bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LOAD TRANSFER FROM HOLLOWCORE SLABS TO DELTABEAM® SLIM FLOOR BEAMS IN CASE OF A FIRE
Authors: Beckmann Oliver , Cyllok Michael
Published: April 2023

This paper presents the background, results and conclusions of a series of fire tests with DELTABEAM® composite beams supporting prestressed hollowcore slabs (HCS) concerning the shifted direct support in fire situation. When designing a slab system consisting of DELTABEAM® and HCS in fire situation, the current European design codes and product approvals for both products do not cover the special issues “indirect / shifted direct” and “flexible” support that arise from combining beams and HCS. A test program of single HCS unit shear tests and system fire tests has been carried out to assess these issues. The presented paper will give an overview of the test program and a detailed look at the shifted direct support situation for load transfer from the slab to the beam.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF LOAD‐BEARING FIRE TEST FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE SLABS
Authors: Kimura K. , Hirashima T. , Ozaki F. , Yoshida T. , Suzuki J.
Published: April 2023

A numerical analysis is conducted for the load‐bearing fire test of composite flooring systems composed of flat RC slabs and unprotected beams (beams with no fire protection covering), and the test results and numerical analysis results are compared. The main aim of the numerical analysis is to verify the accuracy of the numerical analysis approach as well as to analyse the stress distribution within the composite floor when the membrane functions as intended, the data for which are difficult to obtain from the load‐bearing fire test.
INNOVATIVE COMPOSITE STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS FOR MODULAR TALL BUILDINGS
Authors: Thai H.T.
Published: April 2023

Modular or offsite construction is believed to shape the future of the construction industry as it possesses significant benefits over traditional onsite construction methods. However, most of its application are limited to steel or concrete buildings. Although steel‐concrete composite structural system has many merits over the steel and concrete systems, its application in modular buildings is very limited. This paper explores recent developments of composite systems for modular high‐rise buildings. They include modular units for resisting vertical gravity loads and lateral structural systems for resisting horizontal forces from wind and earthquake loadings and progressive collapse due to accidental loads such as fire, explosions and impact. Various inter‐module joining methods developed in the literature will also be reviewed. Finally, a case study of the most efficient connection is presented to explore its applicability to high‐rise modular buildings.
STRENGTHENING OF ANCHOR CHANNELS ON THE CONCRETE SURFACE
Authors: Petrasch Michael C. , Hofmann Jan
Published: April 2023

For the installation of curtain wall systems, the positions of anchor channels gradually move closer to the edge of the concrete slabs. But close to the edge of the slab, conventional supplementary reinforcements have problems to redistribute the loads to the reinforcement due to the short bond length that is available after concrete edge failure occurred. Therefore, tests have been conducted to investigate the behaviour of anchors channels, close to the edge. To achieve this, a strengthening system on the surface of the concrete with post installed fasteners was developed. First results indicate a high potential for strengthening the channels close to the edge under shear load. With these test results numerical simulations with Atena Science were performed and, after its calibration, the model was used for further investigation.
STUDIES ON STEEL‐TO‐CONCRETE JOINTS WITH CONCENTRATED LOADING CONDITIONS
Authors: Ziwes Maximilian , Ruopp Jakob , Kuhlmann Ulrike
Published: April 2023

In mixed buildings of steel and concrete an economical design depends on intelligent solutions for steel‐to‐concrete joints. The design and verification of steel‐to‐concrete joints is challenging, as the structural behaviour and the properties of different materials have to be considered. Large forces often have to be transferred in localized areas, e.g. bridge bearings, and various failure modes of steel and concrete may occur in the joints due to load concentrations. An imposed load preventing uplift and a well‐placed reinforcement can strengthen these joints decisively. In this contribution, experimental and numerical investigations and recent approaches for the design of steel‐to‐concrete joints are presented in order to extend and harmonise current rules leading to new chances of optimisation.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR STEEL‐CONCRETE COMPOSITE NPS® BEAM‐COLUMN JOINTS
Authors: Albright J. Ann , Argentoni Alessio , Calvi Paolo M.
Published: April 2023

This paper presents the results of an experimental program involving a series of five full scale NPS® (three interior and two exterior) and two moderately ductile reinforced concrete (one interior and one exterior) beam‐column joints, designed per Eurocode requirements. The NPS® System utilizes steel wrapped reinforced concrete columns and composite steel truss concrete (CSTC) beams reinforced with steel truss elements made with bottom plates to double as partial formwork. The specimens were tested under quasi‐static reversed cyclic horizontal loading, with a constant axial load applied to the column. The variables considered were the level of shear reinforcement provided within the joint panel zone and the presence/absence of additional shear reinforcement in the beam end‐regions.
RCS MOMENT FRAMES IN HIGH SEISMIC ZONES IN THE UNITED STATES
Authors: Fargier‐Gabaldon Luis B. , Cordova Paul , Parra‐Montesinos Gustavo , Deierlein Gregory
Published: April 2023

