bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hybrid Fiber-Optic Sensing Integrating Brillouin Optical Time-Domain Analysis and Fiber Bragg Grating for Long-Range Two-Parameter Measurement
Authors: Liaw Shien-Kuei , Liao Chi-Wen , Tsai Meng-Hsuan , Li Dong-Chang , Yang Shu-Ming , Xia Zhu-Yong , Yeh Chien-Hung , Liu Wen-Fung
Published: June 2021

Distributed fiber sensing (DFS) can provide real-time signals and warnings. The entire length of fiber optic cable can act as a sensing element, but the accuracy is sometimes limited. On the other hand, point-to-point fiber sensing (PPFS) is usually implemented using one or more fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) at specific positions along with the fiber for the monitoring of specific parameters (temperature, strain, pressure, and so on). However, the cost becomes expensive when the number of FBGs increases. A hybrid fiber sensing scheme is thus proposed, combining the advantages of DFS and PPFS. It is based on a Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (BOTDA) fiber system with additional FBGs embedded at certain positions where it is necessary to detect specific parameters. The hybrid fiber sensing system has the advantages of full sensing coverage at essential locations that need to be carefully monitored. In our work, the test results showed that the proposed system could achieve a sensing distance of 16 km with the single-mode fiber with a 2 m spatial resolution. For FBG parameter measurements, the temperature variation was 52 °C, from 25 °C to 77 °C, with a temperature sensitivity of 23 pm/°C, and the strain was from 0 to 400 µε, with a strain sensitivity of 0.975 pm/µε, respectively, using two FBGs.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Physical Progress Monitoring of Construction
Authors: Jacob-Loyola Nicolás , Muñoz-La Rivera Felipe , Herrera Rodrigo F. , Atencio Edison
Published: June 2021

The physical progress of a construction project is monitored by an inspector responsible for verifying and backing up progress information, usually through site photography. Progress monitoring has improved, thanks to advances in image acquisition, computer vision, and the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, no comprehensive and simple methodology exists to guide practitioners and facilitate the use of these methods. This research provides recommendations for the periodic recording of the physical progress of a construction site through the manual operation of UAVs and the use of point clouds obtained under photogrammetric techniques. The programmed progress is then compared with the actual progress made in a 4D BIM environment. This methodology was applied in the construction of a reinforced concrete residential building. The results showed the methodology is effective for UAV operation in the work site and the use of the photogrammetric visual records for the monitoring of the physical progress and the communication of the work performed to the project stakeholders.
A Novel Dentary Bone Conduction Device Equipped with Laser Communication in DSP
Authors: Perng Jau-Woei , Hsieh Tung-Li , Guo Cheng-Yan
Published: June 2021

In this study, we designed a dentary bone conduction system that transmits and receives audio by laser. The main objective of this research was to propose a complete hardware design method, including a laser audio transmitter and receiver and digital signal processor (DSP) based digital signal processing system. We also present a digital filter algorithm that can run on a DSP in real time. This experiment used the CMU ARCTIC databases’ human-voice reading audio as the standard audio. We used a piezoelectric sensor to measure the vibration signal of the bone conduction transducer (BCT) and separately calculated the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the digitally filtered audio output and the unfiltered audio output using DSP. The SNR of the former was twice that of the latter, and the BCT output quality significantly improved. From the results, we can conclude that the dentary bone conduction system integrated with a DSP digital filter enhances sound quality.
Measurement of Ex Vivo Liver, Brain and Pancreas Thermal Properties as Function of Temperature
Authors: Mohammadi Ahad , Bianchi Leonardo , Asadi Somayeh , Saccomandi Paola
Published: June 2021

The ability to predict heat transfer during hyperthermal and ablative techniques for cancer treatment relies on understanding the thermal properties of biological tissue. In this work, the thermal properties of ex vivo liver, pancreas and brain tissues are reported as a function of temperature. The thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity of these tissues were measured in the temperature range from 22 to around 97 °C. Concerning the pancreas, a phase change occurred around 45 °C; therefore, its thermal properties were investigated only until this temperature. Results indicate that the thermal properties of the liver and brain have a non-linear relationship with temperature in the investigated range. In these tissues, the thermal properties were almost constant until 60 to 70 °C and then gradually changed until 92 °C. In particular, the thermal conductivity increased by 100% for the brain and 60% for the liver up to 92 °C, while thermal diffusivity increased by 90% and 40%, respectively. However, the heat capacity did not significantly change in this temperature range. The thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were dramatically increased from 92 to 97 °C, which seems to be due to water vaporization and state transition in the tissues. Moreover, the measurement uncertainty, determined at each temperature, increased after 92 °C. In the temperature range of 22 to 45 °C, the thermal properties of pancreatic tissue did not change significantly, in accordance with the results for the brain and liver. For the three tissues, the best fit curves are provided with regression analysis based on measured data to predict the tissue thermal behavior. These curves describe the temperature dependency of tissue thermal properties in a temperature range relevant for hyperthermia and ablation treatments and may help in constructing more accurate models of bioheat transfer for optimization and pre-planning of thermal procedures.
Influence of Features on Accuracy of Anomaly Detection for an Energy Trading System
Authors: Ko Hoon , Rim Kwangcheol , Praça Isabel
Published: June 2021

