bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Urban Heat Island Diurnal Cycles under Various Atmospheric Conditions Using WRF-UCM
Authors: Fedor Tomáš , Hofierka Jaroslav
Published: December 2022

The rapid growth of urbanization significantly influences local atmospheric conditions and life quality of residents living in urban areas by creating a localized phenomenon known as an urban heat island. Urban heat island characteristics are strongly formed by prevailing atmospheric conditions influencing their magnitude and intensity. In this study, we used the Weather Research and Forecasting model to investigate the effects of different airmass and windspeed characteristics on the diurnal cycle of the urban heat island phenomenon during four real weather situations presenting typical scenarios with clear sky conditions. The scenarios consisted of warm dynamic and non-dynamic situations and cold dynamic and non-dynamic situations identified with respect to temperature profiles, humidity and wind speed. The comparison of urban heat island intensity between all four scenarios showed a significant effect of wind speed on urban heat island characteristics and intensity as well as the role of humidity and airmass temperature in diurnal changes. The results showed that urban heat island is best defined by conditions with strong radiative heating and weak wind speed regardless of temperature. Air humidity appears to have significant influence on UHII with cold non-dynamic situations in dry air showing a very high UHII amplitude during the daylight period and high intensity during the night. The comparison of warm and cold dynamics situations showed the influence of vertical heat exchange with strong mixing of air between near-surface levels and lower levels of the troposphere with a mild effect on UHII during the warm situation and strong influence on decreasing UHII during the cold scenario.
Contribution of Airplane Engine Emissions on the Local Air Quality around Stuttgart Airport during and after COVID-19 Lockdown Measures
Authors: Samad Abdul , Arango Kathryn , Chourdakis Ioannis , Vogt Ulrich
Published: December 2022

Air quality investigations at airports have shown that aircrafts cause a significant increase in air pollution at and around the vicinity of the airport, which can cause adverse effects on human health. The objective of this research was to investigate the aircraft-sourced pollutant levels at the Stuttgart airport and in the surrounding areas during and after COVID-19 lockdown measures. Three phases of stationary measurements of ultrafine particles (UFP), particulate matter (PM), black carbon (BC), CO2, O3, NO, and NO2 were made at various points on the east and west sides of the airport in the extension of the airport runway. In first phase of measurement, the airport was closed for construction, and no air traffic took place. In the second phase, the airport was reopened with limited operation due to a lockdown period at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, in the third phase, measurements were performed during the peak summer holiday travel season to measure the air quality during maximum air traffic, after the end of the first lockdown period. While there were fewer notable changes in the BC concentrations, coarse PM fractions, and gases across the three phases, there were significant increases in the UFP concentrations from aircraft emissions. Throughout the three phases, the peak particle concentration decreased from between 27 and 86 nm in phase 1. to between 27 and 35 nm in phase 2, to finally 11 nm in phase 3 on all days in which the aircraft plumes were measured. During flight arrivals, definite increases in UFP particle number concentration (PNC) were observed, with the majority of the particles being in the 10 nm size class. These results were measured repeatedly on both sides of the airport in the direct prolongation of the runway and even at distances of up to 3 km away in nearby neighbouring communities. While the overall PM and UFP levels are affected by vehicular traffic, the freeway measurements showed particles from aircrafts and vehicles are distinguishable using the parameters PNC and Dp. The BC concentrations were rarely influenced by aircraft activity, while only some NO and NO2 peaks were measured depending on the consistency of the wind.
Perception and Understanding of Climate Change and Its Impact in Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalaya, Nepal
Authors: Paudel Basanta , Chapagain Prem Sagar , Shrestha Shobha , Zhang Yili , Liu Linshan , Yan Jianzhong , Rai Suresh Chand , Islam Md. Nurul , Banskota Tibendra Raj , Poudel Khagendra Raj , Dhakal Keshav Raj
Published: December 2022

Climate change is a global issue. Its impacts are recognized at different scales ranging from global to regional to local. Climate change particularly changes in temperature and precipitation has been observed differently in different ecological regions in Nepal Himalaya. The study area comprises five villages of three ecological regions in the Gandaki River Basin (GRB) of Nepal. Based on the observed climate data of a 30-year period from 1990 to 2020, the changes in temperature and precipitation of each ecological region are analyzed using the Mann–Kendall trend test and Sen’s slope. The temperature trend was found to be increasing at the rate of 0.0254 °C per year (°C/a) between 1990 and 2020 in the Mountain region, by 0.0921 °C/a in the Hill region and 0.0042 °C/a in the Tarai region. The precipitation trend in the Mountain region is decreasing by −13.126 mm per year (mm/a), by −9.3998 mm/a in the Hill region and by −5.0247 mm/a in the Tarai region. Household questionnaire surveys, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were carried out to assess the perception of climate change and its impact. The farmers of the three ecological regions have perceived increasing temperature trends, but perceived variability in precipitation trends. Both snowfall and rainfall have varied. Snowfall has drastically decreased. Drought has increased. Extreme disaster events and impacts from such climate-induced events are experienced by 67.9% of respondents. A major impact of climate change is reported on cultivated crops with damage caused by increased insect and rodent pests. The impact of climate change is varied by ecological region. The comparative study of observed data and household data shows the need for a micro-level study so that a real situation can be captured and would be very much useful for policy formulation to combat climate change at a local scale.
Analysis and Research on Chaotic Dynamics of Evaporation Duct Height Time Series with Multiple Time Scales
Authors: Zhang Qi , Chen Xi , Yin Fuyu , Hong Fei
Published: December 2022

