bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An improved central difference Kalman filter for satellite attitude estimation with state mutation
Authors: Ma Haining , Zhang Xiang , Lu Zhengliang , Liao Wenhe
Published: January 2022

There are three problems in applying central difference Kalman filter (CDKF) to attitude estimation of low‐cost satellite: (1) the negative definiteness and asymmetry of the covariance matrix caused by limited computing power and storage space of the onboard microprocessor may result in calculation divergence, (2) the system model uncertainty including model mismatch and state mutation caused by environmental disturbances from inside and outside the satellite will lead to filter divergence, (3) the addition operation on quaternions violates the normalization constraint, while enforced unitization will introduce approximation errors. To solve the above problems, this article proposes the multiplicative quaternion square root strong tracking CDKF (MQSRSTCDKF), in which three improvements to basic CDKF are made: (1) square roots of covariance matrices are adopted for information propagation in place of covariance matrices themselves, which always guarantees the symmetry and positive definiteness of covariance matrices, (2) multiple fading factors are employed to adjust square root of the covariance matrix of predicted state variables, and then adjust the gain matrix to make the filter attach more weight to sensor measurements than to corrupt state predictions caused by model uncertainties, (3) multiplication operation on quaternions is conducted instead of the addition one, which makes the normalization constraint on quaternions naturally satisfied without enforced unitization. Numerical simulation based on raw telemetry data from the on‐orbit CubeSat NJUST‐1 shows that MQSRSTCDKF has higher attitude estimation accuracy, faster convergence speed, and stronger robustness to filter divergence and calculation divergence than basic CDKF.
Green innovation and ecological footprint relationship for a sustainable development: Evidence from top 20 green innovator countries
Authors: Koseoglu Ahmet , Yucel Ali Gokhan , Ulucak Recep
Published: January 2022

The ecological pressure of humanity on the planet measured by ecological footprint has been enlarging, which upsurges environmental threats. At this point, green innovation emerges as an optimal solution to sustainable development which brings together economic growth and environmental protection. This paper explores the nexus between green innovation and ecological footprint for the case of the top 20 green innovator countries. As a comprehensive environmental sustainability indicator, the ecological footprint is employed to observe the environmental impacts of green innovation. We apply cross‐sectional dependence tests, panel unit root tests and panel cointegration tests covering the period of 1993–2016. The results show that economic growth is the primary reason for environmental degradation while urbanization does not have a statistically significant effect. Renewable energy consumption has a moderating influence on ecological footprint. More importantly, environment‐related technologies have a statistically significant effect on ecological footprint. Specifically, a 1% increase in environment‐related technologies leads to a 0.129% decrease in ecological footprint. The findings of the study clearly demonstrate that it is possible to achieve economic growth while protecting the environment. The results of the study are expected to be motivating for countries' transition toward green innovation in that sustainable development can be achieved if countries invest in green innovation.
High‐Performance Ferroelectric Electromagnetic Attenuation Materials with Multiple Polar Units Based on Nanodomain Engineering
Authors: Li Yong , Wang Guangcheng , Gong Ao , Zhang Shan , Liu Jia , Sun Ningning , Hao Xihong
Published: January 2022

The multirelaxation behavior is promising for high‐performance dielectric materials based on polarization‐controllable high‐efficiency electromagnetic attenuation. However, a single polar unit is the main problem that restricts the development of dielectric materials in the field. Herein, by constructing multiple polar units based on nanodomain engineering, enhanced electromagnetic attenuation properties are achieved in La doping BiFeO3 ferroelectric ceramics. A dual‐band attenuation with a maximum reflection loss of ‐43.4 dB together with a wide effective bandwidth (<‐10 dB) of 3.3 GHz in X‐band, is acquired in Bi0.85La0.15FeO3 which just has a thickness of 1.54 mm. A systematic experimental analysis coupled with potential well modeling suggests that the miniaturization of the ferroelectric domain, from micron to nanoscale, induces an additional interface polarization that is capable of responding to microwave frequency, leading to the formation of dual dielectric relaxation. The way that intrinsic polar unit induces another polar unit through size effect to obtain multiple contributions of electromagnetic loss provides a feasible and universal strategy to design high‐performance electromagnetic attenuation materials based on the ferroelectric family.
Lipid Droplets Embedded in a Model Cell Membrane Create a Phospholipid Diffusion Barrier
Authors: Puza Sevde , Caesar Stefanie , Poojari Chetan , Jung Michael , Seemann Ralf , Hub Jochen S. , Schrul Bianca , Fleury Jean‐Baptiste
Published: January 2022

