Increasing of the roof cutting angle will lead to the increasing of stress in the coal side of the roadway and the increasing of roof displacement with a maximum angle of 20°. Meanwhile, the peak of stress concentrating on both sides of the extreme angle is decreased. Thus, increasing the cutting roof angle at random can be unfavorable to the management of roadway roof. To develop RCPR GER, roadway surrounding rock requires greater support when the mine face passes through a cutting slot. After industrial trials, these measures are proved to be effective in controlling surrounding rock movement and developing GER.
Planning a Continuous Vehicle Trajectory for an Automated Lane Change Maneuver by Nonlinear Programming considering Car-Following Rule and Curved Roads
Authors: Wei Chong , Li Shurong
Published: December 2020

This study proposes a trajectory planning method for an automated lane change maneuver. We consider that the spatiotemporal trajectory of a controlled vehicle can be represented by a polynomial function and estimate the parameters of the polynomial function through nonlinear programming that does not rely on the assumed time horizon of lane change and the assumed final state of the controlled vehicle. When the controlled vehicle achieves its target lane, the state of this vehicle should be constrained by both the position and the speed of the forward vehicle. We integrate a car-following model into the nonlinear programming to constrain the state of the controlled vehicle at the end of the lane change. Notably, the interaction factors are taken into consideration: the motion of the vehicle that follows the controlled vehicle in the target lane can be influenced by the trajectory planning results of the controlled vehicle. The proposed trajectory planning method can simultaneously estimate the motion of the following vehicle and plan the trajectory for the controlled vehicle. Our proposed model can also work for curved road sections. We represent the curve information in the nonlinear programming by a regression model. We solve the nonlinear programming through the sequential quadratic program (SQP) algorithm and design a method to specify an initial guess for the algorithm. This paper finally demonstrates the effect of the proposed trajectory planning method under different scenarios.
An Improved Adaptive Parallel Genetic Algorithm for the Airport Gate Assignment Problem
Authors: Liang Bingjie , Li Yongliang , Bi Jun , Ding Cong , Zhao Xiaomei
Published: December 2020

Gate assignment problem (GAP) is the core issue of airport operation management. However, the limited resources of airport gates and the increase of flight scale result in serious problems for gate allocation. In this paper, to provide decision-making support for large-scale GAPs, a model based on gate assignment rules (e.g., flight type constraints, safe time interval constraints, and adjacency conflict constraints) is built to formulate the problem. An improved adaptive parallel genetic algorithm (APGA) is then designed to solve the model. The algorithm is effective because it introduces the idea of elite strategy and parallel design and can adaptively adjust the crossover probability. Moreover, different instances are presented to demonstrate the proposed algorithm. The calculation results of this algorithm are compared with those of standard genetic algorithm and CPLEX, which show that the proposed algorithm has better performance and takes a shorter computational time. In addition, we verify the stability and practicability of the algorithm by repeated experiments on large-scale flight data.
Role of the Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Noncritically Ill Patients during the SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic
Authors: Taton Olivier , Papleux Emmanuelle , Bondue Benjamin , Knoop Christiane , Van Laethem Sébastien , Bauler Alain , Martiny Delphine , Montesinos Isabel , Delforge Marie-Luce , Elmaouhab Kahina , Leduc Dimitri
Published: December 2020

Background. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is currently not recommended in noncritically ill patients for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Indeed, the diagnosis is based on the RT-PCR test on a nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) and abnormal findings on the chest CT scan. However, the sensitivity of the NPS and the specificity of the chest CT scan are low. Results of BAL in case of negative NPS testing are underreported, especially in the subgroup of immunocompromised patients. Objectives. The added value of BAL in the management of unstable, but noncritically ill patients, suspected of having SARS-CoV-2 infection despite one previous negative NPS and the side effects of the procedure for the patients and the health-care providers, were assessed during the epidemic peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in Belgium. Methods. This multicentric study included all consecutive noncritically ill patients hospitalized with a clinical and radiological suspicion of SARS-CoV-2 infection but with a negative NPS. BAL was performed according to a predefined decisional algorithm based on their state of immunocompetence, the chest CT scan features, and their respiratory status. Results. Among the 55 patients included in the study, 14 patients were diagnosed with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Interestingly, there was a relationship between the cycle threshold of the RT-PCR and the interval of time between the symptom onset and the BAL procedure (

Pearso

n

’

s
 
correlation
 
coefficient
=
0.8

,

p
=
0.0004

). Therapeutic management was changed in 33 patients because another infectious agent was identified in 23 patients or because an alternative diagnosis was made in 10 patients. In immunocompromised patients, the impact of BAL was even more marked (change in therapy for 13/17 patients). No significant adverse event was noted for patients or health-care staff. All health-care workers remained negative for SARS-CoV-2 NPS and serology at the end of the study. Conclusions. In this real-life study, BAL can be performed safely in selected noncritically ill patients suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection, providing significant clinical benefits that outweigh the risks.
Impact of Combined “CHADS-BLED” Score to Predict Short-Term Outcomes in Transfemoral and Transapical Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Veulemans Verena , Maier Oliver , Bosbach Georg , Hellhammer Katharina , Afzal Shazia , Piayda Kerstin , Polzin Amin , Jung Christian , Westenfeld Ralf , Mehdiani Arash , Lichtenberg Artur , Kelm Malte , Zeus Tobias
Published: December 2020

Background. High CHA2DS2-VASC and HAS-BLED scores are linked to increased mortality in structural and nonstructural cardiovascular interventions irrespective of the presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) or oral anticoagulation. We aimed to use the aforementioned scores to quantify the risk of 30-day mortality, major vascular and bleeding events (MVASC/BARC), and cerebrovascular insults (CVI) in patients undergoing different access routes in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods. Out of 1329 patients, 980 transfemoral (TF) TAVR (73.7%) and 349 transapical (TA) TAVR (26.3%) were included. CHA2DS2-VASC, HAS-BLED, and combined “CHADS-BLED” scores were calculated and compared to the predictive value of the established EuroSCORE and STS score. Results. In all-comers TF TAVR patients, the applied risk models showed only poor association with 30-day mortality while, in patients with concomitant AF, a strong association was observed using the combined CHADS-BLED score (c-index: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.76–0.91;

p

 < 0.0001). Concerning 30-day mortality, only the STS score for TF TAVR (c-index: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.59–0.76;

p

 = 0.001) and EuroSCORE for TA TAVR (c-index: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.56–0.76;

p

 = 0.005) could show some predictive value. High CHADS-BLED was associated with enhanced CVI (3.0% vs. 7.2%;

p
=

0.0039

∗

) and more frequent MVASC/BARC (3.2% vs. 6.3%;

p

 = 0.0362) in the all-comers TAVR cohort. All risk models failed in the prediction of CVI and MVASC/BARC for TA TAVR patients. Conclusion. The combined CHADS-BLED score was a strong predictor for 30-day mortality in TF TAVR patients with AF. A high CHADS-BLED score showed a good predictive value for major vascular and bleeding events as well as CVI in TF TAVR patients. This study is registered at clinical trials (NCT01805739).