The biggest problem with conventional anomaly signal detection using features was that it was difficult to use it in real time and it requires processing of network signals. Furthermore, analyzing network signals in real-time required vast amounts of processing for each signal, as each protocol contained various pieces of information. This paper suggests anomaly detection by analyzing the relationship among each feature to the anomaly detection model. The model analyzes the anomaly of network signals based on anomaly feature detection. The selected feature for anomaly detection does not require constant network signal updates and real-time processing of these signals. When the selected features are found in the received signal, the signal is registered as a potential anomaly signal and is then steadily monitored until it is determined as either an anomaly or normal signal. In terms of the results, it determined the anomaly with 99.7% (0.997) accuracy in f(4)(S0) and in case f(4)(REJ) received 11,233 signals with a normal or 171anomaly judgment accuracy of 98.7% (0.987).
Development of an Intelligent Data-Driven System to Recommend Personalized Fashion Design Solutions
Authors: Sharma Shukla , Koehl Ludovic , Bruniaux Pascal , Zeng Xianyi , Wang Zhujun
Published: June 2021

In the context of fashion/textile innovations towards Industry 4.0, a variety of digital technologies, such as 3D garment CAD, have been proposed to automate, optimize design and manufacturing processes in the organizations of involved enterprises and supply chains as well as services such as marketing and sales. However, the current digital solutions rarely deal with key elements used in the fashion industry, including professional knowledge, as well as fashion and functional requirements of the customer and their relations with product technical parameters. Especially, product design plays an essential role in the whole fashion supply chain and should be paid more attention to in the process of digitalization and intelligentization of fashion companies. In this context, we originally developed an interactive fashion and garment design system by systematically integrating a number of data-driven services of garment design recommendation, 3D virtual garment fitting visualization, design knowledge base, and design parameters adjustment. This system enables close interactions between the designer, consumer, and manufacturer around the virtual product corresponding to each design solution. In this way, the complexity of the product design process can drastically be reduced by directly integrating the consumer’s perception and professional designer’s knowledge into the garment computer-aided design (CAD) environment. Furthermore, for a specific consumer profile, the related computations (design solution recommendation and design parameters adjustment) are performed by using a number of intelligent algorithms (BIRCH, adaptive Random Forest algorithms, and association mining) and matching with a formalized design knowledge base. The proposed interactive design system has been implemented and then exposed through the REST API, for designing garments meeting the consumer’s personalized fashion requirements by repeatedly running the cycle of design recommendation—virtual garment fitting—online evaluation of designer and consumer—design parameters adjustment—design knowledge base creation, and updating. The effectiveness of the proposed system has been validated through a business case of personalized men’s shirt design.
A New Fracture Detection Algorithm of Low Amplitude Acoustic Emission Signal Based on Kalman Filter-Ripple Voltage
Authors: Jeong Seong-Min , Hong Seokmoo , Oh Jong-Seok
Published: June 2021

In this study, an acoustic emission (AE) sensor was utilized to predict fractures that occur in a product during the sheet metal forming process. An AE activity was analyzed, presuming that AE occurs when plastic deformation and fracturing of metallic materials occur. For the analysis, a threshold voltage is set to distinguish the AE signal from the ripple voltage signal and noise. If the amplitude of the AE signal is small, it is difficult to distinguish the AE signal from the ripple voltage signal and the noise signal. Hence, there is a limitation in predicting fractures using the AE sensor. To overcome this limitation, the Kalman filter was used in this study to remove the ripple voltage signal and noise signal and then analyze the activity. However, it was difficult to filter out the ripple voltage signal using a conventional low-pass filter or Kalman filter because the ripple voltage signal is a high-frequency component governed by the switch-mode of the power supply. Therefore, a Kalman filter that has a low Kalman gain was designed to extract only the ripple voltage signal. Based on the KF-RV algorithm, the measured ripple voltage and noise signal were reduced by 97.3% on average. Subsequently, the AE signal was extracted appropriately using the difference between the measured value and the extracted ripple voltage signal. The activity of the extracted AE signal was analyzed using the ring-down count among various AE parameters to determine if there was a fracture in the test specimen.
Intelligent Sensing Technologies for the Diagnosis, Monitoring and Therapy of Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review
Authors: Gillani Nazia , Arslan Tughrul
Published: June 2021