The research on composite moment connections for seismic applications is examined to propose an update of the Guidelines for Design of Joints Between Steel Beams and Reinforced Concrete Columns, published by the ASCE in 1994. These guidelines were developed based on limited experimental data and restrict composite moment frames to zones of low to moderate seismicity. Recent experimental data, however, support their use in high seismic regions. A database of full‐scale connection tests is included, accompanied by a comparison between strength measured experimentally vs. the calculated joint strength. Results from this comparison show good agreement.
Stereoselective Synthesis of Nontethered trans‐4 Bis(aziridino)[60]fullerene Derivatives†
Authors: Xiong Jie , Feng Shuang , Peng Rufang , Jin Bo
Published: April 2023

Comprehensive Summary

The stereoselective preparation of fullerene bis‐adducts through nontethered methods remains difficult due to the significant amount of regioisomers produced. The trans‐4 aziridino[60]fullerenes, C60(NC6H4R)n (n = 1 or 2, R = OMe, OEt, OBu), were selectively synthesized even without a catalyst by reacting octabromofullerene with the corresponding aniline. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, UV‐vis spectroscopy, and X‐ray structural analysis provided convincing characterization of the compounds. A possible reaction process was proposed to clarify the synthesis of highly regioselective trans‐4‐bisaziridino[60]fullerenes. The possible application of these aziridino[60]fullerene derivatives as propellant stabilizers was also explored.
Dose Titration of Ixazomib Maintenance Therapy in Transplant‐Ineligible Multiple Myeloma: Exposure–Response Analysis of the TOURMALINE‐MM4 Study
Authors: Srimani Jaydeep K. , Diderichsen Paul M. , Hanley Michael J. , Labotka Richard , Gupta Neeraj
Published: April 2023

Ixazomib has been approved in several countries as single‐agent maintenance therapy in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, in both posttransplant and transplant‐ineligible settings, based on two phase III studies. In these maintenance studies, patients were initially administered 3 mg ixazomib, escalating to 4 mg if the initial dose level was well tolerated through Cycles 1–4. Here, we report the results of exposure–response analyses of TOURMALINE‐MM4, wherein relationships between exposure and clinical response, dose adjustments, and selected adverse events were evaluated. Similar progression‐free survival benefits were observed across the range of ixazomib exposures achieved in the study. Moreover, increased ixazomib exposures corresponded to a higher probability of maintaining complete response. Exposure was not a significant predictor (P > 0.05) of hematological adverse events (anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia) and peripheral neuropathy; however, higher exposures did correlate to increased probabilities of experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, rash, and fatigue. While ixazomib exposure was not predictive of dose reductions, lower apparent clearance values (corresponding to higher systemic exposures) were correlated with a reduced likelihood of escalating to the 4 mg dose. Thus, the dose titration approach balanced patient benefit and risk; it ensured that only patients for whom the 3 mg dose was safe/tolerable escalated to the higher dose, while maximizing the fraction of patients (85%) who were able to derive additional clinical benefit at 4 mg. Collectively, these results highlight the value of safety‐driven personalized dosing to maximize patient benefit/risk.
The importance of nature‐inspired metaheuristic algorithms in the data routing and path finding problem in the internet of things
Authors: Dong‐liang Li , Bei Lu , Hai‐hua Wang
Published: April 2023

Over the last decade, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become ever more popular, as is evident from its role in changing the human lifestyle and conferring remarkable privileges for them. It has a significant presence in various crucial areas, including smart cities, smart factories, manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare. Massive amounts of data generated by IoT devices have the potential to endanger the lifetime of nodes in IoT‐based networks due to increased communication power consumption. It has become crucial to propose solutions for network‐based issues, such as quality of service, security, network heterogeneity, congestion avoidance, reliable routing, and energy conservation. To address the mentioned problems, routing protocols play a critical role in data transmission among heterogeneous items. In such environments, routing refers to constructing routes between mobile nodes. Since identifying optimal routes among IoT nodes and establishing an effective routing protocol in an IoT network are an NP‐hard issue, employing metaheuristic algorithms may be a viable solution to overcome this problem. Various IoT routing protocols based on metaheuristic algorithms have been presented in recent years, but there is still a lack of systematic study for reviewing the existing works. The current study emphasizes the impact of metaheuristic algorithms in the IoT routing problem, discusses the optimization models, presents a comprehensive comparison of protocols based on critical parameters, and eventually suggests some hints for future studies.
Morphological and physiological traits of dominant plant species in response to mowing in a temperate steppe
Authors: Zhang Lulu , Li Yuting , Bai Wenming , Lambers Hans , Zhang Wen‐Hao
Published: April 2023

