bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychological Autopsy and Forensic Considerations in Completed Suicide of the SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients. A Case Series and Literature Review
Authors: Crisan Roxana-Mihaela , Bacila Ciprian Ionut , Neamtu Bogdan , Cristian Adrian Nicolae , Topîrcean Elena , Popescu Adriana , Morar Silviu
Published: December 2021

Our paper aims to present three cases of committed suicide in SARS-CoV-2 infection during the quarantine period. We investigated if there is a role for the infection itself in triggering the suicidal act or if it is augmented by other risk factors such as fear, psychosocial stress, lifestyle changes, and social isolation. To this goal, we analyzed the clinical, paraclinical, histopathological, toxicological records, mental health conditions, psychological, social, cultural, and economic aspects in detail. One patient committed suicide at home, by hanging, while the other two during hospitalization in the red zone, within the Sibiu County Emergency Clinical Hospital, hanging and falling from a height, respectively. The autopsy was carried out within the restricted area for COVID-19 in Sibiu County Forensic Medicine Service. Patients’ medical histories were analyzed based on the available medical reports. Additionally, we interviewed a family member, applying the so-called psychological autopsy method, based on open-ended questions and standardized instruments (questionnaire) to point out the motives and behavioral changes that might explain the committed suicide. With this data, we could fulfill a design to elucidate and outline the reasons for the suicidal act. Our findings showed that the mental state deteriorated progressively, both in preexisting depressive and non-depressive backgrounds. Furthermore, we highlight the COVID-19 psychological impact in the suicidal acts. Further on, we reviewed the risk factors presented in the literature that are associated with mental health problems and behavioral changes such as stress, anxiety, depressions, sleep disorders, impulsivity, loneliness.
Low-Phase-Noise Oscillator Using a High-QL Resonator with Split-Ring Structure and Open-Loaded T-Type Stub for a Tumor-Location-Tracking Sensor
Authors: Yoon Ki-Cheol , Kim Kwang-Gi , Chung Jun-Won , Kim Byeong-Soo
Published: December 2021

Sensors in the medical field to detect specific tissues, such as radars, must provide accurate signals from frequency generators. In order to supply an accurate frequency signal, the oscillator must have a low phase noise. Therefore, the resonator used in the oscillator must provide a high QL. Therefore, in this paper, we have proposed a low-phase-noise X-band oscillator that used a resonator with a high value of QL as a sensor for tissue-locating applications. The resonator had a split-ring structure and consisted of an open-loaded, T-type stub with a high-QL; such high-QL levels were enabled by controlling the length of the open-circuit in the T-type stub. This led to the generation of only low-phase noise in the proposed oscillator. Experimental results showed that, at an operating frequency of 10.08 GHz, the output power was 18.66 dBm, the second harmonic suppression was −34.40 dBc, and the phase noise was −138.13 dBc/Hz at an offset of 100 kHz. This proposed oscillator can be used as a sensor to detect the location of tissues during laparoscopic surgery.
Experimental Study on the Features of Infrasonic Waves of Sandstone under Shear Load
Authors: Qiao Chen , Xu Fenglin , Su Pengcheng , Liu Yang , Zhang Yifang , Zhu Honglin , Huang Haitao , Huang Man , Chen Jilong , Liu Dunlong
Published: December 2021

The shear failure of rock is a major cause of rock slope instability and consequent landslides. To determine the forming mechanism of infrasonic waves during the loss of stability of sandstone slopes, experiments were carried out using a shear loading device and an infrasonic monitoring device. In the experiments, infrasonic wave events were identified, and the characteristic parameters of infrasonic waves were extracted to analyze the features of the infrasonic wave response during the shear failure of sandstone. The study results show that: (1) the whole process of shear failure was associated with infrasound events. A normalized energy cumulative coefficient of over 0.6 and a normalized infrasound rate of over 0.89 are the key time nodes for alarming landslide; (2) with an increase in sample size, the shear resistance of the sample increases logarithmically, the total energy of infrasound events increases exponentially, and the average dominant frequency of infrasound events decreases linearly; and (3) with an increase in axial pressure, the shear of the rock increases almost linearly, the number of infrasound events increases linearly, and the average dominant frequency of infrasound events increases exponentially. The research results provide important guidance for the dynamic monitoring and evaluation of the stability of sandstone slopes and can provide a theoretical reference for landslide alarming of sandstone slopes using infrasonic waves.
An Approximation-Based Design Optimization Approach to Eigenfrequency Assignment for Flexible Multibody Systems
Authors: Belotti Roberto , Palomba Ilaria , Wehrle Erich , Vidoni Renato
Published: December 2021

