bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Nephrology Care on Mortality in Incident Dialysis Patients: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Chung Cheng-Yin , Wu Ping-Hsun , Chiu Yi-Wen , Hwang Shang-Jyh , Lin Ming-Yen
Published: October 2021

Long-term and continuous nephrology care effects on post-dialysis mortality remain unclear. This study aims to systematically explore the causal effect of nephrology care on mortality for patients with dialysis initiation. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to include incident patients with dialysis for ≥ 3 months in Taiwan from 2004 through 2011. The continuous nephrology care of incident patients in the three years before their dialysis was measured every six months. Continuous nephrology care was determined by 0–6, 0–12, …, 0–36 months and their counterparts; and none, intermittent, 0–6 months, …, and 0–36 months. Simple and weighted hazards ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for one-year mortality were estimated after propensity score (PS) matching. We included a total of 44,698 patients (mean age 63.3 ± 14.2, male 51.9%). Receiving ≥ 1 year predialysis nephrology care was associated with a 22% lower post-dialysis mortality hazard. No different effects were found (ranges of PS matching HR: 0.77–0.80) when comparing the defined duration of nephrology care with their counterparts. Stepped survival benefits were newly identified in the intermittent care, which had slightly lower HRs (weighted HR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79–0.97), followed by reviving care over six months to two years (ranges of weighted HR: 0.60–0.65), and reviving care over two years (ranges of weighted HR: 0.48–0.52). There was no existing critical period of nephrology care effect on post-dialysis, but there were extra survival benefits when extending nephrology care to >2 years, which suggests that continuous and long-term care during pre-dialysis/chronic kidney disease phase is required.
Phytoremediation Potential of Four Native Plants in Soils Contaminated with Lead in a Mining Area
Authors: Lu Nan , Li Gang , Sun Yingying , Wei Yang , He Lirong , Li Yan
Published: October 2021

Metal pollution in soils is an issue of global concern, and lead (Pb) pollution is considered to be the most serious type. The arid and semi-arid areas of Northwest China are rich in Pb ore resources. In this study, four native crops [wormwood (Artemisia capillaris), dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), and plantain (Plantago asiatica L.)] that grow naturally around tailings slag in a mining area in Northwest China were selected to screen their ecological restoration impacts on Pb-contaminated soil. In pot experiments, four different metal lead pollution gradients (0, 2, 3, and 5‰ w/w) were set, and crop growth indexes such as plant height, root length, and biomass, together with the changes of soil Pb content in different tissues and organs before and after planting were analyzed. The results showed the difference in the amount of accumulated Pb in relation to the level of Pb content in the soil. It was found that wormwood and plantain have great potential as remediation plants for soil metal lead pollution in the arid and semi-arid lead bearing mining areas of Northwest China.
Auxiliary Model-Based Multi-Innovation Fractional Stochastic Gradient Algorithm for Hammerstein Output-Error Systems
Authors: Xu Chen , Mao Yawen
Published: October 2021

This paper focuses on the nonlinear system identification problem, which is a basic premise of control and fault diagnosis. For Hammerstein output-error nonlinear systems, we propose an auxiliary model-based multi-innovation fractional stochastic gradient method. The scalar innovation is extended to the innovation vector for increasing the data use based on the multi-innovation identification theory. By establishing appropriate auxiliary models, the unknown variables are estimated and the improvement in the performance of parameter estimation is achieved owing to the fractional-order calculus theory. Compared with the conventional multi-innovation stochastic gradient algorithm, the proposed method is validated to obtain better estimation accuracy by the simulation results.
Wind Turbine Bearing Temperature Forecasting Using a New Data-Driven Ensemble Approach
Authors: Yan Guangxi , Yu Chengqing , Bai Yu
Published: October 2021

The bearing temperature forecasting provide can provide early detection of the gearbox operating status of wind turbines. To achieve high precision and reliable performance in bearing temperature forecasting, a novel hybrid model is proposed in the paper, which is composed of three phases. Firstly, the variational mode decomposition (VMD) method is employed to decompose raw bearing temperature data into several sub-series with different frequencies. Then, the SAE-GMDH method is utilized as the predictor in the subseries. The stacked autoencoder (SAE) is for the low-latitude features of raw data, while the group method of data handling (GMDH) is applied for the sub-series forecasting. Finally, the imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) optimizes the weights for subseries and combines them to achieve the final forecasting results. By analytical investigation and comparing the final prediction results in all experiments, it can be summarized that (1) the proposed model has achieved excellent prediction outcome by integrating optimization algorithms with predictors; (2) the experiment results proved that the proposed model outperformed other selective models, with higher accuracies in all datasets, including three state-of-the-art models.
Conceptual Coverage Driven by Essential Concepts: A Formal Concept Analysis Approach
Authors: Mouakher Amira , Ragobert Axel , Gerin Sébastien , Ko Andrea
Published: October 2021

