bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical Investigation on Local Thermal Buckling Behaviours of Buried Large Diameter Heating Pipeline
Authors: Yang Yue , Zhang Hong , Liu Xiaoben , Fang Weilun , Sun Lei , Feng Jibei , Gao Mingxu
Published: October 2021

The urban infrastructure serves as lifelines for the normal operation and sustainable development of the city. The heating pipeline is one of the most important infrastructures of the urban lifeline system. At present, the design of directly buried heating pipeline is mainly based on the stress failure criterion. Since the large diameter directly buried heating water pipeline is subjected to high temperature and high pressure loads, the initial state of the pipeline is in an elsato-plastic state, which makes the equivalent stress yielding criterion cannot be applied in this case. However, the existing elastic-plastic buckling analysis mainly focuses on the displacement or mechanical loading conditions, there is no reliable evaluation index to represent the true limit state of the heated pipeline. In this investigation, geometric configuration scanning tests were carried out for pipes with diameter equals 1020 mm. The actual nonstraightness and ovality of pipeline were statistically analyzed. Based on the true geometric model, nonlinear finite element models for thermal buckling analysis of buried large-diameter heating pipelines were established. The yielding, buckling and failure behaviors of this kind of thin walled shell structures under temperature loads in engineering practice were analyzed. Parametric analysis was finally performed to investigate trends of pipe stress, strain and deformation with the pipe loading and pipe geometric parameters. The derived results can provide guidance for the design and safety assessment of directly buried heating pipeline.
Digital Twin of Buried Oil Pipe in Permafrost Regions: A Multi-Source Monitoring and Numerical Simulation Model
Authors: Ji Beilei , Liu Xiaoben , Shi Ning , Liu Jianping , Chen Pengchao , Zhang Dong , Zhang Hong
Published: October 2021

Geohazards have become one of the major threats for pipeline safety as catastrophic consequences can be induced by the ground displacement. To prevent pipe failure, multi-source monitoring technics have been adopted by pipeline operators in engineering practice. While the strain gauge monitored strain results are discretely distributed along the pipeline, which makes the most dangerous pipe section might be not derived directly via sensors. Therefore, it is of great significance to establish an accurate numerical simulation model based on digital twin technology in the geological disaster areas to predict the actual stress and strain status in pipelines. In this paper, an automatically generated parametrical finite element model was established by combining using the general nonlinear finite element software package ABAQUS and the numerical calculation software MATLAB. Numerous numerical strain results were generated as database for a multi-layer backpropagation artificial neural network regressing pipe’s strain state and the geohazard loading conditions (i.e. soil displacement, length of the geohazard areas etc.). Finally, particle swarm optimization algorithm was employed to obtain the most fitting geohazard loading conditions based on monitoring data. An actual case of a buried X65 crude oil pipeline in northeast China was considered as an example, results show that after 5 iterations a relatively accurate strain distribution along the pipe was obtained via the optimization results. The proposed method can be adopted in the integrity management of pipeline crossing geohazard areas.
The Impact of Silicon Content on the Corrosion Resistance of Nickel-Molybdenum Alloy in High Concentration Sulfuric Acid Transport
Authors: Almomani Abdulla Fawzi , Alhaj Hazem , Ismail Mourad Abdel-Hamid
Published: October 2021

This failure case analysis highlights the impact of silicon content on the corrosion resistance of Ni-Mo alloy piping welding joints, known as Hastelloy B-2 (UNS N10665), in high concentration sulfuric acid (98 wt. % H2SO4) medium. A damaged piping weld joint is analyzed against an accelerated corrosion mechanism which was found to shorten the joints lifetime drastically. Superiority of B-2 alloys is largely attributed to the high concentration of molybdenum (26–30 wt. %) that gives its corrosion resistance to highly reducing acidic environments. However, certain deficiencies, such as short-range ordering (SRO) and intermediate phases formations (Ni4Mo transformation) in its metallurgical structure, in the as-welded conditions, was found to hinder its thermal stability. In this piping failure case analysis, close examination including optical assessment, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry, and in-situ replication metallography were performed on a defected weld neck butt-fusion welding joint. XRF revealed a silicon content of almost four times (0.38% against 0.1%) the ASTM maximum requirements, which appears to have lowered the alloy’s thermal stability and increased its kinetics to rapid phase transformation (from α to β) along the grain boundaries. Extensive second phase precipitates were observed along the domain boundary interfaces in the microstructure, which is suggested to have resulted in Mo-depleted zones in the matrix. In this case analysis, the welding temperature (650–750°C) of NiMo alloys butt-joints along with the silicon content (0.1% to 0.3%) present were found as main contributors to the reduction of the welding corrosion resistance and hence to the shortening of the piping lifetime.
Developing a Weld Overlay Specification for Hyper Duplex Stainless Steel
Authors: Acuna Andres , Ramirez Antonio , Menon Ravi , Björnstedt Per-Åke , Carvalho Leonardo
Published: October 2021

Hyper Duplex Stainless Steels (HDSS) are dual phase, ferritic-austenitic materials with a remarkable yield strength (≥ 700 MPa) and corrosion resistance (PREN/W > 49). It has been developed as an alternative to super-duplex stainless steels, where higher mechanical and corrosion performance is required. Unfortunately, such highly alloyed materials are susceptible to brittle intermetallic phase formation, such as the sigma phase. Understanding the intermetallic formation is essential to obtain its optimal properties and define advantages and limitations for a welding specification.

