bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intelligent-Responsive Enrofloxacin-Loaded Chitosan Oligosaccharide–Sodium Alginate Composite Core-Shell Nanogels for On-Demand Release in the Intestine
Authors: Luo Wanhe , Ju Mujie , Liu Jinhuan , Algharib Samah Attia , Dawood Ali Sobhy , Xie Shuyu
Published: October 2022

Enrofloxacin has a poor palatability and causes strong gastric irritation; the oral formulation of enrofloxacin is unavailable, which limits the treatment of Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections via oral administration. To overcome the difficulty in treating intestinal E. coli infections, an oral intelligent-responsive chitosan-oligosaccharide (COS)–sodium alginate (SA) composite core-shell nanogel loaded with enrofloxacin was explored. The formulation screening, characteristics, pH-responsive performance in gastric juice and the intestinal tract, antibacterial effects, therapeutic effects, and biosafety level of the enrofloxacin composite nanogels were investigated. The optimized concentrations of COS, SA, CaCl2, and enrofloxacin were 8, 8, 0.2, and 5 mg/mL, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency, size, loading capacity, zeta potential, and polydispersity index of the optimized formulation were 72.4 ± 0.8%, 143.5 ± 2.6 nm, 26.6 ± 0.5%, −37.5 ± 1.5 mV, and 0.12 ± 0.07, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that enrofloxacin-loaded nanogels were incorporated into the nano-sized cross-linked networks. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the nanogels were prepared by the electrostatic interaction of the differently charged groups (positive amino groups (-NH3+) of COS and the negative phenolic hydroxyl groups (-COO−) of SA). In vitro, pH-responsive release performances revealed effective pH-responsive performances, which can help facilitate targeted “on-demand” release at the target site and ensure that the enrofloxacin has an ideal stability in the stomach and a responsive release in the intestinal tract. The antibacterial activity study demonstrated that more effective bactericidal activity against E. coli could have a better treatment effect than the enrofloxacin solution. Furthermore, the enrofloxacin composite nanogels had great biocompatibility. Thus, the enrofloxacin composite core-shell nanogels might be an oral intelligent-responsive preparation to overcome the difficulty in treating intestinal bacterial infections.
Gandouling Mitigates CuSO4-Induced Heart Injury in Rats
Authors: Fang Shuzhen , Yang Wenming , Zhang Kangyi , Peng Chuanyi
Published: October 2022

We assessed the protective effects of Gandouling (GDL) on copper sulfate (CuSO4)-induced heart injuries in Sprague–Dawley rats, which were randomly divided into the control, CuSO4, GDL + CuSO4 and penicillamine + CuSO4 groups. The rats received intragastric GDL (400 mg/kg body weight) once per day for 42 consecutive days after 56 days of CuSO4 exposure, and penicillamine was used as a positive control. The levels of plasma inflammatory cytokines (IMA, hFABP, cTn-I and BNP) were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The histopathological symptoms were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy. To determine the underlying mechanism, Western blotting was conducted for the detection of the heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) expression. The results revealed that GDL supplementation alleviated the histopathological symptoms of the rat heart tissue, promoted Cu excretion to attenuate impairment, and significantly decreased inflammatory cytokine levels in the plasma (p < 0.01). In addition, GDL increased the HO-1 expression in the rat hepatic tissue. The protective effect of GDL on the heart was superior to that of penicillamine. Overall, these findings indicate that GDL alleviates hepatic heart injury after a Cu overaccumulation challenge, and GDL supplements can be beneficial for patients with Wilson’s disease.
Value Ranges and Clinical Comparisons of Serum DHEA-S, IL-6, and TNF-α in Western Lowland Gorillas
Authors: Edes Ashley N. , Zimmerman Dawn , Jourdan Balbine , Brown Janine L. , Edwards Katie L.
Published: October 2022

Physiological data can provide valuable information about the health and welfare of animals. Unfortunately, few validated assays and a lack of information on species-typical levels of circulating biomarkers for wildlife make the measurement, interpretation, and practical application of such data difficult. We validated commercially available kits and calculated reference intervals (herein called “value ranges”) for dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in a sample of zoo-housed western lowland gorillas due to the roles these biomarkers play in stress and immune responses. For each biomarker, we present species-specific value ranges for a sample of gorillas in human care (n = 57). DHEA-S did not vary significantly by sex or age, while IL-6 was higher in males and older gorillas and TNF-α was higher in females but not associated with age. We also compared non-clinical with clinical samples (n = 21) to explore whether these biomarkers reflect changes in health status. There was no significant difference between clinical and non-clinical samples for DHEA-S, but both IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly higher in gorillas showing clinical symptoms or prior to death. Additional work is needed to improve our understanding of normal versus clinical variation in these biomarkers, and we encourage continued efforts to identify and validate additional biomarkers that can be used to inform assessments of health and welfare in wildlife.
The Relationship between Performance, Body Composition, and Processing Yield in Broilers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression
Authors: Martinez Diego A. , Weil Jordan T. , Suesuttajit Nawin , Umberson Cole , Scott Abdullah , Coon Craig N.
Published: October 2022

