bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Biologics on Refractory Eosinophilic Otitis Media Associated with Bronchial Asthma or Severe Uncontrolled CRSwNP
Authors: De Corso Eugenio , Montuori Claudio , Settimi Stefano , Mele Dario Antonio , Cantiani Alessandro , Corbò Marco , Cantone Elena , Paludetti Gaetano , Galli Jacopo
Published: February 2022

Eosinophilic otitis media (EOM) is a difficult-to-treat otitis media characterized by eosinophilic accumulation in the middle ear mucosa and effusion. It is resistant to conventional treatments and strongly associated with asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). The aim of our study is to evaluate the effectiveness of biologics drugs in the control of EOM. This is a retrospective no-profit real-life observational study, involving patients affected by refractory EOM and in treatment with different biologics for concomitant severe eosinophilic asthma or severe uncontrolled CRSwNP (Dupilumab: n = 5; Omalizumab: n = 1; Mepolizumab: n = 1; Benralizumab: n = 1). We analyzed data at baseline and at the 6-month follow-up, including specific nasal and otological parameters. We observed an improvement of all nasal outcomes, including NPS, SNOT-22, VAS, and smell function. Regarding specific otological parameters, we observed a significant reduction in the mean value of COMOT-15 score and of Otitis Severity Score at 6-month follow-up compared to baseline (p < 0.05). Finally, we observed an improvement in terms of air conduction hearing levels during the treatment. Our results demonstrated that anti type-2 inflammatory pathway biologics can be effective in improving symptoms control and in reducing the severity of eosinophilic otitis media when treating coexisting type-2 diseases, such as asthma and or CRSwNP.
Mortality Trends Related to Bladder Cancer in Spain, 1999–2018
Authors: Sarrio-Sanz Pau , Martinez-Cayuelas Laura , Gil-Guillen Vicente Francisco , Quesada José Antonio , Gomez-Perez Luis
Published: February 2022

Bladder cancer (BC) is an important cause of premature mortality (PM, <75 years). Spain has one of the highest BC mortality rates in Europe. The objective of this study was to analyse BC mortality trends between 1999 and 2018 in Spain. The study was based on data from the National Institute of Statistics (Instituto Nacional de Estadística—INE). Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) were calculated by sex and age group. A trend analysis was performed using Joinpoint regression models and years of potential life lost (YPLL). Mortality in men resulting from BC decreased in all age groups studied. This was not observed in women, for whom mortality only decreased in the ≥75 age group. Deaths due to BC occurred prematurely in 38.6% of men and in 23.8% of women, which indicated a greater impact on YPLL in men compared to women. Over the last 20 years, there has been a significant decrease in BC mortality rate, except in women under 75 years of age. Despite this temporal trend of decreasing mortality, BC continues to have a significant impact on YPLL, mainly in men. Given this context, it is important to direct more resources towards prevention and early diagnosis strategies to correct this situation.
A Soft Coprocessor Approach for Developing Image and Video Processing Applications on FPGAs
Authors: Deng Tiantai , Crookes Danny , Woods Roger , Siddiqui Fahad
Published: February 2022

Developing Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based applications is typically a slow and multi-skilled task. Research in tools to support application development has gradually reached a higher level. This paper describes an approach which aims to further raise the level at which an application developer works in developing FPGA-based implementations of image and video processing applications. The starting concept is a system of streamed soft coprocessors. We present a set of soft coprocessors which implement some of the key abstractions of Image Algebra. Our soft coprocessors are designed for easy chaining, and allow users to describe their application as a dataflow graph. A prototype implementation of a development environment, called SCoPeS, is presented. An application can be modified even during execution without requiring re-synthesis. The paper concludes with performance and resource utilization results for different implementations of a sample algorithm. We conclude that the soft coprocessor approach has the potential to deliver better performance than the soft processor approach, and can improve programmability over dedicated HDL cores for domain-specific applications while achieving competitive real time performance and utilization.
Acoustic Wave Propagation in a Borehole with a Gas Hydrate-Bearing Sediment
Authors: Liu Lin , Zhang Xiumei , Ji Yunjia , Wang Xiuming
Published: February 2022

A knowledge of wave propagation in boreholes with gas hydrate-bearing sediments, a typical three-phase porous medium, is of great significance for better applications of acoustic logging information on the exploitation of gas hydrate. To study the wave propagation in such waveguides based on the Carcione–Leclaire three-phase theory, according to the equations of motion and constitutive relations, a staggered-grid finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) scheme and a real axis integration (RAI) algorithm in a two-dimensional (2D) cylindrical coordinate system are proposed. In the FDTD scheme, the partition method is used to solve the stiff problem, and the nonsplitting perfect matched layer (NPML) scheme is extended to solve the problem of the false reflection waves from the artificial boundaries of the computational region. In the RAI algorithm, combined with six boundary conditions, the displacement potentials of waves are studied to calculate the borehole acoustic wavefields. The effectiveness is verified by comparing the results of the two algorithms. On this basis, the acoustic logs within a gas hydrate-bearing sediment are investigated. In particular, the wave field in a borehole is analyzed and the amplitude of a Stoneley wave under different hydrate saturations is studied. The results indicate that the attenuation coefficient of the Stoneley wave increases with the increase of gas hydrate saturation. The acoustic responses in a borehole embedded in a horizontally stratified hydrate formation are also simulated by using the proposed FDTD scheme. The result shows that the amplitude of the Stoneley wave from the upper interface is smaller than that from the bottom interface.
Performance of a Propeller Coated with Hydrophobic Material
Authors: Pan Huachen , Zeng Ran , Tian Xiaoqing , Taalab Elias , Lv Ming , Zhu Zefei
Published: February 2022

