bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Impacting Range Hood Use in California Houses and Low-Income Apartments
Authors: Zhao Haoran , Chan Wanyu R. , Delp William W. , Tang Hao , Walker Iain S. , Singer Brett C.
Published: November 2020

Venting range hoods can control indoor air pollutants emitted during residential cooktop and oven cooking. To quantify their potential benefits, it is important to know how frequently and under what conditions range hoods are operated during cooking. We analyzed data from 54 single family houses and 17 low-income apartments in California in which cooking activities, range hood use, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were monitored for one week per home. Range hoods were used for 36% of cooking events in houses and 28% in apartments. The frequency of hood use increased with cooking frequency across homes. In both houses and apartments, the likelihood of hood use during a cooking event increased with the duration of cooktop burner use, but not with the duration of oven use. Actual hood use rates were higher in the homes of participants who self-reported more frequent use in a pre-study survey, but actual use was far lower than self-reported frequency. Residents in single family houses used range hoods more often when cooking caused a discernible increase in PM2.5. In apartments, residents used their range hood more often only when high concentrations of PM2.5 were generated during cooking.
Development and Molecular Investigation into the Effects of Carbamazepine Exposure in the Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Chen Huihui , Yang Huiting , Zhao Yanyan , Gu Xiaohong , Martyniuk Christopher J.
Published: November 2020

Concerns regarding environmental exposures and the impacts of pharmaceuticals on non-target aquatic organisms continue to increase. The antiepileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ) is often detected as an aquatic contaminant and can disrupt various behaviors of fishes. However, there are few reports which investigate the mechanism of CBZ action in fish. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of CBZ on embryonic development (i.e., hatching rate, heart rate, and body length) and early spontaneous movement. Moreover, we sought to investigate potential mechanisms by focusing on the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter system in zebrafish 6 days after of exposure. The results show that CBZ exposure did not cause significant effects on embryo development (hatching rate, heart rate, nor body length) at the test concentrations. However, the early spontaneous movement of embryos was inhibited following 10 μg/L CBZ exposure at 28–29 h post-fertilization (hpf). In addition, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and GABA concentrations were increased with exposure, whereas glutamate (Glu) concentrations were decreased in larval zebrafish. Gene expression analysis revealed that GABA and glutamate metabolic pathways in zebrafish larvae were altered following exposure to CBZ. GABA transaminase (abat) and glutamic acid decarboxylase (gad1b) decreased to 100 µg/L, and glutamate receptor, ionotropic, N-methyl D-aspartate 1b (grin1b) as well as the glutamate receptor, ionotropic, α-amino-3hydroxy-5methylisoxazole-4propionic 2b (gria2b) were down-regulated with exposure to 1 µg/L CBZ. Our study suggests that CBZ, which can act as an agonist of the GABAA receptor in humans, can also induce alterations in the GABAergic system in fish. Overall, this study improves understanding of the neurotoxicity and behavioral toxicity of zebrafish exposed to CBZ and generates data to be used to understand mechanisms of action that may underlie antiepileptic drug exposures.
Effect of the Verbal Encouragement on Psychophysiological and Affective Responses during Small-Sided Games
Authors: Sahli Hajer , Selmi Okba , Zghibi Makrem , Hill Lee , Rosemann Thomas , Knechtle Beat , Clemente Filipe Manuel
Published: November 2020

Verbal encouragement (VE) is considered as external motivation provided by physical education teacher. For this reason, this study aimed to examine the effects of VE on psychophysiological and affective responses during small-sided games (SSG). Sixteen male school students (age: 17.37 ± 0.48 years) completed four sessions of a 4-a-side SSG. Two sessions occurred with VE (SSGE), and two sessions did not include VE (SSGNE). Heart rate was continuously recorded, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and blood lactate concentration ([La]b) were measured after each training session. Physical enjoyment was assessed after each protocol. Mood state was recorded before and after each training session using the profile of mood-state. HR max, [La]b, RPE, Physical enjoyment, and vigor were higher in SSGE compared to SSGNE (all, p < 0.001). The SSGE and SSGNE resulted in a decreased total mood disturbance (TMD) (p = 0.001, ES = 0.60; p = 0.04, ES = 0.33, respectively) and tension (p < 0.001, ES = 0.91; p = 0.004, ES = 0.47, respectively), and the vigor was increased after the SSGE (p < 0.001, ES = 0.76). SSGE and SSGNE induce similar improvement in TMD and tension. However, SSGE induced higher physiological responses, RPE, enjoyment, and positive mood than SSGNE. Physical education teachers could use VE during specific soccer sessions to improve physical aspects, enjoyment, and mood in participants.
Prenatal Counseling throughout Pregnancy: Effects on Physical Activity Level, Perceived Barriers, and Perinatal Health Outcomes: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Authors: Ruart Shelly , Sinnapah Stéphane , Hue Olivier , Janky Eustase , Antoine-Jonville Sophie
Published: November 2020