This study aims to model the relationship among performance, whole body composition, and processing yield through meta-regression. Scientific papers found in Scopus and Google Scholar were included if they reported results and variability values of an actual experiment in the three mentioned groups of variables using a single broiler genetic line. Weighted mean effect sizes were determined with a random model, the risk of bias was determined, and heterogeneity was considered an indicator of usefulness. Meta-regressions considered the effect sizes of the response variable and the percent change in one or more variables as predictors. A 78-row database was built from 14 papers, including nine factors tested on 22,256 broilers. No influencing bias was found, and the data was determined useful. Meta-regressions showed that the changes in body weight gain (BWG) are inversely related to the effects in feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p < 0.001) and that the changes in FCR and effects in protein-to-fat gain (PFG) are directly related (p < 0.001). The changes in PFG and the effects on carcass conformation or the market value of birds are directly related (p < 0.001). In conclusion, body composition predicts carcass conformation and its market value, supporting its use to predict the economic value of broilers.
Towards Large Particle Size in Compound Feed: Using Expander Conditioning Prior to Pelleting Improves Pellet Quality and Growth Performance of Broilers
Authors: Ebbing Marco Antônio , Yacoubi Nadia , Naranjo Victor , Sitzmann Werner , Schedle Karl , Gierus Martin
Published: October 2022

During the processing of compound feed for broilers, several changes occur that affect the physical and probably the nutritional properties of pellets, influencing animal performance. The effects of mill type, particle size (PS) and expander conditioning prior to pelleting (E + P) were combined to generate pellets. A 2 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement was designed with two mill types (a hammer mill (HM) or roller mill (RM)), three PSs (0.8, 1.2 or 1.6 mm) and two E + Ps (with or without expander processing prior to pelleting), with six replications of 12 unsexed Ross 308 broilers each. All the processing lines reduced the PS from mash to finished pellets via secondary grinding, by 2.35 times on average. However, RM grinding required less electric power (p < 0.001). The intended PS (0.8, 1.2 or 1.6 mm) did not affect this energy consumption. E + P and the PS interacted for the pellet durability index (PDI) (p = 0.006). The worst PDI in the pellets was observed when a PS of 1.6 mm without E + P was used. Only E + P positively affected starch (p < 0.001) and amino acids’ ileal apparent digestibility (p < 0.01). Organic matter (OM) (p = 0.02) and fat (p < 0.001) digestibility, as well as AMEN (p = 0.005) content, were influenced by the PS (main effect), whereas E + P and mill type interacted with these values (p < 0.005). Lower OM digestibility and AMEN content were observed when RM without E + P was used (p = 0.001). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was enhanced and feed intake (FI) was improved with E + P. The combination of the RM mill, a 1.6 mm mean PS, and E + P improved FCR (three-way interaction, p = 0.019)), showing that for a higher PS, E + P is necessary for animal performance. Carcass yield was, on average, 80.1%. No effects on commercial cuts (breast, legs and wings) were observed. In contrast, abdominal fat was affected by mill type * PS (p = 0.012) and E + P * PS (p = 0.048) in a two-way interaction. The highest abdominal fat indicated an imbalance in the amino acid (AA)-to-AMEN ratio. Coarse PS promoted heavier gizzards (p = 0.02) but E + P tended to reduce them (p = 0.057). The processing steps improved pellet quality and feed efficiency associated with RM, coarse PS and E + P, highlighting the positive effects of E + P on abdominal fat and AMEN content, which should be adjusted to AA or reduced at formulation. However, these results are for an experimental processing plant and may not necessarily apply to larger plants, so the use of these data and methods should be considered as guidelines for replication at production sites.
Azole-Based Compounds That Are Active against Candida Biofilm: In Vitro, In Vivo and In Silico Studies
Authors: Carradori Simone , Ammazzalorso Alessandra , De Filippis Barbara , Şahin Ahmet Fatih , Akdemir Atilla , Orekhova Anastasia , Bonincontro Graziana , Simonetti Giovanna
Published: October 2022

Fungal pathogens, including Candida spp., Aspergillus spp. and dermatophytes, cause more than a billion human infections every year. A large library of imidazole- and triazole-based compounds were in vitro screened for their antifungal activity against C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. krusei, A. fumigatus and dermatophytes, such as Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The imidazole carbamate 12 emerged as the most active compound, showing a valuable antifungal activity against C. glabrata (MIC 1–16 μg/mL) and C. krusei (MIC 4–24 μg/mL). No activity against A. fumigatus or the dermatophytes was observed among all the tested compounds. The compound 12 inhibited the formation of C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. krusei biofilms and reduced the mature Candida biofilm. In the Galleria mellonella larvae, 12 showed a significant reduction in the Candida infection, together with a lack of toxicity at the concentration used to activate its antifungal activity. Moreover, the in silico prediction of the putative targets revealed that the concurrent presence of the imidazole core, the carbamate and the p-chlorophenyl is important for providing a strong affinity for lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CgCYP51a1) and the fungal carbonic anhydrase (CgNce103), the S-enantiomer being more productive in these interactions.
Off-Label Use of Dalbavancin for Sequential Treatment of Spondylodiscitis by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: A Retrospective Single-Centre Experience
Authors: Mazzitelli Maria , Gatti Milo , Scaglione Vincenzo , Mengato Daniele , Trevenzoli Marco , Sattin Andrea , Pea Federico , Cattelan Anna Maria
Published: October 2022