Alzheimer’s disease is a lifelong progressive neurological disorder. It is associated with high disease management and caregiver costs. Intelligent sensing systems have the capability to provide context-aware adaptive feedback. These can assist Alzheimer’s patients with, continuous monitoring, functional support and timely therapeutic interventions for whom these are of paramount importance. This review aims to present a summary of such systems reported in the extant literature for the management of Alzheimer’s disease. Four databases were searched, and 253 English language articles were identified published between the years 2015 to 2020. Through a series of filtering mechanisms, 20 articles were found suitable to be included in this review. This study gives an overview of the depth and breadth of the efficacy as well as the limitations of these intelligent systems proposed for Alzheimer’s. Results indicate two broad categories of intelligent technologies, distributed systems and self-contained devices. Distributed systems base their outcomes mostly on long-term monitoring activity patterns of individuals whereas handheld devices give quick assessments through touch, vision and voice. The review concludes by discussing the potential of these intelligent technologies for clinical practice while highlighting future considerations for improvements in the design of these solutions for Alzheimer’s disease.
The Environmental Effects of International Trade in China: Measuring the Mediating Effects of Technology Spillovers of Import Trade on Industrial Air Pollution
Authors: Zhang Shiyue , Collins Alan R. , Etienne Xiaoli L. , Ding Rijia
Published: June 2021

China is in a strategic phase of an industrial green transformation. Industrial air pollution is a key environmental target for governance. Because import trade is a core channel through which advanced environmental protection technology is absorbed, the question of whether technology spillovers brought about by import trade can reduce industrial air pollution emissions is a topic worth exploring. This paper uses a generalized spatial two-stage least-square (GS2SLS) model to explore the impact of import trade technology spillovers on industrial air pollution emission intensities using panel data from 30 provinces and cities between 2000 and 2017. Economic scale, industrial structure, and technological innovation are used as intermediary variables to test whether they play mediating effects. The results show that: (1) capital and intermediate goods technology spillovers directly reduce industrial air pollution emission intensity and (2) import trade technology spillovers indirectly reduce emission intensities by expanding economic scale, optimizing industrial structure, and enhancing technological innovation through mediating variables. Furthermore, industrial structure optimization and technological innovation have the largest mediating effects on industrial SO2, while economic expansion has the most significant mediating effect on industrial smoke and dust. The mediating effects of technology spillovers from intermediate goods exceed those of capital technology spillovers. Finally, industrial air pollution emission intensity demonstrates both spatial agglomeration and time lag effects. Environmental regulations and energy structure are shown to increase industrial air pollution emissions, while urbanization and foreign direct investment reduce industrial air pollution. Based upon these research results, some pertinent policy implications are proposed for China.
Psychometric Properties of the Affective Dimension of the Generic Macro-Competence Assessment Scale: Analysis Using Rasch Model
Authors: Morales-Rodríguez Francisco Manuel , Martí-Vilar Manuel , Peláez Manuel Alejandro Narváez , Lozano José Miguel Giménez , Martínez-Ramón Juan Pedro , Caracuel Alfonso
Published: June 2021

The study of the affective dimension of transversal competences is essential for the development of responsible behaviors and maintaining attitudes committed to sustainable development. The importance attributed to each of these factors can predict behavior implementation and awareness of values for sustainable development that reflect the acquisition and internalization of sustainability-related generic competences. This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the affective dimension of the Generic Macro-Competence Assessment (AGMA) scale by applying Rasch measurement model to a sample of Spanish university students, comprising 387 Spanish university students (74.9% women; mean age = 21.24; WD = 3.54; range: 17–34). Results demonstrated a lack of adjustment to the Rasch model due to item 1, and all items showed disordered response category thresholds. The remaining nine-item scale achieved all requirements of the model (χ2 = 61.46; p = 0.052), including unidimensionality. Thus, the scale’s psychometric properties indicate an easy-to-apply instrument for screening these factors for coping strategies in undergraduate and graduate Spanish students. The results can help in justifying the design of interdisciplinary intervention programs, in which affective factors are essential for sustainable development education.
An Assessment of the Relationship between Defence Expenditure and Sustainable Development in the Baltic Countries
Authors: Dudzevičiūtė Gitana , Bekesiene Svajone , Meidute-Kavaliauskiene Ieva , Ševčenko-Kozlovska Galina
Published: June 2021