Overlay experiments on three-layered HDSS deposited over a carbon steel plate using 1.1kJ/mm and 1.65kJ/mm shown a clear austenite/ferrite phase ratio difference between the first and last layer. The last deposited layer has a larger ferrite volume fraction and chromium nitride presence. However, no sigma phase was found on the overlay conditions.

A sigma phase kinetic model was developed using Thermocalc Prisma, experimentally adjusted, and validated by physical simulation in a series of isothermal heat treatment tests. The additivity rule was used to calculate continuous-cooling-transformation (CCT) curves from the adjusted temperature-time-transformation (TTT) curves.

The kinetic model predicts no sigma precipitation for cooling rates faster than 4°C/s. Physical simulation with controlled cooling rates validated the model. Also, the thermal history analysis of the overlay experiments has shown no sigma was expected due to the total time and temperature transformation and cooling rates not reaching the calculated CCT.
Life Prediction of Modified Grad 91 Tube-Sheet Structures Under Creep-Fatigue Loading Condition
Authors: Islam Nazrul , Uddin Md Ala
Published: October 2021

This study deals with the creep-fatigue strength evaluation of a tube-sheet structure made of Mod. Grade 91 steel. Such a structure is one of the components of Japan Sodium Fast Reactor (JSFR) that suffers the most severe loadings in the reactor and one of the most difficult components to design because of its complex three-dimensional semispherical shape with an arrangement of numerous holes. A test model of this component was developed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency and test was subjected to 1873 cycles of severe thermal transient loading in which elevated temperature at 600 °C and 250 °C was flowed using sodium flow repeatedly and kept at the final temperature for 2 h and 1 h, respectively. In this study, 3D finite element model of the component is developed, and heat transfer and stress analysis of this structure were performed using the temperature-dependent Mod. Grade 91 material properties for 100 cycles. Creep-fatigue life of the component is initially evaluated using the stress redistribution locus and simple elastic follow up methods. The creep-fatigue results based on these elastic analyses are compared with the inelastic analysis based procedures that include nonlinear constitutive models e.g., bilinear and Chaboche model coupled with time hardening creep. The creep and fatigue damages using these methods are plotted in the Campbell diagram and predicted life cycles are compared to show the applicability of these methods for life prediction.
Flow-Induced Vibration Behaviour of a Rotated Square Tube Array Subjected to Cross-Flow
Authors: Darwish S. , Hadji A. , Pham H. P. , Mureithi N. , Ha C. H.
Published: October 2021

The present paper presents experimental tests investigating flow-induced vibration and possible fluidelastic instability (FEI) in a rotated square geometry tube array. The pitch spacing ratio of approximately P/D = 1.64 is somewhat larger than that found in typical array geometries. Experiments were conducted in water flow. The stability of a single flexible tube as well as multiple flexible tubes was investigated. The tubes were free to vibrate purely in the streamwise direction or the transverse direction relative to the upstream flow. A single flexible tube, in the otherwise rigid tube array, was found to undergo large amplitude vibrations (up to 40% D) in the transverse direction. Tube vibration response PSDs indicated the presence of two frequency components related to vorticity shedding in the array. This potential vorticity-induced-vibrations (VIV) and potential coupling between VIV and FEI is discussed in the paper. Test results for streamwise flow-induced vibrations are also presented. Results in water flow show a possible effect related to VIV at low velocity. At significantly high flow velocity, the tubes are found to fully restabilize. This restabilization after VIV locking has not been previously reported as an unlocking result. The present results suggest that flow-induced vibration of tubes in a rotated square array configuration is significantly more complex than in other geometries, particularly for the streamwise vibration case.
A Unified Constitutive Model for Diffusion Bonded Alloy 800H To Perform Full Inelastic Analysis of Components in High Temperature Nuclear Service
Authors: Mahajan Heramb P. , Hassan Tasnim
Published: October 2021

Implementing the generation IV nuclear reactor concept to nuclear service needed elevated temperature component analysis and design methodologies. These components experience elevated temperature loads such as creep, fatigue, creep-fatigue, and ratcheting. Traditional elastic, simplified inelastic, or elastic-perfectly plastic analysis and design methods per Section III, Division 5 fails to capture the detailed material behavior. Full inelastic analysis methods governed by the unified constitutive model (UCM) have shown promise in capturing the complicated material behavior at elevated temperatures. Current Section III, Division 5 design code do not provide guidelines for UCM based full inelastic analysis of Gen. IV components using finite element methods. Gap analysis of the current Section III, Division 5 design code indicated the need to develop unified constitutive models (UCMs) and their optimized parameter sets for performing full inelastic analysis. This paper presents a UCM with two and four nonlinear kinematic hardening rules for diffusion bonded (DB) Alloy 800H. Experiments on DB Alloy 800H are performed for developing and validating a UCM. The developed UCM captures the critical fatigue, creep, and creep-fatigue response features such as hysteresis loop, stress relaxation, rate effects, and cyclic hardening demonstrated by DB Alloy 800H experiments performed. Description of the UCM model developed and its optimized parameters for DB Alloy 800H and cor-responding simulations are presented. Future works to further develop the UCM are discussed.
Flow-Induced Vibration in a Single Row of Cylinders With p/D = 1.26
Authors: Neumeister Roberta F. , Petry Adriane P. , Möller Sergio V.
Published: October 2021