Lipid droplets (LDs) are ubiquitous, cytoplasmic fat storage organelles that originate from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. They are composed of a core of neutral lipids surrounded by a phospholipid monolayer. Proteins embedded into this monolayer membrane adopt a monotopic topology and are crucial for regulated lipid storage and consumption. A key question is, which collective properties of protein‐intrinsic and lipid‐mediated features determine spatio‐temporal protein partitioning between phospholipid bilayer and LD monolayer membranes. To address this question, a freestanding phospholipid bilayer with physiological lipidic composition is produced using microfluidics and micrometer‐sized LDs are dispersed around the bilayer that spontaneously insert into the bilayer. Using confocal microscopy, the 3D geometry of the reconstituted LDs is determined with high spatial resolution. The micrometer‐sized bilayer‐embedded LDs present a characteristic lens shape that obeys predictions from equilibrium wetting theory. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching measurements reveals the existence of a phospholipid diffusion barrier at the monolayer–bilayer interface. Coarse‐grained molecular dynamics simulation reveals lipid specific density distributions along the pore rim, which may rationalize the diffusion barrier. The lipid diffusion barrier between the LD covering monolayer and the bilayer may be a key phenomenon influencing protein partitioning between the ER membrane and LDs in living cells.
Morphological, Structural, and Paste Characteristics of Native and Heat‐Moisture Treated Treculia africana Starch
Authors: Akinyosoye Toluwani S. , Nwokocha Louis M.
Published: January 2022

Starch is isolated from the seeds of Treculia africana at an initial moisture content of 15% and is modified by heat‐moisture treatment (HMT) at desired moisture contents (Heat treated native; 15%, HMT18%, HMT24%, and HMT30%). The parameters analyzed includes granule size, X‐ray diffraction, amylose leaching, pasting properties, shear viscosity, paste clarity, and freeze‐thaw stability. The native starch is compared to HMT starch in terms of characteristics. The A‐type X‐ray diffraction pattern of native T. africana starch (15.5°, 17.4°, 18.0°, 23.0°) is lost during HMT, resulting in a change to the B‐type. The swelling profile at different temperatures shows that swelling decreased with increasing moisture of HMT. The deep blue coloration of the starch‐iodine complex increases with the increasing moisture of HMT. The rapid visco analyzer paste characteristics show pasting temperature increased while peak, breakdown, and setback viscosities decreased with increasing moisture of HMT. The shear viscosity of the starch pastes decreases with HMT. Paste clarity decreases while syneresis increases with HMT. Overall, increasing the moisture of HMT stabilizes the starch pastes against breakdown and improves their properties and potential for application as thickener in foods requiring severe processing conditions.
Automated black‐box testing of nominal and error scenarios in RESTful APIs
Authors: Corradini Davide , Zampieri Amedeo , Pasqua Michele , Viglianisi Emanuele , Dallago Michael , Ceccato Mariano
Published: January 2022

RESTful APIs (or REST APIs for short) represent a mainstream approach to design and develop web APIs using the REpresentational State Transfer architectural style. Black‐box testing, which assumes only the access to the system under test with a specific interface, is the only viable option when white‐box testing is impracticable. This is the case for REST APIs: their source code is usually not (or just partially) available, or a white‐box analysis across many dynamically allocated distributed components (typical of a micro‐services architecture) is computationally challenging. This paper presentsRestTestGen, a novel black‐box approach to automatically generate test cases for REST APIs, based on their interface definition (an OpenAPI specification). Input values and requests are generated for each operation of the API under test with the twofold objective of testing nominal execution scenarios and error scenarios. Two distinct oracles are deployed to detect when test cases reveal implementation defects. While this approach is mainly targeting the research community, it is also of interest to developers because, as a black‐box approach, it is universally applicable across different programming languages, or in the case external (compiled only) libraries are used in a REST API. The validation of our approach has been performed on more than 100 of real‐world REST APIs, highlighting the effectiveness of the approach in revealing actual faults in already deployed services.
Designing principles of advanced sulfur cathodes toward practical lithium‐sulfur batteries
Authors: Li Hongtai , Li Yanguang , Zhang Liang
Published: January 2022

As one of the most promising candidates for next‐generation energy storage systems, lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries have gained wide attention owing to their ultrahigh theoretical energy density and low cost. Nevertheless, their road to commercial application is still full of thorns due to the inherent sluggish redox kinetics and severe polysulfides shuttle. Incorporating sulfur cathodes with adsorbents/catalysts has been proposed to be an effective strategy to address the foregoing challenges, whereas the complexity of sulfur cathodes resulting from the intricate design parameters greatly influences the corresponding energy density, which has been frequently ignored. In this review, the recent progress in design strategies of advanced sulfur cathodes is summarized and the significance of compatible regulation among sulfur active materials, tailored hosts, and elaborate cathode configuration is clarified, aiming to bridge the gap between fundamental research and practical application of Li‐S batteries. The representative strategies classified by sulfur encapsulation, host architecture, and cathode configuration are first highlighted to illustrate their synergetic contribution to the electrochemical performance improvement. Feasible integration principles are also proposed to guide the practical design of advanced sulfur cathodes. Finally, prospects and future directions are provided to realize high energy density and long‐life Li‐S batteries.
Investigating the bamboo as alternative partial replacement of steel bars in concrete reinforcement members
Authors: Harelimana Vincent , Zhu Jungao , Yuan Junping , Uwitonze Clement
Published: January 2022