The evaporation duct is a particular type of atmospheric structure that always appears on the open ocean. Predicting the evaporation duct height (EDH) accurately and in a timely manner is of great significance for the practical application of marine wireless communication equipment. Understanding the characteristics of EDH time series is an essential prerequisite for establishing an appropriate prediction model. Moreover, the sampling timescales of EDH data may influence the dynamic characteristics of the EDH time series as well. In this study, EDH time series datasets at three timescales, hourly, daily, and monthly, were constructed as the case study. Statistical methods, namely the augmented Dickey–Fuller test and Ljung–Box test, were adopted to verify the stationary and white noise characteristics of the EDH time series. Then, rescaled range analysis was applied to calculate the Hurst exponent to study the fractal characteristics of the EDH time series. An extensive analysis and discussion of the chaotic dynamics of the EDH time series are provided. From the perspective of nonlinear dynamics, the phase space was constructed from the time delay τ and embedding dimension m, which were calculated from the mutual information method and the Grassberger–Procaccia algorithm, respectively. The maximum Lyapunov exponent was also calculated by the small data volume method to explore the existence of chaos in the EDH time series. According to our analysis, the EDH time series are stationary and have a non-white noise characteristic. The Hurst exponents for all three timescales were greater than 0.5, indicating the predictability of the EDH time series. The phase space diagrams exhibited strange attractors in a well-defined region for all the timescales, suggesting that the evolution of the EDH time series can possibly be explained by deterministic chaos. All of the maximum Lyapunov exponents were positive, confirming the chaos in the EDH time series. Further, stronger chaotic characteristics were found for the finer-resolution time series than the coarser-resolution time series. This study provides a new perspective for scholars to understand the fluctuation principles of the evaporation duct at different timescales. The findings from this study also lay a theoretical and scientific foundation for the future application of chaotic prediction methods in the research on the evaporation duct.
High-Resolution Laboratory Measurements and Identification of Fe IX Lines near 171 Å
Authors: Beiersdorfer Peter , Lepson Jaan , Brown Gregory , Hell Natalie , Träbert Elmar , Hahn Michael , Savin Daniel
Published: December 2022

A multitude of weaker Fe IX lines have been predicted in the vicinity of the strong 171 Å line that dominates the spectra of many astrophysical and laboratory sources. Some of these weaker lines have only recently been identified in the laboratory, albeit some only tentatively. Here, we present measurements on the Livermore EBIT-I electron beam ion trap that span the region from 170.0 to 173.6 Å, which surrounds the 171 Å line. The measurements stepped through electron beam energy to determine the charge state of iron associated with each observed feature. Moreover, we have minimized the presence of oxygen in the trap, because oxygen lines obscured possible Fe IX lines in past measurements and prevented their identification. Our measurement confirms formerly tentative identifications and adds several new assignments.
Generation of Highly Charged Au Ion in Laser-Produced Plasma for Water Window X-ray Radiation Sources
Authors: Wang Jiahao , Kishimoto Maki , Johzaki Tomoyuki , Mizushima Kairi , Kumeda Chihiro , Higashiguchi Takeshi , Sunahara Atsushi , Ohiro Hikari , Yamasaki Kotaro , Namba Shinichi
Published: December 2022

Highly charged ions in the plasma produced by high-power laser can radiate bright and short-pulse X-rays. Owing to the unresolved transition array (UTA) from the high-Z elements, laser produced plasma has been applied for developing X-ray sources. In particular, X-rays in the water-window (WW) region (2.3–4.4 nm) is utilized as the light source of the X-ray microscopy to observe living organisms under high contrast and resolution. In this work, WW X-rays radiated from a laser (1064 nm, 6.2 ns) produced Au-plasma has been studied. UTA spectrum in the WW range has been observed through a grazing incident spectrometer (GIS). Dependence of Au-ion charge state distribution on laser intensity has been experimentally investigated and evaluated by a transition probability data calculated by the flexible atomic code. The integrated soft X-ray emission has been observed through a pinhole camera with a 1.0-μm Ti-filter, combined with a 2-D plasma radiation scanning achieved by the GIS. An intense WW emission region 200-μm away from the target surface has been observed, which indicates a more effective area is possible to be utilized for a practical use.
Some Properties of the Solution to a System of Quaternion Matrix Equations
Authors: Yu Shao-Wen , Zhang Xiao-Na , Qin Wei-Lu , He Zhuo-Heng
Published: December 2022