Background: Our aim was to describe the clinical outcome and safety of the sequential treatment with off-label dalbavancin in patients with spondylodiscitis that is caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Methods: We retrospectively included all patients >18 years of age with spondylodiscitis that is caused by MRSA that was treated with dalbavancin from January 2018–January 2021, recording the instances of clinical cure/failure, adverse events, and the need to be re-hospitalized after the initiation of dalbavancin. In 2/15 patients, we performed therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for dalbavancin. Results: We included 15 patients, 53.3% of them were females, with a median age of 67.9 years (57.4–78.5); 100% patients reported back pain, while a fever was present only in 2/15 cases. The spondylodiscitis was localized in 86.6% cases at the lumbar level. A median of a 2-week in-hospital intravenous vancomycin was followed by dalbavancin with a median duration of 12 weeks (12–16). All patients reported a clinical cure, except for a woman who is still on a suppressive treatment. No patient needed to be re-hospitalized, access to emergency department, or experienced adverse events. The TDM for dalbavancin showed that more than 90% of the determinations were above the pharmacodynamic target against staphylococci. Conclusions: The results from our unique, even if it was small, cohort demonstrated that dalbavancin can be a safe/effective option as a sequential treatment in patients with serious infections requiring prolonged antibiotic therapy, such as spondylodiscitis.
Heme Oxygenase-1 Overexpression Promotes Uveal Melanoma Progression and Is Associated with Poor Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Longhitano Lucia , Broggi Giuseppe , Giallongo Sebastiano , Failla Maria , Puzzo Lidia , Avitabile Teresio , Tibullo Daniele , Distefano Alfio , Pittalà Valeria , Reibaldi Michele , Zanghì Guido Nicola , Longo Antonio , Russo Andrea , Caltabiano Rosario , Volti Giovanni Li , Musso Nicolò
Published: October 2022

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular tumor in adults. To date, the main strategies to counteract its progression consist of focal radiation on the tumor site and ocular enucleation. Furthermore, many UM patients develop liver metastasis within 10 years following diagnosis, eventually resulting in a poorer prognosis for those patients. Dissecting the molecular mechanism involved in UM progression may lead to identify novel prognostic markers with significative clinical applications. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of Heme Oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in regulating UM progression. UM cell lines (92.1) were treated with Hemin (CONC e time), a strong inducer of HO-1, and VP13/47, a selective inhibitor of its enzymatic activity. Interestingly, our results showed an enhanced 92.1 cellular proliferation and wound healing ability following an HO-1 increase, overall unveiling the role played by this protein in tumor progression. Similar results were obtained following treatment with two different CO releasing molecules (CORM-3 and CORM-A1). These results were further confirmed in a clinical setting using our UM cohort. Our results demonstrated an increased median HO-1 expression in metastasizing UM when compared to nonmetastasizing patients. Overall, our results showed that HO-1 derived CO plays a major role in UM progression and HO-1 protein expression may serve as a potential prognostic and therapeutical factor in UM patients.
Measurement System for the Experimental Study and Testing of Electric Motors at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Debrecen
Authors: Sziki Gusztáv Áron , Szántó Attila , Kiss János , Juhász György , Ádámkó Éva
Published: October 2022

The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Debrecen has a long-standing tradition of developing electric and pneumatic-driven prototype race cars. These vehicles are regular participants in domestic and international university competitions. For more conscious development, thus, for more successful racing, a vehicle dynamics simulation program was developed by our research group. One of the main parts of the above program is the simulation of the drive system, including the electric motor. The input data for the motor simulation programs are the electromagnetic and dynamic characteristics of the motor. Most of these characteristics are usually not specified in the motor catalogue; thus, they have to be measured. In this paper, a detailed description of a recently developed measurement system (MS), which is capable of measuring all the above-mentioned characteristics, is presented. Additionally, by applying it, test measurements can also be performed on the motors to check the accuracy of the output functions generated by the simulation programs. Several experimental arrangements and procedures for specific experimental tasks are also presented here as examples for the application of the MS.
XOR-Based (n, n) Visual Cryptography Schemes for Grayscale or Color Images with Meaningful Shares
Authors: Chen Yu-Hong , Juan Justie Su-Tzu
Published: October 2022