Computational and experimental methods were used to study a propeller coated with hydrophobic material and a propeller with a conventional surface for comparison. In CFD simulations, the blade surface mesh was arranged in a way to set non-slip or free slip wall boundary conditions with different proportions to define the level of surface slip. The conventional and the hydrophobic material propellers defined by different surface slip rates were simulated under different advance speed coefficients and different rotational speeds. Propeller performance results, blade pressure, and the Liutex vorticity distribution were studied. An experimental platform was established to study the velocity field around the propeller using a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) device. The CFD calculation results were compared with the PIV results. It was found that the calculation results using a 75% surface slip rate were closer to the experimental results. The calculation results show that the propeller coated with hydrophobic material has improved thrust and efficiency compared with the propeller with conventional material. The hydrophobic material can significantly reduce the low-speed region downstream of the propeller hub. The hub and the tip vortices shown by the Liutex are also significantly reduced. Those changes help to improve the propulsion efficiency.
Population Genomics, Transcriptional Response to Heat Shock, and Gut Microbiota of the Hong Kong Oyster Magallana hongkongensis
Authors: Xie Yichun , Huang Elaine Y. Y. , Nong Wenyan , Law Sean T. S. , Yu Yifei , Cheung Khan , Li Yiqian , Wong Cheuk Fung , Yip Ho Yin , Joyce Patrick W. S. , Chan King Ming , Chu Ka Hou , Russell Bayden D. , Falkenberg Laura J. , Hui Jerome H. L.
Published: February 2022

The Hong Kong oyster Magallana hongkongensis, previously known as Crassostrea hongkongensis, is a true oyster species native to the estuarine-coast of the Pearl River Delta in southern China. The species—with scientific, ecological, cultural, and nutritional importance—has been farmed for hundreds of years. However, there is only limited information on its genetics, stress adaptation mechanisms, and gut microbiota, restricting the sustainable production and use of oyster resources. Here, we present population structure analysis on M. hongkongensis oysters collected from Deep Bay and Lantau Island in Hong Kong, as well as transcriptome analysis on heat shock responses and the gut microbiota profile of M. hongkongensis oysters collected from Deep Bay. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including those on the homeobox genes and heat shock protein genes, were revealed by the whole genome resequencing. Transcriptomes of oysters incubated at 25 °C and 32 °C for 24 h were sequenced which revealed the heat-induced regulation of heat shock protein pathway genes. Furthermore, the gut microbe community was detected by 16S rRNA sequencing which identified Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria and Spirochaetes as the most abundant phyla. This study reveals the molecular basis for the adaptation of the oyster M. hongkongensis to environmental conditions.
Diversity and Evolution of Mamiellophyceae: Early-Diverging Phytoplanktonic Green Algae Containing Many Cosmopolitan Species
Authors: Yung Charmaine C. M. , Rey Redondo Elvira , Sanchez Frederic , Yau Sheree , Piganeau Gwenael
Published: February 2022

The genomic revolution has bridged a gap in our knowledge about the diversity, biology and evolution of unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes, which bear very few discriminating morphological features among species from the same genus. The high-quality genome resources available in the class Mamiellophyceae (Chlorophyta) have been paramount to estimate species diversity and screen available metagenomic data to assess the biogeography and ecological niches of different species on a global scale. Here we review the current knowledge about the diversity, ecology and evolution of the Mamiellophyceae and the large double-stranded DNA prasinoviruses infecting them, brought by the combination of genomic and metagenomic analyses, including 26 metabarcoding environmental studies, as well as the pan-oceanic GOS and the Tara Oceans expeditions.
Inoculation of Barley (Hordeum vulgare) with the Endophyte Epichloë bromicola Affects Plant Growth, and the Microbial Community in Roots and Rhizosphere Soil
Authors: Liu Jing , Wang Zhengfeng , Chen Zhenjiang , White James F. , Malik Kamran , Chen Taixiang , Li Chunjie
Published: February 2022