As geopolitical instability increases and new threats emerge, a number of countries are increasing their respective allocations for defence expenditure in order to take greater responsibility for their citizens in terms of defending and protecting their values and way of life. Small states such as Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia must evaluate certain economic, political, and strategic factors when increasing their respective defence expenditure. While they do tend to increase expenditure on national defence matters, budgetary constraints often force them to cut funding in some civilian domains or to increase their borrowing on international markets. Therefore, the security and defence of small states must be addressed in an integrated way, taking into account economic, social, and environmental factors. The aim of this article is to assess the relationships between defence expenditure and sustainable development indicators during the period between 2000 and 2018 in the Baltic states. The authors of this article aimed to determine which sustainable development indicators have a significant impact upon a country’s expenditure when it comes to defence matters. The study was conducted using econometric methods, including Spearman’s correlation analysis and Automatic Linear Modelling (ALM). The research results revealed some differences amongst the Baltic countries. In Lithuania, the employment rate and R&D personnel as a share of the active population demonstrated a significant impact upon defence expenditure. In Latvia, defence expenditure was found to be affected by disposable household income per capita and environmental taxes as a share of total tax revenue. In Estonia, defence expenditure was mainly influenced by disposable household income per capita and energy import dependency. The study’s findings may be used to ensure both the security of the country and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Monomers, Materials and Energy from Coffee By-Products: A Review
Authors: Sisti Laura , Celli Annamaria , Totaro Grazia , Cinelli Patrizia , Signori Francesca , Lazzeri Andrea , Bikaki Maria , Corvini Philippe , Ferri Maura , Tassoni Annalisa , Navarini Luciano
Published: June 2021

In recent years, the circular economy and sustainability have gained attention in the food industry aimed at recycling food industrial waste and residues. For example, several plant-based materials are nowadays used in packaging and biofuel production. Among them, by-products and waste from coffee processing constitute a largely available, low cost, good quality resource. Coffee production includes many steps, in which by-products are generated including coffee pulp, coffee husks, silver skin and spent coffee. This review aims to analyze the reasons why coffee waste can be considered as a valuable source in recycling strategies for the sustainable production of bio-based chemicals, materials and fuels. It addresses the most recent advances in monomer, polymer and plastic filler productions and applications based on the development of viable biorefinery technologies. The exploration of strategies to unlock the potential of this biomass for fuel productions is also revised. Coffee by-products valorization is a clear example of waste biorefinery. Future applications in areas such as biomedicine, food packaging and material technology should be taken into consideration. However, further efforts in techno-economic analysis and the assessment of the feasibility of valorization processes on an industrial scale are needed.
Castor Leaves-Based Biochar for Adsorption of Safranin from Textile Wastewater
Authors: Suleman Muhammad , Zafar Muhammad , Ahmed Ashfaq , Rashid Muhammad Usman , Hussain Sadiq , Razzaq Abdul , Mohidem Nur Atikah , Fazal Tahir , Haider Bilal , Park Young-Kwon
Published: June 2021

The prospect of synthesizing biochar from agricultural wastes or by-products to utilize them as a promising adsorbent material is increasingly gaining attention. This research work focuses on synthesizing biochar from castor biomass (CBM) and evaluating its potential as an adsorbent material. Castor biomass-based biochar (CBCs) prepared by the slow pyrolysis process at different temperatures (CBC400 °C, CBC500 °C, and CBC600 °C for 1 h) was investigated for the adsorption of textile dye effluents (safranin). The pyrolysis temperature played a key role in enhancing the morphology, and the crystallinity of the biochar which are beneficial for the uptake of safranin. The CBC600 adsorbent showed a higher safranin dye removal (99.60%) and adsorption capacity (4.98 mg/g) than CBC500 (90.50% and 4.52 mg/g), CBC400 (83.90% and 4.20 mg/g), and castor biomass (CBM) (64.40% and 3.22 mg/g). Adsorption data fitted better to the Langmuir isotherm model than to the Freundlich isotherm model. The kinetics of the adsorption process was described well using the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The study on the effect of the contact time for the adsorption process indicated that for CBC600, 80% dye removal occurred in the first 15 min of the contact time. After three regeneration cycles, CBC600 exhibited the highest dye removal efficiency (64.10%), highlighting the enhanced reusability of CBCs. The crystalline patterns, functional binding sites, and surface areas of the prepared CBCs (CBC400, CBC500, CBC600) were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area measurements, respectively.
Assessment of Social Environment Competitiveness in Terms of Security in the Baltic Capitals
Authors: Činčikaitė Renata , Meidute-Kavaliauskiene Ieva
Published: June 2021

Personal security is one of the many factors that must be assessed comprehensively when planning an urban competitiveness strategy. The aim of this article is to assess the competitive position of the social environment of cities in terms of security with regard to time and other competing cities. Having conducted a systemic and comparative analysis of the concepts published in the scientific literature, we analysed the concepts of sustainable cities and the social environment, reviewed the particularities of urban competitiveness, conducted research into the methods of assessing urban competitiveness, and presented an integrated assessment model (MDK) of social environment competitiveness in terms of security in the Baltic capitals. The following research methodology was used: systemic and comparative analysis of concepts and methods published in the scientific literature, statistical processing and multicriteria assessment methods. The results of the study can be used as a tool to determine the competitive position of a city in terms of time and other competing cities, a tool to identify factors that strengthen or weaken the sustainable competitiveness of cities, a tool to justify strategic decisions of cities, and a tool to determine the effectiveness of the strategic decisions taken.
Herbicide Resistance to Metsulfuron-Methyl in Rumex dentatus L. in North-West India and Its Management Perspectives for Sustainable Wheat Production
Authors: Chaudhary Ankur , Chhokar Rajender Singh , Dhanda Sachin , Kaushik Prashant , Kaur Simerjeet , Poonia Todar Mal , Khedwal Rajbir Singh , Kumar Surender , Punia Satbir Singh
Published: June 2021