This paper investigates the properties of the ϕ-skew-Hermitian solution to the system of quaternion matrix equations involving ϕ-skew-Hermicity with four unknowns AiXi(Ai)ϕ+BiXi+1(Bi)ϕ=Ci,(i=1,2,3),A4X4(A4)ϕ=C4. We present the general ϕ-skew-Hermitian solution to this system. Moreover, we derive the β(ϕ)-signature bounds of the ϕ-skew-Hermitian solution X1 in terms of the coefficient matrices. We also give some necessary and sufficient conditions for the system to have β(ϕ)-positive semidefinite, β(ϕ)-positive definite, β(ϕ)-negative semidefinite and β(ϕ)-negative definite solutions.
Deep-Learning Algorithm and Concomitant Biomarker Identification for NSCLC Prediction Using Multi-Omics Data Integration
Authors: Park Min-Koo , Lim Jin-Muk , Jeong Jinwoo , Jang Yeongjae , Lee Ji-Won , Lee Jeong-Chan , Kim Hyungyu , Koh Euiyul , Hwang Sung-Joo , Kim Hong-Gee , Kim Keun-Cheol
Published: December 2022

Early diagnosis of lung cancer to increase the survival rate, which is currently at a low range of mid-30%, remains a critical need. Despite this, multi-omics data have rarely been applied to non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosis. We developed a multi-omics data-affinitive artificial intelligence algorithm based on the graph convolutional network that integrates mRNA expression, DNA methylation, and DNA sequencing data. This NSCLC prediction model achieved a 93.7% macro F1-score, indicating that values for false positives and negatives were substantially low, which is desirable for accurate classification. Gene ontology enrichment and pathway analysis of features revealed that two major subtypes of NSCLC, lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma, have both specific and common GO biological processes. Numerous biomarkers (i.e., microRNA, long non-coding RNA, differentially methylated regions) were newly identified, whereas some biomarkers were consistent with previous findings in NSCLC (e.g., SPRR1B). Thus, using multi-omics data integration, we developed a promising cancer prediction algorithm.
Antipsychotics-Induced Changes in Synaptic Architecture and Functional Connectivity: Translational Implications for Treatment Response and Resistance
Authors: de Bartolomeis Andrea , De Simone Giuseppe , Ciccarelli Mariateresa , Castiello Alessia , Mazza Benedetta , Vellucci Licia , Barone Annarita
Published: December 2022

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness characterized by alterations in processes that regulate both synaptic plasticity and functional connectivity between brain regions. Antipsychotics are the cornerstone of schizophrenia pharmacological treatment and, beyond occupying dopamine D2 receptors, can affect multiple molecular targets, pre- and postsynaptic sites, as well as intracellular effectors. Multiple lines of evidence point to the involvement of antipsychotics in sculpting synaptic architecture and remodeling the neuronal functional unit. Furthermore, there is an increasing awareness that antipsychotics with different receptor profiles could yield different interregional patterns of co-activation. In the present systematic review, we explored the fundamental changes that occur under antipsychotics’ administration, the molecular underpinning, and the consequences in both acute and chronic paradigms. In addition, we investigated the relationship between synaptic plasticity and functional connectivity and systematized evidence on different topographical patterns of activation induced by typical and atypical antipsychotics.
AXL-Receptor Targeted 14FN3 Based Single Domain Proteins (Pronectins™) from 3 Synthetic Human Libraries as Components for Exploring Novel Bispecific Constructs against Solid Tumors
Authors: Hokanson Craig A. , Zacco Emanuela , Cappuccilli Guido , Odineca Tatjana , Crea Roberto
Published: December 2022

A highly specific AXL-receptor targeted family of non-immunoglobulin, single domain protein binders (Pronectins™) have been isolated from three (3) synthetic libraries that employ the human scaffold of the 14th domain of Fibronectin III (14FN3) and evolutionary CDRs diversity of over 25 billion loop sequences. The three libraries, each containing diversity in two loops, were designed to expand upon a human database of more than 6000 natural scaffold sequences and approximately 3000 human loop sequences. We used a bioinformatic-based approach to maximize “human” amino acid loop diversity and minimize or prevent altogether CDR immunogenicity created by the use of mutagenesis processes to generate diversity. A combination of phage display and yeast display was used to isolate 59 AXL receptor targeted Pronectins with KD ranging between 2 and 100 nM. FACS analysis with tumor cells over-expressing AXL and the use of an AXL knock-out cell line allowed us to identify Pronectin candidates with exquisite specificity for AXL receptor. Based upon several in vitro cell-based tests, we selected the best candidate, AXL54, to further characterize its in vitro cancer cells killing activity. Finally, AXL54 was used to produce the first bi-specific T cell engager protein (AXL54 [Pronectin]-linker-scFV CD3), a “new in class” protein for further testing of its anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo.
Exploiting Signal Joint T Cell Receptor Excision Circle to Investigate the Impact of COVID-19 and Autoimmune Diseases on Age Prediction and Immunosenescence
Authors: Farag Amina A. , Kharboush Taghrid G. , Ibrahim Noha H. , Darwish Mohamed , Fawzy Iman M. , Bayomy Hanaa El-Sayed , Abdelmotaleb Dina Saad , Abdul Basset Shaza Abdul Basset , Abdel-Kareim Amal M. , Al mohaini Mohammed , Ahmed Inas A. , Fakher Haidy M.
Published: December 2022