The study investigated the feasibility of replacing the steel bars by bamboo in concrete members as alternative materials in the rural and peri‐urban areas. The present study also investigated the effects of bonds between concrete and bamboo on the strength of concrete reinforced with treated and untreated bamboo. The study further examined the effect of split bamboo and whole bamboo when used as concrete reinforcements and compare with the strength of concrete reinforced by steel bars. Laboratory tests such as pull out test, flexural test, bamboo water absorption test, bamboo tensile test, and mechanical crushing test were done for this purpose. Nonlinear finite element model using ABAQUS was used to simulate the problem and validate the laboratory results. The results indicated that the bond at the interface between concrete and bamboo greatly affected the strength of bamboo reinforced concrete. The results also revealed the potential of the treated split bamboos for use as an alternative partial replacement of steel bars in concrete reinforcement and a cost‐effective approach that can be useful in most rural and peri‐urban regions where the relatively low purchasing power of the steel bars, as well as the simple structures, are dominant.
Enhancing the physical properties of acrylic resilient denture liner using graphene oxide nanosheets
Authors: Khan Aftab Ahmed , De Vera Merry Angelyn Tan , Mohamed Badreldin Abdelrhman , Javed Ravish , Al‐Kheraif Abdulaziz Abdullah
Published: January 2022

Resilient denture liners (RDLs) change their hardness in a short time. Hence, their usefulness is limited to the short term only. Therefore, this laboratory study investigated the influence of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets incorporation on the longevity of a commercially available RDL material. An auto‐polymerizing acrylic‐based RDL was selected for this purpose. The control group (G0) was prepared as such according to the manufacturer's instructions. However, for the G1group, 0.1 wt/wt% of GO nanosheet was incorporated in powder of RDL. Similarly, G2group and G3group were the composites of 0.3 and 0.6 wt/wt% of the GO‐resin matrix. A total of 60 disk‐shaped samples were prepared, having three subgroups with 15 disks each (n = 15). Surface roughness, water contact angle, Shore A hardness, water sorption, and solubility parameters were evaluated using a two‐way analysis of variance (p < .05). GO nanosheets facilitated in reducing the hardness of RDL without affecting the surface roughness and wettability properties. Additionally, statistically reduced water solubility and sorption values were observed in G3group, that is, 0.69 ± 0.25% and 0.93 ± 0.18%, respectively, compared to 1.17 ± 0.13% and 1.41 ± 0.18%, respectively, of the control group at the end of 14‐day water immersion. The incorporation of GO nanosheets seems a viable option for the enhanced physical properties and clinical life of RDLs.
Drought and society: Scientific progress, blind spots, and future prospects
Authors: Savelli Elisa , Rusca Maria , Cloke Hannah , Di Baldassarre Giuliano
Published: January 2022

Human activities have increasingly intensified the severity, frequency, and negative impacts of droughts in several regions across the world. This trend has led to broader scientific conceptualizations of drought risk that account for human actions and their interplays with natural systems. This review focuses on physical and engineering sciences to examine the way and extent to which these disciplines account for social processes in relation to the production and distribution of drought risk. We conclude that this research has significantly progressed in terms of recognizing the role of humans in reshaping drought risk and its socioenvironmental impacts. We note an increasing engagement with and contribution to understanding vulnerability, resilience, and adaptation patterns. Moreover, by advancing (socio)hydrological models, developing numerical indexes, and enhancing data processing, physical and engineering scientists have determined the extent of human influences in the propagation of drought hazard. However, these studies do not fully capture the complexities of anthropogenic transformations. Very often, they portray society as homogeneous, and decision‐making processes as apolitical, thereby concealing the power relations underlying the production of drought and the uneven distribution of its impacts. The resistance in engaging explicitly with politics and social power—despite their major role in producing anthropogenic drought—can be attributed to the strong influence of positivist epistemologies in engineering and physical sciences. We suggest that an active engagement with critical social sciences can further theorizations of drought risk by shedding light on the structural and historical systems of power that engender every socioenvironmental transformation.

This article is categorized under:

Climate, History, Society, Culture > Disciplinary Perspectives
miR-193a-3p increases glycolysis under hypoxia by facilitating Akt phosphorylation and PFKFB3 activation in human macrophages
Authors: Fuhrmann Dominik C. , Brüne Bernhard
Published: January 2022

Human macrophages infiltrating hypoxic regions alter their metabolism, because oxygen becomes limited. Increased glycolysis is one of the most common cellular adaptations to hypoxia and mostly is regulated via hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and RAC-alpha serine/threonine–protein kinase (Akt) signaling, which gets activated under reduced oxygen content. We noticed that micro RNA (miR)-193a-3p enhances Akt phosphorylation at threonine 308 under hypoxia. In detail, miR-193a-3p suppresses the protein abundance of phosphatase PTC7 homolog (PPTC7), which in turn increases Akt phosphorylation. Lowering PPTC7 expression by siRNA or overexpressing miR-193a-3p increases Akt phosphorylation. Vice versa, inhibition of miR-193a-3p attenuates Akt activation and prevents a subsequent increase of glycolysis under hypoxia. Excluding effects of miR-193a-3p and Akt on HIF expression, stabilization, and function, we noticed phosphorylation of 6 phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase PFKFB3 in response to the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling cascade. Inhibition of PFKFB3 blocked an increased glycolytic flux under hypoxia. Apparently, miR-193a-3p balances Akt phosphorylation and dephosphorylation by affecting PPTC7 protein amount. Suppression of PPTC7 increases Akt activation and phosphorylation of PFKFB3, which culminates in higher rates of glycolysis under hypoxia.
Site Response Analysis of Anchorage, Alaska Using Generalized Inversions of Strong-Motion Data (2004–2019)
Authors: Thornley John , Douglas John , Dutta Utpal , Yang Zhaohui
Published: January 2022