The use of flexible multibody simulation has increased significantly over recent years due to the increasingly lightweight nature of mechanical systems. The prominence of lightweight engineering design in mechanical systems is driven by the desire to require less energy in operation and to reach higher speeds. However, flexible lightweight systems are prone to vibration, which can affect reliability and overall system performance. Whether such issues are critical depends largely on the system eigenfrequencies, which should be correctly assigned by the proper choice of the inertial and elastic properties of the system. In this paper, an eigenfrequency assignment method for flexible multibody systems is proposed. This relies on a parametric modal model which is a Taylor expansion approximation of the eigenfrequencies in the neighborhood of a configuration of choice. Eigenfrequency assignment is recast as a quadratic programming problem which can be solved with low computational effort. The method is validated by assigning the lowest eigenfrequency of a two-bar linkage by properly adding point masses. The obtained results indicate that the proposed method can effectively assign the desired eigenfrequency.
An Analysis of Sound Event Detection under Acoustic Degradation Using Multi-Resolution Systems
Authors: de Benito-Gorrón Diego , Ramos Daniel , Toledano Doroteo T.
Published: December 2021

The Sound Event Detection task aims to determine the temporal locations of acoustic events in audio clips. In recent years, the relevance of this field is rising due to the introduction of datasets such as Google AudioSet or DESED (Domestic Environment Sound Event Detection) and competitive evaluations like the DCASE Challenge (Detection and Classification of Acoustic Scenes and Events). In this paper, we analyze the performance of Sound Event Detection systems under diverse artificial acoustic conditions such as high- or low-pass filtering and clipping or dynamic range compression, as well as under an scenario of high overlap between events. For this purpose, the audio was obtained from the Evaluation subset of the DESED dataset, whereas the systems were trained in the context of the DCASE Challenge 2020 Task 4. Our systems are based upon the challenge baseline, which consists of a Convolutional-Recurrent Neural Network trained using the Mean Teacher method, and they employ a multiresolution approach which is able to improve the Sound Event Detection performance through the use of several resolutions during the extraction of Mel-spectrogram features. We provide insights on the benefits of this multiresolution approach in different acoustic settings, and compare the performance of the single-resolution systems in the aforementioned scenarios when using different resolutions. Furthermore, we complement the analysis of the performance in the high-overlap scenario by assessing the degree of overlap of each event category in sound event detection datasets.
Influence of Fatigue Crack Formation and Propagation on Reliability of Steel Members
Authors: Koteš Peter , Vičan Josef
Published: December 2021

During the years of bridge exploitation, many degradation processes and external influences attack its structure. Therefore, bridge reliability and durability is decreasing in time. On the other hand, the traffic load remains almost the same or even higher than in the past. However, bridges should not to become the limiting component of communication capacity and traffic reliability. Regarding to reliability, bridges should be assessed from the viewpoint of the Ultimate Limit States (ULS) and Serviceability Limit States (SLS). Within the ULS, cross-sections and members are verified for various types of stressing and their combinations, and also for fatigue at the same time. The cross-sectional verification, e.g., for bending stresses and fatigue, is done independently according to corresponding criteria of the ULS determined for strength verification a fatigue assessment separately. The presented article deals with the steel railway plate girder bridge with bottom member deck, in which there is an effort to prove the effect of the crack in tension bottom flange due to fatigue stressing on the change of bending resistance over time. The analytical calculation was derived and at the same time, the probabilistic approach of the influence of the fatigue crack size on the change of the cross-sectional resistance and reliability over time was used.
Solar Potential in Saudi Arabia for Flat-Plate Surfaces of Varying Tilt Tracking the Sun
Authors: Kambezidis Harry D. , Farahat Ashraf , Almazroui Mansour , Ramadan Emad
Published: December 2021

The objective of the present work is to investigate the performance of flat-plate solar panels in Saudi Arabia that continuously follow the daily motion of the sun. To that end, the annual energy sums are estimated for such surfaces at 82 locations covering all Saudi Arabia. All calculations use a surface albedo of 0.2 and another one with a near-real value. The variation of the solar energy sums on annual, seasonal, and monthly basis is given for near-real ground albedos; the analysis provides regression equations for the energy sums as function of time. A map of the annual inclined solar energy for Saudi Arabia is derived and presented. The annual energy sums are found to vary between 2159 and 4078 kWhm−2year−1. Finally, a correction factor, introduced in a recent publication, is used; it is confirmed that the linear relationship between the correction factor and the ground-albedo ratio is general enough to be graphically representable as a nomogram. A discussion regarding the differences among solar systems on horizontal, fixed-tilt, 1-axis, and 2-axis systems is presented.
Improving the Manipulability of a Redundant Arm Using Decoupled Hybrid Visual Servoing
Authors: Rastegarpanah Alireza , Aflakian Ali , Stolkin Rustam
Published: December 2021

This study proposes a hybrid visual servoing technique that is optimised to tackle the shortcomings of classical 2D, 3D and hybrid visual servoing approaches. These shortcomings are mostly the convergence issues, image and robot singularities, and unreachable trajectories for the robot. To address these deficiencies, 3D estimation of the visual features was used to control the translations in Z-axis as well as all rotations. To speed up the visual servoing (VS) operation, adaptive gains were used. Damped Least Square (DLS) approach was used to reduce the robot singularities and smooth out the discontinuities. Finally, manipulability was established as a secondary task, and the redundancy of the robot was resolved using the classical projection operator. The proposed approach is compared with the classical 2D, 3D and hybrid visual servoing methods in both simulation and real-world. The approach offers more efficient trajectories for the robot, with shorter camera paths than 2D image-based and classical hybrid VS methods. In comparison with the traditional position-based approach, the proposed method is less likely to lose the object from the camera scene, and it is more robust to the camera calibrations. Moreover, the proposed approach offers greater robot controllability (higher manipulability) than other approaches.
All Fiber Mach–Zehnder Interferometer Based on Intracavity Micro-Waveguide for a Magnetic Field Sensor
Authors: Chen Maoqing , Liu Qifeng , Zhao Yong
Published: December 2021