Signal joint T cell receptor excision circles (sjTRECs) are a promising marker for age estimation and immunosenescence in different ethnic groups. Several limitations are expected to overshadow their use as accurate markers for age prediction. The current study was conducted to determine the influence of immunologic disorders, such as autoimmune diseases and COVID-19, on the accuracy of sjTRECs as molecular markers for age estimation and immunosenescence among living Egyptians. Peripheral blood sjTRECs level was measured by qPCR in 90 autoimmune patients, 58 COVID-19 patients, and 85 healthy controls. The mean dCt values were significantly (p = 0.0002) different between the three groups, with the highest values in healthy subjects, followed by autoimmune and COVID-19 patients. A significant negative correlation was identified between the sjTRECs levels and ages in all studied cases. There were significant positive correlations between chronological age and predicted age for healthy individuals, autoimmune, and COVID-19 patients with mean absolute deviations (MAD) of 9.40, 11.04, and 9.71, respectively. The two patients’ groups exhibited early immunosenescence, which was more noticeable among the young adults with COVID-19 and autoimmune patients of age range (18–49 years). Autoimmunity may represent a critical factor impacting the accuracy of sjTRECs quantitation for age prediction.
Optical Fiber Distributed Sensing Network for Thermal Mapping in Radiofrequency Ablation Neighboring a Blood Vessel
Authors: Sametova Akbota , Kurmashev Sabit , Ashikbayeva Zhannat , Blanc Wilfried , Tosi Daniele
Published: December 2022

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive form of thermotherapy with great potential in cancer care, having the capability of selectively ablating tumoral masses with a surface area of several cm2. When performing RFA in the proximity of a blood vessel, the heating profile changes due to heat dissipation, perfusion, and impedance changes. In this work, we provide an experimental framework for the real-time evaluation of 2D thermal maps in RFA neighboring a blood vessel; the experimental setup is based on simultaneous scanning of multiple fibers in a distributed sensing network, achieving a spatial resolution of 2.5 × 4 mm2 in situ. We also demonstrate an increase of ablating potential when injecting an agarose gel in the tissue. Experimental results show that the heat-sink effect contributes to a reduction of the ablated region around 30–60% on average; however, the use of agarose significantly mitigates this effect, enlarging the ablated area by a significant amount, and ablating an even larger surface (+15%) in the absence of blood vessels.
Experimental Studies of the Attention Processing Model in Multiple Object Tracking Task
Authors: Liang Shuyi , Guo Yaning , Cheng Sizhe , Wu Shengjun , Wang Xiuchao , Wang Xinlu , Lu Diyan , Liu Xufeng
Published: December 2022

(1) Background: Attention is an important cognitive process in daily life. However, limited cognitive resources have been allocated to attention, especially for multiple objects and its mechanism is still unclear. Most of the previous studies have been based on the static attention paradigms with relatively lower ecological validity. Thus, we aimed to explore the attention processing mechanism in a multiple object tracking (MOT) task by using a dynamic attention paradigm. Two experiments were conducted to assess whether there was a multi-focus attention processing model, and whether the processing model changes with the number of target balls. (2) Methods: During the experiments, 33 university students completed MOT combined with the simultaneous–sequential paradigm, with tracking accuracy and reaction time of correct reaction as indicators. (3) Results: (i) When there were two target balls, an obvious bilateral field advantage was apparent. (ii) When there were four target balls, participants’ performance was significantly better when stimuli were presented simultaneously than when they were presented sequentially, showing a multi-focus attention processing model. (4) Conclusion: Attention processing is characterized by flexibility, providing strong evidence to support the multi-focus theory.
Sex Differences in the Behavioural Aspects of the Cuprizone-Induced Demyelination Model in Mice
Authors: Paton Kelly F. , Hong Sheein , Biggerstaff Andrew , Kivell Bronwyn M.
Published: December 2022