Herbicide resistance in weeds is a global threat to sustaining food security. In India, herbicide-resistant Phalaris minor was the major problem in wheat for more than two decades, but the continuous use of metsulfuron-methyl (an ALS inhibitor) to control broadleaf weeds has resulted in the evolution of ALS inhibitor-resistant Rumex dentatus L. This review summarizes the current scenario of herbicide resistance in R. dentatus, along with its ecology and management perspectives. Studies have provided valuable insights on the emergence pattern of R. dentatus under different environments in relation to tillage, cropping systems, nutrients, and irrigation. Moreover, R. dentatus has exhibited higher emergence under zero tillage, with high infestation levels in rice-wheat compared to other wheat-based cropping systems (sorghum-wheat). Alternative herbicides for the management of resistant R. dentatus include pendimethalin, 2,4-D, carfentrazone, isoproturon, and metribuzin. Although the pre-emergence application of pendimethalin is highly successful in suppressing R. dentatus, but its efficiency is questionable under lower field soil moisture and heavy residue load conditions. Nevertheless, the biological data may be utilized to control R. dentatus. Therefore, herbicide rotation with suitable spray techniques, collecting weed seeds at differential heights from wheat, crop rotation, alternate tillage practices, and straw retention are recommended for addressing the resistance issue in R. dentatus in North India conditions. Overall, we discuss the current state of herbicide resistance in R. dentatus, the agronomic factors affecting its population, its proliferation in specific cropping systems (rice-wheat), and management strategies for containing an infestation of a resistant population.
Corporate Power in the Bioeconomy Transition: The Policies and Politics of Conservative Ecological Modernization in Brazil
Authors: Bastos Lima Mairon G.
Published: June 2021

The bioeconomy transition is a double-edged sword that may either address fossil fuel dependence sustainably or aggravate human pressures on the environment, depending on how it is pursued. Using the emblematic case of Brazil, this article analyzes how corporate agribusiness dominance limits the bioeconomy agenda, shapes innovation pathways, and ultimately threatens the sustainability of this transition. Drawing from scholarship on power in agri-food governance and sustainability transitions, an analytical framework is then applied to the Brazilian case. The analysis of current policies, recent institutional changes and the case-specific literature reveals that, despite a strategic framing of the bioeconomy transition as a panacea for job creation, biodiversity conservation and local development (particularly for the Amazon region), in practice major soy, sugarcane and meatpacking conglomerates dominate Brazil’s bioeconomy agenda. In what can be described as conservative ecological modernization, there is some reflexivity regarding environmental issues but also an effort to maintain (unequal) social and political structures. Significant agribusiness dominance does not bode well for smallholder farmers, food diversity or natural ecosystems, as major drivers of deforestation and land-use change (e.g., soy plantations, cattle ranching) gain renewed economic and political stimulus as well as greater societal legitimacy under the bioeconomy umbrella.
Power System Transient Stability Assessment Based on Snapshot Ensemble LSTM Network
Authors: Du Yixing , Hu Zhijian
Published: June 2021

Data-driven methods using synchrophasor measurements have a broad application prospect in Transient Stability Assessment (TSA). Most previous studies only focused on predicting whether the power system is stable or not after disturbance, which lacked a quantitative analysis of the risk of transient stability. Therefore, this paper proposes a two-stage power system TSA method based on snapshot ensemble long short-term memory (LSTM) network. This method can efficiently build an ensemble model through a single training process, and employ the disturbed trajectory measurements as the inputs, which can realize rapid end-to-end TSA. In the first stage, dynamic hierarchical assessment is carried out through the classifier, so as to screen out credible samples step by step. In the second stage, the regressor is used to predict the transient stability margin of the credible stable samples and the undetermined samples, and combined with the built risk function to realize the risk quantification of transient angle stability. Furthermore, by modifying the loss function of the model, it effectively overcomes sample imbalance and overlapping. The simulation results show that the proposed method can not only accurately predict binary information representing transient stability status of samples, but also reasonably reflect the transient safety risk level of power systems, providing reliable reference for the subsequent control.
A Critical Survey of Environmental Content in United States Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Curricula
Authors: Sprouse III Charles E. , Davy Maximilian , Doyle Anna , Rembold Grace
Published: June 2021