Hordeum vulgare is an important source of feed and forage for livestock, and of food and drink for humans, but its utilization rate is lower than that of other cereal crops, thus it is crucial to improve barley agronomic traits and production. Epichloë bromicola is an endophyte that was isolated from wild barley (Hordeum brevisubulatum). Previous studies have found that Epichloë can indirectly influence the growth of host plants by affecting soil chemical characteristics, the microbial community, and by producing a range of secondary metabolites. However, underlying effects of Epichloë on the abundance and diversity of soil and root microbes have not been well-studied. In addition, there is a question regarding the relationship between endophyte-produced alkaloids and effects on the root and rhizosphere microbial communities. The objective of this study was to investigate changes in agronomic traits, nutritional properties, peramine, soil chemical and microbial community in the fourth generation of new barley symbionts EI (E. bromicola-infection) and EF (E. bromicola-free) in LQ+4 and LZ+4. We understand the plant height and biomass of EI in LZ+4 were significantly higher than those of EF. The HPLC analysis showed that the peramine content of EI in LQ+4 and LZ+4 was 0.085 and 0.1 mg/g, respectively. We compared the bacterial and fungal communities by analyzing the 16s rRNA (for bacteria) and ITS rDNA regions (for fungi). Our data revealed that the composition of fungal communities in rhizosphere soil of LZ+4 EI are higher than EF. In addition, the diversity and richness of fungal communities in root and rhizosphere soil of LQ+4 EI and LZ+4 EI are significantly higher than EF. Rhizosphere soil microbial community composition was higher than that in roots in LQ+4 and LZ+4. Peramine was significantly and positively correlated with the richness of the soil fungal community. Moreover, the principal component analysis (PCoA) results indicated that E. bromicola significantly influenced the community composition of root and rhizosphere soil microbes in both LQ+4 and LZ+4. Our results illustrate that E. bromicola can influence barley growth, peramine production and microbial communities associated with barley.
Numerical Comparison of Restored Vertebral Body Height after Incomplete Burst Fracture of the Lumbar Spine
Authors: Jhong Guan-Heng , Chung Yu-Hsuan , Li Chun-Ting , Chen Yen-Nien , Chang Chih-Wei , Chang Chih-Han
Published: February 2022

Background and objectives: Vertebral compression fracture is a major health care problem worldwide due to its direct and indirect negative influence on health-related quality of life and increased health care costs. Although a percutaneous surgical intervention with balloon kyphoplasty or metal expansion, the SpineJack, along with bone cement augmentation has been shown to efficiently restore and fix the lost vertebral height, 21–30% vertebral body height loss has been reported in the literature. Furthermore, the effect of the augmentation approaches and the loss of body height on the biomechanical responses in physiological activities remains unclear. Hence, this study aimed to compare the mechanical behavior of the fractured lumbar spine with different restored body heights, augmentation approaches, and posterior fixation after kyphoplasty using the finite element method. Furthermore, different augmentation approaches with bone cement and bone cement along with the SpineJack were also considered in the simulation. Materials and Methods: A numerical lumbar model with an incomplete burst fracture at L3 was used in this study. Two different degrees of restored body height, namely complete and incomplete restorations, after kyphoplasty were investigated. Furthermore, two different augmentation approaches of the fractured vertebral body with bone cement and SpineJack along with bone cement were considered. A posterior instrument (PI) was also used in this study. Physiological loadings with 400 N + 10 Nm in four directions, namely flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation, were applied to the lumbar spine with different augmentation approaches for comparison. Results: The results indicated that both the bone cement and bone cement along with the SpineJack could support the fractured vertebral body to react similarly with an intact lumbar spine under identical loadings. When the fractured body height was incompletely restored, the peak stress in the L2–L3 disk above the fractured vertebral body increased by 154% (from 0.93 to 2.37 MPa) and 116% (from 0.18 to 0.39 MPa), respectively, in the annular ground substance and nucleus when compared with the intact one. The use of the PI could reduce the range of motion and facet joint force at the implanted levels but increase the facet joint force at the upper level of the PI. Conclusions: In the present study, complete restoration of the body height, as possible in kyphoplasty, is suggested for the management of lumbar vertebral fractures.
Improving the Process of Shared Decision-Making by Integrating Online Structured Information and Self-Assessment Tools
Authors: Hsu Pei-Jung , Wu Chia-Ying , Kuo Lu-Cheng , Chen Ming-Yuan , Chen Yu-Ling , Huang Szu-Fen , Chuang Pao-Yu , Jerng Jih-Shuin , Chen Shey-Ying
Published: February 2022

The integration of face-to-face communication and online processes to provide access to information and self-assessment tools may improve shared decision-making (SDM) processes. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of implementing an online SDM process with topics and content developed through a participatory design approach. We analyzed the triggered and completed SDM cases with responses from participants at a medical center in Taiwan. Data were retrieved from the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) database of the hospital for analysis. Each team developed web-based patient decision aids (PDA) with empirical evidence in a multi-digitized manner, allowing patients to scan QR codes on a leaflet using their mobile phones and then read the PDA content online. From July 2019 to December 2020, 48 web-based SDM topics were implemented in the 24 clinical departments of this hospital. The results showed that using the REDCap system improved SDM efficiency and quality. Implementing an online SDM process integrated with face-to-face communication enhanced the practice and effectiveness of SDM, possibly through the flexibility of accessing information, self-assessment, and feedback evaluation.
Association between Ocular Parameters and Intraocular Pressure Elevation during Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery in Open-Angle Glaucoma and Nonglaucoma Individuals
Authors: Wang Ya-Hui , He Yi-Zhen , Chiang Ming-Hsuan , Lee Chia-Yi , Wu Chien-Liang
Published: February 2022