Formal concept analysis (FCA) is a mathematical theory that is typically used as a knowledge representation method. The approach starts with an input binary relation specifying a set of objects and attributes, finds the natural groupings (formal concepts) described in the data, and then organizes the concepts in a partial order structure or concept (Galois) lattice. Unfortunately, the total number of concepts in this structure tends to grow exponentially as the size of the data increases. Therefore, there are numerous approaches for selecting a subset of concepts to provide full or partial coverage. In this paper, we rely on the battery of mathematical models offered by FCA to introduce a new greedy algorithm, called Concise, to compute minimal and meaningful subsets of concepts. Thanks to its theoretical properties, the Concise algorithm is shown to avoid the sluggishness of its competitors while offering the ability to mine both partial and full conceptual coverage of formal contexts. Furthermore, experiments on massive datasets also underscore the preservation of the quality of the mined formal concepts through interestingness measures agreed upon by the community.
Towards Optimal Supercomputer Energy Consumption Forecasting Method
Authors: Tomčala Jiří
Published: October 2021

Accurate prediction methods are generally very computationally intensive, so they take a long time. Quick prediction methods, on the other hand, are not very accurate. Is it possible to design a prediction method that is both accurate and fast? In this paper, a new prediction method is proposed, based on the so-called random time-delay patterns, named the RTDP method. Using these random time-delay patterns, this method looks for the most important parts of the time series’ previous evolution, and uses them to predict its future development. When comparing the supercomputer infrastructure power consumption prediction with other commonly used prediction methods, this newly proposed RTDP method proved to be the most accurate and the second fastest.
Bacillus spp. Inhibit Edwardsiella tarda Quorum-Sensing and Fish Infection
Authors: Santos Rafaela A. , Monteiro Marta , Rangel Fábio , Jerusik Russell , Saavedra Maria J. , Carvalho António Paulo , Oliva-Teles Aires , Serra Cláudia R.
Published: October 2021

The disruption of pathogen communication or quorum-sensing (QS) via quorum-quenching (QQ) molecules has been proposed as a promising strategy to fight bacterial infections. Bacillus spp. have recognizable biotechnology applications, namely as probiotic health-promoting agents or as a source of natural antimicrobial molecules, including QQ molecules. This study characterized the QQ potential of 200 Bacillus spp., isolated from the gut of different aquaculture fish species, to suppress fish pathogens QS. Approximately 12% of the tested Bacillus spp. fish isolates (FI). were able to interfere with synthetic QS molecules. Ten isolates were further selected as producers of extracellular QQ-molecules and their QQ capacity was evaluated against the QS of important aquaculture bacterial pathogens, namely Aeromonas spp., Vibrio spp., Photobacterium damselae, Edwardsiela tarda, and Shigella sonnei. The results revealed that A. veronii and E. tarda produce QS molecules that are detectable by the Chr. violaceum biosensor, and which were degraded when exposed to the extracellular extracts of three FI isolates. Moreover, the same isolates, identified as B. subtilis, B. vezelensis, and B. pumilus, significantly reduced the pathogenicity of E. tarda in zebrafish larvae, increasing its survival by 50%. Taken together, these results identified three Bacillus spp. capable of extracellularly quenching aquaculture pathogen communication, and thus become a promising source of bioactive molecules for use in the biocontrol of aquaculture bacterial diseases.
Monitoring and Analysis of Dynamic Response for Open-Pit Mine with Inside Inclined Shafts under Train Loading
Authors: Wang Yong , Ni Song-Tao , Yang Fa-Wu , Wang Zhong-Xin , Zhang Hong , Ma Ke , Li Xiao-Jun
Published: October 2021

The stability of open-pit mining is a hot issue in geotechnical engineering. A mining railroad is in operation on the slope where the east exhaust inclined shaft and the east sand injection inclined shaft on the Laohutai Mine are located, and it was necessary to determine whether railroad vibration would have an impact on the safety of the inclined shafts. With this project as the background, the dynamic response of the slope with inside two inclined shafts was conducted under train loading. A three-dimensional numerical model by using PLAXIS 3D was established to analyze the stability of the slope. The results show that the dynamic reaction caused by the full-loaded train is significantly greater than the no-load train. The safety factor of the slope under the dynamic load is 1.201, and the maximum displacement of the slope which occurred in the gravel layer directly beneath the train track is about 5 mm. The acceleration responses of the two inclined shafts are almost consistent. The maximum horizontal and vertical acceleration occur at the epidote weak layer. The acceleration directly below the load increases significantly. Therefore, it can be considered that the slopes are stable under the action of train vibration, and the influence on the two inclined shafts is small and negligible.
An Effective Strengthening Strategy of Nano Carbide Precipitation and Cellular Microstructure Refinement in a Superalloy Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting Process
Authors: Chang Kai-Chun , Lee Meng-Yun , Hsu Tzu-Hou , Chang Yao-Jen , Lo Kai-Chi , Kim Hyoung Seop , Jen Kuo-Kuang , Yeh An-Chou
Published: October 2021