A magnetic fluid (MF)-based magnetic field sensor with a filling-splicing fiber structure is proposed. The sensor realizes Mach–Zehnder interference by an optical fiber cascade structure consisting of single mode fiber (SMF), multimode fiber (MMF), and single-hole-dual-core fiber (SHDCF). The core in the cladding and the core in the air hole of SHDCF are used as the reference and sensing light path, respectively, and the air hole of SHDCF is filled with magnetic fluid to realize magnetic field measurement based on magnetic controlled refractive index (RI) characteristics. The theoretical feasibility of the proposed sensing structure is verified by Rsoft simulation, the optimized length of SHDCF is determined by optical fiber light transmission experiment, and the SHDCFs are well fused without collapse through the special parameter setting. The results show that the sensitivity of the sensor is −116.1 pm/Gs under a magnetic field of 0~200 Gs with a good long-term operation stability. The proposed sensor has the advantages of high stability, fast response, simple structure, and low cost, which has development potential in the field of miniaturized magnetic field sensing.
Novel Modelling Approach for Obtaining the Parameters of Low Ionosphere under Extreme Radiation in X-Spectral Range
Authors: Srećković Vladimir A. , Šulić Desanka M. , Vujčić Veljko , Mijić Zoran R. , Ignjatović Ljubinko M.
Published: December 2021

Strong radiation from solar X-ray flares can produce increased ionization in the terrestrial D-region and change its structure. Moreover, extreme solar radiation in X-spectral range can create sudden ionospheric disturbances and can consequently affect devices on the terrain as well as signals from satellites and presumably cause numerous uncontrollable catastrophic events. One of the techniques for detection and analysis of solar flares is studying the variations in time of specific spectral lines. The aim of this work is to present our study of solar X-ray flare effects on D-region using very low-frequency radio signal measurements over a long path in parallel with the analysis of X-spectral radiation, and to obtain the atmospheric parameters (sharpness, reflection height, time delay). We introduce a novel modelling approach and give D-region coefficients needed for modelling this medium, as well as a simple expression for electron density of lower ionosphere plasmas. We provide the analysis and software on GitHub.
Finger-Gesture Recognition for Visible Light Communication Systems Using Machine Learning
Authors: Webber Julian , Mehbodniya Abolfazl , Teng Rui , Arafa Ahmed , Alwakeel Ahmed
Published: December 2021

Gesture recognition (GR) has many applications for human-computer interaction (HCI) in the healthcare, home, and business arenas. However, the common techniques to realize gesture recognition using video processing are computationally intensive and expensive. In this work, we propose to task existing visible light communications (VLC) systems with gesture recognition. Different finger movements are identified by training on the light transitions between fingers using the long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network. This paper describes the design and implementation of the gesture recognition technique for a practical VLC system operating over a distance of 48 cm. The platform uses a single low-cost light-emitting diode (LED) and photo-diode sensor at the receiver side. The system recognizes gestures from interruptions in the direct light transmission, and is therefore suitable for high-speed communication. Gesture recognition accuracies were conducted for five gestures, and results demonstrate that the proposed system is able to accurately identify the gestures in up to 88% of cases.
A Fog Computing Architecture with Multi-Layer for Computing-Intensive IoT Applications
Authors: Muneeb Muhammad , Ko Kwang-Man , Park Young-Hoon
Published: December 2021

The emergence of new technologies and the era of IoT which will be based on compute-intensive applications. These applications will increase the traffic volume of today’s network infrastructure and will impact more on emerging Fifth Generation (5G) system. Research is going in many details, such as how to provide automation in managing and configuring data analysis tasks over cloud and edges, and to achieve minimum latency and bandwidth consumption with optimizing task allocation. The major challenge for researchers is to push the artificial intelligence to the edge to fully discover the potential of the fog computing paradigm. There are existing intelligence-based fog computing frameworks for IoT based applications, but research on Edge-Artificial Intelligence (Edge-AI) is still in its initial stage. Therefore, we chose to focus on data analytics and offloading in our proposed architecture. To address these problems, we have proposed a prototype of our architecture, which is a multi-layered architecture for data analysis between cloud and fog computing layers to perform latency- sensitive analysis with low latency. The main goal of this research is to use this multi-layer fog computing platform for enhancement of data analysis system based on IoT devices in real-time. Our research based on the policy of the OpenFog Consortium which will offer the good outcomes, but also surveillance and data analysis functionalities. We presented through case studies that our proposed prototype architecture outperformed the cloud-only environment in delay-time, network usage, and energy consumption.
Acoustic Method of Quality Control of Two-Component Composite Materials
Authors: Saimanova Zagira , Sukhinin Sergey , Zhumadillayeva Ainur , Mukhametzhanova Aigul , Smagulova Assemgul , Abildaeva Gulnur
Published: December 2021