Crossflow over a row of cylinders with a close space ratio presents an asymmetric configuration with large and narrow wakes behind the cylinders. The wake interaction can impact the vibration response of the cylinders. In tube banks, the impact results in damages to the equipment. The present experimental study aims to analyze the influence of close space observed in a single row of cylinders on the flow-induced vibration. The study compares a single row with fixed cylinders and a single row with one cylinder free to vibrate. The cylinder free to vibrate is tested in four configurations. The study was conducted with an aerodynamic channel with a cross-section of 0.193 × 0.146 m and smooth cylinders with a diameter of 25.1 mm, space ratio is 1.26. The measurements are executed with hot-wire anemometry and accelerometers, for the cases with one cylinder free to vibrate and with hot-wire anemometry and microphones for the case with all fixed cylinders. The Reynolds number ranges between 1.0 × 104 and 4.5 × 104, obtained with the reference flow velocity, measured with a Pitot tube, and the cylinder diameter. The comparison between the wake response for single row fixed and single row and free to vibrate are executed using Fourier transform and Wavelet Transform. The comparison of the results with the models presented in the literature to predict the elastic instability of the fluid in a single row of cylinders is performed.
Development and Testing of an Active Trailing Edge Morphing Demonstrator for a Rotary Wing
Authors: Zahoor Yasir , Sodja Jurij , De Breuker Roeland , Voskuijl Mark
Published: October 2021

This paper discusses the development and whirl tower testing of an active translation induced camber morphing system for rotorcraft. The system deploys the morphing flap based on the amplitude and type of the input signal. As a case study, a demonstrator is developed and tested primarily under the centrifugal force generated by a whirl tower setup. The actuation system consists of amplified piezoelectric actuators, while the morphing skin is made out of carbon fiber prepreg composite material. The response of the morphing skin and the actuators is measured and compared to the numerical studies used to design the morphing demonstrator. Results indicate that the response of the active system, including the actuators and the flexible skin, matches well to those predicted during the numerical studies. The outcome of these studies shows that the system has the potential to be used for the primary control of the rotorcraft if operated at 1/revolution or for mitigating noise and vibration if operated at 2/revolution or higher frequencies. Subsequently, the concept can be integrated into a Mach-scaled rotor blade which can be tested under both aerodynamic and centrifugal loads to further assess its performance.
Additively Manufactured Force Sensors Based on Shape Memory Alloys
Authors: Heynen Alina , Roj Robin , Hoffmann Fabian , Krieg Romina , Theiß Ralf , Dültgen Peter
Published: October 2021

In view of additive manufacturing and customized solutions, this paper describes the development of force sensors by combining DLP-printed components with shape memory alloys. The focus is on material investigations followed by FEM analysis for the development of topology-optimized carriers. By integrating shape memory wires, the sensor effect can be exploited. On the basis of two structures, the implementation is tested in practice. Two different materials are used to check the reproducibility of the results. Both materials are synthetic resins that cure under UV light. Through the practical tests, the targetperformance comparison shows the feasibility of the experiments and thus the possibility of using the developed sensors for motion monitoring. With the fusion of 3D printing, topology optimization and shape memory technology, the advantages of weight reduction, durability and the realization of individual solutions are combined.
Design of Bistable Laminates With Low Aspect Ratio
Authors: Boddapati Karthik , Arrieta Andres F.
Published: October 2021

Bistable composite laminates have been widely studied for applications in morphing structures due to their ability to exhibit different shapes and distinct degrees of stiffness about each stable state. Laminates with low aspect ratios (Length/Width) suffer from decreased bending stiffness and easily lose bistability. The present work addresses this challenge by introducing parallel slits along the width of the laminate, thereby relieving the deformation and enabling natural curving of the laminates. We demonstrated this by developing a numerical model of a two-section bistable composite laminate with clamped boundary condition. The design of the slits is chosen by conducting stress analysis on the laminate and using the Tsai-Wu failure criterion to assess failure at the critical locations. Finally, a parametric study is conducted on the laminate with slits to determine the maximum width that preserves bistability.
Modeling of Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesting From Low-Frequency Using Frequency Up-Conversion
Authors: Atmeh Mohammad , Ibrahim Alwathiqbellah
Published: October 2021