An effective strategy to strengthen a superalloy processed by selective laser melting (SLM) is proposed. The aim is to increase the yield strength of Inconel 718 fabricated by SLM to beyond 1400 MPa, which has never been achieved before. In this study, various NbC additions (0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 5.0% by weight) were added in the powder bed of Inconel 718, and two types of post-SLM heat treatments were investigated, i.e., solution heat treated plus aging (STA) and direct aging (DA). With NbC addition, smaller depth of melt pool and finer dendritic cells were obtained. Both STA and DA promoted the precipitations of γ′ and γ″. STA eliminated the cellular dendrites and induced grain growth while DA retained the as-built cellular dendrites, grain size, and nano-carbide from NbC addition, rendering a significant 326.2 MPa increase in yield strength. In this work, 0.5% NbC addition exhibited a record-high yield strength of 1461 MPa and ultimate tensile strength of 1575 MPa for Inconel 718 processed by laser manufacturing process according to literature data to-date.
A Detailed Insight into the Detrital and Diagenetic Mineralogy of Metal(oid)s: Their Origin, Distribution and Associations within Hypersaline Sediments
Authors: Rogan Šmuc Nastja , Kovač Nives , Hauptman Žan , Šmuc Andrej , Dolenec Matej , Šoster Aleš
Published: October 2021

Hypersaline environments are among the most vulnerable coastal ecosystems and are extremely noteworthy for a variety of ecological reasons. Comprehensive assessment of metal(oid) contamination in hypersaline sediments from Sečovlje (Northern Adriatic, Slovenia) was addressed by introducing the detrital and diagenetic mineralogy and geochemical properties within the solid sediment material. Close associations between Fe/Mn oxides and oxyhydroxides with As, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn, and between organic matter with Cu, Pb and Zn were confirmed using X-ray powder diffraction, SEM-EDS and ICP emission spectrometry analysis. Possible incorporation or adsorption on the crystal lattices of clay minerals (As, Cr, Pb, Sn and Zn), halite (As) and aragonite/calcite (Cd, Cu, Pb, Sr and Zn) were also detected. All presented correlations were highlighted by various statistical analyses. The enrichment factor (EF) values showed a low degree of anthropogenic burden for As, Bi, Hg and Zn, while Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn and Sr originated from the geological background. These results emphasise that a detailed mineralogical and geochemical characterisation of solid (especially detrital and diagenetic) sediment particles is crucial in further understanding the metal(oid) translocation within the hypersaline ecosystems.
Retrospective Genotyping and Whole Genome Sequencing of a Canine Parvovirus Outbreak in Bangladesh
Authors: Rakib Tofazzal Md , Nath Babu Kanti , Das Tridip , Yadav Saroj Kumar , Raidal Shane R. , Das Shubhagata
Published: October 2021

Canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) outbreaks in close quarters such as kennels or shelters can cause substantial case fatality. Thirteen dead Labradors from a secluded kennel of security dogs presented with typical clinical signs and gross pathology of parvovirus infection. Whole genome shotgun sequencing from tissue-extracted genomic DNA detected new CPV-2a as the contributing antigenic variant. Further genotyping using polymerase chain reaction coupled with high-resolution melt assays (PCR-HRM) confirmed new CPV-2a infection in all deceased dogs. PCR-HRM of additional thirty-four clinically suspected dogs suggested that this variant is in wider community circulation, at least in the southeastern part of Bangladesh. We present complete genome sequence of the new CPV-2a variant circulating in the domestic canine population of Bangladesh.
Fall of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Children following COVID-19 Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions: A Time Series Analysis
Authors: Rybak Alexis , Yang David Dawei , Schrimpf Cécile , Guedj Romain , Levy Corinne , Cohen Robert , Gajdos Vincent , Tort Julie , Skurnik David , Ouldali Naïm , Angoulvant François
Published: October 2021

Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were implemented to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A first national lockdown was decided in France on the 17 March 2020. These measures had an impact on other viral and non-viral infectious diseases. We aimed to assess this impact on community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. We performed a quasi-experimental interrupted time series analysis. We used data from a French prospective surveillance system of six pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). All visits from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2020 were included. Pre-intervention period was before 17 March 2020 and post-intervention period was after 18 March 2020. We estimated the impact on the weekly number of visits for CAP and CAP admission using quasi-Poisson regression modeling. A total of 981,782 PEDs visits were analyzed; among them, 8318 visits were associated with CAP, and 1774 of these were followed by a hospital admission. A major decrease was observed for CAP visits (−79.7% 95% CI [−84.3; −73.8]; p < 0.0001), and CAP admission (−71.3% 95 CI [−78.8; −61.1]; p < 0.0001). We observed a dramatic decrease of CAP in children following NPIs implementation. Further studies are required to assess the long-term impact of these measures.
Optical Wireless Communications Using Signal Space Diversity with Spatial Modulation
Authors: Song Tingting , Lim Christina , Nirmalathas Ampalavanapillai , Wang Ke
Published: October 2021