Anchorage, Alaska, is located in one of the most active tectonic settings in the world. The city and region were significantly impacted by the MW 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake in 1964, and they were recently shaken by a MW 7.1 event in 2018. The city was developed in an area underlain by complex soil deposits of varied geological origins and stiffnesses, with the deposits’ thicknesses increasing east to west. Situated at the edge of the North American Plate, with the actively subducting Pacific Plate below, Anchorage is susceptible to both intraslab and interface earthquakes, along with crustal earthquakes. Strong-motion stations were installed across the city in an attempt to capture the variability in site response. Several previous studies have been performed to evaluate that variability but have not included larger magnitude events and have not benefited from the current density of instrumentation. The work presented here provides background information on the geology and tectonic setting of Anchorage and presents details related to the dataset and methods used to perform the site-response analysis. This study has collected strong-motion recordings from 35 surface stations across Anchorage for 95 events spanning from 2004 to 2019, including the MW 7.1 Anchorage Earthquake in 2018. The more than 1700 three-component recordings from those 95 events with moment magnitudes ranging from 4.5 to 7.1 were used to evaluate site response variability across the city. Using the Generalized Inversion Technique and a reference rock site, spectral amplifications were calculated and analyzed for frequencies between 0.25 and 10 Hz for each strong-motion station. The study results were used to develop contour maps at 1 Hz and 5 Hz, using logarithmic-band averages, to describe the variability of spectral amplifications at these two frequencies of interest. The results were also compared to geologic conditions across Anchorage, and the overlaying of different soil deposits can be seen to have an impact on the spectral amplification at the sites. The results of this study provide improvements on past microzonation studies and, using sensitivity analyses, offer support for the use of small and moderate earthquakes to evaluate spectral amplifications.
Efficient Claustrum Segmentation in T2-weighted Neonatal Brain MRI Using Transfer Learning from Adult Scans
Authors: Neubauer Antonia , Li Hongwei Bran , Wendt Jil , Schmitz-Koep Benita , Menegaux Aurore , Schinz David , Menze Bjoern , Zimmer Claus , Sorg Christian , Hedderich Dennis M.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Intrauterine claustrum and subplate neuron development have been suggested to overlap. As premature birth typically impairs subplate neuron development, neonatal claustrum might indicate a specific prematurity impact; however, claustrum identification usually relies on expert knowledge due to its intricate structure. We established automated claustrum segmentation in newborns.

Methods

We applied a deep learning-based algorithm for segmenting the claustrum in 558 T2-weighted neonatal brain MRI of the developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) with transfer learning from claustrum segmentation in T1-weighted scans of adults. The model was trained and evaluated on 30 manual bilateral claustrum annotations in neonates.

Results

With only 20 annotated scans, the model yielded median volumetric similarity, robust Hausdorff distance and Dice score of 95.9%, 1.12 mm and 80.0%, respectively, representing an excellent agreement between the automatic and manual segmentations. In comparison with interrater reliability, the model achieved significantly superior volumetric similarity (p = 0.047) and Dice score (p < 0.005) indicating stable high-quality performance. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the transfer learning technique was demonstrated in comparison with nontransfer learning. The model can achieve satisfactory segmentation with only 12 annotated scans. Finally, the model’s applicability was verified on 528 scans and revealed reliable segmentations in 97.4%.

Conclusion

The developed fast and accurate automated segmentation has great potential in large-scale study cohorts and to facilitate MRI-based connectome research of the neonatal claustrum. The easy to use models and codes are made publicly available.
Quality of Life in Patients with Benign Non‐Toxic Goiter After Surgical Intervention: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Chaves Natalia , Rodriguez M. Juanita , Broekhuis Jordan M. , Chen Hao Wei , Bain Paul A. , James Benjamin C.
Published: January 2022

Background

Prior studies evaluating health‐related quality of life (HR‐QoL) outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for benign non‐toxic goiter have used different instruments and time points, leading to conflicting results. We sought to systematically review the differences in HR‐QoL among patients with BNTG at baseline and 6 months after surgery, using exclusively the ThyPRO questionnaire.

Methods

A systematic search was performed using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for papers reporting the assessment of HR‐QoL utilizing ThyPRO. Data were meta‐analyzed using a random‐effects model, and pooled estimates were calculated using weighted mean differences (WMD) between baseline and 6 months after surgery. We assessed the quality and risk of bias of the studies using the Robins‐I tool and previously published minimally important change (MIC) values to assess clinical significance.