Mowing is common grassland management to feed livestock during winter by harvesting hay in many high‐latitude regions in autumn. The trait‐based approach has been used to explain the responses of the plant community to disturbance resulting from environmental changes and human activities. However, few studies have focused on the mechanisms underlying the responses of grassland ecosystems to mowing from the perspective of plant traits. Here, we investigated the effects of mowing on the plant community of a temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia of northern China by field experiments to dissect the trade‐off between morphological and physiological traits in response to short‐term (4 years) and long‐term (16 years) mowing. Specifically, we evaluated the two strategies associated with the nutrient acquisition of two dominant species in response to mowing by measuring leaf and root morphological traits and physiological traits of root carboxylate exudation, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization and soil microbial community. We found that long‐term mowing, but not short‐term mowing, led to an increase in species richness. In addition, mowing decreased the overall plant biomass of the grassland community, but enhanced and suppressed the growth of forbs and grasses, respectively. However, the ratio of forbs to grasses in the community was dependent on mowing duration, such that forbs became more dominant than the grasses under long‐term mowing. Our results revealed that short‐term mowing reduced soil microbial biodiversity and root colonization of AMF in the grass Stipa krylovii, while the root AMF colonization and carboxylate exudation in the forb Artemisia frigida were enhanced by short‐term mowing. In long‐term mowing, the functional traits associated with leaf resource conservation (i.e., leaf tissue density) and root resource acquisition were reduced in the grass, while the functional traits related to leaf resource acquisition and root resource conservation were increased in the forb, highlighting the species specificity and divergence in leaf and root traits in the grass and forb of temperate steppe in response to mowing. These novel findings demonstrate that physiological and morphological strategies are the main drivers for dominant species in response to mowing in temperate grasslands.
Reducing herbicide input and optimizing spray method can minimize nontarget impacts on native grassland plant species
Authors: Smith Annabel L. , Kanjithanda Raagini M. , Hayashi Tobias , French Jack , Milner Richard N. C.
Published: April 2023

Invasive plants threaten biodiversity worldwide and effective management must control the target invader while conserving biodiversity. Herbicide is often used to control invasive plants, but potential negative impacts on biodiversity have led to spot spraying being recommended over boom spraying to minimize the exposure of nontarget species to chemicals. We examined the influence of herbicide application methods on off‐target plant communities in threatened temperate grasslands of southeastern Australia, where spraying with the broadleaf herbicide fluroxypr is commonly used to control St. John's wort, Hypericum perforatum L. It is well established that fluroxypr effectively controls H. perforatum but few studies have examined its impact on native forbs. A spray drift experiment using water‐sensitive cards indicated that ground surface coverage was higher for spot spraying (91%–99%) than for boom spraying (5%–31%). We established a replicated, 3‐year, before‐after‐control‐impact experiment across 48 1‐m2 quadrats to determine how three herbicide application methods (spot spray, fine boom and coarse boom) affected nontarget native forbs, the group most likely to be affected by broadleaf herbicides. This experiment was conducted in grasslands where H. perforatum was almost absent, so responses would reflect the direct impacts of the chemical, rather than structural changes resulting from removal of the target invader. Spot spraying decreased the probability of occurrence of native leguminous forbs, while increasing the occurrence of exotic leguminous forbs and the richness of all exotic species and exotic annual forbs. Spot spraying reduced the occurrence of the native Desmodium varians and the abundance of the native Chrysocephalum apiculatum. During this 3‐year study, native species appeared to be impacted either directly by fluroxypr or indirectly by increased competition with exotic species. Where herbicide application is deemed crucial in these grasslands, we recommend boom spraying when H. perforatum density is moderate to high. Spot spraying should only be used when the density of H. perforatum is very low. Given the regional variation in H. perforatum density, the spatial scale of invasion, soil depth, and conservation values, we present a decision tree to assist managers in evaluating the costs and benefits of chemical control, indicating situations where alternative or modified methods could be used.
Journal reflections shed light on challenges students face in an introductory field biology course
Authors: Treibergs Kira A. , Esparza David , Yamazaki Jeannie A. , Smith Michelle K.
Published: April 2023

Field biology courses—which expose students to concepts through outdoor experimentation and observation—are a staple in undergraduate natural science education. Participation in field courses has been associated with increased academic success, retention, and strengthening of science identity. However, for some students, learning outdoors can pose barriers to comfort, enjoyment, and success and may contribute to alienation and attrition. To better understand the kinds of challenges encountered by students and how those experiences might vary by student demographics and prior experience, we analyzed journal reflections from undergraduates in an introductory field biology course using a mixed‐methods approach. We used open coding to characterize the challenges that students described and found that students identified challenges related to four categories: (1) scientific challenges, concerning concepts, field methods, and data; (2) logistic challenges, relating to factors such as the timing of the course and equipment; (3) conditions challenges, regarding difficulties with organisms, the environment, and inclement weather; and (4) additional challenges, encompassing a broad array of student difficulties. Using multilevel binomial modeling, we examined the effect of course factors (e.g., field lab topic and section) and student factors (e.g., demographics and prior outdoor experience) on the occurrence of each type of challenge within journal reflections. Field lab topic was the only effect likely to increase the presence of all four types of challenges for students. In addition, students with the most prior outdoors experience were less likely to report a logistic challenge compared with their peers in the course who had less outdoors experience. Based on our findings, we offer recommendations for how instructors can support students through challenges they face in introductory field biology.
Celsr2‐mediated morphological polarization and functional phenotype of reactive astrocytes in neural repair
Authors: Liu Aimei , Yu Lingtai , Li Xuejun , Zhang Kejiao , Zhang Wei , So Kwok‐Fai , Tissir Fadel , Qu Yibo , Zhou Libing
Published: April 2023