The features of using the acoustic method for accurately determining the concentration of components in two-component composite materials by measuring the speed of sound of long waves are described in this paper. Furthermore, explicit expressions for the volume concentrations of the matrix material and reinforcing particles or fibers of composite materials obtained by acoustic measurements are found. In addition, the advantages, features, and limits of the application of acoustic quality control of composite materials of various compositions and purposes are described. It is established that the methods for determining the concentration of components are valid for all types of composite materials, which are conveniently considered as phonon crystals. These results make it possible to more accurately determine or select a measuring cell for the experimental determination of the speed of sound. The mathematical problem to be solved is a purely exact inverse problem.
Morphophysiological Changes in Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms Treated with Plasma-Activated Hydrogen Peroxide Solution
Authors: Zhao Jianying , Qian Jing , Luo Ji , Huang Mingming , Yan Wenjing , Zhang Jianhao
Published: December 2021

Plasma-activated solution has attracted more attention in the food industry due to no chemical residue and good bacteriostatic properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of plasma-activated hydrogen peroxide solution (PAH) on the morphophysiology of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. PAH was prepared using dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma and incubated with S. aureus biofilms for 0–40 min. Changes in biofilm morphophysiology were evaluated with laser scanning confocal microscopy, electron microscopic images, reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, metabolic capacity, and 1% agarose gel. Results indicated that the population of S. aureus in the biofilms was reduced by 4.04-log after incubation with PAH for 30 min. The thickness and metabolic capacity of biofilms were decreased, the ROS content and DNA fragments of bacteria increased after PAH treatments. Data suggested that PAH treatments significantly destroyed the morphophysiology of S. aureus (ATCC 6538) biofilms and could be considered as a valuable anti-biofilm technology to reduce foodborne pathogens on food and/or in food facilities.
Analysis of Storage Effects in the Recirculation Zone Based on the Junction Angle of Channel Confluence
Authors: Shin Jaehyun , Lee Sunmi , Park Inhwan
Published: December 2021

In this study, numerical simulations using the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code model were conducted to elucidate the effects of flow structures in the recirculation zone on solute storage based on the junction angle. Numerical simulations were performed at a junction angle of 30° to 90° with a momentum flux ratio of 1.62. The simulation results revealed that an increase in the junction angle caused the recirculation zone length and width to increase and strengthened the development of helical motion. The helical motion increased the vertical gradient of the mixing layer and the mixing metric of the dosage curves. The recirculation zone accumulated the solute as a storage zone, which formed a long tail in the concentration curves. The interaction between the helical motion and recirculation zone affected the transverse mixing, such that the transverse dispersion had a positive relationship with the helical motion intensity and a negative relationship with the recirculation zone size. Transverse mixing exhibited an inverse relationship with the mass exchange rate of the recirculation zone. These results indicate that the transverse dispersion is replaced by mixing due to strongly developed storage zones.
Allocation of 0.4 kV PTL Sectionalizing Units under Criteria of Sensitivity Limits and Power Supply Reliability
Authors: Vinogradova Alina , Vinogradov Alexander , Bolshev Vadim , Izmailov Andrey , Dorokhov Alexey , Bukreev Alexey
Published: December 2021

Sectionalizing 0.4 kV power transmission lines (PTL) improves power supply reliability and reduces electricity undersupply through the prevention of energy disconnection of consumers in the event of a short circuit in the power line behind the sectionalizing unit (SU). This research examines the impact of sectionalizing on power supply reliability and reviews the literature on sectionalizing unit allocation strategies in electrical networks. This paper describes the experience of the use of sectionalizing units with listing strengths and weaknesses of adopted technical solutions and describes the new structure of sectionalizing units. A new methodology is proposed, whereby there are two criteria for allocating SU in 0.4 kV power transmission lines. The first criterion is the sensitivity limits against single-phase short circuits used for calculating the maximum distance at which SU can be installed. The second criterion is power supply reliability improvement, evaluating the cost-effectiveness of installing sectionalizing equipment by reducing power supply outage time. The established methodology was put to the test on an actual electrical system (Mezenka village, Orel area, Russia), which demonstrated that the installation of a sectionalizing unit paid off.
Heat Transfer of Nanomaterial over an Infinite Disk with Marangoni Convection: A Modified Fourier’s Heat Flux Model for Solar Thermal System Applications
Authors: Basavarajappa Mahanthesh , Lorenzini Giulio , Narasimhamurthy Srikantha , Albakri Ashwag , Muhammad Taseer
Published: December 2021