Results

Six papers met the predefined inclusion criteria, describing a total of 496 patients. Meta‐analysis demonstrated improved QoL in all thirteen domains of ThyPRO six months post‐surgical intervention compared to baseline. Specifically, the largest improvement in QoL was seen in the domains of overall QoL, WMD −25.84 (95% CI −29.70, −21.98, p < 0.001, I2 = 23%), goiter symptoms, 23.96 (95% CI −30.29, −17.64, p < 0.001, I2 = 91%), and tiredness, −16.20 (95% CI −19.23, −13.16, p < 0.001, I2 = 3%). The differences in scores 9 of 13 domains were clinically significant based on MIC.

Conclusions

Disease‐specific HR‐QoL improved in all ThyPRO domains after surgery in patients with BNTG. Future studies of QoL in thyroid surgery patients will benefit from a standard questionnaire and improved reporting of covariates including complications to ensure comparability across studies.
An experimental/numerical investigation of non-reacting turbulent flow in a piloted premixed Bunsen burner
Authors: Pareja Jhon , Lipkowicz Timo , Inanc Eray , Carter Campbell D. , Kempf Andreas , Boxx Isaac
Published: January 2022

In this paper, an experimental study of the non-reacting turbulent flow field characteristics of a piloted premixed Bunsen burner designed for operational at elevated pressure conditions is presented. The generated turbulent flow fields were experimentally investigated at atmospheric and elevated pressure by means of high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV). The in-nozzle flow through the burner was computed using large-eddy simulation (LES), and the turbulent flow field predicted at the burner exit was compared against the experimental results. The findings show that the burner yields a reasonably homogeneous, nearly isotropic turbulence at the nozzle exit with highly reproducible boundary conditions that can be well predicted by numerical simulations. Similar levels of turbulence intensities and turbulent length scales were obtained at varied pressures and bulk velocities with turbulent Reynolds numbers up to 5300. This work demonstrates the burner’s potential for the study of premixed flames subject to intermediate and extreme turbulence at the elevated pressure conditions found in gas turbine combustors.

Graphical abstract
Human milk fatty acid composition and its association with maternal blood and adipose tissue fatty acid content in a cohort of women from Europe
Authors: Giuffrida Francesca , Fleith Mathilde , Goyer Amélie , Samuel Tinu Mary , Elmelegy-Masserey Isabelle , Fontannaz Patric , Cruz-Hernandez Cristina , Thakkar Sagar K. , Monnard Cathriona , De Castro Carlos Antonio , Lavalle Luca , Rakza Thameur , Agosti Massimo , Al-Jashi Isam , Pereira Almerinda Barroso , Costeira Maria Jose , Marchini Giovanna , Vanpee Mireille , Stiris Tom , Stoicescu Sylvia , Silva Maria Gorett , Picaud Jean-Charles , Martinez-Costa Cecilia , Domellöf Magnus , Billeaud Claude
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Human milk (HM) composition is influenced by factors, like maternal diet and body stores, among other factors. For evaluating the influence of maternal fatty acid (FA) status on milk FA composition, the correlation between FA content in HM and in maternal plasma, erythrocytes, and adipose tissue was investigated.

Methods

223 European women who delivered at term, provided HM samples over first four months of lactation. Venous blood and adipose tissue (only from mothers who consented and underwent a C-section delivery) were sampled at delivery. FAs were assessed in plasma, erythrocytes, adipose tissue, and HM. Evolution of HM FAs over lactation and correlations between FA content in milk and tissues and between mother’s blood and cord blood were established.

Results

During lactation, arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) significantly decreased, while linoleic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) remained stable. Positive correlations were observed between HM and adipose tissue for palmitic, stearic, oleic, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Correlations were found between milk and plasma for oleic, LA, ARA, ALA, DHA, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and PUFAs. No correlation was observed between erythrocytes and HM FAs. LA and ALA were more concentrated in maternal blood than in infant blood, contrary to ARA and DHA, supporting that biomagnification of LCPUFAs may have occurred during pregnancy.

Conclusions

These data show that maternal adipose tissue rather than erythrocytes may serve as reservoir of PUFAs and LCPUFAs for human milk. Plasma also supplies PUFAs and LCPUFAs to maternal milk. If both, adipose tissue and plasma PUFAs, are reflection of dietary intake, it is necessary to provide PUFAs and LCPUFAs during pregnancy or even before conception and lactation to ensure availability for mothers and enough supply for the infant via HM.
Hearing outcome after tympanoplasty type III
Authors: Tihanyi A. , Speck I. , Wolff K. , Arnold P. , Aschendorff A. , Arndt S.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

We assessed overall hearing outcome after tympanoplasty type III in chronically infected ears with cholesteatoma (CH) and without cholesteatoma: otitis media chronica mesotympanalis, tympanosclerosis, and adhesive process (COM_T_AP).

Methods

303 surgeries were evaluated: 229 CH-group and 74 COM_T_AP-group. Air-bone gaps (PTA-ABG) with pure-tone averages (PTA-4) at four frequencies (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz) were compared preoperatively, early postoperatively (< 40 days) and late postoperatively (40–400 days). Hearing outcome was compared in various types of middle-ear reconstruction and in smokers and non-smokers. Correlations between hearing outcome and predictive staging indices were evaluated: Middle Ear Risk-Index (MER-I) and Ossiculoplasty Outcome Parameter Staging-Index (OOPS-I).