Neural repair is highly influenced by reactive astrocytes. Atypical cadherin Celsr2 regulates neuron development and axon regeneration, while its role in glial cells remains unexplored. In this study, we show that Celsr2 is highly expressed in spinal astrocytes of adult mice, and knockout of Celsr2 results in reactive astrocytes with longer protrusions preferentially orientated towards lesion borders in culture scratch assay and injured spinal cord, and elevation of total and active Cdc42 and Rac1 protein in western blots. Inactivation of Celsr2 enhances calcium influx in reactive astrocytes in time‐lapse imaging. Morphological phenotypes of cultured Celsr2−/− astrocytes are rescued by Cdc42 or Rac1 inhibitors. Following spinal cord injury (SCI), Celsr2−/− mice exhibit smaller lesion cavity and glial scar, enhanced fiber regeneration, weaker microglial response, and improved functional recovery than control animals. Similar phenotypes are found in mice with conditional knockout of Celsr2 in astrocytes. In Celsr2−/− mice, astrocyte phenotype is changed and neuroinflammation is alleviated after injury. Inhibiting Cdc42/Rac1 activities compromises astrocyte polarization and the improvement of neural repair and functional recovery in Celsr2−/− mice with SCI. In conclusion, Celsr2 regulates morphological polarization and functional phenotype of reactive astrocytes and inactivating Celsr2 is a potential therapeutic strategy for neural repair.
The association between vitamin D intake with inflammatory and biochemical indices and mortality in critically ill patients with COVID‐19: A case‐control study
Authors: Gholamalizadeh Maryam , Rabbani Faezeh , Ahmadzadeh Mina , Hajipour Azadeh , Musavi Hayehe , Mobarakeh Khadijeh Abbasi , Salimi Zahra , Bahar Bojlul , Mahmoodi Zahra , Gholami Somayeh , Mirzaei Dahka Samaneh , Doaei Saeid , Akbari Mokammad Esmail
Published: April 2023

Background

The coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) has become a worldwide health issue with widespread hospitalization and dependence on the intensive care unit (ICU). Vitamin D has a key role in modulating immune cells and modulating the inflammatory responses. This study aimed to investigate the association of vitamin D supplementation with inflammatory, biochemical, and mortality indices in critically ill patients with COVID‐19.

Methods

This case‐control study was conducted on critically ill COVID‐19 patients hospitalized in the ICU including the survived >30 day patients as the case group and dead patients as the control group. The status of vitamin D supplementation and inflammatory and biochemical indices of the patients were retrieved from the medical records. Logistic regression method was used to assess the association between 30 days survival and vitamin D supplement intake.

Results

Compared to the group of COVID‐19 patients who died in <30 day, the survived patients had a lower eosinophile level (2.2 ± 0.5 vs. 6 ± 0.0, p < .001) and higher vitamin D supplementation duration (9 ± 4.4 vs. 3.3 ± 1.9 day, p = .001). Vitamin D supplementation had a positive association with survival in COVID‐19 patients (OR: 1.98, 95% CI: 1.15−3.40, p < .05). The association remained significant after adjustments fot age, sex, underlying diseases, and smoking.

Conclusion

Vitamin D supplementation in critically ill patients with COVID‐19 has the potential to increase survivability within the first 30 days of hospitalization.
Microvasculature and microstructure alteration in dry‐type high myopia
Authors: Li Shanshan , Li Fengshuang , Sun Jiao , Yang Min , Zhang Dawei , Wu Shengwei
Published: April 2023

Background

To investigate the alterations in the retinal vasculature and microstructure in dry‐type high myopia.

Methods

One hundred and eighty‐nine dry‐type high myopia eyes were classified into three groups. Group 1 consisted of 86 eyes with no myopic retinal degenerative lesion (C0). Group 2 consisted of 71 eyes with tessellated fundus (C1). Group 3 consisted of 32 eyes with diffuse chorioretinal atrophy (C2). Retinal vascular density and retinal thickness were measured with optical coherence tomography angiography. The scanning area was a 3 × 3 mm2 ring with the fovea of the macular. All data were analyzed with the SPSS 23.0 by one‐way ANOVA test among comparison groups. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to determine the relations among measurements. Univariate linear regression showed a correlation between the vascular densities and retinal thicknesses.

Results

The microvessel density significantly decreased and significant thinning of the superior and temporal macular thickness in the C2 group. The vascular densities of macular decreased significantly with the increase of axial length (AL) and refractive diopter in the C2 group. The retinal thicknesses of the macular fovea increased significantly with the increase of vascular densities in the C0 group and C1 group.