Physical activity during pregnancy has many health benefits. However, the physical activity level is insufficient throughout pregnancy and women report perceived barriers to physical activity. This study assessed the impact of a counseling intervention offered in addition to routine pregnancy care on physical activity patterns, perceived barriers, and perinatal health outcomes. A quasi-experimental trial was conducted in the Maternity Unit of a hospital in Guadeloupe (a French department). Ninety-six pregnant women were allocated to a control or intervention group. Regular physical activity counseling was dispensed to the women in the intervention group by trained healthcare providers. The physical activity level and the perceived barriers were assessed in each trimester. Outcomes for the perinatal health of the mother and child were measured throughout pregnancy and after delivery. The perceived barriers, such as a lack of information about the health benefits and risks over the two trimesters (all p < 0.05) and insecurity related to practice throughout pregnancy (all p < 0.05), were different in favor of the intervention group. There were no significant between-group differences for the major indices of physical activity, whether measured or reported. The intervention women reported significantly more sedentary activity compared with the control group in the third trimester, 64.7 (36.4–78.7) vs. 22.7 (9.4–49.8) MET-hours/week, respectively (p < 0.001). The perinatal health outcomes for the mother and child showed no significant differences. The intervention was unable to limit the decline in physical activity or improve health outcomes. However, it was associated with an improvement in the perception of barriers. Future research should focus on interventions that have a sufficient quantitative impact on perceived barriers in order to limit physical activity decline.
Antiviral Agents for the Prevention and Treatment of Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 Infection in Clinical Oncology: A Network Meta-Analysis
Authors: Aribi Al-Zoobaee Farah Wasim , Yee Shen Loo , Veettil Sajesh K. , Gopinath Divya , Maharajan Mari Kannan , Kunnath Menon Rohit
Published: November 2020

Cancer therapy may be complicated and compromised by viral infections, including oral herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. This network meta-analysis aimed to identify the best antiviral agent to prevent or treat oral HSV infection in patients being treated for cancer. A search was conducted for trials published since inception until the 10th of May 2020 in MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. A network meta-analysis was performed on the data from randomized controlled trials that assessed antiviral agents for preventive or therapeutic activity vs. placebo, no treatment or any other active intervention in patients being treated for cancer. The agents were ranked according to their effectiveness in the prevention of oral HSV using surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA). Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. In total, 16 articles were included. The pooled relative risk (RR) to develop oral HSV infection in the acyclovir group was 0.17 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.30), compared to 0.22 (95% CI: 0.06, 0.77) in the valacyclovir group. Acyclovir ranked highest for the prevention of oral HSV followed by valacyclovir. Subgroup analysis with different acyclovir regimens revealed that the best regimens in terms of HSV-1 prevention were 750 mg/m2 acyclovir administered intravenously followed by 1600 mg per day orally. Acyclovir (250 mg/m2 per day) administered intravenously was the least effective against the prevention of oral HSV.
Does Oral Hypofunction Promote Social Withdrawal in the Older Adults? A Longitudinal Survey of Elderly Subjects in Rural Japan
Authors: Hasegawa Yoko , Sakuramoto-Sadakane Ayumi , Nagai Koutatsu , Tamaoka Joji , Oshitani Masayuki , Ono Takahiro , Sawada Takashi , Shinmura Ken , Kishimoto Hiromitsu
Published: November 2020

It is often assumed that oral hypofunction is associated with social withdrawal in older adults because decreased motor function is related to decreased oral function. However, few studies have examined the relationship between social withdrawal in older adults and oral function. This longitudinal study aimed to clarify the relationship between changes in the level of social withdrawal and oral function in independent older adults. Participants were 427 older adults aged 65 years or older who took part in a self-administered questionnaire from 2016 to 2017 (baseline), and again two years later (follow-up). At baseline, 17 items related to oral function and confounding factors related to withdrawal, physical condition, physical function, and cognitive function were evaluated. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine the oral functions that negatively impact social withdrawal. The following factors were significantly associated with the worsening of social withdrawal: the number of remaining teeth, gingival condition, occlusal force, masticatory efficiency, and items related to swallowing and dry mouth. Older adults with cognitive issues who walk slowly and have a weak knee extension muscle were also significantly more likely to have oral frailty. Those who were found to have oral frailty at baseline were 1.8 times more likely to develop withdrawal compared to those with robust oral function. The results indicated that the worsening of withdrawal was associated with oral hypofunction at baseline. Since oral hypofunction was associated with the worsening of social withdrawal in older adults, it is important to maintain older adults’ oral function.
Coronavirus Lockdown as a Major Life Stressor: Does It Affect TMD Symptoms?
Authors: Saccomanno Sabina , Bernabei Mauro , Scoppa Fabio , Pirino Alessio , Mastrapasqua Rodolfo , Visco Marina Angela
Published: November 2020