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease characterised by demyelination in the central nervous system. The cuprizone-induced demyelination model is often used in mice to test novel treatments for multiple sclerosis. However, despite significant demyelination, behavioural deficits may be subtle or have mixed results depending on the paradigm used. Furthermore, the sex differences within the model are not well understood. In the current study, we have sought to understand the behavioural deficits associated with the cuprizone-induced demyelination model in both male and female C57BL/6J mice. Using Black gold II stain, we found that cuprizone administration over 6 weeks caused significant demyelination in the corpus callosum that was consistent across both sexes. Cuprizone administration caused increased mechanical sensitivity when measured using an electronic von Frey aesthesiometer, with no sex differences observed. However, cuprizone administration decreased motor coordination, with more severe deficits seen in males in the horizontal bar and passive wire hang tests. In contrast, female mice showed more severe deficits in the motor skill sequence test. Cuprizone administration caused more anxiety-like behaviours in males compared to females in the elevated zero maze. Therefore, this study provides a better understanding of the sex differences involved in the behavioural aspects of cuprizone-induced demyelination, which could allow for a better translation of results from the laboratory to the clinic.
Facial Emotion Recognition Deficit in Children with Moderate/Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Zhao Fu-Jun , Chen Qing-Wei , Wu Yunxiao , Xie Xiaohong , Xu Zhifei , Ni Xin
Published: December 2022

Although previous studies have reported a facial expression classification deficit among adults with SDB, we do not know whether these findings can be generalized to children. In our study, children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) were divided into three groups: primary snoring (n = 51), mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (n = 39), and moderate/severe OSA (n = 26). All participants, including 20 healthy controls, underwent an overnight polysomnography recording and the Emotional Expression Recognition Task. Psychosocial problems were evaluated using the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). There was a borderline significant interaction between expression category and group on reaction times. Further analysis revealed that positive classification advantage (PCA) disappeared in the moderate/severe OSA group, whereas it persisted in the control, primary snoring, and mild OSA groups. Emotional symptoms were positively correlated with OAHI. In both the happy and sad conditions, RT was negatively related to age and body mass index (BMI) but was independent of the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI), arterial oxygen (SaO2) and total sleep time. The accuracy of identifying a sad expression was negatively related to conduct problems. Children with moderate/severe OSA exhibited dysfunction in facial expression categorization, which could potentially affect social communication ability.
Perspective: Present and Future of Virtual Reality for Neurological Disorders
Authors: Moon Hyuk-June , Han Sungmin
Published: December 2022

Since the emergence of Virtual Reality technology, it has been adopted in the field of neurology. While Virtual Reality has contributed to various rehabilitation approaches, its potential advantages, especially in diagnosis, have not yet been fully utilized. Moreover, new tides of the Metaverse are approaching rapidly, which will again boost public and research interest and the importance of immersive Virtual Reality technology. Nevertheless, accessibility to such technology for people with neurological disorders has been critically underexplored. Through this perspective paper, we will briefly look over the current state of the technology in neurological studies and then propose future research directions, which hopefully facilitate beneficial Virtual Reality studies on a wider range of topics in neurology.
Dissociating the Multiple Psychological Processes in Everyday Moral Decision-Making with the CAN Algorithm
Authors: Xie Zhongju , Wu Junhong , Wang Xingyuan , Zheng Ziyi , Liu Chuanjun
Published: December 2022

In previous research frameworks, researchers used an everyday dilemma to test people’s altruistic versus egoistic inclination. However, there are at least three different psychological processes that could induce altruistic over egoistic decisions, i.e., stronger altruistic sensitivity, weaker egoistic sensitivity, and stronger overall action versus inaction preference. To dissociate these different psychological processes, we developed new materials and applied the CAN algorithm from traditional moral dilemma research in two studies. In Study 1, we designed scenarios varying with a 2 (egoistic/non-egoistic) × 2 (non-altruistic/altruistic) structure. Then, we recruited 209 participants to validate the scenarios and filtered six scene frameworks with 24 scenarios in total. In Study 2, we recruited 747 participants to judge whether they would conduct behavior that is simultaneously altruistic (or non-altruistic) and egoistic (or non-egoistic) in the filtered scenarios obtained from Study 1. They also filled in the Social Isolation Scale, Distress Disclosure Scale, and some other demographic information. As we dissociated the psychological processes using the CAN algorithm, significant correlations between social isolation and distress disclosure and three parameters (i.e., altruistic tendency, egoistic tendency, and overall action/inaction preference) underlying the altruistic choice were revealed to varying degrees. Other individual differences in the psychological processes in everyday moral decision-making were further demonstrated. Our study provided materials and methodological protocols to dissociate the multiple psychological processes in everyday moral decision-making. It promotes our insights on everyday moral decisions from a differential psychological processes perspective.
Effect of Signal Design of Autonomous Vehicle Intention Presentation on Pedestrians’ Cognition
Authors: Wu Chih-Fu , Xu Dan-Dan , Lu Shao-Hsuan , Chen Wen-Chi
Published: December 2022