Conclusions

The impairment of retinal microstructure is more likely related to reduced oxygen and nutrients due to microvessel density decreases.
A preliminary investigation to establish conceptual behavior in gray wolves (Canis lupus)
Authors: Bulla Andrew J. , Duke Madisen , Turcios Oscar , Brooks Khaz , Talbot Ryan , Lile Christopher , Davis Karen
Published: April 2023

Conceptual behavior represents a type of complex stimulus control where an organism differentially responds to examples and nonexamples of instances within a stimulus class. Different species have demonstrated conceptual behavior both in their natural environments and through experimental investigations. The current paper investigates preliminary methods to teach conceptual behavior to gray wolves (Canis lupus). The researchers used a match‐to‐sample arrangement to teach three shapes: a triangle, square, and cross varying in size, color, and positions. Probe trials used a novel set of stimuli to test for the emergence of conceptual behavior. Although the wolves did not show an immediate transfer to novel stimuli following initial match‐to‐sample training, they did show improvement after explicit discrimination training. We discuss the implications of these results as well as future methods that may enhance experimental procedures investigating concept learning in canids.
A switchable joint in the head of dragonfly larvae (Insecta: Odonata) as key to the multifunctionality of the prehensile labial mask
Authors: Koehnsen Alexander , Gorb Stanislav N. , Büsse Sebastian
Published: April 2023

Dragonfly and damselfly larvae (Insecta: Odonata) capture prey by rapid protraction of a raptorial mouthpart, based on a modified labium. Yet, in insects with biting‐chewing mouthparts, the labium has an essential role in food handling. These two distinct functions ‐prey capturing and handling—lead to a mechanical problem in Odonata larvae: while the labium is always protracted in a straight line during prey capture, food handling requires more dexterity. In this study, we investigate the role of the labium in the feeding process and analyse the mechanics of the labial joints in the dragonfly larva Anax imperator. Our results show that the labium features a multiaxial joint connecting the basal segment (postmentum) and the head. During feeding, a combination of rotations around different axes is used to handle and orient prey, which is unique among biting‐chewing mouthparts. Furthermore, we identified structures at the joint which likely restrict lateral motion during the predatory strike. Our results provide a further understanding of the unique prey‐capturing apparatus of odonate larvae capable of controlling a ‘switchable’ multiaxial to a restricted monoaxial joint. This concept highlights the evolution of a highly modified raptorial mouthpart appendage where the degrees of freedom can be actively restricted to allow for the respectively needed functionality.
Missed opportunities for HIV testing among those who accessed sexually transmitted infection (STI) services, tested for STIs and diagnosed with STIs: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Saleem Kanwal , Ting Ee Lynn , Loh Andre J. W. , Baggaley Rachel , Mello Maeve B. , Jamil Muhammad S. , Barr‐Dichiara Magdalena , Johnson Cheryl , Gottlieb Sami L. , Fairley Christopher K. , Chow Eric P. F. , Ong Jason J.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Of 37.7 million people living with HIV in 2020, 6.1 million still do not know their HIV status. We synthesize evidence on concurrent HIV testing among people who tested for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Methods

We conducted a systematic review using five databases, HIV conferences and clinical trial registries. We included publications between 2010 and May 2021 that reported primary data on concurrent HIV/STI testing. We conducted a random‐effects meta‐analysis and meta‐regression of the pooled proportion for concurrent HIV/STI testing.

Results

We identified 96 eligible studies. Among those, 49 studies had relevant data for a meta‐analysis. The remaining studies provided data on the acceptability, feasibility, barriers, facilitators, economic evaluation and social harms of concurrent HIV/STI testing. The pooled proportion of people tested for HIV among those attending an STI service (n = 18 studies) was 71.0% (95% confidence intervals: 61.0–80.1, I2 = 99.9%), people tested for HIV among those who were tested for STIs (n = 15) was 61.3% (53.9–68.4, I2 = 99.9%), people tested for HIV among those who were diagnosed with an STI (n = 13) was 35.3% (27.1–43.9, I2 = 99.9%) and people tested for HIV among those presenting with STI symptoms (n = 3) was 27.1% (20.5–34.3, I2 = 92.0%). The meta‐regression analysis found that heterogeneity was driven mainly by identity as a sexual and gender minority, the latest year of study, country‐income level and region of the world.

Discussion

This review found poor concurrent HIV/STI testing among those already diagnosed with an STI (35.3%) or who had symptoms with STIs (27.1%). Additionally, concurrent HIV/STI testing among those tested for STIs varied significantly according to the testing location, country income level and region of the world. A few potential reasons for these observations include differences in national STI‐related policies, lack of standard operation procedures, clinician‐level factors, poor awareness and adherence to HIV indicator condition‐guided HIV testing and stigma associated with HIV compared to other curable STIs.

Conclusions

Not testing for HIV among people using STI services presents a significant missed opportunity, particularly among those diagnosed with an STI. Stronger integration of HIV and STI services is urgently needed to improve prevention, early diagnosis and linkage to care services.
Experimental and statistical analysis of wear on gear material
Authors: Ranjan Rakesh , Kumar Santosh , Ghosh Subrata Kumar , Kumar Manoj
Published: April 2023

The objective of this paper is to study the parameters that affect the remaining useful life of lubricant (RULL). Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of gear oil is used to observe the contamination in the oil. Coefficient of friction (COF) has been found out using pin on disc tribometer using gear oil, and simultaneously, wear debris has been collected. Particles distribution and elemental analysis of wear debris were observed by emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) Field with energy dispersive x‐ray (EDX) respectively. Oxidation, sulfation, soot and water content in lubricant increase with time and decrease the RULL. ANOVA is applied to find out the most influential parameter for wear debris and found a load on gears is the dominating factor for wear. This method is the potential to monitor the root causes of contamination and change in lubricant properties and may help to detect the other early signs of failure.
A case of infantile Barth syndrome with severe heart failure: Importance of splicing variants in the TAZ gene
Authors: Takeda Atsuhito , Ueki Masahiro , Abe Jiro , Maeta Kazuhiro , Horiguchi Tomoko , Yamazawa Hirokuni , Izumi Gaku , Chida‐Nagai Ayako , Sasaki Daisuke , Tsujioka Takao , Sato Itsumi , Shiraishi Masahiro , Matsuo Masafumi
Published: April 2023