Results

Mean PTA-ABG in the CH-group increased from 20.9 ± 11.3 dB to 22.3 ± 10.4 dB early postoperatively and decreased significantly to 19.2 ± 10.1 dB late postoperatively. Mean PTA-ABG in the COM_T_AP-group decreased significantly from 27.3 ± 10.9 dB to 20.6 ± 10.9 dB early postoperatively and decreased to 20.0 ± 12.2 dB late postoperatively. No significant difference was seen between PTA-ABG-closures of partial or total ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP/TORP) and cartilage ossiculoplasty in the CH-group. Patients receiving TORP showed a significantly higher preoperative PTA-ABG. All reconstruction types exhibited postoperative PTA-ABG around 20 dB. In the COM_T_AP-group, smokers had a significantly higher mean PTA-ABG early postoperatively; this equalized with that of non-smokers late postoperatively. PTA-ABG-closures and MER-I or OOPS-I were not significantly correlated.

Conclusion

Tympanoplasty type III maintains hearing in patients with cholesteatoma and significantly improves hearing in chronically inflamed ears without cholesteatoma. All investigated ossicular replacement prostheses are equally beneficial. Healing postoperatively takes longer in smokers, but they eventually catch up with non-smokers.
Ex vivo propagation in a novel 3D high-throughput co-culture system for multiple myeloma
Authors: Waldschmidt Johannes M. , Fruttiger Stefan J. , Wider Dagmar , Jung Johannes , Thomsen Andreas R. , Hartmann Tanja N. , Duyster Justus , Hug Martin J. , Azab Kareem A. , Jung Manfred , Wäsch Ralph , Engelhardt Monika
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable hematologic malignancy which ultimately develops drug resistance and evades treatment. Despite substantial therapeutic advances over the past years, the clinical failure rate of preclinically promising anti-MM drugs remains substantial. More realistic in vitro models are thus required to better predict clinical efficacy of a preclinically active compound.

Methods

Here, we report on the establishment of a conical agarose 3D co-culture platform for the preclinical propagation of primary MM cells ex vivo. Cell growth was compared to yet established 2D and liquid overlay systems. MM cell lines (MMCL: RPMI-8226, U266, OPM-2) and primary patient specimens were tested. Drug sensitivity was examined by exploring the cytotoxic effect of bortezomib and the deubiquitinase inhibitor auranofin under various conditions.

Results

In contrast to 2D and liquid overlay, cell proliferation in the 3D array followed a sigmoidal curve characterized by an initial growth delay but more durable proliferation of MMCL over 12 days of culture. Primary MM specimens did not expand in ex vivo monoculture, but required co-culture support by a human stromal cell line (HS-5, MSP-1). HS-5 induced a > fivefold increase in cluster volume and maintained long-term viability of primary MM cells for up to 21 days. Bortezomib and auranofin induced less cytotoxicity under 3D vs. 2D condition and in co- vs. monoculture, respectively.

Conclusions

This study introduces a novel model that is capable of long-term propagation and drug testing of primary MM specimens ex vivo overcoming some of the pitfalls of currently available in vitro models.
Relationship between body size and sexual size dimorphism in syringophilid quill mites
Authors: Rózsa Lajos , Moldovan Evelyn
Published: January 2022

A positive relationship of body size and sexual size dimorphism (males’ size relative to females), called Rensch’s rule, is often observed in comparisons within non-parasitic taxa. However, this allometric relationship has rarely been tested in comparisons across closely related parasite species. Since male sexual rivalry is often regarded as the main cause of this phenomenon, the present study tests this rule in a taxon where sexual selection is almost totally absent in males. Body size data of (non-physogastric) female and male quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) were gathered from the literature to investigate this relationship. The data set consisted of 113 species representing 8 genera. For the data set as a whole, increasing body size came together with decreasing relative body size of males (relative to females), a phenomenon known as converse Rensch’s rule. Repeating the same analysis for the 8 genera separately, similar patterns were found in 4 significant and 3 non-significant cases. There was a significant tendency to comply with Rensch’s rule only in one genus, the Neoaulonastus. Thus, converse Rensch’s rule is the primary trend in syringophilid quill mites that appears repeatedly and independently in several genera. This phenomenon is probably caused by their extreme inbreeding, which strongly reduces sexual competition among males in this taxon.
Oral chronic GVHD after allogeneic stem cell transplantation without total body irradiation performed at a young age
Authors: Tanem Kristine Eidal , Wilberg Petter , Diep Phoi Phoi , Ruud Ellen , Skaare Anne B. , Brinch Lorentz , Herlofson Bente Brokstad
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Long-term survivors (LTSs) of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) may experience oral long-term effects like chronic graft-versus-host disease (oral cGVHD). The aim of this study was to investigate oral cGVHD in patients treated at a young age (< 30 years) more than 5 years after allo-HCT without total body irradiation (TBI).

Methods

All 94 participants went through a semi-structured interview, and an oral examination. Diagnosis of oral cGVHD was based on the “National Institutes of Health (NIH) cGVHD diagnosis and staging consensus criteria” from 2014.