XOR-based Visual Cryptography Scheme (XOR-based VCS) is a method of secret image sharing. The principle of XOR-based VCS is to encrypt a secret image into several encrypted images, called shares. No information about the secret can be obtained from any of the shares, and after applying the logical XOR operation to stack these shares, the original secret image can be recovered. In this paper, we present a new XOR-based VCS for grayscale or a color secret image. This scheme encrypts the secret grayscale (or color) image into n meaningful grayscale (or color) shares, which can import n difference cover images. After stacking n shares using the XOR operation, the original secret image can be completely restored. Both the theoretical proof and experimental results show that our method is accurate and efficient. To the best of our knowledge, ours is the only scheme that currently provides this functionality for grayscale and color secret images.
Synthetic Data and Computer-Vision-Based Automated Quality Inspection System for Reused Scaffolding
Authors: Kim Alexander , Lee Kyuhyup , Lee Seojoon , Song Jinwoo , Kwon Soonwook , Chung Suwan
Published: October 2022

Regular scaffolding quality inspection is an essential part of construction safety. However, current evaluation methods and quality requirements for temporary structures are based on subjective visual inspection by safety managers. Accordingly, the assessment process and results depend on an inspector’s competence, experience, and human factors, making objective analysis complex. The safety inspections performed by specialized services bring additional costs and increase evaluation times. Therefore, a temporary structure quality and safety evaluation system based on experts’ experience and independent of the human factor is the relevant solution in intelligent construction. This study aimed to present a quality evaluation system prototype for scaffolding parts based on computer vision. The main steps of the proposed system development are preparing a dataset, designing a neural network (NN) model, and training and evaluating the model. Since traditional methods of preparing a dataset are very laborious and time-consuming, this work used mixed real and synthetic datasets modeled in Blender. Further, the resulting datasets were processed using artificial intelligence algorithms to obtain information about defect type, size, and location. Finally, the tested parts’ quality classes were calculated based on the obtained defect values.
An In-Silico Study on the Therapeutic Effect of Low Back Belts: Biomechanical Correlation between Belt Design and Patient Morphology
Authors: Han Woo-Suck , Molimard Jérôme , Pierrat Baptiste , Pannetier Romain , Convert Reynald
Published: October 2022

A comparative study of eight different lumbar belts, which are representative of the French market, was carried out on four typical morphologies of patients to assess their therapeutic effects and identify the correlation between the therapeutic parameters and mechanical ones. Four typical morphologies were chosen among 15 patients that had been chosen for the clinical study: tall-large, small-large, tall-thin, and small-thin. Simplified 3D finite elements (FE) models of the trunk according to each patient’s morphology were used for numerical analyses using Abaqus SimuliaTM. The same material properties of the body structures and boundary conditions were taken for all models to only focus on morphological variations. The material properties of eight lumbar belts were obtained by mechanical testing. The pressure applied by the belt to the trunk was modelled by Laplace’s law. The influences of belt types on typical morphologies were analyzed and synthetized to show which parameters are significant for biomechanical efficacy and attendance to the therapeutic effects. Finally, we found the following belt effects: (i) the lumbar belt is more efficient on the thin morphology than the large one, (ii) all mechanical values checked on the vertebral disks and vertebrae have a strong correlation with the correction of lordosis angle, and (iii) the belt’s global stiffness is an important parameter for generating the pressure applied to the trunk.
Thermal Catalytic Decomposition of Dimethyl Methyl Phosphonate Using CuO-CeO2/γ-Al2O3
Authors: Gao Han , Kong Weimin , Zhou Shuyuan , Wang Xuwei , He Qingrong , Dong Yanchun
Published: October 2022

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are highly toxic and fast-acting and are easy to cause large-scale poisoning to humans and livestock after being released. The activated carbon used for CWAs adsorption has disadvantages of limited adsorption capacity, easy aging and deactivation. Metal oxides have environmental stability, and they are characterized by long lasting and broad spectrum when used for thermal catalytic decomposition. Therefore, in this study, the supported copper–cerium catalyst CuO-CeO2/γ-Al2O3 was prepared using an equal volume impregnation method. The thermal catalytic decomposition performance was studied using sarin CWAs simulant dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP) as the target compound. The results show that the CuO-CeO2/γ-Al2O3 catalyst with a CeO2 loading of 5% exhibited better thermal catalytic decomposition performance of DMMP. The catalyst provided protection against DMMP for 237 min at 350 °C; CuO was highly dispersed on CuO-5% CeO2/γ-Al2O3, and there was a strong interaction between Cu and Ce on CuO-5% CeO2/γ-Al2O3, which promoted the generation of surface-adsorbed oxygen, leading to a better thermal catalytic decomposition performance of DMMP. This study is expected to provide a reference for the study of catalysts for the thermal catalytic decomposition of CWAs.
Spontaneous Dural Carotid-Cavernous Fistula Treated with Microcoil Insertion
Authors: Meduri Alessandro , Oliverio Giovanni William , Di Silvestre Lillina , Inferrera Leandro , Fiorini Pier Federico , Aragona Pasquale
Published: October 2022