This survey examines how mechanical engineers are being prepared to be responsible stewards of the environment by offering a multi-channeled look at a diverse collection of twelve US colleges and universities, with connections to the larger global context. This study enumerates the external influences of professional organizations, those responsible for program accreditation (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)), professional conduct (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), and licensure (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, National Society of Professional Engineers). At the curricular level, this study presents current mechanical engineering curricula via core courses (required at most institutions) and non-core courses (required at a minority of institutions or elective courses). The curriculum study identifies fifteen core courses and uses the Open Syllabus Project and online bookstores to identify a representative textbook and classify the environmental content therein. Immediate results show the environment receiving sparse treatment in core course textbooks, institutions having zero environment-focused degree requirements, and a tendency towards offering electives that are narrowly focused on green technologies. Elective offerings mirror ABET’s recent move away from emphasizing the “broad education necessary to understand the impact” of engineering solutions to instead “consider the impact of” engineering solutions in an environmental context. Overall, the environmental education mechanical engineers are receiving is insufficient in amount and lacking in scientific and ethical foundation. Ideally, every mechanical engineering program should include coordinated environmental content throughout the curriculum and require at least one course that teaches both environmental design principles and the importance of environmental stewardship. A novel approach eschews the typical artes mechanicae course structure to teach environmental stewardship in the artes liberales educational tradition, emphasizing multi-dimensional thinking by employing great books style discussions of seminal scientific, ethical, and technological works.
Fractional Order Models Are Doubly Infinite Dimensional Models and thus of Infinite Memory: Consequences on Initialization and Some Solutions
Authors: Sabatier Jocelyn
Published: June 2021

Using a small number of mathematical transformations, this article examines the nature of fractional models described by fractional differential equations or pseudo state space descriptions. Computation of the impulse response of a fractional model using the Cauchy method shows that they exhibit infinitely small and high time constants. This impulse response can be rewritten as a diffusive representation whose Fourier transform permits a representation of a fractional model by a diffusion equation in an infinite space domain. Fractional models can thus be viewed as doubly infinite dimensional models: infinite as distributed with a distribution in an infinite domain. This infinite domain or the infinitely large time constants of the impulse response reveal a property intrinsic to fractional models: their infinite memory. Solutions to generate fractional behaviors without infinite memory are finally proposed.
Efficacy and Optimal Dose of Botulinum Toxin A in Post-Stroke Lower Extremity Spasticity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Doan Thanh-Nhan , Kuo Mei-Ying , Chou Li-Wei
Published: June 2021

Post-stroke spasticity impedes patients’ rehabilitation progress. Contradictory evidence has been reported in using Botulinum Neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) to manage post-stroke lower extremity spasticity (PLES); furthermore, an optimum dose of BoNT-A for PLES has not yet been established. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to identify the efficacy and optimal dose of BoNT-A on PLES. "Meta" and "Metafor" packages in R were used to analyze the data. Hedges’ g statistic and random effect model were used to calculate and pool effect sizes. Twelve RCTs met the eligibility criteria. Muscle tone significantly improved in week four, week eight, and maintained to week twelve after BoNT-A injection. Improvements in functional outcomes were found, some inconsistencies among included studies were noticed. Dosage analysis from eight studies using Botox® and three studies using Dysport® indicated that the optimum dose for the commonest pattern of PLES (spastic plantar flexors) is medium-dose (approximately 300U Botox® or 1000 U Dysport®). BoNT-A should be regarded as part of a rehabilitation program for PLES. Furthermore, an optimal rehabilitation program combined with BoNT-A management needs to be established. Further studies should also focus on functional improvement by BoNT-A management in the early stage of stroke.
Bearing Witness as Social Action: Religious Ethics and Trauma-Informed Response
Authors: Stephens Darryl W.
Published: June 2021

Written from a standpoint of religious ethics, this article interprets the work of trauma response and recovery in transcendent and moral terms not always apparent to the practitioner or institution. This article provides a broad understanding of spirituality, transcendence, and faith as these concepts relate to Judith Herman’s stages of trauma healing and the characteristics of trauma-informed response articulated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These features are then mapped onto specific modes of transcendence and moral themes identifiable in a wide range of religious traditions. The connective framework for this mapping is provided by utilizing the concept “bearing witness,” as synthesized from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, to describe the work of trauma-informed response. This article concludes by recognizing bearing witness as a form of social action, a moral response with implied if not explicit religious dimensions and spiritual implications, for which an understanding of religious ethics is a helpful ally. Thus, this article concludes that religious ethics can be a valuable resource and partner in addressing the personal, systemic, and political aspects of trauma response and recovery, enabling attention to spiritual well-being of both the trauma survivor and the one responding to the survivor.
Determination of the Magnetic Field Strength and Geometry in the Accretion Disks of AGNs by Optical Spectropolarimetry
Authors: Piotrovich Mikhail , Buliga Stanislava , Natsvlishvili Tinatin
Published: June 2021