In this study, a method is devised that allows the intentions of autonomous vehicles to be effectively communicated to pedestrians and passengers via an efficient interactive interface. Visual and auditory factors are used as variables to investigate the effects of different autonomous vehicle signal factors on the judgment of pedestrians and to determine the main factors such that the best combination can be proposed. Two visual dimensions (i.e., color and flashing) and three auditory dimensions (i.e., rhythm, frequency, and melody) are used as the experimental signal variables. In addition, deceleration and waiting-to-restart scenarios are investigated. Multiple-choice questions and a subjective cognition scale are used for evaluation. The results show that the combination of green and slow rhythm can be used for the road-user-first case, whereas the combination of red and fast rhythm can be used for the vehicle-first case. Under the same intention, factors of color, flashing, rhythm, and melody are highly similar in terms of the combination mode, except for the frequency. In the deceleration and waiting-to-restart scenarios, the frequencies of the best signal are high and low frequencies, respectively. The results of this study can be used as a reference for the signal design of autonomous vehicles in the future and provide ideas for the interactions between autonomous vehicles and pedestrians.
Experimental Investigation on the Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Microstructure Deterioration of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Subjected to Freeze–Thaw Cycles
Authors: Li Yang , Zhang Qirui , Wang Ruijun , Xiong Xiaobin , Li Yan , Wang Jiayu
Published: December 2022

In this study, the dynamic mechanical properties of steel fiber reinforced concrete under the influence of freeze–thaw cycles were studied. The studied parameters include steel fiber content (0%, 1% and 2%), confining pressures (0, 5 and 10 MPa) and strain rates (10−5/s, 10−4/s, 10−3/s and 10−2/s). Performance was also evaluated, including triaxial compressive strength, peak strain, the relationship between stress and strain, failure mode and microstructure. The results show that with the increase in F–T cycles, the compressive strength and energy absorption capacity of concrete gradually decrease. The mechanical properties of concrete increased with the addition of steel fibers during F–T cycles, and the optimum amount of steel fiber to enhance resistance to F–T cycles is 1% within the evaluation range. In this study, the effects of strain rate and confining pressure on the strength and failure mode of concrete after fiber addition are studied. Both the dynamic increase factor and the concrete strength increase linearly with the increase of strain rate, the dynamic increase factor is characterized by an increase in intensity caused by strain rate. When there is no confining, the crack direction of the concrete specimen is parallel to the stress loading direction, and when there is confining, it is manifested as oblique shear failure. The results of scanning electron microscopy analysis of the microstructure demonstrate the performance results at the macroscopic level (compressive strength and peak strain).
Recycling Old Concrete as Waste Concrete Powder for Use in Pervious Concrete: Effects on Permeability, Strength and Eco-Friendliness
Authors: Xie Hui Zhu , Li Leo Gu , Liu Feng , Kwan Albert Kwok Hung
Published: December 2022

The fine portion of crushed old concrete is difficult to be recycled for use in new concrete because it contains old cement paste, which generally has high porosity and low strength. Hence, in practice, the coarse portion is recycled as coarse aggregate and the fine portion is mostly not recycled. Nevertheless, attempts have been made in recent years to recycle the fine portion as waste concrete powder (WCP) by grinding before use. In this research, WCP was used to make pervious concrete. The WCP was added using the paste replacement method (PR method) of replacing an equal volume of cementitious paste. A series of pervious concrete mixes containing 100% recycled coarse aggregate and having different amounts of WCP added were produced for testing of interconnected porosity, water permeability and strength. The results showed that the addition of WCP using the PR method can improve the interconnected porosity by 9% and water permeability by 18%, greatly enhance the strength by 86%, as well as decrease the cement consumption by 10% at the same time. Therefore, the addition of WCP as paste replacement has great potential to be applied to the production of eco-friendly high-performance pervious concrete.
Estimating Construction Project Duration and Costs upon Completion Using Monte Carlo Simulations and Improved Earned Value Management
Authors: Deng Jie , Jian Wei
Published: December 2022

Earned value management (EVM) is widely used when monitoring and estimating operations related to construction projects. As the scope and complexity of construction projects expand, traditional EVM is sometimes ineffective and even results in conclusions that are contrary to the actual situation. Additionally, the estimate produced by EVM is a deterministic value that does not account for the uncertainty of activities involved in a construction project. This study proposes an estimation approach that combines an improved EVM, critical path method (CPM), program evaluation and review technique (PERT), and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The contribution is threefold. Firstly, a path-based schedule measurement approach is described using network diagrams and CPM to capture the logical relationships among activities. Secondly, the resource input categorizes activities to improve the accuracy of the duration and cost estimates. The remaining duration and cost will be estimated based on the execution performance of the activities in the same category. Thirdly, PERT and MCS approaches are used to reveal the uncertainty of estimates upon completion by replacing a deterministic value with a possible completion range. An experimental research study was used to apply the proposed approach. The result displayed that the commercial expansion project faced serious schedule delays and cost overruns. Based on the result, the project manager should focus highly on activities J, H, and G (in order of priority) and take corrective actions. In conclusion, the proposed approach demonstrates good performance when identifying deviations, estimating precise results, and determining the importance (priority) of activities that need to be controlled.
Flexural Behavior of RC Beams with an Abrupt Change in Depth: Experimental Work
Authors: Fayed Sabry , Madenci Emrah , Özkılıç Yasin Onuralp
Published: December 2022