Energy harvesting becomes an effective method for self-powering systems in wireless applications for improved observation and measurements. However, traditional scavenging techniques cannot generate enough energy for proper operation under low-frequency ambient vibration. We present a frequency up-converter vibration energy harvester from low-frequency external vibrations. The harvester converts low-frequency vibrations to high-frequency self-oscillations through a mechanical frequency up-converter using magnetic coupling, thus providing more efficient energy conversion at low frequencies. The harvester consists of two cantilever beams with tip magnets facing each other at the same polarity. The low-frequency beam is made of polymer, while the high-frequency beam is made of Aluminum. The high-frequency beam is a bimorph fully covered with piezoelectric layers. A lumped parameter of two degree of freedom model is presented to simulate the dynamic behavior and the generated voltage signal. The static response of the resonators shows a threshold distance of 15mm between the two magnets where the system has monostable oscillates above the threshold and bistable oscillations below the threshold. Furthermore, the dynamic behavior for the resonators is investigated at monostable, threshold, and bistable regions for different excitation levels. The harvester’s output voltage at different resistance values is extracted from the model. frequency up-converting can effectively scavenge energy from low-frequency external vibrations by mechanically up-converting the ambient vibration frequency.
Modeling of Triboelectric Vibration Energy Harvester Under Rotational Magnetic Excitation
Authors: Hassan Mostafa , Baker Katy , Ibrahim Alwathiqbellah
Published: October 2021

A triboelectric vibration energy harvester under rotational magnetic excitation for wind energy harvesting applications is developed. The triboelectric beam generates electricity using the magnetic impact-induced vibration. The triboelectric energy harvester consists of a clamped-clamped (CC) beam embedded in an outer case. The lower side of the CC-beam acts as an upper electrode that will undergo a contact-separation motion with another lower electrode with a bonded Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) insulator. A permanent magnet will be attached to the CC-beam’s upper side and will face another magnet attached to a rotation rigid shaft blade at the same polarity. While the fan rotates, a repulsive magnetic force will be created between the two magnets that will excite the CC-beam, lead to the contact-separation motion, and generation of electricity. A single degree of freedom model is presented and simulated to extract the dynamic behavior and the generated electrical signal. The relationship between the output voltage and excitation rotational frequency is analyzed. The relationship between the output voltage and the distance between magnets and its effect on the bandwidth is also discussed. The effect of the surface charge density on the generated output voltage signal is examined. The rotational wind triboelectric energy harvester can effectively scavenge wind energy.
Effects of multiple early diffuse reflections on spatial percepts
Authors: Visentin Chiara , Pellegatti Matteo , Prodi Nicola
Published: October 2021

While the use of diffuse surfaces is becoming increasingly common in the acoustical design of performance venues and normal rooms, there is a paucity of data on the auditory perceptual effects that characterize those finishes compared to specular ones. For instance, it is not entirely clear whether and how the aural impression is affected when first reflections are swapped from specular to diffuse. In a recent work, after revising the background knowledge on physical and perceptual effects of scattering, Visentin et al. [(2020) J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 148(1), 122–140] started a systematic analysis of how diffuse reflections influence the auditory impression by considering the simplest possible case, that is, a direct sound and one lateral reflection. The present work is a step forward in the analysis, and pairs of lateral reflections without or with a ceiling reflection are considered. By means of detailed listening tests, it is shown how diffuse reflections modulate the perception of some spatial attributes. This knowledge adds to the criteria to be employed when including diffusing surfaces in the design of first reflections in rooms.
Specialized Metabolite-Mediated Predation Defense in the Marine ActinobacteriumSalinispora
Authors: Tuttle Robert N. , Rouse Greg W. , Castro-Falcón Gabriel , Hughes Chambers C. , Jensen Paul R.
Published: October 2021

Bacteria inhabiting marine sediments are subject to predation by bacterivorous eukaryotes. Here, we test the hypothesis that sediment-derived bacteria in the genusSalinisporaproduce biologically active natural products that function as a defense against predation.
Deletion of E184L, a Putative DIVA Target from the Pandemic Strain of African Swine Fever Virus, Produces a Reduction in Virulence and Protection against Virulent Challenge
Authors: Ramirez-Medina Elizabeth , Vuono Elizabeth , Rai Ayushi , Pruitt Sarah , Espinoza Nallely , Velazquez-Salinas Lauro , Pina-Pedrero Sonia , Zhu James , Rodriguez Fernando , Borca Manuel V. , Gladue Douglas P.
Published: October 2021

No commercial vaccines are available to prevent African swine fever (ASF). The ASF pandemic caused by the ASF virus Georgia 2010 (ASFV-G) strain is seriously affecting pork production in a contiguous geographical area from Central Europe to East Asia.
Human Anti-neuraminidase Antibodies Reduce Airborne Transmission of Clinical Influenza Virus Isolates in the Guinea Pig Model
Authors: Tan Jessica , O'Dell George , Hernandez Matthew M. , Sordillo Emilia Mia , Kahn Zenab , Kriti Divya , van Bakel Harm , Ellebedy Ali H. , Wilson Patrick C. , Simon Viviana , Krammer Florian , McMahon Meagan
Published: October 2021

