bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conformal 3D Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing for Large Moulds
Authors: Liverani Alfredo , Bacciaglia Antonio , Nisini Eugenio , Ceruti Alessandro
Published: February 2023

Industrial engineering applications often require manufacturing large components in composite materials to obtain light structures; however, moulds are expensive, especially when manufacturing a limited batch of parts. On the one hand, when traditional approaches are carried out, moulds are milled from large slabs or laminated with composite materials on a model of the part to produce. In this case, the realisation of a mould leads to adding time-consuming operations to the manufacturing process. On the other hand, if a fully additively manufactured approach is chosen, the manufacturing time increases exponentially and does not match the market’s requirements. This research proposes a methodology to improve the production efficiency of large moulds using a hybrid technology by combining additive manufacturing and milling tools. A block of soft material such as foam is milled, and then the printing head of an additive manufacturing machine deposits several layers of plastic material or modelling clay using conformal three-dimensional paths. Finally, the mill can polish the surface, thus obtaining a mould of large dimensions quickly, with reduced cost and without needing trained personnel and handcraft polishing. A software tool has been developed to modify the G-code read by an additive manufacturing machine to obtain material deposition over the soft mould. The authors forced conventional machining instructions to match those of an AM machine. Thus, additive deposition of new material uses 3D conformal trajectories typical of CNC machines. Consequently, communication between two very different instruments using the same language is possible. At first, the code was tested on a modified Fused Filament Fabrication machine whose firmware has been adapted to manage a milling tool and a printing head. Then, the software was tested on a large machine suitable for producing moulds for the large parts typical of marine and aerospace engineering. The research demonstrates that AM technologies can integrate conventional machinery to support the composite materials industry when large parts are required.
Online Walking Speed Estimation Based on Gait Phase and Kinematic Model for Intelligent Lower-Limb Prosthesis
Authors: Liu Yi , An Honglei , Ma Hongxu , Wei Qing
Published: February 2023

Intelligent lower-limb prostheses aims to make amputees walk more comfortably and symmetrically which requires the dynamic altering of gait parameters such as walking speed. Some solutions have been proposed such as direct integration and machine learning methods. The former updates walking speed once after an entire gait cycle and the latter collects large amounts of gait data which are unfriendly to lower-limb amputees. Only by using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed on the thigh, this paper proposes a novel online walking speed estimation method to determine the walking speed rapidly and accurately in real-time. A step frequency estimator based on the phase variable and a stride estimator based on the inverted pendulum model is designed to determine the walking speed together. The proposed method is evaluated on a public open-source dataset and the gait data were collected in the lab to verify the effectiveness for able-bodied and prosthetic wearers. The experiment results show that the walking speed estimator offers higher accuracy (RMSE of the able-bodied dataset: 0.051 ± 0.016 m/s, RMSE of the prosthetic wearers‘ dataset: 0.036 ± 0.021 m/s) than the previous works with a real-time frequency of 100 Hz. The results also show that the proposed method has good performances both in static speeds and dynamic speed tracking without much data collection before being applied.
Rehabilitation of Fall in Elderly: The Paradigm of a New Medical Vision
Authors: Coraci Daniele , Tognolo Lucrezia , Masiero Stefano
Published: February 2023

Aging is a physiological state which implies several consequences [...]
Evaluation of the Structural, Optical and Photoconversion Efficiency of ZnO Thin Films Prepared Using Aerosol Deposition
Authors: Toe May Zin , Tan Wai Kian , Muto Hiroyuki , Kawamura Go , Matsuda Atsunori , Pung Swee-Yong
Published: February 2023

As compared to other deposition techniques such as atomic layer deposition, chemical vapour deposition and sputtering, aerosol deposition (AD) is a simple and cost-effective technique to produce ZnO thin films. In this work, the effect of deposition cycles on the structural, optical, and photo-conversion efficiency (PCE) of dye sensitized solar cells of ZnO thin films deposited by AD (AZ) was systematically studied. The structural, optical, and PCE% of two-cycle deposited ZnO thin film (AZ-II) exhibited the highest performance. Further increment in deposition cycle caused deterioration in the structural, optical, and PCE performance. The thickness of ZnO thin films decreased due to abrasion of the deposited film by the subsequent stream of highly energetic ZnO particles. Loosely bound particles could be found on the surface of ZnO thin film after three deposition cycles (AZ-III). The AZ-III films exhibited poor crystal quality, with many crystal defects such as interstitial oxygen as suggested in room temperature photoluminescence analysis.
Species-Specific Contribution to Atmospheric Carbon and Pollutant Removal: Case Studies in Two Italian Municipalities
Authors: Zappitelli Ilaria , Conte Adriano , Alivernini Alessandro , Finardi Sandro , Fares Silvano
Published: February 2023