The demand for energy due to the population boom, together with the harmful consequences of fossil fuels, makes it essential to explore renewable thermal energy. Solar Thermal Systems (STS’s) are important alternatives to conventional fossil fuels, owing to their ability to convert solar thermal energy into heat and electricity. However, improving the efficiency of solar thermal systems is the biggest challenge for researchers. Nanomaterial is an effective technique for improving the efficiency of STS’s by using nanomaterials as working fluids. Therefore, the present theoretical study aims to explore the thermal energy characteristics of the flow of nanomaterials generated by the surface gradient (Marangoni convection) on a disk surface subjected to two different thermal energy modulations. Instead of the conventional Fourier heat flux law to examine heat transfer characteristics, the Cattaneo–Christov heat flux (Fourier’s heat flux model) law is accounted for. The inhomogeneous nanomaterial model is used in mathematical modeling. The exponential form of thermal energy modulations is incorporated. The finite-difference technique along with Richardson extrapolation is used to treat the governing problem. The effects of the key parameters on flow distributions were analyzed in detail. Numerical calculations were performed to obtain correlations giving the reduced Nusselt number and the reduced Sherwood number in terms of relevant key parameters. The heat transfer rate of solar collectors increases due to the Marangoni convection. The thermophoresis phenomenon and chaotic movement of nanoparticles in a working fluid of solar collectors enhance the temperature distribution of the system. Furthermore, the thermal field is enhanced due to the thermal energy modulations. The results find applications in solar thermal exchanger manufacturing processes.
The Advancement of Virtual Reality in Automotive Market Research: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Henriques Alexandre , Winkler Ingrid
Published: December 2021

Virtual Reality (VR) can play a key role in automotive marketing research, lowering costs and shortening the time to launch a new product. However, few VR applications support automotive customers’ experiences during the early stages of product design. This study aims to identify and characterize into attributes the challenges and opportunities for the application of Virtual Reality in car clinics through a systematic review of the literature and patents. We searched PatentScout, ScienceDirect, Springer, and IEEEXplore for studies published between the databases’ inception and July 2020. Of the 77,383 patents and 336,785 articles identified, 72 and 13 were eligible, respectively. We discovered that patents are strongly concentrated by a few inventors, that the United States has the most records, and that the most prevalent applications relate to devices for automatically reading responders’ emotions in virtual environments. The articles revealed sixteen categories of challenges and opportunities: cost, location to customers, flexibility in interactions, model transportation, depth perception, haptic perception, motion, movement perception/physical collision, color and texture, sound feedback, product interaction/manipulation, visual–spatial, graphic quality, intuitiveness, cybersecurity, and cybersickness. Virtual Reality may be used for automotive marketing research but key factors such as hardware and software specification, stimulus quality, and survey objectives must be considered.
Numerical Integration-Based Performance Analysis of Cross-Eye Jamming Algorithm
Authors: Kim Je-An , Lee Joon-Ho
Published: December 2021

In this paper, performance analysis of the cross-eye jamming effect under mechanical defects is dealt with. By using a numerical analysis-based approach, the performance analysis method proposed in this paper is closer to the not approximated empirical mean square difference (MSD) than the first-order Taylor approximation-based performance analysis method and the second-order Taylor approximation-based performance analysis method proposed in previous studies. In other words, the effects of amplitude ratio perturbation and phase difference perturbation on performance degradation are quantitatively analyzed. Note that the numerical integration is adopted to derive an analytic expression of the MSD.
Geometry-Based Preliminary Quantification of Landslide-Induced Impulse Wave Attenuation in Mountain Lakes
Authors: Franco Andrea , Schneider-Muntau Barbara , Roberts Nicholas J. , Clague John J. , Gems Bernhard
Published: December 2021

In this work, a simple methodology for preliminarily assessing the magnitude of potential landslide-induced impulse waves’ attenuation in mountain lakes is presented. A set of metrics is used to define the geometries of theoretical mountain lakes of different sizes and shapes and to simulate impulse waves in them using the hydrodynamic software Flow-3D. The modeling results provide the ‘wave decay potential’, a ratio between the maximum wave amplitude and the flow depth at the shoreline. Wave decay potential is highly correlated with what is defined as the ‘shape product’, a metric that represents lake geometry. The relation between these two parameters can be used to evaluate wave dissipation in a natural lake given its geometric properties, and thus estimate expected flow depth at the shoreline. This novel approach is tested by applying it to a real-world event, the 2007 landslide-generated wave in Chehalis Lake (Canada), where the results match well with those obtained using the empirical equation provided by ETH Zurich (2019 Edition). This work represents the initial stage in the development of this method, and it encourages additional research and modeling in which the influence of the impacting characteristics on the resulting waves and flow depths is investigated.
Sustainability Evaluation Using a Life Cycle and Circular Economy Approach in Precast Concrete with Waste Incorporation
Authors: Simões Fábio , Rios-Davila Francisco-Javier , Paiva Helena , Maljaee Hamid , Morais Miguel , Ferreira Victor M.
Published: December 2021