A signal space diversity (SSD) scheme was proposed to be incorporated with spatial modulation (SM) in an intensity-modulation/direct-detection-based multiple-input-single-output (MISO) indoor optical wireless communication (OWC) system to improve bit-error-rate (BER) performance and system throughput. SSD was realized via signal constellation rotation and diversity interleaving using different channel gains to improve the BER. With SM incorporated, the MISO-OWC system throughput increased. Theoretical BER expressions of the SSD scheme were established for the first time by investigating the distance of neighboring constellation symbols upon maximum-likelihood detection. Such BER expressions were further verified by numerical results. The results showed that, except for the slightly-lower-accuracy performance brought by comparable distances of neighboring constellation symbols in cases of low signal-to-noise ratios, these BER expressions were accurate in most scenarios. Moreover, theoretical investigations of channel gain distributions were performed at different signal constellation rotation angles to show the capability of the SSD scheme to improve the BER. The results showed that a significantly improved BER by two orders of magnitude could be achieved using a reasonably high channel-gain ratio and a larger constellation rotation angle. The SSD-SM scheme provides a promising option to achieve transmitter diversity with an enhanced throughput in high-speed indoor OWC systems.
High-Peak Power Frequency Modulation Pulse Generation in Cascaded Fiber Configurations with Inscribed Fiber Bragg Grating Arrays
Authors: Abramov Aleksei , Zolotovskii Igor , Kamynin Vladimir , Prikhodko Victor , Tregubov Aleksei , Stoliarov Dmitrii , Yavtushenko Marina , Fotiadi Andrei
Published: October 2021

We explored the dynamics of frequency-modulated (FM) pulses in a cascaded fiber configuration comprising one active and one passive optical fiber with multiple fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) of different periods inscribed over the fiber configuration length. We present a theoretical formalism to describe the mechanisms of the FM pulse amplification and pulse compression in such fiber cascades resulting in peak powers up to ~0.7 MW. In combination with the decreasing dispersion fibers, the considered cascade configuration enables pico- and sub-picosecond pulse trains with a sub-terahertz repetition rate and sub-kW peak power generated directly from the continuous optical signal.
Modulation of Cellular Redox Status and Antioxidant Defense System after Synergistic Application of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Salicylic Acid in Rice (Oryza sativa) Plant under Arsenic Stress
Authors: Faizan Mohammad , Sehar Shafaque , Rajput Vishnu D. , Faraz Ahmad , Afzal Shadma , Minkina Tatiana , Sushkova Svetlana , Adil Muhammad Faheem , Yu Fangyuan , Alatar Abdulrahman A. , Akhter Firoz , Faisal Mohammad
Published: October 2021

The objective of this research was to determine the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and/or salicylic acid (SA) under arsenic (As) stress on rice (Oryza sativa). ZnONPs are analyzed for various techniques viz., X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All of these tests established that ZnONPs are pure with no internal defects, and can be potentially used in plant applications. Hence, we further investigated for better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and the extent of ZnONPs and SA induced oxidative stress damages. More restricted plant growth, gas exchange indices, significant reduction in the SPAD index and maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and brutal decline in protein content were noticed in As-applied plants. In contrast, foliar fertigation of ZnONPs and/or SA to As-stressed rice plants lessens the oxidative stress, as exposed by subordinate levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) synthesis. Improved enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), proline and total soluble protein contents under ZnONPs and SA treatment plays an excellent role in the regulation of various transcriptional pathways participated in oxidative stress tolerance. Higher content of nitrogen (N; 13%), phosphorus (P; 10%), potassium (K; 13%), zinc (Zn; 68%), manganese (Mn; 14%), and iron (Fe; 19) in ZnONPs and SA treated plants under As-stress, thus hampered growth and photosynthetic efficiency of rice plants. Our findings suggest that toxicity of As was conquering by the application of ZnONPs and SA in rice plants.
Phenotypic Diversity of Morphological Characteristics of Pitahaya (Selenicereus Megalanthus Haw.) Germplasm in Colombia
Authors: Morillo-Coronado Ana Cruz , Manjarres Hernández Elsa Helena , Forero-Mancipe Lucimar
Published: October 2021

Yellow pitahaya is an exotic fruit that is rich in essential nutrients and antioxidants. In Colombia, it grows naturally in warm areas, but it is not clear which species exist because this genus presents a lot of intra and interspecific hybridization. More studies are needed in this field along with characterizations of the genotypes. This study aimed to undertake an in situ morphoagronomic evaluation of yellow pitahaya genotypes from five municipalities in Boyacá, Colombia. Measurements were taken in a completely random design. Qualitative and quantitative descriptors for cladodes, fruits and covered production systems were evaluated with a descriptive analysis, Spearman correlation variance, and multivariate and cluster analysis. The results showed that cladode characteristics such as cladode width, distance between areoles, number of spines, length of areoles, margin ribs of cladode and waxiness could be used to identify Megalanthus spp. Characteristics such as weight (270–274 g), size (100 mm), color of the fruit and pulp as well as acidity (0.18) and soluble solids (15.7) were highly variable between the genotypes. Genotypes with good morphological and fruit characteristics were identified (Gen2 and Gen9), which can provide the bases for the selection of pitahaya that satisfy the needs of farmers and consumers.
Botany, Nutritional Value, Phytochemical Composition and Biological Activities of Quinoa
Authors: Hussain M. Iftikhar , Farooq Muhammad , Syed Qamar Abbas , Ishaq Anum , Al-Ghamdi Abdullah Ahmed , Hatamleh Ashraf A.
Published: October 2021