Based on the spectropolarimetric data of 33 Seyfert type 1 galaxies observed with the BTA-6m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory, we estimated the magnetic field values at the event horizon of the supermassive black hole BH and the exponents of the power-law dependence s of the magnetic field on the radius. We used the model of optically thick geometrically thin Shakura–Sunyaev accretion disk. The average value of logBH[G] was found to be ∼4, which is in good agreement with the results obtained by other methods. The average value of s is s≈1.7, and its distribution maximum span is in the range od 1.85<s<2.0. This is a rather interesting result, since s=5/4 is usually adopted in calculations for Shakura–Sunyaev accretion disks. In addition, for two objects PG 1545+210 and 2MASX J06021107+2828382, the measured degree of polarization is greater than the maximum possible value at the angle between the line of sight and the axis of the accretion disk i=45°. It was concluded that for these objects the angle should be closer to i=60°.
Genetic Diversity and Epidemiological Significance of Wild Boar HEV-3 Strains Circulating in Poland
Authors: Kozyra Iwona , Bigoraj Ewelina , Jabłoński Artur , Politi Katerina , Rzeżutka Artur
Published: June 2021

The wild boar is the most important reservoir of zoonotic HEV-3 strains among different wildlife species. The aim of the study was subtype identification of wild boar HEV-3 strains circulating in Poland. Wild boar liver was used in the study in the form of homogenates prepared from 57 samples positive for HEV in a real-time RT-PCR. These samples were collected from juvenile and adult wild boars hunted in the jurisdictions of different Regional Directorates of State Forests (RDSF) across Poland. Subtype identification of detected HEV strains was based on a phylogenetic analysis of the most conserved HEV ORF2 genome fragment. Out of 57 tested samples, consensus HEV ORF2 sequences of 348 bp were obtained for 45 strains. Nineteen strains were identified and belonged to the HEV gt 3a and 3i subtypes, whereas 26 were not assigned to any virus subtype. HEV gt 3i strains prevailed in the Polish wild boar population, 16 of such were identified, and they were significantly more often observed in the RDSF Katowice area (χ2 = 28.6, p = 0.027 (<0.05)) compared to other regions of the country. Circulation of 3a strains was limited only to the RDSF Gdańsk territory (χ2 = 48, p = 0.000 (<0.05)). The virus strains detected in the Polish population of wild boars representing previously identified HEV subtypes in wild boars, pigs, or humans in Europe are of epidemiological importance for public health.
The Viral Capsid: A Master Key to Access the Host Nucleus
Authors: Blanco-Rodriguez Guillermo , Di Nunzio Francesca
Published: June 2021

Viruses are pathogens that have evolved to hijack the cellular machinery to replicate themselves and spread to new cells. During the course of evolution, viruses developed different strategies to overcome the cellular defenses and create new progeny. Among them, some RNA and many DNA viruses require access to the nucleus to replicate their genome. In non-dividing cells, viruses can only access the nucleus through the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Therefore, viruses have developed strategies to usurp the nuclear transport machinery and gain access to the nucleus. The majority of these viruses use the capsid to manipulate the nuclear import machinery. However, the particular tactics employed by each virus to reach the host chromatin compartment are very different. Nevertheless, they all require some degree of capsid remodeling. Recent notions on the interplay between the viral capsid and cellular factors shine new light on the quest for the nuclear entry step and for the fate of these viruses. In this review, we describe the main components and function of nuclear transport machinery. Next, we discuss selected examples of RNA and DNA viruses (HBV, HSV, adenovirus, and HIV) that remodel their capsid as part of their strategies to access the nucleus and to replicate.
Broad Impact of Exchange Protein Directly Activated by cAMP 2 (EPAC2) on Respiratory Viral Infections
Authors: Choi Eun-Jin , Wu Wenzhe , Cong Xiaoyan , Zhang Ke , Luo Jiaqi , Ye Sha , Wang Pingyuan , Suresh Adarsh , Ullah Uneeb Mohammad , Zhou Jia , Bao Xiaoyong
Published: June 2021

The recently discovered exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (EPAC), compared with protein kinase A (PKA), is a fairly new family of cAMP effectors. Soon after the discovery, EPAC has shown its significance in many diseases including its emerging role in infectious diseases. In a recent study, we demonstrated that EPAC, but not PKA, is a promising therapeutic target to regulate respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) replication and its associated inflammation. In mammals, there are two isoforms of EPAC—EPAC1 and EPAC2. Unlike other viruses, including Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Ebola virus, which use EPAC1 to regulate viral replication, RSV uses EPAC2 to control its replication and associated cytokine/chemokine responses. To determine whether EPAC2 protein has a broad impact on other respiratory viral infections, we used an EPAC2-specific inhibitor, MAY0132, to examine the functions of EPAC2 in human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and adenovirus (AdV) infections. HMPV is a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family Pneumoviridae, which also includes RSV, while AdV is a double-stranded DNA virus. Treatment with an EPAC1-specific inhibitor was also included to investigate the impact of EPAC1 on these two viruses. We found that the replication of HMPV, AdV, and RSV and the viral-induced immune mediators are significantly impaired by MAY0132, while an EPAC1-specific inhibitor, CE3F4, does not impact or slightly impacts, demonstrating that EPAC2 could serve as a novel common therapeutic target to control these viruses, all of which do not have effective treatment and prevention strategies.
Overwhelming Evidence for a Major Role for Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV1) in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD); Underwhelming Evidence against
Authors: Itzhaki Ruth F.
Published: June 2021