In order to maximize ecosystem services (ES), a proper planning of urban green areas is needed. In this study, the urban greenery of two Italian cities (Milan and Bologna) exposed to high levels of atmospheric pollutants was examined. Vegetation maps were developed through a supervised classification algorithm, trained over remote sensing images, integrated by local trees inventory, and used as input for the AIRTREE multi-layer canopy model. In both cities, a large presence of deciduous broadleaves was found, which showed a higher capacity to sequestrate CO2 (3,953,280 g m2 y−1), O3 (5677.76 g m2 y−1), and NO2 (2358.30 g m2 y−1) when compared to evergreen needle leaves that, on the other hand, showed higher performances in particulate matter removal (14,711.29 g m2 y−1 and 1964.91 g m2 y−1 for PM10 and PM2,5, respectively). We identified tree species with the highest carbon uptake capacity with values up to 1025.47 g CO2 m2 y−1 for Celtis australis, Platanus x acerifolia, Ulmus pumila, and Quercus rubra. In light of forthcoming and unprecedent policy measures to plant millions of trees in the urban areas, our study highlights the importance of developing an integrated approach that combines modelling and satellite data to link air quality and the functionality of green plants as key elements in improving the delivery of ES in cities.
Probabilistic Hotspot Prediction Model Based on Bayesian Inference Using Precipitation, Relative Dry Spells, ENSO and IOD
Authors: Ardiyani Evi , Nurdiati Sri , Sopaheluwakan Ardhasena , Septiawan Pandu , Najib Mohamad Khoirun
Published: February 2023

Increasing global warming can potentially increase the intensity of ENSO and IOD extreme phenomena in the future, which could increase the potential for wildfires. This study aims to develop a hotspot prediction model in the Kalimantan region using climate indicators such as precipitation and its derivatives, ENSO and IOD. The hotspot prediction model was developed using Principal Model Analysis (PMA) as the initial model basis. The overall model performance is evaluated using the concept of Cross-Validation. Furthermore, the model’s performance will be improved using the Bayesian Inference principle so that the average performance increases from 28.6% to 61.1% based on the model’s coefficient of determination (R2). The character of each year in the model development process is also evaluated using the concept of cross validation. Since the climate indicator we used was integrated with the ENSO and IOD index, model performance is strongly influenced by the ENSO and IOD phenomena. To obtain better performance when estimating future forest fires (related to El Niño and positive IOD), years with a high number of hotspots and coinciding with the occurrence of El Niño and IOD are better used as early model years (PMA). However, the model tends to overestimate the hotspot value, especially with a lower strength El Niño and positive IOD. Therefore, years with a low number of hotspots, as in normal years and La Niña, are better used in the model performance improvement stage (Bayesian Inference) to correct the overestimation.
A Comparative Study on the Coevolution and Drivers of Environmental Risks and Man–Land Relationship between China and the United States from the Perspective of LUCC
Authors: Zhao Liang , Wang Wei , Li Meijiao , Xu Gaofeng
Published: February 2023

The study of geography is centered on the regional system of the human-land relationship, and the core of the study of the geographical system of the human-land relationship is land use change. Land use is the most direct manifestation of human activities, accompanied by changes in land cover. This is the most appropriate entry point to reveal the evolution of human-land relationships. The past 300 years have been the most intense period of social change in China and the United States. In this study, we investigated the differences and evolution of human-land relations between China and the United States from the perspective of land cover change. We found: (1) Cultivated land, forest land, and grassland areas in China and the United States have changed significantly in the past 300 years. The cultivated land area has generally increased, and the extent of forest land and grassland has declined. According to the speed of land cover change, it can be roughly divided into three different stages. The change in cultivated land in China is mainly based on the enhancement of cultivation intensity. The change in cultivated land in the United States is mainly based on expansion of cultivated land. (2) The difference in land cover change between China and the United States in the past 300 years is mainly caused by the difference in social development, interpreting human-land relationships with honest feedback and social feedback. In general, with the continuous development of land, environmental issues have become increasingly prominent, and people’s awareness of environmental protection has also increased. (3) The evolution of human-land relations in China and the United States has been influenced by natural and social factors for nearly 300 years. China is dominated by population, whereas the United States is dominated by technology. The relationship between humans and land differs between the two countries in some respects, with similarities in other areas. In both countries, this relationship can be characterized by the stages of relying on the environment, understanding the environment, transforming the environment, and protecting the environment. This evolution is in line with the law of social development, according to which human beings constantly recognize, utilize, and adapt to nature.
Physicochemical Characterization of Aerosols in the Coastal Zone: Evidence of Persistent Carbon Soot in the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer (MABL) Background
Authors: Parent Philippe , Laffon Carine , Trillaud Victor , Grauby Olivier , Ferry Daniel , Limoges Alix , Missamou Tathy , Piazzola Jacques
Published: February 2023