Quinoa is a climate-resilient food grain crop that has gained significant importance in the last few years due to its nutritional composition, phytochemical properties and associated health benefits. Quinoa grain is enriched in amino acids, fiber, minerals, phenolics, saponins, phytosterols and vitamins. Quinoa possesses different human-health promoting biological substances and nutraceutical molecules. This review synthesizes and summarizes recent findings regarding the nutrition and phytochemical properties of quinoa grains and discusses the associated biological mechanisms. Quinoa grains and grain-based supplements are useful in treating different biological disorders of the human body. Quinoa is being promoted as an exceptionally healthy food and a gluten-free super grain. Quinoa could be used as a biomedicine due to the presence of functional compounds that may help to prevent various chronic diseases. Future research needs to explore the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical aspects of quinoa that might help to control different chronic diseases and to promote human health.
Integrating Genomic and Phenomic Approaches to Support Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Use
Authors: Volk Gayle M. , Byrne Patrick F. , Coyne Clarice J. , Flint-Garcia Sherry , Reeves Patrick A. , Richards Chris
Published: October 2021

Plant genebanks provide genetic resources for breeding and research programs worldwide. These programs benefit from having access to high-quality, standardized phenotypic and genotypic data. Technological advances have made it possible to collect phenomic and genomic data for genebank collections, which, with the appropriate analytical tools, can directly inform breeding programs. We discuss the importance of considering genebank accession homogeneity and heterogeneity in data collection and documentation. Citing specific examples, we describe how well-documented genomic and phenomic data have met or could meet the needs of plant genetic resource managers and users. We explore future opportunities that may emerge from improved documentation and data integration among plant genetic resource information systems.
Spatial Variation of Cladophora Epiphytes in the Nan River, Thailand
Authors: Ruen-Pham Karnjana , Graham Linda E. , Satjarak Anchittha
Published: October 2021

Cladophora is an algal genus known to be ecologically important. It provides habitats for microorganisms known to provide ecological services such as biosynthesis of cobalamin (vitamin B12) and nutrient cycling. Most knowledge of microbiomes was obtained from studies of lacustrine Cladophora species. However, whether lotic freshwater Cladophora microbiomes are as complex as the lentic ones or provide similar ecological services is not known. To illuminate these issues, we used amplicons of 16S rDNA, 18S rDNA, and ITS to investigate the taxonomy and diversity of the microorganisms associated with replicate Cladophora samples from three sites along the Nan River, Thailand. Results showed that the diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic members of Cladophora microbiomes collected from different sampling sites was statistically different. Fifty percent of the identifiable taxa were shared across sampling sites: these included organisms belonging to different trophic levels, decomposers, and heterotrophic bacteria. These heterogeneous assemblages of bacteria, by functional inference, have the potential to perform various ecological functions, i.e., cellulose degradation, cobalamin biosynthesis, fermentative hydrogen production, ammonium oxidation, amino acid fermentation, dissimilatory reduction of nitrate to ammonium, nitrite reduction, nitrate reduction, sulfur reduction, polyphosphate accumulation, denitrifying phosphorus-accumulation, and degradation of aromatic compounds. Results suggested that river populations of Cladophora provide ecologically important habitat for microorganisms that are key to nutrient cycling in lotic ecosystems.
Structured Thin Films Based on Synergistic Effects of MnTa2O6 Oxide and bis-Carboxy-phenyl-substituted Porphyrins, Capable to Inhibit Steel Corrosion
Authors: Birdeanu Mihaela , Epuran Camelia , Fratilescu Ion , Fagadar-Cosma Eugenia
Published: October 2021

Covering steel surfaces with suitable materials with the capacity to protect against corrosion represents a challenge for both research and industry, as steel, due to its paramount utility, is the most recycled material. This study presents the realization of new sandwich type materials based on 5,10-(4-carboxy-phenyl)-15,20-(4-phenoxy-phenyl)-porphyrin or 5,15-(4-carboxy-phenyl)-10,20-diphenylporphyrin and MnTa2O6 designed to improve corrosion inhibition of steel in aggressive media. The thin films, designed as single- or sandwich-type structures were obtained on carbon steel through the drop-casting technique. Morphological investigations of thin films were carried out by field emission-scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The inhibition of a steel corrosion process was evaluated in an aggressive environment of 0.1 M HCl by performing electrochemical investigations such as open circuit potential (OCP) and the potentiodynamic polarization technique. The influence of variations in the cathodic Tafel slopes βc and anodic Tafel slopes βa over the corrosion rates was discussed. The best corrosion inhibition efficiency of 91.76% was realized by the steel electrode covered with sandwich-type layers of 5,15-(4-carboxy-phenyl)-10,20-diphenylporphyrin on the bottom layer and MnTa2O6 on the top. The effect of location of the COOH groups in the cis or trans position on the tetrapyrrolic ring was also discussed to understand the corrosion inhibition mechanism.
Designing Annuities with Flexibility Opportunities in an Uncertain Mortality Scenario
Authors: Olivieri Annamaria
Published: October 2021