The burden of influenza remains substantial despite unremitting efforts to reduce the magnitude of seasonal influenza epidemics and prepare for pandemics. Although vaccination remains the mainstay of these efforts, current vaccines are designed to stimulate an immune response against the viral hemagglutinin.
Microbial Community Composition in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Bioreactors Follows a Distance Decay Pattern Primarily Controlled by Environmental Heterogeneity
Authors: Kim Taegyu , Behrens Sebastian , LaPara Timothy M.
Published: October 2021

Understanding the spatiotemporal patterns of biodiversity is a central goal of ecology. The distance decay of community similarity is one of the spatial scaling patterns observed in many forms of life, including plants, animals, and microbial communities.
Volcanic origin of the mercury anomalies at the Cretaceous-Paleogene transition of Bidart, France
Authors: Font Eric , Chen Jiubin , Regelous Marcel , Regelous Anette , Adatte Thierry
Published: October 2021

The timing and mechanisms of the climatic and environmental perturbations induced by the emplacement of the Deccan Traps large igneous province (India) and their contribution to the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction are still debated. In many marine sediment archives, mercury (Hg) enrichments straddling the K-Pg boundary have been interpreted as the signature of Deccan Traps volcanism, but Hg may also have been derived from the Chicxulub (Mexico) impact. We investigated the Hg isotope composition, as well as the behavior of iridium (Ir) and other trace elements, in K-Pg sediments from the Bidart section in southwest France. Above the K-Pg boundary, Ir content gradually decreases to background values in the Danian carbonates, which is interpreted to indicate the erosion and redistribution of Ir-rich fallouts. No significant enrichment in Ir and W, or Zn and Cu, is observed just below the K-Pg boundary, excluding the hypothesis of downward remobilization of Hg from the boundary clay layer. Positive Δ199Hg and slightly negative values in the upper Maastrichtian and lower part of the early Danian are consistent with the signature of sediments supplied by atmospheric Hg2+ deposition and volcanic emissions. Up section, large shifts to strongly negative mass-dependent fractionation values (δ202Hg) result from the remobilization of Hg formerly sourced by the impactor or by a mixture of different sources including biomass burning, volcanic eruption, and asteroid impact, requiring further investigation. Our results provide additional support for the interpretation that the largest eruptions of the Deccan Traps began just before, and encompassed, the K-Pg boundary and therefore may have contributed to the K-Pg mass extinction.
Unique case of atraumatic splenic rupture in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia with Richter’s transformation
Authors: Paduri Swetha , Nandu Nitish Singh , Brucker Thomas , Roach Paul , Pant-Purohit Mukta
Published: October 2021

Though rare, atraumatic rupture of the spleen can be a complication in certain leukaemias and lymphomas. We present a unique case of atraumatic rupture of the spleen in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. The patient presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain; he had been on ibrutinib therapy but stopped taking the medication abruptly 6 days prior. On evaluation, he was found to have a ruptured spleen with a haemoperitoneum. Pathology of the excised spleen showed infiltration of the spleen with hyperproliferated CD5+ intermediate-to-large cells, consistent with B-cell lymphoma and favouring Richter’s transformation. There are only a few available reports of patients with similar presentations identified in our literature review.
The Pending Territorial Sovereignty of the Batanes Islands: A Taiwan Perspective
Authors: CHEN HURNG-YU
Published: October 2021

After Japan occupied Taiwan from the Quin Dynasty in 1895, the Japanese government immediately held talks with Spain to delimit the sea boundary between Spain and Japanese Taiwan. According to the Convention between Japan and Spain in 1895, the sea boundary of both countries was in the middle of the navigable channel of Bashi. For it did not refer to the longitude and latitude, thus it resulted in confusion when the United States negotiated a peace treaty with Spain. What is the meaning of “in the middle of the navigable channel of Bashi?” In the Treaty of Paris between the United States and Spain in 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines archipelagoes to the south of 20∘ North latitude to the United States. In fact, the Batanes Islands are located at 20–21∘ North latitudes. Geographically, the Batanes Islands were not included in the Treaty of Paris. This paper will focus on the reasons why did not Spain cede the territory to the north of 20∘ North latitude to the United States? And, it also discussed the problems of the legal status of the Batanes Islands and the rights of claim by Taiwan.
Dividing without Conquering: Generation, Class, Ethnicity, and Nationalism in Taiwan’s 2016 Presidential Election
Authors: QI DONGTAO , LIN SHENGQIAO
Published: October 2021

Based on the literature about the role of rising nationalism in recent world politics, this paper proposes a nationalism-oriented causal model to explain the voting choices of different social groups. With an interest-identity framework, this generic model is applied to Taiwan’s 2016 presidential election to examine whether and to what extent 11 causal mechanisms influence the voting choices of four groups defined by generation, class, and ethnicity. The findings not only reveal generational, class-based, and ethnic differences in Taiwanese voting behavior; they also show that the election was largely one of identity politics centered around the issues of national identity and democratic identification, making the “interest card” played by Beijing less effective in swaying voter choices. This explains why Beijing’s divide-and-conquer economic policy successfully divided Taiwanese voters but failed in the end to prevent the pro-independence candidate from winning the election. The findings also indicate that the economic concerns of voters promoted both their Taiwanese identity and support for Taiwan independence, while identification with Taiwan’s democracy contributed directly to the former and only indirectly to the latter. Overall, the model presents a more fine-grained analysis of nationalist politics and may be applied to the studies of other political behaviors involving nationalism.
Recommendations on Management of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Patients Initiating Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor Biologics
Authors: O’Young Cecilia Kit Ying , Ho King Man , So Ho , Mok Thomas Yun Wing , Leung Chi Chiu , Chau Chi Hung , Chan Chi Kuen
Published: October 2021

Patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases on anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents are at increased risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB). Screening and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) with the use of a standard screening protocol is important in reducing the risk of TB reactivation during therapies with anti-TNF agents. The Latent Tuberculosis Infection Working Group under the Tuberculosis Control Coordinating Committee of the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority has reviewed and assessed local and international scientific evidence and formulated guideline statements on the management of LTBI in patients initiating anti-TNF biologics.
Meaning and Alternatives
Authors: Gotzner Nicole , Romoli Jacopo
Published: October 2021

Alternatives and competition in language are pervasive at all levels of linguistic analysis. More specifically, alternatives have been argued to play a prominent role in an ever-growing class of phenomena in the investigation of natural language meaning. In this article, we focus on scalar implicatures, as they are arguably the most paradigmatic case of an alternative-based phenomenon. We first review the main challenge for theories of alternatives, the so-called symmetry problem, and we briefly discuss how it has shaped the different approaches to alternatives. We then turn to two more recent challenges concerning scalar diversity and the inferences of sentences with multiple scalars. Finally, we describe several related alternative-based phenomena and recent conceptual approaches to alternatives. As we discuss, while important progress has been made, much more work is needed both on the theoretical side and on understanding the empirical landscape better.
On Uncertainty Quantification in the Parametrization of Newman-Type Models of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Morales Escalante Jose , Sahu Smita , Foster Jamie M. , Protas Bartosz
Published: October 2021

We consider the problem of parameterizing Newman-type models of Li-ion batteries focusing on quantifying the inherent uncertainty of this process and its dependence on the discharge rate. In order to rule out genuine experimental error and instead isolate the intrinsic uncertainty of model fitting, we concentrate on an idealized setting where “synthetic” measurements in the form of voltage curves are manufactured using the full, and most accurate, Newman model with parameter values considered “true”, whereas parameterization is performed using simplified versions of the model, namely, the single-particle model and its recently proposed corrected version. By framing the problem in this way, we are able to eliminate aspects which affect uncertainty, but are hard to quantify such as, e.g., experimental errors. The parameterization is performed by formulating an inverse problem which is solved using a state-of-the-art Bayesian approach in which the parameters to be inferred are represented in terms of suitable probability distributions; this allows us to assess the uncertainty of their reconstruction. The key finding is that while at slow discharge rates the voltage curves can be reconstructed quite accurately, this can be achieved with some parameters varying by 300% or more, thus providing evidence for very high uncertainty of the parameter inference process. As the discharge rate increases, the reconstruction uncertainty is reduced. However, the fits to the voltage curves become less accurate and the reconstructed parameter values begin to deviate from the “true” ones. The decrease in the accuracy of fits is concomitant with the simplified models losing validity; at C-rates of 2C and above the single-particle model does not accurately capture the physics of (dis)charge. This reveals a pitfall that one needs to be mindful of, namely, that an accurate fit does not necessarily mean that the fitted model accurately describes the physics. We conclude that inverse modelling using simplified models appears to be a viable and useful strategy for parameterizing Newman-type models because they allow fitting to be carried out in a reduced parameter space, however, we should be careful to verify that the reduced models are valid before trusting the results.
Prediction of 90‐Day Mortality among Sepsis Patients Based on a Nomogram Integrating Diverse Clinical Indices
Authors: Zeng Qingbo , He Longping , Zhang Nianqing , Lin Qingwei , Zhong Lincui , Song Jingchun
Published: October 2021

Background. Sepsis is prevalent among intensive care units and is a frequent cause of death. Several studies have identified individual risk factors or potential predictors of sepsis‐associated mortality, without defining an integrated predictive model. The present work was aimed at defining a nomogram for reliably predicting mortality. Methods. We carried out a retrospective, single‐center study based on 231 patients with sepsis who were admitted to our intensive care unit between May 2018 and October 2020. Patients were randomly split into training and validation cohorts. In the training cohort, multivariate logistic regression and a stepwise algorithm were performed to identify risk factors, which were then integrated into a predictive nomogram. Nomogram performance was assessed against the training and validation cohorts based on the area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC), calibration plots, and decision curve analysis. Results. Among the 161 patients in the training cohort and 70 patients in the validation cohort, 90‐day mortality was 31.6%. Older age and higher values for the international normalized ratio, lactate level, and thrombomodulin level were associated with greater risk of 90‐day mortality. The nomogram showed an AUC of 0.810 (95% CI 0.739 to 0.881) in the training cohort and 0.813 (95% CI 0.708 to 0.917) in the validation cohort. The nomogram also performed well based on the calibration curve and decision curve analysis. Conclusion. This nomogram may help identify sepsis patients at elevated risk of 90‐day mortality, which may help clinicians allocate resources appropriately to improve patient outcomes.
Molecular Mechanisms and Functions of lncRNAs in the Inflammatory Reaction of Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Huang Linjuan , Hu Xiaolei
Published: October 2021