Aerosol particles in coastal areas result from a complex mixing between sea-spray aerosols locally generated at the sea surface by breaking waves and a continental component issued from natural and/or anthropogenic sources. The aim of this paper is to study how the aerosols mix in the coastal marine atmosphere to evaluate the impact of the background pollution on the atmospheric aerosols. To this end, we have carried out a qualitative analysis of particulate matter sampled at two French coastal areas using a non-destructive methodology combining scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/X-ray fluorescence, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Our analysis shows a dominant contribution of anthropogenic aerosols through strong levels of submicronic carbon soot and sulfate particles, even observed when the aerosol is sampled during pure maritime-air mass episodes. Our results also evidence the non-mixing between sea-spray, mainly composed of coarse aerosol particles, and this anthropogenic particulate matter of smaller sizes.
A Super-Convergent Stochastic Method Based on the Sobol Sequence for Multidimensional Sensitivity Analysis in Environmental Protection
Authors: Dimov Ivan , Todorov Venelin , Georgiev Slavi
Published: February 2023

Environmental security is among the top priorities worldwide, and there are many difficulties in this area. The reason for this is a painful subject for society and healthcare systems. Multidimensional sensitivity analysis is fundamental in the process of validating the accuracy and reliability of large-scale computational models of air pollution. In this paper, we present an improved version of the well-known Sobol sequence, which shows a significant improvement over the best available existing sequences in the measurement of the sensitivity indices of the digital ecosystem under consideration. We performed a complicated comparison with the best available low-discrepancy sequences for multidimensional sensitivity analysis to study the model’s output with respect to variations in the input emissions of anthropogenic pollutants and to evaluate the rates of several chemical reactions. Our results, which are presented in this paper through a sensitivity analysis, will play an extremely important multi-sided role.
Multiplicative Mixed-Effects Modelling of Dengue Incidence: An Analysis of the 2019 Outbreak in the Dominican Republic
Authors: Freitas Adelaide , Rodrigues Helena Sofia , Martins Natália , Iutis Adela , Robert Michael A. , Herrera Demian , Colomé-Hidalgo Manuel
Published: February 2023

Dengue is a vector-borne disease that is endemic to several countries, including the Dominican Republic, which has experienced dengue outbreaks for over four decades. With outbreaks growing in incidence in recent years, it is becoming increasingly important to develop better tools to understand drivers of dengue transmission. Such tools are critical for providing timely information to assist healthcare authorities in preparing human, material, and medical resources for outbreaks. Here, we investigate associations between meteorological variables and dengue transmission in the Dominican Republic in 2019, the year in which the country’s largest outbreak to date ocurred. We apply generalized linear mixed modelling with gamma family and log link to model the weekly dengue incidence rate. Because correlations in lags between climate variables and dengue cases exhibited different behaviour among provinces, a backward-type selection method was executed to find a final model with lags in the explanatory variables. We find that in the best models, meteorological conditions such as temperature and rainfall have an impact with a delay of 2–5 weeks in the development of an outbreak, ensuring breeding conditions for mosquitoes.
Two Operational Modes of Cardio-Respiratory Coupling Revealed by Pulse-Respiration Quotient
Authors: Kalauzi Aleksandar , Matić Zoran , Platiša Mirjana M. , Bojić Tijana
Published: February 2023

Due to the fact that respiratory breath-to-breath and cardiac intervals between two successive R peaks (BBI and RRI, respectively) are not temporally concurrent, in a previous paper, we proposed a method to calculate both the integer and non-integer parts of the pulse respiration quotient (PRQ = BBI/RRI = PRQint + b1 + b2), b1 and b2 being parts of the border RRIs for each BBI. In this work, we study the correlations between BBI and PRQ, as well as those between BBI and mean RRI within each BBI (mRRI), on a group of twenty subjects in four conditions: in supine and standing positions, in combination with spontaneous and slow breathing. Results show that the BBI vs. PRQ correlations are positive; whereas the breathing regime had little or no effect on the linear regression slopes, body posture did. Two types of scatter plots were obtained with the BBI vs. mRRI correlations: one showed points aggregated around the concurrent PRQint lines, while the other showed randomly distributed points. Five out of six of the proposed aggregation measures confirmed the existence of these two cardio-respiratory coupling regimes. We also used b1 to study the positions of R pulses relative to the respiration onsets and showed that they were more synchronous with sympathetic activation. Overall, this method should be used in different pathological states.
Computing Drug-Drug Similarity from Patient-Centric Data
Authors: Asiri Yousef
Published: February 2023