Results

Mean age at transplantation was 17.5 years (range 0.4–29.9 years), and mean time since transplantation was 16.7 years (range 6–26 years). Oral cGVHD was diagnosed in 26 (28%) of 94 LTSs. Of which 20 (21.5%) showed lichen planus-like (LPL) changes, and additionally six (6.5%) also fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of oral cGVHD since they had one or more distinctive signs and symptoms of oral cGVHD combined with definite cGVHD in another organ. No LTSs reported oral cGVHD (NIH) grade 3. There was a significant association between cGVHD in the oral cavity and cGVHD in another organ (77% vs 29%, p < 0.001). Out of 72 LTSs, who answered the questions regarding taste disturbances, 16 (22%) reported dysgeusia. No LTSs developed secondary malignancies in the oral cavity during follow-up time.

Conclusion

Oral long-term effects, such as oral cGVHD, may persist for many years after allo-HCT without TBI-conditioning in patients treated at a young age.
Effects of binder types and other significant variables on the unconfined compressive strength of chemical-stabilized clayey soil using gene-expression programming
Authors: Pham Van-Ngoc , Oh Erwin , Ong Dominic E. L.
Published: January 2022

Soil stabilization is an in situ soil treatment in which soils are mixed with cementitious or other chemical stabilizing agents. Determining the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of stabilized soil is a principal task in the design and construction of the ground improvement. Hence, this study aims to develop a reliable predictive model for the UCS of clay stabilization with common cementitious binders using the gene-expression programming (GEP) technique. Eleven parameters, including the soil characteristics, the binder types, the binder contents, the mixing method, and the curing period, were considered as the independent variables in the model. The research results show that the selected optimal GEP-based model performs well with an acceptable correlation coefficient (R = 0.951) and low errors (e.g., RMSE and MAE). Besides, parametric analyses indicate that the plastic index, the percentage of clay, and the total water content have a negative effect on the UCS of stabilized soil. In contrast, the percentage of silt and sand, the binder types, the binder contents, and the curing time show a positive effect on the strength of stabilized soil. In addition, the strength of stabilized clay could be significantly enhanced by combining cement with slag, lime, or fly ash with a reasonable ratio, or by reducing the natural water content in the soil. The research findings could help engineers choose suitable binder types and cost-effective methods to optimize the UCS of stabilized clay.
Patterns of atmospheric circulation in Western Europe linked to heavy rainfall in Germany: preliminary analysis into the 2021 heavy rainfall episode
Authors: Ibebuchi Chibuike Chiedozie
Published: January 2022

The July 2021 heavy rainfall episode in parts of Western Europe caused devastating floods, specifically in Germany. This study examines circulation types (CTs) linked to extreme precipitation in Germany. It was investigated if the classified CTs can highlight the anomaly in synoptic patterns that contributed to the unusual July 2021 heavy rainfall in Germany. The North Atlantic Oscillation was found to be the major climatic mode related to the seasonal and inter-annual variations of most of the classified CTs. On average, wet (dry) conditions in large parts of Germany can be linked to westerly (northerly) moisture fluxes. During spring and summer seasons, the mid-latitude cyclone when located over the North Sea disrupts onshore moisture transport from the North Atlantic Ocean by westerlies driven by the North Atlantic subtropical anticyclone. The CT found to have the highest probability of being associated with above-average rainfall in large part of Germany features (i) enhancement and northward track of the cyclonic system over the Mediterranean; (ii) northward track of the North Atlantic anticyclone, further displacing poleward, the mid-latitude cyclone over the North Sea, enabling band of westerly moisture fluxes to penetrate Germany; (iii) cyclonic system over the Baltic Sea coupled with northeast fluxes of moisture to Germany; (iv) and unstable atmospheric conditions over Germany. In 2021, a spike was detected in the amplitude and frequency of occurrence of the aforementioned wet CT suggesting that in addition to the nearly stationary cut-off low over central Europe, during the July flood episode, anomalies in the CT contributed to the heavy rainfall event.
Analytical model of the in-plane torsion test
Authors: Cwiekala Nils , Traphöner Heinrich , Haupt Peter , Clausmeyer Till , Tekkaya A. Erman
Published: January 2022

In research and industry, the in-plane torsion test is applied to investigate the material behaviour at large plastic strains: a sheet is clamped in two concentric circles, the boundaries are twisted against each other applying a torque, and simple shear of the material arises. This deformation is analysed within the scope of finite elasto-plasticity. An additive decomposition of the Almansi strain tensor is derived, valid as an approximation for arbitrary large plastic strains and sufficiently small elastic strains and rotations. Constitutive assumptions are the von Mises yield criterion, an associative flow rule, isotropic hardening, and a physically linear elasticity relation. The incremental formulation of the elasticity relation applies covariant Oldroyd derivatives of the stress and the strain tensors. The assumptions combined with equilibrium conditions lead to evolution equations for the distribution of stresses and accumulated plastic strain. The nonzero circumferential stress must be determined from the equilibrium condition because no deformation is present in tangential direction. As a result, a differential-algebraic-equation (DAE) system is derived, consisting of three ordinary differential equations combined with one algebraic side condition. As an example material, properties of a dual phase steel DP600 are analysed numerically at an accumulated plastic strain of 3.0. Radial normal stresses of 3.1% and tangential normal stresses of 1.0% of the shear stresses are determined. The influence of the additional normal stresses on the determination of the flow curve is 0.024%, which is negligibly small in comparison with other experimental influences and measurement accuracies affecting the experimental flow curve determination.
Modeling driver-vehicle interaction in automated driving
Authors: Dargahi Nobari Khazar , Albers Franz , Bartsch Katharina , Braun Jan , Bertram Torsten
Published: January 2022