Waste valorisation as secondary or alternative raw materials in several sectors products and processes has been an important way to implement a more sustainable and circular way to manage the efficient use of natural resources. This action contributes not only to save natural resources but also to prevent sending large amounts of wastes, some of them dangerous, to landfill disposal, creating a major environmental, economic and social impact. To promote circular economy, this work attempts to demonstrate the environmental gains in a competitive way, by bringing together in an industrial symbiosis action, two large producing sectors (the pulp and paper industry and concrete construction sector), which are also able to consume significant amounts of resources and to generate large amounts of wastes. A sustainability evaluation based on a life cycle and circular approach is presented and discussed using a simple case study performed at real industrial scale. The lime ash waste from the pulp and paper industry is used to replace 100% of the natural filler used in precast concrete production and the impacts and benefits from the technical, environmental, economic and social level were assessed. It was demonstrated that this simple action causes positive impacts in the evaluated dimensions of sustainability without causing any changes in production time and causes no degradation on relevant concrete properties.
New Insights on the Stradivari “Coristo” Mandolin: A Combined Non-Invasive Spectroscopic Approach
Authors: Volpi Francesca , Fiocco Giacomo , Rovetta Tommaso , Invernizzi Claudia , Albano Michela , Licchelli Maurizio , Malagodi Marco
Published: December 2021

In this work, one of the two existing mandolins made by Antonio Stradivari has been investigated for the first time, as a rare exemplar of the lesser-known class of plucked string instruments. The mandolin was studied by non-invasive reflection Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) on different areas previously selected by UV-induced fluorescence imaging. The analytical campaign was aimed at (i) identifying the materials used by Stradivari in the finishing of the mandolin, (ii) comparing these materials with those traditionally used in violin making, and (iii) increasing the knowledge of materials and techniques applied by Stradivari in the rare production of plucked string instruments. The combined spectroscopic approach allowed us to hypothesize original materials and finishing procedures similar to those used in violin making: a possible sizing treatment of the wood with protein-based materials and silicates, externally coated with an oil–resin varnish. XRF results were essential to support FT-IR findings and to detect possible iron-based pigments in the finishing layers. Moreover, it permitted us to distinguish original areas from the restored areas, including the purflings on the top plate and the varnished area on the treble side of the mandolin for which the originality was assumed.
List Approximation for Increasing Kolmogorov Complexity
Authors: Zimand Marius
Published: December 2021

It is impossible to effectively modify a string in order to increase its Kolmogorov complexity. However, is it possible to construct a few strings, no longer than the input string, so that most of them have larger complexity? We show that the answer is yes. We present an algorithm that takes as input a string x of length n and returns a list with O(n2) strings, all of length n, such that 99% of them are more complex than x, provided the complexity of x is less than n−loglogn−O(1). We also present an algorithm that obtains a list of quasi-polynomial size in which each element can be produced in polynomial time.
Phylogeography and Re-Evaluation of Evolutionary Rate of Powassan Virus Using Complete Genome Data
Authors: Bondaryuk Artem N. , Peretolchina Tatiana E. , Romanova Elena V. , Yudinceva Anzhelika V. , Andaev Evgeny I. , Bukin Yurij S.
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we revealed the genetic structure and migration history of the Powassan virus (POWV) reconstructed based on 25 complete genomes available in NCBI and ViPR databases (accessed in June 2021). The usage of this data set allowed us to perform a more precise assessment of the evolutionary rate of this virus. In addition, we proposed a simple Bayesian technique for the evaluation and visualization of ‘temporal signal dynamics’ along the phylogenetic tree. We showed that the evolutionary rate value of POWV is 3.3 × 10−5 nucleotide substitution per site per year (95% HPD, 2.0 × 10−5–4.7 × 10−5), which is lower than values reported in the previous studies. Divergence of the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of POWV into two independent genetic lineages most likely occurred in the period between 2600 and 6030 years ago. We assume that the divergence of the virus lineages happened due to the melting of glaciers about 12,000 years ago, which led to the disappearance of the Bering Land Bridge between Eurasia and North America (the modern Alaskan territory) and spatial division of the viral areal into two parts. Genomic data provide evidence of the virus migrations between two continents. The mean migration rate detected from the Far East of Russia to North America was one event per 1750 years. The migration to the opposite direction occurred approximately once per 475 years.
Leptin and Beyond: Actors in Cancer
Authors: Barone Ines , Giordano Cinzia
Published: December 2021

Leptin is a 16-kDa multifunctional, neuroendocrine peptide hormone secreted by adipocytes in proportion to total adipose tissue mass, known to control food intake, energy homeostasis, immune response, and reproductive processes [...]
Association of Circulating miR-145-5p and miR-let7c and Atherosclerotic Plaques in Hypertensive Patients
Authors: Minin Eduarda O. Z. , Paim Layde R. , Lopes Elisangela C. P. , Bueno Larissa C. M. , Carvalho-Romano Luís F. R. S. , Marques Edmilson R. , Vegian Camila F. L. , Pio-Magalhães José A. , Coelho-Filho Otavio R. , Sposito Andrei C. , Matos-Souza José R. , Nadruz Wilson , Schreiber Roberto
Published: December 2021