We consider annuity designs in which the benefit amount is allowed to fluctuate (up or down), based on a given mortality/longevity experience. This way, guarantees are relaxed in respect of traditional annuity arrangements. On the other hand, while the annuitant is exposed to the risk of a future reduction of the benefit amount because of higher longevity, he/she can immediately take advantage of a lower premium loading, as well as of a future increase of the benefit amount in the case of higher mortality. Flexibility in the annuity design could be welcomed by individuals, as the conservative features of traditional products partly explain their lack of attractiveness in most markets. To further contribute to the flexibility of the product, we suggest a pricing structure based on periodic fees applied to the policy fund, instead of the usual upfront loading at issue. Periodic fees are more suitable to support a revision of the arrangement after issue, which is currently not allowed in traditional annuity products. We show that periodic fees can be introduced by identifying a discount factor to be used for pricing and reserving. We assume stochastic mortality, and we compare alternative mortality/longevity linking solutions, by assessing the periodic fees and other quantities.
A Novel EMG-Based Hand Gesture Recognition Framework Based on Multivariate Variational Mode Decomposition
Authors: Yang Kun , Xu Manjin , Yang Xiaotong , Yang Runhuai , Chen Yueming
Published: October 2021

Surface electromyography (sEMG) is a kind of biological signal that records muscle activity noninvasively, which is of great significance in advanced human-computer interaction, prosthetic control, clinical therapy, and biomechanics. However, the number of hand gestures that can be recognized is limited and the recognition accuracy needs to be further improved. These factors lead to the fact that sEMG products are not widely used in practice. The main contributions of this paper are as follows. Firstly, considering the increasing number of gestures to be recognized and the complexity of gestures, an extensible two-stage machine learning lightweight framework was innovatively proposed for multi-gesture task recognition. Secondly, the multivariate variational mode decomposition (MVMD) is applied to extract the spatial–temporal features from the multiple channels to the EMG signals, and the separable convolutional neural network is used for modelling. In this work, the experimental results for 52 hand gestures recognition task show that the average accuracy on each stage is about 90%. The potential movement information is mainly contained in the low-frequency oscillator of the sEMG signal, and the model performs better with the low-frequency oscillation from the MVMD algorithm on the second stage classification than that of other decomposition methods.
ECG Monitoring Based on Dynamic Compressed Sensing of Multi-Lead Signals
Authors: Daponte Pasquale , De Vito Luca , Iadarola Grazia , Picariello Francesco
Published: October 2021

This paper presents an innovative method for multiple lead electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring based on Compressed Sensing (CS). The proposed method extends to multiple leads signals, a dynamic Compressed Sensing method, that were previously developed on a single lead. The dynamic sensing method makes use of a sensing matrix in which its elements are dynamically obtained from the signal to be compressed. In this method, for the application to multiple leads, it is proposed to use a single sensing matrix for which its elements are obtained from a combination of multiple leads. The proposed method is evaluated on a wide set of signals and acquired on healthy subjects and on subjects affected by different pathologies, such as myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, and bundle branch block. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method can be adopted for a Compression Ratio (CR) up to 10, without compromising signal quality. In particular, for CR= 10, it exhibits a percentage of root-mean-squared difference average among a wide set of ECG signals lower than 3%.
Soft Elastomeric Capacitor for Angular Rotation Sensing in Steel Components
Authors: Liu Han , Laflamme Simon , Li Jian , Bennett Caroline , Collins William N. , Downey Austin , Ziehl Paul , Jo Hongki
Published: October 2021

The authors have previously proposed corrugated soft elastomeric capacitors (cSEC) to create ultra compliant scalable strain gauges. The cSEC technology has been successfully demonstrated in engineering and biomechanical applications for in-plane strain measurements. This study extends work on the cSEC to evaluate its performance at measuring angular rotation when installed folded at the junction of two plates. The objective is to characterize the sensor’s electromechanical behavior anticipating applications to the monitoring of welded connections in steel components. To do so, an electromechanical model that maps the cSEC signal to bending strain induced by angular rotation is derived and adjusted using a validated finite element model. Given the difficulty in mapping strain measurements to rotation, an algorithm termed angular rotation index (ARI) is formulated to link measurements to angular rotation directly. Experimental work is conducted on a hollow structural section (HSS) steel specimen equipped with cSECs subjected to compression to generate angular rotations at the corners within the cross-section. Results confirm that the cSEC is capable of tracking angular rotation-induced bending strain linearly, however with accuracy levels significantly lower than found over flat configurations. Nevertheless, measurements were mapped to angular rotations using the ARI, and it was found that the ARI mapped linearly to the angle of rotation, with an accuracy of 0.416∘.
Medical Augmentation (Med-Aug) for Optimal Data Augmentation in Medical Deep Learning Networks
Authors: Lo Justin , Cardinell Jillian , Costanzo Alejo , Sussman Dafna
Published: October 2021