In modern biology and medicine, drug-drug similarity is a major task with various applications in pharmaceutical drug development. Various direct and indirect sources of evidence obtained from drug-centric data such as side effects, drug interactions, biological targets, and chemical structures are used in the current methods to measure the level of drug-drug similarity. This paper proposes a computational method to measure drug-drug similarity using a novel source of evidence that is obtained from patient-centric data. More specifically, patients’ narration of their thoughts, opinions, and experience with drugs in social media are explored as a potential source to compute drug-drug similarity. Online healthcare communities were used to extract a dataset of patients’ reviews on anti-epileptic drugs. The collected dataset is preprocessed through Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques and four text similarity methods are applied to measure the similarities among them. The obtained similarities are then used to generate drug-drug similarity-based ranking matrices which are analyzed through Pearson correlation, to answer questions related to the overall drug-drug similarity and the accuracy of the four similarity measures. To evaluate the obtained drug-drug similarities, they are compared with the corresponding ground-truth similarities obtained from DrugSimDB, a well-known drug-drug similarity tool that is based on drug-centric data. The results provide evidence on the feasibility of patient-centric data from social media as a novel source for computing drug-drug similarity.
TARTESSUS: A Customized Electrospun Drug Delivery System Loaded with Irinotecan for Local and Sustained Chemotherapy Release in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Cepeda-Franco Carmen , Mitxelena-Iribarren Oihane , Calero-Castro Francisco José , Astigarraga Malen , Castillo-Tuñon Juan M. , Laga Iman , Pereira Sheila , Arana Sergio , Mujika Maite , Padillo-Ruiz Javier
Published: February 2023

Post-surgical chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer has notorious side effects due to the high dose required. Multiple devices have been designed to tackle this aspect and achieve a delayed drug release. This study aimed to explore the controlled and sustained local delivery of a reduced drug dose from an irinotecan-loaded electrospun nanofiber membrane (named TARTESSUS) that can be placed on the patients’ tissue after tumor resection surgery. The drug delivery system formulation was made of polycaprolactone (PCL). The mechanical properties and the release kinetics of the drug were adjusted by the electrospinning parameters and by the polymer ratio between 10 w.t.% and 14 w.t.% of PCL in formic acid:acetic acid:chloroform (47.5:47.5:5). The irinotecan release analysis was performed and three different release periods were obtained, depending on the concentration of the polymer in the dissolution. The TARTESSUS device was tested in 2D and 3D cell cultures and it demonstrated a decrease in cell viability in 2D culture between 72 h and day 7 from the start of treatment. In 3D culture, a decrease in viability was seen between 72 h, day 7 (p < 0.001), day 10 (p < 0.001), 14 (p < 0.001), and day 17 (p = 0.003) as well as a decrease in proliferation between 72 h and day 10 (p = 0.030) and a reduction in spheroid size during days 10 (p = 0.001), 14 (p < 0.001), and 17 (p < 0.001). In conclusion, TARTESSUS showed a successful encapsulation of a chemotherapeutic drug and a sustained and delayed release with an adjustable releasing period to optimize the therapeutic effect in pancreatic cancer treatment.
Novel Strategy for Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment through Oral Vaccine Therapy with Amyloid Beta
Authors: Matsuzaka Yasunari , Yashiro Ryu
Published: February 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neuropathology characterized by progressive cognitive impairment and dementia. The disease is attributed to senile plaques, which are aggregates of amyloid beta (Aβ) outside nerve cells; neurofibrillary tangles, which are filamentous accumulations of phosphorylated tau in nerve cells; and loss of neurons in the brain tissue. Immunization of an AD mouse model with Aβ-eliminated pre-existing senile plaque amyloids and prevented new accumulation. Furthermore, its effect showed that cognitive function can be improved by passive immunity without side effects, such as lymphocyte infiltration in AD model mice treated with vaccine therapy, indicating the possibility of vaccine therapy for AD. Further, considering the possibility of side effects due to direct administration of Aβ, the practical use of the safe oral vaccine, which expressed Aβ in plants, is expected. Indeed, administration of this oral vaccine to Alzheimer’s model mice reduced Aβ accumulation in the brain. Moreover, almost no expression of inflammatory IgG was observed. Therefore, vaccination prior to Aβ accumulation or at an early stage of accumulation may prevent Aβ from causing AD.
Projected Effects of Climate Change on Species Range of Pantala flavescens, a Wandering Glider Dragonfly
Authors: Liao Jian , Wu Zhenqi , Wang Haojie , Xiao Shaojun , Mo Ping , Cui Xuefan
Published: February 2023

Dragonflies are sensitive to climate change due to their special habitat in aquatic and terrestrial environments, especially Pantala flavescens, which have extraordinary migratory abilities in response to climate change on spatio-temporal scales. At present, there are major gaps in the documentation of insects and the effects of climatic changes on the habitat and species it supports. In this study, we model the global distribution of a wandering glider dragonfly, P. flavescens, and detected the important environmental factors shaping its range, as well as habitat shifts under historical and future warming scenarios. The results showed a global map of species ranges of P. flavescens currently, including southern North America, most of South America, south-central Africa, most of Europe, South, East and Southeast Asia, and northern Oceania, in total, ca. 6581.667 × 104 km2. BIO5 (the max temperature of warmest month) and BIO13 (the precipitation of wettest month) greatly explained its species ranges. The historic refugia were identified around the Great Lakes in the north-central United States. Future warming will increase the total area of suitable habitat and shift the type of suitable habitat compared to the current distribution. The habitat suitability of P. flavescens decreased with elevation, global warming forced it to expand to higher elevations, and the habitat suitability of P. flavescens around the equator increased with global warming. Overall, our study provides a global dynamic pattern of suitable habitats for P. flavescens from the perspective of climate change, and provides a useful reference for biodiversity research and biological conservation.
Overview of Optical Biosensors for Early Cancer Detection: Fundamentals, Applications and Future Perspectives
Authors: Azab Mohammad Y. , Hameed Mohamed Farhat O. , Obayya Salah S. A.
Published: February 2023