In this study, we evaluate the association between biometrics and intraocular pressure (IOP) during femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) in normal patients and those with open-angle glaucoma (OAG). A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 103 patients who had received elective FLACS were enrolled, and those with OAG who received FLACS were further divided into a subgroup. The perioperative IOP of FLACS was measured before, during, and after the suction procedure. Demographic data and preoperative biometrics were collected from the medical records. The generalized linear model was applied to yield the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of each biometric for the IOP elevation in the whole group and the OAG subgroup. The mean preoperative IOP was 20.96 ± 4.79 mmHg, which rose to 55.37 ± 11.58 mmHg during suction, and decreased to 23.75 ± 6.42 mmHg after suction; the IOP both during and after suction was significantly higher than the presuction IOP (both p < 0.001). The mean IOP elevation was 34.41 ± 9.70 mmHg in the whole study population, and the difference in IOP elevation between OAG and nonglaucoma subgroups was not significant (p = 0.159). In the whole group, the presuction IOP, postdilated pupil size (PPS), and central corneal thickness (CCT) were positively corrected to higher IOP elevation (all p < 0.05), while axial length (AL) was negatively related to IOP elevation (aOR: 0.020, 95% CI: 0.008–0.699, p = 0.042). For the OAG subgroup, the longer AL was more significantly correlated to lower IOP elevation compared to those without glaucoma (aOR: 0.231, 95% CI: 0.106–0.502, p = 0.006). In conclusion, presuction IOP, PPS, and CCT are related to higher IOP during FLAC, while the AL is negatively correlated to the IOP elevation in FLACS, especially for patients with OAG. Reviewing these parameters before FLACS may enable physicians to find patients who are at risk of IOP elevation.
Forecasting the Price of the Cryptocurrency Using Linear and Nonlinear Error Correction Model
Authors: Kim Jong-Min , Cho Chanho , Jun Chulhee
Published: February 2022

We employed linear and nonlinear error correction models (ECMs) to predict the log returns of Bitcoin (BTC). The linear ECM is the best model for predicting BTC compared to the neural network and autoregressive models in terms of RMSE, MAE, and MAPE. Using a linear ECM, we are able to understand how BTC is affected by other coins. In addition, we performed Granger-causality tests on fourteen cryptocurrencies.
Utilizing B-Spline Curves and Neural Networks for Vehicle Trajectory Prediction in an Inverse Reinforcement Learning Framework
Authors: Jazayeri Mohammad Sadegh , Jahangiri Arash
Published: February 2022

The ability to accurately predict vehicle trajectories is essential in infrastructure-based safety systems that aim to identify critical events such as near-crash situations and traffic violations. In a connected environment, important information about these critical events can be communicated to road users or the infrastructure to avoid or mitigate potential crashes. Intersections require special attention in this context because they are hotspots for crashes and involve numerous and complex interactions between road users. In this work, we developed an advanced machine learning method for trajectory prediction using B-spline curve representations of vehicle trajectories and inverse reinforcement learning (IRL). B-spline curves were used to represent vehicle trajectories; a neural network model was trained to predict the coefficients of these curves. A conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE) was used to generate candidate trajectories from these predicted coefficients. These candidate trajectories were then ranked according to a reward function that was obtained by training an IRL model on the (spline smoothed) vehicle trajectories and the surroundings of the vehicles. In our experiments we found that the neural network model outperformed a Kalman filter baseline and the addition of the IRL ranking module further improved the performance of the overall model.
Phytosociology and Vegetation of Plants of Beit Jibrin in Palestine
Authors: Ighbareyeh Jehad Mahmoud Hussein , Cano-Ortiz Ana , Cano Eusebio
Published: February 2022

This paper describes a study on the vegetation and floristics of the territory of Beit Jibrin in Palestine, in areas such as Forest the Snabreh (Qasa), Khallet Mahmoud and Khallet AL-Taweel, among others. In view of the lack of studies on the phytosociology and communities of plants in the south-west of Palestine, as this region represents a unique diversity of plants, and the addition of these plants to Mediterranean Basin region plants, we conducted this study to identify and describe the plants of this region. Beit Jibrin is an ancient Canaanite Palestinian city that belongs to inframediterranean and thermomediterranean thermotypes, as well as arid, semi-arid and dry ombrotypes. This area is very important floristically, with a high rate of endemism: of the 290 species documented, 37 of them (12.75%) were endemic to the region. Vegetation was sampled on twelve representative plots (releves) and analyzed using the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological analysis method. Two communities of forest maquis, macchie and steppe vegetation were found. Forest vegetation were represented by the Cupresso sempervirentis–Pinetum halepensis ass. nova. association, in the class of Quercetea ilicis Br.-Bl. ex. A. and O. Bolòs 1950, the order of Pinetalia halepensis, Biondi et al. (2014), and a new alliance: Cupresso sempervirentis–Pinus halepensis; forests maquis vegetation as the association of Pistacio lentisci—Quercetum calliprini ass. nova., with the suggested new class of Quercetea calliprini or palaestini in addition to Quercetea ilicis Br.-Bl. ex. A. and O. Bolòs 1950 and the order of Quercetalia calliprini (Zohary 1960), with an alliance of Quercion calliprini (Zohary 1960). These were adapted in arid, semi-arid, dry and sub-humid ombrotypes, as well as infra- and thermotropical to mesomediterranean thermotypes, with many different types of soils, such as limestone, brown ruinsenas, terra rossa and others.
Exploring the Ecological Climate Effects Based on Five Land Use Types: A Case Study of the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin in China
Authors: Zhu Mengyao , Liu Dandan , Tang Weichao , Chi Qian , Zhao Xiao , Xu Siqi , Ye Siyu , Wang Yaobin , Cui Yaoping , Zhou Shenghui
Published: February 2022