This review describes investigations of specific topics that lie within the general subject of HSV1’s role in AD/dementia, published in the last couple of years. They include studies on the following: relationship of HSV1 to AD using neural stem cells; the apparent protective effects of treatment of HSV1 infection or of VZV infection with antivirals prior to the onset of dementia; the putative involvement of VZV in AD/dementia; the possible role of human herpes virus 6 (HHV6) in AD; the seemingly reduced risk of dementia after vaccination with diverse types of vaccine, and the association shown in some vaccine studies with reduced frequency of HSV1 reactivation; anti-HSV serum antibodies supporting the linkage of HSV1 in brain with AD in APOE-ε4 carriers, and the association between APOE and cognition, and association of APOE and infection with AD/dementia. The conclusions are that there is now overwhelming evidence for HSV1’s role—probably causal—in AD, when it is present in brain of APOE-ε4 carriers, and that further investigations should be made on possible prevention of the disease by vaccination, or by prolonged antiviral treatment of HSV1 infection in APOE-ε4 carriers, before disease onset.
A Weight of Evidence (WOE) Approach to Assess Environmental Hazard of Marine Sediments from Adriatic Offshore Platform Area
Authors: Manfra Loredana , Maggi Chiara , d’Errico Giuseppe , Rotini Alice , Catalano Barbara , Maltese Silvia , Moltedo Ginevra , Romanelli Giulia , Sesta Giulio , Granato Giuseppe , Lanera Pasquale , Amici Marina , Martuccio Giacomo , Onorati Fulvio , Di Mento Rossella , Berducci Maria T. , Chiaretti Gianluca , Faraponova Olga , Regoli Francesco , Tornambè Andrea
Published: June 2021

European legislative framework supports a multidisciplinary strategy of environmental monitoring because the environment is a complex system of abiotic and biotic interactions, and it should not be studied and protected by looking at one single aspect. The resulting heterogeneous data request to be carefully processed, and the application of Weight of Evidence (WOE) approaches is, thereby, an integrated validated tool. In this perspective, the present study aims to: (i). apply a specific model (Sediqualsoft) based on the WOE approach for processing multidisciplinary data related to four Lines Of Scientific Evidence (LOEs: chemical analyses, ecotoxicological bioassays, bioaccumulation tests and biomarkers) regarding sediments from an area of the Adriatic Sea; (ii). evaluate the usefulness of this specific integrated approach to estimate the potential environmental hazard due to the presence of gas production platforms respect to the traditional approach of sediment chemical characterization. This latter recognized a more contaminated area within 100 m of the platforms in which the Sediqualsoft model showed the presence of a chemical hazard, ranging from moderate to severe, and identified the contaminants (e.g., some metals, benzo(a)pyrene and acenaphthene) most responsible for it. A significant hazard also appeared in some of the sampled stations by analyzing the LOEs dedicated to the biological responses. The choice of different reference values (regulatory limits, threshold values or concentrations measured in the control area) influenced only the chemical hazard but not the overall integration with other LOEs, showing a moderate hazard for the majority of stations. Here, the concentrations measured in a control area are firstly proposed as possible reference values in Sediqualsoft model applications; this could be of particular relevance when Sediment Quality Guidelines are not available for all the measured substances. Moreover, the limitations of a conventional pass-to-fail approach or worst-case scenario were overcoming interpreting whole chemical and ecotoxicological results. All data analyzed and discussed confirm Sediqualsoft as a suitable tool for processing environmental data, including those first processed here on a monitoring scenario of gas platforms that discharge Produced Water into the sea.
How Well Can Machine Learning Models Perform without Hydrologists? Application of Rational Feature Selection to Improve Hydrological Forecasting
Authors: Moreido Vsevolod , Gartsman Boris , Solomatine Dimitri P. , Suchilina Zoya
Published: June 2021

With more machine learning methods being involved in social and environmental research activities, we are addressing the role of available information for model training in model performance. We tested the abilities of several machine learning models for short-term hydrological forecasting by inferring linkages with all available predictors or only with those pre-selected by a hydrologist. The models used in this study were multivariate linear regression, the M5 model tree, multilayer perceptron (MLP) artificial neural network, and the long short-term memory (LSTM) model. We used two river catchments in contrasting runoff generation conditions to try to infer the ability of different model structures to automatically select the best predictor set from all those available in the dataset and compared models’ performance with that of a model operating on predictors prescribed by a hydrologist. Additionally, we tested how shuffling of the initial dataset improved model performance. We can conclude that in rainfall-driven catchments, the models performed generally better on a dataset prescribed by a hydrologist, while in mixed-snowmelt and baseflow-driven catchments, the automatic selection of predictors was preferable.