Barth syndrome (BTHS) is an X‐linked disorder characterized by cardiomyopathy, skeletal myopathy, and 3‐methylglutaconic aciduria. The causative pathogenic variants for BTHS are in TAZ, which encodes a putative acyltransferase named tafazzin and is involved in the remodeling of cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membranes. Pathogenic variants in TAZ result in mitochondrial structural and functional abnormalities. We report a case of infantile BTHS with severe heart failure, left ventricular noncompaction, and lactic acidosis, having a missense c.640C>T (p.His214Tyr) variant in TAZ, which is considered a pathogenic variant based on the previously reported amino acid substitution at the same site (c.641A>G, p.His214Arg). However, in this previously reported case, heart function was compensated and not entirely similar to the present case. Silico prediction analysis suggested that c.640C>T could alter the TAZ messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing process. TAZ mRNAs in isolated peripheral mononuclear cells from the patient and in vitro splicing analysis using minigenes of TAZ found an 8 bp deletion at the 3′ end of exon 8, which resulted in the formation of a termination codon in the coding region of exon 9 (H214Nfs*3). These findings suggest that splicing abnormalities should always be considered in BTHS.
Overexpression of DAPK1 and Beclin1 under oxygen and glucose deprivation conditions promotes excessive autophagy and apoptosis in A549 cells
Authors: Wu Linlin , Sun Wenxue , Liao Dehua , Guo Yujin , Si Qingying , Xie Dadi , Jiang Pei
Published: April 2023

In this study, we aimed to determine the specific roles of death‐associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) and Beclin1 in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) under oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD). We found that OGD caused most cells to shrink, aggregate, and produce many vacuoles in the cytoplasm. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of autophagic vesicles in the OGD group but not in the Control group. Moreover, the cell counting kit‐8 assay showed that cell proliferation was reduced in the OGD group. Quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and cell function assays showed that DAPK1 overexpression under OGD promoted apoptosis and autophagy in A549 cells. The coimmunoprecipitation assay confirmed the interaction between DAPK1 and Beclin1 protein. Moreover, knockdown of Beclin1 inhibited autophagy, but its overexpression promoted apoptosis in A549 cells. In vivo tumorigenesis experiment revealed that overexpression of DAPK1 promoted A549 cell apoptosis. Collectively, overexpression of DAPK1 and Beclin1 under OGD promoted excessive autophagy and apoptosis in A549 cells. Our study may provide a novel therapeutic target and theoretical basis for NSCLC treatment.
Ultracompact optical fiber high‐temperature sensor based on the angled fiber end face
Authors: Wang Qianben , Wang Dongning , Lan Falong
Published: April 2023

An ultracompact optical fiber Fabry–Perot interferometric sensor is proposed and demonstrated for high‐temperature measurement. The device is simply a section of single‐mode fiber with angled end face of 45°, the reflected light from the angled fiber end face is directed sequentially to the fiber core–cladding and cladding–air interfaces, respectively, and reflected back, and finally returned to the fiber core after being reflected by the angled fiber end face again. As a result, a Fabry–Perot interferometer is constructed. Because of the thermal‐expansion and thermal‐optical effect of the fiber material, the optical path difference between the core–cladding and cladding–air surfaces is changed with temperature, hence the device is well suitable for temperature measurement. In particular, the fiber device has good high‐temperature sustainability up to 1100°C, which makes it attractive for high‐temperature measurement in a narrow or hard‐to‐reach spatial environment.
Lifestyle mediators of associations among siestas, obesity, and metabolic health
Authors: Vizmanos Barbara , Cascales Ana Isabel , Rodríguez‐Martín María , Salmerón Diego , Morales Eva , Aragón‐Alonso Aurora , Scheer Frank A. J. L. , Garaulet Marta
Published: April 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine the association between siestas/no siestas and obesity, considering siesta duration (long: >30 minutes, short: ≤30 minutes), and test whether siesta traits and/or lifestyle factors mediate the association of siestas with obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study of 3275 adults from a Mediterranean population (the Obesity, Nutrigenetics, TIming, and MEditerranean [ONTIME] study) who had the opportunity of taking siestas because it is culturally embedded.