Temporomandibular disorders are multi-factorial conditions that are caused by both physical and psychological factors. It has been well established that stress triggers or worsens TMDs. This paper looks to present early research, still unfolding, on the relationship between COVID-19 as a major life stressor and TMDs. The main aims of this study were to: investigate the presence of symptoms related to TMDs and the time of onset and the worsening of painful symptoms in relation to the changes in social life imposed by the coronavirus pandemic; and to evaluate the perception of COVID-19 as a major stressful event in subjects who report worsening of painful TMD symptoms. One hundred and eighty-two subjects answered questionnaires—Axis II of the RDC/TMD, the PSS, and specific items about coronavirus as a stressful event—during the lockdown period for COVID-19 in Italy to evaluate the presence of reported symptoms of TMD and the level of depression, somatization, and stress perceived. The results showed that 40.7% of subjects complained about TMD symptoms in the past month. Regarding the time of onset, 60.8% of them reported that facial pain started in the last three months, while 51.4% of these subjects reported that their symptoms worsened in the last month and were related to the aggravation of pain due to the coronavirus lockdown as a major life event and to the stress experienced. The results of this study seem to support the hypothesis that stress during the pandemic lockdown influenced the onset of temporomandibular joint disorders and facial pain, albeit with individual responses.
Event Geoparser with Pseudo-Location Entity Identification and Numerical Argument Extraction Implementation and Evaluation in Indonesian News Domain
Authors: Dewandaru Agung , Widyantoro Dwi Hendratmo , Akbar Saiful
Published: November 2020

Geoparser is a fundamental component of a Geographic Information Retrieval (GIR) geoparser, which performs toponym recognition, disambiguation, and geographic coordinate resolution from unstructured text domain. However, geoparsing of news articles which report several events across many place-mentions in the document are not yet adequately handled by regular geoparser, where the scope of resolution is either toponym-level or document-level. The capacity to detect multiple events and geolocate their true coordinates along with their numerical arguments is still missing from modern geoparsers, much less in Indonesian news corpora domain. We propose an event geoparser model with three stages of processing, which tightly integrates event extraction model into geoparsing and provides precise event-level resolution scope. The model casts the geotagging and event extraction as sequence labeling and uses LSTM-CRF inferencer equipped with features derived using Aggregated Topic Model from a large corpus to increase the generalizability. Throughout the proposed workflow and features, the geoparser is able to significantly improve the identification of pseudo-location entities, resulting in a 23.43% increase for weighted F1 score compared to baseline gazetteer and POS Tag features. As a side effect of event extraction, various numerical arguments are also extracted, and the output is easily projected to a rich choropleth map from a single news document.
Activation Strategies in Image-Guided Nanotherapeutic Delivery
Authors: Choi Seok
Published: November 2020

Therapeutic nanomaterials serve as an important platform for drug delivery under image guidance. Despite significant growth and broad applications, their design specifics remain a subject of continued interest primarily due to multifunctional factors involved, ranging from nanomaterial properties, imaging modalities, and therapeutic agents to activation strategies. This review article summarizes key findings on their design characteristics with a particular interest in strategies developed for therapeutic activation (release). First, their activation can be controlled using either an endogenous factor including low pH and glutathione or an external stimulation by light, ultrasound, or electromagnetic field. The former is passively controlled from a spatiotemporal aspect compared to the latter, which is otherwise actively controlled through drug linker photolysis, nanomaterial disassembly, or gate opening. Second, light stimulation serves a most notable strategy due to its essential role in controlled drug release, photothermal activation (hyperthermia), and photodynamic production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Third, some of those activation strategies that rely on ultrasound, photothermal, photoacoustic, magnetic field, or X-ray radiation are dually functional due to their role in imaging modalities. In summary, this review article presents recent advances and new insights that pertain to nanotherapeutic delivery systems. It also addresses their technical limitations associated with tissue penetration (light), spatial resolution (ultrasound, hyperthermia), and occurrence of cellular resistance (ROS).
Of rAAV and Men: From Genetic Neuromuscular Disorder Efficacy and Toxicity Preclinical Studies to Clinical Trials and Back
Authors: Buscara Laurine , Gross David-Alexandre , Daniele Nathalie
Published: November 2020

Neuromuscular disorders are a large group of rare pathologies characterised by skeletal muscle atrophy and weakness, with the common involvement of respiratory and/or cardiac muscles. These diseases lead to life-long motor deficiencies and specific organ failures, and are, in their worst-case scenarios, life threatening. Amongst other causes, they can be genetically inherited through mutations in more than 500 different genes. In the last 20 years, specific pharmacological treatments have been approved for human usage. However, these “à-la-carte” therapies cover only a very small portion of the clinical needs and are often partially efficient in alleviating the symptoms of the disease, even less so in curing it. Recombinant adeno-associated virus vector-mediated gene transfer is a more general strategy that could be adapted for a large majority of these diseases and has proved very efficient in rescuing the symptoms in many neuropathological animal models. On this solid ground, several clinical trials are currently being conducted with the whole-body delivery of the therapeutic vectors. This review recapitulates the state-of-the-art tools for neuron and muscle-targeted gene therapy, and summarises the main findings of the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) trials. Despite promising efficacy results, serious adverse events of various severities were observed in these trials. Possible leads for second-generation products are also discussed.
Use of Deep Learning Networks and Statistical Modeling to Predict Changes in Mechanical Parameters of Contaminated Bone Cements
Authors: Machrowska Anna , Szabelski Jakub , Karpiński Robert , Krakowski Przemysław , Jonak Józef , Jonak Kamil
Published: November 2020