In automated vehicles, the collaboration of human drivers and automated systems plays a decisive role in road safety, driver comfort, and acceptance of automated vehicles. A successful interaction requires a precise interpretation and investigation of all influencing factors such as driver state, system state, and surroundings (e.g., traffic, weather). This contribution discusses the detailed structure of the driver-vehicle interaction, which takes into account the driving situation and the driver state to improve driver performance. The interaction rules are derived from a controller that is fed by the driver state within a loop. The regulation of the driver state continues until the target state is reached or the criticality of the situation is resolved. In addition, a driver model is proposed that represents the driver’s decision-making process during the interaction between driver and vehicle and during the transition of driving tasks. The model includes the sensory perception process, decision-making, and motor response. The decision-making process during the interaction deals with the cognitive and emotional states of the driver. Based on the proposed driver-vehicle interaction loop and the driver model, an experiment with 38 participants is performed in a driving simulator to investigate (1) if both emotional and cognitive states become active during the decision-making process and (2) what the temporal sequence of the processes is. Finally, the evidence gathered from the experiment is analyzed. The results are consistent with the suggested driver model in terms of the cognitive and emotional state of the driver during the mode change from automated system to the human driver.
About prestretch in homogenized constrained mixture models simulating growth and remodeling in patient-specific aortic geometries
Authors: Laubrie Joan D. , Mousavi S. Jamaleddin , Avril Stéphane
Published: January 2022

Evolution of mechanical and structural properties in the Ascending Thoracic Aorta (ATA) is the results of complex mechanobiological processes. In this work, we address some numerical challenges in order to elaborate computational models of these processes. For that, we extend the state of the art of homogenized constrained mixture (hCM) models. In these models, prestretches are assigned to the mixed constituents in order to ensure local mechanical equilibrium macroscopically, and to maintain a homeostatic level of tension in collagen fibers microscopically. Although the initial prestretches were assumed as homogeneous in idealized straight tubes, more elaborate prestretch distributions need to be considered for curved geometrical models such as patient-specific ATA. Therefore, we introduce prestretches having a three-dimensional gradient across the ATA geometry in the homeostatic reference state. We test different schemes with the objective to ensure stable growth and remodeling (G&R) simulations on patient-specific curved vessels. In these simulations, aneurysm progression is triggered by tissue changes in the constituents such as mass degradation of intramural elastin. The results show that the initial prestretches are not only critical for the stability of numerical simulations, but they also affect the G&R response. Eventually, we submit that initial conditions required for G&R simulations need to be identified regionally for ensuring realistic patient-specific predictions of aneurysm progression.
On conic-line arrangements with nodes, tacnodes, and ordinary triple points
Authors: Dimca Alexandru , Pokora Piotr
Published: January 2022

In the present paper, we study conic-line arrangements having nodes, tacnodes, and ordinary triple points as singularities. We provide combinatorial constraints on such arrangements, and we give the complete classification of free arrangements in this class.
Characterization of various acrylate based artificial teeth for denture fabrication
Authors: Muhammad Nawshad , Sarfraz Zenab , Zafar Muhammad Sohail , Liaqat Saad , Rahim Abdur , Ahmad Pervaiz , Alsubaie Abdullah , Almalki Abdulraheem S. A. , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin
Published: January 2022

Acrylic resins-based artificial teeth are frequently used for the fabrication of dentures has and contribute a very strong share in the global market. However, the scientific literature reporting the comparative analysis data of various artificial teeth is scarce. Focusing on that, the present study investigated various types of commercially available artificial teeth, composed of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Artificial teeth are characterized for chemical analysis, morphological features, thermal analysis, and mechanical properties (surface hardness, compressive strength). Different types of artificial teeth showed distinct mechanical (compression strength, Vickers hardness) and thermal properties (thermal gravimetric analysis) which may be attributed to the difference in the content of PMMA and type and quantity of different fillers in their composition. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results exhibited that vinyl end groups of PMMA degraded above 200 °C, whereas 340–400 °C maximum degradation temperature was measured by differential thermal analysis (DTA) for all samples. Crisma brand showed the highest compressive strength and young modulus (88.6 MPaand 1654 MPa)while the lowest value of Vickers hardness was demonstrated by Pigeon and Vital brands. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs showed that Crisma, Pigeon, and Vital exhibited characteristics of a brittle fracture; however, Artis and Well bite brands contained elongated voids on their surfaces. According to the mechanical analysis and SEM data, Well bite teeth showed a significantly higher mechanical strength compared to other groups. However, no considerable difference was observed in Vickers hardness of all groups.