Aim: Hypertension is a strong risk factor for atherosclerosis. Increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid plaques are considered subclinical markers of atherosclerosis. This study aimed at evaluating the serum expression of miRNAs previously related to adverse vascular remodeling and correlating them with carotid plaques and cIMT in hypertensive patients. Methods: We cross-sectionally evaluated the clinical and carotid characteristics as well as serum expression of miR-145-5p, miR-let7c, miR-92a, miR-30a and miR-451 in 177 hypertensive patients. Carotid plaques and cIMT were evaluated by ultrasound, and the expression of selected miRNAs was evaluated by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Among all participants (age = 60.6 ± 10.7 years, 43% males), there were 59% with carotid plaques. We observed an increased expression of miR-145-5p (Fold Change = 2.0, p = 0.035) and miR-let7c (Fold Change = 3.8, p = 0.045) in participants with atherosclerotic plaque when compared to those without plaque. In the logistic regression analysis adjusted for relevant covariates, these miRNAs showed a stronger association with carotid plaques (miR-145-5p: Beta ± SE = 0.050 ± 0.020, p = 0.016 and miR-let7c: Beta ± SE = 0.056 ± 0.019, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Hypertensive patients with carotid plaques have an increased expression of miR-145-5p and miR-let7c, suggesting a potential role of these miRNAs as a biomarker for subclinical atherosclerosis in hypertensive individuals.
Factors Driving BIM Learning Performance: Research on China’s Sixth National BIM Graduation Design Innovation Competition of Colleges and Universities
Authors: Ao Yibin , Liu Yunhong , Tan Liyao , Tan Ling , Zhang Maoqiu , Feng Qiqi , Zhong Jinglin , Wang Yan , Zhao Liang , Martek Igor
Published: December 2021

With the popularization and rise in BIM technology usage, BIM education for undergraduate students in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) related disciplines has emerged as a priority. This study assesses the BIM learning outcomes of students participating in the National BIM Graduation Design Innovation Competition of Colleges and Universities. In total, 2777 valid questionnaire responses were obtained for this study. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient method and principal component factor analysis method were used to verify the reliability of the data set (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.962, KMO = 0.965). The t-test (ANOVA) was used to verify that gender, school type, major, grade, study duration and use BIM related software, as well as other demographic attributes, displayed significant inter-group differences. Seven common factors affecting BIM learning performance were obtained by exploratory factor analysis: (1) ability of the instructor, (2) school (college) atmosphere, (3) teamwork, (4) individual ability, (5) understanding of BIM industry applications, (6) social environment incentives, and (7) achievement demand. Finally, the results of an ordered logistic regression revealed that the demographic attributes of participants, the comprehensive ability of the instructor, teamwork, individual ability, and achievement demand significantly affects BIM learning performance. Based on these findings, this paper puts forward suggestions for improving BIM learning performance and provides theoretical support for BIM education and learning in AEC related undergraduate majors.
Quantifying Advantages of Modular Construction: Waste Generation
Authors: Loizou Loizos , Barati Khalegh , Shen Xuesong , Li Binghao
Published: December 2021

The construction industry is a significant source of waste generation in any economy, producing various greenhouse gases, releasing harmful substances into the natural environment, and requiring large areas of land for processing, treatment, and landfilling. The emerging field of off-site prefabrication and assembly is perceived as a viable method to reduce waste and improve sustainability. However, there is a lack of quantifiable research into the difference between off-site prefabrication and on-site, conventional construction for numerous sustainability criteria. This paper focuses on modular construction as an off-site production system, where a framework to compare waste generation of modular and conventional, in-situ construction methods is proposed. This paper aims to quantify these differences. The framework relies on a comprehensive literature review to estimate the waste rates of building materials, which are then applied to realistic case studies in order to determine the differences in waste generation. Overall, modular construction reduces the overall weight of waste by up to 83.2%, for the cases considered. This corresponds to a 47.9% decrease in the cost of waste for large structures. Care must be taken to keep modular wastage as low as possible for a reduced cost of waste to be also present in smaller structures. This reduces the research gap of quantifying the waste differences between conventional and modular construction, and provides thoroughly researched waste rates for future research, while also improving the knowledge of industry stakeholders, informing them of the benefits of modular construction. This allows stakeholders to make more informed decisions when selecting an appropriate construction method.
Myofibre Hyper-Contractility in Horses Expressing the Myosin Heavy Chain Myopathy Mutation, MYH1E321G
Authors: Ochala Julien , Finno Carrie J. , Valberg Stephanie J.
Published: December 2021

Myosinopathies are defined as a group of muscle disorders characterized by mutations in genes encoding myosin heavy chains. Their exact molecular and cellular mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we have focused our attention on a MYH1-related E321G amino acid substitution within the head region of the type IIx skeletal myosin heavy chain, associated with clinical signs of atrophy, inflammation and/or profound rhabdomyolysis, known as equine myosin heavy chain myopathy. We performed Mant-ATP chase experiments together with force measurements on isolated IIx myofibres from control horses (MYH1E321G−/−) and Quarter Horses homozygous (MYH1E321G+/+) or heterozygous (MYH1E321G+/−) for the E321G mutation. The single residue replacement did not affect the relaxed conformations of myosin molecules. Nevertheless, it significantly increased its active behaviour as proven by the higher maximal force production and Ca2+ sensitivity for MYH1E321G+/+ in comparison with MYH1E321G+/− and MYH1E321G−/− horses. Altogether, these findings indicate that, in the presence of the E321G mutation, a molecular and cellular hyper-contractile phenotype occurs which could contribute to the development of the myosin heavy chain myopathy.
MXD3 Promotes Obesity and the Androgen Receptor Signaling Pathway in Gender-Disparity Hepatocarcinogenesis
Authors: Tsai Yi-Wen , Jeng Kuo-Shyang , He Mu-Kuang , Hsieh Yang-Wen , Lai Hsin-Hung , Lai Chi-Yu , Huang Chun-Chieh , Chang Chiung-Fang , Huang Chung-Tsui , Her Guor Mour
Published: December 2021