As one of the main driving forces for the change in surface energy balance, land use and cover change affects the ecological climate through different levels of biogeochemical and physical processes. However, many studies on the surface energy balance are conducted from the perspective of biogeochemistry, ignoring biogeochemical processes. By using core methods such as the surface energy balance algorithm and Mann-Kendall trend test, we analyzed the surface energy balance mechanism and ecological climate effects of five land use types in the Huang-Huai-Hai Basin in China. The results showed that: (1) the net radiation and latent heat flux in the five land use types increased significantly, and their highest values were located in cropland areas and urban expansion areas, respectively. (2) The influence of net radiation on surface energy absorption was greater than latent heat flux. This relationship was more obvious in land use types that were greatly influenced by human activities. (3) The net surface energy intake in the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin showed a decreasing trend and decreased with the increase in human influence intensity, indicating that human activities weakened the positive trend in net surface energy intake and increased the warming effect. This study reveals the difference in energy budgets of different land use types under the influence of human activities. It is helpful for understanding how to formulate sustainable land management strategies, and it also provides a theoretical basis for judging the climate change trends and urban heat island effects in the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin from a biogeophysical perspective.
The Managing and Restoring of Degraded Land in Post-Mining Areas
Authors: Rahmonov Oimahmad , Różkowski Jacek , Klys Grzegorz
Published: February 2022

Mining is an important branch of the economy, providing raw materials necessary for the economic and civilization development of the country [...]
Ki67 and LSD1 Expression in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors Is Not Associated with Patient Outcome: Investigation Using a Digital Pathology Algorithm
Authors: Lourenço Beatriz Chaves , Guimarães-Teixeira Catarina , Flores Bianca C. T. , Miranda-Gonçalves Vera , Guimarães Rita , Cantante Mariana , Lopes Paula , Braga Isaac , Maurício Joaquina , Jerónimo Carmen , Henrique Rui , Lobo João
Published: February 2022

TGCTs represent a model of curable disease afflicting especially young men. Defining tumor biological characteristics is crucial to increase current knowledge and tailor the best clinical management. Ki67, a potential prognostic marker, still exhibits heterogenous associations with patient outcomes, thus bringing the need of corroboration with larger cohorts in clinical practice. LSD1, an epigenetic enzyme, represents a future target for epigenetic drugs that may lower treatment-associated morbidity. This study aimed to assess Ki67/LSD1 immunoexpression across all TGCT histological subtypes and correlate it with clinicopathological features. Results were compared with an in silico analysis of the TCGA database. Immunohistochemistry for Ki67 and LSD1 was carried out in a cohort of 157 TGCT tumor samples and assessed using a digital pathology algorithm. LSD1 protein expression was explored in TGCT cell lines, including ATRA-differentiated clones. There was a significant positive correlation between Ki67 and LSD1 H-scores (rs = 0.182, p = 0.037). Ki67 positivity percentage and H-score were significantly higher in non-seminomas (p = 0.0316 and 0.0113, respectively). Expression was not significantly different according to clinicopathological features, including stage, IGCCCG prognosis-based system, or relapse/progression-free survival, which was corroborated by in silico analysis. Our study, making use of digital image analysis, does not confirm the utility of these biomarkers in a daily practice cohort. Although not affecting patient outcome in our cohort, LSD1 is expressed overall in TGCTs, suggesting sensitivity to LSD1 inhibitors.
Differential Oligomerization of Alpha versus Beta Amino Acids and Hydroxy Acids in Abiotic Proto-Peptide Synthesis Reactions
Authors: Frenkel-Pinter Moran , Jacobson Kaitlin C. , Eskew-Martin Jonathan , Forsythe Jay G. , Grover Martha A. , Williams Loren Dean , Hud Nicholas V.
Published: February 2022