This report includes a case of a 65-year-old woman presenting with a spontaneous dural carotid-cavernous fistula. Biomicroscopic examination of the anterior segment showed significant conjunctival chemosis, dilatation of the episcleral vessels, narrow anterior chamber, and a proptosis of the right eye, whereas the fellow eye was unremarkable. Retinal examination revealed an impaired arteriovenous ratio (A/V) from 1–4 to 1–2 and two extensive cotton exudates. An ultrasound scan (US) demonstrated congestion of the upper ophthalmic vein. Selective brain angiography through right femoral catheterization revealed a dural fistula of the wall of the cavernous right sinus. The patient underwent surgery on the superior ophthalmic vein and insertion of a micro-catheter in the cavernous sinus under CT guidance. Furthermore, a trans-femoral catheter was placed in the carotid artery on the same side as the fistula to allow arteriographic controls after micro coil positioning and embolization. Angiographic follow-up immediately after positioning the coils showed the occluded fistula and a regular flow circulation between the internal and the external carotid arteries. After treatment, the patient presented a complete resolution of symptoms. Conservative management is effective and safe in treating patients with carotid-cavernous fistula and mild clinical features because of a good chance of spontaneous or secondary thrombosis after arteriographic occlusion.
Leveraging Multi-Modal Information for Cross-Lingual Entity Matching across Knowledge Graphs
Authors: Wu Tianxing , Gao Chaoyu , Li Lin , Wang Yuxiang
Published: October 2022

In recent years, the scale of knowledge graphs and the number of entities have grown rapidly. Entity matching across different knowledge graphs has become an urgent problem to be solved for knowledge fusion. With the importance of entity matching being increasingly evident, the use of representation learning technologies to find matched entities has attracted extensive attention due to the computability of vector representations. However, existing studies on representation learning technologies cannot make full use of knowledge graph relevant multi-modal information. In this paper, we propose a new cross-lingual entity matching method (called CLEM) with knowledge graph representation learning on rich multi-modal information. The core is the multi-view intact space learning method to integrate embeddings of multi-modal information for matching entities. Experimental results on cross-lingual datasets show the superiority and competitiveness of our proposed method.
Deep Transfer Learning Model for Semantic Address Matching
Authors: Xu Liuchang , Mao Ruichen , Zhang Chengkun , Wang Yuanyuan , Zheng Xinyu , Xue Xingyu , Xia Fang
Published: October 2022

Address matching, which aims to match an input descriptive address with a standard address in an address database, is a key technology for achieving data spatialization. The construction of today’s smart cities depends heavily on the precise matching of Chinese addresses. Existing methods that rely on rules or text similarity struggle when dealing with nonstandard address data. Deep-learning-based methods often require extracting address semantics for embedded representation, which not only complicates the matching process, but also affects the understanding of address semantics. Inspired by deep transfer learning, we introduce an address matching approach based on a pretraining fine-tuning model to identify semantic similarities between various addresses. We first pretrain the address corpus to enable the address semantic model (abbreviated as ASM) to learn address contexts unsupervised. We then build a labelled address matching dataset using an address-specific geographical feature, allowing the matching problem to be converted into a binary classification prediction problem. Finally, we fine-tune the ASM using the address matching dataset and compare the output with several popular address matching methods. The results demonstrate that our model achieves the best performance, with precision, recall, and an F1 score above 0.98.
Research on the Influence of User and Graphic–Text Combined Icon Construal Level Fitting on Visual Cognition
Authors: Zhu Yanfei , Li Ying , Lin Yun , Chen Mo , Guo Qi , Zhang Zhisheng
Published: October 2022

Based on the individual traits of the user’s construal level differences, this study examines the visual cognition differences of graphic–text combined icon concreteness in the interface between users with high and low construal levels. We classified four types of graphic–text combined icons, which are as follows: concrete graphic + concrete text (Ci + Ct), concrete graphic + abstract text (Ci + At), abstract graphic + concrete text (Ai + Ct), and abstract graphic + abstract text (Ai + At). According to the behavioral experiment results, there is no visual cognitive difference between the two types of traits users in Ci + Ct. In terms of Ci + At and Ai + Ct, the visual cognitive performance of high construal level users is slightly better than that of low construal level users. In Ai + At, there are obvious visual cognitive differences between the two types of users. Visual cognitive fluency plays a mediating role in response time and matching rates of the two types of users. Based on the construal level perspective, this study considers the visual cognitive differences based on the user’s stable traits. It provides a certain reference for the graphic–text combined icons’ design in the adaptive human–computer interaction interface.
Predicting the Impact of Academic Key Factors and Spatial Behaviors on Students’ Performance
Authors: Musaddiq Muhammad Hammad , Sarfraz Muhammad Shahzad , Shafi Numan , Maqsood Rabia , Azam Awais , Ahmad Muhammad
Published: October 2022