The most crucial components in the case of roofs with two levels or a variable floor height are variable depth beams. In order to investigate the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams with varying depths under static loads, experimental research was conducted. Under the four-point bending flexural test, two reference beams with constant depth, six dapped beams at the soffit, and four dapped beams at the top were tested. For all beams with a 150 mm depth, a 100 mm increase in depth occurred at the middle span of the beams. The primary characteristics included the impact of increasing depth, the impact of stirrups’ absence and their various ratios, and the characteristics of the longitudinal bars at the locations of sudden depth changes in either the top or bottom bars. Both the cracks’ progression and the load-deflection relationship along the beam’s length were observed. The ultimate carrying load (Pu) was reduced by 23.56% and 27.35% as a result of the 100 mm increase in the half-span of the beam over the constant depth in case of changes at the top and soffit, respectively. The Pu was increased by a ratio ranging from 20.9% to 31.35% for the bottom dapped beams and by a ratio of 29.79% for the top dapped beams due to the various stirrup ratios in the dapped area. The ductility was significantly impacted by the elevated stirrup ratios in the dapped area. The predicted results and the experimental results matched when the Pu of the tested beams was evaluated using the strut and tie model.
Study on the Constitutive Model of Concrete Confined by Multi-Spiral Composite Stirrups
Authors: Yang Kun , Yu Tao , Ma Guiliang , Zhao Jiaxiang , Sun Shanshan
Published: December 2022

Through axial compression tests, the influence of three stirrup indexes (space, form, and strength) on the confining performance of multi-spiral composite stirrups in square reinforced concrete (RC) columns were analyzed, and the square RC columns with traditional well-shaped composite stirrups were used as the reference group. The results show that the multi-spiral composite stirrups had a positive contribution to the important indexes (bearing capacity and ductility) of the square RC columns due to its multiple restraint mechanism on core concrete. In terms of constraint effect, the five-spiral composite stirrup is the best, followed by the four-spiral composite stirrup, and the last is the traditional well-shaped composite stirrup. The section of the concrete square column is divided into highly constrained, partially constrained and unconstrained regions and the constraint mechanism of multi-spiral composite stirrups is discussed. The formulas for calculating the peak stress, peak strain, and ultimate compressive strain of the constrained column are presented, and the relative error between the theoretical values and the tested values is small. The constitutive model of concrete constrained by multi-spiral composite stirrups is established and compared with other constitutive models. The results show that the proposed model fits well with the experimental curves.
The Influence of Green Building Application on High-Rise Building Life Cycle Cost and Valuation in Indonesia
Authors: Utomo Christiono , Astarini Sulfiah Dwi , Rahmawati Fitri , Setijanti Purwanita , Nurcahyo Cahyono Bintang
Published: December 2022

The building sector has slowly but constantly had the largest contribution to global carbon emissions. Thus, business in the building sector has a responsibility to contribute to reducing carbon emissions. One of the ways of doing this has been by developing the concept of a green building, which is one of the solutions for sustainable development. However, the main obstacle for the property developer is a misconception that capital cost spending is more important than the life cycle cost of the building. The majority of property owners and developers are more concerned about the initial cost without taking into consideration that the initial cost is closely related to the operational cost of buildings, especially high-rise buildings. From this phenomenon, there are research opportunities that aim to determine how the concept of green influences the financial decisions of developers in Indonesia that are applied to high-rise buildings. The method used in this research is inferential analysis to determine how the influence of the application of green building factors into the valuation of a building. The valuation is based on one of three methods in a building’s valuation, which is the cost approach. Then, a comparison between the building’s valuation using green and non-green is conducted in terms of the cost analysis and sensitivity. The result of the analysis is known that according to the developer practitioners in Indonesia with the green building concept, the increase in construction costs is not always accompanied by a decrease in operating and maintenance costs, as well as an increase in property values. These findings can have implications for achieving expectations, that is increasing property values through the use of the green building concept by reducing the operational and maintenance costs.
The Influence of Social Information: A Study of Architectural Attribute from an Event Structure Analysis Perspective
Authors: Cheng Kaiyu , Cui Tong , Neisch Paulina Maria
Published: December 2022

Scientific and technological developments have led to gradual abstraction in architectural research and design. People no longer interpret spatial meaning simply through external forms, rather, the emphasis is put on the essence of design thinking. This change has given rise to analysis and expression methods at the level of the architectural attribute, which scientifically summarize the attributes shared by different architectural types through investigating the literature data and professional phenomena. They improve the architects’ level of awareness and provide a guiding framework for subsequent design work. However, rapid social progress and regional cultural differences make it difficult for previous methods to reflect the real-time and in-site expression of the attributes. This paper proposes a new attribute study approach based on Event Structure Analysis (ESA) in combination with social science theory. This approach provides architects with a reference for more comprehensive attribute expression by coordinating the social information at the pre-design stage. Meanwhile, with openness and operability as its technological advantages, it forms a cross-disciplinary research and exchange platform, thereby allowing public participation. The study verifies its feasibility through the structured analysis of specific social events in Beijing, discusses this interdisciplinary approach’s practical significance and positive impact at the professional and societal levels, and points out the direction for future research.
Trends in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma and Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Incidence in the United States from 1992 to 2019
Authors: Liu Kyle S. , Raza Syed Ahsan , El-Serag Hashem B. , Thrift Aaron P.
Published: December 2022