The origin of biopolymers is a central question in origins of life research. In extant life, proteins are coded linear polymers made of a fixed set of twenty alpha-L-amino acids. It is likely that the prebiotic forerunners of proteins, or protopeptides, were more heterogenous polymers with a greater diversity of building blocks and linkage stereochemistry. To investigate a possible chemical selection for alpha versus beta amino acids in abiotic polymerization reactions, we subjected mixtures of alpha and beta hydroxy and amino acids to single-step dry-down or wet-dry cycling conditions. The resulting model protopeptide mixtures were analyzed by a variety of analytical techniques, including mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. We observed that amino acids typically exhibited a higher extent of polymerization in reactions that also contained alpha hydroxy acids over beta hydroxy acids, whereas the extent of polymerization by beta amino acids was higher compared to their alpha amino acid analogs. Our results suggest that a variety of heterogenous protopeptide backbones existed during the prebiotic epoch, and that selection towards alpha backbones occurred later as a result of polymer evolution.
The Influence of the Gradient Infill of PLA Samples Produced with the FDM Technique on Their Mechanical Properties
Authors: Maszybrocka Joanna , Dworak Michał , Nowakowska Grażyna , Osak Patrycja , Łosiewicz Bożena
Published: February 2022

Three-dimensional printing is a dynamically developing field of industry. Its main advantage is the small amount of waste, no need to use specialized tools, and easy control of the mechanical properties of the printed model. One of the most popular techniques of 3D printing is FDM. The main factor influencing the mechanical properties of 3D-printed materials is the filling density. The aim of this study was to determine the mechanical properties of porous structures with a porosity gradient of PLA samples printed using the FDM technique. The accuracy of mapping the structures by computed tomography was assessed, and then a static compression test was performed. It has been shown that the strength properties increased with the increase in the filling density. The highest value of compression strength, amounting to 41.2 MPa, was observed for samples made of PLA with an 80% filling degree, whereas the lowest value of compression strength was found in PLA-T samples with a filling degree of 10%, reaching only 0.6 MPa. It was found that not only the core filling density, but also the outer layers, influences the mechanical properties. The assessment of spatial architecture allowed for a qualitative and quantitative assessment. The obtained images from the computed tomograph showed that the designed sample models were correctly reproduced in the entire volume.
Inhibition of Carbide Growth by Sr in High-Alloyed White Cast Iron
Authors: Dojka Malwina , Dojka Rafał
Published: February 2022

Chromium cast irons have gained a well-settled position among wear-resistant materials where a low manufacturing cost is one of the key factors. The wear properties of these alloys are commonly improved by the addition of carbide-forming inoculating elements such as Ti, V, B, etc., allowing the formation of underlays for the precipitation of both M7C3 carbides and austenite. On the other hand, Sr may work as a surface-active element that adsorbs on the surface of the growing crystal, inhibiting its growth. This mechanism may support the M7C3 nucleation process. The experiment was conducted on near-eutectic chromium cast irons with 20% of Cr and 2.5–3% of C. Different amounts of strontium were used as the microstructure modifier. The improvement of carbides’ stereological parameters and collocation resulted in the improvement in functional properties—wear resistance and impact strength without a significant increase in hardness as well as a decrease in carbide phase. Two types of wear studies with a modified pin-on-disc method and tests in reciprocating motion of samples in the metal-mineral system were performed. The results showed that addition modification with Sr can increase the impact strength of the alloy. EDS analysis of the samples provided results similar to hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys modified with strontium.
Characterisation of Alloy Composition of Protohistoric Small Boat Models from Sardinia (Italy)
Authors: Iannaccone Roberta , Depalmas Anna , Bulla Claudio , Barcellos Lins Sergio Augusto , Brunetti Antonio
Published: February 2022

The Sardinian protohistoric civilisation (Final Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age) has greatly contributed to the development of metallurgy in the Mediterranean area by producing a large number of bronze artefacts. Among them, small boat models (so-called “navicelle”) represent one of the most characteristic objects from the Sardinian Protohistoric civilisation. This work is an attempt to classify these boats on the basis of their alloy composition, provenience, and morphology. Due to the impossibility of removing the boats from the museum, alloys were characterised using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and Monte Carlo simulations. Fifteen boats were analyzed. Obtained results were compared to other performed analyses in the last few decades with different techniques and reported in the literature. Analyses allow for characterising both the bulk composition of ternary alloy Cu–Sn–Pb and patina thickness, offering useful information about their conservation status and the technological achievements of Sardinian craftsmen, while also providing information on smelting temperatures and casting techniques.
Magnetic Geodesic in (Almost) Cosymplectic Lie Groups of Dimension 3
Authors: Munteanu Marian
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we study contact magnetic geodesics in a 3-dimensional Lie group G endowed with a left invariant almost cosymplectic structure. We distinguish the two cases: G is unimodular, and G is nonunimodular. We pay a careful attention to the special case where the structure is cosymplectic, and we write down explicit expressions of magnetic geodesics and corresponding magnetic Jacobi fields.
The Least Squares Homotopy Perturbation Method for Systems of Differential Equations with Application to a Blood Flow Model
Authors: Paşca Mădălina Sofia , Bundău Olivia , Juratoni Adina , Căruntu Bogdan
Published: February 2022