The purpose of the study was to test the usefulness of deep learning artificial neural networks and statistical modeling in predicting the strength of bone cements with defects. The defects are related to the introduction of admixtures, such as blood or saline, as contaminants into the cement at the preparation stage. Due to the wide range of applications of deep learning, among others in speech recognition, bioinformation processing, and medication design, the extent was checked to which it is possible to obtain information related to the prediction of the compressive strength of bone cements. Development and improvement of deep learning network (DLN) algorithms and statistical modeling in the analysis of changes in the mechanical parameters of the tested materials will enable determining an acceptable margin of error during surgery or cement preparation in relation to the expected strength of the material used to fill bone cavities. The use of the abovementioned computer methods may, therefore, play a significant role in the initial qualitative assessment of the effects of procedures and, thus, mitigation of errors resulting in failure to maintain the required mechanical parameters and patient dissatisfaction.
Simple and Eco-Friendly Route from Agro-Food Waste to Water Pollutants Removal
Authors: Opálková Šišková Alena , Dvorák Tomáš , Šimonová Baranyaiová Tímea , Šimon Erik , Eckstein Andicsová Anita , Švajdlenková Helena , Opálek Andrej , Krížik Peter , Nosko Martin
Published: November 2020

The current study reflects the demand to mitigate the environmental issues caused by the waste from the agriculture and food industry. The crops that do not meet the supply chain requirements and waste from their processing are overfilling landfills. The mentioned wastes contain cellulose, which is the most abundant carbon precursor. Therefore, one of the possibilities of returning such waste into the life cycle could be preparing the activated carbon through an eco-friendly and simple route. Herein, the carrot pulp from the waste was used. Techniques such as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), elemental analysis (EA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate the thermal treatment effect during the carbon material preparation. The development of microstructure, phase formation, and chemical composition of prepared material was evaluated. The obtained carbon material was finally tested for water cleaning from a synthetic pollutant such as rhodamine B and phloxine B. An adsorption mechanism was proposed on the base of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) results and attributed to the responsible interactions. It was shown that a significant carbon sorbent from the organic waste for water purification was obtained.
Variation in Service Life on RC Structure According to Concrete Binder Type
Authors: Park JangHyun , Park JinHo , Jung MyeongGyu
Published: November 2020

When an additive is used to replace a certain amount of cement, a concrete pore structure becomes dense. Thus, it results in inhibiting the penetration of chlorine ions and suppressing corrosion of reinforcing bars. However, the pH level of the concrete decreases, and it deteriorates the performance of the passive film formed on the surface of the rebars embedded in the concrete. Therefore, in this study, the service lives of reinforced concrete containing different types of concrete binders were predicted and compared. The chloride ion diffusion coefficients of concretes with various binders were measured, and the critical chloride content of the rebar was assessed by the real-time monitoring on the corrosion initiation time of the rebar embedded in concrete. Moreover, Fick’s 2nd law was applied to predict when the chloride content at the 40 mm depth of cover reached the critical chloride content based on the chloride ion diffusion coefficient. It was observed that the service life of S6 (OPC 40% + GGBFS 60%) was the highest, followed by TBC (OPC 40% + GGBFS 40% + FA 20%), S3 (OPC 70% + GGBFS 30%), and OPC (OPC 100%).
Evaluation of the 3D Printing Accuracy of a Dental Model According to Its Internal Structure and Cross-Arch Plate Design: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Shin Seung-Ho , Lim Jung-Hwa , Kang You-Jung , Kim Jee-Hwan , Shim June-Sung , Kim Jong-Eun
Published: November 2020

The amount of photopolymer material consumed during the three-dimensional (3D) printing of a dental model varies with the volume and internal structure of the modeling data. This study analyzed how the internal structure and the presence of a cross-arch plate influence the accuracy of a 3D printed dental model. The model was designed with a U-shaped arch and the palate removed (Group U) or a cross-arch plate attached to the palate area (Group P), and the internal structure was divided into five types. The trueness and precision were analyzed for accuracy comparisons of the 3D printed models. Two-way ANOVA of the trueness revealed that the accuracy was 135.2 ± 26.3 µm (mean ± SD) in Group U and 85.6 ± 13.1 µm in Group P. Regarding the internal structure, the accuracy was 143.1 ± 46.8 µm in the 1.5 mm-thick shell group, which improved to 111.1 ± 31.9 µm and 106.7 ± 26.3 µm in the roughly filled and fully filled models, respectively. The precision was 70.3 ± 19.1 µm in Group U and 65.0 ± 8.8 µm in Group P. The results of this study suggest that a cross-arch plate is necessary for the accurate production of a model using 3D printing regardless of its internal structure. In Group U, the error during the printing process was higher for the hollowed models.
Experimental Study of Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Compounds Modified with Calcium Carbonate and Carbon after Hygrothermal Exposure
Authors: Rudawska Anna
Published: November 2020