Conventional cancer detection and treatment methodologies are based on surgical, chemical and radiational processes, which are expensive, time consuming and painful. Therefore, great interest has been directed toward developing sensitive, inexpensive and rapid techniques for early cancer detection. Optical biosensors have advantages in terms of high sensitivity and being label free with a compact size. In this review paper, the state of the art of optical biosensors for early cancer detection is presented in detail. The basic idea, sensitivity analysis, advantages and limitations of the optical biosensors are discussed. This includes optical biosensors based on plasmonic waveguides, photonic crystal fibers, slot waveguides and metamaterials. Further, the traditional optical methods, such as the colorimetric technique, optical coherence tomography, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and reflectometric interference spectroscopy, are addressed.
HSP70 and Primary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Rodriguez-Iturbe Bernardo , Johnson Richard J. , Sanchez-Lozada Laura Gabriela , Pons Hector
Published: February 2023

Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) production is a stress-generated cellular response with high interspecies homology. HSP70 has both chaperone and cytokine functions and may induce, depending on the context, tolerogenic anti-inflammatory reactivity or immunogenic and autoimmune reactivity. Intracellular (chaperoning transit of antigens to MHC in antigen-presenting cells) and extracellular HSP70-related effects are associated with hypertension, which is an inflammatory condition recognized as the most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality. Here, we review (a) the relationship between HSP70, inflammation and immune reactivity, (b) clinical evidence relating to stress, HSP70 and anti-HSP70 reactivity with primary hypertension and (c) experimental data showing that salt-sensitive hypertension is associated with delayed hypersensitivity to HSP70. This is a consequence of anti-HSP70 reactivity in the kidneys and may be prevented and corrected by the T-cell-driven inhibition of kidney inflammation triggered by specific epitopes of HSP70. Finally, we discuss our postulate that lifelong stress signals and danger-associated molecular patterns stimulate HSP-70 and individual genetic and epigenetic characteristics determine whether the HSP70 response would drive inflammatory immune reactivity causing hypertension or, alternatively, would drive immunomodulatory responses that protect against hypertension.
A Century of Progress on Wilson Disease and the Enduring Challenges of Genetics, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Authors: Penning Louis C. , Berenguer Marina , Czlonkowska Anna , Double Kay L. , Dusek Petr , Espinós Carmen , Lutsenko Svetlana , Medici Valentina , Papenthin Wiebke , Stremmel Wolfgang , Willemse Jose , Weiskirchen Ralf
Published: February 2023

Wilson disease (WD) is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder manifested with varying clinical presentations including hepatic, neurological, psychiatric, and ophthalmological features, often in combination. Causative mutations in the ATP7B gene result in copper accumulation in hepatocytes and/or neurons, but clinical diagnosis remains challenging. Diagnosis is complicated by mild, non-specific presentations, mutations exerting no clear effect on protein function, and inconclusive laboratory tests, particularly regarding serum ceruloplasmin levels. As early diagnosis and effective treatment are crucial to prevent progressive damage, we report here on the establishment of a global collaboration of researchers, clinicians, and patient advocacy groups to identify and address the outstanding challenges posed by WD.
Extracellular Vesicles as Carriers of Adipokines and Their Role in Obesity
Authors: Camino Tamara , Lago-Baameiro Nerea , Pardo María
Published: February 2023

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have lately arisen as new metabolic players in energy homeostasis participating in intercellular communication at the local and distant levels. These nanosized lipid bilayer spheres, carrying bioactive molecular cargo, have somehow changed the paradigm of biomedical research not only as a non-classic cell secretion mechanism, but as a rich source of biomarkers and as useful drug-delivery vehicles. Although the research about the role of EVs on metabolism and its deregulation on obesity and associated pathologies lagged slightly behind other diseases, the knowledge about their function under normal and pathological homeostasis is rapidly increasing. In this review, we are focusing on the current research regarding adipose tissue shed extracellular vesicles including their characterization, size profile, and molecular cargo content comprising miRNAs and membrane and intra-vesicular proteins. Finally, we will focus on the functional aspects attributed to vesicles secreted not only by adipocytes, but also by other cells comprising adipose tissue, describing the evidence to date on the deleterious effects of extracellular vesicles released by obese adipose tissue both locally and at the distant level by interacting with other peripheral organs and even at the central level.
Patterned Biolayers of Protein Antigens for Label-Free Biosensing in Cow Milk Allergy
Authors: Juste-Dolz Augusto , Fernández Estrella , Puchades Rosa , Avella-Oliver Miquel , Maquieira Ángel
Published: February 2023