In this paper, least squares homotopy perturbation is presented as a straightforward and accurate method to compute approximate analytical solutions for systems of ordinary differential equations. The method is employed to solve a problem related to a laminar flow of a viscous fluid in a semi-porous channel, which may be used to model the blood flow through a blood vessel, taking into account the effects of a magnetic field. The numerical computations show that the method is both easy to use and very accurate compared to the other methods previously used to solve the given problem.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Mathematics in 2021
Authors:   Mathematics Editorial Office
Published: February 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
An Intelligent Expert Combination Weighting Scheme for Group Decision Making in Railway Reconstruction
Authors: Zeng Lihua , Ren Haiping , Yang Tonghua , Xiong Neal
Published: February 2022

The intuitionistic fuzzy entropy has been widely used in measuring the uncertainty of intuitionistic fuzzy sets. In view of some counterintuitive phenomena of the existing intuitionistic fuzzy entropies, this article proposes an improved intuitionistic fuzzy entropy based on the cotangent function, which not only considers the deviation between membership and non-membership, but also expresses the hesitancy degree of decision makers. The analyses and comparison of the data show that the improved entropy is reasonable. Then, a new IF similarity measure whose value is an IF number is proposed. The intuitionistic fuzzy entropy and similarity measure are applied to the study of the expert weight in group decision making. Based on the research of the existing expert clustering and weighting methods, we summarize an intelligent expert combination weighting scheme. Through the new intuitionistic fuzzy similarity, the decision matrix is transformed into a similarity matrix, and through the analysis of threshold change rate and the design of risk parameters, reasonable expert clustering results are obtained. On this basis, each category is weighted; the experts in the category are weighted by entropy weight theory, and the total weight of experts is determined by synthesizing the two weights. This scheme provides a new method in determining the weight of experts objectively and reasonably. Finally, the method is applied to the evaluation of railway reconstruction scheme, and an example shows the feasibility of the method.
Output Targeting and Runway Utilization of Major International Airports: A Comparative Analysis Using DEA
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Imperial Kristofer Neal Castro , Huang Ching-Chien , Dang Thanh-Tuan
Published: February 2022

The aviation industry is a prominent contributor to economic development. The existence of an airport hub that provides a worldwide transportation network generates economic growth, creates jobs, and facilitates international trade and tourism. This industry also helps in connecting different continents, countries, and cultures. This study utilizes the Data Envelopment Analysis models Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (CCR), Banker, Charnes, and Cooper (BCC), Slacks-Based Measure (SBM), and Epsilon Based Measure (EBM) in analyzing and evaluating the operational performance of the 21 major airports runway design during the years of 2016–2019 using the data of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) air transport statistics. The objective of this paper is to assess the efficiency of various airport runway configurations based on input factors such as number of runways, dimension of runways, airport area, and output factors such as annual number of flights and annual number of passengers. In the four applied models, the results indicated London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Munich International Airport (MUC) are efficient in utilizing the runway during the considered periods. Surprisingly, airports in the Asian continent with a parallel runway design are more efficient than in North America and Europe. This study can be a valuable reference for operation managers in evaluating and benchmarking the performance of an airport with different types of runway configurations. Moreover, it can be used by decision-makers, investors, stakeholders, policymakers, private companies, and government agencies as a guideline suitable for an airport.
Applying Integrated QFD-MCDM Approach to Strengthen Supply Chain Agility for Mitigating Sustainable Risks
Authors: Hsu Chih-Hung , Yu Ru-Yue , Chang An-Yuan , Liu Wan-Ling , Sun An-Ching
Published: February 2022

As the global economy develops and the complexity of supply chains increases, the effective mitigation of sustainable supply chain risks in electronics manufacturing has become important. While quality function deployment (QFD) has been successfully applied to many fields of multicriteria decision-making (MCDM), there is a lack of research on constructing a house-of-quality model that can be combined with MCDM for connecting supply chain agility with sustainable supply chain risks, especially in the field of electronics manufacturing. The objective of this study was to develop an integrated framework of QFD and MCDM and to devise an effective method to mitigate sustainable supply chain risks by improving supply chain agility. Such a method can help the multinational electronics manufacturing industry to develop stable and sustainable supply chains. In a multinational electronic manufacturing enterprise as an example, the results showed that the case enterprise work should focus on improving agility ‘production and sales capability’, ‘quick decision-making/strategic flexibility’, ‘electronic shiapment of finished products to control shipment operations’, ‘supplier on-time delivery rates’ and ‘cost minimization’. Improving agility would help enhance the ‘credibility and competence of operators and leaders’ and ‘product safety and quality’ and reduce ‘goods disruption or delay due to inadequate supply mobility and poor financial performance’, ‘information system instability’, the ‘long product lead time’ and other key sustainable supply chain risks. The proposed framework can not only be effectively used by other electronics manufacturers to develop agile strategies to mitigate sustainable supply chain risks, but also provides a reference for risk management for manufacturers in other fields.
Genetic Variants of Interleukin-4 in Romanian Patients with Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome
Authors: Tieranu Ioana , Tieranu Cristian George , Dutescu Monica Irina , Berghea Camelia Elena , Balgradean Mihaela , Popa Olivia Mihaela
Published: February 2022