Results

Thirty‐five percent of participants usually took siestas (16% long siestas). Compared with the no‐siesta group, long siestas were associated with higher values of BMI, waist circumference, fasting glucose, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure, as well as with a higher prevalence of MetS (41%; p = 0.015). In contrast, the probability of having elevated SBP was lower in the short‐siesta group (21%; p = 0.044) than in the no‐siesta group. Smoking a higher number of cigarettes per day mediated the association of long siestas with higher BMI (by 12%, percentage of association mediated by smoking; p < 0.05). Similarly, delays in nighttime sleep and eating schedules and higher energy intake at lunch (the meal preceding siestas) mediated the association between higher BMI and long siestas by 8%, 4%, and 5% (all p < 0.05). Napping in bed (vs. sofa/armchair) showed a trend to mediate the association between long siestas and higher SBP (by 6%; p = 0.055).

Conclusions

Siesta duration is relevant in obesity/MetS. Timing of nighttime sleep and eating, energy intake at lunch, cigarette smoking, and siesta location mediated this association.
Effect of corn husk fiber length and diameter on load bearing, fatigue, and DMA properties of biosilica toughened epoxy composite
Authors: K. Pratheesh , S. V. Gurupranes , Kumar Aditya , P. Patil Pravin
Published: April 2023

This study examined how the diameter and length of corn husk fiber affects the mechanical, fatigue, and DMA properties of epoxy‐based composite material. As filler, biosilica, which is made from wheat husks, was used to make composites. By hand layup process, the composites were created and then characterized as per the ASTM standards. Results revealed that the N21 composite designation offered improved tensile and flexural strength, Izod impact and hardness up to 94 MPa, 137 MPa, 3.62 J, and 86 shore‐D. But compared to all composite designations, the composite designation N23 has the highest tensile and flexural strength, Izod impact, and hardness values, which are 134 MPa, 182 MPa, 4.84 J, and 88 Shore‐D, respectively. Similarly, the composite designation N21 gives improved fatigue life counts of 21,629 by adding 1vol. % of biosilica and fiber length of 70 mm and diameter of 200 μm. In the same way, the highest storage modulus and loss factor of 5.5 GPa and 0.3 were noted for composite N23. The fiber diameter of 200 μm and a length of 70 mm demonstrate effective load shearing phenomenon and bonding between the fiber and matrix. Overall, the lesser diameter fiber with a higher length outperformed and it is recommended for high‐performance composite making.
Design of novel Polylactide composite films with improved gas barrier and mechanical properties using epoxy chain extender‐grafted organic montmorillonite
Authors: Li Bo , Li Juan , Huang Shaowen , Qin Shuhao , Liu Nan
Published: April 2023

Polylactic acid (PLA) packaging materials are useful, safe, and degradable in the natural environment, and hence, have attracted considerable interest. In particular, the barrier properties of PLA are the focus of current research. In this study, organic montmorillonite (OMMT) modified with an epoxy chain extender (CE) was prepared as a barrier functional additive for PLA and PLA alloy materials. The effects of the CE‐OMMT on the properties of PLA and PLA/PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) composites were investigated. The CE‐OMMT was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetry (TG). The results showed that the CE‐OMMT was successfully synthesized, and that the addition of the CE did not change the crystal structure of OMMT. The morphology and microstructure of the PLA/CE‐OMMT and PLA/PHA/CE‐OMMT composites were characterized using XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The dispersion of the CE‐OMMT in the PLA and PLA/PHA composite films was significantly enhanced. XRD analysis showed that OMMT intercalated well into the matrix. The rheological, barrier, and mechanical properties of the PLA nanocomposite films were systematically studied. The results showed that the CE‐OMMT enhanced the mechanical and barrier properties of the composite films. Compared with neat PLA, the elongation at break of the PLA/CE‐OMMT and PLA/PHA/CE‐OMMT composite films with the addition of 3% CE‐OMMT increased by 449% and 788.4%, the oxygen permeability decreased by 57.74% and 59%, and the water vapor permeability decreased by 44.79% and 53.25%, respectively. Therefore, the modified PLA composite film is a promising substitute for packaging applications.
An updated dataset and a structure‐based prediction model for protein–RNA binding affinity
Authors: Hong Xu , Tong Xiaoxue , Xie Juan , Liu Pinyu , Liu Xudong , Song Qi , Liu Sen , Liu Shiyong
Published: April 2023

Understanding the process of protein–RNA interaction is essential for structural biology. The thermodynamic process is an important part to uncover the protein–RNA interaction mechanism. The regulatory networks between protein and RNA in organisms are dominated by the binding or dissociation in the cells. Therefore, determining the binding affinity for protein–RNA complexes can help us to understand the regulation mechanism of protein–RNA interaction. Since it is time‐consuming and labor‐intensive to determine the binding affinity for protein–RNA complexes by experimental methods, it is necessary and urgent to develop computational methods to predict that. To develop a binding affinity prediction model, first we update the dataset of protein–RNA binding affinity benchmark (PRBAB), which includes 145 complexes now. Second, we extract the structural features based on complex structure, and then we analyze and select the representative structural features to train the regression model. Third, we random select the subset from the PRBAB2.0 to fit the protein–RNA binding affinity determined by experiment. In the end, we tested our model on the nonredundant PDBbind dataset, and the results showed that Pearson correlation coefficient r = .57 and RMSE = 2.51 kcal/mol. The Pearson correlation coefficient achieves 0.7 while removing 5 complex structures with modified residues/nucleotides and metal ions. While testing on ProNAB, the results showed that 71.60% of the prediction achieves Pearson correlation coefficient r = .61 and RMSE = 1.56 kcal/mol with experiment values.
Deep Ising Born Machine
Authors: Cao Zhu
Published: April 2023