This paper focuses on creating one-dimensional diffractive grooved structures of antigen proteins on glass substrates for the label-free detection of antibodies to dairy allergens. In particular, the fabrication of protein structures is carried out by combining microcontact printing with physisorption, imines coupling, and thiol-ene click chemistry. The work first sets up these patterning methods and discusses and compares the main aspects involved in them (structure, biolayer thickness, functionality, stability). Homogeneous periodic submicron structures of proteins are created and characterized by diffractive measurements, AFM, FESEM, and fluorescence scanning. Then, this patterning method is applied to proteins involved in cow milk allergy, and the resulting structures are implemented as optical transducers to sense specific immunoglobulins G. In particular, gratings of bovine serum albumin, casein, and β-lactoglobulin are created and assessed, reaching limits of detection in the range of 30–45 ng·mL−1 of unlabeled antibodies by diffractive biosensing.
Sleep Patterns Fluctuate Following Training and Games across the Season in a Semi-Professional, Female Basketball Team
Authors: Power Cody J. , Fox Jordan L. , Teramoto Masaru , Scanlan Aaron T.
Published: February 2023

Quantifying athlete sleep patterns may inform development of optimal training schedules and sleep strategies, considering the competitive challenges faced across the season. Therefore, this study comprehensively quantified the sleep patterns of a female basketball team and examined variations in sleep between nights. Seven semi-professional, female basketball players had their sleep monitored using wrist-worn activity monitors and perceptual ratings during a 13-week in-season. Sleep variables were compared between different nights (control nights, training nights, training nights before games, nights before games, non-congested game nights, and congested game nights), using generalized linear mixed models, as well as Cohen’s d and odds ratios as effect sizes. Players experienced less sleep on training nights before games compared to control nights, training nights, nights before games, and congested game nights (p < 0.05, d = 0.43–0.69). Players also exhibited later sleep onset times on non-congested game nights compared to control nights (p = 0.01, d = 0.68), and earlier sleep offset times following training nights before games compared to all other nights (p < 0.01, d = 0.74–0.79). Moreover, the odds of players attaining better perceived sleep quality was 88% lower on congested game nights than on nights before games (p < 0.001). While players in this study attained an adequate sleep duration (7.3 ± 0.3 h) and efficiency (85 ± 2%) on average across the in-season, they were susceptible to poor sleep on training nights before games and following games. Although limited to a team-based case series design, these findings suggest basketball coaches may need to reconsider scheduling team-based, on-court training sessions on nights prior to games and consider implementing suitable psychological and recovery strategies around games to optimize player sleep.
Left Prefrontal tDCS during Learning Does Not Enhance Subsequent Verbal Episodic Memory in Young Adults: Results from Two Double-Blind and Sham-Controlled Experiments
Authors: Bartl Gergely , Allen Paul , Sandrini Marco
Published: February 2023

Recent studies suggest that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied over the prefrontal cortex (PFaC) may enhance episodic memory ability. As such, there is ongoing interest in the therapeutic potential of this technique in age-related memory decline. At the same time, the findings are not yet conclusive regarding the magnitude of this effect, and assumptions regarding underlying brain mechanisms of stimulation-induced changes in behaviour are yet to be tested in detail. Here, we evaluated the effect of tDCS over left PFC on verbal episodic memory in young adults. Two separate randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled experiments were carried out using (1) incidental learning followed by a recognition test and (2) intentional learning followed by a free recall. In both studies, participants performed a learning task with active or sham tDCS during the encoding period, followed by retrieval tasks on the same day and the next day. The results suggest that, contrary to expectations, active tDCS did not enhance memory performance relative to sham tDCS. Possible reasons behind the lack of enhancement effects are discussed, including the possibility that memory enhancement effects of tDCS may be smaller than first thought. Scientific practices that could improve estimation accuracy in the field are also discussed.
A New Smart 2-Min Mobile Alerting Method for Mild Cognitive Impairment Due to Alzheimer’s Disease in the Community
Authors: Wang Yujia , Chen Tong , Wang Chen , Ogihara Atsushi , Ma Xiaowen , Huang Shouqiang , Zhou Siyu , Li Shuwu , Liu Jiakang , Li Kai
Published: February 2023