The objective of this paper is to analyze the effects of hygrothermal exposure on the mechanical properties of epoxy compounds modified with calcium carbonate or carbon fillers. In addition, comparative tests were carried out with the same parameters as hygrothermal exposure, but the epoxy compounds were additionally exposed to thermal shocks. The analysis used cylindrical specimens produced from two different epoxy compounds. The specimens were fabricated from compounds of epoxy resins, based on Bisphenol A (one mixture modified, one unmodified) and a polyamide curing agent. Some of the epoxy compounds were modified with calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The remainder were modified with activated carbon (C). Each modifying agent, or filler, was added at a rate of 1 g, 2 g, or 3 g per 100 g of epoxy resin. The effect of the hygrothermal exposure (82 °C temperature and 95% RH humidity) was examined. The effects of thermal shocks, achieved by cycling between 82 °C and −40 °C, on selected mechanical properties of the filler-modified epoxy compounds were investigated. Strength tests were carried out on the cured epoxy compound specimens to determine the shear strength, compression modulus, and compressive strain. The analysis of the results led to the conclusion that the type of tested epoxy compounds and the quantity and type of filler determine the effects of climate chamber aging and thermal shock chamber processing on the compressive strength for the tested epoxy compounds. The different filler quantities, 1–3 g of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) or activated carbon (C), determined the strength parameters, with results varying from the reference compounds and the compounds exposure in the climate chamber and thermal shock chamber. The epoxy compounds which contained unmodified epoxy resin achieved a higher strength performance than the epoxy compounds made with modified epoxy resin. In most instances, the epoxy compounds modified with CaCO3 had a higher compressive strength than the epoxy compounds modified with C (activated carbon).
High-Resolution Strain/Stress Measurements by Three-Axis Neutron Diffractometer
Authors: Mikula Pavol , Ryukhtin Vasyl , Šaroun Jan , Strunz Pavel
Published: November 2020

Resolution properties of the unconventional high-resolution neutron diffraction three-axis setup for strain/stress measurements of large bulk polycrystalline samples are presented. Contrary to the conventional two-axis setups, in this case, the strain measurement on a sample situated on the second axis is carried out by rocking the bent perfect crystal (BPC) analyzer situated on the third axis of the diffractometer. Thus, the so-called rocking curve provides the sample diffraction profile. The neutron signal coming from the analyzer is registered by a point detector. This new setup provides a considerably higher resolution (at least by a factor of 5), which however, requires a much longer measurement time. The high-resolution neutron diffraction setting can be effectively used, namely, for bulk gauge volumes up to several cubic centimeters, and for plastic deformation studies on the basis of the analysis of diffraction line profiles, thus providing average values of microstructure characteristics over the irradiated gauge volume.
Investigation of Damage Reduction When Dry-Drilling Aramid Fiber-Reinforced Plastics Based on a Three-Point Step Drill
Authors: Wang Fu-Ji , Zhao Meng , Yan Jian-Bo , Qiu Shen , Liu Xin , Zhang Bo-Yu
Published: November 2020

Aramid fiber-reinforced plastic (AFRP) is widely used in bullet-proof and armor structures, and is difficult to drill because of the high-toughness aramid fibers with ductile fracturing—differently from carbon fiber. Therefore, drilling quality cannot be ensured by the drilling used for carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, and frequently, delamination and burrs occur in the drilling process. This article first established a two-dimensional cutting model for analyzing the fiber deformation and material interface cracking. According to the model, reducing the thrust force and the radial force of the edge on the fibers is an effective way to reduce the fiber deformation, and a three-point step drill is proposed further. Comparative experiments were carried out among twist drilling, candle core drilling and three-point step drilling under three drilling parameters. The results show that the three-point step drill changed the traditional cutting behavior on the drill-exit material into a compound process. Finally, the AFRP was cut effectively with the novel drill with a small thrust force, and the delamination and “burrs area” were reduced through different drilling parameters. In summary, the three-point step drill can drill the AFRP without delamination and burrs with 0.02 mm/rev, which provides a new solution of cost-effective production for AFRP manufacturers.
Large-Scale, Language-Agnostic Discourse Classification of Tweets During COVID-19
Authors: Gencoglu Oguzhan
Published: November 2020

Quantifying the characteristics of public attention is an essential prerequisite for appropriate crisis management during severe events such as pandemics. For this purpose, we propose language-agnostic tweet representations to perform large-scale Twitter discourse classification with machine learning. Our analysis on more than 26 million coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tweets shows that large-scale surveillance of public discourse is feasible with computationally lightweight classifiers by out-of-the-box utilization of these representations.
Effect of an Aquatic Balance-Training Program in Patients with Chronic Stroke: A Single-Group Experimental Pilot Study
Authors: Pérez-de la Cruz Sagrario
Published: November 2020