Quality education is necessary as it provides the basis for equality in society. It is also significantly important that educational institutes be focused on tracking and improving the academic performance of each student. Thus, it is important to identify the key factors (i.e., diverse backgrounds, behaviors, etc.) that help students perform well. However, the increasing number of students makes it challenging and leaves a negative impact on credibility and resources due to the high dropout rates. Researchers tend to work on a variety of statistical and machine learning techniques for predicting student performance without giving much importance to their spatial and behavioral factors. Therefore, there is a need to develop a method that considers weighted key factors which have an impact on their performance. To achieve this, we first surveyed by considering experts’ opinions in selecting weighted key factors using the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM). Secondly, a geospatial-based machine learning technique was developed which integrated the relationship between students’ location-based features, semester-wise behavioral features, and academic features. Three different experiments were conducted to prove the superiority and predict student performance. The experimental results reveal that Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) achieved higher accuracy of 90.9% as compared to other machine learning methods, for instance, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Naive Bayes (NB), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), and Decision Tree (DT). Scientific analysis techniques (i.e., Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM)) and machine learning feature engineering techniques (i.e., Variance Threshold (VT)) were used in two different experiments for selecting features where scientific analysis techniques had achieved better accuracy. The finding of this research is that, along with the past performance and social status key factors, the semester behavior factors have a lot of impact on students’ performance. We performed spatial statistical analysis on our dataset in the context of Pakistan, which provided us with the spatial areas of students’ performance; furthermore, their results are described in the data analysis section.
A High-Precision Method for Evaluating Sector Capacity in Bad Weather Based on an Improved WITI Model
Authors: Huang Shiyu , Xu Lin , Zhou Yuzhi , Qiao Yujie , Shen Zhiyuan
Published: October 2022

The rapid development of the civil aviation industry has increased the pressure on airspace resources in China. The traditional sector capacity assessment method does not take into account the impact of bad weather, resulting in flight plans often deviating markedly from the predicted plans, causing flight delays and affecting the punctuality rate of flights. To solve this issue, we propose a novel evaluation method based on an improved Weather-Impacted Traffic Index (WITI) model to calculate sector capacity. The WITI model is optimized in order to calculate the weather-influence coefficients under different types of bad weather. These coefficients were also considered in a controller workload model. Finally, the model was trained using a deep-neural-network algorithm, which is combined with a linear regression algorithm to calculate sector capacity under different bad weather conditions. The novel approach leads to the output results being within a specified error range, which greatly improves their accuracy. This method was applied to the actual case data of Yinchuan Hedong International Airport to consider different types of bad weather and quantify their severity, which more specifically assesses the sector capacity under the condition of bad weather.
Special Issue on AI and HCI Methods and Techniques for Cultural Heritage Curation, Exploration and Fruition
Authors: Ardissono Liliana , Raptis George E. , Mauro Noemi
Published: October 2022

The richness of tangible and intangible cultural heritage (CH) poses great opportunities and challenges in the development of successful information and communications technology (ICT) tools for its curation, exploration and fruition [...]
Research on the Application of Foamed Lightweight Concrete (FLC) in the Construction of Highway Soft Soil Foundation Engineering with Buried High-Pressure Gas Pipes
Authors: Jiang Zaolong , Gao Xin , Feng Xiaozhe , Chen Dachuan
Published: October 2022

In order to study the feasibility and superiority of foam lightweight concrete (FLC) for existing buried high-pressure gas pipeline section under soft soil roadbed, this paper takes the buried existing high-pressure gas pipeline section under the second phase of the Foqingcong Expressway project as the engineering background, and designs two soft soil roadbed treatment schemes, the pile composite foundation method, and the foam lightweight concrete (FLC). Through bearing capacity and settlement calculations, it was confirmed that FLC is feasible for soft soil roadbeds in the existing buried high-pressure gas pipe section, and the three major aspects of analysis, namely the safety benefits, economic benefits and ecological benefits based on the LCA carbon emission calculation, showed that the FLC soft soil roadbed treatment method can reduce the cost by 12% compared with the pile composite foundation treatment method, which is about 1.07 million RMB, and the carbon emission is reduced by about one third. This is a clear benefit advantage. Finally, the feasibility of FLC for buried high-pressure gas pipe sections under both soft soil roadbeds was further verified by field measurements of settlement and earth pressure, which has broad application prospects.
In-House 3D-Printed vs. Conventional Bracket: An In Vitro Comparative Analysis of Real and Nominal Bracket Slot Heights
Authors: Brucculeri Luca , Carpanese Claudia , Palone Mario , Lombardo Luca
Published: October 2022

Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the slot height of in-house 3D-printed resin brackets, comparing them with other types of brackets on the market today, both ceramic and metallic. Methods: Seven different types of bracket systems were selected. For each system, ten brackets for tooth 2.1 with 0.022 × 0.028-inch slots were selected (total n° 70). Considering the whole sample, five types were commercially available and two were in-house 3D-printed. The entire sample was divided into four different groups according to the bracket material and the method of holding the archwire. Precision pin gauges with 0.002-mm increments were inserted inside the slot of each bracket, and the slot heights were measured, microscopically ensuring that the gauge completely filled the slot, with full contact between both the bottom and the top of the slot. Results: With respect to the other five types of brackets on the market, the two types of in-house 3D-printed resin brackets showed great accuracy of slot height (0.558 ± 0.001 mm). There was a statistically significant difference between the real height measured and the nominal height declared by the manufacturers (p < 0.05) of all the samples investigated, with the exception of in-house 3D-printed resin brackets. Furthermore, the difference in slot height accuracy between commercially manufactured and in-house 3D-printed resin brackets was statistically significant. Conclusions: In-house 3D-printed resin brackets have a remarkably precise slot height, unlike commercially available brackets, whose slot heights tend to be significantly oversized with respect to the nominal values declared by the manufacturers.
Noninvasive Monitoring of Metabolism and Hemodynamics Using Super-Continuum Infrared Spectroscopy of a Cytochrome C Oxidase (SCISCCO) Instrument
Authors: Islam Mohammed N. , Zhai Tianqu , Dobre Alexander , Meah Cynthia N. , Kovelman Ioulia , Broglio Steven , Beard Daniel A. , Hu Xiaosu , Joseph Jacob R. , Saadeh Yamaan S. , Russo Rachel , Alam Hasan B.
Published: October 2022

We present a novel, noninvasive, super-continuum infrared spectroscopy of cytochrome c oxidase (SCISCCO) system for simultaneously measuring hemodynamic and metabolic parameters, and we demonstrate its utility by applying it to lab calibration tests, human studies, and swine animal studies. The system optically assays the redox state of cytochrome c oxidase (CCO), as well as traditional markers including oxygenated (HbO) and deoxygenated (HbR) hemoglobin. To demonstrate in vivo feasibility, the measured responses of oxygenation and CCO responses to acute ischemia on the arm and forehead in human participants are compared to data from the literature. The validated SCISCCO system is then applied in human studies to measure cerebral oxygenation and the redox state of CCO in participants during an attention test protocol. We show that the redox state of CCO and hemodynamics measured by the SCISCCO system are consistent with the physiological hypothesis established in prior studies. To enable use of the SCISCCO system in laboratory and hospital settings as well as transportation to remote locations, a cart-based SCISCCO prototype system has also been developed. The cart-based SCISCCO prototype is applied to swine animal models undergoing induction of hemorrhagic shock followed by partial resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (pREBOA). The pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of using the SCISCCO instrument within the context of existing protocols and validates the instrument’s measurements against the physiological and hemodynamic parameters measured by other conventional devices.
The GHGs Evolution of LULUCF Sector at the European Union (EU-27 + UK): Romania Case Study
Authors: Iordache Mihaela , Bucura Felicia , Ionete Roxana Elena , Grigorescu Remus , Iordache Andreea Maria , Zgavarogea Ramona , Chitu Alin , Zaharioiu Anca , Botoran Oana Romina , Constantinescu Marius
Published: October 2022

Mitigating climate change is a challenge that urgently needs to be addressed, as it has an increasing impact on the planet. According to the latest reports, global CO2 emissions must be neutralized by 2050 in order to limit the rise in temperature to 1.5 °C. This work presents the evolution of Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions/removals at the EU-27 + UK level for the 1990–2019 time period, as well as LULUCF emissions/removals forecasts for Romania up to 2040. The results revealed a 23% reduction in GHG emissions for the EU-27 + UK in 2019 compared to 1990. Romania’s yearly average of GHG emissions/removals was 28,000 kt CO2 eq., representing roughly 9.7% of the EU’s annual average. In terms of projections for Romania, the only scenario that will not be in the target set by the new LULUCF Regulation is WEM (Reference Scenario/With Existing Measures), in which net GHG removals will be reduced by approximately 218 kt CO2 eq., or 0.9 percent, in 2030 compared to the reference year; in 2040 compared to 1989, the trend will be accentuated both in absolute values, with a decrease of over 3000 kt CO2 eq., and in relative values of 12%.
Relations between Urban Entropies, Geographical Configurations, Habitability and Sustainability
Authors: Pacheco Patricio , Mera Eduardo
Published: October 2022

This study examines the consequences of human activity on the atmospheric boundary layer considering (i) atmospheric pollution, (ii) urban micrometeorology, (iii) three geographic morphologies (mountain, basin and coast) and (iv) surface change of roughness due to buildings. Qualitative relationships are established between the four issues mentioned using measurements from different periods, urban meteorology and pollutants, in the boundary layer of the three geographic morphologies, all with large urban settlements. The measurements per hour and at ground level correspond to the variables: temperature, magnitude of wind speed, relative humidity and concentration of anthropogenic pollutants (PM10, PM2.5 and CO). The measurements form time series, demonstrating their chaoticity through the parameters: Lyapunov coefficient, correlation dimension, Hurst coefficient, Lempel–Ziv complexity, information loss, fractal dimension and correlation entropy. The results, according to each parameter, allow us to characterize the effect of human activity on geographical morphologies and its meteorology, showing a lower impact on mountain and coastal areas. Calculating, for each geographical configuration, the quotient between the total correlation entropy of the meteorological variables and that of the pollutants, the basin entropy is less than one, which shows, for the study period, the entropic domain of atmospheric pollutants unlike mountain and coast.
Variational Methods for Atoms and the Virial Theorem
Authors: Fischer Charlotte Froese , Godefroid Michel
Published: October 2022