A quantum neural network (QNN) is a method to find patterns in quantum data and has a wide range of applications including quantum chemistry, quantum computation, quantum metrology, and quantum simulation. Efficiency and universality are two desirable properties of a QNN but are unfortunately contradictory. In this work, a deep Ising Born machine (DIBoM) is examined, and shown that it has a good balance between efficiency and universality. More precisely, the DIBoM has a flexible number of parameters to be efficient, and achieves provable universality with sufficient parameters. The architecture of the DIBoM is based on generalized controlled‐Z gates, conditional gates, and some other ingredients. To compare the universality of the DIBoM with other QNNs, a fidelity‐based expressivity measure is proposed, which may be of independent interest. Extensive empirical evaluations corroborate that the DIBoM is both efficient and expressive.
Effect of large delay on pinning impulsive synchronization control: A strict comparison principle
Authors: Ji Xinrui , Jiang Bangxin , Alofi A.S. , Lou Jungang , Lu Jianquan
Published: April 2023

Over the past decades, various successful results have shown the discoveries and progress of impulsive synchronization. Yet, little attention has been devoted to the effects of the impulsive elasticity coefficient on network synchronization for both impulsive control problems and impulsive disturbance problems. In this work, we study impulsive pinning synchronization for coupled neural networks from a large delay perspective. Some flexible synchronization criteria are derived based on the average impulsive interval method. It has shown that synchronization of coupled neural networks with arbitrarily finite delay can be achieved via controlling a small fraction of nodes. Specifically, by applying a strict comparison principle for impulsive delayed neural networks, the effects of the impulsive elasticity coefficient on synchronization are revealed to be dissimilar from the case of delay‐free neural networks. One can verify that increasing the elasticity coefficient may bring a desynchronizing impact on the original synchronized networks. More ulteriorly, the generated criteria will still hold if the delay is sufficiently large, which implies that the delay is independent of the size of the impulsive interval. Our work is an essential step toward investigating the role of the elasticity coefficient on synchronization. Furthermore, the synchronization region of different impulsive weights, impulsive intervals, and impulsive control proportions are described thoroughly.
Challenges and solutions for automated avian recognition in aerial imagery
Authors: Miao Zhongqi , Yu Stella X. , Landolt Kyle L. , Koneff Mark D. , White Timothy P. , Fara Luke J. , Hlavacek Enrika J. , Pickens Bradley A. , Harrison Travis J. , Getz Wayne M.
Published: April 2023

Remote aerial sensing provides a non‐invasive, large geographical‐scale technology for avian monitoring, but the manual processing of images limits its development and applications. Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods can be used to mitigate this manual image processing requirement. The implementation of AI methods, however, has several challenges: (1) imbalanced (i.e., long‐tailed) data distribution, (2) annotation uncertainty in categorization, and (3) dataset discrepancies across different study sites. Here we use aerial imagery data of waterbirds around Cape Cod and Lake Michigan in the United States to examine how these challenges limit avian recognition performance. We review existing solutions and demonstrate as use cases how methods like Label Distribution Aware Marginal Loss with Deferred Re‐Weighting, hierarchical classification, and FixMatch address the three challenges. We also present a new approach to tackle the annotation uncertainty challenge using a Soft‐fine Pseudo‐Label methodology. Finally, we aim with this paper to increase awareness in the ecological remote sensing community of these challenges and bridge the gap between ecological applications and state‐of‐the‐art computer science, thereby opening new doors to future research.
Key Role of Choline Head Groups in Large Unilamellar Phospholipid Vesicles for the Interaction with and Rupture by Silica Nanoparticles
Authors: Leibe Regina , Fritsch‐Decker Susanne , Gussmann Florian , Wagbo Ane Marit , Wadhwani Parvesh , Diabaté Silvia , Wenzel Wolfgang , Ulrich Anne S. , Weiss Carsten
Published: April 2023

For highly abundant silica nanomaterials, detrimental effects on proteins and phospholipids are postulated as critical molecular initiating events that involve hydrogen‐bonding, hydrophobic, and/or hydrophilic interactions. Here, large unilamellar vesicles with various well‐defined phospholipid compositions are used as biomimetic models to recapitulate membranolysis, a process known to be induced by silica nanoparticles in human cells. Differential analysis of the dominant phospholipids determined in membranes of alveolar lung epithelial cells demonstrates that the quaternary ammonium head groups of phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin play a critical and dose‐dependent role in vesicle binding and rupture by amorphous colloidal silica nanoparticles. Surface modification by either protein adsorption or by covalent coupling of carboxyl groups suppresses the disintegration of these lipid vesicles, as well as membranolysis in human A549 lung epithelial cells by the silica nanoparticles. Furthermore, molecular modeling suggests a preferential affinity of silanol groups for choline head groups, which is also modulated by the pH value. Biomimetic lipid vesicles can thus be used to better understand specific phospholipid–nanoparticle interactions at the molecular level to support the rational design of safe advanced materials.