Background and objectives: One of the most frequent glomerular diseases in the pediatric population is represented by the idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). The exact mechanisms mediating the disease are still unknown, but several genetic factors have been studied for possible implications. Cytokines are considered to play a pivotal role in mediating INS disease progression, interleukin-4 (IL-4) exhibiting particular interest. The objective of this research project was to investigate the association between two IL-4 gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and INS susceptibility as well as response to steroid therapy, in a group of Romanian children. Materials and Methods: In total, 75 patients with INS and 160 healthy controls of Romanian origin were genotyped for IL-4 rs2243250/−590C/T and rs2070874/−34C/T using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Association tests were performed using the DeFinetti program and Plink 1.07 software and p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The analysis of INS patients and controls revealed a similar genotype distribution of the studied SNPs. The minor T alleles were less frequent in the INS group, but not statistically significant (p = 0.1, OR = 0.68 and p = 0.2, OR = 0.74). Regarding the response to steroids, a low frequency of 590*T allele in steroid-resistant patients (7.7%), compared with steroid-sensitive patients (14%) and controls (17.5%), was obtained, but the difference did not reach the statistical significance threshold. The same result was obtained for −34C/T SNP. Conclusions: This is the first study examining the relationship between the IL-4 gene and INS susceptibility conducted in a European population, and particularly in Romania. The investigated SNPs were found to not be associated with disease susceptibility or response to the steroid treatment of pediatric INS.
Fatigue Properties of Ti Alloys with an Ultrafine Grained Structure: Challenges and Achievements
Authors: Semenova Irina Petrovna , Modina Yulia Mikhailovna , Stotskiy Andrey Gennadievich , Polyakov Alexander Vadimovich , Pesin Mikhail Vladimirovich
Published: February 2022

Ultrafine-grained (UFG) structure formation in Ti alloys, by severe plastic deformation (SPD) processing and enhancement of their mechanical properties, including fatigue properties, has been demonstrated in numerous studies in the past 20 years. The present overview analyzes the fatigue properties achieved to date in Ti alloys subjected to SPD. Such aspects are examined as the effect of a UFG structure on the fatigue behavior of commercially pure (CP) Ti, two-phase Ti alloys, using the popular Ti-6Al-4V alloy as an example, as well as on the kinetics and mechanisms of fatigue failure. The prospects and problems of the practical application of UFG Ti materials in medicine and aircraft engine construction are discussed.
Microstructural, Chemical, and Crystallographic Investigations of Dynamic Strain-Induced Ferrite in a Microalloyed QT Steel
Authors: Monschein Stefan , Ragger Katharina S. , Fasching Josef , Zügner Dominik , Schnitzer Ronald
Published: February 2022

Dynamic strain-induced transformation (DSIT) enables the formation of fine-grained ferritic microstructures, which are well suited for cold forming processes in the as-rolled condition. In this work, the formation mechanism, chemical composition, and crystallographic orientation of DSIT ferrite were investigated in a micro-alloyed steel and compared to pre-eutectoid ferrite. High-resolution techniques, such as scanning transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography (APT), were used for the investigations. To generate DSIT ferrite and pre-eutectoid ferrite, different experimental routes were applied using a compression deformation dilatometer. The results show a large number of NbC precipitates within DSIT ferrite, and show that the formation of DSIT ferrite is accompanied with C diffusion and the formation of retained austenite. APT measurements revealed that the C- and Mn concentration in DSIT ferrite is higher compared to pre-eutectoid ferrite. The crystallographic orientation of DSIT ferrite was examined using electron backscatter diffraction. The crystallographic orientation of DSIT ferrite after the deformation route revealed that the <111> plane normals are parallel to the compression direction with the <110> directions pointing towards the radial direction of the compressed sample. The results suggest that the formation of DSIT ferrite is a displacive mechanism, accompanied by C diffusion.
Observation of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties in Heat Affected Zone of As-Welded Carbon Steel by Using Plasma MIG Welding Process
Authors: Mamat Sarizam , Sidek Nur Azmina , Afandi Nur Aina Aqilah Mohd , Roslan Rose Alifah Ellyana , Ter Teo Pao , Yuji Toshifumi , Tashiro Shinichi , Tanaka Manabu
Published: February 2022

Plasma MIG welding is a hybrid welding process that combines two welding methods of conventional metal inert gas (MIG) welding with plasma arc welding. This study investigates the effect of plasma and plasma current values on the microstructure and microhardness properties of welded carbon steel plates. It was found that utilization of the plasma has resulted in a refined microstructure in the heat affected zones (HAZ), and a decrease in microhardness values as compared to conventional MIG welds. This potentially increases the ductility of the plasma MIG weldments. Furthermore, decreasing the plasma currents would result in the decrease of microhardness and grain sizes, thus further increasing the ductility of the welds.