Background and Objectives: Stroke survivors face severe problems affecting their mobility, such as balance impairments and an increased risk of falls. The principal aim of this study was to quantify the effects of 12 sessions of Halliwick aquatic therapy for the treatment of balance in patients with chronic stroke. Materials and Methods: Twenty-nine people with stroke participated in this single-group experimental pilot study. Sessions were performed three times a week for a total of 12 sessions. A stabilometric assessment was conducted using a computerized platform. The evaluations were performed at baseline, at four weeks, and one month after completing the aquatic program. Results: The results obtained revealed significant differences for postural stability values (p < 0.001) and single-leg stabilometry. However, in the case of values within the limits of stability, such as forward (F = 0.339, p = 0.676), backward (F = 0.449, p = 0.644), forward right oscillations (F = 1.637, p = 0.21), and the anterior/posterior instability index (F = 0.614, p = 0.55), no significant differences were found. Conclusions: These findings suggest that Halliwick therapy may potentially improve stroke balance impairments. The main limitations of the study were the sample size, the lack of a control group, and the study not being blind.
Assessment of Absorption of Glycated Nail Proteins in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Jurgeleviciene Ieva , Stanislovaitiene Daiva , Tatarunas Vacis , Jurgelevicius Marius , Zaliuniene Dalia
Published: November 2020

Background and objectives: Glycation occurs in a variety of human tissues and organs. Knowledge about the relationship between predictive biochemical factors such as absorption of glycated nail proteins and severity of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains limited. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of patients with type 2 DM and DR (n = 32) and a control group (n = 28). Each patient underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination. The glycation process in nail clippings was evaluated in stages of in vitro glycation and deglycation stages. ATR–FTIR spectroscopy was used to calculate the infrared absorption in the region of interest. The absorption of solutions with nail clippings was evaluated by NanoDrop spectrophotometry. Absorption spectra differences before and after the exposure to fructosamine 3-kinase were compared between DM patients with DR and the control group. Results: The absorption of glycated nail protein greater than 83.00% increased the chance of developing DM and DR (OR = 15.909, 95% CI 3.914–64.660, p < 0.001). Absorption of glycated nail protein by ATR–FTIR spectroscopy in patients with DM and DR in vitro glycation was statistically significantly higher than in the control group; also absorption of solution with nails by NanoDrop spectroscopy was statistically significantly higher than in controls in vitro glycation and in vitro deglycation. After exposure to fructosamine 3-kinase, absorption of nail protein in DM + severe/proliferative DR group was statistically significantly lower in comparison with DM + mild/moderate group DR. Conclusions: Evaluation of glycated nail protein could be applied to evaluate the risk of having DM and for long-term observation of DM control.
Prospective Clinical Study of Non-Invasive Intracranial Pressure Measurements in Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients and Healthy Subjects
Authors: Deimantavicius Mantas , Hamarat Yasin , Lucinskas Paulius , Zakelis Rolandas , Bartusis Laimonas , Siaudvytyte Lina , Janulevicienė Ingrida , Ragauskas Arminas
Published: November 2020

Background and Objective: Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy in which the optic nerve is damaged. The optic nerve is exposed not only to intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eye, but also to intracranial pressure (ICP), as it is surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space. Here, we analyse ICP differences between patients with glaucoma and healthy subjects (HSs). Materials and Methods: Ninety-five patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG), 60 patients with high-tension glaucoma (HTG), and 62 HSs were included in the prospective clinical study, and ICP was measured non-invasively by two-depth transcranial Doppler (TCD). Results: The mean ICP of NTG patients (9.42 ± 2.83 mmHg) was significantly lower than that of HSs (10.73 ± 2.16 mmHg) (p = 0.007). The mean ICP of HTG patients (8.11 ± 2.68 mmHg) was significantly lower than that of NTG patients (9.42 ± 2.83 mmHg) (p = 0.008) and significantly lower than that of HSs (10.73 ± 2.16 mmHg) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: An abnormal ICP value could be one of the many influential factors in the optic nerve degeneration of NTG patients and should be considered as such instead of just being regarded as a “low ICP”.
Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactors for Post-Combustion Carbon Capture: A Review of Modeling Approaches
Authors: Rivero Joanna R. , Panagakos Grigorios , Lieber Austin , Hornbostel Katherine
Published: November 2020