Diabetes is a chronic inflammatory state, and several studies have shown that the mechanisms of insulin resistance and abnormal islet β-cell function in diabetes are closely related to inflammatory reactions. Inflammation plays a critical role in diabetic complications. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a new area of genomic research for gene regulation, have complex biological functions in various aspects of cellular biological activity. Recent studies have shown that lncRNAs are associated with the regulation of inflammatory responses in various ways, including at the epigenetic, transcriptional, and posttranscriptional levels. This paper presents a brief review of studies on the mechanisms of lncRNAs in diabetic inflammation. The purpose of this article is to determine the role of lncRNAs in the process of diabetic inflammation and to provide new strategies for the use of lncRNAs in the treatments for diabetic inflammation.
Relationship between miR-338-3p and Clinicopathological Parameters, Prognosis, and STAT3 mRNA Expression in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Wang Youyou , Ren Huijun , Pan Zhaohu , Liu Ben , Lin Fan
Published: October 2021

Objective. To investigate the expression of miR-338-3p in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its relationship with STAT3 mRNA expression as well as their relationship with clinical pathological parameters and prognosis of patients. Methods. From September 2016 to September 2018, 71 patients with NPC were selected as the NPC group, and 71 samples of NPC tissues were collected during the operation. A total of 23 patients who underwent biopsy due to chronic nasopharyngitis were selected as the control group and 23 nasopharyngeal mucosal tissues were collected. The expressions of miR-338-3p and STAT3 mRNA in nasopharyngeal tissue of two groups were detected by real-time quantitative PCR, and the relationship between the two was analyzed. To collect clinical data of NPC patients and analyze the relationship between the expressions of miR-338-3p and STAT3 in NPC tissues and clinical pathological parameters of the patients, we followed up the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma for three years to observe the relationship between miR-338-3p, STAT3, and the prognosis of the patients. Results. The relative expression levels of miR-338-3p in nasopharyngeal tissues of the NPC group and the control group were 0.39 ± 0.05 and 1.01 ± 0.09, respectively (

P

 < 0.05). The relative expression levels of STAT3 mRNA in nasopharyngeal tissues of the NPC group and the control group were 3.82 ± 0.21 and 1.04 ± 0.11, respectively (

P

 > 0.05). miR-338-3p was negatively correlated with the relative expression of STAT3 mRNA in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (r = 0.038,

P

 > 0.05). The expression of miR-338-3p was related to the age of the patient, clinical TNM stage, T stage, and distant metastasis (all

P

 < 0.05). STAT3 expression was correlated with clinical TNM stage, T stage, and distant metastasis in our patient (

P

 < 0.05). The expressions of miR-338-3p and STAT3 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues from different gender, histological type, N stage, M stage, and degree of differentiation showed no statistical differences (

P

 > 0.05). The survival rate of the group with low miR-338-3p expression was significantly lower than that of the group with high miR-338-3p expression (

P

 > 0.05). The survival rate of patients with the high STAT3 expression group was significantly lower than that of patients with the low STAT3 expression group (

P

 > 0.05). Conclusion. There is a negative correlation between the low expression of miR-338-3p and the high expression of STAT3 in NPC, which are all related to the TNM stage, T stage, and prognosis of the patient.
An Effective Fault‐Tolerant Intrusion Detection System under Distributed Environment
Authors: Hong Bo , Wang Hui , Cao Zijian
Published: October 2021

Traditional intrusion detection system is limited to a single network or several hosts, which has been seriously unable to fulfill the growing information security problems. This paper uses the distributed technology to design and implement an intrusion detection system (IDS) based on the hybrid of Hadoop with some effective open‐source technologies. On the one hand, it can efficiently realize the data acquisition and analysis under distributed environment. On the other hand, it can solve the problems of single‐point fault‐tolerant and the insufficient data processing capacity of the traditional intrusion detection system. In this IDS, RabbitMQ, Flume, and MongoDB are utilized to act as the middleware of this system to build the system environment which includes the collector, analyzer, and data storage. By detecting the CPU and memory usage of hosts, TCP connections, network bandwidth, web server operation logs, and the logs of user behavior, the proposed IDS especially focuses on monitoring the first four parts, which can better detect external distributed denial of service attacks and intrusions and send automatically alarm service information to the administrators.
Oxidized LDL Is Associated with eGFR Decline in Proteinuric Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Cohort Study
Authors: Roumeliotis Stefanos , Roumeliotis Athanasios , Georgianos Panagiotis I. , Stamou Aikaterini , Manolopoulos Vangelis G. , Panagoutsos Stylianos , Liakopoulos Vassilios
Published: October 2021