In the case of the one-electron Dirac equation with a point nucleus, the virial theorem (VT) states that the ratio of the kinetic energy to potential energy is exactly −1, a ratio that can be an independent test of the accuracy of a computed solution. This paper studies the virial theorem for subshells of equivalent electrons and their interactions in many-electron atoms. This shows that the linear scaling of the dilation is achieved through the balancing of the contributions to the potential of an electron from inner and outer regions that some Slater integrals impose conditions on a single subshell, but others impose conditions between subshells. The latter slows the rate of convergence of the self-consistent field process in which radial functions are updated one at a time. Several cases are considered. Results are also extended to the nonrelativistic case.
Some Probabilistic Generalizations of the Cheney–Sharma and Bernstein Approximation Operators
Authors: Ong Seng Huat , Ng Choung Min , Yap Hong Keat , Srivastava Hari Mohan
Published: October 2022

The objective of this paper is to give some probabilistic derivations of the Cheney, Sharma, and Bernstein approximation operators. Motivated by these probabilistic derivations, generalizations of the Cheney, Sharma, and Bernstein operators are defined. The convergence property of the Bernstein generalization is established. It is also shown that the Cheney–Sharma operator is the Szász–Mirakyan operator averaged by a certain probability distribution.
Set-Valued Variational Inclusion Governed by Generalized αiβj-Hp(., ., ...)-Accretive Mapping
Authors: Gupta Sanjeev , Khan Faizan Ahmad
Published: October 2022

This work is concerned with the new notion called generalized αiβj-Hp(., ., ...)-accretive mapping that is the sum of two symmetric accretive mappings. It is an extension of the generalized αβ-H(., .)-accretive mapping. The proximal point mapping linked to the generalized αiβj-Hp(., ., ...)-accretive mappings is defined, and some of its characteristics are discussed. As an application of the new proximal point mapping, we consider a set-valued variational inclusion problem in q-uniformly smooth Banach spaces. Further, we propose an iterative scheme connected with αiβj-Hp(., ., ...)-proximal point mapping to find the solution of a variational inclusion problem and discuss its convergence criteria under appropriate assumptions. Some examples are constructed in support of generalized αiβj-Hp(., ., ...)-accretive mappings.
Combining Sociocultural Intelligence with Artificial Intelligence to Increase Organizational Cyber Security Provision through Enhanced Resilience
Authors: Trim Peter R. J. , Lee Yang-Im
Published: October 2022

Although artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can be deployed to improve cyber security management, not all managers understand the different types of AI/ML and how they are to be deployed alongside the benefits associated with sociocultural intelligence. The aim of this paper was to provide a context within which managers can better appreciate the role that sociocultural intelligence plays so that they can better utilize AI/ML to facilitate cyber threat intelligence (CTI). We focused our attention on explaining how different approaches to intelligence (i.e., the intelligence cycle (IC) and the critical thinking process (CTP)) can be combined and linked with cyber threat intelligence (CTI) so that AI/ML is used effectively. A small group interview was undertaken with five senior security managers based in a range of companies, all of whom had extensive security knowledge and industry experience. The findings suggest that organizational learning, transformational leadership, organizational restructuring, crisis management, and corporate intelligence are fundamental components of threat intelligence and provide a basis upon which a cyber threat intelligence cycle process (CTICP) can be developed to aid the resilience building process. The benefit of this is to increase organizational resilience by more firmly integrating the intelligence activities of the business so that a proactive approach to cyber security management is achieved.
Nanofibrous Hydrogel Nanocomposite Based on Strontium-Doped Bioglass Nanofibers for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications
Authors: Zare Soheila , Mohammadpour Mahnaz , Izadi Zhila , Ghazanfari Samaneh , Nadri Samad , Samadian Hadi
Published: October 2022

The main aim of the current study is to fabricate an osteocompatible, bioactive, porous, and degradable bone tissue engineering scaffold. For this purpose, bioactive glasses (BGs) were chosen due to their similarity to bone’s natural mineral composition, and the effect of replacing Ca ions with Sr on their properties were considered. First, strontium-containing BGs (Sr-BGs) were synthesized using the electrospinning technique and assembled by the sol–gel method, then they were incorporated into the alginate (Alg) matrix. Photographs of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the BG nanofibers have a diameter of 220 ± 36 nm, which was smaller than the precursor nanofibers (275 ± 66 nm). The scaffolds possess a porous internal microstructure (230–330 nm pore size) with interconnected pores. We demonstrated that the scaffolds could be degraded in the acetate sodium buffer and phosphate-buffered saline. The osteoactivity of the scaffolds was confirmed via visual inspection of the SEM illustrations after seven days of immersing them in the SBF solution. In vitro assessments disclosed that the produced Alg-based composites including Sr-BGs (Alg/Sr-BGs) are blood-compatible and biocompatible. Accumulating evidence shows that Alg/Sr-BG (5%, 10%, and 15%) hydrogels could be a promising scaffold for bone regeneration.