Hollow fiber membrane contactors (HFMCs) can effectively separate CO2 from post-combustion flue gas by providing a high contact surface area between the flue gas and a liquid solvent. Accurate models of carbon capture HFMCs are necessary to understand the underlying transport processes and optimize HFMC designs. There are various methods for modeling HFMCs in 1D, 2D, or 3D. These methods include (but are not limited to): resistance-in-series, solution-diffusion, pore flow, Happel’s free surface model, and porous media modeling. This review paper discusses the state-of-the-art methods for modeling carbon capture HFMCs in 1D, 2D, and 3D. State-of-the-art 1D, 2D, and 3D carbon capture HFMC models are then compared in depth, based on their underlying assumptions. Numerical methods are also discussed, along with modeling to scale up HFMCs from the lab scale to the commercial scale.
Issues on the Correlation between Experimental and Numerical Results in Sheet Metal Forming Benchmarks
Authors: Amaral Rui L. , Neto Diogo M. , Wagre Dipak , Santos Abel D. , Oliveira Marta C.
Published: November 2020

The validation of numerical models requires the comparison between numerical and experimental results, which has led to the development of benchmark tests in order to achieve a wider participation. In the sheet metal-forming research field, the benchmarks proposed by the Numisheet conference series are a reference, because they always represented a challenge for the numerical codes within the state of the art in the modeling of sheet metal forming. From the challenges proposed along the series of Numisheet benchmarks, the springback prediction has been frequently incorporated, and is still a motivation for the development and testing of accurate modeling strategies. In fact, springback prediction poses many challenges, because it is strongly influenced by numerical parameters such as the type, order, and integration scheme of the finite elements adopted, as well as the shape and size of the finite element mesh, in addition to the constitutive model. Moreover, its measurement also requires the definition of a fixture that should not influence the actual springback and the proper definition of the measurement locations and directions. This is the subject of this contribution, which analyzes the benchmark focused on springback prediction, proposed by the Numisheet 2016 committee. Numerical results are obtained with two different codes and comparisons are performed between both numerical and experimental data. The differences between numerical results are mainly dictated by the ambiguous definition of boundary conditions. The analysis of numerical and experimental springback results should rely on the use of global planes to ensure the objectivity and simplicity in the comparison. Therefore, the analysis gives an insight into issues related to the comparison of results in complex geometries involving springback, which in turn suggests some recommendations for similar future benchmarks.
Recovery of K2SO4 and Separation of SiO2/Al2O3 from Brown Corundum Fly Ash
Authors: Xiong Yuandong , Li Junqi , Long Qian , Chen Chaoyi , Lan Yuanpei , Wang Linzhu
Published: November 2020

Brown corundum fly ash (BCFA), which is the collected ash in brown corundum production, has received lots of environmental concerns due to its ultra-fine particle size and complex composition. Aiming to recycle the major elements including K, Al and Si from BCFA environmentally, this work proposed a simple and non-pollution process to utilize BCFA by water leaching, size screening and solution evaporation. The influences of water leaching conditions including leaching temperature, time and liquid-to-solid ratio was considered to optimize the K2SO4 recovery efficiency. Results show that the potassium sulfate content of the product is 75.7% after water leaching at 60 °C for 15 min with the liquid–solid ratio of 20:1. The wet screening and size separation with a 1 μm sieve can separate and enrich aluminum and silicon significantly. The aluminum-rich product is composed of 54.65% of alumina and 11.04% silica, with the alumina and silica ratio (A/S) of 4.95. The silicon-rich product with a particle size of less than 1 μm has a silica content of 57.57% can be used as high-value micro-sphere silica. The research results revealed in this work offers a potential and environmentally industrial treatment technique for the BCFA.
Influence of Forging and Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Heavily Alloyed Ingot-Metallurgy Nickel-Based Superalloy
Authors: Imayev Valery , Mukhtarov Shamil , Mukhtarova Kamilla , Ganeev Artem , Shakhov Ruslan , Parkhimovich Nikolay , Logunov Aleksander
Published: November 2020

The newly designed ingot-metallurgy nickel-based superalloy SDZhS-15 intended for disc applications at operating temperatures up to 800–850 °C was subjected to homogenization annealing and canned forging at subsolvus temperatures, followed by solid solution treatment and ageing. Mostly a fine-grained recrystallized microstructure was obtained in the forgings. It was revealed that post-forging solid solution treatment at T > (Ts-50), where Ts is the γ′ solvus temperature, led to a significant γ grain growth, which in turn led to a decrease in strength and ductility of the superalloy. The solution treatment at (Ts-60)–(Ts-50) allowed to save fine γ grains (dγ = 10–20 μm) and to provide the formation of secondary γ′ precipitates with a size of around 0.1 μm. In the forged and heat-treated conditions, the superalloy demonstrated superior mechanical properties, particularly excellent creep resistance at 650–850 °C in the stress range of 400–1200 MPa. Microstructure examination of the creep-tested samples showed that a decrease in the creep resistance at 850 °C can be associated with enhanced diffusivity along γ grain and γ/γ′ interphase boundaries leading to formation of cracks along the boundaries. In spite of the heavy alloying, the topologically close-packed phases were not detected in the superalloy, including in the creep tested samples.
Friction Stir Welding Parameters: Impact of Abnormal Grain Growth during Post-Weld Heat Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Al–Mg–Si Welded Joints
Authors: Baghdadi Amir Hossein , Sajuri Zainuddin , Omar Mohd Zaidi , Rajabi Armin
Published: November 2020