The early identification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), in an early stage of AD can expand the AD warning window. We propose a new capability index evaluating the spatial execution process (SEP), which can dynamically evaluate the execution process in the space navigation task. The hypothesis is proposed that there are neurobehavioral differences between normal cognitive (NC) elderly and AD patients with MCI reflected in digital biomarkers captured during SEP. According to this, we designed a new smart 2-min mobile alerting method for MCI due to AD, for community screening. Two digital biomarkers, total mission execution distance (METRtotal) and execution distance above the transverse obstacle (EDabove), were selected by step-up regression analysis. For the participants with more than 9 years of education, the alerting efficiency of the combination of the two digital biomarkers for MCI due to AD could reach 0.83. This method has the advantages of fast speed, high alerting efficiency, low cost and high intelligence and thus has a high application value for community screening in developing countries. It also provides a new intelligent alerting approach based on the human–computer interaction (HCI) paradigm for MCI due to AD in community screening.
Biologically-Based Computation: How Neural Details and Dynamics Are Suited for Implementing a Variety of Algorithms
Authors: Dumont Nicole Sandra-Yaffa , Stöckel Andreas , Furlong P. Michael , Bartlett Madeleine , Eliasmith Chris , Stewart Terrence C.
Published: February 2023

The Neural Engineering Framework (Eliasmith & Anderson, 2003) is a long-standing method for implementing high-level algorithms constrained by low-level neurobiological details. In recent years, this method has been expanded to incorporate more biological details and applied to new tasks. This paper brings together these ongoing research strands, presenting them in a common framework. We expand on the NEF’s core principles of (a) specifying the desired tuning curves of neurons in different parts of the model, (b) defining the computational relationships between the values represented by the neurons in different parts of the model, and (c) finding the synaptic connection weights that will cause those computations and tuning curves. In particular, we show how to extend this to include complex spatiotemporal tuning curves, and then apply this approach to produce functional computational models of grid cells, time cells, path integration, sparse representations, probabilistic representations, and symbolic representations in the brain.
Psychosocial Factors Associated with Memory Complaints during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Country Survey
Authors: Folayan Morenike Oluwatoyin , Zuñiga Roberto Ariel Abeldaño , Virtanen Jorma I. , Ezechi Oliver C. , Aly Nourhan M. , Lusher Joanne , Nguyen Annie L. , El Tantawi Maha
Published: February 2023

This study assessed the associations between psychosocial factors (social isolation, social support, financial support and emotional distress) and memory complaints during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a secondary analysis of data extracted from the dataset of participants recruited from 151 countries for a COVID-19 related mental health and wellness study between June and December 2020. The dependent variable was memory complaint, measured using the Memory Complaint Questionnaire. The independent variables were perception of social isolation, social support, financial support, emotional distress and history of SARS-CoV-19 infection. Confounding variables were age, sex at birth, level of education, employment status, HIV status and country-income level. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the associations between the dependent and independent variables after adjusting for the confounders. Of the 14825 participants whose data was extracted, 2460 (16.6%) had memory complaints. Participants who felt socially isolated (AOR: 1.422; 95% CI: 1.286–1.571), emotionally distressed (AOR: 2.042; 95% CI: 1.850–2.253) and with history of SARS-CoV-19 infection (AOR: 1.369; 95% CI: 1.139–1.646) had significantly higher odds of memory complaints. Participants who perceived they had social and financial support had significantly lower odds of memory complaints (AOR: 0.655; 95% CI: 0.571–0.751). Future management of pandemics like the COVID-19 should promote access to social and financial support and reduce the risk of social isolation and emotional distress.
Job Burnout and Job Satisfaction among Healthcare Service Providers in a Daycare Center for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Low-Resource Settings
Authors: Samadi Sayyed Ali , Biçak Cemal A. , Osman Nigar , Abdalla Barez , Abdullah Amir
Published: February 2023

Job satisfaction and burnout are components of job morale. In general, and among healthcare provider personnel, these are psychological factors of the job and under the influence of different conditions and the organizational management of the healthcare systems. Both job burnout and job satisfaction among healthcare service providers have received scant attention in the literature, particularly in the healthcare systems of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) as one low- or middle-income country (LMIC). The burnout rate and job satisfaction in a daycare center for children with autism spectrum disorders were reviewed and measured using a sample consisting of 34 employees from three different sections. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Third Edition (MBI-3) and the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) were used. The relationships between the two scales and their consisting factors were examined using Pearson Correlation and Chi-square test to understand the correlation and levels of significant difference between the expected and the observed frequencies. There was a significant negative correlation between job burnout and satisfaction with the job and some significant correlations between the factors of the scales. Lower levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization factors of the burnout scale were statistically correlated. It was shown that the personnel were mainly satisfied with their jobs through their choices in the four parts of the job satisfaction scale. Further investigations are needed to understand different contributing factors to job satisfaction and burnout among healthcare providers in KRI. The current study might highlight the importance of understanding the healthcare providers’ perspectives on their careers.
Australian Youth Resilience and Help-Seeking during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Grove Christine , Marinucci Alexandra , Montagni Ilaria
Published: February 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously impacted youth mental health. Their resilience, defined as the ability to respond to adversity, has also been impaired. Help-seeking refers to the activity of addressing oneself to others when facing trouble. The objective of this study was to understand the levels of youth resilience and help-seeking during COVID-19 in 2021. Data were collected online from 181 Australian adolescents aged 12–17 years. The General Help-Seeking Questionnaire, the Actual Help-Seeking Questionnaire, and the Resilience Scale were used. Mean and frequency analysis and independent samples t-tests were performed. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated. Resilience was in the low range (mean = 66.56, SD 15.74) and associated with no help-seeking. For a personal problem and suicidal ideation, participants were most likely to contact a mental health professional, with means of 4.97 (SD 1.75) and 4.88 (SD 1.97), respectively. The majority did not seek help (n = 47) for challenges with anxiety or depression. This study corroborates previous findings on limited help-seeking in youth because of self-reliance and low confidence in others. Resilience decreased during COVID-19 in parallel with help-seeking. Strategies aiming to increase resilience and help-seeking, such as school-based programs, are needed given their decrease in Australian youths due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Development Knowledge Map: A Review of Visual Analysis Using CiteSpace
Authors: Li Yunlong , Li Linna , Deng Wenxin , Zhu Dian , Hong Luo
Published: February 2023