Deep learning (DL) algorithms have become an increasingly popular choice for image classification and segmentation tasks; however, their range of applications can be limited. Their limitation stems from them requiring ample data to achieve high performance and adequate generalizability. In the case of clinical imaging data, images are not always available in large quantities. This issue can be alleviated by using data augmentation (DA) techniques. The choice of DA is important because poor selection can possibly hinder the performance of a DL algorithm. We propose a DA policy search algorithm that offers an extended set of transformations that accommodate the variations in biomedical imaging datasets. The algorithm makes use of the efficient and high-dimensional optimizer Bi-Population Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (BIPOP-CMA-ES) and returns an optimal DA policy based on any input imaging dataset and a DL algorithm. Our proposed algorithm, Medical Augmentation (Med-Aug), can be implemented by other researchers in related medical DL applications to improve their model’s performance. Furthermore, we present our found optimal DA policies for a variety of medical datasets and popular segmentation networks for other researchers to use in related tasks.
Analysis of Graphomotor Tests with Machine Learning Algorithms for an Early and Universal Pre-Diagnosis of Dysgraphia
Authors: Devillaine Louis , Lambert Raphaël , Boutet Jérôme , Aloui Saifeddine , Brault Vincent , Jolly Caroline , Labyt Etienne
Published: October 2021

Five to ten percent of school-aged children display dysgraphia, a neuro-motor disorder that causes difficulties in handwriting, which becomes a handicap in the daily life of these children. Yet, the diagnosis of dysgraphia remains tedious, subjective and dependent to the language besides stepping in late in the schooling. We propose a pre-diagnosis tool for dysgraphia using drawings called graphomotor tests. These tests are recorded using graphical tablets. We evaluate several machine-learning models and compare them to build this tool. A database comprising 305 children from the region of Grenoble, including 43 children with dysgraphia, has been established and diagnosed by specialists using the BHK test, which is the gold standard for the diagnosis of dysgraphia in France. We performed tests of classification by extracting, correcting and selecting features from the raw data collected with the tablets and achieved a maximum accuracy of 73% with cross-validation for three models. These promising results highlight the relevance of graphomotor tests to diagnose dysgraphia earlier and more broadly.
Long-Term Monitoring of a Tunnel in a Landslide Prone Area by Brillouin-Based Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors
Authors: Minardo Aldo , Catalano Ester , Coscetta Agnese , Zeni Giovanni , Di Maio Caterina , Vassallo Roberto , Picarelli Luciano , Coviello Roberto , Macchia Giuseppe , Zeni Luigi
Published: October 2021

This paper shows the results of the monitoring of the deformations of a tunnel, carried out using a distributed optical fiber strain sensor based on stimulated Brillouin scattering. The artificial tunnel of the national railway crosses the accumulation zone of an active landslide, the Varco d’Izzo earthflow, in the southern Italian Apennines. Severely damaged by the landslide movements, the tunnel was demolished and rebuilt in 1992 as a reinforced concrete box flanked by two deep sheet pile walls. In order to detect the onset of potentially dangerous strains of the tunnel structure and follow their time trend, the internal deformations of the tunnel are also monitored by a distributed fiber-optic strain sensor since 2016. The results of the monitoring activity show that the deformation profiles are characterized by strain peaks in correspondence of the structural joints. Furthermore, the elongation of the fiber strands crossing the joints is consistent with the data derived by other measurement systems. Experiments revealed an increase in the time rate of the fiber deformation in the first and last part of the monitoring period when the inclinometers of the area also recorded an acceleration in the landslide movements.
Discrete Convolution-Based Energy Spectrum Configuring Method for the Analysis of the Intrinsic Radiation of 176Lu
Authors: Ko Kilyoung , Choi Hyunwoong , Yi Yongsun , Kim Wonku , Kim Junhyeok , Hwang Jisung , Ko Eunbie , Cho Gyuseong
Published: October 2021

There has been considerable interest in inorganic scintillators based on lutetium due to their favorable physical properties. Despite their advantages, lutetium-based scintillators could face issues because of the natural occurring radioisotope of 176Lu that is contained in natural lutetium. In order to mitigate its potential shortcomings, previous works have studied to understand the energy spectrum of the intrinsic radiation of 176Lu (IRL). However, few studies have focused on the various principal types of photon interactions with matter; in other words, only the full-energy peak according to the photoelectric effect or internal conversion have been considered for understanding the energy spectrum of IRL. Thus, the approach we have used in this study considers other principal types of photon interactions by convoluting each energy spectrum with combinations for generating the spectrum of the intrinsic radiation of 176Lu. From the results, we confirm that the method provides good agreement with the experiment. A significant contribution of this study is the provision of a new approach to process energy spectra induced by mutually independent radiation interactions as a single spectrum.
A Matching Algorithm for Underwater Acoustic and Optical Images Based on Image Attribute Transfer and Local Features
Authors: Zhou Xiaoteng , Yu Changli , Yuan Xin , Luo Citong
Published: October 2021

In the field of underwater vision, image matching between the main two sensors (sonar and optical camera) has always been a challenging problem. The independent imaging mechanism of the two determines the modalities of the image, and the local features of the images under various modalities are significantly different, which makes the general matching method based on the optical image invalid. In order to make full use of underwater acoustic and optical images, and promote the development of multisensor information fusion (MSIF) technology, this letter proposes to apply an image attribute transfer algorithm and advanced local feature descriptor to solve the problem of underwater acousto-optic image matching. We utilize real and simulated underwater images for testing; experimental results show that our proposed method could effectively preprocess these multimodal images to obtain an accurate matching result, thus providing a new solution for the underwater multisensor image matching task.
Factors associated to the sleep quality of medical students
Authors: Campos Vicentini Solange , Rocha Eliane Dantas , Garcia Andrea Dos Santos , Ferreira André Luis Do Nascimento , Ramos Hugo Macedo , Quinellato Thiago Louro , Minucci Marcus Vinicius Gemelli , Santiago Luiz Carlos , Barbosa Maria Tereza Serrano , Silva Carlos Roberto Lyra Da
Published: October 2021