Friction stir welding (FSW) is an alternative method to join aluminum (Al) alloys in a solid-state condition. However, the coarsening or dissolution of precipitation hardening phases in the welding zone causes strength reduction or softening behavior in the welded area of age-hardened Al alloys. Therefore, this research aimed to improve the mechanical properties of an FSW Al–Mg–Si alloy via post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) and the possibility of controlling the abnormal grain growth (AGG) using different welding parameters. FSW was performed with different rotational and travel speeds, and T6 heat treatment was carried out on the FSW samples as the PWHT. The results showed a decrease in the strength of the FSW samples compared with that of the base material (BM) due to the dissolution of precipitation hardening particles in the heat-affected zone. However, the emergence of AGG in the microstructure after the T6-PWHT was identified as the potential event in the microstructure of the PWHT samples. It is found that the AGG of the microstructure in similar joints of Al6061(T6) was governed by the welding parameters. The results proved that PWHT was able to increase the tensile properties of the welded samples to values comparable to that of Al6061(T6)-BM. The increased mechanical properties of the FSW joints were attributed to a proper PWHT that resulted in a homogeneous distribution of the precipitation hardening phases in the welding zones.
Evolution of a Superhydrophobic H59 Brass Surface by Using Laser Texturing via Post Thermal Annealing
Authors: Lu Xizhao , Kang Lei , Yan Binggong , Lei Tingping , Zheng Gaofeng , Xie Haihe , Sun Jingjing , Jiang Kaiyong
Published: November 2020

To fabricate an industrial and highly efficient super-hydrophobic brass surface, annealed H59 brass samples have here been textured by using a 1064 nm wavelength nanosecond fiber laser. The effects of different laser parameters (such as laser fluence, scanning speed, and repetition frequency), on the translation to super-hydrophobic surfaces, have been of special interest to study. As a result of these studies, hydrophobic properties, with larger water contact angles (WCA), were observed to appear faster than for samples that had not been heat-treated (after an evolution time of 4 days). This wettability transition, as well as the evolution of surface texture and nanograins, were caused by thermal annealing treatments, in combination with laser texturing. At first, the H59 brass samples were annealed in a Muffle furnace at temperatures of 350 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C. As a result of these treatments, there were rapid formations of coarse surface morphologies, containing particles of both micro/nano-level dimensions, as well as enlarged distances between the laser-induced grooves. A large number of nanograins were formed on the brass metal surfaces, onto which an increased number of exceedingly small nanoparticles were attached. This combination of fine nanoparticles, with a scattered distribution of nanograins, created a hierarchic Lotus leaf-like morphology containing both micro-and nanostructured material (i.e., micro/nanostructured material). Furthermore, the distances between the nano-clusters and the size of nano-grains were observed, analyzed, and strongly coupled to the wettability transition time. Hence, the formation and evolution of functional groups on the brass surfaces were influenced by the micro/nanostructure formations on the surfaces. As a direct consequence, the surface energies became reduced, which affected the speed of the wettability transition—which became enhanced. The micro/nanostructures on the H59 brass surfaces were analyzed by using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The chemical compositions of these surfaces were characterized by using an Energy Dispersive Analysis System (EDS). In addition to the wettability, the surface energy was thereby analyzed with respect to the different surface micro/nanostructures as well as to the roughness characteristics. This study has provided a facile method (with an experimental proof thereof) by which it is possible to construct textured H59 brass surfaces with tunable wetting behaviors. It is also expected that these results will effectively extend the industrial applications of brass material.
A Bandwidth Control Arbitration for SoC Interconnections Performing Applications with Task Dependencies
Authors: Ibarra-Delgado Salvador , Sandoval-Arechiga Remberto , Gómez-Rodríguez José Ricardo , Ortíz-López Manuel , Brox María
Published: November 2020

Current System-on-Chips (SoCs) execute applications with task dependency that compete for shared resources such as buses, memories, and accelerators. In such a structure, the arbitration policy becomes a critical part of the system to guarantee access and bandwidth suitable for the competing applications. Some strategies proposed in the literature to cope with these issues are Round-Robin, Weighted Round-Robin, Lottery, Time Division Access Multiplexing (TDMA), and combinations. However, a fine-grained bandwidth control arbitration policy is missing from the literature. We propose an innovative arbitration policy based on opportunistic access and a supervised utilization of the bus in terms of transmitted flits (transmission units) that settle the access and fine-grained control. In our proposal, every competing element has a budget. Opportunistic access grants the bus to request even if the component has spent all its flits. Supervised debt accounts a record for every transmitted flit when it has no flits to spend. Our proposal applies to interconnection systems such as buses, switches, and routers. The presented approach achieves deadlock-free behavior even with task dependency applications in the scenarios analyzed through cycle-accurate simulation models. The synergy between opportunistic and supervised debt techniques outperforms Lottery, TDMA, and Weighted Round-Robin in terms of bandwidth control in the experimental studies performed.