Obesity is closely linked to metabolic diseases, particularly non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), ultimately leading to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular mechanisms of NASH-associated HCC (NAHCC) remain elusive. To explore the impact of Max dimerization protein 3 (MXD3), a transcription factor that regulates several cellular functions in disorders associated with metabolic diseases, we conditionally expressed Mxd3 proteins using Tet-on mxd3 transgenic zebrafish (MXs) with doxycycline (MXs + Dox) or without doxycycline (MXs − Dox) treatment. Overexpression of global MXD3 (gMX) or hepatic Mxd3 (hMX) was associated with obesity-related NAFLD pathophysiology in gMX + Dox, and liver fibrosis and HCC in hMX + Dox. Oil Red O (ORO)-stained signals were seen in intravascular blood vessels and liver buds of larval gMX + Dox, indicating that Mxd3 functionally promotes lipogenesis. The gMX + Dox-treated young adults exhibited an increase in body weight and visceral fat accumulation. The hMX + Dox-treated young adults showed normal body characteristics but exhibited liver steatosis and NASH-like phenotypes. Subsequently, steatohepatitis, liver fibrosis, and NAHCC were found in 6-month-old gMX + Dox adults compared with gMX − Dox adults at the same stage. Overexpression of Mxd3 also enhanced AR expression accompanied by the increase of AR-signaling pathways resulting in hepatocarcinogenesis in males. Our results demonstrate that global actions of Mxd3 are central to the initiation of obesity in the gMX zebrafish through their effects on adipogenesis and that MXD3 could serve as a therapeutic target for obesity-associated liver diseases.
Increased LGR6 Expression Sustains Long-Term Wnt Activation and Acquisition of Senescence in Epithelial Progenitors in Chronic Lung Diseases
Authors: Cortesi Emanuela E. , Meeusen Bob , Vanstapel Arno , Verleden Stijn E. , Vanaudenaerde Bart M. , Wuyts Wim A. , Janssens Wim , Janssens Veerle , Roskams Tania , Ventura Juan-José
Published: December 2021

Chronic lung diseases (CLDs) represent a set of disorders characterized by the progressive loss of proper lung function. Among severe CLDs, the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has grown over the last decades, mainly in the elderly population. Several studies have highlighted an increased expression of senescence-related markers in the resident progenitor cells in COPD and IPF, possibly undermining epithelial integrity and contributing to the progression and the aggravation of both diseases. Recently, the chronic activation of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway was shown to induce cellular senescence. Here, we investigated the localization and the expression of leucin-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 6 (LGR6), a protein that activates and potentiates the canonical Wnt signalling. Through immunohistochemical analyses, we identified a lesion-associated rise in LGR6 levels in abnormal lung epithelial progenitors in COPD and IPF when compared to histologically normal tissues. Moreover, in areas of aberrant regeneration, chronic damage and fibrosis, LGR6-expressing epithelial progenitors displayed a major increase in the expression of senescence-associated markers. Our study suggests the involvement of LGR6 in the chronic activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, mediating the impairment and exhaustion of epithelial progenitors in COPD and IPF.
GPER Agonist G-1 Disrupts Tubulin Dynamics and Potentiates Temozolomide to Impair Glioblastoma Cell Proliferation
Authors: Hirtz Alex , Lebourdais Nolwenn , Rech Fabien , Bailly Yann , Vaginay Athénaïs , Smaïl-Tabbone Malika , Dubois-Pot-Schneider Hélène , Dumond Hélène
Published: December 2021

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common brain tumor in adults, which is very aggressive, with a very poor prognosis that affects men twice as much as women, suggesting that female hormones (estrogen) play a protective role. With an in silico approach, we highlighted that the expression of the membrane G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) had an impact on GBM female patient survival. In this context, we explored for the first time the role of the GPER agonist G-1 on GBM cell proliferation. Our results suggested that G-1 exposure had a cytostatic effect, leading to reversible G2/M arrest, due to tubulin polymerization blockade during mitosis. However, the observed effect was independent of GPER. Interestingly, G-1 potentiated the efficacy of temozolomide, the current standard chemotherapy treatment, since the combination of both treatments led to prolonged mitotic arrest, even in a temozolomide less-sensitive cell line. In conclusion, our results suggested that G-1, in combination with standard chemotherapy, might be a promising way to limit the progression and aggressiveness of GBM.