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a highly heterogenous disease, including the proteinuric and the nonproteinuric pattern. Oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (ox‐LDL) is progressively increased in DKD and causes direct damage to kidney tubular epithelial cells through a mechanism similar to that underlying the deleterious effect of lipid peroxides in the vascular endothelium. We aimed to examine the association between plasma ox‐LDL cholesterol and clinical endpoints in DKD patients. Ninety‐one patients with established proteinuric DKD and diabetic retinopathy were enrolled and prospectively followed for 10 years or the occurrence of death, or at least 30% decline in eGFR, or progression to end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD) requiring renal replacement therapy (primary outcome). At the end of the study, both eGFR and proteinuria were reassessed. Secondary outcomes of the study were the percentage change in eGFR and proteinuria over time for each patient. At baseline, patients were divided into 2 groups according to the median ox‐LDL value (i.e., below or equal and above 66.22 U/L). Both Kaplan‐Meier curves (p = 0.001, log‐rank test) and univariate Cox regression analysis showed that high ox‐LDL was associated with the primary outcome (HR = 3.42, 95%CI = 1.55 − 7.56, p = 0.002). After adjustment for various well‐known cofounders, multivariate Cox analysis showed that the association between increased circulating ox‐LDL levels and the composite kidney endpoint remained significant (HR = 2.87, 95%CI = 1.14–7.20, p = 0.025). Regarding the secondary outcome of eGFR decline, the assessment of areas under the curves (AUC) showed that ox‐LDL outperformed several cofounding factors (AUC 71%, 95%CI = 0.59 − 0.83, p = 0.001) and had better accuracy to predict deterioration of eGFR over time than baseline proteinuria (AUC 67%, 95%CI = 0.54 − 0.79, p = 0.014). Increased ox‐LDL might be associated with disease progression in proteinuric DKD.
Parkinson’s Disease‐Related Biomarkers That May Appear in Amphetamine Abusers
Authors: Al-Rafiah Aziza , Magadmi Rania , Al-Kaabi AbdulAziz , Alsomali Nimah
Published: October 2021

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders. Amphetamine addiction may cause serious of psychotic and physical damage to humans. There is some evidence that shows that amphetamine may increase the risk of PD. Thus, this study is aimed at comparing the PD serum biomarkers between amphetamine addicts and PD patients and utilizing them as diagnostic biomarkers for the early detection of PD incidence among amphetamine addicts. In the current study, nineteen amphetamine addicts, aged <40, were recruited from the Al Amal Psychiatric hospital, Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Nineteen PD patients and 19 healthy controls, who have never taken amphetamine, were also recruited. Blood samples were withdrawn from all groups. A biomarker multiplex assay from MILLIPLEX was used to assess the levels of serum amyloid‐P (SAP), complement C4, C‐reactive protein (CRP), and CRP/albumin ratio in serum samples (Vitros 350® slide was used to assess the albumin). All data were statistically analyzed using one‐way ANOVA. The results showed that SAP and CRP levels were significantly higher in amphetamine addicts compared to healthy controls (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0001, respectively). The results of amphetamine addicts were comparable to PD levels. However, there are no significant differences between all studied groups concerning complement C4 level. Moreover, albumin levels were significantly decreased and CRP/Albumin ratio levels were significantly increased in amphetamine addicts (p = 0.01 and p = 0.041, respectively) in contrast with controls. These findings indicate that the increased level of these inflammatory biomarkers (SAP and CRP) in the amphetamine addicts may give a potential possibility of their serum level to be used as screening markers to detect PD development in the amphetamine addict. It may be useful to evaluate the changes in easily accessible and cost‐effective parameters such as the serum CRP/albumin ratio.
A Physical-Chemical Study of the Interference of Ceftriaxone Antibiotic with Copper Chloride Salt
Authors: AbouElleef Elsayed M. , Mahrouka Mowafak M. , Salem Sherine E.
Published: October 2021

The nano-CuCl2.2H2O salt was prepared by the ball milling method. The association parameters for bulk and nano-CuCl2 salts in H2O are estimated at different temperatures using the conductivity method by applying the Fuoss–Shedlovsky equation and it was higher for nano-CuCl2 than bulk CuCl2 salt. The interaction between the cation (Cu2+) and ligand (ceftriaxone) in H2O was determined also by the conductometric method. Two stoichiometric complexes 1/2 and 1/1 (M/L) are estimated and follow the order Kf (1/1) > Kf (1 : 2) and ∆Gf (1/1) > ∆Gf (1/2) for (M : L) (in negative values) indicate the favorable of formation of (1/1) complex compared to the (1 : 2) complex. The Gibbs free energies change was increased in negative signs with increasing the temperature. The antimicrobial activities of CFT, bulk Cu-CFT complex, and nano-Cu-CFT complex were studied on LB agar by the disc diffusion technique against clinical isolates of gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Fungi (Candida albicans). It was observed that (CFT) has a higher zone of inhibition and antibacterial activity than that of bulk and nano-Cu-CFT complexes in Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (gram-negative bacteria). The nano-Cu-CFT complex showed a higher clear zone of inhibition and antifungal activity against candida than bulk Cu-CFT complex while the absence of the inhibition zone in CFT, so nano-Cu-CFT complex, can be used as an antifungal drug.