Achieving zero energy consumption in buildings is one of the most effective ways of achieving ‘carbon neutrality’ and contributing to a green and sustainable global development. Currently, BIPV systems are one of the main approaches to achieving zero energy in buildings in many countries. This paper presents the evolution of BIPV systems and predicts their future trends by deriving a base sample of core papers on BIPV systems from 2012 to 2022 from the Web of Science core database and conducting a bibliometric study using CiteSpace scientific visualisation software. To gain a deeper understanding and grasp of the research progress of BIPV systems, research group discovery, research hotspot analysis, and research frontier detection of the relevant literature were conducted. (1) Research groups on the topic were summarised through author coupling network, publication distribution, and country mapping analysis; (2) Research hotspots on the topic were explored through keyword co-occurrence, keyword emergence, and time zone map analysis; (3) Research hotspots on the topic were explored through literature co-citation timeline maps, literature co-citation categories, and literature co-citation clustering analysis to detect the frontiers of research in the field. Finally, we conclude that research trends in BIPV systems are mainly in the areas of heat transfer, thermal performance, renewable energy, solar cell and renewable building materials, and evaluation systems. In the future, BIPV research and applications will move towards interdisciplinary and multinational cooperation, which will maximise the benefits of clean energy conversion in buildings. It will also provide researchers and practitioners with a clearer understanding of BIPV research trends and hotspots, and provide new directions for future research.
Guidelines for a Finite Element Based Design of Timber Structures and Their Exemplary Application on Modelling of Beech LVL
Authors: Töpler Janusch , Buchholz Lea , Lukas Julian , Kuhlmann Ulrike
Published: February 2023

Design verifications of buildings are usually carried out supported by a finite element analysis (FEA), for which, however, there are only a few and almost exclusively non-binding application rules. Within the Cluster of Excellence Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture (IntCDC) at the University of Stuttgart, Guidelines for a Finite Element-Based Design of Timber Structures have been developed. The scope of the guidelines is daily engineering practice, expert engineering applications and product development and certification. Essential parts of the guidelines are design procedures, modelling (including geometrical, material and imperfection modelling), analysis, model verification and validation and design. The content and application of the guidelines are described and illustrated in this paper using two benchmarks. These two benchmarks, which are based on experimental investigations, deal with the elastic material modelling of glulam made of beech laminated veneer lumber (beech LVL) and dowel-type connections for beech LVL members. The experimental basis of the benchmarks is described. With the experiments for the benchmarks, all Poisson’s ratios and the complete elastic material stiffness matrix of beech LVL are determined by means of an optical measuring system. The experimentally determined stiffnesses of the investigated dowel-type connections in beech LVL are compared with normative values. Based on the experiments, a numerical model is developed in RFEM (Dlubal).
Investigation and Analysis of Stress and Deformation Monitoring of Long-Span Steel Roof Trusses
Authors: Hui Cun , Jiao Yongkang , Liu Mingliang , Hai Ran
Published: February 2023

Structural stress and deformation monitoring and analysis were carried out for the 54 m long-span steel roof truss. To ensure the safety of the construction process, the stress and deformation of the steel roof trusses were monitored throughout the construction process. The numerical modeling of the structures with six different working conditions was carried out, and the points with the most critical values of stress and deformation were found. This work provides a theoretical basis for field monitoring during and after construction. The results show that the maximum vertical displacement of a steel roof truss during all modeled working conditions and the maximum measured displacement are within the Chinese building code’s requirements. The maximum value of stress found during analysis of the structure during the construction process and the maximum measured stress are much less than the yield stress. The structural stress remains in the elastic range. The reasons for the differences between the calculated and measured results were analyzed.