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) incidence rates overall have declined in recent decades; however, the two main subtypes, esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), show divergent secular trends. Methods: Age-adjusted EC incidence rates were calculated using data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) 12 Program. We examined secular trends from 1992 to 2019 overall and by age group, sex, race/ethnicity, tumor location, and SEER registry. Joinpoint regression was used to compute annual percent changes (APC) and average annual percent changes (AAPC). We used age-period-cohort models to examine the potential impact of period and birth cohort effects on trends. Results: Between 1992 and 2019, overall EC incidence rates declined by 0.54% annually (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.75%, −0.33%). While ESCC rates declined linearly throughout the study period (AAPC = −2.85; 95%CI: −3.05%, −2.65%), EAC rates increased by over 5% annually from 1992 to 2000 (APC = 5.17; 95%CI: 3.28%, 7.10%), before stabilizing from 2000 to 2019 (APC = 0.22; 95%CI: −0.16%, 0.60%). Trends in ESCC and EAC varied by age group, sex, and race/ethnicity. Relative to ESCC rates among cohorts born circa 1950, the rates were 81% lower in cohorts born circa 1985 (rate ratio, 0.19; 95%CI: 0.04, 0.96). For EAC, rates have remained stable across successive birth cohorts since 1950. Conclusions: We observed linear declines in EC rates overall and for ESCC across age, sex, and race/ethnicity subgroups, but an inconsistent pattern for EAC. The trends in EAC cohorts born after 1955 were stable and suggest that EAC rates may have peaked in the U.S.
Correlation between ADC Histogram-Derived Metrics and the Time to Metastases in Resectable Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: De Robertis Riccardo , Tomaiuolo Luisa , Pasquazzo Francesca , Geraci Luca , Malleo Giuseppe , Salvia Roberto , D’Onofrio Mirko
Published: December 2022

Background: A non-invasive method to improve the prognostic stratification would be clinically beneficial in patients with resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The aim of this study was to correlate conventional magnetic resonance (MR) features and the metrics derived from the histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, with the risk and the time to metastases (TTM) after surgery in patients with PDAC. Methods: pre-operative MR examinations of 120 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped according to the presence (M+) or absence (M−) of metastases during follow-up. Conventional MR features and histogram-derived metrics were compared between M+ and M− patients using the Fisher’s or Mann–Whitney tests; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed for the features that showed a significant difference between groups. A Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the features with a significant effect on the TTM, and Kaplan–Meier curves were constructed for significant features. Results: 68.3% patients developed metastases over a mean follow-up time of 29 months (range, 3–54 months). ADC skewness and kurtosis were significantly higher in M+ than in M− patients (p < 0.001). Skewness had a significant effect on the risk of metastases (hazard ratio—HR = 5.22, p < 0.001). Patients with an ADC skewness ≥0.23 had a significantly shorter TTM than those with a skewness <0.22 (11.7 vs. 30.8 months, p < 0.001). Conclusions: pre-operative histogram analysis of ADC maps provides parameters correlated to the metastatic potential of PDAC. Higher ADC skewness seems to be associated with a significantly shorter TTM in patients with resectable PDAC.
Melanoma of the Scalp and Neck: A Population-Based Analysis of Survival and Treatment Patterns
Authors: Scampa Matteo , Mégevand Vladimir , Viscardi Juan A. , Giordano Salvatore , Kalbermatten Daniel F. , Oranges Carlo M.
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer. Large demographic and clinic-pathologic studies are required to identify variations of tumour behavior. The aim of our study was to offer updated epidemiologic data on the scalp and neck melanoma with an overall survival analysis. Method: The SEER database was searched for all scalp and neck melanoma in adult patients between 2000 and 2019. Demographic and clinic-pathologic variables were described. Their impact on overall survival was assessed with the log-rank test after Kaplan–Meier model. A multivariable cox-regression was conducted to identify predictors of decreased survival. A p-value of <0.005 was considered statistically significant. Results: 20,728 Melanomas of the scalp and neck were identified. Mean age was 62.5 years. Gender ratio was 76.3% males. 79% of the tumours were localized at diagnosis. Increasing age, male gender, tumour ulceration, high mitotic rate or nodular subtype were independent prognostic factors of decreased overall survival. Surgery with less than 1 cm margin is associated with the best overall survival in this cohort. No significant difference in OS was seen between less than 1 cm and 1 to 2 cm margins. Conclusion: Knowledge of negative prognostic factors might help identify subgroups at risk and adapt their oncologic treatment.