Objective. To identify the factors associated with the sleep quality of medical students through the subjective indices of Pittsburg and Epworth. Method. It is an observational and analytical study, a sample consisting of 131 students who completed the form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire (PSQI), and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Chi-square test to analyze possible associations between sleep quality and qualitative variables. Results. It found that 60.31% (ESS) of the participants presented daytime sleepiness disorders and 73.28% (PSQI) poor quality disorders. Conclusions. The results demonstrated the need to carry out an educational program among students to improve sleep quality and prevent health issues.
A Masterpiece in the Closet: Brass ewer in the Zanjan Archaeological Museum
Authors: NOURALLAHI Ali
Published: October 2021

Many large and small museums in the provinces of Iran exhibit objects, containers, and display items that are not well known and are often on loan from other museums. These objects of cultural value have been introduced to these collections at different times and no serious, even elementary research and study has been carried out on them. By introducing this type of objects some of the ideas presented so far may be reviewed and corrected. In this article I have tried to point out how to obtain this design and to describe it accurately and to describe the carved inscriptions on it, then how to make it and its motifs and how these decorations relate to its possible function as well as their possible origin. The author also draws attention to the catastrophic lack of evidence and events that have taken place in recent years in the Middle East and Iran's western neighbors. In the end, I have briefly summarized various points mentioned above.
The attitude presented in the press published by the Polish Socialist Party towards Gypsies in the interwar period – social and political issues
Authors: GONTAREK Alicja
Published: October 2021

The publication discusses the Polish Socialist Party's (PPS) attitude to Gypsies and the Gypsy question in the interwar period from 1918 to 1939. An extensive search of the PPS press, including around 1600 articles on the Gypsy population, has shown that this issue also interested the PPS. However, the socialists had a decidedly negative attitude to Gypsies. This was conditioned by the fact that the party found itself in opposition to the government camp, which supported the aspirations of Gypsy kings from the Kwiek clan, and it was with them that the PPS identified Gypsies. Secondly, the strong ideologization of the party's press, based among other things on the cult of work, led to a rejection of the lifestyle of the majority of Gypsies, who represented a nomadic and semi-nomadic culture of life.
‘Industrial espionage’ of Justinian I (527-565)
Authors: MAKSYMIUK Katarzyna
Published: October 2021

Economic espionage especially with regard to luxury goods has been known since Antiquity. A key event in economic history of late Antiquity is smuggling of the silk worms, described by the Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea in his eighth book of the Wars.
INFLUENCE OF THE LATERAL STIFFNESS OF PILES FOR ANALYSIS OF FRAMEWORK SYSTEMS ACCORDING TO SECOND ORDER THEORY
Authors: Demirović Besim , Hadžović Rašid , Osmić Nedim
Published: October 2021

The paper presents a calculation of a system supported on piles according to the second order theory. The influence of piles as supports on the structure is replaced by elastic supports. In the numerical model, the supports are modeled as elastic springs. To compare the calculation results, a system based on rigid and deformable supports was analyzed. The analysis of the system was performed according to the first order theory and the second order theory, which introduces geometric nonlinearity into the calculation. The process of soil modeling around a pile with replacement springs is presented. The applicability of the described procedure is shown in a numerical example. The comparison of the calculation results was done on numerical models of systems with rigid and elastic supports.
Identify Factors Associated with Scabies Aged 6-19 Years Old in The Boarding School
Authors: Ismah Zata , Fahlepi Reinpal , Ayukhaliza Dinda Asa , Lestari Cindy , Siregar Siti Maisyaroh
Published: October 2021

Scabies is a significant worldwide health problem in boarding school children with dangerous systemic complications and an increased risk of mortality because of low priority for treatment. The method uses systematic review. Data sources were collected from databases such as Pubmed and Google Scholar regarding the incidence of scabies in boarding schools indexed nationally and internationally in 2014 - 2019. The exhaustive literature obtained is 15 studies, totaling 2490 samples by determining the required variables. Data analysis was performed by looking at OR, RR, and PR. The significant risk factors for school scabies were age, gender, personal hygiene, room conditions (Room humidity, ventilation, lighting), contact history, occupancy density, risky habits (Sharing a bed, clean clothes, exchanging personal items). The highest risk factor for the incidence of scabies was occupancy density (OR = 24,200, 95% CI = 7,990 - 73,299). Second is the room conditions (OR = 15,000, 95% CI = 3,639 - 61,832); third is personal hygiene (OR = 13,714, 95% CI = 4,210 - 44,677). The intervention will effectively reduce risk factors that contribute to scabies, namely occupancy density, room conditions, and personal hygiene. The ratio of the number of students in a room, room conditions are highly recommended to meet health requirements. Then the improvement of personal hygiene behavior for every occupant of the school. This is to reduce the high rate of spread of scabies infection, especially in boarding-based schools.